And to the Republic

Yes, I'm going to talk about politics and religion.  I'm very disturbed (and have a very hard time keeping my mouth shut) when I see people who describe themselves as Christians ranting about how everyone should be required to recite the pledge of allegiance.

First of all, reciting a pledge is not going to decrease terrorism, or make someone with terrorist leanings change his/her mind.  Not reciting it is not going to turn anyone against America, or make them any less of a citizen.  And forcing someone to recite something in the hopes they will espouse that belief is simply indoctrination.  The idea to me of a crowd of children being taught, through recitation, blind obedience to their government does not comfort me in any way.  It chills me to the bone.  Most people don't give much thought to the fact that they are pledging allegiance to a particular government.  They just think (because they've been told) that it's the "patriotic thing to do."  Few people question it, but everyone should.

Either it's just words that don't mean anything, or a nostalgic tradition, in which case it's pointless, OR it's a serious commitment of lifelong allegiance.  One's disingenuous and one's dangerous. 

It amuses me when the "uneducated" call me "un-American" because I don't recite the pledge.  Since "un" means "not," that literally translates to "not American," as in, "Anyone who disagrees with me is not American."  Well, last time I checked, I am a legal citizen, born and raised here, and I won't make a fool of myself by acting like a sheep in the name of religion.  I do, however, enjoy this seemingly un-American activity I like to call "thinking for myself."

I'm assuming, since Christ was from the Middle East, that He was "un-American" too, in the same way that I am "un-Chinese" or "un-Israeli," to the best of my knowledge.  People who use the phrase "un-American" are probably trying to say "anti-American," which is a whole different matter.  Their assumption is that anyone who does not engage in the truly obnoxious nationalism they espouse can't possibly care about America.  These are generally very fearful people, who were taught things a certain way, and are scared to death to question it.  Especially if they were taught it by their church.  I'm hoping to dispel a few fears, maybe raise a few eyebrows, and state my case.

Merriam-Webster defines "Christianity" as "the religion that is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ."  I can't possibly imagine Christ pledging allegiance to any government or any flag.  Since Christianity is based on the teachings of Christ, it might be a nifty idea if people actually paid attention to what He had to say.  Take it or leave it, call me un-American, I don't care. 

Over and over, Christ blasts the rulemakers and writers of law, and flouts society's expectations.  Not only do I believe that He would have completely disapproved of the pledge of allegiance, but as protective as He was of children, I imagine He would have been outraged that people would, in His name, subject children to reciting something that was generated as a government pledge.  He exhorted his followers to not divide their loyalties, choosing God even over their own family members.  I'm pretty sure He would have expected them to choose God over their own government.

I've read a little more of the Bible than many people assume.  And the words of Christ show me a man who would be deeply disappointed, even outraged, at the dogma being thrown about as His will, in the name of mind control.  Show me a Bible verse where Jesus exhorts us to pledge allegiance to any government or any flag.  You won't find one.

Far too many people are not aware that the stipulation, "Under God," was not part of the original pledge. It was added in 1952, as a result of widespread fear-mongering.  It was during this same time that "In God We Trust" was added to currency.  It was during the Communist witch hunts.  People inflicted great cruelty on one another and ruined lives and careers, over rumors and gossip.  It was a shameful time.  It hasn't seemed to make a big difference in human behavior to add this to our currency or pledge, has it.  It hasn't resulted in a drop in crime, or an increase in human kindness.  So what was the point?  I don't think Jesus would approve of this mingling of church and state.  He Himself says, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."  (Matthew 22:21)  How did our society become so deluded?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
I feel so strongly about this because some people will do pretty much anything if they can be convinced that God is somehow behind it.  And let's face it, some people don't take much convincing.  I see the bigger picture, and it's not pretty.  The whole "God and country" thing leaves me cold.  That is not mutually inclusive, and it insinuates that our country has carte blanche to do anything it wants because it's already endorsed by God.  Now THAT'S scary.

Many people have been misled that America is some sort of holy, benevolent giant.  They seem to believe that pledging allegiance to our government makes them more Godly.  I call it "obedient."  As Voltaire said, "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."  I refuse to turn a blind eye to the atrocities that have been committed by our country, and so many others, all in the name of God.  And I certainly will not pledge allegiance to any government or nation.  I'm not ruled by, or addicted to fear, and won't be bullied by any Pharisees.  I humbly submit that our highest common good cannot be accomplished through recited words, but through compassion, truth, and integrity.

Ukraine

I've noticed over the past few months that I have a larger group of readers in Ukraine than in the United States.  I found this fascinating, especially considering the size of Ukraine compared to the U.S., and the fact that I'm pretty certain I don't know anyone there.  I have a friend who wrote a blog, and had a large following in a particular country.  When he asked some of his readers in that country why they read his blog, they stated that they were learning English that way.

I like to think that, regardless of my logic or ideas, my English skills, grammar, and punctuation are pretty good, so that would not bother me one bit.  It's a weird feeling to think about how somewhere, complete strangers from the other side of the planet are reading my blog.  I never get any feedback from them, but I'd really like feedback right now.

If you are in the Ukraine and reading this post, I would love to hear more about what is really happening in your country.  To say the least, American media is deceptive.  My understanding is that the President of Ukraine, who is now in hiding, basically broke promises to the Ukrainian people, and cast his alliances in opposition to the will of the people.  Then when peaceful protesters marched, they were gunned down.  This of course, is a very over-simplified explanation of the situation.

To be honest, I could probably learn more from news sources, but I don't necessarily trust them.  I view this as an opportunity to hear directly from the people impacted the most: the people of Ukraine.  I would love to hear your comments about how you perceive the situation (whether you choose to comment on this post, or email me directly at carverromy@gmail.com).  With your permission, I'd like to share your comments without identifying you.  I also share my blog on my Facebook page.  

I am frustrated that so much of what is going on in the world is being spun by my country's corporate media, to the point that the truth is unrecognizable, and I'd like to hear from you.  For that matter, wherever you are, I'd like to hear from you.  I'd like to hear about your viewpoints from whatever corner of the world you inhabit.

You all know a little about me and my viewpoints if you read my blog.  I'd like to hear about you.  I am inspired by populations that stand up and take back power from the despots and the tyrants.  Your name may or may not end up in the history books, but only you can know the struggles you have endured, and you are the REAL game changers.  The real changes in power throughout history have not taken place because of political leaders.  The changes have happened when everyday people got fed up, stood up, spoke out, and made a difference.  This takes an unbelievable amount of courage for the masses to put their lives on the line, join hands, and gather together in the name of justice.

God bless the people of Ukraine.  May you be granted justice and peace, which go hand in hand.  May the will of the people be heard, may bloodshed end, and may you come out stronger as a people through your sacrifice and struggle. 

If there is something you would like to say to the rest of us out there, I would love to hear from you.  Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing...

I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be defending not only Superbowl commercials, but Coca-Cola as well, but here I am.  Coca-Cola's human rights abuses as a company are legend, and I don't drink soda anyway, but here I feel the need to defend them from the knuckle-draggers who are throwing a fit over this lovely commercial:

2014 Superbowl Coke Ad

I watched very little of the Superbowl yesterday, but did manage to catch this particular ad, and found it touching.  Apparently, some people didn't feel the same way, because (gasp!) the entire song wasn't sung in English.  It never occurred to me that people would stoop to this level of bigotry, until I looked at Facebook today, and saw this meme (and others like it):







 










Particularly ironic about their complaints is the fact that three of the languages being sung were being spoken in this land called America for centuries before the arrival of English-speakers.  Of course this irony would be lost on people who seem only to be intent on something to complain about. 

They missed the entire point of the ad (besides selling soda) while they were busy spouting their vitriol: that the American ideal is people coming from all over to fulfill their dreams, being welcomed with open arms, and working together to create a great society.  Or at least that's the drivel I was taught in school.  Of course, growing older, I learned the truth: there is no equal playing field.  Native Alaskans, Hawaiians, Native Americans, and Mexicans were driven off their land, or forced into slavery to benefit white masters.  Africans were shipped here for similar purposes, and worse.  Immigrants have historically been given the hardest, dirtiest, least respected jobs, while being blamed for crime rates, treated with suspicion, and persecuted.  It happened with the Chinese, the Irish, and now the Mexicans.  And God forbid someone move here from the Middle East, because that entire group is automatically assigned the title of "terrorists," by the same group invading, occupying, droning, and bombing the rest of the world.   But I digress.

This ad could serve as a reminder of our common humanity... make us all want to try a little harder... to sing the same song, to be a team?  I would like to believe more than soda unites us, things like freedom and equality.  Apparently this group of Einsteins does not agree.  
 
So now we have a patriotic American song being sung by people in different languages, and the xenophobes just can't deal with it.  Since they don't appear to be the sharpest tools in the shed, I am going to craft my message to them in simple English words that they can understand and here it is:

"Get over it.  The world does not 'belong' to English-speaking white people.  Nobody is hurting you by singing a song you like in another language.  I know it may be hard for you to believe, but there are wonderful, intelligent, thoughtful, kind people everywhere who don't speak a word of English.  You are not superior.  They are not inferior.  It's not 'un-American' to show real Americans from another culture singing in a tongue you don't understand, just because they don't look and sound like you.  You are not 'more' American than they are.  People like you are the reason that people all over the world think Americans are stupid.  You don't speak for me or any other intelligent, thinking American.  Lastly, grow up."

Thank You, Bill O'Reilly

Looking back over my life, I recall many cringe-worthy moments, mostly composed of ill-informed good intentions.  We're all on that continuum, hopefully learning and growing, but never really "arrived."  I expect plenty of cringe-worthy moments in my future as well, and I'm okay with that, as long as I learn from them, right?  So I can forgive myself for once not knowing what I know now, and for once having been a Fox News viewer. 

In 2003, many of us were watching the war on TV.  "Shock and Awe" was the phrase trumpeted repeatedly on the news, as we flew our yellow ribbons and hoped for the quick "liberation" of Iraq.  The news anchors described the bombings with more than a hint of glee.  They seemed more focused on the technological advances that enabled us to watch the war than on the war itself.   As I watched the dazzling display of pyrotechnics on my TV screen, I couldn't help but notice something missing in the reporting: the Iraqi people.  The light show I was watching was surely connected to painful explosions, death, and destruction of property and lives, yet there was little to no mention of that.  The interviews were largely with U.S. correspondents in deserted streets or motel rooms.  Nobody seemed to ask opinions of the people who actually lived there, but those bombs and missiles were hitting somebody.  I found I just couldn't watch for very long, and an ugly sad feeling was growing inside me, that some fundamental truth was being ignored.  An awareness was growing of an unearned privilege: of not living in a war zone.  I felt a little guilty.

I continued watching Bill O'Reilly's talk show, the "No-Spin Zone," which may well be the most inaccurate description of a show in the entire television industry.  I began to notice that Bill seemed to get lots of kudos for being snarky and mean-spirited.  I noticed that he liked to talk over, interrupt, and belittle his guests.  And it always seemed to be an intelligent, well-spoken guest who was simply trying to complete a statement I was interested in hearing.  I began wondering what he was so frantic to stifle.  It became annoying to hear him refer to anyone he disagreed with as a "pinhead," which seemed more in keeping with the behavior of an unschooled adolescent than a professional commentator.

It was Bill's childish behavior that led me to question his credibility.  The more fact-checking I did, the more disgusted I became with the obscene ways that Bill was spinning and distorting facts.  Bill was lying his tail off, and his cohorts were no better.  I noticed that on Fox News in general, anyone who asked questions that I would ask, such as how liberated the Iraqi people really felt, was ridiculed, yelled over, and roundly dismissed as unpatriotic.

In the course of seeking truth, I rediscovered my old love of reading.  Having always gravitated toward non-fiction, it was a short trip to find articles exposing the truth about the war.  Reading the words of returning U.S. combat veterans and ordinary Iraqi and Afghani people validated my earlier concerns.  My nation had been acting like a bully and I had been unwittingly complicit.  I had always believed strongly in justice and equality, but now I understood patriotism vs. nationalism.  Thanks to Bill O'Reilly, I now also understood news vs. commentary.  There were three t hings to do: quit watching the propaganda machine that is Fox News, keep reading and learning, and speak out against the war machine.

Had he been more likeable, perhaps a little easier to defend, I may have hung around Fox News a little longer, wanting to deny the painful truth and believe them.   So... thank you, Bill O'Reilly, for being indefensible.  Thank you for exemplifying what spin looks like.  Thank you for being rude, arrogant, spiteful, and smug.  Thank you for showing me what laziness in fact-checking looks like, because it made it easy to see the opposite in my sources later.  Thank you especially for being so blatant about it.  Your "news" broadcasts focus mostly on the ego of the broadcaster, rather than actual events, and your buffoonery makes it impossible to take you seriously.  At least it's entertaining if one feels that clowns make great newscasters.  Thank you most of all for re-awakening my love of reading and research, even if it eventually debunked your lies, and created a passionate peacemonger, which I'm sure was not your intention.  In spite of yourself, you managed to serve the higher good for this truth-seeker, and for that I am grateful.

Sincerely, a peace activist who values truth, equality, and justice, or as you would call it, a pinhead.  

Holiday Peace

Ever play with one of those Chinese finger traps?  You stick your fingers in and they are stuck.  The harder you pull, the more stuck you are.  This is how I am feeling during this holiday season, and I know I’m not alone.  There seems to be a huge sense of expectation built up this time of year, to make this the “best one ever,” like life is some kind of Hallmark movie.  Worse yet, there is almost a sense of societal obligation to be cheery.  After all, who wants to be accused of being a scrooge? 

For a variety of reasons, there are several people who won’t be coming to Christmas in my family this year.  Some are no longer with us, some are in a life struggle that is taking precedence over family and holidays, and some have changed their religious views to no longer include Christmas, or the family get-togethers that have accompanied it.  For me, this time of year has always been about family, and the sights and sounds of Christmas this year have a hollow feel to them.  As a matter of fact, I have mostly avoided any shopping that is not absolutely necessary, in order to avoid the dreaded Christmas music, which makes me cranky or depressed, depending on the tune.

I’m not saying any of this for sympathy, or attention; my problems are miniscule compared to some people's.  I’m saying it because it’s my truth, and it’s been weighing on my mind.  So much is beyond our control, not only during this time of the year, but all throughout the year; yet there’s this undeniable pressure to “make” it a great holiday.  Sometimes you just can’t.  It is what it is.  Call me Scrooge, but I feel resentment at that expectation, because it minimizes people’s reality.  There are many times in life that we are walking with privilege and are unaware.  One form of privilege is getting to be with your family and being happy.  Right now, I have several friends going through divorce, several friends grieving a death, a friend dealing with major legal issues with her son, and another friend whose little grandson is at the brink of death from cancer.  Why do we have this pressure to “fake it” when things are not well, just because it’s the holiday season?

A couple of weeks ago, a man I know killed himself.  I don’t know why, and it seemed to come as a surprise to everyone who knew him.  I don’t know what pressures he faced, or what kept him from talking to someone and asking for help, but I don’t think our society is very good at encouraging that.  That expectation to “be tough” isn’t always very helpful.  I’m not blaming society for his death, just wondering what role this might have played.

The only way to get out of a Chinese finger trap is to relax, and push both ends of the trap toward the center.  Reduce pressure, find a place of balance, whether that’s in the center or wherever, because it’s different for everyone.  Stop pulling against the pressure.  And recognize that in the long run, we can attach meaning to a day but it’s still just a day.  We can find new ways to honor our lives, every day.

My friend Deb always ascribed to the Platinum Rule, which is to treat others as they wish to be treated.  I won’t assume that everyone celebrates Christmas and has a Hallmark life (or wants either).  I just think we are all here doing the best we can, in each moment, and that seems more than enough to expect.

Peace is a loaded term.  And for me, I am seeking peace this holiday season by providing joy and comfort where I can, to myself and others.  Staying out of the ways of others when I am feeling grumpy, because it’s not my intention to be a wet blanket.  Looking for the positive in people and situations.  And perhaps most importantly, not feeling guilt if I don’t choose to partake in the Santa hat-wearing, jingle-belling, fake cheer I’m “supposed” to feel.  It's a great opportunity to boil the season down to what is really, truly important.  I’m a little busy this year missing some people, and I’m going to concentrate on loving the people I can. 

If you are reading this, my wish for you is peace of mind and heart, comfort, and love.  If you are sad or struggling, know that you are not alone.  And it’s okay to be sad, because sometimes life is sad, it just is.  There’s nothing wrong with you if you don’t feel “cheery,” or if you do.  Regardless of who or where you are, I wish you peace.