Advocating For Enforcement Of The Law

OK. I’m breaking my silence (which only exists because I’ve had little to say and no time to say it) to ask that everyone make their opinion on this matter publicly known.

You may have heard about a recent Newsmax article by columnist John Perry that appears to suggest a military coup be staged against the President of the United States. You can read the full text of the article here, but this passage from the article, I think, lays out Mr. Perry’s assertions loud and clear.

Military intervention is what Obama’s exponentially accelerating agenda for “fundamental change” toward a Marxist state is inviting upon America. A coup is not an ideal option, but Obama’s radical ideal is not acceptable or reversible.

Unthinkable? Then think up an alternative, non-violent solution to the Obama problem. Just don’t shrug and say, “We can always worry about that later.”

In the 2008 election, that was the wistful, self-indulgent, indifferent reliance on abnegation of personal responsibility that has sunk the nation into this morass.

Mr. Perry’s words seem to be suggesting an attack against the President of the United States. I think it’s safe to say that everyone understands that an attack against the leader of a country is a declaration of war. According to the United States Constitution, Article III, Section 3:

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

Speaking personally, I think it’s glaringly obvious that Mr. Perry’s words are themselves an act of treason and I feel that it’s time to arrest Mr. Perry. Seeing as Mr. Perry’s article was published on the internet, scaring up two witnesses should be a breeze. Just in case problems do arise in that area, I’d like to make myself available for testimony. And I’ll bring a friend.

I’m asking that everyone, and I mean everyone, make a public statement regarding their feelings about Mr. Perry’s suggestions. Here’s mine:

Insomuch as the The United States Constitution defines treason as “levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort”, I demand that Mr. John Perry, columnist for the online publication Newsmax, be arrested and tried for Treason. As evidence of Mr. Perry’s crime, I provide the following link:

Full Text of Newsmax Column Suggesting Military Coup Against Obama

Adam Shephard
Rochester, IN

As stated before I ask that everyone makes some sort of statement regarding Mr. Perry’s article and whether or not they feel it is treasonous. If you have a blog, put it there. Got a Facebook site? Put it into your status. Letter to the editor of a local newspaper? Great. The idea is to get your opinion in writing. Please show your name and the town where you live.

No Compassion For You!!

I first took the five precepts in October of last year. I attended no official ceremony, I took them quietly and to myself while attending the Dalai Lama’s talk on “Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment”.

The fact that my vows were not officially recognized by anyone does not lessen those vows for me. As far as I’m concerned, I’m still a Buddhist even though no one has told me so. However, if a group of people wanted to tell me that I was not really a Buddhist because they didn’t recognize me as such, I think I’d have a problem with that.

Last month in California, a large number of religious fanatics (many of whom were not from California) convinced their followers, along with a number of other general bigots, to pass a measure banning same-sex marriages, after the state Supreme Court had already ruled them constitutional. In other words, a group of people told the state that it was not allowed to allow people of the same sex to be married. Now, these same bigoted fanatics want to tell people who have already been married under the law that they may no longer consider themselves married.

I’m not gay and am married to a wonderful person of the opposite sex. Not only do I not think that two people should only be allowed to marry if they are straight, I think it’s wrong for anyone else to tell people who they can and can’t marry. Why? Because who someone else marries is none of anyone else’s business.

No, it does not matter whether or not your religion says it’s wrong for two people of the same sex to marry. Not one bit. Why? Because your religion does not govern this country. NOBODY’S religion governs this country.

Let’s suppose for the sake of this argument forced on us by fanatical bigots that a god – let’s choose the Christian version of god – both exists and says that people of the same sex should not be allowed to marry. That has absolutely nothing to do with the same-sex marriages that California and a few other states have allowed. None of these states are saying that Christian wedding ceremonies, Muslim wedding ceremonies, Jewish wedding ceremonies or any other particular religion’s wedding ceremonies have to be open to homosexuals. The states are allowing civil ceremonies to be open – not just to heterosexuals or homosexuals or any one particular group but to everyone. That is something that a state has the right to do, regardless of how particular religious groups or even all religious groups feel about it.

I’m going to say this as clearly as possible: Nobody’s version of god has jurisdiction over civil wedding ceremonies.

Of course, I try to make this blog about my particular journey through Buddhism, as opposed to my general soapbox about everything. So here’s where my issues in Buddhism come up.

In Buddhism, we are taught to have compassion for everyone. That the “wrong” actions of people are guided by their ignorance and are part of the suffering we all endure. This is one of the few points where I have to differ from the Buddha’s teachings. I’m just going to say it so I’m asking my fellow Buddhists to prepare and – frankly – chill the fuck out.

I just don’t believe that all people deserve compassion. As a matter of fact, I believe that some people not getting compassion is simply the karma they have created for themselves by their actions.

Sure, I could say “yes, of course, compassion – I have complete compassion for people who want to force others to live life their way. I have absolute compassion for the Chinese government even though their treatment of the people of Tibet amounts to genocide. I have complete compassion for parents who kill their own children. I have total and unrelenting passion for politicians who put their constituents in harm’s way in the name of money.”

Hell, I could just pretend that I believe that Jesus is the son of God sent to earth to save us from sin. Or I could pretend that I believe that martyring myself in Allah’s name will get me 72 virgins when I arrive in paradise. Or I could pretend that I believe that eating Pop Rocks and drinking Coke at the same time will make my stomach explode. But I don’t pretend any of those thins. Why? Because they very simply don’t make any sense.

And that’s where I stand with compassion for people who make specific efforts to hurt other people. Do I hope they stop? Yes. Do I hope they change from persecutors to helpers – maybe even Bodhisattvas? You bet. Do I have compassion for them? I gotta say, not so much.

So what have I learned?

I’ve learned that as much as I have found the Buddha’s teaching to be helpful with my life, some things just don’t fly for me. (Someday I’ll tell you how I feel about reincarnation.) But I don’t feel that it is wrong for me to feel the way I do or even to question those teachings. In fact, I believe that questioning the Buddha’s teachings is exactly what I’m supposed to do. The Buddha himself said that we should not just believe him because he said so. That we should examine everything for ourselves. That’s what I’m doing here.

And so I continue to meditate. Sometimes to find answers but mostly just to calm the mind. To let my lack of compassion downshift to a dull roar.

An Ounce of Prevention

Breaking with format, we’re going to start today with what I’ve learned. Actually, let’s start with where I learned it.

There’s a very interesting article from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Greg Palast detailing how the GOP is working to steal the upcoming election. There’s some very interesting reading there and I suggest that everyone take the time to read it.

EDIT: It would probably be easier to read it if I told you where it was. Here you go.

But did I learn that the GOP was working to steal the election. Not really. I figured as much.

Did I learn how they were working to steal the election? No, I’d heard most of this already.

What I learned and what everyone – and I mean everyone, whether you’re voting for Obama or McCain or an independent candidate – should pay attention to is how to deal with what you may believe is an attempt to make your vote not count.

From the end of the article:

“Here are some steps you should take to protect your vote. First, avoid the November 4th minefield. Voters, wherever possible, should vote early and in person. Where feasible, avoid mailing in your ballot, many are rejected for flimsy reasons, and first time voters in many states must include a photocopy of ID. However, if you have a mail-in ballot, don’t throw it away. Follow directions, use the correct postage (that’s an error that cost a hundred thousand votes last time) and, if possible, walk it in to your elections office.

At the polling station, should you find yourself one of the 2.7 million purged, or your ID rejected, then do your best to resist a “provisional” ballot–one third of which are not counted. Return with proper ID, or call 1-800-OUR VOTE for legal assistance. And never just walk away discouraged. That’s just what they want you to do.”

Seriously folks. Who you want to vote for is your own business but if there is a chance that someone is trying to kill your vote, you should do something about it. I’ve heard just as many claims from the right that the left is trying to steal the election. Whichever side you’re on, I think everyone agrees that this is one of the most important presidential elections ever. One that will play a big part in deciding the fate of our country for a long time to come.

Isn’t it better to follow the above advice than to be crying later that you got screwed?

Nope. No Buddhism today. I plan on remaining mindful of the situation and my own handling of events but this is a very important time in our lives. One in which mindfulness would only work if EVERYONE was mindful. Lacking that, it’s time for vigilance and action.

EDIT: CNN has also set up a hotline “if you have any problems or concerns about voting”. Their number is 1-877-GOCNN-08. They report:

“The hotline has received roughly 10,000 calls since it went live the middle of last week and viewers have reported a variety of problems and issues.”

YET ANOTHER EDIT: Enter these numbers on your cell phones. For those that need numbers instead of letters, here they are:

• Our Vote: 1-800-687-8683
• CNN Vote Hotline: 1-877-462-6608
  

How Equipped Are we?

Last year I posted here about a person that was running for Mayor. I mentioned that he was “ill-equipped”. I was worried that he might actually win.

In that post, I mentioned a televised debate that illustrated just how ill-equipped this person was. I’ll give you a specific that I hadn’t mentioned in that post.

In the debate, his opponent asked him (and I’m paraphrasing here) how he planned to support the “Open Door Law”. Our future Mayor replied that his door would always be open.

His opponent said that it sounded like he didn’t know what the “Open Door Law” was and proceeded to explain that, among other things, the “Open Door Law” (IC 5-14-1.5) required that “the official action of public agencies be conducted and taken openly, unless otherwise expressly provided by statute, in order that the people may be fully informed”. The future Mayor replied to that explanation by saying (and I’m quoting, not paraphrasing this time), “well, my door will always be open.”

There were other such instances that occurred through the course of this debate, indicating that the candidate was indeed “ill-equipped”. He won the election. By a landslide.

Fast forward to last week.

Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin was interviewed by ABC’s Charles Gibson. Among other questions, Gibson asked Governor Palin about the “Bush Doctrine”. Here is the pertinent section of the unedited transcript (according to right-wing columnist Mark Levin).

GIBSON: Do you agree with the Bush doctrine?

PALIN: In what respect, Charlie?

GIBSON: The Bush — well, what do you — what do you interpret it to be?

PALIN: His world view.

GIBSON: No, the Bush doctrine, enunciated September 2002, before the Iraq war.

PALIN: I believe that what President Bush has attempted to do is rid this world of Islamic extremism, terrorists who are hell bent on destroying our nation. There have been blunders along the way, though. There have been mistakes made. And with new leadership, and that’s the beauty of American elections, of course, and democracy, is with new leadership comes opportunity to do things better.

GIBSON: The Bush doctrine, as I understand it, is that we have the right of anticipatory self-defense, that we have the right to a preemptive strike against any other country that we think is going to attack us. Do you agree with that?

PALIN: I agree that a president’s job, when they swear in their oath to uphold our Constitution, their top priority is to defend the United States of America.
I know that John McCain will do that and I, as his vice president, families we are blessed with that vote of the American people and are elected to serve and are sworn in on January 20, that will be our top priority is to defend the American people.

GIBSON: Do we have a right to anticipatory self-defense? Do we have a right to make a preemptive strike again another country if we feel that country might strike us?

PALIN: Charlie, if there is legitimate and enough intelligence that tells us that a strike is imminent against American people, we have every right to defend our country. In fact, the president has the obligation, the duty to defend.

So, OK. She has (by now, I’m sure it’s “had”) no clue what the “Bush Doctrine” is. As I said, this was just one of the many quotable items from this interview. You can read them all at Mr. Levin’s site. The point is, Sarah Palin is ill-equipped to be Vice President. Considering John McCain’s age and short temper, we better hope that VP is as high as she gets.

But just like the reaction of most people my town toward our future Mayor, people are downright giddy over the prospect of having someone who they think isn’t tainted by politics in office.

Now, I think that Sarah Palin is a disgrace to her current position, let alone the one she wants to hold. The people who are just dying to elect her, however, are an even bigger disgrace. To sell one’s own country down the river so that you can say you voted for a “maverick”, especially one who is nothing of the sort, should cause one to hang their head in shame.

In my mind, there is no question of how ill-equipped Sarah Palin is for the Vice President position. The only question is, how well-equipped is the United States’ voting populace? Unfortunately, by the time we have an answer to that, it may well be too late.

So what have I learned?

Well, after the 2000 Presidential election, I learned that if the election isn’t won by a large majority, the electoral college will be the ones to sell us down the river.

After last year’s Mayoral election,  I learned that far too many people prefer to vote for people who make them feel like they’re doing something special, rather than who is best.

Prior to the upcoming election, sadly, I’ve learned nothing.

I mean, sure, I could say that, in the big scheme of things, this election is just a blip in our history but I just don’t buy that. As much as George Bush has done to run this country into the ground, the last thing we need is a President and Vice President who will continue his policies.

Sometimes, even the Buddha’s teachings don’t help us. Generally because we’re ill-equipped to apply them.

Finding Center

Well, today has been weird. I’ve found myself flying back and forth between extremes of anger and elation, cruelty and compassion – basically, who I’ve been and who I’d like to be. I assume that what I’m doing is finding a middle ground where I can be comfortable in my practice, A place where I can bend without breaking. That would be handy.

I ended the day on what I can only assume was some sort of test. I feel like I’ve been getting a lot of those lately.

The office of mayor in our little town is up for for election this year. Our local public access channel has been running a tape of the debates between the two candidates every night and tonight I got a chance to watch it. Now, I’d had my opinions about one of the gentlemen running and why he was, shall we say, ill-equipped to serve as mayor but watching him on television tonight really hit the point home. The man is not bright and I’m being nice. Really, really, REALLY nice.

Now, I’m trying to be more compassionate towards others. I’m trying to feel love for everyone and I really feel that not calling someone an idiot is a big step in that direction. (If you knew me, you’d think it was a giant leap.) But here’s the thing: what if the person in question really is an idiot? What if they’re as dumb as a small paper bag half full of used matches? And what if the braniac in question wants to run your town and has a fair chance of winning?

You meditate, right? That’s where I’m headed right now.