With Focus on the Family and Family Research Council, Who Needs Joan of Arc?

Perhaps We Do

Today, in the year 1431, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. She was 19 years old. Her last words were "Bishop, I die through you." Pretty enigmatic for an uneducated peasant French girl.

In fact, the French peasant was an enigma: she said she heard the voices of St. Michael (archangel), St. Catherine and St. Margaret since she was twelve years of age. She convinced the heir of France to send her into battle with troops. She overcame the prejudice of war-hardened generals and became what some people say was the most ingenious (and victorious) war hero of her time. She saw her king crowned at Rheims, then was captured by the English, tried by an ecclesiastical court, found guilt of heresy and burned at the stake.

Joan fought for a free France. In America, who's fighting for our freedoms?

Politicians? Even the inspiring rhetoric of Barack Obama doesn't convince people that he can fight as well as he should. Hillary? McCain? They all say that God is on their side. So do organizations like Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, and Concerned Women for America. Ditto "ecclesiastics" like Parsley, Hagee, Wright, Robertson, Copeland. They certainly wouldn't try a current-day Joan of Arc, would they? Guess again: Joan's "heresy" was based on the fact that she wore men's clothes (a trumped up charge nonetheless). Feminism! Horrors!!

Again, who do we have to fight for our freedoms. Who do we have to fight for our lives? Read this bit about hate crimes:

The Triangle Foundation said Tuesday that the number of violent crimes against Michiganders because of their sexual orientation that was reported to the Detroit-based group jumped 133%

There were 226 reported incidents during 2007 involving violence or violent threats against gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered people, according to the report, which was released in conjunction with the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. By comparison, the foundation said, there were 97 reported incidents in 2006.

The national statistics are almost as bad. And it's not just gay rights that these people won't defend, but human rights. Who will wage war against the people who do not want us to have human rights? We've been forced into a serious culture war on our own soil, but who will fight for us?

We really need a Joan of Arc now. We need someone who has had powerful visions and can be just as inspiring. We need someone to command troops of people with dedication, fortitude and zeal, troops that will counter the prejudice and bigotry we see in numbers like the one in Michigan. We need someone to help us crown our individual human sovereignty. We need someone to lay siege to religious hatred. But who? Where do we find him/her? In politics? In church? On the street?

Maybe what we really need is for us all to become Joan of Arc.

We need you, me, us. Together.

Do We really know what we want?

Or do we want what they TELL us to want?

Polls indicate...

Do they? Really? We are all very focused on what America wants, but do we really have "free will?" "Oh, it's a media thing."

Well, not exactly. In most cases, the media is a regurgitator, spewing out what is fed to them in a more appealing way. The shocking photos from Iraq, the focus on disasters and the opinions of the masses are all programmed into the media the way a few people want.

Take the Scott McCellan issue and look at it closely: if Bush fell for his own spin, Rove (or Cheney) told the press not to say it quite that way. The alternative: "The President believes, from the information given to him by trusted advisors..." We're told what to know and what not to know.


Telling us what we should want is just as bad as lying to us. But it's done every day. We're used to it. We've fallen for the snake oil. Just look at these Coke ads: the lovely German fraulein in blue was very seductive in 1937. If Hitler wanted the Sudetenland for the beer, he wanted America for the Coke!

And to love/want Coke so much as to have a tattoo of it either means you've fallen for the cola or you're making a painful statement about American advertising.

Yes, it's trite to fume about the way we are manipulated, but being trite doesn't make it untrue: the importance of who is telling us, however, is tantamount. We don't mind being sold on how cool it is to drink Coke, but if the person positing the ad is doing it purely for personal gain, we take offense. We want, we need to trust that person.

So who do we trust? Pollsters? Sometimes. Politicians? More times than we care to admit. Preachers? Almost always. Doctors? Ditto. Lawyers? Only our own (and sometimes not even then). Law enforcement? Depends on which side you're on.

To trust, or not to trust: we still have the freedom to question, although sometimes the investigation is stymied by a "don't you trust me?" The freedom to question is not used often enough and certainly not early enough. The question of WMDs in Iraq should have been forced earlier. The question of Saddam's ties to Al-Qaida should have been asked earlier and been more persistent. The hunger for truth should not be oppressed under the banner of "unpatriotic." How can we say what we want when the truth is not in plain view? The same goes for alternatives. We have to have a choice about something to be able to really want it. Having no choice is a form of coercion. Is the politician giving me a choice when he outlines his new plan or is negative about so-and-so's plan?

Don't bet on it.
Question.

As Patrick Henry said: "If this be treason let us make the most of it!"

Lies! Lies! Lies! Well, sort of...

CBS News on McClellan's new book:

McClellan draws a portrait of his former boss as smart, charming and politically skilled, but unwilling to admit mistakes and susceptible to his own spin. Mr. Bush "convinces himself to believe what suits his needs at the moment," McClellan writes. He also faults Mr. Bush for a "lack of inquisitiveness."

Smart? Politically skilled? Who the hell is he kidding? McClellan's still trying to be kind - and avoid a libel suit.

"lack of inquisitiveness" is stupidity. Say it, McClellan!
"susceptible to his own spin" is a snake oil salesman falling for his own snake oil!

Let's Show Those Queers How We REALLY Feel!

But First, Let's Get Together and Look Intelligent!

The piece below was put out today by the Family Research Council. It looks so authentic, so righteous, so...stupid.

Answering the Assault

As local organizations start mobilizing their troops to the front lines of marriage in California, FRC is launching a national effort to educate the public to the damage this ruling may do to democracy, the family, and religious freedom. Together with a broad coalition of pro-family allies, FRC has planned a strategic series of panel discussions on the implications of the California supreme court decision for the nation. Tomorrow, we'll kick off the event at the National Press Club with legal and policy experts such as Glen Lavy of the Alliance Defense Fund, Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel, FRC's own Ken Blackwell, and more. More people must recognize that this epidemic of judicial activism has sweeping consequences for children, businesses, the legal system, and every other facet of society. If you live or work in the nation's capital, we encourage you to join us at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow at 529 14th Street, NW for "California Same-Sex Marriage: Answering the Assault on Family and Society." To RSVP, call 1-800-225-4008 or visit our website at www.frc.org. If you cannot attend, please log onto our site Thursday afternoon for video of the panel discussion.

O.K., we'll be watching. The "panel" as described, is made up of Pat Robertson and old Jerry Falwell legal goons. And this promises to be not just an indictment of gays, but outright insult-fest of California. Because, as everyone knows, California's values are liberal, profligate, atheistic values. To even think of stepping into that den of iniquity means you'll fry in
HELL!

But the series of panel discussions promises to be soooo intelligent and enlightening!!

Don't count on it. If Perkins is the one hosting it, you can be sure the style will be like his prose: obnoxiously righteous, frequently mispelled and just this side of functionally illiterate.

Hero Worship - Merchandising the Man: From Jesus to John McCain

Or... How did we get into this hero worship mess to begin with?

"I Will Save You!"

That's how it all started, you know. Yes, with Jesus Christ. To Christians, He was the first hero and still reigns supreme among many people to this day. The problem is that people can't get enough of heroes, so they make up fictional characters or lionize real people in a number of ways (some of which are rather embarrassing.) It's based on the insecurity of people: "I can't cope with this alone, so someone please help me! Save me from this problem called 'Life!!'" And how do we reward our heroes for helping us?

We merchandise them, of course! From a glow-in-the-dark plastic dashboard Jesus to a John McCain action figure (check it out here), we make icons of people we idolize (in both senses) and sell their names. As far back as the Middle Ages, we crushed small bones of saints and made "relics" (I have one - it contains the bone chips of two saints - my grandmother was very economical - one from a 10th century Bohemian saint and another from a second century Roman soldier.) Relics were big business because they brought in the pilgrim trade (tourists). Relics help to create the first superheroes. These saints were glorified and compartmentalized: if you really need to find those car keys, you pray to Saint Zita. In other words, "Saint Zita to the rescue!" or, more appropriately, "Saint Zita will save you!"

In our own time, we've had thousands of heroes. One who comes to mind is Audie Murphy. During WWII, Murphy wound up being the most decorated soldier in U.S. history. He was also very affable and good looking. Voila! Movie star!

Idolize and Merchandize. Get 'em while they're hot! Heroes have shelf lives, ya know. You never know how long they'll last or if they'll come back in style.

But what about the toll such fame takes on the hero? In most cases, the fame (and even the merchandising) is something they cannot control: they become reluctant heroes.

Jim Thorpe was a reluctant hero: Thorpe was proficient in track and field, baseball, basketball and football. He could run the 100-yard dash in 10 seconds flat, the 220 in 21.8 seconds, the 440 in 51.8 seconds, the 880 in 1:57, the mile in 4:35, the 120-yard high hurdles in 15 seconds, and the 220-yard low hurdles in 24 seconds. He could long jump 23 ft 6 in and high-jump 6 ft 5 in. He could pole vault 11 feet, put the shot 47 ft 9 in, throw the javelin 163 feet, and throw the discus 136 feet.

After he won gold medals in the Olympics, Jim was given a ticker tape parade down Broadway.

Thorpe, the hero worship was a kind of curse: during the Depression, he couldn't find a steady job. He became a chronic alcoholic. He died in abject poverty. When he was undergoing surgery for lip cancer, his wife told the press "We're broke.... Jim has nothing but hisFor
name and his memories. He has spent money on his own people and has given it away. He has often been exploited."

There was, of course, racism wherever he went: (Wikipedia) Thorpe was of mixed Native American and white ancestry. He was raised as a Sac and Fox, and named Wa-Tho-Huk, roughly translated as "Bright Path". He struggled with racism throughout much of his life and his accomplishments were publicized with headlines describing him as a "Redskin" and "Indian athlete".

Rarely do heroes continue doing what they were doing simply because they like doing it. Such is the case with "Patch" Adams, a doctor (general practitioner) with an incredible sense of humor and joy of life which he conveys to all of his patients. Having a movie patterned after your life, and being recognized as "that zany doctor" could ruin some medical careers, but Adams has remained steady and stalwart to his profession:

He founded the Gesundheit! Institute in 1972. Each year he organizes a group of volunteers from around the world to travel to Russia as clowns, to bring hope and joy to orphans, patients, and the people. In 1998 he also visited Bosnia, one of the Balkan Peninsula countries torn apart by the war that started after the break-up of Yugoslavia.

His life was the template for the plot of the film Patch Adams, starring Robin Williams. Adams is currently based in Arlington, Virginia, where he promotes a different health care model in collaboration with the institute.

So, is there a formula for handling fame and hero worship? I don't think so. As to becoming a hero, we're seeing the process unfold before our eyes: in the form of politics. John McCain will never be able to escape the image of Vietnam prisoner of war. Obama has already molded the image of young black man on the verge of greatness. How far will the "selling" of these two heroes go? How far will their campaigns let it go? And what will they do after the campaign ends?

Below is a satire of superheroes. He's called "Captain Perfect". Let's hope that some of our future heroes don't turn out to be like him.

Double Post:: War, Witchcraft and...a Wish

Some thoughts on the United States Being Its Own Worst Enemy

May 26 & 27

Now that all of the Memorial Day platitudes are past, I would like to reflect a little on the sentiments of our country.

Pastor Rod Parsley has said that America was founded to destroy Islam. He has had a hard time proving such nonsense. America never really set out to destroy anything - except itself. Even the immaculate Puritans had more blood on their hands than our self-proclaimed patriots would like to admit: the first settlers engaged in Indian wars very quickly. What's more, they implanted in the minds of following generations the spin that Indians were blood-thirsty heathens, unworthy of the land they occupied. The Puritans had no real notion of sharing the land with anyone else. They allied with tribes to kill other tribes, then killed their allies - all for "God and civilization."

"Americans" were killing Americans.

Then Americans started to kill their own kind in earnest: starting with witchcraft trials. In 1647, Alse Young was the first person to be executed as a witch. She was hanged, not burned (the difference being like "shaken, not stirred"). Besides the Bible admonition "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," Connecticut law depended greatly on Leviticus (20:27) says: A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood (shall be) upon them. In Connecticut, witchcraft was last listed as a capital crime in 1715. The crime of witchcraft disappeared from the list of capital crimes when the laws were next issued in 1750. (Wikipedia)


Then the pinnacle of self destruction came in the form of the Salem Witchcraft Trials. These were a series of hearings before local magistrates followed by county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex Counties of colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693. Over 150 people were arrested and imprisoned, with even more accused who were not formally pursued by the authorities. The two courts convicted twenty-nine people of the capital felony of witchcraft. Nineteen of the accused, fourteen women and five men, were hanged. One man who refused to enter a plea was crushed to death under heavy stones in an attempt to force him to do so. At least five more of the accused died in prison.

After the Revolutionary War, the country went back to killing Native Americans on an unprecedented scale and even continued through the Civil War up to the Spanish American War. There were approximately 76 Indian "Wars." And what we didn't do with rifles, we did with "laws" and "Acts", relocating the Native American countless times. There were more "trails of tears" than one would think imaginable.

Side note: I think it quite odd/ironic that Native Americans fought in the 20th (and 21st) century wars. Forgiveness trumped even cultural pride along the way to WWII. Somehow the "heathens" managed to keep their dignity while being oppressed.

Of course the real "Golden Age" of self-loathing was the Civil War and the following Reconstruction. Almost 750,000 men were casualties - more than any other was or military conflict the U.S. has ever engaged in. That should have been, for America, the "War to end all wars."

The Civil War not only pitted Brother against brother, but white against black. The scene to the left is the hanging of a black Union soldier by confederates.

And our self-loathing then began to increase exponentially, with separatist groups sprouting up (e.g. KKK) and laws to punish its own (Southern) states.

You would think that all of this war of Americans against Americans would tire us out for any other wars. Of course, this isn't so. Since 1776, there have been only 90 years in which we were not engaged in either war or military conflict. The sum total casualties may have been milder than some European countries, but one million people is still... well, one million people. We have been involved in several hundred military conflicts.


And we killed our citizens in a variety of other ways than out 'n out war: disaster unpreparedness is perhaps the most recent and vivid means of killing, not to mention poverty. But then again, every country does that to its own citizens. At least, that's our reasoning.

Besides other conflicts, we are now in a "culture war" which, make no mistake, has physical casualties, or hasn't anyone heard of gay bashing?

Then, of course, there's the killing we do through simple economics:

(On Bush's objection to raising the salaries of servicement):

(In Think Progress Blogsite by Faiz, May 23, 2008):

At the same time it is strongly opposing a slight increase in pay for the troops, the Bush administration is asking for hundreds of billions more for war. To put it in all in context, the White House wants $165 billion to continue fighting the Iraq and Afghanistan wars this year, but refuses to spend 0.2 percent of that amount ($324 million) to provide the troops a slight pay raise.

Bush on Memorial Day:

"On this Memorial Day, I stand before you as the commander in chief and try to tell you how proud I am," Bush told an audience of military figures, veterans and their families at Arlington National Cemetery. Of the men and women buried in the hallowed cemetery, he said, "They're an awesome bunch of people and the United States is blessed to have such citizens."
With typical ineloquence, President Bush has managed to deflect Americans' attention from the simple fact that Americans have been at war with Americans for centuries.

We've done less fighting to preserve our freedoms from foreign countries than in killing each other.

One wish: to stop our infighting for just one day to see what it feels like.

Scene during the 1891 Expedition in Korea

Witches Graveyard In Salem, MA

Witches Graveyard In Salem, MA
Originally uploaded by Red Dot Studio

A small indication that Americans have warred against themselves most and have had the most casualties. Whether or not war is sanctioned by God (but it most likely is) it is a powerful tool of hatred.

I've always wondered what stance today's Fundamentalists would take if transported back to that era. Can't you imagine people like Hagee, Patsley, Dobson, Perkins, Robertson, Roberts participating in the trials, hangins and burnings of women as witches? If they were around, how many more women would have gone to the stake?