\t\t\t\tBefore political correctness, dodge-ball was a great American sport. Choosing teams was always an exciting part of the game, especially if you were a team captain. But when the last picks were made, maybe you felt just a bit sorry for those two or three chosen last. Maybe you were one of them. There was always something about those last few that made them different from the others. They were \u201cthe ones chosen last.\u201d But by their differences, they were their own group.<\/p>\n
\nOur American culture continuously evolves as we advance as a nation and society. When we want to reach someone we can pick up a phone and call. Since most of us have a cell phone, we can call from just about anywhere. We can be reached just about anywhere. We use computers every day for communication, banking, shopping, and most anything you can imagine. These things have become routine for Americans. Part of life. Part of our advanced technological culture. We take them for granted. Our freedom allows us to advance as a whole. We\u2019ve grown used to doing what we like, when we like, and if it doesn\u2019t hurt us, how we like. <\/p>\n
We form opinions of other cultures by comparing it with our own. Some even think other cultures and parts of the world should strive to be like us. And if you don\u2019t want to be like us, well that just doesn\u2019t make sense. You\u2019re different. There must be something wrong with you. Maybe you need to be changed.<\/p>\n
\n But are we so arrogant – or free – that we have the right to impose our culture, our ideals, or our way of life on others? There are cultures in this world that seem odd to us because they are different. Some of these cultures might seem disturbing or unsettling to us because we tend to fear what we don\u2019t know or understand about them. Wonder how they feel about ours. <\/p>\n
\nReligious groups often refer to these cultures as \u201cunreached people.\u201d Many religious and humanitarian organizations have committed to a small group of unreached people called the Shan in Asia. The Shan population is estimated at 450,000, and most of it is established in China. The remaining population exists throughout Burma, Laos, and Thailand. They are one of the great peoples of Southeast Asia and are very proud of their ethnical and cultural identity. Primarily they are fervent practitioners of Theravada Buddhism, with a rich cultural heritage. They are a gentle and peaceful people. <\/p>\n
\nWithin the culture of the Shan, tattooing is common among men. The tattoos are usually Buddhist symbols or signs inked onto a person to keep them free of evil spirits and protect them from harm. The Shan have been a people since 63 BC when a western group of the Chinese empire migrated south down the Salween River into what is now Shan State and established a number of principalities. They are a simple people who accept life as it happens. <\/p>\n
\nAs humans we have a natural compassion, or sympathy, for those we feel are in need. As Americans, this can be said of those who we feel have less than us, or are not as culturally advanced as we see ourselves. We have a strong desire to help, and if you give Americans a tool such as \u201cNational Interest,\u201d it can easily become a political issue as well. Many religious groups have taken it a step further and obligated themselves to persuade a person, or culture, to believe the same as they do, in order to live as they do, and receive the rewards of their beliefs. This obligation incites those believers to impose, such as those who are committed to \u201creaching\u201d the Shan.<\/p>\n
\nWhen Europeans settled America, many thought that the natives appeared savage with their way of life and culture. They were \u201cunchurched.\u201d In today\u2019s world, these natives would fit into the category of an \u201cunreached people.\u201d They had, and still have, their own religion and methods of worship and prayer. Their beliefs were a vital part of their culture. Many religious leaders of that time felt obligated to reform the natives because they weren\u2019t like the settlers. They had to be changed or stopped. To that end, it eventually became an interest of government, and disputes were settled with force. Since then, several amends have been offered and made for this consequential error of judgement. In today\u2019s society, we poke fun at this error sarcastically by displaying bumper stickers, T-shirts, and other trinkets with a saying which reads, \u201cSure you can trust our government. Just ask an Indian.\u201d Still, we continue to impose our cultures and beliefs on others. <\/p>\n
\nIf a culture or a way of life is not understood, or readily accepted, does it make that culture wrong? Does it really need to be stopped or changed? As a human race, we can be firm and strong in our beliefs. Our faith. There\u2019s no need to impose our own culture on others just to make them more acceptable or understandable. Learn to accept differences. As an individual, allow others to accept you for who you are, and understand if they do not. Take care of others unconditionally. Be grateful if the kindness is returned. Don\u2019t expect it, or tally your own deeds for reward. Offer others kindness, charity, and help when needed. Enjoy the company of others including those unfamiliar to you. Be responsible for your actions. Teach right from wrong. Expect the same from your children. <\/p>\n
These are basic building blocks for mankind to agree and co-exist. Faith or a shared belief, makes us one. Religions and cultures separate us. If we learn to accept heritage and cultures other than our own and remove the division of religion, the category of \u201cunreached people\u201d would develop a brand new meaning<\/p>\n
Bottman<\/p>\n
Posted by: Cary Bott
\nViews: 13117
\nTopic:15\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Before political correctness, dodge-ball was a great American sport. Choosing teams was always an exciting part of the game, especially if you were a team captain. But when the last picks were made, maybe you felt just a bit sorry for those two or three chosen last. Maybe you were one of them. There was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-letters-to-hippyland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=311"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hipplanet.com\/hip\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}