Periodical Political Post *28

Parents Banned-Sorry, but democracies and republics, even crowned ones, get the governments they deserve.
Gay Exocism- Well, is the kid still queer or not? The only question begged by al this is not answered!
Protests Are Terrorism- It’s getting scary. It’s coming. Everybody needs to buy guns and lots of ammo NOW.
Virtual Pornography- As long as the prosecution and jail are also ‘virtual’ and equally unreal. Fat chance of that…
ASCAP- Screw ASCAP and ringtones – let the damn thing ring like the telephone it is.
Great Firewall- As if there was ANYTHING not suitable for a 15yo nowadays. Gimme a break.

Clearly we are living in a full-blown Age of Stupid. But all this pales in comparison to the Energy Bill Congress is working on right now. That’s the dumbest goddam thing imaginable, and sure to guarantee a Republican Congress by 2012.

I’m pleased, but often made very uncomfortable, when events in the real world that may have a direct impact on my life and liberty are brought to me to think about. Lately, both global events and very personal circumstances have had me pretending to be an ostrich, with my head in the sand, all in the hopes that if I don’t see it, it can’t really be happening! While I know that this approach is unrealistic, most times the s**t I see when I look up is so nauseating that I wonder why I even give a damn!

I read and/or viewed 8 of the 11 English language topics Josh presented; specifically, 2-7, 9, and 11. The common factor in my review of all these items is the presence of overwhelming feelings of abject fear and unremitting powerlessness.

First, and foremost, is the fact that I feel these emotions – my world is falling apart and I can’t do anything about it!

Second, is that these feelings are unmistakably present on the part of all the real or perceived victims described in these topics – our world has fallen apart and we’re all alone in our misery.

Finally, and maybe the most telling, is the fact that those responsible, directly or indirectly, for the victimization of others are also feeling the terrible burdens of fear and hopelessness!

Even on my worst days, I’m never an advocate of violence; HOWEVER, I’ll freely admit that I want to (1) be the bold parent to take pics of my kid at their school sports day, in defiance of the school order, (2) pimp slap the two leaders of the Connecticut church performing a gay exorcism, (3) sue everyone associated with defining protests as a terrorist activity as violating my Constitutionally-guaranteed civil rights, (4) ‘bust a cap’ in those British police who thought it was proper to hurt women asking for their ID’s, (5) same for those ‘waterboarding’ pot traffickers, (6) put the “Police Medic” in the hospital with a concussion from a police baton, (7) violently emasculate the prosecutor who believes that with respect to virtual porn wherein there’s no contact or any specific victim that “it’s going to be the state’s position that this is for sexual gratification and that this is simulated sexual activity” and, (8) fervently wish that all those responsible for allowing people on the terrorist watch list to buy guns without restriction are suddenly confronted, along with their entire families, in a dark alley by a dark-skinned man holding an AK-47, below a poster advertising the latest Gun Show in the area, sponsored, of course, by the NRA!

The problem with that line of thinking – pimp slapping and busting a cap – is that violence only begets more violence. It’s never worked for me, nor has it worked for others I’ve seen try it that way!

The more difficult path is one of compassion and persistence, constantly advocating in productive ways for the reduction of unbridled fear and the education of those who are ignorant, so that these horror stories do not dominate our consciousness. Fighting oppression, as a rule, is not without it’s bruises; however, lately it seems that this fight is doomed to fail in the face of massive, state-sanctioned repression of dissent of any kind. This path is much more difficult, especially as the current climate has many more than me pretending to be an ostrich!!!!

In my life, I’ve stood up to be counted in support of beliefs that I hold dear. I’ve joined organizations opposed to the erosion of essentially American freedoms, such as the ACLU, Amnesty International, Equality NC, Lambda Legal, and the Human Rights Campaign. I’ve even gone to jail for my actions and/or beliefs, a total of over 47 days for various charges and infractions. I’ve faced down local cops, over-zealous prosecutors, angry church Moms, and the neighborhood ‘thought police.’ I’ve shared both my time and my money in support of causes that I believe in, all to realize that “I have yet to do enough!”

Here’s where I run into trouble – if I do more than I already have, because I know in my heart that I’ve yet to do enough, I fear that I stand a very real chance of being “disappeared” even here in the US, where that’s not supposed to happen. Being “disappeared” for promoting dissident ideas used to be a third world issue (search Google for ‘disappeared’ especially with respect to Central and South American countries with connections to CIA manipulations). I’m well aware that my phone has been tapped, on more than one occasion in the recent past, that my internet usage has been monitored (even though I’m not technically savvy enough to prove the method), and that some of my friendly neighbors have been detailed to “watch” me (for whatever reason I will probably never know). I also know that I’m not paranoid, as I’ve casually checked with friends to see if the anomalies I’ve noticed with my phone service, my internet service and with my fellow residents are normal, and all have either reported no interference or stated concerns exactly as I have.

I guess my biggest question is “What do we do next?” and “How do we protect ourselves as we do it?”

I read most, if not all of the periodical political posts. And while I don’t often comment it’s not for lack of opinion but more for a lack of something useful to contribute.

http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf

A quick, simple, and general guide (takes 2 mins to skim though all all of 10 to read) of the rights of photographers in the U.S. as written by Ber P. Krages attorney at law. Useful things to know when you’re confronted by “The Powers That Be” or your friendly neighborhood mall cop.

As a photographer myself I find the whole “boogyman under the bed” mentality that’s been adopted in the recent and not so recent past abhorrent. And while I know I can’t change the system we live in on my own, I can however aid my fellows in keeping their rights and liberties from being trampled on.

If I were a parent I’d simply whip out my camera and start shooting. Let ‘em cart me off to jail! The Brits are so repressed they’d never think of doing such a thing, which I suspect maybe why we surprised them when we revolted back in the 1700′s.