"...that's in the first amendment?"

Christine O'Donnell asked her Democratic opponent where in the Constitution the separation of church and state is outlined.

He answered that the 1st amendment guarantees it.

She said, "The First Amendment does?" O'Donnell asked. "Let me just clarify: You're telling me that the separation of church and state is found in the First Amendment?"

Uh.  Yeah.  It's always been there and is one of the defining elements of our freedoms here in the United States.  We get to believe what and how we want without any kind of government interference.  Just a reminder:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Because We Have Freedom

The First Amendment Rocks, you know that? Despite my husband's quote at the bottom of this page, "You know, the problem with the internet is it gives everyone a voice.", I think he truly appreciates our ability to say whatever the hell we want in this country--even those from the intolerant right or the intolerant religious zealots. Yes, they get to talk too, and what they say is really the target of my husband's contempt.

Let your freak flag fly, I say.

No, I haven't heard about Jesus, how about you tell me all about him. Obama wasn't born in the U.S.? Tell me about it. Women shouldn't earn as much as a man does for the same job? Hey, let's talk! The Rapture is coming so pollution and consumption and waste doesn't matter? Let's go buy something!!

Tell me all about it.

Because we do have freedom here, not only do we get to say what we want, it's good to keep using our freedoms so they don't get chipped away. (psst. *said in hushed, secretive tones*Bush domestic spying--hey Obama, when you gonna stop that?) I get to say stuff too to counter what they are saying!

Let's take a peek at the First Amenement so we all know what we have the right to do:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.


You can believe, or not believe, anything you want! The government has no say in that. None. Neither to establish (through tax dollars or text in public places), nor to prohibit. If you want to be a Wiccan, you can be. Totally American!! Yes, Fundamentalist Christians, THAT is what America is about. Tolerate that.

Now, because of the First Amendment, you can tell me that I'm going straight to Hell and that I need to get myself right with God!! You can say it, but I don't have to believe it and the government doesn't have to teach it--in fact mustn't teach it. That's just for you. That's your own individual freedom that you have a right to, that can't abridge my own individual freedom that I have a right to. Even Steven.

I can write all of this here, because there is the freedom of the written word, and speech.

Tonight, when my family goes to watch fireworks, we will meet with another family and we get to do that because of the First Amendment. You can go where you want. You can see who you want. We take that so for granted here.

I spoke with a Romanian man once who explained how they would meet people in the city where he was from. No one was allowed to stand near a statue of Nicolae Ceausescu, but it was an obvious place to meet people. So, people would slowly walk in a large circle around it, waiting until their friends would arrive. Can you imagine? You can't just stand there??

Other countries insist on citizens carrying papers identifying them. Crazy, right? It's like old Communist Romania or Russia or Germany during WWII. Who would want that kind of intrusion on personal freedom here in the U.S.? It is soooo UnAmerican, isn't it? Look at the First Amendment. That's American, not anything that seeks to alter that.

I could tell Bush how pissed off I was at his policies and law breaking--torture really is against international law--and, I can tell Obama to get it together and stop all of Bush's policies. Get us out of Iraq. Get us out of Afghanistan. Quit cozying up to the same corporate leaders who made a mess of our economy and environment and fight for the people! That's why we elected you. I can say all of that because I have a right to tell the government whatever I think. I have the right to sue the government when wronged by them. That is American too.

All of these rights are the basis of our American culture. The expression of these rights is what makes this country so fun. You can be who you want and how you want and where you want. It is about freedom here.

As this is the Fourth of July weekend, I think some patriotic music is in order. My friend L. and I were talking last night and we both agreed we like Jimi Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner. It is his free expression of the song, but also his ability to weave in the sounds of bombs and screams that is so compelling. Think of how the Viet Nam War was raging on then and hear the song. Now remember that WE ARE AT WAR EVEN NOW!! STILL!!

We kinda forget that with the daily life thing happening, don't we? Unless you have friends or loved ones in the service, it's not a topic that comes up in daily life. If you read or listen to alternative media sources, it comes up. That's not what most of the mainstream press is covering. But, by God I know that Sandra Bullock was just divorced! What?! Yes, she was. I know that Skechers has a shoe called Twinkle Toes and they realllllly want my daughter to buy a pair. That's a use of the First Amendment, I suppose, but some exposing of wrong doing by the wrong doers would also be a good thing.

Think about your freedoms, use them, and fight the good fight!

Happy Fourth of July everybody!






And for fun here's Purple Haze, which he played right after the anthem.



Enjoy, because you can...

Things Only a Republican Could Believe

I know not all Republicans believe these contradictory things. I do know this. There are plenty of Republicans who simply want less government interference in the daily life of Americans and want lower taxes. Really, I do know this. I don't think of all Republicans when I read the following list... However, I know there are plenty of Republicans who do believe these contradictory things and who paint our public life in broad strokes and don't see any dissonance in their reasoning.

So with that said, here we go:

Things Only a Republican Could Believe:

• Parents who don't want their children to pray in school are Anti-American zealots -- parents who don't want their children to listen to a speech by the President of the United States telling them to work hard and get good grades are noble patriots.

• Peacefully demonstrating against the country starting an international war is treason -- showing up with automatic weapons to protest healthcare reform is democracy at its finest.

• Any government official with a desk job should have every action scrutinized -- any government official with a badge and a gun should never be questioned or disrespected. At all. Ever.

• Questioning the legitimacy of an election because the "winner" was selected by the Supreme Court is sour grapes -- questioning the legitimacy of an election because the winner (by the largest number of votes in American history) is really a Kenyan born Muslim despite all evidence to the contrary is being a vigilant American.

• Lying about a blowjob is an impeachable offense -- lying about a war is no big deal, really.

• Investigating a shady land deal involving the First Lady is a matter of National Identity -- investigating the use of torture at the direction of the Executive Branch is a partisan witch hunt.

• Executing Japanese officers for waterboarding prisoners during WWII shows that we have the moral high-ground on human rights -- waterboarding prisoners of our own shows that we have the moral high-ground on human rights.

• Sitting two rows in front of Jane Fonda in a 1970 anti-war rally is an OUTRAGE! Shaking Saddam's hand in 1983...meh, not so much.

• Anyone who questions the president during a time of war is giving aide and comfort to the enemy and should be deported...unless the president in question has a (D) next to their name in which case you should undermine them at every turn even if you have to routinely make shit up to do it.

• Socialism, Marxism, Communism and Fascism are all interchangeable words that mean pretty much the same thing.

• Anyone who abuses drugs should be locked up indefinitely...unless they are a popular Republican radio host in which case they need your prayers as they recover from the illness of addiction.

• Health Insurance companies have your best interests in mind and anyone who thinks otherwise is trying to turn America into the Godless heathen nation of Sweden where EVERYONE in the country dies (eventually).

• Obama is an atheist communist muslim who attended a radical christian church.

• Believing that human activity could impact the global environment is crazy talk -- believing that an invisible man in the sky personally told George Bush to invade Iraq to fulfill Biblical prophecy is logically sound.

• The verdict is still out on evolution -- but Jesus Christ returning in our lifetimes is pretty much a given.

• The media are unquestionably biased against Republicans -- Talk Radio, The Washington Times, The Weekly Standard, The Wall Street Journal, Rightwing Blogs, Fox News and NewsCorp are not part of the media.

• The government should have no part in regulating multi-national corporations as they make decisions that impact the lives of millions of people -- government should regulate individuals by determining who they can marry, what kind of intercourse they can have, what they can smoke, how to manage their pregnancy and how to proceed with end of life decisions.

• Communicating with hostile nations is a stab in the back to our great nation -- Reagan communicating with the USSR during the Cold War was Political Genius.

• Iran is a mortal threat to our nation and anyone who attempts to talk to them is traitorous scum -- selling weapons to Iran and then funneling the money to start wars in South America is clearly in our National interest.

• George Bush kept the nation safe after 9-11 (NOTE: the Anthrax attacks, the DC Sniper and Hurricane Katrina don't count. Also, the fact that 9-11 happened on his watch despite receiving a security briefing specifically warning of the attack doesn't count either.)

• Social Security, Meidcare, public schooling, public libraries, fire departments, police departments and the US Military are as American as Apple Pie -- universal healthcare is ZOMGDEATHPANELSOCIALISM!!

• George W Bush is a regular 'ole Texas rancher just like you and me despite the fact that he was born in Connecticut, attended two Ivy League schools, bought the Crawford ranch just before running for president, sold it immediately after leaving office and is terrified of horses.

• The two guys at the center of the Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals are trustworthy voices in discussions of current national policy and should be taken at face-value.

  
  

  (I did not write this but found it on numerous sites. I didn't see who the author is or I would give him/her credit. It is good isn't it?)

We Visited a Mosque

My friend, who was once teaching my daughter and me embroidery before I realized that I hated it and didn't want to learn embroidery, is Muslim. She is a practicing Muslim and recently had an open house at her mosque so her non-Muslim friends and acquaintances could come and ask questions and so we all could share some recognition of commonality.

It was a lovely, warm time.

I had met some of her Muslim friends before at a Weston A. Price meeting, and had seen another woman before at a science fair at a nature preserve, and at the recent homeschooling conference. These are some people who I have a passing acquaintance with and I felt very comfortable there.

My daughter had a great time getting henna decorations on her hands; it is also known as mendhi.

It kind of looks like brown, fine-tip marker, and I believe I know someone who will try to replicate this same effect once the henna wears off. I just think it's likely...

My son, unlike my getting-decorated-with-the-cool-henna daughter, was almost bored completely out of his mind. Like any religious tradition, the speakers tend to be a bit long winded. Yep. Check. We had long windedness. But, the recitation of the Koran at the beginning was beautiful. It was sort of sung and sort of intoned by an older gentleman and he had slight, intention filled pauses that lent it a grace and a spirituality that I didn't think I'd recognize there. I spoke later with my friend's husband and he said even if you don't understand the Arabic, people are sometimes moved to tears by it. I could see that.

I asked some questions after having gone online the night before. I didn't want to inadvertently offend anyone, and because my ignorance is vast, I thought I should have some basis for some of my questions. I wanted a basic understanding.

I found out about the 5 pillars of Islam.

1. Faith and belief in God--Allah.
2. Prayer 5 times a day.
3. Fasting for Ramadan.
4. Giving 2 1/2 % of your value to charity (Not 2 1/2 % of your money--your value. You include your car, house etc. in that figure.)
5. Visit to Mecca at least once--The Hajj.

I wondered about fatwas. I had a vague understanding, but asked for more information at the mosque.

They instantly got a bit defensive and started talking about Jihad, and I explained that I wasn't really asking about that. I had seen online at a site a listing of new fatwas. A fatwa is a judgement based on Koranic law about an issue in a person's life. The fatwa is handed down by a scholar or someone with authority with knowledge of the Koran. I had noticed a question a college student had about whether he could cut his prayers short because he had a long commute to school. There was a fatwa issued about that. I didn't find out what the verdict was on that, but was more interested in the idea that Muslim life is so proscribed by ritual and etiquette and traditions that no one wavers from.

Again my friend's husband later explained to me that it is a way of life that they always know as they grow up and it is steeped in their daily habits. They eat with the right hand and not with the left. They enter a bathroom with one foot and exit it with the other. There are rules of etiquette that describe proper Muslim behavior and it is second nature to them. My friends don't think to question it--it is more than cultural. It is one of the ways they honor Allah.

The not quite Imam who was speaking and answering questions explained that a fatwa can apply to an individual person and not necessarily to the whole Muslim community. And online I had noticed that it said that the conscience of the person still must guide their acceptance or rejection of the fatwa.

I asked about the hijab. I had read that there is some discussion about the reference to covering yourself as a woman in the Koran and that it only specifically mentioned the wives of Mohammad. No one else was told to cover themselves in that way. They explained that it is in the Koran and that there were ways that Mohammed's wives should cover themselves and the way others do. They also said that the hijab is a way of following in the good example of Mohammed's wives. All of the women at the mosque looked comfortable and were very cheerful and welcoming.

There was wonderful food that my friend had made and that was also catered. We had curried chicken and rice and a bulgar, lentil, beef dish with caramelized onions on top. The kids found the dessert trays and enjoyed the various cookies.

At 6:00 everyone had to go pray. We were able to watch the men on a closed circuit TV, but were not to go into their side. The women had a different room and prayed in exactly the same way as the men did and at the same time.

My son was able to join the men and stayed in the back of the room. He later asked my friend, at my urging, why they kept saying, "Riiiise up white men. Riiiise up white men." Well, my friend laughed because that's a little bit what the Arabic sounded like, but that's not what was being said. She thought that was cute.

My son knelt down at one point, as the men did in front of him. Not in imitation or in a disrespectful way, but my son did it just to feel it in his body as they did it as part of their prayer.

We are not a religious family at all. My husband and I are agnostic/atheists. We leave a little wiggle room for the possibility of God and we feel the wonder of the universe and of life and of our children. We know life is fleeting. We know life is beautiful and has meaning--just not what all of the religions necessarily ascribe to it.

Religion feels very manufactured to us. My husband should know, he designs stuff for a company after all. It feels like other man made things. Catholics have incense and confession. Muslims have prayer 5 times a day and a set of rules for daily living. Jews (like Muslims) can't eat pork, have to use separate dishes for dairy items and meat items, if they keep kosher. It all seems a bit forced to me.

Having said all of that, I have an appreciation for everybody's right to their religion. I like this country. I like that we have encoded in The Constitution the right to believe whatever we want. That is supremely American.

I wanted to visit my friend's mosque because I did want to have a chance to ask some questions. But, I had another reason for going as well.

A while ago, my friend was driving and a friend was with her. Both had on the hijab. My friend's two daughters were in the back. These are girls who attend a performing class with my kids. These are girls that played with my daughter while I grudgingly learned embroidery until I got up the nerve to explain to my friend that I didn't want to learn embroidery. These are sweet girls.

My friend was driving through a kind of upscale community. It's a little bit horsey and lot white. A guy in a pickup truck drove her off the road, and yelled at her once she came to a stop. He called her a foul name and told her to go back to her own country. This is not OK.

The police did not file a report at the station after my friend told them what happened. This is also not OK.

We visited a mosque to learn a bit and try to see how we are all human and American. Gosh, that sounds so silly as I read that back to myself. Of course we are all human! Yet, we still see so many as The Other. I visited to show my friend support and to show the greater Muslim community at her mosque that there are Americans who don't see them as an enemy or as The Other.

Plus, there was great food, and that couldn't hurt either...

Happy Chanukah!

Happy Chanukah everyone for whom it applies!

Myself, I have to go and get candles, because Chanukah always creeps up on me and I forget when it is--why does it change every year again? Plus, I'm always already busy getting ready for Christmas.

Inexpensive menorah I got from a Whole Foods aisle end cap. The display was tiny and pitiful and I felt like I should rescue this little menorah.

As a child of a Jewish dad (agnostic) and an Episcopalian/Unitarian mom (atheist) our winter celebrations always included a Christmas tree, stockings hung with care on the handles of the main hall closet (we didn't have a fireplace), and the lighting of the menorah. We didn't get the eight days of gifts though--kind of ripped off there. We didn't play dreidel or sing the songs. We didn't eat fried foods. We had a Christmas dinner with a turkey and chestnut dressing (absolutely delicious) and plum pudding with hard sauce in keeping with my mother's English ancestry. But, the lights were beautiful and we felt peaceful and proud lighting them.

The story of Chanukah is one of loyalty to one's own religion and fighting for what you believe in and not allowing yourself or your people to be destroyed. We will not succumb. The light for eight days when it was only supposed to last for one is a sign of God's constancy and approval. Let it shine!

We were/are secular people. So God didn't really play into it for my family. The symbolism of the menorah was that we are--and we will be. Our refusal to be destroyed by the Greek king of Syria in the second century B.C. E. is a reminder that in our own lives, we will fight for what is right and not give up. Just as Christmas is about good will and love and peace for us, and not the birth of Christ, Chanukah is about justice and right and perseverance, and not the miracle of the oil.

We have secularized these religious holidays because we are not religious people. The holidays, however, are a part of our culture and family tradition, and, that's very important to my husband and me.

As a teenager, I was home alone for some reason. No one else was there and it was Chanukah. So, I lit the menorah for myself and thought about the years of oppression against Jews across the centuries and how as a group, we have held fast to who we are, even as we became part of the larger societies where we lived. I thought about the tradition of the lights themselves and how others around the world were lighting the candles too and had every previous year for thousands of years. And then, I got bored and snuffed the candles out with a candle snuffer, because I was safety conscious and went downstairs to watch TV...it wasn't until years later that I realized the irony of snuffing out the Chanukah candles--you know, the light that lasted when it wasn't supposed to...My only excuse is that I was a goofy teenager. I think it's good that I thought to even do it in the first place.

Happy Chanukah, enjoy the lights! Also, I like Chanukah instead of Hanukkah and both are acceptable--so there.

Menorah trying to steal some of the felt advent calendar thunder...nice try menorah.

I'm Skipping the Fundamentalist Christian Parent Meeting Tonight...

There is a parents meeting tonight. It will run for two hours and will cover things I don't want to talk about. I am not a religious person--at all. Not a bit. And if I was, I would be a Pagan or more moderately, a Unitarian, not a fundamentalist Christian. I don't pray. I don't even like to lower my head, when others do pray. I don't believe that everything happens for a reason, and the reason is God's will. I think there is cause and effect. I also think things can be chaotic while there are simultaneously definite patterns in the universe. It's all a hodge podge. I'm completely comfortable with all of that. I have no strong existential angst about my place in the giant scheme of things. It's all good. My great-great grandfather was the first Reform Jewish Rabbi in the Midwest. So, now I'm so reform, I question everything. I am not the least bit observant, except we light candles in a menorah for Chanukah (if I remember to buy the candles in time...) and we also have a Christmas tree, just as it was my family's tradition growing up.

My kids believed in Santa until I told them there wasn't one when my son asked about Mary and Laura Ingalls hanging up their stockings and Mr. Edwards running into Santa in town and bringing the girls' gifts bundled over his head as he waded across a swollen river to get to them. Santa couldn't get across, so he sent Mr. Edwards in his place. My 9 year old son looked me dead in the eye and suggested that perhaps the parents were going to fill the stockings themselves and Mr. Edwards didn't really meet Santa but brought them gifts that he had gotten himself. Did he?

I was stuck. I had told my daughter a couple of years earlier that yes, of course there was a Santa when at the age of 5 she had asked me about it. She was skeptical and my older son was not. I just couldn't destroy Santa for my sensitive son who still believed. There would be no way for my daughter not to tell my son the absolutely earth shattering news that Santa was really mom and dad--she couldn't keep that big news to herself. I looked into her little, smart, earnest questioning face and told her that Santa was real and that he loved her and all the other children on earth and if she didn't get to sleep soon, he wouldn't be able to come to our house.

Yuck. That was terrible lying to her. But, it would have been terrible for my son to lose Santa when he wasn't old enough yet.

When he was old enough and asked about it, I told my kids the truth about Santa as I was reading Laura Ingalls Wilder to them and they both cuddled with me on the couch and sobbed. It was awful. They had lost Santa who, to them, was like a kind uncle. I explained that my husband and I were still Santa. We excitedly shopped for fun little trinkets to put in their stockings. We always took the packaging off because the elves didn't have labels and stickers on anything... I explained that we loved them and wanted them to have a sense of wonder and magic and to know that there are things in the world that are lovely and kind and fun. Santa was part of that.

The kids understand and they are not mad. They don't feel tricked. If anything, they feel the expression of love that is the Santa story and the fact that the world keeps this story alive for children. No one outs Santa. Even David Sedaris didn't reveal Santa's secret when he was a disaffected, underpaid elf in Macy's. Everyone keeps the secret. Isn't that in itself magical?

I don't want to go to the fundamentalist Christian meeting tonight, even though my son is involved with this thing with them. I've already been to one parent meeting, things are communicated online via e-mail and I am committed to helping out as I said I would. There is no reason for me to go tonight to this meeting. I would have to change out of my groovy tan Obama shirt because it looks too Che Gueveraish and I frankly do not have the energy to fend off Obama attacks. Nor do I want to offend these fundamentalist parents. It would be like wearing a "Steak Tastes Great!!" t-shirt to a PETA meeting. I'm not interested in fighting. I don't want to offend.

I know there are other parents involved who feel as I do--this is an inclusive group, that is everyone is allowed in even though it is fundamentalist Christian. They made it very clear at their website that it is Christian based, but everyone is welcome.

I don't believe in Jesus. I believe Jesus did exist, but I don't believe he was THE son of God. I believe he was A son of God. Well, I don't really believe in God either. Not really. If I did believe in God, I would believe that Jesus was A son of God, just like all of the other children of God. I can respect everyone's beliefs, however. I can see how people can believe almost anything really. I understand why people believe things. It's just that I don't believe these same things. I believe other things.

I believe we are children of Nature. I believe that we are of the Earth and are connected to it and to each other and to every living thing and are responsible for our actions to each other and to the Earth. I believe we owe future generations good stewardship during our brief mind blowingly short time. Phsht. We're gone in a flash. Snap your fingers. That is it. That is your life. It's over now. Snap. Gone. A little magical spark and then nothing.

I think we need to live as lovingly, beautifully, openly, honestly as we can because this is it. I don't know that there is anything else. There might be. I'm open to the possibility, but I don't believe that to be the case.

When I am around the other parents in this group they speak in terms of God's grace in their lives. The report that they've prayed about various issues in their lives or in the world. Individually they're all fine. Lovely. Friendly. But, as a group, they have a certain set of beliefs that include: denying rape victims abortions, evolution is wrong, the earth is young, homosexuals are sinful, the bible is the divine word of God and is literally true, Jews killed Jesus. I must say, it kind of creeps me out to be around people who think like this. Ironically, it doesn't seem all that Christian either.

They do have a great group, however, that my son loves and they don't proselytize. He doesn't know about these views of theirs. He's not exposed to this from them. He can go to their activity. It's OK.

I'm not going to the meeting tonight. I'm going to visit with my husband instead.