Friday, December 30, 2011

Being Knowledgeable

After watching Turtle: The Incredible Journey, a story that chronicles the life of a single loggerhead sea turtle who shortly after being born embarks upon an extraordinary seafaring odyssey over thousands of miles, spanning many years, having never gone before, yet never losing her way, I couldn't help but wonder about the knowledge that we are born with, yet and still we lose our way. Being thrown off our journey is not being lost. But knowing the difference is key. Our purpose is within. Know yourself.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Friday, December 23, 2011

Being Sophie Scholl

"The real damage is done by those millions who want to 'survive.' The honest men who just want to be left in peace. Those who don’t want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won’t take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don’t like to make waves — or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honor, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small. It’s the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you’ll keep it under control. If you don’t make any noise, the bogeyman won’t find you. But it’s all an illusion, because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn." – Sophie Scholl

Being Ron Paul

Let me begin by saying I am not a fan of the mainstream news media and have not watched television in almost a year. But I do keep up with national and international news via the Internet through mostly alternative news sources.

Ron Paul recently stormed out of the CNN studio after being asked about the racist newsletter circulating for many years that bore his name and his affiliation with racist organizations who support him. His response was not presidential. As a presidential candidate or the president himself, it would not matter how many times a question has been answered, it should be answered yet again. Perhaps there are those among the over 300 million Americans who have not heard the answer. Why not just answer the question?

Paul's response begs the question of not only poor temperament, but how he will handle issues as president that are unfavorable to him or that he deems insignificant. By his ill-tempered behavior, he seems to think that the presidency is about him. While he positions himself as the outsider, his response reveals him as the typical insider.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Being a Police State

Let it be known that Senator Lindsey Graham and other Republicans, along with 16 Democrats and 1 Independent, believe that if captured by your government under the mere suspicion of terror--whose suspicion, by the way?--that you have no rights.

The Senate passed a bill on Tuesday which would allow the military detain Americans indefinitely.

"The enemy is all over the world. Here at home. And when people take up arms against the United States and [are] captured within the United States, why should we not be able to use our military and intelligence community to question that person as to what they know about enemy activity?" Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said.

"They should not be read their Miranda Rights. They should not be given a lawyer," Graham said. "They should be held humanely in military custody and interrogated about why they joined al Qaeda and what they were going to do to all of us."

Do we need more proof that we will soon live in a Police State? This bill is an outrage.