Fear and Freedom

Healing the Hurts of the Earth, and Resisting the Orcs

Lúthien Tinúviel, Allan Lee

I recently signed a petition that constitutes a sort of "please cease and desist" request from two private individuals to their local Planning Department. The story need not be told here, but, in summary, the local government very clearly overstepped its bounds and intruded upon the peace of honest citizens as they made an act of good faith by attempting to confirm the legality of their living situation.

We have been seeing this sort of intimidation very often recently, and it has become more and more apparent that government positions are increasingly attractive to power-minded individuals, those who would "lord it over" their fellow man: "Dominion and service, egoism and altruism, possession and gift, self-interest and gratuitousness: these profoundly contrasting approaches confront each other in every age and place" (Homily, Benedict XVI, St. Peter's Basilica, 18 Feb. 2012).

Not all would agree with the theological account of "the beginning", but many in this day and age agree that a certain stewardship of the earth, a relationship with nature that is mutually beneficial, is laudable, and may, in its various forms, be the one appropriate vocation of man.

It just so happens that the persons at the center of the story mentioned above were seeking to grow vegetables, raise chickens and goats, and otherwise live a very "green" lifestyle from a converted, off-grid school bus. They were seeking to perform a deeply human function, following deeply human desires. They were doing no different from the first people of this country, English immigrants in America, the frontier families, and indeed many peoples in various countries, cultures, and economies throughout the world today. It seems odd that their quiet, unobtrusive, and humble lifestyle should cause any stir whatsoever.

It should cause no stir unless it be an inspiration to live in like manner.

That county officials sought to extend the tentacle of arbitrary conformation is a clear sign that America is no longer free, and that the government has made itself an enemy of humankind and of nature, enforcing -- and thereby merely postponing the certain demise of -- a flailing social and economic doctrine.

Why should we expect fear and intimidation when we seek to do the simplest of things, when we choose to do that for which we were made? Why should we balk at the idea of freedom?

Before even it has become illegal to practice one's religion in this country (an impending doom, no doubt), it is illegal to own private property. You are certainly allowed to hand over your life's saving for a deed, title, and other proofs of nominal ownership, but you are not permitted to do as you will with the earth that you cultivate. Instead, the agents of cookie-cutter suburbia come knocking at your door, demanding some blathering nonsense.

The environs are foggy, but the choice is clear.

The current state of affairs, the current tone of local government (and certainly state and national government) effectively precludes any chance of overcoming absurd legal boundaries on an individual basis. What can one man do? He can do something. A foundational principle of the American nation was that a man can't tramp all over you merely because he has the bigger stick. We no longer live in that nation. We live in a state of passive-aggressive cold war with our governing bodies.

And we must put up a rampart of defense against what is clearly an infringement upon our rights as human persons, which include the right to produce food for our own sustenance and shelter against the elements, without restrictions based on our means or some pitiable norm of "success". It is not a moral wrong to be poor. It is a moral right to care in the best way one may for oneself and one's family.

It is time for persons and families of like mind and similar pursuits to band together and live as they see fit, and to reject all unreasonable molestation as well as the consequences of that rejection. We must no longer allow ourselves to be punished for the basic activities required of existence. We must no longer allow arbitrary policies to define our very nature.

We are human beings born in a place, and this is no crime. We have every right to preserve our existence in this place without interference, especially if we obtain property and cultivate it to our liking. It is time to take a stand, and to reject unjust discrimination by a nihilistic society pressured by a police state. It is time for "the adornment of Arda and the healing of its hurts" (Tolkien, quoted in Patrick Curry's "Iron Crown, Iron Cage ..."). It is time to raise happy families to join in the work that has been set out before us. It is time to reject the jealousy of Cain, and justly preserve the pursuit of innocence.

Flamme, Citron, Fear of Death

Flame and Citron (2008) (or Flammen og Citronen, if you prefer) is a film about 2 Danish Resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied Europe.

In the main, they are sent on assassination missions, eliminating prominent Danish Nazi collaborators -- mostly military figures. When a female Nazi is involved, Flamme must clean up after Citronen's failure of emotional resolve. Hard times.

Viewing the film, few of us would even wince at the death of a Nazi colonel or SS officer. Most of us would sit still, applying a grim sense of justice to the scene, happy that an enemy to humanity had been neutralized.

We do not fault Flammen and Citronen. We do not fault Flammen for his anger, his frightful impetuousness, his coldness of execution, for he sacrifices his more human capacities for the sake of others, for the sake of those who suffer. Even for an uncertain future, he sacrifices sweetness and light for blood and death and danger.

We do not fault Citronen. His wife and child are poor and hungry, but we only reproach him a little. Indeed, his wife takes up with another man because Citronen is never home, always away in hiding or on the warpath. But he is noble enough to say, "Take care of my wife and child."

Why do they fight? Why kill? We all know. We have heard the stories, seen the dream-like horrors. We do not forget. We have hated the Nazis in our turn. We do not forget. We have seen the tortured, corpse-like human bodies shuffling in the cold. We have seen the corpses. We do not forget.

Those who survive hold on to the flame, the torch of indignation, of sorrow, of love, of despair, of newfound hope, of wisdom hard-won. We have heard them. We have listened attentively. We do not forget.


We forget.


There is a deeper horror that even as I write surfaces once more, insidious, in our minds.

And how do we meet this horror? With swift relentless unfailing justice toward a real and present monstrosity? Or with diplomacy and statecraft. Do we treat with hell?

We treat with hell.


We forget.


We have swallowed the lie that words can win the day. I believe they can. But someone must be listening.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was willing to be arrested, abused, killed for the cause of a better life for African Americans -- not for their lives en masse, but for equal rights as citizens. Not for clothing, not for food, not for water, not for shelter, not for life and breath -- for equal rights as citizens.

Our glorious generation has achieved a complacent sidewalk counselorship. Yes, we are those on the sidelines who watch and say a few words, impotently waving our signs, hiding behind a false piety that says "Prayer is all you need!" without proaction. We treat with hell.

We say that "We are the pro-life generation!" with cries and shouts and smiles and free concerts in Washington, D.C.. But we care only -- really -- for our own lives. We are pro-life in that regard. Our rationalizations are petty and false. We say that we act in this way in the name of "compassion" and "charity," that we are the "peaceful" demonstrators amongst the carnage.

When compassion means sloth, when charity equates to a failure of love in a failure to act for the prevention of murder (and thus the salvation of the would-be murderer), there is no peace. When the mills grind day after day as we plod -- we asses, we dumb chattel -- along the sideline begging our betters -- yes! for they are cold, and we are lukewarm -- to please obey natural and divine law, there can be no peace. There is no peace. There is no peace. There is no peace.

And to pretend to Culture in such a world?!

If the wars are not fought -- if we do not at least stand firm in peaceful civil disobedience: blocking entries, closing down buildings with whatever measures necessary -- then there will be nothing left when the self-loathing of the West has wreaked its havoc upon the last child in the womb (or out).

We fear death. We do not see it, and so we avoid its screeching call for justice. We avoid. We wimper.


There is no peace. There is no peace. Awaken.





Addendum: I do not advocate the murder of abortionists.

The Pilgrim and His Guide

We are displaced people, always looking for a home yet never quite finding one.  Oh we may very much feel at home when we step into our leather-trimmed cars and are wafted away to our warm brick houses in the middle of autumn, or when we sip pumpkin-flavored-something in front of a crackling fire in the company of those we love.  Yes - it is easy to feel at home.  

Yet how quickly is man reminded of his place in the universe when he gazes upon the sun falling into the sea against a golden sky, or when he hears the serenade of a violin over a solemn piece played on a piano, or of course, when the eyes of the beloved meet his for a split moment in time.  The comforts of the world begin to fade as his focus is moved upward, higher, above and beyond his very self, so that he wants to escape the material fetters that bind him and soar to the caller, to unite himself with the falling sun, the saddened song, and the very body and soul of the beloved.  

In all of this, there exists a painful truth: as long as man is living within his mortal coil, he cannot fully unite himself to the Beautiful.  This is why we are pilgrims.  This is why we cannot call planet Earth as we know it our home.

Do not misunderstand me - there is much delight to be had in the journey, and it is very good indeed to live in the present and enjoy the company of loved ones while sipping pumpkin-flavored-whatever in front of a crackling fire.  The people we love are not a means to an end, nor is food and drink merely sustenance for our journey.  Such a view is utilitarian and saps the joy out of living.  Nevertheless, man exists as homo viator, a pilgrim man, and will always live in angst until he reaches the very heart of Heaven itself.  In fact, unless we realize that we are sojourners, we can never truly live peacefully and joyfully in the present, for the man that denies that he is made for another home painfully grasps at material goods to no avail.  It is only the homo viator that can truly love the created world.

And thus we are on the move.  Yet we move only because we have been disturbed by Beauty.  And as we follow the path that Beauty guides us along, we notice that she serves a threefold purpose: she is the pointer, she is the sustainer, and she is the goal.

As the pointer Beauty makes us aware of our displacement in the world, and thus begins our journey.  As the sustainer she lets us rest in her bosom, giving us motivation upon motivation, manifesting herself among and within the universe (the sunset, the song and the beloved point us beyond themselves, yet are also beautiful in their own right, and can therefore be loved on their own accord).  And lastly, as the goal, we consume Beauty entirely as it consumes us.

Once contained and containing, we will dance with the Beautiful and her two sisters, the Good and the True.  The three who cannot be trichotimized, the three who cannot be described as a single element, are the final resting place for the tired pilgrim.

Good reader, you have seen her, you have heard her song.  Now let Beauty be your guide.

Concerning Music

Part II: Worlds of Music

There exists a wide disparity within musical genres and styles. Many of these differences are centered solely around different cultures, but even within the same culture there are major dissimilarities. I think it can be deduced from this fact that people listen to and enjoy music for a variety of different reasons. While the decision to listen to a certain genre of music is in part determined by the individual's familiarity with it (nostalgic attachment), one also listens to a particular genre for the sake of the feelings and thoughts that it inspires. It is important to observe that these two reasons are very much related.

I will begin by describing two musical styles or genres that appear exceedingly different and nearly present a kind of musical dichotomy. Because of the many sub-genres and various categorizations related to each of them, I will, for the sake of simplicity, refer to them as they are commonly categorized: art music and popular music. There is a third category, folk music, which, also for simplicity, I will group with popular music. Although my definitions of these categories are loosely applied and may be too rudimentary, they will serve well the intent of this essay. Once again, I will analyze music independent of all human vocals, which will be discussed in detail in part three.

Popular music is characterized, among other things, by an easily discernible and often dominant rhythm or beat. This rhythm is usually marked by percussive instruments. One may find it easy to imagine our primeval ancestors discovering that beating on various instruments to accompany dance or song was very satisfying. This rhythmic and percussive music appeals to our very nature as physical beings. The beat of our hearts, the circulation of our blood, our breathing; these natural and physical markers of life are represented in rhythmic music at a fundamental level. This is possibly the most basic explanation as to why human beings are innately attracted to popular music. Observe the response that most people have to a popular song; their body almost naturally begins to move in time with the beat, often culminating in some kind of dance or similar carefree activity. The happiness that can be gained through the enjoyment of popular music is real, but because it is normally just a physical emotion, it is fleeting. This explains why the popular music genre is growing so rapidly; why there is a constant demand for new music, and why there are very few popular songs that are "timeless."

Art music is commonly referred to as classical music, although art music encompasses a much broader spectrum of music than classical, which is actually a sub-genre. It can be very loosely characterized by the absence of a dominant rhythm and by its skill-based artistic origin. Many art music pieces are written to showcase the skill of a particular musician or composer. There is something about the absence of a dominant beat that requires the listener to transcend physical human instincts. The appreciation for art music becomes much more intellectual; we can often find our minds hard at work to match the music with something that is familiar to us. This makes sense when one considers that this kind of music is often associated with intellectuals. Observe someone listening to a piece of beautiful art music; the eyes are closed and a slight smile will sometimes appear. There is a kind of peace and tranquility about raising the mind above visible realities. Although we may not be able to relate physically to what we hear, we somehow know that there is great beauty in it; that it hearkens to something beyond the human condition. Many composers of classical music understand this and they often attribute or dedicate their music to some kind of spiritual reality.

When God created our universe he created order out of chaos. He designed human beings to desire order and beauty. There is something within an ordered rhythm that appeals to our nature as God created it. Music that represents the order within creation is truly beautiful. Keeping this in mind, a perversion of popular music arises in a disordered and chaotic rhythm, as is perhaps exemplified by the dubstep genre, as well as other rising genres. Sounds and tone patterns that would, taken by themselves, be naturally displeasing to the human ear, as in the heavy metal genre, are another example of disorder in music. Art music too is subject to this corruption of rhythm and melody. Experimental and cacophonous melodies or sounds have become more prevalent within the art music world and show a frightful disregard for order and natural beauty. This represents the very "modern" idea that ugliness and disorder can be made into art, and it exemplifies a perversion of the nature of art and beauty itself. It is the "enjoyment" of disordered music that leads to negative thoughts and emotions; indeed, some music is actually formulated for this very purpose, and it is only out of great ignorance or a desire to satisfy human concupiscence that these disordered musical styles can be enjoyed.

An important phenomenon to consider is that people develop nostalgic attachments to certain types of music. These attachments are, to a certain extent, independent from the objective nature of the music. Memories associated with a certain musical piece can, for the individual, completely change the effect that may be commonly perceived or that the artist or composer had originally intended. Children who grow up with certain musical genres have a greater appreciation for them as adults. It is this learned bias towards music that could explain why a person who loves beauty and order can enjoy what may be categorized as disordered music. One must always remember that attachments and biases often cloud clear thinking, and that we must learn to judge art objectively as well as subjectively.

Because of technological advancements, the skill required to produce music has been greatly minimized. This accounts for a sharp increase in mediocrity, especially in popular music, although art music is by no means exempted. The very real fact that almost anyone can compose music which will appeal to many, regardless of skill, and the fact that a general appreciation for genuine quality and skill has all but disappeared, has given rise to the music industry. It is an industry which churns out mediocre art for profit, and one which many sadly uneducated people have been drawn into. This point brings us back to the first part of this essay concerning music as art. Mediocre "art" created simply to make money is not art.

A final note concerning the appeal of art music. I am speaking primarily about most orchestral, film, and incidental compositions. I mentioned that our minds naturally seek to match what we hear to something which is familiar to us. The difficulty with the music I have just mentioned is that they do not easily coincide with life as we normally see it. This is one of the reasons it is often used to accompany a story, a story which may often be so fantastic that, if experienced in our everyday life, would be called miraculous. When I listen to beautiful orchestral music, my mind is drawn into the worlds of Narnia, Middle Earth, or Perelandra, the worlds of mythology and fantasy, worlds that are, in a sense, more real than ours, as G.K. Chesterton has observed. The contemplation of worlds where beauty does not wear a mask, where truth is not locked in churches and where goodness is not a mental construct is where the listener often finds peace. Of course, these worlds would be incomplete and even meaningless without the absolutely true, constant, immediate, and dare I say, fantastic reality of the story of our salvation. No story is more true and real than the story that is true and real for all the universe, unbound by culture or by history, free from the limits of time and space. For me, music has always been there to point the way to this world. To those heights we must all go, and we should not dismiss the guiding power of music.