July 4th ruminations
It ain't Canada Day, but I suppose it will do. Happy Independence Day, everybody! ;-)
Reflecting on our country and its founding principles today, I have grave concerns about the recent past and the immediate future. I recently read a book by Terry Goodkind in which one character regretfully reflected that she had "served evil just because it said it was good," and it makes me think of the current administration. I do not think GWB is an evil person per se, but he has allowed evil to flourish in the name of "protection" and "God." And for anyone who dismisses stories like those of the Pharoah or King Saul, I think Dick Cheney is a prime example of a person's heart being hardened. I have read more than one interview in which a close friend or associate of Cheney's says they hardly recognize him nowadays, he's so different from the person they used to know. Both of those Biblical figures thought they were acting rightly, but that doesn't mean that they were, and it's the same here.
Jesus said that people will know his followers by their love and by their actions. You would think any person would have reservations about torture and such, but one would hope that a born-again Christian would feel even more trepidation about crossing these lines. Like, I can see detaining potential terrorists for a few months or even a year. But to deny them any semblance of due process for five years is not even civilized, let alone based in Christian principles. Meanwhile, this is the administration who calls the Geneva Conventions "quaint" and throws them out the window. How does this make us, or anyone else in the world for that matter, safer? Meanwhile, they can't even be bothered to get legitimate warrants to do wiretaps on U.S. citizens. How can we trust our leaders under such circumstances?
I have always thought it a horrible choice of the religious right to so firmly place themselves in the camp of the Republican Party. Christians should follow a leader who will show compassion and wisdom, not blindly bind themselves to a political party. For example, Newt Gingrich was having an affair at the time he was leading the charge to impeach Clinton regarding his testimony about Monica Lewinsky. Just a tad bit hypocrticial in my view! More recently, GWB has commuted the sentence of "Scooter" Libby -- a man convicted of lying and obstructing justice. The thing that gets me is that there are people who fervently believe he should have been pardoned completely. My only conclusion is that the party of "family values" (or at least a powerful faction within it) has no qualms about lying or putting their own interests first when it suits them. I am not surprised at this, but I am dismayed when fellow believers then try to make excuses for such behavior.
It all starts small, then steamrolls. For example, a news story this week about American flags talks about how legislators want to make it illegal to buy or sell U.S. flags that are made outside the country. If they want to set up a system that will allow a company to put an approved and verified "Made in the USA" sticker on their products and then consumers want to look specifically for those signs, that is great. But to deny people even a simple and straightforward choice like this is the very antithesis of freedom. Don't people get this? If a person wants to buy a quality product made in China or Latin America, shouldn't he or she be able to? Why do we need "protection" from these things? And what's the next thing to be denied in the name of "patriotism" or "safety?"
Even in the age of foreign product encroachment (i.e. Toyota now being named the top auto company) and oil-sponsored terrorism, the three major American car manufacturers fought tooth and nail to keep the gas mileage and fuel economy standards from becoming tougher. People in office refuse to address concerns like Social Security or funding pork projects while people starve. We need true wisdom and leadership right now, and to be fair to the current adminstration, I don't think any of the potential presidential candidates would be doing much better. The thing that burns me up is that the Republican candidates now playing to "the base," meaning mostly conservative Christians, are using scare tactics and isolationism to buck up their campaigns. Why are God-fearing people so fearful of everything else? We all need to put our faith in God, not politicians and their own brand of terror. My life is not where I want it to be right now, but at least it's mine to live and I don't want people dictating to me how to act or behave or believe. I hope others will open their hearts and their eyes, and look with optimism towards the future instead of wallowing in the muck of today's spin and fearmongering. God can do anything, as impossible as it may seem, so I guess all I can do is pray.
Reflecting on our country and its founding principles today, I have grave concerns about the recent past and the immediate future. I recently read a book by Terry Goodkind in which one character regretfully reflected that she had "served evil just because it said it was good," and it makes me think of the current administration. I do not think GWB is an evil person per se, but he has allowed evil to flourish in the name of "protection" and "God." And for anyone who dismisses stories like those of the Pharoah or King Saul, I think Dick Cheney is a prime example of a person's heart being hardened. I have read more than one interview in which a close friend or associate of Cheney's says they hardly recognize him nowadays, he's so different from the person they used to know. Both of those Biblical figures thought they were acting rightly, but that doesn't mean that they were, and it's the same here.
Jesus said that people will know his followers by their love and by their actions. You would think any person would have reservations about torture and such, but one would hope that a born-again Christian would feel even more trepidation about crossing these lines. Like, I can see detaining potential terrorists for a few months or even a year. But to deny them any semblance of due process for five years is not even civilized, let alone based in Christian principles. Meanwhile, this is the administration who calls the Geneva Conventions "quaint" and throws them out the window. How does this make us, or anyone else in the world for that matter, safer? Meanwhile, they can't even be bothered to get legitimate warrants to do wiretaps on U.S. citizens. How can we trust our leaders under such circumstances?
I have always thought it a horrible choice of the religious right to so firmly place themselves in the camp of the Republican Party. Christians should follow a leader who will show compassion and wisdom, not blindly bind themselves to a political party. For example, Newt Gingrich was having an affair at the time he was leading the charge to impeach Clinton regarding his testimony about Monica Lewinsky. Just a tad bit hypocrticial in my view! More recently, GWB has commuted the sentence of "Scooter" Libby -- a man convicted of lying and obstructing justice. The thing that gets me is that there are people who fervently believe he should have been pardoned completely. My only conclusion is that the party of "family values" (or at least a powerful faction within it) has no qualms about lying or putting their own interests first when it suits them. I am not surprised at this, but I am dismayed when fellow believers then try to make excuses for such behavior.
It all starts small, then steamrolls. For example, a news story this week about American flags talks about how legislators want to make it illegal to buy or sell U.S. flags that are made outside the country. If they want to set up a system that will allow a company to put an approved and verified "Made in the USA" sticker on their products and then consumers want to look specifically for those signs, that is great. But to deny people even a simple and straightforward choice like this is the very antithesis of freedom. Don't people get this? If a person wants to buy a quality product made in China or Latin America, shouldn't he or she be able to? Why do we need "protection" from these things? And what's the next thing to be denied in the name of "patriotism" or "safety?"
Even in the age of foreign product encroachment (i.e. Toyota now being named the top auto company) and oil-sponsored terrorism, the three major American car manufacturers fought tooth and nail to keep the gas mileage and fuel economy standards from becoming tougher. People in office refuse to address concerns like Social Security or funding pork projects while people starve. We need true wisdom and leadership right now, and to be fair to the current adminstration, I don't think any of the potential presidential candidates would be doing much better. The thing that burns me up is that the Republican candidates now playing to "the base," meaning mostly conservative Christians, are using scare tactics and isolationism to buck up their campaigns. Why are God-fearing people so fearful of everything else? We all need to put our faith in God, not politicians and their own brand of terror. My life is not where I want it to be right now, but at least it's mine to live and I don't want people dictating to me how to act or behave or believe. I hope others will open their hearts and their eyes, and look with optimism towards the future instead of wallowing in the muck of today's spin and fearmongering. God can do anything, as impossible as it may seem, so I guess all I can do is pray.