Food for Thought.....

In the past, (yesterday, last month, last year, whatever) there has been a lot going on between folks good and bad...

We all have passionate belief's in being Jedi... That's what makes each one of us who we are... I found this posting fome 2006 from a fellow Jedi, not here at TOTJO, but his words resinate thought that we should just take a moment to look at and remember what each of our focuses are.... I hope this might start a healing process that is needed here...

\"It struck me that this week on the ******** online forum board has been an important Jedi lesson about accusations. I've been mulling it over and perhaps you all can help me out here since your posts and writing usually hit the nail on the head so to speak.

It is hard to defend against an accusation. As a group – or as a person – someone can accuse you of something and there isn't much a person can do. It instantly renders the person scrambling to defend themselves and the accuser in the position of power. (This is also often synonymous with slander which is illegal – but hard to prosecute.)

The accuser uses their intent as leverage – like grade school – 'I'll tell everyone you xyz if you don't do what I say.' Even if you never engaged in xyz – the damage that it would do if it came out is enough that often people comply. In school this is often mistaken for 'peer pressure' but it is actually a form of bullying.

There is a very clear line between accusations and statements of fact. Statements of fact can be backed up, they usually begin with a premise – I believe X. That premise is backed up by one or more reasons, I believe X because of YZLMNOP. Although statements of fact can be hotly debated, disagreed with and occasionally lead to war they are usually not meant to be hurtful. They're often impersonal – or not meant to undermine, wound or otherwise sabotage others on a personal level.

Some people who make accusations all the time – they get blown off by society as malcontents. Or at least I was writing them off as probably not that serious until I started to think about it – if someone accused me of hurting a baby that I'm looking after – that's darn serious. If this person buys a compound and starts gathering lost youth who are looking for an outlet and leadership – you get cults. What if it was my 14 year old listening to them who didn't have enough life experience to know a fruit cake when they hear one? They can make things almost make sense in a twisted kind of way ( as long as one never takes, \"logic and critical thinking\" at the local community college.)

I have a friend in the NSA (national security agency) who helped me out with a difficult client once. She had a habit of shouting in people's faces accusing them of horrible things during board meetings. (When you have millions of dollars you can do that.) He told me, 'you're letting her control you. She does this and takes over your attention, she takes over your responses – at that point it's her game.' And that's why people make accusations – a cheap unhealthy road to personal power. But like any evil – it's like trying to drink out of a cactus in the desert – it doesn't really satisfy. It turns in on itself and intensifies ever more destructive.

Let me ask you this; do you consider yourself a true follower of the Jedi Way? If so, what does this matter? A Jedi walks with calm and serenity. He or she is in control of emotion and passion. Don't get me wrong, no one like to be accused of something but if you know you are free of wrong doing then the burden is on the accuser to prove his/her point. Everything you wrote about this subject to bring illustration to your point is soaked with deep and distressed emotion and passion. A Jedi is always mindful of knowledge and can trust the truth that is the by product of knowledge, there is know knowledge and there is no truth that can come from worry, doubt and anger.\"