blog-maryBlog - Joyful Curmudgeon - Blog
A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 


Often the Oppressed Become Oppressors – 29 Apr 2006
By Mary T. Hoffman

A few years ago I was listening to a public broadcasting radio station’s call-in program when a male caller made an interesting comment. He mentioned how he had assumed that the success of the “women’s lib” movement would result in a kinder, gentler society – that the influence of women would bring about positive changes. Instead, women had embraced the “opposition’s” ways. So true! I couldn’t agree more.

Then in 2004, I saw an advertisement that glorified women in rodeos, as “a rare breed…competing in calf roping, bull riding and barrel racing” who have “a passion to carry on an Old West cowgirl tradition.”

So, I wrote a letter stating our opinion to the editor of the newspaper:

“…rodeos are just another form of animal abuse and exploitation. We believe the “passion” these women feel for this “tradition” is simply an addiction to violence.”

“Barbarism clothed in nostalgia and words like “tradition” is still barbarism. Let’s stop trying to hide the truth.”

“Rightly does Proverbs 12:10 state:

‘A righteous man [woman] has regard for the life of his beast, But the compassion of the wicked is cruel.’ ”

“In closing, David Starr Jordan, M.D. said, “Be a life long or short, its completeness depends on what it was lived for.” Is living for the harassment of God’s creatures a complete life?”

This appears to be the familiar “oppressed becoming oppressor” syndrome. We have seen this many times before. An example that we heard so much about not too many years ago is the un-Christ-like “liberation theology” concerning Central and South America. “Liberation” by violence simply breeds more violence.

On the other hand, Gandhi’s liberation of India, accomplished by using nonviolence, was more Christ-like even though Gandhi was not a Christian. Incidentally, Gandhi is quoted as having said something to the effect of: “Were it not for the Christians, I might have become one.”

For my Letter to the Editor, Re: Women in Rodeos see:
http://all-creatures.org/letters/dailymail-20040514.html  

Go on to: “But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.” – 30 Apr 2006
Return to: April Rain – 28 Apr 2006
Return to: Blog - Main Page
Return to: Archive - By Date
Return to: Archive - By Subject

See Readers Comments