On Fri, Jun 27, 2025 at 5:58 AM Stéphane Goujet via arm-netbook < [email protected]> wrote:
> But the 'enlightenment' has degenerated over the years into more serious > forms, and now the guy is beyond repair, locked inside a deteriorating > loop, he is a danger to anyone trying to help him. Many, from different > backgrounds and with different skills, tried. To no avail. > If that is your condemnation of Luke, I shudder to think what you would make of me. I have a number of mobility issues stemming from chronic pain and fatigue issues that have never been diagnosed and a simple leg infection that turned into lymphedema -- swelling -- simply because access to effective care where I live is nearly impossible to get. Time has only made worse what was already there, as well... As for the why of it, because I believe in it. Because I believe in humanity -- and the way I define what 'human' means is not based on the physical. I believe that the thing that most defines us as humans is our compassion and empathy toward one another. Our first instinct, in times of difficulty, is to gather together, to form impromptu community to try and get through the trial, the crisis, as unharmed as possible, together. Yes, we can be taught to forget this, to lay it aside and reject it, and think and act only for ourselves -- at least for a time. We can even be taught to outright reject such an idea. But we have to be taught. We have to learn to be that way. Do you know, one of the oldest phrases in the English language, comes from somewhere so long ago in our history as a species that it predates written language entirely? Sure, it's been Anglicized (brought into English), but it goes back far enough that nobody now could ever trace its true origin for certain. It likely originates somewhere in the Fertile Crescent, somewhere shortly after humanity stopped living in caves for the most part... or, perhaps, it is that old. What is that phrase? "It takes a village to raise a child." What makes us human is compassion. Even the great anthropologist, Margaret Mead, recognized this. When asked what she considered the first sign of civilization, her response was to see a femur bone that had broken and healed -- a leg bone. If you break your leg, you can't walk or run, you can't hunt or forage. You are someone else's lunch waiting to happen. Because of the anatomy of that bone and the bones and muscles and connective tissue around it, that is not a wound that you will live long enough to have heal, if you are an animal. A broken femur that has then healed, that means that someone else came along, they tended that wound, carried the being to safety, and cared for them until they could walk again.Margaret Mead's definition of civilization wasn't agriculture. It wasn't religion. It wasn't cities or nomadic groups. It was the act of helping others through difficulty. Above all, I was raised to be respectful of everyone, period, unless they make it impossible on a practical level to do so. I wish this were more commonly taught to people, the world would be a better place for it. Call me an idealist and a dreamer if you must. Dismiss me for it, even. But, before you do, I ask that you read the words below my name. That is not only a set of simple remarks, but something I put together over several days. It's how I live my life, the principles I hold most dear, outside of the most foundational stuff (like honesty), and it's how I believe in living my life. I will not judge you for it, if you reject them, but I would like to think that you The concept of due process, in action, is very simple -- notice, and an opportunity to be heard. Alain gave notice to Luke, and now he has been heard. I want to give Alain and the others their own chances to weigh in. You may have already written him off, but I have not. If and when that time comes, I have my own ways of dealing with it. I do NOT support banning Luke at this time. It would upset me greatly if that happened, and it would make it impossible for me to continue here. ...oh, and Stephane, it saddens me to think that you would judge me so harshly. I am rarely if ever an advocate of religion, but those who are tell me that only one who is a God should judge people, and while I don't really know what makes someone a God, exactly, I know I'm not one -- and, for once, I find myself agreeing with the religious types. I won't offer to pray for you -- it wouldn't do any good anyways -- but I will ask, respectfully, that you hold back your judgement of both myself and Luke, at least for the time being. -- *Chris/Skye H.* *Question everything, respect everyone. Live deliberately. Feel young, but be wise. Always learn if you can. Go with the flow, for the river knows. Never be cruel or cowardly, always kind. Let your life roar. Laugh hard. Run fast, fly high, breathe deep... seek peace.* *Take care of yourself, first, so that you can be a relief, not a burden, in others' times of need. Everyone and everything has a story, and every story is interesting, and every story is important -- and, in life, just as in all things, our endings can never truly be Written. **Above all, in all things, be true to yourself.* *Rest well, when you need it, and when you sleep, may you dream of stars, those suns of other worlds.* _______________________________________________ arm-netbook mailing list - [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] or go to: https://lists.phcomp.co.uk/mailman3/postorius/lists/arm-netbook.lists.phcomp.co.uk/
