Entries Tagged as 'America'

Barack Obama’s 6/30/08 speech on patriotism - Happy Independence Day, Everyone!

A few highlights:

“No philosophy or political party has a monopoly on patriotism.”

“What makes America great has never been its perfection, but the belief that it can be made better…. [W]e can be governed by laws, not men, …we could be equal in the eyes of those laws; …we could be free to say what we want and assemble with whomever we want, and worship as we please; … we could have the right to pursue our individual dreams, with the obligation to help our fellow citizens pursue theirs.”

“Patriotism is always more than just loyalty to a place on a map, or a certain kind of people…. It’s also loyalty to America’s ideals…. It is the application of these ideals that separates us from… Zimbabwe… Burma…. or Iraq….”

“Patriotism can never be defined as loyalty to any particular leader, or government, or policy. As Mark Twain… once wrote, ‘patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.’ That’s what patriotism is. That’s what patriotism is.”

“When our laws, when our leaders, or our government are out of alignment with those ideals, then the dissent of ordinary Americans may prove to be one of the truest expressions of patriotism.”

“Recognizing a wrong being committed in this country’s name, insisting that we deliver on the promise of our Constitution, these are the acts of patriots, men and women who are defending what is best in America, and we should never forget that, especially when we disagree with them, especially when they make us uncomfortable with their words. That’s part of the American tradition. That’s part of why we are proud to be Americans.”

“It is our responsibility as Americans and as parents to instill that history in our children, both at home and at school. The loss of quality civic education from so many of our classrooms has left too many Americans without the most basic knowledge of who our forefathers are or what they did, or the significance of the founding documents that bear their names. Too many children are ignorant of the sheer effort, the risks and sacrifices made by previous generations to ensure that this country survived war and depression through the great struggles of civil and social, and workers’ rights. it is up to us then, too teach them. It is up to us to teach them that even though we have faced great challenges and made our share of mistakes, we have always been able to come together to make this country stronger, and more prosperous, and more united, and more just. And sometimes to teach them that America has been a force for good in the world, and that other nations and other peoples have looked to us as the last best hope on earth.”

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That’s what patriotism is. That’s what patriotism is.

Happy Independence Day, everyone.

BB,

Vivienne

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Are Things Worse in America Than Ever Before?

Over the weekend I posted a new paper to our literature section: “Are things worse in America now than ever before?”

Are things worse in America now than ever before? Barack Obama doesn’t think so. In his book, The Audacity of Hope (review coming soon) he comments that when he hears liberals complain because America is slipping dangerously toward fascism, and our Constitution is being shredded beyond all recognition, he reminds them of darker times our country has faced.

The paper contains my remarks thereon. Once you’ve read it, please add your comments to this post and let us know what you’re thinking. Are things worse in America now than ever before?

Barack Obama’s book is available here:

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
Price: USD 10.17

107 New and used from USD 6.49

(626 Customer reviews)

BB, and have a wonderful Independence Day weekend.

Vivienne

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Tags: Current Events, Government, Politics, Vivienne D'Avalon by Vivienne D'Avalon
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Keith Olbermann “Clinton, you invoked a political nightmare”

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I could not agree more.

For written transcript either type really fast or go to: MSNBC.com

-Magus-

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Tags: Current Events, Magus Dethen, Politics by Magus Dethen
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Bush’s torture confession and Yoo’s damning memos put the Catholic Hell in perspective

Ever since George Bush confessed on national television to authorizing torture, and the texts of the John Yoo torture memos came to light (First memo and 2nd memo part 1 and part 2), I’ve been wondering how to address the news here in our blog.  (See the Washington Post article for details about this latest memo to be made public).  To say I was speechless and sputtering with outrage and frustration is an understatement.  Getting hit hard with a nasty stomach flu that put me completely out of commission for almost a week did not help either.  (Hmmm; maybe there’s a cause and effect relationship there?)
 
But a personal anecdote is often useful when trying to put overwhelming concepts into perspective, and family matters over the last week helped me do just that.  While I was sick, my 78 year old maternal aunt, paralyzed and bedridden in a nursing home, had surgery to amputate her left leg above the knee, to prevent gangrene.  Any surgery in her current state of health and age risks her life, and my mother, about to turn 76 herself, was very worried and feeling her own mortality creeping up behind her.  At such times, Catholics like my mother tend to take spiritual inventory and ask themselves whether they have successfully squared their accounts with God as they prepare to face judgment. 
 
Now, I have some very strong opinions about the existence of the Christian Hell, and about the ethical and moral worth (or lack thereof) of a deity who would condemn his own children to an eternity of torture when most mere mortals would die themselves before they would willingly hurt their own child.  But those diatribes are fodder for full-length cornerstone-content essays, so I won’t go into them here.  Suffice to say that, when I try to comfort my mother in the face of the terrors her religion has inflicted on her over the course of a long life, I try to speak in her language, and use the arguments of a Christian theologian and moralist, rather than take the opportunity to point out yet another reason I’m pagan.  That would only serve to make her tune me out entirely, anyway, and defeat my purpose.
 
My reasoning in this instance was simple: when the very President of the United States himself has publicly confessed to authorizing torture, God Almighty has much bigger fish to fry than a little old Irish Catholic lady who never hurt a soul in her life.  Now, I have had some serious issues with my mother over the years.  She was emotionally and mentally abusive; inflicted a spiritually abusive and traumatizing religion on me; and gyped me out of a lot of landmark childhood moments in life, like being part of a cheerleading squad and going camping with the girlscouts, because she was so hypochondriacal and overprotective.  But however angry and resentful I have felt toward her over the years, I never hated her, and I certainly would never consign her to Hell. 
 
If anyone could be said to deserve eternal torment roasting in a fiery pit, it is not my mother or her ilk.  Not when there are egregiously evil men like George W. Bush in the world, and holding the highest office in the land to boot.  And it’s not like he’s the only one, either.  The entire administration is filled with men and women like Dick Cheney, Condoleeza Rice, Karl Rove (gone but not forgotten), and that’s without even leaving the White House!  The line gets much longer when you pull in all the congress members in both the House and the Senate who have condoned, facilitated, and encouraged the great evils of this administration.  When you get out into the media, the religous right (hello, John Hagee, yes there is a nice warm place for you in Hades to look forward to) and branch out to the tyrants in other countries, the queue goes on for miles.  Trust me Mom, your God has got much worse problems than you to deal with, and compared to sinners like these you have led an exemplary life.  You remember how the smart kids used to ruin the grading curve for everyone else in highschool?  These gems have done the opposite for you. 
 
So breathe easy, Christian America.  Hell, if it exists, is going to be SRO for many, many eons.  Y’all don’t stand a chance of getting in anytime soon.
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Tags: Christianity, Current Events, Government, Morals, Paganism, Politics, Vivienne D'Avalon by Vivienne D'Avalon
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ACLU 2008 Membership Conference

From ACLU [aclu@aclu.org]:  “We all know how much damage the Bush administration has done to the Constitution and the rule of law. But, just how long we allow their lawlessness and affronts to the Constitution to live on is up to us. Will we accept the damage that has been done and live with the consequences? Or will we act with energy and conviction to restore our constitutional rights?Acting with energy and conviction is what the ACLU 2008 Membership Conference  is all about.That’s why I’d like to invite you to this year’s conference to get inspired, energized and organized to fight for our Constitution.It is up to us to restore our civil liberties and the ACLU 2008 Membership Conference  is a chance for all of us who care about liberty, equality and justice in America today to come together as concerned activists. At the conference you’ll meet scholars, writers, judges, and elected officials; learn about the most pressing civil liberties issues of the day and join other members like yourself to lobby Congress and defend our most fundamental freedoms.If you are ready to stand up for the kind of America you want to live in, the ACLU 2008 Membership Conference is the place for you.“I came here because I needed to be among a group of people who care about the things about which I care and to get re-energized to protect our democracy from the abuse of our own government.” –Carol Mehlman, 2006 ACLU Membership Conference participant from Tampa, Florida.As in past conferences, you can expect to hear from a wide variety of respected experts on civil liberties, as well as from ACLU clients who will tell their stories. We have just confirmed some inspiring new speakers, including former South African Chief Justice Arthur Chaskalson, “literary grandmaster” Ariel Dorfman, Retired U.S. Navy Admiral John Hutson, and U.S. Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David H. Souter.The ACLU Membership Conference is for everyone who is ready to bring an end to our government’s abuse of power and restore our Constitutional values and heritage. Mark your calendar for June 8 - 10, 2008 to be in Washington, D.C. to make your voice heard — and make a difference.I hope to see you there! Learn more and register now.”

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Salvia: should the “new marijuana” be illegal?

This morning (Wednesday, March 12, 2008) NPR aired a story that salvia divinorum may soon be made illegal. For those of you who don’t know what salvia is, it’s a form of sage that has some psychoactive effects. Salvia is currently an uncontrolled substance, because its chemical makeup and effects are too dissimilar to drugs that are already banned — the law says that a drug has to be similar to a drug already on a particular schedule or class of illicit substances, in order to be included in that list. However, a substance can be added to this list based on analysis of 8 factors: 

  • Actual and potential for abuse
  • Pharmacology
  • Other current scientific knowledge
  • History and current pattern of abuse
  • Scope, duration, and significance of abuse
  • Public health risk
  • Psychic or physiological dependence liability
  • If an immediate precursor of a controlled substance

….  Based on the results of the analysis, the DEA may recommend that Salvia divinorum be scheduled as a controlled substance.

Salvia has been used by shamans and other spiritual seekers for “out of body” experiences and similar meditative practices. It does not have a market as a social drug, because the mental states it creates in the user are not conducive to social interaction, but rather, introspection. Just as with alcohol or tobacco, the user must act responsibly, and know enough not drive or operate heavy machinery while under the influence of any mind altering substance. However, NPR is reporting suicides that have supposedly been linked to salvia, thus causing a renewed push for criminalization.

Salvia divinorum is currently illegal in several states in America and in many countries around the world, and more states are jumping on the banning bandwagon every day. The DEA considers it “a drug of concern.” “The majority of the pending legislation would add the plant ‘Salvia divinorum’ to the states’ lists of controlled substances.”

In G. Pagan’s March 12, 2007 bill analysis of California AB259, he quotes information that

The effects produced by Salvia divinorum are not comparable to any other effects produced by the other psychoactive substances (i.e., peyote, psilocybin, LSD, etc.). This also includes variables of the user, such as body weight, sensitivity, strength, and dose taken and method used. The effects can range from subtle to extremely strong, causing an individual to have out-of-body experiences and create a real potential for physical danger to oneself and others.

Pagan’s analysis also discusses the fact that prisons are already overflowing because so many people are being incarcerated on drug charges because of substances that are already banned.

Salvia’s reputation suffers from “the current lack of laboratory and clinical research into its potential therapeutic properties.” So of course, rather than do responsible research, fear mongers are instead gunning to criminalize it so they can seize yet more control over their “subjects” — otherwise known as American citizens. Never mind that there are freedom of religion issues, that salvia “was used for both medicinal and religious purposes by the Mazatec Indians in Oaxaca well before the arrival of European colonial powers” and that it is currently in use by modern day shamans pursuing that freedom of religion. Never mind that we are supposed to have the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in this country; if the pharmaceutical companies can’t charge an arm and a leg to sell us chemical happiness, Whhhhyyyy, it’s a danger to society! Ban it! Burn it! Throw the witches in prison! Never mind that the prisons are already stuffed to the gills, that just means more money for the companies that build prisons and hire out guards and supply weapons!

“Salvia divinorum is a valuable medicinal herb that is rarely abused…. It is not habit-forming, not addictive, and does not present a significant risk to public health or safety. Because it is a powerful consciousness-altering herb, some regulation of sales is sensible and appropriate, but criminalizing possession certainly is not.”

So why can’t we use common sense, people? Why is that so frikkin hard????

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Tags: Current Events, Government, Morals, Paganism, Science and Technology by Vivienne D'Avalon
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