So tell me how "fuck the niggers" or "fuck the jews" would not be free speech? How is speech free when you're only allowed to say things that don't offend other people? Answer me that.
You seriously need to go learn about what freedom actually means.
The only speech that is not protected is that which advocates violence. It's unfortunate that people have a hard time wrapping their heads around the concept of Free Speech. But "fuck the troops" is precisely that.
What harm does it cause? Aside from hurt feelings?
And don't think that I don't also support the troops and understand the difference between supporting them and supporting the policy makers who put them there etc.
But seriously, you're wrong. VERY wrong. It is your lack of understanding that is the problem here, not my trying to defend someone's constitutional rights. And frankly for you to want to shit on the very founding principles, the most fundamental rights and freedoms of this country... I think you frankly do a much deeper disservice to this country and to those troops... because once the rights guaranteed in the constitution are gone, you tell me just what exactly they're dying for. What "freedoms" they're defending? Because at that point, they'll all be gone so that your FEELINGs won't be hurt. So you won't be offended.
Sorry if it pisses you off, but you're the one who isn't grasping the magnitude of the matter.
(and Free Speech also gives you the right to join that group and voice your opinion. So why don't you go bitch at the people who made the group and not at someone who already understands the entire situation even better than you do.)
----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: andi
Date: Dec 14 2006 10:56 PM
you know your logic amazes me. You're right. Everyone has the right to free speech. My free speech says that anyone who thinks that it is ok to hate our soldiers is not worth the time of day. I am ashamed that you would defend a group who hates anyone. I'm sure that if there were a group called "fuck the niggers" or "fuck the jews" they too would asked to leave the little world of MySpace. Hate the message not the messenger. Or hate Bush and his buds there in D.C. , not the men and women who are not just fighting, but dying, just so that people can hate them.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Follow-up to the last post on the lack of understanding of Freedom.
So a few people have gotten a little snotty about my post, and the following is one of the exchanges that occurred immediately afterwards. The person who wrote it then removed me from their friends list. I guess standing up for the founding principles of our country isn't ok if it happens to offend someone. *sigh*
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Regarding: "petition to remove the "fuck the troops" myspace group!"
I posted the following bulletin on MySpace today in response to a bulletin that was posted by someone else. I think it speaks for itself.
In fairness, I'm including the original bulletin.
That said, what a great way to support Freedom of Speech. One of the very rights those troops are supposedly fighting for. The whole point of Freedom of Speech is to protect the right to speak openly about unpopular groups, or voice your displeasure with current political or social movements etc.
If anything, the list of names on this petition shows just how ignorant these people are about the nature of Freedom and what it is that those troops are actually fighting for.
I suggest you people go read the constitution and familiarize yourself with the rights you're trying to suppress with this petition.
You should be ashamed.
It doesn't matter at all whether or not you agree with their opinion, they have the Constitutional right to express those views, just as you have the right to disagree and make your own group in support of the troops.
First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America:
(First of the 10 Amendments otherwise known collectively as the "Bill of Rights")
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging 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."
Think about what the troops are fighting for before you throw away your most basic rights and the very thing they are fighting for because you are simply offended by someone else's opinion, no matter how much you might disagree.
Thank you.
(And for the record, it is no small disappoint to me to see so many servicemen and women's names on this list. It saddens me that the very people fighting to defend this country do not understand importance of the very fundamental rights on which it was founded. The very essence of the "Freedom" they so fervently defend.)
======================
petition to remove the "fuck the troops" myspace group!
Body: ..What I'm wanting is your help in Creating a Petition to send to Tom to get this group removed. Anyone who is willing to help please repost this bulletin and I will send a message to Tom from Iraq when I get there.
Thanks.
Scott
Keep it Going!
1. Scott Hazlinsky U.S. Army
2. SGT. Jessamyn Sobecki U.S. Army
3. SGT. Richard Aller U.S. Army
4. SGT Kelsey Houser U.S. Army
5.SGT. Patrick Poore U.S Army
6. kevin
7. brittany fletcher
8. *Robin Nicole Pope*
9. Jenna Mary Jerich
10. Erica Fante- USMC Fiance
11. Erica Rossano- USMC wife
12. Heather Weber- USMC wife
13. Joel Weber- USMC
14. Rebekah Burnett Wife of a Marine
15. Ricky Burnett Lcpl Marines
16. Morgan Terry----Wife of a Marine
17. Tiffany Clark----usmc wife (SGT. Piatti)
18.AMANDA(MANDI)FRAZIER~~~~~USMC WIFE LCPL. FRAZIER
19. Zynthia Garcia
20. Delaney Cohea (USMC wife)
21. Allison Fulcher (USMC Wife to LCPL Fulcher)
22. Taylor Roberts (USMC wife, Army Sister-In-Law, Grandaughter Retired Navy)
23.Jennifer Debolt(USMC Wife, USAF sister-in-law, Grandaughter retired Army, Future ASAF sister)
24.Laura (ceci) Fenderson
25.vanisha soto
26. Teal Garcia
27. Dana Duehr (Army Wife)
28. Jade Lampin
29. Marla Freeman
30. Brad S.
31. Sarah (Lil Bee)
32. Daniel M.
33. Matt W.
34. Lcpl. Brandon Taylor- USMC;1st Marine Infantry Div. GrandPrairie, TX
35.Jennifer Brunkhorst(Army Wife!)
36.tonya ott (army wife)
37.patrick madrid (big bad army boy)
(empty space is for anyone brave enough to sit inside a fox whole for two days and still have the nerve to talk some shit. our soldiers is the last thing sane we have left of our political bullshit gov. it's not our soldiers we should be mad at. it's the fuckin millionaires we vote in to run our government. we as soldiers just do our jobs. protecting some tree huggin pussy who'd much rather cry than to stand up for himself. if they still fill the same afterwards they can move to Bagdad and i'll pay for the flight--- fuckin cowards)
38. Caylon Evans Wilkes - Army wife
39. Samantha Norman-Army Vetran and proud Army wife!
40. Mychal Hanson- Military Daughter
41. Blane Adams
42. Shannon Bunnell
43. Shannon Bergerson- Military Wife
44. Digger Bergerson- Military Man (Back in Dec 05 from 18 month duty in Kuwait)
45.Maddie Bergerson- Military Daughter
46. Cody Bergerson- Military Son
47. Sarah Bergerson- Military Daughter
48. Carah Kettner
49. Cassidy Bunnell
50. Rick Bunnell
51. Brenda Bunnell
52. Amanda Bunnell
53. Amber Bunnell
54.heather hintz
55.shmike kitzman
56. JP
57.ted kitzman
58.teah kitzman
59.sandy hofler
60.Jason Keisler
61.Kelly Keisler
62.Merry Weiland
63. John Weiland
64.SPC Faith Ulwelling US Army
65. Joseph Castleberg
66. Tianna Rowe
68. Aaron LaBau
69. Sara Smith (proud kid, friend and sister of military personnel)
70. Liz Rogers- USMC Wife
71. Mariah
72.Crystle Ann
73.SPC BOWAN DAVID K.
74. hilary mcconnell
75. Marissa Davies
76. SSG Steve Gray- US Army
77. Tracy Reindl
78. Mike Kersey
79. Tony Carter U.S. ARMY VET, Hanover Fire/EMS
80. Aaron Ernst Fire/EMS GET THESE MOTHER FUCKERS OFF THIS SITE!!! THEY DESERVE TO GO TO HELL!!!!
81. Sandy M.
82.Jimmy Young..Firefighter...nephew of a marine..these pll are idiots
83.Holly Robertson...Firefighter...what the hell are these people thinking??
84. Firefighter/EMT AJ Zuccarelli
85. Rachel Breyer
86. Kara Wakefield
87. nathan denton
88. Ashley Hunter
89. Sgt.Matthew Ryba, USMC
90. Lala Matthews Marine Wife
91. Jessie C.
92. Samantha Powden daughter of USN Master Chief Powden
93. chris peterson- USN
94. HTFR Corey Hamilton - USN
95. Marni Campbell
96. Sgt Matt Wilson
97. Katina Pope-WHOLE FAMILY MILITARY PROUD SISTER GRANDDAUGHTER, DAUGHTER, COUSINS, FRIENDS, AND ALL THE BRAVE GUYS AND GIRLS OVER THERE....LOVE U GUYS AND THANK YOU
98. SSG Richards, George
99. Stephanie -- Military family - -Damn proud of it too!!! Love all the troops and thank you all for all that you have done!
100. Bjorn, Norwegian Cavalry/Reserve/Armored Recon
101. Taryn Grunewald
102. DILLON R. GHERNA- Security/Police, These people need to be eliminated, the men and women of our armed forces are the only reason why there is myspace right now!!! If it wasnt for our soldiers keeping us safe god only knows where we would be!!!
103~FUTURE 5 OH~ GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS
104. DEPUTY285(PATRICK)~ SSGT. USMC
105. MARISSA JOHNSON
106.Darlene Jano~to those members in that group, f*** you too!
107.Josephine Nakasone~thanx to all the men n women in the service, our prayers are with you always n YOU will always be in my heart.
107. Pius Hadley Jr. U.S ARMY
108.Mae Thomas
109. Max D. Walter
110. Reagan Aron U.S. Army
111. Michael Bond U.S. Army
112. SPC. WOOD, DAVID U.S. ARMY
113. Ashley Geier U.S. ARMY FIANCE
114. PFC Baalmann, Joe U.S. Army
115. Michael Gurchik, U.S. Army
116. Jackie Gurchik, Army wife
117. MM3 Thomas Jamison, U.S. Navy
118. Meghan Jamison, Navy wife ~ Im sleeping alone tonight as I have every night for the past month and will continue to do so until my husband comes home. He is on patrol protecting the rights of the people who choose to condem him. I'm damn proud of my husband and every other person who makes the choice to join the military. Thank you for all that you've done.
119. MM3 Thomas Woodley, U.S. Navy
120. Micah Woodley, Navy wife~ ditto Meghan. The decisions of our leaders are not the decisions of the troops. These are out brothers, friends, sons, husbands and boyfriends fighting for our freedom, our rights and the way we live. I am proud of my husband and every person that decides to join.
119. Stephanie Curry ~ sister of an airman ~ don't hate the troops.. hate the president who sent them where they do not belong.. some military personel joined for reasons other than wanting to defend our country from terrorist we armed!
120. Ken W., Senior Airman, U.S. Air Force.
121. mike giesler, Airman first class, USAF
122. sarah beauchamp/ USAF
123. Andres Matt Carrasco/X SSgt USAF--These asses who have such a hate for our troops are most likely the same fucks who voted for the president and cabinet who send the troops to these screwed up places. So you should hate yourselves retards.
124. Leonard J. Pritchett, Senior Airmen Select, USAF--My wife was taking care of my 2 kids for 6 months while I was over there defending these fuck sticks right make a "fuck the troops" myspace group. Fuck these guys they're clown shoes.
125. SSGT. SHON K. KELE, ..U.S.A.F.---HICKAM AFB, HAWAII
126. A1C John BAyuDan--U.S.A.F.--HAWAII..
127. Jennifer W. - Army daughter and Army ROTC Cadet.
128. Robert Yokoi- USAF... soon to be 2d Lt
129. Mariko Meana-USAF
130. SSgt Jordan L.K. Acosta----USAF-------
131. SrA Adam S. Bearden, USAF, MHAFB, ID/God will forgive those who know not what they do! May God Bless the Military and all of their families too! HUA!
132. A1C "Slim" O'Mahoney ---USAF---
133.AMN David Larson---USAF---
134. A1C Kelly T---USAF---
135. Sgt. Muthafucken Clouser - USMC---
136. Cpl Ashton --UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
137. Sgt Javier Cortes Jr --UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
138. Julie Robinson--USMC Wife
139.Cpl. Ryan Robinson--USMC
140. Lcpl. Daniel Studdard-USMC
141.Lcpl. Jim Chappell- USMC
142. Lcpl Shane Brown-USMC
143. Amanda Mac Jackson, Ga
144.Gerade Nathan SPC Tanker US Army
145. A1C Huseman Donovan- USAF Security Forces
146. Rachael Stephens- military wife and sister
147. Brandon Wofford- military dependant/ Supporter!
148. Amanda Grooms- military supporter!!! :)
149. SSgt. Brett McCarrier~Kunsan AB, South Korea!
150. A1C Jennifer Rice- USAF - Columbus, MS.
151. A1C Brian Ciccone - USAF- Columbus AFB, MS.
152. A1C Zach Brija - USAF - Korea --haha, i didnt even know about these guys, we should invite them all to a "tree hugger hippy lets get high and complain together" discussion campout in the middle of the woods somewhere and then proceed to hunt them down in military fashion with nothing but rusty K-BARS and C-Wire dipped in pigshit, then hang them feet first from the trees and let the technis/gangreen kick in all the while giving them chinese incision torture..... yeah that sounds about right
153. SSgt Riley Parrish- USAF
154. Kristilee Jansen-USMC sister...Love you Howie!
155. Jessica Wozniak
156. MA3 Joseph Smith USN. Bethesda, MD
157. MA3 Nicholas Casiello, USN Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
158. STS3/SS Patrick Corey, USN USS Navada SSBN 733
159. MA3 Brad Langham, USN MILITARY WORKING DOG HANDLER NAVSTA EVERETT
160. MA3 Courtney Hoye, USN NAVSTA EVERETT
161. MA3 Scott Ragsdale, USN NAVSTA GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA
162. MA3 Ashley M. Dean USN Navsta Guantanamo Bay, Cuba!
163. MA3 Stephen Wilson USN, KUWAIT
164. IT2 Amanda Dawson USN, AFGHANISTAN
165. Lindsey H.
166. Pamela Jones
167. ENS Max Jones USN, DJIBOUTI
168. Danielle L.
169. Candice H.
170. Danielle H
171. Mary
172. Karen Neely
173. Jorge Ruiz
174. Jack Neely
175. John Neely
176. George Schubert
177. Mindy Lovejoy
178. Bobbi Smith
179. casey bell (army brat my dad is in the army... and my best friend in the marines ) so fuck da haters.... and my mom was in.... and my grandpa
180. joesph bage
181. CPL James B Bennatt, USMC
182. CPL Justin W Ende, USMC
183. LCPL Chris Mazur, USMC
184. Cpl Ramirez Luis A. , USMC
185. Sgt Greely Thomas R , USMC
186. Tracey Toth...I have friends currently serving
187. Malissa
190. Rev.Bob......being Ex Military...thats shit is fucked up...start a group called "fuck Bush" I am fine with that...
191~~ BABA, American!!!!!
192. James McLeod- son of a COMBAT VETERAN/ AMERICAN
193. Tommy "Rabid" Tunaitis, U.S. Army (Most of my friends & family is former/current military.)
194. SSgt. Sean Firlein, USAF
195. Mike Evans (FF Protecting America on the Homeland)
196. Jack McPartland Fire Suppression Expert
197. Cindy
198. F/F-EMT Ryan Wiley
199. Nick DiRobbio-US Army- RI Army National Guard
200. becky gifford-- thank you to all our troops !!
201. pfc eric carrier-ri army national guard
202. Brianna Duffy
203. ILLA "than" MOS! aka Drew I
204. L boogs
205. Jen a.k.a. "Impressionable Pain"-- U.S. Air Force Vet
206. Abby
207. Jessica F
208. Nick Breitbach
209. allison kasal
210.SPC Tim Miller U.S ARMY AIRBORNE
211. Erin Henkle-(sister of USMC Recruit)
212. Jodi Tuttle
213. Amber Wallerich- Granddaughter/Cousin/Friend/daughter in-law of Military personnel, and troop supporter. God Bless all the men and women who are fighting to keep our country safe. You are all in my thought and prayers for a quick and safe return HOME where you belong! We all just needed to vote the son of a BUSH out!
214. Jacki Ellenwood -- Military family and friends -- God Bless the United States Military! Pray for a safe return home for our family and friends overseas!
215. Jason Voyna
216. chantel kingdon
217. Pfc Sanders, Brian USMC
218. Whitney Buttolph
219. A1C Joshua Guest, USAF
220. Stayc Harrison
221. Kylie Looper - Proud girlfriend, granddaughter, friend, and supporter of the military. God bless all of you who are willing to put your lives on the line for our country.
222. AMN Wickham, Nathan USAF
223. AMN shawn brown USAF
224. Amn Tiffany Thomas USAF
225. A1C branden brookens USAF
226. Jennifer Saylor- God Bless Our Troops!!!
227. SrA Joseph Turnage USAF
228. A1C Nathan Mros Eielson AFB AK USAF
229. SrA Meghan Downey USAF
230. A1C Dacia Pascoe USAF D 231. A1C stephen crutcher USAF
233. AMN Melanie Sepulveda-Hunter USAF
234. Critina DaValle
235. Cpl. Kevin Swiney USMC
236. Diana Pedraza- Proud US citizen, God Bless America & Our Soldiers!
237. Andrew Lares
238. Tim Dunbar US Coast Guard
239. Joy Rath
240. Steven Kaunisto (brother of Marine)
241. Nicholas East (grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend, of vets and troops over there fighting for me becuz i cant go.)
242. LCPL Matthew Pietrangelo - USMC
243. Sergeant Haley S. Sebastian ~ United States Marine Corps
244. Craig Grambau (USAF son and nephew)
245. PV2 Samuel Gardner MI ARNG
246. Julie Pietrangelo (granddaughter, friend, cousin, girlfriend, sister)
247. Susan Parmentier (USN daughter)
248. Elena Coullard- God Bless our Troops who are choosing to sacrifice their lives so that others can have freedom. God Bless all of those bereaved families!
249. Jenni Madden - I have a niece in the U.S. Coast Guard and a nephew in the U.S. Marines. I have nothing but love for the people who make sacrifices and endure the horrors of war for nothing more than a decent wage and the desire to follow through with the most unselfish way to serve America! We can ALL serve America well by supporting them.
250. Deb Mason-My father was in the US Marines for 23 years. He was my hero and I love, respect and miss him very much!!
251. Matt Mason - The troops are just doing their job. If anything blame their boss, FUCK BUSH!
252. Esmie Longtin: USCG Active Duty
253. Jenny: Navy sister
254. Melissa Bieger: Navy Daughter
255. joshua waldron: navy son, nephew, grandson, and cousin.
256.chris young: navy brother. we all have friends or family in the military. so we should all be supporting them. stand behind the troops or stand in front with the enemy.
257. Danielle Danaher- Army Wife...I totally agree with what chris says...Support our troops!!!
258. autumn rivers--granddaughter of Navy/Army vets. support our t
259. Supra King- Tnx 4 keepin us safe guys n girls!!
300. Morgan- air force brat my whole life- thats my dad their talkin bout!!
301.Greg G
302 Jessica Theresa Fox
303. Brandon H
304. Ari
305.cedric aka luda
306. Knowledge Soundz Entertainment
307. Fredrick Moore A.K.A Sonrize
308. Geni Sepulveda
309. Zach Sepulveda (they really should be removed since the only reason they are allowed to say that is because we provide them with the freedom and liberties they possess, try saying that in N. Korea, Iran, etc. You'd be decapitated along with your family. Its funny how "americans" decide to bad mouth those who protect their rights as americans. If it wasn&..39;t for soldiers, we'd be part of England still, the French would be speaking German, along with the majority of European Nations, and slew of other "saved by soldiers, sailors and airmen" history lessons you might have heard of)
310. Salvador Montes de Oca:Support the troops...BRING THEM HOME!
311. Joseph Reyes-United States Air Force Veteran. Please delete this disgraceful group from myspace. GOD BLESS AMERICA, MY HOME SWEET HOME.
312. Alex Alvarez
313. Rashid Akil-Davis Neighbors
314. Anna David
315. SSgt Darryl Johnson 609 Air Communications Sq- I did my time out there and if it wasn't for the past fallen troops they wouldn't have the right to say shit like that freely...
316: SrA Benjamin Wierzba
317: SSgt Petrin USMC/USAF crossbreed
318. Kevin Simard-- proud supporter of all our troops. Thank you all.
319. jen
320. derek support the troops not the war -- bad guidence isnt their fault
321.Rob Gollin (gollin626) Cleveland Ohio
322. Nicky (UK)
323.Mike Luther(usa)assholes are everywhere
324. Hunter 7 - GET THESE FUCKERS OFF OF HERE!
325. Seneca Mark - I support the troops, but not the war!
326. Zero and Falling - What Mark said...
327. Jessica Montez
328. Amn Richards - SF - Standing TALL for my US Troops! HUA
329. Hayley Herrmann soon to be Mrs. Lieutenant Ward- I support my fiance that is at pilot training for the United States Air Force ready to defend our country since he was a boy. I love you baby...
330. Erica~ my cousin is in the Navy and my neighbor is in the Marines and went to Iraq last year
331. Brooke Fielder~ Proud to have the men and women there to defend our country whenever they are needed!
332. Kelly Gott- Get these cocksuckers off here. These men/women are riskin their lives so WE can be here at home playin on myspace. HOORAA troops
333. Andrea Migura* I support our troops... everyone of them are our angels...
334.charlie-i support and thank the troops for all that they do for us
335. hayde zubia- thanx troops for keeping our country safe.
336. Abi Tovar- Active duty(navy); many of my friends died fighting in Iraq for freedom and we dont need groups like this putting us down, they deserve better.
337. Luis Montiel USN
338. Alicia Tilley ~USN, Almost my whole family is in or has served in the Military, We fight for the right for people like This to say stuff like that.
339. Natasha Schroeder~ I have several friends and family in the military and I LOVE AND APPRICIATE THEM ALL!!!
340. Andi - I appreciate all that the military does for us b/c I could never do that kind of a job. I am a wuss! Not everyone will agree as to why our troops are in Iraq but that doesn't matter. The point is, they are there! Support what they do anyway! They didn't volunteer to go over there!
341. Stephanie --(support the troops!!!!! damnit! you like living free in the States?? well that wouldn't be possible without the troops!!! i support them a million percent! they deserve it! you people not supporting them piss me off!!!)
342. Grady - "g-radd." Fuck the troops? pff, Fuck You... Freedom Isn't Free
343. Jayme - wtf is the matter with people?
344. Stephanie- proud cousin (3xs), daughter, grandaughter and friend of the members of the U.S. ARMY!!!! also proud friend of the NAVY and MARINES.
345.Anthony Verdi- thanks and god bless you...stay safe
346.AMY HARRISON- GET THOSE IDIOTS OUT OF HERE!!! I WISH WE COULD SEND THEM OVER THERE!!!!! BET THEY WOULDN'T HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY THEN!!! LOL
347. Jason & Cylisa Moore - WE LOVE THE TROOPS! - "The only thing necessary for the success of evil is for good men to do nothing"
348. Meghan Hill- Proud friend of 2 United States Marines!
349. Courtney Templeton-I know 4 in the Army and they deserve better than this.....Proud to have our troops serve our country!
350. Scott Duncan........proud friend of many soldiers who serve this country!!!!!!!!
351. Christina Courville....who actually would do that? What the hell? People these days!!!
352. SSgt Jose Flores, US Air Force and damn proud of it!!!!!!!!!!!
353. Lauren Van Meter- i am not in the millitary but i do have family and friends that are in it. I am sick of hearing ppl say that the troops are the ones that are wrong... if that is the case GET YOUR ASS OVER THERE AND AND GET BLOWN UP... i dont agree with the war but i do think that we should support our troops in there time of need. Millitary family member
354. PFC Ganther, Alan J- USMC
355. PFC ROSS-----USMC
356. LCPL Long----USMC
357. LCpl Dylan L. Smith, USMC -- Morrisville, Mo
358. reagan langston - ....disrespectful bitches...*shakes head*
359. SRA Andrew Walthour---USAF ammo troop
360. SGT Susan Walthour---- USAF services
361. A1C Jonathan Gonzalez--USAF Electronic Technician
362. AB James Courtright -- USAF Combat Camera (VPD)
363. AB Caitlin Putman -- USAF Broadcaster
364.David Wilson---(former A1C)
365.Crystal Rodriguez~Pround Air Force Wife
366.bryan parsons ( tattoo artist) thes guys die or risk there lives to give you the fredoms we all injoy. they deserve some respeact.
367. SGT Kathleen Cloose --US ARMY
368. PFC Jonathon Pigott -- US ARMY
369. SSGT Ruth Wilson - USAF - Operations Intelligence
370. Andria Russow
371. Julie McHugh
372.Chris Jensen
373.Hayley Hall- my friend barry is in iraq so please sign
374. shawnna walton- my brother is in the usmc in iraq
375.CHRISTINA COLEMAN-my cousin is joining the air force and IM AN AMERICAN SO I STAND BY MY COUNTRY AND TROOPS !!!!!
376.HOLLYE MALADY- GOOD LUCK JIMBO IM GONNA MISS U SOO MUCH B SAFE C U WHEN U GET BAC HOPEFULLY I WILL C U N SEPT.!!! US ARMY!!!!!!!!!
F*%@ those who dont!!!!!
377.Collier Mathis-( got friends in army) sign this petition and keep it going
378.Tayler Stout-i got alot of friends and family in our troops and they deserve appreciation!!
379.Caitlyn Landry- - Jake Sides&&Jacob Mosley!!! I miss Ya'll!:(
380. Matthew G.
381. Derek Laird-Sgt.Dustin Laird, I love you brother.
382. Emily Anderson
383.Tracy Campbell
384. Billy McGee - U.S. Army Veteran 1990-1994 (First Iraq War)
385. Janna Kaler
386. Wendy Lofton, TN
387. Kory Green, TN
388. mike reave
389. Mandy Chambers, La
390. SHElBy!
391. Chase
392. Stephanie W.
393. Kyler Patterson Marine Corps Son
394. Salena Honts..... Army Wife and Pround of It
395. Melissa Suiters- Army Wife =)
396.Lydia~~~ex- military wife!
397.Crystal C.
398. Jessica Aviles
399. Ally L.
400.Andrew Covey
401. nik fust
402. Jessica Monroe
403. Julissa Salas
404.JERARDO ALMENDAREZ
405.ROXY HOLLYWOOD <33
406.myndsight- a rock band that definatly supports the troops
407. Lee West
408.Alisa Palacio
409. Jon from MySpace - that's ridiculous... it shouldn't take a stinking petition to have this removed, but ugh..
410.Rachel Peraza- Friend Of Army Troop
411. Brandon Pannell- U.S. Navy
412. kla
413. Deante long- U.S. Army
414. Destiny Stevenson- U.S Army Wife
415. PEARL TIRADO- PROUD ARMY WIFE
416.Raquel Garcia
417. PV2 Brent Reyes. fuck the troops? FUCK YOU! if it wasnt for the u.s. military, you wouldnt have the fuckin right to bitch and moan about anything. try living under a dictatorship like saddam hussein then talk. like ..37 said. if you can do my job, ill happily pay for your plane ticket to iraq. youll be pissin your pants when bullets and mortars are flying at YOU.
418. PV2 Jessica Reece..Yea Im with Brent! Its bullshit that theres even a group against tha troops! You think we're just out here in the desert for fun..Hell nah, we're here for you, someones gotta be here and you pussys that are against know yall couldnt take it out here
419. Tyler Angell
420. Amie S.
421. shauna-friend of a soldier
422.SGT Jayson Yardley U.S. ARMY TQ, Iraq
423.SPC KORY BEECH US ARMY TQ, IRAQ.....FUCK EM ALL!!
424. Jasmine Jaye--rott in hell you bastards
425. Dottie H- SUPPORTING our troops doesn't mean you have to support the war!
426. SARAH BROWN(BURROW)- I DO NOT AGREE WITH WAR BUT I DO SUPPORT OUR TROOPS 100%, YOU ARE IN MY PRAYERS, I LOVE YOU WILLIAM BE SAFE
427. The Breezeway
428. One Tribe Ent Group ~~~I was Army Infantry 1st of the 15th
429. Paco - INSIDE JOB, I SAY! THE GOVT IS IN IT AND OUR TROOPS ARE DYING IN VANE!
430. Julie (Georgia Peach) - 4 of my best friends died in Iraq
431. ro (sires_servant_girl)
432. Sara (PaganBaby)
433. PV2 Alan Grenier 3rd BCT 3RD ID "Not Fancy, Just Tough"
434. Amy Harding
435. Chelsea Pruett
436. Gregg Pruett (navy reserves)
437. Tracey Pruett
438.Marissa Hoehn
439. Tim Kibler
440. Adam Pendergrass...USAF...ACTIVE DUTY.
441. Julie DeClue
442. Sgt. Ryan C. Schatz (U.S. Marine Corps)
443.Rachelle Gullet-Parham-- Navel Wife and Marine
444. Diana Gorigus --- ARMY MOM
445. Erica Stahly - - - ARMY SISTER
446. Virgil Franklin (son of ww2 vet)
447.Cathy w/a "C"-Son-in-law leaves for Iraq tomorrow, and my daughter just found out last week, that she is pregnant with their first child!!! I promise you he DOES NOT want to go, but he is a REAL man and will serve and protect all of us.Thank you to all that serve, like the guy said before..."Stand behind our troops, or stand in front of the enemy"...God Speed!!!
448. Scott B. - former Marine
449. April - i have two friends over in iraq i miss u guys..
450. Pekel, T.H., R. (Army, active duty) God bless all my brothers and sisters over seas fighting.
451. SSG Rich McMahon - I don't care if they get romoved or not. I pray to God that these people find themselves in need of some help one day just so I can extend my hand to them, , , then watch their faces as they realize I'm holing a pistol.
452. David Parker (active Army)
453. Noel Colgate (Army Wife)
454. Richard Klupp (friends in afghanistan, iraq, and border patrol)
455.Ashley Boeckholt(my cousin is in the army in iraq.. and my brother is in the air force in Korea..)thank you too all that serve
456. Danielle Caito (Friends and family have been serving my whole life...we owe a lot to them)
457. Chelsey Shope, Army Girlfriend(I've had cousins, friends, and the most important person to me, -dylan- in the military)
458. Ruben Vargas - My bro's are over there, fuckers!
459. Matt BTA Knoop- fuckin punks need to grow up and learn some thing ill teach them Bitches!!!!!!!!!
460. Laura Pittenger-Friend, Grandaughter, Neice, Cousin, and Great Grandaughter (etc) of Military Personnel and Veterans
461. rebecca lacy... daughter, grandaughter, niece, of veteran and friend of active duty military
462. A1C David Lison, 3rd Generation Air Force.
463. Polly Milbourne. Friend, Grandaughter, Sister, Neice, Cousin and so on of Military Personnel and Veterans.
464. Cadet 1Lt. Ben Parrish, Civil Air Patrol USAF AUX.....and son, and grandson of military Vets
465. Julie Ott--granddaughter and niece of Military Veterans
466.Kym Burke-My nephew Sgt David A. Dean who just started his second tour of duty in Iraq!!! I am proud of him and miss and love him very much!!!
467. Mary Ford
468. Abby Miller-US Navy Wife
469. FC2(SW/AW)MARCUS R. WILLIAMS - US NAVY
470. roderick a. williams (my bother num 469.)
471. Kristal Dill (for my cousin)
472. Megan Smith- for all my brothers USMC
473.Lcpl James Service V - USMC...
474. II Marine Expeditonary Force - USMC, Camp Lejeune NC.
475. Danielle Lambert- USMC Sister
476. Francisco Johnston
477. Anna Brown- good friend and supporter uf the us military keep it going so we can get these assholes off myspace
478. Dustan Settlage- Best friend in the marines
479. beatrice wade- 2 best friends in marines reggie remson, and dj mcnamara - is in iraq
480. Erin Rachel
481. Jessica Peterson
482. Suzanne Dillard- My boyfriend Jamie is in the US Army 101st
Airborne. He's currently serving in Iraq. He is my hero
and I'm very proud of him for serving our country. I miss
him so much and cant wait for his return.
483. Jennifer Bari
484. Megan Bars
485. Nicole Rogers
486. Elijah Croce
487.SGT. Jay Scott(U.S. ARMY, 101ST Airborne)
488.Kim J. Scott(Proud ARMY wife, I Love You baby!)
489. Kristin Rerra
490. Charles Barmore
491. Jean Elder
492. Melissa Robinson - USMC
493. Jade Long
494. CHRISTIANA HANSTEIN (BROTHER IN AFGHANISTAN)
495. BRITNEY LEWIS - my cousin SSGT RAMSEYER died in iraq.. RIP
496. Shana Weiss
497.brendan bowe- i may not like the war , but i cannot turn my back on my brothers, these people on this group are a threat to everyone in the world, even themselves , its a tragic situation and removing them from myspace is only a drop in the bucket toward what needs to be done.
498.JEREMIAH JOHNSON- HAVE FAMILY IN THE MILITARY
499.Poor Knight of The Temple-Warrior of God-Friends in the Army.
500. Benjamin Sapp
501.WARONTERROR-AUSTRALIA- Proud to call America an ally
502. Mike Sullivan "Sully" God Bless Our Troops and Allies!!
503. Melanie Dixon - Army Girlfriend
504. Laura Duncan
505. Brandon Carroll
506. Chirsty Vandiver
507. Amanda Dixe, TN (I have friends and family in the military so please keep this going)
508. Tiffany Adkins Fort Campbell, Ky - Army Wife!!!
509. Spc Dustin Adkins- stationed in Iraq at the moment!!!
510. Samantha Frazier-Military daughter
511. Jo Bush-military step daughter
512. Leah Burgess-military step daughter.
513. Savannah Bryant - military daughter
514. Chase Bryant - military son
515. Kelsey Kazmar - military daughter
516. Dominic Kazmar - military son
517. Leslie Ward- Military daughter (19 years) and military girlfriend!!!!!!!!
518. PFC WHICKER- EVEN THOUGH I JUST GOT NJP'D I STILL HAVE A SOUL! SUPPORT THE TROOPS EVEN THOUGH YOU DONT AGREE WITH WHAT THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR... HELL SOME OF THEM DONT AGREE BUT STILL THEY FIGHT.
519.LCPL MOSLEY....I LOVE THE FUCKIN MARINE CORPS AND FUCK WHOEVER HAS A PROB WITH THE ONES WHO ARE DYING FOR THIER FREEDOMS!
520. LCpl Padilla. Its Bullshit that me and my fellow Marines sacrfise so those fags can do that shit. I say DRAFT BITCHES!!
521.J.Patterson, military sister LCpl JR Patterson
522.BreAnna Smith-Gf
523. Brittany Krynock
524. Heather Mayle~ I support all the brave soilders who risk they lifes for me, you and EVERYONE. And its a fuckin shame the some poeple have the nerve to down grade them like they are notthing.
525. Falon aka Bella!! I have family who graduated from West Point NY, an served in Iraq...an a really good friend who who is still in Iraq at this very moment!!
526.chizzy-my whole family served in some type of wars father vietnam-brother golf- all my fathers brother-vietnam causins golf and war on iraq
527. BOB-0 - I have three uncles that served in Vietnam and 1 that served in the gulf twice.And my best friends father got two purple hearts in Vietnam. I support them and I say fuck this group...Take it off!
526. Christy Marie- i say... if you cant stand behind them.. feel free to stand infront of them....... i support them so i say take it off.
527. Ashley Boley
528. Leah Novak
529. Alisha Ralsten (U.S. Army Vet) 526 is right, all those people in that group feel free to stand in front of our soliders, at least then we know that the real men and women in this country will come home.
530. Bianca Sandifer- Ummm my fiance is in the military this is so awful, please get this off myspace.
531. Cassie Johnson U.S. Army Wife
532. Brittany Morgan-Even if you don't support the war and the President, support the men and women over there fighting it isn't their choice to be there, it is their job.
533. Bruce Morgan
534. Jamie Lewis
535.Buddy Hill
536. Jocelyn Drawdy - I agree with ..526
537. LT. Brian Lee Hood/ Company Eight/CCFD
538. Tera Benford
539. Adam D.
540. Shaun Privett- Have you guys even seen the memebers of that group. They're all fuckin underage "emo-kids". Just give them time, and they'll cut themselves. hehe HOORAAH!!! AMERICA!!!
541. SRA Miller, Security Forces, United States Air Force!!!! im going to IRAQ next month, I may not go with what the president has to say, but i will soon be putting my life on the line for ALL of you and your FREEDOMS. So if you like putting all of these messages online and talking about what you dont understand, then all i can say is take the M-4 and 240B from my hand and sit in the turret of a HUMMV and fight off all of those bastards that want to take your freedom of speech from you!!!! I say to ALL OF YOU will you take the place of the soldier, airman, marine, or sailor to defend what you hold dear to you???!!!! I think all of the people who waste there time talking about the politics should stop for a second and instead of blaming the fucking troops for all of the war in the world you should stop and thank the troops since your PUSSY ASS wont shut the fuck up and grab that gun from my fucking hands and defend what you belive. So the next time you are blabering on about what you belive stop and thank me and my fellow airman, soldiers, marines, and sailors that are dying each day to keep your lazy asses safe, and free!!!!!!!!!
542. Shana Harris
543. Rachel Gillam
544. Becky Giffin
545. Aimee Roach- wife USAF, my husband is in Iraq
546. Destiny Ledbetter USAF wife!!!!!!!!!
547. SPC James Oliver US Army Cavalry!
548. Kaitlyn McHugh
549. PVT2 Shannon Guinn US Army Calvary Scout
550. Jessica Sanders
551. Art Buff (Grandson To USN Vets., Nephew To USAF Ret. And 4yrs. Benedictine Military School.)
552. MAJ Scott A. Bean, we should start a group "Fuck the Emo Kids"
553. Corpral Rajan A. Dulamal Benedictine Military School
second squad leader Band co. (thought that made me sound special)
554. Cadet Senior Airman Tufo Civil Air Patrol Cadet, and Benedictine Military School Cadet
555. Damon Clayton - proud son of a Iraq war veteran, And planning on serving myself
556. Brandon Lebe - if you dont agree with them then shut the fuck up we don't want to hear it, they do their job like you do yours, they don't say "Fuck The DOctors or Lawyers or Engineers...etc" do they?
557. Katie Koehling
558. Sara
559. Rich Olsen
560. Retired SFC Allen Olsen United States Army
561. Huggins- Granddaughter of US ARMY COLONEL, Granddaughter of US Airforce Reconized Aviation Artist.
562. Megan Perry- my brother was shipped out this past sunday, my great uncle the famous leader of the flying tigers, every male in the family on my dad side has served in every war!
563. Ashley Lindstrom
564. Lorenzo Jackson
565. Ashley Moore
566. Jessica Carroll -Cpl at Norwich University (Military College of Vermont) and Army ROTC Cadet
567. Joe Mozzi -Cpl at Norwich University. Contracted with the United States Marine Corps
568. TJ O'Malley - Cpl. at Norwich University.
569. Jesse Dunn - Cpl. at Norwich University and Army Cadet
570. Rebekah
571. 1st Sgt. Dundon - GET SOME ! - All gave some; some gave all. Remember those who give you the right to speak your mind, you have freedom. But exercise it wisely .. or I'll beat your ass
572. Laura-- my prayers go out to the troops.
573.cpl garrett , oorah kick some ass troops
574. Wesley G. Hill Officer Candidate and Sergeant of MARINES
575. Mike McDaniel- USMC
576. Elizabeth McDaniel- Proud Marine Wife
577. Kayla Reynolds Porud Ex USMC Marine Finace
578. Grey Foser- California Law Enforcement and and advocate of pride in our country that provides the freedoms that some people unfortunately take advantage of and do things like this.
579. Cpl. Hardison, John J. - USMC
580. Whitney Hardison- Proud Marine Wife, Toughest Job in the Corps!!!!!!
581. Cpl. Smeck, Andrew L.- USMC
582. Sgt. Smeck, Nicholas W. -USMC
583....jenn canning
584. Chris Taylor- California Firefigher
585. Matt Rau Contractor
586. Sean McCarthy
587. Paul Dahlen
588. Jessica Lewis-my boyfriend is at Basic right now for Army National Guard, preparing to do what he can to help protect this country. I am damn proud of him and his choice to help others help us. Ya'll should be ashamed of yourselves for maligning these wonderful, proud people. I am very proud of him and all the other men and women out there doing their part to protect us, so the question is:what are you doing for the people of this country?
589. Gara Pomeroy
590 Kari Townsend
591 Diane Townsend
592 Rona Townsed
593 Susan Devan
594. S.Marie~
595.Sherry Wozniak (PROUD AIR FORCE WIFE)
596.Maleia Nyberg~Friend and family member of the troops~
597.Sarah Garcia usmc wife
598.Roxy and chester
599. Benito GArcia usmc Sgt
600. Ashley Lewis - USMC
601. Lcpl Steve Hawkins- USMC
"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,
Jesus Christ and the American G. I. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom"
602. Allison Kasal - u guys all rock my socks off, miss you especially, timothy miller!
603. Spc. Jeff Hurst-U.S. Army~Infantry
604.jessica-prayers got out to u guys and girls
605. Rob Jennings- no one should be hated for risking their life to protect our freedoms
606. Lee Chalmers- my brother is in the army damnit
607. PFC Chalmers, Alex C- U.S. ARMY INFANTRY
608. Spc. Randy L Davis-US Army INFANTRY
609. PFC Christopher W Brack- US Army INFANTRY
610. PV2 Ryan F Aulbach-US Army INFANTRY
611.PFC Jamie C. Petraszewsky-US Army INFANTRY
612.SPC(P) Mark A. Gandar - US ARMY INFANTRY
613. CPL (P) Brian Gualt- US ARMY INFANTRY
614. Jennifer Gandar - US ARMY INFANTRY WIFE
615. Terry Carter- US ARMY INFANTRY MOTHER-IN-LAW
616. Kaleb Gandar- THE GANDAR BABY SAYS FUCK YOU HATERS " ARMY STRONG'
617.Kimberly Swearingen
618.Jonathan Hernandez
619.Kayleigh Jolie Hernandez
620. Ida Lynn Gallardo
621. Rene Aguilar
622. Nayeli Alessandra Aguilar
623. *******PROUD ARMY WIFE LATOYA JOHNS*********** FUCK ALL YOU HATERS YOU DON'T LIKE KEEP IT TO YOURSELF OK THEY ARE THE REASON FOR YOUR FREEDOM !!!!
IF YOU DON'T STAND BEHIND OUT TROOPS FEEL FREE TO STAND IN FRONT OF THEM!!!!!
YEAH SEE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO STAND IN FRONT OF THEM YALL ARE JUST A WHOLE BUNCHA PUSSIES OTHERWISE YALL WOULD BE WHERE MY HUSBAND IS WEARING ACU'S AND FIGHTING FOR A LOT OF JACKASSES FREEDOM SOMETIME I WONDER WHY HE IS DOING THIS......
624. ***********PROUD ARMY BRAT JAXON KOLE JOHNS************
625. Cat Rivera(my friend is in the Army, along with my cousins that are in the army and marines) so to all them ppl that are haters: lets see you get out there and do something!!
626. Shane Ford
627. AMBER HARTMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
628.~heather brooks~ PROUD AIR FORCE WIFE!!!!
629. Abbey Norgrant Born and raised military
630. SSgt Phillip Chastain (USAF)...Keep this in mind; we never want to go to war. But when the time comes we do it proudly to defend what is rightfully ours. The men and women who are overseas right now would love nothing more than to come home to friends and family who love and support them. This is our way of supporting them while they are laying their lives on the line in a place which resembles your worst nightmare. SO EXERCISE SOME SENSITIVITY AND BE GLAD YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BITCH ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! I'LL BET NONE OF YOU WOULD EVER HAVE THE BALLS TO STAND UP FOR THE COUNTRY'S FREEDOM, SO SHUT THE HELL UP!
631. SSgt Chad Calahan (USAF) nicely put Chaz!!
632. Justin Cross USN enlisted NOT drafted
633. AME1 AW Richard Brickey, USN Voluntary, not mandatory! If I could speak for my entire squadron (VFA-2) I would.
634. AO2(AW) Michael Fountain, USN
635. Jeremiah Buchanan
636. Melissa Halstead
637. Jacob Garcia
638. Michelle E.( USMC Daughter& Sister)
639. David E.
640. Ashley Johnson Army Ranger Neice
641.Tony Smith FREEDOM isnt Free!!! proud of the men and women doing a job well done
642. Mark & Kenleigh Boone (children of Army National Guard soldier)
643. Jenna Zeigler - Sister of USAF Soldier
644.K Ginn- US Army wife
645 K. Bair-US Army wife
645 2LT Kenneth Smith- US Army Soldier and brother to a Marine
646. W01 Matthew J. Scott- US Army Aviator
647. WO1 D. Jeremy Milliman- US Army Aviator ...get a job u left-wing whores!!
647. Proud Army Pilot's Wife J'Aime` Stevenson
648.Screamin Demon Tattoos.proud of my country and those who have the balls to potect my freedom
649. A. Schultz - Mind boggling as to why people would speak bad of those that protect and serve. it is because of them we have the right to live freely as well as openly display bad judgement.- got me!! Oh N #152..I gotta say ure not much better in what you say. I totally take offence to your tree huggin comment. I may not serve but I stand by you and for you to badmouth others...What is the point we are trying to prove here?
650. Melissa Gullion.....We do not need people like this in the world God Bless all of out Military Men, Women, and Families
651. Amn Jason Rodriquez, God Bless those who protect the freedom we all have!!!
652. Michael Sherman-AF brat
653. Sue Sherman-Military Wife
654. Charles Sherman-Retired USAF MSgt
655. A1C Robert Sherman
656. Jennifer Tarble-USAF Dependant
I am proud of all of our military men and women serving our nation and protecting what many take for granted every day. Screw those who are against them and are too retarded to see the good that our troops are doing!!!
657. Kevin Porras, A1C, US, AFSOC
658. Brittany Hogan, USAF dependent, USMC sister-in-law
659. Casi Krog, USAF spouse...if you don't believe such a site could exsist, go to search and look it up by display name.
660. Misty O'Quinn, US Citizen who is very proud of the brave men and women who will stand up and FIGHT for our rights. God Bless our troops.
661. Hayley Pinkowski...Military Wife.. Support our Troops.. Bless those who serve and protect for our freedom
662. Jennifer Majors ~ Where would our country be without our brave troops? We should ship those who say F*CK troops to Iraq and see what they have to say then!
663. Amy Majors ~ I agree with Jen. Everyone who says fuck the Troops, should be sent to iraq. We have to protect ourselfs before situations get out of hand. Thank You all the Military Men and Women surving... Thank you
664. Justin Bunting ~ Although I may not agree with why we're still over there, I'll always support the ever-defending troops...God Bless. I have friends in the Aiforce, and I was a military brat growing up. Get this group outta here!
Friday, November 10, 2006
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
On military bulletins...
I've received 2 military related bulletins today on MySpace, and the second one just finally pissed me off enough to blow off a little steam. I haven't posted on this topic in quite awhile, so I guess maybe I was due for a little rant. ;-)
My responses (as should be obvious) are below in italic.
My responses (as should be obvious) are below in italic.
I'm going to post a point by point rebuttal to some of these statements as a "food for thought" type polemic.
Think.
Read to the end before you snap back...
-------------------------
Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes.
He stays up for days on end.
You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.
As do hundreds of thousands of civilians, whose infrastructure we bombed into oblivion, directly and indirectly taking the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people.
You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.
You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.
I wouldn't wear a "don't support the troops" shirt, and it's incredibly stupid to think that not supporting the war means that you don't support the troops. Those soldiers are a bunch of men and women who signed up to defend an ideal... freedom and liberty... and they're putting their lives on the line in the belief that that is what they're defending. Whether or not they understand the full weight of what they're doing, their intentions are generally for the best, and to put their lives on the line for that deserves respect. But that doesn't mean that if someone disagrees with the government policy that has sent good men and women to die for no good reason, that they don't support those men and women. It is the same mentality that cannot understand what true patriotism actually is... and who believe that questioning the actions of the current administration is unpatriotic, when the very founding fathers themselves made it clear that to be a patriot was to question that very government, to be ever vigilant... that sometimes the blood of patriots must be shed to show that government who is actually in charge... THE PEOPLE of the United States... the government exists for no other purpose than to serve the people and the constitution of the United States of America, NOT the other way around.
Not to mention that he is NOT fighting for my right to wear that shirt. Our country is not and was not EVER under attack by Saddam Hussein OR Iraq. Our Freedoms are not under attack by any foreign power... they are under attack by our own government, which is plain to see for anyone who actually takes the time to look at the legislation that has been passed over the past few years, and just how many of your constitutional rights have vanished. You have been completely hoodwinked and blinded to who the real enemy is here. These men and women, however honorable their intentions, are fighting a war for a very difference reason, a reason decided and enforced by the current administration, not by the soldiers themselves... and again, even if the soldiers do believe they're fighting for that reason... they're not. Iraq/Saddam are not the enemy... they are not the ones that attacked us... and even the ones who did have at least in part, valid reasons for their attack that the government and many of the people either cannot see, or refuse to see.
You need to understand these things much more thoroughly (if you do at all) before you condemn or praise those involved.
You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
Just another reminder that a large part of this war is a matter of religious dogma and not rationality or truth.
That goes in part to the fact that Bush had launched this war believing that God told him to do so... and believing that we essentially have some divine moral high ground that ensures our victory... this is the same kind of mindset that the other side has... they BOTH believe in figments of their imaginations, and they BOTH believe ABSOLUTELY that they are Just and Right and WILL PREVAIL etc... both are convinced 100% that the other side is wrong, that the other side CANNOT be right, because that would mean giving up their own fairy tale belief in religion. It is a No Win situation until rational thinkers can bury this scourge of irrational superstitious nonsense and get the world to wake up to the reality of the modern day.
You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
And it's our fault that his friends are dying? We who oppose them having been sent there to die, and not the actual government who made that decision, against the majority will of the people? What kind of backwards thinking is that? Seriously.
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
Again, how is this our fault?
You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.
Yet another case of "not my fault, I didn't want him there to begin with. There's no good reason for him to be there. blame the government that sent him, not me". Starting to catch on yet?
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.
I call bullshit on that one. The military is very well stocked, and if you want to cry about him maybe missing a meal, then maybe you should take a look at the many thousands that have died of starvation due to their homes, stores, water supplies, hospitals and so on... all being bombed into rubble. Actually go and learn about the hundreds of thousands who have died, and the conditions which led to their deaths... and then you bitch about a soldier missing a few meals while on patrol, if it even happens.
You need to get your perspective straight.
Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.
A MAID? Since when do I have a maid... and what on earth would it have to do with a soldier in Iraq, even if I did? Nothing. Again, another straw man statement that means nothing. Remember, I didn't send him there and even while he's there, he's not fighting for my freedom... at most he's fighting to keep my gasoline cheap... something that he's basically failed at doing. If he wanted to fight people that are more of a threat to the US, he'd be in Syria or Iran or any number of other places, fighting fundamentalist Islam, and our government would be fighting religious fundamentalism the world over, not simply breeding our own version of the same sickness domestically.
You people are so far off the base with this tripe that it's horribly disheartening.
You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
Another straw man, not to mention that I've shaved my own head for the past 10 years plus... and that it's misleading to say he doesn't have time to brush his teeth today... the military are trained that proper oral hygiene is paramount and they are provided with the necessary supplies. And I highly doubt that missing brushing your teeth here and there is going to be that big of a deal. Extenuating circumstances.
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.
And this is a good point... but again a responsibility that lies firmly on the shoulders of the government who betrayed the trust of it's own soldiers under false pretenses and used a backdoor clause to force them in for extended tours because they needed the extra bodies to fight their war for them. I didn't want them there to begin with.
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
Again, place the blame where it belongs, not with the people who never wanted them far from home and dying in the first place.
You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.
See above... again.
You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet
See above... again.
You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.
WHAT!? This coming from a government who has flat out stated that we are not beholden to the Geneva conventions or laws of war and who admit to torture and who have actually passed new laws to ensure that we can torture prisoners of war and not be accountable to any international human rights bodies etc...
This statement is THE height of HYPOCRISY.
We have caused the deaths of over 100 TIMES as many as Saddam ever killed... in a SECULAR country that was actually one of the most stable in the region... turning it into a graveyard and the hottest breeding ground in the region, if not the world, for terrorist activity. We have created and exacerbated a problem far FAR beyond anything we claimed to be solving.
You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.
I've never done any such thing. And as for the screams... when you consider that we've killed over 100 TIMES as many of them as they have us, and that 60% of those deaths have been children... I think you'll forgive me a lack of pity here.
You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.
I couldn't agree with this more.
You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told.
And while, as I've said before, I respect the reason he believes he's fighting... I feel that one of the main problems today is this mindless, blind obedience to the government... to authority figures. People need to start THINKING... to understand the history and the FACTS that have led us to this point... and to use their own minds to make informed, rational decisions... and have the spines to act on those.
You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.
I don't watch TV. I don't have cable. But that's beside the point. Again, any discomfort he feels is the fault of the government for sending him there... and perhaps I'd feel more compassion for him if he really were defending my freedom and liberty... but to do that, he'd have to not be blindly obedient and would honestly have to be here, in the US, fighting to overthrow our own government, abolish all these laws lately that have overridden the constitution and take us back to the kind of free country that the founding fathers intended... to actually fight for my rights. What is going on today couldn't be farther from the "truth" the government does it's damnedest to try to convince you of.
You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gunfire.
*sigh*... these meaningless comparisons get REALLY OLD when you're not enough of a sheep to swallow them hook line and sinker without thinking.
You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse place because of men like him.
If only there were more men like him!
Again, I commend the soldiers who sign up to the military believing that they'll be making the world a better place. That they'll be defending Freedom and Liberty... those are noble ideals... but the truth is far from the belief... it is not always so... but sadly, with the US... it is almost always the case that good men and women die because of lies... because of money... for any reasons but freedom and liberty. I guess such is often the case when a government can spend the lives of it's youth as easily as it spends our tax dollars...
As Stalin said "the death of one man is a tragedy... the death of a million is but a statistic."
Food for thought.
And as a footnote... if you really want to do a service to your country as a patriot... try going and reading about the founding of our country... read the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence. Read the Federalist Papers... the works of Jefferson and Washington... understand the turmoil and the bloodshed that surrounded the founding of this country...
I want to leave you with a few quotes to contrast... and see if you can't get an idea who had a better idea of what true freedom and liberty actually was...
"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost." --Thomas Jefferson
"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." --Thomas Jefferson
"We are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it." --Thomas Jefferson
"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson
"Delay is preferable to error." --Thomas Jefferson
"God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ... What country before ever existed a century and half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." --Thomas Jefferson
"I am really mortified to be told that, in the United States of America, a fact like this can become a subject of inquiry, and of criminal inquiry too, as an offence against religion; that a question about the sale of a book can be carried before the civil magistrate. Is this then our freedom of religion? and are we to have a censor whose imprimatur shall say what books may be sold, and what we may buy? And who is thus to dogmatize religious opinions for our citizens? Whose foot is to be the measure to which ours are all to be cut or stretched? Is a priest to be our inquisitor, or shall a layman, simple as ourselves, set up his reason as the rule for what we are to read, and what we must believe? It is an insult to our citizens to question whether they are rational beings or not, and blasphemy against religion to suppose it cannot stand the test of truth and reason." --Thomas Jefferson
"You don't get everything you want. A dictatorship would be a lot easier... So long as I'm the dictator." --George W. Bush
"I think people attack me because they are fearful that I will then say that you're not equally as patriotic if you're not a religious person. ... I've never said that. I've never acted like that. I think that's just the way it is." --George W. Bush
"There ought to be limits to freedom." --George W. Bush
etc.
As always... read, learn, educate yourselves.
Thank you for taking the time to read this far.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
On Lew Rockwell, George Washington and Liberal Commies etc.
I wrote an e-mail to my boss this afternoon in response to a comment he made about an article I was reading. First he said that he thought the article was bullshit... and then when he saw that it was on LewRockwell.com, he said "Isn't he a Liberal Commie?" etc.
For the record, I generally agree with what the guy in the article wrote, having been on both sides of both the airline situation and the police situation. I've been lied about blatantly by police officers in their own attempt to justify their treatment of you, and I've been through airports since 9/11 and had things like my nailfile confiscated... although that pales in comparison to the man and his wife's treatment in the article. Luckily in my run-in with the police, where the officers wrote that I was prowling in some lady's yard, that lady just happened to be my mothers bible study teacher and I had babysat her children in the past etc. Our family's were good friends. She wrote a rather scathing letter to the court backing up my side of the story and the court dropped all charges. I was rather upset about that for a number of years until I was jumped by a few ex-prison convicts and the law was on my side... I saw the officers as generally good guys trying to do the right thing. I think I have a pretty balanced view of them at this point.
But anyway... lest I digress as usual into a diatribe about how airport security is a result of "terrorism", which is the result of US Foreign Policy etc... and the ensuing pages of vitriol about our government blah blah blah.... I'll leave it with what I started this post for. ;-)
I'll probably be back later with a post about Washington's Farewell Address once I get a chance to read and digest it.
I have a lot of studying to do on history and politics and the philosophical justifications behind many related ideologies etc... I've been taking some time off to do more of the proverbial "listening" than "talking". I felt like I needed to just keep my mouth shut for awhile and spend more time soaking up information and mulling it over... re-evaluating my stance in issues etc.
Until next time...
For the record, I generally agree with what the guy in the article wrote, having been on both sides of both the airline situation and the police situation. I've been lied about blatantly by police officers in their own attempt to justify their treatment of you, and I've been through airports since 9/11 and had things like my nailfile confiscated... although that pales in comparison to the man and his wife's treatment in the article. Luckily in my run-in with the police, where the officers wrote that I was prowling in some lady's yard, that lady just happened to be my mothers bible study teacher and I had babysat her children in the past etc. Our family's were good friends. She wrote a rather scathing letter to the court backing up my side of the story and the court dropped all charges. I was rather upset about that for a number of years until I was jumped by a few ex-prison convicts and the law was on my side... I saw the officers as generally good guys trying to do the right thing. I think I have a pretty balanced view of them at this point.
But anyway... lest I digress as usual into a diatribe about how airport security is a result of "terrorism", which is the result of US Foreign Policy etc... and the ensuing pages of vitriol about our government blah blah blah.... I'll leave it with what I started this post for. ;-)
http://lewrockwell.com/about.html
I think you'll find that quite different from what you thought. Definitely not a "Liberal Commie" as you put it.
I'm still studying on Hobbes and Lockes views on social welfare versus personal "liberty" etc, but in the meantime, I think that I tend to find pros and cons on both sides... and I think that we unfortunately face a lot of the issue we do today simply because people can't separate the issues from the respective views held by the diametrically opposed camps of the Democratic and Republican parties. I think one of the prime manifestations of that today is the fact that Republican Conservatism transformed from it's traditional meaning of fiscal conservatism to the current meaning of social (religious) conservatism... and along with that, the core of policy in America today made a rather pronounced shift to the (religious) right, something I have a problem with simply because of the resultant infringements upon personal freedom in the US as government policy seeks to regulate more and more areas of life based on their perceived right to legislate their personal religious morality onto everyone else, regardless of personal rights, religious beliefs or even of any factual rational merit etc.
So it's very difficult today to say whether or not you're a Republican, because it's quite difficult to nail down exactly what that means right now. And while I think that Democrats are still pretty much the same as they've been for decades, even the nature of that party was once rather contrasted to it's modern incarnation. Almost as though the Republican and Democratic parties had flip-flopped.
Personally I won't vote for either "main" party.
I haven't read the entire document yet, but I believe this topic was addressed in some respects in George Washington's 1796 Farewell Address.
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/washing.htm
But I digress... ;-)
I'll probably be back later with a post about Washington's Farewell Address once I get a chance to read and digest it.
I have a lot of studying to do on history and politics and the philosophical justifications behind many related ideologies etc... I've been taking some time off to do more of the proverbial "listening" than "talking". I felt like I needed to just keep my mouth shut for awhile and spend more time soaking up information and mulling it over... re-evaluating my stance in issues etc.
Until next time...
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Defining myself.
I was just drifting off to sleep and in the course of my thinking, I had some ideas about how I define myself... and I wanted to make sure I "wrote them down".
I define myself not by where I was born, or the color of my skin, or who my ancestors were...
but by who I am, and what I believe. By the content of my own mind and how I relate the the world around me as a whole.
I find that I stand in stark contrast to many people where I work, who define themselves very strictly to the color of their skin, to who their ancestors were or are... and where they live, how they grew up etc.
I find it to be very small and artificial. Like children trying to find their identity... clinging to the latest styles of clothes to be popular... watching what you say, how you dress, what music you listen to... trying to fit in.
Then you grow up and realize that none of that really matters that much. Unfortunately people still require you to dress certain ways for work, or special occasions... and these are things that I also have problems with, but in a culture, there are certain rules of social interaction etc.
The point being... you stop defining yourself so much by others as you grow up. You start defining yourself and being your own person.
I see those around me now as not really defining themselves, but playing artificial roles to try to give meaning to their lives. When really these things don't mean much, or really don't mean anything at all. Playing to ancient superstitions and to wrongs that were never done to you... taking a stand against people who never wronged you... drawing artificial lines just to have something to push against...
I thought of it today when I made a comment about how my grandfather was a dutchman... and how it made me stop to think that maybe I shouldn't have said he was dutch... because of who I was speaking to. But frankly it's irrelevant to me... it's a part of who he was.. it was a story. I'm not going to alter my story to try to make myself fit in better with those that I'm talking to, and I feel that that is what the people here do. They focus on a particular part of their lives... even a miniscule one... and try to emphasize that.
These people hang dreamweavers all over, and eagle feathers, and pictures of wolves etc... but they drive modern cars, live in modern houses, wear modern clothes, use modern medicine, work modern jobs... they are trying to maintain an artificial facade of culture to try to make themselves feel relevant... to feel part of something. Most of the people are maybe 1/4 tribal. 3/4th of their blood is European or African American etc... and they try to bury that part like it doesn't exist... like they're 100% native american... as though even THAT has ANYTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH WHO THEY ARE TODAY.
I'm half german... I don't go around trying to learn German to continue my heritage... I don't wear german clothes and hang the german flag on my wall... I don't believe in ancient germanic religions etc... none of these things are really relevant to me. They don't change who I am... and frankly, some of the older stuff like the religion etc... are simply superstitious nonsense that I have grown out of.
I define myself by studying everything around me and working for what I see as the benefit of humanity as a whole in relation to the universe we live in. I look at "race" as an artificial construct to describe arbitrary lines drawn in the sand between what are essentially branches towards speciation within our species caused by time and geographic separation. Things which are rapidly becoming less of an influence... and as a result of this, our genes are mixing more, lines blurring... both physically and culturally.
Race is an arbitrary idea that simply promotes agendas... generally detrimental ones. It's like the idea of "life" beginning at conception. The very concept "life" being used in that sense is one laden with religious symbolism. Not the scientific concept of life, which is much more ethereal, and is really something that developed over billions of years and has simply been passed on. It doesn't "begin at conception", and that very notion is simply a requisite of the belief in a spiritual soul... that God must have to pick a certain point at which to imbue this new "person" with a new "soul" etc. These are just simple minded fictional creations of the human mind and really have nothing to do with the physical reality of the process.
Race is similar to this. Sure when you consider geographically isolated groups, or more specifically, tracking the spread of mankind over the globe since our birth in northern Africa, you can see how our species has adapted to different climates, from hot and humid to hot and arid, or cold and dry.. or very sunny... or much less so... and how our statures have changed based on the food sources available, or our skin color to compensate for prolonged exposure to sunlight... as well as our eye color... or our nasal structures in relation to body temperature and air temperature and humidity.
It's like a rainbow.... where do you draw a hard line separating one distinct color from another? You can't... you have to make one up because it doesn't exist... it's just one continuous gradient from one end of the spectrum to the other... and all part of the same whole... which is in turn part of a larger whole... life on earth.
It's amazing sometimes to think how life could be if we spent our time trying to solve the greater mysteries of the real world we lived in and stopped defining ourselves by figments of our imaginations, and devoting countless days of our lives in servitude to wishful thinking no more real or relevant to humanity and it's place in the universe than the Easter Bunny.
I define myself not by where I was born, or the color of my skin, or who my ancestors were...
but by who I am, and what I believe. By the content of my own mind and how I relate the the world around me as a whole.
I find that I stand in stark contrast to many people where I work, who define themselves very strictly to the color of their skin, to who their ancestors were or are... and where they live, how they grew up etc.
I find it to be very small and artificial. Like children trying to find their identity... clinging to the latest styles of clothes to be popular... watching what you say, how you dress, what music you listen to... trying to fit in.
Then you grow up and realize that none of that really matters that much. Unfortunately people still require you to dress certain ways for work, or special occasions... and these are things that I also have problems with, but in a culture, there are certain rules of social interaction etc.
The point being... you stop defining yourself so much by others as you grow up. You start defining yourself and being your own person.
I see those around me now as not really defining themselves, but playing artificial roles to try to give meaning to their lives. When really these things don't mean much, or really don't mean anything at all. Playing to ancient superstitions and to wrongs that were never done to you... taking a stand against people who never wronged you... drawing artificial lines just to have something to push against...
I thought of it today when I made a comment about how my grandfather was a dutchman... and how it made me stop to think that maybe I shouldn't have said he was dutch... because of who I was speaking to. But frankly it's irrelevant to me... it's a part of who he was.. it was a story. I'm not going to alter my story to try to make myself fit in better with those that I'm talking to, and I feel that that is what the people here do. They focus on a particular part of their lives... even a miniscule one... and try to emphasize that.
These people hang dreamweavers all over, and eagle feathers, and pictures of wolves etc... but they drive modern cars, live in modern houses, wear modern clothes, use modern medicine, work modern jobs... they are trying to maintain an artificial facade of culture to try to make themselves feel relevant... to feel part of something. Most of the people are maybe 1/4 tribal. 3/4th of their blood is European or African American etc... and they try to bury that part like it doesn't exist... like they're 100% native american... as though even THAT has ANYTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH WHO THEY ARE TODAY.
I'm half german... I don't go around trying to learn German to continue my heritage... I don't wear german clothes and hang the german flag on my wall... I don't believe in ancient germanic religions etc... none of these things are really relevant to me. They don't change who I am... and frankly, some of the older stuff like the religion etc... are simply superstitious nonsense that I have grown out of.
I define myself by studying everything around me and working for what I see as the benefit of humanity as a whole in relation to the universe we live in. I look at "race" as an artificial construct to describe arbitrary lines drawn in the sand between what are essentially branches towards speciation within our species caused by time and geographic separation. Things which are rapidly becoming less of an influence... and as a result of this, our genes are mixing more, lines blurring... both physically and culturally.
Race is an arbitrary idea that simply promotes agendas... generally detrimental ones. It's like the idea of "life" beginning at conception. The very concept "life" being used in that sense is one laden with religious symbolism. Not the scientific concept of life, which is much more ethereal, and is really something that developed over billions of years and has simply been passed on. It doesn't "begin at conception", and that very notion is simply a requisite of the belief in a spiritual soul... that God must have to pick a certain point at which to imbue this new "person" with a new "soul" etc. These are just simple minded fictional creations of the human mind and really have nothing to do with the physical reality of the process.
Race is similar to this. Sure when you consider geographically isolated groups, or more specifically, tracking the spread of mankind over the globe since our birth in northern Africa, you can see how our species has adapted to different climates, from hot and humid to hot and arid, or cold and dry.. or very sunny... or much less so... and how our statures have changed based on the food sources available, or our skin color to compensate for prolonged exposure to sunlight... as well as our eye color... or our nasal structures in relation to body temperature and air temperature and humidity.
It's like a rainbow.... where do you draw a hard line separating one distinct color from another? You can't... you have to make one up because it doesn't exist... it's just one continuous gradient from one end of the spectrum to the other... and all part of the same whole... which is in turn part of a larger whole... life on earth.
It's amazing sometimes to think how life could be if we spent our time trying to solve the greater mysteries of the real world we lived in and stopped defining ourselves by figments of our imaginations, and devoting countless days of our lives in servitude to wishful thinking no more real or relevant to humanity and it's place in the universe than the Easter Bunny.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Top Ten signs you're a Christian.
TOP TEN SIGNS YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN
10- You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of your god.
9- You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from lesser life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt
8- You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Trinity god
7- Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" -- including women, children, and trees!
6- You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.
5- You are willing to spend your life looking for little loop-holes in the scientifically established age of the Earth (4.55 billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by pre-historic tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that the Earth is a couple of generations old.
4- You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs -- though excluding those in all rival sects -- will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet you consider your religion the most "tolerant" and "loving".
3- While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in "tongues" may be all the evidence you need to prove Christianity.
2- You define 0.01% as a "high success rate" when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.
1- You actually know a lot less than many Atheists and Agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history -- but still call yourself a Christian
10- You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of your god.
9- You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from lesser life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt
8- You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Trinity god
7- Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" -- including women, children, and trees!
6- You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.
5- You are willing to spend your life looking for little loop-holes in the scientifically established age of the Earth (4.55 billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by pre-historic tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that the Earth is a couple of generations old.
4- You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs -- though excluding those in all rival sects -- will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet you consider your religion the most "tolerant" and "loving".
3- While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in "tongues" may be all the evidence you need to prove Christianity.
2- You define 0.01% as a "high success rate" when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.
1- You actually know a lot less than many Atheists and Agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history -- but still call yourself a Christian
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
I couldn't say it better.
I'm practically speechless.
This better illustrates why I hate religion than I could possibly express.
Shirley Phelps-Roper on Hannity & Colmes.
If you don't know who she is, then I suggest you read up a little on the Westboro Baptist Church.
This isn't insanity, this is the result of actually believing and following what Christianity teaches. The sad part is, she's still falling a bit short of God's commandments! She'll have to actually start murdering people to really obey "The Lord Her God". The only reason modern Christians don't do this, and make no mistake, they were still doing this even 150 years ago, is because they have learned that a whole lot of the bible is simply bullshit and have ceased paying attention to it. The only reason the religion is any good at all today is because people don't follow it! And that's not saying that it's really any good anyway.
Just watch the video. Yay religion.
*sheesh* :(
(I've been posting tons of verses from the bible to illustrate this stuff on another forum lately... so I'm a little heated about stupid religious people right now. As a matter of fact, this video was linked to by a guy Merlin that I've been arguing about tolerance for Islam with.)
This better illustrates why I hate religion than I could possibly express.
Shirley Phelps-Roper on Hannity & Colmes.
If you don't know who she is, then I suggest you read up a little on the Westboro Baptist Church.
This isn't insanity, this is the result of actually believing and following what Christianity teaches. The sad part is, she's still falling a bit short of God's commandments! She'll have to actually start murdering people to really obey "The Lord Her God". The only reason modern Christians don't do this, and make no mistake, they were still doing this even 150 years ago, is because they have learned that a whole lot of the bible is simply bullshit and have ceased paying attention to it. The only reason the religion is any good at all today is because people don't follow it! And that's not saying that it's really any good anyway.
Just watch the video. Yay religion.
*sheesh* :(
(I've been posting tons of verses from the bible to illustrate this stuff on another forum lately... so I'm a little heated about stupid religious people right now. As a matter of fact, this video was linked to by a guy Merlin that I've been arguing about tolerance for Islam with.)
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Introspection.
Ok... I was a little drunk, sleep deprived and upset last night...
With a little sleep and introspection, I found a quote I'd saved that seemed quite fitting in light of the events of the past few days.
With a little sleep and introspection, I found a quote I'd saved that seemed quite fitting in light of the events of the past few days.
"So numerous indeed and so powerful are the causes which serve to give a false bias to the judgment, that we, upon many occasions, see wise and good men on the wrong as well as on the right side of questions of the first magnitude to society. This circumstance, if duly attended to, would furnish a lesson of moderation to those who are ever so much persuaded of their being in the right in any controversy. And a further reason for caution, in this respect, might be drawn from the reflection that we are not always sure that those who advocate the truth are influenced by purer principles than their antagonists. Ambition, avarice, personal animosity, party opposition, and many other motives not more laudable than these, are apt to operate as well upon those who support as those who oppose the right side of a question. Were there not even these inducements to moderation, nothing could be more ill-judged than that intolerant spirit which has, at all times, characterized political parties. For in politics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes by fire and sword. Heresies in either can rarely be cured by persecution."Nothing more need be said.
- Alexander Hamilton - Federalist Papers no.1
You'll never guess what happened. ;)
Banned.
All my posts locked.
The children maintain their power structure and avoid threats to their religious beliefs... even though in the end it was just a number of intelligent people discussing M-Theory, String theory, Super Massive Black Holes, Adaptive Optics... and *gasp* Pascal's wager etc.
I expected it, but it's always aggravating.
But what do you expect with cowardly Christians in power whose main goal is to supress dissent with ample evidence (by which I mean, dissenting and showing ample evidence for said dissent... not them having any evidence for supressing dissent by themselves showing any evidence. I feel I must be very clear on that). ;)
Luckily I've saved copies of the threads... so that I can post excerpts etc if I'm so inclined. There were some very interesting discussions.
Just one more reason to finish Phreadom.com where, like this blog, I welcome dissent and arguments etc... even "stupid" ones... and even Anonymously (and I've explained my reasons why in past posts).
I feel that any real debate brings about something positive in some sense or another... even if only to grant an insight into why someone believes something that you don't.
Moving on... as usual. ;)
All my posts locked.
The children maintain their power structure and avoid threats to their religious beliefs... even though in the end it was just a number of intelligent people discussing M-Theory, String theory, Super Massive Black Holes, Adaptive Optics... and *gasp* Pascal's wager etc.
I expected it, but it's always aggravating.
But what do you expect with cowardly Christians in power whose main goal is to supress dissent with ample evidence (by which I mean, dissenting and showing ample evidence for said dissent... not them having any evidence for supressing dissent by themselves showing any evidence. I feel I must be very clear on that). ;)
Luckily I've saved copies of the threads... so that I can post excerpts etc if I'm so inclined. There were some very interesting discussions.
Just one more reason to finish Phreadom.com where, like this blog, I welcome dissent and arguments etc... even "stupid" ones... and even Anonymously (and I've explained my reasons why in past posts).
I feel that any real debate brings about something positive in some sense or another... even if only to grant an insight into why someone believes something that you don't.
Moving on... as usual. ;)
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Priceless.
I'll let the following exchange stand on it's own. ;)
This is some of what I've been dealing with the past day or so in my discussions/debates on this forum. While this is admittedly the worst, the rest of my detractors haven't been much better.
Thankfully there have been some mature and/or intelligent people to carry on discussions with. :)
This is some of what I've been dealing with the past day or so in my discussions/debates on this forum. While this is admittedly the worst, the rest of my detractors haven't been much better.
Thankfully there have been some mature and/or intelligent people to carry on discussions with. :)
woahthere:
can some one ban him
myself:
If you don't like the thread, don't read it.
Quit whining.
"Someone is saying something I don't agree with! Because I'm incapable of making an intelligent argument against what he's saying, BAN HIM!"
Real mature there. *cough*
woahthere:
i dont even know what your talking about just sounds like aload of shit
myself:
So how about you either ask for an explanation of what you don't understand, or you stop reading it if all you're going to do is complain?
I mean, if you actually had a valid reason why you didn't agree with something I was saying, then at least you could have some constructive input to the conversation. I don't have a problem with intelligent constructive criticism. This is the reason why I don't just say "you're a fucking idiot", I give referenced examples illustrating my point and explanations that hopefully everyone can understand and learn from.
There's a big difference between just saying "you're stupid" and actually taking the time to write a detailed response with a listing of reference material to give an in-depth breakdown of the shortcomings of a person's particular beliefs etc.
As I've often said in the past "you calling me an asshole, and even me being an asshole, doesn't make what I'm saying wrong. you not liking facts doesn't change them."
woahthere:
all i saw was you riping into cgal because she is a christian. im not a christian but i dont go say bullshit about christianity, its what they bleave in so just leave um to it. TWAT
myself:
I only saw you attacking cgal because she is a Christian. I'm not a Christian, but I don't denigrate Christianity. It's their personal belief, so just let them have it in peace. *childish-expletive*
There... a little help for you.
Anyway... that little bit of banal tripe aside.... I believe I already covered in detail exactly why I didn't agree with the mantra of "let them be, they're not hurting anyone", and gave examples as to why etc.
I fear I'm going to have to stop bothering to respond to you... it's getting tiring having to point out that I've already posted things which render your subsequent comments invalid, but you post them anyway because you either cannot comprehend what I've written, or you're just too lazy to actually read a post before you bitch about it. I would hope for your sake you're just a lazy prick and not as retarded as your previous few comments would lead me to believe.
whoathere:
i dont even know what half the words you say mean, and there to long and full off bullshit to bother trying to find out what the fuck they mean so no i dont bother reading your posts.
myself:
I think that sums it up quite nicely. Thanks. :D
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
An example of this Ostrich complex.
See if you can't pick out the problem with her head in the sand approach.
Sadly it just makes her a stupid stubborn idiot, incapable of learning or growing and progressing as a knowledgeable human being.
Fucking Sheep. Gah... I swear.
No need to thank me. I have said it before and I will say it again....My God is an awesome God and NO ONE or NOTHING I read will EVER change my mind about that. It has nothing to do with courage to say it, well maybe it does in a sense, but it comes from my heart when I say I love my God and I am NOT ashamed to admit it!! I will not even attempt to change or convert anyone, and I will not get in a debate over religion, and I will NOT allow others beliefs to sway my own personal feelings.She somehow feels that by her saying this, that her beliefs are beyond reproach.
Thanks allsix, those were nice words you spoke to me.
Sadly it just makes her a stupid stubborn idiot, incapable of learning or growing and progressing as a knowledgeable human being.
Fucking Sheep. Gah... I swear.
Grumblies!
So I'm in a bit of a debate over on another forum...
There's a thread about Noah's ark on there... in response to CNN running an article about an anomoly in the snow on Mt.Ararat.
As usual, I had to step in and try to talk a little sense... but given the general mentality of the people on that forum, I wasn't as diplomatic as usual... *cough* ;)
One of the moderators made the comment that she believed in God, and someone else commended her for her courage in stating that belief... to which someone else responded that in the US, it was ridiculous to say that it took courage to state your belief in God. A very good point.
Before I got around to replying to that comment though, I had saw some comment from another moron about using the Bible as a guide for morality or something... to which I posted my usual list of fun ways to murder friends and loved ones per God's commands in the bible... with the relevant bible verses, so that they could read along.
Someone else said something about the Ark itself, and about fitting 2 of each animal in it for 40 days or something... to which I left a scathing comment about actually reading the bible and seeing that the whole story is much more in depth than that... it's 7 pair of every bird, 7 pair of every clean animal (for food), 2 of all the rest, food for all the animals, enough for the entire trip, plus samples of ALL food at the time, to reseed the earth, as they spent about a YEAR under water deep enough to cover the highest mountains on earth by over 20 feet. And then they repopulated the earth from just Noah, his wife, and their 3 kids and their wives. Little incest action populating the world for the SECOND time, according to the bible... if you again ignore the fact that Adam and Eve weren't the first people on earth for the first time... but this second time leaves little doubt that we all are supposedly descended from less than 10 individuals, seeding the entire earth, in just a few thousand years.
Sorry... I'm getting off on a rant because the BULLSHIT is getting so deep in here... it just gets me fired up.
I told the jackass to go learn his own fucking religion.
I told the moderator that she was a fucking idiot, and that rather than run off and avoid the topic, why doesn't she even make a tiny attempt to defend her ridiculous beliefs against the flood of damning evidence straight from her own bible that I'd presented. And that courage wasn't what she'd done, stating her belief in God in a nation whose motto is "In God We Trust", I said that COURAGE was what my post was... standing up in this Christian country and stating that you don't believe in the man in the clouds just because everyone else says they do. Courage is being an open unbeliever in this day and age.
The last thing I covered (before that last part actually), was the fact that the same guy that had commented about how it wasn't courage for her to state a belief in God in the United States today, that he didn't have anything against her faith etc.
I made the point that if you believe someones beliefs are fucking retarded, but that they have a freedom to believe those things, that somehow you don't have the right, or shouldn't state that their beliefs are stupid. I said what was the fucking point then? If someone has a right to believe something stupid in this country, then let's not forget that we also have the right to tell them they must have been sucking on a tail pipe or something to be that stupid.
It's not just the religion that's the problem here, it's the faith in that stupid religion, and we need to start holding people accountable for believing fairytale nonsense that wouldn't remotely pass the test of credulity in ANY other aspect of their lives! This faith, which is in conflict with the very cognitive functions that enable a person to live the rest of their lives outside of religion, corrodes a persons ability to think rationally... it creates the mental partitions, the lack of critical thinking skills... the inability to grasp certain concepts because of the self-induced short circuiting of their reasoning skills in order to avoid the cognitive dissonance of conflicting ideas... within one's self even.
I've covered all this shit before... suffice it to say, people need to be held accountable for ridiculously childish and ignorant, if not downright stupid, beliefs in regards to their religion, the same way we would if they believed that Black people were descended from Mud, and therefor were not human... or that the Holocaust of the Jews didn't happen at the hands of the Nazis... while some people certainly believe those things, the vast majority of us don't even give them the time of day... we see the body of historical and scientific evidence that completely crushes any rational notion of entertaining those ideas as remotely true. How is it so difficult to carry that same thought process on to this other area of ridiculous belief?
Hell, I even went on to talk about how pathetic it was that people would argue for the infallibility of their bible... of the inerrant word of God that could not be questioned... and then have them try to worm out of killing their friends and family and numerous other people as God very clearly COMMANDS them to do in the bible. They are all about trumping up the perfection and power of God's word when it suits them to need that type of contrived authority... but when it comes to actually obeying what that God commands?... that's when you hear the hemming and hawing... "well... those aren't really serious... and Jesus died for our sins, so we don't have to obey those anymore.."... Oh really. So you don't have to obey the Ten Commandments? Or you get to pick and choose which of God's commands to obey? And what makes one be absolutely binding, but in the very next verse, you just brush over it? And let's not forget that Jesus was very specific that you had to STILL obey ALL of God's law, until the end of time! Every Jot and Tittle. Your own bible very clearly refutes your pathetic excuses. You can't have it both ways... which is the very reason these people end up with muddled thought processes... they have to allow this area of their lives to be riddled with contradictions and stand in stark contrast to the rest of their lives... they have to numb themselves to the irrationality of it in order to maintain a belief in it. And the reward for this shutting off of their faculties is the feeling of being loved and safe... that they'll go to heaven when they die and that God loves them no matter what etc. Those warm fuzzy feelings, which are nothing more than a result of their own imagination and are scientifically understood, are the reinforcement they need to continue believing this way.
I'll have to track down some of the studies on the neurobiological effects of religious belief. Simply put, it's about the same as falling in love. Same chemical reactions in the brain. Positive reinforcement through basically having your brain dope itself up.
Fun times. *grumble*
There's a thread about Noah's ark on there... in response to CNN running an article about an anomoly in the snow on Mt.Ararat.
As usual, I had to step in and try to talk a little sense... but given the general mentality of the people on that forum, I wasn't as diplomatic as usual... *cough* ;)
One of the moderators made the comment that she believed in God, and someone else commended her for her courage in stating that belief... to which someone else responded that in the US, it was ridiculous to say that it took courage to state your belief in God. A very good point.
Before I got around to replying to that comment though, I had saw some comment from another moron about using the Bible as a guide for morality or something... to which I posted my usual list of fun ways to murder friends and loved ones per God's commands in the bible... with the relevant bible verses, so that they could read along.
Someone else said something about the Ark itself, and about fitting 2 of each animal in it for 40 days or something... to which I left a scathing comment about actually reading the bible and seeing that the whole story is much more in depth than that... it's 7 pair of every bird, 7 pair of every clean animal (for food), 2 of all the rest, food for all the animals, enough for the entire trip, plus samples of ALL food at the time, to reseed the earth, as they spent about a YEAR under water deep enough to cover the highest mountains on earth by over 20 feet. And then they repopulated the earth from just Noah, his wife, and their 3 kids and their wives. Little incest action populating the world for the SECOND time, according to the bible... if you again ignore the fact that Adam and Eve weren't the first people on earth for the first time... but this second time leaves little doubt that we all are supposedly descended from less than 10 individuals, seeding the entire earth, in just a few thousand years.
Sorry... I'm getting off on a rant because the BULLSHIT is getting so deep in here... it just gets me fired up.
I told the jackass to go learn his own fucking religion.
I told the moderator that she was a fucking idiot, and that rather than run off and avoid the topic, why doesn't she even make a tiny attempt to defend her ridiculous beliefs against the flood of damning evidence straight from her own bible that I'd presented. And that courage wasn't what she'd done, stating her belief in God in a nation whose motto is "In God We Trust", I said that COURAGE was what my post was... standing up in this Christian country and stating that you don't believe in the man in the clouds just because everyone else says they do. Courage is being an open unbeliever in this day and age.
The last thing I covered (before that last part actually), was the fact that the same guy that had commented about how it wasn't courage for her to state a belief in God in the United States today, that he didn't have anything against her faith etc.
I made the point that if you believe someones beliefs are fucking retarded, but that they have a freedom to believe those things, that somehow you don't have the right, or shouldn't state that their beliefs are stupid. I said what was the fucking point then? If someone has a right to believe something stupid in this country, then let's not forget that we also have the right to tell them they must have been sucking on a tail pipe or something to be that stupid.
It's not just the religion that's the problem here, it's the faith in that stupid religion, and we need to start holding people accountable for believing fairytale nonsense that wouldn't remotely pass the test of credulity in ANY other aspect of their lives! This faith, which is in conflict with the very cognitive functions that enable a person to live the rest of their lives outside of religion, corrodes a persons ability to think rationally... it creates the mental partitions, the lack of critical thinking skills... the inability to grasp certain concepts because of the self-induced short circuiting of their reasoning skills in order to avoid the cognitive dissonance of conflicting ideas... within one's self even.
I've covered all this shit before... suffice it to say, people need to be held accountable for ridiculously childish and ignorant, if not downright stupid, beliefs in regards to their religion, the same way we would if they believed that Black people were descended from Mud, and therefor were not human... or that the Holocaust of the Jews didn't happen at the hands of the Nazis... while some people certainly believe those things, the vast majority of us don't even give them the time of day... we see the body of historical and scientific evidence that completely crushes any rational notion of entertaining those ideas as remotely true. How is it so difficult to carry that same thought process on to this other area of ridiculous belief?
Hell, I even went on to talk about how pathetic it was that people would argue for the infallibility of their bible... of the inerrant word of God that could not be questioned... and then have them try to worm out of killing their friends and family and numerous other people as God very clearly COMMANDS them to do in the bible. They are all about trumping up the perfection and power of God's word when it suits them to need that type of contrived authority... but when it comes to actually obeying what that God commands?... that's when you hear the hemming and hawing... "well... those aren't really serious... and Jesus died for our sins, so we don't have to obey those anymore.."... Oh really. So you don't have to obey the Ten Commandments? Or you get to pick and choose which of God's commands to obey? And what makes one be absolutely binding, but in the very next verse, you just brush over it? And let's not forget that Jesus was very specific that you had to STILL obey ALL of God's law, until the end of time! Every Jot and Tittle. Your own bible very clearly refutes your pathetic excuses. You can't have it both ways... which is the very reason these people end up with muddled thought processes... they have to allow this area of their lives to be riddled with contradictions and stand in stark contrast to the rest of their lives... they have to numb themselves to the irrationality of it in order to maintain a belief in it. And the reward for this shutting off of their faculties is the feeling of being loved and safe... that they'll go to heaven when they die and that God loves them no matter what etc. Those warm fuzzy feelings, which are nothing more than a result of their own imagination and are scientifically understood, are the reinforcement they need to continue believing this way.
I'll have to track down some of the studies on the neurobiological effects of religious belief. Simply put, it's about the same as falling in love. Same chemical reactions in the brain. Positive reinforcement through basically having your brain dope itself up.
Fun times. *grumble*
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Deflowered.
I feel so hip.
I just bought my first song on iTunes.
"The Sun - Romantic Death"
I'll admit that I tried to find it on-line for free... but failing to do so, I really couldn't argue with the $0.99 price to buy it.
I feel that I'm now a part of some young hip iPod generation or something... who knows what crazy things will happen now that I've taken the first step.
I just bought my first song on iTunes.
"The Sun - Romantic Death"
I'll admit that I tried to find it on-line for free... but failing to do so, I really couldn't argue with the $0.99 price to buy it.
I feel that I'm now a part of some young hip iPod generation or something... who knows what crazy things will happen now that I've taken the first step.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
The Gospel of Judas Iscariot.
'Gospel of Judas' Tells His Side.
I've heard this type of discussion before, and had seen mention of it recently, but I just happened to actually read the article that described it.
For an in-depth look at the gospel, please read the "Gospel of Judas" article on Wikipedia.
For background on what is meant by "Coptic" in the article, please see the Coptic Christianity article on Wikipedia.
For more related information, see the article "The Lost Gospels" on the National Geographic website which covers this along with several other related works.
I've heard this type of discussion before, and had seen mention of it recently, but I just happened to actually read the article that described it.
For an in-depth look at the gospel, please read the "Gospel of Judas" article on Wikipedia.
For background on what is meant by "Coptic" in the article, please see the Coptic Christianity article on Wikipedia.
For more related information, see the article "The Lost Gospels" on the National Geographic website which covers this along with several other related works.
The biology of near-death experiences.
Near-Death Experience: Find Out if You’re a Candidate.
I read about this on another link a few days ago. Interesting. ;-)
I read about this on another link a few days ago. Interesting. ;-)
Another follow-up.
My earlier post "Case in point" dealt with the idea of "missing links" etc... I've just run across another related story that I'd like to add to that vein.
Catfish Hunt on Land
I think when we're comparing the amount of scientific evidence against the lone argument that "if we add up the ages of the people listed in the bible, starting at Adam, we get 6,000 years or so... so that is the age of the earth!"... I think it's pretty obvious who comes out in the lead. Not to mention that even the bible itself states that Adam and Eve were not the first people. When they, according to the story, left the Garden of Eden, Cain went out to the land of Nod after killing Abel, where he married and bore a son etc. (Genesis 4:14-17)
Hell, for a very entertaining and enlightening take on the story of Genesis, read the story We Are the Other People. The author is a little strange... but I found the story hilarious, especially given that it's taken directly from Genesis.
Catfish Hunt on Land
I think when we're comparing the amount of scientific evidence against the lone argument that "if we add up the ages of the people listed in the bible, starting at Adam, we get 6,000 years or so... so that is the age of the earth!"... I think it's pretty obvious who comes out in the lead. Not to mention that even the bible itself states that Adam and Eve were not the first people. When they, according to the story, left the Garden of Eden, Cain went out to the land of Nod after killing Abel, where he married and bore a son etc. (Genesis 4:14-17)
Hell, for a very entertaining and enlightening take on the story of Genesis, read the story We Are the Other People. The author is a little strange... but I found the story hilarious, especially given that it's taken directly from Genesis.
Nice summary of Creationist crushing news.
Ouch! Creationists Take A Beating…
Three stories are linked here, only one of which I've previously covered (at the beginning of my Case in point post).
Join me in pointing and laughing at the Creationists. :-)
(And for good measure, a direct link to the story the third part of the above link refers to: Fossil Find Improves Knowledge of Human Origins)
Three stories are linked here, only one of which I've previously covered (at the beginning of my Case in point post).
Join me in pointing and laughing at the Creationists. :-)
(And for good measure, a direct link to the story the third part of the above link refers to: Fossil Find Improves Knowledge of Human Origins)
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Visual timeline of evolution.
You have to see this.
Evolutionary Timeline
I tried to illustrate this a few posts ago (in my post entitled Case in point ) by describing the second hand on a clock... but this is way... WAY better.
Go. Look. Now.
Wow.
Evolutionary Timeline
I tried to illustrate this a few posts ago (in my post entitled Case in point ) by describing the second hand on a clock... but this is way... WAY better.
Go. Look. Now.
Wow.
Why extinction is bad.
Why a spider hanging from its thread does not rotate.
This illustrates one of the many reasons that extinction is a bad thing. "Mother Nature" has been at this for millions of years and there are a multitude of such cases where "she" has already came to a much more elegant solution than we have. We can learn a lot from simply studying the biosphere around us.
Treatments for illnesses, new materials with amazing properties, alternate forms of communication... the list goes on and on. Not only can we draw inspiration from such things as echolocation in bats and dolphins, but also from actual biological functionality in such things as spiders and their silk, "Lightning Bugs/Fireflies" and their bioluminescence (which, along with many undersea creatures, fungi and worms, led to the creation of Organic Light-Emitting Diodes and other "cold light" innovations), and many others.
Remember kids... extinction is bad. :-)
I actually find it incredibly fascinating to look at the fossil record and see the kinds of life that have come and gone through the ages... strange branches on the evolutionary tree that died out or were wiped out in one of the many mass extinctions since the dawn of life... it's amazing to ponder what other forms of life might now be dominant on earth, or what me might look like if life had taken even the slightest detour millenia past.
It's things like this that really make me reconsider what I want to do in life.
Fascinating.
This illustrates one of the many reasons that extinction is a bad thing. "Mother Nature" has been at this for millions of years and there are a multitude of such cases where "she" has already came to a much more elegant solution than we have. We can learn a lot from simply studying the biosphere around us.
Treatments for illnesses, new materials with amazing properties, alternate forms of communication... the list goes on and on. Not only can we draw inspiration from such things as echolocation in bats and dolphins, but also from actual biological functionality in such things as spiders and their silk, "Lightning Bugs/Fireflies" and their bioluminescence (which, along with many undersea creatures, fungi and worms, led to the creation of Organic Light-Emitting Diodes and other "cold light" innovations), and many others.
Remember kids... extinction is bad. :-)
I actually find it incredibly fascinating to look at the fossil record and see the kinds of life that have come and gone through the ages... strange branches on the evolutionary tree that died out or were wiped out in one of the many mass extinctions since the dawn of life... it's amazing to ponder what other forms of life might now be dominant on earth, or what me might look like if life had taken even the slightest detour millenia past.
It's things like this that really make me reconsider what I want to do in life.
Fascinating.
UPDATE THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2006:
World’s Strongest Glue! Available Only From Nature!
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