Standing Ronin Rogue with Honor

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What good is Honor & Fear?

Every year, for the past sixty seven years straight have I listened to inspiring speeches on the subject of the word “honor” and how it has impacted history and other people’s lives for so many different reasons.  Every day we are reminded of those before us who acted with honor and sacrificed their very own lives to deliver their message or contribution to society at the risk of life and death.

One thing I have noticed about the word is that it has often been accompanied with another word “fear” that lives inside of us as well.  Thus we must ask, what is the correlation between honor and fear and how do those two words create a legacy? 

Reflecting of society’s conflicts of war, struggles endured to ensure our civil rights, marching for racial equality and actively protecting the earth’s environment has brought so many causes to light, it has been difficult to keep up with them all. Somewhere entwined amongst these struggles are life’s teachings and the men and women who had the courage to do something about how they felt on the matter and bringing into the light for knowledge and discussions. 

In many respects, these people had a dream and brought it to us to benefit from or to learn more about our conflicts in our personal and professional daily lives. There are Nobel Prize winners who wanted peace and cures to solve the world’s plagues and famine but also there were those never recognized for such a prestigious award that have equally contributed to mankind through the sacrifices made of themselves and taking on society who ridicule their work and disparage they efforts as being selfish and vain. 

Having honor often brings fear. Fear of harm, fear of humiliation, and the fear of failure. Sometimes this fear creates a deep anger within ourselves and brings us into a volatile situation even while knowing this conflict was merely created by the fear from inside you. 

Needing to stay calm and avoiding any type of conflict can be hard when you are pressed on principle and honor to do the right thing. I also knew responding with ire or aggressiveness would not allow me to achieve my goal as my primary goal was to encourage others to say what they needed to say and put it in print if they had to do so to aspire greater things in their life. 

Refusing to bend or submit to the negative energy was a challenge. I believe every person must endure some kind of struggle in order to achieve something significant in life. Life without struggle would be too easy and often not worth the effort put forth to make things better. No one lives in a world of perfection. Not one person can say they are perfect and that conflict has not taken control of them at one time or another. 

No one can say that they haven’t had any conflict with people who are angered, frustrated and hated you because you did what you did, said what you said and believed you were right. It is nature’s law that such conflicts ends with controversy and doubts. Having said that, I still chose to take a course of action that has served me well. I continue to put my words into print and hope that someone, someday, will understand what my message is and carry it on with their own honor and no doubt their own fears. 

Society is cruel. It wants you to play the game. It is a two-faced world as they console you with stillness, kindness and apparent compassion while on the other side, they cut you down and drown your words into the abyss unequivocally with quickness and hopes no one gets to read them in time to make a change in their minds or actions. 

Honor is what gives you the perseverance, the stamina and the willpower to endure the long run. It is the motivator that keeps you on track of what you want to say and say it in the manner you mean it to be taken and not in a politically correct circus but rather in a realistic set of conditions that make sense and tells the truth. There is nothing anyone can say about me or to me that makes me want to quit whatever I have challenged and stop me dead in my tracks. I will and can respond to them with a gentle word and a genuine smile that will frustrate the hell out of them as they try to compromise me over and over again. 

Have no doubt, the opposition is strong. It is filled with envy, hatred and viciously strong resentment to stop you from telling the truth about things important to you and your environment. You have to be prepared for yelling, screaming, hitting and spitting and God forbid, hitting or other physical attacks on you or your family. The honor in this would be to not respond to this in the same fashion.

Although fear may drive you to do wrong, your honor must instill non-violent responses and a steadfast set of principles to build your case even stronger. That’s how you stand up to criticism and personal attacks when you defend your honor. 

Clearly, protecting your honor takes a great deal of courage. It takes stamina, self-confidence and reassurances you are doing the right thing. Standing up against the injustices around you makes you stronger, not weaker. It gives you a deeper sense of understanding which leads to sharing your knowledge and principles with those willing to take the risks of listening and they spread the idea as if it was their own. That is what knowledge gives you, it takes away power of those who oppress and gives the power back to those who resist. 

It is facing the fears that is the ultimate test of life. The fear of harm, the hatred and the twisting of your words to not only insult or discredit you but to destroy you. Sometimes, depending on what cause you bring forward, there is the fear of death or being murdered while speaking the truth but nevertheless, you have to remain peaceful and resilient in bringing your message to the forefront and tell it like it is. The trick to maintaining your course it to “keep your eyes on the price” and know your words will impact the larger picture you have seen inside your mind. 

This picture is your vision. Your vision is something that extends beyond the status of today and seeks to change tomorrow. Whatever it is, you can do it while fighting the fear to stop what you are doing and allowing these negative forces to halt your idea, thoughts and your ideology from reaching the ears of others who may be inspired to carry on such a cause. A man can be killed or murdered but an idea can live forever no matter how much it is challenged, destroyed or discredited. The vision will allow it to live. 

So the vision comes from the heart, soul and spirit. It is a narrative put into words only after you have realized its importance and how it can change some things in life. If you die, so what, once put into ink or print, it can live forever. Do not fear death for we must all die and if we die for a justifiable cause, what better way to earn your honor. This is how your family, friends and others will remember you and be very proud to have known you. There are no casualties in life, just victims. There are no destruction of words already said, just memories. Take the time to learn what is important to you and do it with honor. 

So now, maybe after reading this short article, your fears have been removed from your life to do what is right. Perhaps you too have surpassed the fear of violence, humiliation or death. We all experience the same things in life; some greater than others but nevertheless, the fact remains they cannot defeat you if you persist your will to say what you need to say. All their yelling, shouting or criticizing cannot stop your words from being heard. Even with death, they cannot defeat you.

Did you know that the best fighters are the self-disciplined fighters? Did you know that they never get into any fights because they fear the fight? Enduring the struggles in life itself, they have practiced over and over getting hit, kicked, and stabbed or shot so they already know the pain they might feel if attacked and harmed. However, they also know how to counter such tactics and learned how to counter suck attacks to return a counter blow or strike with more effectiveness than their opponent. They know they will be hurt but they don’t fear the pain as much as they used to and that’s how you overcome your fear and instill you individual honor on the line.

The key to controlling your fear is to avoid this combat and skillfully maneuver your role into a non-combative character. Someone who is recognized for their own skill set and abilities. This credibility will carry weight when you see the consequences of telling the truth and the manner you present it. Again, your honor remains intact and your goal to win is still alive. You may have already won the battle and lost the war. The importance is how you committed yourself to the anger and aggression before you. There is absolutely nothing you enemy can do if you stand up for what you believe in and never waver to the cause you have chosen. They cannot defeat those who are peaceful and those who don’t put up a struggle like fighting fire with fire. 

It is “they” who must answer why they took up the violence rather than the calm. It is “they” who must answer why they chose to take their own actions to destroy you or violate you when you stood there peaceable and honorable. If they hurt you simply because you stood your ground, it is “they” who must explain to the others why they did what they did and justify it to all who know of your honor to say what you needed to say. 

So the bottom line is you must not fear the violence or death but rather you must deal with the fears of your ideologies being accepted and recognized to be legitimate and successful if implemented or used in some ways. Change is a difficult concept for many people. It is true some change is positive and others not so positive but regardless of challenge, presenting it in a wholesome and credible manner will launch your idea or concept so others can adopt it or carry it through for a successful dream come true.

Ronin Rogue Honor

In today’s terms, a man is either his own person or he is a follower of various ideologies that are self-serving and not designed for others. One can say that historically, a Ronin is a man who has believed to have dishonored the traditional means or code of conduct that is based on the cultural expectation for him to follow. One can also say that a rogue Ronin may have further separated his ways from the traditional means or code of conduct and is someone who has found his own moral code and honor to live the way he believes it to be in the best interest of those who trust him and depend on him for protection or livelihood.

When a man is born, he knows for certain he is going to die. How or when a man may die is unknown until that time comes but how a man lives is one of the most important things in his life and the lives of those around him. One has to appreciate the fact that life is not unpretentious and filled with challenges and fantasies. It evolves around the spirit of the mind, the heart and soul of what has become a completeness one could never understand unless he understands the psychological, philosophical and the spiritual foundations of how life is meant to be lived with honor, loyalty and the eventuality of death. This kind of kinetic energy is most valuable and appreciated up to the very end and gives comfort to those who believe in this manner of existing.

We all have a code to live by. We have chosen our own paths and destiny in the manner we devoted our lives around those things we valued and cared for the most. This is not a code that is inscribed on paper or stone but rather an unwritten code that is understood. Not a manuscript of chronicles or principles but a way of life we chose because of values such as loyalty, honor and self-discipline to know which road to take whenever faced with life’s adversities. Difficult to understand if someone had never followed these foundations of life and even more difficult to follow unless you lived these parables when spoken.

Words mean nothing without action. Action is based on the size of the heart, the courage within it and the willingness to commit to a cause or death whichever or whenever this may be the only choices before you. Living a lifecycle with duty, valor and the belief of God, the Almighty, can and has emboldened the heart to make and overcome difficult choices and take the high road rather than the corrupted journey. Nothing in this reality of life is related to the materialistic or possession world as this is about spiritual wealth and not those items which are considered earthly possessions or goods men have fought and died for over centuries of time.

A man should have the stability, temperament, intestinal fortitude and valor to put the needs of others before his own. This unselfishness is rewarded only with the comfort and peace of knowing they will be sent to a heavenly palace rather than the dreadful gates of Hell.  Dedicated and willing to sacrifice whatever is theirs to give, they do so with the generous offerings of pride, humility and honor. Their willingness to commit their soul to the cause or reason for living is admirable and simplifies what a man should be before he dies.

Moral principles are molded by the nurturing and the values instilled by parents, mentors and teachers. There are vast paths of choices available to the mind if one was to search for the knowledge and insight to make life better for others rather than himself. It takes great self-discipline to understand and bond with this priceless foundation that is created with time and energy provided by those who guide a man towards the light rather than the darkness of this world.

Last but not least, there is the quality of compassion and kindness that we were taught as children when we socially and intuitively raised our family pet as companions giving us stronger values to enable us to express our love or desire for something or someone. Whether it be plant, animal or thing, we learn to take care of it.

We have also learned how to appropriately demonstrate our love, loyalty and kindness to our siblings, extended family and our circle of friends in this world as well as strangers. In order to fully appreciate what life has to offer one must open up this human heart to a reality to co-exist with others even though there are times when the heart yearns for a fanatical fictional fantasy or pleasant dream.  A rigid mental attitude, an iron-willed focus and a constantly aware cognizance must exist to be able constantly think what is best for others and offer them an opportunity of life and the things we are all wanting to enjoy and love the most.

As with birth there comes death. A natural progression that is well understood and acceptable in most religions or cultures in today’s societies. Death may not be the final journey. In fact, death may be the beginning of life as we were meant to live it as immortals rather than the mere mortal souls we were when we were born. There is after all, an intimate connection that links life and death so closely together, that we must allow those dynamics which exist to order to better understand that life can be death and death can be a new life.

This link is the vitality of life. It should be a motivating flow of energy to keep your spirit alive even after death. Keeping in mind that death can occur at any time, your focus in life should be how to fulfill those qualities or values that instill loyalty, honor and duty. Loyalty, honor and duty to self and others. Knowing what your moral expectations are before your death ensures a better and more complete understanding of your purpose in life. It also eliminates many of your stressed caused anxieties while it promotes wellness. This is the key to the avoidance of such calamities and assures at the same time, your character, morally and physically, will improve as your virtues grow in time to give you the comforts you are looking for in life.

Having the comforts of life inside your mind and soul gives you the peace and the balance you are ready for tomorrow. You must have already accepted the fact that living forever can never be happen thus preparing you for death while preserving you memory, honor and loyalty intact with God and those who loved you. This may take place over a very long time or can come to you as soon as tomorrow. We do not know when death arrives but we do know it may come when our lives are actively seeking the completeness we search for every day we live on this earth. Only God knows when the search is over and the new life begins.

Seeking to find these values means to never fail. Although failure is a possibility, the spirit to never give up may offer you alternatives, adaptations or maneuvers which may improve your ability to be successful in those endeavors you seek. One has to always keep in mind that loyalty, duty and honor are the paths or righteousness to take whenever you have death in mind. To drift away from such values would mean losing your self-respect and wasted honor. We have already learned that life can be a fast moving storm and an occasional rare second chances in life might happen giving you an opportunity to regain this respect and affection from others as well as yourself by doing it all over again and proving your instilled values one more time.

Thus we look at our life time in a different light so we may restore our honorable form of life through the demonstration of love, loyalty, compassion and kindness for others to avoid a dishonorable death. This is the life you have chosen and this is how your life should end. In the expiration of our mortal life, we can only ask for forgiveness if we feel we fell short of what we valued how our life was to be lived. Only a fool does not recognize his shortcomings before death and asks God for His blessing and good will when the time has come to leave this world. One can only imagine what it would be like on the other side once we are gone from this dimensional world into the next.  How we enter is based on where we have been.

War of Attrition –

We are experiencing a phenomena known as a “war of attrition” where one side wears down the other side so they hopefully gain the leverage and change in mindset to accomplish their goals. This erosion can consist of cultural changes, changing administrators, rewrite policies and procedures and ignoring previous standards while creating new ones. This slow corrosion over a set time frame contributes to the mass or desired number of extermination of targeted groups or people and can be done through many different strategies such as:

·         A series of administrative personnel changes in the internal policies and procedures of the agency

·         A series of administrative priorities and objectives different than before

·         A series of multiple sabotage or covert actions that are inserted deliberately and timely to cause limited chaos and disorder

·         A series of conflicts or other scuffles that frustrates veteran staff to resign, retire or take a demotion rather than dealing with the issues at hand.

An analysis of such an action shows it is successful and that repeated defeat even on a small scale as designed will give the assailant leverage and gradually exhaust or expire those targeted for the purpose of dominance and control. It has been known to create treasonous conduct, mutiny, desert the fight or demoralize those remaining to the point their doom is accelerated for doom.

The second impact of such a war is the public reaction to such actions as it is sold as a means to make government better or less costly. The mere fact of what this war cost is lost in the transition to the new plans and rarely challenged.

The only way a war of attrition can be fought is to fight in common asymmetric warfare where the rules of engagement change in order to meet the need. Thus the justification is open to interpretation or transitioning of ideologies that survive this war.

This war consists of attacks and counter-attacks. There are few concessions along the way and many victims fall to the process if successful. This strategy is repeated in various administrative strategies that are repeated over and over until they get what they want.

In Arizona Corrections the goal is a workforce reduction of state employees and the conversion or outsourcing of government services to privatization of related agency services and public prisons.