The Planet - July 24, 2015

IN GOD WE TRUST

Christians are a loud bunch, and their desperate cries make there way across the planet. That desperation circles the globe with their laments, desires, and their need to be forever victims. Although islam's cruelty for the moment is in most of our thoughts as they destroy any claim they may have had to morality, christianity is crumbling as well.

I hear the worry, and see the problems first hand, that other western countries see when they look at this country. To have such a warrior mentality bomb, mixed with a fuse that is the overabundance of religion, is scary. Heck, I live here and it scares the shit out of me also.

But these are the cries of the lost, of a forever child that resists maturing into an adult. 

Different states have different characteristics, some very secular, some very religious, and most a mix of sanity and crazy. Conservatives have allowed christianity to take over their politics to the horror of the majority. Christianity, money, and crazy; oh the joy of living in a free country. Well, we're only really free in our own minds.

When I leave Michigan I almost always cross Indiana in one direction or another. This state is the Mississippi of the north, and the crazy has taken hold. The most common plates you see say "In God We Trust." Not the only state, but one that will not let you put "jesussux" as a plate number if you have a different opinion. In states that do this, there are always those who detest combining church and government. There are legal actions pending to allow people to put whatever they want on their plate, a free speech issue, but that will not stop the insertion of religion into every hidden corner theists can find.

The latest, and in my thoughts, sneakiest insertion of religion into local government is in Missouri. Government owned vehicles they are now wearing "In God We Trust" decals. Not just any government vehicle, but police cars.

Now that raises so many problems. It won't be long before a third of this country does not belong to any religious or spiritual group. That's a lot of Americans to mess with. Then if you add non-christian groups, damn, you might be messing with a majority of constituents.

There is also the thought that our laws are not based on the bible, period. So now you have a police force that may be enforcing faulty biblical morality on its citizenry, a police force that gives the appearance that christianity guides their hands. This is in an area where evangelicals are the main religious force, and they grab what they like from both testaments; wonder if they'll close down all the Crab Shacks.

This is a direct violation of the Establishment clause and with any luck someone will sue them quickly. That is if someone is ready to be driven out of the state. Although I know this is one county in one state, the significance of this action cannot be dismissed. I went to the FB page of this police force and noticed all the positive responses from the scared populace of the area. Other counties in the area are being asked by the religious to do the same.

If this catches on and is not immediately addressed by the courts, we could have our own Sharia Law coming to a town near you. Rejoice Sinners!

The Planet - April 21, 2013

American Angst

The Boston Marathon bombing has troubled the perceptions of many. Though there's been a sane discussion on the sitehere, the news of that day was filled with false reports and ridiculous speculation. CNN decided they had the scoop; "a man with dark skin was arrested."  Though retracted, for part of the day the thought that was implanted in white America's head was once again be afraid of the dark skinned human. While commentators backed off the "arrest," they still left us thinking for hours that yes, another possible terrorist attack had occurred.

Though know one knows the why yet, endless speculation produces useless distraction for people with nothing better to do. Get a life.

Glenn Beck's faithful are waiting for Monday, when their favorite clown will once again delve into conspiracy nonsense. Useless, except as an example of how simple minds don't work, Beck explains how the injured Saudi student is part of the Muslim Brotherhood who is working in cahoots with the Saudi government and secret Muslim Barack Obama. Time to try impeaching the president once again.

Though foolhardy, this man makes money by deceiving the public. Rhetoric like this should be compared to the old example of yelling "fire!" in a crowded theater. We all know that a small percentage of Americans will believe anything, and more than likely they own a few firearms and know how to use them. This type of nonsense endangers all of us.

Beck wasn't the only one of course. Initial responses from Red State, Pamela Gellar and the New York Post, all blamed Muslims for the attack. Possibly the worst was FOX pretend news commentator Erik Rush tweeting about Muslims;  "Yes, they're evil. Let's kill them all." 

Basically all the current media fools jumped on the bandwagon with horribly inaccurate comments.

Gun Groupies

Even thought slightly buried by the bombing in Boston news, the failed bill to make background checks necessary before one can purchase a gun should remain firmly in the public eye. There have been many responses to the failed legislature, but once again the comedy channel has the only shows that make you realize how inane the debate is.

Stewart and Colbert in recent weeks have brought up the following thoughts. When it comes to magazine size, a conservative, (paraphrased), response was "why ten, why not nine or eleven?" Insinuating that any limits would seem to be haphazard at best. The response from the Comedy Central titans was something to the effect of "Yeah, why set a speed limit at seventy, why not sixty or eighty?" Why? Because you guys were all elected to make laws and that is what laws do, set limits. If you don't want to make laws, why are you in the legislature?

Even better, Stewart's response to the argument that "stopping legal citizens from purchasing guns won't stop criminals from getting them." What an odd response by conservatives. The thought that any type of even minor gun laws being passed is "criminals will still get guns why law abiding citizens cannot." Well, criminals steal, kill, etc., and we have laws for that. Maybe anarchy is what they are promoting. No laws on anything? Back to the speed limit analogy, screw that 70 mile an hour speed limit, criminals don't obey it. Press the pedal to the metal and drive spectacularly!

No matter. No laws protecting the populace will have any support from our elected Representatives. Senators and Congressmen who only take orders from people with deep pockets, and only pretend to listen to you when they need a vote.

A short version of The Planet is all I have time for this week. I also included much more in the way of quotes than normal; wanted to make sure the context was correct. Short and late, my apologies. 

American Angst

Happy days are here again. Controversial Sheriff Arpaio of Arizona, the guy who dehumanizes prisoners, is on thebirther bandwagon. This is the gentleman who built a tent city jail where temperatures reach 135 degrees. Then he banned cigarettes, hot lunches, coffee, salt and pepper. He makes the male inmates wear pink underwear and socks, sometimes parading them around. He has claimed numerous times that Obama's birth certificate is a forgery. He bases this conclusion on the thought that it must be a forgery, since their is no other documents saying it isn't a forgery. That is critical thinking for the tea party gentleman.

Romney has a new campaign strategy, he totally agrees with Obama, yet manages to make it sound like he doesn't. Romney's attack ads center around the President's thought that businesses need help to succeed, that they "didn't build it themselves." Romney says that shows how out of touch with the business community Obama is. Gates built his business, Jobs his and mentions other names. Obama's taken out of context quote related to how businesses use the infrastructure that the government and the people built. Business owners went to schools that the public pays for. What really makes his argument look bad is that Romney took one billion dollars from the federal government while working on the Olympics; taxpayer money. 

Mitt has also decided not to release any more of his tax documents. Ann backs him up stating, "There are so many things that will be open again for more attack, and you just give more material for more attack, and that's the answer. We've given all you people need to know and understand about our financial situation and about how we live our life."

Take that you people.

Gun Goons

The NRA's tweet for Saturday morning from their @NRA_RIFLEMAN account was possibly not in the best of taste. The tweet in question said, "Good morning, shooters. Happy Friday! Weekend plans?" The tweet was possibly done in advance, but pretty much sucked. That account is now gone.

This after the mass shooting in Aurora Colorado. Ten years ago, the assault weapon ban was still in effect so this type of damage cold be lessened, but Americans need their assault rifles; for hunting I'm sure.

The NRA said in a statement: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and the community. NRA will not have any further comment until all the facts are known." They continued with the thought that if someone in the theater was armed they could have stopped the shooter. Well, hopefully they would have been great shots, since the shooter was wearing body armor. And of course, just what we need, vigilantes dispensing justice.

Right Wing Rants

Keeping are eyes on Aurora, here comes the crazy. American Family Association's Bryan Fischer had the answer to problems with America's youth:

"With regard to students, SAT scores began to plummet almost immediately, starting in 1963, and have never recovered. The rate of premarital sex began to climb, as did the rate of sexually transmitted diseases. Teenage pregnancies and teen births began to skyrocket, again starting in 1963. The rate at which teens were arrested for rape, aggravated assault, and murder shot through the roof ... The consequences for “parents” and families have been equally severe. Since 1963, the rates of adultery, divorce, cohabitation and domestic abuse have risen dramatically, and the intact nuclear family is being ravaged perhaps beyond repair.

With regard to “teachers” and our educational system, SAT scores have fallen into the basement while rates of school violence are shooting through the ceiling and our armed forces are hampered by functionally illiterate recruits.

The consequences for “our Country” are equally catastrophic. Homicide rates are up; more Americans are being gunned down in cold blood this year in Chicago than in Afghanistan. The nuclear family is breaking apart at culture-destroying rates. One of out every five adults in America has a lifelong, incurable sexually transmitted disease.The sexual and physical abuse of children is out of control.

The Supreme Court compounded its godless and criminal misconduct by banning the Ten Commandments and its moral precepts from classrooms in 1980. Their reasoning was fantastically absurd when looked at in the light of last night’s massacre.

“[I]f the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all, it will be to induce the schoolchildren to read, meditate upon, perhaps to venerate and obey, the Commandments,” which, the Court said, is “not a permissible state objective under the Establishment Clause.”

So these black-robed miscreants said we cannot permit potential mass murderers like James Holmes to read or meditate on God’s prohibition “Thou shall not murder” as a part of their education, because someone like him just might be inclined to “venerate and obey” it and not go on a midnight shooting rampage leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake. No, we can’t be having that, now, can we?

...

It’s time for us to say to the left we’ve tried it your way for the past 60 years and our country is being destroyed before our very eyes. It’s time to try it our way for next 60 years. If we don’t like what we see in 2072, we can always drink again from the poisoned well of secular fundamentalism. Something tells me we won’t want to."

Jesus Juice

Not to be outdone by AFA's crazy Bryan Fischer, who has a "degree" in theology, Jerry Newcombe of Truth in Action Ministries weighed in on the shootings as well; and in a predictably asinine fashion.

"I can't help but feel that to some extent, we're reaping what we've been sowing as a society. We said to God, "Get out of the public arena." Lawsuit after lawsuit, often by misguided "civil libertarians," have chased away any fear of God in the land -- at least in the hearts of millions.

...

Recently, I wrote on the subject of Hell and how our society has generally lost its cognizance of it.

We've lost this cognizance to the point that a recent bestseller was a book by an "evangelical pastor," who for all practical purposes denied Hell (or the import of it). (It exists, but don't worry -- supposedly nobody's going there.) When the book was first published 16 months ago, it made the cover of TIME magazine. This month it was republished as a paperback.

This makes me think. "Wow, what the heck happened to Hell?" What -- was there some new revelation that changed what the Lord warned about? To me, what He said 2,000 years ago is still worth heeding: What does it profit you if you gain the whole world and lose your soul?

Tens of millions of young people in this culture seem to have no fear of God. It's becoming too commonplace that some frustrated person will go on a killing spree of random people. If they kill themselves, they think it's all over. But that's like going from the frying pan into the fire. Where's the fear of God in our society? I don't think people would do those sorts of things if they truly understood the reality of Hell."

Murder Mania

On average, we get the great displeasure of hearing about another mass murder more than once a year during the last 30 years. Mass murders are defined as being four or more people killed in a single incident. 

Angry America

Hat tip to Adriana for pointing out a blog to me on atheist republicans; the gist being how can you support a party who hates you? Though atheism doesn't exactly preclude conservatism, the inherently religious statements in the republican platform would make it seem to be a match more likely to be found in a mythical hell.

State by state conservatives have platforms that are meant to establish god as truth. In Iowa, besides the anti-science plank when it comes to the environment and the anti-women's health issues, they also want to reframe education. Yes, evolution is not a fact and creationism should be taught side by side. They want the books supporting the nonsense in publicly funded libraries as well. Interesting enough they intend to help that thought along by downsizing the Iowa Department of Education and eliminating their federal counterpart. 

You can look at each and every state's republican party platform and read the same nonsense, It would be impossible for me to be a republican since so much of it is based on falsehoods

Their National Platform isn't any better. One line says it all:

"We ask all to join us in rejecting the forces of hatred and bigotry and in denouncing all who practice or promote racism, anti-Semitism, ethnic prejudice, or religious intolerance."

They lump the religious thought with easily discernible ones; of course a person should not be judged by any of the above, yet religion's creed has always been one of intolerance. Is this statement meaningful or confusing? Liberals for the most part agree with the basic message against intolerance, but we do not ignore the fact that large privileged right wing religious groups whose intolerance for race, women, ethnicity and gender preference are apparent. 

The right's obsession with groups that they don't agree with getting "special" privileges is a twisted reality; what all those groups desire is the benefits from rights that are already in place.

In a weird twist, the Secular Coalition of America has hired a conservative, Edwina Rogers, to help build coalitions in all fifty states. Looking to unite atheists as a voting block by hiring a conservative who knows how to twist the truth with the best of them seems absurd to anyone who relies on facts to make their personal decision.

Apparently she's looking to recruit secular republicans, but to be fair, she is also involved in keeping religion out of health care, education and policies that discriminate because of religion. 

Gay endorsements for conservatives are as bad as atheist endorsements; possibly worse. GOProud describes its members as gay, yet three out of the seven board members are straight. GOProud has endorsed Mitt Romney, two out of the four gay board members went for Romney and all three of the straight members.

Presidential politics continues the grind. President Obama announced his plan on immigration. Conservatives fight back by attacking Attorney General Eric Holder. Childish.

What is interesting about the contempt charge, is that it doesn't matter whether they get the paperwork or not. Congressman Issa said House Republicans would have to see the documents before delaying or canceling a contempt vote. “We can’t have a promise that we’re going to be satisfied and dismiss this contempt,” he said.

Well, no need to give them the paperwork then.

Health Hypocrites

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has vetoed a bill that would have allowed vaccinations of seventh graders against a cancer causing sexually transmitted virus. HPV infection, no problem. Though at one time supporting a mandate for the vaccination, she has now decided it is better politics to fight reality.

We know that there has been a battle between the Catholic Church and the administration going on over contraceptives. What I find interesting is their view on why conscience is important. They relate the civil rights movement with women's health issues as if they are one and the same. The civil rights movement was a religious movement according to them, which is of course a hard thought to accept; we know what the bible and other musings from history say about slavery. I guess it's a subtle form of rewriting the bible one more time.

The statement that says it all is this:

"This is a matter of whether religious people and institutions may be forced by the government to provide such coverage even when it violates our consciences." 

I must give them credit for the subterfuge. Combining "people" and "institutions" as if they are one and the same; does an institution have a conscience? Then there is the "forced" to provide;  another nice framing of the discussion. It is all about them, not you. 

The Catholic Church is a willing participant in spreading more than mental diseases. This month they were outraged that a lesbian employee sued St. Joseph's Medical Center. What is it that this woman would want? The same rights as heterosexual couples. 

Childhood Cancelled

This is one of those subjects that should aggravate any caring human on the planet. The Senate passed the Farm Bill, which cuts 4.5 billion from SNAP. Basically SNAP is the newer term for Food Stamps. This will effect a half a million low income Americans, because you know, those people are freeloaders to begin with. 

This is significant in two ways. Besides once again taking away needed assistance to the poorest of us to give to the billionaires, it effects the moral constitution of this country. It reduces the monthly benefit for families by 90 dollars. For some of us, 90 dollars may not be that big of a deal, but to a growing population of impoverished humans, this is a big blow.

Next time you hear about a CEO making a shit load of cash, think; 90 dollars. A 4.5 billion dollar subsidy cut for the wealthiest corporations on the earth would not make a difference in their lives, while 90 dollars goes a long way in helping feed a family.

Once again, a fetus is worth so much more than a child. 

Liberals supported the bill, and it did have a couple of progressive causes added to the bill. 

Jerry Sandusky was convicted of 45 child sex abuse counts. The problem with this case is that it is not over. Sandusky is a criminal, doesn't seem to be much doubt about it. The problem here is not only Sandusky, it is an entire institution. How many people are involved in the coverup is the story line.

But even that doesn't get to the root of the problem; greed and power seems to be always at the center of perversion.

Planet Politics

Egypt has a new leader, President Morsi. The Muslim Brotherhood will now lead the country, kind of. Apparently it really didn't matter who is the president, the military still is in control. 

Greece shows us that politics is generally the same in western countries. The strong divide in ideology and the excessively bad behavior is unfortunately getting commonplace. Most of us have seen the clip of Ilias Kasidiaris throwing a tantrum on live television. Then he raised tempers by saying he was going to sue the victims of his attack for provoking him. As far as I can tell, he is still in hiding.

Very conservative people really are angry.

Pakistan has a new prime minister, Raja Pervez Ashraf. Apparently corruption and other problems may make life tough for the gentleman. 

Turkey is upset with Syria, as the rest of the world is. Syria has formed a new government, with all the old faces; not much help. Turkey's dismay over having one of their jets shot down could open the door for military intervention.

Final Fixation

The Death Penalty

Killing is for the weak

an eye for an eye

thinking people are freaks

death doesn’t make them complete

Bitter because life is not just

they have lost, now so will you

won’t bring back the loved one

won’t heal your heart

An eye for an eye is cruel

leaves us with blinded fools

compounds the crime

adds another death rhyme

From unwilling hands of mine

that dole out another dime

to torture and kill

a citizen possibly innocent

Hang your heads in shame

because you’re part of the blame

doesn’t make it right

doesn’t make it good

Doesn’t mean you should

because you have the power

doesn’t mean you have the right 
it creates a moral blight

Stay that hand of might

think of the legacy you leave

stay the hand that’s built on fright

think of all the bereaved

Most have children and families

you kill a father you create another

you kill a brother you shame another

you kill a son you kill a daughter



You all cry out for death

as long as it isn’t one of yours

you demand death

as long as it isn’t one of yours

you need death

as long as it isn’t one of yours

A faulty thought of thinking apes

extinction would be better

a sickness never cured

religion warps our matter

Humans die daily
children wail in loss
sick minds killed at birth

may satisfy your need

Now we kill the defenseless
the same as any killer
it feeds on our thoughts

death and loss

Did it bring back your mother
or maybe a lover
there is no satisfaction
only false righteousness

You all cry out for death
as long as it isn’t one of yours

you demand death

as long as it isn’t one of yours

you need death

as long as it isn’t one of yours