An Open Letter to the T.E.A. Party (whoever and whatever that may be).

Hello, my friends.

It heartens me to see such a revival in interest in the Constitution.  For a very long time, the Constitution was just something people studied in high school civics class.  But now, hardly a day goes by when that vital document, the very foundation of our country, isn’t on the front page of the newspaper and the lips of various news anchors.  People are once again interested in the Bill of Rights, discussing what they mean and how they apply in daily life.

I just have a question for you:  Which Constitution are all of you talking about?

It certainly doesn’t seem to be the U.S. Constitution.  There are some remarkable differences, and I thought it might be nice to discuss those.

Lets start with the First Amendment:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

What this means is, the government cannot back one religion, nor prohibit another, cannot prohibit someone from saying anything they please (provided it does no endanger others, like shouting “FIRE” in a crowded theater), cannot censor the press, cannot stop a group of people gathering for peaceful intentions, and cannot stop people from seeking legal redress if they have been harmed.

What it does not mean is Freedom from Consequences.  Actions (and words) have consequences, and if someone loses their job because they were verbally offensive, that is their problem and their own fault.

It also does not mean Freedom for MY Religion only.  You may not like a particular religion.  That is your problem.  It in no way means that the government should prevent that religion from practicing (as long as it does not violate other laws, like bigamy and human sacrifice).    There are several reasons for this.  There is the historic, including the fact that many of the first settlers here came to escape religious persecutions, where they were not allowed to practice their religion because the people in power did not like them.  There is also the fact that once there is a restriction on one religion, there is nothing stopping restrictions on other religions.  We MUST allow people to celebrate their religion in their own way, because it is either Freedom for All or Freedom for None.

I realize that sounds a bit bombastic.  But it is the truth.  The Constitution must apply to everyone or we might as well throw it out.  That doesn’t mean you should stop protesting things you don’t agree with.  That is part of your First Amendment Rights.  But you have to accept that nobody gets to choose which freedoms apply to which citizens.

The simple matter is, the First Amendment is a promise to the people that our government will be different from the totalitarian regimes of the European Monarchies.  In those days, the religion of the people was decided for them, and they had no say in the matter.  A person could be executed for criticizing the King or Queen, and the government had the final say on what could or would be printed.  A group gathered in protest ran the risk of being attacked by the military.

We are supposed to be better than that.  People from around the world come here because we are supposed to be better than that.   If we wish to remain that shining beacon to the rest of the world, we cannot abandon our basic principles of Freedom for All.  Because, if we do, America will truly cease to exist.

Coming Home (or, The Slap In My Face)

About a month ago, I left for my first experience in the University of Nebraska low residency Master of Fine Arts program.  And I have to say, this was one of the best times in my life.  For the first time in my life, I was in the right place.  Writers talking about writing; writing lectures; readings; even a bookstore.  Pure wonderfulness.

And then I came home.  Everyone warned that it would take a few days to come down to reality.  And that was true.  It wasn’t that I had to cook my own meals again (which I prefer to do), or that nobody was cleaning up after me.  It was the fact that I had changed, but the rest of the world hadn’t.

I didn’t even really get a readjustment period.  I gave a ride to one of the mentors who had been left car-less by unfortunate circumstance.  I had brought her to where she wanted to be dropped off, helped unload her stuff, and was just heading out, when what do I see pull up down the block?

A rusted out pickup truck with a Confederate flag stuck on a pole, flapping from the bed.

One of the most hated (and for damn good reason) symbols in the western hemisphere, and these idiots were waving it with pride.  And I have to wonder which is worse:

1. Knowing that it is bad, but not knowing why and waving it around in a juvenile attempt to piss people off

or

2. Knowing why it is evil, and waving it because they believe in what it stands for.

Welcome Home, me.

Less and Less

If you haven’t read this article, you really should.  And then, take a junk tour of your house.

Don’t know what a junk tour is?  It’s where you go around your house and look at all the useless crap you have accumulated.  It’s where you find the clothes you haven’t worn in 2 years, the books you read and never want to see again, the cds you listened to back in college when you thought the girls would think you were smart if you listened to Bach . . . or was that just me?

Anyway, it is simply amazing how much just plain stuff we accumulate without even noticing.

Well, this week, I worked on having less.  First, I went through my cds.  I never had a large collection.  And since the only cd player I have is in my car (not really counting my computer), I don’t listen to any of them very often.  There are a few groups I enjoy, but I had at least 40 I hadn’t listened to in years.  And, while I didn’t get much for them when I traded them in, at least they weren’t sitting around my place anymore.

The more difficult culling was the books.  I used to have a large book collection.  Not quite a private library, but I had 3 six-foot tall bookshelves, double-stacked.  Over the years, I’ve sold the ones I didn’t read anymore (or didn’t like) to various used bookstores.  But this last one was different.  I set a goal (clearing one complete bookshelf) and forced myself to make hard choices.  Some of these were books I’ve had and enjoyed for years, but hadn’t read for awhile.  Others were series I had started, but lost interest in or skipped a book and couldn’t get back into.

I love books.  It’s a pretty simple and truthful statement.  But, at this point in my life, I don’t need to have them everywhere around me.  There is a semi-decent library here in town (soon to be expanded), and I have a stack of MFA books that need my attention.

I’m not sure what will be the next victim of my wild desire to simplify my life.  I don’t really own very much anymore.  But I’ll find something to get rid of.

A Restart

“He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” – Moorish proverb

We all travel around.  Whether in our minds or in our bodies, we travel.

Well, I think it is time for me to restart this travelogue.  There will be stories.  There will (hopefully) be new friends and returning friends and people who just stop to say “hi” . . . everyone is welcome.  I can always put on a fresh pot of coffee.