independence day

The Air of the Free

by Wendell Berry

TV, computers, and the Internet Democratize our sins, so that The smallest child may have a dirty mind, And this is progress for our kind, Enriching those who most deserve to be Enriched, leaving in poverty The ones who're most deserving to be poor. This way our art and literature Serve our God-given freedom to express Ourselves however we think best And be as uninhibited as hogs, Our electronic catalogs Conveying all our everlasting hopes While we glide down the frozen slopes Of the statistical analysis And the opinion poll.
Let this Be a sign unto us: the plug, once plugged, Cannot forever be unplugged. When shocked by our electrifying diet Of filth, inanity, and riot, Official violence and family quarrels, We pray to government to save our morals.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It seems as though technology and some inventions are causing more harm than good. It is up to us to not embrace the current "it" thing blindly but look at it to see what impact it will have on others. Just because it is available doesn't mean it should be used.

1 Corinthians 10 The Believer's Freedom
23"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive.

I talked to Kevin Current on the phone the other day and he wanted me to tell you hello!

myoldblog2009 said...

let me know when you are in columbus. we have more than five significant conversations that need to be had. especially the one where we believe the urban poor need to see and hear a wendell berry perspective, so, you know, they might have hope in Jesus through the earth, not through job services or vacation bible school.

David said...

For some reason I never saw these comments.
I am thankful for both, and i will be contacting both of you soon.