A Closer Look at the Candidates - Part 1: The Democrats

(clockwise from top: Edwards, Mccain, Richardson, Biden, Brownback, Giuliani, Romney, Obama, Clinton)     A while back I took an early look at the upcoming presidential race, concluding in all generality that Barack Obama and Rudy Giuliani would end up battling it out next year for the presidency. However, the race has been fleshed out a great deal in the past two months, and so I decided that it was time to take an in-depth look at all the significant candidates. I'll be doing so in a two-part series of columns, the first of which will analyze my own party; the Democrats. Don't expect a strict objective report on these candidates either, because I will be interjecting my personal opinion and thoughts. On we go. (P.S. I devoted an entire column to my desire for Al Gore to run, so don't expect any mention of him here. I may, however, write a separate blog pertaining to Al Gore's potential candidacy later on.)     First up is Hillary - the golden child of this election. She has the name recognition, the people behind her, and the money needed to win this election. And that's the problem. Everyone knew Hillary would one day be running for president fifteen years ago. Now that she's finally doing it, people are just handing her the election on a silver platter because she's expected to win. Might as well get behind Hillary, she's going to win anyway - that's the attitude.     Well no, actually. I simply cannot vote for Hillary, no matter how much I want to see the social progression of a woman president. Senator Clinton is pro-drug war, pro-Iraq, and remains far too conservative on several key issues. That makes her a three-time loser in my book. I also cannot fathom how she is going to make it through a liberal primary, with the state of public opinion as is, and come out on top when her stance on Iraq remains that it was not a mistake. Her recent comments, coupled with her 'you're either with me or against me' attitude, have dropped her numbers in the polls, and Barack Obama has soared ahead to become the front-runner.     What about Barack Obama? Does he have the experience to be president? It seems to be the question on everyone's mind these days. The answer is simple, really. Yes and no. Is he qualified enough to be our president in my estimation? No. Is he more qualified than several presidents were at their time of election, including Bush? You bet ya. Obama technically, in historical reference, has what it takes to be president. But I'm still not sold. Where is the substance to his campaign? I know it's early and he's still revealing himself to the American public, but let's get to it.     Obama does have the right attitude, however. He wants to change the nature of politics, its dirty games and public attacks. This sounds great on paper, or in a speech, but I don't think it works in practice. Barack is going to have to step up to the mic, have some balls, and tell his Republican opponents that they are wrong. Not only are they wrong, but they're idiots. A strong politician, left or right, knows that that is what it takes to win, and they know how to do it well. Barack hasn't shown me he can do that yet, and until he does I won't be casting my ballot in his favor.     Lastly, and this is going to be offensive to many, but I just have to point out one other thing regarding Barack Obama. As correct as Obama comes out on most of the issues, I question the man's intelligence. He was raised by atheist parents but now considers himself to be a man of deep Christian faith, actively participating in the church. This fact boggles my mind and causes me to lose a tremendous amount of respect for the man. And if it's a political move, meaning he's really still an atheist but has to cover it up, then I respect him even less. Sorry folks, but thumbs down to Barack Obama as well.     Someone I do respect, in spite of their religious beliefs, is John Edwards. He's admitted he was wrong in voting for the war in Iraq and has already presented a full universal health care plan. Edwards is unlike Hillary in that he admits his mistake. Edwards, in an interview I saw on Meet the Press, spoke about having an open, honest relationship with the public where he always tells the truth no matter what. That alone makes me think that this guy has his head in the right place.     The only other really strong Democratic candidate out there right now is Senator Joe Biden. To me, Biden is the leading candidate on the war. He's the only one out there saying that we need to let Iraq divide itself into three countries and quit trying to impose democracy on them. But because he had an old-fart moment and called Barack Obama "clean" he's lost a lot of momentum in the race. Is this what our country has come to? When the candidate who is the most right-on about the only issue anyone cares about is disregarded because of something like that, we know that our democracy has reached a sad state of affairs.     At this stage of the game I'd say that I know I'm not voting for Hillary or Obama, but I'd like to hear more from Edwards and Biden. Edwards still needs to address drug policy reform and energy policy further before he grabs my vote, but I already approve of his stances on Iraq and health care. Biden is pro-drug war, does not have a universal health care plan, but is perhaps the stronger candidate militarily of the two. Candidates like Richardson, Kucinich, Clark, Dodd, and even Nader may end up running, but don't expect them to ever be serious contenders. As for predictions, unless Al Gore runs, I see Barack Obama pulling away by this fall. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our feature: The Republicans.

Become Republican

All of my readers need to go here and click through this animation. It is absolutely brilliant.

John Stossel - Douchebag

This one needs no explanation or commentary. Enjoy. GLENN BECK (host): Tell me about global warming. I’m fascinated, John, by the fact that you cannot have a differing opinion in this country now—and really, planetwide, almost—and not be called a fascist. RFK Junior called me a fascist for questioning global warming. What kind of society are we living in? STOSSEL: Well, he’s an imbecile in many ways, and we have him on TV tonight on another subject. But, you know, I guess you can’t deny that the globe has warmed. Climate changes. It’s warmed a little. The issue is, is it a bad thing? It may be a good thing. And is it a catastrophe, where we have to wreck the lives of poor people and turn our freedom over to Al Gore and he’ll tell us what we can drive and whether we can air-condition our house? And even if he does that, it’s not going to make any difference. So there are seven issues, and the only one where there’s clear truth is that, yes, the globe has warmed and probably will keep warming. And, most likely, man is playing a part. But to then say, “Al Gore is right,” what does that mean? What are we going to do? P.S. Glenn Beck is a douchebag too.

Cheney Survives

Dick Cheney survived an attempt on his life in Afghanistan yesterday, when a suicide bomber attacked a U.S. military base, killing 23 people and wounding 20 more. The vice president was safely inside the compound when it happened, leaving the situation unharmed. Click here to read more.     In case there was any doubt about whether this was a case of random violence or a real murder attempt on Cheney, let's allow the Taliban to clear things up, shall we? However, a purported Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, said Cheney was the target. “We knew that Dick Cheney would be staying inside the base,” Ahmadi told AP via telephone from an undisclosed location. “The attacker was trying to reach Cheney.”     I find it hilarious that whenever any Democrat goes over to visit the situation regarding the war, they are always perfectly safe and left alone. But as soon as Cheney's feet touch the soil there are terrorists ballsy enough to try and suicide bomb a U.S. military base. Pretty amazing statement.     Now I'm not saying I wish death upon Dick Cheney, even though I'm well aware that many people do - he is an evil, evil man. His corruption, manipulation, and hypocrisy run so thick that I would say calling him the worst politician in our history would be a generous compliment. However, from now on every time Cheney says something like, "Democrats are emboldening the enemy," make sure to laugh at him.

Revised Braided Atheism Essay

It was the moment I first began to realize, or maybe just entertain the idea, that there is no God. I was ten years old, laying face up on a concrete bench, staring at the moon in the sky. It was as blue as it is in the painting here, but my ten year old mind gave it infinitely more complexity. The artist’s designs placed on the moon seem tame compared to the personification I was giving it.     Being an atheist was never really a difficult decision for me. My parents were not fundamentalist Christians, and though many of my friends were, they never gave me any shit about it. Maybe that’s because deep down, in their heart of hearts, they knew that I was right. I was the only one of us thinking for myself or attempting to gain a larger perspective on the world.     Black sits atop my list of favorite colors, has for as long as I can remember. Second is gray, with white being a distant third. Some of my friends made fun of me, claiming these were never colors at all, and that my creativity was stifled because of it. I preferred to draw in pencil or ink and shied away from color in all things. My wardrobe represented my taste well, and I suited my personality to match.     I spoke to the moon that night as the face of God, and my reply was as cold and dark as the painting. That is because I never received a response, not one, never. I felt so sincere in my requests to God that I couldn’t possibly be denied - turned down by the almighty. My child-like innocence had extended into the supernatural. I was only ten, not having yet received the education and enlightenment I possess now, but at that very early moment I turned my back on the cold blue moon and turned to myself for answers. God could not help me, and so I would help myself. Staring into the night sky, I had begged God to help my father stop drinking, to end the destructive behavior. When the fights grew only worse, I began to accept and in time grow comfortable with there being no inherent power or voice behind the stars I spoke to each night.     Atheism was the logical choice. It was comfortable and easy because it made sense. It meant I was in control, no matter what. I never had to question anything anymore. I may not have had all the answers, but I knew to finally start looking in the right places. The topic was rarely one of discussion between my friends and I. They didn’t want to go there with me, nor I with them. It was the awkward silence between us, and it grew only louder as we aged. We’ve grown apart as we’ve attended varying universities, but mostly our disillusion with one another is an ideological one.     Isolation, firmness, sharp contrasts – these are some of the things that I associate with my colors, my moods, and myself. There is the finality of black, supremely confident in every decision. The brooding wisdom of the gray, always seeing both sides of things before balancing out. The simplicity of white – its understated demeanor.     When our high school basketball team would circle up to hold hands in the locker room before games, I would close my eyes and think of what a tremendous waste of time this was. Maybe if we had spent more time scouting and less time praying we wouldn’t have gotten our asses handed to us just shy of reaching the state tournament. But I digress.     The moon was faceless, once again, and I never looked up at the sky in the same way. We were on vacation in Hawaii, in the middle of some town plaza when I had this very first moment of atheist epiphany. The sky was dark, but reality was darker. The moon provided no comfort – its bright majesty torn down by my own internal realizations. I had envisioned the face on the moon as the face of my Lord, but soon, that face was nothing but craters on a cold, dark surface. God had left my sky, and I had looked away for good.     It was its logicality, its dark notions of truth. Black, white.

Atheists VS The Supreme Court

"Faith-Based Initiatives" - Those words ought to spread fear in your heart. They ought not to exist, but they do. Each year, tens of millions of dollars are poured into the pockets of churches, anti-abortion organizations, and people like Pat Robertson, Ted Haggard, and Jerry Falwell. Well one up-and-coming political group is trying to put a stop to all that. Going before the Supreme Court next week is the Freedom From Religion Foundation, where they will argue against Bush's faith-based initiatives. Click here to read more.     All I can say is it's about time. No federal dollar should ever go to any religious cause, organization, or business. Period. We are supposed to have a separation between church and state, one that is all the more important now as the world becomes on-the-whole less religious everyday, yet more fundamentalist on the fringe. Our government cannot continue to stand for, and even pay for, false educations and cult organizations. And that is what these things are, make no question about it. We prefer not to call religions cults, but that's only because they've been around for so long and have so many members. As Bill Maher once said, "Religion is insanity by consensus."     The claim that there exists a vengeful, wise, creator is absolutely a scientific claim, no matter what some Christian scientists may tell you. It's a scientific claim because the universe would be an incredibly different place if it were true. But it's not true - it's a false scientific claim - and no, I can't prove that. But you can't prove anything. An atheist believes what they do because of all the evidence stacked in his or her favor. A theist believes what they do despite all the evidence to the contrary.     I encourage any and all readers to purchase a membership into the Freedom From Religion Foundation by clicking here. I will be doing the same today in order to support this cause. The group has been very successful in several states changing legislation and blocking theocratic laws. The group has also been added to my 'Organizations I Support' section for future reference.

Early Brainstorming

Several of my posts as of late have strayed away from commentary on today's political headlines (Scooter Libbey's trial, campaign '08, the war), as well as my stated upcoming editorials. I apologize for this and promise my readers that I shall return to intense political commentary in the coming weeks. Due to various factors, I have been compelled to publish several personal statements and journal entries within the last two weeks. While this will certainly not be the last of such entries, it should mark the final one for some time, as I anticipate being very busy from now until the end of the academic quarter.     That having been said, I have begun to brainstorm and collect ideas for the first book I intend to write, which may be as far as 5-10 years away from completion. Nevertheless, I thought that I might present my very earliest of chapter title ideas in order to gain some sort of feedback on how they might be organized and/or other ideas that I need to speak to.     The book will be titled Finding Comfort in Atheism, or something similar. When and if it is published, it will act as a guide to those who may feel the truth inside, but are uncertain, nervous, or downright afraid of what may happen when they free themselves of faith and doctrine. Instead of acting as an attack on religion, ala The God Delusion, my book will serve to comfort and aid those in their journey for peace without religion, without belief and will start outright from the understanding that there is no God. And since there is no God - how do we go on? My chapters thus far are as such: Intro/Foreword/Declaration Eastern vs Western Thought Universal Equality and the Tao Non-Existence Science and the Natural World Storybook Mythology Keeping a Worldly Perspective Freedom From Attachment Understanding the Mystical Experience Meditation and the Mind Love and Beauty Logic, Reason, and Understanding Humanity's Progression Words as Abstract Concepts Life as Constant Change Origins of the Universe and the Cause of Existence No-Self: The Loss of Ego The Security of Group Mentalities, Concrete Rules, and Imaginary Friends The Truth     Please keep in mind that these are not in any particular order as of yet. They are simply sectional divides from which I shall begin writing sometime in the near future. Any thoughts (constructive) will be appreciated and responded to. Your ideas may already be covered in one or some of the sections above, without being implicitly stated. So speak up if there is an aspect you think I may have missed, because I am sure I have.

Challenge Me

This is yet another message to readers, but this time it has more specific implications. What I am going to say has to be said, because as my mind grows sharper and my voice louder, the tension around me seems to escalate exponentially.     That's me there on the left, circa summer of 2000. I look at this picture and I see the person I once was; arrogant, self-centered, a fake. It was a facade I put on to remain strong in the face of difficult situations. But no more, that Arlen is dead - killed off by hallucinogenic drugs, rigorous meditation, religious study, heavy metal concerts, and at least two major spiritual rebirths. The person I am today is who I always truly was, I just had to reach inside to find him.     To this end I have made several personal commitments. To speak the truth - always. No matter the situation, no matter the person, I will always say 100% of what I feel no matter the consequence. No masks being put on for other people, no games, no lying, never. Secondly, my quest for successful Buddhist meditation that has been going on since the age of 16 is finally bringing me the fruits of my labor. I am now starting to be able to free myself to negative attachments, or any attachments really, because I understand that life is constant change, constant suffering, and pure random chaotic indifference.     And what I said right there is the key. I understand. I don't believe, I don't guess, I don't have faith - I understand. I understand that there is no God, I understand that I will cease to exist when I die, I understand the benefits of marijuana, and I understand the problems with America and its people today. That is why I speak so powerfully. That is why I speak so provocatively, because I am confident.     I warrant attacks, personal or otherwise, by the things that I say. I not only accept this, I desire it. I want to be challenged, because I know that I am right. This confidence has sparked, and will continue to spark open, honest, frank, even angry discussion. Nothing is more gratifying because only then will the truth come out, be analyzed, talked about, and eventually revealed. If everyone stayed behind their beliefs and said nothing, nothing would ever be accomplished. You have to fight publicly, speak out, and come out to take your rights if you ever want the culture to change. And oh, how I want it to change.     Life is constant change. All around us it happens every second, nothing is permanent, there is nothing to cling to. It's a Buddhist concept, but it is also a concept I hold dear to my liberal heart. As my roommate said, "When will conservatives learn that they are always wrong? We get more liberal as a society every generation." And he's right. Slavery, women's rights, prohibition, gay rights, MTV's borderline pornographic material (think Eisenhower would have stood for that?). These are just some liberal advancements off the top of my head. Life is constant progression, constant advancement, and constant change. Or at least it should be. Conservatives, by definition, want to stay in the past and preserve old ways, old beliefs, and old systems. Not me. I'm a progressive, and I'm going to let you know about it.     So here's the bottom line point. Talk to me. Challenge me. Attack me even. Just don't stand idly by and get your feelings hurt because I happen to be confidently and powerfully telling you what you believe is wrong. I want to thank my good friend Kurt for discussing this with me last night, if only briefly. It is extremely hard to have a personal relationship with those you do not share the idealogical viewpoints of. It is immensely more difficult for someone who, like me, speaks out, lives a publicly active life, and aspires to write books like "2+2=5: A Christian View of the World". My friends and my family who sit opposed to me are going to have a problem with that. If this is the case then all I ask is that you challenge me. Challenge me to defend myself, to justify my actions and back up my words. And if after that we are too disgusted by each others' views to remain close, then so be it. Because as I said before, I have no attachment, for better or worse.

Strong Words For Iraq

Senate majority leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, made what I consider to be perhaps the harshest remarks yet for the Bush administration and the Iraq war this past week. Chuck Hagel, R-Nebraska, had already called it "the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam," but listen to what Reid had to say. "This war is a serious situation. It involves the worst foreign policy mistake in the history of this country," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, told CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer." Asked whether he considers it a worse blunder than Vietnam, Reid responded, "Yes."     It's easy to say that this war is our biggest fuck-up as a nation since Vietnam. It's a whole hell of a lot harder to say that it is an even bigger catastrophe. I was not alive during Vietnam, so my perspective on this is slightly different, but over 58,000 Americans died in Vietnam, and we're not quite there yet with Iraq.     Again, America is trying to impose democracy and/or capitalism on those who do not want it. We've done this throughout our history. In policing the Middle East, we have trapped ourselves in a religious civil war in which we do not understand our enemy, nor their resolve. The situation is highly similar to Vietnam, but only history will judge which was the bigger blunder.

Being Mormon's No Good?

According to a poll (found here) that Bill Maher mentioned Friday night in his return to the air, 43% of Americans would never even consider voting for a Mormon in a presidential election. That doesn't bode too well for Mitt Romney (left), who is quickly becoming the underdog candidate from across the aisle.     The former Massachusetts governor is supposedly a very sharp businessman and instantly likable. Bush Jr. Jr. (that'd be Jeb) has even begun to throw his support behind Romney, ignoring the advice of his elder Georges to run himself. But there's a problem for Mitt Romney - he's Mormon, which puts him almost dead in the water if this particular poll were to be believed.     Very briefly, and this is something Bill Maher spoke to as well, I'd just like to point out how ridiculous this is. Now, don't get me wrong, I would never vote for a Mormon president - never. Still, that's because I wouldn't vote for any religious candidate. But for the majority of Americans, good wholesome Christians, the Mormon beliefs are simply too insane to take seriously. After all, they believe things that can be proven false, and the reason they believe those things is because a guy read them off gold plates...that nobody has ever seen. (The story is even weirder than that if you're unfamiliar. An episode of South Park from a few years back titled "All About Mormons" is a good starting reference, as Trey and Matt ingeniously point out its hilarity.)     Well, my God-fearing and Jesus loving friends, I've got news for you. Sure, Mormonism is completely made up bullshit, it absolutely is. But so is your religion. You're not going to vote for someone who believes that Native Americans are a lost tribe of Israel, but you've got no problem believing that the Earth was created a few thousand years ago, by a complex, perfect yet jealous and vengeful, male designer, in six days (a completely human concept and time frame, unique to our planet). You don't want to vote for the guy who believes that Jesus came to America, but there's no qualms about voting for candidates who believe he was born of a virgin and resurrected from the grave. Simply ridiculous.     Of course, I won't be supporting Romney come 2008, but I urge any and all Christians who are rejecting Romney because of his religious beliefs to step outside of yourself, be objective, and really look at what you're doing. You're both believing in nonsense that can be proven false, it's just that his nonsense is more recent historically, while yours is ingrained and conditioned into society.

Braided Atheism Journal Entry

(This is another journal entry assignment for my creative writing class that I decided to share. Considering the nature of some of the latest topics, I thought it might be interesting. This is a first draft - I'll post a revised and expanded draft sometime before Wednesday. By the way, I refer to a painting in here, and that's because part of the assignment was go to the art gallery and be inspired by a work of art. Sorry for any confusion.)(The picture is a shot of Bob Deniro in Michael Mann's Heat, and it strikes the mood of this piece perfectly.)     It was the moment I first began to realize, or maybe just entertain the idea, that there is no God. I was ten years old, laying face up on a concrete bench, staring at the moon in the sky. It was as blue as it is in the painting here, but my ten year old mind gave it infinitely more complexity. The artist’s designs placed on the moon seem tame compared to the personification I was giving it.     My favorite color was always black, for as long as I can remember. Second is gray, with white being a distant third. Some of my friends made fun of me, claiming these were never colors at all, and that my creativity was stifled because of it. I preferred to draw in pencil or ink and shied away from color in all things. My wardrobe represented my taste well, and I suited my personality to match.     Being an atheist was never really a difficult decision for me. My parents were not fundamentalist Christians, and though many of my friends were, they never gave me any shit about it. Maybe that’s because deep down, in their heart of hearts, they knew that I was right. I was the only one of us thinking for myself or attempting to gain a larger perspective on the world.     I spoke to the moon that night as the face of God, and my reply was as cold and dark as the painting. That is because I never received a response, not once, ever. I felt so sincere in my requests to God that I couldn’t possibly be denied - turned down by the almighty. My child-like innocence had extended into the supernatural. I was only ten, not having yet received the education and enlightenment I possess now, but at that very early moment I turned my back on the cold blue moon and turned to myself for answers. God could not help me, and so I would help myself. Staring into the night sky, I had begged God to help my father stop drinking, to end the destructive behavior. When the fights grew only worse, I began to accept and in time grow comfortable with there being no inherent power or voice behind the stars I spoke to each night.     Isolation, firmness, sharp contrasts – these are some of the things that I associate with my colors, my moods, and myself. There is the finality of black, supremely confident in every decision. The brooding wisdom of the gray, always seeing both sides of things before balancing out. The simplicity of white – its understated demeanor.     When our high school basketball team would circle up to hold hands in the locker room before games, I would close my eyes and think of what a tremendous waste of time this was. Maybe if we had spent more time scouting and less time praying we wouldn’t have gotten our asses handed to us just shy of reaching the state tournament. But I digress.     The moon was faceless, once again, and I never looked up at the sky in the same way. We were on vacation in Hawaii, in the middle of some town plaza when I had this very first moment of atheist epiphany. The sky was dark, but reality was darker. The moon provided no comfort – its bright majesty torn down by my own internal realizations. I had envisioned the face on the moon as the face of my Lord, but soon, that face was nothing but craters on a cold, dark surface. God had left my sky, and I had looked away for good.     Atheism was the logical choice. It was comfortable and easy because it made sense. It meant I was in control, no matter what. I never had to question anything anymore. I may not have had all the answers, but I knew to finally start looking in the right places. The topic was rarely one of discussion between my friends and I. They didn’t want to go there with me, nor I with them. It was the awkward silence between us, and it grew only louder as we aged. We’ve grown apart as we’ve attended varying universities, but mostly our disillusion with one another is an ideological one.     It was its logicality, its dark notions of truth. Black, white.

King of Crossover No More

When former NBA player John Amaechi came out of the closet this week, many around the sports world praised him for his courage. Not former NBA All-Star Tim Hardway, however. Here's what he had to say. "First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team. And second of all, if he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that's right. And you know I don't think he should be in the locker room while we're in the locker room. I wouldn't even be a part of that. You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."     Hardaway immediately lost his job with the NBA promoting All-Star Weekend, and rightfully so. As for a rant on the topic, I'm all out of energy for today. I'm going to instead direct you to Sports Illustrated columnist Jack McCallum, who wrote a terrific piece about this today. Check it out here.     I'd just like to add that Hardaway's bullshit retraction and apology are weak. He obviously knows how he feels, and he clearly feels strongly about the subject. So stand up in the face of confrontation, stand by your words, and say what you really feel, Tim. Be a man and don't hide behind your beliefs. That is all.

A Personal Statement

An open message to all readers:     I'm a radical, determined, outspoken liberal. I'm so far to the left it should be a new direction. I believe in total and complete drug legalization. I advocate for atheism and will continue to actively attack religion for as long as I live. I am against war, against this administration, and right now - against this country. I am even in support of certain kinds of modern-day communist reform. Those are the facts, and I do not attempt to keep them hidden.     I do not hide behind my beliefs, like so many out there who have no desire for enlightenment. I do not cower behind the comfort of my own personal ideas. I dare anyone to challenge me on the things I say because I have no boundaries, and I am going to speak my mind honestly and powerfully with regards to what I know to be true. You will never shut me up, and my quest for ever-expanding knowledge and understanding will only end the day my existence ceases.     If you don't want to hear about it, then don't read my page. If you are too blind and ignorant to expand your understanding of our world, then don't read my page. I will be speaking out, leading an active life, and pushing for progressive change throughout my adult life. And if you're a close friend or family member who is so upset by my words that you cannot bare to speak to me, then consider our relationship over as of this moment. I have no attachment to those who breed only further ignorance.     I am not blind to the views of my opponents. Growing up, all my best friends were highly conservative Christians. I watch Fox News, I read Rush Limbaugh and other outspoken conservatives (just two brief examples), and I know the arguments and 'facts' of the other side well. As I've said before, my primary area of study is religion, but If you want to argue politics, economics, or foreign policy - then I welcome the challenge.     America is an apathetic, unintelligent, and selfish country. The rest of the world mocks us because of our ways, and all we can do is continue to think we're right and they're wrong. I was born here. I live here. And I am going to stay here (at least for a while) so that when I leave, either through an airplane or my death, this country will be a better place for the millions of people who, like me, were born here without choice.     Many of my opponents like to say, "I'll see you in hell." Well...no...you won't actually, because hell doesn't exist and neither will either of us after we die. So take your shots now while you still can.

Here's My America

It's no secret - I'm just not a big fan of the country I was born in. I live here, sure, but I really don't have much of a choice, now do I? I'd prefer to live in Great Britain, Spain, or Italy perhaps. But since I'm stuck here, at least for now, I might as well do everything I can to change things so that maybe my son won't hold the same disdain for his homeland that I do. If I dictated policy in this country, here are some of the changes you would see happening. I present to you - my America.     My America would re-emphasize the separation between church and state. There would be zero tolerance for theology being taught as science in the school curriculum. Churches, or any religious group for that matter, would lose their tax-exempt status. No more freeloading and empire building for televangelists. In my America, any and all references to God would be taken out of our government. No more Pledge of Allegiance, no more "under God" on our money, no more Ten Commandments outside of courtrooms, and no more swearing on the Bible to tell the truth. It's all nonsense.     The America that I strive for has higher standards for education. In my school system world history, world culture, world religions, and foreign languages would be taught as a major part of the curriculum every year from first grade on up through senior year. We must get away from this self-centered view of the world, its history, and its peoples. Our culture, our history, and our religion are not the only ones that matter. Secondly, there would be a complete elimination of education through fear. The DARE program and abstinence-only sex education would be abolished entirely in my America. Kids, no matter the age, must be presented with honesty, understanding, and proper information - no excuses.     My America would emphasize more focus on astronomy in the school system, more focus on evolutionary biology, and more focus on politics. Things such as projects, field trips, papers, and assigned readings would be the bulk of the academic experience, with 'busy work' always being the last resort. Finally in regards to education, we must abolish homeschooling altogether. It cannot be allowed for parents to blind their children to reality by teaching them any lie that they wish. Academia has an obligation to the truth, and my America would honor that.     Heavy taxes would be placed on fossil fuels and oil companies in my America. Massive amounts of federal spending would be put towards bio-diesel fuel, hydrogen powered engines, electric cars, industrialized hemp, and wind, solar, and hydro power. My America would increase trade globally and would lead by example - not rhetoric. My America would offer its support to other countries, not impose it. My America would work with world leaders, respect the international community, and work to reach consensus through debate and council.     A real America would have demanded an end to prohibition years ago, calling for complete and total drug legalization. After disassembling the DEA, my America would focus on furthering education, awareness, research, and safety regarding drug use. An America under my leadership would create thousands of support groups, outreach facilities, and health clinics to assist those with addictions without labeling them as criminals and outcasts. And with drug legalization, my government would tax and regulate the recreational drug industry as it does any other.     In my America there would be salary caps for business owners and executives, based upon the overall income of the company. Employee wages and benefits would be raised across the board, with increased job security and productivity. The country I dream of would have universal health care, guaranteed social security, strict gun control, and would allow gay people to get married. My country would have intellectual standards for jury duty and police service. There would also be zero tolerance for federal judges with theological belief systems. In my American political system there would be an elimination of private financial backing of candidates and a cap on campaign spending.     My America would have all of these improvements and more. But my America doesn't exist, and it probably never will.

Russia Fires Back

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) made several sharp comments regarding the United States the other day at the Munich Conference on Security Policy. In what John McCain called "the most aggressive speech from a Russian leader since the end of the Cold War," Putin stated firmly that, quote, "One state, the United States, has overstepped its national borders in every way. The United States has overstepped its borders in all spheres - economic, political and humanitarian, and has imposed itself on other states,"     But Putin wasn't done there. He went on to say that, "It is a world of one master, one sovereign...This is very dangerous. Nobody feels secure anymore because nobody can hide behind international law." Putin would go on to make several more statements regarding the United States. Click here to read more.     Is the Russian president wrong to criticize American policy? No, he's not. The United States demands the disarmament of other countries' nuclear weapons while we continue to posses them. We go about attempting to police the world, impose democracy on those who do not want it, and end thousand year-old religious conflicts with force. The world is scared of the United States because as Putin said, international law has become meaningless. It certainly wasn't a factor when going to war with Iraq, with Bush giving the international community the middle finger. So why would it be a factor ever again for the almighty America? Our arrogant, self-centered views are alienating us from the world, and Putin's comments here are only the beginning.     And now, as we sit teetering on the edge of another war - this time with Iran, is it impossible to think that our former Cold War enemy will be in support of not us, but the Iranians? Just recently Russia has been selling weapons and defense missiles to Iran, and it doesn't appear to be a one-time deal either. History tells us that all it takes is a common enemy for nations to rally upon. After rumblings of a new Cold War following Putin's speech, it's not too far-fetched to paint America as that common enemy. Our power has grown unchecked, and our leaders are arrogant, unintelligent, manipulative people who the world now not only doesn't respect, but fears. And fear can be a powerful tool when going to war, as the Bush administration taught us after 9/11.

Sevendust Journal Entry

(This was a hand-written entry in my journal for a creative writing class that I wrote today while I was eating lunch and listening to my I-pod.) "Can I still find a place, where my mind stops all the suffering? Will I live in my disgrace, on and on?" This weekend I bought a package that, for fifty bucks, landed me a pre-order of the new album, general admission tickets, and a backstage meet-n-greet with Sevendust at their next show in Seattle. I discovered this band during my freshman year of college. At first, they were nothing more than an unusual take on the metal genre - something fun to listen to on the side. They were raw, gritty, and purely emotion. Yet, the more I listened, the more depth I discovered. Somewhere, amongst the unrefined pounding of guitar and incessant screaming coming from behind the drum pedals, was this transcendent beauty that could only be reasoned to one root cause; the singer. "Deafening silence breaks the walls I built around me The guilt that feeds my soul is here surrounding" When I fell in love with Sevendust, buying all their albums in one wallet-emptying spree, what I was really falling in love with was Lajon Witherspoon. I had never seen an African-American in this genre of music, and I was immediately enraptured. His dreadlocks, his deep voice, his uniqueness, his beauty. Is it racist to say that his race lends to his soulful presence? Is it racist to say that, like Seal, Marvin Gaye, or Stevie Wonder, I just prefer the voice of a black man? Is it racist to say I find black people to be, in my personal opinion, better singers with more beautiful voices? Whether it was racist or not, I was in love. I had found a band that both soothed my emotions and fed my need to kick ass. "Denial seems it had to come Relied on me to say it all Denial has LEFT YOU ALL ALONE!" Lajon has a presence on stage - a forceful one. The kind that makes you listen, because Lajon possesses a kind of smooth elevated aggressiveness that other singers quite simply do not. His screaming and serenading blend together seamlessly, flowing from one into the other on a single breath. Where other singers pause to switch emotional gears, and thus vocal tone, Lajon simply lets it all flow from his soul, as he bleeds his emotion into the microphone. There is a continuity to the music that lets you travel the range of human emotions without ever getting tripped up or lost along the way. "There's not one thing that you can say to make it right Unless you say 'I'm leavin' And if you're not, then please tell me why Please tell me why you can't" I saw Sevendust in concert for the first time back in August of '05. It was during a rather depressing time in my life, and jumping around screaming their songs, basking in the emotion and energy of the crowd as we all shared in the experience, was one of the most spiritually healing events of my life. Their song "Ugly" had come to represent my relationship with my ex-girlfriend in my mind, and so hearing Sevendust perform the lyrics, ones I'd heard a hundred times before but seemed brand new, was a moment I'll never forget. I can still hear Morgan's tattered screams interjecting with Lajon's epic, sweeping choruses. As one grows deeper, they each grow louder, feeding off one another, until they explode into a fury of emotion and sound. "Why can't you just see? MISERY! Set us free!" March 24th. Counting down the days. A new experience awaits.

Gonzaga and Drugs - Oh No!

Very quickly, I would like to publicly come out in support of recently arrested Gonzaga basketball players Josh Heytvelt (left) and Theo Davis. These two young men were arrested Friday night around midnight, after being pulled over, when officers discovered marijuana and mushrooms in their car. Heytvelt is the team's second leading scorer, and a potential NBA prospect, while Davis is a red-shirt freshman.     I understand that these drugs are illegal (they shouldn't be), and that the police were legally bound to arresting them. But without getting too caught up in justifying the differences between soft (pot, shrooms, alcohol, tobacco) and hard (cocaine, heroin, meth, etc) drugs, I would just like to say shame on Gonzaga University for suspending these players indefinitely. It may wind up that these young men are thrown off the team permanently, and it's too bad because I'm sure Heytvelt and Davis have teammates who engage in these same activities every weekend, but because they don't get caught, they are safe from persecution. I've heard all kinds of stories about Gonzaga basketball players being heavy partiers, drinkers, and smokers, and if I was a member of that team who had either smoked pot or done mushrooms, then I would stand up and demand to be thrown off the team as well.     Head Coach Mark Few said that the program was, quote, "shocked and extremely disappointed" in their players, and that they "regret the far-reaching effect this has on our program and the university." The program will no doubt suffer in the short term without Heytvelt to man the middle, but a far-reaching effect on the university? Gonzaga is going to be just fine, Mark. College kids are caught with drugs every day on every campus. However, these young men's lives have been taken away from them for doing something that almost every college student I know has done. That's not a justification, it's an explanation of why this is hypocrisy.

It's Oscar Time

In light of the serious nature of my latest posts, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to do a light-hearted entry. I consider myself quite the movie buff - my DVD collection is near a half-thousand, and I'd like to think I'm somewhat of an amateur critic as well. The Academy Awards are perhaps the only entertainment award show that I even remotely respect at this point, and so it's the one time outside of March Madness and the NBA draft where I get excited to make predictions. Granted, I haven't seen all of this year's nominees, so I'll try to stick with commenting on movies I've seen.     Every year there is one nominee who you know, just by the sheer amount of hype, media coverage, and critical praise, is going to take home the Oscar no matter what. This year there's no question - it's Forest Whitaker. The soft-spoken journeyman's turn in The Last King of Scotland as dictator Idi Amin is said to be the stuff of legends (I have not seen it yet, sadly). Whitaker is a superb actor, with a long line of great films and roles, such as Good Morning Vietnam, Phenomenon, Ghost Dog, and Panic Room. I'd just like to say that I'm glad Hollywood is finally giving this man his due, regardless of whether or not he ends up walking away with the award.     Actor in a supporting role is a toss-up, but of the performances I've seen, I have to say that Mark Wahlberg of The Departed well deserves the award. The Departed was simply one of the finest acted cop dramas I've ever seen, second only to the legendary ensemble cast of Heat. Wahlberg's portrayal of the hard-edged good-guy cop was gritty, raw, and in your face. I have not seen any of the movies in either actress categories, with the exception of Abigal Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine. The movie was brilliant, and her performance was adorable. But Oscar-worthy? I'm not so sure.     Of the smaller awards, I'm rooting for The Prestige to win Best Art Direction and Children of Men to win Best Cinematography. Each were particularly spectacular in the given categories. Director Chris Nolan really captured the tone and mood perfectly with The Prestige, and it was perhaps the most artistically stunning movie I saw all of last year. Children of Men featured some very high-intensity camera angles and lots of continuous shots that really drew the audience in. Alfonso Cuaron's sci-fi masterpiece was one of the more recent movies I saw in theaters, and I was very impressed with it in all regards (especially Michael Caine's portrayal of an old stoner). It's also nominated for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) but may lose out in that category to this year's heavyweight; The Departed.     Thinking back to all the movies I saw last year, The Departed really was the most memorable. My roommate and I still talk about it to this day, as we eagerly anticipate its upcoming DVD release this Tuesday. Martin Scorsese's latest masterpiece is nominated for Best Actor, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay, and of course Best Picture. All the talk is that this is finally the year in which the Academy will give its first award to one of the cinema's five greatest directors of all time. How Martin Scorsese has not won an Academy Award up to this point, I'll never know. Jack Nicholson's return to the role of villain, coupled with gripping performances from the entire ensemble (Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen), really gave Scorsese infinite talent to work with and mold. His reputation as the master of the crime genre is well earned, and while The Departed may not be his best movie ever, it is easily good enough to win this year's Best Picture award and give the honored director his just due. If you haven't seen it, make the time to do so. And good luck to you, Marty. Here's hoping I'm right. To order a few of this year's nominees, including the ones I mentioned above, just click below.

Further Explanation

So, I feel the need to justify my latest posting. But I find that Karl Popper can do it far better than I can. So here is what he said. "Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. In this formulation, I do not imply, for instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be most unwise. But we should claim the right to suppress them if necessary even by force; for it may easily turn out that they are not prepared to meet us on the level of rational argument, but begin by denouncing all argument; they may forbid their followers to listen to rational argument, because it is deceptive, and teach them to answer arguments by use of their fists or pistols. We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right to not tolerate the intolerant. We should claim that any movement preaching intolerance places itself outside the law, and we should consider incitement to intolerance and persecution as criminal, in the same way as we should consider incitement to murder, or to kidnapping, or to the revival of the slave trade, as criminal." Brilliant man. Read more about Karl Popper here.

The Angry Liberal

I'm proud of who I am. People on my side of the fence seem to think that the religious right have the moral majority in this country, as if we cannot be critical of their beliefs. America would like to tell me I'm wrong, and they'd like people like myself to remain quiet, so that we can be mowed over by the unintelligent, uneducated, unenlightened, and dangerous Christian majority. So I stand here today with a clear message; don't just feel that you have to defend your actions - take a lesson from the other side and attack! If there's one thing I have learned from Richard Dawkins, it is that the enlightened simply cannot respect the unenlightened any longer, and we cannot allow things to continue the way they are. Right-wing Christian Republicans sure do know how to put on an attack, both culturally and psychologically. And these people are just flat wrong, so why can't we put together such an agenda?     Are you a staunch atheist? Let people know, be proud of it the way religious people are. Talk to people, challenge their beliefs, educate them, and try to convert them the way the other side does. (Although, that may be difficult as Atheism is, in itself, a contradiction in terms. How do you 'not believe' in something that doesn't even exist?) Do you smoke pot, even occasionally? Then say so! Stand up, be counted, and demand your rights the way that feminists and gays have done. Maybe you're like me, and you're so far to the 'left' that you feel alone in the system. Well I'm here to say that you're not alone, because I am here with you, and my voice will continue to be a loud one.     We've been far too lenient for far too long. It's time for atheists, pot smokers, liberal Democrats, environmentalists, and members of the scientific and academic communities (the 'Liberal Elite' if you will) to quit trying to cater to, sympathize with, or offer respect to our opponent - the delusional religious right. There is no "perspective" on the truth. Global warming is real. Evolution is fact. There is no God. Marijuana should not only not be illegal, but it should be used far more widely. There needs to be more strict government regulation of business, health care, social security, gun control, and education. These are not opinions that have been based off my parents' beliefs and some vague sense of general intuition. These are facts that I have studied and know to be true.     So take charge liberals and don't just question the beliefs of others - attack them! Confront these people with the truth, make them uncomfortable, and ask them to think more deeply. Show people why they are wrong, and if they are too blind to see, dismissing you (as well as science, reason, philosophy, and history) outright, then offer them no respect. Because you certainly are not being, and will not ever be, respected by them.

Atheism Mix Tape Vol. 1

The discrimination against atheists in this country is one of the most overlooked issues of our time. Atheists are shunned by their families, treated with violence, and cannot even run for president, despite the fact that this group of people has the highest IQ of any other. The smartest nations in the world are also the least religious (Japan, Great Britain). I'll write about this more later, but for now here's a quick video somebody made that I actually think is quite well done and worth seeing.     The most striking names on there, to me, are Lance Armstrong, Christopher Reeve, and Pat Tillman. Americans revere these people, but you never hear a word about their beliefs. You can also add to the list Albert Einstein, Thomas Jefferson, and Stephen Hawking. But don't worry, Christians still have Ted Haggard, who announced today he is fully heterosexual! God bless his meth-addicted ass.

America the Homophobe

So what exactly is the argument about gay marriage, anyways? Is it economic, political, medical maybe? No, it's a social issue, and that can mean only one thing - it's an issue about morality and religious belief. For this very reason, there is no argument against gay marriage. None, never, not one.     The first point anti-gays try to make is a simple one. "Gay marriage is an assault on the sanctity of marriage." The sanctity of marriage? Are you fucking kidding me? The sanctity of marriage, in our culture of instant Vegas weddings with 3-hour turnarounds into divorce? Wake up, folks. The majority of marriages end in divorce, and for the first time in American history the majority of American women are unmarried. Why is it that each year the percentage of the population that is married drops, while the divorce rates rise? Sacred my ass.     Next, we have the children. Ah, the children - we seem to put it all on them, don't we? Drugs, gay marriage, abortion, education, blah, blah blah, blah blah - it's all about protecting the children. Look, everyone has issues with their childhood. Single parents, abusive parents, neglecting parents - these things are all far more abundant than a couple of gays raising kids. As if these kids are going to suddenly become gay, or will grow up demented without a true mother-father system. The bottom line is that most gays are born that way, and there is nothing wrong with it. I was born white, male, and straight. Maybe you were born black, female, and gay. And if we, as a nation, discriminate against that second person, then that's fascism. My father was an alcoholic and my mother was a habitual over-reactor. I don't consider either of these traits passed off to myself. If anything, these kids will probably resent their parents (like everyone else) and rebel to be as non-gay as humanly possible. That ought to make the Christian folk out there happy.     Then there's the argument that if we let gay marriage go through, soon it will be polygamy, incest marriages, and human-animal marriages. What are you, retarded? The point of being married is to be locked in with that person forever, not bone 12 naive young women who think Joseph Smith was a profit. We don't need religion to tell us that is morally wrong. And we don't need religion to give us the morality to say that incest is wrong, either. It doesn't take religion for me to know that I'm not ok with these ideas, and I'm just about as liberal as it gets. Humans and animals getting married? Not even a country of hippies on acid is going to let that slide. So, if you think that gay marriage will lead to anything but 'fabulous' ceremonies and well coordinated closets, you have your head up your ass and your face in the Bible - a tremendous work of fiction.     The only real reason people fight against gay marriage is because it's blasphemous. It goes against the Bible, against Christ, and against God. Don't we have a built in separation of church and state? I thought we did, and apparently so did our founding fathers. Here is a quote from a treaty written in 1796 by George Washington, and signed in 1797 by John Adams. "As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility..." Gay marriage is about giving these people the same rights in our government that other married couples receive and nothing else.     Lastly, here's my bottom line point. The fact is that there is no God, Christ was not his son, and the Bible is only one of a thousand other ancient religious texts. To base our political atmosphere off of these things is not only scary, it's incredibly dangerous. We do not live in a fascist Christian theocracy, but many people wish that we did. Up to fifty percent of our electorate believes the world was created six thousand years ago in six days by a man in the sky! Talk about insanity! They are right about one thing, though. The issue of gay marriage is a slippery slope, alright. It's a slippery slope to sexist, racist, murderous, and false ideology running our lives.

My 2008 Presidential Candidate

My 2008 presidential candidate has the experience necessary to get the job done. Hell, he's already been elected to the position once before. My candidate has served in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, was Vice-President for 8 years, and was robbed of the presidency in 2000 by the Supreme Court and Jeb Bush.     My 2008 presidential candidate served in Vietnam, graduated from Harvard, and was roommates with Tommy Lee Jones. He studied English, government, law and even religious study - meaning he can see the world from a perspective other than the delusional one the Bible offers. My president believes in evolution, has had multiple university professorships, understands global warming, and knows exactly what to do about it. My candidate will create global energy change when he gets into office, doing that which is not just necessary, but right.     My 2008 presidential candidate, even if he didn't invent it, was way ahead of the game on the internet and now has millions of dollars to show for it (unlike Bush who bankrupts anything he touches). He sits on the board of directors for Apple Inc, and is a senior management adviser for Google.     My 2008 presidential candidate has a new book coming out, The Assault on Reason, that all of America needs to read. He has a movie, An Inconvenient Truth, that the whole world needs to see. For that, my candidate has been nominated for not only an Academy Award, (something even Reagan could never dream to claim) but a Nobel Peace Prize as well. My president is so popular these days that his constituents are begging for a comeback.     So please - Mr. President - Hillary would be historic, Barack would be charming, Biden or Edwards would be nice, but you, sir, would be perfect. You are the right man for the job, Al Gore, and you know it. Run for President sir, and I will do all I can to see you are elected. And so will millions of other people.