Oh kay, this is the type of thing that really gets under my skin.
This morning, a Hindu clergyman was to lead the Senate in their prayer. The Hindu, Rajan Zed, began to lead the prayer when a man got up inside the gallery and shouted. He yelled that allowing a Hindu to lead the prayer was an "abomination" and that there was only one true God.
He was arrested.
Zed began again, when, yet again, another interruption- this one in the form of two feminine voices, declaring the same Christian values of complete intolerance and the inability to accept something that is not their own. The Hindu clergyman seemed a bit taken aback, but did not get overwhelmed by the situation, and let the right people handle it.
They, too, were arrested.
This show of intolerance is an illustration of something that happens everyday. The people on the Christian right can not deal with diversity. The Hindu clergyman came, not only out of the kindness of his heart, but as a picture. The picture of the American People- the diversity we hold, and the acceptance that many of us have. The fact is that the Senate is, overwhelmingly, a place for Christians to run the country. But the fact is that having that Hindu come to say their prayer would show something great- these Christians would accept a Hindu's lead in prayer.
I don't really understand why we must have a prayer to open the Senate at all. But, if we must, what better than to have people of many different religions saying it? We have a huge fight in this country about whether the words "under God" should be in the Pledge of Allegiance. Shouldn't this be a bit of a bigger priority? Most religions have a God, or Gods, or a higher power, or something of that nature. But, ever since the Senate has opened, the opening prayer has long been monopolized by Christians. I think, to show the diversity of this great nation, we should have many people from various religions and various places in America to open the Senate.
But, as I said, this shows a much bigger problem in America than just who says the opening prayer in the Senate.
This shows the unwillingness of the religious right to accept something that is different from them. For a great example, look no further than the other House in Congress, the House of Representatives, where the first ever Muslim, Keith Ellison, is now serving his first term. One of his fellow Congressmen said something against Ellison's election, saying that the Muslims will soon take over. Come on!
I am so sick and tired of hearing about the right's attempts to demean other religions. But it happens. A lot. This is just a part of the ongoing assault against every religion that does not believe in the "Holy Trinity".
If we don't do something about this, it won't be the Muslims we will have to worry about. It will be the tyranny of the right, and the creation of a nonsecular state where, instead of the Constitution shaping our government, the Bible will.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Friday, July 6, 2007
Conflict
Criss Angel and David Blaine. Pepsi and Coca Cola. Verizon and Cingular.
I am oh kay with conflict- it is easy to cope with, when it is a competition between two up and coming magicians, or between drink companies, or between cellular companies. Humans are born that way- you must fight with your neighbor. It's a rat race, one that involves always being one up on the competition. Your neighbor gets that shiny new lawnmower, you get a ride-on. Your neighbor gets a Pontiac Solstice, you get the newest Jag. He gets a 60 inch flat screen television, you get the 62-er. It is human nature.
But what happens when the competition goes a little too far? What happens when the people who are supposed to be coinciding with each other, the ones that really need to, are the ones that fight more than anyone.
Yes, I am talking about our politicians.
Our politics have become so drenched in partisan values that it always seems to be a competition, with the losers ending up to be the American People. We should see our elections- House of Representatives, Senate, and Presidential- as a way to have an open discussion about the future of America. Either side should be coming to the table with their plan, and saying: "Oh kay, American People, this is what we got. Now, Mr. Opponent, let's talk about what we each have, and find a way to meet a central solution." Instead, we have opponent bashing. We have these two sides that have become so partisan that nothing gets done. There is a reason the Democrat-controlled Congress can't do anything- they can't stop fighting with the other side!
This is a huge problem in America. Elections and terms, which should be the times for debate, discussion, and revival, have become times of war between sides, and gloating for two years. That is all that happens in America- the winners gloat, the losers mourn, and while these people are doing whatever their respective sides must do, nothing gets done. Forget the War on Terror, we have a War For Power in America!
I don't understand this. I know that liberals get into the government and do things that go under the "liberal" label, and conservatives do the same. But we are a country where, and correct me if I am wrong, but where we can have an open discussion and have varying ideas. If both a liberal and a conservative gets elected to Congress, that should send the message that we have both liberal and conservative (and central) people living in this nation, and so ALL of their ideals should be taken into consideration. Meaning, during debates, yes, we should definitely stick to our beliefs, what we think is best, and all of that. But, once we have made all of that perfectly clear, we need to sit with the other side. In order for America to be ran as it SHOULD, we must pass bills that make both sides happy. It is not a difficult thing. Take parts of both of the arguments and incorporate them into a bill. There are one or two issues that I think would not be able to go under this ideal (namely, the War in Iraq and torture), but most of them can.
We are a nation that PRIDES itself in being diverse. "The Melting Pot". If we truly have pride in our differences, we need to focus on both arguments of the debate, and come to a solution that, while not filling in the gap we have between partisanships, atleast gives us a bridge to meet together.
Only then will America prosper and our Republic be achieved.
For our Democracy to be achieved? Well...that will take a little more than a change in mere partisan politics.
I am oh kay with conflict- it is easy to cope with, when it is a competition between two up and coming magicians, or between drink companies, or between cellular companies. Humans are born that way- you must fight with your neighbor. It's a rat race, one that involves always being one up on the competition. Your neighbor gets that shiny new lawnmower, you get a ride-on. Your neighbor gets a Pontiac Solstice, you get the newest Jag. He gets a 60 inch flat screen television, you get the 62-er. It is human nature.
But what happens when the competition goes a little too far? What happens when the people who are supposed to be coinciding with each other, the ones that really need to, are the ones that fight more than anyone.
Yes, I am talking about our politicians.
Our politics have become so drenched in partisan values that it always seems to be a competition, with the losers ending up to be the American People. We should see our elections- House of Representatives, Senate, and Presidential- as a way to have an open discussion about the future of America. Either side should be coming to the table with their plan, and saying: "Oh kay, American People, this is what we got. Now, Mr. Opponent, let's talk about what we each have, and find a way to meet a central solution." Instead, we have opponent bashing. We have these two sides that have become so partisan that nothing gets done. There is a reason the Democrat-controlled Congress can't do anything- they can't stop fighting with the other side!
This is a huge problem in America. Elections and terms, which should be the times for debate, discussion, and revival, have become times of war between sides, and gloating for two years. That is all that happens in America- the winners gloat, the losers mourn, and while these people are doing whatever their respective sides must do, nothing gets done. Forget the War on Terror, we have a War For Power in America!
I don't understand this. I know that liberals get into the government and do things that go under the "liberal" label, and conservatives do the same. But we are a country where, and correct me if I am wrong, but where we can have an open discussion and have varying ideas. If both a liberal and a conservative gets elected to Congress, that should send the message that we have both liberal and conservative (and central) people living in this nation, and so ALL of their ideals should be taken into consideration. Meaning, during debates, yes, we should definitely stick to our beliefs, what we think is best, and all of that. But, once we have made all of that perfectly clear, we need to sit with the other side. In order for America to be ran as it SHOULD, we must pass bills that make both sides happy. It is not a difficult thing. Take parts of both of the arguments and incorporate them into a bill. There are one or two issues that I think would not be able to go under this ideal (namely, the War in Iraq and torture), but most of them can.
We are a nation that PRIDES itself in being diverse. "The Melting Pot". If we truly have pride in our differences, we need to focus on both arguments of the debate, and come to a solution that, while not filling in the gap we have between partisanships, atleast gives us a bridge to meet together.
Only then will America prosper and our Republic be achieved.
For our Democracy to be achieved? Well...that will take a little more than a change in mere partisan politics.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Immigration
Oh kay, so now I have a big problem. Immigration.
First, a message to every single Representative of the American People that voted against the newest immigration bill: Listen, this bill was not amnesty. Amnesty would be sending them back to their country, wherever they came from, because they are allowed to get on with their lives without being punished. What this bill was doing was punishing them WHILE treating the problem. They were going to be fined, yet they were going to be able to stay here. It was going to forge a path to citizenship for them. This bill was a GOOD bill.
Why was this bill a good bill? Its easy. Whether or not you agree with immigrants coming into our countrey, the fact remains the same- they will get into America. Whether they do it legally or illegally, they will enter our country and live here. Here is the difference between legal immigration and illegal immigration: legal means we know who is here, illegal means we don't. Meaning, if we allow immigrants to gain citizenship easier, we will know who is in our country. If we don't allow them to gain citizenship, we will have no idea who is here.
We talk about fighting a War on Terror. We go to different nations and destroy them. We send our troops into rogue nations and allow them to die by the thousands. But, wouldn't it make sense, and I know I am only a kid and I don't have government experience, but wouldn't it make sense to make sure our HOMELAND is safe from terror before sending our troops to other nations? Wouldn't it make sense to make sure we don't have terrorists, and rapists, and gang members, and drug lords, coming into our country to terrorize our nation, and more importantly, our streets, before going and preserving other countries?
That is how you fight a "war on terror". You stop illegal immigration. You make sure you know who is coming through our borders. If we keep doing what we are doing (which is nothing), we will never have a remedy to the problem. We will never know who is going through our borders, so we will never know how many terrorists are getting through, our how many rapists are are entering our country.
Forget about Iran. Forget about North Korea. If you truly want to keep America safe, stop illegal immigration.
Unfortunately, our 'leaders' don't understand this idea.
First, a message to every single Representative of the American People that voted against the newest immigration bill: Listen, this bill was not amnesty. Amnesty would be sending them back to their country, wherever they came from, because they are allowed to get on with their lives without being punished. What this bill was doing was punishing them WHILE treating the problem. They were going to be fined, yet they were going to be able to stay here. It was going to forge a path to citizenship for them. This bill was a GOOD bill.
Why was this bill a good bill? Its easy. Whether or not you agree with immigrants coming into our countrey, the fact remains the same- they will get into America. Whether they do it legally or illegally, they will enter our country and live here. Here is the difference between legal immigration and illegal immigration: legal means we know who is here, illegal means we don't. Meaning, if we allow immigrants to gain citizenship easier, we will know who is in our country. If we don't allow them to gain citizenship, we will have no idea who is here.
We talk about fighting a War on Terror. We go to different nations and destroy them. We send our troops into rogue nations and allow them to die by the thousands. But, wouldn't it make sense, and I know I am only a kid and I don't have government experience, but wouldn't it make sense to make sure our HOMELAND is safe from terror before sending our troops to other nations? Wouldn't it make sense to make sure we don't have terrorists, and rapists, and gang members, and drug lords, coming into our country to terrorize our nation, and more importantly, our streets, before going and preserving other countries?
That is how you fight a "war on terror". You stop illegal immigration. You make sure you know who is coming through our borders. If we keep doing what we are doing (which is nothing), we will never have a remedy to the problem. We will never know who is going through our borders, so we will never know how many terrorists are getting through, our how many rapists are are entering our country.
Forget about Iran. Forget about North Korea. If you truly want to keep America safe, stop illegal immigration.
Unfortunately, our 'leaders' don't understand this idea.
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