Let's get something straight! For those out there that believe it is incomprehensible to build a religious community center in Manhattan (no...not a mosque), you should ask yourself one question.
Who do you think we are fighting to protect and dying for in Iraq? Shiites and Sunnis! And yes...they are ALL Muslims.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Where is Erin Brockovich When You Need Her?
This BP oil industrial crime (I refuse to call it a spill as if it were an accident) is a disastrous occurrence that will haunt us for years and decades to come. As terrible as it is, it has only been at the forethought of our minds for the last few months. And, it's probably only been given this much attention because it is in America's oceans and coast lines. What a crime it is that very few of us even know about Chevron's deliberate industrial crime that has gone on for more than 4 DECADES in Ecuador's rain forest!
"Between 1964 and 1990, Texaco (which was acquired by Chevron in 2001) drilled roughly 350 wells across 2,700 square miles of Amazon rainforest. It extracted some $30 billion in profits while deliberately dumping 18 billion gallons of toxic soup, known as production water--a mixture of oil, sulpheric acid, and other carcinogens--into the streams and rivers where people collect drinking water, fish, bathe, and swim."
"In the process, Texaco constructed over 900 oil sludge pits, many the size of Olympic swimming pools. Unlike swimming pools, these pits were unlined punctures in the earth. With no concrete to protect the surrounding soil, poison seeped into the ground water." (Huffington Post)
Where is Erin Brockovich when you need her?
As hard as it will be, and as much as we will have to change jobs, mind-sets, and our false sense of security, we have got to get rid of our oil usage all together! We have to do the right thing, instead of continuing to take the easy way out. Just because it is profitable, doesn't make it right!
We KNOW there are other productive ways, and cleaner ways may I add, to use energy! (Which, by the way, would create more jobs in the long run!) Why are we so resistant to change our unhealthy ways? Why is it so easy for us to forgive big-fat oil companies who use and abuse us every single day? Their acts are simply not defend-able, but yet they do it and get the public to support them anyways! At the very least, why aren't we looking at this as a home-land security issue? Forget about the environmental impacts, we could "drill-baby-drill" all day long. But, doesn't anyone understand that even the oil we drill here at home goes into a world market? It's not necessarily drilled for our own personal use! Wake up America!
To read about an eye witness account of what is going on in Ecuador, please read the following link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kerry-kennedy/chevron-and-cultural-geno_b_346257.html
or
http://chevrontoxico.com/
"Between 1964 and 1990, Texaco (which was acquired by Chevron in 2001) drilled roughly 350 wells across 2,700 square miles of Amazon rainforest. It extracted some $30 billion in profits while deliberately dumping 18 billion gallons of toxic soup, known as production water--a mixture of oil, sulpheric acid, and other carcinogens--into the streams and rivers where people collect drinking water, fish, bathe, and swim."
"In the process, Texaco constructed over 900 oil sludge pits, many the size of Olympic swimming pools. Unlike swimming pools, these pits were unlined punctures in the earth. With no concrete to protect the surrounding soil, poison seeped into the ground water." (Huffington Post)
Where is Erin Brockovich when you need her?
As hard as it will be, and as much as we will have to change jobs, mind-sets, and our false sense of security, we have got to get rid of our oil usage all together! We have to do the right thing, instead of continuing to take the easy way out. Just because it is profitable, doesn't make it right!
We KNOW there are other productive ways, and cleaner ways may I add, to use energy! (Which, by the way, would create more jobs in the long run!) Why are we so resistant to change our unhealthy ways? Why is it so easy for us to forgive big-fat oil companies who use and abuse us every single day? Their acts are simply not defend-able, but yet they do it and get the public to support them anyways! At the very least, why aren't we looking at this as a home-land security issue? Forget about the environmental impacts, we could "drill-baby-drill" all day long. But, doesn't anyone understand that even the oil we drill here at home goes into a world market? It's not necessarily drilled for our own personal use! Wake up America!
To read about an eye witness account of what is going on in Ecuador, please read the following link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kerry-kennedy/chevron-and-cultural-geno_b_346257.html
or
http://chevrontoxico.com/
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Does Anyone Honestly Think Our Founding Fathers Wanted a Land Of More of The Same?
I guess lately, I am stuck on the issue of our founding fathers and their actual intention for our nation. It just seems to be the foundation for the right wing extremist and their plight to not only make a national religion for America, but it also seems to be the root of their anger and arrogance. They seem to have forgotten about about the humble aspect of their beliefs. It has simply turned into a political platform. This group ignores actual fact on a regular bases unless it can somehow back up their propaganda. And usually the facts have to be twisted just to fit into that hole.
Living in the south, I have to hear on a regular bases from my right wing friends, that we are a "Christian nation". I have to hear about the "prophecies" coming true as prayer is being removed from graduation ceremonies and football games. I have to hear many of them use Glen Beck, and Fox news in general, for their resource of history of our nation. Therefore, I have been educating myself on our nation's history, our roots, and the actual intentions for this nation. Not that it really should matter though right? Even if it were true, for argument sake, that this country was founded on Christianity, shouldn't we learn to evolve into the all encompassing nation that we set out to be?
I have been reading a book called, The Moral Minority - Our Skeptical Founding Fathers, by Brook Allen. Although I am only half way through the book, I have gotten a better insight into our beginning as a nation and the ludicrous notion that these men would actually base this nation on the Bible. The author gives a history on some of the founding men and their philosophies. As I was already aware, many of these men were deist. Which means, they didn't give a whole lot of regard to religion itself, but did respect the root of each religion's teachings. They, themselves, believed in a God of life so to speak, but not a religious God, and definitely not the Christian God. Benjamin Franklin even used a great analogy. He said that ALL religions are like sugar. They can be wrapped in different colored paper, but that the contents were all the same. Although, I will not deny the fact that there were many that were Christian. However, it is important to know that our founding authors were not all from the same fabric, but that their vision to make this an inclusive nation for all peoples tended to be uniform. It is also important to know that the majority of these men were intellectuals. In a time when education was a luxury, a good half of our first congress went to college and held law degrees.
Our roots fled from England and the religious suppression. America became our new home and open to a new description. However, we fell back into our old ways after a few generations of living on this new continent. Religious persecution ran rampant within the strict Puritan laws in some communities and in events such as the Salem Witch Trials. Stories of persecution in England were passed down to our founding fathers, and they also witnessed it first hand in the colonies. When they set out to make laws for the country they fought so hard for, these men understood that religion had no place in government, hence separation of church in state. They understood the slippery slope it could lead to.
The term "God" is used in the Declaration of Independence. It was a generic God term and this was a script written to tell England, and all nations, that we were now our own country. But, in the actual Constitution (the actual laws and rights of our nation), God and religion is left out. Statesmen used to have to make an oath that the Bible was truth and they soley believed in its contents when taking office. During the writing of the Constitution, this oath was abolished.
Benjamin Franklin, Jefferson and others were very candid and open about their beliefs, and even bordered on atheism in some regards, while George Washington was very private. Our founding men had a reputation to uphold and had to appeal to the masses and to the religious extremist...much as it is today. So, often times, a reference to the Bible, or to religion in general, was more for social reasons as they held powerful yet fragile positions. This is where today's right wing likes to find contradiction and twist facts to their liking. As many of our pivotal founding men were open about their beliefs and their visions for America on one hand, they would often speak the religious words the voters wanted to hear while at the podium, on the other hand. But, it all boils down to one point. Does anyone honestly think our nation's authors really wanted a land of more of the same? They heard the stories of suppression in England and they witnessed first hand, within the colonies, of what extreme religion (of any kind) could lead to. They understood the dangerous consequences of what starting a nation, and continuing it, could be if based on a single belief system.
Living in the south, I have to hear on a regular bases from my right wing friends, that we are a "Christian nation". I have to hear about the "prophecies" coming true as prayer is being removed from graduation ceremonies and football games. I have to hear many of them use Glen Beck, and Fox news in general, for their resource of history of our nation. Therefore, I have been educating myself on our nation's history, our roots, and the actual intentions for this nation. Not that it really should matter though right? Even if it were true, for argument sake, that this country was founded on Christianity, shouldn't we learn to evolve into the all encompassing nation that we set out to be?
I have been reading a book called, The Moral Minority - Our Skeptical Founding Fathers, by Brook Allen. Although I am only half way through the book, I have gotten a better insight into our beginning as a nation and the ludicrous notion that these men would actually base this nation on the Bible. The author gives a history on some of the founding men and their philosophies. As I was already aware, many of these men were deist. Which means, they didn't give a whole lot of regard to religion itself, but did respect the root of each religion's teachings. They, themselves, believed in a God of life so to speak, but not a religious God, and definitely not the Christian God. Benjamin Franklin even used a great analogy. He said that ALL religions are like sugar. They can be wrapped in different colored paper, but that the contents were all the same. Although, I will not deny the fact that there were many that were Christian. However, it is important to know that our founding authors were not all from the same fabric, but that their vision to make this an inclusive nation for all peoples tended to be uniform. It is also important to know that the majority of these men were intellectuals. In a time when education was a luxury, a good half of our first congress went to college and held law degrees.
Our roots fled from England and the religious suppression. America became our new home and open to a new description. However, we fell back into our old ways after a few generations of living on this new continent. Religious persecution ran rampant within the strict Puritan laws in some communities and in events such as the Salem Witch Trials. Stories of persecution in England were passed down to our founding fathers, and they also witnessed it first hand in the colonies. When they set out to make laws for the country they fought so hard for, these men understood that religion had no place in government, hence separation of church in state. They understood the slippery slope it could lead to.
The term "God" is used in the Declaration of Independence. It was a generic God term and this was a script written to tell England, and all nations, that we were now our own country. But, in the actual Constitution (the actual laws and rights of our nation), God and religion is left out. Statesmen used to have to make an oath that the Bible was truth and they soley believed in its contents when taking office. During the writing of the Constitution, this oath was abolished.
Benjamin Franklin, Jefferson and others were very candid and open about their beliefs, and even bordered on atheism in some regards, while George Washington was very private. Our founding men had a reputation to uphold and had to appeal to the masses and to the religious extremist...much as it is today. So, often times, a reference to the Bible, or to religion in general, was more for social reasons as they held powerful yet fragile positions. This is where today's right wing likes to find contradiction and twist facts to their liking. As many of our pivotal founding men were open about their beliefs and their visions for America on one hand, they would often speak the religious words the voters wanted to hear while at the podium, on the other hand. But, it all boils down to one point. Does anyone honestly think our nation's authors really wanted a land of more of the same? They heard the stories of suppression in England and they witnessed first hand, within the colonies, of what extreme religion (of any kind) could lead to. They understood the dangerous consequences of what starting a nation, and continuing it, could be if based on a single belief system.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
A Bit O' Trivia
I came across this and thought I'd share a bit o' trivia with you. Guess who said this: “No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.” Give up? It was George Bush...no, not George W, but his "daddy!" The interview was done by a man named Robert Sherman. He interviewed Bush in '87 while campaigning for presidency. Here's a snip of the interview:
Sherman: What will you do to win the votes of the Americans who are atheists?
Bush: I guess I'm pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God is important to me.
Sherman: Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?
Bush: No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.
Sherman (somewhat taken aback): Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church?
Bush: Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I'm just not very high on atheists.
Need I say more? This thought permeates the right-wing base. The thought that American government only exists for the Christian Americans, and everybody else might as well step out of the voting lines, as their voices are not important. Last I checked, we are a nation that believes that EVERYONE is equal...believers and non-believer alike! It's the things that make you say, hmmmm....
Sherman: What will you do to win the votes of the Americans who are atheists?
Bush: I guess I'm pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God is important to me.
Sherman: Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?
Bush: No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.
Sherman (somewhat taken aback): Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church?
Bush: Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I'm just not very high on atheists.
Need I say more? This thought permeates the right-wing base. The thought that American government only exists for the Christian Americans, and everybody else might as well step out of the voting lines, as their voices are not important. Last I checked, we are a nation that believes that EVERYONE is equal...believers and non-believer alike! It's the things that make you say, hmmmm....
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
America - Not Just For Christians
You hear frequently from the Right that "Liberals" are trying to get rid of God. "They are trying to take the ten commandments off court buildings, take prayer away from children...I bet they'll even take God out of our pledge and American creeds!" Nobody is trying to "get rid of God!" If anything, the Christian God symbols are being added and displayed more and more. The Pledge of Allegiance only had the word "God" in it within the last 50 years. The Texas Pledge just added the word "God" a few years ago. Do you honestly need to have Christian symbols and words written on courts of law, on American money, in almost every patriotic symbol, to continue on with your faith? Our government is secular and doesn't (or shouldn't) privilege one religion over another. There's a reason in the early days of our country the leaders (even the religious leaders) fought to keep religion out of the government.
Let me paint an example. This is America, the land where people have freedom to believe, or not to believe, in whatever they so choose. We pride ourselves in the roots of our tolerance and openness to all walks of life. Now, let's suppose the majority of Americans are Muslim. (It very well could, as the brand of "God" is not specified in the declaration. I could have also used the Mormon, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, or Atheist analogy to make my point.)
So, picture this: You, as a Christian, are to say the pledge of allegiance every morning at school, but instead of saying God, you have to say "Allah". You, as a Christian, are to use American money with the words, "In Allah We Trust". You, as a Christian, listen to the news and hear politicians scream about how a candidate is not Muslim enough. You, as a Christian, have to go to court, for whatever reason, and have to enter buildings with maybe this quote from the Quran engraved in the stones above its doorway, "The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto: but if a person forgets and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah." [62:40] or maybe this verse "The only true faith in Allah's sight is Islam".
You, as a Christian, hear that Republicans want to change the law and want to have prayer in all public schools, therefore the students would now have a prayer mat and pray to the west at least once during the day. You also hear that Republicans want to change all of the text books, because they feel that more leaders, with strong Muslim roots, should be taught rather than actual historical events. Now, your tax dollars have paid for the school buildings, text books, and teacher salaries. Your tax dollars pay for the court house, for the politician's salaries that voted in the word "Allah" into the American creeds and so fourth. Now, do you feel that America is living up to it's creed of tolerance and openness? Do you now feel degraded and feel that you are not valued as a citizen? It is quite arrogant of that one particular religious group isn't it, who feel they own America and that nobody else really seems to matter or count?
My point is, Christians do not own America, and it is arrogant to think otherwise. Excuse this analogy, but it's like a dog peeing everywhere to mark his territory. Nobody is trying to take "God away." It's just the case of trying to keep certain places, especially those owned by Government/tax payers, neutral or to keep things on an even playing field so to speak. If things are neutral, and one group isn't receiving special attention over another, then there isn't a reason for anyone to get offended or to feel that they are less American. Or, you could do the opposite, you can make sure that every single religion/non-religion is represented on court houses, money, and so fourth....but I would think that would get a little pricey and ridiculous.
Nobody is trying to take the Christian religion away. A belief lies within your heart, your teachings to your children, your church (or religious meeting place) and religious community, and within the choices you make for YOURSELF. However, your religion does not belong on the front of a court buildings. And, taking down religious phrases off court buildings does not take away from your beliefs...you still have the right to practice whatever faith you so choose....that's the great thing about Freedom of Religion!
Let me paint an example. This is America, the land where people have freedom to believe, or not to believe, in whatever they so choose. We pride ourselves in the roots of our tolerance and openness to all walks of life. Now, let's suppose the majority of Americans are Muslim. (It very well could, as the brand of "God" is not specified in the declaration. I could have also used the Mormon, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, or Atheist analogy to make my point.)
So, picture this: You, as a Christian, are to say the pledge of allegiance every morning at school, but instead of saying God, you have to say "Allah". You, as a Christian, are to use American money with the words, "In Allah We Trust". You, as a Christian, listen to the news and hear politicians scream about how a candidate is not Muslim enough. You, as a Christian, have to go to court, for whatever reason, and have to enter buildings with maybe this quote from the Quran engraved in the stones above its doorway, "The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto: but if a person forgets and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah." [62:40] or maybe this verse "The only true faith in Allah's sight is Islam".
You, as a Christian, hear that Republicans want to change the law and want to have prayer in all public schools, therefore the students would now have a prayer mat and pray to the west at least once during the day. You also hear that Republicans want to change all of the text books, because they feel that more leaders, with strong Muslim roots, should be taught rather than actual historical events. Now, your tax dollars have paid for the school buildings, text books, and teacher salaries. Your tax dollars pay for the court house, for the politician's salaries that voted in the word "Allah" into the American creeds and so fourth. Now, do you feel that America is living up to it's creed of tolerance and openness? Do you now feel degraded and feel that you are not valued as a citizen? It is quite arrogant of that one particular religious group isn't it, who feel they own America and that nobody else really seems to matter or count?
My point is, Christians do not own America, and it is arrogant to think otherwise. Excuse this analogy, but it's like a dog peeing everywhere to mark his territory. Nobody is trying to take "God away." It's just the case of trying to keep certain places, especially those owned by Government/tax payers, neutral or to keep things on an even playing field so to speak. If things are neutral, and one group isn't receiving special attention over another, then there isn't a reason for anyone to get offended or to feel that they are less American. Or, you could do the opposite, you can make sure that every single religion/non-religion is represented on court houses, money, and so fourth....but I would think that would get a little pricey and ridiculous.
Nobody is trying to take the Christian religion away. A belief lies within your heart, your teachings to your children, your church (or religious meeting place) and religious community, and within the choices you make for YOURSELF. However, your religion does not belong on the front of a court buildings. And, taking down religious phrases off court buildings does not take away from your beliefs...you still have the right to practice whatever faith you so choose....that's the great thing about Freedom of Religion!
Friday, April 23, 2010
People Who Care, Attract People Who Hate
"It's the same old story: Lincoln, Ghandi, MLK, JFK, Lennon... People who care attract people who hate."
If you are on Facebook, there is a group who is actually "praying" for Obama's Death. Go to this site to report the group for its violence and hate speech. Towards the bottom on the left hand side, there is a button that says "report".
Link to the offensive site:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/DEAR-LORD-THIS-YEAR-YOU-TOOK-MY-FAVORITE-ACTOR-PATRICK-SWAYZIE-YOU-TOOK-MY-FAVORITE-ACTRESS-FARAH-FAWCETT-YOU-TOOK-MY-FAVORITE-SINGER-MICHAEL-JACKSON-I-JUST-WANTED-TO-LET-YOU-KNOW-MY-FAVORITE-PRESIDENT-IS-BARACK-OBAMA-AMEN/111712585523370?ref=ts
Also, go to this site to sign a petition to clean up facebook:
Link to online petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/clean-up-facebook
If you are on Facebook, there is a group who is actually "praying" for Obama's Death. Go to this site to report the group for its violence and hate speech. Towards the bottom on the left hand side, there is a button that says "report".
Link to the offensive site:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/DEAR-LORD-THIS-YEAR-YOU-TOOK-MY-FAVORITE-ACTOR-PATRICK-SWAYZIE-YOU-TOOK-MY-FAVORITE-ACTRESS-FARAH-FAWCETT-YOU-TOOK-MY-FAVORITE-SINGER-MICHAEL-JACKSON-I-JUST-WANTED-TO-LET-YOU-KNOW-MY-FAVORITE-PRESIDENT-IS-BARACK-OBAMA-AMEN/111712585523370?ref=ts
Also, go to this site to sign a petition to clean up facebook:
Link to online petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/clean-up-facebook
Friday, April 9, 2010
Tea-Baggers - You Just Can't Fix Stupid
You just can't fix stupid! These are the faces of the "Tea-Party!" As you can see, education was a waste on this bunch!
And just for a little dose of fact....
And just for a little dose of fact....
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