It's time to make a change...for once in your life

With apologies to Michael Jackson...

CAUTION: Political rant/diatribe to follow. You have been warned. Read on at your own risk.

OK. Now I can get this off my chest.

Can someone explain to me what is going on with our world? What has happened to us as Americans that has completely warped our sense of right and wrong? Why do we think it is OK to deny "political prisoners" their human rights at Guantanamo Bay? Why do we think what we are doing there is any better than what Kim Jong Il is doing to his people? Or that Saddam did or that Hitler did back in the day? Why are we OK with one but not the others?

Remember what those brave soldiers fought for in WWII? Why are we now treating people the same way that Hitler did, only now it's OK? Why is our government now treating it's citizens like Hitler treated his? How is this different? Why are we trading all our freedoms away for protection from potential terrorist attacks that all stem from our horrible international policies in the first place? Wouldn't it be easier to change the policies? Why aren't any of our "leaders" willing to be leaders and make changes? Instead of focusing on important issues they bring up stupid little meaningless issues to try to steal the headlines for a few days and skew the world to their view. Why do we accept this? Is it because we don't see any other way?
Why does our news coverage have so much information about celebrities? Are we nothing more than gossip rag reading mindless drones made to work in artificial work environments being spoon fed processed food and processed air? Are we supposed to like this? Why aren't more people seeing what is happening? Is our world so unimportant that newscasters feel no greater need with their news broadcast than to maximize their Nielson ratings to make that extra $1 of profit?

Why is our world so generic? Everything looks the same. All the stores are the same. All the buildings are the same. Is this what we want? Why would we want to live in a world lacking uniqueness and beauty? How did we get this way?

Why does the most terrifying weapon of mass destruction in the world live freely in the White House? Why is our political system controlled by corporations with big pockets? The court system is skewed to protect the little guy, shouldn't the political system be skewed as well? Why do I feel like all they want to do is get re-elected and could care less about any "issues"?

Why is it OK for our "leader" to hi-jack his religion to fit his political desires but we aren't OK with Muslim groups doing the same thing for their beliefs? Because we agree with one but not the other? I don't see the difference. And while we are on that topic, why does anyone think it is OK to deny someone a human right that they may want because of their particular religious belief? Why do people have such a hard time saying "You know, I wouldn't ever want to do that myself (for whatever reason), but just because I wouldn't want to doesn't mean that it shouldn't be available to you if you should want to"? Why do we try to force people to think like us? Why can't we embrace that which makes us different and celebrate it?

Why oh why can't I be a mindless drone like so many people and just plod along through life accepting it for the way it is or enjoying the artificial world piped in on my cable box? Why do I have to challenge things and contemplate things? Why do I have to always have a thirst for knowledge and change? Was I designed to hold up this heavy burden about our world? Concerns about local food, peak oil, living sustainably, reducing TV, reading enough, raising kids, recycling, reusing, living efficiently, reducing my impact on the earth, reducing car use are all great, but it is such a drag when I think about how everyone else is living and why can't I be like that? Why do I have to be the one to sacrifice? Why does one sacrifice matter? Why does your sacrifice matter?

Things like these are things I wonder about on a daily/weekly basis. Most I can't do anything about, but some I can, and by banding together with others who are similarly sacrificing we can make a difference. God made me with sturdy legs and broad shoulders to do my part, and he created the internet so that people with similar beliefs can get together and feel the support from each other rather than feeling like an outcast in this big world we live in. If you ever feel down or despondent about the world or what you are doing in your part of it think about the individual sacrifices you are making (whether it is eating local food, driving less, removing the TV, etc) and think of the other people around the world who are making the EXACT SAME sacrifices you are and you all have the same focus in mind.

WE ARE ALL FOCUSED ON MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

FGLB