America the myth

[Kayra]

Do anything you please so long as it does not impinge on anyone else following the same commandment.

Hmm.. lots of loop holes in that one I think.

Could you base an entire governemnt on that?
An entire religion?

[ughaibu]

Yesterday, in Okinawa, a fourteen year old girl was raped by a white guy. By historical precedent and general demographics, it's seems likely that the rapist was a US military man. Okay so far, but in these situations, the US military want to deal with such crimes internally, as a military matter rather than a civil matter. I find that both inappropriate and insulting.
Also, most US war criminals, apropos Vietnam, are now dead, I think the US should, at least, posthumously execute them for those war crimes.

[LaurieAG]

Originally Posted by ughaibu

Yesterday, in Okinawa, a fourteen year old girl was raped by a white guy. By historical precedent and general demographics, it's seems likely that the rapist was a US military man. Okay so far, but in these situations, the US military want to deal with such crimes internally, as a military matter rather than a civil matter. I find that both inappropriate and insulting.
Also, most US war criminals, apropos Vietnam, are now dead, I think the US should, at least, posthumously execute them for those war crimes.

Hi Ughaibu,

AGAIN!

Didn't two 14 year old Okinawa girls get raped around 10 years ago and it took 6 years before the US military handed over the culprit?

Okinawans should't feel that their 14 year old daughters are being targetted exclusively by the US military, it's also US military women who are being raped and the US military refuses to do anything about it.

And the Okinawans can feel lucky that their 14 year old daughters are being left alive after being raped. What about the two girls in South Korea who were (as the military story goes) side swiped by a Jeep and left for dead in a ditch, or the two young girls in England who were found dead in a ditch outside a US air force base? And not forgetting the 3 young Iraqi girls who were found raped and murdered in Baghdad after the invasion and the others raped and gunned down in cold blood by a revenge patrol.

It's not surprising that the South Korean people think that the US is more dangerous to them than North Korea.

The US military leaders should realise that they are doing to their own what they are doing to others, and bring a bit of integrity back into their jobs instead of being the protectors of rapists, pedophiles and murderers, along with all the decent hard working US military people who should be their first priority.

The best place for the perverts would be Guantanamo bay (the offenders or their protectors or both).

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by DFINITLYDISTRUBD

I love this land hate the government. Gotta take the good with the bad I guess.
But I cannot understand why americans would rather live their lives wearing blinders
and ignore the many ways our government which is sworn to protect the rights guaranteed
by our Constitution and the Bill of Rights instead eliminates, modifies, or just plain tramples them whenever it suits the govts. agenda. ...

mmmm....tasty! Sometimes, our government & those we hire to run it, do stand up to those who would impose a religious agenda on everyone whenever it suits them. For example like...oh, I don't know....Christmas? OK; got yer attention so now to the goods.

Atheist display at Capitol in Olympia creates national firestorm - Breaking News From Oregon & Portland - Oregonlive.com

Originally Posted by AP

Atheist display at Capitol in Olympia creates national firestorm
Thursday December 04, 2008, 8:30 AM

A lighting ceremony for a holiday tree at the Washington Capitol at 6 p.m. Friday may draw more attention than usual.

That's because of a sign also displayed in the Rotunda at the request of the Freedom From Religion Foundation that calls religion "myth and superstition."

That has outraged Bill O'Reilly of Fox News who has been asking his viewers to call the governor to complain.

O'Reilly says displaying the sign with the tree and a Christian nativity scene is "political correctness gone mad."

Gov. Chris Gregoire says a federal lawsuit forced the state to allow displays regardless of views.

Heres the hating, narrow-minded, religious-zealot dissenting view.

Bill O'Reilly: Bill's Column

Originally Posted by O Really?

Just in time for the Christmas season, the Governor of Washington State, Christine Gregoire, has insulted Christians all over the world. Inside the state capitol building in Olympia, there is a traditional holiday display featuring a tree and the Nativity scene-perfectly appropriate since the Christmas federal and state holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

But this year, Governor Gregoire decided to add another item to the display. Standing alongside the baby Jesus is a giant placard designed by atheists that reads, "There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

You read that correctly. The governor of Washington State has permitted an attack on religion to be displayed in her office building as part of a Christmas presentation. ...

[Turtle]

Dateline Washington State: The atheist sign was stolen! My, my, my, my, my! Who would do a thing like that?

Originally Posted by KOMO

A controversial anti-religion placard was reported missing from the state Capitol - then later found - and now the sign's sponsor wants the State Patrol to provide special protection for it when it is returned. Several other groups clamored to post their own holiday displays. Read more » KOMO News - Seattle, Washington

Now this is all to go to the myth that America is a Christian nation (never mind the Constitution) and just how far the religious folk will go to enforce the myth. Here's a blast from the past on that note:

Originally Posted by ~Thomas Jefferson, to the Virginia Baptists (1808)

Because religious belief, or non-belief, is such an important part of every person's life, freedom of religion affects every individual. Religious institutions that use government power in support of themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths, or of no faith, undermine all our civil rights. Moreover, state support of an established religion tends to make the clergy unresponsive to their own people, and leads to corruption within religion itself. Erecting the "wall of separation between church and state," therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society.

http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/.../jefferson.htm

I'd say this is not over yet and I'm bettin' the nastiest business is goin' to come from the religious. How perfectly suiting.

If you have an opinion, why not let the Governor hear it? I have put in my call of support for Gregoire's response to the 'outrage'. .

Office of the Governor | PO Box 40002 | Olympia, WA 98504-0002
Phone: 360-902-4111 | FAX: 360-753-4110
Interact with Governor Gregoire

[charles brough]

Why is there so much antagonism to government in this thread?

The government is what we make it. We voted for those people.

Also, government is our only protection from the corporate world. It is not government that caused this present economic melt-down but businesses which we should have had our government regulate. After all, the whole corporate system is a product of government and depends upon government law. Even what a corporation is, is a product of government regulation and law. These corporations have no interest in public social welfare and are by nature geared only to make a profit for their stockholders. The affluent class would love to get us all to hate government so they can use government subsidies at you, the taxpayrer's expense. They want to eliminate social security, medicade and unions. They were behind trade agreements that took our jobs overseas and now want to break the unions so we can compete without own corporations outside the US.

Let the affluent classists take over govenment and they will succeed in eliminating the middle class. They are already half way there. Government is our only protection against them.

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

Re: America the myth
Why is there so much antagonism to government in this thread?

Because I hate being lied too, and America as presented to the masses is one hell of a doozy.

The government is what we make it. We voted for those people.

I didn't.

Also, government is our only protection from the corporate world.

Wrong....try again...it is bought and sold every day to the highest bidder by the corperate world...

Etc.etc..etc...

Let the affluent classists take over govenment and they will succeed in eliminating the middle class. They are already half way there. Government is our only protection against them.

Um.....yeah....and the fact that most of our govt. officials are typically affluent

As to you Mr. Turtle

Why is it your presence always leaves me wondering....somewhat confused...and yearning for more?

As to the sign it could have been a little more tactful...Ie. keeping the first portion and leaving off

Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

which while accepted by many including myself to be true to some extent (there are those of faith that are very much decent kind folks) is a bit harsh.

[questor]

Disturbed, have you ever lived in a foreign country? Have you ever lived under a different system of government than the US?

[questor]

Turtle, you quoted Jefferson, ''Because religious belief, or non-belief, is such an important part of every person's life, freedom of religion affects every individual.''
Does this mean to you that Christianity should be abolished, ridiculed,and removed from public life? Do you feel the same about all religions? Would you say that religion has negatively affected or ruined some aspects of your life? Would you prefer that we eliminate the celebration of all religious holidays?

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

Originally Posted by questor

Disturbed, have you ever lived in a foreign country? Have you ever lived under a different system of government than the US?

Spent a good bit of time in Canada (a few mo's) does that count?