Ending the Violence

A consistent theme of my blog is that peacemaking is an essential part of sustainability. The most recent mass shooting of school children in Connecticut is so vile and unthinkable that I'm now wondering if we're going in the opposite direction.

Maybe, overall, we are moving to a more peaceful society, but we seem helpless when it comes to mentally sick, rage-filled humans who want to randomly kill others. As far as the social ills that cause this phenomena, members of the U.S. gun cult are quick to blame video games or the lack of mental health facilities for the problem. In truth, the massacre problem is caused by a collection of social failures, including the easy accessibility of brutally deadly firearms.

While I have no qualm with rifles used for hunting or target competition, I do think a handgun purchase should include a rigorous background check and mental health screening. Extended magazine clips, silencers, and semi-automatic weapons should be outlawed.

Unfortunately, the NRA has forced the door open on deadly firearms for so long that it's necessary for many to own a gun just to have protection against criminals. Often, legal guns are stolen and enter the evil underworld, where they are used to commit crimes.

I imagine one day some PR hack at NRA headquarters had a brilliant idea. "Let's just start a campaign to say that more guns are needed to protect us from all the guns." This policy, which is wonderful for gun manufacturers, is simply a violent race to the bottom. So, the suggestion here is that if you gave everyone in the U.S. a gun, we would have a safer country. And let's have guns at churches and schools to protect us from the wackos who indiscriminately murder. But then the bad guys will start getting bigger, more powerful guns, so the good guys will need to get more deadly weapons. When the U.S. economy starts seriously melting down and people become hungry and desperate, what is going to happen then?

Solution

The only solution I can see to this madness is to change the culture and our attitudes toward violence. People who are at-risk need to be better identified and given help. Often, just a little love or attention can keep someone from going down a bad path. The violence in the media and in video games needs to be shunned. And those who boast about their gun collections need to be shunned as well by the more peaceful members of society. The memes and cultural ideas that we have about violence simply needs to shift.

Christianity

Ahhhh, excuse me but I have read the New Testament several times and Christianity seems like a pretty pacifist religion to me. Of course, in the Old Testament, God was a more butt-kicking, violent being, but he suddenly gets warm and fuzzy in the gospels. Yet, some of the biggest pro-gun advocates I know are also very Christian. This tells me two things: First, you really don't have faith that your deity will protect you, and, secondly, you are cherry-picking what you want to follow in the Bible.  In regards to the people waving a Bible in one hand and a gun in another, your credibility is lost with me.

Oh, and I need to comment on the crazy things religious people have said since the shootings. I've heard things like "it's because we took God out of the schools," or "it's because of gay marriage, abortion, and our turning away from God." It never enters their mind that the problem could be the easy accessibility to assault weapons, or the NRA's ability to control Congress. No, that has nothing to do with it — God is simply PISSED at us because Jim and John got married.

The Hope for Common Sense

I watched part of the NRA press conference given by the organization's CEO, Wayne LaPierre. The organization has become so brazen and delusional that it's mind-boggling. Essentially, the NRA is wanting us to have an armed guard at every school in the nation to protect our children from the very policies that the NRA promotes.

The NRA is a powerful organization now, but I think as these mass murders continue there will be more anti-gun advocates, and eventually organizations promoting peace and reasonable gun laws will break the back of the NRA. My hope, as with everything else, is that good will simply overwhelm and overtake evil and violence.

Conclusion

Now that I'm totally disgusted with the NRA's Mr. LaPierre I am going to start giving money to the Brady Campaign. I do not know how we are going to move to a truly peaceful society because it appears that we are going in the opposite direction. But if we could trade guns for hugs and love, I know that would go a long way. Handguns simply have one function — killing. They have no place is a peace-loving society.

I have only personally known one person in all my life who was murdered. As it turns out, he was murdered with his own gun. I'm sure he felt his guns would protect him, but in his case things didn't work out as expected.


Photo credit: h.koppdelaney / Foter / CC BY-ND

War Is Insane

A colleague sent me a book about his experiences in Vietnam. Last night I was reading about all the guys who purposely shot themselves to get out of combat. They typically staged the shooting as a gun cleaning incident. To keep from getting arrested they had to make the accident look real, and they obviously put a lot of time into thinking it out.

There has been a lot of talk lately about what is moral war. President Obama said the following four reasons are moral:

1. Self defense
2. Defense of another nation that's being attacked.
3. Humanitarian (civil war or regime that's killing its own people)

Well, I would definitely strike out #3. As for the first two, there are shades of gray. For instance, did a nation provoke another nation to strike? Did one nation engineer an incident as a pretext for "self defense?"

I will say that MORAL WARS are rare. The only real exception is World War II, which is the only moral war I can think of. If I had to fight in any war, it would be that one because you wouldn't have to struggle with the morality of the conflict — it was a no-brainer. Just look at how the Axis Powers treated the people in their occupied territories, and that alone justified the morality. The atrocities committed by the bad guys were unimaginable.

Iraq was NOT a moral war at all. Evidence continues to come out that Britain and other nations knew that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, but the Bush Administration was relentless in their push for war.

Afghanistan IS a moral war because the Taliban aided Al-Qaeda, the mysterious terrorists that attacked us (at least that's what we're told). So, in Afghanistan and Pakistan we are up against a group of religious fanatics who believe that extreme violence is an acceptable method to obtain their political goals. Of course, they get a lot of funding from rogue Saudi princes who, in turn, get their money from us — you know, when we fill our Hummer gas tanks.

Vietnam was not moral at all. I was a kid during that war, and I was told we were containing Communism. It was simply drilled in me that Communism was bad, and I didn't seriously question it. Only recently, after reading an Internet article, did I understand what Vietnam was REALLY about.

See, Vietnam was about a small group of rich people, who were once in collaboration with the French colonists, who controlled most of the land and wealth. The Viet Cong were dirt poor civilians who favored land redistribution. The American public wasn't really told that. Instead, we just called them "gooks" and "Charlies," and the idea was to "light them up" with M-16 rifles. And not to mention the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which was used as justification to expand the war. Overwhelming evidence now shows that the reporting of the naval engagement was full of half truths and lies.

So, the moral of the story is when we send our boys and girls to war, really question what's going on. Don't just listen to what your political leaders are telling you. And don't think it is unpatriotic to question because patriotism is one of the world's biggest lies. Don't give your allegiance to any state, but rather give your loyalty to the planet and humanity in general.

As for what's REALLY going on in Afghanistan, I don't know yet. Who is bankrolling the bad guys? What do corporations have to gain from this war? Maybe it really is a moral war. My gut feeling is that it is. And, honestly, I don't have any respect for a group of people who treat their goats better than their women. I do believe that sometimes you must make war to make peace, but those situations are rare. May the current "surge" in Afghanistan truly be one of those times.

Goose Nonnegotiables

I, The Goose, state that the following positions are essential to long-term sustainability and to the integrity of the human community. I will never retreat one micron from any of these positions:

Women's Rights
A woman must always be treated 100% equal to a man. There are no exceptions to this rule. Religions, cultures, and traditions are no excuse for treating a woman any less than a male. If you are in a church group that says you can hold any job except a senior leadership position, get out of there. Don't buy into this crap about a "woman's role." It's a lie.

Gay Rights
Gays must be treated with 100% equality to non-gays, and this includes marriage, partner benefits, etc... At this time, the Religious Right is using gays as the "enemy of choice" to unify their base. Don't buy into their crap. Gays are overwhelmingly peaceful people that have lives like everyone else. Targeting them as something wrong or bad is a total fabrication. Are gays moral? Of course they are, and I EXPECT everyone to be moral, regardless of their sexual orientation. In other words, the whole gay issue is a complete non issue.

Human Dignity
All humans are completely equal, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, economic class, sexual preference, nationality, etc... Labels placed on a person mean nothing — the only thing that matters is what is in a person's heart.

Animal Rights
A human being is no better than any other animal. By that, I'm saying that the million-plus species we share the Planet with should be RESPECTED and not EXPLOITED. Human decisions should always take animal life into consideration. Yes, it's okay to occasionally eat them, albeit reverently and respectfully, and be thankful for the protein they give you.

Religion Is Inherently Bad
Yes, religions do good works, but so do many secular charitable organizations. The "good" is greatly overstated. In fact, most religious resources go into self-perpetuation of social clubs that are unified by unproven dogma. Religion forces humans to believe in the unproven, stifles questioning and dissent, and forces conformity, robbing the individual of free thought and skepticism. If you don't believe that religion is bad, study the history of Easter Island and other failed civilizations — their theology only became the vise that ultimately crushed them. All religions were invented by MEN (sorry, not women) and emerged from ancient astrological worship. Christianity is simply an evolved religion that was mainly created by the Egyptians and borrowed by the Hebrews. The Greeks sprinkled it with their intellectualism and the Romans used it to unify their empire. And like magic, after a few hundred years, you have one generally crappy religion that basically makes no sense, and has little historical or archeological backing. If you don't believe me, study the Dead Sea scrolls and read books on the origins of your religion. If you think you are angering God by researching the history of your religion, then you've lost your ability to think.

Individual Responsibility & Advocacy
All humans have a personal responsibility to reduce their impact on the Earth. This is done in two ways: by reducing consumption and reducing family size, preferably to one or two children. Those of us in the developed world have a higher responsibility. We must end our addiction to materialism and adopt a simplistic lifestyle. Trust me, no one cares about how much crap you own, and no one is impressed. Owning a lot of crap will NEVER bring you happiness. If buying crap gives you a jolt, find another way to get your high. Secondly, those of us in the developed world must advocate for more equality for those in the Third World. We should provide education, micro loans, and give infrastructure grants to the developing nations. MOST IMPORTANTLY, we must ensure that funds are available to provide universal access to family planning services. Most well-meaning aid organizations focus on the immediate relief of the world's starving and extremely poor citizens, and fail to appreciate the fact that family planning is the NUMBER ONE thing that can help the developing world in the long-term.

Free Trade
Free trade promotes the exchange of ideas and encourages peace. Free trade must always be FAIR trade and should not be manipulated by a handful of multinational corporations. Free trade should be for the PEOPLE and not for soulless, parasitic companies.

Immigration/Migration
Free movement should be a basic human right. Having said that, I believe that there should be "People Areas" and "Nature Areas." Humans do not have the right to rape and plunder every last square inch of the Earth.

Earthian First
My allegiance is always to my Planet first and then to my country. A country is merely a political unit organized for administrative efficiency. Borders mean nothing to nature. And all humans are one world community. Every man is my brother, every female is my sister, and every animal is my pet.

Peacemaking
Just because violence is built into our culture and maybe even our genetics doesn't make it right. It is essential for humanity to evolve beyond violence. More nations are getting nuclear weapons and ultimately the technology and material will permeate to rogue terrorist groups. So, really, we don't have a choice but to pursue world peace and the eradication of nuclear weapons. Do you really want to get goosed? The Goose sure doesn't.

The Invisible Empire

Guess what, little junior? You get to light the cross tonight.

Last night I watched a two-hour documentary on the History Channel about the Ku Klux Klan. Let me tell you, these people are seriously screwed up. The whole thing made my stomach churn — I'm still sick this morning.

Founded in 1866, the KKK can be best described as a secret para-military organization that enforces a racial caste system. In many communities they were in total collusion with local law enforcement. Heck, in many cases police and deputies were KKK members!

The KKK reached its height in the mid-1920s, and there were MILLIONS of members. One thing that particularly sickened me is how they had the support of local churches. Yes, the Klan's message has always been about country, protestantism, and, oh yeah, white supremacy. Hey, Christians, you should learn the history of your religion because it's really sick.

Another way to describe the KKK is that it's a reactionary force made up of people who don't like change. It's all about protecting the social order, and the idea that America should always be a white, "Christian" nation. Hallelujah, amen, and God bless America.

Of interest is that there has been four major iterations of the Klan, and each time their hate list slightly changes:

• Blacks, Jews, Yankees
  
• Blacks, Jews, Catholics
• Blacks, Jews, Communists
• Blacks, Jews, Hispanics, Gays

Seriously, all that hating would just wear me out. They showed a modern-day Klan rally in North Carolina and the speakers were mainly talking about all the people they hate. Obviously, the members are made up of some seriously insecure white folks.

Another interesting thing about the KKK is how it markets and spins its message. For the last few decades Klan spokespersons have emphasized that the Klan is simply a "white rights" organization, similar to the organizations of various minority groups. Hmmm, I'm not sure about that.

I do remember seeing KKK road blocks in my community. I would see men, women, and children dressed in Klan military fatigues and passing out their white supremest newspaper. It was scary, and I'm a white guy — I can't imagine how intimidating and terrifying it would be for an African-American to see these freaks.

No one knows how many people the KKK has murdered in their 123-year history, but the estimate on the show was 100,000. They are definitely America's most infamous terrorist organization.

The moral of the story is that many people feel threatened by change to their social order, and they will go to extremes to maintain the status quo. Right now we have the gay movement and the environmental movement, and I am seeing people doing whatever they can to stop these movements. People are not as violent as they once were — they use different tactics like discrediting the information source, deliberately confusing the public with misinformation, going into denial, etc.. But one thing hasn't changed — people will still whip out their Bibles and babble some verse taken out of context to protect their so-called ORDER.

I guess it is human nature to resist change. Somehow, in many people's mind the "old way" is what is moral and good. This sort of reactionary behavior is just another nail in our collective coffin. Really, I think the attitudes of conservative Christian America are actually just dooming us.

War and Violence ... It Goes On and On

I knew it ... I knew that the U.S. invasion of Iraq would set a bad precedent for the world. Now Russia invades Georgia. Next Iran will try some military action. Yeah, the United States did it, so can we. And the United States has nukes but we are telling Iran to get rid of theirs? We are all big hypocrites, baby.

There are creative ways to gain objectives without resorting to war. So, yes, we can justify the Russian invasion by saying they were coming to the aid of their friends, the South Ossetia separatists. Of course, the U.S. could say we wanted to liberate Iraq from an evil dictator. There is always justification for war, but it takes real maturity and creativity to pursue peace. Peace is the MORE DIFFICULT option.

I'm not a pacifist and believe that war is moral in two cases: self defense and the defense of a friend. But both of these are gray areas. For instance, did one side provoke the other? Did one side stage an incident? It happens, man.

The best solution is to always, ALWAYS work for peace. Yeah, call me a whimp. I got into a good fistfight at age 10, but then started backing down from them. Why? Because I thought that fighting was senseless. Okay, I decked a guy at age 15 because he was harassing a girl I liked. I warned him repeatedly before giving him a bloody nose. That was my last act of violence, although I spanked my oldest child, and now I regret that.

Violence begets violence, and pretty soon one nation is nuking another nation, and then one day every nation will let loose their salvos and this beautiful planet, along with its billions of people and wonderful wildlife, will become a dark cinder, floating through space.

And while I'm at it, I oppose the death penalty too. It's still hard for me to say that, and there are plenty of human monsters who DESERVE to die, but the cycle of endless violence must stop somewhere. The state represents the collective conscience of the people and must be held to the highest levels. The state must not lower itself by engaging in violence.

As for the evil, rabid people out there who commit the heinous crimes, maybe that could be minimized if parents spent more time with their kids, or if people started doing more loving and caring for one another, or if someone actually took the time to talk to some alienated outcast. Crime is simply a side effect of our sick, dysfunctional society. And the gut reaction is to just stomp and kill what is bad. However, it takes a lot more work to get to the root of what makes people evil. I am not excusing anyone for their actions by any means — I'm a strong believer in personal choices and responsibility. I'm just saying we need to take a holistic look at crime and violence.

So, in conclusion, I dear say that war is our primitive side coming out to play. Will our rational, logical side ever rise above it? Is it that much fun to play with our life size warplanes and tanks? Is war necessary to purge the violent genes still gushing in our gene pool? Do we need to kill off more aggressive young men before they reach reproductive age, lest they pass on their warrior genes to another generation?

Uuugh, I'm too tired to think about it.

Todd

The Beauty in the World

All my life I've been in total awe of the beauty of nature. All my life I have been perplexed on why humans are so anxious to destroy it.

All my life I've seen the beauty in other people. All my life I have seen humans destroy what is good in other humans, both physically and mentally.

All my life I've seen the good destroyed by the bad. What little beauty remains in this world is slowly being destroyed.

So, I know I am supposed to be happy and whistle, and I know I'm suppose to kick a few rocks as I make my way to the fishing hole, with my fishing pole over my shoulder. But I am not.

I've read and studied the story of Easter Island. That story, from what can be pieced together, tells about competing lords and how religion created irrationality — even to the point of self destruction. Nothing has changed today — we are simply seeing a repeat on a grander schedule.

Sometimes I see beauty in the form of a little bug crawling across my desk. I stop what I'm doing and grab a magnifying glass. I watch the little creature continue on its way, and I am amazed by it. What makes this little animal be alive? What is it doing? Where is it going? What is its purpose?

I see sunsets that are so beautiful, which explode into an array of beautiful colors. I hear geese "honk" as they fly overhead. When I hear them I run outside and look up to see their "V" formation high in the sky. I am AMAZED. I am truly amazed at these birds flying over my head. It is in them that I see beauty.

I see beauty in the hearts of young children. They are totally innocent and they are put on Earth under so many difficult situations. Suddenly, they are on this planet and they must learn to survive like the rest of us. Their innocence, pureness, and inquisitive all makes them beautiful.

Yet, the children, the geese, and the little bugs are all under assault by this strangely beautiful yet violent and ever growing species called humans. We deceive ourselves, rationalize away all logic, and then we continue destroying that which is beautiful in a hundred million little ways.

Why?

The Goose

Columbine

I remember attending my big church in 1999 shortly after the Columbine massacre. A guest band was performing on stage. The lead singer told us that at the time of the murders they were performing at the National Rifle Association convention in Denver.

The lead singer said that at an NRA prayer breakfast, "They just held each other's hands and prayed for the victims."

Hello, you idiot, CAN'T YOU SEE THE IRONY?

If I had to do it over again I would have stood up and disrupted the service. I would have screamed, "ARE YOU FREAKING NUTS?"

It is the NRA that ensures that guns are easily accessible to any wacko who wants to slaughter people. And they hold prayer breakfasts at their conventions? And they pray for the people that their lobbying efforts help to slaughter???

Let me just say that this is a sick, twisted country -- where a "loving Christ" is so beautifully intertwined with the violence and evil of guns.

It is to the point that when I read about a multiple shooting in the newspaper, I don't even care any more. This is what Americans want! This is what the NRA wants! It is apparently what God wants!

So, let the murders, slaughter, and violence continue as the Sunday worshipers pick the lint off their suits and dresses .... and go to church to learn about the beautiful love of God ... and then come home and clean their weapons. Oh, to feel that smooth, cold, barrel, which can help to fling a slug of lead into a human's flesh at great speed, doing massive damage to human body tissue. Oh, it must be the love of God.

The Love of Gun Violence

The strange thing is that I didn't feel much during the recent murders at Virginia Polytechnic. This is the society that everyone wanted — full of handguns and emotionally disturbed people. When you mix those elements together, you get horrible violence.

But I suppose that's what Americans want. So many people say, "Take away our handguns and only criminals will have guns." Well, many criminals STEAL their guns from legitimate owners. And many people get blown away by accidents, domestic rage, etc... So, when you add it all up, I wonder just how many lives are SAVED by making handguns easily accessible to the public.

So, according to today's newspaper, 16,400 people were murdered in the U.S. in 2005. The U.S. fatalities in Iraq are about to hit 4,000 deaths in nearly five years. But in the U.S., that's about how many people are murdered every four months -- most by guns.

Now, I'm not an extremist. I only want to outlaw all handguns, and not hunting or target rifles. And I want to make it harder for people to purchase a rifle.

I am amazed at the obsession people have with "gun rights." In addition to protecting themselves from criminals, folks also say handguns are necessary to protect themselves from their own government.

The funny thing is that the individuals who are the loudest gun rights advocates are typically conservative religious types. How people can reconcile guns and violence with Christianity is beyond me. Jesus said "turn the other cheek" not "reload your weapon." I suppose someone is going to say that Christians have a right to protect themselves. Whatever happened to the humble act of serving as lion food, like in the days of Ancient Rome? How about those Roman soldiers who accepted Christianity, denounced violence, and were executed for their beliefs? Don't believe me, read "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbons.

The bottom line is that the United States is a violent nation, and, obviously, many citizens and political leaders like it that way. We live in a country full of rage and hate and mentally sick people, and handguns are everywhere. This is the perfect formula for, well, lots of violence. Yeah, it's weird.

Speaking of the War

For years I've heard military leaders and others say that we lost Vietnam because their "hands were tied" by the politicians. So, when we went rolling into Iraq, the President and others proclaimed that the military's hands "would NOT be tied."

Well, it appears that it doesn't matter any way, since we lost Vietnam and now we are losing Iraq.

Now that the good Democrats are finally taking a stand on this insanity, they are becoming the scapegoat, just like Vietnam. The U.S. warmongers scream, "See, it's all your fault, you are trying to control the military and you are empowering our enemies."

Nonsense. The bottom line is that NON-DEFENSIVE WAR IS WRONG -- always has been, and always will be. When you engage in something that is morally and ethically wrong, you should not be surprised when it turns around and bites you in the ass. That is what is happening in Iraq.

See, I want our boys and girls home because I'm sick of reading the death reports in the newspaper each day. I know that some of them want to "finish the job" but I don't think it can ever be finished. We put our troops in a bloodthirsty region where people continually kill one another in the name of their clan, religious sect, political party, or just for fun. It's not right to put our troops in that situation.

IRAQ WAS AN UNNECESSARY WAR - No weapons of mass destruction were found.

Let's not forget that, boys and girls. Those who have wrapped themselves in the U.S. flag need to peek through the fabric that's over their face and see the deep mess we are in.

THE WAR WAS ALREADY LOST IN APRIL 2003

We just have to slaughter more Americans before we can come to grip with that. An Iraqi democracy and a stable government are a pipe dream. What government that does exist in this failed nation is corrupt to the core and completely infiltrated by clans and tribes who have their own loyalties.

The point of the story is that all humans need to EVOLVE beyond violence. We need to find a better way of doing things, rather than using force. Yes, I know the world is a crazy and brutal place, but those who revere peace can stand up against the rouge states and creatively use nonviolent tactics. There is a LOT we could have done with Iraq besides war.

Now, what have we accomplished? Now we must face an increasingly aggressive and belligerent Iran. The Iranians know how to deal with states they don't like, for we have taught them well.

On this Easter, I hope God will forgive the United States of America for its sins.

Violence & Sustainability

All this time the two goals of my life have been to eliminate human violence and achieve global sustainability. But in the last month or so I've been thinking that maybe the two goals contradict.

Every day I read the news reports on Iraq and I get sick to my stomach. The folks over there simply LOVE murdering Americans, coalition forces, civilian contractors, each other, and any living thing they can get their hands on. They simply love to kill -- it's probably fun for them.

As I sit back and think, I'm beginning to realize that this is simply evolution at work. Violence is perfectly natural in nature, and to prevent humans from murdering and slaughtering one another is to prevent the natural flow of evolution.

What this violence accomplishes, I'm not sure. It will eventually prune out the aggressive genes in humanity. It will weed out the weak and those who are slower to draw a gun.

Maybe we just need to accept violence as part of life and let our murdering and killing pursue its natural course. Maybe this pruning of the flock will help to create a better, stronger human race.

But I keep thinking about what the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said when he gave his Nobel Peace Prize speech. He said something about evolving BEYOND the violence. It always struck me strange that a preacher would use the word "evolve." But I think Dr. King was far more than a preacher -- he was a great global visionary.

So, no. As much as the Iraqis, Iranians, and gun-happy rednecks drive me crazy with their violent acts and threats, and their love for weapons, I cannot accept it.

What is the point of continued evolving, if we are only evolving ourselves to death? I mean, humanity desperately needs some goals, and I always thought "world peace" would be a nice one.

But then again, who am I to interfere with the natural process of nature? Isn't getting back in touch with our animalism a big part of sustainability?

Finally, I can't help but think that the Sunni and Shiite civil war is all engineered by the U.S. government. Maybe the Bush Administration is much smarter than we give them credit for -- maybe their goal is to let these two religious factions keep killing each other until all those aggressive young men are gone. Then Iraq would be less of a threat and the entire region would be easier to subjugate. I never put anything past those government neocons -- they are a slick bunch.

Just Blow'em Away

First the Russian journalist and then the former KGB agent. How does the power structure of Russia handle dissent? They just murder the people who speak out -- this has a chilling effect on those who would LIKE to speak out. The fear spreads, and the people of the land just learn to keep their mouth shut. This is probably a preview for how the entire world will soon be.

In Iraq, well, the insurgents and religious fanatics simply kill everyone, especially academic professionals. Yes, in Iraq everyone is a target -- it's a free-for-all blood bath. Perhaps this is another preview of how the world will soon be.

Once again, this all goes back to The Machine -- you know, the people with the power. You know, the Colombian drug lords, or the warlords of the Sudan, or whatever. To keep your power you use fear, intimidation, and ruthless violence. It's such a handy tactic.

All of this thuggery will continue until the people of the world stand up and say "enough." For instance, the citizens of Russia need to show outrage for all the brutal killings of dissenters.

Free speech is a beautiful thing and a key to our future sustainability. Those power mongrels who try to muffle speech, through murder, fear, and intimidation, do not really have power.

In the United States, they use more humane methods to keep you quiet. When you speak out, you are accused of being "unpatriotic" or "providing comfort to the enemy." The idea is to make you out to be a BAD person so that you will shut up, and the hope is that maybe others will be intimidated into shutting up as well.

Tonight, I salute the Dixie Chicks. They gave up a LOT to speak out and tell the truth. Now, all the hick country stations won't play their songs. This sends a signal to other artists -- you speak out and we'll hurt your career, your finances, and whatever.

The message: Don't challenge The Machine, for if you do, you shall pay a price. I can only say one thing to that: Screw The Machine!!!!

What's Next?

Today I conducted two more interviews for my podcast. It's now just a matter of getting to the editing and begin getting shows produced.

I continue to remain dismayed at this whole Hezbollah-Israeli thing. It is now obvious that the Arabs are not going to let go of the fact that Israel is trespassing on their land. It's funny how all the religious prophesy is coming to pass, like the fact that Israel became a nation again in 1948. But, if Israel is obliterated, then that won't exactly play out like the prophesy says. It's a scary time right now and I'm not sure what will happen next. What I do know is that both the U.S. and Israel are currently engaged in long drawn-out wars that will not end until the invading forces withdraw. Perhaps this is part of a grand plan of our enemies -- to draw the U.S. and Israel into long wars that will gradually wear down both nations. Then the yahoos will launch the next phase of their "Holy War."

So, one time as a kid I was on the bus and this little short kid was threatening to beat the crap out of me, and I said, "Why can't we just be friends?" Like I really wanted to be friends with the guy. Anyway, the guy roughed me up some but didn't finish me off, and once I got off the bus my friends gave me a hard time. "Why didn't you fight?" my friend Brad said. Maybe it was because I valued my teeth. Maybe I just didn't see the point. I really do think violence in all its forms is barbaric. We humans are really primitive and aggressive creatures.

Anyway, back to the Mideast. The Zionists wanted to have a nation again after many centuries. It was a great, romantic dream. The Arabs wish to make this dream a nightmare -- at least make it very costly to live there. The war and violence just doesn't stop. The Palestinian Arabs want their land back, and want to have their own nation in Israel's place. At least, that appears to be their intention. Maybe Israel should withdraw from the West Bank. That would at least be a fair compromise. But a lot of Islamic extremists want more than that -- they won't rest until Israel is destroyed.

So, I can see more terrorism, getting the United States dragged into a second war, and the nightmare goes on. It's a nutty world, man.

Kaboom

Yikes, I just read that Pakistan is dramatically expanding its nuclear program. I already have been feeling sick about the whole international scene, and now I feel really sick.

The point being, more and more countries are getting nukes. This is the opposite direction from the way we should be going. Sooner or later one of these things are going off -- it is imminent. Maybe then people will be so abhorred by these weapons that they will raise major hell with governments until they are abolished, once and for all.

One big part of the problem, in my opinion, are the religious fundamentalists of all persuasions. They, I feel, are a major threat to our Planet and future. For instance, the religious conservatives in the U.S. shamelessly align themselves with the GOP (Grand Oil Party). Now, I really do like Republicans because they advocate PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. But, the religionists SHIRK their responsibility by saying, "Oh, God will take care of us. It's all a part of His Plan."

Excuse me!! You, Mr. Righteous, should be working toward peace, love, and harmony on this Planet, instead of rallying behind the neoconservatives. Just how hypocritical are you? Let me tell you emphatically that GOD DOES NOT DO RESCUE MISSIONS. You religious zealots are engineering your own self-fullfilling prophesy, and in your little head you say, "It's not my problem." And, really, what you're thinking is that the sooner someone touches the button, the sooner you get to go up to your heavenly McMansions and pet lions. Come on, please get real. I can tell you with 100% certainty that you are not going to be whisked away to Heaven just as the nukes go off. I assure you, brothers and sisters, that you will have to ride this mother out like the rest of us. You are not getting off on this one. So, I ask you to please join me in building a future, and have the courage to let go of your fables, which you know deep down are all made up anyway.

More and more nukes are being deployed around the world, and here you are, Mr. and Mrs. Righteous, playing games with yourselves, each other, and your minds. "Oh yes, we should take out Iran's nuclear facilities in an airstrike and then ride out the reaction." Come on, man. You know that will never end. Somebody somewhere is going to be building a nuke faster than you can locate it, target it, and bomb it. There are countries all over that want nukes. What better way to dominate an opponent. And as for "assured mutual destruction," that's a small price to pay when you have "right" on your side.

So, what I'm saying is that a Christian fundamentalist, Islamic fundamentalist, or Jewish fundamentalist, or whatever -- they are all the same. They are all helping to unravel our fragile, civilized world. Whether we like it or not, they are preparing humanity for the next phase of our existence. Unfortunately, the transition period will be a little unpleasant.

The Goosed Goose

All Hell Breaketh Loose

So, I can't help but notice that all hell is breaking loose all over the world. Remember that little Axis of Evil that Bush talked about a while back? Well, he took out one of the bastards, but the other three are like bees in our president's bonnet. Yes, evil Syria, Iran, and North Korea are still out there causing trouble. Those naughty kids are testing missiles. Those other bad kids in the Middle East are busy whipping up an anti-Israel war. They just can't get enough of that good ol' violence.

I can't help but think about a line from one of my favorite music groups, A Perfect Circle. In one of their songs they sing about "peace, love, and understanding." I wonder what happened to all that. If we really do live in a Christian nation, where is all the "peace, love, and understanding?" Where is all the peace and love that the Christians are always talking about and that the Muslims sometimes talk about? Every time there is some terrific terrorist event, I always hear, "No, Islam is not like that - they are interpreting our religion all wrong." So, maybe. I dunno.

The point being (I love that phrase) is that we humans can't seem to kick our addiction to violence and I'm absolutely SICK OF IT!

Okay, I was a skinny runt in school, and I was getting beat up all the time. It was usually either by dumb bullies (who are now landscapers) or little short guys who had to prove themselves. After a couple of good fights in grade school, I decided that fighting was crazy and just said "no more." So, I took their abuse, ridicule, and pushing and shoving. They really couldn't hurt my ego because it had already been smooshed into the ground.

Maybe, just MAYBE, there is a better way to deal with these rogue nations. Look at the good things that happened in Libya. Maybe there are ways to really stop these bad boys. Maybe if the peaceful nations showed some real solidarity we could get them to behave peacefully. Maybe if the United States stopped being a hypocrite, we could have the first step toward a lasting peace.

The first thing the U.S. must do is get rid of all nukes. Who are we to scream at Iran about nukes when we still have them coming out our ears? And who are we to fuss at North Korea for testing missiles when we are testing weapons systems all the time? But at the same time, North Korea is being rather provocative, so it's important to find a happy medium between peacemaking and protecting yourself, just in case the peacemaking doesn't work.

So anyway, in junior high kids would fight over who got to beat me up first. I really just wanted to get it over with. If I was lucky I got through it with just a few Indian burns or a titty twist, or maybe a swirlie if there was a toilet nearby. The good thing about that is that it MADE ME HUMBLE! It also made me ashamed to be a white, American male because there is a certain arrogance that goes with that, and it's something I want no part of.

Small Wonder....

After all the crap I went through as a child, it's not surprising that I always side with the minority. I love the African-Americans, immigrants, and gays. Why? Because they have something a lot of those rich, overweight white men don't have -- dignity. And I stand up for Democrats, women's rights, labor, environmentalists, and all those underdogs that the Power Structure likes to marginalize, demonize, abuse, exploit, or whatever else they feel like doing.

Help!

Please forgive me for being trapped in this sorry white Anglo protestant body. I really find it disgusting, and I am truly ashamed. I am sickened by the fact that my ancestors owned slaves and fought for the Rebels. I am sickened by the fact that I once attended churches that refused to put women in senior leadership positions, or went around spreading evil myths about gays -- how they are "immoral." Bullshit. I just met a very clean cut, Christian gay person a few days ago. I would rather have 20 friends like him than to be around one of these so-called Christians who talk about helping the poor and downtrodden, and then turn around and blast immigrants for "invading our country." First of all, people should be able to move wherever they want. Second of all, they are just trying to have a better life, just like these power-monger yuppies who insist on having 20 floodlights shining on their McMansion so everyone can see it at night. What the hell is that all about?

So, maybe tonight I'm just a little angry and disgusted. Oh well. I'm sitting on my back deck and enjoying a wonderful cool breeze. The frogs and crickets are making a lot of beautiful music tonight - I think they feel rain in the air and are happy. It is them I root for too -- that's why I'm an environmentalist.

The Goose

Iran, Please Don't Nuke Us!

Now, this new Iranian president is a real
piece of work. Bush don't pay any attention
to us tree-huggers, but this guy sure can
get his attention.


Goodness Gracious Alive

So, I've been reading a lot on Iran lately. Yeah, they are a real thorn in America's side, a real pain in the butt. Funny thing is, and this just hit me today, is that all the SUV owners are driving us to nuclear war. See, I was shocked to learn that Iran has the second largest oil reserves in the world, so they have endless money and a lot of power. They put out 4.2 million barrels a day on the world market.

Thus, when you drive around in your gas-guzzler, you are giving Iran more leverage and more bargaining power. We need that oil more than anything, but it's just paving the way for them to build nukes. And they surely plan on nuking Israel, so when they do it, the Christian yuppies in their SUVs can go around screaming, "Armageddon, Armageddon, see I told ya so!" Wow, talking about a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Let me now wander no more. I'm so disgusted by this crazy world and the mindless masses who don't "get it" that I'm about to go nuts. Why do we humans want to destroy ourselves so badly? Why can't we keep on learning, progressing, sharing, loving, and caring? Why does it all have to end in a nuke showdown between theocracies?

On A Happier Note

I'm not really big on the immigration issue because I see it as simply a side-effect of our global population explosion. But, nevertheless, I really like this witty letter to the editor in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Most people will read this and go, "Huh, I don't get it." But I sure do.

Dear Editor,

Jay Bookman believes my objecting to subsidizing labor costs of the construction, poultry, and other industries makes me an immigrant basher and a bigot.

I belive the the house-building boom has generally been a bad thing for Georgia and an environmetnal disaster for a town once known as "a city in a forest." I reject the argument that illegal labor is essential to our "prosperity." Bulldozing our forest to build new subdivisions, or selling out our citizenship for cheap chicken nuggets, isn't the kind of "prosperity" we need.

D. Lee Smith
Jonesboro

Murder

Wow, my mom's best friend's husband was murdered yesterday. This is the first time in my life I've ever known anyone who was murdered. Apparently, he walked in on a burglary of his home. As he tried to flee to his truck, he was shot three times in the back — by his own gun!!!

So, let us remember the following sayings, which are promoted by those violence-loving good, moral people of America:

"Guns don't kill people, people do."

"If we outlaw guns, only outlaws will own guns."

If you own a gun, be prepared to use it. If you own a gun, be prepared to die by it.

That's all for tonight, boys and girls.

The Yellow Canary

My 100th Posting

When I was about 10 years old I found the books about Tarzan ... and fell in love madly with this glorious lord of the jungle. ... That was when my dream crystallized. ... Everybody laughed at me ... but eventually I got to Africa. And over the 45 years of ... study, the most striking thing is we now know how like us chimpanzees are. We even share 99 percent of the composition of our DNA with them. Their brain is more like ours than that of any other living creature. ... They have intellectual capabilities that we used to think unique to us. Nonverbal communication, kissing, embracing, holding hands, patting on the back, swaggering, shaking the fist, throwing rocks. Family bonds that persist throughout life, and life can be over 60 years. ... We realize there is no sharp line dividing us from the rest of the animal kingdom, it's a very blurry line. And it leads to a new respect, not only for these chimpanzees, but the other amazing animals with whom we share this planet.
— Dr. Jane Goodall, primatologist and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute


The Battle Ahead ...


In my last post I talked about the great struggle we will soon face between the fundamentalists and the progressives. I mentioned that living sustainably on the Planet will require a new way of thinking. The quote above, by Canary Sister Jane Goodall, provides a perfect example. See, religious folks get offended when you call them a "Monkey's Uncle." But, the truth is that monkey's REALLY ARE our uncle. Now, this is a radical statement that really upsets people, because we Humans like to think we're superior, but really, we're not.

I know you are probably saying, "Well, God probably created us both with nearly identical DNA to save time." Now, I believe there is a supernatural element in the Universe that helps to create the magic of life. Yes, I believe in God. But the point is that we are by no means "chosen" or "superior" to the other animals — we are just one of millions of species that inhabit this Planet. Just by chance, we have larger brains. However, we are also the most destructive species the Planet has ever seen. For instance, we destroy 78 million acres of rainforest each year, which is about the same area as Poland.* So, PLEASE, don't go telling me how great humans are. We are not "GREAT," we are despicable creatures. But as soon as we start acknowledging that we ARE an animal, and as soon as we start respecting OTHER animals, I think things will begin to change.

Now, again, this is what I mean about a big battle, because people will scream "blasphemy," "heretic," "sacrilege," and every other Biblical control word that they can find. I am sorry. It would be nice if the Creation Story were true, but regretfully, it is not. DNA is the "smoking gun" that I waited 10 years for to decide how I was going to define my religion. Sure, you can ignore the dinosaur bones, you can ignore DNA, and you can continue on your blind path. But by doing this you are only insuring the destruction that your conservative religion predicts. Now, isn't that irony ... that your blind and stubborn faith may be the means to your end?

I am not anti-religion and, again, I strongly believe in God. But when a religion prompts people to act in a damaging or self-destructive fashion, then something is very wrong. Someone has to have the courage to challenge the system. Some denominations are reforming and adapting to the new millennium. Other faiths, regretfully, are stubbornly holding on to an ancient and illogical belief system. Many people feel that if they compromise any tenets of their faith, then their entire religion will be compromised. If you can't take the Creation Story in Genesis literally, then, yikes, how can you pick and choose what is literal in the Bible and what is not? This is a real and difficult problem for the faith community. Once again, some will just rationalize away the DNA similarities with other animals by turning on more faith. The more irrational the beliefs are, the more faith you must have to believe in them, and thus, you are trapped into a clever control system.

*** Happy 100th Posting! ***

Today marks my 100th post. I started my public journal (blog) around this time a year ago. Over the past year, I have spilled my heart. I have tried to put in writing the observations, revelations, and moments of epiphany that have come to me in the past 12 months. I have also written about and quoted from many Yellow Canaries around the world that I admire. Sometimes I have let new thoughts out that scare me, because I know there is no turning back from the religious conservative Republican that I once was. Something just snapped in me eight years ago and I still don't know exactly what happened. Some say I was brainwashed, but I am convinced it's the other way around. I do know that all of this was bottled up inside of me since age 15 when I first had my epiphanies. For 22 years, from 1975 to 1997, my realizations just sat there. The problem is that I didn't understand them, and I couldn't articulate them. All I knew is that after being alive for only 15 years, I already knew that something was very wrong. I started to sense that I lived in a world that was completely interwoven with dozens of lies — lies that created an artificial reality. By age 22, I REALLY began to suspect that something "wasn't right" in our world. I guess it took me another 15 years to unpeel all the layers of the Great Onion of Life.

Do I have peace? Heck no. Am I 100 percent certain of my new discoveries and realizations? No. But it has been a fun and fascinating journey. I do know that serious waterfalls are ahead, and I often wonder if I have the courage to stick with my new convictions. This new direction isn't easy and it is scary, but I'm not sure if I can turn back now. I'm not sure if I can capture my genie and force it back into a bottle.

All I know is that the Iraqi war is wrong, that our institutions are broken, and that humanity is heading in a direction that will lead to a horrible end. But I do have hope. Why? Because there are hundreds of Canaries like me who realize that we must make hard decisions now because we love our children. Eventually, I believe that the Canaries will begin to move the boulders of our failed religions, governments, and corporations. Once they are moved out of the way, we can continue on our path toward sustainability. Again, it won't be easy, and as soon as we clear one obstacle, we will hit another. But we've GOT TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD. By golly, we just got to!



A Thanks To My Friends And Fellow Bloggers

I want to thank my activist friends and fellow bloggers who have given me positive feedback and support this past year. I really haven't gotten much response to my blog, and sometimes I feel like I'm screaming in a big, empty room. But I have gotten a few great comments that have provided new insights and missing pieces of the puzzle. That is the beauty of keeping a public journal. Much to my surprise, I have not received any flames from angry right-wingers. I imagine they look at my blog and have the same reaction that I have to theirs — yuck! There is definitely a great divide between the free thinkers and the guardians of the past, and right now I have no idea how to bridge this great divide. However, my Canary door is always open to any opposing thinker who is courteous and civil. If anyone wants to have a discussion on the issues, I would enjoy and welcome this.

Sincerely,

The Yellow Canary


*Rainforest Action Network

Power and the Obvious

Let's settle this right
here and now, oh ye
American.

First, an Aside

The Canary would like to interrupt his usual programming for a short rant:

I've heard a lot of discussion this past week about the two recent spats of violence: the shootings at the Federal courthouse in Atlanta and the mass murder at the school in northern Minnesota. Most of the talk has been about how we can better detect and prepare for humans who suddenly snap and turn violent. At the Easter Service I attended at church, the pastor even used these acts of violence as examples of how humans are flawed (I disagree this). So, anyway, the point being, no one happened to mention the OBVIOUS: That it was easy access to GUNS that lead to these deaths. GUNS, GUNS, GUNS! Now, out of the billions of humans on this Earth, I believe that there will always be a few rabid people that become violent. Certainly, we should address the risk factors and the root causes that leads to violence, but more importantly, we should GET RID OF THE GUNS! Now, in both of these recent cases, the mad humans would have done far less damage without a hand gun. Maybe they could have slashed one or two people with a knife, but that would have been it.

Last week there was also a lot of discussion about rising fuel prices. A few days ago, gas surpassed the $2 mark and the talking heads in the media were blaming it on investors and rapidly growing economies. Amazingly, no one mentioned the REAL reason gas prices are going up — our exploding national and global population. There are more people competing for limited resources. If everyone showed responsibility and held their family size to two or less children, the energy problem could be solved.



When talking about rising gases prices and other world ills,
the media always fails to mention this little problem.

Now Let's Talk About China ...

Well, the People's Republic of China is controlled by an authoritarian regime that operates under the guise of communism. The United States of America is run by a corporate-controlled regime operating under the guise of democracy.

Remember this: The sole purpose of power is to preserve comfort.

The elite, privileged, and wealthy of both nations — China and America — have entered into a mutually beneficial relationship that preserves the "comfort" for both ruling parties. China gets money and trade from the United States. They put their endless masses of people into workshops to make cheap products for the Americans. The U.S. corporate warlords now have cheap products to sell, and they enjoy greater profits.

Even though China is a repressionist society that deprives their citizens of basic human rights, well, we occasionally slap their wrist, but in the meantime we give them billions of dollars to buy their cheap goods. Maybe our American leaders figured that an intensive trade relationship would help avoid a war.

But we can NEVER forget Tibet, Falun Gong, and Tiananmen Square!

The power structure of China is bent on preserving their COMFORT, and for the most part the United States coalesces with the Chinese rulers for mutual economic benefit. This isn't about the people — this is about the rich getting richer and the powerful becoming MORE powerful.



Unquestionably, this is the most classic photo ever taken of
the People standing up to THE MACHINE. The peaceful
demonstrators of Tiananmen Square are among the world's
greatest heros and should never be forgotten.



A Canary brother is martyred
on June 4, 1989.


Lesson Learned ...

We think that a Tiananmen Square could never happen in the U.S., but don't be surprised. But then again, would the populace even BOTHER to hold a mass, peaceful demonstration? Well, not as long as THE MACHINE keeps them content, or screws with their minds enough.

I don't blame the Chinese government for their brutal suppression of the student demonstrators. After all, THE MACHINE was only trying to protect its POWER. What I do blame is the mass Chinese citizenry who did not come to the aid of the peaceful protesters. I'm sure THE MACHINE used all its favorite tactics to keep the rest of the population passive. They probably tried to brand the student democracy activists as criminals, traitors, etc... See, THE MACHINE is an expert at playing with people's heads.


"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

— Edmund Burke, Irish philosopher (1729-1797)

Understanding Is Better Than Hating

When I get old they going to
kill me, process me, and shape
me into a McNugget and some
little kid's gonna eat me at
McNasty's.

Final Message For A While

With some major projects and traveling coming up, this will be my last entry for a couple of weeks. Before I sign off for a while, I'd like to leave a parting thought.

HATE

For most of my life I've grown up seeing the subtle hate, discrimination, and prejudice aimed at African-Americans. Sometimes it was in the form of a joke or off-handed comment. But in the last decade, targeting Blacks has been forgotten. Instead, folks have turned their prejudices on Mexicans and Muslims. Sometimes I get e-mails from people I barely know. Under the guise of "immigration reform" I often see and hear things that disrespect Mexicans. And under the name of "patriotism" I see and read hate-filled comments about Muslims.

First off, Mexico is our next door neighbor. I do not recognize human-made borders — we are all one people. If Mexicans come here to get jobs to feed their families, more power to them. Humans have always migrated, usually in search of a better life. I sometimes hear comments about the Mexicans "invading our country" and "destroying our culture." Come on, don't be silly.

In regards to radical Muslims who engage in violence, I have the very lowest regard for those who harm others. While the violence is wrong, I think it is important to study history and understand the climate that created so much hate. You have to understand how the Jews were essentially DRIVEN from Europe and had few options but to establish a state. You have to understand how the Middle East was abused and exploited by colonial powers, and how they were later used as pawns and proxies during the Cold War. You have to understand how the U.S. is viewed as a blatant hypocrite — talking about democracy while at the same time supporting Middle Eastern monarchies.

What We Need..

There needs to be more civility, more dialogue, more efforts to understand and learn about one another, and less hate. By participating in racism and prejudicism, you are only making the problems of our society worse. I urge everyone to give up the "hate" and replace it with a desire to "understand." There's been enough hate in the history of the world — perhaps it's time to try something different.

Annihilation

Continuing my theme from last week...

A Perfect Circle - Annihilation Lyrics (Old Version) excerpted

Annihilation is to one the means to an end
Armageddon the war to end all wars, the extremists' end
Annihilation self destruction
The streets are on fire, death in our wake
Cars overturned, bodies are raped
You go on
Preaching religious dogma, while paying for and sanctioning vicious murders
Annihilation annihilation annihilation praise
Destruction
You go on playing with people's lives
Using their minds, you want total control
Stay in line
Annihilation
Annihilation the judgement day
Armageddon armagedon are you going to let them blow you away