Month: September 2015

The Refugee Crisis

I am very conflicted about this issue.
On the one hand, I feel Europeans seeded this mess a long time ago and they should accept the refugees. On the other hand, I believe that people have the leaders they allow to rule. Just about half the population of Syria left the country. If that same half had marched on the capital, yes, it would have been bloody, but the regime would not be standing.
In a very simplistic way to be sure, most of the unrest in the world today is either directly or indirectly the result of early Europeans to the ‘new world’. So, it is now Europe’s turn to deal with the mess they seeded many years ago. Looking at it through that lens, Europeans migrated from Europe in large numbers to the new world for exactly the same reason as the refugees of today. Religious and political unrest in Europe drove people to look for peace else where. The Puritans didn’t come to America because life was great in England. Neither did the Irish or the Italians, Germans, and on and on. Yet, they came when their home land was a mess looking for a better life.
Europeans didn’t only flee to the new world for sanctuary, they also saw the new world as a gold mine. Carving up the land amongst themselves regardless of tribal or ethnic boundaries. This led to a whole host of problems that are still with us today. The refugees of today are from places where Europeans had there hands and made a mark. Today, those refugees are looking for the same thing the Europeans were looking for when they left Europe;  freedom, peace of mind, and safety.
That is why is really striking to me, to hear Europeans or American talk disparagingly about people wanting to come to their country today. No one asked the Native American Indians or the Amerindians if they could enter. Yet they did, and did so bearing arms. Nothing like what is going on today.
I feel for people living in difficult situations and who just want a better life for their love ones. But I also feel that people have a responsibility to make their home a better place to live. Assad doesn’t lead Syria alone. There are many who support him. That country has the leader they have because that is the leader who allow to govern.
Some might say, well he is violent and he crushes the opposition. That is true, but for all those who are fleeing the country, about half the population by now. That is more than enough to have crushed Assad and his supported. Instead of fleeing, they should stay, fight, and die to make their home a better place. Fleeing only makes it possible for Assad to say in power because there are less people to oppose him. So while they leave for a better life for themselves, they leave their countrymen to suffer.
Every Syrian that leaves and seek asylum elsewhere, is abandoning their country and handing success to the regime. That is why I believe that if people don’t like what is going on in their country, they should fight to change it. Be willing to fall on your metaphorical sword in the battle to have the leadership you want. And that would mean a civil war in many instances and fighting with your brother. But people just can’t run away from every bad situation to where the going is good and leave issues unresolved.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVV6_1Sef9M

 

About Kim Davis

The Kim Davis saga is almost over, thankfully. But I wanted to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard in this case on this issue. There are many many opinions all over the web on either side of this issue, and I would guess some that falls smack in the middle. I am clearly on one side.

I think Kim Davis is wrong, the people who support her are wrong. I don’t know if history will bear that out or not. She is not only wrong for not granting that license. She is wrong and others like her who claim religious persecution. About the only people in The United States of America today that could say they are in anyway being vilified in anyway for their religious beliefs are Muslims. And still, it would be a stretch for Muslims to claim they are being persecuted.

No religious group in America, is being hunted, hung out to dry, or put in jail for their religious or non-religious beliefs. So, religious and non-religious people are both being protected. Though, some more than others. So it is clear, that anyone who claims religious persecution in America today, is simply dishonest at best and dangerous at worst.

As far as whatever Kim Davis believes about gays and gays being married, she is free to have those beliefs. However, she has a job for which she gets paid. It is not her job to interpret the law. If she finds it disagreeable, she can quit and protest or run for office. But as it is not, she can’t, shouldn’t be allowed to, or celebrated for not following the law. The people who are supporting her, would be very unhappy, if someone else claims religious beliefs prevents them from issuing heterosexual marriage licenses. And conservatives, who are generally Republicans, who also generally favor the rights to bear arms, would be very unhappy if someones religious beliefs prevented them from selling them a gun or gun license.

But it is not because the other side won’t like the same argument being used on them that is why it is wrong. It is simply wrong to say religious beliefs are preventing you from doing a job for which there is no religion. If Kim Davis wants, she can go get a job at a church or some other religious place where they won’t be issuing gay marriage licenses. Put on the public dime, she shouldn’t be allow to use her religion like a cloak against serving the public.

What makes people like Kim Davis, and the politicians like Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz dangerous, is how they mislead the mass. People like these are very dangerous for a society that must function on diverse opinions. We have to be able to have our own opinions, and even if the opinions collide, we don’t. We should still work with and for each other. Because all we have and all we know for certain, is that we are here and are all struggling to survive and have fun doing it.

All the talk of religion have not yet proven beyond doubt, that there is any god to help us now or in the next life. All we have so far is this life. And when Kim Davis says god speaks to her, she is gravely mistaken and to have other believe that is dangerous. If god had a desire, he can just have us all know his/her desire. There would be no need for us to argue. why is it that only people who believe there is a god get to hear is voice? Why doesn’t god just write in the sky, I am god and I don’t want gays to get married. Or burn it on the walls of the court room? there it would be clear for all to see.

Religious people would tell you just how good and real god is in their life, but yet can’t show you gods hands in the world. We won’t have to fight about whether gays should married if god simple tell us all. God created the world and everything in it, which would also mean gays. But for god he can’t solve this issue, he need lieutenants like Kim Davis, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, and the rest to do his work.

I think people who claim god told them or wants them to do something other than for their own lives are dangerous. Where will they stop? People used religion to maintain slavery. People used religion for wars. People have used religion to deny interracial marriages. And those people too, claimed that gold spoke to them.

So then I wonder about what kind of god speak to these people? The people who are most intolerant? The ones who would soon tell you about gods love for you, but would rather you go at it alone in this world? Would deny you medical help? Or would just as quickly consider you their enemy and pick up arms?