Seems like hardly a day goes by that I don’t receive at least one patriotic email; Old Glory flying and pictures of troops in full battle gear with a message to support our troops. After all, they’re over there fighting for you and your country. These emails invoke the name of God Almighty to protect and save our troops from harm and suggest that the recipient is less than moral if they do not pass on the message to their entire mail list – “Please share with everyone you know.”
For the sake of our freedom and our country we are told, our finest men and women are coming home in pieces or body bags, changed forever by the reality of the horrors of war. Honorarium is paid publically as the most wounded warriors stoically and respectfully listen to their Commander in Chief laud their efforts while silently swallowing their bitter pills of truth.
Through the misty memories come visions of The Big One, WWII (once referred to by a young teacher to her class as “World War Eleven” - ?). That was a time of unity; we came together at a time when our troops truly were defending the right for this country to exist. History teaches us how we fought enemies on two fronts. Japan and Germany had both declared war on the United States; a peaceful and prosperous country just doing our own thing, blissfully unaware and uninvolved in international politics. Without the Herculean effort it took for us to win that war and keep our freedom, we wouldn’t have to worry about this country morphing into a Spanish-speaking nation. We’d all be speaking Japanese or German; no options. It was a time when one could truly be proud to be an American. Our soldiers were heroes worldwide and so were the women who stayed behind and kept this nation ticking. We were a much loved and respected nation by 1945 and it was to the credit of our military.
It was a glorious victory and the late 40’s and 50’s in this country were celebratory. We were strong and we were prosperous. We could all be millionaires if we just worked hard enough. Jobs were plentiful and our future was secure. Life was good once again; maybe too good. It bred an apathy for the corruption in our midst and a longing for those days of honor and cohesiveness – a united nation against an identifiable enemy; a mission; a goal. But there were foxes watching our henhouse and they were smart and they were wily and it would be many years before we could come to understand the gravity of that force that was undermining our society. The common cry would be, “Support Our Troops.”
It’s been over 60 years now since any nation has declared war on us, jeopardizing our freedom and our culture(s). Given this uncontestable fact, it’s hard to imagine how any soldier has died for me or you or this country or our freedom in those years. What is the direct threat to this country? Yet, our soldiers are still sent overseas and continue to give their best, fight and die. Why? Were the Koreans going to overrun us and take over? Hardly. The Vietnamese? Don’t think so. Well then, how about the Iraqis? Still no? Surely those Al Qaeda and the Muslims in Afghanistan are threatening our security! Really.
When someone decides to join the military, you sign a contract that says you will obey orders or go to jail and you don’t get to pick which conflict. You go or else. The recent deployment of our national guardsmen, who are supposed to stay state-side to help with natural disasters and home-front defense because there were not enough regular army volunteers should say something to the rest of us. Do you hear the message? Where are the noble masses that want to fight and die for causes that are not clear to us? There are a few, but not in the requisite numbers to do the total job. Obviously, we’re too smart for that.
So what about the soldiers deployed? Why are we in Afghanistan today? Okay. We got Osama bin Laden and his heir apparent. Mission accomplished. Fighting for me and my freedom? No. I don’t think so. So, what are they fighting for? The ones I have talked to personally are not deceived by the patriotic hype. They get it. If you want a clue, try “oil” – big oil. Do your own research. We all know that Iraq has vast oil reserves as does Libya. Go online and search for Unocol or Turkmenistan oil reserves, or even “Carlysle Group” – remember them? The only thing in the way of that last remaining big oil reserve and the sea to ship it out is . . . . guess what? Afghanistan. Gee. I wonder what our troops are fighting for? Wouldn’t be the right to build a pipeline, now would it? Right. And the US Government would never hand out no-bid billion dollar contracts to Haliburton, but they did.
Personally, I do not feel safer for any amount of dead Afghanis or Iraqis and now Libyans. I have never felt threatened by any of those countries or their mad leaders. I fear the enemy within. So from now on, well meaning friends, put the flag down and quit sending me this crap about troops dying for me and my country. They are dying for money – BIG money interests in foreign countries so that you can have cheap gas and their profits can continue to soar. Deal with it. That’s reality. This is the enemy within that has been getting bigger and more powerful for the last 60+ years while you wave your flags and proclaim, “Support our troops.”
WAKE FUCKING UP, AMERICANS!!! Support your troops by demanding that they be brought home immediately and further, given the finest care available when they get here. To do less isn’t even almost disguised patriotism. It’s just wrong. Educate yourselves about predatory capitalism and bring this country back into balance. We still have time, but you’d better get a whole lot smarter, quicker. The foxes are waiting and your children are dying. But damn! Four dollars a gallon for gas!? Unacceptable.
Take my pledge to our soldiers with me:
“American veterans – I salute you and the job you have to do. I understand why you are there. I get it. I support each and every one of you and I am doing my damndest here to bring you home to your families and your friends and to make sure you get all of the help you need when you get home.”
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Jesus - Savior or Scapegoat
Jesus – Savior or Scapegoat?
After six plus decades of living on this planet and being raised to be a good Christian, go to church on Sundays, be baptized, read the Bible, and believe in Jesus, I came to contemplate the validity of it all and the true meaning of the messages handed down in all religious disciplines, not just my own. It seems to me, after all, that they all have the same core values; be nice to one another, be chaste, honest, don’t steal, meditate, and have respect for all living things. So what matter is it which one you should adopt? Doesn’t it matter that you just believe in something?
I always believed in the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, so I was perplexed when I would hear the preacher admonishing parishioners from the pulpit to “accept Jesus as your personal ‘savior.’” What does he want, I would wonder? I already believed. Isn’t that enough? It seems there was another step that I should take, but I just didn’t get it.
As time went on, I found myself fascinated with religious history; its roots, why so many interpretations of the same man’s teachings have come about. Why is it that generations worldwide have been willing to kill one another over their elucidations? To kill, rape, maim, torture, and otherwise make miserable my fellow man as historically evidenced during the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and even the legalized genocide practiced against American Natives, in the name of the Prince of Peace made no sense. I could not reconcile these mixed messages.
Sunday mornings, the pews would be full of self-righteous individuals some of whom had spent their week cheating, stealing, and ignoring their brethren in need, practicing greed, and a host of other sins. The message was, “accept Jesus as your savior, and all is forgiven.” No further responsibility required.
After countless years of observing these repeated sins and repeated repentance, it occurred to me that these individuals just didn’t get it and had no intention of taking responsibility for themselves and their actions. All they had to do was say, “Sorry, Jesus” and the damage was behind them.
It has taken me all of these long years to come to the sad conclusion that this is not about salvation; this is about scapegoating. “Salvation” implies that something has been learned and corrective action will be taken in the future. Collectively, what have we truly learned as a nation, as a society, as a neighborhood, what do we do better today than we ever did before? Do we love more? Do we involve ourselves with our fellow man for the benefit of our culture? Do we forgive one another? Do we take only what we need? Do we respect the earth that God gave us and his bounty? Or do we just take and take and take and then ask forgiveness?
Next time you pray for forgiveness, be brutally honest with yourself and ask if you’re really asking for salvation, or are you just looking for a scapegoat so that you are relieved of the burden of ‘responsibility.’
After six plus decades of living on this planet and being raised to be a good Christian, go to church on Sundays, be baptized, read the Bible, and believe in Jesus, I came to contemplate the validity of it all and the true meaning of the messages handed down in all religious disciplines, not just my own. It seems to me, after all, that they all have the same core values; be nice to one another, be chaste, honest, don’t steal, meditate, and have respect for all living things. So what matter is it which one you should adopt? Doesn’t it matter that you just believe in something?
I always believed in the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, so I was perplexed when I would hear the preacher admonishing parishioners from the pulpit to “accept Jesus as your personal ‘savior.’” What does he want, I would wonder? I already believed. Isn’t that enough? It seems there was another step that I should take, but I just didn’t get it.
As time went on, I found myself fascinated with religious history; its roots, why so many interpretations of the same man’s teachings have come about. Why is it that generations worldwide have been willing to kill one another over their elucidations? To kill, rape, maim, torture, and otherwise make miserable my fellow man as historically evidenced during the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and even the legalized genocide practiced against American Natives, in the name of the Prince of Peace made no sense. I could not reconcile these mixed messages.
Sunday mornings, the pews would be full of self-righteous individuals some of whom had spent their week cheating, stealing, and ignoring their brethren in need, practicing greed, and a host of other sins. The message was, “accept Jesus as your savior, and all is forgiven.” No further responsibility required.
After countless years of observing these repeated sins and repeated repentance, it occurred to me that these individuals just didn’t get it and had no intention of taking responsibility for themselves and their actions. All they had to do was say, “Sorry, Jesus” and the damage was behind them.
It has taken me all of these long years to come to the sad conclusion that this is not about salvation; this is about scapegoating. “Salvation” implies that something has been learned and corrective action will be taken in the future. Collectively, what have we truly learned as a nation, as a society, as a neighborhood, what do we do better today than we ever did before? Do we love more? Do we involve ourselves with our fellow man for the benefit of our culture? Do we forgive one another? Do we take only what we need? Do we respect the earth that God gave us and his bounty? Or do we just take and take and take and then ask forgiveness?
Next time you pray for forgiveness, be brutally honest with yourself and ask if you’re really asking for salvation, or are you just looking for a scapegoat so that you are relieved of the burden of ‘responsibility.’
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