Photo by Cheryl Coward
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."
Luke (6:27-35)
Well, after meeting Hart and reading about him and what he has written, he sure seems to be living up to this creed. I sure wish more of his other fellow Christians would strive for this and leave violence for the extremists. Unfortunately, it seems we have met the enemy and he is us.
ACTION ALERT:
You may want to consider posting supportive comments about the Houston Chronicle's stroy on Winter Soldier.
War-torn vets speak out
Haunted by their wartime experiences, some Iraq veterans are are protesting
From the page: "Hart Viges walks the streets of Austin in a tunic and carries a sign that reads, "Jesus Against War." It's one of many ways, he says, that he must atone for his actions as an American soldier in Iraq.
Army Sgt. Ronn Cantu says lingering memories of killing a civilian in Iraq led him to start a chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War at his home -- Fort Hood.
And in Houston, Chris Hauff, an Iraq War vet who returned from combat two years ago, wrestles with the feeling that his best friend died in a misguided war.
"The idea that American soldiers are there to spread democracy and liberate the people is all smoke and mirrors," Hauff says.
After five years and more than 4,000 American deaths, hundreds of anti-war Iraq veterans and even some active-duty soldiers are speaking out in protest. Though they make up a relatively small percentage of all the soldiers who have served, certainly they speak from experience. They've had their boots on the ground."
I've had breakfast with Hart Viges. Great guy. God fearing Christian. Anti-war. Pro-peace. Just like Jesus of Nazareth. Imagine that.
Here's what Dave posted in the comment section:
"My thanks to the editors of the Houston Chronicle for allowing this story to run and to Claudia Feldman whose resolve and determination to report the story is exemplary.
As a veteran of the war in Viet Nam who went to that war with a firm belief in its necessity and honorable goals and returned in anger against my government for the lies that sent me, I can well relate to what the men and women of Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan face. To allow them to tell their story is, truly, "supporting the troops".
Some 10 years after the last US soldier left Viet Nam a survey was conducted regarding the views about that war among its veterans. The results suggested that, much like the nation as a whole for much of the war, those veterans were divided in their views; some still believing it a "noble cause" and others denouncing it as criminal aggression, futility, or error heaped upon error. The same will likely prove true ten years after the last US soldier leaves Iraq. But the division of opinion among veteran and civilian alike is no excuse for muffling the voice of these men and women who have each served with honor and continue to serve by standing up and telling the truth as they experienced and perceive it.
Bring the troops home now and care for them when they return.
Dave Collins
Hill Country contact
Vietnam Veterans Against the War"
hoto by Cheryl Coward
Here's a clip of Hart during the Winter Soldier Event this spring:
Monday, April 21, 2008
Winter Soldier Article in Houston Chronicle
Friday, April 18, 2008
Shoot the Moon
This is a picture I took of Terri at the XLN pool hall with a couple of enhancements... Click on the picture and click on the 'ALL SIZES' icon to see the detail.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Texas Extreme Semi-pro Football
Monday, March 31, 2008
A Fina Note
I wrote this a few weeks ago, shortly after the Texas primary and before Obama's "race" speech.
Tucker Carlson – who I dislike, but not as much as I dislike conservative mouth pieces Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, & Bill O'Reilly – asked a panelist on his MSNBC show last week, "if the Democrats can't beat John McCain after 8 years of Bush, shouldn't they just disband?" After a moment of thought, the panelist replied that Carlson's point was "well taken." While the Democratic candidates ravage one another with more and more negative attacks, the Republicans quietly lick their chops and grow stronger.
We are on the verge of electing the oldest man in history to be president. He is a man who offers nothing to the American people except more of the same; a man who has changed positions on important political issues overnight for the sake of political expediency. An uninspiring man, who brings no innovation and no vigor to an office that desperately needs new life and new direction. I cannot blame Democrats for wanting the future to be now, but I must take issue with Democrats dreaming about how things should be, and how that perpetual dream state interferes with an objective assessment of harsh political realities.
The fact remains that this country remains deeply divided along race and gender lines. If the movers and shakers in the Democratic Party would step outside of their sheltered cosmopolitan hotbeds of liberalism, they would realize that huge numbers of working poor remain unconvinced that the party has their best interests at heart. Even more disconcerting are the droves of lower class and lower middle class people who have openly embraced the Republican Party because the Democrats have allowed themselves to be portrayed as the party of the "Godless." This is primarily a result of the party's stance on abortion and gay rights, in combination with a successful Republican campaign to portray those beliefs as being in direct contrast to the teachings of Christ and Christianity. However, there are – and always have been – weapons for the party to use against accusations of Godlessness. For instance, the dichotomy that Republicans present with their anti-abortion / pro-death penalty stance is in diametric opposition to the teachings of Christ. The fact that the vast majority of reputable biological scientists agree that homosexuality is a condition of birth and not a choice – as the evangelicals would have us believe – is a fact that continues to fall upon largely deaf ears both within and without the Republican Party. Why would anyone "choose" to be homosexual? But, the Democrats have dropped the ball. We have wrongly convinced ourselves that the anti-abortion / pro-death penalty / anti-gay segment of the population makes up only a small percentage of the electorate, and that their influence is felt only along the fringes of the political spectrum. We have blindly accepted that race and gender divisions are quietly dissolving of their own accord and that there is no real need to openly talk about them.
Of all these things, race and gender remain the most divisive. Amidst talk of ending Affirmative Action and quotas in college acceptance that require a minimum number of minority students, we are blindly stepping into a time machine that will return us all to a day when racial harmony reigned supreme under the protective umbrella of segregation. Nowhere is legalized segregation more openly on display than at the elementary and secondary education levels of our children. Private schools have long been a way for parents to separate their children from "undesirables." The move toward more and more home schooling is not so much a reflection of a lack of confidence in the quality of public education as it is a way for poorer families to prevent their children from racially mixing. In rural small town America – especially in the south - one can easily identify the white, black, and Hispanic sections of town. The white exodus from the cities to the suburbs can be either directly or indirectly attributed to the relative close proximity of the races in the cities. Churches, temples, and mosques remain largely segregated. Authoritative positions in both the public and private sector continue to be dominated by white men. Republican attacks against the illegal immigrants themselves rather than against businesses that hire them or conditions in Mexico and elsewhere that force migration are inherently racists. The refusal to tolerate or respect cultural differences perpetuates ignorance and insures that racist attitudes will be passed from one generation to the next. However, racism is not a one way street. There are plenty of black, brown, red, and yellow racists. But, when one out of every fifteen black men and one out of every thirty-six Hispanic men in this country are in prison, and the national average is one out of every one-hundred, there is clearly something wrong with the social fabric. Are black and Hispanic men guilty of serious crimes more often than white men? Or do they suffer more extreme consequences when found guilty because of a system of justice that is inherently racist? And if the answer to the former question is yes, then we must examine the controlling factors in the lives of those men and ask whether or not they – the factors – have their roots in a racist dogma. Are the scales of social and economic success tilted so far to the right that the average black or Hispanic in this country gives up on the pursuit of a better life through hard work before he ever gives it a real chance to succeed? Hopelessness about the prospects for a better life for themselves and their children is pervasive in the black and Hispanic communities.
Imagine for a moment that you are a young black or Hispanic female. How much more will you have to overcome in the way of prejudices than your male counterparts? If white women are still struggling for equal rights in America, how much less are the opportunities in the workplace and the society at large for female minorities? Equal pay for equal work is still an unmet goal for women's groups. The board rooms are still largely an all white male dominated arena. In-roads have been made in the political world through the election of women to seats in the U.S. Senate and a few governorships. However, with a handful of notable exceptions, most of these aberrations occur in states largely populated by progressives and liberals. Large segments of the population still view women as second class citizens. While no reasonable human being would continue to assert that there is a connection between physical strength and intellectual prowess, the same, I'm afraid, cannot be said for the connection some would continue to make between estrogen and the decision making centers of the brain. If we are not far enough removed from Appomattox to know the full impact of the Civil War on this country, then we are certainly not far enough removed from the passage of the 19th Amendment to know what effect thousands of years of denying women the most basic of rights is likely to continue to have on women's opinions of themselves in terms of self esteem, as well as men's estimations of their abilities to effectively lead.
Democrats now find themselves in a predicament from which there is no escape. It is a Catch-22 of epic proportions. While the historic consequences have most of the Democratic faithful excited beyond anything they have experienced in recent years, the quandary presented by their selections for president have created an inescapable dilemma. Sen. Obama brings many problems with him to the general election. For example, much will be made of his lack of experience and his religious affiliation. However, the biggest stumbling blocks for him will be his race and his name. The two issues that should matter least, will I'm afraid, matter most to a significant part of the electorate. Sen. Clinton also brings her fair share of obstacles to a successful general election campaign, not the least of which is the disdain in which she is held by many women in this country for not having left her husband over his infidelities, and hatred for the Clinton's in general is palpable. Unfortunately, like Sen. Obama, her main problem will be one which should matter least. She is a woman.
One day America will overcome the hatred and bigotry associated with race and gender. Sadly, it's a little early yet.
I wrote this next part after the bottom fell out of the campaign - about a week ago.
President John McCain
Go ahead and resign yourself to the inevitable. It's a done deal. The republicans really don't even have to do anything to win. McCain could go on a vacation to Tahiti from now until November and still win. A new Gallup poll indicates that about 20% of Obama supporters will vote for McCain if Clinton gets the nomination, and about 30% of Clinton supporters will vote for McCain if Obama gets the nomination.Both candidates are downplaying these new Gallup numbers; but, it's becoming an ominous warning sign for Democratic insiders that all of this infighting is helping to create an enormous amount of canon fodder for Republicans to use in the general election, and is creating a sense of a no-win scenario for whichever Democrat gets the nomination. Rassmussen Reports shows a dramatic shift in the electoral math, which I have found over the years to be the best indicator of what the ultimate outcome in key swing states will be. When a state with the kinds of economic and unemployment problems of Michigan becomes a toss-up state, then the Democrats are in serious trouble. It's a shame that the democratic candidates - particularly Mrs.Clinton - didn't focus their time and energy toward pointing out the failings of the administration and explaining to the American people why they would be better suited for fixing the current mess as opposed to a tired old retread like John McCain. I put most of the blame on Mrs.Clinton because she has been willing for quite a long time now to sacrifice the Obama vote in the general election in order to win a nomination that is mathematically impossible for her to achieve. Only the supers can give her the nomination as it now stands; and that sort of smoke filled back room deal would spell certain defeat. The Obama people would simply stay home on election day (and rightfully so). I'm not sure what she's actually trying to do. Maybe she's running for president in 2012? As far as Obama's candidacy is concerned, he already had a big hill to climb as an African-American. Now all the republicans have to do to win is run a few ads with out takes from some of Rev.Wright's tirades, show a smiling Obama sitting in the pew, and just scare the bejeezus out of white America. I don't know how many times I've disagreed with my pastor. If someone put a montage of clips together showing a few of the right wing outbursts I've heard coming from the pulpit in MY church, most people would come away thinking that maybe I believed "Hitler wasn't such a bad guy after all." It's ridiculous, but the sad fact remains that it's effective. The Republicans will never allow the American people to distance Rev.Wright from Sen.Obama. It's over.
I'm not even mildly interested in it anymore. The Democrats have once again managed to successfully sabotage their own chances without any help from the republicans. While they walk around in their perpetual dream state about how things SHOULD be, the country continues its' slide into debt, recession, inflation and interminable war.
This is the last you will hear from me on this subject. Anymore debate will be superfluous. The thing about an idiot is that he/she does not know that they're an idiot. You can't convince anyone by argument that you're right and they're wrong anymore than you can convince someone that it's raining outside if they refuse to get up and see for themselves.
P.S.
This has nothing to do with the national election of which I am now totally disinterested.
However, I will make one final statement on politics of a personal nature.
I am, as of this moment forward, totally acquiescing to the oligarchic fascist state of the military industrial complex. As the Borg would say, "resistance is futile." Because I am totally withdrawing from the political scene (I've been virtually absent in recent years anyway, so it won't make any real difference), I will be making no political statements or arguments supporting or opposing any political ideologies on the right or the left. If, at some later date - and I consider this highly unlikely - a viable third party emerges (The Purple Party?) which has as its core principle a return to the ideals set forth by Jefferson in his writings, I will gladly join the cause. The U.S. is in need of a new revolution. Somehow it must find the courage to throw off the yoke of fascist oppression. While I firmly adhere to the non-violent teachings of Mahatma Ghandi and Dr.King; I will, if necessary, be willing to lay down my life for the cause of freedom. Was it not Jefferson who said that violent revolution is sometimes necessary when an oppressive government exceeds its authority by violating the unalienable rights of mankind; and that the roots of the Liberty Tree are kept fervent and alive by the blood of the martyrs? When the executive, legislative, and judicial branches become tools of the corporate fascist oligarchs, is it not time for revolution? I don't see any evidence that democrats are any more willing than republicans to take on any of these destructive, self-interested giants. In fact, I see a preponderance of evidence that the opposite is true. And, if Democrats, or anyone else for that matter, decide to speak out and stand up to fascism, won't they simply die under mysterious circumstances, or just be murdered outright? I've never been a conspiracy theorist, but this conspiracy is frighteningly real. The monopolization of the mass media, corporate welfare, allowing industries to outsource work to take advantage of slave labor overseas in order to increase personal profits, allowing the petroleum industry to milk oil profits for all they are worth while viable clean energy technology is available, are just a few examples of how America has become a passive captive of fascist oligarchic rule.
I'm not trying to convince anyone that I'm right and you're wrong, and that you should also throw in the towel. Go ahead and keep hope alive and fight the good fight if it makes you feel better. Also, because I am giving up on politics as usual, I will no longer engage in republican vs.democrat discourse. Sadly, they have become the same thing. I will, however, continue to lambaste a country which professes democracy - and tries to force it on the world - while practicing fascism.
God Bless
Good Luck
&
Sieg Heil !
JBA
Monday, March 24, 2008
Obama on Iraq and America's National Security
This man is the most intelligent, poised and thoughtful politician I've seen in decades. No sound bytes here. No pundit analysis here.