Passion - Good Friday in the 21st Century
67This was going to be a Hub about Bach's St Matthew Passion. It still is, in a way, but I am moved to write about something more than that.
I also think I should state up front that I am in no way attacking the police in this piece. The police have a frequently thankless task and yet they are essential to any constitutional democracy as upholders of peace and freedom.
The fact that they often have to act on the orders of a system which operates without concern for ordinary people and their issues renders the police very vulnerable and puts them in invidious positions.
The tensions involved for individual members of the police often boil over and they give in to the temptation of taking out their frustrations on more vulnerable people, with often disastrous consequences.
From Libya to Lebanon,
from Tripoli to Tyre,
from Babiy Yar to Ficksburg,
where cherries became drops of blood -
were you there?
From Columbine to Sendai,
the mark of the nails is visible
the crown of thorns tears the bloodied head -
a head full of pain and scorn
and still the struggle, the lonely struggle,
while the list of martyrs grows -
were you there?
From the great Mahatma and MLK;
Olaf Palme;
Lutuli and Biko and Chris Hani;
the nameless dead in the ditches of Auschwitz;
the endless planes of death in Rwanda -
were you there?
In the darkness of Harari
and the bloody roads of Ficksburg
where the name of Andries Tatane joins the list -
were you there?
When the mothers marched for bread and roses
when the martyrs marched at Tolpuddle
when the police rioted at Stonewall
when the mud came down at Aberfan -
were you there?
At Haymarket, in the Plaza de Mayo;
on the Dia del Trabajador;
at Tiananmen Square and
at Peterloo and Nyanga -
were you there?
When will we learn, when?
When will the killing end, when?
When will the hating end, when?
If not now, then when?
If not here, then where?
If not with me, then with whom?
When will we learn, when?
Who will break down the walls if I don't?
Who will stop the tanks if I don't?
Who will comfort the stranger if I don't?
Who will try to understand if I don't?
Who will learn and love if I don't?
Who will find the lost if I don't?
Who will hold and feed the child?
Who will stop the blood?
Have there not been enough crosses?
Have there not been enough guns and whips?
Do we need another Golgotha, another Babiy Yar?
Do we need another Birmingham, another Sharpeville?
O head of blood and wounding,
of pain and scorn so full,
do we need another Soweto?
Was one Kent State not enough,one head beneath a crown of thorns?
Is one mother's pain not enough?
One daughter's lonely tears not sufficient?
How many drops of blood to enliven the soil?
How many tears to water it?
No resurrection day can wipe away the pain
No resurrection day can make all all right again
Too much blood, too many tears have flowed
and we, naked and wet and cold, we still cling to each other,
cling to the warmth of the breath and the sun.
Will we be there?
O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden.
When we can say, with Loveless:
“God is our guide! from field, from wave,
From plough, from anvil, and from loom;
We come, our country's rights to save,
And speak a tyrant faction's doom:
We raise the watch-word liberty;
We will, we will, we will be free!”
We will be there.
Good Friday 2011
What got me writing this piece about the seemingly endless list of martyrs in the cause of freedom was the latest in South Africa. A man relatively unknown outside of his community, Mr Andries Tatane, was set upon by six armed policemen during a protest in the small Eastern Free State town of Ficksburg. He died after being brutally beaten with batons and allegedly shot in the chest with rubber bullets.
Ficksburg is a usually sleepy little town known mainly for the annual “Cherry Festival” held there. It is the centre of South Africa's relatively small cherry industry.
The incident is the subject of an inquiry by the Independent Complaints Directorate which has been set up as a watch dog body over the South African Police Services. Six policemen are now under arrest and face numerous charges, including murder.
The vicious attack on Mr Tatane took place in front of the video cameras of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the national TV and radio service, and shown on that evening's 7.00 pm news broadcast.
The scene revived painful memories of similar attacks which were all too commonplace under the former apartheid regime. The difference now is that the incident is subject to an inquiry and the policemen allegedly involved are facing charges. This seldom happened under apartheid, when the police operated with almost total immunity.
The fact remains that a young, intelligent and involved community leader has been killed, his family robbed of a breadwinner, his students (he was a popular and energetic teacher) left without the guidance they had relied on.
And I am left asking - “How many more?”
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Unfortunatly,this seem to be a common occurence.In the age of the camera phone,this Human Rights Violation is getting some scrutiny hopefully,thanks for this important Hub Tony.;)
Voted up, useful and awesome Tony, it is so sad how human beings are willing to treat each other. They say that humans are the superior species, to what are we superior. The police are supposed to be superior to gangs and young muggers, that video clip did not show that behaviour very well. Yet, there are good policemen and women out there, I have family who belong to the force in the UK, they should be above all of that but some of them are obviously not.
It seems that people who want freedom and justice are so often killed. Gandhi, MLK, and so many others. What an insane race humanity is.
Great hub with lots of history everyone knows history tends to repeat its self but man seems to never learn from history.
Great hub with lots of history everyone knows history tends to repeat its self but man seems to never learn from history.
Another great hub as always. I marvel every time I read hubs at how much talent there is on here. I also learn so much from the hubs of others,and yours are definitly included in these Tony.
Take care
Eiddwen.
Hundreds more, Tony. Hundreds. Thousands. For every reason. For no reason,
Awesome, my friend.
Ian
You make this so beautiful and complete with trusted information which I had never knew before. Thanks for writing this, tony. Good job, brother. I'll pressing all button here plus my thumbs up! Have a great day!
Prasetio:)
God bless you Tony. "endless list of martyrs in the cause of freedom" and the list will march on. We have a huge fight for the world right now. The movers and shakers are moving and shaking. God bless you my brother man.
With tears in my eyes I say thank you Tony and bless you!
Dearest Tony . . .
I'm with Sylvia above . . . tears flowing freely . . . Thank you for writing this amazing and moving Hub . . .
Crucifixion . . . Resurrection . . . Redemption . . . Will we ever learn Peace . . . ?
Sacred blessings to you and yours this Passover week, Earth Day and Easter . . . EarthAngel . . . .
Beautifully written, so moving.
I have a few South African friends here in the US who feel they cannot return to the country they grew up in because of incidents like this, and so much violence. They are like exiles here.
hi Tony
very good hub, lots of thought provoking material.
I wish you well and peace for Easter
cheers Tony
Awesome hub, Tony, hope no more violence like you said, Love and Peace.
"When will we learn, when?
When will the killing end, when?
When will the hating end, when?
If not now, then when?
If not here, then where?
If not with me, then with whom?"
"IF NOT WITH ME, THEN WITH WHOM?"
YES!!!!! Each of us is responsible and each of us is the remedy.
Tony, not much to say here. I was not there. Sadly, someone here set bombs in a mall near Columbine on the anniversary of that horrific event. I was not there, either. But my heart was. My heart aches in these moments. It aches for you.
No resurrection day can wipe away the pain
No resurrection day can make all all right again
So right, Tony. Too right. Hugs, Barbara
When I needed a neighbour and the Holland Boys Choir hymns spoke volumes. Thanks. Also, Cat Stevens!!! Love him.
Yes it is a sad state our world is in and that why it is important to speak out about it...great job in doing so!
Tony, I'm so glad that you feel the need to expose criminal acts such as these...If not you..Then who? So many look the other way..Not you. I applaud your writing ability. The video made me sick and angry..The song, 'Were you there' moved me. Thank you.
Love and Peace
Keep writing.
I say Ditto to De Greek, I did the same beautiful and awesome says it all. Way deep and full of passion are your words and tears for the swords that tear the flesh, when will the day come for lion and the lamb to lay together again. Hopefully soon.
Tony, Great Hub. Your passion for exposing man's inhumanity against man,is a voice that is needed. It is difficult to read these types of articles and watch videos, but we must,in order to bring to light wherever thugs destroy lives and try to stifle democracy. Freedom is a precious commodity...we All need to be vigilant because there are many humans who do not value the freedom of others. Voted up and awesome!
Timely Hub...Happy Easter!
Here in St. Louis, close to where I live, Tony, a 72 Vietnamese man and his wife walked to the grocery store and were walking home, as they don't drive. In broad daylight, two young men and two young women started punching them until they fell to the ground whereupon they kicked them. The husband died. The wife was released to go home, alone now, to make funeral arrangements. Several teenagers filmed the incident on their cellphone, but they have yet to catch the miserable bastards. I found out that it's a game some teenagers play. They find it amusing. This man was well loved in his neighborhood. He took English lessons from a teacher/neighbor. The teacher showed the beautiful painting the murdered man gave to him as a gift. He never hurt anyone. I'd like to know why teenagers close enough to video the abuse, didn't step in. I would have without a moment's hesitation. I don't care if they were bigger or not. I would not be able to refrain from intervening. Thank you, Tony, for this beautifully appropriate, moving piece so close to Easter. I hope God has the stomach to keep watching humans self-destruct by destroying each other.
It is sad that police have, or feel they have, the right to kill by using the excuse of “fearing for their life.” That excuse would not work for the average citizen. This reported incident happens in the US too and a large per-cent of the time, the person had NO knife, gun or any other type of weapon. Just like this young man, they are beaten severely or gunned down. This type of behavior by those who are supposed to protect & serve began with the Patriot Act, which opened the door to abuse in many forms.
Unfortunately, not all police are “the good guys!” There are more on the other end of that spectrum then not. That same type of disgrace is being hired to work in prisons as CO’s and people are beaten up there too. Why, because they incite unrest and fighting among inmates. They also treat inmates like pieces of rubbish. I come from a family history of correctional officers and police officers who retired early due to the less then ethical environment that begin to emerge.
Like you, I also respect those that actually do the job ethically!
The following articles may be of interest to you:
The Blue Wall (or Code) of Silence - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Code_of_Silence
Washburn Law Report - http://www.washburnlaw.edu/wlj/39-2/articles/koepk
Google – Blue Wall of Silence (or Code)
Alleluia - the Lord is Risen! As Mary watched her Son scourged at the pillar and publicly paraded to His death by crucifixion - she felt Hi suffering and wept two millennium ago. Atrocities continue from then until now. Jesus forgave his tormentors and murderers for they "knew not what they were doing". Your righteous indignation will effectuate change eventually ...but it will be in God's time. Man's inhumanity to man will continue until then.
Thank you for a brilliant and passionate article. Your words are like music to my ears.
Tony, this just grabbed my heart and squeezed. How many more, indeed?
up/awesome and beautiful
Awesome hub. Very interesting.
The futility of it all is the sad part, the never ending march to find someone to hate. I could have been in one of those pubs in Birmingham, i used to frequent them at the time. Your poem is a powerful beautifully written message that alas never seems to be read by the right people. I was watching the TV yesterday and there was a report about the advancement of robot technology where the world leaders could sit at their consoles attacking the 'enemy' from an executive suite in New York, London, Melbourne, Jo burg or whatever. Real sanitised collateral damage. Love and peace to you Tony and to Mr Tatane and his grieving family, friends and students.
Ian Tomlinson-killed by police action on G20 march in London last year.
Blair Peach-killed on Anti-Racist march london in 70s
Too Many Tony ! marvelous write ,best from m
Victor Jara- murdered by pinochet regime who broke all his fingers by smashing with rifle butts to signify the end of his guitar playing then left to die for days by fascist bullies,m
Tony may I please tell attemted humour that it is already happening they are called 'Drones',thanks,m
Like you rightly say, Tony - all those crosses... how many more do we need. This is sad to read without being affected by the thoughts of a life been stolen by the hands of what should be authority and protection. There is too much hurting and hating in this world, and no good will come of it. Thanks for sharing a great hub with us.
I hope we will learn one day...I hope. Deep respect for this brave man who fought for his rights and rights of his community.
Let his soul rest in peace...hopefully his death has not been in vain.
I always enjoy reading your hubs, but this one especially so because you don't hold anything back, that's why it's always good to visit your hubs. Thanks.
This is a terrible tragedy. Someone needs to be the voice for those that can't. Great hub! Voted up! Thanks for sharing it!
You´ve excelled in bringing my emotions to the surface with this one. Cuts to the core. l do so agree with you. Can you reember a song from the 60s. called Abraham, Martin and John.? (Abe Lincoln, Martin Luther king and JFK) Just wondering ´cos l can´t remember who sang it. Thanks for such a wonderful hub.
“When will we learn, when?” What a relevant question!
It seems to me that every generation needs its own hero's and martyrs. Humans, like animals, just can’t learn through the experiences – including miseries - of others. Probably because we can hope, believe and love.
Thanks for this heart-touching, thought-provoking article about human passion, Tony. I saw the titles of a few interesting new hubs on your profile and look forward to read them. Take care!
People often risk their lives when fighting for what is right and just. It is very important that you created this Hub to educate us on and remind us of the everyday heros. I hope justice is served.
Thank you for this excellent message. Your poem is marvelously made.
De Greek Level 2 Commenter 13 months ago
I can only respond by pressing the two buttons on top for 'awesome' and 'beautiful', becasue you are expressing the beauty of the human soul by raisng this issue so passionately. Well done Tony.