V

Good evening, London. Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of the everyday routine, the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition. I enjoy them as much sas any bloke. But in the spirit of commemoration - whereby those important events of the past, usually associated with someone's death or the end of some awful bloody struggle, are celebrated with a nice holiday - I thought we could mark this November the fifth, a day that is sadly no longer remembered, by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat.

There are, of course, those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now orders are being shouted into telephones and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there?

Cruelty and injustice...intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance, coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those who are more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable. But again, truth be told...if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.

I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War. Terror. Disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you and in your panic, you turned to the now High Chancellor Adam Sutler. He promised you order. He promised you peace. And all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent.

Last night, I sought to end that silence. Last night, I destroyed the Old Bailey to remind this country of what it has forgotten. More than four hundred years ago, a great citizen wished to embed the fifth of November forever in our memory. His hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice and freedom are more than words - they are perspectives. So if you've seen nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you, then I would suggest that you allow the fifth of November to pass unmarked. But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek...then I ask you to stand beside me, one year from tonight, outside the gates of Parliament. And together, we shall give them a fifth of November that shall never, ever, be forgot!

Credit for the monologue goes wholly to Alan Moore. I in no way own V for Vendetta or any of its characters, London, Old Bailey, or any part of Britain, despite my desperate prayers.

 
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Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

Today is a Silent Day

Ask any American where they where when the planes hit the tower, and they'll know. With little or no hesitation, they will know.

I was very young-- I was in 4th grade at a tiny Christian private school in a suburb of the Twin Cities. The teachers were having a devotion/faculty meeting and had no idea until the second plane hit.

When the principal was informed, he walked to my classroom first (as it was closest to his office) and he quietly called my teacher to join him with the other teachers in his office again. We all figured it was just another meeting.

When my teacher returned, she calmly explained the situation to us. A few of us gasped, others simply grew silent. I just stared. I would like to think I understood it fully then, but that's not really likely. Truth be told, I don't really remember.

Now, I'm older and looking back I am gifted with a certain insight. I now am able to grasp the depth of the events, and I am able to look mindfully into the stories and reports.

I've never been particularly patriotic, so I never got swept up in the whole swell of patriotism whenever 9/11 was mentioned. "Those damned Moslems hate our freedom" was something I knew was bullshit even at 4th grade.It was then really distressing for me to witness some of my friends (white and otherwise) speak so many hateful words about people who were different (or not even so much, depending on your perspective) without any knowledge other than the oversimplified stories that we as children had been spoonfed.

A lot of people have exchanged conspiracy theories, saying it was an inside job, saying the Government itself did it. I don't know if I completely buy into it, but I also don't completely buy into the official story. However, none of that matters. It doesn't matter if it was a conspiracy, it doesn't matter if it was exactly as the government said, it doesn't matter. 2,996 people lost their lives. Any loss of life is a tragedy, and when the death toll is this high, it doesn't matter exactly how it happened anymore. Just that it did.

Today is a silent day. It's important to remember what happened on September 11th of 2011, whether you think it was a terrorist act or a conspiracy or an accident or whatever. it doesn't matter-- Too many died for it to matter. I think it is wise to look mindfully into the tragedy and know the suffering of the victims, of the families, of the rescue forces, of the witnesses, of your own experience. The events had a large impact, from worldwide politics to the schoolyard racism.  Today is a silent day.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

The Dog Days Aren't Over Yet

I've been getting into the local (Twin Cities) art and music scene a lot lately. I've found myself continually wanting to go into the cities. The suburbs have been driving me crazy lately. They have no personality, they have no realism. They're just one house after another after another, and they don't have any soul to them anymore.

Seriously, does this look exciting to you?

I know that an apartment in the cities would hardly be any different from that, but the difference is that I'd be able to go out and get a taste of those intangible things I love: Music, art, people, personality.

However, first I need a job. I have applied at everywhere (literally everywhere. I honestly wish I was exaggerating.) within biking/walking distance, and to many places outside of that radius. I can't pay for all of my classes without a job, so among the other obvious reasons I should get one, it's more important now than ever. If anyone has any ideas/suggestions, maybe leave it in the comments or tweet it to me or post it on the blog's Facebook page.

I wrote this piece a while ago when I was contemplating my discomfort in the suburbs.

Sorry, Suburbs

Sorry, Suburbs, we've had a good run
But it's just not working out.
I've decided I need to pack up and leave.
You're just not the same neighborhood I fell in love with.

When I was a kid, I would go exploring in my back yard,
A field of endless towers of corn
And I would break the stalks, rip off the ears
And fashion myself a Samurai's sword
To wield in gallant, epic battles against invisible assailants.

I remember finding magazines I was much too young for
In a creek half a mile away.
I remember saying out loud to myself,
"Why would anyone publish something like this?"

I rode my bicycle to No-Name Park
Dug my feet deep into the sand
And felt the heat between my toes.

Now, for me, there's too much past here, and not enough future
And conformity is on me like a downtown moocher.

Each building lies in a perfect little row, sprouting up as though sown from the seeds of real estate
And being farmed by agents with perfect Colgate Total smiles, alabaster teeth shining
Like the houses they show off.

Each of those model homes flowers into a husband and a wife,
And two children (an older sister and a younger brother)
And a small, yipping dog, and a minivan, AND a Prius,
And an above-ground pool, and a wooden deck, and...
Slow down, Smiths.
Why are you always jonesin' to keep up?

No-Name Park has had a generic title forced upon it,
The creek has dried up with barren, dusty rocks biting at the shore,
And the field has been trampled underfoot by the "New Development".

From the roof, I see lawns freshly mowed,
Windows spritzed into a perfect sheen,
Two garage doors like blind eyes staring me down.
I see this pseudo-perfection and taste bile in the back of my throat.
This assembly line of American Dreams is putting me to sleep.

The Dog Days aren't over yet, despite what Florence says. I'm still trying to get a job, trying to keep the suburbs from getting to me too bad, and trying to keep my chin up.

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Thank you for reading.

"Cannot be Reconciled with Wisdom, Justice, and Love."

DISCLAIMER: If you are easily offended, easily angered by opposing viewpoints, overly conservative, ridiculous, war-mongering, or overly militant, DO NOT READ THIS POST. This post is more for myself to organize my thoughts than for any one of you. This post WILL make you angry. This post WILL cause controversy. This post might just cost me viewers, and frankly, I'm happy about that then. You are more than free (in fact, you are invited) to disagree. However, I will not tolerate any hateful messages in comments, and I will not abide infighting on this blog. I have stopped it before, I will do it again. You have been given your fair warning.


In case you didn't know, faithful readers, I am an American. Therefore, I naturally have my fair share of political views when it comes to my country. Today, during Independence Day, the birthday of our nation, I keep in mind those issues that I know affect me and my fellow Americans.

I do not truly hate very many things, but there are two issues I will be discussing. The first: War. I hate everything about it. The expenses, the motivations, the fighting, killing, raping, destruction, pillaging... I cannot abide any of it. My beliefs are strongly against war. I believe that all weapons are abominations, and good people detest them. This oftentimes puts me at odds with people who are either serving in the military or have loved ones who serve.

I'm going to say this right now: I do not support war in any context. I do not support the idea of soldiers (for I believe there should be no need for them), though I do give respect to anyone who feels a sense of duty towards protecting what is important to them. Granted, in the world we've created for ourselves, the military does provide certain usefulness. That being said, however, there should be other ways for us to get those things done.

I have friends from Vietnam who told me things about the war my country had with them that I would never read in a history book. I have met Koreans who taught me more about the Korean War than a single class I've ever attended. I have met Japanese who want Americans out of Okinawa. My only conclusion is thus: No wonder America is one of the most hated countries in the world.

On April 4th of 1967, Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke these words outside of Riverside Church in New York City:

"I come to this magnificent house of worship tonight because my conscience leaves me no other choice... A true revolution of values will lay hand on the world order and say of war, "This way of settling differences is not just." This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into the veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice, and love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."

Martin Luther King, Jr. and my biggest influence, Thích Nhất Hạnh, at a peace conference in Paris.

I will not write any more on the topic because all of my thoughts agree wholeheartedly with that excerpt. Indeed, Martin Luther King, Jr. took the words out of my mouth over 40 years prior to this day.


The other topic I want to tackle is something I despise almost as much as war, because they are, in fact, very closely related: American Exceptionalism.The term refers to the belief that America is exceptional in every way, and that it is simple "better" than other countries. Most Exceptionalists believe America is the best country in the world; So much better, in fact, that God himself smiles upon America and America alone. Naturally, most people who believe this are Christian and therefore practice a religion that states very clearly that God loves everyone equally and beyond measure. The contradiction is obvious.

Barack Obama spoke to the people of Cairo, Egypt, on June 4th of 2009 and said

"Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail."

However, he then contradicted himself in a State of the Union address by calling America "the light of the world". America is unique, yes, just as Korea is unique or Uzbekistan is unique or China, Ethiopia, Germany, Romania, Chile, or Canada. However, that does not mean we are better. Our differences are what should bring us together, not tear us apart. I believe in a unique America, but I will never stand for a sovereign America.

I know this seems like a lot of anti-America anarchist high-school bullshit, but please understand this: I like America. It has done good things. Sure, I want to live outside of it, but I am an American (whether I like it or not) so I will wear it as a part of who I am... But I will not stand for warmongering and hubris.

I wrote the following words watching the Independence Day parade with my family.

Oh, Say, Can You See?

Oh, say, can you see?

Today parades will toss sweets to energetic, ecstatic young children.
Today, polished brass blasts Sousa as they march to the drumming.
Today, old men drive go-karts, filling the air with the buzz of 2-cylinder engines like a swarm of Fez-donning hornets.

Oh, say, can you see?

Today, thousands of Americans will have their hands blown off, intoxicated by paroxysms of American Exceptionalism.
Today, one of the most powerful people in the world will speak to his people and tell them that the soil they walk upon is the Promised Land, that the Mississippi flows with milk and honey, and that they were Chosen by God to be His People.

Oh, say, can you see?

Today, old bombers, tanks, and jeeps will run in remembrance of holy war.
Today, the bombs bursting in air will bring smiles to the faces of thousands enthralled.
Today, the crimson blood is encouraged, the white noised turned full blast, and the bitter blue tears of unspeakable loss perpetuated.

Oh, say, can't you see?

Being patriotic is not a bad thing at all. It can only be beneficial to acknowledge and take pride in where you are from. When this leads to arrogance, however, it leads to division. It leads to misunderstandings. It leads to petty fighting. It leads to anger. It leads to stereotypes. It leads to war. I am American, but I do not stand for this America. I stand for the right America--The other America.

What you win in the immediate battles is little compared to the effort you put into it but if you see that as a part of this total movement to build a new world, you know what cathedral you're building when you put your stone in? You do have a choice. You don't have to be a part of the world of the lynchers. You can join the other America. There is another America! --Anne Braden