Answering The Call For a True "Christian Nation"

So, you say you want the United States to be a "Christian Nation", and that our laws should be based on "Christian Values".  Okay then, let's do that.  Now remember, I am outspokenly and unapologetically an Atheist, but I am totally on-board with having a truly "Christian Nation."  Unfortunately, I do not think it would any thing like what you are envisioning.

A truly "Christian Nation" would provide not only free healthcare to all of its citizens, but it would also ensure that every man, woman, and child in this entire world has a roof over their heads, good food to eat, clean water to drink, a healthy environment, the power to manage their own lives, and free access to the best education and information currently available.  And it sure wouldn't be running around the world bombing or shooting people, ever.  Yeah, I didn't think those of you crying for a "Christian Nation" had any of that in mind, did you?

How about we start by creating our laws based on "Christian Values" instead then?  Would that work better for you?  Why don't we start with the best of the best, the "7 deadly sins", how does that sound?  Sounds like a fantastic place to start to me!  So, now all forms of Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Envy, Pride, Wrath, and Sloth are illegal.  All you rich people, turn over everything you own to the government, you are greedy and gluttonous, and this will no longer be tolerated.  All you advertising and media people, yeah, sorry you are out of work.  Since your job is to create envy, lust and pride, and we can't have any of that any more, their is no need for your services.  The whole system of capitalism is completely the opposite of True Christian Values, so that's got to go too.  Oh, by the way, don't try getting mad about these changes, that would be classified under wrath, and that's not allowed either.

Its funny, this "Christian Nation" idea is sounding better, and better to me, but somehow I don't think those of you who were originally calling for it, are seeing it the same way.  You do not really want a "Christian Nation" at all, what you really want is the "white patriarchal plutocracy", the same one that the rest of us have been trying to evolve out of for the past 150 years.                               
                                
If you remove all the repressive and oppressive patriarchal nonsense in the Bible, there is a lot of good to be found between its pages.  But when people want to use it to justify their own insecurities and inadequacies, well, that's when you and I are gonna have a problem.  Mind your own darned business and we could all get along just fine.  You all have taken the whole thing about being your "Brother's Keeper" a little too far while completely forgetting the whole "Love thy neighbor" and "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" stuff.  Try turning all that around and we could all have a much happier world to live in.

There is not one single word about "Gay Marriage" in the Bible.  I have read it, and I can assure you it is not there.  There are a LOT of heinously oppressive passages about women being the property of men, and how it is fine for men to own other people as slaves. (I am betting that those were the parts that the people calling for a "Christian Nation" were counting on.)  And for those that would try to use some vague reference in a little followed book of the Old Testament as their basis for believing "Homosexuality is a sin", try reading, and following, the rest of that particular book of the Bible before you open your big mouths passing judgement on things that are really none of your business.  Okay?  The Bible does NOT say Homosexuality is a sin!  Not one time.  It does say that bearing false witness is a sin, its Commandment #9 for those who are keeping a score card.  That's one strike against You.  The Bible also says "Judge not lest ye be judged" and "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone", so there are strikes two and three, and You are out!  

So to all you Pick-n-Choose Christians out there calling for a "Christian Nation" all I can say is, be careful what you wish for.  Remember, I am still here, and I can still vote, and I am not alone. And the Good people of this nation are really getting tired of You making a mockery of Our country, and Your religion.  The United States of America is NOT now,  and never has been a "Christian Nation", nor should it ever be one.  The United States of American IS a melting pot nation, and if we would allow ALL of our citizens the freedoms and equalities that they were promised in the Constitution, and its Amendments, then we could truly be the "Greatest Nation in the World", because we are the world.  What gives us the potential for greatness is our diversity, quit trying to eliminate it!  Celebrate our differences, quit demonizing everyone who doesn't want to be like you, and for the sake of all that is holy in this world, get down off your high horses and try practicing what Your Book really preaches!

A Reasonable Look at Global Warming

This is a topic that has bothered me since the concept was introduced so many years ago.  I think it is past time for me to address it, so that's what I am going to try to do today.

I do find it interesting that the only people who seem to be "denying" Global Warming are those who choose religion over Science, or those who profit from the destruction of our planet.  I am not going to defend or deny Global Warming, because as far as I can see the whole thing is really fucking irrelevant.  Pollution is BAD!  There are no ifs, ands, or buts involved, its just fucking BAD!  Bad for the Planet, Bad for the ecosystem, Bad for the People!  Why in the hell are we even fucking debating this?

The worst part of all of this is that we have the technology to reduce our pollution output down to next to nothing, but the rich bastards that control everything refuse to implement those technologies because they might cut into their obscene profit margins.  So we are all poisoned everyday in the name of greed.  And we are virtually powerless to stop it because our elected representatives refuse to do their freakin jobs to "promote the general welfare" of our entire nation.  They are too busy counting their campaign donations to bother with doing their damn jobs.     

                            

Is the Earth really warming up?  Yes, it is.  Are human's responsible?  Well, we sure are not making it any better.  As I said though, I don't think any of that really matters.  If we took the steps that we should have been taking for the last 50 years, we could repair the damage they have done to our lands, our waters, our air, and the Earth will take care of the rest.      

I am a firm believer that all life on this planet is connected.  We all evolved on this planet together for a reason.  Human's have spent far too long believing that they are somehow above, and separate, from the other life forms on this planet, and they are very, very wrong.  Human, Plant, Animal, we need each other.  It is well beyond time we tried working with our planet instead of tearing it apart and poisoning it for the profit of a few greedy bastards who couldn't care less if they turned the whole planet into a wasteland as long as they can make a few bucks.

It is far beyond time that these people be held responsible, and LIABLE, for ALL of the damage they have done.  If they don't want to clean it up right, then they need to be put out of business and ALL of their assets should be diverted to cleaning up their crap.  The owners of these companies should be in jail, for life, and their personal assets should be returned to the people of this country and the rest of the world.  And there should be at least a 90% tax rate on EVERY company that profits from polluting, so we can use that money to clean up their fucking mess.   If only our Government cared half as much about doing its actual job as they do about dictating the personal lives of ordinary citizens.  If only ...

       

          

Attacking Hypocrites

Hello there Internet People!  I know I haven't been here to rant at you all in like, forever.  And I had no intention of coming here today to rant either, but sometimes plans change.  I have already put in my time at the keyboard today and I should be working on my latest project, but shit has happened in my neck of the woods this week and I have a need to address it.

First, a little background.  I live in Washington State.  Last year our legislature put through a Bill that would have finally legalized "Gay Marriage" in our state, and the Governor was all set to sign the Bill into law.  Then some dumbass holier-than-thou fucking morons decided they didn't like that, so they petitioned to have the whole issue put up for a vote by the people of the state.  They spent millions of dollars campaigning against passage of the law, and they FAILED miserably!  YEAH!  The vote was overwhelmingly in favor, and the law is now LAW.

Now comes my Issue of the Day.  While they were campaigning against equality, one of their commercials was about some bozo who owned an event space of some kind who had been sued for refusing to rent to a "Gay" couple.  Every time it came on the TV I would yell at the damn screen, "Good, serves you right you bigoted prick!"  I cannot stand stupid people, and to me this bozo is fucking stupid, no if's, and's, or but's about it, just fucking stupid. 

Fast forward to this week.  Some dumb bimbo who owns a flower shop in our local area refused to provide flowers for a local Gay couple's wedding because it "goes against her religious beliefs".  Now, it was NOT the Gay couple who brought this stupidity out into the public view, it was the brainless fucking bimbo who went to the press and made a big deal about the fact that she was a hypocritical bigoted bitch.  

Standing up for your religious beliefs my ass!  Unless you are asking every fucking bride for proof of her virginity before selling her flowers you are just using your fucking fairy tale book as an excuse to be a bigoted hateful little fucking bitch!  Where is your fucking moral superiority when you sell flowers to Gang bangers for their weddings, and funerals?  When did you turn down the woman who is shopping for flowers for her 8th fucking wedding?!  Oh, never?  Then shut the fuck up bitch, seriously, just shut the fuck up!                               

What the hell difference does it really make where your fucking flowers end up?  As long as they are paying for them why the fuck do you think it is any of your gawddamn business who uses them for what?  I don't care if they are planning to have sex with the damn flowers, its NONE OF YOUR GAWDDAMN BUSINESS!  

These religious fucking nut jobs need to get the fuck out of everyone else's bedrooms and start using their own.  Maybe then they wouldn't feel the need to violate the most basic rule in their stupid fairy tale - "Judge NOT lest ye be Judged!"  

They pick and choose which parts of the book they think should apply to what people, and then claim it is a matter of their "beliefs".  NO, its NOT, it is about you choosing to be an ignorant primitive moron who refuses to fucking take responsibilities for your hateful bigotry.  Period. 

 Your "Jesus" was supposed to be all about Love and acceptance, taking care of the less fortunate, treating people with dignity, you know - all that nonsense that you keep fighting so hard against.  These people need to either start living by their damn book or just fucking admit they are using it as a convenient excuse to be assholes.                                    

                                       

Talking Tragedies and Gun Control

Hello Internet People.  I would like to begin this post by saying that my heart goes out to all those affected by all the horrendous tragedies that have taken too many innocent lives.  There are no words sufficient to express the pain and devastation wrought, not only to those directly affected, but to all of us, as human beings.  

What troubles me, is the instant reaction from so many people on both sides of the isle, to try to grab hold of guns and politicize these tragedies to further their own agendas.  I know there are many people who will try to argue the point with me, but guns are NOT the fucking problem.  And, unfortunately, gun laws are NOT going to solve the fucking problem.  I wish they would.  Fuck, that would be Awesome!  If we could just pass a law against people doing something and they would stop doing it then I would be 100% behind passing lots of fucking laws.  It does NOT work that way.  Never has, never will.

I am 45 years old.  For all but maybe a couple of years out of my life, I have lived in a house with at least one gun.  Most of them were not locked up, and many were kept loaded.  I, personally, have never owned a gun, I have never even fired one, but they have always been around me.  When I was a little kid I knew my Dad kept his rifles either under his bed or in his closet, it never would have occurred to me to touch them.  I was taught from a very young age that guns are dangerous and you do NOT play with them.  A little education tends to go a long way towards preventing problems, but only when that education is honest and based in reality.

I am not blind, ignorant, or naive.  I am certainly not saying that gun violence is not a problem in this country.  It is a big problem.  But gun violence is also a big problem in Mexico where they have very strict gun control laws.  I mean, it is already illegal for people to shot somebody, that doesn't seem to be stopping anybody.  I am not a fanatic, I am not opposed to reasonable, responsible, gun control legislation, but anything drafted in the wake of such tragedies is not going to be reasonable or responsible.  It is reactionary, and it is not even reacting to the real problems behind these tragedies.  The problem is not the accessibility of guns, the problem is the inaccessibility of, and the unwillingness to utilize, proper mental health care.  Guns didn't kill all those people, very sick people killed those people.  Sick people do not require guns to kill lots of people quickly.  There was not a single gun involved in the attacks of 9/11, and thousands of people died within a very short time.

Our country, our whole damn world, is broken.  Until we can learn to see beyond the easy, reactionary answers when tragedies occur, we will never stand a chance of stopping them.  No matter how many laws they write, no matter how many freedoms people willingly allow them to take from us, we will never really be safe.  Laws (as they are being written today) are about control, not safety.  And as someone much more important than I once said, "Those who are willing to sacrifice freedoms for safety, deserve neither." (Ben Franklin, I think)  And, they won't get either.

So, what is the answer?  How do we stop these horrendous events before they occur?  I hate to be the one to have to tell you all this, but, we can't.  As long as there are people on this planet there will be some among them who are sick in the head and they will create chaos and leave devastation in their wake.  We cannot stop that.  But we could do a lot to minimize it.  Starting with providing these sick people with the care that they require to prevent them from becoming such a threat to everyone else.  The one common theme that I see in all of the recent mass shootings in this country, is a bunch of young men whose families knew they were troubled, but were unwilling, or unable, to get them the treatment that they all desperately needed.  

If we want to prevent these tragedies in the future our investments should be into our people and their needs.  People who have hope for the future don't generally go around killing other people.  If this country put as much money into investing into the betterment of the people of this planet as they do in the killing of the people of this planet, maybe we could have a world where everyone could live in peace and harmony.  Just a thought.                          

                    

                            

"The 25 Days of Why I Hate Christmas" - Day 1

Hello there Internet People!  I know it has been a while since I have bitched about something over here, so I thought I might as well put this rant on this Blog.  It is a little more personal than my usual faire over here, but it speaks to the ills of our society as well, so I think it qualifies. 

I was thinking this morning that I should write a series of Blog posts: "The 25 Days of Why I Hate Christmas" and post one each day until the holiday.  I really don't want to be stuck trying to pull that one off, but I thought the idea was funny, and probably way too true for me (and probably a lot of other people as well).  I have a long standing Love/hate relationship with Christmas, and it has only tilted way more towards the hate end as I have gotten older. 

The whole concept of buying shit we don't need with money we don't have to celebrate the birth of someone I don't even believe ever actually existed is just fucking ludicrous.  And the hysteria over the buying of said crap?  I mean seriously, even I am not that fucking crazy!   

Now I do Love Christmas decorations!  The trees and the lights and the ornaments and knick knacks, yeah, I am a sucker for all of it.  The more the merrier, the gaudier the better.  Most years I spend "Black Friday" at home, decorating.  And It always takes more than one day to put up ALL the decorations.  But I would really rather just skip right over the rest of the whole fucking holiday season.

To me, Christmas is about crushed hopes and shattered dreams.  My own Dear Mother started that tradition when I was just a small child.  Every year she would hand me the Sears Toy Catalog and have me mark off all the things I wanted for Christmas.  And then she would make sure I did not get a single one of those things.  She did it to me every year.  I am still not sure what lesson she thought she was teaching me with that nifty trick, but I can pretty much guarantee it wasn't the one that I learned.

And don't even get me started on the whole Santa Claus thing, no one wants me to go there.  Trust me on this one.  

And now we have the wonderful addition of the "War on Christmas" to add to the innumerable joys of the holiday season.  We can't just let everyone be happy and celebrate the season however the hell they want, no, we couldn't do that.  We have to have one side fighting to force Christmas down everyone's throats while the other side is busy trying to rip Christmas out by the roots, and all the while the retail world is just fucking us all in the ass.  Yeah, Happy Fucking Holidays, and a Merry gawddamn Christmas to you too.

   

                     

                       

The Real "Bad" Language ...

Have you ever noticed that the people who seem to have the biggest issue with my use of "foul language" generally seem to be the same ones who would butcher our language for their own ends?  I noticed.  I am little sick and tired of the right wing of the language police acting all incensed over me typing the word "fuck" and then turning around and calling themselves "pro-life" or better yet, "freedom-loving Patriots".  Fuck you, you are neither.

At least when I use words I use them correctly.  I do not twist their meaning and distort reality by claiming words mean things they do not.  I have a great respect for language and the power of words, I just wish other people did as well.  Unfortunately most people today are too busy playing spell check and grammar Nazi to bother with trying to understand the messages being presented to them anyway.  We live in a world of "sound bites".  No one seems to want to be bothered with truth or accuracy in the message, that misspelled word is far too important to worry about all the other ones being used inaccurately.

I think it is time somebody sets the record straight on a few definitions, so I am going to start right here and now.  "Pro-life" - if you support going to war against another country, the death penalty in this country, or if you oppose the use of tax payer dollars to aid our own citizens in their time of need - you are no longer allowed to call yourself "Pro-life".  You are NOT "Pro-life" you are ONLY "Pro-control-over-other-people", possibly you can claim to be "pro-birth", but since you generally seem to oppose providing adequate medical care to pregnant women who can't afford it, you can't even claim that - so just sit down, shut up, and fuck off.

Another word you all are no longer allowed to abuse would be "entitlements".  The most "Entitled" people in this country are you racist religious nut jobs and the wealthy who think that because they have lots of money they are somehow "entitled" to being treated as superior to everyone else.  SO, again, I have to say, Fuck you!  I am sick and tired of you calling the Social programs designed to protect the most disadvantaged of our citizens "Entitlement" programs.  They are NOT "Entitlement" programs, they are Compassion and Decency fucking programs and you are sick asswipes if you cannot understand their value and their necessity.

There are also a couple of related terms that I am calling complete and total bullshit on and I am demanding that you quit abusing language in such offensive and foul ways.  The "War on Christianity" and the whole "Class Warfare" thing, yeah, those have to fucking STOP now!  Fuck you!  You started both those fucking wars against the rest of us, but if we fight back to defend ourselves from your tyranny, somehow we are the bad guys?  I don't fucking think so, Fuck You!  The ONLY reason we still have people living in poverty is because of the greed of a few ultra-rich people who don't believe that other people have any value at all other than what they can be used for.  And telling you to quit shoving your dark ages fucking mythical friend down my throat does NOT constitute me declaring War on you, YOU declared War on the rest of us, we are only defending ourselves and our children from your ignorance and your mental and moral defects.

And speaking of our children, QUIT using the term "Family Values" - you do NOT even have the slightest clue what either of those words fucking mean.  Family Values are LOVE, Peace, Acceptance, Tolerance, Forgiveness - they are NOT fucking Hate, and divisiveness, and bullying bigotry, Fuck You.  If those are your ideas of family values I feel so very sorry for your poor children.  I know what it is to grow up in that kind of family and I would not wish it on my worst enemy.  

I think it is way beyond time that people demand that these and the myriad of other abuses of our languages (they do this in every language - not just my American English one) be stopped.  I am sorry you cannot find positive words that accurately describe your message, maybe you should take a look at that message a little more closely and figure out why you have to be so fucking negative all the damn time.  Maybe, just maybe, if you all spent a little more time cleaning out your own damn closets you wouldn't have so much time to worry about what everybody else keeps (or doesn't keep) in theirs. 

My Last Minute Appeal to Voters

 As we approach what I believe will be another historic election in a couple of days I want to make one final plea for the future of our nation.  We have a clear choice on Tuesday, do we want to be a country where we look out for one another and treat each other with respect and dignity, or do we want to be an everyone for themselves, fuck the environment, screw over everyone for a buck kind of country?

That is the choice before you.  As much as I wanted to support a third party candidate for my own personal reasons, for the sake of my children, and yours, I had no real choice, I had to vote for Barack Obama, and I have to plead with my fellow Americans to do the same.  

I have listened to every single argument that there is on why we should vote against the President on Tuesday and the only one of them that is actually based in reality is his stance on medical marijuana, and if you think Romney is going to be any friendlier to it you are insane!  All the other arguments against the President are either based on ridiculous distortions or outright lies and I am really beyond sick of listening to them.

He was born in Hawaii, not Kenya, get over it!  Our debt problem was created by President Bush Jr., NOT Obama, get over it!  The crash of the GLOBAL economy was, in part, a result of President Bush Jr. and his policies, NOT Obama, get over it!  Of course there are more people on Food Stamps during his Presidency than during any other - we are still trying to recover from the damage of the worst Recession since the Great Depression - it would be better to let everyone starve?  What the hell is wrong with people?  What ever it is, get over it!

Obama is not perfect, you will never hear me claim that he is, but if you think anything in this country will get better with Mr. Romney in the White House, you have truly lost touch with reality.  The ultra rich might get richer, and I guarantee that Mitt Romney will get richer.  The rest of us, well, we're just fucked.  Our country will be gutted, our landscape ravaged, and our children, and our children's children will be paying for it in far more ways than money.

Obama is NOT a Socialist, a Communist, a Fascist, a Marxist, a Muslim, a Kenyan, a loser, an idiot, or any of the other insulting labels that the Republicans and Racists in this country have tried to attach to him.  He is a damn good man who has done his level best for the people of this nation, and the rest of the world, against astronomical odds and a treasonously obstructionistic opposition.  He has done more to move this nation in a positive direction than any President in more than a decade, that is for damn sure!  And I am pleading with my fellow Americans to Please give our nation a chance to move Forward into the 21st century, and vote for Barack Obama, because Romney is only going to take us Back to the Dark Ages.