Words from the past from John F. Kennedy on the importance of a separation of church and state

Seeing as how the extreme religious far right seems to have had such a powerful influence, not only on this past election, but also on wanting to exert even more control on the workings of our nation, it would be useful, I think, for all to read, or actually listen to a speech from Sept 12, 1960 that, then Senator John F. Kennedy gave to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association at the Rice Hotel in Houston Texas, where he spoke of the vital importance of keeping a separation between church and state. Here are some excerpts:

"I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute--where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote--where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference--and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the President who might appoint him or the people who might elect him."

"I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish--where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source--where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials--and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all."

"Finally, I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end--where all men and all churches are treated as equal--where every man has the same right to attend or not attend the church of his choice--where there is no Catholic vote, no anti-Catholic vote, no bloc voting of any kind--and where Catholics, Protestants and Jews, at both the lay and pastoral level, will refrain from those attitudes of disdain and division which have so often marred their works in the past, and promote instead the American ideal of brotherhood."

"That is the kind of America in which I believe. And it represents the kind of Presidency in which I believe--a great office that must neither be humbled by making it the instrument of any one religious group nor tarnished by arbitrarily withholding its occupancy from the members of any one religious group. I believe in a President whose religious views are his own private affair, neither imposed by him upon the nation or imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office."

Something to think about in the strange times we are living in.

The price of war--innocent civilians caught in the middle

In thinking about this war, we must never forget the thousands of innocent Iraqi people who are caught up in this mess, and are trying to find a way to just continue their lives in some manner. We only need to imagine how difficult it would be for us here, if suddenly one day, we were plunged into a life, where electricity was only turned on a few hours a day, and sometimes not at all for long periods of time. Where it was extremely difficult even to leave the house to get food, if you can even find any, for fear one might be shot, perhaps accidently caught in the crossfire. Where your kids would have to be kept home from school, their lives and normal routine disrupted, because of a need to protect them. The terror one must feel when bombs are going off all around you, and you can't figure out where to go within the confines of your home to be safe.

With that in mind, I will mention a blog..Bagdad Burning.. I discovered recently, one that has been mentioned widely on other blogs, in newspapers and on TV. It is written by an Iraqi woman, a professional who worked as a computer programmer before the war. Her blog along with other blogs that she links to, does give an inside view of what an average Iraqi family is experiencing as they try to continue their lives as best they can as the war rages on around them.

In the midst of all the fear and anger, we must not forget the common humanity that we all share. Rather than seeing this war, or any war for that matter, from a removed distance, as a series of military manuevers through various cities, and hearing that this many soldiers died, and this many civilians have died, I think it is very important to look more closely, to never forget about the individuals and their families, whether they be the personal stories of American soldiers, or those of Iraqi citizens. We must never forget the terrible price of war.

Letters Home on HBO

Last night on Veterans Day, I watched the a HBO special called Last Letters Home. It is very simply done, just the families of soldiers who have died in Iraq reading the last letters that they received from their sons, daughters, husbands or wives. It was very moving. There wasn't a political bent to this film, just the sharing of the terrible loss these people have experienced. Those who wrote these letters come alive again through their last words, revealing their hopes for a future, their love for those they have left behind. Through their often teasing words, and their attempts at reassuring their families that they are well, you can sense the fear, and longing for home.

It is impossible to watch this film without being moved to tears, because even though we aren't personally connected to these people, we all share a common humanity. We share the ability to love, and form deep relationships with others. This is what gives our lives meaning. This is our common ground with all, even with those who are called "enemy"by our government. The loss we feel when someone we love dies, or is lost at a young age to war is the same for all. In the present war, the loss for families is the same whether they be American or Iraqi. We need to remember that.

Time to investigate

It has been disturbing that so few have seemed to want to look into, or even talk about, what seems to be serious problems, or even possibly fraud in connection with the 2004 Election. There has been a lot of accusations, and finger pointing, and I think we need a thorough investigation into the matter to separate what is valid and what is not. The press has been very slow to look into, or even question the possibility of fraud, or reports of malfunctioning voting machines, or voter intimidation during this past election. Since when has the press ever been this quiet on anything. I have found this quite strange. Usually, they are right on top of things like this, but there has been only the most minimal mention of problems....well...until recently anyway. To be fair, the NY Times had a very good editorial in last Sunday's paper, finally addressing these very issues, and saying that it is important for all that it be cleared up. I couldn't agree more.

Even some of the political blogs, which have taken a lot of heat during these past few weeks, have appeared to want to keep a lid on this subject. It would seem that many are leery of discussing this much, except on the most superficial level, perhaps not wanting to be perceived as being aligned with a whole bunch of possible crackpots, since no hard evidence has been found yet. In addition, perhaps they feel that it may have the looks of being a sore loser. Regardless of whether it does or not, there seems to be enough being found to justify an official investigation.

I received an email from MoveOn.org this morning asking people to consider signing a petition, and to pressure their Congressmen and Representatives to join with others in Congress who are calling for an immediate investigation into the matter. It is about time. All the muddiness around this whole mess needs to be cleared up. The American people need to believe that when they go to a polling place on Election Day, that their vote counts, and that they can trust that the system will be set up to be as fair, and straightforward, and honest as possible. It is important for all of us to know what really went on.

Where there is smoke, could there be fire?

I felt like I should add a slight correction to my last post in reference to the Diebold voting machines in Ohio. I mistakenly thought they were the machines that voters were using to vote on, but apparently, Ohio mainly uses punch card voting, and the Diebold machines are the central machines used to tabulate the votes that are fed into them from all over the state. Which leads to an interesting piece I found on the Daily Kos site, another political blog site with lots of useful input from not only Kos but many others who contribute to the site. There does seem, at least at this point, that there are some oddities in connection with vote calculation using these machines. I am assuming that those who are even more involved on a political level, are already looking into this, to try to figure out if fraud, or possibly some major malfunction actually took place. Even if it doesn't change the end results by enough to change the election, it is important to look into for future elections, so we have some reassurance that when we cast a vote, it actually counts, and perhaps there should be some kind of paper trail to prove that. From what I have been picking up online, it sounds like this story is going to start to become a bigger one with the main media outlets, as well it should.

The dread of four more years

Well...yesterday certainly was a very depressing day for many of us...actually for close to half the country, although listening to Bush, you'd think that we didn't exist. He seems to feel that the whole country is totally behind him, and he has received affirmation, a mandate now, as he says, for all that has gone on in the last four years.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

I slipped back and forth yesterday from feeling very depressed to absolute rage, and everyone I talked to was feeling the same way. I was told by others who had run into people in the various towns on the Island, that there was a general glumness everywhere, and a real fear, and dread at what this administration has in store for us in the next four years. I heard that chocolate and cigarettes were big sellers, and no one felt like talking much, so stunned was everyone at this unexpected election result.

It had looked like Kerry was actually going to win, after exit polls, and the evening results started pouring in. Of course, anything could happen, but it was looking that way. That was not just hopeful thinking on the part of Kerry supporters. Apparently, even the White House that evening was starting to worry that the huge voter turnout was a sign that Kerry was going to get in, and again, the exit polls were indicating as much. That kind of huge voter turnout, in the past, usually has favored a Democratic candidate.

When Kerry took Pennsylvannia, it seemed almost written in stone, but then we had the delays and problems in Ohio, although it was still looking good for Kerry. Even though I usually stay up for these things, being a late night person, I found I was unusually exhausted by the tension of the last couple of weeks, and the worry about what was going to happen, and so instead, went to bed. I was unable to sleep, so after a couple of hours of restlessness, got back up, turned on the TV to check what had happened. Nothing had changed much, so I went back to bed for another fitful period of sleep. Later, when they said that Ohio had finally turned in Bush's favor, I almost couldn't believe it. Somehow it didn't make sense. The exit polls had indicated otherwise, and in other places those polls hadn’t been off that much from the final results, but there in Ohio, they were more than a little off. Does this not worry people? Does no one question this?

There is a feeling that something has gone wrong somewhere, as far as election results. Something doesn't seem quite right. I am not just saying that because I was on the losing side, but because I do believe this administration might use ANY means to get another four years. They have been lying to us about just about everything, so nothing would surprise me, and I am not alone in those feelings. They lied about WMD in Iraq, in order to pull us into an unprovoked war, which has caused the unnecessary death of thousands on both sides. They have lied to the American people about what they knew, and then had to back pedal when it became obvious to all that they had lied. This administration wants to do what they want to do, and they don't want any of us to question their motives. Do they remember what country this is? This is the United States of America, and we don't tolerate that kind of thing in those who have been put in place to govern.. or at least we shouldn't tolerate it....or overlook it...or become complacent about it.

I have absolutely no trust in Bush or this administration. I believe they feel they have a mandate now to do whatever the hell they want, and if that means trample over the citizenry...for their own good, of course they would say...in the name of protection from terrorists, then they will....and God help you, if you don’t agree. They say they want to reach out to the half of the nation who didn't vote for them, and have them join with them to make the nation stronger, and united. What they mean is, join with us...but just remember one thing...we are doing it our way, and our way only...there will be no compromises. There will be no working out some kind of across the aisle kind of deal. You are either with us, or you are against us, and if you are against us, we will make your life a living hell.

Many of us in this country...remember... almost HALF...felt that with Kerry as President, we could at least try to work toward a better solution for ending this ill begotten war, and at the same time have a better chance of restoring our reputation internationally, after the disastrous last four years. It wasn't going to be easy, no one would deny that....too much damage had been done, but at least it would be a start back to the right path for this country. Bush and his cadre of neo-con manipulators have done this country great harm. In the past, our country had always tried to stand for what is right and good in the world, to defend that, to stand up against and aid those who are oppressed. Because of the tremendous power we wield in the world we have an absolute duty to always take the high road, to set an example for others, but in four years that has all been turned around, so now we look like self centered imperialists out to control everything we can get our hands on, trampling over anyone in our way, and I believe with another four years of this, that approach to international relations will actually put us in far, far more danger than we are already in. I dread to think what the next four years will bring. A huge portion of this country is very worried about this, despite what the election results, and the media might mislead you to think.

Last night, while browsing around some of the political blogs, on one of the forums the subject of the Diebold voting machines, which were used in Ohio, was brought up, and how, apparently( and I don't know this for sure)the software on those machines can be easily hacked into, that the software is not password protected at all, and if someone were so inclined, they could hack it easily to skew the results. This person suggested that if there were any possibility of that, then that might explain the unusual difference between exit poll results as compared to the final outcome in some areas, in particular, those in Ohio. According to their research, in other areas using paper type ballots, the exit polls and final results didn't vary that much, but where these Diebold machines were used, there was quite a variation. If true, it does make one wonder.

Could this possibly be true...that the very machines holding Presidential election results would not be heavily, and securely password protected.....that someone could easily exploit this gaping hole in security on something so important? Those who are discussing this possibility, claim that you wouldn't have to be a super hacker to get into these machines, that even someone with just some basic knowledge of software could do it. If this is true, on one hand I am stunned, and on the other, I guess it wouldn’t surprise me that much after the last four years.

I am not an alarmist by nature. I like to have all the facts, and provable ones at that, before jumping to any wild conclusions, especially in an area of such national importance, but it does seem that this should be looked into carefully, and thoroughly...and quickly. I think there should be no delay in having an independent, trustworthy(and there is the problem) organization investigate this matter. If there is any question, even in the slightest, that results might have been manipulated, then we need to clear that up right away.

Too much is at stake.

We definitely need a new direction...VOTE

I am hoping that all the recent registrations of new voters will mean that there is a chance that the Democrats will actually win this election. I am trying to not contemplate for the moment how bad it could get if the votes are challenged in various states. If that comes about, and many seem to predict it will, then we are in for even more contentious fighting than we have already seen. I don't think I have ever seen such a ramped up preliminary period to an election in my lifetime, and that is going back quite a few years. What has been most disturbing is the amount of sleazy, underhanded, and down right disturbing tactics that, the Republicans seem to be using. It is not surprising given their recent track record, and the Bush administration in particular.

Josh Marshall posted tonight on his excellent website one of the unique methods the Republicans are using in a desperate attempt not to lose this election. And here, he sites yet another method they have decided to use. These things are not to be taken lightly, or chalked up to an overenthusiastic re-election staff. These tactics should give everyone pause, and make it crystal clear what we are dealing with.

Everyone needs to get out and VOTE today. It is a privilege we have in this country, and that privilege should be taken very seriously, and in particular this year. The only way we can begin to change things from the terrible status quo, which will only worsen if Bush is re-elected, is to get out and vote, and voting for Kerry is one way to hopefully start to turn this whole mess around. And a huge mess it is, not to mention the terrible loss of life from this unprovoked, unnecessary war. The loss of life on all sides is just horrible, from the loss of over 1000 American soldiers, to beheadings and executions of innocent people by the insurgents, to the loss of at least 100, 000 Iraqis, based on the latest reports, and there is no end in sight. This situation will not turn around with Bush. He is determined, and convinced with a steely resolve that he is on the right track. He is not, and we need to stop him now. He has blinders on, and his administration operates like a runaway train with no one at the helm. I dread to think what four more years with him, and the neo-cons who direct him, will be like, if he remains. In this country, every four years, we get the chance to change things by voting for a new President.

So....get out today...Tuesday, Nov 2....and VOTE!!!!!!