The USA is not isolated to carry on with it's political venues in secret.

America's Global Responsibility, in case one is interested in a 2003 book (click here)



The United States of America is scrutinized for it's culture, it's opportunity and it's economy. When the poitical dogma turns in favor of a particular faith, the world quakes in worry of what is to come. What is to come of them. With Iraq as an example of the exploitive nature of Western culture hungry for oil, we have painted a very 'wicked' face on the USA. On "The West" for that matter. We did it to ourselves for the lack of effective leadership that makes us energy independant. When an American looks in the mirror what does he or she see? A person? It's not that simple. When an American travels abroad it becomes very evident, as a citizen, there is a brevity to one's existance.



The USA has to maintain benevolence toward other countries while carrying more than our share of responsibility. It is the way it is and the way it always will be.



This country has to 'take back' it's values of social neutral standards while examining the civil rights we afford all the people of this country. Quite literally, our standards of freedom and acceptance, are a national security. It needs to be addressed that way. Pandering to religious extremism in the USA is the wrong road to take, but, Republicans chronically abuse the freedom of religion seeking to make it a 'party affiliation.' It's a danger to our country and a danger to a greater society that looks to the USA to guide their purpose while molding culture in burgeoning democracies.



We need to return to a strong definition of the separation of Church and State. We need to do it in 2008. Rudolph Guiliani used 'prayer' and 'religion' to manipulate a political environment. It matters. It matters a great deal when political figures pander to images that facilitate extremism. It needs to stop. NOW.



Good night.

The Preamble to the USA Constitution is my prayer for America

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

It does not say, "We the prayful...we the obedient...we the Christian fundamentalists...we the ONLY ones who know 'the one true god.' It doesn't say any of that. It does say...

"We the people"

"to form a more perfect union"

"promote the general welfare"

"do ordain and establish"

As members of ONE society we need to find harmony in those words. There are no special interests in those words.

If al Qaeda had been defeated and destroyed in 2001, would we be facing this fundamentalism worldwide? I think not.

For a long time 'madrasses' were the topic of conversation in that these Islamic schools were teaching hatred. (click here)

Even today, with Pakistan in upheaval, there is 'topic discussions' of madrasses. (click here)

The issue is more than a particular type of school in Islam that teaches hatred. It's actually the teaching and advocation of hatred 'at all.' I believe governments have to be held accountable for the actions of citizens seeking to murder others. The disturbing news out of Great Britain recently only goes to prove the misdirection of so many to destroy civilization while seeking to replace it with extremism.

The focus of resolving terrorism is not with faith, but, with effective policies linking cooperation between governments including a purposeful campaign to stop hatred. I don't care kind it is or whom it is leveled at, it needs to be addressed through every venue of foreign policy.

When the USA gave up the 'idea' of separating Church and State there was a huge backlash globally whereby 'faith' and it's survival became an issue. Faith cannot be a political directive of the USA, we have to remain neutral. I don't know of many modern day Presidents that haven't visited the Vatican and had an audience with the Pope. Allowing faith is not the issue, what is the issue is a 'venue' of power that provides an impetus of concern to how a powerful nation can and will eliminate the rights of others to practice their faith.

When leadership in the USA exhibits chronically, for the sake of political victories, displays of fundamentalism then the world has problems coping with 'the reality' of their own existance. Muslims are 50% of the world's population. Their perception of war now is changed.

Muslims are afraid of losing their religion. They are right. Here is evidence.

Minarets versus church spires (click here)
TOM HENEGHAN
Reuters
July 4, 2007 at 10:22 AM EDT
COLOGNE, Germany — A plan to build a large mosque in Cologne, home to one of Christianity's most imposing cathedrals, is causing sparks to fly in the once peaceful world of inter-religious dialogue in Germany.
The local Catholic leader, Cardinal Joachim Meisner, has said the project gives him "a bad feeling" and Turkey should allow its Christian minorities more rights if Turkish immigrants here can stamp a dome and tall minarets onto the city skyline.
At a discussion in Cologne with a Muslim leader last month, Germany's top Protestant bishop, Wolfgang Huber, criticized the "male domination" he saw in Islam and said Muslims should be able to convert to Christianity without fearing reprisals.
Bekir Alboga of the Turkish Islamic Union DITIB, which will build the mosque, has accused the churches of portraying Islam as a threat in order to rally their dwindling flocks.
"There's a new edge to the debate about Islam in Germany," the respected weekly Die Zeit observed. "Recognizing that Islam belongs in Germany was not the end, but only the beginning of a cultural conflict."...

The USA has always prided itself on separation of Church and State. Until the recent decade and now the Republican Political Machine is snubbing...

...the USA Constitution in favor of political fervor. Enough !

JUSTICE WILLIAM H. REHNQUIST'S ABUSE OF HISTORY (click here)

...Unfortunately, fifteen years later, the current members of the Supreme Court have not only rejected Everson; but, they have thoroughly distorted the Establishment Clause from meaning what it says. The Court has effectively rewritten the Establishment Clause from "no law respecting an establishment of religion," to "no law respecting establishment of an excessive entanglement with religion." The distortion approved in Lemon (403 U.S. 602, 1971) should be rejected, but that is another essay.

The issue of prayer is not a political issue. It is granted by those that minister to it.

These Muslim women praying on their prayer beads. The actual beads, no different than The Rosary, can be simple or complex and quite colorful and even beautiful. A status symbol to many in a social situation. (click here) Five time a day. Five. A lot of praying.

But, to many, prayer and religion belong as a government function. That is where 'good judgement' is clouded by political reality. It's unfortunate, but, when religion and politics mix it is a very volitile mixture.

In the article below there is resentment regarding what seems like an exclusion of Muslim faith in the AU (African Union). I am not quite understanding this anger either because there is absolutely no more profound a Muslim leader than Libya's Muammar al-Gaddafi and he is a member of the AU.

So, what's next then? Suicide bombers prepared through prayer to carry out atrocities in the name of Islam?

No Muslim prayer at AU function (click here)

COMOG expresses concern

Calls it a “protocol faux-pas”

Atiku Iddrisu Posted: Monday, July 09, 2007
The Coalition of Muslim Organizations, Ghana (COMOG) is angered over the exclusion of Muslim prayers at an AU breakfast prayer session, which was attended by African Heads of State during the 9th AU Summit in Accra on Monday July 2, 2007.
In a statement issued in Accra last Thursday, Alhaji Baba Alhassan, COMOG General Secretary described the development as a protocol faux-pas and asked the appropriate authorities to render an unqualified apology to the Ghanaian Muslim community “which had borne the brunt of this embarrassment”.
COMOG said only Christian prayers were offered at the ceremony and believed “it is very serious that protocol bungled at a function involving African leaders, a good number of whom are Muslims”.
The statement said the diversity of Ghana as a nation must be seen to be upheld and respected in all our national activities and endeavors so as not to portray the country as otherwise especially in the midst of other nationals.
“It is the belief of COMOG that fair representation and fair consideration of the interests of religious groups, especially the major ones, will go a long way to strengthen the enviable inter-faith cooperation, peaceful coexistence and harmony in Ghana”, the statement said.

Prayer is a comfort to people. Pope Paul VI knew that. He knew particularly Praying the Rosary was treasured by women.

In commemoration of that special 'bond' Catholic women have through "Praying the Rosary" Pope Paul VI created an offical document linking that 'special prayer' with 'The Virgin.'

That link and it's recognition is celebrated today by Pope Benedict XVI (click here).

Pray is a personal act. It takes the context of whatever meaning is assigned it. It is grossly misrepresenting the 'true meaning' of personal prayer to characterize it as an entity of government. It's not.

CHRISTI MATRI (click here)
Pope Paul VI
Encyclical promulgated on September 15, 1966.
To His Venerable Brothers the Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops and other Local Ordinaries in Peace and Communion with the Apostolic See.
Venerable Brothers, Health and Apostolic Benediction.
It is a solemn custom of the faithful during the month of October to weave the prayers of the Rosary into mystical garlands for the Mother of Christ. Following in the footsteps of Our predecessors, We heartily approve this, and We call upon all the sons of the church to offer special devotions to the Most Blessed Virgin this year. For the danger of a more serious and extensive calamity hangs over the human family and has increased, especially in parts of eastern Asia where a bloody and hard-fought war is raging. So We feel most urgently that We must once again do what We can to safeguard peace. We are also disturbed by what We know to be going on in other areas, such as the growing nuclear armaments race, the senseless nationalism, the racism, the obsession for revolution, the separations imposed upon citizens, the nefarious plots, the slaughter of innocent people. All of these can furnish material for the greatest calamity....

Hatred? Sam Brownback. Senator Sam Brownback. Presidential hopeful hated? Huh?

Brownback Writes of 'Hatred' of Clintons (click here)

...Sam Brownback says he harbored a "hatred" of Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton until he experienced a religious awakening in the mid-1990s.

Brownback, a Republican presidential hopeful, details in a new book how the change in outlook led him to make a stunning apology to Hillary Clinton a few years later during a Senate prayer breakfast.

"I was considering what I should say when I confronted all the anger that I held for the Clintons," the Kansas senator writes in the book, "From Power to Purpose: A Remarkable Journey of Faith and Compassion."...

This must be like Ricky Sanctorum's epiphany when in his book he stated that welfare mothers were the crux to all the problems in the USA. It just made me want to run out with a street sweeper and clean up 'Sin City,' you know what I mean?

What is really 'disturbed' about this is that 'admitting' to human frailties is viewed as a poitical virtue. I am sorry, but, hating is not a characteristic I seek in an elected official.

At all ! Brownback hasn't got a snowball's chance in hell of being the president of the USA. He hasn't got his emotions 'in check' enough to handle the capcity of Commander and Chief and the nuclear capacity of the USA. Okay? Scratch that one off the list right now.

The use of the word "Prayer" this week was grossly out of step with a healthy reaction to circumstances surrounding a Republican hopeful.

Thomas Ravenel is in the middle (click here)

Giuliani weighs in on Ravenel (click here)
Candidate shocked by woes of S.C. 'star'


..."It's one of those things that's highly personal," he said. "All you can do is hope and pray that his rehabilitation works out."...

I am sure Mr. Giuliani regrets the addiction of such a close colleague, however, in the way he 'handed' the issue 'to a greater power' is lost a valuable opportunity. He lost the opportunity to address the issue of drugs in America. Instead, he sought to 'DISABLE' an issue by avoiding it's context and implications and instead handing it off to God in prayer.

Really?

It is my opinion that this is not only grossly poor judgement on his part, but, also a dangerous venue of political dogma in the USA.

"Here is the Conservative Spin Machine's take" (click here)

Basically, the article 'blames the cops' for being thorough. It points to the drug dealer already in custody and implies 'the goods' were gotten on Ravenel through plea bargain. Probably so. But, so what? Mr. Ravenel has the promise to be a powerful political crony of Guiliani and we already know about how corrupt his NYC administration became. Does anyone remember the name, Kerick? Stun guns? Hello?

Ravenel liked lots of money and one can only wonder given a chance to dip into treasuries and funds not his what actually might happen here. Sorry, I just don't have any sympathy for the reason that Guiliani 'blew it.' He made a mockery of the issue by 'humoring' the public/his electorate with accolades of prayers. I don't believe it is appropriate for any elected official to be 'offering' issue up to prayer when they need to do something about it. Cocaine is no joke. The involvement of a powerful staff member in illegal drugs in no way should be resembling a 'family emergency.' Is Guiliani the father of Mr. Ravenel? I didn't think so.

...ever hear of the expression..."Just humor me on this one."

Humor is a form of coping, as in the different strategies above. Humor can take complex feelings and resolve them into an emotionally acceptable form of coping. I am not going to get into the different styles of humor.

But, instead.

I propose that 'prayer/the act of praying' is a form humor designed by religions as ancient as the species of homo sapien, as a way of coping with the reality of life. Some religions promise that prayer will deliver a person's soul to a godly afterlife.

Prayer is a way of expression as well as a discipline. It takes forms and carries with it many human characteristics. I've never heard anyone ever say how animals pray. It's a human characteristic. I consider it a 'solice.'

Prayer 'humors' people through issues beyond their 'average/normal/usual' ability to cope.

Do I think prayer is a waste of time/energy? That isn't for me to say. I don't define it, I simply seek to contextualize it in a manner that is conducive to a political discussion. Needless to say, the subject does not belong in government. I've never heard of God being political.

Main Entry: 1hu·mor
la : a normal functioning bodily semifluid or fluid (as the blood or lymph)
b : a secretion (as a hormone) that is an excitant of activity

2 a in medieval physiology : a fluid or juice of an animal or plant; specifically : one of the four fluids entering into the constitution of the body and determining by their relative proportions a person's health and temperament
b : characteristic or habitual disposition or bent : TEMPERAMENT
c : an often temporary state of mind imposed especially by circumstances
d : a sudden, unpredictable, or unreasoning inclination : WHIM

3 a : that quality which appeals to a sense of the ludicrous or absurdly incongruous
b : the mental faculty of discovering, expressing, or appreciating the ludicrous or absurdly incongruous
c : something that is or is designed to be comical or amusing

I'll simply say up front that George Walker Bush is the worst bigot I ever heard speak. He uses religion in his politics as 'theater' and therefore treats all people in the USA as if they should be an audience to his self righteous indignation of difference, race, civil rights and the oppression of women.

I could not believe he has an entry in the same website as The Pope. That is simply ludicrous.

Any elected person to an office cannot be prejudice to any belief system. Our country is one of many faiths, as well as the lack of it. To adhere to a belief system over and above any oath of office is an infringement on the rights of citizens of the USA.

Link : http://www.beliefnet.com/story/149/story_14930_2.html

Appauling. At at time in the history of the USA when it has a unique enemy, mired in religious dogma to facilitate an army of Jihadists, the last aspect of indulgence of Amerian culture should be more religious dogma. Literally, by invoking 'faith' as a manfest to his administration, George Walker Bush has unleashed the hatred of a global terrorist network. This has to stop.

I am about to enter into a very upsetting and dangerous discussion. This is about propaganda...the power that lies within it.

Some people will find this 'interesting.' Some will find it enlightening. While others will find it alienating. While still others will breath a sigh of relief. While still others will find offense. The challenge is to rise above any 'discriminations' and see 'the facts' while finding a personal solice in the way one relates to the issue of prayer.

By the way did everyone see the article today in the Boston Globe Sunday about "Charter Schools" and how they are actually 'Cheating Schools.' They are taking monies from our Public TRUST/ Public schools / Public treasury and 'spinning' admission requirements to 'weight' their outcomes in better light compared to Public Schools. That is illegal. No surprise here. Charter Schools are no more effective and probably less so then Public Schools. They don't work and neither does "No Child Left Behind." Click here

Main Entry: 1prayer

(1) : an address (as a petition) to God or a god in word or thought

(2) : a set order of words used in praying b : an earnest request or wish2 : the act or practice of praying to God or a god

3 : a religious service consisting chiefly of prayers -- often used in plural

4 : something prayed for

5 : a slight chance

A link : http://www.beliefnet.com/story/109/story_10904_1.html

It's Saturday Night on Sunday

"Like a Prayer" by Madonna

Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone
I hear you call my name
And it feels like home

When you call my name it's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there
In the midnight hour I can feel your power
Just like a prayer you know I'll take you there

I hear your voice, its like an angel sighing
I have no choice, I hear your voice
Feels like flying
I close my eyes, oh God I think I'm falling
Out of the sky, I close my eyes
Heaven help me

When you call my name it's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there
In the midnight hour I can feel your power
Just like a prayer you know I'll take you there

Like a child you whisper softly to me
You're in control just like a child
Now I'm dancing
It's like a dream, no end and no beginning
You're here with me, its like a dream
Let the choir sing

When you call my name it's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there
In the midnight hour I can feel your power
Just like a prayer you know I'll take you there

Just like a prayer, your voice can take me there
Just like a muse to me, you are a mystery
Just like a dream, you are not what you seem
Just like a prayer, no choice your voice can take me there
Just like a prayer, Ill take you there
Its like a dream to me

Link: http://www.madonna.com/

The "thing" about Goldman Sachs - I have a theory

But in order to carry out that theory I would like to see the letters to the newspapers published. I don't know why that hasn't happened yet. Supposedly the letters are hand written. Perhaps someone in the public will recognize the handwriting. I would think if there were a chance to identify the person making 'threats' any authority on the globe could try to identify whom it might be if the letters were published.

How many newspapers?

How many letters?

How many different styles of handwriting?

Could they all be the same person?

That sort of thing.