During the day, do you read a story and you feel it is worth sharing?  Where to place it? I don’t like to disrupt someone’s thread or thoughtful post and it is not worthy of posting a lengthy article, do you?  Let’s try to leave this up in speakers corner and we can share some news!

From the Afghan  Women’s Writing Project

Colorful Days after Black Nights”

I remember the Taliban were searching houses ten times a day with different groups to find a book, cassette, picture, TV, or video game. If they found any of these, they shot the whole family. After we returned home, my mom burned books that my older sister and brother had collected over many years. She burned most of the books in our mud-brick oven, then threw the rest away in sacks very far from the house so the Taliban would not know they were ours. My heart was broken and I was at a loss……

I wove carpets for four years and forgot everything about studying or getting an education. We were stuck at home, and never allowed to go outside. When the Taliban were removed from power in Afghanistan after almost five years, most of the schools eventually reopened. My siblings returned to school, but I did not, because I was so afraid of everyone, still thinking that Taliban were close.

Read More…..

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dildenusa
Member

This appeared in politico this morning. I always look at people who talk incessantly about leadership with a jaundiced eye. Leadership is an intangible quality. Most people abuse the term for their own self interest. True leadership is closer to the myth of Sisyphus. One must always strive for the ideal but can never attain it. True leadership involves true communication, and that means listening as well as talking.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/40492.html

My readings about early Christianity have convinced me this was a leaderless grass roots rebellion against the priestly and secular hierarchy in the Jewish milieu and Roman authorities of the first century C.E. I am also convinced that the character known as Paul was a slick salesman who saw an opportunity to enrich himself at the expense of poor people.

I sea the tea bag partiers as a similar grass roots leaderless group. If they can maintain this, thsy might be a force for change. Their problem is steering clear of the anarchistic and atheistic Ayn Rand fans, the republican party hacks, and the slick salesmen peddling “leadership.”

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

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Khirad
Member

It never hurts to post that one again. 🙂

Makes them dressing up like Ben Franklin even more ironic.

This nation was not founded as a Christian nation. Neither were all the Founders not Christian, though. I find it curious that they ally themselves mostly with those whose faith was unconventional, though. I mean, take Beck’s infatuation with Thomas Paine, especially…

Kalima
Admin

Good morning bito. By the time you read this I might be fast asleep. The heat is making me nod off earlier than I normally would. Take care and have a good day.

Isn’t this the nut job from your link the other day and how dare he show his bigoted face on tv?

“Church plans Quran-burning event”

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/07/29/florida.burn.quran.day/index.html?iref=NS1#fbid=TAJAQDZx8TL

kesmarn
Admin

Dear friends, I do plead “guilty” to posting the link to “Dove Ministries” and I apologize if I offended anyone in doing that.

“Sunshine is the best disinfectant,” was my only motive. And I think CNN had something of the same idea. Rick was hardly gentle in his questioning of this fellow.

This planned action on the part of “Dove” caught my attention partly because I’ve been hearing more of this type of rhetoric around here lately (“Islam is of the devil,” etc.) and I fear it’s moving from the fringe to permeate the religious right. Obviously this is not good news for Muslims anywhere.

These types need to be exposed before this goes “underground mainstream.” I really didn’t mean to glorify him or give him more attention than he deserves. But I fear he speaks for more than just himself.

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

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Kalima
Admin

Hi kes, exposing this piece of manure was the right thing to do, and yes I’ve seen this sentiment about Islam in many different places, even on established RW blogs like Human Events who seem to enjoy pandering to hate.

To the 1.2 billion Muslims in the world, the Quran is certainly not “just a book.” I fear that this sort of senseless act of hate will endanger the lives of Americans in the future. All it takes is one radical leaning, angry Muslim in the U.S. to want payback for the burning of his holy book and there could be chaos.

I would think that Rick wanted this nutter on the show to expose him more than anything, I hope that the people watching got the message loud and clear that this man is putting American lives in danger.

Keep posting links to this scum kes, I have collected a few and wasn’t quite sure what to do with them. I might post them on MB as I did with a RW article about Obama a few months ago, except for the inevitable fact that some of us become physically sick when we read read their swill.

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

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Kalima
Admin

Of course you have every right to exercise your First Amendment, I just wonder where one draws the line is the point I was trying to make.

Knowing how what is written in the Quran is taken far more seriously than a Bible that has been butchered to fit the agenda of the so called “Christians” in your country, and knowing how it is a vital part in their culture and every day lives, I believe that the significance of burning the Quran is far greater and will affect more people on a very personal level than the burning of a few Bibles would ever do.

Khirad
Member

This will be along the lines of the Danish cartoons for me.

In nations that have Free Speech, they have a protected right to do this. And in those that don’t, they have a human right.

I too wonder where one draws the line at incitement or infringing upon another’s rights, though.

Beyond the legal questions, and issues of artistic freedom, I just wonder what one is really trying to accomplish.

Idiots are protected by the First Amendment, but, what of simple decency? What happened to that?

I’m a broken record on this, but I feel that rather than fundamentalists in both the Muslim and Christian communities ratcheting up the rhetoric, there needs to be more of us in the middle speaking up, helping the moderates. This, not some pipe dream of annihilating or converting the other entirely is what will further peace in the world, rather than inflaming violence.

I mean, one should not be curtailed because of fear of reprisals (see South Park’s “Cartoon Wars”), but, as individual citizens, I wish there was more of an ethic of responsibility. When you thumb the eye of extremists, you might also be offending and alienating those whom aren’t radicalized. This makes it counterproductive, in purely practical terms.

Of course, the extremists in Islam, Christianity and Judaism (and non-Abrahamic faiths, as well), don’t make such differentiations or consider such ramifications… It’s a mental disorder.

Kalima
Admin

Exactly Khirad, it is a moral duty to try to respect each other’s beliefs and those who abuse it daily need an awakening by the millions of people who find this offensive when they do. The radical/fundamentalist elements in all religions need to be chastised by their own moderates for anything to ever change for the better.

The way Muslims were treated after 9/11 was atrocious to many in America and internationally, it reminded me of the Japanese interment camps of your past.

America was angry, the world was angry too. There were people from 92 different countries who perished on that fateful day as well. The Bush machine barged ahead without thinking, the only thing on their minds after the initial shock was revenge. 1000’s of innocent people were imprisoned, many were American citizens, I’m sure that their ordel will never be forgotten by them. That’s why it is so important to mend fences with a community that just wants to live in peace and practice their religious freedom granted in your constitution to one and all. The people screaming the loudest about your President abusing the constitution had no qualms about the Bush regime doing it any chance they could get, and are also the ones who abuse it themselves without any conscience or moral compass standing in their way. Hypocrites of the first order.

Locking up 1000’s of Muslims because they were Muslims without charging them or giving them their rights was mass hysteria and shameful. Now 9 years later, the stigma still sticks and must be stopped.

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

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Kalima
Admin

The “bad handle” seem to be yours on my opinion of this issue BT. Where did I say that Americans were celebrating in the streets and if you are referring to the few televised Muslims here and there in a few Arab countries, you are taking things out of proportion.

I see nothing either Progressive, Liberal or Democratic in your following sentence here, “Big whoop

dildenusa
Member

This church is nondenominational. I’m willing to bet a dollar to your dime that if it was a church affiliated with a major denomination like the Baptists, Lutherans, or episcopalians, that the pastor would be fired in a heartbeat.

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

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KQµårk 死神
Member

huh? sometimes I don’t get you.

I remember just locally allot of Americans praising this GA woman’s vigilance for causing the arrest of a few young Muslim men who did nothing.

Don’t forget that in polls most Americans DID condone the “enhanced interrogation technics”. And about 70% of Amercans approved of going to war with Iraq. You should know living in OK how Americans are when fearfull.

This whole nothing to see here attitude with too many Americans IS the problem.

Khirad
Member

Hey Bito

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orpl_hFWqwA

But for real, I got my mail-in ballot today, and this is helping me with some of the downticket candidates:

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/zombie-state/Content?oid=2109957

I’m voting Glassman, though prospects of a Dougherty v. McCain debate are tempting.

kesmarn
Admin

In honor of Khirad’s recent journey and j’avaz’s current one, a little “Road Trip” music. I like the way this woman keeps her powers of concentration, despite her little “helper.”

boomer1949
Member

Hey bito,

Thanks for posting the link for the petition. I signed as well and added this message…

Oh my goodness! This should be a non issue, yet I am not surprised it is. We are comparing Apples to Oranges to Sour Grapes here folks. Make a responsible decision for once. If you do not, Uncle Walter, Chet, David, Peter, Frank, and others will be spinning in their respective graves.

I also posted it on my Facebook Wall and sent the link to to friends.

kesmarn
Admin

Well written, boomer!!

Mightywoof
Member

I know I got the link to TrueSlant from PPOV – I don’t remember from whom, sorry. I don’t often go there but today – with time on my hands – I did. They’re closing down – they will be no more by tomorrow ….. they got bought out by Forbes 🙄

javaz
Member

YIKES
I cannot see the sidebar thing of my postings or anyone elses.

Just had a storm blow through, and it was awesome.

I think you have to be from Arizona to love rain.

My husband thinks he knows how to fix this laptop problem, but he wants to wait till we get back home to fix it.

He was the head of the computer department for awhile when we worked at Honeywell, and a fine job he did then, as I worked there then, and he really kicked ass and took names later and did fix all of that!

I’m so lucky in that my husband is a computer genius, and good with everything mechanical.
(did I spell that right?)

Well, the rain has stopped, so I’m going to go sit outside while the potatoes cook on the grill and enjoy the pine trees and mountains and cooler temps.

For anyone that wondered – my brother is doing much better, thank you God.

kesmarn
Admin

j’avaz, love the fact that you can log in every now and then and fill us in on your latest adventures.

If you and dr’graz have a happy trip on “bluekleberries,” maybe you can dry a bunch ’em and share?

The whole trip sounds like so much fun. Hope you’re taking lotsa pictures.

javaz
Member

We made it!!!
We’re at a campground 6 miles from the entrance to Glacier Nat’l Park!

I can’t read any posts on the site – the avatars are huge and block the replies.
We’ve been having massive problems with the laptop so it’s most likely that.
We’re lucky we can even log on.

We are in the pines and it looks like Flagstaff, but more so.
It’s raining, so we are staying at the campground and simply enjoying the cooler weather.
We’re in a town called Coram, Montana.

We’ll be here a week as we plan on going into Glacier nearly everyday and then also visiting another area just down the road called Hungry Horse as the campground host recommends that.

The campground host also said that we will most likely lose our WIFI – we are in the middle of nowhere and it is absolutely gorgeous – but the host said that once the campground fills, especially with those big rigs that we will lose our connection.

A really big thing here are huckleberries.
I have no idea what huckleberries are, even though I do remember Huckleberry Hound!
Anyway, my husband thought he found some growing on bushes, and he’s been eating them, so we’re going to time this thing and see if he starts hallucinating and if so, then I am chowing down!
LMAO

Seriously, I think he’s eating blueberries, and must research what a huckleberry is!

Oh, that Flathead Lake is huge and so incredibly, breathtakingly beautiful.
We liked that area much more than Jackson Hole, Wyoming as it isn’t crowded at all, and not as hoity-toity.
The town there at the lake – Polson – is the epitome of a quaint western town.
I think that entire area is an Indian Rez – The Blackfoots?
Just a gorgeous area with lots of farms.

This is the first day that we haven’t had to use the air conditioning – yeah, we’re really roughing it!
LOL

But Montana and Gros Ventre in Wyoming were so hot during the day and worse – humid.
It’s gorgeous here though and perfect weather for desert people who are unaccustomed to rain!

(still can’t figure out how to get spellcheck back, so forgive my misspellings!)

Mightywoof
Member

When I read that the Senate had failed to pass a bill to provide healthcare for the men and women working on that dreadful day in New York on 9/11, I was astonished. I saw a documentary on PBS about the health problems the (mostly if not all) men that worked that day to rescue victims and clear the area. Perhaps those who died that day are luckier than those who still live with the profound physical effects of their heroism.

I was unprepared for this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4zwCMf8dsc

Go Get ‘EM Tiger 😆

kesmarn
Admin

Oh. My. God. This is a thing of beauty and a sight to behold.

Long, long, long overdue.

Viva Weiner!!!

Blues Tiger
Member
Blues Tiger

*

dildenusa
Member

I didn’t see a link on msnbc to get this article off the NY Times.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38475785/ns/business-the_new_york_times/

dildenusa
Member

Here is the link to the story at the NY Times about deflation worry at the fed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/business/economy/30fed.html?_r=1&ref=business