When it comes to "A Revolution" some people say we need "to use guns" others say we need "read books" some also say "why not both?. But we are missing the point entirely.... what we really need is understanding.
Guns
Guns are only a tool, a tool which some of us around the world have, and some us don't. Now im not going to be delving into the argument of "pro or anti gun" as that is hardly relevant in this particular discussion, but what i will touch on is the problem that comes with many who can have guns... ignorance.
In many conversations, particularly with some Americans, there is the standard script which comes with talking about guns "The right to bare arms, bah blah blah, constitution bah blah blah, amendments, bah blah blah, defend against a tyrannous government, bah blah blah." Unfortunately these people know the script and lines, but don't have the tacit knowledge which accompanies words being spoken (or written in many cases).
Many governments where guns are legally accessible have tyrannous governments in place right now, including The United States of America. From unethical scientific testing on its own citizens resulting in death through to fraud and theft its all on the table when it comes to government actions... but where is the rise against the tyrannous government ? Why are people not taking to the streets with their guns/weapons and marching to the capitol to take back their country ?
Its because people don't know how to use their tools/weapons, not that they dont know how to maintain or operate them, but that they have no idea of how to utilize what they have to actually do what they want..... they are just "blowing out the lines from the script". Any fool can use a tool from pulling the trigger on a circular saw or a gun its the same thing.... the real art is knowing how to use the tool to create what you want.
Books/Reading
Again we have another tool, books are great for containing information, they give us the ability to learn and attain knowledge, but they have some flaws too. Just because something is written in a book does not make it "good knowledge" im sure many of us know some crappy books out there which come to mind.
When it comes to historical data, the history is written by the victors, so naturally the story will be bias. The hooman condition can mean that what we write is based on an agenda, for instance if we look at the writings of colonization around the world, what we find is that the colonizers paint a picture of "bringing civility to the 'savages' " while the natives side of the story paints a far more horrific tale.
How about this concept, if someone was to read every book in the world about a sport , lets say tennis, they know ever rule and regulation, they know the tips and tricks to make a great serve or return shot.... they know absolutely everything there is to know about tennis, but have never played the game, held a racket or even stepped out onto a court for that matter. Does all this knowledge mean that if they went up against the world number one in tennis they would be able to win? or would they struggle to do anything at all without the tacit knowledge of actually playing tennis?
Having all the knowledge in the world is of little use without having the ability to apply it, again, many of the "educated" in this world think that having the degree on the wall means that they have the upper hand, but just like the aforementioned demographic of gun owners, there is a great difference between having the tool and knowing how to use it (again, nothing to do with the operation of the tool).
Understanding
Understanding comes from analysis, investigation , questioning (of others and self), etc. with the want to comprehend. It means setting aside personal bias, thoughts and opinions to be able to see things from other perspectives, not to change our own minds, but to be able to see the whole picture.
Example:
Mr. Freeze is a Batman supervillan, hes a bad guy, but if we delve into the story and perspective from Mr. Freezes point of view we gain some valuable insight, not only as to his motives and intent, but also to his driving force, which when understood can allow us to predict future behavior, actions and even thought processes.
"Mr. Freeze's origin in "Heart of Ice", an episode by writer Paul Dini. The episode introduced his terminally ill, cryogenically frozen wife Nora, which explained his obsession with ice and need to build a criminal empire to raise research funds."
Wiki Link
This does not mean that we see Mr. Freezes behaviors/actions/ etc. as acceptable or take them on ourselves, it means that we understand what it is that has created the persons perspective and its influence to act in a particular way. When we objectively dissect this kind of data we learn, we understand, we arm ourselves with something greater than we could ever create with our hands.... we gain wisdom.
"Wisdom, sapience, or sagacity, is the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense and insight. Wisdom is associated with attributes such as compassion, experiential self-knowledge, non-attachment and virtues such as ethics and benevolence."
Wiki
Our Greatest Weapon
The truth is that the greatest tool/weapon we have is our minds, This is why so much effort has been spent on finding ways to manipulate and influence thoughts, to focus our attention on the differences among ourselves and have us bicker over them as opposed to focusing on those who pit us up against each other for profit and personal gain.
All the tools in the world are useless if we do not choose to use them correctly. A gun wielded without the appropriate intention may as well be on the rack in a store, and a book read but not comprehended may as well be burned before reading.
It is up to us to recognize the fact that we have been conditioned to think quite a number of things, that we don't like "thinking we are wrong" and this stops us from questioning ourselves. That this, among many, flaws of hooman trait is being exploited, preventing critical thinking and free thinking. The only way to break free from the chains which bind, is to acknowledge the inherent flaws within ourselves, and work on them, free our minds of the conditioning we have received over decades of our existence within THEIR system.
What will be integral in the "revolution" is not the tools and weapons we use, but the reclaiming of our own thoughts and unleashing the power of the mind. With this understanding of self and others we can appropriately utilize the tools available to us to create positive change and finally..... the "revolution" and evolution of mankind can finally begin making the kind of difference we want to see in the world.
