Politics As Usual....Surprise!

While I am always prepared for news of a lot of talk and absolutely no action (or more accurately, the worst possible action) from most governments, it still just pisses me off. In this Amnesty International article, more proof that for all of their jaw flapping, these politicians really don't give a flying fuck. Don't get me wrong, I like Obama. I do. And I'm not expecting miracles from one man, I never was. But when I read that the indigenous leaders of Latin America were told that there would be no venue for them in Trinidad and Tobago (where the Summit of the Americas was recently held), I about wanted to spit. Blah blah blah! How can we make more money, guys? Cuz I don't give a flip about those pesky natives...Argh!

And how 'bout that Cuban embargo, eh? Obama says he wants to use it as an incentive for Cuba's leaders to get a move on in the human rights department, among other things. Yeah, cuz it's worked so well for the past 40 years, right? And because human rights was such an important issue that is was brought up and discussed at the Summit of the Americas, right? You have to be shitting me. I mean, yes, Cuba's leaders have a lot to answer for. Come on, the idealism that started the Cuban revolution has sizzled and burned down to a hard turd. Don't get me wrong, probably most of those that engaged in the revolution were doing it with pure intentions, and Che was one of those, but no one can tell me that Fidel Castro is not as much a politician as any republican in the U.S. Sure, a communist (though he was a bit shady about that, too, wasn't he?), but still a bleeding politician. When has hurting the people of a country in order to get their government to do the right thing ever been a sound solution? Huh? Yeah, that's what I thought.....

When the red man can get ahead, man

Though I'm probably not the biggest fan of public prayer, per se, I did enjoy Rev. Lowery's benediction prayer. And, of course, many right-wing *enter your choice of adjectives* have jumped on this and claimed it was racist. Really? I mean, where is the racism?? I thought the ending of the prayer was sweet and timely, adding a bit of humor to a serious issue.

"Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen."

Come on, give me a break. Race isn't the bohemoth it used to be, to be certain, but it is definitely still an issue. And I think you can only truly appreciate that if you're not white. Sorry, am I being racist? Or just honest? "When white will embrace what is right." Not every white person is racist, not every black person has been a victim of overt racism. But there are undercurrents to the words and actions of people in this country. Let's not fool ourselves. How can we continue to make progress if we don't acknowledge the problems?

I was particulary glad that native americans, indians, the red man were mentioned. Native Americans have gotten the short end of the stick, so to speak, continually and without fail. To this day, conditions on many reservations are dismal. I think it a great tragedy that fairly nothing is being done to remedy certain issues that are relevant to native americans.

So, people, let's keep an open mind. Let's acknowledge, and then move on. I've had enough apathy from people to last me a million lifetimes.

Israel, Stop The Madness!

For the past week or so, I've been wondering why it is that a group of people who have been persecuted in the past find it necessary to terrorize others. Along those lines, I've been wondering why it is that Israel gets a free rein when it comes to dealing with their Palestinian neighbors. The fact that most politicians in this country (including Barack Obama) condone Israel basically 100% of the time is outrageous to me. Is it true now that just because a group of people has been horribly mistreated in the past (in this case, Israel's Jewish people), it's 'politically incorrect' to admonish their behavior? Give me a break!

Even discounting the history of the state of Israel - because what country has an entirely rosy history? - this current situation is wildly out of control. When such a large percentage of the people being murdered are not only civilians but children, well, you would think people would step back and take a second look. So imagine my amazement when the mayor of New York city publicly announced how wonderful he thought Israel was right in the midst of all this chaos. And imagine my further amazement when mainstream nightly media reports profile "heroes of Israel".

Don't misunderstand me. The Palestinians and, more notably, Hamas, are not free from guilt here. The history in this region is bloody, messy, and wide-ranging. However, there are very few, if any, people profiling their heroics on U.S. television.

Everyone should be accountable for their actions. There are no good guys vs. bad guys here. Just people.