Catholicism: What I Like

I read a post on Saur's Blog about the Pope. Apparently he believes that if you're not Catholic, you're going to hell. This is the general consensus among the Christian religions, and I'm really glad the Pope is now in the same category as Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. But that's not what this post is about.

Despite my general aversion to religion, I did learn a few things from the Catholic Church. One of the things I liked was the emphasis on good works. Though the motivation for being a Good Samaritan is an easier pathway to heaven, the principal is a good one. The notion that one should help those who cannot help themselves (otherwise known as gathering good karma) and atone for the wrongs they have done (rather than simply asking for forgiveness) is something I've kept with me.

The idea that one should refrain from committing sin rather than simply asking forgiveness (once you've done whatever it is you shouldn't be doing) is also a decent idea. It definitely leads to a more repressive society, but constantly having to think before you act about whether you're doing the right thing probably prevents a lot of disasters in a lot of lives. The sheer number of things that are considered sins makes it impossible to ever live without a constant feeling of guilt, (but hey, guilt is what keeps you doing the good works, right?). Though I'm not perfect, I do try to make an effort to think about what I'm doing before I take action.

The high importance placed on education is something ingrained in my soul. Unfortunately, the need students feel for getting that education is based more on fear (of being subjected to a variety of horrible punishments) by the nuns, priests, or your parents, making some students extremely happy to graduate and be rid of the burden. Although my love for education is based mostly on my need to find out the truth about things, the discipline to get that education probably comes from the Catholic Church.

3,608 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,558 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Yeah... I Don't Think So

To look at the conflict in Iraq as anything other than a problem created by our arrogant government for their own profit is more than a little naive. President Bush and his friends created this war from a pack of lies, and and THAT is the basis for the anti-war movement, (well, that and the fact that we're stuck in an endless war that is being incredibly mismanaged) NOT that "we have brought the wrath of Islamofascism upon ourselves", though invading a sovereign nation in the middle of territory controlled by Islamofascists probably didn't help us any.

We did not have to invade a country that had NOTHING to do with us being attacked in order to protect ourselves as much as possible from Islamofascists. Screening Visa applicants a little more vigilantly, making sure our boarders are secure, slowly withdrawing our unconditional support for Israel, reducing our dependence on oil, and staying the hell out of their territory would have been a good start. And a better way to Support the Troops.

And one more reason for the Anti-War Movement:
3,607 US Soldiers have been killed in Iraq
26,588 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq

What is the reason we are expending the lives of those who have offered to give them so freely for their nation?

Pills Instead of Pot

Because pills are easier to get in most American and Canadian communities than pot, our teenage population has turned to them as the drug of choice. Due to the government's misinformation campaign, many kids believe that prescription drugs are safer than marijuana. I wouldn't necessarily call pills "the new marijuana", especially since pills are addictive, they're easier to overdose on, they can cause serious and irreversible liver and kidney damage, and have a litany of side effects depending on the drug.

I think the more important question is this: why are our kids feeling the need to heavily medicate themselves? Why are we so heavily medicated as a society? If kids are abusing these drugs in record numbers, doesn't it stand to reason that adults are doing so as well (which probably contributes quite a bit to our health care crisis)? Is it possible that one of the reasons Americans aren't getting angry about what's happening to them is that they're taking Xanex, Valium, pain killers, and anti-depressants? It's hard to feel anything when you're that doped up.

Is there a pill for this?
3,593 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,558 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Semper Fi

Since one of the only benefits to being gay is not having to go to war, Jeff Key’s friends were stunned when he announced that he had joined the Marine Corps. But he was raised in a town where love of country came directly after love of God (since loyalty to country is demanded in the Bible), and he knew in his heart that his homosexuality had negated neither. Unfortunately, not everyone was of the same opinion. Jeff’s father and preacher truly believed that God no longer loved him. They prayed to their all-merciful God, not that HE would accept Jeff, but that Jeff would change and learn to love women, the same prayer that Jeff himself had sent up tot the Lord so many times.

But God wouldn't change poor Jeff. Maybe God didn't feel that Jeff was worth changing. Or maybe HE felt that Jeff didn't need to be changed, for Jeff had a higher purpose - to bring the hypocrisy of the church and the United States Armed Forces to the forefront and change things. Maybe God didn't believe that Jeff should have to worry about his rack mates finding out about his sexual preference and bashing his head in during the night.

Maybe God wants us to know that you don’t have to be Republican to love your country and you don’t have to be Baptist to love God. Maybe, just maybe, God Blesses Everyone. No Exceptions. And the people who believe THAT will be the ones who inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

Bullets and shrapnel don't care if these people are gay:
3,587 US Soldiers have died in Iraq
26,350 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq

On the Eve of Our First Revolution

We don't feel much like celebrating. On the eve of our first revolution, we do not feel independent, not when our President can wiretap our phones and check our library records. We are in a country so currupt that a political movement is nothing but an empty gesture. I want so badly to believe in my country and those who have sworn to protect it. I am embarrassed that there are men and women fighting and DYING because they believe in the ideals of this country and we're letting it happen because we don't.

We're having a wake instead. We are mourning the passing of the presence of the American People in politics as well as the deaths of those men and women who died truly defending freedom. The 3,584 US Soldiers who died in Iraq have lost their lives for a lie, and the 26,350 US Soldiers wounded in the Iraq war will have to live with that for the rest of their lives.

To prove that you're worthy of this country, take part of the naturalization test. My husband and I both got a 100%.

You Tube Debates

This would be a great idea if there were no media filter, but at least CNN and YouTube are taking submissions from the "Average American" and putting them to the candidates. One of the things I would like to see as the Presidential race continues is the "Average American" talking about why they would vote for a certain candidate and debating people who want to vote for someone else. It could open up the potential for political discussion all over the country, especially if those engaging in debate have gained as much information about their candidate as possible. The possibilities for this medium of communication are endless, and I don't think we're making proper use of the technology. What CNN is doing is a start, but we could be doing MUCH better.

3,582 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,350 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

No News, Part 2

I was watching the Colombian news this morning and it struck me - our news really isn't as relevant to us as Caracol is to its people. In addition to the sports, weather, and major news stories for the world and the country, they always impart some sort of cultural or societal information and go to the various regions of the country to get their take on whatever the subject happens to be. From watching the Colombian news for a few weeks I can learn about how to eat right, cultural food traditions from all over the country, what various regions feel their contribution to Colombian culture is, how language and dialect varies throughout the country, favorite vacation spots and how (and why) the preference for beach, mountain, or jungle resorts changes depending on their state of origin, and many other things (including history, science, technology, etc...).

In a country of 30 million people with a struggling economy that has been mired in civil war for over 50 years, journalists can bang out a spectacular 60 minute news program (with commercials) filled with relevant news from the country, the region, and the world, and report what's significant, regardless of where it's happening. In contrast, in a country of 300,000 million people with one of the strongest economies in the world, the news from America will be 30 minutes long, have possibly one ACTUAL story that MUST be relevant to Americans, will contain NO cultural or societal analysis, and will avoid (all all costs) any REAL questioning of the government or its politicians.

And CNN.com's new format has made this information MUCH more difficult to find:
3,576 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,350 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Faith-Based Decisions

The Supreme Court seems to be making a lot of decisions based on faith and very few based on justice lately. One of the most recent involves giving millions of tax dollars to faith-based charities with the justification that taxpayers do not have the "standing" to challenge the White House. What the HELL does that mean? We don't have the "standing"? Aren't we the ones who pay their salary? Aren't we the ones who elect them? And we don't have the political standing to sway their decisions or forced them to make moral and ethical ones.

But to show I'm not biased, I agree with the Supreme Court's ruling on the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case. Though I think the student has a right to free speech, and the school shouldn't be able to do anything if he's talking, say, in the cafeteria, about doing bong hits for Jesus, to put it in writing at a school-sponsored event is a violation of school policy and he should have been punished. Parents have the right to expect that their children won't be exposed to advertisements seemingly promoting drug or alcohol use (though I believe profanity should be allowed).

3,566 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,129 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Thinking Green

I don't believe in supporting the movie industry. I think it has sold out in a variety of ways, and I'm not going to get into them now. I haven't gone to see it yet, but I feel I should support Evan Almighty for its work in creating a green set. Whatever your stance on Global Warming, it goes without saying that humans need to reduce their impact on the environment. I applaud Universal Studios, director Tom Shadyac, and The Conservation Fund for setting a new standard for making movies.

In the same general vein, Big Ideas for a Small Planet on the Sundance Channel has become one of my favorite series. It has given us a lot of great ideas for things we can do around the house and organizations we can get involved in to help reduce our carbon footprint.

And in totally off-the-wall environmental news, a lake in Chile has disappeared recently. It's probably not due to Global Warming, though a rise in the suspected earthquakes may be connected to climate change.

War is never good for the environment, but it's GREAT for overpopulation:
3,557 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,129 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq (at least we'll have a use for some of those plastics)

Human Chow

"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are." This quote opens every Iron Chef, but I'm not sure where it comes from. I think it's a fitting way to tell about the culture of a people. I really started thinking about this after seeing a report about cereal companies no longer being able to use licenced characters like Shrek to market to children. I think this is great, especially since cereal is a part of the obesity problem in America. I think puppy chow has more nutritional content than most cereals.

We are an institutionalized and industrialized nation, which is why it's so easy to have a bowl of cereal in the morning (serving size: 1/2 cup) instead of an actual breakfast. Cereal is supposed to be part of a balanced breakfast, which should also include an egg (or other protein), some sort of fruit, and the milk poured into the cereal. In MANY it's cost prohibitive, but the rest of us have no excuse. A 20 oz. box of Cheerios costs $5.29. A dozen eggs costs $0.94. Bananas cost about $0.69 per pound. People who can afford it and choose not to do so are simply lazy.

3,519 US soldiers killed in Iraq
25,950 US soldiers wounded in Iraq

In Other Countries...

I am getting a little tired of the argument that because something isn't working perfectly in another country, that it cannot possibly work here. Why do people assume that Americans, with all their intelligence and ingenuity, would not take an idea and run with it? Why do they assume that we cannot make something our own. Yes. There are problems with Universal Health Care in other countries. Okay. What can we do to minimize those problems? Yes. France has issues with immigration, too. Does that mean it's okay for us to have an old an outdated system that causes us nothing but problems? Absolutely not! And you say that I've lost hope. our education system is leaving millions of children behind a year, but let's not look at Japan, Switzerland, or Canada, because those countries have problems, too. Just ignore that their students have fewer problems and higher test scores. If a system has ANY PROBLEM AT ALL, it MUST be a failure.

I'm also annoyed at how often this principle is applied to politicians, as in, "they're all corrupt" or "they all spin information". Does this make it right? HELL NO!!!! This is play yard mentality that I attribute partially to the American education system, but that's besides the point. Yes. ALL politicians lie about one thing or another. Does that mean we should accept it when they do, especially when those lies do something like SEND US TO WAR WITH A COUNTRY WHO DIDN'T ATTACK US? Are you kidding me? If all of your children lie instead of just one, does that make it more acceptable?

And does ANYTHING make this more acceptable:
3,501 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
25,830 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

People Are DYING

While we're in the middle of dealing with my sister's never ending health care problems, I thought it might be a good idea to focus on the system as a whole. The American health care system is failing horribly, as evidenced by Michael Moore's new film 'Sicko'. Universal Health Care is the way to go, and surprise, surprise, some of the candidates have plans! (Though they're not QUITE universal). and before we get into the whole, "a welfare state is a bad thing" debate, let's just discuss the fact that many people who HAVE health insurance and full-time jobs still can't afford proper health care because what they need is not covered on their plan. Kusinich probably has the best ideas, for this as well as most other things, so it's a pity that he'll never be elected (some TV stations are editing him out of the debate completely).

Some other health care stories: Stressed-out moms are at higher risk for mental health problems. It's too bad that psychologist appointments aren't fully covered under most health plans, especially if you need to see someone more than six times a year - and that includes family counseling, individual therapy, and marriage counseling. Military Veterans don't get much more help than the rest of us, so it's a good thing we're supporting our troops.

These people no longer need health care: 3,494 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
These people will need health care for the rest of their lives: 25,549 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq.

Media Cover-Up

In this article, 20 journalists (such as Dan Rather) describe the ways in which corporate media ownership prevented them from reporting important - and often troubling - stories. Rather than allowing these stories to air and letting the people decide their importance, they were stifled by corporate brass and the threat of pulled sponsorship. Some writers and journalists have even been fired.

Not all of these stories would be detrimental to the government, but they would have an impact on the profits of key government employees. Some expose things like the expensive and pointless war on drugs or the hormones put into our milk supply, but others talk about the detaining of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay and voter fraud in the 2000 election. Most important is the reason why all this censorship is possible - the consolidation of the country's major news outlets.

Let's not forget that in a fascist government the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives, sometimes under the guise of consumerism. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

Especially this weekend, but as always, take a look at these faces:
3,435 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
25,378 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Immigration and Something REALLY Disturbing

A deal has been reached on the immigration issue, and it seems to include some of the components other countries are using. Mexican immigrants are not happy with the plan, but I'm not sure they would accept anything other than amnesty and immunity. I completely agree with the point system for immigrants. I know that the tired, the hungry, and the poor need a good place to live, but right now we have to look after ourselves or we won't be able to help anyone. I think that every illegal immigrant in the country should have to pay a $5,000 fine for each member of the household. Those who cannot must leave within 90 days. Those who can pay the fine must do so and apply for citizenship through the new point system. Those who have enough points may stay. Those who do not must leave within 90 days of their application being denied.

UPDATE: I did not see anything in the article referring to the people who hire and house illegal immigrants. I should mention that I 100% support a $5,000 fine for each illegal employee a company hires, as well as fining landlords $5,000 for each illegal immigrant living under their roof.

The Army has ordered soldiers to stop posting to blogs or sending personal emails without clearing them with an officer. There are three missing soldiers in Iraq, but we know where these ones are. When are we going to find out why they died?
3,401 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
25,378 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Military Censorship

The military has put MySpace and YouTube on a list of sites that are banned for soldiers to access from government computers. They say they are doing this to boost productivity, just as other employers have done, and I would believe that if MySpace and YouTube weren't the major means of communication among soldiers in Iraq. I know my cousin uses it to check in with his wife and the rest of the family, all in one click. If it weren't for MySpace, we would never know what's going on with him because he just doesn't have the time to email all of us.

Another friendly reminder: In a fascist nation media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

These voices have already been silenced:
3,400 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
25,245 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Military Sexual Trauma

Sexual assaults on women in the military are on the rise, and it's safe that the military is attributing it to a better reporting program rather than an actual rise in crime. This means that military officials were aware that women in service were being raped and assaulted. 2,947 sexual assaults were reported last year, but women who work in fields dominated by men are less likely to report an assault, and much less likely to report an assault by someone they work with. For women who have been assaulted and do report it, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a major problem, and Veteran's Organizations have made help available, but with the morals and ethics we expect of our soldiers, this really shouldn't be happening in the first place.

Just a friendly reminder: The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution. It's time for women to band together. One my first actions will be to attend the Mother of a March on May 14th, the day after Mother's Day in Washington DC. We'll be meeting in Lafayette Park at noon. It's time, ladies.

And let's not forget about the mothers of these men and women:
3,380 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
25,245 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

The Long Arm of the Law

An peaceful and legal immigration rally turned into a nightmare for many when police officers used clubs to hit people and fired rubber bullets into a crowd, hitting women, children, and journalists. Due to the controversy, 60 police officers have been taken off the streets. LA is lucky that Latino immigrants were a lot more peaceful than those who rioted after the Rodney King verdict, but it seems not much has changed in the police force since then.

In the area of Kansas torn apart by tornadoes, 4 uniformed soldiers from Fort Riley Army Base and a uniformed reserve police officer who had not been called to duty after the disaster were arrested for looting.

Governor Corzine of New Jersey is back to work today, only weeks after his driver, a State Police Officer, slammed the car into a guardrail at 91 miles an hour. The Governor would have been in better shape if he had been wearing a seat belt (as required by state law).

So, if we cant trust the local police, the state police, the soldiers who are supposed to defend us, state officials, and those running our federal government, who can we trust?

3,377 US troops killed in Iraq
25,090 US troops wounded in Iraq

What is Wrong With Us?

Recruiters admit that they promise things they can't deliver and several have been caught blatantly lying to high school students. Even some of our soldiers can't be trusted anymore, so if you speak to one and they make you a promise, GET IT IN WRITING. Of those who have already signed up, one third are highly stressed. Their soldiers' ethics are suffering. One third of Marines support torture if it would protect others and sixty percent would not turn in a fellow soldier if they killed innocent civilians. (Let's not even try to discuss the moral ethics of the Blackwater crowd, our nation's mercenary army.)

But the lies and lack of morality don't stop when our troops die. A parent of one of our soldiers is conducting a private autopsy to find out what really happened to their child. Was she raped by her fellow soldiers? What really happened the day Jessica Lynch was rescued, and why were we lied to about Pat Tillman's death? And let's not forget about Patrick McCaffrey! Doesn't our government trust us?

We are not a fragile country. This nation has been built by our own hands. Why are we allowing ourselves to be manipulated and deceived? Have we lost so much self-esteem as a nation that we don't believe that we deserve to know what's happening in the White House? Have we convinced ourselves that those in power MUST know better than we, the PEOPLE? Even those who disagree with Impeachment MUST know that there are serious problems with this President, this war, and this nation. The lack of response to those problems indicates something incredibly troubling deep within our collective conscience.

Even MORE troubling is that so few people seem to notice this:
3,361 US soldiers killed in Iraq
25,090 US soldiers wounded Iraq

9/11: Toxic Legacy

Though 3,000 people were killed on 9/11, many are still dying from the effects the environment in and around the area of the World Trade Center has had on their lungs. The people who are truly most important to us as a nation, the men and women who sacrifice EVERYTHING to save us, are dying because the Bush Administration and the EPA said that it was safe to go back to work. Our fighter fighters and police officers who responded first and those men and women who were active in the clean-up (about 25,000 people) have lung problems beyond belief, some of them with so much debris in their bodies that they are almost at 0% lung capacity, and their health benefits are going to run out in 2009. Please contact your local, state, and federal representatives and tell them that the REAL heroes of 9/11 need our continued help and support, and that President Bush and Vice President Cheney should be impeached for their role in the cover-up.

And the continued victims of 9/11 could use a little help as well:
3,322 US Soldiers have been killed in Iraq
24,764 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq

What I Learned From Virginia Tech

I learned that 32 people can be killed in the course of several hours and no one in this country really gives a damn. Don't mistake the voyeuristic media coverage for actual concern. Yes, people are upset by what happened and their hearts go out to the students and staff at Virginia Tech, but few people are talking about what's really important about this massacre: that we live in a culture where this kind of thing can happen anywhere at any time to anyone.

Isn't that just a little disturbing? Forget about all the political crap that goes along with this tragedy. Forget what the kid said on the videotapes that the media has so insensitively aired on national TV. Forget about the debate on the 2nd Amendment and the people's right to have guns (even though we don't have the right to decide what do do with our own bodies, we have what we need to decide what to do with the lives of others). Forget that he's an Asian kid from Virginia and has probably been the victim of horrible racism since he came to this country (trust me, I've lived in VA). Sure, he had mental problems. How many people are there across this country with some sort of mental illness? How many of them have access to guns? How many of them have motive, real or imagined, AND opportunity?

This tragedy is a symptom of the violent culture of America, as were about a hundred other SCHOOL shootings in the past 10 years (not including Lancaster or VT). We live in a country where we cannot say with reasonable certainty that our children are safe in school. How do people not find this alarming? How are people not rioting in the streets? This tragedy has illustrated beyond a reasonable doubt that gun violence is OUT OF CONTROL in the United States and the only people truly outraged DON'T LIVE IN AMERICA. More children are going to die. If we don't do something now, we might as well get used to seeing higher and higher numbers of casualties in tragedies such as this, tragedies that could have been prevented.

And let's not forget the other victims of gun violence:
3,315 US Soldeirs killed in Iraq
24,764 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq
Over 60,000 Iraqis killed