On the Friday after Thanksgiving, an attempt was made to take the day from the corporate interests and bring attention to the tragedy of the deaths that black people have suffered at the hands of police officers. They called it Black Out Friday, and this protest spread throughout the country.
On one hand, I thought it was nice to see. They were making it difficult for people to go shopping. They disrupted the flow and even effected the BART trains in Oakland. People were late for work as well. It wasn't completely related, but Wal Mart workers took the opportunity to protest their working conditions and push for a pay raise.
I could easily drift into an argument against the idea of Black Friday and the stores getting people to practically kill each other for cheap electronics. I could get into the discussion of how sad it is that we have to take on careers at places like Wal Mart and take government assistance in addition to that non living wage just to get by. Both things annoy me.
However, I want to get into the idea that police are brutal against blacks and that blacks need to get violent against whites because of it. I despise what is happening to some black people due to heavy handed police officers, but whites and people of other colors are suffering too. People of all colors die this way.
When a cop acts like Judge Dredd and becomes judge, jury and executioner, it is very wrong. It must stop. I support protesting against it, because too many times these cops have gotten away with murder. This is not acceptable, and if we sit here and take it, it will get worse.
In Ferguson, Missouri, we had the officer who killed an unarmed suspect, Michael Brown. Some things have come to light that question the officer's response. These are fair questions. From what I've heard, a response was required, but did it go to far? Would a tazer have worked? I don't know.
Officers at times have to use force when they are threatened. Every good cop knows this. Do they go overboard? Yes. Do they intimidate, rather than try to position themselves as part of the community? Yes. Are there bad cops? Yes. Are there many good cops? Yes.
We have to be very careful as we walk down this path that we don't make it us against the police for the actions of some bad police officers. They are not all like that. However, when they shoot a camping homeless man to death, shoot a man in the back as he lays on a train platform or mercilessly beat begging suspects to death in cold blood, it's bad. When they get away with it, it's worse.
My concern is the race baiting going on that is making this a white vs black thing. We have certain prominent black figures who get on TV and go to the scene to stir the pot. Often times, they do it before they have all of the facts. They know there are angry black people out there, and many times those people have a right to be angry.
The problem is they stir these people up to get violent and cause damage and injury. The recent Brown case is the latest example. The cop will not be charged, and they are out there burning down businesses, looting stores and beating random white people. It's doubly senseless because they didn't know Brown and they don't know their victims.
Picture a scenario where a family member gets murdered and you know who did it. That person gets away with it. You go down the street and pull a person of the same color as the person who murdered that family member out of their car and beat them to death. Why do that? What did that person do to you? Why burn down the business of somebody who had nothing to do with anything?
They are mad because of Brown's death. I get it. Brown made a mistake, but he didn't deserve to die. From what I understand, the officer could have used force to subdue him, even shooting him in the leg if need be. He was in a position to make that judgement call, but he basically emptied his gun chamber on him until he died. Then, he left him bleeding to death.
Now, we have the cry that black lives mater. You're darn right they do. From the blacks who get aborted at a bigger rate than any other race to the ones who die from diseases to the ones who die in violent confrontations. We should care about all of them.
However, all life maters. This is something we should never forget, because we all bleed the same color. White lives matter. Asian lives matter. Hispanic lives matter. Arab lives matter. All life matters. We should care about each other and stop the violence. We need to be very careful about the race baiting going on, because it will take this country down a terrible path.
There is a problem with police officers thinking they are above the law, and though black people tend to suffer from this, they aren't the only ones. There is an us vs them mentality that is being cultivated here, and it needs to stop. We need to have real discussion about this and bring a real chance. Police should be our friends, not out enemies.
The problem is, we are going to head down a path where something very bad will happen. People want change, and I don't blame them. We can't continue this way. However, if we don't start having a real discussion about the change we need to see, the change we will get will be worse than what we have now. The answer won't come through violence and destruction.
In this case, the anger comes down to police procedure and what is the proper protocol. Cops tend to get away with things because procedure allows them to do things that anybody with a soul knows is crossing the line. Those things need to change.
I don't know what the answer is. When an officer has a suspect that must be apprehended, they need to take appropriate action. What needs to be incorporated into their training? What actions are required, and where does it cross the line? The things that cross the line need to be spelled out.
I also believe that having officers who interact with the community and are a part of it will help things. Just seeing an officer who is friendly in every day situations will go a long way towards building trust. Knowing that he doesn't see you as the enemy, but as a person he's here to protect. And, you see him as somebody doing a sometimes dangerous job, but still as a regular person.
We shouldn't let the race baiters turn this into a black and white issue when there is so much gray area to it. This effects people of all colors, and it has to change. The voice of the people should be heard, and we should all be united when we say, "Life matters, no matter what color. Treat it with respect."
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Why, The Eternal Question
Some people think they have it all figured out. Maybe they do. Maybe all there is to our existence is to live in the moment and be happy. But, how often do we really sit and ask ourselves the big question of why are we here? What is the point of it all? Sometimes I sit in amazement and watch. People are scurrying off to their jobs. They've got bills to pay. If they save enough, they'll be able to take that big vacation or retire and live comfortably.
We are wound up so tight these days, and it's getting even tighter. It's sort of like a quickening. The world is changing so fast, and either we as a people don't notice or we just don't care. We work and sleep and in between that time just try to find a way to entertain ourselves. Many of us don't stop to think about it, and I mean really think about it. Some of us may go to church and get preached at for a few hours, but what do we really learn?
But, some people still feel they get what the man is preaching to them on Sunday, and it comforts them. That's not meant as a put down, but rather an observation. If it is making a person feel better and helping get them through another week in this reality, it's not all that bad. Some people don't have two dimes to rub together, and it's their faith that gets them through another day. They long for what they think is coming to them in the end, but in the meantime, they exist here, trying to make the most of those good moments that come to us all from time to time.
But, this world is ruled by the dollar. "In God We Trust" is what it says on the dollar bill. It also says something about a New World Order, but I won't go there. Money is the point system of this "game" that seems to be our existence on this planet, and whoever has the most, wins. Or do they? How much is enough? How much more stuff do you need in the quest to try and make yourself feel better? At what point does a rich person, even with all that they have, ask themselves that all important question, "What's the point of all of this?"
But to so many of the working men and women of this world, what they see of these rich people makes them envious. They want that life too. They want to be able to relax in the lap of luxury without worry of how they are going to pay that next bill. But the reality is that they have to get to work. Gotta get that paycheck. They are only a few missed paychecks away from losing it all. Some of these people play the corporate game of, "Put it on the card", and this has left them in debt up to their ears. But, it motivates them to get out of bed early in the morning, day in and day out, week in and week out, to get that job done.
You gotta do what you gotta do, or so they say. So, off to work they go, making that stop along the way to worship at he corporate "Temple Of Chevron" to fuel their vehicle. But, you must pay a handsome fee at that temple, where you visit two or three times a week, and it's getting more expensive by the day. When you get through feeding the corporate machine, it's off to do that job. You may be one of the lucky ones who got the job you "wanted", and it's not really work to you, or you may be one of the many who is stuck in that dead end, dreary job, because you have bills to pay.
But, where is this all heading? Why are we here, really? What's the point of all of this? Is it some cosmic plan that we can't understand? Is Sitchin right about man being bred for slavery thousands of years ago? Do we just keep getting reincarnated over and over again? That's a somewhat depressing thought to me. Is it all over when we die? Or, is The Bible the book with all of the answers? There are so many things to consider as possibilities. Certainly, the teachings of the officially sanctioned churches (pick your faith) are the most well known theories.
Were we kicked out God's beautiful garden after what happened with Adam and Eve, and are we born sinners because of what they did? Is Jesus the answer because He died on the cross for our sins? If we accept that fact and proclaim Him our Savior, will we have a path into Heaven when we die? The Jesus that I read about in The Bible was a great man, who changed the world with his teachings, but there are some who believe that such a man existed, yet they deny he was the Son of God, sent here to save us all. These people are religious in their own right, and many of them are decent enough people. Are they to be excluded from Heaven?
The Bible offers hope to many, but interpretations of The Bible made by "religious men" have been used to kill millions throughout history. And then you hear things about how homosexual people are going to hell. A guy may, for instance, live a good life, help others when he can, never hurt anybody and even accept that Jesus died for him, but because he was gay, people say he's going to hell anyway. There are things in religious doctrine that I'm not so sure of. I firmly and whole heartedly believe there is a force out there, call that force God if you want, that created all of this.
I don't know who or what God is, but I know God exists. I don't know why God created us and why we are here, but I continue to search for answers. I don't understand God proclaiming everybody since Adam and Eve sinners and needing to send Jesus to us to change things so we can all get to Heaven if we accept Jesus. I mean, this is God, isn't it? God created all of this. Couldn't God just change the rules without, what some might even go so far as to call, a ritual like the sacrifice of Jesus. But, then again, who am I to question our Creator?
And, if we are fortunate enough to make it into Heaven, what is waiting for us there? A life of servitude to The Lord? Are we to follow Him around like sheep to a shepherd? What will our lives be like? Would they be much like they are now, only in a different environment? I'm not sure I understand what Heaven is to be like. Somehow, even the idea that all of the things you ever wanted on Earth becoming yours in Heaven doesn't sound like how it would really be.
If we are to follow God in Heaven, will the feeling in our souls be of euphoria and joy and contentment, where we don't long for anything? Do you want to go to a place where your desire to learn and grow and evolve is gone? Where do you want to go? What do you want to do? Do we even really understand what all of this is for and where we may be going in the end? There are so many questions, and it seems like there are even more answers that lead to more questions. So when you ask yourself why, you may get a different answer today than you get tomorrow. All I really know at this point is that I believe there is a lot more to our existence than we can even begin to understand at the moment, but one day, we will.
We are wound up so tight these days, and it's getting even tighter. It's sort of like a quickening. The world is changing so fast, and either we as a people don't notice or we just don't care. We work and sleep and in between that time just try to find a way to entertain ourselves. Many of us don't stop to think about it, and I mean really think about it. Some of us may go to church and get preached at for a few hours, but what do we really learn?
But, some people still feel they get what the man is preaching to them on Sunday, and it comforts them. That's not meant as a put down, but rather an observation. If it is making a person feel better and helping get them through another week in this reality, it's not all that bad. Some people don't have two dimes to rub together, and it's their faith that gets them through another day. They long for what they think is coming to them in the end, but in the meantime, they exist here, trying to make the most of those good moments that come to us all from time to time.
But, this world is ruled by the dollar. "In God We Trust" is what it says on the dollar bill. It also says something about a New World Order, but I won't go there. Money is the point system of this "game" that seems to be our existence on this planet, and whoever has the most, wins. Or do they? How much is enough? How much more stuff do you need in the quest to try and make yourself feel better? At what point does a rich person, even with all that they have, ask themselves that all important question, "What's the point of all of this?"
But to so many of the working men and women of this world, what they see of these rich people makes them envious. They want that life too. They want to be able to relax in the lap of luxury without worry of how they are going to pay that next bill. But the reality is that they have to get to work. Gotta get that paycheck. They are only a few missed paychecks away from losing it all. Some of these people play the corporate game of, "Put it on the card", and this has left them in debt up to their ears. But, it motivates them to get out of bed early in the morning, day in and day out, week in and week out, to get that job done.
You gotta do what you gotta do, or so they say. So, off to work they go, making that stop along the way to worship at he corporate "Temple Of Chevron" to fuel their vehicle. But, you must pay a handsome fee at that temple, where you visit two or three times a week, and it's getting more expensive by the day. When you get through feeding the corporate machine, it's off to do that job. You may be one of the lucky ones who got the job you "wanted", and it's not really work to you, or you may be one of the many who is stuck in that dead end, dreary job, because you have bills to pay.
But, where is this all heading? Why are we here, really? What's the point of all of this? Is it some cosmic plan that we can't understand? Is Sitchin right about man being bred for slavery thousands of years ago? Do we just keep getting reincarnated over and over again? That's a somewhat depressing thought to me. Is it all over when we die? Or, is The Bible the book with all of the answers? There are so many things to consider as possibilities. Certainly, the teachings of the officially sanctioned churches (pick your faith) are the most well known theories.
Were we kicked out God's beautiful garden after what happened with Adam and Eve, and are we born sinners because of what they did? Is Jesus the answer because He died on the cross for our sins? If we accept that fact and proclaim Him our Savior, will we have a path into Heaven when we die? The Jesus that I read about in The Bible was a great man, who changed the world with his teachings, but there are some who believe that such a man existed, yet they deny he was the Son of God, sent here to save us all. These people are religious in their own right, and many of them are decent enough people. Are they to be excluded from Heaven?
The Bible offers hope to many, but interpretations of The Bible made by "religious men" have been used to kill millions throughout history. And then you hear things about how homosexual people are going to hell. A guy may, for instance, live a good life, help others when he can, never hurt anybody and even accept that Jesus died for him, but because he was gay, people say he's going to hell anyway. There are things in religious doctrine that I'm not so sure of. I firmly and whole heartedly believe there is a force out there, call that force God if you want, that created all of this.
I don't know who or what God is, but I know God exists. I don't know why God created us and why we are here, but I continue to search for answers. I don't understand God proclaiming everybody since Adam and Eve sinners and needing to send Jesus to us to change things so we can all get to Heaven if we accept Jesus. I mean, this is God, isn't it? God created all of this. Couldn't God just change the rules without, what some might even go so far as to call, a ritual like the sacrifice of Jesus. But, then again, who am I to question our Creator?
And, if we are fortunate enough to make it into Heaven, what is waiting for us there? A life of servitude to The Lord? Are we to follow Him around like sheep to a shepherd? What will our lives be like? Would they be much like they are now, only in a different environment? I'm not sure I understand what Heaven is to be like. Somehow, even the idea that all of the things you ever wanted on Earth becoming yours in Heaven doesn't sound like how it would really be.
If we are to follow God in Heaven, will the feeling in our souls be of euphoria and joy and contentment, where we don't long for anything? Do you want to go to a place where your desire to learn and grow and evolve is gone? Where do you want to go? What do you want to do? Do we even really understand what all of this is for and where we may be going in the end? There are so many questions, and it seems like there are even more answers that lead to more questions. So when you ask yourself why, you may get a different answer today than you get tomorrow. All I really know at this point is that I believe there is a lot more to our existence than we can even begin to understand at the moment, but one day, we will.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Who Killed Jesus?
A lot of killing is done in the name of religion and who's interpretation of God is correct. I'm personally of the opinion that our relationship with our Creator or God is unique to ourselves. A church isn't how that path is made, and they don't have the power to absolve us from any sins they claim we made against God.
I may offend with that opinion, but I'm just being honest. Reading The Bible and being preached to in a church are two different things. But, I find the story of Jesus fascinating, just as I do the story of the Roman Catholic Church and the people who get blamed for the death of Jesus.
There has been a love/hate relationship with the Jewish people through the years. It can be easy to start hating the Jews because sometimes they pull out the "we have suffered more than anybody" card, and it gets old after a while. I'm not saying the Jews haven't suffered, because they clearly have. WW2 Is only one instance.
I also believe some of that hate is thrown at them over the idea that they killed Jesus. That is an outright lie. Now, the story tries to frame it that way, especially when we get to the story of the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate. He gave the Jewish people the choice, and they chose to free Barabbas, the known terrorist at least as the Romans saw him. To the Jews, he was a hero.
Jesus going around claiming He was God was enough to offend a lot of people, especially when it's somebody performing miracle after miracle. But the Jews were fighting for their own cause, and preaching love of your fellow man isn't likely to win the hearts and minds of the people who want to fight.
Sure, they chose the terrorist, but they weren't the ones making the legal decision. It matters not what Pontius says in this story. The story cleverly tries to shift the blame from the Romans to the Jews, when the Romans were the ones who held all the power.
Yet, people still want to hate the Jews for killing Jesus. It wasn't like every Jew in the world was there at that moment and took a vote, nor was it that they ran the government that was intent on putting him to death.
What's interesting is what happened after that day. While the Jews were scattered, the Roman Empire may have fallen, but it didn't die completely. It became the Roman Catholic Church. The Pope became it's figurehead leader, called the Vicar (stand in) of Christ. By who's authority? Where did Jesus say that man speaks for Him?
So, the very government that authorized the killing of Jesus is the one in charge of officially speaking for Him. Interesting how that happened. Maybe, as the story goes, He had to die for our sins, but I find the whole story fascinating. The Jews get blamed, and the government responsible for nailing Him to the cross essentially takes over as official spokesman.
And, through the years, how much killing have we had in His name? Would Jesus approve of that? Not the Jesus I read about in The Bible. This is one reason I don't believe in the church as spokesman for Jesus. They can relate His story, but our relationship with God is our own.
Nobody on Earth can broker that relationship. It is up to us by trying to live as good and righteous a life as we can, filled with love and respect for others. None of us are perfect. I know I'm not.
I may offend with that opinion, but I'm just being honest. Reading The Bible and being preached to in a church are two different things. But, I find the story of Jesus fascinating, just as I do the story of the Roman Catholic Church and the people who get blamed for the death of Jesus.
There has been a love/hate relationship with the Jewish people through the years. It can be easy to start hating the Jews because sometimes they pull out the "we have suffered more than anybody" card, and it gets old after a while. I'm not saying the Jews haven't suffered, because they clearly have. WW2 Is only one instance.
I also believe some of that hate is thrown at them over the idea that they killed Jesus. That is an outright lie. Now, the story tries to frame it that way, especially when we get to the story of the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate. He gave the Jewish people the choice, and they chose to free Barabbas, the known terrorist at least as the Romans saw him. To the Jews, he was a hero.
Jesus going around claiming He was God was enough to offend a lot of people, especially when it's somebody performing miracle after miracle. But the Jews were fighting for their own cause, and preaching love of your fellow man isn't likely to win the hearts and minds of the people who want to fight.
Sure, they chose the terrorist, but they weren't the ones making the legal decision. It matters not what Pontius says in this story. The story cleverly tries to shift the blame from the Romans to the Jews, when the Romans were the ones who held all the power.
Yet, people still want to hate the Jews for killing Jesus. It wasn't like every Jew in the world was there at that moment and took a vote, nor was it that they ran the government that was intent on putting him to death.
What's interesting is what happened after that day. While the Jews were scattered, the Roman Empire may have fallen, but it didn't die completely. It became the Roman Catholic Church. The Pope became it's figurehead leader, called the Vicar (stand in) of Christ. By who's authority? Where did Jesus say that man speaks for Him?
So, the very government that authorized the killing of Jesus is the one in charge of officially speaking for Him. Interesting how that happened. Maybe, as the story goes, He had to die for our sins, but I find the whole story fascinating. The Jews get blamed, and the government responsible for nailing Him to the cross essentially takes over as official spokesman.
And, through the years, how much killing have we had in His name? Would Jesus approve of that? Not the Jesus I read about in The Bible. This is one reason I don't believe in the church as spokesman for Jesus. They can relate His story, but our relationship with God is our own.
Nobody on Earth can broker that relationship. It is up to us by trying to live as good and righteous a life as we can, filled with love and respect for others. None of us are perfect. I know I'm not.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)