This clip was filmed in 2007 at the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama during their Freedom Tour.

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” ~ Robert Kennedy

The Civil Rights Memorial was designed by Maya Lin.
A thin sheet of water flows over its surface.

“Man is the religious animal. He is the only religious animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion –- several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat, if his theology isn’t straight. He has made a graveyard of the globe in trying his honest best to smooth his brother’s path to happiness and heaven.” (The Lowest Animal)

Again I’m reminded of one of my favorite quotes by Gandhi:

“I like your Christ.  I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.”

And again I’m reminded that at the core of ALL major world religions is the concept of loving one another.  How and why have religious extremists (of ALL religions) strayed so far away from the central teachings of their respective religions?

I’ve never watched the TV show “West Wing” but there’s a great exchange between the “president” (Bartlett) and a holier-than-thou talk show radio host:

BARTLET: It’s a good idea to be reminded of the awesome impact, the awesome impact… I’m sorry. You’re Dr. Jenna Jacobs, right?

JACOBS (obviously pleased to be recognized): Yes, sir!

BARTLET: It’s good to have you here.

JACOBS: Thank you!

BARTLET: … the awesome impact of the airwaves, and how that translates into the furthering of our national discussions, but obviously also how it can … how it can … Forgive me, Dr. Jacobs. Are you an M.D.?

JACOBS: A Ph.D.

BARTLET: A Ph.D.

JACOBS: Yes, sir.

BARTLET: In psychology?

JACOBS: No, sir.

BARTLET: Theology?

JACOBS: No.

BARTLET: Social work?

JACOBS: I have a Ph.D. in English Literature.

BARTLET: I’m asking ‘cause on your show people call in for advice – and you go by the name Dr. Jacobs on your show – and I didn’t know if maybe your listeners were confused by that and assumed you had advanced training in psychology, theology or health care.

JACOBS: I don’t believe they are confused, no, sir.

BARTLET: I like your show. I like how you call homosexuality an “abomination!”

JACOBS: I don’t say homosexuality is an abomination, Mr. President. The Bible does.

BARTLET: Yes it does. Leviticus!

JACOBS: 18:22.

BARTLET: Chapter and verse. I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I wanted to sell my youngest daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She’s a Georgetown Sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be?

(Bartlet only waits a second for a response, then plunges on.)

BARTLET: While thinking about that, can I ask another? My chief of staff, Leo McGary, insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself? Or is it okay to call the police?

(Bartlet barely pauses to take a breath.)

BARTLET: Here’s one that’s really important, because we’ve got a lot of sports fans in this town. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you?

(The camera pushes in on the president.)

One last thing. While you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tight-Ass Club, in this building when the president stands, nobody sits.

(Jacobs sees that, in fact, the president is standing and she is the only one in the room sitting. After a moment, she rises, holding her tiny plate of appetizers. After the president exits, Sam Seaborn sternly approaches a thoroughly belittled Jacobs.)

SAM: I’m just … going to take that crab puff.  (Sam snatches Dr. Jacob’s crab puff, then hurries after the president.)

Dear Dr. Laura,

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly
states it to be an abomination. End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.

a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?

e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an Abomination (Lev 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this?

g) Lev 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev 19:27. How should they die?

i) I know from Lev 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev 24:10-16) Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.

Your devoted disciple and adoring fan.

After Bush was re-elected to a second term in 2004, a similar letter was circulated on the Internet, which brought up many of these same questions.

When I was a little girl, my dad (who had a knack for meeting interesting, diverse people) met and befriended an Iranian man who was attending the JAG school at UVa.  Related by marriage somehow to the Iranian monarchy (which was in power in the mid-1960s) and serving as a colonel in the Iranian army, he was in this country to study international law.

He was a guest in our home a few times and I found him fascinating.  He spoke six or seven different languages (which amazed me) and I remember asking him to tell me the word for “horse” in all of them.

While I’ve never been too knowledgeable about Middle Eastern politics, there was a period of time after WWII during which Iran became more progressive. Women were given the right to vote and dress became more Western in style.  In 1969 when the Apollo 11 astronauts delivered “good will” messages from world leaders to the lunar surface during the historic first moon landing, the Shah of Iran sent the following message:

“On this occasion when Mr. Neil Armstrong and Colonel Edwin Aldrin set foot for the first time on the surface of the Moon from the Earth, we pray the Almighty God to guide mankind towards ever increasing success in the establishment of peace and the progress of culture, knowledge and human civilization.” ~ Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Aryamehrm, Shahanshah (NASA History)

The Iranian Revolution in 1979 (which is also known as the Islamic Revolution) ended the 2500-year rule of an Iranian monarchy.  The Shah and his family fled the country and the Ayatollah Khomeini, the new leader of the Republic of Iran, established a theocracy: a government based on Islamic ideology.  According to the Iranian Constitution, its army is responsible not only for “guarding and preserving the frontiers of the country, but also for fulfilling the ideological mission of jihad (Holy War) in God’s way; that is, extending the sovereignty of God’s law throughout the world.” (Iranian Constitution)

In April 1979, we learned that my dad’s Iranian friend — the man who could say the word “horse” in seven different languages — had been sentenced to death and executed at a prison in Tehran for the crimes of “corruption on earth” and treason.  A yellowed newspaper clipping that documents his death is taped into the back of a book of poetry that had been one of his gifts to my father….

Iranian human rights lawyer and 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Shirin Ebadi, said in a 2006 interview that many of Iran’s interpretations of Islamic religion were wrong and that, as a lawyer, she was working to correct them.   She said that the people of Iran were ready for a democracy, but added that “democracy cannot be imported to our country with missiles and bombs.” (Amesty International)

By 2008, however, Ebadi admitted that Iran’s human rights record had “regressed” over the past two years (Reuters India) and when a peaceful human rights advocate in Iran was executed in August 2008, it was another reminder that the Islamic government has become more violent against — and intolerant of — those who oppose it, even through peaceful means. (Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation)

In this country, we’ve just witnessed the election of the first African-American president, Barack Obama.  While 52% of the voters in the United States helped to make this happen, a small portion of the 48% who voted against him (if they voted at all) are violently opposed to this historic milestone, simply due to his race.

The Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama is responsible for monitoring the activities of “hate groups” in this country.  Since the election, it has reported “hundreds” of race-related threats and crimes. The map below shows some of the groups they are monitoring.  If you click on the image you will be able to see the groups that are identified — perhaps even in your home town.

Intolerance — by racial extremists or religious extremists — is a repudiation of the principles on which this country was founded and a repudiation of the basic tenets on which all religions were founded.  As I wrote in a previous article, the United Nations (in 1999) stated that a focus on “education and dialogue” was seen as the only way to eradicate intolerance. (UN Report).

The Southern Poverty Law Center offers resource materials for teachers at no cost.  If you are a teacher, I urge you to sign up for their magazine called “Teaching Tolerance“.  You can also “Stand Strong Against Hate” by signing up on their site as a “voice for tolerance.”

If you are a person of faith and of tolerance, consider joining the Interfaith Alliance or a similar organization that seeks to “champion individual rights, promote policies that protect both religion and democracy, and unite diverse voices to challenge extremism.”

For reasons that I can’t fully explain — but know, intuitively — we, the people of this world, are at some sort of evolutionary crossroads.  If the campaign and subsequent election of Barack Obama has taught us anything, however, it is that there is tremendous power in organized, grassroots efforts, especially among people who strongly desire to see positive changes in the world.

A book I recently purchased is called “The Brain That Changes Itself” by Norman Doidge, MD.  Simply explained, neuroscience has discovered that the brain is remarkably “plastic” and that our thoughts can change the physical structure and function of our brain.  The NY Times offers the following review:

“The power of positive thinking finally gains scientific credibility. Mind-bending, miracle-making, reality-busting stuff with implications for all human beings, not to mention human culture, human learning and human history.“

Our world is changing and as Stephen Hawking (British theoretical physicist) said, “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.”  We must educate ourselves and each other in order to create a new type of intelligence — one that transcends cultural, ethnic and religious differences and embraces the reality that we’re literally all in this together.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” ~ Gandhi

]]> http://www.art-rageous.net/artrageousblog/?feed=rss2&p=372 0 http://www.art-rageous.net/artrageousblog/?p=342 http://www.art-rageous.net/artrageousblog/?p=342#comments Thu, 06 Nov 2008 02:53:48 +0000 admin http://www.art-rageous.net/artrageousblog/?p=342

www.cafepress.com/teachers4peace

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

“If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution, when the old and the new stand side by side and admit of being compared; when the energies of all men are searched by fear and hope; when the historic glories of the old can be compensated by the rich possibilities of the new era? This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

May the things that bind us together as a nation — and as citizens of the world — always be stronger than the things that would divide us.

Photo Mosaic by Tsevis
Licensed under the Creative Commons scheme

It is always a simple matter to drag the people along…that is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” ~ Hermann Goehring, German politician, military leader and a leading member of the Nazi Party

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” ~ Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Propaganda Minister

Think back over the last few weeks about the campaign strategies of the Republican Party. Why have they felt the need to be so negative? And how was Sarah Palin — whose religious views are so different from those of McCain 2000 — chosen as his vice president?

Former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein (who is endorsing Obama) offered this criticism of the McCain/Palin team: “I think it has very much undermined the whole question of John McCain’s judgment. You know what most Americans I think realized is that you don’t offer a job, let alone the vice presidency, to a person after one job interview. Even at McDonald’s, you’re interviewed three times before you get a job.” MSNBC, October 31, 2008

But what if McCain had very little to do with her choosing?  What if through his ambition to win the presidency at all costs, he allowed Palin to be chosen for him?  And if that’s how Palin — someone utterly unqualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency — found herself on a presidential ticket, who was responsible for putting her there?

Sarah Palin’s supporter, James Dobson of Focus on the Family, believes that the separation of church and state is unconstitutional. As stated on their website: “We believe that the Establishment Clause was intended to protect religious freedom and that the separation of church and state is an unconstitutional doctrine.” Focus on the Family

Dobson, whose daily radio broadcast is heard by 220 million people, had no intention of voting for McCain who, in 2000, called the religious right “agents of intolerance” for their “corrupting influence on politics and religion.”

Once Palin was part of the ticket, however, Dobson was fully on board, to the point of recently issuing a 16-page document called a “Letter from 2012 in Obama’s America” in an attempt to scare the “faithful” into voting for McCain/Palin.

Christian leaders across the country are condemning this hate- and fear-filled piece of fiction:

“Dobson’s letter yesterday is one more reminder that those who would impose their religious beliefs on every American citizen still seek to destroy our First Amendment, and tear down the wall that maintains the separate integrities of religion and government in our nation.” Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, Interfaith Alliance

“Dr. Dobson, you of course have the same right as every Christian and every American to vote your own convictions on the issues you most care about, but you have chosen to insult the convictions of millions of other Christians, whose own deeply held faith convictions might motivate them to vote differently than you.”  Jim Wallis (public theologian, speaker, preacher, and international commentator on religion and public life, faith and politics)

There has been a huge outpouring of response to Dobson’s letter, with many respondents being Christian evangelicals who are justifiably outraged. You can read some of the responses here.

While some say it’s ridiculous to think that Dobson, Palin, Dominionists and other right wing “Christians” want to establish a theocracy in this country, there’s some evidence to support that this is precisely their agenda:

Palin’s Theological Outlook: Spiritual Warfare Waged from the White House?

Katherine Harris Was in Sarah Palin’s Spiritual Warfare Network

And to those who questioned my serious, serious concerns about Sarah Palin and what made me know that I could NOT even REMOTELY consider supporting a McCain/Palin ticket (beyond Palin’s religious beliefs)? While some of this is now being refuted, I’m sure there’s a measure of truth in this story that Fox News aired:

More from the interview on the Fox News program, The O’Reilly Factor:
http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3178951&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/

Perhaps Obama was right on the mark when he said that it seemed like the Republican party had been “kidnapped by an incompetent, highly ideological subset of the Republican Party.” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27464980/

If NOTHING else, this election has shown that the separation of church and state MUST be fortified and upheld.  Political campaigns should focus on issues. Instead, the primary focus of this election has been on misrepresentations, distortions, and lies. Religion has been used as an excuse to slander and as a weapon with which to intimidate and manipulate Christian voters.

• INFPs do not like conflict, and go to great lengths to avoid it.
• INFPs are flexible and laid-back, until one of their values is violated. In the face of their value system being threatened, INFPs can become aggressive defenders, fighting passionately for their cause.
• When it comes to the mundane details of life maintenance, INFPs are typically completely unaware of such things. They might go for long periods without noticing a stain on the carpet, but carefully and meticulously brush a speck of dust off of their project booklet.
• INFPs are usually talented writers. They may be awkward and uncomfortable with expressing themselves verbally, but have a wonderful ability to define and express what they’re feeling on paper. INFPs also appear frequently in social service professions, such as counseling or teaching.

I stay pretty busy on a day-to-day basis (as a teacher!) and I really don’t go out of my way to find more things to do.  While I AM (at least peripherally) aware of the multiple stains on the carpet, over the last couple of months I’ve had to classify more things as “mundane” in order to find time, make time and forfeit time (to sleep…) to become more involved, politically, than I’ve ever been in my life.

I’ve found I simply CAN’T be “laid-back and flexible” when my “values” are being “violated” and so I’ve taken this (blogging) and many, many other opportunities to voice my concerns — by writing.  I’ve tried to avoid conflict (i.e. I haven’t initiated any “letters to the editor”) but I’ve also found that I can’t keep silent (so I’ve posted numerous comments to OTHER people’s “letters to the editor”).

I haven’t “attacked” people for their different views.  Lord knows, there’s been enough attacking in this political campaign!  When I’ve (often) disagreed with what they’ve written, I simply try to get them to look beyond the headline or the sound bite or the piece of literature that’s arrived in their mailbox to get the “rest of the story.”

No, I’m not bucking for Paul Harvey’s job and no, I really don’t want to become the blogging equivalent of “Joe the Plumber,” suddenly cast in the spotlight of national attention.  But seriously folks, this whole thing is making me crazy (a friend said that a case of Red Bull might have been a good birthday present for me, given the hours I’ve been keeping) and I am very aware of the fact that this election is a time-limited situation.  I’ll sleep again — and maybe even run the vacuum cleaner — after I know that I’ve done what I CAN do, within my self-regulated parameters — to make some small difference in the way that people think.

Up until recently, “politics” was ranked up there with the “mundane details of life maintenance.”  In the 2000 election, I wasn’t happy about the prospect of having a political “dynasty” (Bush, Part 2), but probably due to being raised by two parents who always voted Republican, I had a basic mistrust of Democrats (Gore).  Not liking either candidate — but not feeling strongly enough to try to support one to block the election of the other — I voted for Nader.

In 2004, still not supporting the “political dynasty” stuff and not being happy with the way Bush was handling his job, I voted for Kerry, even though I didn’t spend much time trying to learn about him.  When the election turned out the way it did, however, especially since there were allegations that the election had been “stolen,” I roused myself up enough to post on the Sorry Everybody website.  If you’re not familiar with this site or the sentiment behind it, people posted a picture of themselves holding a note that said something like, “Sorry, everybody — 49% of us really tried.” Being a political neophyte making my first small public social protest, I found it interesting when people from other countries started to post their “apology accepted” pictures.  That’s when I first realized how MUCH America’s elections impact the rest of the world, and that was a small, but significant epiphany….

I first heard about Barack Obama from a co-worker well over a year ago.  She seemed excited about the prospect of him being president, but I was neutral about all of it.  I was glad to know that the Bush dynasty was finally coming to an end, I knew that Hillary (another “political dynasty”person!) was running in the primaries against the guy my co-worker liked, but I still wasn’t particularly involved or interested.

I can’t pinpoint the moment that things started to change — when I started to sit up and take serious notice.  I was vaguely aware of the presidential primaries, but since I don’t vote in the primaries, it didn’t concern me too much.  I’d heard some things (from family members) about McCain that didn’t make him my preferred candidate, but like many Americans, I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the whole concept of someone named Barack Obama actually running for president….

The Democratic National Convention (August 25-28) marked my first official week back at school, Palin was announced as McCain’s VP on August 29, and the Republican National Convention (September 1-4) coincided with the first full week of classes.  You can guess where my priorities were, so whatever attention I paid to anything outside of school was minimal, at best.

I didn’t watch Palin’s first speech at the RNC on September 3rd.  I don’t even remember the first time I saw her on TV, but at some point I quipped that we had Mad Magazine characters running for our highest offices in government.  I also joked that the upcoming election kind of sounded like the beginning of a bad joke: “An old man, a moose-hunting woman and a black guy go into a bar…”  Still detached from it all, I was relieved to see that Nader was running for president.  Again.

So where did it start, this obsession with all things political?  It was sometime after September 3rd, but well before October 2nd, when I made my first blog post on politics.  I still can’t determine the exact “when” regarding my involvement, but at some point I knew, with absolute clarity, that this was going to be the most important and significant election in my lifetime.  And I knew that I damned well better start paying attention.

To put this self-revelation moment into context, there are several key things that make me “tick” and define who I am.  Even though I was raised in a small town and was active in my local (Methodist) church, I’ve always looked for the broader meanings in life, largely due to personal experiences.  When I was 15, an event so profound and so personally-significant changed the way that I viewed life. I’ve written about it here.  From this time on, I realized that I no longer had a “choice” regarding whether or not to “believe” in God because (echoing Carl Jung), you don’t have to “believe” (which implies a choice to not believe) when you know.

This is not a statement of spiritual “pride,” but instead it’s an acknowledgment that if faith and spirituality are important to you, if you believe that Creation is an ongoing process, if you believe that our Creator didn’t stop talking after religious texts were written, then there’s much to be gained by making it a personal quest to understand life and our place in it.  Some people rely on “spiritual leaders,” but for many reasons that I’ve written about elsewhere, I’m not willing to be “led.” As a result, I’ve always been willing to take responsibility to examine our relationship with our Creator from all sides and from every possible viewpoint.  It’s led me down some strange roads, but I’ve always come back “home” again (though my “travel pictures” and “souvenirs” have certainly enhanced my internal sense of “home decor” and my external sense of “architecture” has also changed).

I’d had experiences before the “Big One” that helped to develop my broad, intensely curious view of life, and I continue to have experiences that serve to reinforce my core beliefs and “knowings.” My primary path is Christianity, but over the years it’s become a very eclectic path that allows me to acknowledge that there may be many pathways to God.

During the last ten years, I’ve written a great deal about religion and spirituality.  I haven’t gone out of my way to make these writings public, but through the wonders of the Internet and the power of search engines, I have “met” many, many fellow “travelers” and “kindred spirits” who have enriched my life.  While some of their “knowings” do not always resonate with some of my “knowings,” I am respectful of their personal experiences, just as they have been respectful of mine.   The common ground that we share has served to strengthen all of us.

Over the last seventeen years, in two different schools, I’ve had the opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge about other people and cultures because the “world” has come to my classroom.  From 1990 through 2000 while passionately tracing my family history, I gained not only skills in research but a solid respect for the need of documented proof.  As the saying goes, “Genealogy without documentation is mythology.”

And so with this background of eclectic spirituality, a familiarity with — and delight in — the interactions I’ve had with those of other cultures and ethnic groups, and research skills that were honed while trying to ferret out truth about matters pertaining to my personal history, here I am.

I’ve always been a “middle of the road-er,” and as a result I’ve been hit by traffic coming in BOTH directions during the last several weeks.  Someone just shared a great quote: “America is like an eagle; it needs both a left wing and a right wing to fly.”  I absolutely relate to this and I’m therefore VERY concerned about the potential lack of balance our government may soon have.

But THAT said, core values HAVE been “violated” during this election season.  Palin’s ultra conservative Christian views have prompted me to respond in numerous venues including on this blog (“Separation of Church and State and Thoughts on the Upcoming Election”, “The ‘F’ Word and the Collision of Religion and Politics” and others), the intolerance and hate- and fear-filled messages I’ve seen and heard have been incredibly distressing and have led to more responses (“United We Stand?” and others posted here) and the fact that people are BELIEVING the “truth” without discovering the full story behind it have led to posts like this one (excerpted) that I made in a local paper in response to someone who wrote that he “feared for the future of the United States”:

I think that many of us share your concerns.  Yesterday my mom, a registered Republican, received 5 different pieces of literature that brought up many of the points you mentioned. Based on what I’ve learned, however, I’d like to try to clarify a few things.

Over the years, Obama has rejected legislation that has included language that would make ALL abortions (regardless of the reason) a crime, or language that would make doctors who perform abortions (regardless of the reason) felons or language that might protect a mother’s life, but not her health. http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Barack_Obama_Abortion.htm

Obama’s vote against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act is just one of many issues that are being misrepresented. At the time the Born Alive Infant Protection Act was presented, there was already a law in Illinois that protected “born alive” babies, even if they’d been born alive during an abortion.  (Sidenote: I was over the word limit for this response and had to cut out info regarding a new bill that was being presented in Illinois that changed the wording of the “Born Alive” Act, which led to Obama’s “no” vote.) As he says, “For people to suggest that I and the Illinois medical society…were somehow in favor of withholding life saving support from an infant born alive is ridiculous. It defies commonsense and it defies imagination and for people to keep on pushing this is offensive and it’s an example of the kind of politics that we have to get beyond. It’s one thing for people to disagree with me about the issue of choice, it’s another thing for people to out and out misrepresent my positions repeatedly, even after they know that they’re wrong. And that’s what’s been happening.”

So yes, he’s voted against legislation that has been presented due to other things that have been included in the bills, but he fully SUPPORTS life saving support for infants born alive!

And while he supports “choice,” he says he believes that states can restrict certain types of abortions as long as they also protect the health of the mother.

On the other side, Gov. Palin believes that ALL abortions — regardless of the reason (including pregnancies resulting from rape, incest, etc) — should be banned.  This is a very extreme view and not one that many Americans could comfortably support.

You also wrote, “We were once the most admired nation on earth, but now we are greatly despised.” On that I agree with you, too.

The people of the world are paying a LOT of attention to this presidential election and overwhelmingly they are supporting Obama. http://www.iftheworldcouldvote.com/results

Why is this?

What we do in this country has an INCREDIBLE impact on every other country in the world.  If our economy is in crisis, it effects everyone else.  If we engage in war somewhere, our allies have to make decisions about their level of involvement.

Sen. Obama has put together a campaign that has united people instead of separating them. His campaign has restored their confidence in our country and the people of the world are watching and hoping that they can start to feel confident about us again.

In a speech he gave in Berlin last summer, Obama said the following (excerpted):

“Partnership and cooperation among nations is not a choice; it is the one way, the only way, to protect our common security and advance our common humanity.

I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we’ve struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We’ve made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.

But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two centuries, we have strived – at great cost and great sacrifice – to form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful world. What has always united us – what has always driven our people; what drew my father to America’s shores – is a set of ideals that speak to aspirations shared by all people: that we can live free from fear and free from want; that we can speak our minds and assemble with whomever we choose and worship as we please.” The full transcript of this speech may be found here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/24/obama-in-berlin-video-of_n_114771.html

As hate-filled and divisive as the Republican campaign has been — along with my serious concerns about Palin — I simply can’t support McCain in 2008.  (I rather liked him in 2000, but many of his views have changed — radically — since then.) At this point in our country’s history, I feel that Obama is our best choice. So does my mom–the registered Republican who will be voting Democratic for the first time in her life.

All that any of us can do is to be true to ourselves.  But we owe it to our country — and to the people who come after us — to again reflect on the wisdom of Thomas Jefferson:

“Whenever the people are well informed,
they can be trusted with their own government.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

I’ve done all I can do to be as “informed” as possible and to “aggressively defend” the things that are so very important to me. May (EVERYONE’S) God protect — and forgive — us all as we vote on November 4th.

As reported by WAVY.com and other Virginia news stations, excerpted below:

HAMPTON, Va (WAVY.com) — Virginia State Police are investigating a bogus flier that has the Virginia State Board of Elections heading and a Virginia Seal.

The flier states an “Emergency session of the General Assembly has adopted the following emergency regulations to ease the load.” The flier claimed that because of an expected high voter turnout, Republicans will vote on November 4, and Democrats will vote November 5.

Democratic Congressman Bobby Scott held a news conference in front of the Hampton Registrar’s Office denouncing the deceptive flier.

Scott said, “Obviously this is fraudulent because everybody votes on Nov. 4. Anybody who waits till November 5 will not have the opportunity to cast their vote at all.”

Scott represents Hampton, as well as parts of Newport News and Norfolk. He said he is concerned too many new voters could be influenced by the kind of false information contained in the flyer.

WAVY.com contacted the State Board of Elections to learn more about the flier. A spokeswoman told us on the phone:

“A member of the Virginia Obama campaign contacted the State Board of Elections [Monday] stating a person received the flyer and took it into a Hampton Campaign office… Our understanding is that a guy was handing them out, and someone who received one took it to the office. The campaign contacted us and we gave our information over to the Virginia State Police.”

Sgt. Michelle Cotten with the Virginia State Police told WAVY.com the agency’s “Investigation’s Unit is looking into the situation.”

But while I’m ranting about this attempt to cheat voters in the coastal region of Virginia out of their chance to vote, I’m also incensed about the Halloween “decoration” in California that features an effigy of Sarah Palin hanging from a noose in front of a house.  This is NOT a joke (though the homeowner insists it’s “all in fun”), it is NOT in the least bit appropriate and it is simply wrong!

The corruptness, stupidity and insensitivity of people — from coast to coast and on both sides of the political fence — just astounds me.  I totally agree with those who are calling for this “decoration” to be removed.

What was the content of the slime filled calls?

she had been asked to read a script attacking Obama for being “dangerously weak on crime,” “coddling criminals,” and for voting against “protecting children from danger.”

“We were asked to read something saying [Obama and Democrats] were against protecting children from danger,” this worker said. “I wouldn’t do it. A lot of people left. They thought it was disgusting.”  (Daily Kos)

And why am I posting this? Because my mother received a call tonight from a call center.  The caller — apparently BELIEVING his script — was harassing and belligerent.  My mother finally told him to “shut the hell up,” hung up on him and was quite upset.  When I heard about this, I wasn’t upset, I was LIVID!

My mother has also received numerous pieces of literature from the Republican party that are ALL of a fear- and suspicion-promoting nature.  And these same tactics, I might add, have probably encouraged the people who are posting on news websites to say that in spite of the thwarted assassination plot, “real” patriots and “real” Americans would be sure to “follow up” in order to “keep America safe.”

Are these the “pro-Americans” that the Republican candidates hope to attract in “real” America?

I applaud the members of the call center who walked out.  They may have needed the money, but they realized that their integrity was worth more than being paid to make calls they felt were wrong and unethical.

But where, where, where is the McCain of 2000 who took THIS stand?

“Senator John McCain, in a provocative and politically risky speech, sharply criticized leaders of the religious right on Monday as ‘agents of intolerance’ allied to his rival, Governor George W. Bush, and denounced what he said were the tactics of  ’division and slander.’  Specifically, Mr. McCain singled out the evangelists Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell as ‘corrupting influences on religion and politics’ and said parts of the religious right were divisive and even un-American.”

And where, where, where is the McCain of 2000 who said this?

”I am going to keep fighting clean,” he said. ”I am going to keep fighting fair.”(NY Times, Feb. 2000)

Apparently THAT McCain sold his soul — and sacrificed his honor — in order to try to win this election at any cost.

In 2004, political scientist Dr. Laurence Britt identified social and political agendas that are found in fascist regimes. By studying Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile), he came up with a list of 14 characteristics. Here are a few:

* Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
* Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause (liberals, terrorists, socialists)
* Obsession with National Security
* Religion and Government are Intertwined
* Corporate Power is Protected
* Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
* Rampant Cronyism and Corruption

Does this sound a bit familiar? It should, if you’ve been paying attention to what’s happening in our current government or if you’re aware of the campaign platforms of the Republican presidential candidates!

Perhaps you’ve seen the bumper sticker that says, “When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” This quote — from 1935 — is attributed to Sinclair Lewis, author of “It Can’t Happen Here” — a fictional novel about the election of a fascist American president.

The agenda of the extreme Christian right should be of concern to every American. Not only do they totally _ignore_ the concept of the “separation of church and state,” it is their goal to create a church state, “whatever the cost” and “through any means necessary.” Do some research on Christian Dominionists and you’ll see that this is NOT the “love your neighbor as yourself” Christianity that most Christians embrace.

As I cited in an earlier post, over 100 years ago Mark Twain made the following comment about religion:

“Man is the religious animal…He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat, if his theology isn’t straight. He has made a graveyard of the globe in trying his honest best to smooth his brother’s path to happiness and heaven.”

There is far too much truth in Twain’s observation and it is far too ironic that those fleeing religious persecution have — throughout history — fled to this country.  The First Amendment can be regarded as one of America’s brightest “shining beacons” and a Christian Theocracy would completely and utterly destroy it:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

By prohibiting the establishment of a national religion by the Congress or the preference of one religion over another, or religion over non-religion, our founding fathers tried to ensure basic religious and spiritual freedom for all its citizens.  When challenged in 1994, the Supreme Court ruled that “government should not prefer one religion to another, or religion to irreligion”.

How this contrasts with the goals of Focus on the Family and other right wing Christian organizations!  Focus on the Family claims to honor “faith, family and freedom,” but that faith must be Christian; families must never be comprised of same-sex couples; and freedom?  It’s a freedom based on the assumption that we are a Christian nation.  To wit, they state on their website that “The Supreme Court’s imposition of the doctrine of separation of church and state distorts the Founding Father’s recognition of our unequivocally Christian nation and the protection of religious freedom for all faiths.” (Focus on the Family website)  Such a belief thus allows them to boldly declare that “the separation of church and state is an unconstitutional doctrine.” (Focus on the Family Website)

Main stream Christians should be alarmed by this statement.  Those of other faiths –or no faiths — who live in this country should be horrified!  Focus on the Family leader, James Dobson, met with Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin and during their discussion, he told her that he was “asking for God’s intervention” and praying “for a miracle in regard to the election this year.” (Fox News)

We ARE a nation of many faiths and I am so often reminded of this poem by John Godfrey Saxe:

The Blind Men and the Elephant

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined
Who went to see the elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approached the elephant,
And, happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
“God bless me! but the elephant
Is nothing but a wall!”

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried: “Ho! What have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp!
To me ’tis mighty clear
This wonder of an elephant
Is very like a spear!”

The Third approached the animal,
And, happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
“I see,” quoth he, “the elephant
Is very like a snake!”

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee:
“What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain,” quoth he;
“‘Tis clear enough the elephant
Is very like a tree.”

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: “E’en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an elephant
Is very like a fan!”

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
“I see,” quoth he, “the elephant
Is very like a rope!”

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

So, oft in theologic wars
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an elephant
Not one of them has seen!

For the past 17 years I have worked in schools with large international student populations and with children of diverse spiritual and religious backgrounds. While I haven’t had the opportunity to travel the world, the world has come to my classroom.

As a result of my experiences in educational settings, I have concluded that we (as human beings, regardless of ethnicity) are far more alike than we are different. This has served to reinforce my lifelong belief that people are basically good, decent and peace-loving; I’ve heard children laugh together in a multitude of languages.

Fanatics and religious extremists can be found on the fringes of virtually all of the world’s religions, and yet to even suggest that our country might have some extremists of its own would certainly earn me the label (in this political climate, and by some people) of being un-Christian. And to suggest that we could learn a lot about — and from — people from the other nations of this world might tempt some to label me un-American.

The history of this country’s “Pledge of Allegiance” is quite interesting. You can read about it, in full, in an article by Dr. John Baer. To bring out a few points in his article, the original Pledge was written by a Christian Socialist Baptist minister in 1892, and published after he was asked to leave the church due to his socialist views. As penned by the Rev. Francis Bellamy, it originally read:
“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

According to Dr. Baer’s research, Bellamy considered including the word, “equality,” but knew that “equality” wasn’t a concept that was afforded to women and to African-Americans.

In the 1920s, the National Flag Conference altered the words so that the Pledge read:
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Flash forward to the 1950s when the Knights of Columbus campaigned to add the words “under God,” making it both a patriotic and religious declaration.

The current Knights of Columbus bishops’ campaign — “The Novena for Faithful Citizenship” is designed “to help Catholics develop well-formed consciences for addressing political and social questions.” (Knights of Columbus website) At the same time, however, they are running a pro-life radio ad, about which their Supreme Knight states, “We believe that it is vital that America’s pro-life community make it clear that they will reserve their votes for candidates of either party who are committed to protecting life from conception to natural death.” (Knights of Columbus website)

Religion and government are very much intertwined in this country, but I’m concerned about the politicizing of moral issues, especially when such issues form just one plank in a candidate’s platform. For the record, I am utterly respectful of the tremendous good works of this organization since it was first chartered in 1882 — especially since they confront and oppose bigotry — and I absolutely do not want to imply that the Knights of Columbus are “religious extremists.” I do feel, however, that there must be some separation of church and state — regardless of which church — in order to allow voters to fairly view the totality of political candidates’ positions on myriad complex issues.

The core tenet of people of faith — of ALL faiths — is summed up in one ideology: Love one another. I simply do not understand why some people stoop so low as to use the name of one’s religion maliciously, as a slur. Again, I have to agree with what Colin Powell said on “Meet the Press“:

“I’m also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, “Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.” Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, “He’s a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists.” This is not the way we should be doing it in America.”

Our nation is great –
But there are other great nations in the world.

Christianity may be the most predominant religion –
But perhaps some people of faith have found alternate pathways to God.

When we devise to divide, we lose the opportunity to understand and to grow.  I hope that some day — through education, outreach, and tolerance  — the majority of people who share this fragile planet will be able to truly “love one another”:

BAH’I
“Blessed are those who prefer others before themselves.”
–Baha’u'llah, Tablets of Baha’u'llah, 71

BUDDHISM
“Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.”
–Udana-Varga, 5:18

CHRISTIANITY
“Always treat others as you would like them to treat you.”
–Jesus, Matthew 7:12

CONFUCIANISM
“Do not unto others what you would not want them do unto you.”
–Analects 15:23

HINDUISM
“This is the sum of all duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.”
–Mahabhartata 5:1517

ISLAM
“No one of you is a believer until you desire for another that which you desire for yourself.”
–Sunnah

JAINISM
“In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, regard all creatures as you would regard your own self.”
–Lord Mahavir 24th Tirthankara

JUDAISM
“What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor, That is the entire Torah; all the rest is commentary.”
–Talmud, Shabbat 31a

NATIVE AMERICAN
“Respect for all life is the foundation.”
–The Great Law of Peace

SIKHISM
“Be not estranged from another for God dwells in every heart.”
–Sri Guru Granth Sahib

ZOROASTRIANISM
“Human nature is good only when it does not do unto another whatever is no good for its own self.”
–Dadistan-I-Dinik, 94:5

TAOSIM
“Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.”
T’ai Shang Kan Ying P’ien.

WICCAN
“Everything you do, whether positive or negative, is returned to you threefold.”
–The Threefold Law

SHINTO
“The heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there your own form”
“Be charitable to all beings, love is the representative of God.” Ko-ji-ki Hachiman Kasuga

Nancy Pfotenhauer, McCain Senior Adviser: “As a proud resident of Oakton, Va., I can tell you that the Democrats have just come in from the District of Columbia and moved into northern Virginia. And that’s really what you see there. But the rest of the state, real Virginia, if you will, I think will be very responsive to Sen. McCain’s message.”

John McCain, Presidential Candidate (supporting his selection of Sarah Palin):
“As a cold political calculation, I could not be more pleased. She has excited and energized our base. She is a direct counterpoint to the liberal feminist agenda for America.”

In the meantime, Rep. Michele Bachmann associated being liberal with being anti-American on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews and Joe McCain, John’s brother, recently quipped that Northern Virginia was “Communist country.”

Edited on 10/21/08 to include Rep. Robin Hayes, a five-term Republican from North Carolina who stated: “Liberals hate real Americans that work and achieve and believe in God.”

There’s been so much “us” against “them” rhetoric coming from the Republican party this week that it’s hard to keep up with which “labels” we should apply to ourselves! And I won’t even get into the whole issue of what it means to be a “real” Christian (as defined by the extreme religious right).

Of course in her stump speeches, Palin has it all figured out and it’s really quite simple: there are “good guys” and there are “bad guys”:

“Help me Ohio to help put John McCain in the White House. He understands. He understands you. We understand how important it is that this team be elected. For one thing, we know who the bad guys are, OK?”

With a “good guys” and “bad guys” mentality, labels like “Arab” and “Muslim” have become slurs (uttered by American people at Republican rallies!) that are linked to fear, suspicion and hatred.

On McCain’s website, we read the following:

“I’m going to fight for my cause every day as your President. I’m going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I’m an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach. Fight with me. Fight with me.” – John McCain

Is it possible that a lot of voters don’t want to “fight” to get things done in Washington or elsewhere and that maybe there other ways to resolve conflicts and disagreements?

Colin Powell, in his endorsement for Obama, said the following:

“Because of (Obama’s) ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of this campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities – we have to take that into account – as well as his substance – he has both style and substance – he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president.”

In this week when it seems we must wear one label or another, here are mine: I’m pro-America, I live in “real” Virginia, I’m Christian, I’m a liberal feminist — and I vote. And I’ll be voting for the candidate who, as Colin Powell says, is “crossing lines — ethnic lines, racial lines, generational lines” and who can possibly not only electrify our country, but “electrify the world.”

Please, please, please do not believe everything you see on TV in political commercials!  THINK for yourself, check sources, and try to determine which candidate’s beliefs most closely align with your own.

If you only view ONE television news channel or read ONE newspaper, you are most assuredly seeing what someone wants you to see.  Take the time to be informed and when you hear an outrageous and shocking claim about either of the candidates, ask yourself if you’re purposely being manipulated.  Search for the truth.

www.factcheck.org

www.truthorfiction.com