"Hands up, Don't shoot"

This week has been difficult on multiple levels, but the issue that has driven me to write a blog post  after a year of not blogging, is the continuously unfolding situation in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18 year old young man has sparked protests around the nation. The facts are slow in coming and dubious at best, thus far. The police department of Ferguson seem to change their story daily, and sometimes several times a day. The witness accounts have remained steady ever since they started coming out over the course of the last week. There is a plethora of blog posts and news articles about this unfolding event, but I would like to add a few points of my own.

*Releasing the name of the officer who shot Michael Brown just hours before releasing the video footage of of the convenience store robbery where Brown was allegedly the perpetrator is nothing less than baiting and switching. After digging in their heels for a week, the police were forced to release the name, but the media latched onto the video footage and ran it constantly while the name of the police officer was buried beneath it. The intent might not have been to bury the name, but that is exactly what ended up happening. As a viewer it feels like the police as well as the media said, "Here's the name of the man who shot and killed an unarmed person, but why don't you focus instead on this theoretically incriminating footage instead? That way you'll associate the dead young man with crime and villainy and you'll be more ok with the fact that we shot him to death." This definitely worked as a good distraction away from the man who actually pulled the trigger.

*As a part of the above point, is the idea of victim-blaming. Because the man who was shot and killed was allegedly involved in a robbery just minutes before he was killed, and because the cops need a scapegoat, it's easiest to blame him for what happened. He "deserved" what he got because he was bad. If he hadn't been involved in the robbery, none of this would have happened. But the latest story the police are telling is that the officer who killed Brown was pulling him and his friend over for walking(while black) in the middle of the street and it wasn't until after he'd killed him that he apparently saw indications that he might have been the one involved in the robbery. This means that he was stopped by the officer for something completely unrelated, which makes that footage irrelevant in all of this.

*Another point I would like to bring up is the use of the footage to discredit and tear apart the reputation of Michael Brown. Even if he was guilty of this crime, he was still innocent until proven guilty. He should have been given a chance for the justice system to work. Of course the fact that he was African American and a man works against him within the justice system, but in spite of that, he still should have been given the opportunity to defend himself. Instead, the shooting officer played judge, jury, and executioner for Brown and he will never have his chance to tell his side of the story. And on the flip side, the officer is also innocent until proven guilty. He needs a chance to tell his side of the story, once they solidify what it really is...

*And my last point is this: Nobody is just the worst thing they have ever done. If Michael Brown was guilty of the robbery in the film footage, he deserved a chance to redeem himself. Young people make stupid mistakes all the time and it shouldn't necessarily cost them their life. From what his family says, he was a sweet, gentle young man who worked very hard, had just graduated high school and was going to go to college. All of those things are worth celebrating and go into making him the person he was. He wasn't "just" a "bad guy" who can be written off because of a bad choice he made one day. And again, on the other side, the shooting officer is more than the worst thing he ever did. Not much is known about him, but I would wager to bet he has done some good and amazing things in his life as well, and shouldn't be judged only for this incident, which may have been a choice, albeit a bad one, or perhaps it was a terrible mistake.

There are no winners in this situation. Everybody has lost something. I don't know what can be done to rectify the situation, and when we're dealing with a loss of life, I don't know that you can rectify that. I would hope that if anything good comes out of this, it would be opening the eyes to everybody in this country of the plight that affects so many men and women of color in this nation. They are our fellow American citizens, and they deserve the same rights and treatment that so many in white America take for granted. Let us stand up for one another and speak out against unfair treatment when we see it. Let us try to treat one another with the love, peace, and respect that we all deserve and wish for ourselves.

Syria-My Take

I have been mulling the situation in Syria over for the past week or so, reading as much as I can and watching news reports about it. I have had the words in my head floating around but not forming into anything coherent, until now. I have composed my thoughts under categories to keep it better organized. But I would start it out with a quote, because I think a lot of people are dealing with disillusionment right now and are trying to decide about how to remain loyal to a party they are a part of, even when they are at odds with some of the choices it is trying to make. It's an uncomfortable position to be in, but still, we have to work though it.

"There are all kinds of courage...It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." --Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Hypocrisy and Party Affiliation: If something is wrong, it's wrong no matter who is proposing it. Even if he/she is on "your" side. And consequently, if something is right, it's right no matter who proposes it. Even if he/she is on "their" side. If the previous president had proposed this, we'd be protesting it as loudly as we possibly could. It's ok to stand up to your own party and tell them they're wrong. If people stood up for what they feel is right, regardless of party affiliation, perhaps past recent military actions could have been avoided.

World War Two Connections: I am hearing a lot of comparisons to the Second World War and the current situation in Syria, but this needs to stop. The two are not at all connected. The United States did not enter the war in order to stop the Holocaust and bring justice to those who were killing people in concentration camps. That was just a side effect of fighting against Germany. Germany was invading neighboring countries, and expelling people from those countries. This is why the United States got involved. Syria is in the midst of a civil war. It is not trying to take over other nations. Yes, it's using methods that it shouldn't be, but it is an internal issue, not one leaking into other countries, except in the sense of neighboring countries having to take in floods of refugees. Also, I would like to note that there is a concept known as Godwin's Law. People should familiarize themselves with this concept, because constant comparisons to Hitler/the Nazis, generally cheapens and weakens an argument, instead of strengthening it.

Our Own Problems: When we cannot or refuse to take care of our own people, that says something about us as a whole. And it's not a good something. People going bankrupt to pay medical bills, people out of work for years and we want to drug test them before doling out food stamps, letting children go hungry and suggesting that they work as school janitors for food, not medicating our mentally ill homeless population, etc., these are horrible atrocities right in our own backyard. I would argue that they are unforgivable atrocities as well. We cannot help others, in good conscience, until our own helpless are cared for. To take money that could help these people and use it for military operations we claim are in the name of peace, is madness. We cannot and should not put a third war on our credit card.

Honor/Saving Face: Our president has claimed that this is not about saving face for him, yet I have heard it said that our nation has a reputation to uphold in all of this. What will the world think of us if we back out now? I feel there is a lot of pride involved in the decision-making. I feel that how the world sees us should never factor into using weapons against another nation, unless it is to ask how badly they will see us. Terrible wars have been fought in the past because of national pride and honor. It is something we need to move beyond as a society. Unless you are willing to join the military and fight and possibly give up your own life, you have no right to request somebody else go fight for your honor.

The Slippery Slope: We live in a war-addicted nation that has involved itself in some level of conflict since the end of the Second World War. War is good for the economy, and it keeps our military robust and occupied. We cannot seem to leave well enough alone. Three months of missile strikes will likely escalate the situation in Syria and we'll need more missile strikes, and eventually boots on the ground. I have no doubt that a small involvement will lead to a more, greater involvement in the region.
 As abhorrent as the use of chemical weapons is, I would argue that it is equally abhorrent to involve ourselves in another country's civil war.

What a Strike Won't do: *Bring the dead back. This won't resolve anything, especially if it's done so long after the fact. This would only be an act of vengeance.
*End the Syrian civil war. Most likely it will extend any military actions taken by all sides of the conflict, thus making more people suffer longer.

In Conclusion: Horrible things happen every day in this world. We really are terrible to one another. It's just awful. But we must learn sometime that we cannot resolve the world's problems by bombing them. It only makes things worse. Perhaps I come across as uncaring about the people of Syria, but I am very sympathetic to their plight. I wish we would explore non-violent methods of involvement, including humanitarian efforts. That is the best way to help out.

An Oddly Amazing Moment

I haven't blogged in over a year, so hopefully this will be a good one...If a bit rambly and random...

I've heard it said that some Native American cultures revere people who are insane, because in their view, the spirits spoke to and through them. The people just couldn't handle it, and that's what explained the unusual behavior. And because of this, they were to be revered. I've always found that interesting. Today I had an experience that made me think they might just have been right...

I was coming home on the bus, and a man who is not in his right mind got on in Fremont. He usually waits at a bus stop further along and goes up to the bus, yells out something incoherent, and then scurries away. But today he got on. He called out stuff randomly, and everybody did their best to ignore him, and give him his space. He sat in the front, without anybody else around him. Not that anybody had moved to avoid him, that part of the bus was empty when he got on. Anyway, finally a woman got on and sat across from him, so he eventually directed his gibberish at her. He told her how he was going to visit his mother in Northgate because Cher was visiting and he wanted to see her. Then he pointed to another woman several seats away and said that he thought she was pretty and that she looked like his mother and that his mother was a model. The woman across from him listened politely as he spoke. A moment later he said that he hadn't been chosen for his looks. He looked at her and repeated that a few times. And then he said "I know this, I wasn't chosen for my looks, I know this. Most people will say they know things, but I *know* it." He really emphasized that he truly knew this, as if somebody had told him. Then he asked the woman across from him if she knew what she'd been chosen for and she said she hadn't been chosen for anything, she had no recollection of being chosen. He looked at her as if she was so strange, as if, how can anybody not know they what they were chosen for in life? It was the most obvious thing to him.

It made me sit back and wonder to myself. Maybe he knew he was chosen because somebody really had told him. But not a mortal somebody, like his mother or a teacher, but maybe the spirits really did talk to him and reveal such things to him. Maybe he could see things we can't. It was a really cool moment; it made me realize that you never know what you can learn from a person. Even an insane man on the bus. Even he has wisdom to share with you and the world, and sometimes it's a good thing to listen. You were chosen for something, sir, I absolutely believe that...

Referendum 74

Voting 4 Referendum 74

This coming November, Washington state has the unique opportunity to open our hearts and minds and extend marriage equality to those who want it, or to keep the status quo. For those of you who are undecided on how to vote, I would offer you my opinion on why voting "4 74" is the right thing to do.

*This is not an “us vs. them” issue. There really is no “vs.” in it at all. This isn’t a battle. We are not Eastern vs. Western Washington, Cougs vs. Huskies, straight vs. gay; we’re all one Washington state. Nobody will lose if 74 passes, but many will lose if it doesn’t.

*Gay people serve in our military, fighting and dying for our freedom and safety. They deserve to have the same rights that their straight counterparts enjoy freely. Can we live with ourselves knowing that others fight for our rights when we so easily withhold it from them in return?

*Even if you don’t realize it, you have gay people in your life. Just because you aren't aware of it or they aren't publicly "out", they are a part of your life. They are your neighbors, your coworkers. They are your friends and your family--your children and grandchildren. They deserve equal protection under the law. These people are our fellow citizens, our fellow Washingtonians, we should strive to increase everybody's rights and freedom.

*If 74 passes in Washington state, the main change is that gay people will legally be allowed to get married. Another change is an increased state-wide revenue as people choose to come here to marry. Businesses around the state will see an increase in revenue, the state will see an increase in taxes received and fees from marriage licenses which can then be used to fund badly needed programs we can all benefit from. If 74 fails, gay people will remain unable to marry in our state. But you will know that you are actively oppressing your fellow citizens.

*Don’t let out-of-state marketing campaigns form your opinions for you. Vote with your mind and your conscience. Stand up to out-of-state influences telling you how to vote. Let us choose for our own state to do the right thing for our fellow Washingtonians.

Politics in a Nutshell

After a few discussions this past week with a friend over why politics is the way it is, I remembered something I had come up with a long time ago and felt it explained it perfectly. So, here it is, as I recall it: Conservatives vs. Liberals.

Conservatives and Liberals, as a whole, are basically the Jocks and the Brains that we all endured in high school. The jocks got all the glory and the brains got all the good grades. And usually the two didn't interact that much if they could help it. But I think what people fail to see is that both groups are insanely jealous of each other because they lack what the other has. Jocks are popular, brains are smart. Brains would like to be popular too, and jocks want to feel intelligent as well.

Being smart is one of the biggest threats in the world, it's why governments who want to completely control their people deny them books and education, etc. Keep them dumb, then they won't think for themselves and ask questions and we won't be threatened. Often times they are left with brute force as their main form of enforcement, something jocks are well adept at.

When somebody doesn't have smarts to rely on, they tend to rely on their fists. It's fast, easy, and effective. So take this attitude and apply it to members of the government who feel threatened by another person's intelligence. That's what they use, because it is their only tool. So people wondering why the patriarchy in this country are pushing back against progress, have only to see that this is why. They feel threatened, but don't have the intelligence to handle it. So they push back and try to keep others from progressing because it is so very threatening to their existence. Not having to think hard has served them well all their lives and they can't handle changing now. Their brains would probably explode.

So the next time you see some jackass conservative politician railing against liberals, don't hate him, and yes, I am saying "him" because I feel most of the guilty culprits as of ever have been men, though plenty of women do the same...Don't hate this person, pity him. Pity him because you know that he can't handle a simple intelligent discussion or the thought of change or having to share the power that has always been his automatically. You know it. He knows it, which makes it all the more difficult for him to handle. And worse, he knows that you know, and that kills him every time. If there's one thing I've learned in my lifetime, it's that saving face is very important. That's all these people want, a chance to not be humiliated. To save face. They know we look down upon them as being backwards and out of time and no longer welcome in modern society. This only makes them push back harder. If only we liberals could find a way to allow them to save face, but still have the progress the world so desperately needs, I think we'd all be a lot better off. I'm sure there's a way, I just can't think of it right now.

How I Became a Writer

When I was young, I used to shout and exclaim loudly. People always told me "Shh! You're hurting my ears!" "Quiet down, you're too loud!" So, I learned to swallow my voice and be quiet. Like a good, well-behaved girl.

When I grew up, my voice wanted to be let out. It was tired from hiding away all the time. But my throat wasn't used to it anymore, so it traveled around my body, looking for a way out. It found my hands and flowed out of my fingers while I grasped a pen. Words poured out of my fingers, dripping all over the paper, and wouldn't stop. And there my voice found its freedom. It cannot be silenced anymore.

Separation of Church and State

I have been thinking a lot lately about debating, whether in person or online, and the many themes that seem to come up. There is definitely a life-cycle to a debate. First you have your general arguments made for both sides. As this goes on it segues into the sharing of links to other sources to support your argument or to disprove the opposing side. This then leads to the trashing of any and all sources as either lies, completely biased, or just plain stupid. Then there's the section of the debate when both sides assure the other that Jesus is on their side. Were he still alive, he'd totally be out fighting for the cause of which we are fighting as well. And then it slips down to the level of name-calling and then of course the death knell of any debate: Godwin's Law. The first person who compares the other side to Hitler, loses. And ends the debate. And there you have, the life-cycle of the debate.

But what I am focusing on at the moment, is the part where people try to say that Jesus would have been on their side. I am a strong supporter of the separation of church and state, and I had the realization that this should trickle into my debating as well. Maybe it's time to leave Jesus out of it all. He was pretty non-political, really. He was more about stirring things up with religion, so maybe I need to try and leave Him to those types of debates instead. It might be difficult because it's such an easy thing to do. I will probably continue to fail miserably and continue to disappoint myself, but at least I am aware of it.

It's too bad we have to debate and argue sides in politics anyway. Instead of tearing each other down and trying to make others feel bad for their beliefs, it would be wonderful if we could all learn to see where each other comes from, and to find the good parts of each side, and combine them together into something strong and unbreakable. Maybe that was ultimately what Jeuse was about: If we could all learn to get along better and to live spiritually strong lives, maybe we wouldn't need politics at all?