This article appears under the Spirituality heading. If not for new definition, it would have been listed under Philosophy. If we are to address crime in oppressed communities, we must first recognize and more importantly, stop seeking to “be on good terms” with the oppressor. We must say what needs to be said, in plain, unapologetic terms!

Crime is a spiritual issue. It is not spiritual in the sense of the criminal needing to be “reformed”(as in cheat at taxes? Enron? Kill people with guns in the name of the law?). It is spiritual in the sense of this wealthy nation having people who are homeless and don’t eat or who have no medical care.

Even further, it is spiritual because we practice lies and deceit!! Are we going to continue acting as if oppressed people-no matter what time period after the emergence of organized society or what part of the world-are committing crimes( the ones that count anyway), that we are seeing for the first time. This is a evil lie because it can- and has – lead to the blaming of specific groups-racial, ethnic, sexual orientation to name a few.

It is deceitful because it lets oppressive society off the hook in terms of responsibility.

Certainly gang violence in urban communities is nothing new( Al Capone, Legs Diamond, etc.). gangs and young people exhibiting anti-social behavior has been a problem before (including Irish, Jewish and Italian in America).

The oppressed need to be loyal to each other above all other things. We must re-learn to love and trust each other. We must spend money with those in our community who give back ( and they must learn to give back lest they lose an economic base).

Crime is spiritual mostly because poverty is immoral and crime is an ingredient of poverty! If we don’t grasp that concept, we as an oppressed people, will always be like sky scrappers built without steel beams that keep collapsing while the oppressor says “what’s wrong with you?”

With regards to matter on planet Earth, a fair question may be: is there finite matter on earth and does that equal finite thoughts?

Why is there a remaking of the arts in the form of literature, film and art in general if there is infinite thought?

I raise this question as an introduction to a context for Liberation Philosophy. Will we discover new areas of thought and ideas as we investigate thought from the oppressed perspective.

This is an important question because it goes to the issue of solution as opposed to coming full circle back to European Philosophy. If that is where our journey will take us then the more prudent road would be to search among European philosophers for one to apply toward our liberation.

Finite matter may or may not be related to thought. However, because we see such a remaking of thought in the form of art, that maybe new thought will lead to new reality in the form of outward creation. Liberation may be among that.

Here is a reality that many people still do not grasp. The world is full of people with good intentions and a beautiful spirit who come up against the powerful with love and an open heart only to walk away bewildered.

So many have made the homeless or the hungry their life’s mission but often have been met by anger and cynicism by those in power. The attitude of the powerful is often ” how dare you bring the issues of the lazy before us!”

It is this simple principle- power only respects power – that leaves them vulnerable to this discouraging experience.

The fact is power has many definitions and takes on many forms. The power we are discussing here is organized political power. It is not enough to go to Kings and Queens with moral justification on your side. You must bring power to the table or you will find that you shouldn’t bother them at all.

Next time, we will deal with the mechanics of power, how to get it and how to wield it. All the while realizing that power does not recognize right and wrong. It is totally objective.

Do the ends justify the means? Are there objective laws or right and wrong?; good and evil? Who is it that gets to decide? Does nature leave clues for us to the answers to these questions?

Liberation Philosophy seeks to forge a new road through these issues. Can the oppressed continue to “play fair” when the oppressor counts on you to be righteous so as to better oppress you or should anything go in the pursuit of freedom?

Isn’t it necessary to be willing to be ruthless to gain freedom? Don’t we need to not let the oppressor make the rules about how we can achieve our freedom.

All of these issues and more must be reworked, but this time, the morals, mores and ethics must benefit the freedom seeker.

I can often remember my dreams. I have also grew up as a Lucid Dreamer. Never thought anything much of it. I thought everyone did it. I think that is why I didn’t have many typical nightmares. If the monster came for me, I would simple clobber him or fly fly away.

Since I never read anything about lucid dreaming, I am not sure what significance it has and I choose to not pursue the answer. All I know is it is a quite enjoyable experience to be able to be dreaming and know you are dreaming.

If I were to speculate as to any benefits one might receive from this wonderful experience I would surmise that it is an incredible stress reliever since you are able to relieve stress by dreaming of difficult situations and instead of being victimized by them, you take control and defeat them.

But the most amazing thing about it is this book I dream about exists and is the same no matter how many times I see it in dream land.

This book appears sporadically. Often if I loose something or have a problem on my mind for a few days, God is my witness, this book will appear in my dream and I am slowly opening it and most of the time the words in the book are fuzzy, but sometime I can clearly read where the lost object is or see the answer to my problem written clear as day!

What an amazing gift the human mind is!

The whole notion of “acceptable” tactics is real but undefined. In other words, the oppressor does not say “these are the rules that you must follow to fight for your freedom”, but it is transfered to the oppressed through certain theology or philosophy.

It is the oppressor who uses certain tactics to gain power and to maintain it and then say that tactic is not humane. They teach principles of fair play and rules, then gain the advantage by practicing none of them.

Only by rejecting, totally, the oppressors thought models can the oppressed grow it’s own. Thought proceeds action. Correct thought proceeds correct action.

If people of color are to seek uncontaminated freedom, they must be very careful of the philosophy they espouse and the danger of applying other peoples’ models for their unique situation.

I use the term uncontaminated freedom here to point out two things. First, many models of freedom lead to governments that serve the interests of other peoples and nations. It may not be apparent at first, but like a flower blooming in season, it appears. Often as an economy that was designed to plug into and depend on another economy that will eventually suck them dry and once again oppressed.

So at the very beginning, our philosophy must serve the oppressed and through every step of social development.

That is why defining terms, like uncontaminated freedom, that meet our needs and have no dependance on the oppressor to give them meaning is crucial. We have to develop concepts that will sound foreign to the oppressor. More on that in the next article.

The state of people of color around the globe is as much a reflection of philosophies used that were not derived from their experiences as it is the raw power and cruelty of those who oppress.

European Philosophy is rich and helps to clarify many questions, still it is written by people who generally have not had to struggle against racial oppression. That leaves it with inherent weaknesses for the oppressed to utilize or develop a strategy from it.

As oppressed people we must redefine certain terms, make our own judgments of good and bad and serve our purposes instead of that of other groups. Liberation Philosophy must be developed. It is there our freedom resides.

For me, spirituality must embrace all aspects of my life. I see the divine in all things. I see it in the sun, moon and stars. I see it in the eyes of babies. But I also see it in the wonderful tastes and smells of fruit.

So few gifts from the Creator open my eyes with awe as a simple piece of fruit. It is beautiful, refreshing, delicious, and nutritious. It is a great way to detox.

So the next time you bite into a sweet juicy piece of fruit, don’t forget give thanks.

I think the book and DVD version of “The Secret” is an incredibly powerful expression of the Laws of Attraction, Positive Thinking and The Power of Intention. It is all of that and more. There is nothing original in the work but I think it is valuable for its’ very esthetic presentation and the fact that a lot of great information is condensed.

I know a lot of critics say these techniques are hocus pocus and have no basis in science. I say many of the positive thinking and visualization techniques are more scientific than theories regarding the birth of the universe.

Turning back to visualization as an example, a technique that has become almost universal among Personal Development teachers. You are basically told to keep a picture of what you want in your mind, believe you will receive it, and you will receive it.

Hocus pocus right? I don’t think so. I think that by focusing on those thoughts, in a collective conscience, you will give your goal energy. Say it is a dream job and you know someone else is going to get the job. I believe what can happen is the other person gets a call from her dream job and she gets the offer and is gone. The person who makes the decision at your dream job, for reasons he can’t explain, just likes something about you, and you get the call.

Now you might say this is luck. From the outside that’s what it looks like. But to those in the know, it was what you expected. For everyone involved in the decisions that led to you getting that dream job (including the decisions that led to your rival getting her dream job) exists mental decisions. In one universal mind, your thoughts have energy and are dominate. They influence every decision along the way that led to the dream job.

Of course this is a simplified explanation, but I think it holds up to scientific scrutiny.