Category: Politics

NaPoWriMo Day: 12 Two Sided Story

On By WinstonIn Global Issues, NaPoWriMo, Politics, Society, Uncategorized, WarfareLeave a comment

I’ve been reading a fair bit about the ongoing drone war controversy. I don’t agree with the idea of murdering people because they might be a threat to your “interests” somewhere down the road. Let’s not kid ourselves. If you kill someone without due process of law, that’s murder. Even more so when the dead are “collateral damage” in something as vague and useless as a “War on Terror”.

So NaPoWriMo Day 12 looks at it from two different perspectives. The receiver is in a normal font. The sender in italics.

Enjoy!

Two Sided Story

I was sitting in a cafe
Somewhere that has no name
Drinking coffee with a good friend
The day the drone strike came.

I was sitting in a soft chair
Away from those I killed
I’d received a big promotion
Because I am so skilled.

Others were there with us that day
A dozen maybe more
When it was done the final count
Survivors, we are four.

It’s not my fault don’t try to blame
Me for the things I hit
I’m not the one who makes those calls
Just try to do my bit.

The smell of blood and burning flesh
Strong as the day they died
It’s never gotten easier
For all the tears I’ve cried.

They say here is your target site
Inside a terrorist
I ask if there are others there
I ask but don’t insist.

There’s some who say I should strike back
A part of me agrees
Yet then I know they’ll have their turn
Then us, like some disease.

Sometimes when I close my eyes
The mangled strangers there
Will reach for me, scream “I accuse!”
Or sometimes they just stare.

I know that some will choose revenge
That is their path to seek.
I choose to walk a different path
Some say this makes me weak.

But still I go to work each day
This is my path in life.
This pain the price I must pay to
Prevent a wider strife.

But I endure still seeking peace
Despite the odds I face.
I still believe in truth and good
And in the human race.

I hope one day that I won’t need
To do these awful things.
I hope we all can be at peace
Enjoy all that it brings.

Cheers, Winston

You Just Got A Little More Equal. Enjoy.

On By WinstonIn Global Issues, Politics, Society, Uncategorized, Values, WarfareLeave a comment

In a recent story by the Atlantic Wire, Adam Clark Estes raises the alarm over a clause in the drone war policy that allows the U.S. government to kill Americans too. It seems Predator attacks are only fun to watch on CNN when the person on the other end is a foreign national. So now that it’s not just for random others, concerned groups like ACLU are up in arms over it.

The short version, the government has given itself authority to murder anyone

who “presents an imminent threat to the United States.

” They also don’t have to possess evidence that a specific attack against U.S. persons or interests is going to happen in the near future. Basically, if they think you or someone you are associated might at some point take an action which the government feels may pose a threat to the U.S. or its interests, they can send in a drone and blow Uranus halfway to Pluto. Oh yeah… They can also take out anyone near you just for good measure.

Again the irony lies in the fact that the outrage is over the inclusion of American citizens. It’s fine so long as it’s the people of Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Afghanistan, or somewhere in Central America. Once it hits home however, it’s a different story. Then the narrative changes from “Yeah, whatever.”, to “You can’t do that to Americans!”. As though they are somehow special and should be immune to their own peculiar brand of justice.

Well, as my mother was fond of saying when we were kids, “What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.”. It means if it’s okay to do it to one person, it’s okay to do it to everyone. America tends to talk to other countries about “equality under the law”. Well congrats people. You just got a little more equal. Enjoy.

Cheers, Winston

Viva La Gun!

On By WinstonIn Global Issues, Politics, Pop Culture, Rants, Society, Uncategorized, ValuesLeave a comment

Dear Crazy NRA Spokesperson. Rather than placing armed guards in every school in the country, I’ve come up with an even better plan. At first glance, it might seem “a little out there”, but once you think it over in sure you’ll like it.

Why don’t we just arm the students. Paying police, or hiring and training armed security for all those schools would be cost prohibitive. Let’s cut out the middleman and put the guns where they belong.

There’s no reason these kids shouldn’t be learning how to defend themselves. Judging by some of the youth-oriented shooting competitions, it’s never too early to start training them.

I realize that some bleeding-heart liberal types are going to whine and complain… let ’em. It’s their ultra-violent video games and movies that have laid the foundation for this.

Violent media have already turned them into killers in waiting, why let all that potential go to waste? I mean really small caliber handguns are tailor made for young hands. Let the junior killers sort out the senior ones.

We save a ton of money on security. We get more guns into schools, and we make a boatload of cash for gun manufacturers and retailers. Seems like a sweet deal to me.

So Wayne… Let me know what you think. I figure this plan may just be psychotically delusional enough to appeal to you. It may be a tad whimsical and cheery for you, but we can work out the details.

Viva La Gun!

Cheers, Winston

Mr. Fischer, Mr. Huckabee, This Means You

On By WinstonIn Education, Media, Politics, Religion, Society, Uncategorized, Values1 Comment

Bryan Fischer, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and those like them have no clue how Christianity works. I’ll tell you why I say that. These are the people trying to link the Sandy Hook shootings to a lack of prayer in schools. That’s just plain stupid.

Anyone who actually takes the time to look at the Bible knows the only place Jesus needs an invitation to is a persons heart. It doesn’t say you have to pray in school, or at work, or on TV. In fact, it says quite the opposite. Jesus himself is quoted instructing his followers not to make a big public display of their faith, rather to keep their prayers private and just between them and God.

As for Mr Fischer claiming that we’ve “kicked God out of our schools”. That’s not really possible. You see God doesn’t live in our schools, or offices or even our churches. God lives in our hearts. Where ever there is someone who believes in God, God is there. You can drop a person in the deepest, darkest hole there is and carve “NO GOD ALLOWED” in ten foot high letters on every surface. If that person believes, God will be in there with them.

So Mr. Fischer, Mr. Huckabee and all those like them need to understand this. The children and staff at Sandy Hook Elementary didn’t die because they didn’t pray in class that morning. They died because a disturbed person had too easy access to guns. Not everyone believes what you do (which is a good thing in your case) so they may not want their children subjected to your beliefs every morning. They have that right.

Please stop trying to use this horrible crime to score cheap points with your fan base. Those who died were actual people, not pawns in your twisted game of religious extremism. Contrary to your nasty little delusions, you can’t kick God out of anyone else’s life. You can only kick him out of your own by being vile, self-serving, scumbags.

Mr. Fischer, Mr. Huckabee thus means you.

Cheers, Winston

Shut Up And Fix It

On By WinstonIn Media, Movies, Personal Responsibility, Politics, Pop Culture, Society, Uncategorized, Values, Video GamesLeave a comment

It took a week, but the NRA (National Rifle Association) has finally decided how to respond to the Newtown, Connecticut shooting. According to them, it had nothing to do with the shooters ease of access to high capacity semi-automatic weapons. Of course not. It was his exposure to violent video games and movies.

We know this is true because it’s the argument that gets trotted out every time people don’t want to look at a real problem. It is always pop-cultures fault. When I was younger, it was role playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons which were “to blame”. Clint Eastwood movies were a horrible influence and sure to have us shooting each other with wild abandon.

Unfortunately for the NRA and those like them, (but fortunately for the rest of us) that’s not how it works. It’s not a simple case of “Money See, Monkey Do”. Anyone without a severe mental health issue is more than capable of separating what they see on the screen from the world around them. If they can’t, it’s a failure of their parents and society as a whole, not just the media.

I’m going to keep this one short today, so I’ll cut to the chase. If that young man’s mother hadn’t taken him to the range and kept multiple, easily accessible firearms in her home, she and the other victims killed by her son would still be alive. The NRA and their supporters can scream their lungs out saying it isn’t so, but I have one irrefutable piece of evidence to the contrary…. Canada.

We play violent video games. We watch countless hours of violent movies and television. Year somehow, we have a relatively small number of mass shootings. Are we somehow magically immune to the corrupting influence of the vile media filth in which we are immersed? No, there’s a much simpler answer. When we get angry, we can’t simply open the sock drawer, pull out a couple of high capacity pistols and start blasting.

So to the NRA and everyone else who has jumped on the entertainment industry bashing band wagon, there’s your cold hard proof. It’s not violent media, it’s  guns that are problem. Now shut up and fix it.

Cheers, Winston

It’s Illegal Stupid!

On By WinstonIn Discrimation, Global Issues, Personal Responsibility, Politics, Religion, Society, Uncategorized, ValuesLeave a comment

The ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice) wants everyone to sign its petition demanding that Iran free Pastor Saeed Abedini. Mr Abedini is a former Muslim who converted to Christianity and went on to become an ordained minister with the American Evangelist Association. He also became an American citizen through his marriage to an American woman.

Because Isam is the state religion of Iran, it is illegal to preach any other faith there. Very illegal. Pastor Abedini is in jail in Iran for working with an underground Christian group there. Now the ACJL are up in arms demanding his release. They are also demanding that the U.N., the U.S. State Department and everyone else also demand his release.

I’m not sure what grounds they have for demanding his release other than him being an American. Oh yeah… he’s a Christian spreading the word amongst the unbelievers. That makes him a big deal to the ACLJ. You see they are the legal arm of the empire of rabidly anti-gay, failed politician and televangelist Pat Robertson.

What does the ACLJ get up to when not attempting to rewrite the Iranian legal code? They fight against equivalent to spouse benefits for same-sex couples. They fight to keep prayer in schools (specifically Christian prayers). The ACLJ supports the funding of faith-based social services, religious proclamations in the public domain, and often equates religious expression with patriotism. ACLJ strongly opposes the right to legal, safe abortion and provides legal help to pro-life protesters who harass women seeking reproductive services. You get the idea.

So of course they’re outraged that Iran had the temerity to lock the nice Pastor up for spreading the Gospels. One somehow doubts they would have been so outraged had he been proselytizing the joys of the Hindu faith. More to the point, I don’t think anyone should be surprised or outraged by this. It’s not like that law is any kind of secret. Especially for Pastor Abedini… He’s Iranian by birth.
He traveled to Iran with the express intent of breaking their laws. He was arrested and put in jail. What about this is surprising to anyone? How is this anyone’s problem except for the pastor, his family and friends? Should Iran embrace religious freedom? That’s up to them, not the rest of the world. It’s certainly not up to Pat Robertson and his legal goonsquad.

To all those who are outraged that he was arrested for spreading Christianity in Iran there’s just one thing to remember…. It’s Illegal Stupid!

Cheers, Winston

“Public Admonishment” Should Be Public Firing

On By WinstonIn Politics, Rants, Society, Uncategorized, Values1 Comment

Superior Court Judge Derek Johnson has been “publicly admonished”. Why? Because the California Commission on Judicial Performance is apparently just too weak and useless to fire him.

You may now be wondering why I bear such animosity toward a person I’ve never met. Allow me to explain. During the sentencing hearing of a convicted rapist, the Dishonorable Judge Johnson made the following declaration: “I’m not a gynecologist, but I can tell you something: If someone doesn’t want to have sexual intercourse, the body shuts down. The body will not permit that to happen unless a lot of damage is inflicted, and we heard nothing about that in this case,”

Not only is this cretin not a gynecologic, he’s not a doctor. Nor does he possess any medical training. In short, he’s talking out his ass. More to the point, he was talking out his mass while explaining why said convicted rapist should only serve six years instead of the sixteen the prosecutor was seeking. According to Johnson, that’s what the case was “worth”. This despite the defendant having threatened to mutilate the victims face and vaginal with a heated screwdriver and beaten her with a metal Baton before raping her.

Don’t get me wrong here. Judge Derek is absolutely entitled to his opinion no matter how vile and wrong-headed it may be. He is not entitled to express it or use it as the basis of his ruling in a court of law. The judges are supposed to be impartial their rulings based on evidence and precedence. They aren’t supposed to go spewing whatever uninformed idiocy pops into their heads. Far more importantly, they shouldn’t base their sentencing judgements on it.

Let me clear about one more thing. I don’t want him removed from the bench purely as punishment for being an idiot. There is a far more pertinent and important reason. No matter what he does or says from this point forward, no victim of sexual assault will ever feel an reasonable expectation of justice in his courtroom again.

That’s why pubic Admonishment should be public firing.

Cheers, Winston

Dr Ablow Needs His Head Examined

On By WinstonIn Personal Responsibility, Politics, Psychology, Rants, Society, Uncategorized, Values3 Comments

Dr. Keith Ablow is a psychiatrist and a member of the “Fox News Medical A Team”. Despite that rather embarrassing affliction, he still feels qualified to offer the following advice to people. “Instead of getting a divorce, try a consorce.” Even though there’s no such word as consorce.

If the word did exist, the “good” doctor assures us it would mean something like this…. Don’t get a messy, expensive, painful divorce. It will be nasty for you and terrible for your children. What you need is a (made up word).

The consorce works like this. The couple agrees to continue living together as friends as friends and partners in child-rearing. They are to accept that the “romantic” phase of their relationship has ended and they should see this as an opportunity to strengthen their “platonic” relationship.

The following is a direct quote from Dr Reallystrangelove’s Guide To Consorce… “Why not just stay in the same house, continue to work together financially for the good of the family, and, perhaps sleep in the same room (without sexual contact expected by either individual)? original authors parentheses.

He also believes this is all in the best interests of any children involved. They have both parents in their lives full time and a greater likelihood of financial stability in the home. Ummm… Yeah… That’s what’s important… Financial stability and the business partners who make it possible.

So my first thought was that Doc KAblow is “nuttier than a squirrel turd”. (I don’t remember where I encountered that phrase, but I love the way it sounds). Then I started thinking maybe he has made it through his professional career without encountering anybody who isn’t BFFs with their spouse. After a few seconds of profound doubt, I called bull**it and chose option three.

Keith (can I call you Keith) has an agenda (the sanctity of marriage) to push and an ideology to promote. Clearly we can’t let something as arbitrary as reality get in the way. I’ve had the opportunity to observe the decline and dissolution of several marriages over the years and feel quite confident when I say I’ve never seen a single one where consorce would have been an option.

It’s pretty clear from his article here that Dr Ablow regards sex as the only real difference between marriage and consorce. Contrary to Dr. Squirrel-turd, sex is generally only a contributing factor, rather than a primary cause. The withholding of affection and decline in intimacy is more often a reflection of issues in other parts of the relationship. Where these deeper issues exist, the removal of the “romantic” component of the relationship isn’t going to resolve them.

That brings me to what is in my opinion his most egregiously stupid idea. Doctor Dumb claims that this is somehow in the best interest of the children. Sure, having both parents on hand is great. Financial stability is great. Growing up in an environment where love is sacrificed on the altar of expediency and commercial betterment… That’s not so great.

What are these hypothetical children learning about the foundation of a strong and meaningful marriage. Forget love, it’s all about financial stability, a nice house, the illusion is more important than the substance. What an utterly terrible thing to teach children! Love is the foundation of marriage not convenience. More to the point, love is the essential ingredient in a family regardless of marital status. That is by far the most important lesson we can model for our children, not some loveless partnership for the sake of a nice home.

That’s why Dr. Ablow needs his head examined.

Cheers, Winston

How To Scratch Your Own Back

On By WinstonIn Global Issues, Politics, Rants, Society, U.S. Election 2012, Uncategorized, ValuesLeave a comment

There I was peacefully reading a Reuters article about the looming “fiscal cliff” in the U.S. When I stumbled upon this gem that almost passed tea out my nose.

With the clock running down on the budget negotiations, everyone who’s anyone is weighing in on the subject. So it’s no surprise that the chairman of the Business Roundtable would have an opinion on it. In his opinion, “We encourage both sides to work around the clock, if necessary, to avoid the severe repercussions that inaction would have on U.S. economic growth and job creation,”

Sounds good so far right? It’s just a hard working bureaucrat expressing his concern for the future of the country. We need more like him. More people who put the good of the nation ahead of their own interests. Am I right, or what.

Turns out to be “or what”. You see, the chairman of the Business Roundtable is a gentleman by the name of Jim McNerney. That’s nice you think, but so what. Here’s what… Mr. Jim McNerney just happens to be the Chief Executive Officer of Boeing. That’s right, the same Boeing that proactively cut a ton of jobs the day after President Obama was re-elected. Now Mr McNerney is lecturing about job creation because there’s nothing ironic about that. Oh yeah… Boeing also stands to lose billions of defense bucks if the U.S. sails blissfully off the fiscal cliff.

So what’s a person to do? If you’re Jim McNerney, you put on your Business Roundtable chairman hat and demand a solution to the problem so that Boeing CEO Jim McNerney can keep getting rich off of defense contracts.

That ladies and gentlemen is how to scratch your own back.

Cheers, Winston

“The Beast” Is Going High Tech

On By WinstonIn Education, Personal Responsibility, Politics, Religion, Society, Uncategorized, ValuesLeave a comment

John Jay High School, is part of the Northside Independent School District in Texas now requires its students to wear I’D tags with RFID chips to track students whereabouts during the school day. While some people are raising concerns about privacy, student Andrea Hernandez has a very different issue with them. Miss Hernandez believes the tags are “the mark of the Beast” as seen in the book of Revelations in the Bible.

The school has offered to issue her a tag with the chip and battery removed but this is not enough. With the support of her family, she is refusing to wear any form of ID tag issued by the government via the school. The school is being demonized in the media for allegedly threatening to expell Miss Hernandez for refusing to be tracked with an RFID chip. This is not the case.

The school district has offered a compromise, but the Hernandez family allegedly believes that “any kind of identifying badge issued by the government is the mark of the beast”. As a result, Andrea refuses to wear even the ID badge with the chip removed. That’s her right.

I don’t believe what the Hernandez family believes and that’s okay. I don’t have to share their beliefs to respect them. I would question whether either of her parents have a drivers license or social security number. Regardless of the answer to that question, what is wanted here is a little reciprocity. The Hernandez family needs to respect the school districts belief that all students need to be treated equally.

Every other student has to wear these ID tags. They have chosen to go along with the program in order to continue attending school in that district. No one is forcing Andrea to wear an ID tag. It is entirely Miss Hernandez choice. What is missing here, is the understanding that choosing not to wear the tag means choosing not to attend that school. No one is forcing her out. It’s all about the choices she is making. I’m not judging her choice as right or wrong. I simply want it acknowledged that she is the one making the decision about whether or not she will attend this school, not the school district.

Over the years I’ve attended many Bible studies and read much of the Bible. Nowhere in it is there anything to suggest that school ID cards, even ones with RFID chips are “the mark of the Beast”. It’s actually pretty clear about what that will look like. It’s nothing to do with school IDs. Unless the Bible got it wrong and the Beast is going high tech.

Cheers, Winston