Believe in Humanity, Believe in Progress

"There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?"

"Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation."

"Few are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change."

"The future does not belong to those who are content with today, apathetic toward common problems and their fellow man alike, timid and fearful in the face of bold projects and new ideas. Rather, it will belong to those who can blend passion, reason and courage in a personal commitment to the ideals of American society."

"It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."

"Some believe there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills -- against misery, against ignorance, or injustice and violence. Yet many of the world's great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man. A young monk began the Protestant reformation, a young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the earth, and a young woman reclaimed the territory of France. It was a young Italian explorer who discovered the New World, and 32 year old Thomas Jefferson who proclaimed that all men are created equal. ‘Give me a place to stand,’ said Archimedes, ‘and I will move the world.’ These men moved the world, and so can we all."

~ Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968)

Those Evangelicals

I hate hypocrites. So today I researched Billy Graham a bit. (Long story) It turns out, he's not exactly one of those inane demagogues who preach hate and hoodwink average Americans into giving them money so they can live like Ken Lay and preach politics. Apparently, he preaches love, compassion, and understanding and is despised by the moral majority and the Christian Coalition precisely because of his message of compassion and dialogue. Among other things, they are mad that he doesn't try to abolish the graduated income tax, that he wants to speak to gays and that he doesn't deem it Christian to blow up and kill doctors who allow women to exercise their freedoms to life and liberty and health upon their own bodies. Truman may have called him a fake interested in his own fame, and this may be true, but at least he's preaching a decent message.

Impressed, I posted a message onto a religious site where they bashed Graham and the rest of American urban society for living in diversity and talking to one another. I posted this message under the user name of God. They made me answer all these stupid questions. So for enlightenment, God's full name is God Yawweh. God is a 59 year old woman (born the year WWII ended) with brown eyes, white hair, whose pets are people, favorite TV show is The Sopranos, lives in Jerusalem, whose favorite music is rap, and whose personal quote is "Peace be with you." You can reach God at God_Yawweh@yahoo.com.

The funny thing is that I'm religious. Aside from my college years when I have been lazy, I have gone to church every Sunday morning since I was born. I know Bible stories and allusions and I believe in the Holy Trinity. I just hate demagogues who preach ignorance and hatred for their own personal glory and wealth. What would Jesus do? Let me tell you, Jesus would not drive an SUV-dumbass! I love my SUV, but Jesus would walk around in his leather sandals. Jesus would not take your money so he could buy an estate next to John DuPont, he would give it to the homeless and sick and hungry. Jesus would not be a Republican because he would not be a Democrat, either. Jesus would not go around telling other people they're evil and are going to go straight to Hell because they listen to music with curse words or cohabitate with significant others or don't wear panty hose.

I just wish people would stop using religion as if it were something you should use, something to accomplish your own agenda and to substantiate your fears and prejudices.

Here's to all of us who try to lead our own good and decent lives, who try to be accepting and other people, who don't fear diversity, who understand the tenets of our government. And yes, I am including Billy Graham in this category of "us" (until I find out otherwise).

Inspirational Men--Psychoanalysis of Their One Major Fault

The History Channel has become an educational outlet for my periodic insomnia that is not exactly insomnia, but merely a sleep schedule malfunction. Last night's History Channel programming was devoted to our nation's first family, the Kennedys.

It profiled P.J. Kennedy to Joe to Joe Jr., Jack, Bobby, Teddy to John Jr., Joe, Michael, and the rest of the gang. Although I found Peter Jennings to be a fine narrator, I was somewhat confused at the lack of coverage of any of the Kennedy women.

Which leads me closer to my topic. I adore Bobby. He escaped the vigorous scrutiny of his father and was shaped by more of Rose's influence than his older two brothers were. I believe that this female influence may have shaped his keen passion and compassion for the poor, discriminated, sick, and oppressed of America that has not since been possessed by a national politician. I admire his idealism and his pragmatism. I admire his fierce loyalties and his deep convictions. He aggressively prosecuted Hoffa even though the Mob may have helped Jack win the presidency. The majority of historians credit Bobby for the evasion and resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis with his ability to think outside the box and his determination to avoid militaristic actions that would inevitably culminate in a nuclear war. He was thoughtful, deliberate, conscientious, pugnacious, and sharp. He seemed to be the perfect man. Until, of course, you acknowledge his philandering.

This brings us to the age old question: Why do so many inspirational, disciplined and otherwise wonderful-and dare I say perfect men-all share the inability to be faithful to one woman? What is behind their one imperfection--their drive for constant sex from multitudes of women? Though I am a feminist and cognizant that we live in a socialized sexist society, I refuse to believe that these otherwise great men womanize merely because they have power or merely because they are some type of misogynists. On the contrary, many of these men have strong, smart, and beautiful women in their lives. So how then, can we explain Bill Clinton, Bruce Lee, Kobe Bryant, and the dear Bobby Kennedy?

This is my attempt to do so.

These such men are extremely ambitious. Their intellect is voracious and they are constantly thinking. They think about the future and they think about their legacy. They are out to change some pervading quality of some segment of society. Even with all their talent and intelligence, they were in some respects, underdogs, and had something to prove. Perhaps it is their constant quest for new intellectual stimulations that also supplies the fodder for their want of new women. This is only partly the explanation. Passion and ambition lends itself to self-centeredness. Self-centeredness is not necessarily a horrible and negative trait. Many times, it leads to self examination and self realization. In certain situations, being self-centered is much better than focusing on others-in the sense of gossiping about others and judging others instead of oneself. However, I believe that it is this self-centeredness that also governs the philandering of these men. They may respect and love their wives, but only to a point--the point at which their self-centeredness, the same self-centeredness that guides their ambition, idealism, and accomplishments, makes them forget that they are hurting their wives.

Perhaps this is God's way of balancing people out. No one can be perfect. It is just a shame that such otherwise wonderfully articulate, idealistic, talented, motivated, conscious men must also possess such an ignominious trait.

Lastly, I believe that we should not, as intelligent women, judge the women that choose to stay with these men. Although many of us would refuse to stay with a philandering husband, we cannot deny the magnetism and admiration for such inspirational men.

Hope Dead in Sea of Red

Looking back a few posts, I hoped that because the Red Sox won, Kerry would also win. I used their slogans of hope to draw parallels between each. I failed to see the glaringly obvious--Red.

I should have seen that all things pointed to red. The year of the red heads. The Red Sox. JC with wounds of red from Middle East with the Red Sea. Red bloodshed. AIDS crisis in Africa-AIDS ribbon red. Rise of China.

Damn it! How did we not prepare ourselves with all the signs?!?!?

In Revelations, one sign of the end of the world is a red moon in the sky. Looks like we're getting awfully close!!!

Quotes

Read some great quotes, courtesy of my little Loches.

"I'm a blue-stater, baby!"
-Jon Stewart

"That that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Ben Franklin

Guns don't kill people. Gaping holes in vital organs kill people.

Ignorance and arrogance is bad foreign policy.

Blame Clinton. It's easier than thinking.

Support our troops, not Halliburton.

The New Communists

The red tide is sweeping across the nation, threatening to take over the world!! Yes, the new moral majority right wing uneducated Republicans are the new Communists--they are the new reds. Forcing you to believe what they believe, branding education as the enemy, and listening only to demagogues. Orange was never the new pink. However, the new red is still red.

California, Here We Come

It's back. The OC premiered tonight to suspense, tears, and laughter. I feel a little better now having watched and seeing the sun and ocean. Am starting to sicken of all the pundits and power jockeys. Confusion over life seems to calm during OC. Something about watching inane drama with cute clothes that, like shopping, momentarily satisfies the soul. Feeling like Seth Cohen. Funny how the show seems to increase my homesickness and yet makes me feel a little more at ease, too. Possibly something trite about feeling comfortable with familiar surroundings, even though in a tv show. That and unconscious stream of thought babblings online to phantom audience. Blogging is very self-centered. I guess everything now-a-days is pretty self-centered. Or maybe this is good? That we realize that we do count-all on an individual basis. But perhaps causing people to lose a sense of the collective whole, which sometimes, you need.

No More Tears To Cry

After going to class, I cried in my car. I cried for the present situation of our country. I cried for the future of our country. And I cried for the soul of our country. What has happened to our country? How did a president who started a bogus war that sees no end, done nothing to help the economy, increased deficit spending, is the only president ever to cut taxes in a time of war, lied to the American public, and who has used fascist means to campaign get re-elected??? How did a Divider win the presidency??

It's not about being a Democrat or Republican, but let's face it, the Republicans in national office won by using average Americans. They preyed on Americans' insecurities and prejudices. Is it 1864??? What is wrong with Americans that they cannot see the issues? The same people who voted for Bush, will continue to pay five times the price for prescription drugs than they should be, won't see social security, won't find a job while their neighbors and sons get sent to a war that was based on lies and has no plan.

Why are people voting on values over Iraq, terrorism, and the economy? Don't they know that values are for individuals? Bush was a fucking cocaine user and boozer! Boo hoo everyone was on Clinton's case for smoking pot and no one gave a shit that Bush drank and drive and snorted coc just because he was a born again Christian? Al Gore and John Kerry were always religious. They always had moral values. Don't these people know that all the leaders, both political and religious, that indoctrinate and hoodwink them and claim to be the moral leaders of America are just using them and completely hypocritical?? Don't they know that the Christian leaders of America are just using average trusting Americans to get money and power and have mistresses and abuse drugs and live on large corporate CEO-type estates? Why are Americans allowing themselves to be lied to and used by hypocrites? Why are they allowing their homophobia and prejudices and racism to be used to put hypocrites into power so these hypocrites can just get more money and power for themselves? I'm fucking sick of this shit. Don't you people care about people's rights? Don't you know anything about the Bible? I'm so damn frustrated right now, I can't write and all I can do to stop from going crazy is to swear at every other word!!!!!!!!!! Do you know anything about our Constitution? Do you anything about separation of church and state? I'm a religious person, but I'm not about to have some teacher or some random person telling me what to believe. That's the job of my church and priest. What is wrong with all you self-righteous hypocrites who have never been able to even conceive what it's like to ever be discriminated against in your entire lives??? I am not trying to run your lives. Why are you trying to ruin mine?????? Why won't you let us be? We are living our own lives, trying to live decent moral lives and we are trying to help make the world a better, healthier, happier, more accepting and loving world. What is wrong with you!?????

And fucking asshole stupid little shits, you 18-29 year olds who didn't fucking vote!! What the fuck is wrong with young people? I couldn't wait to vote when I was a little kid and my parents barely followed politics. What the fuck is wrong with the fucking idiot young adults of this stupid fucking country?? We are the most greatly affected. Why aren't people our age voting? People die so we can vote and you don't?

And why is the Democratic party so naive as to think that they don't have to play cohesive and dirty like the Republicans? The party that disenfranchised black voters 4 years ago! Fucking get your act together. Wake up and smell the fucking shame and despair.

I have loved this country ever since I could hold a cohesive thought. My favorite holiday has always been the 4th of July. I was an American Studies major. I have always been proud to be an America. I always thought this was the best country in the entire world. I have always defended ALL Americans from critizers. Today is the first day that I have ever been able to say that I am ashamed to be an American.

God help us.

America, America, Where for art thou America?

God save our country. God save our country.