History

March is Women's History Month. This does not get as much exposure as Black History month. It is important as well. Women have been important to much of history. The world has been and is pretty much a male dominated society. Women have held very strong and Important positions is history throughout the years. Here are some examples of strong women throughout history.

1. Queen Elizabeth I
2. Hatshepsut
3. Amelia Earhart
4. Susan B. Anthony
5. Sandra Day O'Connor
6. Joan of Arc
7. Eleanor Roosevelt
8. Barbara Smith
9. Mya Angelou
10. Harriet Tubman
11. Hattie McDaniel
12. Natalie Cole
13. Lyudmila Pavlichenko
14. Jackie Joyner-Kersee

of course there are more. These are just a few. This time I would like you to look up anyone on this list you don't know.

Death & Importance

I was reading a couple of blogs that were talking about various things such as the UK soldiers, Iraq war. They seemed to be focused on the lives being lost, and something needing to be done. I noticed that these people care about those lives for various reasons that I don't know. what caught my attention had nothing to do with that. I got to thinking about how tragic the loss of any life is. So I made another observation. We in America, possibly other countries as well, often devote ourselves to the hot button issuses. Iraq war, Scooter libby, Walter Reed, The firing of 8 attorney generals, and so on. What about the things the are not constantly on CNN of Fox News. I am not saying that these things are not important, because they are. So are many other things. AIDS is ravaging the Black community in America others too, but majority of the cases in America are black people. How often do you hear about this. Every now and then 20/20 wil do something or Dateline, even craptastic BET does a special about it once in a while. People are dying are high rates there is no cure, What do we do? I don't know, but this should be an issue that is talked about much more. Politicans should assure us that something will be done. It can't be an ignored issue. Gang warfare, I have heard reports that put the yearly death tolls of gang fighting as hight as some wars. That is happening right here on our soil, to Americans. You should care. It doesn't matter about race your fellow Americans live through this. The innocent die needlessly, and no major news organization covers this. Awareness is key. The govn't is fighting by producing special gang units in police, and harsher punishments. This is not going to work, because prison is a right of passage for gang members. Death is a part of everyday life for them. Coming into the community guns blazing send what message. The police to them might as well be another rival gang. Again I don't know how to alivate this, but it should be and issue. Muslims are persecuted very much in this country for the actions of a few. Muslims are beat to death on Americans streets. Some who are not even muslim or even from the middle east, they are Indians. Some are American citizens. So now we have racist people in this country killing people based on race and who are viewed as inferior out of fear and a feeling of superiority. I guess history does rhyme. So these soldiers go to Iraq because they want to kill Iraqis. A while back a group of soldiers killed a family and raped the female members of that family. It looks like we are fostering hate against them and then letting them have a outlet for it. Innocent people are killed for no reason by American soldiers and citizens, yet this is not an issue. Again I have no answer, but one needs to be formed. It seems to me really important issues are only the ones that the media deems important. I will admit I fall prey to this. I am not excused from this. I want all problems addressed in the media, by the people, and by politicians. We cannot let the media and govn't decide what is news. We control it, and when we let other people do that for us we are giving up our freedom to knowledge of of the world and in that same respect our power to affect policy for the better.

If the past, and the present exist only in the
mind, and the mind is controllable, then what?

Goerge Orwell "1984"

I read this quote on my father's nightstand when I visited him two years ago and it stays with me to this day . Thanks Remorji for the tip on the quote.

Finally

It seems that the troops are supposed to be home by fall 08. I know this is most likely not going to happen. Simply because President Bush is going to veto it. I do not know if the necessary vote to override it are actually there. Which leads me to think do the Dems know this. If so (and I am fairly certain of this) then this is just a show type of thing. The reason I think this is because when I saw the headline for this I thought out of instinct Finally some results. Then I began to think about it. I came to a real conclusion of what this means. Is it all really just a game, the dems got point for pulling them out, Bush administration gets a point for vetoing it, and so forth. What type of feeling I am getting now is that the interest of the American people are a side deal, like going for it on fourth down. The thought of this makes me sad to tell the truth. What is this country coming to. My roommate & I often discuss politics and the state of this nation even though he is a rep, and I am a dem we agree a lot in one thing and that is what the principals of this country are founded on, and that official are Representatives of the people, and that when screw ups happens some one should take responsibility. So now I think that informed people who may have different opinions can find a common ground. This gives me hope that maybe the true American Democratic system will return and save this country from a path it can't be allowed to go down.

Ode to Communism

This is not a post about the glory of communism. It is about a moment in my life that is fundamental to who I would become. I was real young, between 6 & 9, I think seven. My dad had come home for some reason I was spending the weekend with him and we were walking around the block and he asked me what we were talking about in school. At the time in school, we were talking about the cold war. I told him communist Russia, and he in turn asked me what I learned. I said that in Russia they don't believe in God. My dad told me that it was not true. He said that just because the govn't doesn't advocate something, doesn't mean that the people follow blindly. He told me that the govn't does not represent the morals or values of the people. That taught me a lot. The most important thing I learned was the concept of the people. Me and my dad have had many debates over the years, over a variety of things. Other things helped shape who I would become, but this moment in my life started the ball rolling.

Patriotism

It was stated on the Colbert Report that Captain America was assassinated as a direct result of the events of Marvel Universe's Civil War. I already knew about this, seeing that I am a huge Superhero fan. Captain America's death leads into my point very well. He was a rebel against the U.S. government standing up for what he thought was right. I believe that complacence is a form of treason. After 9/11 the masses fears were manipulated to get certain agendas across. I often hear statements that are along the lines of if you don't support the war, you're unpatriotic, or if you challenge the President you'rt unpatirotic. So I get the feeling that if you dislike the choices of the administration you are supposed to remain silent. I cannot do that. If I see this nation going in a direction that contridicts the principals of our foundation. I don't care about religious principals, or majority opposition. It is about what is right. Capt. America felt that the govn't forcing superheroes to register their secret identies was over stepping thier bounds. So Captain America, created by America, WWII veteran, and basically a superpowered mascot for America, stood up against the U.S govn't because they were wrong. So he loved his country so much he was willing to fight it in order to preserve it's integrity. What happened to us? We used to stand against injustice. American Revolution, Abolition movement, ERA movement, Civil right movement. Now look at us silent, and complacent. The defintion of liberty is the freedom to do as you please as long as it does not encroach on the freedom of another. Captain America stood up for what was right, he was a true american even though he was fictional. We need more real people like him.

R.I.P.
Steve Rogers aka Captain America

Bush

I have a a dislike of President Bush. He is arrogant and self-rightious, but it has morphed into something else. I was watching the news and the topic was President Bush's visit to the town that was ravaged, by a tornado. You may remember Hurricane katrina and the absence of President Bush in it's aftermath. You may think it is because he doesn't care about black people, poor people, or maybe he just doen't care. I tend to think that he just didn't want to be there whatever the reason. President Bush has expressed that he is the President and that whatever Congress wants he doesn't care. Apparently He thinks that he is America. He forced us into a war. He holds people with out rights of any sort, and the patriot act has extend that service unto American citizens. All he has to say is that they are "enemy combatant" and whoops there goes your rights. He also lies to us and he thinks this is okay. I think that he thinks that he has divine right to lead America and is on some kind of Crusade given to him by God. President Bush is dangerous if he truely thinks the way I think he thinks. Then to him the rules and regulation on power in America are just a facede to appease the public. What this actually means for the future is uncertain to me. Read "New World Order in America" by Betmo over at Life's Journey. It tells a story of what the Patriot act allows the Bush administration to do. That is the America our children and Grandchildren wil inherit if this transformation is allowed to happen. They used our fear after 9/11 to manipulate the public to allow them to strip away our rights. President Bush believes that his authority has no limits. He thinks that he can do what ever he pleases and we the public are just supposed to sit back and take it. One man comes to mind when I think of President Bush's view of himself, and the source, and nature of his power.

Disrespect

I am talking about the horrible conditions that our soldiers are having to live in in Walter Reed. The whole situation is despicable. The soldiers were in their own urine, mold was in the wall, and so much more. I am not a fan of this war never have been. I still want the soldiers, who are putting their lives on the line for what seems to be boiling down to pride, to be taken care of and watched after. I do not understand how that could have happened. Again the the infamous blame game starts. The pointing of fingers starts. Pres. Bush is the head of the executive branch all things that happen, happen under his watch. I will be the first to admit he cannot know everything that happens, but like I said he is the head of the executive branch. Pres. Bush is supposed to take blame for what happened and punish those directly responsible and then appoint people he thinks to be more capable. Instead he passes the blame and has a complete disconnect with the events that transpired their. He is trying to save his own image. His Press Secretary doesn't make it any better. Scott McClellan was annoying he claimed that the administration never knew anything, Tony Snow is frustrating he never says that the administration is at all responsible for anything. He says the President is not responsible and then talks to the press as if they are stupid if they say anything to the contrary/he refuses to answer questions. This administration has done a lot of things wrong, but not taking blame for anything is one of the most insulting. President Bush is supposed to be the "Decider", but apparently in name only. The soldiers trust that they will be taken care of if injured for their service to the govn't. for them to return home to this is a direct insult to them and their families, not to mention disrespectful. One man said in regards to the Walter Reed situation that he did not think it was all that bad. His evidence to this was the number of plasma screen TVs the hospital has. Those soldiers do not need TVs or Playstations they need medical care. For a man who is supposed to care for them to say such things is a slap in the face. It tells me that they are just supposed to take whatever care is given to them, and be happy. I would have thought that the conservatives who push so hard for the Iraq war and always say "support our troops" would be with me now if ever. Instead they make excuses for the people who let this happen to American soldiers. This really makes me mad. This tells me that the soldiers are just a means to an end for this administration. That is so disrespectful to the Soldiers of this war, other wars, the families of the soldiers, and to the American people.

Fate

I do not believe in fate. I believe in free will, and that the actions that we take push forward our lives and the world as a whole. I do how ever find the concept of fate to be very intriguing. Two television shows that I do like are Smallville and Heroes. Smallville in the past was good and then got crappy and has been so far really good this season. Heroes is one of my favorite shows. What attracts me to these show is the fate concept. In Smallville we have the legend of Superman which is commonly known. I am a huge superhero fan have seen every superhero movie good/bad. What I like about the show is that each of the characters has a destiny that they don't know, but we the audience do know. I enjoy seeing the characters become who they must become, and how they become those people. Heroes is almost the opposite. The main characters are on a journey toward their destiny, and we must go along neither of us knows where it leads. What I like about Fate is that there is an unknown outside force pushing these people in a direction whether they want to go or not. Some my say that it is God. I rather like to believe that it is the over all good of humanity pushing fate on the characters. Creating good and evil. So that good and evil can battle and one can triumph over the other. This is what some people believe. I think that it is the way people want it to be. The truth at least my view of it is good does not always triumph over evil. We would like it to. It is nice to believe that some watching force is making good win. In reality it is up to us to decide who wins in the battle between good an evil. A responsibility we may not want, but we do have.I love the Idea of fate it is so very interesting, but not real in my view. We, you and me, have the power to decide who wins in the battle between good and evil. What will you do to support your side?