View Point

Mourning This Life

In the stillness of early morning

I find myself sadly mourning

Mourning loss of life,

Loss of civility,

Loss of the ability

for truth

As we as a people move

Ruthlessly towards a

Destiny of violence and

Corruption

I mourn the chaos, full of

Violence and force

I watch as Israel, in its arrogance

Keeps hate alive with its cruel

Treatment of Palestinians

And I wonder why Americans

Have sided with this superiority

I watch as people suffer in Dafur

And Haiti as we close our eyes

And ignore

The path to peace and harmony

Instead we close the door

and press for more

More war, misunderstanding,

And murder,

While we in America

Worship people like Sara Palin

Symbolizing just where

America is heading

Sara Palin who

Has shown me time

and again

Her capacity for lies,

which I despise

never once confirming

If you continue to do the

Same wrong things

you forever get the same

wrong things done to you

Nothing ever changes yet we

Continue on the path we have

Chosen becoming embolden

With disrespect, greed and the

Need to control

As we criticize the

Efforts made by those with integrity

As though integrity is a sign of

Meekness which we take as

Some form of weakness

I will never understand mankind

And their need to self-destruct

As they march willingly down

The road to Armageddon in the

Self-fulfilling prophecy

What a waste of breath

In this life of hypocrisy

Looking At The "Realities" - September 11, 2001

I watched Feisal Abdul Rauf on Larry King last night to get a feel for the man who has stirred up so much hate and controversy with his desire to build a Mosque so close to ground zero. For me it is not so much what a person says but how he says it that determines the meaning of the words and after watching him I was a bit disturbed by some of the things he said.

He claims to be for peace and to some degree he has spent his life working towards that goal. He also claims to be for truth and understanding with a level of sensitivity that allows him to counsel couples regarding problems they may be having in their relationships yet it never dawned on him that building a multi-million dollar Mosque so close to where thousands of "Americans" died at the hands of Muslims was never perceived by him as being an insult to Americans and to those who lost loved ones on that tragic day – I found that hard to believe.

I also found it disturbing that rather than to back down or back away from this plan to build the Mosque to replace the storefront he is now working from, he insinuates that if he does back away there will be consequences and repercussions from the Muslim world which for me felt like a veiled threat.

My reality tells me that while he is looking for a way to back away and not appear to be forced away by what he terms "radical" Americans, which he fears less than "radical" Muslims, he is overlooking the possibility in simply admitting his choice of location for the Mosque may not have been the best choice to make based on what has gone before.

What I took away from the conversation is that he is intentionally calling Americans on their beliefs; forcing Americans to not only talk the talk of freedom but walk the walk and if not both, then the threat of violence is the alternative.

Whether he condones the violence or not is not important, the threat is still real based on the mind set of "radical" Muslims and his verbalized desire to continue with his plans to build the Mosque regardless of the objections of many who have been scared by the traumatic experience of September 11, 2001.

Truth is for me he did not come off as believable with his mission of peace and watching him made me very uncomfortable. With the little I know about the faith of Muslims I do believe that control is a primary objective as I witness the control that is exerted over women in their faith and control is something my faith does not enforce because of "free will" which makes me wonder what is really behind Feisal’s desire to move forward with his plans to build the Mosque in his "chosen" location.

However, Pastor Terry Jones, who plans to burn the Qu’ran in protest, is equally as insensitive because if Muslims take offense at jokes made about Mohammad how do you think they are going to feel about witnessing the burning of their "Holy Book?"

I have but one thing to say regarding this whole matter – WTH is wrong with you people on your quest for peace to put so many stumbling blocks in your own paths?

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

Every time I see a rainbow

Bright yellow, green and red,

I think of the calming words God said

And what his words bestow

The everlasting covenant

Signifying undying love

Sent from above,

For all mankind and

creatures of the earth

Way back when,

mankind was full of sin

pretty much like he is today,

as it seems he is easily

led astray

God, seeing the corruption

On the face of the earth

Decided it was time for a rebirth

He found one righteous man

To dedicate his land

Gave instructions to build an ark

And embark with his family

To avoid the stark reality

For the end of all flesh

was about to take place

Killing off the entirety of

The human race

And everything

that is on the earth

shall perish.

The floods came

Ending the corrupt game

Water so deep as to cover

Mountain tops, left behind

Nothing but the two of a kind

Of every living thing which

Embarked on the ark

that Noah built

The waters on the earth prevailed

for one hundred and fifty days

When all was done God said

I will not again curse the ground any more

For man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s

Heart is evil from his start

While the earth remaineth,

seedtime and harvest

Cold and heat, summer and winter,

day and night

Shall not cease."

And he said to Noah, go forth of the ark

Thou, and thy wife and thy sons’ and

Thy sons’ wives

Be fruitful and multiply

The placing of the rainbow

in the sky signifies this allegiance,

this covenant with man;

for generations will

this convent stand

And when I see that rainbow

The story of what is behind it,

Feels me with gratitude

For the understanding attitude and

I know God is my right fit.

The feelings of love

Flows reassuringly

From head to toe

Whenever I see

that bow

And I know

God is looking

Down from above

And sending me

much love