Who's to blame?

I don't know about you, but I'm still reeling from the news of Saturday's shooting of Congresswoman Giffords and death of 6 people at a political rally in Arizona.The finger pointing and fist waving began almost immediately. I am not innocent here. I was one of those people drawing a straight line from Sarah Palin and Jesse Kelly's violent gun-filled imagery to the tragedy in Arizona.

But as we learn more about Jared Loughner and his troubled past we learn even less about why he committed this horrific act. The left is arguing it's Sarah Palin's fault for putting the Congresswoman in her crosshairs and for telling her followers "...don't retreat, reload!" The right point to Loughner's reading list (the Communist Manifesto) as evidence that he was a left-wing nut job. We may never know what were Loughner's political influences - if he had any at all. But this doesn't absolve our "thought" leaders from their role in feeding a madman's delusions.

Today Ms. Palin issued a video statement on the shootings absolving herself from any blame for the tragic events. She's right. It's not her fault. She didn't put the gun directly in Loughner's hand. She didn't tell him to hunt down Congresswoman Giffords. There's no proof that Loughner had ever listened to a word that Ms. Palin ever said, or saw her map with the rifle sights over Giffords's name. But she missed the point and the opportunity to show the American public that she is capable of self-reflection and personal responsibility.

Earlier this week Keith Olbermann issued a mea culpa for adding to the political vitriol that has plagued our airwaves and issued a promise to try and tone it down. While I applaud Olbermann's sentiments, I believe that when the election cycle ramps up and sweeps week approaches, his self-aware sentiments will go right out the window.

Pundits like Palin, Olbermann, Glenn Beck are like parents who feed their kid a steady diet of Twinkies and soda and then act shocked when the pediatrician tells them that their kid weighs 200 lbs and has diabetes. Having access to America's airways is a privilege and responsibility. It's time for our pundits and politicians to step up and accept the responsibility that comes with the privilege they've been enjoying for years.

We'll never know why this disturbed man decided to open fire at a busy shopping center. What will be more productive is to try to understand how he was able to do it. How was it that an obviously disturbed individual went without proper mental health care? How was an obviously disturbed individual with a criminal record able to LEGALLY purchase a handgun? But that's for another blog.

For now, I just want to tune out the shrill, ugly voices on the airwaves. I want to ignore the blame game that is going on. I want to pray for those who were injured in this terrible tragedy and for the families of those who lost their lives. And hope that we can all grow up and learn a few lessons in humility and personal responsibility.

How shall we commemorate September 11th?

Saturday is September 11th. For many people it will be a day of mourning and remembrance for the friends and family of those who perished in the World Trade Center Towers, the Pentagon, and in a nameless field in Pennsylvania. Some will be mourning the loss of nation's innocence. For millions of Americans this September 11th will also mark the end of Ramadan.

Ramadan is the Islamic month of fasting. It's a time of reflection, prayer, and purification for Muslims - not unlike the Lenten season for Catholics, but more badass. We Catholics just have to refrain from meat on Fridays and give up chocolate for 40 days. The end of Ramadan is marked by the Eid ul-Fitr festival in which food is donated to the poor, people put on their best clothes, pray, and visit with families. Throw in some chocolate eggs and jelly beans and it looks just like Easter. And just like Easter, Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated on a lunar calendar which means that the date of the celebration changes each year. By chance, this year Eid ul-Fitr falls on September 11th.

Out of respect, many Islamic centers have decided to tone down Eid ul-Fitr celebrations this year. Unfortunately, one "pastor" in Florida has decide to answer respect with sacrilege. Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, FL is planning to "celebrate" September 11th by burning the Koran. I know - this is just one guy who leads a "church" (man, am I using a lot of quotes to imply derision today) of 40 sheep. But his actions will resonate across the globe. And not in a good way.

I want to applaud General George Petraeus, the World Evangelical Alliance and leaders of other faiths for urging Jones to cancel the burning. Even Glenn Beck thinks it's a bad idea! Unfortunately Jones isn't listening to reason. Jones has a constitutional right to burn the Koran on September 11th. I pray to God he doesn't. If he does, I plan to offer my own, quiet counter protest. I will offer up a prayer for those who lost their lives on September 11th. I will then, in honor of Eid ul-Fitr, bring an offering of food to my local Islamic center, along with a letter saying that not all Americans are filled with hatred towards Muslims.

Care to join me?

A Palin/Beck Presidency??? Happy birthday to me.

I don't know which is worse - waking up this morning to find that I am suddenly 41 or waking up this morning to learn that Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin are both scheduled to appear, together, in Alaska to make speeches on September 11th. Hmmm, do I smell a presidential size announcement coming?

Which is scarier - a Beck/Palin ticket or a Palin/Beck ticket? Beck is already hearing voices and if you believe the recent Vanity Fair article, Ms. Palin doesn't seem to be far behind seem to be riding on the same crazy train. In case you missed the article. it's got something for everyone. For Palin haters, it paints her as a vain, emotionally unbalanced, paranoid, money-hungry harpy with a sense of entitlement that is matched only by her sense of self-importance. For Sarah Palin supporters, it reads as a hatchet job that was written by the biased liberal media that is just out to put down a good woman. What is true is that Sarah Palin was grossly under qualified to be either President or Vice President of the United States. At least in her 2008 bid for VP, her lack of qualifications were mitigated by Senator McCain experience. I am going to have nightmares if she and Beck team up.

I know many women liked seeing another woman getting the nod for the #2 spot on the 2008 Republican ticket, but honestly, is she the best the party could come up with? Democrats too haven't done a stellar job at finding qualified women for higher office. I know they have to be out there.

So I'm calling on all you moms and dads of daughters out there to step up and start grooming our girls for leadership. I don't care about your politics. Teach your girls to think critically about what they are learning. Teach them to read the newspaper. Broaden their horizons - and yours at the same time. If you only read the Washington Post try turning on FOX News for a little while and if your primary source of news is from Fox - try giving your ears a little break and turn on NPR - and LISTEN to the other side for awhile. I mean really listen. Teach your daughters to use their voices in class. Teach your daughters to stand up for what they believe in. Teach your daughters that they can make a difference. Teach them that math isn't hard. Teach your daughters to respect themselves and to respect others. Teach them to be self-sufficient. Teach them how to be strong yet flexible. Teach them to THINK!

They may come to share your beliefs or they may follow a different path, but at least you'll know it's their path and they came by it honestly. And maybe, just maybe, we'll have a female candidate for President whom we may not all agree with but we can all respect.

So much for religious tolerance...

I knew he couldn't keep it non judgmental when it comes to religion. You know who I'm talking about. Yesterday, just minutes after telling people to turn to god to restore our honor, Reverend Beck was, again, slamming President Obama's faith and accusing the President of not being a Christian. From the mouth of the Reverend,

"You see, it's all about victims and victimhood; oppressors and the oppressed; reparations, not repentance; collectivism, not individual salvation. I don't know what that is, other than it's not Muslim, it's not Christian. It's a perversion of the gospel of Jesus Christ as most Christians know it."

Note his clever way of sneaking in the the "Is the President a Muslim??" question in his statement. What Beck is alluding to are tenets of social justice, which actually play an important role in Catholicism and the United Methodist Church (and Judaism, and probably many other faiths).

I don't want to turn this blog into a course on comparative religion since I'm not an expert on that subject by any means. But I do think that Beck takes one before he starts preaching about what is and isn't a Christian value. I do want to point out his hypocrisy and lies as well as the danger of his rhetoric.

As much as I may mock the Tea Party movement, I hope that the Tea Party rabble will mobilize into an official third party for the next round of elections. If Republican politicians don't have to kowtow to the tea baggers, they can focus on core Republican values of smaller government, fiscally conservative policies, and a strong military. Those are values I can respect and work with. It's time to take religion (or whatever that was that Beck was spouting) out of politics.

Being a pinko, peacenik, knee-jerk, Kennedy-supporting, gay rights supporting liberal, my voice doesn't carry much weight with the people for whom Beck purports to speak. I hope that my Republican friends (yes, I do have Republican friends - you know who you are and thanks for the pizza!) will stand up and say "This man does not speak for me or the Republican Party!"

BTW -- to learn a little more about Liberation Theology check out the link on the right.

A man with a dream, not a delusion.

Anybody else watching Beck's speech??

I'm tuning in late to the live feed on the Washington Post's website. I had more important things to do earlier (like taking the girls to a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese). It seems that Beck is now styling himself to be a preacher. Faith, hope, and charity from the mouth of Glenn Beck. Ugh. My stomach is turning. But maybe that's just the pizza from the party...

This event seems to be more like an old time tent revival - complete with gospel singers and for some reason, bagpipes - than about honor. Unless the only way to have honor is to be religious.

I'm glad he's raised to much money for such a worthy cause. I hope that there will be something left over for the SOWF after paying for the costs of putting on such a display of false piety. As it says on the revival's - I mean rally's - website...

"The purchase of Restoring Honor Rally merchandise is not a donation to SOWF, but all net proceeds from the sale of Restoring Honor Rally merchandise is being donated to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. All contributions made to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) will first be applied to the costs of the Restoring Honor Rally taking place on August 28, 2010. All contributions in excess of these costs will then be retained by the SOWF."

Call me a cynic, but I'm figuring precious little will be left over after all is said and done. I'll make my donation directly to the Foundation, thank you very much. How about following what the bible says about piety and charity Mr. Beck?

From Matthew 6...

¹"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

²"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. ³But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Prayer

⁵"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. ⁶But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Thoughts???

Restore your own honor Mr. Beck - mine's just fine, thank you very much.

So we're in the final countdown to Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally on the Mall tomorrow. Beck carefully chose his date to coincide with the anniversary of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Purely coincidence? Yeah right. The man's an idiot, but he's not an idiot, if you know what I mean.

I suppose I should be thankful that the Great and Powerful Beck is going to restore my honor since I didn't even know that I had lost it. The idea of Glenn Beck restoring anyone's honor is laughable. Beck does not know the meaning of the word honor. He will do anything, say anything for ratings. He is manipulating the masses for money and to feed his own ego.

But I digress. I'm sincerely trying to think the best of people (even the worst people) these days. I think Beck deserves our sympathy instead of scorn as he does say that the voices are screaming at him pretty loudly these days. Mental illness can be very scary and isolating so I applaud Mr. Beck's efforts to build a strong support system for himself. Personally, I would have started with a good psychiatrist and some strong pharmaceuticals - but hey, a rally is another way to go. But don't worry Mr. Beck - help is out there! When you are ready for professional help the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a OBAMACARE) will ensure that your mental illness can not be cited as a preexisting condition to deny you insurance coverage! See, we liberals aren't the completely soulless fascists that you paint us to be. We care. Even for bigots like you.

Best of luck tomorrow Mr. Beck. And if those voices start getting too loud, I've got some tinfoil we can fashion into a hat for you. I hear that works wonders!

First they came for the cabbies...

When voicing my outrage at the stabbing of a New York cabbie I was recently blasted on my Facebook page for co-opting Pastor Niemoller's poem regarding his silence during the Holocaust. Apparently, since I am not Jewish, I am not allowed learn from Pastor Niemoller's mistakes. I have also been blasted for supporting the building of an Islamic community center a few blocks from ground zero in NYC. I've been told that if I'm upset by hate mongers such as Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck, I should just ignore them.

Well isn't that just the lesson that Pastor Niemoller was trying to teach us? Our silence in the face of intolerance makes us complicit. The Holocaust (and apparently, as a non-Jew I am not allowed to reference the Holocaust in any way, shape, or form) did not begin with the concentration camps. The Holocaust did not begin with the wholesale execution of Jews in Europe. The Holocaust began with mistrust of others. The Holocaust began with words. The Holocaust began with revoking the civil liberties of those with different political leanings, religions, and disabilities. The Holocaust began when people were silent because the intolerance was targeted at "them." But trust me, it won't be long before we become "them."

Dove World Outreach, a supposedly christian church in Florida is planning on burning the Koran on September 11th. Is this really how we want to express freedom of religion in the U.S? Yes, this guy is a whack job. But more than 6,000 people on his Facebook page have supported his hate filled "rally." One guy is a whack job; 6,00o people is a movement.

Know who else held rallies and burned books in the name of protecting the people from "them?" I'd say his name, but as a non-Jew whose family did not perish in the horror that was the Holocaust, I am not allowed to say his name (I'll give you a hint though, it begins with H and the guy had a funny mustache).

Back to my point about how "we" will eventually become "them." I try to ignore Glenn Beck. Really, I do. But this megalomanic is hosting a "rally" on the Mall this weekend. It's not a political rally, really! Yeah right. But beware. When this guy is done with the Muslims, he'll come for you next. In July he referred to Jews as being responsible for the killing of Jesus Christ (note to Beck: Maybe you need to go to a real University and take a comparative religion course. It was the Romans who put Christ to death, not the Jews.). It's this type of rhetoric that fans anti-semitic attitudes.

But let's stay away from the anti-semitism thing for a minute, 'cause like I said, I'm not Jewish. But I am Catholic and Beck recently called for Catholics to leave the church (I guess to worship at the Church of Beck) because Catholics are communists and fascists. So apparently I'm a communist now because I am Catholic. First they came for the communists... Beck is not stupid enough to outright condemn the Catholic Church or the Jewish faith, but such veiled rhetoric is nothing more than carefully crafted, socially acceptable hate speech.

Okay - enough of my impassioned rant for now. I've got hungry kid who are yelling for mac n cheese. But I'm going on record that I believe that hate IS NOT an American value and I am speaking out against hatred and intolerance. Want to join me? No? then feel free to ignore me.