Author: Aino Terran

Teaching Our Sons Not To Rape

Ok, I have seen a common theme popping up over the last several months about the issue of rape and how to address it.

There are those who are constantly saying “Women should protect themselves,” and those who are saying that “We should teach men not to rape.”

The first one has some relevance, but given the nature of the vast majority of rapes, it doesn’t have much bearing on reality.

The second one is vital to solving the problem. We as a society DO need to teach our sons (and daughters) not to rape. However, those who espouse this view are constantly shot down. The response from the opposition runs the gambit from vulgar language to threats of violence (I wish I was making this up).

People who say that men should take responsibility for their behavior are often called sluts, bitches, prudes, or if they are guys they are called gay, effeminate, etc. Ironically, I do not personally think that the accusations are near as insulting as the people making them seem to think.

Anyway, I am starting to ramble so I will get to the point.

As a guy who lives in the middle of a culture that takes just that route, that tells their young men and women not to rape each other, I can tell you this much: If fucking works.

The United States military, Navy and Marines especially perhaps, have had a long history of sexual assault and related problems. The most effective method that they have found so far, the one method that actually produced a drastic drop in the number of assaults and full out rapes, was teaching people what rape and sexual assault are, and insuring that they know it is wrong.

And to the assholes who are all like “Women should protect themselves because guys are going to do what guys do.” As a human male, you sicken me. You are shame to your species. You are basically saying that you and those like you are no better than rabid animals that function at a level no more elevated than that of a mollusk. Please, do the world a favor and don’t reproduce. We don’t need your ideas being passed on to future generations.

Not a Happy Read

Warning: This one is not written with friendly words.

There are a number of bumper stickers out there that are geared towards encouraging community, cooperation, unity, and peaceful coexistence. Probably one that everyone has seen simply says “Coexist” and the letters are made up of various religious and philosophical symbols, as well as a few LGBT symbols thrown in for good measure.

The message is simple, and it is obvious. We are all human. We are different, but we are human. We need to learn to deal with that.

And of course, as is inevitable, I have started seeing various opposed variations. Sad as that may sound, it is true.

I saw one earlier on the way home that offended the hell out of me. I am not prone to road rage, but I went ahead and got ahead of the guy just in case I changed my mind.

It said “Coexist?” except that the letters were made up of bombs, guns, and various jingoistic symbols. And then bellow that it said: “Ok Lefty, you first.”

It offended the fuck out of me. To be blunt, it is not intolerant to discourage hate. It is not intolerant to tell you not to go bomb and kill people because you don’t agree with their skin color or their religion. It is not intolerant to say that it is wrong for you to bully.

It also offended me greatly because the combination of the message and the symbols used caused one thought to stick in my head and refuse to budge…

People like that are the reason that people like me still die on a daily basis, even if they don’t make the news any more.

We still get periodic lists of names of sailors and soldiers who have been shot, blown up, run over, or just taken their own lives in the Middle East. So yeah, fuckheads like that offend the hell out of me.

You know what the real bitch of it is though? They are the ones screaming “Support our Troops!” any time they see someone even indicating that peace is a good idea.

The Shrinking Deficit: Or Sequester is a Sham

The deficit has been going down somewhat steadily for the last four years. I know that may sound odd if you listen to the media and especially to the Republicans in Congress who have declared their primary job to be getting rid of Obama (Even though their primary job is supposed to be serving the American people).

Now, we are entering into sequester. Ignoring the fact that the sequester is an entirely made up thing triggered by an entirely fabricated crisis, the primary piece of evidence that we “must” do this is just as fabricated than the WMD’s that lead us into Iraq, and the end result is likely to be just as much economic harm.

The deficit is the main excuse used to push for sequester. “We must reduce this every growing rapidly rising deficit,” “The deficit is higher than it has ever been,” “Obama has increased the national debt faster than any president since World War II,” and the litany goes on. But this is not true. There are numbers. There is this thing called math.

And this is where the problem comes in. The average American has to depend on the media and their politicians to tell them the truth. There are over 315 million people in our country. It is literally impossible for any one person to know everyone or even the majority. That is why the news media is so important. That is why our Founders decided to go with a Representative Republic rather than a True Democracy. It is because they knew that our numbers would only grow.

However, when you have the leaders of our nation stating in front of television cameras flat out lying to us, and the reporters broadcasting those lies as the gospel truth, you get confusion. Yes, all of the data necessary to know the truth is publicly available, but the vast majority of Americans do know have the knowledge or resources to access that data. The internet is a wonderful thing if you know what you are looking for, or if you know that you should be looking.

With a close majority of law makers backing the men that go on the air screaming about the deficit, why should anyone believe they are wrong? Most Americans are good, hard working, trustworthy people. The thing about trustworthy people is that we tend to see the best in others even when they have been screwed before. Add to that the fact that whichever politicians screwed you last, they are going to be laying the blame for it at the feet of their opposition.

Notice that I said “close majority.” This is because there are currently 253 Democrats in congress and 277 Republicans [1]. The result is that I can’t really lay the blame for this entirely at the feet of one party or the other. Yes, the Republicans tend to be the one screaming from the rooftops about out of control spending, worse than any time in history. The Republicans are the ones declaring that Obama is a runaway train and that he is increasing the deficit more and more every year. But, where are the Democrats? Why are they not speaking up? They have just as loud a mouthpiece in the media as the Republicans and the Republican majority is only about four and a half percent. So yes, they are at fault here as well. Either they are just as confused as the rest of the populous, or they are willfully choosing to let the Republicans lie to us. I am not sure which possibility is worse.

The reality is that the deficit has been going down in relation to the GDP for years. Believe it or not, history has indicated over the last few decades that “Big Government Democrats” tend to spend less and shrink government while in office, while “Small Government Republicans” tend to spend more and increase the size of government. Given that most people are constantly told the opposite by the media, I would say that we need to start depending more on the raw statistics, and less on the pundits interpreting them.

This brings me to the point where I am going to start talking numbers. Because of the prevalent narrative in the media, 90% of Americans do not know what is actually going on with the deficit [2][3]. And no, that number is not just pulled out of thin air.

A recent Bloomberg News poll, reported on 22 February, 2013 [3] indicated that 62% of people polled believed that the deficit was growing annually. 28% believed that it was staying about the same. Only 6% knew that it was actually shrinking. The other 4% account for people who didn’t answer and the margin of statistical error.

That is 90% of our brothers and sisters who have no clue about what is going on in the economy other than “it sucks.” It is not their fault though. As I said, the people who are supposed to inform us have been feeding us bad information, and the people who were supposed to keep that from happening stood silent, or worse, vouched for them.

The Rachel Maddow Show for 26 February, 2013[4][5] has a decent report on the subject. I listened to the audio podcast version. If you subscribe there, it starts at about the 6 minute mark with her getting into statistics around the 8:40 mark. Otherwise, if you go to the website for the video[4], and click on Previously, and the link for February 26, 2013, it is one of the clips they have there. As of this writing it is the first item on the list.

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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress
[2] http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/02/22/17056939-a-well-kept-fiscal-secret
[3] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-22/americans-back-spending-cut-delay-amid-budget-deal-push.html
[4] http://www.nbcnews.com/id/26315908/
[5] http://www.nbcnews.com/id/28981762/ns/msnbc-rachel_maddow_show/

Don’t Let the Perfect be the Enemy of the Good

Do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Just because you cannot do everything does not mean you should do nothing.

No task worth recording in the annals of history was truly completed by one person.

No great movement for good rests upon the shoulders of one being.

Every great change takes time, and effort, and the participation of the masses.

Do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a great man, but his work was not to bring change.  His work was to motivate thousands of other people to bring change.  The same is true of Mahatma Gandhi, and even the Buddha.

Consider the traditional example of a river.  A few drops of water by themselves do not cut a valley through the mountains.  Even the initial rushing river does not make the change instantly.  Over time however, millions upon millions of droplets of water combining together and flowing in a single direction carved out even the Grand Canyon itself.

 There is much to be done in this world to make it the place that we all want it to be, and the tasks ahead are truly momentous.  They are not however tasks for a single person who can complete them in one grand action.  They are not even tasks that a single man can complete in an entire lifetime.

They are tasks for us all to work towards.  They are tasks for us all to contribute to.

The matter of hunger in this world is a grave crisis.  One person cannot repair the damage that has been done.  However, one person may be able to provide a single meal for another.  Will it fix the problem completely? No.  Is it the “perfect” solution that will make the problem end forever? No.  Will it make a difference? Yes.

One person can help to feed another.  A group of people can provide training to others.  People can help their fellow man.  It may not bring change instantly, but over time, as more people work together as pressure grows, we can make change like the river that cuts a canyon through stone.

You cannot save the world, but you do not have to.  Do what you can.  Do everything you can.  Let other people know what your cause is so that they can do the same.  Do not try to be the river, but don’t refuse to be the droplets either.

Boy Scouts and a Fear of Change

Governor Perry, when speaking about the Boy Scouts of America and their policy on homosexuality, said that he did not feel that “Scouting is not a place where sexuality should be the intersextion of. Scouting is about teaching a substantial amount of life’s lessons. Sexuality is not one of them, it never has been and never should be.”

You know… The people on the “Pro-Gay” side agree. That is what we are fighting for. The difference is that Governor Perry needs to spend some time with a grammar book and a dictionary.

Currently, Boys Scouts of America policy makes sexuality an issue. It effectively teaches that a specific sexuality is the right one. This goes against what the Governer has said, even though he seemed to think he was supporting the current policy.

They BSA leadership has postponed their decision again. They know there is only really one right answer, but they are concerned about whether or not their organization will survive the change.

One individual (I am not sure who) was quoted as saying “I am not sure if scouting will survive this changing society.”

The problem is that if Scouting does not surive the change, then it wasn’t meant too. They need to learn from their sisters. The Girl Scouts do not care if you are gay or straight. They do not even care if you were born a biological girl. They got with the program decades ago.

They are even inclusive enough that they will embrace the sons of their scout leaders. They are often effectively part of the troop (they just can’t usually go to camp and such. After all they aren’t really girl scouts unless they identify as girls).

The BSA will have to make this change eventually, and I think they will be surprised at the results. Their senior leadership needs to grow up and move on with life and stop enforcing their homophobia on children.

Don’t Politicize This?

This kind of boiled over in response to the commentary in a thread on FaceBook. Someone posted a picture that was commenting on the behavior of a politician, and someone else took it to mean that the person was being super pro-gun, and he didn’t like it.

What ensued was an argument on gun control, with people stepping in to scream “More Guns,” and “Guns Bad,” and of course, the ever present “Calm down!”

I think I need to find time to sit down, and start putting my ideas on paper and working through them and such.

One thing, from my perspective, is that we need to do something. Even if we cannot do everything, we need to do what we can.

I don’t think that “taking away all the guns,” is the right answer. Neither is a total free for all.

The problem is that the only time there is any public will to discuss the issue is when something like this happens, and it is in the public eye. The only time there is any political will to talk about the issue is when there is the public will.

Any time something like this does happen though, three factions come forward immediately whose only solid task in the grand scheme of things is to distract from the issue in a three pronged attack, until the public will dissipates (Americans have the attention span of squirrels).

Group one screams from the rooftops “GUN CONTROL, ALL GUNS ARE BAD.”

Group two declares loudly and proudly “IF THERE WERE MORE GUNS THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.”

Group three, and they are the most dangerous because they pretend to be the “moderate” and “the voice of reason,” says “WE CAN’T POLITICIZE THIS, IT WOULD BE WRONG! DON’T TALK ABOUT IT!”

The truth is, the moment it happens it is politicized. The truth is, something does need to happen. The truth is that taking away all guns would be just as bad as a free for all.

We do need to talk about it.

We need to talk about it rationally. We need to think it through. We need to look at all the issues, not just the ones that we like.

We need to look at the fact that the second amendment is there for a reason.

We need to look at the fact that there are states where you can’t prevent a diagnosed psychopath form getting a gun.

We need to look at the fact that even in states with reasonable gun laws, there are loopholes.

Background checks, cool down periods, license requirements, and educational requirements: These are all good things. They help to keep the majority of guns out of the hands of idiots and the mentally ill. Ok, maybe it doesn’t keep them out of the hands of idiots, but it helps to make sure they know what they are doing.

People who do things like what happened on Friday are mentally ill in most cases. In most cases they got their guns completely legally. In most cases, no laws were violated until people started to die. This needs to be looked at.

In many cases, the people in question were being treated for various disorders. They were still able to get guns.

In some cases, they got the guns from relatives who had them legally, and just didn’t keep them locked up very well (again, an education issue).

So, yeah, there is an issue that needs to be discussed, and all sides need to bring their ideas to the table.

We need to look at the issue of guns.

We need to look at the state of mental health care in our country.

We need to look at the issue of education on gun ownership AND gun rights.

We need to recognize that the 2nd Amendment serves a purpose, but that it does not impose upon us a duty to ignore the obvious.

For those who are screaming “WE NEED MORE GUNS,” grow up, learn about society, and look around.

For those who are screaming “BAN ALL GUNS,” read a history book. Read the constitution. Learn about what was going on in the lives of the men who wrote the constitution.

For those who are screaming “DON’T POLITICIZE THIS!” Well, you don’t want to be at the table anyway. Either make yourself useful, or stay out of the way.

Your Most Important Moments

I overheard a bit of a sermon in which the priest said “The moment of our death is the most important moment in our life.”

It is certainly true that it is an important moment, as it is our last. There is so much uncertainty beyond those moments. However, whether you believe in reincarnation, some sort of afterlife, or just simply that the end is the end, if the final moments of your life are the most important, then you have not lived.

If you believe that there is no afterlife, that once you close your eyes that final time there is nothing more, then to say that these moments are your most important is to say you left no legacy. You left nothing behind of importance.

If you believe in the circle of reincarnation, whether it be the cycle of karma, or simply a continuation of existence, then to say that those final moments are your most important is to say that you have done nothing to improve your lot or the lot of others.

If you believe in an afterlife, a heaven or a realm of the dead, then to say that the final moments are the most important is to say that you walk before your god with nothing to show for your life.

On average, humans live about sixty to eighty years. That is so much time that can be spent taking care of your fellow man, or bettering yourself in some way. That is so much time to do good in the world. That is so much time to make a difference even if it is for just one person.

No, as important as those final moments may be, they are not the most important. Whether you believe it to be the end of ends, a short respite before returning to battle, or a gateway to the arms of your god or goddess, it is still but a moment.

When you leave this world, leave it better for your having lived.
When you return to the cosmos, do so having bettered your karma for your next life.
When you enter the arms of your god or goddess, be sure you have something to show them.

Do not, allow your final moments to be the most important ones. That would be a crime against your self, your god, and your people.

Irony in Politics

Warning, coarse language ahead.

What I find to be ironic is the claims by the right that Obama is unwilling to work with the Republicans in Congress.

For the last four years, he has bent over backwards to give the Republicans anything they wanted in the name of bipartisanship. He has twisted the arms of Democrats in order to push Republican agendas.

He has offered them anything they wanted, just for a little cooperation, and yet HE refused to cooperate?

When Obama was inaugurated about a dozen Republican Senators declared treason; that they would do everything in their power to stand against Obama even if it meant harming our country. It is the second part that makes it treasonous, not the first. It is expected that the opposition will oppose. It is not expected that they will do so at the expense of harming the people they have sworn to serve.

No, it is not Obama who has been uncooperative. It was that small group of assholes that were uncooperative. A small group of men who promised to cause harm to their country, have the power to do so, and explained their motives to the world.

Motive, Intent, Ability, and premeditation: All of the required elements are there. They said they were going to do it. They said this on international media.

Know what the real bitch of it is though? We let it happen. A few of us commented on it, but as a people we watched it go by and did nothing. They promised the commission of a crime and followed through. And still, this time last month, most of them were reelected, and we still allowed their party to keep the House of Representatives.

Repeal and Replace? Really?

For those who like part of the Affordable Health Care Act (Obama Care) but not other parts, and believe it when the republicans say they want to “Repeal and Replace,” wake up please.  That is not how the system is designed to work.  There is no need to repeal the entire thing.  All they have to do is include in the new bill a message saying “This replaces,” or “this supersedes,” or “This nullifies” whatever part of the bill they want to eliminate.

When a politician says “repeal and replace,” they mean “repeal and forget.”

When the republicans talk about “Death Panels,” they are talking about a panel that is geared towards discussing how to save money but is forbidden by law from touching anything that goes on between you and your doctor.

Guess where the Death Panels actually are (notice no quotation marks this time, because they are real)?  They are in the offices of the very insurance companies that already run the show.  The companies that the republicans want to give more control too (that is what privatization is).  Sadly, and this is something that new law is needed to change, “Obama Care” does not completely eliminate their ability to kill you off for profit while it funnels them millions of new customers, but it does restrict them somewhat.

Insurance companies have been making decisions for years about whether or not it is in THEIR (the company’s) best interests to allow a potentially life saving procedure for a patient.

It is the insurance companies that have set lifetime and annual spending caps on medical care.  It is the insurance company’s that will convene panels to decide if a particular customer is becoming too expensive to keep alive.

So, with that said…  Republicans screaming about death panels is a bunch of rubbish.  It is them trying to redirect the conversation.

Is the Affordable Care Act perfect? No?  Should it be repealed in mass and forgotten?  Hell no.  It should be trimmed, shaped, and formed, like an out of control shrubbery.  What the republicans want is to toss it on the rubbish heap like a broken bicycle, or burn it off like a broken chair.

And they don’t really care if that means sending you along with it.  If they did, they would not be saying “Repeal and Replace! Repeal and Replace!”  They would be saying “I think we should do it this way instead,” and be pushing it through the House of Representatives where they have a majority by a landslide, and the senate where they have an opposition that is generally very cooperative when they hold the reigns of power.

Heck, not only is “Obamacare” patterned after “Romneycare,” but it is also basically the same bill that various republicans have tried to push through the house and senate a dozen times over the last decade.  Now explain that in light of Republican reaction.

Deportees

This link is to a recording of Arlo Guthrie singing one of his father’s songs. It is a hard song for me to listen to, but it is a very beautiful one as well. The Highwaymen (Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson)did a cover of it for their album.

The immigration issue has been a contentious one since our country’s founding. If that wasn’t a mass immigrant movement, I don’t know what was.

I know that my followers are a mix of conservatives and liberals, and people who use labels for themselves to imply they are further left or further right. Thing is though, that this song will apply in one way or another to most of us. Very few American’s can truly honestly trace their roots back to the landing at Plymouth, unless it is as a servant. The vast majority of us had ancestors that came later.

This song talks about Mexicans, but it applies just as much to the Irish and the Germans. If you ever heard your grandmother tell you stories about her family being potato farmers, this song is for you. If you ever tried to trace your family name back, and it just kind of disappeared in New York harbor, this song is for you. If you can trace the name past the harbor, but it was spelled and pronounced in a totally different way, this song is for you.

Most American’s are descendent of immigrants. Most of us, if we are honest with ourselves, got here looking for work and a better way of life for our families. Our ancestors came following the “coyotes” of the day, and in most cases got just as screwed as the Mexicans often do today, getting pushed into slave labor or worse, and putting up with it because “it was the only way.” They had to keep working to save up money to send home to Ireland, or Germany, or Russia, or Italy, so that their families could be fed. Eventually, they were able to get enough together to make the choice. “Do I go home, or do I bring my wife and children here?” Enough of them made the second decision that we now, even as screwed up as things are today, have the strongest nation in the world.

We are a nation of diversity and hope, even in these trying times. The idea of the American Dream still exists, even in these times. To be blunt, it is BECAUSE we are a nation of immigrants. That fact does not change just because enough of the immigrants happened to be white that they could pretend they were not any more.

Depending on which side of the family I look at, I am only third generation off the boat. And the other side? Well, my grandfather has to guess at his grandmother’s family name. Something to do with an island in New York harbor.