It is completely justifiable to assault someone who insults your religion or goes against the laws of YOUR God. Right? RIGHT?! No? Well, it is according to a U.S. Judge in Pennsylvania. Well, at least as long as the religion in question is Muslim.
Now, don't get me wrong; I believe you have to be kind of a dick to dress up as a Zombie Mohammad. And I think the guy next to him dressed as "Zombie Pope" was also a big walking dick. And if there had been a Zombie Jesus or Rabbi or what-the-hell-ever it would take a dick to do that just to belittle others deeply held beliefs like that. But it was an Atheist Parade so really it was a bunch of people expressing their beliefs which includes disdain for organized religion. In THIS COUNTRY, they have every right to peacefully do so. Rock on big dick zombies. Rock on.
Now, witnessing this parade is Mr. Devout Muslim and his son. He is fairly new to this country so he "didn't realize" that we don't have Sharia Law which would give him the right to kill said Big Dick on the spot. He wants to be sure his son realizes how important it is to use violence on those who oppose your beliefs so he jumps on Big Dick and beats hell out of him. Well... so ordinarily our illustrious court system would give you a slap on the wrist and a big fine, right? Nope. Judge Mark Martin tells Big Dick he might want to think twice about making himself look like such a big doofus and he should just count himself lucky Devout didn't kill him. You know, to set a really good example for his son.
This Muslim judge didn't even see fit to watch the video. He just put the blame on Big Dick and gave DM the all clear. Yup. Seriously. Right here in River City folks. So all of us tea-bagger alarmists worrying about Sharia law making its way into our country are just being silly, eh?
You know, I think the part that pissed me off the most was the part where the judge was lecturing the atheist about how precious their religion is to Muslims.
"It's not just a religion, it’s their culture, their culture. It’s their very essence their very being. They pray five times a day towards Mecca to be a good Muslim, before you die you have to make a pilgrimage to Mecca unless you are otherwise told you can not because you are too ill too elderly, whatever but you must make the attempt. Their greetings wa-laikum as-Salâm (is answered by voice) may god be with you. Whenever, it’s very common when speaking to each other it’s very common for them to say uh this will happen it’s it they are so immersed in it."
I am sick to death of the PC attitude that Muslim is so much more special than any other religion. Because it rules their entire lives and affects their every action, it makes them somehow justified in doing things that are otherwise unacceptable. There are Jews and Christians and, yes, Atheists who consider their religion to define their culture and to be the one thing that shapes their lives and their world view. If Christians or Jews take this to an extreme they are censored and sneered at and considered downright ignorant and superstitious. But Muslims are showing amazing commitment and faith. Makes me want to puke. And if I wasn't deeply committed to every person having the freedom to practice the religion of their choice without being attacked for it, I would burn a damn Koran too. I'm not gonna dress up like a Zombie Mohammad though. I don't wanna look like a doofus after all.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday, February 09, 2012
So... election years make me CRAZY! Knitting and my kids keep me sane. Yes, even the teenagers;o) So I'm going to focus more on blogging about knitting, family and so forth. Trust me, there will still be the occasional libertarian rant but feel free to read what you like and ignore the rest.
I was trying to sort out my picture files on my computer and realized I had knit a cute little shell for Cheyenne and didn't put it on Ravelry. Or anywhere else for that matter. I don't remember any details about it now so I can't very well put it on Rav. So I'm gonna put what I remember here and if I remember which pattern it was (yes it was actually one where I followed a pattern all the way through)I'll put it on Ravelry.
I made it of Caron Spa on a size 6 circular needle. It's a 34-36" bust size. I love Spa for it's beautiful colors and drape. And it is great for any season. This is my middle daughter, Cheyenne, who will probably not appreciate the early morning hair pics being published....
Sunday, January 29, 2012
OCCUPY MOVEMENT IS NOTHING NEW
People think the occupy movement is something new and different and, depending on their politics, either cool as hell or idiotic. It is nothing new. In the 70s we had the hippies. They protested corporate greed and capitalist pigs too. They invaded public spaces with private behavior. They acted like the rules shouldn't apply to them because they believed the rules should be changed. Sound familiar?
At the time, hippies were eventually marginalized as foolish, self-indulgent, immature and, well, unclean. They were replaced by yuppies with their greed and polish and ambition. Hippies weren't just lazy, stupid, dirty or drug-crazed. They served a purpose in history and they had a cause worth protesting (vietnam) but a society of hippies would not last long on the evolutionary ladder. The yuppies, though they are the ones being marginalized this decade, were needed and served their purpose as well. They also had their less attractive aspects but that isn't what I'm talking about today.
Unfortunately, time and a more and more clever and far-reaching media have served to blur the image of the hippy. They've been romanticized and raised to the level of martyr. And now they are being emulated by a lost, bored and lazy generation raised on electronics and entitlements. They are looking for their "vietnam." A cause worth giving all their effort... or any effort for at all. They call themselves the 99%. So far they are FAR from actually 99%, thank God. But they are growing and it scares the hell out of me. I try to believe that social evolution will continue on its merry way and the pendulum will swing. Unfortunately, the Occupy movement has something the hippies never did and that is the internet. Media and what it is capable of has been so dramatically altered by internet and digital media delivery that I worry about how much longer and bloodier the fight will have to be to set that pendulum in the other direction. How much longer-lived and influential would the hippies have been if they had been able to spread their message the way we are able to today?
The movies and media and the softened reminiscences of many of us old-timers have made the hippies into something cool and admirable and unique. I am guilty of it myself. And there were some pretty cool hippies;o) But as a lifestyle, and in particular a lifestyle for a nation, it was not and is not practical. A socialist commune may work for a select few who are dedicated to those principles and to the others in their commune but a socialist nation is not a pretty picture. And it is certainly not an American picture!
America was founded and based on democracy, not socialism. America is about freedom, not entitlement. Freedom is not always peaceful. Freedom is not always free. Freedom has to be fought for and defended. Freedom is not always pretty. But patriotic Americans are willing to die or kick your ass to keep it. We are willing to make sacrifices and accept that we may not have everything we want to have in life if we value our freedom. We are able to be thrilled that some people can become ridiculously rich even if we haven't been able to in a FREE market. We are ecstatic that greenies can drive electric cars and stop buying water in plastic bottles and only use straight edge razors since disposable razors are adding to our carbon footprint, donchaknow. But WE DON'T HAVE TO. WOO HOO! That's what freedom is about! You can sport a bumper sticker on your Prius saying "99%" while the other 90% of us are FREE to get in our cars or our pickups with the bumper sticker saying "Don't Tread On Me" and go to work and pay taxes.
The reasons Socialism is a bad idea and won't work on a large scale over time are for another day. But here is a thought; a democratic, capitalistic society like America really isn't for everyone. It isn't the best approach for every person out there. So if it isn't the best approach for you FEEL FREE TO LEAVE IT AND GO SOMEWHERE WHERE SOCIALISM IS PRACTICED! Good luck with that.
People think the occupy movement is something new and different and, depending on their politics, either cool as hell or idiotic. It is nothing new. In the 70s we had the hippies. They protested corporate greed and capitalist pigs too. They invaded public spaces with private behavior. They acted like the rules shouldn't apply to them because they believed the rules should be changed. Sound familiar?
At the time, hippies were eventually marginalized as foolish, self-indulgent, immature and, well, unclean. They were replaced by yuppies with their greed and polish and ambition. Hippies weren't just lazy, stupid, dirty or drug-crazed. They served a purpose in history and they had a cause worth protesting (vietnam) but a society of hippies would not last long on the evolutionary ladder. The yuppies, though they are the ones being marginalized this decade, were needed and served their purpose as well. They also had their less attractive aspects but that isn't what I'm talking about today.
Unfortunately, time and a more and more clever and far-reaching media have served to blur the image of the hippy. They've been romanticized and raised to the level of martyr. And now they are being emulated by a lost, bored and lazy generation raised on electronics and entitlements. They are looking for their "vietnam." A cause worth giving all their effort... or any effort for at all. They call themselves the 99%. So far they are FAR from actually 99%, thank God. But they are growing and it scares the hell out of me. I try to believe that social evolution will continue on its merry way and the pendulum will swing. Unfortunately, the Occupy movement has something the hippies never did and that is the internet. Media and what it is capable of has been so dramatically altered by internet and digital media delivery that I worry about how much longer and bloodier the fight will have to be to set that pendulum in the other direction. How much longer-lived and influential would the hippies have been if they had been able to spread their message the way we are able to today?
The movies and media and the softened reminiscences of many of us old-timers have made the hippies into something cool and admirable and unique. I am guilty of it myself. And there were some pretty cool hippies;o) But as a lifestyle, and in particular a lifestyle for a nation, it was not and is not practical. A socialist commune may work for a select few who are dedicated to those principles and to the others in their commune but a socialist nation is not a pretty picture. And it is certainly not an American picture!
America was founded and based on democracy, not socialism. America is about freedom, not entitlement. Freedom is not always peaceful. Freedom is not always free. Freedom has to be fought for and defended. Freedom is not always pretty. But patriotic Americans are willing to die or kick your ass to keep it. We are willing to make sacrifices and accept that we may not have everything we want to have in life if we value our freedom. We are able to be thrilled that some people can become ridiculously rich even if we haven't been able to in a FREE market. We are ecstatic that greenies can drive electric cars and stop buying water in plastic bottles and only use straight edge razors since disposable razors are adding to our carbon footprint, donchaknow. But WE DON'T HAVE TO. WOO HOO! That's what freedom is about! You can sport a bumper sticker on your Prius saying "99%" while the other 90% of us are FREE to get in our cars or our pickups with the bumper sticker saying "Don't Tread On Me" and go to work and pay taxes.
The reasons Socialism is a bad idea and won't work on a large scale over time are for another day. But here is a thought; a democratic, capitalistic society like America really isn't for everyone. It isn't the best approach for every person out there. So if it isn't the best approach for you FEEL FREE TO LEAVE IT AND GO SOMEWHERE WHERE SOCIALISM IS PRACTICED! Good luck with that.
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