THOUGHT FOR THE COMING NEW YEAR from TIMES PAST

We never learn,

We never listen

the Ol'Buzzard

ZEN OF APATHY

A passenger aircraft shot down in the Ukraine.

There is nothing I can do about it.

800 dead in the 18 day conflict between Israel and Hamas.

There is nothing I can do about it.

Fighting continues in Iraq and Pakistan.

There is nothing I can do about it.

Fighting in Syria, atrocities in Africa.

There is nothing I can do about it.

Russia, Cuba, China;

I am powerless.

A dysfunctional U.S. Congress

Prisoners inhumanely put to death in Oklahoma, Ohio and Arizona.

Obama Care is being challenged in court.

Bigotry, Racism, Sexism, Homophobia…

I vote but my vote is canceled by the Tea Party.

Beyond  my control.

In my mid-seventies, my days are limited, the grim reaper rides bitch on my bike.

It is what it is.

Today I am going to prepare the west side of my house for painting.    I painted the front (south side) first of the week.   I have one more cord of wood to order and stack for winter fuel; and I plan to replace the front storm door before winter sets in.   I haven’t meditated in a long time.   I need to take a few minutes this morning for Zen time.  It is suppose to be a beautiful day today – sunny with temps in the low seventies. 

Change what you can and accept what you can’t change: live in the moment: appreciate this day.

The Ol’Buzzard

ARIZONA VETO

The recent attempt by Arizona to pass a law allowing citizens and businesses to refuse public services to gay Americans on religious grounds was vetoed by the Governor. 

All should realize that this was not a policy of Republicans in general, but was wholly driven by the Fundamentalist Christian Religions.   Politicians have parroted this bigoted rhetoric to garner support from Christian Fundamentalist – including the Catholic Church.  

Had this law gone into effect it could have yielded resulted beyond effecting just the Gay community: it would have  return the state of  Arizona to the days of Jim Crow where people with  religious objections could refuse service to a mixed race couples, women who have had abortions, doctors that have performed abortions, atheist, non-Christians etc.    It would have been possible for an Arizona hotel to refuse President Obama and his children accommodation on the religious grounds that they are the products of miscegenation.  

We have a glimpse of a future under a Christian theocracy: Abortion would be criminalized, birth control would be banned, homosexuality would be criminalized, books, movies and music would be censored and racial taboos would be enforced.   You would not find a great difference between a Christian theocracy and the Muslim Taliban.  

Our only protection against the religious right’s drive to establish America as a Christian Nation is Article One of the Constitution. 

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof: or abridge 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. 

To paraphrase George Carlin: The Christians are coming and they are not very nice people.  

Our separation of church and state is meant to protect us from the fanaticism of religions; but systematically the Christian religion in America has been chipping away at our guaranteed freedom from religious domination.   We have In God We Trust on our money; prayers open most public meetings; there is a Congressional Chaplin; zealots post the Ten Commandments in public buildings; public officials constantly reference God’s Law over Civil Law; and let’s not forget that most bigotry and hatred grows from the roots of religion.

 It is a form of bigotry to speak out against religions; and I have stated before that individuals have a right to their personal beliefs.  

The insidious way that religion (Christian religion) functions in our country endangers our individual freedom, and as such should be confronted and condemned at each attempt to impose Christian doctrine as the law of the land.   

We should not rail against Republican bias on social issues; but address the fact that Republicans are only the spokesmen for the Christian Religious Right; and that it is the Christian religion, not a political party, that is attempting to enforce draconian rule.  

  the Ol'Buzzard

WELFARE: LES MISERABLES

WELFARE: LES MISERABLES

I recently read a blog about welfare queens or at least people milking the system and living off government hand outs.   

There is a family I know that falls into this category.   The mother and father are in their thirties.  The father was overweight and had leg surgery and milked disability for a number of years.  The mother has never worked.  They have a preteen child, and for a number year they were totally supported by the state.   The Father lost his disability and soon after the mother filed for divorce.  After the divorce was granted the family income increased.  They have their house rent paid, fuel paid, draw food stamps, and receives aide for dependent children.  The day after the divorce the father moved back in.  The father worked for a while and within a year was laid off so now draws unemployment.    Recently the mother changed doctors because her doctor would not write her a letter saying she is disabled and unable to work: though she has never worked.  They have two cars and cable TV and pretty much live a life of retirement. 

I am certain that one, if not both of their parents have lived off the system and advise them.    

Having worked for most of my life; just to be able to retire on a fairly meager income, I must admit that this scenario somewhat annoys me.   However, unqualified congress persons drawing six figure salaries, with a six year retirement plans and total health care – trying to defund health care and social programs for the rest of us – bother me more. 

I feel that the bloggers that rave about welfare recipients are somewhat disingenuous.    Many of theses people are living on Social Security and have already drawn far more that they ever paid in.  They get their health care from the VA or Medicare (A few years ago I had a stent placed in an artery – this procedure alone cost many times more than I ever paid into Medicare.)  Many of these people have drawn unemployment –again receiving more than they ever paid in.   They use the interstate highway system, and numerous government programs that protect them and oversee their quality of life.  

We are all feeding on the government tit to some extent.   I am more concerned with the people on the high end that are taking advantage of government programs than I am about people on the lower end.  

There is a human trait that we all possess that urges us to look down on other people.  Without having to defend our own worth we can elevate our position if we decry others. 

the Ol’Buzzard