The Pledge

I wrote the following email to John Gregg, a local talk show host here on AM radio (WIBC).

Hi,
First of all, I’d like to say that even though I am sure we are philosophically at opposite ends of the spectrum (I’m a Green), I enjoy listening to your show on IBC.

You read a quote of someone that advocated that this was a bad time to “take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance.”

The Pledge was written by Reverend Francis Bellamy in 1892. Francis Bellamy was a Socialist Christian and did not include the words “under God” in the Pledge. “Under God” was not added to the pledge until 1954.It was a response to growth of communism. The genesis of adding “Under God” was from a sermon of Reverend Dr. George M. Docherty, a Presbyterian minister. He said “And I came to a strange conclusion. there was something missing in this Pledge, and that which was missing was the characteristic and definitive factor in the “American Way of Life.” Indeed, apart from the mention of the phrase, the United States of America, this could be the pledge of any Republic. In fact, I could hear little Muscovites repeat a similar pledge to their hammer and sickle flag in Moscow with equal solemnity, for Russia is also a Republic that claims to have overthrown the tyranny of kingship”

You can read his full sermon here:
http://www.post-gazette.com/downloads/20020820sermon.pdf

I do not believe that you can have a representative republic and theocracy at the same time. Jefferson said

“In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own.”

The founding fathers spoke to the separation of church and state… to list a few…

Thomas Jefferson
“Our civil rights have no dependence upon our religious opinions more than our opinions in physics or geometry.”

James Madison
“The Civil Government, tho’ bereft of everything like an associated hierarchy, possesses the requisite stability and performs its functions with complete success; whilst the number, the industry, and the morality of the Priesthood, and the devotion of the people have been manifestly increased by the total separation of the Church from the State.”

John Adams
“The substance and essence of Christianity, as I understand it, is eternal and enchangeable, and will bear examination forever, but it has been mixed with extraneous ingredients, which I think will not bear examination, and they ought to be separated.”

Thomas Paine
“As to religion, I hold it to be the indispensable duty of government to protect all conscientious protesters thereof, and I know of no other business government has to do therewith.”

The voice of our founding fathers rings quite clear on this subject. That isn’t to say that I think we should simply go on what the founding fathers believed (if we did, blacks would still be slaves and women would be considered property under the eyes of the law). I do believe that this is a nation where the government is dedicated to be “For the people, by the people, and of the people.”

If we choose as a nation to move closer to a theocratic form of government, we should be honest and forthright about our intentions in doing so.

I listen to you on the drive home from work (I work 3rds). I hope at some point I get home in enough time to call in!

Be well,
—
Marti Abernathey

Lend A Hand, Just Not Mine

“It depends on what the meaning of the words ‘is’ is.”

“To the extent the federal government didn’t fully do its job right, I take responsibility.”

“It depends on how you define alone…”

Who uttered these quotes? The first and third quotes are from Bill Clinton, concerning the Monica Lewinsky affair. The second is from a speech given today by George W. Bush. He’s finally admitting some responsibility for the New Olreans FEMA debacle.

“That spirit is the spirit of a determined nation willing to defend our freedoms, no matter what the cost. That American spirit says loud and clear that we’re willing to serve something greater than ourselves. We’re willing to serve people in need, a community we love.” George W. Bush – October 31, 2002

Ya…. right. I guess it depends on what the meaning of the word “love” is, right George?

Where Are The Hillbillies?

Where are all those gun toting 2nd amendment right wingers? An AP piece today said that

Police fearing deadly confrontations with jittery residents enforced a new order that bars homeowners from owning guns. That order apparently does not apply to the hundreds of M-16-toting private security guards hired to protect businesses and wealthy property owners.

Do you hear any right wingers screaming foul? They say that it isn’t safe for residents to stay where they are, but isn’t this a FREE country? People are supposed to be able to make stupid decisions.

Amazing that even in this time of great peril that only the rich and powerful deserve their 2nd amendment rights.

Go figure.

Welcome to GW America.

Freedom Is On the March For Crackers

Watching President Bush on CNN this morning talk about the “war on terror” something hit me. How can we be in “a global war on terror” as President Bush calls it, yet we don’t call the “detainees” down at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prisoners of war?

Then we’d have to follow the Geneva Suggestions Conventions…

Fuck that shit.. freedom is on the march…

for some.

As long as you’re name isn’t Jose.

How Low Will You Go?

Friday, George Bush seemed to shoulder some of the blame for the slow reaction of federal rescue and relief efforts. Not a day later he shifted the blame to state and local officials in Louisiana. Bush said “The magnitude of responding to a crisis over a disaster area that is larger than the size of Great Britain has created tremendous problems that have strained state and local capabilities. The result is that many of our citizens simply are not getting the help they need, especially in New Orleans. And that is unacceptable.”

I found it odd that President Bush would chastise local officials in Louisiana, yet he praises officials from FEMA and the Governor of Mississippi. The difference? Louisana’s governor is a Democrat, and Mississippi’s governor is a former chairman of the Republican National Committee.

This administration has no shame.

Read more about it here.

New Orleans Wisdom

“I don’t treat my dog like that,” 47-year-old Daniel Edwards said as he pointed at the woman in the wheelchair. “I buried my dog.” He added: “You can do everything for other countries, but you can’t do nothing for your own people. You can go overseas with the military, but you can’t get them down here.”

Mad Cow’s Ain’t Sexy Enough

Has anyone seen any of the major United States media outlets reporting that Department of Agriculture inspectors have found over 1,000 violations of rules instituted to prevent mad cow disease from reaching Americans? I haven’t either, but I have seen the story was reported by the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) here.

Apparently a safe food supply isn’t a sexy enough story….

Holy Water of Jesus!

US Secretary of Defense, Donald H. Rumsfeld, said recently “That [the] insurgency could go on for any number of years. Insurgencies tend to go on five, six, eight, 10, 12 years. Coalition forces, foreign forces are not going to repress that insurgency. We’re going to create an environment that the Iraqi people and the Iraqi security forces can win against that insurgency.” This stuff isn’t rocket science, Donald….

Every day that the US is in Iraq and doesn’t provide basic life sustaining needs, the insurgency will grow. Consider Iraqi blogger hnk’s words (a 16 year old Iraqi blogger)

“we have big problem in Mosul this week. The fuel is not available and it cost 25 times more than before from the black market. We don’t buy it from the fuel station because it’s too crowded and there is no hope to reach your turn before 10 hours, and after that 50% they will not get you fuel. That if you could wait till after 10 hours.”

“Baghdad have another problem, the people there don’t have water, not even polluted water. And we are in summer and this is Baghdad.”

“Clear water, dirty water doesn’t trouble it’s not making a different. We drink both of them. My uncle house’s water has a small fish on it beside its color and its taste which we get use on them. But fish, It’s another problem.”

Water! Iraqi’s are drinking foul, polluted water!

Another common problem in Iraq is lack of electricity. Hnk said

“Bad electricity service that we have here in Iraq couldn’t give us more than 4 hours in the day. In lucky days, we have 7 hours of electricity at the most level.” You see a pattern developing?

Then there is the matter of security. Hnk said

“I said that today is better than tomorrow we were so near from being died this week. Especially my parents. The people around me killed and kidnapped. OH, Allah help us.”

“One of the people who work with my father in the same building, called before an hour and asked my father not to come to the clinic, he said there is a confrontation in the region around the clinic.”

Having no clean water, little electricity, and no security will do more to grow this insurgency than anything else. Security and quality of life issues should be front and center if we expect to win the hearts and minds of Iraqi’s.

Like I said, it’s not rocket science. Unfortunately those in authority believe more in the power of neocon Jesus than in science.