Are We Too Far Gone?

I have been in several “dialog events” with Trump supporters in the past few days on social media.  It has been quite a challenge to get some degree of validation that they are actually listening.  It is apparent that on a majority of the time they are warming up their next ‘right wing talking point’ or ‘Fox News commentary line’ with the predetermination that it will stop the world turning, leaving the participants under a pall of shock and awe.  No.  It is usually a cliché that makes one laugh and wonder if their diet of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Anne Coulter has not permanently damaged reconfigured their morality.  Sadly if one listens to any of these conservative commentators for any period of time you run the risk of becoming morally bankrupt.

Many of these Trump advocates seem to be so profoundly convinced that he is the ONLY person who can rescue the country.  They whip themselves into a profound rage state that borders on a ‘Trump Jihad’.  The only thing missing is Allah Akbar.   What is astounding is that these people emulate their leader to the extreme.  There is only one emotion that seems to pour from them is FEAR.

Initially one may think that the anger and hate would be broadcast.  This is not the case.  Anger is a secondary emotion based on a primary emotion driving the anger/hate.

When talking with anyone who openly supports Trump; one must keep in mind that you are trying to communicate with a very special group and must adjust your language accordingly.   The presenter must keep focus that your audience is a group of hysterical fourth graders who unquestionably cannot accept the fact that the recess bully was wrong, and they are not going home early today.

The recess bully also knows he is wrong, but if he can keep everyone guessing what his next action is he feels he has the advantage.  Given there is a moment where he is cornered by facts or reality he creates a make believe desperado on the playground and convinces his followers only he can protect them.

The followers are; Too Far Gone to realize they are only pawns in a juvenile chess game, to be sacrificed at the master’s whim.

This has become so profoundly prevalent a feeling in this area that many are comfortable openly pushing a hate fueled agenda.  Much of this bubbles to the top of the social dynamic as open racism, xenophobia, and expected persecution of those parties that they feel are a threat to them.  As evidenced by several events specific to Idaho.  The accusations of sexual perpetration on a 5 year old girl in Twin Falls have made national news.  The sexual assault of an African American special needs individual in Dietrich.  I am personally aware of some churches openly fanning the flames of this racism directed at the refugees from the Middle East.

These perverse humans openly display Trump bumper stickers, and fly the confederate flag on their trucks.  They are also convinced that the current president Barrack Obama is a Muslim and a traitor.

I have grown up in Idaho and experienced much of this by observation as the disdain directed at the Hispanic population by my father referring to them as ‘Spics’ , ‘wetbacks’ and Arabs as ‘sand niggers’.  I have known the shame of family members who are active bigots.  I have done all in my power to ensure that my children are fully informed and are not afraid.

I know that Idaho is better than this.  We are better than Trump.  In some way we have to convince his followers that he is not the second coming of Jesus and he is not the only person who can make them feel safe.  The fear is misplaced and unnecessary.  I do not hate Trump.  I hate what he has inspired in people   We must demonstrate by example that we are NOT too far gone.

Private Idaho

     Growing up in Idaho has been quite an unpleasant experience.  There is an old B52 song called “Private Idaho” meaning this place is a private hell.  Idaho can be a living hell for anyone who does not ascribe to the hardcore conservative Christian lunatic perspective.  To give a better interpretation of how extreme the close-minded Idahoans are; I was banned from a Facebook page for publicly displaying pictures of local trucks with confederate flags and labeling them as racist, bigots.  It appears that when you call out the bigotry and hate you are quickly silenced.  If they cannot silence you, they work the back avenues to intimidate your position at work, society, and with peers using threats you could lose your job, or friends will flee to avoid the intimidation.

 These are the same “Idahoans” who are strong Christian/Mormon/Baptist/Catholic….etc. who will hide behind the forgiveness factor of their religion and continue doing the same hateful things.  I want to make it clear not all ‘Idahoans’ are religious nut-bag, bigoted, hate-filled, cowards.  Unfortunately those people are the ones who feel that they are righteous in their championing the cause of hate whilst hiding behind their religious doctrine.  Something interesting noted growing up in Twin Falls, there are more bars than schools, more churches than bars and more hypocrites than humanists.

Creep Factor: 9000

I ended up working for the schools or working in the schools as a professional it becomes painfully obvious that the indoctrination begins at an early stage and is pushed onto the student for the duration of their educational experience.  The high school graduation rate of Idaho is 77.3%  we are ranked 41^st of 50.  In a 2015 report only 17% of student from southern Idaho are ready for college.  Idaho has established a goal of 60% but has not even made any discernible effort to change the outcome for any of the students.  It becomes very evident early on that Idaho desires to keep its students ill-informed and under-educated.  Thus keeping two lines moving in two directions:  One is from pre-school to prison and from graduation to garbage collector.  Idaho is ranked 13th for prison population per person spending in state.  Idaho has spent more money building prisons than has been applied to secondary education.  Freakishly real: Pre-school to prison is alive and well here.

If the system can keep them dumb and following in their parent’s footsteps then they are likely to stay ignorant of humanity and close-minded to the rest of civilization.  It was a huge culture shock to me when I went away to obtain my bachelor’s degree.  I was mixing with a group of people that I had much more commonality with than my hometown peers.  I met my first atheist (other than myself) and became close friends with people who were not of the same race as me.  This was devastating to my peers in my hometown.  They clearly stated that I should not be mixing my time with “the sub humans”.  This raw bigotry was right in my face.  They used biblical statements to support their position that races should not mix and that I would have more support if I stood with my own ‘type’.  The white bigots are strong in Idaho.  They feel safe here:

I have also noted that when a group of Mormon ‘young adults’ prepare for their missions that they go to a preparation camp prior to their departure.  Many of the Catholics will have their graduates blessed in a ceremony before departing for college.  All designed to reinforce the social safety net that these individuals can hide behind if they find themselves away from home, beliefs, and morals are being challenged.  It does not take much to become elevated in stature in a church or social club, let alone have any education that may benefit the circumstances.  The lesser educated you are the more preferred you are in religious events.  Even the churches admit that reason is faiths greatest enemy:

This is even more clearly established by the faith healers killing their own children in northern Idaho.  The fully indoctrinated representatives ->(Lee Heider ex.) of this state continue to do nothing to save children at the risk.  They fear the religious/financial backlash that will befall them if they do.  That may be why in this state you can now carry a concealed weapon (gun) without training or permit.  It is becoming the wild wild west.  This state is thick with ammosexuals.  Even mentioning 'gun sense' will get a strong reaction from the ammosexual  as though their children were being murdered... No just limiting your access to guns.  They don't care about kids dying from preventable diseases - Just think of the guns!

I refuse to be ignorant and follow the same path that my hometown peers are currently taking.  They are the reason and rationale why Idaho is my personal hell.  What makes it even worse is the fact that the state is governed by these right wing jut-jobs and they are fervent Trump supporters.  I fully admit that I am liberal in my social perspective, have no religious beliefs, will call a racist what they are to their faces at profound risk to my social life. 

If I was living in the Middle East I would have my head cleaved off.  Unfortunately many my home town are members of the Christian Taliban would likely be cheering them on in the beheading process.

I Am Not My Atheism

Many persons take their religion so profoundly personal that when an atheist expresses something perceived as hateful or disrespectful the observation is that the attack is an individual one.  Nothing should be considered personal from a disrespectful attack on religion (any religion). 

Please keep in mind that if a practitioner of said religion is so enmeshed in the dogma, tradition, and belief structure they have difficulty separating where the religion ends and person begins there are internal issues of identity. 

I am not my atheism.  My atheism does not dictate my actions for me.  My current assessment of reality is that there is not enough, nor there is any credible evidence to support my belief in the existence of any god.  This does not discount my respect for any person that expresses an interest or belief structure that is invested in the existence of a god or gods.    My actions are never taken to directly insult nor infer insult to a person unless their actions have manifested a direct attack on me personally.

I have respect for the great majority of users on the internet.  Very few have gone out of their way to personally attack me or my lack of beliefs.  That is greatly appreciated.  I have also had a great deal of constructive conversations with persons who have had differing perceptions and beliefs.

Stated clearly and succinctly I have no respect for religion, all religions are in the same dubious pool.   My life experiences with three different sects of Christianity have given me nothing but a lifetime of broken promises, false hopes, and wasted prayers.   I do not hold any one person, or group of persons, responsible for this circumstance.   The blame lies squarely on the oversight and implementation of dogma, tradition, and edicts lay down by the authority of the religion. This is typically in a written form and known as holy scripture.

In my life (any and all) religion is function-less and devoid of any meaning.  It operates like a business to collect funds and then hides all its misconduct behind the idea that it must be respected because of its legal status as a religion.  It leaves a horrible feeling of mistrust in all of my dealings.

There are many in the community who work diligently to attack me and my secular friends for our lack of any belief.  There have been many who have stood upon their pulpit of love and acceptance to fabricate stories about persons who do not fit the religious standards casting us into hell and ‘rebuking’ us in the name of Jesus.    This two-faced and cowardly approach to dialog does not inspire confidence fostering a relationship between the secular (atheist) and the religious persons.  These double standards and unfair expectations of respect based on title and religion are irrelevant.  A religious practitioner should never expect anything more than respect from one human to another and no additional privilege or respect based on religious affiliation.

Atheists free from the threats locally will turn the internet to seek out persons of the same perception persuasion.  Doing this locally causes extreme reactions from religions for reasons that are veiled in ritual and dogma.  We are human and have feelings also.  We deeply love our families and have positive and lasting relationships with many people.  And we react strongly when we feel that we have been treated unfairly or in a fashion that is demeaning to us as human beings.

I advocate for atheism.  I operate under the principle that I have but one life to live and I have to make it count.  The only thing that will remain after my death is what actions I took, and I will be remembered for the legacy I leave.

I hold no resentments against anyone who does not feel the same way I do about religion.  The dialog is free of emotion and considered nondestructive until the attack is directed at a human being. 

Race, Rights, and Religion Rant

I have been accused of racism based on my ridicule of Islam.  I am very curious why so many people perceive Islam as a race of individuals?   These persons are very eager and aggressive in their use of the racism perspective to defend the religion or their discriminatory actions.

I have also been very open with my criticism of Christianity and the associated actions of that religion.  Let’s take for examples in Idaho where I live; the Christians are working very hard to accomplish a couple of new laws:  No protections for LGBT individuals basically legalizing discriminatory practices against that part of the population.  A second piece of legislation allowing faith healing groups protection from prosecution based on the death of children due to negligent practices (faith healing).   

Using religious practices to inflict harm or actual death on a differing group of persons is akin to racism but  actually should be classified as discriminatory practice.   They then hide behind their ‘religious freedom’ to practice discrimination and negligent homicide of their own children.

There is no mention of race associated with these religious practices.  Yet there is a perception among the religious that one set of humans has more respect or rights to live free of discrimination or negligent death.  This profound lack of introspection by the followers is astounding.  The delusions professed by these people shake the foundations of reality and yet no one calls them out.

Using ‘religious practice’ as a shield to protect a person or a community based on bias is spineless and principled in disordered intellect.  To witness the death of a child due to willful disregard and then to attribute it to the will of some god is tantamount to negligent homicide.

When called out on their obvious immorality and held to scrutiny by the population as a whole as being corrupt they hurriedly build a barricade of racial or religious discrimination as a case against the accuser.

It is a cowardly practice to cry foul when the only misconduct has been on the part of the religious practitioner and you are unwilling to accept responsibility for your deeds.

Humanity cannot continue to hold any religion in reverence when it‘s followers use it as a way to deflect responsibility for immoral, discriminatory or juvenile actions.  

Sometimes those who are offended need to be.