Won't be fooled again
Let me introduce you now to someone who definitely is not my friend. His name is George W. Bush. I don't have any drawings of him. I try to draw characters who display some level of intelligence, like Wendell the Worm, below. But I will link you to an article about him which is in the current issue of Rolling Stone magazine. It's not a very kind article, but I think that's only because it has the balls to tell you what's going on.
I've recently been listening to the Forrest Gump soundtrack, which has me thinking about the decades portrayed in the movie. I realize that, when looking at the past, we can often have some pretty strong misconceptions. I don't know if this is one, and I know I'm speaking without a lot of specific knowledge about things, but here goes. Back in the 1960s, it seems like people were able to come together and change things that were going wrong. First of all, you've got the Civil Rights movement, with protests, marches, sit-ins, rallies, and speeches, which ultimately gained African Americans official equality. Then, during the Vietnam War, there were tons of protests and marches, not only against the war, but against the way the draft was set up. And I have to wonder if all that didn't have some impact on the war. I'm pretty sure it had some impact on our country's conscription policies, though I'm not exactly sure how. I still disagree with the way the Selective Service is designed. When I turned 18, I got a card in the mail saying I had to sign a card saying, pretty much, that I would help out with the war effort if the United States decided to draft me. If I didn't sign the card and send it back, I would be fined something insane (I think the amount was $250,000, somebody correct me if that's wrong). I wasn't exactly ready to be sent to jail for my opposition, both to the idea of war, and to the Selective Service, so my signing of that card was one of the few times that I can pinpoint where I do not plan on keeping my word.
Anyway, I've gotten a bit off track. What I'm wondering about is why we seem to be unable these days to join together and impact the course of events. When I read articles like the one above about George W. Bush, I can't help but think that other people are reading the same stuff, and nothing is changing. Bush is not being impeached, probably won't be, he's getting away with all sorts of nasty crap, blatantly ignoring legislation from Congress, destroying the checks and balances system, and all sorts of other crap that I could go on and on about, but the article does a more concise job. But why is he not facing any consequences for what he's doing? I can only trust that, as my Bible says, those who practice evil will face retribution at the judgment, and that God doesn't make any exceptions for people in high places, especially not proud ones like Bush. But in the meantime, how can we work together to put a stop to ignorant powermongers like Bush and Cheney, corruption in goverment, and ultimately war itself? I'd like to think that Christianity has the answer--reaching people individually to make a change in their own lives, to stop each person's own corruption, but you can't convert a bad government. Especially not one that already claims to be Christian. What can we do to demand that we won't put up with a government that gives bombs and death to people rather than food, that sells off national forestland to pay for its debts, that puts incompetent people in important offices? Is it my fault for not being more active?
I guess the question I'd like to ask of any Christians reading my blog is this: Would we rather have a president who claims to take guidance from a "higher father", panders to the religious right in his policies and promises, never admits his mistakes, puts his friends in offices they're not cut out for, gives himself power(s) that the original founding fathers never wanted him to have, takes us to wars we don't want, ignores the wars we want fought, and can't even say nuclear correctly? Or would we rather have someone who, even though he/she were a staunch atheist, was committed to being a humble leader who would listen to criticism, change his strategies and policies when the situation demanded it, listen to his people, do everything he could with the power he had, but not overstep those bounds, increase efforts to bring peace to other countries, pursue alternative fuel sources so that we don't go to war with Middle Eastern states to get their oil, care about the environment, let our farmers farm again to provide food for those who needed it, not be buddy-buddy with corporations and rich people, and *gasp* actually be a good moral example for his country? I ask you--which of these is more in line with how Jesus taught people that they should be? I think it would do us some good to look to the parable of the good Samaritan.
I've recently been listening to the Forrest Gump soundtrack, which has me thinking about the decades portrayed in the movie. I realize that, when looking at the past, we can often have some pretty strong misconceptions. I don't know if this is one, and I know I'm speaking without a lot of specific knowledge about things, but here goes. Back in the 1960s, it seems like people were able to come together and change things that were going wrong. First of all, you've got the Civil Rights movement, with protests, marches, sit-ins, rallies, and speeches, which ultimately gained African Americans official equality. Then, during the Vietnam War, there were tons of protests and marches, not only against the war, but against the way the draft was set up. And I have to wonder if all that didn't have some impact on the war. I'm pretty sure it had some impact on our country's conscription policies, though I'm not exactly sure how. I still disagree with the way the Selective Service is designed. When I turned 18, I got a card in the mail saying I had to sign a card saying, pretty much, that I would help out with the war effort if the United States decided to draft me. If I didn't sign the card and send it back, I would be fined something insane (I think the amount was $250,000, somebody correct me if that's wrong). I wasn't exactly ready to be sent to jail for my opposition, both to the idea of war, and to the Selective Service, so my signing of that card was one of the few times that I can pinpoint where I do not plan on keeping my word.
Anyway, I've gotten a bit off track. What I'm wondering about is why we seem to be unable these days to join together and impact the course of events. When I read articles like the one above about George W. Bush, I can't help but think that other people are reading the same stuff, and nothing is changing. Bush is not being impeached, probably won't be, he's getting away with all sorts of nasty crap, blatantly ignoring legislation from Congress, destroying the checks and balances system, and all sorts of other crap that I could go on and on about, but the article does a more concise job. But why is he not facing any consequences for what he's doing? I can only trust that, as my Bible says, those who practice evil will face retribution at the judgment, and that God doesn't make any exceptions for people in high places, especially not proud ones like Bush. But in the meantime, how can we work together to put a stop to ignorant powermongers like Bush and Cheney, corruption in goverment, and ultimately war itself? I'd like to think that Christianity has the answer--reaching people individually to make a change in their own lives, to stop each person's own corruption, but you can't convert a bad government. Especially not one that already claims to be Christian. What can we do to demand that we won't put up with a government that gives bombs and death to people rather than food, that sells off national forestland to pay for its debts, that puts incompetent people in important offices? Is it my fault for not being more active?
I guess the question I'd like to ask of any Christians reading my blog is this: Would we rather have a president who claims to take guidance from a "higher father", panders to the religious right in his policies and promises, never admits his mistakes, puts his friends in offices they're not cut out for, gives himself power(s) that the original founding fathers never wanted him to have, takes us to wars we don't want, ignores the wars we want fought, and can't even say nuclear correctly? Or would we rather have someone who, even though he/she were a staunch atheist, was committed to being a humble leader who would listen to criticism, change his strategies and policies when the situation demanded it, listen to his people, do everything he could with the power he had, but not overstep those bounds, increase efforts to bring peace to other countries, pursue alternative fuel sources so that we don't go to war with Middle Eastern states to get their oil, care about the environment, let our farmers farm again to provide food for those who needed it, not be buddy-buddy with corporations and rich people, and *gasp* actually be a good moral example for his country? I ask you--which of these is more in line with how Jesus taught people that they should be? I think it would do us some good to look to the parable of the good Samaritan.
posted by Casey at 9:07 PM
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