sofie's blog. // forward is calling….

archive for the ‘semi-academic musing’ category

‘of good old days when flags were raised…’

‘…and god was on our side against them all.’

i am quite against people who bring out their red, white and blues about four times a year. (memorial day, 4th of july, veterans day and 9.11)  they bother me. i usually end up playing our national march on these national holidays and days of rememberance, so it’s all there, in my face. and it’s disturbing!
i am also a pacifist, which is why i have a fundemental problem with religion. if the modern and commonly practiced religions preach peace, then why are wars fought in the name of a god? if you truly believe in a god who loves everyone, then why is it necessary to blow people up? killing is not an act of love. this is also why i can logically know that a god does not exist.
the quote in the title of this blog and the continuation is from a song in a short-lived 1988 off-broadway show (3 guys naked from the waist down) written by michael rupert called i don’t believe in heroes anymore. while the show’s plot is quite absurd, this [song] is well-written. the last phrase rings in my head from time to time. it’s about war and peace and god and it blows my mind.
growing up, i was told that ‘god’ didn’t pick sides. what the hell is so special about america that ‘god’ would be on our side against ‘the enemy’?
pacifism and christianity cannot coexist as long as wars are fought in the name of a country/god (there’s hardly any difference between the two, is there?)

growing up, i had very few teachers that are memorable or inspired me. today in 2001, i was sitting in my 9th grade honors english class at liberty high when a teacher that ended up being one of those few to inspire me walked in wearing a kilt to tell us to turn on the TV… as dubya had just been spotted with an upside down childrens’ book. i later found out that he would be my history teacher in the spring semester and that he was the advisor of the strategy club. (as well as being an west chester alumn, go figure) i distinctly remember him saying that a few planes had hit buildings and one was in pennsylvania. (schools had been put on lock-down in state, if i remember correctly, and we were not to leave that classroom)

eight years later and countless people i once knew back from “over there” disfigured, it irks me to know that it’s still going on and the sadness will only continue. and all of this because ‘god’ told dubya it was the right thing to do.
i would absolutely hate to be mr obama at this moment. he’s got a lot on his hands, and i honestly don’t think there’s much he can do. in a country where health is not necessarily important unless you are wealthy, that is quite disturbing.
it’s ok to disagree with the US government’s actions. it’s protected under the first amendment of the constitution. and what about the elastic clause? that’s also in the constitution to protect the people.
just don’t frigging wave a flag a few times a year so uncle sam doesn’t hate you. that’s unpatriotic.

god AND country cannot coexist if country is against “them”.

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boys will be boys.

i’ve been doing not much but lifeguarding for a few weeks.  not complaining at all! i love being outside again, and i enjoy my job… i guess not many people can honestly admit that they like their just-above-min-wage/summer employment… so i’m kind of lucky. (despite not having nearly enough time as i’d like to make music right now…!)
what i don’t love is the constant ‘reminders’ of how i should ‘properly’ express my ‘gender’. i’d probably be a millionaire by now if i had a dime for every time this ‘enforcement’ happened for myself and to everyone aroud me… we’d all be. all day, i hear things like ‘you’re such a fag!’ and ‘what are you? a girl?’ i guess i hear that kind of language in a bar or coffeeshop or whatever when i get the rare moment to play in/for a friend’s set as well. it’s unavoidable in places i generally am, despite how horrible it is.
for the sake of not killing your brain, let’s assume that i believe in the signifiers ‘woman’ and ‘man’… and what they stand for in western society. ok? i’ll try not to sway from this principle as much as i could…. but this will cause sweeping generalizations, which are not intentional… *sigh*
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