Shades of Gray

Life is not black and white. There are gradations of all colors in all aspects of living. Nuances, some would call them. Nature is full of nuance. Look at rainbows. Inspect a couple of identical twins. Even cloned sheep are not exact when inspected closely. Even, sometimes, gender is not just male and female. This week we've been introduced to Caster Semenya and she has thrown our understanding of gender out of whack. We still don't know for sure that Ms. Semenya is fully female, or even female at all (though, out of respect for this individual we will consider her female). She may well be intersexed like many children born each year are. Your belief in God, or Buddha, or Muhammad, or any number of "higher beings" is irrelevant to this woman's plight. What is, however, is that there is question. There is question because she appears so ambiguous. Her "nuance" is not what one would expect in a black and white world.

In our American society there are those who only subscribe to the black and white. For them there is right and wrong, those who believe in their god and those going to hell. The case of Caster Semenya illuminates the gray in this black and white "reality" to which they adhere so strongly. You see, America is full of nuance. It is full of gray areas and full of "other" religions and non-religions. Because we are home to so many that believe in so much it is important that we extend respect for as many as we can.

In the public sphere this is not always easy. Those who only align with black and white wish to eliminate the gray. They wish to blacken that with which they disagree and whitewash anything with which they agree. Unfortunately this does not sharpen and enhance our world view but, alas, cheapens it and dulls the excitement we get from the experience of life. Those who embrace their own god and condemn those who embrace another short-change their own existence with blinders and rose-colored glasses. What they have chosen to see is not complete. Their experience is lessened. Cheapened.

Nature, however you choose to explain it, created nuance. Who are we to disallow it's existence?

Chuck

No great loss for the freedom of the press

Ah, the freedom of the press. It's a wonderful and much needed protection specified in our U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights. But the press treats this with utter disregard and amazing lack of importance and respect. Unless, of course, it suits a particular need. Usually not the need of the press to inform the public about important topics like government corruption or other immoral deeds done by elected officials. Usually it's self protection for their own misdeeds.

One of the most egregious abuses of this freedom was perpetrated by Robert Novack. He reported on Valerie Plame knowing that keeping her identity secret was paramount to her career. He willingly outed her with no thoughts about how this would affect her life. Or even how this would affect the security of our country. Now, he was passed this information by government officials because, I'm very sure, they felt confident he would print it. And print it he did.

Robert Novack is a dick. Or should I say correctly, WAS a dick. Robert Novack is dead at 78. I'm not saddened by this news. Good riddance to bad trash as the saying goes.

We still mourn the loss of Molly Ivens, but not this cocksucker of a reporter Novack.

Chuck

What is your god?

God isn't just the one of whom christian's speak. A god can be anything, what, or who, ever you hold highest in esteem. Totems and fetishes represent gods believed in by someone whether real or just imagined. Looking around your local area will reveal a great many gods worshipped by the masses. Some are completely enamored with their respective religious gods while a great many more prefer money or fame or prestige. Our politicians of all levels love and worship power, whatever trips the ego into high gear.

But suppose we chose one of these gods at random and demanded that all Americans worship that god as the highest of all deities. There would be all manner of revolt and outspoken opinions about our first amendment right to worship as we see fit. But judeo-christian leaders in our country look to do just that very thing. They pursue this kind of legislation in their efforts to ban abortion or gay marriage or prevent questionable religions from gathering in hotel conference rooms. When they demean others of different, or no, religious affiliations such as muslims or wiccans they are exerting a veiled attempt at religious censorship. When they cry about our country being founded upon christian principles they attempt to censor religious freedom.

The United States is a warm and wonderful melting pot. And in this diversity of culture we must learn to accept those who are different. We should embrace those differences because they prove the worth of all that we have worked to achieve in establishing a free nation with liberties and justice for all. It shows firsthand the importance of loving people.

Regardless of the god you choose as your own.

Chuck