This issue was delayed for some time, due to the technical
difficulty of a computer virus via an E-mail. I had recently
worked on manifesting spending less time on the computer with no
addiction to the constant usage so seemingly necessary in
today’s work world, and voila! I got my wish. Despite the
hassles, it was actually a blessing in disguise. One, I got a
great new computer with brand new software and warranties for
computer virus protection. (Part 3 of our exclusive interview
with Michael Levine and Part 4 of our exclusive interview with
Grant Cardone will appear in our next issue instead). Secondly,
and foremost, I was reminded that life really does go on without
the internet, and that our so called problems are generally
insignificant compared to those of many others in the world,
which is the topic for this letter from the editor. Thank you to
all of our growing number of readers, with your outpouring of
support and praise. We salute here in tribute, the life of
revolutionary activist and writer Howard Zinn, visionary fashion
designer Alexander McQueen, and phenomenal French New Wave
filmmaker Eric Rohmer. Their legendary presence on this planet
will be missed, but their work shall carry on.
The belief that because one happens to be born in one place on
Earth rather than another place, and that because one is raised
in a certain way, and believes one set of things, and has one
certain religion, rather than another, and therefore is better
than others who do not believe the same things, live the same
way, or worship the same God, is a belief not of enlightenment,
but of ignorance.
Blaming earthquake victims in Haiti for their own death is
expected from a bigoted preacher whose name is not even worth
mentioning, whose business in an industry of fear, ignorance and
hate, but it seemed to me this month and last, that even supposed
spiritually enlightened beings chose to slam Haitians for their
religion, including even some of those religious minorities
themselves. So here we had it, so called new age types calling
practitioners of an ancient religion, with adherents in the
millions, a cult, or, that favored insult among many, Devil
worshipers.
The most absurd thing, is that I can bet you that nearly every
one of these persons that insult the religious beliefs of the
majority of Haitians, have not read one scholarly book on the
religion of Haiti, with objectivity, of which there are few, nor
spoken with a person who actually practices one of the Fon* or
related religions, and merely base their beliefs and prejudices
on heresy, bad Hollywood movies, racist ideologies, or singular
books of misinformation written by authors with their own agenda,
rather than fact.
The people of Haiti are largely a brave, bright, and beautiful
people filled with life and spirit who work to do good in order
to get good results, because that's just what we should do, and,
if someone does them wrong, it is generally about putting that
issue at the foot of God, or the gods as they say, to let divine
justice merit it out, and that is rational and humane.
Haitians have added to the world not only through their unique
and powerful spiritualism, but also through the world of their
art, tribal drumming, and dance, the latter two of which has
influenced culture on a global level. The culture of Haiti should
be studied and appreciated, not feared and chastised.
The closest thing to Devil worship concerning Haiti, is by those
who are filled with hate so greatly against the Haitians and
their religious freedom, that they seek to destroy them and
pillage their land and resources. That is the true evil, the
blind hatred of racists, practice of religious intolerance,
harbingers of fascist imperialism, and the deranged, who continue
to kidnap children from Haiti or any other land.
I urge you to open your mind to the truth. Understand others
around you, or on the other side of the world, even if they look
different, act different, or worship another god. You don't have
to love or even like them, but at least know what you are talking
about before you say you are against it. At least teach yourself
and understand that which you criticize. If everyone in the world
spent a little bit of time each day trying to understand the
other side, rather than repeating addictive cycles of hating
based on ignorance, the world would be a far better place. Try
it, and you just might find that the things you condemn aren't so
different from what you believe after all.
The Hollywood Sentinel, © 2009.