Tuesday, August 17, 2010

DO WE OR DON’T WE HAVE A 1ST AMENDMENT?



DO YOU REPUBLICANS LOVE THE CONSTITUTION SO MUCH YOU NEED TO CHANGE IT TO REFLECT YOUR XENOPHOBIA?

Is ours a government for the people and by the people and not the corporations…corporations are not men…men were created equal but corporations are not men.

And now Republicans also want to do away with the 14th amendment…all because they don’t like immigrants and don’t want immigrants to have children born here…that makes them American citizens.

The recent debate about the Ground Zero Mosque in New York is creating an interesting scenario. The evangelical Christians are leading a push not just to ban the Mosque being built at Ground Zero, but to ban all mosques all together. The extreme Christian-right is leading a charge that would culminate into the banning of the Muslim religion all together. If they get their way, bye bye 1st amendment, hello Christian Theocracy.

Any of you remember how the Christians attempted to place a cross from the steel beams taken from the ruins of the towers? I thought that was not only disrespectful to those who died but downright insulting...there were victims who were Jewish, Muslims and others...who told these people that they could monopolize the place we call "ground zero" for the purpose of promoting Christianity?

First let us clarify one thing…there is no mosque…they are talking about building a community center. Second, how far does this facility have to be in order not to be an insult? 2 blocks, 2 miles, 2 states away, 2 continents away?.

They are even talking about not allowing any mosques to be built at all anywhere…is that right assholes? Didn’t anyone tell you in your high school civics class that we are a secular nation, not a CHRISTIAN NATION?

We are not a Christian nation founded solely upon Judeo-Christian principles, but a nation in which the large majority professes to be Christian. This is a significant difference.

On Nov. 4, 1796, near the end of George Washington’s second term, the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbary was signed. The U.S. Senate passed this treaty unanimously on June 7, 1797, and President John Adams signed it. Article 11 states that “As the Government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no said character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”

Look, I am not particularly thrilled with religion either…any religion. If it was up to me there would not be tax exemption for religion and I would certainly feel better if there are no more churches, temples, synagogues or mosques built in America. I think religion is detrimental to society…I call them “those great monuments to ignorance and superstition” But we do have a CONSTITUTION and we live by it, and it has served us well for a couple of centuries.

The way it is designed, changes to the Constitution are very difficult to make and sometimes it takes decades. I really doubt that Republicans are going to be able to pull any large public opinion change in the very near future. But I am worried that because of the crazy nature of their rhetoric, the hatred and racism, the xenophobia and divisiveness they are spewing that our country will become hopelessly polarized.

But then again, isn’t that what those extremist terrorists want?

SOURCE: http://www.theyoungturks.com/story/2010/8/13/10249/2659/Diary/Ban-All-Mosques-

CHURCHES, TEMPLES AND MOSQUES – BUILD THEM PLEASE

THOSE MONUMENTS TO IGNORANCE AND SUPERSTITION NEED TO BE BUILT

There is a lot of controversy these days about a Mosque being built within blocks of the ground zero World Trade Center. As usual, the ugly heads of racism and xenophobia are raising their snake heads and spewing their lethal venom. There is no doubt in my mind that what is motivating these people to object is racism, xenophobia and even some who are involved in politics are using it as an easy way to score points with the more regressive, ignorant conservative base.

Having said that, I think I should clarify my position on this issue: I am in favor of building the fucking thing. Not for the usual reasons; which are more than reasonable…that in America we have freedom of religion. My opinion is as follows: I think that building it would create jobs; those of bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers and the like. The only thing I regret is that they will be tax exempt.

All of these; whether they are churches, temples or mosques should pay taxes like everyone else. But because we live in America they are given a special privilege not to do so, supposedly to allow the free practice of religion. But make no mistake about it, these are nothing more than entertainment centers no different than movie theaters where they get you in there and entertain you for a fee and movie theaters have to pay taxes.

I have always functioned under the premise that if something is not logical to me I will not include it in my set of convictions or beliefs. I use common sense; which some say is uncommon. But just think about the banality of it all…that we should be discussing whether to allow one particular religion to build a monument to ignorance and superstition and for others to oppose it.

Please don’t tell me, don’t use the argument that building this mosque is an affront, an insult to the victims of 9/11 and their families because when America had its chance to avenge that horrible attack they blew it…they had Osama Bin Laden in the crosshairs, within reach and vulnerable and America once more fucked it up and let him slip by. Of course, arguably Bush and the Republicans found it convenient to continue a state of emergency and war because it solidified their power and Bush was able to trample the Constitution and making the executive branch a lot more powerful than it should be…drowning out all criticism by declaring those who objected as unpatriotic or friends of the terrorists.

I don't want to hear generalizations and bigoted arguments...Muslims are generally very peace loving, noble people and those who perpetrated those attacks were members of a fringe radical group not unlike those fringe elements we have in America today and call themselves Christians...do not forget that it was the Church that carried out some of the most hideous, horrendous crimes humanity has ever seen in the name of religion: they called it the INQUISITION...just a few centuries ago.

I have said it before countless times…I find religions to be a nuisance and detrimental to society…I really don’t give a flying fuck whether you worship green unicorns from Tasmania and you hang from a chandelier to pray to them. If you need a church, a temple or a mosque to engage in that endeavor, then so be it.

Conversely, there is a lot of talk lately about the 14th Amendment to our Constitution. That is, to change it somehow as not to allow the offspring of illegal aliens to be considered American Citizens. Think about this again from a practical, common sense approach…they actually want to change the Constitution…that very document they so vehemently claim they adore and defend. They don’t tell you that altering, changing or making amendments to our Constitution is a very difficult process and it takes decades if we are to go by past experiences.

So basically, what we have here is those politicians pandering to that xenophobic, racist elements that compose the base of the Republican Party…once more the ugly snake raising its head to spew venom…and the recipients of this venom are those who can least defend themselves: the illegal aliens who have been vilified and made into escape goats…be it for the jobs they are supposed to be taking away from native born Americans or for their drug trafficking or for their criminal behavior, which in my opinion is bogus because the jobs they do Americans are not willing to perform; the drug traffickers are not the illegal alien who comes here to mow lawns and send money home to Mexico or Guatemala and the statistics are stacked against these people committing crimes because they have to keep a low profile, they have to keep their noses clean and be inconspicuous, never getting into trouble to avoid deportation. So the arguments are bogus, bogus, dishonestly bogus.

PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.google.com/imgres

http://www.fotosearch.com/CSP324/k3241830/



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