Life is Stranger than Fiction

They just identified the 9 year old girl who was shot today at the Gabrielle Giffords event as Christina Taylor Green. The irony of it is she was born on 9/11/2001 and died today 1/8/2011 (1+8=9) at the hands of an insane terrorist. I suppose all terrorists are insane to some degree. No sane person would fly a plane into a building, or shoot a 9 year old girl.



Such senseless violence, and for why? Because a psychopath was upset with our government? Even if the government is flawed is that any reason to kill people? I feel so sorry for the neighbor who invited her to attend the event, I'm sure they blame themselves in a way even though it isn't their fault.

They Don't Hate us for our Freedom

They hate us for our Corporatocracy, and the endless greed that goes with it.

Study: Poverty fueling Muslim tension with West

By DAVID STRINGER
Associated Press Writer
May 7, 1:51 PM EDT

LONDON (AP) -- Joblessness and poverty are a more potent source of tension between Muslims and wider European and U.S. society than religious differences, one of the first major studies of Muslim integration since the Sept. 11 terror attacks claimed on Thursday.

Attacks by Islamic extremists on the United States, and European capitals like Madrid and London, have sparked debate about whether a failure of Muslims to integrate into Western society has fueled extremism and created divisions between communities.

But a study of around 10,000 people in 27 countries by the Gallup polling company claims non-Muslims - including the public and lawmakers - have misunderstood the attitudes of Muslims in the West, stifling attempts to promote better understanding. Muslims in the West are more patriotic, more tolerant and more likely to reject violence than the rest of Western society believes they are, the study claims...

The study found that only 10 percent of British Muslims consider themselves integrated into British society, compared to 46 percent of French Muslims and 35 percent of German Muslims. Mogahed, an Egyptian-American Muslim, said unemployment and access to education were key factors in isolating Muslims in the West.

The study found that 38 percent of British Muslims said they had a job, lower than the figure for the British general public - 62 percent - and lower than Muslims in Germany or France, where 53 percent and 45 percent respectively said they were employed. Mogahed said that Muslims, particularly in Britain and France, feel marginalized because they have more difficulty finding jobs than non-Muslims, and typically have lower incomes.

"Economic integration may become more precarious in light of the current financial crisis affecting Europe," she said. Another key finding of the study was that that Muslims don't prioritize their faith over patriotism, Mogahed said.

The study found that 77 percent of British Muslims feel a strong sense of British identity, compared to 50 percent of the country's non-Muslims. In France, around half of Muslims and non-Muslims say they feel a strong sense of patriotism...

And this just goes into Muslims who live in the west. They're discriminated against and people assume that they're really terrorists in disguise. I once knew a girl, she was Muslim and had a small child who was about three. All of them were American Citizens. Her family ran a convenience store and one day she told me that this older man came into the store, and when he saw her in her headscarf and the child, he pointed at the toddler and said something to the effect of "He'll grow up to be a terrorist too." I was appalled that someone would assume that because of one's religious persuasions that that automatically makes them a terrorist. Excuse me, but the kid's three. You don't even know if he'll have strong religious beliefs when he grows up. It's absolute, unadulterated ignorance and racism/ethnocentrism, and there's no excuse for it. How can you talk about a toddler like that? How cruel and stupid do you have to be? Is it any wonder that they don't feel integrated into society?

I mean, if you see an Irish Catholic, do you call his kid a terrorist because of the IRA? They blew people up over religion. Do you automatically assume such a thing? Or does it really have more to do with race as to why Muslims get hated on? After all, the Irish guy is white. And don't try that whole "the Koran is different than the Bible" argument, because that's bullshit. Both books are full of barbarity and god righteously ordering the smiting of this or that group of people. Indeed, a portion of the Koran is a retelling of the Bible with the names spelled differently, but no one has a problem with the Bible. Even the Bible says that you should kill unbelievers. Where's the outrage over that?

"If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again." Deuteronomy 13:6-11

Indeed, Christianity itself has historically been a violent religion. Just look at the Inquisition or the pogroms against Jews.

People forget that there are crazies in all walks of life, and while religious convictions (of any type) can fuel that, there are plenty of people who are just plain fucking crazy, and religion has nothing to do with it. Luckily, I think the majority of people, regardless of their religion are basically good people.

When society starts demonizing an entire group of people because of their religion or ethnicity, bad things follow. All one must do is look at history to see this.

Where In the World Is Daniel San Diego?

I couldn't resist that pun. You know, violence for whatever reason is wrong. Whether it comes from the left or the right. It doesn't accomplish anything and all it does is cheapen whatever cause it is that you're fighting for.

The FBI has put a Left Wing Extremist, Daniel Andreas San Diego on their Most Wanted Terrorist list. Yes Virginia, there are extremists on both sides. Which seems to be something that each side tends to want to gloss over. Already the right-wing is screaming that a.) they just did this to distract everyone from the fact that they called the troops right-wing terrorists last week, which I wrote about a few posts down, and b.) there's a ton more of these left-wing bastards, they better get going on that.

The one thing that really gets me, is that if you try to tell people that there are extremists on both sides, in every country probably, from all walks of life, that you are some how trying to excuse what they're doing. It doesn't matter what side you're on. Killing people is wrong. Blowing buildings up is wrong, I don't care what the people who own the buildings did. We are a nation of laws (supposedly) and by blowing stuff up and killing people, you bypass the law. And by bypassing the law, said law is going to come down on your head, and I'll have no sympathy for you, whether I agree with any of your ideals or not. Because ultimately, I believe that what goes around comes around. If you do others wrong you will have to pay the price for it, sooner or later, if not in this life then in another.


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"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent."

"What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?"

"I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one, even at the cost of your life."

--Mahatma Gandhi

Sometimes, We Need a Laugh

I don't know why I bother reading my friends' status updates on Facebook. Half the time they're stupid, and the other half of the time they're stupid and infuriating. I hate the damned news feed!

I truly have enough stress in my life, with work and everything else. I don't really need to know that your "opinions" coincide with the talking head you heard on the radio this morning or on the television last night. Lack of critical thinking skills are really what is hurting this country right now. No one is able to think anything through, and are most certainly not able to think for themselves. Some moron on television or the radio tells them that A=B whether it does or not, and all of a sudden it is the truth of the universe that A does indeed equal B.

I really need a vacation. In lieu of that, a laugh will work too:





So what am I pissed about? I'm sure you've heard by now how a report from the Department of Homeland Security warns that right wing wacko groups could potentially try to recruit veterans as they return home. Seems quite reasonable, commonsensical even. And then the right-wing talking heads get a hold of it, and start screaming that the government is calling their precious troops terrorists. Which isn't what it says at all. But you'd have to have half a brain, or half a thought in your head to figure that out, and those idiots obviously don't. Or maybe they do, and they see that they have a useful tool in their hands, one that can be used to stir up the masses with lies and deceit. We can't have people happy and peaceful can we? Not when there are democracies to destroy in the name of money and power. And it's working too. Because plenty of fools are screaming, in their status updates on Facebook and elsewhere, about how they support the troops, and how they don't think the troops are terrorists. Well, no fucking duh.

If all this makes you as mad as it makes me, watch the kitten. It will cheer you up, for a few minutes anyway.