Half the fun of living is trying to figure out my existence. As I go through life, I am constantly peeling away layers of a great onion, trying to get to the bottom of it all. By far, I feel the most complex aspect of humanity is our relationship with religion. Humans appear to have incredible spiritual needs, and I found that religion is used by people in dozens of different ways. One thing that continually perplexes me is what is really "God" and what is human made.
Hmmm, tonight let's just talk about fear, which definitely seems to be more human made. Companies, governments, and religious leaders are all masters at manipulating and subjugating people by working the "FEAR BUTTONS" installed in each of us. The purpose of the fear is to get us to do irrational things that benefit THEM at our EXPENSE. For instance, in 1999, some religious leaders hyped up the Y2K threat because they knew that fear brings in revenue. How do I know this? My own mother was victimized twice in schemes. The prophesy preachers she constantly listened too told her all about the bank failures, water system failures. and the total breakdown of society that would occur when the clock hit 12:01 a.m., January 1, 2000.
Without consulting me, my mother paid big bucks for a Y2K "survival kit" that she saw advertised in a RELIGIOUS publication. It was full of dried food and empty kerosene cans. She made me fill them with kerosene at a gas station. Now, they are sitting in the shed. The insides of the CHEAP cans are rusting and the liquid inside is brown. Eventually, they will rust through. Worse yet, my mom was duped into investing her life savings in a viatical scam. What is a viatical? It is a deal where you purchase the life insurance policy of a terminally ill patient, and they get a percentage of the money up front. Upon their death, and when the life insurance policy pays, you get your money back plus a return on your investment. The whole thing is sick because you are betting that a sick person will die. My mom found the ad in a CHRISTIAN newsletter, and said the company was CHRISTIAN, so she trusted them. Yeah, right.
IT WAS FEAR THAT DID IT!
Every day people live with the fear of going to hell, getting blown up by terrorists, getting attacked by boogeymen, getting shot by psychos, and the list is endless. Then there are more subtle fears, like the fear of acceptance, the fear of rejection, etc...
FEAR MAKES YOU A PRISONER!
Fear keeps us all from thinking rationally, it keeps us off balance, it keeps us as slaves.
So, today, I urge everyone to break away from the irrational fears. Question what you are afraid of. Do the research, find the facts, and don't just cower in ignorance. Find creative solutions to address your fears. If the preacher says you are going to hell for not putting enough money in the plate, question that. If people who are from different races and ethnic backgrounds scare you, get to know them. If you fear terrorism, read books, watch documentaries, and discover the ROOT CAUSES of this evil. Right, yes, EDUCATION is the antidote to fear. And ASKING QUESTIONS is the cure for fear too.
As for the scammers who took advantage of my poor widowed mother, I am angry. When Tom Ridge issues his red alerts, yellow alerts, orange alerts, and whatever alert, I wonder if I'm being manipulated or if there is a legitimate danger. How far has my government gone with using 9/11 to manipulate the public? They certainly used it to make their case for the Iraq invasion.
Don't buy into this fear crap. You are not going to hell just because you are not the RIGHT religion. The whole world will NOT collapse due to a computer chip error. Yes, there are legitimate fears, but learn to sort it all out. Don't allow yourself to become paranoid and a victim. Take charge of your fears and challenge the fearmongers.
Sleep well, make sure your loaded Smith & Wesson is under your pillow, and don't have a nightmare that might make you smash your head into the pillow. If you tend to do this, at least make sure the barrel is pointed toward the wall.
We live on a blue marble flying through space. I'm surprised at how many people forget that. Our species and ecosystem are fragile, yet we are systematically destroying it instead of protecting it. This blog is dedicated to environmentalism and sustainability
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Monday, June 21, 2004
Showing Love and Tolerance for Six Pack Joe and Fundamentalists
Okay, I admit that sometimes I get angry with Christian Fundamentalists and Conservative Gun-Lover Types. HOWEVER, I do have a sneaking suspicion that those who hold onto rigid, narrow, and intolerant beliefs are doing more harm than good. I do feel that by the end of this decade there will be a great showdown between the Fundamentalists of the East and West. This scares me, and troubles me greatly. Nevertheless, expressing anger over what I perceive as ignorance is not the answer. But love and understanding IS the answer.
Michael, my friend and fellow Earth-saver from California, gave me a gentle reminder that my anger and cynicism won't accomplish much. I'd like to share his beautiful thoughts, which I have edited slightly:
I have long felt that we environmentalists tend to demonize our opposition's supporters at worst, and patronize or stereotype them at best. This is understandable given both the terrible damage being done and the fact that they demonize and stereotype us environmentalists even worse. But I feel our doing so is counterproductive. I was concerned about your shorthand for the average American who seems to care more about his or her beer and "hot button" issues than ecology.
I find myself urging our colleagues that we understand better what drives the average voter, and, by understanding, to communicate our message more effectively. That, of course, is an enormously difficult challenge. It helps to see that "the average American" is being exploited and manipulated by the same power structure that is despoiling nature and condemning all of our descendants, both of conservatives and progressives, to a devastated and poisoned planet. Even the religious right is being cynically used by this power structure (consisting largely of the multinational corporations).
I think fundamentalists are going to wake up at some point and find that the real power structure (which I've named the international corporatocracy) has utterly betrayed them. They will find that their "Christian values" are being eaten up every bit as much as the environment is by the materialistic, soulless hyperconsumption promoted by these corporations at the expense of every other value known to humanity.
This wake up may already be beginning. The National Association of Evangelicals is preparing a new framework which will move them away from overidentification with the neoconservative wing of the Republican party and its callousness towards the poor and its exploitation of the environment.
It is visionaries like my friend Michael who will lead humankind out of near disaster. He is a light in a dark tunnel, and I thank him for taking the time to write.
I do find it interesting that Ralph Reed, now a senior strategist for the Bush Campaign, grew up in Miami just like I did. We are about the same age, and he lives in the east Atlanta suburbs, while I live in the west suburbs. Surely Ralph, as a kid, saw all the rampant growth and destruction of greenspace in South Florida. It's funny how seeing that changed my life forever at age 10, but Ralph chose the debate team and then onto politics. He is ruthless at removing "unpure" politicians from power — the same politicians I campaigned for in 2002. It's funny how life has its twists. Oh well.
The Yellow Canary
Michael, my friend and fellow Earth-saver from California, gave me a gentle reminder that my anger and cynicism won't accomplish much. I'd like to share his beautiful thoughts, which I have edited slightly:
I have long felt that we environmentalists tend to demonize our opposition's supporters at worst, and patronize or stereotype them at best. This is understandable given both the terrible damage being done and the fact that they demonize and stereotype us environmentalists even worse. But I feel our doing so is counterproductive. I was concerned about your shorthand for the average American who seems to care more about his or her beer and "hot button" issues than ecology.
I find myself urging our colleagues that we understand better what drives the average voter, and, by understanding, to communicate our message more effectively. That, of course, is an enormously difficult challenge. It helps to see that "the average American" is being exploited and manipulated by the same power structure that is despoiling nature and condemning all of our descendants, both of conservatives and progressives, to a devastated and poisoned planet. Even the religious right is being cynically used by this power structure (consisting largely of the multinational corporations).
I think fundamentalists are going to wake up at some point and find that the real power structure (which I've named the international corporatocracy) has utterly betrayed them. They will find that their "Christian values" are being eaten up every bit as much as the environment is by the materialistic, soulless hyperconsumption promoted by these corporations at the expense of every other value known to humanity.
This wake up may already be beginning. The National Association of Evangelicals is preparing a new framework which will move them away from overidentification with the neoconservative wing of the Republican party and its callousness towards the poor and its exploitation of the environment.
It is visionaries like my friend Michael who will lead humankind out of near disaster. He is a light in a dark tunnel, and I thank him for taking the time to write.
I do find it interesting that Ralph Reed, now a senior strategist for the Bush Campaign, grew up in Miami just like I did. We are about the same age, and he lives in the east Atlanta suburbs, while I live in the west suburbs. Surely Ralph, as a kid, saw all the rampant growth and destruction of greenspace in South Florida. It's funny how seeing that changed my life forever at age 10, but Ralph chose the debate team and then onto politics. He is ruthless at removing "unpure" politicians from power — the same politicians I campaigned for in 2002. It's funny how life has its twists. Oh well.
The Yellow Canary
Saturday, June 19, 2004
The Enemy Within Our Gas Tank
It is with great sadness that the Yellow Canary must write about the beheading of a second American citizen, Paul Johnson. While I support the War on Terrorism (but not the Iraqi war), I continue to feel that force alone is not the answer. As always, I ask people to look at the background conditions that provides the incubator for terrorism. I think we have to, and we'd better do it fast because sooner or later someone is going to detonate a nuclear device.
A few things to ponder:
• President Bush wants us to promote Democracy in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is a monarchy.
• Saudi Arabia has a fertility rate of 2.9, one of the highest in the world. The Bush Administration continues to cut or limit U.S. family planning aid. (Source: Population Reference Bureau)
• Saudi Arabia's population is now 24.1 million. It is projected to be 74.2 million by 2050. Expect more terrorists!
• Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals. They were mostly from wealthy families. Where did the families get their money?
• Saudi Arabia is the number one supplier of oil to the U.S.
• Americans love to drive big SUVs.
• The U.S. could CONSERVE oil by raising mile per gallon requirements for auto manufacturers. The car makers pay lobbyists big bucks to keep this from happening.
• Oil people and conservatives in Congress want to rape the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the LAST PRISTINE WILDERNESS in the U.S., so they can get more oil for SUVs.
• The United States has 5 percent of the world's population, but uses 20 percent of its resources.
• Paul Johnson was a civilian contractor who worked on Apache attack helicopters. What are those deadly helicopters trying to protect?
So, what is the picture I'm painting here? An ugly one. I can hardly wait for Michael Moore's new documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11 , which comes out June 25. This will shed even more light on the dysfunctional situation I outlined above.
From Michael Moore's website, June 19:
A Republican PR firm has formed a fake grassroots front group called "Move America Forward" to harass and intimidate theater owners into not showing "Fahrenheit 9/11." These are the same people who successfully badgered CBS into canceling the Reagan mini-series a few months ago. And they are spending a ton of money this week to threaten movie theaters who even think about showing our movie.
A few things to ponder:
• President Bush wants us to promote Democracy in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is a monarchy.
• Saudi Arabia has a fertility rate of 2.9, one of the highest in the world. The Bush Administration continues to cut or limit U.S. family planning aid. (Source: Population Reference Bureau)
• Saudi Arabia's population is now 24.1 million. It is projected to be 74.2 million by 2050. Expect more terrorists!
• Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals. They were mostly from wealthy families. Where did the families get their money?
• Saudi Arabia is the number one supplier of oil to the U.S.
• Americans love to drive big SUVs.
• The U.S. could CONSERVE oil by raising mile per gallon requirements for auto manufacturers. The car makers pay lobbyists big bucks to keep this from happening.
• Oil people and conservatives in Congress want to rape the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the LAST PRISTINE WILDERNESS in the U.S., so they can get more oil for SUVs.
• The United States has 5 percent of the world's population, but uses 20 percent of its resources.
• Paul Johnson was a civilian contractor who worked on Apache attack helicopters. What are those deadly helicopters trying to protect?
So, what is the picture I'm painting here? An ugly one. I can hardly wait for Michael Moore's new documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11 , which comes out June 25. This will shed even more light on the dysfunctional situation I outlined above.
From Michael Moore's website, June 19:
A Republican PR firm has formed a fake grassroots front group called "Move America Forward" to harass and intimidate theater owners into not showing "Fahrenheit 9/11." These are the same people who successfully badgered CBS into canceling the Reagan mini-series a few months ago. And they are spending a ton of money this week to threaten movie theaters who even think about showing our movie.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Population Tenacles Reach Into Our Lives
One out of every six people live in abject poverty. Adding
additional billions of humans to the Earth is not likely
to improve these conditions.
The big debate this political year is about OUTSOURCING. Millions of Americans are angry because their jobs are being sent overseas. What few Americans know is that we have much to do with the problem.
See, in a nutshell, world population is EXPLODING. In my lifetime, world population has doubled, growing from 3.02 billion in 1960 to 6 billion in 1999. In the last five years our Planet has added another 300 million people — in other words we've added another United States to the globe. While the United States is growing rapidly, other nations are growing much faster, and the vast majority of world growth is taking place in developing nations. And more developed countries like India, Pakistan, and Indonesia are also experiencing phenomenal growth rates.
Now, you may be sitting in a rocker and sipping on your Tapioca juice and saying, "Yeah, so what's that got to do with me?" Well, human population is exploding, and RESOURCES and JOBS are finite. Thus, there are more people competing for jobs. There are numerous highly populated nations with an incredible labor glut. As United States population continues to skyrocket, primarily through immigration, we will soon join this club of nations.
So, don't complain when your job is outsourced to another country. Why? Because the Bush Administration has either cut or severely restricted our country's contribution to international family planning programs. Now, I am NOT making the case that we should promote contraceptives overseas to protect American jobs. But what I am advocating is more emphasis on long-term sustainability. It is in the best interest of couples in ALL countries to limit their family size to one or two kids.
MORE IRONY...
When Johnny Six Pack wants a huge family so he can have a son to carry the family name or more field hands, he is actually hurting his children in the long-run. More people mean more competition for resources, which drives prices up. Who is hurt by these high prices? The people who are already hurting the most — poor people. And who gains the most? The rich people who can control or manipulate scarce commodities.
More people causes increased pressures for individuals to migrate to other nations in search of a better life. In the United States we complicate this problem even further by subsidizing our farmers, putting rural farmers in Latin America at a disadvantage. This difficulty, combined with large corporate farms that come in and invade areas, often forces families off their land and into the United States (illegally).
So, don't complain about immigrants stealing your job either. The short-sighted and unethical policies of your government has caused the problem. Common sense would dictate that our government and U.S. based corporations would make huge investments in Latin America, thus improving local economies and lives, and taking incentives away to migrate. But rather than partnering with and helping our brothers and sisters south of the border, we exploit them and enslaved them with debt. Investing in South and Central America would also help to create stable economies that would become great markets for American goods.
THE NEW ERA BEGINS
China's economy is booming, and so is their massive population, which is now at 1.3 billion. In our country, steel and fuel prices are shooting up, and this is partly blamed on the success of the Chinese economy. But what is never mentioned in the news is China's burgeoning population.
Can every person in the world enjoy an American lifestyle? Well, that's everyone's dream. But does our planet have enough resources to sustain such wealth? Can our atmosphere hold even more auto emissions? Can we afford to clear even more millions of acres of farmland and forests to make room for more houses and Krogers? Can we?
The Yellow Canary notices that politicians are only parroting what they think the voters want to hear. They are not offering innovation or vision. At least now everyone realizes that protectionism is suicidal and a short-term, Band-aid solution. Yet, the talk I'm hearing sounds more and more like protectionism.
We have sown, now we reap. So, stop complaining and remember to vote.
Source: Population Reference Bureau
Friday, June 11, 2004
People Are Humans Too
Lately I've spent a lot of time studying my dog Teddy. Dogs are MUCH smarter than you might think. They can sense your moods and react accordingly. Teddy knows when I want to pet him, and when I'm going to scream at him for digging another hole in the yard. When he's in trouble, his little ears sink and he runs around in a circle thinking, "Oh man, here it comes." If Teddy is smothered with love for a week, he becomes lovable. When he's screamed at for scratching up the door or using his step sister for a play toy, well, he becomes stressed out.
People are the same way. Humans seem to play the role prepared for them. If you treat someone like an inferior, they will become inferior. If you treat someone like a criminal, they become a criminal. If you treat someone with respect, they will become respectable. If you honor someone, they will become honorable.
I bring this up because we live in a world full of arrogance and ignorance. We slight people and make others feel second class simply because we are ignorant or we don't care. That's arrogance. We scream about the terrorism in the Middle East and the crime in the inner cities. We declare entire groups of people as enemies without even thinking why.
If we subjugate groups of people, support the monarchies that enslave them, and take their resources for our SUVs, they will get angry. If we are perceived as taking sides with the Jews, if our U.S.-made missiles are used blow up fellow Arabs in their cars, or in their sleep, there will be a lingering anger.
If you treat a man like a terrorist, he becomes a terrorist. If you suggest that a billion people are going to hell because they are the wrong religion, they will sense that. They will sense that they are second-class humans and they will fill that role. If a U.S. Christian leader calls the prophet of one of the world's main religions a "demon-possessed pedophile," well, you are demeaning a billion people.
"Some Muslims want to allegorize their own scriptures because they don't want to defend jihad," Emir said. "But if you take the Koran at its word, or Muhammad at his word, then you'll find physical jihad." In fact, he noted, the highest level of Muslim heaven – which has 70 perpetual virgins on couches – is reserved for Muslims who "shed their blood" (Hadith 135). Islam's inclination toward violence, he added, also is reflected in the Koran: "Slay the enemy where you find him" (Surah 9.92).
Makes perfect sense, right? The only problem is this statement is written by a Muslim turned Christian, who has an agenda, and who is now being used by the Christian Right to perpetuate their campaign against the Muslims. Whatever happened to the love? And of course, "tolerance" is a dirty word only uttered by those evil U.S. LIBERALS who collude with the hell-bound Muslims. And most importantly, whatever happened to the RESPECT?
Our enemies attack us because we have made them feel inferior.
But oh great Western White Man, do not worry. You have the right religion, you have the money, and with the barrel of your tank, you can get your barrel of oil. You have the morality, you have the gunships, you have the Humvees, you have God on your side, you have nice clothes, you have McDonald's drive-thrus on every corner. My God, White Man, you have it all.
Maybe if we showed love, respect, and understanding for others in this world, the schism of our own evil and hatred would not manifest itself in the form of terrorism. Maybe if we treated the rest of the world as well as our dogs, we wouldn't have all the problems we're facing now. How much does the U.S. spend on dog food in a year? How much do we spend annually on foreign aid? Hmmm.
As for Teddy, I 'm going to give him a Milkbone, and I'm going to figure out a way to get to the Middle East. Sleep well.
People are the same way. Humans seem to play the role prepared for them. If you treat someone like an inferior, they will become inferior. If you treat someone like a criminal, they become a criminal. If you treat someone with respect, they will become respectable. If you honor someone, they will become honorable.
I bring this up because we live in a world full of arrogance and ignorance. We slight people and make others feel second class simply because we are ignorant or we don't care. That's arrogance. We scream about the terrorism in the Middle East and the crime in the inner cities. We declare entire groups of people as enemies without even thinking why.
If we subjugate groups of people, support the monarchies that enslave them, and take their resources for our SUVs, they will get angry. If we are perceived as taking sides with the Jews, if our U.S.-made missiles are used blow up fellow Arabs in their cars, or in their sleep, there will be a lingering anger.
If you treat a man like a terrorist, he becomes a terrorist. If you suggest that a billion people are going to hell because they are the wrong religion, they will sense that. They will sense that they are second-class humans and they will fill that role. If a U.S. Christian leader calls the prophet of one of the world's main religions a "demon-possessed pedophile," well, you are demeaning a billion people.
"Some Muslims want to allegorize their own scriptures because they don't want to defend jihad," Emir said. "But if you take the Koran at its word, or Muhammad at his word, then you'll find physical jihad." In fact, he noted, the highest level of Muslim heaven – which has 70 perpetual virgins on couches – is reserved for Muslims who "shed their blood" (Hadith 135). Islam's inclination toward violence, he added, also is reflected in the Koran: "Slay the enemy where you find him" (Surah 9.92).
Makes perfect sense, right? The only problem is this statement is written by a Muslim turned Christian, who has an agenda, and who is now being used by the Christian Right to perpetuate their campaign against the Muslims. Whatever happened to the love? And of course, "tolerance" is a dirty word only uttered by those evil U.S. LIBERALS who collude with the hell-bound Muslims. And most importantly, whatever happened to the RESPECT?
Our enemies attack us because we have made them feel inferior.
But oh great Western White Man, do not worry. You have the right religion, you have the money, and with the barrel of your tank, you can get your barrel of oil. You have the morality, you have the gunships, you have the Humvees, you have God on your side, you have nice clothes, you have McDonald's drive-thrus on every corner. My God, White Man, you have it all.
Maybe if we showed love, respect, and understanding for others in this world, the schism of our own evil and hatred would not manifest itself in the form of terrorism. Maybe if we treated the rest of the world as well as our dogs, we wouldn't have all the problems we're facing now. How much does the U.S. spend on dog food in a year? How much do we spend annually on foreign aid? Hmmm.
As for Teddy, I 'm going to give him a Milkbone, and I'm going to figure out a way to get to the Middle East. Sleep well.
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
The World Crises I May Have Started
GROAN As I write this President Bush is in Sea Island, GA at the G8 conference. He's stressing the need to promote Democracy in the Middle East. I agree that this is a good idea, and a way to diffuse the underlying feelings of discontent that breed terrorism.
Now, before I tell my story, first a little preface. See, whether we like it or not, each of us is a part of history, and even though we are just one person, we really have the ability to change the course of the world, either in a positive or negative way. I have the deepest respect for those who accept the fact that they are part of the world's destiny and try to make things better. I have the LEAST respect for people who run around saying, "I'm not part of this world. This is all temporal." That may be a good justification for you to shirk responsibility, but by passing the buck on the world's problems, you accomplish nothing.
The year was 1979 and I was a freshman in college and a reporter for the school newspaper. My college was full of Iranian students and they were angry about something. They were rioting around the U.S. and had burned U.S. flags and even a police car. So, being the patriot that I was, I was not thrilled when these strange people requested an interview with the school paper. I met with them, heard their story and really had no idea what they were talking about. I didn't understand. I didn't understand that the U.S. had backed the Shah, and that he was imprisoning, torturing, and killing his own people. So, I wrote the article, and it wasn't very good.
A short time later my high school friend Chris had the idea of burning an Iranian flag on the school campus. I sent a photographer to cover the event and we put the photo in the campus newspaper. As the newspaper was in the production room, after the editor had left, I added an inflammatory caption under the photo. After all, I was a patriot and they had burned our flag.
Well, I got in trouble with the editor and the school administration. I kept looking over my shoulder for the inevitable retribution from the Iranian students. But it never came. The Iranians were either expelled or recalled, and they had suddenly disappeared. Man, what was I thinking.
A lot of turmoil was going on at the time. Following a series of uprisings across Iran, the Shah's government collapsed and he fled the country. The discontent and upheavals of the time allowed for the religious fundamentalists to take over, led by the Ayatollah Khomenini.
Meanwhile, battling advanced cancer, the Shah bounced around several countries before finally going to the U.S. for treatment. This was the final straw for the Iranian students, and they immediately rioted and stormed the U.S. embassy. They ended up holding over 50 American hostages for 444 days.
What an irony it would be if those same students that seized the embassy were the ones who went to my college. What if they saw the photo and caption in my college newspaper and it really pissed them off? What if I'm responsible for all of this?
The problem is that when the students tried to talk to me and tell me their story, I DIDN'T LISTEN. When they tried to tell me of the Shah's cruel secret police, the torture, and the murders, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. It's like I was anastasized to the violence, like it was out of a fairy tale world, like that kind of stuff always went on in the Third World. So what was the big deal? I couldn't connect.
The amazing thing is that THOSE STUDENTS WERE WORKING FOR DEMOCRACY in their country, but I didn't listen, our government didn't listen, and even Jimmy Carter apparently wasn't listening.
While President Bush is now talking about Democracy in 2004, we should have supported this idea in 1979. What a different world it would likely be today. But instead of democratization, the Iranian people were treated to years of harsh religious fundamentalism. If only, IF ONLY we had of listened to the young people of Iran!
To the students of Iran, 25 years later I wish to give you a public apology. You were trying to do the right thing, but no one listened, no one helped you, and no one apparently cared.
Now, your country is building nukes, and my country has invaded your neighbor. Will Iraq become a staging area for an attack on Iran? Did I start this whole mess with my college newspaper?
No doubt the reason that the United States and Iran don't get along is that we are so much alike. Both of our governments are influenced by strong — and harsh — religious groups that try to influence public policy. Will Iran, a nation of nearly 70 million, and the United States, a country pushing 300 million people, start lobbing nukes at one another because both nations are privy to the "one right way?" It is my worst nightmare.
Yes, President Bush, we should promote Democracy. Perhaps we should start in the United States. Maybe we should acknowledge our past support of the Shah and our meddling in Iran's affairs. Maybe we should adopt policies based on the best good of humankind, as opposed of a narrow group's interpretation of what is right.
Again, I am sorry for what I wrote in the newspaper, and I apologize for the hypocrisy of my country as well.
Now, before I tell my story, first a little preface. See, whether we like it or not, each of us is a part of history, and even though we are just one person, we really have the ability to change the course of the world, either in a positive or negative way. I have the deepest respect for those who accept the fact that they are part of the world's destiny and try to make things better. I have the LEAST respect for people who run around saying, "I'm not part of this world. This is all temporal." That may be a good justification for you to shirk responsibility, but by passing the buck on the world's problems, you accomplish nothing.
The year was 1979 and I was a freshman in college and a reporter for the school newspaper. My college was full of Iranian students and they were angry about something. They were rioting around the U.S. and had burned U.S. flags and even a police car. So, being the patriot that I was, I was not thrilled when these strange people requested an interview with the school paper. I met with them, heard their story and really had no idea what they were talking about. I didn't understand. I didn't understand that the U.S. had backed the Shah, and that he was imprisoning, torturing, and killing his own people. So, I wrote the article, and it wasn't very good.
A short time later my high school friend Chris had the idea of burning an Iranian flag on the school campus. I sent a photographer to cover the event and we put the photo in the campus newspaper. As the newspaper was in the production room, after the editor had left, I added an inflammatory caption under the photo. After all, I was a patriot and they had burned our flag.
Well, I got in trouble with the editor and the school administration. I kept looking over my shoulder for the inevitable retribution from the Iranian students. But it never came. The Iranians were either expelled or recalled, and they had suddenly disappeared. Man, what was I thinking.
A lot of turmoil was going on at the time. Following a series of uprisings across Iran, the Shah's government collapsed and he fled the country. The discontent and upheavals of the time allowed for the religious fundamentalists to take over, led by the Ayatollah Khomenini.
Meanwhile, battling advanced cancer, the Shah bounced around several countries before finally going to the U.S. for treatment. This was the final straw for the Iranian students, and they immediately rioted and stormed the U.S. embassy. They ended up holding over 50 American hostages for 444 days.
What an irony it would be if those same students that seized the embassy were the ones who went to my college. What if they saw the photo and caption in my college newspaper and it really pissed them off? What if I'm responsible for all of this?
The problem is that when the students tried to talk to me and tell me their story, I DIDN'T LISTEN. When they tried to tell me of the Shah's cruel secret police, the torture, and the murders, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. It's like I was anastasized to the violence, like it was out of a fairy tale world, like that kind of stuff always went on in the Third World. So what was the big deal? I couldn't connect.
The amazing thing is that THOSE STUDENTS WERE WORKING FOR DEMOCRACY in their country, but I didn't listen, our government didn't listen, and even Jimmy Carter apparently wasn't listening.
While President Bush is now talking about Democracy in 2004, we should have supported this idea in 1979. What a different world it would likely be today. But instead of democratization, the Iranian people were treated to years of harsh religious fundamentalism. If only, IF ONLY we had of listened to the young people of Iran!
To the students of Iran, 25 years later I wish to give you a public apology. You were trying to do the right thing, but no one listened, no one helped you, and no one apparently cared.
Now, your country is building nukes, and my country has invaded your neighbor. Will Iraq become a staging area for an attack on Iran? Did I start this whole mess with my college newspaper?
No doubt the reason that the United States and Iran don't get along is that we are so much alike. Both of our governments are influenced by strong — and harsh — religious groups that try to influence public policy. Will Iran, a nation of nearly 70 million, and the United States, a country pushing 300 million people, start lobbing nukes at one another because both nations are privy to the "one right way?" It is my worst nightmare.
Yes, President Bush, we should promote Democracy. Perhaps we should start in the United States. Maybe we should acknowledge our past support of the Shah and our meddling in Iran's affairs. Maybe we should adopt policies based on the best good of humankind, as opposed of a narrow group's interpretation of what is right.
Again, I am sorry for what I wrote in the newspaper, and I apologize for the hypocrisy of my country as well.
Sunday, June 06, 2004
Selective Christianity
My wife and I decided to get a late-night salad last night and ended up having a lengthy chat with our server. The server apparently doesn't like working Sunday nights because that's when all the "church people" come in. They usually show up about 15 minutes before closing, in parties of 25-30. She described them as "demanding," "complainers," and "cheap tippers" who "keep her running." The girl sounded sincere. She was just a poor kid struggling to make ends meet and get through school.
Now, humbly, I would like to offer a few tips to the Sunday night church crowd:
• This girl has a soul too. If you are trying to "win souls" you're not making a great first impression.
• Oh, and she is a person too, with feelings. The people serving you are not robots, slaves, bottom feeders, or whatever you think they are. They are humans like you and I.
• Everyone deserve some change. This restaurant doesn't add the tip on for large parties. I'll bet each of you is thinking that the other person is tipping. She said you guys leave about a $1 each, now is that 15%? After working her to death and making her stay late, THEN YOU STIFF HER?
• You are just from church, wearing your dresses and ties. Don't you think you should at least bless your food first?
Now, this is a behavior I too have noticed at restaurants. As soon as the clock strikes noon, church folks around here swarm the restaurants, and although dressed nicer, they don't seem to act any different than the other patrons who are wearing shorts or biker leather. In fact, church folks usually act WORSE in restaurants. The famous rebuttal I hear is that church people are NOT any better or different — just forgiven. Now, before you use that line, please stop a moment to consider how ridiculous that is.
In summary, stop just "playing church" and start showing some real love and compassion for your fellow humans. You can start with your server.
Now, humbly, I would like to offer a few tips to the Sunday night church crowd:
• This girl has a soul too. If you are trying to "win souls" you're not making a great first impression.
• Oh, and she is a person too, with feelings. The people serving you are not robots, slaves, bottom feeders, or whatever you think they are. They are humans like you and I.
• Everyone deserve some change. This restaurant doesn't add the tip on for large parties. I'll bet each of you is thinking that the other person is tipping. She said you guys leave about a $1 each, now is that 15%? After working her to death and making her stay late, THEN YOU STIFF HER?
• You are just from church, wearing your dresses and ties. Don't you think you should at least bless your food first?
Now, this is a behavior I too have noticed at restaurants. As soon as the clock strikes noon, church folks around here swarm the restaurants, and although dressed nicer, they don't seem to act any different than the other patrons who are wearing shorts or biker leather. In fact, church folks usually act WORSE in restaurants. The famous rebuttal I hear is that church people are NOT any better or different — just forgiven. Now, before you use that line, please stop a moment to consider how ridiculous that is.
In summary, stop just "playing church" and start showing some real love and compassion for your fellow humans. You can start with your server.
Thursday, June 03, 2004
Why We're So Dysfunctional
I'm really enjoying reading other people's blogs, and man, we humans sure are messed up. I'm reading blogs about people going to jail, fighting drug addictions, and worse. And then there is the embittered ex-surfer and the woman who can only blog when she's totally drunk. Wow, we bloggers need help. Shoot, all of us humans are screwed up.
But what makes us that way? It all starts when we are kids and our parents start telling us about Santa, Easter Bunny, and God. When we get older we are told that Santa and Easter Bunny are fake, but God is real. Yet, that's not enough. Parents get a sick thrill of stretching stories. There I was, just a small kid sitting at the dinner table with my sister. Mom and dad pointed out the window to a bird on a power line. "That's Santa's watch bird," they said, "You'd better eat your vegetables because he reports back to Santa Claus." OH MY GOSH, my sister is shoveling cold peas in her pockets but I'm swallowing the green gaggers because I want to get TOYS.
Now, roll forward 30-plus years and I'm watching the U.S. president lie to me on television, and being the patriotic person that I am, I'm shocked when I realize I no longer trust my government. And then people I know are talking about how crazy Iraqis are, and I'm thinking, CRAZY? Who's really crazy?
Let's see, first Saddam is our friend during the Cold War and the U.S. CIA helps bring him to power. It is all part of a greater plan to kill the bad Communists and have U.S.-friendly puppets in the Middle East. The Iraqis are no longer people, but simply a "buffer and strategic asset" against the Soviet Union.
But then we don't like Saddam anymore. By 2002, our government is screaming "Weapons of Mass Destruction" but there are none. Then we are screaming, "We are giving Democracy to the Iraqis," while failing to mention that we helped take it away in 1963. And then more stories are floated about mobile weapons labs and buying uranium from Africa, and the lies continue.
And I'm still thinking about that darn watchbird that made me eat so many peas, corn kernels, and an occasional mushroom.
So, after invading their country on false pretexts and trumped up claims, the next thing you know we're stopping them at checkpoints, yanking them out of cars, and sending them to Abu Ghraib prision to piss on them.
The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. -- George W. Bush, January 28, 2003
Yes, little Alfie, your government LIES to you, your parents LIE to you, your religious leaders LIE to you, your employer LIES to you, everyone LIES to you, and if you dare question this, YOU are the crazy one. Before you know it, some doctor is prescribing you valium and Prozac and you are saying to yourself, "Why am I so screwed up."
Favorite Lies:
-- My gosh, those dots in that photo are mobile weapons labs. What? That's Willie Nelson's camper? Lie, lie.
-- Your government says Cuba is bad. Lie - Cubans are well educated and are great at keeping old cars running for 40+ years.
-- Your pastor says that all Muslims are going to hell. Lie, lie, lie.
-- Your employer says the stock in your retirement account will appreciate. LIE!
-- Your mom says Santa ate the cookies. LIE - look at dad's waistline and the crumbs on his lips.
Let me tell you, oh little human. YOU ARE SANE. It is the world you live in that is totally dysfunctional. Live in peace. And to my brothers and sisters in Iraq, I ask for your forgiveness. I know you think we Americans are totally crazy and well, that's because we are.
These guys make sure I eat my peas.
But what makes us that way? It all starts when we are kids and our parents start telling us about Santa, Easter Bunny, and God. When we get older we are told that Santa and Easter Bunny are fake, but God is real. Yet, that's not enough. Parents get a sick thrill of stretching stories. There I was, just a small kid sitting at the dinner table with my sister. Mom and dad pointed out the window to a bird on a power line. "That's Santa's watch bird," they said, "You'd better eat your vegetables because he reports back to Santa Claus." OH MY GOSH, my sister is shoveling cold peas in her pockets but I'm swallowing the green gaggers because I want to get TOYS.
Now, roll forward 30-plus years and I'm watching the U.S. president lie to me on television, and being the patriotic person that I am, I'm shocked when I realize I no longer trust my government. And then people I know are talking about how crazy Iraqis are, and I'm thinking, CRAZY? Who's really crazy?
Let's see, first Saddam is our friend during the Cold War and the U.S. CIA helps bring him to power. It is all part of a greater plan to kill the bad Communists and have U.S.-friendly puppets in the Middle East. The Iraqis are no longer people, but simply a "buffer and strategic asset" against the Soviet Union.
But then we don't like Saddam anymore. By 2002, our government is screaming "Weapons of Mass Destruction" but there are none. Then we are screaming, "We are giving Democracy to the Iraqis," while failing to mention that we helped take it away in 1963. And then more stories are floated about mobile weapons labs and buying uranium from Africa, and the lies continue.
And I'm still thinking about that darn watchbird that made me eat so many peas, corn kernels, and an occasional mushroom.
So, after invading their country on false pretexts and trumped up claims, the next thing you know we're stopping them at checkpoints, yanking them out of cars, and sending them to Abu Ghraib prision to piss on them.
The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. -- George W. Bush, January 28, 2003
Yes, little Alfie, your government LIES to you, your parents LIE to you, your religious leaders LIE to you, your employer LIES to you, everyone LIES to you, and if you dare question this, YOU are the crazy one. Before you know it, some doctor is prescribing you valium and Prozac and you are saying to yourself, "Why am I so screwed up."
Favorite Lies:
-- My gosh, those dots in that photo are mobile weapons labs. What? That's Willie Nelson's camper? Lie, lie.
-- Your government says Cuba is bad. Lie - Cubans are well educated and are great at keeping old cars running for 40+ years.
-- Your pastor says that all Muslims are going to hell. Lie, lie, lie.
-- Your employer says the stock in your retirement account will appreciate. LIE!
-- Your mom says Santa ate the cookies. LIE - look at dad's waistline and the crumbs on his lips.
Let me tell you, oh little human. YOU ARE SANE. It is the world you live in that is totally dysfunctional. Live in peace. And to my brothers and sisters in Iraq, I ask for your forgiveness. I know you think we Americans are totally crazy and well, that's because we are.
These guys make sure I eat my peas.
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