21 March 2006

ARE WE CIVILISED PEOPLE ?


What I saw was a blur, I was in tears.
I am in a boat and it is rocking. New camera with 420mm Leica lens. I cannot go near the week old spoonbill chicks, its illegal. I saw the chicks through the lens, I stood up gently, what I saw was overwhelming, The boatman Lokesh saw my tears rolling down, he said in a sign language that he can take me a bit closer. I said no need in sign language, I didn't want to disturb them. Taking pictures of them lost its priority.
My mind was racing towards something completely unconnected.

What do these fragile and delicate chicks know ? Do they know that there's a war going on ? Perhaps the spoonbill mom would have seen bombs being shelled on different places. Just one bomb destroys so much of plant and animal life. Agent orange which was dumped in Viet Nam, after 35 years still has the damaging effects on plant animal and human life. I visualised these fragile chicks in a nest in Hiroshima screaming for food, the next second they are charred to death. People plants trees animals birds all burnt in a matter of seconds in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Just visualise these delicate chicks completely charred and blown to bits. Who will have the heart to even think of it ? But it happens and it has happened and will continue to happen.

The current nuclear weapon stock pile can destroy this planet sixteen times over. Believe me, the politicians who cannot sleep without weapons of mass destruction are not civilised people. When they do not think of human life will they think of these little chicks ?

Blunt Knife

26 comments:

Cari said...

Sad but true Rauf-

rauf said...

and we can't do anything about it Cari

e2d said...

Ofcourse not Rauf—why would they care about some poor little bird. As u said they have more important things to do like make bombs , blackmail people and make money.
Just thinking---why is that when we talk about politicians and governments we talk in the third person…they, them…as if we (the people) have nothing to do with them and vice versa. Politicians discuss and decide things as if they are a separate entity—as if the decisions they make ( good or bad)are not going to affect them but just us.
Is this true or did I just cook up a nice story? I aint sure..could be something wrong in the way I understood.
(PS: I am guilty as charged too)

Leila said...

'Civilised' is just an excuse we hide behind to do things that go against nature in my book.

gorgeous chicks

Anonymous said...

the US has a nice word for it - self-interest.
rauf, like you said on wild pic, maybe the planet can heal itself.
i believe it will do so in a way humans cannot predict.

rauf said...

Yes e2dees what you say is true. This is not supposed to happen but this is exactly what happens. Once you cast your vote you become a nobody to them. Ask the 230 million Americans at any given poin of time, none of them, not one would like to have nukes around them, yet you have a pile of weapons of mass destruction in the US against the will of their own citizens. Democracy is an intoxicating drink. People are drunk with the idea of freedom to choose. The politicians are not us.

rauf said...

Yes its a cloak Laila. Most atrocities are commited by the civilised intellectuals not by the ignorant uneducated or the illeterates. Riots, destruction is instigated by the civilised intellectuals.

rauf said...

Anonymous, thats a profound statement. Evolution too has rectified its blunders.
'self interest' is not the interest of the people anonymous.

Heidi Grether said...

Hey Rauf, been missing you. Good to hear you are okay! Yes, all is well. If you have time, do a catch up with the last several posts I have made.

Take care and thank you so much for the visit. <><

rauf said...

Been away for a while Hattigrace.
Sure I'll check your recent posts, its for my own pleasure actually.
They are so full of life Hattigrace.

Darlene said...

Again, another fabulous post. The chicks remind me of any babies new to the world--open-eyed, eager to get out and explore the world, unaware that their very survival depends upon the trials and errors of mankind.

Sophia said...

Oh Rauf, these photos are so beautiful. So clean, light, clear... your vision is excellent.

The thought of these precious birds being charred to death is a difficult thought to stomach.

What's terrible about this world are those nuclear stock piles you mentioned. They make me nervous. All it takes is for one politician to go crazy and they can be used. Well, if you ask me, many politicians are already crazy. Just look at George Bush for proof.

rauf said...

Thank you Darlene

We have made a simple life very complicated. greed has no place in animal life. Greed is one of the major causes of all the destruction we have seen in history.

rauf said...

Hi Stacey, I know its not pleasant to visualise destruction, I had to make a point. It doesn't take much time for things to go out of hand.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

hope u doing good.

nice birdies :)

CE said...

Believe me, the politicians who cannot sleep without weapons of mass destruction are not civilised people.

rauf said...

The damage would be irreversible Imemine, we will not be alive to see the planet heal itself anyway, may take thousands of years.

rauf said...

Angel Angel ! where art thou ?
Thy presence hath liteth my screen.

please clicketh on Blunt knife for more birdie pictures Angel.

Patty said...

Rauf, good post. I won't say anything because I know I'll write too much & nothing at all at the same time. So many topics I could write about, so I won't(I know I'd write way too much on 1 subject & then not be able to write about all the others, because I'd go on forever writing). So this is me writing about not writing.

Also liked the post all about your new camera. Hope you're enjoying it & it gives you the results you want.

*Smiles, hugs & peaceful thoughts*

rauf said...

Patty, I talk for hours on the virtues of not talking or remaining silent.

When you get your new camera Patty please do not give away your present Kodak, its a terrific camera. The only problem with my similar 2MP kodak is it drinks a lot of power. I use NiCad chargeable batteries. and Kodak is my constant and reliable companion
Please take care eat well and go to bed early. one big wild bear hug from me Patty

Anonymous said...

I see that you are back in action.
Welcome back.
You managed to get good shots of the spoobill chicks. I am sure there are many more in your store house. Would love to see them.
Now, congratulations on a new camera and a mmmm... 420mm Leica lens. That is great. What camera did you buy. Purely technical. You know how men must forever talk of these things.

rauf said...

Thank you ezee123,
my camera is just a tool for me and I don't get too technical and don't talk about it nor I am possessive about it, all my friends use my cameras. I'll be very glad if you could use it too,
My good old Kodak 2MP is my constant and reliable companion, that was my first digital.
I carry a Nikon 8700 too. 8MP 35-280mm.

Recently added out of necessity is a Panasonic LUMIX with a 35-420mm Leica lens, I found it affordable considering its amazing features
I have written about in my current Blunt knife blog. please check, I'll mail you more details if you like.

Yes there are a lot more pictures ezee123, I'll be posting them in a few days.

Hayden said...

rauf, we can do something about it and you are doing it. Your pictures and words reconnect the sacred with the material world.

I am coming to think that the word "spiritual" itself is at fault, for spirit is separate and alleged to be superior to matter. If this is true, than this material world and its destiny should not matter.

but it does. and you help connect the dots. important work - we need more voices, more visions.

rauf said...

Hayden, how can 'spiritual' be at fault if it doesn't exist. Its a creation of dumb philosophers to confuse us. spirit and soul are words to explanin differet states of minds. Its like the words cold silence and dark. These are not energies and they don't exist. these are words to explain absence of heat sound and light.

There is nothing beyond human mind or body, there is no extension.
People don't understand this and indulge themselves in hundred philosophies which don't agree with each other. They want to believe in supernatural, they want to believe in miracles.
Understaning of life is very simple Hayden, we have made it complicated.

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