No longer us and them, just WE!

6:45pm Wednesday August 8, all the lights go out at my place in South Melbourne. 6:50pm all the lights are back on. Lucky me.

The only torch at hand had flat batteries. The only cigarette lighter had no fuel. It's a two storey house - dark as the tomb. What would I have done? I wasn't prepared. Someone was. The electricity grid was prepared. Thanks to lots of fellow citizens who work all hours that the rest of us in a big city may live in comfort.

No longer us and them, just WE. Yet another example of how we depend on each other to do our duty. Ok, a computer put the lights back on but someone programmed that computer. Thank you, that someone.

Hospitals function because some people look after others, put others before themselves.

Traffic flows according to the same principle, whether on earth, sea or in the sky.

When a disaster strikes, natural or manmade, police and other essential service providers swing into action. Duty calls, some go even beyond the call of duty.

Churches do their duty when they behave as centres of hope in their neighbourhoods.

Bloggers do their duty when they act as "social" reporters. The mainstream media is jealous of this emerging information sharing phenomenon.

Pictures are taken by phone cameras and downloaded (or is it uploaded) onto MySpace or YouTube. Is this done from a sense of duty or a desire to become known?

On Triple J this Sunday 9-11pm, Safran and I (mainly Safran) interview a bloke who wrote a book "AK47: The Story of the People's Gun". Mikhail Kalashnikov reckoned he had a duty to design a rifle to protect his Soviet homeland from its enemies. He now wishes he'd designed a motor mower instead.

We also interview Michael Gawenda author of "American Notebook". Some will remember him as editor-in-chief of The Age and a former editor of Time.

Then comes Greg Barnes, former head of the Republican Movement and author of "An Australian Republic". (Next week we'll speak to a monarchist).

Finally, Professor Larry Sitsky, Higher Doctorate of Fine Arts (ANU), Fellow Australian Academy of the Humanities and composer of the "Golden Opera".

The Golem is a "creature" fashioned in Prague from river mud, brought to life by Jewish people oppressed by local Christians in the 1500's. The Golem was entrusted with the duty of protecting the Jewish people from the oppressors.

Interestingly, Kalashnikov referred to his AK47 as a Golem.

My interest in all the people we interview is selfish. I'm looking for handy hints about what I and my fellow social activists (including my own Catholic parishioners) can do to make the world a better place for all. I submit that we have a duty to do just that. Help from any quarter, Kalashnikov, Gawenda, Sitsky is welcome.

But self-help is always at hand.

You and I are the Golem.

RJM

Comments

[Anne Digges]

Really enjoyed the Republican dude and the whole program and usually do.

Can I just say Bob that there is something to be said for John Safran saying that you tend to agree with everyone who comes in. I have an aunty like this and frankly I have no idea what she thinks about anything because when she is with me she agrees with me and when she is with someone who holds a polar opposite point of view she agrees with them. So the bottom line is I do not trust her. Probably harsh but it is the truth. I would prefer people to know and hate me than to love me and not know me.

I am also very uncomfortable and suspicious when people like me, I am so used to people hating my guts, that I wonder what they want.

Open distain and hostility is relatively easy to cope with and relatively easy to dismiss. Pseudo acquintances or "friends" who are nice to you either face to face or online or wherever/whatever whilst inserting a knife between your shoulder blades is harder to cope with.

The result is that sadly I trust about 4 or 5 people however I still have more than some people who do not even have 1. I am defining trust as someone into who's hands you would place your life.

Love all, trust a few. Shakespeare.

Incidentally if you watch people with their pets it is a good indicator of how they will treat you.

[RobP]

A Community in action!

This is a long piece that may take a while to download BUT is worth the wait..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM