NO END IN SIGHT examines the manner in which the principal errors of U.S. policy – the use of insufficient troop levels, allowing the looting of Baghdad, the purging of professionals from the Iraqi government, and the disbanding of the Iraqi military – largely created the insurgency and chaos that engulf Iraq today. How did a group of men with little or no military experience, knowledge of the Arab world or personal experience in Iraq come to make such flagrantly debilitating decisions? NO END IN SIGHT dissects the people, issues and facts behind the Bush Administration’s decisions and their consequences on the ground to provide a powerful look into how arrogance and ignorance turned a military victory into a seemingly endless and deepening nightmare of a war.

Go see this movie.

 
One cannot legislate morality. These should be words to live by for the U.S. government. I hold a particular distaste for the legislation of religious beliefs and for the defense of this practice: “America is a Christian nation.” This claim is overused and overgeneralized. Are the majority of American citizens Christians? Without a doubt. But one of the fundamental ideals of our government and of the American way of life is the protection of individual rights.

This is the heart of our Constitution and the core of our success. What defines our country is that we’re not just one religion or one ethnicity. We don’t listen to the same music, watch the same news or read the same books. Our government is dominated by the political right, led by President George W. Bush. Because of their majority, many believe that these leaders have a mandate from “the people” to carry out their beliefs.

Firstly, there is no mandate because only a little more than half the country’s adults voted, and that works out to maybe a quarter of “the people” voting for the president. Secondly, and as I’ve already mentioned, morality should not be legislated. Legislation is about protecting rights, from the right to walk down the street safely to the right to one’s own life.

The right-to-life debate has become religiously charged, making it seem grayer than it is and forcing it to the center of issues like stem-cell research, abortion and assisted suicide. For one moment, assume that religious beliefs were no longer a consideration. Without the notion of a soul, which is purely religious, stem-cell research would be a complete non-issue, as would any abortion in the first trimester.

Assisted suicide, and all laws regarding suicide, would be ridiculous because one’s life belongs to his or herself, not to God, and therefore a person’s decision to die or to live is entirely his and definitely beyond the scope of the government. If this was wrong according to an individual’s religion, that person wouldn’t commit suicide. If she was against abortion, she wouldn’t get one. No religion or group has the right to force its morality on the whole of America, elevating its beliefs above individual rights.

Another instance of religion being applied to policy is the battle over the teaching of evolution. Those who are pitching a revamped version of creationism called “intelligent design” claim that there are holes in the theory of evolution, so an alternative must be taught.

If we are to accept this line of reasoning, we must also allow other theories on the existence of man to be presented. All religions must be given a fair chance. Biology class becomes Mythology 101 as students hear story after story about how man may have come to be, none of which are based on proven fact or science, but all of which must be given equal consideration. In public schools, only scientific theories should be taught, and evolution is the best available.

Still more outrageous, the president tried to make gay marriage unconstitutional because it doesn’t coincide with his religious beliefs. According to Christianity, gay couples should not marry because it is what God intended. Outside of religion, however, there is no valid argument against gay couples marrying. They should be given the same rights individually and as a committed couple that all straight citizens are given.

We are a country of individuals with inalienable rights, a country of people who have been allowed to believe what we choose to believe and to live in a way that permits us to pursue our own brand of happiness. The foundation of this way of life is our respect for and unwillingness to violate individual rights. Let’s keep it that way.

For the first time in Cirque du Soleil history lyrics have been created for the instrumental tracks and real words integrated in place of invented language, bringing to the music a fresh poetic dimension. And also, for the first time Cirque du Soleil puts musicians and singers center-stage with their music as the driving force of this gigantic event.

In all, 20 of Cirque du Soleil’s most memorable musical moments – originally created by René Dupéré, Benoît Jutras and Violaine Corradi – have been re-mixed by Quebec producer, composer and arranger Francis Collard. The result is a hyper-energizing urban tribal beat that explodes with electronic sounds, percussions and world rhythms.

OMG! I can’t wait. I take great pleasure in announcing that I will be going to see Delirium on September 24 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. It is sure to be a dazzling hit. Be sure to check back around that time for a complete update!

Delirium, Cirque du Soleil, musicians, singers, musical

U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris told a religious journal that separation of church and state is “a lie” and God and the nation’s founding fathers did not intend the country be “a nation of secular laws.”

The Republican candidate for U.S. Senate also said that if Christians are not elected, politicians will “legislate sin,” including abortion and gay marriage.

Not only are the comments she made offensive, they are in every way a flat out lie. What she is basically saying is that she is sinless (along with all other Christians) and that we as non-Christians are full of sin in the express lane to hell (and of course we want to take the country down with us). She is the epitome of a closed minded, self-righteous, my way or the highway politician that I feel this country can do without. I’m appalled.

Her words only underscore the ridiculous efforts of the Republican Party and right wing Conservative Christians to invalidate all of those who, like me, would like to think differently and for ourselves and not be afraid to have an opinion different from the status quo. Now, she is in every way entitled to her opinion, and I can respect that. But when her opinion minimizes that of so many others (like myself), I begin to have a problem with it. Please stand up for your beliefs and do not let those of one person become the “law of the land.” Do not support these kind of closed-minded “leaders.” Thank you.

Katherine Harris, politics, Republicans, closed minds, God

“We know that kids are going to be exposed to the media, so why don’t we take the media on our own terms?” Tivo Inc. Vice President Joe Miller told a group of about 50 leaders in Atlanta.

The new free service will have a menu of recommended shows by nonprofit organizations focused on children (with no doubt religious undertones.) I think this is a horrible idea. Not only will this aid in closing the minds of children by pounding the right wing Christian message down their throats, but it also disguises the reality of the mess our world is truly in. We wouldn’t want to show them pictures or news broadcasts about children getting blown up in Iraq by US Military, now would we? That might make them ask questions that we as adults wouldn’t know how to answer. (Because the only true answer would lead us to explaining to them the greed and corruption of our very own government.)

Perhaps instead of putting our children in front of a padlocked TV while we sip martinis by the pool, we should sit with our children and watch appropriate content together. Teach them right and wrong, explain to them what is truly going on in the world, that way we won’t have to worry about padlocking the TV and they’ll gain a better understanding of why there is so much violence on TV.

Tivo, religion, TV, children