Organized Religion and the Abolition of Free Speech

Growing up in the south, I've been subjected to the obstruction of free speech since I was a child. In a neo-con Christian school environment, one can't get away with the freedom of expression or speech if it's deemed 'dangerous' to Christian youth. Creationism is taught as a plausible theory in science courses, with equal weight placed on its validity as is placed on the validity of the process of evolution. Religions that lack the political weight of Christianity, Judaism or Islam are not allowed to be discussed in the public school system. Neo-paganism and other Earth-based religions are taught as dangerous, anti-American and above all, 'evil.' Refusal to stand and recite the American pledge of allegiance is grounds for detention, if not a full-on suspension. Advocates of Socialism and Communism are treated as traitors and their course writings are graded unfairly, if graded at all. Same-sex relationships lead to suspension or expulsion.

Internationally, the religious right is known to be an enemy of progress and political freedom and is under constant (and heavy) criticism, fronted by a variety of left-wing organizations. Knowing that the fight against the Christian establishment is in semi-good hands, I've decided to target another group that stands against freedom in every form that freedom can exist. I'm going to write about the international acceptance of Islamo-facist bullies.

I'd like to start with a disclaimer. As a devout socialist and advocate of equality in all its forms, I do not support divides that lead to the intolerance of any specific group of people that are free of the brainwashing of any pronounced political agenda. As a devout agnostic, I can promise you that my views on religion are completely objective, as I by no means favor any one organized religion over another. When ignorance manifests itself into a movement of facism, however, I completely support its full exposure and demand that a war be declared against its advancement.

I'm sure most of you remember the chaos that followed the Danish government's decision to publish cartoon images of the Islamic prophet Mohammed. Whether or not the international frenzy was based on 'how' the prophet was depicted is irrelevant, as freedom of speech should have no boundaries. The fact that has repeatedly been neglected to be addressed is that aggressively violent measures were taken by Islamic groups internationally as a result of the cartoons' release. Their release warranted death-threats, burnt embassies and the violent abuse of Danish and other Northern European civilians internationally.

The argument supporting the advancement of political corectness is an argument that supports an end to free speech. The argument that supports the willing submission to violence is an argument that puts the free world in danger. The argument that chooses the Christian right as the only enemy of social liberties is an argument that calls for the end of all unbiased critiques within the political arena. The combination of these arguments is what the European continent has chosen to be its mainspring.

The United States is constantly criticized for its refusal to allow protection of homosexuals into its laws. The American people is criticized of the same. The United States is criticized for its pro-war foreign policy and its lack of regard for international laws and the sanctity of human life. The American people are criticized for the same. The United States is criticized of its advocacy for a socially restrictive theocracy. The American people is assumed internationally to be a God fearing and overtly Christian people, and we take the blame for this too. Take 'the United States' out of those sentences and replace them with Iran. Take out 'the American people' and replace that with 'the Iranian people.' After those changes have been made, this paragraph is grounds for criticism by the international left as a statement of racial hatred and pro-Christian imperialism. Why?

Christians are against homosexuality and have laws that reflect it. So do Muslims. Christians believe in an 'old world' life philosophy that demands female submission to their male partners. To 'honor and OBEY.' Islamic countries have laws FAR more restrictive to the rights and freedoms of women than those of Christian states. Christianity has (historically) been the forerunner of religious imperialism and has fought many a war to carry its political ideals from border to border. Islamo-facists have declared a violent war against the infidels (non-Muslims). Can someone please explain the difference?

Racism and ethnocentrism are appauling forces. The oppression of the people of Islamic countries by the Western world is unaccaptable. Discriminating against someone because of his or her religion or national background is ignorance at its purest. This writing is meant to point out that its not ok when it comes from either side of the pond. Equality is equality and no one should be given special protection from criticism when their platform becomes a platform of violence and racial hatred, and the freedom of the press should NEVER be hindered. Ever.

It's against the principles of Islam to depict the prophet in an animated form. European leftists think this means that by refusing to publish them, we're respecting the religious values of European Muslims. Christians are vehemently against the establishment of marriage rights for homosexuals. Should we silence the advocates of marriage equality so that we can better respect the religious values of Christianity? Judaism teaches that it is against the will of God to eat hooved creatures. Is it offensive, then, to sell pork in European grocery stores? Where is the boundary and who is it that should decide how wide it stretches? As I stated before, equality is equality. Freedom of religion protects the rights of a country's people to worship what, who, where or how they wish. I must have been asleep when religious freedom accepted turning a blind eye to the vulgar and aggressively violent actions of extremists in the name of political corectness.

In the world of a non-believer, religion is ridiculous. For a non-believer, worshipping Allah or Jehovah is like waiting for Santa Claus to come down the chimney with a bag full of goodies on Christmas Eve. The world of a non-believer is the world of the state. Unbiased and unaffected in regards to religion. That's why we on the left believe in a separation of church and state; so that we can ensure that our government remains an unbiased non-believer.

Publishing cartoons is not damaging the rights of Muslims to worship as they wish. Allowing gay marriage is not damaging the rights of Christians to live as they wish. Publishing cartoons isn't murdering, starving or impoverishing any people of the world, and those who are swayed by their publicity have the right to be so. That's freedom. That's equality. That's what we, the members of the left, fight for every day.

Don't let the nature of Socialism's tolerance blind you to the intolerance of violent members of groups that we wish to protect. Don't let religion have any input in our laws. Don't support partial attacks on conservative theocracy by only attacking the state of Israel and Christian imperialism and stop keeping Islam free of criticism, because by doing so the left is not only destroying our international credibility, but it's destroying the very fabric of our political structure as well.

Muslim, Christian, Jewish, American, German, English; it doesn't matter. Regardless of who or where it's coming from, violence in the name of religion is wrong. Open your eyes, your ears and most importantly, your minds. Protecting the values of humanity are much, much more important than protecting the security of minority votes to the left.

Here's to equality!

God is dead and so is Easter.

A few years ago, I met the most beautiful person I've ever met. He changed my life and I loved him more than I probably ever will anyone else. The night we met, he called me when I was driving home from work (Virgin Records at that time) and asked me if I wanted to join him and his roommate at their Easter party when Easter rolled around...The invitation was sweet, but even sweeter was the fact that Easter was more than a month away. Now every Easter I think about that. I think about the innocence of our beginning, the beauty of our peak and more depressingly, I think about our bitter end. I think about how life-changing our relationship was, even though we never actually knew eachother. Most of all I think of how terribly sad it is that we can't even be in the same room together anymore after what was without question the most meaningful and thought provoking period in my life.

It's hard to believe that Easter is here again when I'm looking at a mini snow storm through my window. That's all Easter ever is for me now, really; a snowy blur. Much like that relationship, the snow is beautiful to look at from inside, where I'm safe and warm, but very, very dangerous if I step too close into its chaos without the proper equipment. Vulnerability is a bitch.

It started out with Communication. It evolved into Couldn't Care Less. Now the Cardigans are leaving the stage and giving the floor to a melancholy (yet hopeful) Nina Simone.
This one's for you, Jacob. For what we had and what we lost.

Happy Anniversary!

It's been five years today since we illegally invaded Iraq.

Can I be real?

Nokia and Cambridge Nanotech have just replaced the dog with technology as man's best friend.

Goodbye, Stockholm

I'd like to think of my first proper entry as a gateway to my new life. But what's the fun of ending things if they're not welcomed with a Dear John? Many of you have already read this letter, but I thought I'd post it anyway for sentimental reasons.

Dear Stockholm,

My relationship with your city has been a lot like my first serious romantic relationship. The only difference is that I've been on the opposite side this time. I've longed after an ideal and pre-arranged a marriage for myself with an image of something that doesn't exist. A symbol for something I lacked in my childhood that doesn't bear as much weight as it used to. Now that I've grown closer to this symbol, I've realized that what's behind its face is much less desireable than I had once imagined.

I do love Sweden. Sweden's national ideals, political climate and welcoming people (or at least the idea of what they once stood for) have driven me for as long as I can remember. The Swedish Model has paved the path for the rest of the free world to follow, and for that Sweden should be proud. Unfortunately, Swedish youth takes 99.9% of what their country has to offer for granted. Pissing on socialist ideals for capitalist lies and a false sense of economic security, building their egos on what their parents and grandparents fought for only to rip it apart, and shunning anyone who thinks, walks, talks or dresses differently, all while boasting to be the most progressive country in the world.

Pardon my Americanism (or don't), but freedom is completely held within the individual. I'm a strong believer in social goals and togetherness, but a society is built on individual human beings. The faults of one are the faults of all, and the neglegence of one to act against a brainwashed national mentality is the downfall of a system and of a free people. Consumerism has eaten Stockholm alive, and each year it pumps out more and more 15 year old aspiring fashion stylists. When I was 15 I didn't know what a stylist was. This isn't progress, it's consumerist status-seeking at its absolute worst.

Stop pointing fingers, Sweden, and realize that the capitalist beast destroying Social Welfare isn't solely embodied in the United States. You voted the monster into power yourselves. Moderaterna. For what? To be more like the United States? Out of boredom? To join the rest of 'EU'rope? In hopes that you'll get rid of Stockholm's small town mentality? Change within oneself is usually the most solid change one can undergo, you know. Political events can change how far your borders open, but the only one in control of how open your mind is is you, you arrogant, egotistical, closed-minded, consumerist monster.

Before I fall out of love with Scandinavia because of the ignorance and spoiled nouveaux-riches attitudes of Sweden's tomorrow, I've made the decision to leave my job at Rodebjer to pursue new interests at home. As difficult as it is to leave the best company I've ever worked for, I'll be moving back to New York at the end of May this year.

I love you, Sweden. It's not you, it's not me; it's them.

Yours,

James Gillespie

An Introduction For the Masses

The title of this specific entry may imply a high number of readers for this blog, but I can assure you that this is hardly the case, as I created it less than twenty minutes ago.  

The original title of this blog was to be 'Notes on Madness.' Realizing that my opinions and interests can be quite fringe at times, I realized that 'Madness on Notes' was more appropriate. The writings you will find here are not meant to be solid political statements to be fact checked and taken as gold, but rather a collection of my humble critiques that follow my uncanny (if I may be so bold as to describe them as so) observational skills. 

The world is a funny place. Less funny than it is bizarre, I suppose, but funny nonetheless. I decided to start documenting my observations on the topic of 'the world' via expressions of my ideas and ideals in a more formal setting, hence the creation of this blog. You are more than welcome to expect intellectually vacant banter from the mind of a young person lacking the credentials for a formal commentary, because in all probability you'll be getting much less than that. It's easiest to box my opinions into the larger realm of a vast left-wing conspiracy, but I beg of you to look deeper than that if you plan on taking anything noteworthy from what I have to say.

I end this introductory statement with the simple wish that this won't be the last you'll read of me. Whether or not we stand on the same side of cultural or political issues, I can be sure to (at the very least) make you angry, and that in itself is noteworthy.