A Pinch of Salt, A Chapter from the Future

More than seventy years ago in India, in bravery and in great numbers, men and women - and children - would walk, one at a time, up to the officers who represented the courts and authority of the British Empire. Behind the officers, the sea. The people had come from the villages to the sea, to pick up a pinch of salt. To take a pinch of salt, or to take some sea water in a clay cup, so that the water would dry in the sun, and leave the salt behind.

In great lines they came, the people, something that was repeated again and again all over India. One at time, a man, a woman, an old man, an old woman, children - would walk towards the officers.

As each would approach the officer, the officer would tell the man, the woman, the old man, the old woman, the child - to stop. The officer would shout the warning. But each person would still approach, one at a time.

The officers held bamboo batons, called a lathi. In many cases the lathi had a steel tip. Bamboo is strong.

Just as each would come close enough, the officer would give one last warning, and then the baton would come down.

The baton would strike the neck, or the side of the head, or the face. The person would not raise an arm for cover. Blood would spurt out. Or a sickening thud if the neck is stuck, and so many of them wore white, so in a few minutes you can see the patch from the wound against the white of the home spun. There is a very distinct sound when the lathi strikes. You can hear it even if you stand fifty deep in the line, waiting to be next.

So fifty deep in line, each knew what was coming. And then the next would come. Again the baton strikes, the person goes down. And the next would come.

Sometimes an old lady would moan, or a child cry. But most would hold back any cry of pain, the thud, a muffled moan, and down they would go.

And the next, and the next. And the next. The officers would not even bother to give the requisite warning after the twentieth strike. Why? It became clock work. The next would approach. The officer would raise the lathi. Strike. Down. Next.

The British had come to India 330 years prior, they brought laws, lawyers, judges and courts. India was, and is, very grateful, for the laws, the lawyers, the judges and the courts. But sometimes, “the court is to be disobeyed” said Gandhi. Gandhi and his followers called it “Satyagraha” – “the force of truth”, and they called it “civil disobedience”.

In large part, the people who walked up to the officers, and requested “I have come to take a pinch of salt”, “a cup of water”, these were common people. And in large part, they were religious people. Common people. Religious people.

And for anyone who observed that moment, it was absolutely true. That their personal faith was absolutely clear. They did not intend to harm a single officer, agent of the court, not even the judge. They just want to take a pinch of salt. Or a cup of water. Or to bring water to a jailed relative. Or to bring water to the “Mahatma” (Gandhi). And, at that moment in time, it was not to be allowed by the Empire. It was forbidden to take a pinch a salt. To bring a cup of water.

Gandhi said that salt is life. If it is forbidden for some to take a pinch of salt, then it is forbidden for some to live. And so, there is a time to disobey.

This happened on the sea shore. And it happened thousands of times again all over India. Gandhi himself lead a march to the sea, to take salt. And more and more. In thousands, and tens of thousands, and the next and the next. It started very small, and as others watched the power, the “Satyagraha”, the “Truth Force”, then it was thousands, and tens of thousands. And millions. As more saw, more joined.

The first “battle” was won by the powers of the Empire. And thousands of small battles were won by the British, they would beat them all, every one of them would go down to the ground to the lathi. And, in the courts, the lawyers and the authorities of the British Empire won every battle in the courts.

But of course, in the end, because their personal faith was absolutely clear, these brave people, the common people, these “simple religious people”, they prevailed, and the officers who represented the courts and authority of the British Empire, and the courts themselves and their immoral laws, simply went away. Gandhi said that the victory of the common people in this case will not be won in a great battlefield, by great armies.

He said, the British, “they are not evil”, but in the end, “they will simply go away”. “That is what will happen”, Gandhi told the judge, “ . . . in the end, you will simply leave.” This rather shocked the judge.

Some asked, why did the children also walk into the lathi? Many said that it was wrong of the followers of Gandhi to have children do this, for old men, and old women - to walk into the lathi. The (controlled) press called the followers of Gandhi evil, “despicable”, to do this to the young, and the old. So, according to the critics, it was Gandhi’s fault that the old and the children were beaten. The court has spoken said the press, but the “religious fanatics” use the children in such a manner – “despicable!”, “despicable!” was the cry.

But Gandhi explained. Gandhi spoke in simple religious terms, the religion of the common people. He explained, salt is life, and if you deny some salt then you deny life, and so now is the time to walk into the lathi, because in this question regarding life it is truly a question of good or evil, and good is too often temporary, and evil is too often permanent. He told the common people that the British were not evil. But some things are evil. And at that time, there is a time when one must say they dare not cease to be a soul, and walk as a family into the lathi. You will show a dignity, he told them, by doing this. You will show a quality, he told them, by doing this. And to do this, you must say goodbye to fear. This is the first step, before you walk into the lathi. You will find this in God, he told them. It is only in God, you will have the ability to say goodbye to fear, he told them, this is the only way. He told them, this is why he wants those of God to walk with him. Only those who say goodbye to fear, they will prevail. And the only one who can do this, is the one of God. And so, “If you are with God, then you are the one who will bring us this freedom”. God is in everyone, he said, in the children as well. When the time comes to be brave, it is God that is brave. They will see God in you, in the man, the woman, the old, and in the children. In the end, because of this, because of God, you will say goodbye to fear. And then, it will turn.

And so, their personal faith was absolutely clear, and this is why these people were so brave.

I turned on the television the other day, and there I saw something that reminded me of that, a chapter from the future. A pinch of salt. There was a woman who called herself a Christian, and FOX News was telling us she intended to bring a cup of water to Terri Schiavo. Some Christian group was there, and they were about to engage in an act of “civil disobedience”. Some religious group was there, and the woman, 69 years old, waited with a cup of water. There was a preacher, announcing what they were about to do, and why. I listened with curiosity. I do not remember his exact words. But something was there, like a “truth force”. And then the woman spoke. She said she loved Jesus and then explained what she was about to do and why. There was something there, a “truth force”. There was a quality there. A dignity there. I don’t remember her exact words. But it had a profound effect. I knew, without a doubt, that everything she was doing was true, and correct. That she was good. That she was standing before evil. And she was about to walk into it. My God, I released it is now starting here in America. This is only the start. The courts will win every battle. Terri will die. Evil will win many small battles.

But in the end, they will simply leave – that the evil souls will have to leave, and their power WILL BE GONE. It will be the people who will make this happen. And, I wondered. Why is it always the simple people, the common people, the religious people, who have the quality, the dignity, to say goodbye to fear, and to bring us this freedom?

It is very clear. What is happening here, is exploitation. The courts, with their friends in the ACLU, is how the left is exploiting the people, the mask has clearly been torn from their ugly face, and now we see the people, the common people, the religious people, starting to walk into the lathi. The men, the women, the old, the children also.

I am not religious. I am a secularist. And I know the dangers organized religion has, and can, bring on others, in the past, in the future. Islam is an example of this.

But I want to thank the simple people, the common people, the religious people, who have now began. The press will not show us the pictures. For now, the only handcuff the woman. And next the children. The lathi is coming. But the people will keep in line, and queue up, and walk into the lathi. It will be the religious who will lead the way.

And so, I thank them. Thank you so much. For your bravery. Your quality. Your dignity. You learned this from Jesus.

Anyone who has power over this decision should have the grace to forgo food and water themselves until Terri dies. This would include Michael, the judges, the police who are 'guarding' Terri against an 'assault' of food and water provided by her parents.

Remember that old experiment about the college students who were allowed to punish subjects who they had wired up to electric shocks? How the punisher escalated their punishments very quickly?

Would they have done so if they had to take the shock equally with their victim?

The vast majority of legislators are lawyers, also.

Forgot about that little wrinkle. Clee1's right then; get rid of the lawyers and solve lots of problems (with apologies to my friend, PH).

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