Activism – My Fellow Travelers

Conservatives are NOT Oppressed

If you are an American Conservative, you are NOT OPPRESSED. PERIOD. FUCK THAT NOISE.

Our country is ruled by a single neoliberal faction. The US Republican Party represents the right-leaning portion of that faction. The Democratic Party represents the left-leaning portion.

Like the saying goes, two wings, one fucking bird.

Our electoral system is not geared towards deciding which faction will rule. It is geared toward determining how openly homicidal the ruling faction will be.

That is why we argue so much over the subject of electoral politics. It’s a stopgap. It still plays a role in keeping things from being complete hell for actual oppressed groups, but it does not change the fact that our country is run by neoliberals.

Neoliberalism, in American political terms, is basically the fucked up brand of conservatism that is perfectly fine destroying the world as long as profits keep rolling in. It is a right of center philosophy that tends to revolve around centrism (again, in US terms).

This is part of why it takes so long to explain American politics to outsiders.

As a nation, we are so god damned convinced that Republicans are right-wing, and Democrats are left-wing, that we just don’t have a proper frame of reference for discussion with anyone who has lived in a country with an actual left wing.

The last time we had anything resembling left-wing politics in the US was the early 1950s. That ended in fire and we have not held power since.

This is why our left-wing politicians are still asking for basic respect and basic needs to be met in terms of the existing Capitalistic system. This why people like AOC are seen as radical, when she is barely to the left of Sanders, who is only a bit left of the Democratic Party as a whole.

This is why our nations “left-wing” party is literally tying access to candidacy to money and has recently won lawsuits saying that the democratic process is optional.

If you are a “Liberal” or a “Conservative” in the US, you are not oppressed. Your faction rules with an iron fist. They actively killed their opposition at the first expedient opportunity, over sixty years ago. And, at this point in time, as of 2019, it is the wing that calls themselves Conservatives that is actively in charge of the country.

When the Pepper Spray Hits Your Face

First, there is a moment of confusion as your body decides what just happened and how to respond. It fails to come to a decision and falls back on the most instinctive of responses: Pain.

The skin of your face burns, your pulse rises, your fight or flight instinct engages fully as your body thinks it is on fire.

When it hits your eyes, you are blinded. The first instinct is to close your eyes tightly and keep them closed, but even if you can keep them open, the fire is hard to focus through. You have to depend on your hands and ears to maneuver, and your most recent memory of what was going on around you.

If you have had training, you vaguely remember that you are supposed to blink. Blink as much as you can so that your body can make tears to wash it away. After all, the fire isn’t real. There aren’t any burns. That knowledge might help a bit. Remember that.

You are vulnerable. You are scared. You have to pull yourself under control.

Your eyes burn and itch. That is the worst part. The skin sucks, but the eyes hurt the most and short circuit everything else.

And the grittiness. Odds are no one ever warned you about that. It’s the reason, though, that you DON’T wear contacts to a protest. It will scratch your eyes, and burn like hell, and haunt you for a week, but unless you are wearing contacts it’s not likely to do permanent damage. Remember that.

At this point, it is important to regain focus. Every bit of knowledge and training that you remember is an anchor to pull yourself out of the mess.

Fresh water, milk, baby shampoo, and a number of other “wives remedies” will get your eyes and skin clean. If you don’t have something on you, one of the more experienced protesters may. Do whatever you can to clear your eyes on site. The police are most likely already kettling, and you probably aren’t going to get proper medical treatment before the next day.

Remember your mission, your purpose. Remember why you are there. Push through as best you can until you can focus enough to function again. Keep moving if you can. The people who sprayed you didn’t do so for your own good.

~~~~~

So, I wanted to talk a bit today about pepper spray. A lot of the same concepts apply to tear gas as well.

If you are going to get involved in direct action, this is part of why we mask up. A mask dampened mask will help keep gas away from your lungs, at least a bit. A proper mask works even better and is actually available these days on Amazon.

Eye protection, if it is available, can be good as well, but again NO CONTACTS. I don’t care if you don’t expect police involvement, never wear contacts to a protest/demonstration/direct action event.

If you decide to get active with your local IWW, Socialist, Anarchist, Social Democrat groups, get used to the idea of wearing your regular glasses (if you need them) to meetings and not contact lenses. Yes, meetings are probably safe, but building proper habits are important, and if you wear contact lenses you already have a really bad one to combat.

What I described above is not an exaggeration or an educated guess. It’s from first-hand experience. The first time you get hit, there very may well be a moment when your brain just throws off a bright flash of light while it processes what the fuck just happened. After that, you need to depend on instinct and training to keep yourself focused.

Gas can be worse though. It’s less painful, but on top of getting in your eyes, it will basically push your sinuses out through your face. Ok, THAT is an exaggeration, but that’s what it feels like when your nose starts running along with your eyes.

If anyone reading this has been exposed recently to tear gas, feel free to do a writeup on it, and I will add it as well. Last time I went through it in any real sort of way was over a decade ago, so it is not near as fresh as the most recent pepper spray incident.

Again, if you DO expect police involvement, stay close to the more experienced guys. This means communicating with your group. Find the military/ex-military guys and the experienced protesters that have been in jail a few times. They will be the ones to stay close to if you have to get the hell out of dodge with your eyes on fire.

A Community Concept

My wife is having guests over, so I decided to head to the coffee shop to get some writing done.

It got me to thinking.

The shop in question is comfortable. There are places to sit and read, write, or whatever. It’s got a comfortable living room type atmosphere, with nooks where various types of people tend to gravitate to do their thing (whatever that thing is).

The coffee is not bad and costs about half as much as a certain other well known chain.

It also reminds me a lot of the Manga/Internet cafes that are common in Japan. I’ll go into more detail shortly.

It’s comfortable, but it’s not free. There is the expectation that you will be spending money while you are there.

Now, how this ties into Manga/Internet Cafes:

All over Japan, and especially in larger cities, there are places that are variably called Internet Cafes, Manga Cafes, Net Clubs, and various other names.

The details and level of comfort vary but the default pattern is like this.

You have a place, often a membership club but non-members are ok for a few hundred yen extra. You are basically paying by the hour to use the facility, and most places have an overnight pack for as little as 900 to 1400 yen a night. You just have to check in after 2000 or so.

You have a booth with a computer that will generally have a comfortable chair, a sofa, or just tatami or foam mats. The booth is usually the size of an office cubicle.

While you are there, you have access to the internet, restrooms, and an extensive library of manga and sometimes other more useful books.

It’s kept at a comfortable temperature, and the lighting is kept low in the area with the cubicles.

It is entirely understood that those using the overnight pack will likely be sleeping at least six of their eight to twelve-hour stay.

And on top of all that, these places usually have diner type food available, WiFi, and for 100 yen, you can use the showers.

Needless to say, if I am traveling alone in Japan, I have no need for a hotel. If I’m with my family, of course, it’s a different story.

In addition to what is described above, many also have common areas where you are allowed to talk more and make more noise. This is often where you will find a handful of higher-end computers specifically made for gaming.

So, as all this information was rolling around in my head, a thought occurred to me.

Why could we not do something like this in the US?

A group of people or an organization could come together to buy a building in the city and build just such an establishment. The establishment can then be used to help homeless and at-risk people in its community.

Membership cards can be used as a tool to help eliminate the stigma associated with seeking help. After all, if you tie payment options to a single card (i.e. the account could have a credit/ debit card or PayPal account on file) then no one has to know if the guy who just swiped their card and left had to pay or not.

The addition of a mail room could also allow designated members to have a mailing address for all the purposes or society makes them necessary.

Homelessness is a major issue in our cities. This is not because of some inherent problem with cities, but rather its easier for most people to survive there than in rural environments. Especially come wintertime.

Imagine the impact that would be made if a place was available where people could have access to a community, education (the library), and a hot shower. Imagine being able to list an address on a job application, or knowing that if you can’t scrounge enough for a decent meal you’ll have access to something at least better than microwave ramen.

I like what Japan has done with their Manga Cafes, but I think that if you weren’t worried about making a profit, and wanted to build a community, it could be taken further.

The basic blueprint is already there. We just have to build on that.

The main concerns people are likely to present are funding, security, and privacy.

I’m not going to say these are actually easy hurdles, but I’m going to at least address each of them here.

I list funding first because, in any endeavor, that is the elephant in the room.

Even if what we are discussing helps to subvert the Capitalist system, we are still stuck working in that framework.

Incorporation is going to be a must. Non-profit status may be desirable. Either way, we need to keep its funding separate from our own, except as far as salaries are concerned. An organization also provides continuity.

Funding would have to rely heavily on paying members, donations, and other profitable endeavors that the organization may undertake.

I know this is an incomplete answer, but I think this deserves a conversation of its own rather than just one person saying “this is how it will/should work.”

Security is, perhaps, a little easier to address. We on the left have had a few hundred years at least to think on that one.

First of all, if a facility is operational twenty-four hours a day, it should also be continually staffed.

The people we bring into the fold as staff should all be trained in how to deal with most likely security situations. Flat up, we should police our own. The most important security concern is simply a matter of being present. Being present will minimize theft as well as preventing most other issues from escalating.

For things beyond that, training.

I don’t want to create a place of safety and comfort for societies most abused just to invite their most likely abusers in the moment things get stressful.

While we should not be antagonistic to law enforcement, we should not invite them in for any situation that the law does not specifically require it.

If that makes me sound a bit like a mob boss, fuck it. Another thing my time in Japan helped me to learn was an odd degree of respect for properly organized organized crime.

Now, privacy:

Our society attaches stigma to fucking everything, especially anything related to poverty.

Once established, we should make our presence known and facilitate those who need our services. We should also take measures to eliminate the separation between those who are paying customers and those who are not.

Membership cards make this sort of thing a lot easier than may have been in the past. No one has to know what status is associated with a card. No one has to know if the person in line ahead of them is a regular customer, or if they basically live there.

And for those approaching us for the first time, again, that is where training comes in.

Those who such an organization employs must share the organization’s values as much as possible. They need to understand discretion and compassion. They need to be the sort that is willing to say “fuck it,” and write off a meal as a loss in the ledger rather than let someone go hungry. And those in charge have to give them the authority to do so.

So, in summary:

I would love to see something similar in structure to the Manga/Internet cafe in Japan taken to another level and leveraged towards fighting poverty.

I think it could work, but it would have to be an intentional effort, and the initial resources would be a heavy lift.

I’ve been trying to find a way to express these ideas for a while. I’m surprised I didn’t think of this sooner.

Feel free to comment on this post. Going forward we have to communicate and share ideas.

Going forward, we need to work together to find solutions to local and global problems.

Preparing for Direct Action

So, this rolled across my screen in the memories section. I wrote the bottom half but not the top, but it is still all good information to remember if you are preparing to attend a protest or any kind of direct action.

When I saw this today, my first thought was that it was good timing. People have been in the streets all along over the last decade or two, but it is starting to get attention again. When these things get attention, they tend to grow, and tend to get more police attention as well. So, I am cleaning this post up a bit and reposting it.

So, here is a list of pointers for attending protests and direct actions. The original list (items 1 – 10) was distributed with the request that everyone distribute it as a copy and paste (as opposed to a share) without attribution. Feel free to do that now with this version.

The significance of copy and pasting rather than just hitting share (or your platforms equivalent) is twofold. First, it potentially helps to mask the source. Second, and perhaps more importantly, if an account gets taken down or a post gets deleted, and you hit the share button, then on most platforms that means your share of it disappears as well. By copying it to a new post, it makes it harder to erase the data. This is important, pass it on.

Water makes pepper spray worse. Use milk or liquid antacid and water. Don’t wear contacts.
If you get tear gassed, when you get home, put the contaminated clothes in a plastic bag for later decontamination and shower with cold water to avoid opening your pores.
Come with friends and don’t get separated. Avoid leaving the crowd and watch out for police snatch squads.
Beware undercovers, but beware snitchjacketing and collaborator ‘peace police’ even more.
The far right is very good at combing through pictures and doxxing people. Mask up.
Write any necessary phone numbers you may need directly on your skin in sharpie.
Have an offsite plan for emergencies if you have not been heard from by X time coordinated with someone offsite.
Make sure all mobile devices are charged!!
If you plan on going to jail, plan it: bail, lawyer, time off from work, witnesses i.e.: a cadre. Don’t just go to jail without training.
Beware folks inciting violence. Most of them are police/ feds. Watch out for hook ups for the same reason. Get to know the crowd. They will set you up.

Please don’t share this status. Copy paste it without attribution.

My personal addendum (feel free to copy this as well)

If you’ve got friends that are ex-military or have done security work, or have just been sprayed a time or two before, stay close. They will respond differently than someone being sprayed for the first time.

Also, to reiterate item 1: DON’T WEAR CONTACTS.

DO NOT WEAR CONTACTS.

Pepper spray has a chance of getting in your eyes.

CS gas, if they use grenades WILL get in you’re eyes.

If you are wearing contacts, there is no guarantee doctors can save your eye. There is no guarantee that you will be allowed near a doctor before it’s too late.

Get some good springy glasses that will cling to your face and not break easy. If you can afford a gas mask, try to get some that will fit in the mask.

It’s better though to go without than to wear contacts.

This goes for journalists too. CS doesn’t discriminate, and these days neither do the police.

Word of the Day: Solidarity

noun: unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest; mutual support within a group.

Solidarity is one of the most important concepts when you are working for social change. It is a vital concept when you are working to build communities. It means finding your common ground, and supporting each other in those areas where you can agree. It does not always mean that you agree with each other one hundred percent, but that you agree sufficiently to work together and support each other.

Solidarity is standing together for a cause. Sometimes it is a common cause. Sometimes it is an ally’s cause. Sometimes it is your cause.

Sometimes it means opening your mouth when someone is abusive or oppressive.

Sometimes it means standing in the soaking rain outside some politician’s house because you want them to know what you think of their voting record.

Sometimes it means standing beside your allies, through thick or thin, even if you think their cause is insane. It might not be your cause, but it is theirs.

Sometimes it means being the only Liberal or leftist in the room, standing beside a Republican who is talking sense, when everyone else is turning him out because he is a Republican (or the other way around).

Sometimes it means ignoring faction lines all together and standing by your fellow man. When a house is being raised, or you have twelve hours to get the harvest in before a storm, who stops to ask if the person beside them is in the same political party?

Sometimes it just means setting your issues aside for a bit to see what someone else needs help getting done.

TO THE WORLD: WE’RE SORRY

I saw a post on Facebook the other day. It was a photograph of a woman holding a sign that read:

TO THE WORLD:
WE’RE SORRY!
MOST OF US VOTED
AGAINST THIS IDIOT

Sadly, the sign is inaccurate and naïve.

The word “most” implies a landslide. Used in reference to a divided group of things, it means almost all.

Yes, Clinton won the popular vote, but her margin of victory was less than two percent[1]. That is barely a rounding error. I’ve seen articles pointing to a lead of 2.9 million votes. Never 1.9%. In this day and age, 2.9 million is not a lot of people. That is less than the population of San Diego County[2].

Another quote that is common is “A historic number of people voted for Clinton!”, ignoring the fact that percentage-wise the lead was not sufficient for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to choose to contest the results.

So, sadly, most Americans did not vote against Trump. Most Americans that voted did not vote Against Trump.

The scarier side of this, that we are now starting to see playing out in communities and in statehouses across the country, is that enough of our fellow Americans agreed with his ideology to make him President. For those who did not agree with him anyway but voted “against Clinton” rather than “for Trump,” the things he said and did were not deal breakers.

I do not intend to be divisive, but if we are to fix the damage that has been done, we need to have a realistic understanding of the battlefield.

Trump is President.

A majority of Americans did not vote for him, but enough did to make him president.

Enough of our fellow Americans were able to look at a man who spewed bile and hatred on the campaign trail and vote for him.

Enough of them were absolutely gleeful to hear him make campaign promises that sounded more like vile threats, which he has started to make good on.

The DNC had a strong hand in getting him elected, even if that was not their intent. Rather than working to rectify the situation, they spend a lot of time looking for people to blame. Those within the Democratic Party who are looking to fix things are arguing over whether the party needs to shift more to the left or more to the right, and whether the Millennials or Sanders supporters are more to blame for the 2016 loss. They are playing party politics when party politics is what got us here.

We need to strengthen our communities so that it doesn’t matter who is in charge.

The task at hand is going to require a diversity of tactics. What follows is a short list of things that we can do in our communities to help:

1. Campaign for decent candidates, and vote.

2. Organize and attend protests.

3. Get involved in letter writing and phone campaigns.

4. Run for office at the local level, and/or work to elect the right politicians at the local level.

5. Start gathering, organizing, and building the resources and infrastructure to fill the gaps.

6. Those who have the knowledge to carry out any of these tasks need to teach those that do not.

The government apparatus in our nation has been flawed from the start. Those flaws have reached the point of decrepitude over the last few decades. It is starting to collapse. This is why tasks 4, 5, and 6 are so vital. We need good leaders at the local level. We need to develop resources at the local level to keep people fed, housed, and medically fit. We need to do our best to fix the government so that it can do the most good, but we also need to prepare our communities to function despite the government if needed.

For those of you who are uncomfortable with the idea of collectivism without government, I encourage you to learn more about the idea. At the end of the day, our primary goal, the purpose behind the six tasks that I listed above, is to grow strong communities that can provide for their people locally and network together to provide for the common good over larger regions regardless of who is in power.

Just as importantly, we need to band together to prevent those who got Trump elected from being the driving force behind our nation.

[1] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-popular-vote_us_58599647e4b0eb58648446c6
[2] https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sandiegocountycalifornia,CA/PST045216

Word of The Day: Terrorism

The FBI defines terrorism as The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.

The US Military uses a similar definition. The main difference is that it breaks down social objectives into a few more categories, but maintains the overall meaning.

This is important. Words have meaning. The way that local law enforcement and the media use words is important.

Just as important is that this means that local law enforcement SHOULD know what terrorism is, but apparently do not. To have the police or certain news outlets tell it, any random shooting committed by a black man or a Muslim is terrorism. Anything done by a white man most likely is not.

Just to cover all grounds, since the inciting events leading up to this post took place in Canada:

In Canada, section 83.01 of the Criminal Code[1] defines terrorism as an act committed “in whole or in part for a political, religious or ideological purpose, objective or cause” with the intention of intimidating the public “…with regard to its security, including its economic security, or compelling a person, a government or a domestic or an international organization to do or to refrain from doing any act.”

So, in short, in North America, at least the English Speaking part of it, there is a very clear legal definition of terrorism.

On Monday, 23 April 2018 Alek Minassian, a Canadian citizen, drove a van onto a busy city sidewalk intentionally running down and killing 10 people and injuring 14 more. Prior to this attack, he left a message behind encouraging armed rebellion by himself and other ‘Incels,’ and praising the attack by May 2014 attack carried out by Elliot Rogers[2] in Santa Barbara, California. Within hours of the attack, he was already elevated to the level of sainthood by other Incels.

Incels are members of a social movement whose driving factor is intense misogyny and the belief that women who owe them sex are refusing it to them. The word itself is a merging of the words “Involuntary” and “Celibate.” While they sound like some cartoonish monstrosity out of a comic book, they are very real, and consistently prove to be dangerous. They feel that the world has wronged them and that it is their right to hurt people in response.

In other words, this was a textbook case of terrorism. The Santa Barbara attack was a textbook case of terrorism. Several other attacks carried out by white men against people of color, school children, women, and other groups have been textbook cases of terrorism.

Of course, the Toronto police were relatively quick to declare that it was not terrorism, as were the police departments involved in the aftermath of the other aforementioned tragedies.

Words matter. When the police look at a situation and use race and religion, and not actions and intent, as the deciding factor when defining whether or not a particular event is terrorism that is tacit approval of the behavior involved. It is also encouragement for others to use the same racist criterion. If the attacker is white, it’s obviously not terrorism. If the attacker is not white, it obviously is.

Minassian, of course, was taken in alive. This is not a surprise. In almost every incident of terror in the US, if a white attacker dies, it is by suicide. The rare cases where the attacker was not white, they were gunned down by police. Non-white attackers don’t survive. White attackers get taken out for lunch before heading to the precinct. I wish that were a joke.

[1] http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-12.html#h-25
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Isla_Vista_killings

I Have Come to a Grimm Realization

Wow.

I was preparing a response to a Facebook post, and came to a horrible conclusion.

The post was one of those images that said: “Why is the 2nd Amendment the only one that requires a permit.”

This is what I realized.

The 1st Amendment:
The Speech, Assembly, and Journalism clauses are (by “law”) a fast track to the terror watch list.

The 2nd Amendment is highly contentious, but it really does tend to get trampled.

The 3rd Amendment… Well, this one is pretty much the only one that is good to go. I guess it is because it would be SUPER obvious if they fucked with this one.

The 4th Amendment gets new wholes poked in it every few days. There is a constant, gradual, erosion of the definition of reasonable.

The 5th Amendment, thanks to a recent court decision, is admissible as evidence in a court of law. Pleading the 5th now has the same legal impact as pleading guilty.

The 6th Amendment has been questionably enforced darned near from the start. Impartial is often active fought against by lawyers, and peers has rarely been enforced.

The 8th Amendment is a crap shoot at best. It is pretty much entirely at the whim of the judge to decide what is appropriate, as well as what is cruel and unusual.

The 9th Amendment is pretty much ignored by law makers in its entirety. It is almost as if it doesn’t even exist.

The 10th Amendment has been up for dispute pretty solidly… And the rights of the people presented there? I am not sure if that line would have even made it into the constitution if it were drafted at any point after 1900.

So, yeah, the 2nd Amendment gets abused, but it is far from the only one. The bulk of the Bill of Rights is pretty much under constant attack.

It is ok to have pet issues. It is ok to focus your energies on fighting for a single issue, or a few issues. Just don’t burry the other issues in the process. Do not make light of other issues or pretend they don’t exist.

Fight your fight, but don’t make it harder for your neighbor to fight their fight either. When it comes time to stand together, you don’t want to have to question if you are on the same team or not.

Trigger Warning

Trigger Warning.

It is two simple words, with much meaning.

Two words that cause so much contention.

I periodically see people post the words “Trigger Warning” at the top of an article or blog post. It almost always inspires the worst in internet commenters.

They will say it is political correctness gone mad, or that the poster is being melodramatic. They will say that the only people who need trigger warnings are week minded people who are too easily offended.

In short, they don’t get what a trigger warning is, they are lucky enough that it is an alien concept to them. To be honest, I don’t begrudge them that. I am happy for them. I just wish that they would show a little compassion for those who are not so lucky.

Trigger warnings are not about political correctness. They are not about what might offend. They are not about what is politically correct, or what might make a person uncomfortable.

They are about emotion. They are about a soul so broken that there is something so beyond their control emotional that even mentioning it can cause them pain and anguish.

It is about walking down the street when a word, an image, or even a stray thought hits you so hard you are physically knocked over by it. It is about a word, meant in kindness, causing sudden waves of grief that there are no words to explain.

Sometimes you know what your triggers are. After all, you know what the root cause is, so that can kind of tell you what you should avoid to stay away from that emotional place

Sometimes you know what your triggers are, and sometimes you don’t.

Trigger warnings are not a way of saying “Oh, this might make you angry or sad.” They are about the realization that there are people in this world that have lived through experiences that no human should have to experience, and survived.

Trigger warnings are not to protect the week minded, or the fools. They are to protect the strong who have walked through this world with burdens that no one else can see. They are for people who have experienced things that have driven others to madness, or left them dead or hollow. They are an acknowledgement that what is to be said must be said, but that there is some trauma so common in this world that it is almost guaranteed that it will effect some people.

Imagine living through an event that was so horrible and so painful that your mind and body just wanted to shut down? Imagine that something happened to you that left you for ever changed? Imagine that there is a scar on your soul that you are certain you will carry with you into the next life and beyond.

That is what trigger warnings are about.

There are things that are common. There are things that humans regularly do to their fellow humans, that are so horrible that they should never happen. Those are the “easy” trigger warnings. Easy is in quotes, because I just mean those are the ones that are easy for us to think of.

Then there are other triggers that are not so simple. Some things are hard to warn about because you really don’t know. If I manage to hit one of those without warning, I apologize.

Sometimes you know what your triggers are. After all, you know what the root cause is, so that can kind of tell you what you should avoid to stay away from that emotional place

Sometimes you know what your triggers are, and sometimes you don’t.

Imagine being afraid to walk into a toy store, because you are not sure if you are going to walk away happy, or holding back tears. Imagine looking at a calendar, and the date being enough to push you to the edge of sanity. Imagine city parks being a place of terror because you don’t know if the laughter of children is going to make you happy, or cause you to break down in tears.

Time heals all wounds, but deep wounds leave scars as they heal

That is what trigger warnings are about.

If you don’t have any triggers, great. I am happy for you. Read the article in question, and assume what you will. Please though, don’t go off on a rant about political correctness gone mad. Having a scar is not about being weak. It is about having survived.

What Happened at the Congressional Hearing on Religious Accommodations in the Military?

So,

There was this thing recently with Congress. They somewhat set the tone a few months ago, when they up and canceled after all the involved parties had already landed at the airport.

Sadly, the tone continued, and Congress (or at least the sub-comity that deals with the military) has reinforced that they only take religious liberty seriously when it applies to their brand of their religion.

Yes, Weinstein is loud, and flamboyant, and angry, but he is also one of the handful of people who have had the will power and determination to take on this cause. He also was not near as angry a decade ago.

The goal is not to secularize the Chaplain Corps.

The goal is not to stomp out Christianity in the military. The only people you hear talking about that are the talking heads who make money off of fear.

The goal is simply to make room for the measurable number of service members who are currently unrepresented in the military.

In the current environment, there are no Humanist Chaplains, Secular or otherwise. People seeking to become Humanist lay leaders have to run a gambit, and fight an uphill battle, just to prove that they have a right to exist much less be allowed space in the Religious Programs. In fact, a few days ago the one “Atheist” lay leader that the Navy had approved was reclassified by his CO to fall under MWR rather than the Chapel. “This re-designation aligns the atheist-freethinker leader under the appropriate non-religious instruction.” Is how they describe this. I know that the guy apparently considers himself Atheist rather than Humanist, but still…

Some branches are better than others, and some commands are better than others. I personally have dealt with Chaplains that will do everything they can to support everyone spiritually, regardless of faith. I have also dealt with Chaplains though that would be all smiles and politics while a perspective lay leader is in the room, and then once they left specifically suggest that I not support that person because he is not sure he wants their kind in the Chapel.

Christianity is not in any danger of being driven out of the Military. It is not even in any danger of being replaced as the majority religion. There is no danger there. What does feel like a very real and present threat though, especially with the new comity leaders that are coming into place in congress, is the danger that many minority groups may be trampled, with the vast majority of the herd that is trampling them not even knowing it is happening.

The majority of Service Members are Christian. This is true. Not all are though. Many service members are not Christian, Muslims, or Jews. The military handles these three faiths just fine.

A large number of service members either have no religion or fall into a category not currently available in the military records system.

A measurable number of service members specifically consider themselves Humanists. The last time I checked, the reported number was 3.6%. That is a higher percentage than some Christian groups that have multiple chaplains, and have no problems getting lay leaders approved. That is three times the rate of Jewish service members, and the military is actively seeking Rabbis.

Embedded in all of the appropriate documents, from the manuals that organize the military, all the way to the instructions that organize and direct the Chaplain Corps of the various services, is a message of inclusiveness. On paper, the military does not endorse ANY religion, or “faith group,” and supports them all.

In practice, we still have a long way to go.

Humanists have been doing everything they can to express the need for support. Congress has done everything they can to make it known that they do not give a damn what we need.

The most screwed up part is that the party giving us the most grief is the one who has screamed “Support our Troops!” at the top of their lungs for at least as long as I have been alive.

I actually typed most of this a few days ago, but I got side tracked mid-rant. This is probably a good thing, because on review, I think this is a good stopping point for now.

I will include a link to an article on the subject. The first link I saw was written by Mikey Weinstein. He has been in the fight too long, and what he wrote showed it. The guy needs a rest. This article was posted on a Humanist news site, and is a lot more level headed. Anger may be useful for rallying the troops, but it isn’t the best tool for explaining your needs to those who don’t quite understand.

http://thehumanist.com/news/national/what-happened-at-the-congressional-hearing-on-religious-accommodations-in-the-military