God responded and other wackiness

Among all the hubbub of returning to school this fall, I managed to break my hand. Yes, my hand. I hit someone on the side of his or her head with my hand and am now paying for it (literally).

Tonight in my first post in three weeks or so, I want to address the whole thing about Moveon.org. Apparently, no one can do just that: move on. The ad itself while rather uninspired ("Hey, Petraeus rhymes with Betray Us!!!" "That's brilliant!!!!!!") and off target. Lets set something straight. Military figures are not politicians. When they leave the service they may then feel free to pull an Ike and run for office, even the highest in the land. Until then, there are as much a part of the chain of command as the grunt who hauls a 60 lb pack and a rifle. He's taking orders from the Commander-in-thief... I mean chief.

Moveon.org is attacking the wrong guy. He's stuck having to fight a war that even he may not agree with. SEevice people are citizens, too. They do not think the same and no one should ever categorically assume that all service men and women are therefore gun toting, conservative yahoos. Anyone who's served a day in the armed forces will tell you that there are as many varying beliefs, opinions and ideologies as there are in the civilan world. Never take for granted that a soldier is there completely by choice. Signing up means you follow orders regardless of your ideas but unable to express them To attack someone who cannot freely express their own heart and mind do to the role they have is sheer rudeness and dispicable.

I've said my peace on that (mistake intended) and lets put this puppy to bed!

Next week, the United Nations will once again begin its General Assembly for reasons unknown to anyone with brain cells to rub together. If you must ask why, read the UN charter. I even linked it for you because I'm such a nice caring person... Ban Ki-Moon and all the rest will show up for hopefully, another circus. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the current President of Iran will be in New York again despite last year's outright weirdness (Do I need to remind people of Chavez and his "devil" talk?). Ahmadinejad, beyond being short and an excellent modern Napoleon wannabe, asked to be able to visit Groud Zero in New York to pay his repects. New York officials denied his request citing safety concerns since the site is now a construction zone. Way to go New York!

Beacause I want to keep this post short I will refrain from talking about Bush's supposed B in Econ 101 (word on the street says it was a C-). I will, however, discuss a recent lawsuit brought about by a Nebraska State Senator named Ernie Chambers on September 14th. This senator was incenced to dicover a lawsuit being brought by an accuser in a sexual assault case. During the case, the words "victim" and "rape" were barred from the proceedings. The victim, as it were, has now sued saying her right to free speech was infringed upon.

Mr. Chambers took it upon himself to file a lawsuit against God. Thats right! The One, the Almighty, the great I Am. According to Chamber, he can sue God in Douglas County, his home county where Omaha is, because God is everywhere. Chambers also waived personal service i.e. notifying Him of said suit, because God is omniscient. He already knows.

Specifically in the suit, God is accused "of making and continuing to make terroristic threats of grave harm to innumerable persons, including constituents of Plaintiff who Plaintiff has the duty to represent." In addition, God has caused (though I'd prefer the words allowed or enabled over caused) "fearsome floods, egregious earthquakes, horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes, pestilential plagues, ferocious famines, devastating droughts, genocidal wars, birth defects, and the like." (Nice use of allitereration! Woeful Wars might have been cooler).

And it doesn't end there. God further takes it on the chin with this scathing diatribe against God (probably Morgan Freeman) of "calamitous catastrophes resulting in the wide-spread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants including innocent babes, infants, children, the aged and infirm without mercy or distinction." Never accuse God of being too random.

Well, God spoke back (or is it spake?) At any rate, God says that Chambers cannot sue anybody as his frivolous lawsuit is supposed to prove. He also added in the response that Chambers missed a very important point particularly concerning blaming him for human oppression and suffering. According to God "I created man and woman with free will and next to the promise of immortal life, free will is my greatest gift to you." Apparently there was another response that listed a phone number for a law firm in of all places, Corpus Cristi.

I have nothing witty to add to this. Its funny enough on its own but in an intellectual way. I would like to, however, say a few things about the case that brought this about. The woman who brought about the suit has a case. Here's why: the case of her "assaulter" ended in mistrial because the surrounding publicity damaged the prosecution's chances of getting an impartial jury. Since she also couldn't speak freely in the court to lay her claim of assault against another, she and the prosecution were effectively gagged. This amounts to a judge who would rather control how a case is tried rather than interpret the law and ensure that justice is served.

I also want to add that calling someone a victim in a trial does not absolutely mean that the defendent victimized the accuser. He may be proven otherwise. However, there is still eveidence that the victim was victimized. That cannot be disputed.

As much as I could rant till I'm actually in Nebraska, I must move on... hee hee....

On Sunday, a new Ken Burns' documentary is premiering on PBS. It is called simply The War and it details events as seen through orinary people who fought or assisted in World War II. As most of those close to me know, I am obsessed with World War II. I invite all who have the chance to view this. War stories are rarely told and even more rarely heard. In fact, less so since 1,000 World War II vets die everyday. But worse than this, a majority of high school graduating seniors believe the US fought with Germany against the USSR. Now thats just BAD!!!!!!

Now onward toward history (can those two words be used together like that?)

On this Day, in 1780, Benedict Arnold became Benedict Arnold by giving the British the plans to West Point. Who was he before you ask? He was benedict arnold.

In 1765, Antoine de Beauterne claimed to have killed the mysterious wolf-like creature called the Beast of Gévaudan (French: La bête du Gévaudan). The beast continued its horrific attacks all the same.

On this day, in 1897, The New York Sun published the letter stating "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus". The editorial is now the most republished editorial in the English Language.

J.R.R. Tolkein published The Hobbit in 1937. Geeks and free thinkers would forever feel its fantastical pull. But really, bedtime stories would never be the same.

And in 1991, after decades of oppression and before that, genocide, Armenia is independent of the USSR which ceased to exist shortly thereafter.

Man kills Amish schoolgirls in Pennsylvania

Yesterday, a man by name of Charles Carl Roberts IV walked into a little Amish one room school and took the female students hostage, near Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. The school normally has 27 students, 11 of them female. The gunman let three women go who had infants and a pregnant woman who I believe was the teacher. The teacher was able to alert authorities. The gunman then boarded up the door with lumber. He lined the girls up against the blackboard and tied them to each other to prevet them running away. When the police arrived, he called them and told them they had 10 seconds to vacate the premises or he'd start shooting. He then started shooting. It is unclear if he let the 10 seconds actually expire. He shot some of the girls point black and many in the head. Three were dead at the scene, one in the arms of a state trooper. He killed himself as police entered through the window.

After listening to the entire press conference from the Commisioner of the Pennsylvania State police, things now seem clearer. There were 11 girls but a 9-year-old escaped with her brother. Five have died thus far. Five more remained injured. Initially, they reported that one of the girls who died at the scene was a teacher's aide but she was just an older student.

After the three who died at the scene, the following two died at 1 and 4.30 this morning. Of the five reminaing injured, two are at Hershey Medical Center: a 6-year-old remains in critical condition and a 13-year-old has been upgraded to serious. Three girls aged 8, 10, and 12 are also listed as Critical at Philedelphia's Children's Hospital.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, Roberts claimed to have molested young minor relatives 20 years ago. These relatives are unnmaed and asserted to have been 3 to 4 years of age at the time. Roberts said he had been dreaming of molesting again. In the school house in addition to his arms and 600 rounds of ammunition, was a bottle of KY Jelly, a personal lubricant. It appears he was planning to molest or sexually assault the young girls.

He rambled in notes left for his family that he was "angry at god" for the death of his premature daughter, Elise, nine years ago. The milk truck driver told his wife on a cell ohone during the seige that he was not coming home and that the police were there. There is nothing that I can add to this very horrific episode in American History. Lately, there's been a spate of school violence. Emily Keyes died last week in Bailey, Colorado and Principal Klang died in Wisconsin on Firday. Since only one was perpetrated by a student, it now seems sick, adult men are in need of some serious counseling.

In addition, President Bush wants to holda conference next week to discuss ways to make our schools safer. I honestly think its a waste of time. School violence has now permeated the most sane and obscure level possible: a rural Amish schoolhouse. This is a place where violence is unknown and humility and love are a given. The problem lies not at the school level or security any longer. This is a case of the Wilding of America. From strange cases of children assaulting homeless men to Abu Grahib, we have shown ourselves to be an irrational,violent and sick society filled with all sorts of loathsome problems, diseases and attitudes. We cannot continue to believe that are society is good. There is something substantially broken in our culture. We need to examine this in addition to finding better ways to secure our children from violence and sexual attacks within their schools.

As for my own personal feelings on this, I'm angry. Of all the people in this country, innocent little school girls, Amish or not, should not be exposed to this. And to think he picked a little Amish schoolhouse... Amish people live their lives according to wholesome, God-loving pinciples. They reject modern conveniences and they are quaint but they live this way because of principles. Not for novelty or to make Lancaster County a tourist trap. And they are pacifists. Pacifists!!!!

Words cannot explain how much I feel right now. I can't define it but merely say I feel a huge amount of emotion.

I will pass on the requests of the Amish families: They wish for privacy and prayer. Please be generous with these.