Author: R J Adams

There are no Christians at Sparrow Chat. There is, however, a working knowledge of that accruement of old tales from a variety of sources, known collectively as the ‘Bible’; the ‘Holy Bible’; the ‘Book’, and even more mythologically, the ‘Word of God’.

Whatever one’s position on the accuracy, or otherwise, of this accretion it seems logical to expect those self-designated ‘followers’ of the book’s main starring character to act in accordance with their leader’s Divine instruction.

Even the Sparrow Chat pagans are familiar with the first, and we are told, greatest commandment, as set out in the Book of Matthew, Chap 22: 35-39:

One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Why, then, did it come as no surprise to read this recently, from ABC News:

Flaring tensions led to violence and an arrest in Michigan this weekend as members of Christian missionary groups turned up to protest at the largest public gathering of Arab-Americans in the U.S.
Christian protesters traveled across the country to Dearborn, Mich., where they taunted attendees and even held a severed pig’s head for three days at the annual Arab International Festival. The protests turned violent Sunday, and by the end of the day as many as 10 people facing disorderly conduct or assault charges, according to ABC News Detroit affiliate WXYZ.
“You’re going to burn in hell,” a missionary reportedly yelled at a group of Arab-American boys, while other protesters held anti-Muslim signs that made bigoted remarks about Islam and its prophet Mohammed, including “Islam is a religion of blood and murder” and “Muhammad (Islam’s prophet) is a … liar, false prophet, murderer, child molesting pervert.”^[1]

It’s no surprise because it’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from certain sections of America’s so-called ‘Christian’ community. We’ve already got the lunatic, Fred Phelps, his satanic daughter, and various wacky hangers-on from the self-styled Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, spitting hate at anyone not conforming to their crackpot ideologies – which is just about everyone…

…so it barely raises an eyebrow when a load of ‘Christian missionaries’ rampage across the country hurling hate at their fellow Americans for daring to hold a differing religious viewpoint from their own.

Though, one has to question just what these ‘missionaries’ are teaching their converts about Christ’s message. Obviously, not to ‘Love Thy Neighbor’.

Only in America is this sort of hatred tolerated under the guise of…what? Freedom of speech? Religious freedom? Defending God’s Word?

Or, is it just another form of racial hatred and bigotry, for which this nation is so renowned, wrapped up in the guise of that eternal excuse for a whipping-boy, religion?

Thankfully, there are still a few of us pagans left only too happy to follow the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, and love our neighbors – the only proviso, they’re not members of the Westboro Baptist Church, or Christian missionaries hell-bent on a hate crusade.

^{[1] “Christian Taunts and Violence Mar Arab Festival in Michigan” ABC News, June 18th 2010}

The American media has been making hay out of the financial problems faced by Europe, stressing – no doubt, at the behest of their corporate masters – that the crisis in Europe is responsible for the ongoing problems with the US economy.

As always, the American media is afflicted by serious short-term memory loss, a fact quickly pointed out in no uncertain terms today by the president of the European Commission, Jose Barroso…

…when asked by an American journalist at the G20 summit in Mexico, “Why should North Americans risk their assets to help Europe?”

Barroso:

Frankly, we are not coming here to receive lessons in terms of democracy or in terms of how to handle the economy.

By the way this crisis was not originated in Europe […] Seeing as you mention North America, this crisis originated in North America and much of our financial sector was contaminated by, how can I put it, unorthodox practices, from some sectors of your financial market.”

Go, go, Jose! It’s about time someone over there told the truth to those over here, instead of grovelling and kissing Lady Liberty’s feet at every opportunity, as practiced by every British prime minister since Margaret Thatcher, while transformed into an art-form by the UK’s latest apology for a political leader, the oh-so-simpering, David Cameron.

Europe’s financial crisis was sparked by corrupt US politicians who slyly deregulated the financial sector, allowing crooked bankers free reign to make themselves ever wealthier, by illegally gambling away the savings of US and European citizens.

At last, someone in authority has had the guts to stand up and tell it as it is.

^{[1] “Greek election, debt crisis and G20 Summit: as it happened, June 17 – 18, 2012” Daily Telegraph, June 19th 2012}

For 12-year-old Yasmin, 10-year-old Elizabeth, and 8-year-old Vicente Herrara, US President Barack Obama’s latest attempt to secure the Latino vote will make no difference whatever.^[1]

Along with approximately two thousand other children – all US citizens – the president’s latest ‘executive order’, allowing illegal immigrants between the age of 16 and 30 to remain in the United States, provided they’ve been here at least five years, does not apply to them. Not only are they too young to be affected by the order, but they’ve already been deported to Mexico.

Sparrow Chat recently highlighted the plight of children like Yasmin, Elizabeth, and Vicente, following a somewhat unsympathetic report by the CBS Evening News.^[2]

This latest executive order is Obama’s 129th of his presidency. We haven’t heard very much about the others, but a perfunctory glance at the list clarifies why. The vast majority don’t appear worthy of the paper they were written on.^[3]

This one is different. There’s an election in the offing. ‘Executive Order number one hundred and twenty-nine’ is nothing more or less than a piece of blatant electioneering. The incumbent needs the Latino vote if he has any hope of holding onto the White House. This little piece of bribery may well secure those votes.

It’s a pity he’s not prepared to allow the return of two thousand US kids exiled to Mexico. Of course, that would mean allowing their parents to return also, and that could lose him votes from states bordering on Mexico. So, no chance. Yasmin, Elizabeth, and Vicente remain stuck in a strange land where they don’t belong, with a language they don’t understand, trying to get an education in schools where the only language they do understand is not spoken.

President Barack Obama could have signed an executive order giving the parents of US citizens the right to live in the United States. Is that asking too much? He could have signed an executive order closing the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, as he promised to do. Was that asking too much? He could have signed an executive order mandating a public option for healthcare, as he promised to provide. Was that asking too much?

In fact, he could have signed executive orders for lots of things the Republican leadership have blocked in the House, but he didn’t. Instead, he cow-towed to McConnell and Boehner, gave in to their demands and got nothing back in return.

Instead of honoring his promises to the people who voted him into office, he turned himself into a George W Bush on steroids, even to the extent of taking a personal decision as to who would live and who would die in the next drone strike.

It would seem his greatest asset is his ability to sing and dance. He would have made a great entertainer. It’s not too late. A second career, perhaps, if the present one drifts down the tubes after November?

No doubt, Yasmin, Elizabeth, Vicente, and one thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven other young, exiled, US citizens would be happy to sit in the audience and applaud an ex-president who can tell a joke and sing a song – in the unlikely event there is ever a future US president with sufficient compassion to place their happiness and welfare above a selfish desire to secure a few more votes.

^{[1] “Obama ends young migrant deportations” BBC, June 15th 2012}

^{[2] “America – Something Is Sadly Lacking’ Sparrow Chat, May 8th 2012}

^{[3] “Current List of President Obama’s Executive Orders” 1461days.blogspot.com}