60 Minutes recently did a piece on “Shooting Back”, a human rights organization started by Jim Hubbard, dedicated to documenting through video and photography the lives of those we tend to forget about.  It started in 1989 with the homeless in America, and the Israeli Human Rights Group B’Tselem has just given 100 cameras to Palestinian children.  Several Israeli soldiers and citizens have been arrested as a result of the footage captured by the young men and women risking their lives to document what is happening to them, such as beatings of the elderly by Israeli citizens and illegal shootings of peaceful demonstrators by Israeli soldiers.  Palestinian children finally have a voice and are able to documentt the horrible things that are happening to them at the hands of “The Chosen People”.  There are two sides to every story, and in the US we have been suppressing the Palestinian side in the mainstream media, which is becoming more and more worthless.

I have to send a special shout out to Daniel on this one.  Writing is a catharsis indeed, but we cannot forget to write what we should as well as what we can.  All the posts on religion, education, and politics mean nothing if we DO nothing, and most importantly, we cannot forget that while we sit in front of our computers in cushy office chairs surrounded by air conditioning there are thousands of people suffering IN OUR NAME. 

Our government is torturing and detaining people for indeterminate lengths of time without giving any reasoning, and they say they’re doing it to make us safer.  What proof do we have?  What can we point to as the reason for even arresting these men?  We make excuses and we spout slogans, forgetting all the while that people are suffering, truly, deeply suffering - and for what?

4,123 US soldiers killed in Iraq, 30,409 US soldiers wounded in Iraq

I stole this from Daniel, who stole it from Ministry of Truth.

Q1. How would you define ‘atheism’?  I would define atheism as the belief that man created God, not the other way around.  My atheism takes morality from various religions and philosophies and melds them into a code of honor that can be changed as I learn and grow.

Q2. Was your upbringing religious? If so, what tradition? I was raised Catholic.  We went to church until I was about 16, but I never believed, even as a child.  I thought the stories were nice, but not true.  I got in a LOT of trouble in Catholic school for questioning the existence of God.

Q3. How would you describe ‘Intelligent Design’, using only one word? BULLSHIT.  No one has the right to teach my child that there was even a possibility that the world was created by God.  That’s my job.

Q4. What scientific endeavour really excites you? There are so many, but I would say the existence of life on other planets.  I think that would be the single discovery that would cause the religious to rethink their beliefs and stop being so damn intolerant towards the rest of us.

Q5. If you could change one thing about the ‘atheist community’, what would it be and why? I think the atheist community needs to be more politically active.  There are a lot of civil liberties we are slowly losing due to religion, and I think Christianity is permeating every aspect of our society.  I don’t want my son tobe an outcast because he’s not a Christian.

Q6. If your child came up to you and said ‘I’m joining the clergy’, what would be your first response? The reason would be my primary concern.  I’ve thought of joining the clergy because sometimes that is the only way to exact political or social change.  I think the clergy is still a necessary part of society.  People need guidance and charity, but they’re afraid to ask, or can’t afford to pay for counseling.  The clergy is a good vehicle for those who won’t look elsewhere.  There’s nothing wrong with helping people, no matter how you do it.  i’d rather he not perpetuate the belief that God is the ultimate answer, but to each his own.

Q7. What’s your favourite theistic argument, and how do you usually refute it? I have given up on trying to refute theistic arguments and have decided to lead by example.  The argument that religion is necessary for morality is probably the one that bothers me the most because I am a moral person and I don’t believe in God. Instead of arguing, I love unconditionally and forgive as quickly as my bruised ego will allow. 

Q8. What’s your most ‘controversial’ (as far as general attitudes amongst other atheists goes) viewpoint?  I sort-of believe in reincarnation.  I’m not sure about it, but I don’t discount the possibility.  I don’t think it has anything to do with God, but more to do with transference of energy.

Q9. Of the ‘Four Horsemen’ (Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens and Harris) who is your favourite, and why? No favorite, but I find Hitchens interesting.

Q10. If you could convince just one theistic person to abandon their beliefs, who would it be? I don’t want to convince anyone to abandon their beliefs, but to tolerate the beliefs of others.  I want the religious to realize that it is unfair to legislate based on their religious practices and that not everyone has to believe the same thing in order for us to be in harmony with each other.  It is not a personal assault if someone you’re talking to says that they don’t believe in God.

War does a lot of things to a lot of people.  Some find a renewal of faith and others lose it completely.  For nus, those who have stayed on the sidelines and watched this comedy of errors continue year after year, it is impossible to judge the young men and women who serve.  You would expect that fellow soldiers would understand and accept the changes in their comrades as “part of the experience”.  Many become more religious, more patriotic, more etc…, but some do not.  Some let go of their deeply ingrained beliefs, question what life is all about, and change who they are.  This soldier did just that, and because the Army and his fellow soldiers didn’t like what he was saying, it caused a shitstorm.

Army Spc. Jeremy Hall was told that “…because I can’t put my personal beliefs aside and pray with troops I wouldn’t make a good leader”.  He was asked to leave a table at Thanksgiving because he wouldn’t say Grace.  He is currently suing the military, not for money, but for the promise of religious freedom.  This poor young man joined the Army believing that he was doing something good for our nation and its people. All he has found is that he has to defend his own rights.  We owe him and all the other true defenders of freedom a collective apology.

4,114 US soldiers killed in Iraq (apparently not defending religious freedom), 30,275 US soldiers wounded in Iraq

I saw a piece on 60 Minutes about Christians in Iraq.  Before the war there were over one million Christians practicing openly in Iraq without being bothered because Saddam Hussien allowed for religious freedom.  That meant that women could drive, work, go to school, etc…  Since the beginning of the US occupation of Iraq the Christian population has dwindled significantly.  A young man in the story told of how his family split their time at mass so that if the church was bombed, only half of them would die. The Christians who survived the initial religious persecution by the Islamic Fundamentalists have mostly escaped to Syria.  All that are left are the women whose men have been killed, the very old, and children.  They practice their religion in secret.

My problem with this story was the spin.  60 Minutes detailed how the Christians were surviving in Iraq and how their lives had been better before the US invasion, but glossed over the part where their slaughter was largely our fault.  It is true that had we not invaded, these people would still be living under the rule of Saddam Hussein, who had NO ties to Osama bin Laden or Al Qaeda AND allowed his people some religious and social freedom that is wholly absent from the Iraq of today.  Now that is impossible.  The militants have made sure of that.  Good for us!

I fully agree that this ad seems a little contrived and is definitely cheesy, but the concept is correct.  People are not paying enough attention to McCain’s stance on the Iraq war.  I know the economy sucks and that’s a pressing issue for all of us, but while we’re being steered to pay attention to the economy, people are still dying in Iraq, and familes are separated.  According to McCain, things could be that way for a very long time.  Long enough that my son could actually be affected by this stupid, illegal, and immoral war.  I agree with Alex’s mom.  i will travel to the ends of the Earth if I have to, but Mr. McCain, YOU CANNOT HAVE MY SON. EVER.

4,110 US soldiers have been killed in Iraq (again, this number does not reflect those who have died of injuries once they have air-lifted out of the country) 30,247 Us soldiers have been wounded in Iraq

I used to be a workaholic, but then I had a baby.  I am desperately trying to juggle all of the separate factions of my life. I’m working harder than I ever have before, and I still feel like the biggest slacker in the universe.  It’s a “too many irons in the fire” syndrome.  I’m doing a lot of things, but I don’t feel like I’m doing any of them particularly well (the best I can, of course, but never quite good enough).

I only get to see my son for an average of 3 hours a day.  I leave for work before he wakes up. I don’t get to pick him up until 4:30, and he goes to bed at 8.  I make the most of the time I have with him, but I never feel like it’s enough.  I feel like I’m missing out on major things.  I didn’t know he could do the hand motions to “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” until I saw him do it by chance a few days ago.  I reinforce what he does at day care,but someone else is teaching him.  I rationalize by reminding myself there are millions of children in daycare all over the world, that we have chose carefully, that my husband works in the same building, and that he is a bright, independent little boy who seems to be thriving (as far as I can tell) in that environment.  I still feel guilty.

I don’t put the prep work into my lessons that I used to.  I love my job and I truly believe that my students deserve the best education I can offer them, which requires a lot of preparation.  I have to consider various intelligence levels, learning styles, interests, and language abilities.  I have to grade one quiz and one test a week for 120 students (and I teach Literature, so it’s not like they’re multiple choice), call the parents of those who are failing, meet with those who have behavioral issues, and do whatever my principal asks (which included planning the prom, explaining PSSA and SAT questions, and creating and grading the Senior Projects).  An hour and a half a day is simply not enough time.  I used to work from home, but by the time the baby’s in bed and the house has been tidied, I’m exhausted and can’t quite come up with a new and exciting project about Chaucer.  I “stole” one from the Internet and adapted it to my students to the best of my ability to my students and felt incredibly guilty.

I juggle playing with the baby and tiding the house until my husband gets home , but I never feel like I get enough done.  I can fold some laundry, do some dishes, vacuum the livingroom, or make dinner, but I can’t do them all in an hour or two and watch the baby.  I use Sesame Street more than I should.  Domestication is not my strong suit, and my working hours have added to the struggle.  A little boy adds to the mess and the distraction (and the exhaustion) .  I do what I can and feel guilty about not getting to the rest.

I write when I need an outlet.  Unfortunately, I’ve only found the time once a week or so since school started, but I plan on taking a little more time for myself during the summer.  I’ve been a little self-centered.  I haven’t given enough attention to the war in Iraq, gas prices, and the war.  I’ve stuck to what’s easy - opinions on religion, philosophy, and science.  I feel like I’ve gotten rusty and complacent.  I’ve been slacking.  I should sleep less, drink more coffee, and write more (after my son is in bed, the housework is done, I’ve finished my lesson planning for the year, and I’ve had an actual conversation with my husband).

For my entire life I have heard that George Carlin is a bad influence, that he swears and is irreverent about the church.  I have heard that he is a dirty old man, that his jokes really aren’t that funny, and that he is misguided.  All of that is true or false, depending upon who is asked.

A while ago I heard an interview with Carlin on NPR.  He talked about his upbringing, what caused him to question the church, and what “polite” society deems right and wrong.  It struck me that he and I aren’t all that different, that our thoughts come from the same place, that in actuality, we are both deviants - political, social, and religious - and I couldn’t be more proud of my company.  Mr. Carlin was a brilliant writer and philosopher whose musings were so dead-on that they took on the guise of comedy.  He will be missed.

Wouldn’t it be nice if, during this time of a national environmental crisis, in which towns are being leveled by tornadoes and swept away by floods, we had some sort of force - a National Guard, perhaps - to help these towns and cities clean up and rebuild?  Wouldn’t it have been wonderful is some past President had thought of a situation in which we might need such a “Reserve Army” if you will, and had made provisions for such a thing?  And if a President had done so, wouldn’t it be a little irresponsible (maybe even slightly criminal) for a current President to commit that force elsewhere, out of the country which they had taken an oath to serve, to fight a foreign enemy on foreign soil and leave them there for an extended length of time, even when they are needed despareately at home?  Might that not be a reason for impeachment, especially if it had happened more than once during a particular President’s term?

The staff is still walking around in a haze.  We have Junior move-up day today, and we still have to clean out our building, so reality hasn’t quite set in.  We started out this year with a senior class of 135 and yesterday we graduated 126 of them.   The school District of Philadelphia has a graduation rate of around 50% and we graduated a little over 90% of the students who came to us at the beginning of the year with enough credits to leave by the end.  Not only that, 100% of our graduating class has been accepted to college.  The received about $305,000 in scholarships.  One got a full ride to LaSalle.  Wow!  It seems like a lot more of an accomplishment when it’s written out, especially when you know what’s behind those numbers.

Our kids are the throw-aways.  We have the kids that the City of Philadelphia has given up on.  They’ve been kicked out of their neighborhood schools, dropped out because of pregnancy, street life, or laziness, or remanded to our custody by the courts.  No one wanted them - in many cases, not even their parents.  But we took them, worked with them, counseled them, and taught them.  This year we’ve lost students, parents, and staff members, but we gained strength and courage.  What happened yesterday was a big deal, and nobody knows it but us!  When we say, “No child left behind,” we actually mean it!