Minefield – Watch Where You Step
Mutterings And Murmurs . Social Studies
Definition of ’minefield’
1. countable noun
A minefield is an area of land or water where explosive mines have been hidden.
For as long as their has been gun powder and other explosives but long after humans started wanting to kill and maim each other, planting land mines has been a tried and true method of protecting territory and shredding or misting other humans who either accidentally or intentionally tread on protected territory.
The use of landmines dates to the sixteenth century when the “fourgasses” were employed in Italy. These were essentially cannons that were buried underground and when detonated could shower rocks and other debris over a battlefield. However, these were not all that reliable. The first true pressure-operated landmines came about two centuries later, and were described by eighteenth-century German historian H. Frieherr von Flemming as a weapon that “consisted of a ceramic container with glass and metal fragments embedded in the clay.” However, it wasn’t until the American Civil War that such weapons were routinely employed on the battlefield.
You could be walking on a battlefield at any time and not even know it. One unlucky step and a ‘click’ and kaboomsplattermessmaimkilled or maimed. Years after the mines were laid and the battles have been forgotten, children out playing, would run to retrieve an errant ball or kite and kaboomsplattermessmaimkilled. Pets or livestock could be wandering to better grass or chasing rabbits and kaboomsplattermessmaimkilled. The manufacturers, dealers, and governments and other terrorists that deployed the land mines got very rich. The body count was irrelevant.
Before her untimely and tragic death in August 1997 Princess Diana discovered that her husband and the entire royal family were adrenochrome sucking pedophiles and tried to rebel but was made to help bring attention to the legacy of landmines. She was forced to front and take part in a walk across a minefield in Huambo in Central Angola in January 1997, and that raised the profile of the work being done to clear such minefields around the world. Apparently the U.N. cared…still cares about innocent lives…along with their partners and stakeholders, the WEF, the WHO, and NATO. Princess Diana would later die in a car, in a tunnel, with a connected Egyptian, Arab Bilderberger, Global Elite member under suspicious circumstances.
Even for the unsuspecting human, there is a type of land mine that does not necessarily go kaboomsplattermessmaimkill but rather causes major discomfort, confusion, and an oofing gut punch when it goes off. It is typically odorless though sometimes smells of lilac soap, alcohol, or the latest AXE miasma.
Often relationships take on the unassuming terrain of a minefield. The dangers of character and personal history are superficially buried. What often presents above ground can be superficially presented. There are usually signs to notify or warn you of potential dangers and conveniences. Just the other day, on a drive from Calgary to Prince George I saw several signs.
‘FALLING ROCK’ ‘MERGE’ ‘NO PASSING’ ‘CAUTION WILDLIFE’ ‘MCBRIDE 64 KM’ ‘ICE CREAM MINIGOLF’ ‘WORLD CLASS CHICKEN RACING – FT. ST. JAMES’ ‘REST AREA 2KM’ ‘BOOM LAKE LAC BOOM’ ‘SPITTAL CREEK’ ‘SLOW!’ ‘AVALANCHE AREA’ ‘CAUTION PEDESTRIANS ON HIGHWAY’ ‘LOOSE CHIPS’
THERE WERE ANIMAL SHADOWS ON SIGNS :
There were signs that didn’t have animal shadows on them.
While driving or walking or marching in peaceful protests you might might see signs to warn motorists and pedestrians of potential hazards. You might overhear things like :
“You make me laugh”.
Step.
“You are the most thoughtful person I know”.
Step.
“You are so smart”.
Step.
“Freedom!!!”.
Step.
You might be sharing a meal, watching a movie, talking daily on the phone for mutual support and entertainment and generally becoming good friends where no other pressures exist. You will be patient and kind when flaws of character or negative emotions rise up during periods of peace, easy dialogue and social stability. You will introduce them to other people you care about…like your family. Your cat might favor their lap over yours. You will help when asked for help and even when you haven’t. You might lend them books or music or videos. You might not be giving them what they want even if they said they didn’t want it. You might be deaf, dumb, and blind and either stumble blindly or step confidently into the mine field.
Peace!
Step.
“My body, my choice!”
Step.
KABOOOOM!
SPLATTER.
MIST.
OOOF!
OUCH!
SILENCE.
Sometimes it’s better to be ghost like. You can travel among people without being seen. You can go places where there are no people that have gone before you, placing mines, and even if they had, you would be weightless and not be able to trigger an explosion.