Speed Golf at Indian Tree Golf Course!

For this article, I imagine two types of readers. Either you don’t care about golf, and you may as well go visit another site, or you’re wondering, “What the hell is speed golf?” For the first crowd mentioned, all I have to say is I hope you enjoy the other writing on my site, and for the second group, follow along below to learn what the new trend in Colorado golf is.

Speed golf is what happens when a course gets corrupted into believing the bottom line is the only bottom line. Speed golf is what happens when a formally private club resists the change to allow the average person on the tee. Speed golf is what happens when you are rushed to get through the course by employees of the course. To sum things up, speed golf is not fun, it’s not relaxing, and by my definition, it’s not golf!!!

During this incredibly hot Colorado summer, I’ve once again ignited my passion for golf. Indian Tree Golf course in Arvada, Colorado is my stomping grounds for both practice and play, and though service is not the best, the par three is a cheap option to get my swing back in swing. As my skills increase, I continue to look towards the large course with dreams of once again playing with the big boys.

Massive fare ways full of deceptive traps and unique playing surfaces draw me towards the 18 hole, and on this fateful Sunday morning, it’s finally time. Tee time is reserved for the pre-heat morning, the grass is green and I’m well-practiced. It’s time for my big return to the large course!

Stepping onto the first tee, I’m awed by the size and scape of the massive fair way in front of me. Nothing from my memory has prepared me for this stunning view again. Naturally, I slice hard off the first tee, but recovery is a snap with my recent experience on the par three course. Gradually as I move from hole to hole, I begin to get my bearings back, but just as I begin to feel warmed up, I’m rudely awakened to the true nature of the course.

The rough is my domain on my return to the course, and the fare way is just a distant tease. Of course this means that speed is not my strong suit, and apparently it has been noticed. As I rescue yet another ball from its resting place among the tall grass of the rough, the golf patrol descends upon me. With carefully placed manners, I’m rudely asked to, “Hurry up, or pick up my ball to move ahead.” I first consider this request in full, but then decide that I payed to play this course, and I intend to do so. I continue on my way as the golf patrol skirts the course and monitors my progress.

What lured me to return to these large beautifully mowed lawns is now gone. Rescue shots from deep rough that once seemed easy are now impossible. I was pushed, and my sub-conscience now pushes back. As I near the end of nine holes, I play worse than ever and the pressure to move is felt even more. This is not golf!

Golf is the sport that guarantees relaxation, frustration, anger and some lost balls, but it is NEVER the game that should be rushed.

This, in my opinion, is exactly what happens when monetary gains become the only thing that matters to a golf course. Parties are booked with not a moment to spare between and without enlightening patrons to time limit policies. This new game of, “Speed Golf,” seems to be the result of a resistance to change within an elitist body of golfers.

Indian Tree is a beautiful course, but to sum up, I have to say:

Don’t play here if you are a beginner
Don’t play here if you can’t hit the fare way consistently
Don’t play here if you enjoy golfing at your own pace
Don’t play here if you use golf as relaxation
Just don’t play golf here!

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Aurora Shooting Tragedy Families are Target of Westboro Church’s Next Picket of Hate

Common slogans used by the Westboro Church

Stop Westboro Baptist Church from protesting the Aurora, CO Memorial

This is not out of ordinary for this anti-military group which regularly attends military funerals to disrupt services with their pickets. It’s been said, and is most likely true, that their actions are primarily an effort to gather publicity for their cause. Under most circumstances, they should be ignored and given no piece of the spotlight, however, this story brings about a peaceful call to action in order to protect our fellow Colorado citizens during this memorial service.

A large group is being organized quickly to form a silent, impassive, human wall surrounding the memorial which will seek to keep out the bad energy and hatred that Westboro is trying to inject into this wounded community. I write this not as a call to action against them but instead as a call for protection of the families, friends and communities that have been irreparably damaged by this week’s events.

This is our chance to stand up for our neighbors during this time of need and show that we are a community woven as one even during the worst of times. If you would like to join this peaceful action, please visit their event page for details and to RSVP. If you can not attend, please join them in heart by sharing their event in any way you can.

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Fix It or Finish It

Regarding immortal life-

“Once inside the body the virus multiplies and invades all the major organs. There is a high fever, headache and joint pains, vomiting and diarrhea. The characteristic hemorrhaging or bleeding is caused by a process called DIC – disseminated intravascular coagulation. Through this, the virus provokes massive clotting within the organs, and this leads paradoxically to bleeding because it uses up all the clotting factors in the blood. The clotting itself causes failure of the liver and kidneys, and this coupled with the hemorrhaging almost invariably leads to a fatal outcome “(How Ebola).

Like the Ebola virus, Homo sapiens are nothing more than a large scale viral infection upon this planet. They flock to an area and immediately begin their work attacking resources in force. As they slowly exhaust resources that are valuable to all life in the area, they multiply at astonishing rates. Upon reaching critical mass, humans paralyze an area’s eco-system and burst out to destroy a new region. Unlike other animals in the eco-systems they destroy, humans have no natural checks to control population. If allowed, they will eradicate all life on Earth and then perish due to their own selfish nature. Humans truly are the end of all life on this planet.

In an effort to solve the growing human problem, I urge the community to consider putting a check into play. This must be looked at with empathy, but on a global eco-system scale. Humans must not be allowed to follow the path of destruction they are on for their own good but mostly for the good of every living thing on Earth. A remote chance still exists to save them as well as the rest of Earth, but in the event the Homo sapiens’ path cannot be altered steps will have to be taken to purge the eco-system of their destructive nature.

It will not be possible to complete this process within a standard life time which will dictate the use of an immortal. It is possible that an organization could be brought together to carry out fixing the problem or to end the human race if need be, but during the time it would take to fix it human error within the organization could cause problems. Un-like an organization that needs to pass plans, skills and past experience through the generations, an immortal will see and plan everything. An immortal will not forget what the mission is and cannot be stopped until it is carried out. It’s because of the necessity to either fix the human problems or eradicate them, that anyone given the choice of immortality has the responsibility to take it.

Not since the Black Death in 1400 has there been any checks or balances for mankind. Population has not fluctuated up and down; it has only ballooned out of control at astonishing speed. Between the years 1800 and 1900, human population grew an amazing 69%. From the years 1900 to 2000, population growth far outpaced the prior century growing a massive 268% worldwide (World). At the current rate, valuable resources such as property, fresh air, fresh water and oil are quickly becoming rare commodities. Wars are waged every day in the quest for control over Earth’s spoils, and one can only imagine what will become of the planet given the current and past population growth rate.

A check against the human population must be put into place. Like the major population booms of all other animals on Earth, Homo sapiens need something to strike a balance against overpopulation. As one member of the animal kingdom’s population gets out of control, a predatory animal also gets a boost in population to strike a balance. When they have both run their course and exhausted available food sources, they die off leaving only the strongest.

The only logical check solution that can be implemented is an immortal being. Changing the fate of man kind’s population growth rates is not something that can be accomplished over a short period of time. Through time, government will have to be infiltrated to make the proper changes possible. Laws will have to be passed limiting and sometimes taking away the breeding rights of man. This will not be easy in some countries, but with careful planning and conspiring, it will be possible over time. If the proper changes cannot be accomplished, the only option will be to exterminate mankind. Only through the death of all humans can the Earth’s survival be guaranteed.

Throughout history humans have been linked to the extinction of many species of animal. The cause of much animal extinction has been problems such as: overharvesting, pollution,  habitat destruction, introduction of new predators and food competitors and overhunting (Extinction). Homo sapiens view Earth as some kind of strip mine. They take whatever suites their liking which causes huge trauma to animal habitats. They also introduce foreign substances into the eco-system as bi-products of their selfish creations. A major food source for humans is meat which they take at their discretion from the wildlife population. If allowed to continue, humans will wipe out more and more species due to their selfish quest for power over nature.

They must be stopped at any cost. By either fixing the problem, introducing laws limiting human’s rights over nature or by wiping them off the face of the planet, the Earths eco-systems must be protected and allowed to flourish.

Many scientists believe that mankind is the main cause of global warming. Through the use of fossil fuels such as: coal, oil and natural gas, humans are releasing carbon monoxide into the atmosphere at record levels. This build up of gases causes what is called the green house effect. The green house effect refers to our atmosphere’s ability to allow warming radiation to escape. Temperature readings all over the world conclude that the temperature has increased 0.6 degrees Celsius over the last 100 years (How are).

This change in climate caused by man will alter a lot of the properties of life on Earth. As the overall temperature of the atmosphere rises, the level of the oceans will rise due to the ice caps melting. This will disturb ocean currents and alter global temperatures even more. Evaporation will also increase substantially causing more rain in some areas and drought in others (How are). Eco-systems all over the world that are not equipped to handle these climate changes will die out in rapid succession leaving the Earth a barren wasteland.

These changes cannot be allowed to happen. Extreme measures must be taken in this area to both stop and fix the global warming caused by man. Humans will have to undergo large adjustments on their daily lives such as: not using cars and not burning coal or natural gas. New science will have to be developed for transportation, heating, cooling and many other things. This science will not move at a fast pace and therefore will have to be overseen by an immortal. There may come a point when the climate change has gone beyond what can be considered acceptable, and it is at this point, to prevent further damage, the extermination failsafe would once again have to come into play.

There’s one clear solution to all of these problems, and that is an immortal. None of the problems can be fixed in a single life time due to the complexity of both the issues and the solutions. A well schooled and well trained immortal will have the ability to see without bias. An immortal can have no attachment to mankind, because any attachments made will last only one life time. A mission passed through generations could be corrupted or forgotten, but these ideals cannot die within an immortal which makes it the perfect plan.

Using an immortal will also introduce a failsafe plan. All of the solutions for the human problems will take many lifetimes, and if not successful will become extremely frustrating. Due to the immortal’s only option of dying being suicide, it will become an obvious thought. If the frustration reaches this point than mankind can be considered lost, and the immortal’s own desire to die will be the end of human life.

Many weapons will need to be used against the Homo sapiens to end their life upon Earth. Political leverage can be used to manipulate countries into war. Nuclear holocaust or biological weapons will be viable solutions to bringing about the end.

The natural Eco-systems of the Earth cannot protect themselves from the ignorance of humans. Their selfish nature is changing climates, causing overpopulation and strip mining the planet of its valuable animal life. All life on the planet is surely doomed without some kind of intervention. This cannot be ignored for long or the process of undoing the damage will become harder or even impossible.

Many would claim that Homo sapiens have the right to live, but the reality of the situation is that by allowing humans to live, it is inevitably wiping the Earth clean of all life. No species of animal has the right to live at the expense of all other animal life. With mankind included, the Earth cannot be truly considered a working eco-system.

Some objectors would also conclude that mankind is superior to other animal life and should therefore be allowed to exist and destroy at will. While man may have superior intelligence over the rest of the animal kingdom, they are not truly a part of the eco-system. An eco-system implies a state of balance which is not attained with humans included. They truly are the single point of imbalance.

For many reasons, this world needs intervention by an immortal. The many problems created by mankind will not be easily solved, and will take many life times to complete. Like the spread of a viral infection they either need to be healed or wiped off the face of the Earth for good.

Works Cited

“Extinction.” Extinction – Wikipedia. Wikipedia. 6 December 2009. Web. 6 December 2009.

“How are people changing the climate?” Man Made Climate Change. Espere. 24

February 2006. Web. 6 December 2009.

“How Ebola Kills.” MSF: How Ebola Kills. MSF. 28 September 2000. Web. 5 December 2009.

Manjiri. “Human Impact on Earth.” Human Impact on Earth. Socyberty. 9 August 2007.

Web. 5 December 2009.

“World Population.” World Population – Wikipedia. Wikipedia. 5 December 2009. Web.

5 December 2009.

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Core Values

Core values play a key role in shaping the lives of everyone, because many of life’s decisions are based on a person’s core values. Everyone’s friends, family and professional success are impacted by the decisions core values influence. Loyalty, honesty, selflessness, hard work and ambition are just five of the most important ones.

Loyalty is the most important core value which affects many of life’s obstacles. Obstacles can come up in many forms; they can come up in relationships and in personal success. It can become a key factor during obstacles encountered between friends or between significant others. A friend may be asked to do something that compromises the friendship. It is important that both friends remain loyal and keep each other’s best interests in mind. Infidelity can test a significant other’s loyalty; choosing to take part in infidelity can often compromise the relationship and bring it to an end.  It also plays a major part in getting past the obstacles that a person’s own success can bring forward.  A person may be asked to help someone who is in direct competition with a professional or personal contact. This could result in hindering success and losing the trust and loyalty of others. Remaining true to friends, family and professional contacts can help to build trust and loyalty in return.

Honesty is also a very important core value, in that it’s hard to respect or trust anyone who is not honest. Trust and respect can be very hard to gain and even harder to gain back. When a friend, loved one or business contact is not honest, it is hard to believe they won’t do it again in the future. This removes much or all of the trust and respect from the relationship. Those who are honest, usually get the same honesty in return.

Selflessness plays a key part in helping others as well as one’s self through life. There are many times in life when someone simply cannot get past a barrier without help. Everyone needs advice from time to time, whether it be financial, relationship or for many of life’s other problems. People also need physical and financial help to make it through life. By having a strong sense of selflessness, people can help each other past these points in life. Many times, helping people with their problems will inspire them to do the same for someone else.

Hard work is important for solving many of life’s problems. Hard work can help to overcome obstacles of all types including those within relationships, personal goals and professional success. Everyone runs into issues within a working friendship or relationship with a significant other. These problems will always take some effort to overcome and the harder people work at their relationships, the easier it is to work through issues. Hard work can also help to overcome many professional obstacles. Working hard at a job can help to set a person apart from co-workers and help attain raises and promotions faster. Putting in extra work during training and schooling will also help set a person apart from the pack, leading to better job opportunities. Every problem in life has a solution that requires hard work to exercise.

Ambition is the driving force behind someone’s actions and without this driving force people cannot hope to be a success at solving life’s problems.  When one of life’s obstacles arises, everyone needs to maintain the ambition needed to overcome it. This may be the willingness to work on problems within one of life’s relationships. It may be the drive to keep studying for a big test, or to keep working to get a job done. Without the ambition to work through these problems it would be impossible to keep moving forward.

Friendship, professional success and many other things create problems and obstacles that everyone’s core values play a key role in solving. For that reason, I urge everyone to take a look at their own core values. Consider how they affect the things that are most important in life. Robert Bundy, award winning writer, conveys the importance of core values this way: “If there are no common values, there can be no image of the future.”

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A Good Life

The measure of one’s life can be summed up by the failures experienced during the trip. The experience of failure helps to shape personality, gives meaning to success, keeps life interesting and gives a sense of purpose.

Failures in life are the basis for most lessons learned. Lessons in life cannot be taught without perspective on why they are being taught, and to truly understand and learn from any lesson in life you must first feel the failure that comes from doing it wrong.

Without failure life is just one long pat on the back. Failure is the key component of life that keeps things interesting enough to keep going. Without it, everyone would have anything they wanted and appreciate none of it.

You cannot feel the happiness of success unless you have felt the sadness of failure. True happiness comes from terrible events. Like moving into a warm room from a cold place, going from tragedy and despair to happiness and success will give you true appreciation for the good in your life. Everything in life is relative to its opposite.

The more failures you have had in life the more failures you have lived through. Overcoming a large failure is always a big accomplishment, and the more times you can manage to fail in life the more accomplished you may begin to feel.

I have lived a good life already. I have experienced enough failures to realize that I am doing certain things right. I can also tell by the failures that keep coming that I’m not close to doing everything right, but with each passing mistake I know I’m a little closer to getting it right.

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Bush’s War of Terror

Throughout history there are countless times when a leader’s decision is not supported and is looked at as an evil action, but there are also many times that this evil action is simply the lesser of two evils. To truly understand a leaders motives it is key to understand this parallel and be able to discern between evil and mandatory evils.

There’s not much debate over whether or not United States President George Bush made a huge mistake when he sent military into the Middle East. This allocation of force, to essentially police the world, has yielded nothing but senseless bloodshed on both sides of the fight, soaring public debt and lack of international confidence in American leadership. It’s because of these decisions that Bush’s presidency will undoubtedly be labeled as one of the biggest failures and set-backs that the U.S. has ever seen.

On September 11, 2001, one of the worst tragedies in United States history befell the citizens of New York City. As the twin World Trade Center towers fell, Americans were galvanized into a unified force of justice. Never before had the country been brought so easily to its knees or made to feel so humble in its lack of safety. 2,726 American citizens lost their lives that day, and no conversation at the time was more popular than revenge (Deaths). In the following weeks, all eyes were on President Bush’s plans for action against those who so coldly murdered our families, friends and fellow Americans.

On October 7, 2001, American plans for vengeance finally hit foreign soil. The threat and cause of 9-11 was quickly recognized, and military was immediately sent out in force to nullify this source of evil. It was on this day that people across the country could begin to heal. It was on this day that the United States’ “War on Terror” began.

This proud assertion of United States military power was the crowning moment of Bush’s career, but it was not to last. Within three months of beginning the assault on the Taliban in Afghanistan, the civilian death toll accredited to U.S. bombs dwarfed the 2,726 Americans lost in the towers. With over 3,000 innocent men, women and civilian children dead, the, “War on Terror,” quickly started to be viewed of a, “War of Terror,” by people all over the world (Herold). As the collateral damage death toll began to climb it became quite evident that this war was no longer about bringing people to justice; it was about making a statement about the United States’ defense strategy.

At this point, the people of the U.S. were blinded by anger against the realities of war in the Middle East, and the power of suggestion made an assault on Iraq easy for Bush to make reality. Rumors of weapons of mass destruction and an infamous tyrant, Saddam Hussein, were too big a temptation to the blood thirst of the president, so on March 20, 2003, the full force of the American military broke upon the shores of Iraq. Quickly the air force attained air superiority and the ground forces moved through crushing all opposition. Like the falling of the towers though this fight had sever costs paid in American lives. 4,390 U.S. soldiers lost their lives between 2003 and 2010 for Bush’s fight, and it cost a projected $900 billion in the same time frame to keep military presence in Iraq (White).

It’s at this point that people may begin to think following such a war monger of a president into these wars wasn’t such a great idea. The war in Iraq certainly cost America dearly, but it’s the numbers hidden behind the scenes that should turn even the most militant of citizens in to peace loving humans. 4,390 United States soldiers is a huge price to pay, but like in Afghanistan, this number is made to appear small compared to the collateral damage. Approximately 100,000 innocent humans lost their lives in Iraq due directly to U.S. presence (Iraq).

Surely with this information in hand, it has become evident that the United States does not possess the proper means to fight wars without causing unacceptable loss of life and damaging the economy by overspending on defensive budgetary needs. At what point should Bush’s actions be considered too abrupt? Ignorant predictions about the collateral damage that would be sustained certainly can’t be used as an excuse for his actions. Statistics show that with every decade the ratio of civilian deaths to military deaths rises dramatically. During World War I, there was one civilian death for every eight military deaths. During World War II, that number increased to two civilians for every military member dead.  In the 1990’s, the numbers balloon even further out of control hitting 9 civilians for every 10 military deaths (Danziger 347). As we’ve seen in the first wars of the 21st century even those terrible numbers have been far surpassed.

Clearly projecting American ideals into the Middle East was the worst idea of Bush’s term as president, and most tax payers would agree that he did a terrible job for the country and the world. According to numerous polls, between 60 and 75 percent of Americans disapproved of his job rating (Bush), and in 2003 approximately two thirds of the world’s population agrees that Bush was wrong for invading the Middle East (BBC).

This is obviously a widely accepted household view of America’s fight against the Middle East, but unfortunately for those who subscribe to this viewpoint, they have been mislead. As Arthur Herman observed, “According to an April 2008, poll in U.S. News & World Report, fully 61 percent of American historians agree that George W. Bush is the worst President in our history. Some of these scholars cite the President’s position on the environment, or on taxes, or on the economy. For most, though, the chief qualification for obloquy lies in Bush’s decision to go to war in Iraq.” Unfortunately, it can be found with some further research that this villainization of George Bush truly is a perfect example of American arrogance at work.

When considering an area that has been war torn for centuries, like the Middle East, it is truly impossible to believe that anything can be as black and white as simply blaming one man. Surely if persistent logic is used, Bush being the cause of every problem in the area cannot be the conclusion that is drawn. It should be quite obvious to the astute dialectical thinker that there are more clues locked away in the history of the region.

To explain why Bush reacted in the way that he did, we must first discover why the Middle East feels the way they feel and why they have acted upon the U.S. in the ways that they have. This knowledge can be attained only through the history of the region and the history of the U.S.’s involvement.

To explore this further and discover the real truth, the point when U.S. involvement in the area must first be found. The true origins of these conflicts are, in truth, far from the Middle East and begin 60 years ago. They lie within the U.S. itself and within its Cold War rival the Soviet Union. The cold war was a time of great fear for both the U.S. and Russia. The dawn of the nuclear age spawned a new and frightening type of war that was based upon the balance of power. Nuclear deterrence was the only insurance and maintaining a perfect balance against the enemy the only means of survival.

As both countries struggled for control of strategic positions all over the world, the fight was inevitably brought to the Middle East. Russia’s support for Palestinian nations in the area gave enough reason for U.S. concern so that on May 25, 1950, the United States stepped into the area hoping to limit Soviet influence. With France and England by their side, the U.S. issued the Tripartite Declaration which opposes any changes of boundaries by force and agrees to supply both Israel and the Arab nations with weapons for defense. This assertion into the area naturally didn’t go over well with the Soviets, and a persistent struggle ensued over the next 30 years. During this period, a strict new polarization of the forces in the region emerged with the U.S. forces taking the side of Israel and the Soviets taking the side of Arab nations. Both sides of this fight acted as well supplied puppets to their cold war rival puppet masters, and both sides accrued equally terrible casualties (Cold).

It is through this support that the region forged opinions about the U.S. Years of war supplies flooding the area and being used to kill combatants and civilians alike created sever anger towards both the entities using the weapons and the ones supplying the weapons. If Afghanistan can be used as an example of this effect, the Taliban was supplied by the Afghanistan government which allowed them to carry out the attacks of 9/11. The anger of Americans towards the Afghanistan government following these attacks should be a sure indication of the anger felt by Arab nations that have been opposed to American support for over 50 years. Not only have we aided in the taking of their lives, but we have also stepped into a religious war that can’t possibly be understood from an outside viewpoint.

The assault on Afghanistan however can hardly be refuted as a mistake within the citizens of the U.S. this was clearly a war that was championed by the desires of all, and is rarely regarded as one of Bush’s mistakes, but many still believe the all out war against the Middle East is stepping to far.

With this amount of Middle Eastern anger towards America in mind, it is hard to see how conflict could have possibly been avoided. Now Bush’s side begins to come clear. Given the history of leaders in the area, what other response would have worked? With the history and information available, entering the Middle East with goals of peace were not a choice; they were a mandatory move that only Bush had the guts to act on.

Many people will claim that no president saw need to invade Iraq other than Bush, so it wasn’t necessary. This claim is clearly refuted by Bill Clinton’s words while in office, “Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas, or biological weapons. . . . Other countries possess weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. With Saddam, there is one big difference: he has used them. Not once, but repeatedly. . . . I have no doubt today that, left un-checked, Saddam Hussein will use these terrible weapons again.” Clinton was not alone in this opinion when his act authorizing the liberation of Iraq was passed unanimously in the senate and by a margin of 360 to 38 in the house (Herman). This willingness to use weapons of mass destruction by Saddam is a well known fact and is not refuted, so clearly it was acceptable then and should have also been for Bush.

The opportunity was given for the liberation of Iraq during Clinton’s presidency, but was avoided due to the belief that it would not have been supported by the tax payers. Bush simply acted on the common need of the country when it was acceptable to do so, and should therefore be looked at as a visionary who knew how to properly time the allegiance of the public.

It is with the true knowledge of the situation that the U.S. faced in 2003 that it is easy to say, Bush was not the worst president in history. He was the exact president we needed at the time, but he was faced with a time that could not have built support for his actions. It is often the heroes of history that are looked at as the biggest villains, but there is no denying that without him future wars may have been plagued with weapons of mass destruction and never before seen fatalities.

Works Cited

“BBC NEWS | Americas | Poll Suggests World Hostile to US.” BBC NEWS | News Front Page. 16 June 2003. Web. 21 Apr. 2010.

“Bush: Job Ratings.” PollingReport.com. Web. 21 Apr. 2010.

“Cold War.” Boston College. Web. 21 Apr. 2010.

Danziger, James N. “Political Violence.” Understanding the Political World: a Comparative Introduction to Political Science. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print.

“Deaths in World Trade Center Terrorist Attacks — New York City, 2001.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 20 Apr. 2010.

Herman, Arthur. “Why Iraq Was Inevitable.” Commentary. Web. 21 Apr. 2010.

Herold, Marc W. “Civilian Victims of United States’ Aerial Bombing of Afghanistan.” Cursor.org – Table of Contents Page. Web. 21 Apr. 2010.

Iraq Body Count. Web. 21 Apr. 2010.

White, Deborah. “Iraq War Facts, Statistics at March 29, 2010 – Iraq War Casualties, Spending, Iraqi Quality of Life.” Liberal & Progressive Politics & Perspectives. 12 Apr. 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2010.

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The Philosopher Prince

“Do bats drink blood?” Dakota asks me out of nowhere. Without even giving me time to answer he continues, “What are we doing tonight?” then quickly follows his question up with, “Can we play video games?” His never-ending line of questions continues along as if he’s suddenly filled with a need to know all that is and ever has been. “What’s 100 plus 100?” “What color are dinosaurs?” His questions continue with no end in sight.

As I try to keep up with the answers, I wonder what compels him to try to know so much about so many different things. Is it simply a curiosity about the world, or is it some underlying human need to know? He continues to pose question after question, but as they roll off his lips, my mind wanders away from the conversation and struggles to make sense of the constant questioning. It’s not curiosity or human need that drives him; it’s the natural philosopher born and cultivated within every human child. He is not abnormal in his questioning. He is simply the common philosopher prince that we all come into the world as.

As Dakota so clearly illustrates, all children are born as natural philosophers. He is not acting on something he needed to be taught or on something that I as a parent instilled in his very being. He is simply being a human child, a creature of logic and an adventurer of knowledge. He is a prince among philosophers. He can ask the questions that no jaded adult would dare to even consider, and he does it both with humility and a genuine interest for the truth behind the answer.

Just as all humans strive for the truth behind knowledge, Dakota strives for the truth behind every bit of knowledge he seeks. He does not pursue knowledge with personal, financial or status gains in mind; he simply pursues them for the sake of knowing. In his quest he follows the true path of unadulterated philosophy.

He continues to ask surface questions about the world around him in his search for understanding. “How big is a blue whale?” This question baffles me even more, because it could not be farther from what is here and now. I pull up the internet and begin to feed him knowledge about the things he asks of me. With the joy of his knowledge being fed, his questions intensify farther. “Where did T-rex live?” I continually pull down answers and fuel his need to understand the epistemology of our world.

The internet fuel only seems to engorge his need for further knowledge, and suddenly he begins to shift into deeper and deeper questions. I find us discussing things that are not material but ideas. “How do you become American, Dad?” he asks.

Thinking I can avoid a lengthy description I shroud my answer with further mystery. “You have to get citizenship,” I answer.

Of course, this does not answer his question, so he follows the simple chain of logic and next poses the question, “How do you become a citizen, Dad?” He continues to ask invasive questions about the conceptual idea of citizenship, and as we discuss it I get the sense that he truly does understand it.

He dives even deeper as he tries to get a sense of how this might apply to the world stage. “How do you become a citizen in China, Dad?”  My first thought is that I have no idea and have no idea how to find out, but I quickly throw that aside as I realize I know someone living in China. I jump back on the computer and shoot out an email outlining his query. Upon getting an answer back, I am sure this will be the end of this line of questioning, but as I read the reply email, Dakota takes it to a whole new level asking, “What is citizenship, and why do we have it?”

I’m taken aback by this one, because it’s something I have no answers to; it’s something I have not even asked myself. Not having answers, I realize I have no choice but to join him on this metaphysical quest for an answer that may not truly be possible to know.

Many times children can seem to be on a different and lower level of understanding, but when you truly begin to listen, it’s easy to see that they are on the same journey as every adult. They follow a simple and effective path towards the understanding of what is, what is not and why everything is or is not. In many ways, the mind of a child is far superior to that of an adult when measured philosophically.

Dakota’s lived quest for knowledge knows no boundaries and does not stop to consider the answers it may uncover. The typical American boundaries around the dark topic of death are cast easily aside as he asks, “What happens when you die?” His previous questions about why ideas are ideas threw me for a loop, but this new depth of questioning catches me even more off guard. I have no answers and am left with his worst nightmare as my only reply.

“I don’t know,” I quickly say, hoping not to be required to delve too deeply into this one. As I look into his bright blue ever wondering eyes, I can see him probing his inventory of knowledge for the next question. He sits motionless in the chair next to me and waits as if he will not give up on an answer from me. As the silence grows I can tell from his increasing restlessness that he is planning his next line of questioning, and as his mind reaches critical mass he squirms around in his chair and looks around the room for some type of inspiration, but then in a moment of revelation his eyes lock back onto mine as a signal that he is ready to resume his quest.

“Do we go to heaven, Dad?” he smartly asks as if to nullify my non-descript response. A mischievous smirk comes across his lips as he realizes he has me beat again; I have no answers, so I simply stare into his eyes searching for the reason he would want to know such things. His eyes reveal nothing as to why he would want to know; they only reflect his own self pride in stumping me.

Dakota knows I do not and cannot know all there is to know. He knows he can’t know all there is to know, and yet he never stops his search for just that. Deep within he is compelled to quest for everything he can get while he can get it. Society has not jaded his views of what is useful or logical to attempt gaining knowledge of, so he quests for the thing we all wish we could have. His current journey has one goal in mind and that goal is the unwavering need for everything. He is undoubtedly the philosopher prince.

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The Injustices of Justice

The conceptual theory of justice is not and cannot be properly applied to any human society. In order to explain and begin to further explore this statement, the term at the very root of the matter “justice” must first be defined. This term has been used very loosely for centuries to describe and make the rules which govern the way our society punishes the un-just, but what many don’t realize is that the term has much further reaching meanings than just that. The term justice is more than a simple means of saying what is right and wrong, and it has much deeper implications than just punishing what is wrong. It is because of the false definitions and uses of this term that justice must be re-analyzed, why it is ultimately impossible and why for the good of society, it must be abolished.

Justice is an equal and opposite reaction for every action we perform with the purpose of validating our past by our present. This can be a negative reaction to a positive action or a positive reaction to a positive action. Justice is a finely tuned equation organized to exactly balance every aspect of human existence. It attempts to validate the past through the present.

The use of the past in the equation of justice implies that the equation starts at zero, so if there is no initial action than there is no need for reaction and the balance is held at zero. If there is either positive action or negative action, than there has to be opposite reaction in order to bring the equation back to zero and keep justice balanced. The use of the present as a means to justify the past is nothing more than a sick form of human validation. It is impossible to validate every action with reaction, and living life with hopes of future validation in mind only reflects on the selfishness of man-kind.

As Aristotle discovered in 450 B.C.E, justice should also be defined as the quest for absolute zero, but not all equations stay balanced to have a product of zero. This has to be especially true when it comes to equations involving so many human variables, because each person’s equation would have to be balanced between all of their actions and appropriate reactions. Inevitably some people have a positive justice balance and some have a negative justice balance, but these unbalances cannot be rectified while still maintaining justice for all others. It is clear that there is no perfect balance in human justice and realistically there never can be (Aristotle 741).

If someone takes by performing a negative action, an equal amount of negative reaction should be directed their way to bring balance. If someone gives by their positive action, than they should be rewarded by an equal amount of positive reaction, but his is quite obviously impossible to perfect in every situation.

Why does man strive so tirelessly for such an unattainable goal? Some would say that an attempt of justice is better than complete injustice, but the very term justice is an absolute term which cannot be compromised lest it loses all meaning. Many people are dealt a negative justice balance and yet can go on to be perfectly happy. Many people can also get more than they deserve yet suffer from depression their entire lives. Obviously there are outside factors governing their outlook on life, and if some people can see past the injustice they are dealt, why can’t all? It is very evident that things other than justice impact our lives in a much bigger way.

It is the quest for such a concept as justice that binds people to its rules and downfalls, by trying so hard to bring the balance a person can trap their mind into needing that balance which only perpetuates the imperfect system.

Justice also has some morality issues as seen in Plato’s Republic. To consider this it is necessary to define the term “just”. The truly just person gives what he expects to get, and takes what he expects to have taken from him. This means someone that takes could be considered just, and in light of this it could be said that a just person is one who exercises all given freedoms with knowledge of the rewards or consequences. This would imply that justice is also a system of fair trades, but then who is to give out the penalties or rewards?  In this system of rewards and penalties, to keep balance those in charge of dealing the rewards and penalties would be changing their own balance simply by attempting to restore someone else’s balance. This would mean that keeping justice would go beyond the simple idea of the “just” being charged with keeping the balance for the “unjust” (Plato 1). For true justice, the person who is wronged would be expected to bring the balance back by dealing the punishment, but this then begins to sound like revenge, not justice. To prevent this, it should be expected that the taker takes of himself to restore justice. This would bring about a whole new level of understanding and responsibility for the actions people take, but this then begins to sound like the honor system, and humans historically cannot be expected to self monitor and self punish.

After viewing these descriptions and facets of conceptual justice, it is now possible to draw some conclusions. Justice is a grand plan that is and will remain impossible to implement in its entirety. Justice is a delusional that we protect and live our lives by. Justice is an absolute term, and by compromising for half of it we are actually subscribing to injustice. True utopian justice is a concept we will never attain, and mankind must not be allowed to further taint its existence by enabling injustice to live; by contrast it is justice that must be abolished.

It is only through relativity that we can truly end injustice, because without the perceptual good of the supposed “just” there can be no relational bad of the “unjust”. It is without the perception of good and evil that mankind can be allowed to return to more natural means and simpler achievements in life.

Works Cited

Aristotle, and C. C. W. Taylor. Nicomachean Ethics. Oxford: Clarendon, 2006. Print.

Plato, and Elizabeth Watson. Scharffenberger. Republic. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2004. Print.

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The Hole

Fumes clog the air like poison and obscure vision to mere feet. The smell of paint invades the senses of the nose and penetrates skin at every pore. Intense booming shakes nerves down to the very core and makes the earth tremble like a musical earthquake. Shrieking guitars, pounding bass lines, rumbling drums and rhythmic singing all play their part in an unending ground pounding assault on the auditory senses. Moving farther into the mist, strange figures begin to take shape. Covering the walls is a set of surreal characters obscuring every inch of ever wall. They seem to dance as the increasingly intense sounds begin to rattle ocular tissues with every beat. Nothing from the outside world can penetrate into this deepest of caverns. No sound, light or glimmer of hope can be found here. In this cave of art and mischief only the music lives.

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The Fourth Reich

Throughout history the use of both good and bad propaganda has been immensely important in the way political parties all over the globe have shaped our lives. Most examples of government propaganda can be easily recognized and cast away if need be, but in both post 1980’s United States and Nazi Germany, the use of subliminal messaging is much more prevalent.

As in the poster by C.R. Miller, America’s Strength, printed five years after the end of WWII in 1950, the political propaganda messages are clear and fourth coming. The public stood by the country with pride and admiration after the recently victorious war, so ideas could be easily transmitted to the people with plainly stated wording. This type of propaganda is considered to be much safer, because the images and views of these ad campaigns are easier for citizens to distinguish and set aside if they are found to be inconsequential. Through the boom of the 50’s and the Cold War to follow, the use of clear propaganda persisted, but after these more glorious times in American history, the messages were diluted and delivered subliminally in an effort to trick a generally more educated public eye (Weber).

Adolf Hitler’s propaganda tactics are widely known as some of the most advanced examples in history, because by using clever deceptions, he was able to corrupt the German public and modify their values to serve his will. His techniques used subliminal messaging, simple omission of facts and restructure of the truths to give propaganda a truthful appearance. As he once stated, “Propaganda must not investigate the truth objectively and, in so far as it is favorable to the other side, present it according to the theoretical rules of justice; yet it must present only that aspect of the truth which is favorable to its own side” (“Nazi Propaganda”).

Recent American propaganda campaigns have several concerning parallels to those of Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Hitler once said, “What good fortune for those in power, that people do not think.” This extreme view of the people’s arrogance reveals much of how he established and maintained Nazi rule in Germany. America’s political arrogance is in many ways just as prevalent as it was among German citizens during Nazi rule, and as we can tell by our government’s use of subliminal messaging, this is being used to their advantage.

It is well documented that Adolf Hitler utilized his skills of subliminal deception to attain his vision of a perfect world goals, and the United States government has also become quite skilled at the less obvious propaganda techniques. It’s because of these terrifying parallels that all citizens of, not only the United States, but the entire world should be persistent in questioning the motives behind this falsification.

Works Cited

“Nazi Propaganda.” Wikipedia. 9 February 2010. Web. 9 Feb 2010.

Weber, Paul. “Propaganda: Nobody Does It Better Than America.” Pure Water Gazette.

Web. 9 Feb. 2010.

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