A couple of days ago we pointed out the global synchronicity related to the earthquake that cracked the Washington Monument and toppled an angel from atop the National Cathedral.
In the aftermath of the quake, Hurricane Irene followed a path that swiped the capital. So there were two natural disasters in one week. Both events were disruptive, but fortunately neither caused loss of life in D.C. or major damage. Flooding from Irene postponed the dedication of the Martin Luther King Memorial that had been planned Sunday, Aug. 28.
It was forty years ago Sunday that King gave his famed ‘I Have a Dream’ speech on the Mall in the capital. That was fitting and intentional -so not a synchronicity.
The global synchro here involves action taken by the state of Arizona on Friday, Aug. 26 to file suit in federal court to overturn parts of the 1965 Civil Right Act. In other words, while the nation prepared to honor King, who fought to remove barriers keeping blacks and other minorities from voting, Arizona decided to tinker with those rules. Keep in mind that at one time there was a poll tax in the South, which had been instigated to keep poor blacks from voting.
Responding to the law suit, Attorney General Eric Holder said: “The Voting Rights Act plays a vital role in our society by ensuring that every American has the right to vote and to have that vote counted. The provisions challenged in this case, including the pre-clearance requirement, were reauthorized by Congress in 2006 with overwhelming and bipartisan support.”
The timing of the law suit, coming just two days before the dedication of the King Memorial, could be synchronicity. But it’s probably not. The action by Arizona was probably planned to coincide with the dedication. A sorry statement about politics in Arizona and across this country, which is as divided politically now as it was prior to the Civil War.
So the global synchro blew in with Irene. The flooding in Washington caused the postponement of the dedication, which is reflective of where things stand in U.S. politics. In fact, efforts are widespread to undercut or ‘postpone’ voting rights for the poor and minorities. This is being done through changed in rules about what identification is required to vote and when and where you can register to vote. There are also efforts underway to draw new lines for voting districts which would make some districts more white and affluent and favor Republicans in congressional races.
Of course, it’s a backlash, all happening in the aftermath of the election of the first black president. It’s also savvy politics. Republicans, who traditionally fail to get more than a small percentage of votes from blacks and other minorities, know the population trend is moving away from their base. Unless these actions are taken to deter minorities from voting, the Republican Party will become a minor party. In a way, that would be justice served. White Republicans, in particular, would find out what it’s like to be a minority.
Of course, they could avoid the problem another way. They could change their politics. After all, Lincoln was a Republican.
Seriously, W.T.F?
I am gobsmacked by this insanity.
I can’t believe someone has actually filed suit for such a reverse of all the progress we’ve made. Just crazy.
And I think Michelle Bachman’s comment today about Irene being punishment for our spending is the queen of crazy!
It seems that fundamentalists have blamed just about every ethnic group for natural disasters. Their wrathful god is rather sad.
About your other comment – I sent you an email!
The problem is that they don’t know causality, so they just use natural disasters as an excuse to rant about their obsessive issues. Yet, during the Bush administration, anytime someone wanted to connect Bush’s motives for war in more personal terms (to show up his old man, to get revenge against the tyrant who tried to kill his dad), we were told that there was no connection between the two. Or that there was no connection between how we meddle in other country’s domestic politics and the negative reaction such countries have against the U.S.
If Bachmann wants to truly understand the debt crisis, she needs to look at Bush’s work record. He had bankrupted three companies that he was the CEO of and his daddy’s friends bailed him out each time. Why would his leadership as America’s CEO be any different? He was never held accountable for his incompetence and kept repeating his mistakes in larger and larger arenas. And we all suffer because of that.
Apparently he tried to rewrite his own history in a national geographic interview.
heh I know a Matt but he be a part time movie star far to busy for this stuff,, but then again there was Ray G. from years agooooooooo….
I’m a believer in the “Butterfly Effect”, though. Last year, in my desperation to leave a job I hated after three years of nothing fruitful occurring, I had read somewhere that you should make a series of small changes rather than one big change, because the series of small changes will ultimately lead to a tipping point that changes your life in a big way. I decided to give it a try and in 2010, I did make a series of small changes. It worked.
Its difficult to pinpoint causes of something occurring, especially earth-related disasters and the timing of them. My problem with the evangelical Christian view of making Israel the focal point is that their entire belief system in regards to the Book of Revelations makes what happens in Israel of prime importance. A decade ago, I worked with a fundamentalist lady and she knew a lot of about Israel but was completely ignorant about everything else. I never understood that. Why place so much importance on Israel? If you don’t believe in the end times, then the Book of Revelations is inconsequential in one’s life. I believe in cyclical time, not linear time, so Armageddon, the Rapture, and the Tribulation is all just fantasy hogwash to me. I’m more concerned about overpopulation, depleting resources, and a failing environmental system that sustains all life (not just human life).
I like the idea of small, incremental changes and never thought of it in terms of the butterfly effect. But it makes sense!
Agree with you on the rest of it, too!
Not to get all nitpicky, but 40 years ago, Dr. King had been dead for three years. He gave his speech on August 28, 1963, so it was 48 years ago. A year ago, Glenn Beck gave his rally and three years ago, Obama gave his acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination. Quite the eventful day!
On Coast to Coast AM Saturday night, one caller mentioned the earthquakes that hit the entire country (the one on the east coast, the one in Colorado, and the one in California). She claimed that it was “obvious” that God was not pleased with our policy towards Israel. That was her interpretation of the earthquakes! When host Ian Punnett asked her, “Wouldn’t it make more sense, if God really wanted to send us a message, to have clouds appear as words in the sky for all to see and understand?” She responded by saying, “That’s just crazy!” Really?!? They get some wackos on that program. Seriously…I don’t know how anyone can connect Israel to our earthquakes. That’s a very Pat Robertson kind of explanation. These people need to learn cause and effect / causality.
Thanks for the correction! We were eight years off. Well, I suppose if we can connect the hurricane effects on the King Memorial dedication to Arizona politics, the born-again types can link the earthquake to Israel. lol However, we don’t see the course of nature directed by the hand of an angry dictatorial God bent on punishing those who don’t conform to his very human values. Rather, as the post notes, we see such connections as synchronicity–meaningful coincidence – and the product of the collective unconscious.
i really dare not comment here – really –
however – i will comment enough to say great post, macgregors – all points well taken regardless of time – the issues remain the same – a sad sad state of affairs – literally and figuratively –
Interesting about Arizona, though I know nothing about this – are they actually trying to stop some people from voting? Surely not.
Mike, oh yes. That’s the strategy of the Grand Ol’ Party. The fewer voters the better. They feel their actions reduce votes for Democrat candidates more so than the loss of Republican voters. For example, in one state – Texas, I think – you can register to vote or vote using a gun owner’s registration. But that same state won’t allow you to use a student ID. Too many liberals on campus!
and didn’t texas just recently pass that bill that allows guns to be carried onto state college/university campuses?
good point!
hey Matt….I’d call that one synchronicity! Of course we remember you – and Kyle. Hope all is well with you, too!
Sorry – our comment section is messed up, so we’re copying the comments and putting them up.
Ray G
Submitted on 2011/08/29 at 5:42 am
What I heard on “Way too early” on MSNBC this morning is totally bizarre. Our wild eyed tea bagger Michele Bachmann did a Pat Robertson. She gave a speech in Florida where she said that Hurricane Irene was a message from above and in the same speech said she was in favor of drilling for oil in the Everglades. Is she trying to say God wants people to vote for her so she can help destroy civilization? Does she mean if she gets elected there will be no help for victims of disasters because it would cause the government to have to borrow more money?
I bring up Robertson because he has made statements that God brought Katrina because of evil in New Orleans, earthquakes in San Francisco because it is a gay friendly city and that he personally prayed a hurricane away from Virginia Beach when one turned away from us and went back out to sea.
Ray
She and robertson are both nuts.
Matt
Submitted on 2011/08/29 at 3:06 am
R&T,
It’s Matt; you might even remember me! Anyways, I thought I would share my quick story of synchronicity – that just happened. For some unknown reason, I was browsing through Kyle’s friends list on Facebook, and I saw he was still friends with Megan. Eventually that led me to this blog, where I scanned over the various posts wondering how many of the relationships were purely coincidental. Without doing any further research or putting much thought into it, I decided to leave the blog be for the time being, possibly coming back later to give the idea more thought. After closing out all of the tabs, I was returned to the first one I opened: Kyle’s Facebook Friends. I then noticed my name was directly next to Megans on the list. Synchronicity or coincidence?
Hope all is well!
terri patrick
terripatrick.wordpress.com/
Submitted on 2011/08/29 at 1:46 am
Yes, our connection is integral with each other and Mother Nature.