Roots

We just finished the 6th disc ending the epic mini-series of 1977, Roots. I had read the book many years ago, and was awed by it. While the production values of a mini-series in the 70's is not quite up today's standards, the scope of the story, and especially the heart and soul of the story far outweigh the slight complaints in the production values. The story is intact, fully bringing us into the center of an American family, a family that started with an African warrior couaght up in the Amercian slave trade, Kunta Kinte. We watch as he is bent by the slave trade, but never fully broken, because he remembers, and passes down to his ancestors, the idea of freedom.

As we watch generations abused in horrific ways by the barbarity of the economic system, it makes me ponder the things we will do for money and power. We will enslave, beat, rape and kill an entire segment of humanity because of the color of their skin. We will disinfranchise more than half of our race, because of their gender. We will go to war and kill thousands of innocents as we money grub for oil, influence and bragging rights.

The reason there were slaves is economic. I begin to think that everything is economic. Where there is no poverty, there is less unrest, less crime, more security and securer borders. But when some are left poor and scratching for existence, there is desperation. Desperation makes men do horrible things.

Perhaps one day, we will figure out a way to make sure that the wealth of this planet also helps the least of us. The starving in Africa and Asia. The desperate poor all over the world. "Whatsoever you do, to the least of my brethren, so you do unto me," said Jesus. Maybe we can help the bums and mentally ill we see on the streets of the all metropolitan areas. Because doing so, we help divinity, we help the cosmos, we ultimatly help ourselves. So when we go to war, let everybody remember those quoted words...everybody who calls themselves Christian, remember what your lord said. Adn everybody who is not Christian can still call those words wise. Let us bomb a large city, and if a few innocents die, oh well. If bums are pushed to the side,like they are not human, oh well. If civil war, starvation and poverty rule much of a continent, oh well. Those people my friends, ARE the "least" of his brethren. We do those things to him. They are certainly our brethren, and we do it to ourselves.