If you consider your self religious then please learn about your religion and where it came from!

  Does the average Christian out there find it embarrassing that the average atheist knows more about the Christian religion then most Christians do?  Christians shouldn't feel alone though.  Atheist on average know more about all religions then any other group based on belief.  Mormons and evangelicals can feel good that they know slightly more about the bible and Christianity then the average atheist but not much.
  This quick rant was triggered by reading a bunch of ignorant Christians bitch about how they would not thank Allah because Allah is a false god or something similar.  Allah is the same God as Yahweh and Jehovah.  All three religions are Abrahamic religions.  They all have the same roots.  They all worship the same "God".  Sure there are differences in the religions but that doesn't change the fact that you worship the same "God".  Within Christianity there are over 40,000 different denominations and some very radical differences between them too.  There is a joke about how there are as many different denominations of Christianity as there are Christians.
  So please before you bag another religion actually learn about it and while you are at it learn about your own religion at the same time.  If you just want to believe as you do now without learning more then keep you mouth shut about other religions.  In fact take some advice from Saint Augustine.
"Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other elements of this world, about the motion and orbit of the stars and even their size and relative positions, about the predictable eclipses of the sun and moon, the cycles of the years and the seasons, about the kinds of animals, shrubs, stones, and so forth, and this knowledge he hold to as being certain from reason and experience. Now, it is a disgraceful and dangerous thing for an infidel to hear a Christian, presumably giving the meaning of Holy Scripture, talking nonsense on these topics; and we should take all means to prevent such an embarrassing situation, in which people show up vast ignorance in a Christian and laugh it to scorn. The shame is not so much that an ignorant individual is derided, but that people outside the household of faith think our sacred writers held such opinions, and, to the great loss of those for whose salvation we toil, the writers of our Scripture are criticized and rejected as unlearned men. If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books, how are they going to believe those books in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven, when they think their pages are full of falsehoods and on facts which they themselves have learnt from experience and the light of reason? Reckless and incompetent expounders of Holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books. For then, to defend their utterly foolish and obviously untrue statements, they will try to call upon Holy Scripture for proof and even recite from memory many passages which they think support their position, although they understand neither what they say nor the things about which they make assertion."
In short if you don't know about a topic keep your mouth closed in discussions about that topic in relationship to your religious beliefs.  Because you just weaken your religious position in the eyes of others.  Why should I give any credit to your religious beliefs if you make stupid statements trying to defend your religion that are easily shown to be false?

US terrorism on foreigners. When will America stop killings innocent people? Warning Graphic Pictures!

  Just one year ago on Oct 24, 2012,  Momina Bibi, a grandmother, was out picking okra with some of her grand children.  She paid for that with her life.  Her grandchildren eye witnesses to her execution.

  The people live in constant fear of US controlled drones.  But life must go on.  They hear the drones every day, 24 hours a day.  They must still tend the fields for the food.  They must still carry about their day.  Sure, this family had never been hit by a drone strike before but it wasn't uncommon for innocent people to be killed by drones.

   The number of people killed by US drone strikes isn't easy to pin down but the best estimates range from 2,526 to 3,621.  Of which between 416 and 948 innocent civilians have been killed, depending on how you classify some of the young men aged and boys.  What is clear is that over 150 children have been killed by US controlled drone strikes.

  On Oct 24 Zubair Rehman, the 13 year old grandson of Momina, watched his grandmother literally get blown to piece.  Along with loosing his grandmother Zubair received shrapnel to his leg and had to undergo expensive surgery.  Surgery that you might think the USA paid for because they mistakenly bombed and innocent family, wounding a few children and killing a 67 year old grandmother.  But you would be wrong.  The USA government's position on this attack is vague.  They will not release any information about it.  They tried to claim 4 militants were killed in the attack but Momina was the only fatality.  When further questioned Caitlin Hayden, from the NSC, called the strike "Precise, lawful, and effective."  WTF?  Precise? Yea you blew a 67 year old lady picking Okra in a field from a drone flying high over head.  I guess that is "precise".  Lawful?  You have to be a huge scum bag of a lawyer to call killing a 67 year old grand mother "lawful".  Effective?  You have to be a huge fucking idiot to call it effective unless being a terrorist is your goal.  Because these innocent families live in constant fear.

  The kids no longer want to go to school and they come from a long line of educators.  Zubair's father is a teacher.  Zubair's grandfather, Momina's husband, is a teacher and he said "I wish God would just take my life, I can't live without her".  Zubair testified "All of a sudden things became very dark.  It was like she was exploded to pieces.". The kids don't like it when the skies are clear because that is when the drones are used the most. They live in fear because the US drones that circle over head.  They live in fear because the USA is terrorizing them. It is as plain and simple as that.

  So not only are they terrorized by the USA but the government won't even explain why the mistake happened or even acknowledge a mistake was made.  They call it "collateral damage".  The issue is the American public don't want to know about the problem.  For fuck sake the politicians don't want to know about the problem either.  Only 5 members of Congress listened to these families, and there was more then just this one family, at the briefing.  Rep Alan Grayson from Florida, Rep Jan Schakowsky from Illinois, Rep Rush Holt from New Jersey, Rep John Conyers from Michigan, and Rep Rick Nolan from Minnesota.  Why?  Because most American's don't know, or don't care, about the damage the US drone program causes.  The people killed, even if innocent, are non-people.  They aren't as important as you, your brother, your mother, your friend, your neighbor or even some guy in the next town over that you've never even met before.  The less you think about the victims of US military actions the better is the position of most Americans.  I can say that because the evidence shows it to be true.  If American's cared that we, as a nation, are responsible for hundreds and even thousands of children loosing their lives from US military actions then our politicians would know it.  They'd care because you care.  They'd know you cared because you would let them know you care.  Every time another one of these reports surfaced you'd contact your representative.  You call your senator.  You'd petition the White House to stop the terrorism perpetrated by the USA via our military and civilian combat programs.

  In the past war was out of sight but US casualties kept it in our minds.  The knock on the door of 2 men in uniform to tell the family that their son has died.  If you didn't get the knock yourself you probably knew someone that did.  So while the images of war wasn't there we had a sense that there is a price to military action taken on by the USA.  In Vietnam we got exposed to not only those knocks but we also had a lot more understanding what was going on via returning vets and journalists.  Pictures that are now timeless that show not only the ugly face of war but let the people know that the USA isn't always the good guy.

  The young people today might not really understand the image above.  Sure the kids look scared but so what?!  Well lets look at Kim Phuc, the little naked girl there today.  She was a victim of a US Napalm attack.  For those of you that don't know it is a disgusting incendiary weapon that was designed to stick to flesh as it burned.  Think of it as hand sanitizing gell that is a LOT more flammable and a lot stickier.  Back then, in 1972, using it on civilians wasn't "illegal".  The UN didn't declare it a war crime until 8 years later.  Unfortunately that didn't help Kim.  Napalm burns at temperatures of 800-1200 Celsius.  For those that are metric impaired that is 1,500-2,200 Fahrenheit or 8-12 times hotter then boiling water.  The problem is that the drones are today's Napalm.  The government calls them lawful and effective but ignore the children and innocent people that are killed by them.  Kim is actually lucky.  She survived.  She lived through the pain of almost being burned to death.  Zubair survived.  He lived through the drone attack that killed his grandmother, wounded him, his sister and a few of his cousins.

  The issue now is that journalists in the USA refuse to publish images that the American people NEED to see.  Images that should outrage all American's.  Images that should stir you to act.  To contact your politicians.  To stop the USA's terrorism program.  We as a nation can not hold the moral high ground and complain when some "evil dictator" kills a few kids when our nation has been responsible for the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of children in Afghanistan alone.  We can not complain about Assad killing a few hundred kids with chemical weapons if we, as a nation, allowed our government to kill hundreds of innocent children with unmanned aerial vehicles.  Just because we are using weapons that have yet to be declared as a war crime if used against civilians doesn't give us the moral high ground over some dictator killing children with chemical weapons.  A dead child is a dead child.  The method of killing them isn't what should outrage you it is their death in the first place that should make you scream.

You should look at these and jump into action.  Remember when the Boston marathon bombing happened?  How outraged where you?  Sure the journalist showed the images over and over but those are images of American's being terrorized, injured and killed.  What about these kids?  Where is your outrage for them?  Where is your posts on Facebook showing support for their families?  Where is your insistence that those responsible for their deaths are brought to justice.  Sadly those you have elected are often the closest you'll get to seeing who is directly responsible.  Look in a mirror and you'll probably see someone that is indirectly responsible.  Someone who, through inaction, allows this to happen.

  The dynamic has changed though.  We no longer have lots of knocking on doors.  Most of you may not know someone that has either died or lost a love one to the current military conflicts going on.  The US "news" outlets seem to weak to expose the public to the ugly side of war.  To many people would look away in disgust.  To many people would call the journalist unpatriotic.  Both these types people disgust me in one way or another.  Every adult should have some understanding of the cost of war.  Right now to many American's call others terrorists because they strap a bomb to themselves and kill themselves and others in an attempt to change things.  But when American's pay lots of money to have foreigners killed without getting their hands dirty at all it they think it is right and just.  It isn't because the policies that control these strikes are flawed.  The people executing these strikes are flawed.  The intelligence gathered that these strikes are based on are flawed and to many innocent people are getting killed.  If you have a program where you know at least 25% of the people you kill are not guilty then there is a major fucking problem. If you don't do anything to stop this program then you are part of the problem.

  Right now the majority of American's support the drone program.  But how many people support the use of a strategy that kills the wrong target at least 25% of the time?  Who supports a program where over 5% of the people killed are innocent children?  Who in their right mind thinks this is "lawful and effective".

  If that all doesn't stir you then think of it this way.  The "interpretation" of the laws that is being used right in the US drone program allows the government to execute you, with out any trial or even oversight from any judge if you are overseas.  There is even grey areas about there use on, or rather above, American soil.

  Take back control of your government.  Let them know you aren't going to let them do what ever they want any more. That it isn't in the best interest of the USA and it's citizens to be terrorizing people half way around the world just because we have more expensive military toys.

Your government held hostage by republicans!

It is crazy.  Our government is being held hostage by Americans voted for to run our government.  There is blame going both ways and there is normally 2 sides to every story and this one does too.  The difference here is that one side is very definitely lying about the situation which involves the Debt Ceiling and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

So if you live in a cave here is what is being said by both sides.

Many republicans including the leadership:
"We want to fund the government and we want to give the American people what they want with regards to the ACA."

What a few republicans and all democrats are saying:
"We want to fund the government and will not let a few republicans hold the entire nation hostage in a attempt to kill the ACA."

Now what is the situation?

Well there are 2 parts to this.  One is funding the government by raising the debt ceiling.  This involves allowing the government to get the funding they need to pay bills they have ALREADY incurred.  This has happened, automatically many times. The only times it hasn't is when the republicans try to hold the country hostage over some legislation that they don't like but still passed.  This isn't new spending.  This isn't money for new stuff.  It is paying the bills you already have.

  It would be like going and getting a mobile phone that isn't pre paid.  Signing a contract saying you'll pay $25 a month for a certain plan.  Using your phone for that entire month using all the benefits of the plan you signed up for.  At the end of the month when you get your bill you then refuse to pay and tell the phone company that you won't pay unless they provide you electricity in the Antarctic.

  Sadly this is what to many American's think ...that not raising the debt ceiling now is the way you stop spending later.  This is like thinking by not paying your bills now that you won't buy that new toy tomorrow.  How about pay the bills we've incurred, stop fighting wars we can't afford, stop buying tanks our military doesn't want, start asking the extremely wealth to actually pay their fair share!

The second demand has nothing to do with your phone plan.  The second part being the affordable health care act which the republicans claim most people don't want.  What is the reality tho?  The fact is that Obama was re-elected on a platform that was clear that the ACA was going to be implemented.  Citizens voted and he was placed back in office.  The law was legislated and even challenged as unconstitutional but the highest court of the land ruled that it is constitutional.  It has been challenged over 40 times in congress, costing the American tax payer about $2.5 million each time it has been, and won every single time.  The president is willing to talk about sensible changes to the ACA but will not have the government held hostage over it.

  The talking heads in the republican party would have you think they are willing to "compromise" but this is like a hostage taker saying they'll compromise on how many millions of dollars they'll get while they hold a gun to your child's head.  All of the "compromises" equate to the same thing.  Death of the ACA.

  The republicans are lying when they say they say they will compromise and the democrats are unwilling.

  Too many American's don't understand even the basic premise of the ACA.  Many American's don't even know that "Obamacare" and the ACA are one and the same.  No wonder with the smear campaign using misinformation against the ACA.  One can argue that the ACA is complicated and you would be right.  But the issue is complicated.  How can you unfuck a broken health care system that leaves out so many Americans with a "simple" system.  It is like complaining that you can't cure a genetic disorder by taking an aspirin.  The executive branch hasn't explained the program very well either.  Some of the confusion arises from introduced bits as "compromises" that republicans asked for.

  Here is the ideal ACA premiss.

• Health care should be attainable by all American.
• Most American should be able to pay for private health insurance.
• Insurance companies should not be able to deny health insurance to those that need it most.
• Insurance companies should not be able to stop providing insurance to those that need to use the insurance they supposedly have.
• The government should subsidise health care for those that are of lower income status.
• Women shouldn't have to pay more for health care then men.
• Health care should not have their costs artificially and arbitrarily inflated.

  For those that want specifics and more detail then go here.  Just don't complain that it is to complicated.  If you want to know the mysteries of the universe then you can't complain that you have to understand things like quantum physics, general and special relativity. 

This is achievable because insurance companies that previously denied benefits to individuals either for pre-existing conditions or cut off benefits to individuals that end up needed said benefits now can offset that risk by knowing that everyone will be covered.  

  Many people complain that they shouldn't have to be covered medically.  But we require people who drive to have insurance.  Some might say that people can choose not to drive and thus not pay car insurance so some people should be able to choose not to receive health care and not pay insurance.  The difference is somebody that doesn't drive doesn't all of a sudden find themselves behind the wheel of a car.  People who are healthy DO find themselves faced with an unexpected illness or injury.  People don't often just agree to lay down and die but will seek medical attention. 

  The biggest cause of bankruptcy is from medical bills.  This means that the bills remain unpaid.  People without insurance also end up using forms of care that are inherently more expensive like emergency rooms.  Going to a general practitioner to get looked at is much less expensive then going to the emergency room and taking up a spot that is geared up for situations that are more life threatening.  

  Another part is getting the cost of health care down.  Right now in the USA health care is the free market gone crazy.  Do you know you can pay 20x or more for medication in the USA then you would in other countries.  Same medication! Why is this?  Well in places like Australia, England and Canada the government says "Hey we'll put medication x on our pharmaceutical benefits scheme but you have to make the cost reasonable!"  The government then will subsidise the cost of the medication a bit.  People still have the choice to use medication that is not on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme if they choose.  So what happens is the pharmaceutical companies still make money and the people don't get ripped off unless they choose to be.  

  This doesn't just happen with drugs.  It happens all over the place.  Sure this does mean that you might end up paying more if you choose to use something that isn't on some government benefit scheme but that is your choice.  For example the government goes to companies and says "We want product x with these specifications" and those companies come back with their solutions and a the cheapest ones that meet the specifications are chosen to go on a benefits scheme.  Those companies know that they'll sell more so their margins can be lower.  This doesn't stop other companies from making more expensive products and does not stop you, the consumer, from using those companies.  What it does do allow most American's to access that product at a reasonable price.  In health care this is especially important because if you are told "You need medication x to stay alive." you shouldn't be held to ransom to pay 20x the reasonable cost of that medication.  Really what are you going to say?  "No I refuse to pay!" which in reality many people are forced to do when they can't afford to access the health care they need.  Others access that health care but end up going bankrupt and the rich just pay the costs and move on.

  Health care shouldn't be a luxury.  If governments can say that "Internet access" is a basic human right I'm sure that basic health care should be one too!

Watch this video.  There is a lot of humour in it but it is very informative too.  You'll find yourself laughing then a bit disgusted when you realise that while some of it sounds ridiculous it is actually all true.

  What the republicans need to do is let the government be funded no strings attached because it is a bill the government has already incurred.  Then if they want to make changes to the ACA then that is another matter that can be handled separately.  Note almost every other time they've done this they've just tried to kill the entire thing not make it better.  Also note that the basic plan is THEIR PLAN!  The individual mandate is a republican idea.  Many people might not like it but, at present, it is the most logical plan on the table.  The government is all about doing what is best for the citizens as a whole even if they don't understand it.  Ask all Americans if they would like medical care if they are injured.  See how many people say "no".  That should be the same number of people that support reform in the health care sector.

My German heritage makes me proud.

While much of the rest of the world says it is to hard, to expensive or not even possible Germany is doing it.  What are they doing you ask?  Converting over to renewable energy sources like wind and solar.  They are doing it at a very nice pace to.  They are putting the change ahead of corporate greed.  They are giving control back to the people.

  For those of you that don't know Germany has a big push and big incentives for people to do things like install solar panels.  There are many people that take out loans to install solar systems that end up not only providing all the power needs for those people but also produces enough excess power to actually pay for the loans and maintenance of the solar power systems.

  This makes me think about the Berkeley professor that redid his house to use more efficient lights and appliances and at the same time install a solar panel system.  The professor paid for the entire conversion by adding on to his existing home loan.  The money the professor saved by going off the grid was more then the increase in his mortgage payment.  It can be done if people want to make the effort.

  Back in July Germany produced over 5.1TWh of power via solar. This broke the record of renewable energy generation previously held by wind turbines of 5TWh.  Germany is looking to get 80% of its energy needs from renewables by 2050 and at this rate Germany will have no trouble not only meeting that goal but exceeding it.

  So successful is the German model that corporations that own old fossil fuel power plants are trying to threaten to leave Germany.  To me that is a bit like a bully threatening a little kid that they'll to go to another school and beat up someone else.  The fact that these corporations are having a hard headed approach to changing to the markets is very telling.

  This is all something that the USA should have been doing back in the late 70s and early 80s but oil corporations lobbied the Reagan administration hard and not only put a stop to changes President Carter put in place but even had solar panels removed from the White House.  Carter said the following "a generation from now, this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people; harnessing the power of the Sun to enrich our lives as we move away from our crippling dependence on foreign oil."  Well a generation and a half later we are basically at the same point.  Obama had panels put back into the White House in 2010.  30 years have gone by.  30 years not completely wasted but not even close to being even partially realised.

  This revolution can either be one that the USA can be spear heading and profiting from or one that the USA can watch from the side lines and resort to being just another consumer dependent on other countries for the market and innovations.

  All this is ignoring the benefits of renewable.  All I'm saying is that the conversion can be done.  It isn't beyond our ability.  When people say it is then they are being VERY short sighted and even more ignorant of the reality of the situation.

  Do you think it can and should be done or are you one of the above?
Which of these do you want near your home?

This?

Or this?

Pride and Shame - A tale of a US Marine 20 years after leaving the Corps

I am moving into a new unit this weekend.  Out of an old one I've lived in for over 15 years now.  The new one's floor plan is pretty much a mirror image of the old one. Slightly more open because the wall between the kitchen and living room was removed to give it a more open feel.  In addition everything is new.  New kitchen, new bathroom, new laundry.  New feel.  I'm excited with the change.

So over the next few days I'll be shifting my stuff up to the new unit.  It is just one over and one up.  Bit of a hassle to shift stuff but well worth it.  I've got the TV, microwave, liqueur cabinet and my music instruments that have been collecting far to much dust up there already.

I wiped down a metal plate with the Great Seal of the United States on it a few hours ago and put it in my cabinet.  For those of you that don't know much about it see the picture and read my explanation of the symbolism.

  The Eagle represents our nation. In is beak is a ribbon with words "E Pluribus Unum" meaning, "Out of Many, One" the unofficial motto of the since 1776.  When our great nation was founded.  So when people tell me "Why do you want to change the motto from 'In God We Trust', it has been that for so long!" I point out that for 180 years "E Pluribus Unum" was our motto and it is more in tune with what our fore fathers envisioned for this nation then the one we've had for less then 60 years now.  This nation was built on the principal of individual freedom.  The freedom to hold what ever religious belief a person wishes.  To worship the god of their choosing not one forced upon them by others.  To worship many gods if that is your belief and not be oppressed by a government saying your gods are not true.  Or to not worship any god as I do.

  This means people can look to their government to help bring us together.  The nation is the unifying force.  Not one persons invisible sky god.  A nation of people where the government is accountable to the people and worshipping Yahweh, Allah, Izanagi, Elohim, Brahman, Jehovah, Huwa, Shangdi, any other god or gods, or not worshiping any divine being is not a factor of your citizenship or patriotism.  Where we unite as a people of a great nation for the betterment of all regardless of our religious belief compared to our countrymen.

  In the eagle's left talon are 13 arrows representing the 13 original colonies and the recognition that sometimes we, as a nation, must fight for what is right.  In the eagle's right talon is a olive branch.  A symbol of peace while the eagles head is turned towards the olive branch signifying our nation's strong urge for peace and not war.

  This symbolism is especially significant these days.  Where we have the chance to achieve so much through diplomacy with other nations to get an outcome that is better for all with only  a credible threat of war in the back ground.  I wonder with the massacre occurring in Syria how will our grand children look upon us for our actions and inaction's? It saddens me that the politics of the world cares so little for so many killed in that civil war.  At least some progress may be made to remove the chemical weapons without going to war.  That said I fail to see what difference it makes if someone is killed by a bullet to the head or exposed to a nerve agent or something similar.  Not many of you would know that I've had a lot of training dealing with chemical weapons while in the USMC.  Some may have heard an odd story hear or there pertaining to some of the more comical situations I found myself in.  What I can tell you is this.  If I had to choose how to go, by bullet or by gas, I would not care.  The end result is the same.  The person responsible for my death is not more or less evil for killing me one way over another.  Thus when a few dozen people die from a chemical attack we should not be out raged by the chemical attack.  We should be outraged by the slaughter of dozens of people.  Should we feel less for Jews and others shot by Nazi's then those that were gassed? No we should not.

  I hope that diplomacy works in removing chemical weapons from Syria but recognize that it doesn't solve the underlying problem.  A problem that to much of the world doesn't really care about.  The use of force that has been suggested would not have solved the underlying problem either.  So in this case I take the lesser of 2 evils and support the use of diplomacy to remove, at least, one tool that government could use against its own people.

   I also just unpacked a box that I haven't seen in years.  It had an award I got from the Republic of Korea Marine Corps commandant back in 1993.  Sgt Kinney and I were the first 2 enlisted to ever receive that award.  When I opened the award I found a picture of me in my dress blues.  So many conflicting thoughts in my head right now.  I have such a sense of pride from back then and I now have such a sense of outrage for how much our nation has deviated from the principals that made the USA great.  Not just since I've been in but for so long before.  While I'm not ashamed of anything I've ever done while serving our nation I am ashamed of so many things I was ignorant to.  When I joined the Marines I thought the biggest threat to me was from the middle east but I really did not know the real reasons why.  Even today you'll hear "reporters", because I refuse to call them journalists, say that "they hate us because they hate us!" and this is so far from the truth it isn't funny.

  The reason we are hated is because of the way we conduct ourselves as a nation and as a people.  As a nation we are self serving and take everything we can.  As a people we are largely willfully ignorant of how our nation treats the rest of the world.  We condemn foreigners for fighting for what they believe in.  Those ideals are often at odds with our "national interests".  "National interests" that may be "good" for the USA short term but often very bad for the foreign nation and end up very bad for the USA long term.  Yet if the shoe was on the other foot we would be calling Americans doing the same thing to the hostile nation "Patriots".  We condemn Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons but don't blink when we use white phosphorus against our "enemies".  We didn't have a problem when Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons against Iran.  Fuck we even told Saddam exactly were to send those chemical weapons for the biggest effect possible.  We quietly turned a blind eye when he also used them against his own people.  It is hard for us to try to stand on any moral high ground and say that al-Assad is committing war crimes when we ignore war crimes that our own nation commits.  It would be a lot easier to point the finger at Bashar for killing a hundred thousand of his own people if we, as a nation, were not responsible for the deaths of 20,000 civilians in Afghanistan over the last decade.

  The issue I have right now is the fact that the biggest pressure we have to fight there is to make corporations more money as we funnel money into a new war.  Not enough Americans care about 100,000 dead Syrians.  Not enough of the world care either.  The death of over 500 children in the last 18 months isn't enough because, whether you like it or not, to many people consider them as "non people".  If I could get the world to get Bashar out of control then, I hope, things would be better there.  But there are no guarantees.

  So where does that leave me.  Well like many things it is out of my hands.  I could ignore it but I've never been good at willfully ignoring stuff.  So I do what I can.  I let my elected politicians, in both countries, know how I feel.  I let people around me know how I feel, much to the disgust of some of you.  But if you've made it this far you must not be all that disgusted with my views even if you don't agree with me.  I understand how people don't want to get involved in Syria.  I only wonder what our grandchildren will think about what we did or did not do.

  If anyone has got to this point and don't want to see my rants let me know.  I'll give you the steps you need to do so that my posts don't show up in your news feeds within FB.  The only other step you  need to do is stay away from my blog, or as I call it "my online rant board"

Reality of Trayvon's murder. Do you look like a thug?

Warning: Some people may find one of the images in this blog disturbing.

Zimmerman's lawyer is as disgusting as Zimmerman is. When asked if he thought that the outcome would be different if the races were reversed he replies with 

"I think that things would have been different if George Zimmerman was black for this reason, he would have never been charged with a crime. It seems as tho what happened was an event that was being looked into by Sanford Police department, and quite honestly as we now know looked into quite well, what happened was this became the focus for a civil rights event, which again is a wonderful event to have, but they decide George Zimmerman would be the person who they were to blame and sort of use as the creation of a civil rights violation"

Now who the fuck believes that 

• a 29 year old black man 
• with previous charges of assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and domestic violence 
• carrying a loaded gun 
• confronts a white 17 year old boy, walking home from the store, drinking ice tea and eating skittles 
• and fatally shoots the kid in the chest

would not have been charged with a crime? That "black man" would have been tried and convicted of first degree murder. We know he went after the teenager against the police dispatcher's orders. We know he didn't want the teenager to "get away with it" showing he had premeditation to stop this teenager. My guess is that he would have also had a very good chance of getting the death penalty.

The reason this was brought up as a civil rights issue is because the cluster fuck of an investigation and how the police handled it.

• The police don't do a criminal background check of the white shooter. 
• They do the check on the unarmed dead black kid walking home from the store with ice tea and skittles dressed in khaki pants. 
• They don't do any toxicology on the white shooter 
• They do check the dead black teenage victim. 
• They allow the white guy to travel around the police station unescorted immediately following the shooting. 
• They don't arrest the white guy for weeks after the fatal shooting.

Everything you read about this points to the police treating this as "the black kid must have done something wrong". The police chief even says "This is all very unsettling. I'm sure if George Zimmerman had the opportunity to relive Sunday, February 26, he'd probably do things differently. I'm sure Trayvon would, too.".

Again Trayvon did NOTHING wrong. He walked home from the store. The worst thing he can be accused of is when a crazy man confronts him at night he decided to defend himself. Sure if he ran he might not have been shot in the chest. He would have been shot in the back!

The attacks on Trayvon's character are disgusting and just stupid attempts to make people who support the tragic death of this youth feel better about being raciest bigots.

Trayvon smoked some marijuana! 

Oh shit! he must be a gangsta wannabe...for fuck sake that would have meant that most of the kids I knew in high school would have been a gangsta wannabe, including myself.  For shame on the US government for issuing me with my TS clearance when I clearly told them that I smoked marijuana in high school and even had drugs harder then marijuana.  How can you trust a gangsta wannabe like me with national secrets?!?!

Trayvon may have wanted to get a gun!

Forget that there is no evidence he wanted a gun.  Perhaps if he had a gun he'd still be alive today.  But if he was alive I bet you he'd be in prison convicted of felony murder because he must have had the gun because he was intending to commit a crime because that is what black kids do.

"If you dress like a thug, people will treat you like a thug" : Geraldo Rivera

Trayvon was dressed like a thug!

He had a sweater, that had a hood, on and khaki pants with the ankles cuffed up.  Yea, every punk, going out to rob some place at night, wears khaki pants and cuffs the ankles so they don't get stopped by the fashion police.
Now this is just Geraldo opening his mouth and letting shit come out without regards for reality.  Let us look at some pictures and you ask what you think of each.  As you look at them decide as quickly as possible if you think "thug" or "not thug".  Be honest with yourself.  I bet I know what people will say for most of them.

Trayvon was walking to slow and looking around all the time!

Hmm so he looks around when he walks.  I do that too.  He was looking at houses!  OMG I do that too!  He kept looking over his shoulder.  Well if I noticed someone following me in a car while I was walking I would too.

Trayvon started to run!  

OMG after seeing someone is following him he decided to run. Or after getting rained on enough he thought he'd try to get home faster.  Either way you have a problem where he was suspicious for walking to slow and if he was running he'd also would have been suspicious.  He couldn't win!

Trayvon should have avoided the situation!  

HOW?!?! Zimmerman confronted him!  Trayvon was just walking home.  If some stranger comes up to you at night and starts something with you what do you do?  What do you do if the have a fucking gun and you've got ice tea and skittles?


The issue is people back themselves into a corner.  They say things that are clearly raciest and wrong then instead of admitting they were wrong they try to bring up the most stupid reasoning why they are justified in their remarks.

If you make any excuse why Zimmerman is justified in what happened then have a deep look at yourself.  Ask yourself if the races were reversed and some 29 year old black man killed a innocent white kid would you feel the same and I suspect the answer is no.  But of course if you thought that way then you would justify it in your own head to either make yourself feel like you are not a raciest fuck tart or you'd be proud that you are a racist fuck tart.

I've heard of a few of examples where a black man has "killed a white kid" and "got away with it"
There has been a pattern I've noticed to all the stories.  First is that the white teens in question where in the act of burglary when initially confronted.  Second they went to attack the shooter and the shooter was out numbered.  Does this excuse the shooting?  No, but there is a big difference between 3 young men braking into your neighbour's car then charging at you when you tell them to freeze and a single young man walking home from the store after he bought an ice tea and pack of skittles.

Fact, Zimmerman racially profiled Trayvon Martin, an innocent black teenager, confronted him against direct orders from the police and fatally shot and killed Trayvon. The fact that if you try to justify Zimmerman's actions and miss the fact that an innocent kid lost his life because of Zimmerman's stupidity then you can go fuck yourself.

Don't even get me started on how Zimmerman now has his gun back and how Juror "B-37" thinks that "George" only over stepped his bounds "just a little" and that she thinks he's learnt his lesson and would want him in her neighbourhood watch.  I wonder if she would want "George" on her neighbourhood watch if it was her 17 year old son that "George" shot in cold blood as he was walking home with ice tea and skittles.  I wonder if she would think, after her son is laying dead in the wet grass, that "George" only over stepped his bounds "just a little".

George got a jury of his peers, 5 white women and 1 non black woman.  The prosecutors really didn't want this trial to succeed and in my opinion that is because they didn't want the cops to look bad.

It is ironic that Zimmerman's lawyer says that George needs his gun and bullet proof vest because he will never know if some person will over react and kill him.  It is completely lost on Zimmerman supporters that to most people stalking and then fatally shooting someone with ice tea and skittles is  a much bigger over reaction then anyone coming after Zimmerman for killing an innocent teenager in cold blood.  I don't want Zimmerman dead and I advise people to stay away from him because he's killed a completely innocent boy once. Next time it would be even easier for him to claim he was in fear for his life.

Justice is no longer blind

  It is bad enough that the prolonged rape of a 16 year old girl by 2 high school football players happened and almost went completely unpunished, read an blog post of mine on the subject Injustice in Steubenville OH.

  It is pathetic the sentences these two "all American football players" got.  Both found guilty, which you might think it is better then many rape cases get.  But remember the the rapiest not only photograph and video the 6 hour ordeal, they also tweeted, sms'd and even posted photos and video up onto Facebook and YouTube of the incident.  It was a open an shut case if there was ever one.  Their attempted defense that the girl some how gave consent when she was clearly unconscious in almost all the photos and videos is repugnant.

  One of the young men, Ma'lik Richmond, was convicted and sentenced to a whopping 1 year in juvenile detention for being found guilty of rape of a minor.  The other, Trent Mays, was sentenced to a whopping 2 years in juvenile detention for being found guilty of rape of a minor and disseminating child pornography.  Both sentences being the minimum allowed sentences for the crimes they committed.  The Judge, Thomas Lipps, claims the the incident was "profane and ugly." but this, along with Ma'lik's comments the "No pictures should have been sent around, let alone ever taken" and "My life is over" don't indicate regret and remorse for drugging and then raping a girl over a 6 hour period.  It shows disappointment that he got caught.

  Judge Thomas Lipps sentencing send the message of "My hands are tied but I'll make your punishment for the crime you committed as small as possible".  So You'll have the next set of football players thinking they have the right to drug kidnap and rape an under-aged girl but they better not photograph the gang rape.

  Now to put insult on to injury the activist Deric Lostutter that brought all the posts, tweets and other evidence, that there was an attempt to cover up, to light is facing 10 years sentence if convicted.  2 football players drug, kidnap and sexually violate a young girl and they get 1 and 2 year.  The man that exposes the attempted cover-up by the locals faces 10 years.

  We have clearly entered into a culture where whistle blowers are now more likely to be punished then those people and organisations they've exposed as breaking the law.  Why is it?  Because whistle blowers by their nature are exposing corruption of powerful people.  If these 2 boys where from a ghetto and someone dug up this info no one would care.  But Deric didn't do that.  He not only exposed what the 2 boys had done.  He exposed how their whole community tried to cover up the incident.
 
  We live in a culture where people are becoming afraid of doing the right thing.  Speaking up when they see a wrong.  Where reporters are being intimidated by the government for doing their job.  Where questioning what any branch of the government is becoming taboo.  Where peaceful protesting is looked down upon.

  Our founding fathers would be ashamed.  It is a tragedy that in many ways those that signed the Declaration of Independence were more progressive then many politicians today.  I for one think that we need to reclaim our government needs to be reclaimed from the clutches of a few.  Where the government works with and for the common person not just the wealthy and powerful.  Where equal rights for all isn't coupled with less rights for most.  Where people are people and corporations aren't.