Lambs and Lions

Where conscious subjectivity is concerned, there is no distinction between the observation and the thing observed. -John Searle

Almost everything humans do is done with intention. The creative endeavors almost always say something, try to convey something. But there's a variable that all creatives must consider: human subjectivity. If two people see or hear the same thing, I guarantee the will get different things out of the experience. Our observations are tinged with history and feelings that an outside force cannot predict. For instance, if two people see a photo of a dog, the animal lover will feel happiness whereas the person who is afraid of dogs will exhibit fear. It doesn't much matter the intention of the photograph at that point. To one, the dog is not a dog, but rather happiness, to the other the dog is fear.

These days, it seems Hollywood is more in the business of propaganda than pure entertainment. From children's programming to late-night comedy, everything is pushing a message. With the loudest voices in Hollywood being liberal ones, that message is usually pro-liberal/anti-conservative. This may serve to wear down softer minds, but a number of us know it's not necessarily about what is overtly presented. The key to being entertained by entertainment is to be objective whenever possible.

Robin Hood opens soon and it's already creating buzz on both sides of the political spectrum. Conservatives see a character who stands up for the rights of everyone, crusading for the advancement of deserving souls, whereas liberals see someone exacting vengeance on the affluent and redistributing their wealth. When broken down, the story ceases to be cut and dry on any issue and it's certainly not 100% for or against either points of view. The minds behind the film have gotten antsy at the thought of Robin Hood being an encouraging force to 'Tea Partiers.' But in spite of all their efforts, viewers are going to have their own opinions. Once the film is taken in by the individual and processed through their unique filters, the message ceases to be as intended and becomes as interpreted.

Hollywood likes to think they are the sighted leading the blind, but I believe the opposite to be true. As I examine my life and the things by which I've been entertained, I find the intended message is not always how I take it. To me, Star Wars was never a working-man's battle against evil capitalists, Star Wars was about the power of honesty, tenacity, and forgiveness. X-Files wasn't a few stalwart liberals facing a corrupt conservative government, it was a pained search for truth against the forces of people who valued only self-preservation. Though I'm disheartened by the talk of what Robin Hood is intended to be, I know only what I feel when I hear things like "It is time for lambs to become lions." For too long, the taxpayer, the Christian, and the middle class worker have been trampled on. For too long, the Constitution has been ignored. If there are any lambs in this country with the strength and will to become lions, conservatives are those lambs. Liberals simply don't have the stomach for it.

Kick Ass!

I saw the movie Kick Ass over the weekend and I liked it a lot. I never doubted that I would, however, seeing as though I'm a huge comic book fan. In a Kick Ass world, regular folks could stand up to drug lords and murderers leaving a trail of scumbag corpses in their wake. But we all know this sort of thing could never be in the real world. The law forbids that kind of justice and instead, we're left with corrupt peacekeepers and slimy lawyers who think we are best served by molding us into the cream-filled weenies depicted on Law & Order.

There's something noble about standing up for basic good when people look only to words in a law textbook for the difference between right and wrong. Few seem to realize these days that some things can't be found in dusty tomes and amendment-addled legislation. Some things are just what they are, as they have been for centuries upon centuries. Perhaps this blind faith in words is due to a evolutionary inability to make decisions. Instead of doing what must be done, people mull their decisions until someone or something talks them out of going down the right road. Unfortunately, liberal ideology is wrought with 'easy way out' shop talk that often leads the weak astray. Just as the hybrid car crazy demonstrates, something may seem like a good idea at first, but really isn't if you examine the basic facts. A hybrid may use less gas, but it costs much more than a regular car and makes little monetary difference in the long run. On top of that, half of the environmental impact is simply displaced to the power companies. Just because you get to plug the car in instead of always filling it with gas doesn't mean you're being any more 'green'.

The Arizona illegal immigrant legislation is a perfect example of taking the reins and making the right decision, no matter what some may think. This move on Arizona's part is a natural, common sense maneuver to protect its citizens, something the federal government doesn't seem to have the stomach for. Either D.C. is bogged down in chewing their 'social justice' cud, or they're scared to step on toes, either way, Arizona beat them to the punch. And just like scalded law enforcement, the 'feds' are irritated that a state dared to take justice (albeit perfectly legal) into their own hands and make them look bad. The Obama administration has been drawing weak-principled lines in the sand for a while. It was high time someone braved to step over.

The arguments against the legislation are many and as most liberal arguments are, they're as noisy as a flock of agitated geese and just as messy. Does it infringe upon basic human rights as they may argue? No, not really. When someone comes across our border, they must abide by our laws of immigration and naturalization and if they don't, they must be removed. Is it hostile? No, if done properly as dictated in the actual legislation, it is not. But the senseless anger continues. None of these protesters seem to care about the welfare of actual U.S. citizens. Arizona is simply doing what it must in a charged climate, but the liberal machine and jelly-spined RINOs, won't have it. Basic good, common sense, these are not things in which they dabble.

In the film, Kick Ass says "with no power comes no responsibility." Later on, he retracts that belief. In some cases, those without power are the ones who must make efforts to be responsible; those with power too easily forget how. Just like Arizona, the conservatives in this country have spent too long believing they are powerless to instigate real change. And just like Arizona, we must wake up and realize that we do, in fact, have power. If evil does truly triumph when good does nothing, we can't watch from our windows any longer as freedom is beaten to death. My friends, it's time to kick ass!

Dear Hollywood: Stop Bullying Me!

When my husband was in lower education, he was bullied quite a bit. He was overweight, wore glasses, and spent a lot of time in shop class. Through the eyes of a jock, he had the geek trifecta. The jocks called my husband names, they knocked his backpack off his shoulders, and one particular bully made a game out of running up behind my husband and knocking his hat off his head nearly every day with a rather violent slap. After months of this behavior, my husband had had enough. When he heard the footsteps behind him one afternoon, he steadied himself, turned, and punched the bully in the face. Shocked by the show of initiative from this 'freak' and nursing a bruised ego, the bully skulked away, never to speak of the incident or repeat the bullying again.

I like to hear that story. Aside from how it makes my husband look (quite manly), it makes me feel better about having stood up for myself over the years. Sure, it's wrong to resort to physical violence most of the time, but it's more wrong to needlessly bully someone. In recent years, people have become more vigilant about bullying. We've all seen PSAs on the subject, from the 'old-fashioned' kind, to the cyber kind. Bullying can do a great deal of damage to a child. But what about adults? What about groups of people? What does bullying do to them?

The liberal media machine is excellent at the art of bullying. No one seems to know better how to sucker punch conservatives and their values. They will do and say almost anything to paint a sad, stupid, or evil picture of the people who oppose their opinions. If it isn't a crime show plot about a right-wing Christian with a sex addiction who abuses children, it's constant one-liner jabs about how stupid Sarah Palin is and how people who like her have to be equally as inept. Of late, the Fox hit Glee amplified its stance on conservatism by blatantly smearing Palin and making veiled jokes about Ann Coulter and Glenn Beck. It wasn't enough they had already blasted conservative principles on numerous occasions. They even went as far as to suggest the stereotypically stuffy, obviously well-off white Christian parents of a teen mother would kick her out of the home for the shameful sin of pre-marital sex. I don't know any Christians who would do such a thing.

Glee is supposed to be about the struggles of outcasts. These are geeks, freaks, and pariahs with issues ranging from dowdiness to obesity to homosexuality. These kids are the epitome of bully fodder, but yet the show continues to senselessly pelt its viewers with hate. Perhaps its the pressure to be 'cool' or the need to 'fit in,' but I find it rather sad. How on earth are you supposed to teach individuality and strength when you go out of your way to run with the crowd?

You'd think as an informed society we would be more opposed to overt bullying. Perhaps it's that trembling child in all of us who takes the punches, just waiting for the beating to subside so we can run away. But I think it's time for us to turn around and face the bullies. It's time to make a statement. If you see something in film or on television that upsets you, complain! If it's bad enough, talk to your friends about it, and stop watching. My husband and I gave up on Family Guy a long time ago. No amount of Star Wars jokes were worth the hate directed at what I believed and who I respected. Though I enjoy a lot about Glee, I'm growing weary of the taunting. It's truly a shame when bullying becomes so strong that an attack on an idea can be as painful as a slap to the head, but I am ready to fight back.

Space: The Wayside Frontier

"Space is the breath of art." -Frank Lloyd Wright

Who among us has not turned their face to the evening sky and wondered what was out there in the deep vastness of space, dotted with firefly-like stars, swathed with the gauze of galaxies. The unknown, which is now known a bit better thanks to the innovations of Americans stands to fade again into the realm of private industry seclusion. Thanks to Obama's cuts to the shuttle program and the cancellation of a possible second NASA moon voyage, things for NASA are looking rather... terrestrial.

It's important to say that I don't believe space travel is completely dead at this juncture. No, private industry will do fine with it as long as the government doesn't interfere, but there's something noble about our country leading the way into the last frontier. The quest for understanding of the heavens brought a unique kind of patriotism to the United States. Children were able to see their fascination with space meld with service of country. Budding scientists and physicists were led down a different path, from development of weapons to development of innovation. One of the most significant human accomplishments was the moon landing. What more proof of forward thinking and hard work could there have been than planting the Stars and Stripes on the moon's surface?

When I was a child, there was still a lot of interest in space. We had lengthy studies in my middle-grade schooling on the subject. One of my science classes actually built a shuttle simulator. Space was the things dreams were made of, it was the wistful impetus of imagination. 'Space Camp' was almost as cool as Disney World and was a huge experience for many children. Though I understand the effort to cut funds, I don't understand the choices of where to cut. We've essentially given up our interest in the last, untamed frontier in favor of yet more entitlement programs. We've tossed aside the pioneering spirit that made us Americans in order to pay for things we should never be paying for.

The quest for the conquest and exploration of space is an ideal, a symbol, like the flag or the bald eagle. There's something uniquely American about it. Now, like many things, Obama has seen to ignore that tradition in favor of things he feels are better traditions: entitlement, repression, and domination. I say we rebel; I say we fight back. Tell Washington what we want, what we need. Let November 2010 and every following November be a testament to American values and dreams. Look up to the sky, lose yourself in the infinity and smile; because as long as there is a canopy of sapphire and diamonds above our great nation, there will be genuine hope.

Sowing Seeds of Self Love

"The biggest problem we have in the world is lack of self love. Every cruelty comes from those who don't understand what they're worth!" -Jim Carrey

Mr. Carrey posted this on twitter recently, smearing his pompous ignorance on the computer and iPhone screens of millions of fans. With these two sentences, he proves he actually does know how to tell a joke. This joke is on him and all those who somehow find sense in his logic. Indeed, self love is the biggest problem we have, but a lack would only be the solution. Theodore Dalrymple on Self-Esteem versus Self-Respect states: "Self-esteem, it appears, is like money or health: you can't have too much of it." I think this is one of the reasons the 'self love' Mr. Carrey speaks of is such a pox on our society. Just like lusting after money, we have a need, an addiction to self-esteem. We crave prop-ups and pedestals, we thirst for mere ounces of praise and when we get them, we thirst for gallons. As the gallons come, we search for easier and easier ways to get more. Like Narcissus and his reflection, we've become unable to tear ourselves away... from ourselves.

Years of liberal indoctrination and preoccupation with 'self love' has seen to the formation of the 'entitlement gene'. This gene is passed from one self-esteem drunken moocher to the next by way of crippling stereotypes and baseless buzzwords. If you break down a great deal of the activism in our society today, you will always find overblown narcissism hiding under a rock in the background. Let's look at some examples.

• ACORN and other community-activist-type groups grew from the notion that by rights of ethnicity or degree of laziness, people are entitled to homes and sneaky tax breaks. We know now the lengths these people would go to in order to get their agenda across. The offenses range from advising a pimp on how to make his 'business' appear legitimate to the US government to registering dead and imaginary voters as default votes for Obama. There was nothing humble about ACORN. Everyone involved saw their cause justly because it's what they would want from the world. Why would they advise law-breaking prostitution-peddlers to clean up their act when they themselves live on the stolen rewards of other people's hard work? Why would they be equal in their voter canvasing when they know the 'other guy' makes no promises where entitlement is concerned? Every decision, every bit of advice, came from their darkened heart of self-adoration.

• Feminist organizations come from the same stock. Most believe women deserve certain things just for being women. If a woman and man were up for the same job, the woman should automatically get the job even though the man may be more qualified. And why would someone believe that? Simple. These women know that's what they would want. They know genuine respect comes from genuine hard work and frankly, they're not ready to do that hard work. They look in the mirror and hear the oft-whispered mantras "women are special, things are harder for women so the world must make consolations, women deserve to this respect because they're women." Humility teaches that in order to surmount obstacles, you must work harder. Vanity uses non-issues as crutches to hop undeservedly into the 'special' line.

• Anti-war fanatics, aside from being grossly undereducated in history and civics, are usually the kind of people who wish nothing more than to rule as dictators over their own life and the lives of those around them. Their crusade against war is a surrogate for the battle they are afraid to wage against their own insecurity. Facing up to the truth of the world would mean facing up to the possible lies they live by and that's just not easy for people who think the world tips on them as an axis. War is a mirror and these people prefer only the mirror that tells them they're the fairest in the land.

Communists, socialists, and entitlement junkies everywhere are little more than vain children. How else could you explain someone's belief that the spoils of hard work and dedication of someone like Bill Gates belongs to them when they've done nothing to deserve it? When I think of entitlement, I recall the folk tale 'The Little Red Hen.' The hen works at planting wheat, cultivating it, harvesting it, and baking to produce a loaf of bread. From the planting stages to the work of baking, she asks for help from her farm friends who all simply say "Not I." When the bread has been baked, the friends are more than happy to help the hen eat it. She, in efforts to teach her friends the errors of their selfish and lazy ways, refuses to share her bread.

Our society today is so poisoned by entitlement it's hard to imagine a future without it. But we must soldier on. Peace, charity, hard work, all of these things have a requirement so many refuse to fulfill: humility. On the hard-labor-bended backs and in the blister-peppered hands of those before us, our country has been carried in humility. Wars have raged, tensions abroad and at home have waxed and waned, tragedies, both man-made and natural have tested us, and we have remained. We must now concoct an anecdote to the self-love epidemic that ails us. We must replace selfish esteem with self respect. You reap what you sow, not what others sow for you. The entitlement gene is pushing the American ideal into extinction. Now is the time to sow humility and accountability before all that remains is ashes and dust.

To Catch a Predator

There are various schools of thought on the psychological impetus for abuse. The most prevalent postulates children who are abused, whether it be emotionally, physically, or sexually, are more prone to becoming abusers themselves. Some theorize that abuse is a 'learned' behavior brought on by stressors. In recent weeks, some have linked the abuse scandals in the Catholic church to the priestly vow of celibacy. In an answer to a 'chicken and egg' question, they've said celibacy causes these men to abuse children. Others believe it isn't the cause, but can certainly add to the stress. I personally don't believe the vow itself causes abuse, but celibacy is only the tip of an iceberg that looms beyond the Vatican's bow.

Celibacy and other 'small d' doctrines of Catholicism, have served not to preserve a humble order, but to propagate one of caste elitism. The 'few and proud' mentality has created a group of demi-gods who reject the 'failings' of humanity in order to become ultimate moral leaders. Clerical hierarchy attitudes can be reprehensible in their hypocrisy, but the attitudes of the 'flock' only exacerbate the problem. People teach their children from birth the members of holy orders are earth-bound saints, incapable of evil and demanding of wordless assent. Children grow to view these figures in a skewed way, not merely as learned elders but as something else entirely.

Leaders and flock alike continue to pantomime an inhuman view of things that are all too human. Perhaps this is one of the major failings of the Catholic church. Having been to the heart of Catholicism, Vatican City, I can attest to the bedazzling royal presentation. St. Peter's alone is the most decorated and imposing place I've ever seen. This basilica doesn't at all convey humility, but rather dominance. Standing in the square, one can feel the oppression, the overwhelming sense that the people who walk those halls believe they are the kings of all things corporeal. Kings who, when given the unconditional support of their followers, feel they have transcended humanity.

So how can a place so perfect, a church so divine, be a haven for men (and sometimes women) who do terrible things to children? I believe the answer lies in the aforementioned psychology. No matter how abusers develop, one trait is present in almost every case, the need for the abuser to dominate. Bullied by their parents, siblings, peers, whomever; these people need to be powerful. They feed on control. Positions of power such as law enforcement, military, and education often seem like an easy way to get that control. The clergy are powerful too and oftentimes clerical power is a position that requires little more than knowledge of doctrine. Too weak, meek, or scared to be in law enforcement or the military? Not patient or extroverted enough to be a teacher? If you study any kind of religion, the answer is obvious. How better to control people than to lead their soul? Nearly every idiosyncrasy will be explained away and accepted as a gift from God. There's almost no accountability. Human laws don't apply.

Some may argue that seminarians go through rigorous psychological evaluations, thus eliminating the potential for abusers to enter the priesthood, but it's not that simple. Almost everyone knows, the best way to catch anything is with the right bait. No amount of psychological testing can eliminate something the church has set itself up to catch in the first place. The Catholic patriarchal system is uniquely tooled to attract those who seek dominance and power. And whether these people choose to emotionally abuse those who trust them young and old or sexually abuse children, the perfect storm of storied divinity, opulent power, and 'fall on your sword' vows make the Catholic Church a collection of emboldened people with severe inferiority complexes.

The Catholic church has a lot of work to do. They must deal with abuse in a manner fitting the crime. No more hiding, no more pardoning, no more whispers. God said the truth would set us free, so tell the truth. And while they do this, they must reevaluate their mindset. A serious look at the discontinuation of celibacy is only the beginning. They must examine their attitude, their means of recruitment, and the kinds of people they're trying to attract. Do they want responsible, even tempered leaders with good values who happen to seek leadership as married clerics or do they want trolls in cassocks who care nothing for love and marriage but instead wish to dominate and destroy? Is an image and an antiquated tradition so important that they would obliterate the loyalty of their future flock to save face?

I was emotionally abused by a priest who desired nothing more than starry-eyed admiration from everyone he met. He didn't care what he had to do to get that admiration. Being a new convert to the church, I had none of the 'cradle Catholic' stigma that kept me from seeing him not as a god, but as a man. Still, I was hypnotized by his power and weakened by my own insecurities. I was eventually able to remove myself from the situation before the abuse became too much to bear. But one thing was clear to me: implied reverence means nothing. The uniform you wear, the letters before your name, they're irrelevant compared to who you are inside. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus says "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Part of humility is accepting the truth. In spite of what the Catholic church believes, man is not divine, not even close. They must accept the truth that power corrupts and adjust accordingly.

Revisionism: Substituting Reality

We all want to belong. In spite of our desires to be 'unique' we harbor the very human need to be part of something. In essence, we want to be accepted for who we are. Our culture has pushed this 'acceptance' trend to the breaking point. No matter the idiosyncrasy, no matter how damaging the behavior may be to others, the rights of the one will always outweigh the rights of the many. The psychological hunger to be accepted has turned into legal mandate. As long as someone has the strongest groups and lawyers behind them, they can force their lifestyle and beliefs on all of us. Call it art, call it expression, you can do anything with the right preamble.

Tarleton State University in Texas is about to stage a play in which Jesus is portrayed as "the King of Queers". The Son of God kisses Judas at Pilate's 'senior prom' and performs a same-sex marriage for two of his all gay disciples. Stories like these are not uncommon. The homosexual community has sought acceptance for decades by staging things just like this, the difference: they're now trying to rewrite history to get their message across.

The past few years have seen the advent of a disturbing trend. If you want to get your stake in the American freedom of expression, you exploit people and things that can't defend themselves. You use the liberal tactic of cleverly worded speculation to impart what you believe on figures in history who are long since gone and have no way of refuting your claims. Revisionist history has been smearing upstanding figures for years. They reject reality and substitute what supports their beliefs. While a little skewing of reality is fine in fiction and art, it's not fine to use skewed reality as fact in the teaching of children or the establishment of history.

Not to be left out from the cash-cow that is revisionism, homosexuals have jumped in with both feet. Did you know that half of our forefathers had covert homosexual affairs? We all know Jefferson had children with a slave girl; but did we know that he was really bisexual? Lincoln was a tortured gay man. He only married Mary because it was what was expected. One of the most recognized and respected people to ever walk this earth, Jesus, was really gay. He never married, hung out with a troupe of guys all the time, wore those smart dresses; he was gay. Why not? The logic is so completely flawed. In order to support their theories, people string together unrelated and irrelevant facts. They arrange things in such a way that the casual, ignorant observer may actually believe them. The duping of fools is something far more dangerous in the long run than honestly championing your cause.

Not only is this play an example of pure propaganda and the use of subjective fiction as a means to purvey a truth, it's a blatant smear on a faith that billions treasure. True to the current American socialistic agenda, Christianity is fair game for slander. No one fears upsetting a Christian because we are a non-violent religion. Christians won't retaliate for a simple jibe by strapping themselves with explosives and taking out a city block. They are notorious for mercy and oddly enough, for acceptance. Perhaps that's why Christians are so easy to attack. And though there is nothing concrete in the factual accounts of Jesus to prove he wasn't homosexual, there is certainly nothing to prove that he was. Established history has held that Jesus, the Holy Son of God, was if anything, asexual.

History is history, but thanks to the fact that hindsight is 20/20, we know some things to be irrefutably true. No matter how hard the revisionists may toil, they can't change what's written in stone. To even attempt such a thing only cheapens their cause. There is no validity in a belief or lifestyle that is wholly supported by conjecture. If you really want to get people's attention, tell the truth. No one does that these days.