A eye opening and provocative insight into the incredibly dangerous actions of the current regime here in America. Take what you will from it but if nothing else realize that the actions your leaders take today are not without some serious consequences for the future.
I know the debate of gay marriage is often a very personal issue for some folks and i hope to not offend anyone in this conversation. I can understand (repeat: understand, not agree with) i understand why some Christians believe that homosexuality is wrong and thus can not or should not be given the right to be ordained by God in a church. I know the arguments on this particular element of the debate. I am happy to have them discussed here also but what i dont understand is how a country that claims to not have legal influence from religious groups can not give the same legal rights to any couple wishing to take on the civil union and commitment of most married couples in America. I dont understand why or how it is argued that this is not something that should already be happening. I mean there are plenty of couples of different religions or no religion at all who can go down to the town hall and get the papers and get the legal right and benefits. I dont see how that falls into the miracle and blessing of marriage that the Christian zelots believe is being attacked by gay marriage, but not these instances.
Still all religion aside why do we not offer a civil marriage to all couples so they can have the freedom America pushes so hard on the rest of the world – even places that dont want it or need it – yet here they continue to tell people who can and cannot get married. ( i would like to immediatly say no arguments about well then anyone can get married to animals and children etc. where do you draw the line? I draw the line at consenting adults doing what they want. 18+ your life to live)
I look forward to hearing what you all think about this.
So interestingly enough there was a decision today on whether or not someone could receive the death penalty in Louisiana for raping a child. This is obviously quite a contentious subject and not easily argued against but it is certainly a interesting article and has some good information on which states have what kind of punishment. I would maintain my protest at the death penalty on all counts but the debate on what is worthy of such a price is certainly a interesting debate. Does killing someone else justify killing them and is the rape of a child not as bad as murder.
I would go as far as to say that this is almost a more heinous crime in my mind (of course circumstances need to be taken into account on all factors) but in generality this is a crime that to anyone but especially a new parent this seems to be a horrendous act that deserves equal punishment to murder. Of course i believe they should both be punished without killing them.
Here is the whole article: court rejects death penalty for raping children
I just wanted to open up the idea of being a religious or spiritual person and supporting the death penalty. I would like to hear how that fits into beliefs and morality in your life.
I know from my beliefs and spirituality being rooted in Christianity, but also being well informed and positively effected by many forms of spirituality i find that the concept of murdering is in no way justified and definitely not encouraged. I am certainly able to see that there are attitudes that are not quite as pacifistic as mine. I do know that there are very effective peaceful methods to effect opposition and oppression. Being a believer in pacifism or peace does not require you to sit back and do nothing. That is apathy and often a misguided argument against people who are against war and violence. It is not a clear cut stance and i know that in human situations we would most of us find ourselves reacting in a manner best fitted to defend ourselves. It does seem quite obvious to me certainly from the Christian tradition that the idea of killing in retaliation is taught against. I think something like thou shalt not kill and love thine enemy are starting points.
You know i often wonder what it will take for people to become more socially conscious to issues. I guess the rising gas prices shows at least one way to make people aware of something that needs to be addressed and thats to hit them where it hurts – in their pockets. The problem of gas emissions and the overall issue of global warming is something that until now was largely ignored or even purposefully added to by “supersize me” attitudes in America. Of course now i dont suppose to think that these people have become green warriors for the environment but hey i guess if this makes them look for more energy efficient vehicles and some support for alternate fuels for cars, well i think we should take what we can get. But for the over all issue it has brought some much needed attention.
I will say briefly that the issue of global warming is not clear cut, but it seems quite obvious that it is just the right attitude to have to take better care of the planet on which we inhabit. Also i hear counter arguments that the cars that emit less gas and fumes create more pollution in the creation stages. There is always going to be something in this argument, i mean look at the side effects of the bio diesel fiasco. Of course the rising corn price is not soley the fault of the bio diesel efforts but it is certainly not helping. Over all i feel there is no clear cut option of: this is the right thing to do and this is the wrong. What we can hope and strive toward is a change in the hearts and minds of people to be not only aware of the issues but to actively take part in trying to work toward a better solution. Awareness is a big step, so for that high gas prices i say bravo!
Something that i often find perplexing is the position commonly held by certain parties or groups and how they don’t seem to hold up together in a comparison of morals. I do my best not to agree with an issue based solely on where my political or social standing falls on the issue at hand. This in of itself is one of the biggest problem facing America as so many have lost the ability to really think for them selves and just follow the color they have fallen in with.
However the issue i always find to make no sense is the predominantly conservative support for the death penalty. These are the same folks who want Jesus in the class room and are anti abortion and stem cell research BUT they do think hooking another human being up to a execution machine is not only the just thing to do but they are adamant and passionate about the murder of these admittedly detestable people. This is really a question to the people who either do or just happen to know the reasoning behind this position. I can not see how any Christian or spiritual person can attest to believing that the death penalty is the right and just thing to do or support. Ignoring the issue that there could be a wrongful conviction which i am sure there a many cases of this, but just on a spiritual ground to argue for the saving of life on the one hand in the case of abortion and the taking of it on the other with the death penalty.
Please shed some light on this for me.
So Gloucester High School in Massachusetts seems to be home to some of the most fertile or just plain misguided teenage girls to date. In a “outbreak” of teenage pregnancy some seventeen teenage girls under sixteen have become pregnant in what seems to be some sort of pact made by the girls. They all actively attempted to get pregnant at the same time, some rumored to have even been inseminated by a homeless guy (although this may be a misleading description of a displaced 24 year old guy) non the less this is another weird and wonderful story from the bowels of America.
I guess you automatically look to the parents, but i guess if your kid is sneaky and screwed up enough to become part of a preganacy pact before their sweet sixteen they can probably manage to get themselves knocked up without their folks figuring it out. I am sure there are many cases of teenage mums turning out ok and i dont want to judge all instances. But i am pretty sure i remember most of my decisions being based on my friends influence in school, this is probably one of those fads we can emphatically say is a all round bad idea.
Here is some interesting debate on the issue - teen pregnancy pact
Obama has in a unprecedented move decided to forgo his right to public financing money for his General Election campaign. In true Obama style he sighted his intent to not be held down or part of the “broken system” and wanted to continue along the grassroots style of campaign he has had so far (at least in the opinion of Obama supporters) Obama is the first president since the creation of the public financing system to turn it down, of course McCain spokesman claim he is seriously undermining the system and endangering it. This quite frankly is why we love Obama. However it is worth noting that Obama had managed to raise enormous amounts of funds from his supporters during his campaign $265m in donations in his presidential race, most of it from small donations given over the internet. This dwarfs the nearly $97m Mr McCain has so far raised. This puts this decision in a slightly different perspective as the public funding money is somewhere in the region of $80m and negates any other funding from supporters. This makes it a little more easier for Obama to make this decision as if his past track record is anything to go by he is likely to come out with a much bigger pot of gold.
So i support Obama for his open shunning of the broken system and it does stay in keeping with his rhetoric and actions so far; but i am cautious of the overall benefit he will receive from this. This is politics and we should all be weary that there is much more than meets the eye.
So this little gem appeared on Fox News this week and the only small blessing is that it appeared on you tube to be ridiculed for its obvious outrageous offense. I also hear that there is rumor of her show being canceled. I guess time will tell. Enjoy.
BBC UNCOVERS LOST BILLIONS IN IRAQ
This is a brief but eye opening insert from the BBC on the already questionable handling of the war in Iraq. This should be followed up by watching the documentary Iraq For Sale If we ignore the obvious oil interest in Iraq itself and the blatant illegal act of aggression by the USA, without any signs of apology. This now damning evidence of corruption and self profit by the US government should be a warning to us all that when war becomes this profitable it will never end. Of course it could simply transfer to the next victim of Americas imperialistic agenda (Iran ring any bells?). Support the troops would be bringing them home, not sending them to war so the Bush administration and their friends can make uncapped profits; oh and it is being paid for by the tax payers.. YOU! Now thats a wake up call.
