|
For those of you that don't know the works of Hunter S. Thompson, I believe it is important for you to understand what he made his life represent. For those of you that do, I hope you find this interesting. Thompson's death still saddens me, and writing about it may be the only way to put myself at peace.
Hunter S. Thompson made a living by breaking the rules. He broke the rules of journalism. He broke the law. He broke every sort of social rule that tells you to conduct yourself in a certain manner. What was so special about Hunter was that he could behave like an untrained beast and yet he could make everyone else seem uncivilized, as if he was the one that had everything under control and figured out. What his behavior emphasized was the purity of the human spirit unadulterated by the insecurities and senselessness brought upon the human from living in a society ruled by character judgments and an elitist sense of how you are supposed to behave and what you are supposed to believe. But most importantly, what he did, was show people that what we live our lives fearing is nothing but a disorganized collection of bloodthirsty animals bent on achieving nothing but their own self-gratification. And they are just as dumb as us, if not dumber.
Hunter was anti-fear. Hunter was pro-freedom. There is only one thing that really limits your own freedom, and that is fear...fear of expressing yourself, fear of standing up to those that oppress you, fear of pursuing your dreams and goals. This is not just some overused cliche, or a hollow verse repeated over and over again, but this fact is the core principle to which the machinery of our system works. The mind and body can be controlled by fear. What's worse is that propagating fear costs virtually nothing, and can be spread like wildfire to a generation of minds weakened by reality TV, video games, and Elimidate. The bloodthirsty increase their power by cultivating fear in people's minds. They create an atmosphere where one is afraid to express their human spirit. Although this has been a problem since the dawn of time, a Nation of Dumbness that doesn't value education or reading will easily forget this fact.
The fear never goes away, it comes in waves upon humanity. The 50's marked a crest for the dark side, where fear of nuclear holocaust coupled with rigid social rules created a prison for the human spirit. In the 60's, the crest rolled back and a new wave rolled in. The 60's brought with it a tidal wave of love and truth, with Hunter S. Thompson surfing in at the top of this mighty swell. People were active and openly expressing their will to overcome the tyranny that surrounded us. Hunter stabbed at that tyranny with his pen the way an ancient King would slaughter his opponent with his sword. Hunter's fearlessness rubbed off on the population, and the oppression crumbled.
The 80's brought a new era of fear with Regan in power. With the waning power of the Soviet Union, the fascists realized that we needed another thing to fear. Slowly, the terrorists we created to oppose the Soviets were now the new enemy. This was an enemy that could strike at any time, anywhere, and couldn't be completely destroyed. It was grounds for permanent war. In the 90's, Bill Clinton shattered the coalition of fear our government had over the people. He provided hope, balanced the budget, and inspired optimism across the country and the world. The fascists fought like dying lizards against him. In the end, Clinton's optimism won out, but just barely.
Now, it seems, this nation is as dark as it has ever been. Fear grips every corner of the populace. If you are not a Republican afraid of terrorists, you are a Democrat afraid of your own government. No one feels comfortable expressing independent views. The media has been castrated by fear. All dissenting voices have been marginalized or quieted. The power base from which the fascists are driven is part of the human spirit itself. It is the insecure desire to have power over everything, everywhere, all the time. It is the desire for absolute control. Every attempt to gain this control in history has failed, but that doesn't stop the fascists from trying.
Hunter was what we needed. He wasn't afraid of social rules, he wasn't afraid of the government, and he wasn't afraid of fear itself. Terror slid off Hunter like a raindrop on a Teflon suit. Hunter's behaviors, actions, and words are what we need to create today. We need to just stop being afraid. When others see us, they will follow. Soon after, the vile grip of fear will be released from the media. But we have to start the snowball rolling down the hill. It has worked in the past, and will work again. But it is the only way to defeat a fear so great. The fascists have power from the top down, so change will never come from the top down. It has to come from the bottom up.
We need to keep pushing stories like Propagannon, we need to be the ones who criticize the Administration, and we need to be the ones without fear. Howard Dean is not afraid. We need to stand by and support him. We need to make the media fear us. Most of all, we need to be like Hunter S. Thompson, and dismiss the fascist circle running this country as the pathetic, twisted, reptiles that they are. Even though they invoke fear upon us, they are much dumber than we are. They are the most ridiculous things to pass for humans in the last 50 years. They are not humans, but a vile, vicious pig race that came from outer space. They thrive on the mental blood spilled from a generation of apathy and insecurity. But deep down at the core, they are puny cowards, fit only to take advantage of the weakest in our society. When attacked, they will capitulate like a deflated air balloon. They live in a world of fear themselves, shitting their pants every time they see a real threat to their dominion of fear. But no matter who they kill rape and maim, love and truth lurk at their doors, plotting their imminent demise. We are the ones who create love, and mother nature creates truth. We must all be ready to fight if we want this to end.
RIP, Hunter, and may your life be an example of fearlessness and bravery to a new generation of warriors.
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
