Testify!

What happened to this once great country of ours? Who’s in charge? And why? It appears we are back in the age of The Inquisition, and we all know how those days turned out. Yep, the extremist religious wack jobs are takin’ another stab at world domination, and they’ve been summarily duped by some folks on high who are having the party of the fucking century... at our expense, unfortunately. And everyone is so smiley happy. So shiny gay. That is, for now. The stooges are all smiles while they strut their stuff and wield their power like a schoolyard bully, but wait until the shit goes down, and trust me, it will.
Let’s take a look at a few sterling examples of The Inquisition in full tilt boogie, shall we?
Once upon a time there was this song that the Four Freshmen made famous in the early sixties. A cutesy, sing along, juvenile mish mash of a song called, “Louie Louie”. A song that would later be immortalized in the film, “The Blues Brothers” where it became a cult, fraternal classic, literally overnight. Well, apparently, there are some in this new era of religious uptightness who deem the song lewd, crude, and socially irresponsible, to the point where in Benton Harbor, Michigan, school superintendent, Paula Downing, decided the local high school band could not perform the song “Louie Louie” in their Blossom Festival Parade because of what she deemed, “raunchy lyrics”. Even though the band wouldn’t be singing the song, only playing the music, she still refused to bend. It was amusing to note that in the 60’s the FBI were called in to investigate the purported, “raunchy” lyrics, and after testing the recording for over two years they deduced that the lyrics were unintelligible at any speed. Yeah, gotta watch out, that song is surely corrupting our youth and will lead to a moral decline that will certainly turn the whole city of Benton Harbor into fornicators and non-tithers. I’d love to look into Paula Downing’s closet.
And then there’s this...
Apparently it was announced yesterday, very quietly might I add, that our government, who in its all knowing, all encompassing wisdom, launched this attack on Iraq to liberate those poor folks -of course!- and in the process we’ve tortured and killed countless thousands over the course of two years -never did find those damned weapons of mass destruction!- has been unable to account for some chump change, our tax dollars at work, that were spent to help rehabilitate them over there. How much did they misplace, you ask? Only a hundred million dollars, give or take a cent or two. Yep, you read that right. One Hundred Million Fucking Dollars!! Lost. Government officials say there was much logistical equipment purchased with the money. Trouble is, they can’t find any of it. They also used it to seed several different philanthropic measures. Trouble is, they can’t account for it. Where has this money gone? They’re just not sure. If you or I had a job and misappropriated one hundred dollars, something tells me we’d be looking for another fucking job. But these forward thinking liberators, doing God’s handiwork, just happened to lose one hundred million of our tax dollars. Oops! Can you say Haliburton?
And just when you think it couldn’t get any more twisted, it was noted in the news today that members of Pastor Chan Chandler’s flock at the East Waynesville Baptist Church in North Carolina were told that if they didn’t support Bush and voted for Kerry, they either had to resign their membership at the church or publicly repent. Immediately. As a result, many of his parishioners picked up and left, unable to abide by his edict. The good Reverend Chandler stands solidly by his demand, guided by the hand of God, no doubt. Now public officials are getting involved to see if the firebrand pastor has broken any laws and as a result, will lose the church’s tax exempt status. If I was attending his church I think I’d be looking to become a Buddhist monk, never to utter another word to any parts of humanity for the rest of my natural born life.
What a great country we live in. At least it was. And to think, I’m a devout follower of God, yet I have much truck with the short sightedness of many of the religious folk who are pushing their beliefs onto others who don’t necessarily believe as they, and as a result of their political pressure and misguidance, are bringing about a most derisive negative shitstorm the likes of which they think they’re impervious; God’s chosen. Oh yea of invincibility, doth yea forget of the humbleness before God which is necessary in finding the path to righteousness?
I believe in educating folks to look at the possibilities of many of God’s works and design, but to force them down people’s throats via politics and law, of which the two are not compatible, is ultimately gonna backfire and set religion back a hundred years or more.
It’s always the same. Anytime man interjects himself into the dogmatic mix it immediately becomes stained and corrupted. Just like what we saw with The Inquisition. Now is no different.
I sit and watch this dog and pony show and I’m far from amused. Saddened, maybe. Madder than a pissed on monkey? Definitely.
God help us all.
And for fuck’s sake, don’t hum “Louie Louie” while walking down Benton Harbor streets. You’ll surely be strung up by an angry mob and burned at the stake on the spot, no judge, no jury.
I know now what Marvin Gaye meant when he sang the words, “Make me wanna hollah...”
The face of dumbass and hysteria has never been pretty.