Archive for the ‘Politics’ Tag
Political signs were a common sight on our August road trip, especially in Texas and the southeast.— Image by kenne
“You are never dedicated to something you have complete confidence in. No one is fanatically shouting that the sun
is going to rise tomorrow. They know it’s going to rise tomorrow. When people are fanatically dedicated to political
or religious faiths or any other kinds of dogmas or goals, it’s always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt.”
— from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
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Jasper, Alabama, 1987 — Photo by Sam Fentress in the September 1987 issue of “DoubleTake”
With the worsening crisis in the middle-east and oil prices well over $110 a barrel, I thought I would share this 1987 photo showing gas prices with the religious message above this Shell station sign. I’m not sure such messages help, but what the hell!
“Some passersby take exception to the mixing of spiritual and commercial messages, Fentress says, but he believes the signs were made with the best of intentions.”
“It reminds me of a joke I heard once about a guy who goes to confession and asks, ‘Father, is it OK if I smoke while I pray?’ And the priest says, ‘No, my son.’ But when the next guy comes in and asks, ‘Father, is it OK if I pray while I smoke?’ the priest says, ‘Sure, that’s fine.’ “
— kenne
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AngelusNovis by Paul Klee
The invasion of Iraq began on March 19, 2003. On this Memorial Day, I share a piece I wrote in January of 2003.)
Freedom doesn’t come without a price,
an individual’s price
can vary greatly
depending on his/her
color, wealth, and power.
I served during the Viet Nam era.
On the day I was drafted,
so too were two other young men.
They are not alive today.
There are others I knew
that paid the greatest price,
which is how many of us
put a face on Viet Nam War.
For many Americans
going to war in Iraq
needs to have a face,
a face of those who have already died
from this war between bullies.*
During my duty in the Army
I had a top secret-crypto clearance.
I began to become aware
of the difference between
what citizens are told as fact
and what was the truth.
The Army told me we live and die
by international law and standards,
by the Rules of the Geneva Convention,
but we lie.
We expect others to live
by international laws,
not us.
Just because a bully in Iraq
doesn’t believe in international laws
shouldn’t mean that we lower
ourselves to the bully’s level.
We are better than that!
The lesson I have learned is that
it’s always a mistake
to believe your own lies.
Yes, Sadam is a tyrant.
However, he should be
treated as such through
the international justice system.
He should be replaced
by elected leaders,
not a regime that is ours.
Remember,
it wasn’t that long ago
that Sadam was our bully.
As the most powerful country
in the history of the world,
we have an obligation
to use our power with
constraint and with justice,
to lead by example
so that other countries
will not take unilateral action
against another country
simply for preëmptive reasons.
We are better than that!
Let’s show respect to our position
of power and greatest
by leading and supporting diplomacy
and the rule of law,
not the rule of vigilantism.
Peace.
kenne
*(note — we have been at war,
with Iraq since we have
been bombing them
daily for years now,
which we justified
by our own
unilateral action,
not International law,
or the UN.)
Tom Toles/The Washington Post
32.270209
-110.860703
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Skywriting Over Tucson, Arizona Eleven Days Before The Election. — Image by kenne
Writings in the sky
For a wannabe president
Fades, pre getting job.
kenne
32.270209
-110.860703
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Becoming is Superior to Being 
The invasion of Iraq began on March 19, 2003. On this Memorial Day, I share a piece I wrote in January of 2003.)
Freedom doesn’t come without a price,
an individual’s price
can vary greatly
depending on his/her
color, wealth, and power.
I served during the Viet Nam era.
On the day I was drafted,
so too were two other young men.
They are not alive today.
There are others I knew
that paid the greatest price,
which is how many of us
put a face on Viet Nam War.
For many Americans
going to war in Iraq
needs to have a face,
a face of those who have already died
from this war between bullies.*
During my duty in the Army
I had a top secret-crypto clearance.
I began to become aware
of the difference between
what citizens are told as fact
and what was the truth.
The Army told me we live and die
by international law and standards,
by the Rules of the Geneva Convention,
but we lie.
We expect others to live
by international laws,
not us.
Just because a bully in Iraq
doesn’t believe in international laws
shouldn’t mean that we lower
ourselves to the bully’s level.
We are better than that!
The lesson I have learned is that
it’s always a mistake
to believe your own lies.
Yes, Sadam is a tyrant.
However, he should be
treated as such through
the international justice system.
He should be replaced
by elected leaders,
not a regime that is ours.
Remember,
it wasn’t that long ago
that Sadam was our bully.
As the most powerful country
in the history of the world,
we have an obligation
to use our power with
constraint and with justice,
to lead by example
so that other countries
will not take unilateral action
against another country
simply for preëmptive reasons.
We are better than that!
Let’s show respect to our position
of power and greatest
by leading and supporting diplomacy
and the rule of law,
not the rule of vigilantism.
Peace.
kenne
*(note — we have been at war,
with Iraq since we have
been bombing them
daily for years now,
which we justified
by our own
unilateral action,
not International law,
or the UN.)
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