I've always known that Thanksgiving is more an Indian traditional celebration of harvest than an American one. I just thought that the derivation did not matter, for we all need such occasion to be gratefully together. But the following letter made me started to think that it matters; to acknowledge and accept the truth is the only way to be truly grateful, to Nature, to others’ love and forgiveness, and to the chance of painting a better present and future.
Typical American spirit reflects my inner desire---as well as anyone else’s---to be strong, perfect, and to take care of the others like a super(wo)man. The fact is we are all flawed and may make terrible mistakes. Only by acknowledging this can we be realistic enough to grow strong together and help each other. That, to me, is the theme of thanksgiving: thanks for being around, because we need each other.
前情提要:美国人宣扬的是他们从无序中建立有序,使野蛮变成先进,但其实是当地土著部落帮助他们认识自然环境、种植作物,他们却不感谢当地土著而是感谢上帝。由他们带去的瘟疫造成土著的人口可能减少了95%以上(因为当地土著其实生活更清洁而没有抗体),于是美国人才能有地方定居,在死去的土著开垦好的地方;却有人觉得这让土著近乎灭亡的瘟疫是上帝的选择,让他们得以掌管这土地。而后人对这段历史避而不提,或用谎言美化为“和土著一起庆祝第一个感恩节,为他们献上从未见过的丰盛佳肴”。
或许承认历史才能真正感恩,对自然,对他人的爱和宽恕,对没机会改变过去却有机会改写现在和未来。而不是粉饰出一个完美的超人形象。
=======以下是万帕诺亚格人写的演讲辞======
1970年,马萨诸塞州商业部要求万帕诺亚格人派代表发表演讲,庆祝"始祖移民"登陆350周年(即第350个感恩节)。弗兰克·詹姆斯"被选上了,但是他必须首先提供一份演讲草稿,给负责这个仪式的白人审查。当他们看了他的演讲词后,却不允许他宣读它了。"詹姆斯是这样写的:
今天是你们的庆祝时刻,而不是我们的庆祝时刻。带着一颗沉重的心,我想到了我们的人所遭遇的那些事情……"始祖移民"们先是在科德角海滨探寻了4天,之后开始劫掠我们的祖坟,偷盗我们祖辈们的玉米、小麦和大豆……马萨索伊特,这位万帕诺亚格人的伟大首领,对这些事情是知道的。然而,他和他的族人依然欢迎这些殖民者,并和他们做朋友……他们不可能知道……再过50年,万帕诺亚格人……及其他与这些殖民者为邻的印第安人将死于他们的枪口之下,或因染上他们带来的疾病身亡……今天,尽管我们的生活方式已不复存在,我们的语言几乎消亡,但是我们万帕诺亚格人仍行走在马萨诸塞的土地上……已经发生的一切,不能再改变。今天,我们仍在致力于建设一个更好的美洲,一个有更多印第安人的美洲,在这里,人与自然再次变得重要。
被马萨诸塞州商务部所审查掉的,并非无中生有的谎言,而是历史事实。如果允许詹姆斯演讲的话,那么他所说的没有一句话--除了"小麦"--是错误的。尽管盗墓、印第安人被卖作奴隶等行为在当时的新英格兰殖民地已是尽人皆知的事实,但我们今天的教科书大多数仍然不提它们。因此,我们今天关于"始祖移民"的普及性历史书籍已不再是为了获得真知,而是一种蓄意的遗忘。教科书对这些重要的事实只字不提,反而总讲那些令人舒畅的琐事,如:斯宽托的帮助、他的名字、谷物山里的鱼,有时甚至罗列第一个感恩节的菜单以及印第安人的出席人数。
----摘自詹姆斯•洛温《老师的谎言----美国历史教科书中的错误》
http://book.ifeng.com/book.php?book_id=2753
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It’s not just about The L Word.
I finished the 6 seasons. I’ve hated each of the main characters, as I’ve liked every of them. Jenny the writer is a liar and thief yet sometimes so generous, she’s also both self-destructive and talented. Alice the talk show host is picky, talkative, self-indulged, yet also incredibly open-minded and sincere. Bette’s … I really don’t need to go on, coz everyone’s complex, unique, entwined to some extent. Lovable and hateable.
I’ve loved Jodi the architect and Carmen the DJ, both passionate, beautiful, seductive especially because Jodi is deaf and Carmen is Spanish, and both of them are devoted to love. Yet they are not main characters and are not exposed fully. That’s why I haven’t a chance to hate them.
They’ve taken care of each other. And they’ve hurt each other. They cannot help doing both. Because they are who they are.
I’ve been in love with someone and I loved him with all that I have, and he has done the same thing to me. Yet we’ve hurt each other and still don’t know how to heal.
But this is not really I’d talk about today. I have been very sad today because I’ve been judged by someone who (I don’t know how) became very close to me psychologically. And I realized that I have been hurting others by being who I am. I’ve always thought it’s okay if others, I mean my dear ones, don’t understand me or don’t consider my behavior right sometimes. But making them so uncomfortable as to feel shameful, is different, and is the last thing I want to see.
I thought Jenny was not murdered; I thought she committed suicide. She was not trying to hurt others, yet she did, and was therefore resented, beyond her capacity to endure. And Shane definitely was not trying to hurt others by having sex with millions of girls; what’s more, she would never want to harm Planet Coffee’s business because of her behavior. And the mother who came out as a lesbian did not want to hurt her husband and daughter. They hurt others by trying to be who they are.
I feel very sorry about my behavior if it hurt/embarrassed anyone. Before, I would say “desert me if you think it’s better for you; I would be fine.” Now, I want to say that, I’m trying to be myself and improve myself; please try understand me and have faith in me. I do need it.
We are living in the same world, connected. The existence of each one has its influence on others. It’s sad that we cannot help hurting each other. Yet perhaps coping with it can be beautiful. Meiyang said that she could not understand but “I only want to make sure you feel happy, because it’s your feeling that means a lot to me, not right-and-wrongs.” sch said something similar. On my way home, I texted someone saying that “being together with you, I have the courage to face anyone and anything”, I think it’s appropriate to use the same sentence to thank them.
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