tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85220416433464301792024-03-13T06:16:56.461-07:00Juxta-SupposeJuxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-83201950962494232862020-01-09T20:00:00.005-08:002020-01-09T20:01:22.482-08:00Something Left Behind <br /><br />Time is a funny thing as wise men as well as the not so smart remark <br />To the memories, we have etched upon our very souls with fire and blood <br />And yet we come home to a place that is as foreign to us as the one we just left <br />To family and friends who remained behind in peaceful ignorant bliss <br />Cannot help but wonder why we are often silent or suddenly remorseful <br /><br />Grateful for that blessed ignorance we are for if they knew what we carried inside of us <br />The horrors and sorrows of the death of our last shreds of innocent so dearly held <br />We mourn more than just brothers and sisters lost for what seems forgotten reasons <br />It cuts with a scalpel’s sharpness the pain of those memories returning unbidden and unwanted <br />It comes at the worst moments and places for it is never at times when you are strongest <br /><br />The painful recollection something of yourself is lost forever in that blood-soaked hell <br />A part of you that will never come home and all you want is peace to lay down at indeed rest <br />The slightest thing can bring those memories back as fresh as the moment you lived them <br />To feel that knife wound to twist within you once again is unbearable, yet you cannot break <br /><br />To break is to yield ground to those horrors within you and to admit your failure to silence it <br />Those of us who feel this way, those who can feel alone in a room full of people they dearly love <br />Know that we do not stop loving you but are back in that time and place that you can never dwell <br />We left something behind there in that time and place….<br />
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<br />A piece of our soul <br />Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-5235225301647081352017-07-28T08:41:00.001-07:002017-07-28T08:41:44.219-07:00Juxstasupose Vlog 1<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HX4R2t5JXAU" width="459"></iframe>Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-88497951797988995612017-01-31T09:05:00.000-08:002017-01-31T09:05:18.350-08:00The middle path: Why balance is the hardest to achieveI have found inspiration in the vigorous discussions that have sprung up from my previous blog and the writings of others. This is a good thing even if we vociferously disagree that we are talking rather than trying to shout each other down. Yet I see the growing cancer of intolerance, disinformation, and excessive hyperbole within the general discourse. It to me is the strongest proof of the growth of tribalism, which I have written on the topic previously, in the United States today.<br />
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The issue that I am taking up in this post is the often utter lack of context when we discuss a political, social, or religious issue today. I see the rise of meme's, tweets, and other aspects of social media as tools that are being grossly misused by all of us. Rather than permitting facts as we can research and verify for ourselves we are serving up more "soundbites" that make us feel good about striking a blow for "our" side, whatever side that might be.<br />
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I can personally attest to the need for our data to be accurate, factual, and as devoid of bias as possible. Given both my training as an Intelligence Analyst and student of human psychology empiricism isn't just a good idea, it is sacrosanct as without the information is useless. The goal of your research is to provide useful and usable data for analysis and then dissemination to a larger group. It is NOT to allow you to cherry-pick the facts you want to present or ignore those facts that modify your desired end state. <br />
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Given the divisive nature of our recent turn in our national politics and rise of what to many are disturbing parallels given the actions of the Trump Administration and Nazi Germany. The fact that such comparisons made regularly are disturbing yet so are the actions by the Trump Administration to draw such ire from concerned citizens. Rumor and innuendo seem to be propelling headlong into our information stream. Blindly parroting the rumor and innuendo is counter-productive to the imperative need for factual information that informs us to move as our intelligence and conscience would guide us.<br />
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Something to keep in mind, amidst the sound and fury, be mindful of where and what your data comes from if someone else does the research for you. We must be intellectually honest and hold our integrity dearly in the face of such temptations to fight with our hearts. Our emotions are powerful tools to help us, but unchecked can do far more harm than good to ourselves and others. Outrage at what is perceived injustice, racism, and a host of other ills is justified whenever we find it.<br />
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Before we take to the streets and the Internet, let's stop for a moment and gather facts. Groups that have long experienced discrimination have shown us that being armed with factually truthful information is both transformational and infinitely powerful, History provides numerous examples of this such as our revolution against Great Britain. If you separate the propaganda from both sides, you will see that the colonials who fought to break away sought to decide for themselves rather than be told by others, how to rule themselves.<br />
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Thus I again sound my refrain of "Stop, listen, research, gather facts, recognize bias both in yourself and your data" before you act. As for me personally, I find it disturbing the amount of concern with our current political and social climate for a lot of reasons. I will fight for those freedoms I have fought for on behalf of all Americans till it is my time to depart the Midgard.<br />
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<br />Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-89756336369482500812017-01-23T00:20:00.000-08:002017-01-23T00:20:07.900-08:00The justification for violence against those who hate???During the events of the inauguration a known white-supremacist, also someone who openly admires the politics of Nazi's, was struck while on camera. I quickly came to see many people who I respect celebrating this act of, in their words "poetic justice", violence. Their reasons for justification of this glee was he was a Nazi and thus unworthy of any sympathy. I will admit that while it was satisfying to see his arrogance breached and for a moment he experienced an awareness that likely eludes him daily otherwise. There are consequences for this action now immortalized via the internet.<br />
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I have made no attempt to hide my mistrust of this violence and its potential long-term effects upon the very groups that are the subject of the hideous and vile claptrap that is peddled by the white-supremacy movement be they Nazis or otherwise. I have first hand seen the horrifying results of such beliefs that violence is always justifiable against those who are different for any reason. I have seen marketplaces filled with women and children bombed simply to make a political point. Thus while the individual may have gotten his comeuppance, the one who struck him did not strike a blow for justice in any form.<br />
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A World War was fought with the deaths of millions, so much death that the actual human toll is still unfathomable today. With the end of that war the world was ushered in to the nuclear age, promising death on a species scale of annihilation. Thus it is through the lens of history that I see the dangers of violence in kind to the hate spewed by other men. This is not to say that you don't prepare for the worst of their ignorance to cause violence to be used against you and yours. Yet as one who has seen what happens with such thoughts, the human toll is very real when bombs, bullets, and hate are fueled by a desire for revenge being masqueraded as justice.<br />
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Violence is a tool that I understand must be employed at times to defend one's self or others lest they be a victim(s) of that violence themselves. Still I cannot state enough why it is and should always be the court of last resort in the face of hate, even when they call for such violence against yourself or others. I am not tolerant of the speech of hate and will oppose it in any form because of my study of history as well as what I have seen it do in real life to innocent people. Yet my first resort is to entrench myself and others against the temptation to become that which we loathe, thus surrendering our moral justification for the use of surgically applied violence when absolutely necessary.<br />
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This is not to say to be kind to those who would subjugate or enslave you or any other human being. Only that we must understand fully the consequences of using violent means, however justified, against others. There is a heavy price to be paid for this responsibility and one that as of my experience continues to be paid long after the guns have fallen silent. I live with those images and emotions of being part of such every waking or sleeping moment of my life.<br />
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Thus I counsel all of humanity to passionately oppose hate and those who preach it in any fashion, do not be silent or complicit in their oppression. Please be mindful that while in our opposition we do not become that which we fight, this is the greatest trial of the warrior to fight without corruption of the heart and our very souls.<br />
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<br />Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-35987528829039148482017-01-21T08:09:00.001-08:002017-01-21T08:09:56.073-08:00An Oath I Swore to My Country and why you should swear it as well..On July 11, 1991, I found myself inside the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Military Entrance Recruit Processing Station or (MEPS) in a room with about 25 others. I swore the following oath...<br />
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I, Jared Michael Royka, to hereby solemnly swear to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies foreign and domestic. To obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me. And to bear true faith and allegiance to the same, so help me God.<br />
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Now given our 45th President who was sworn in on January 20, 2017, I am not saying you swear allegiance to Donald J. Trump personally but that we are in service to the nation, her people, and their way of life. That the office of the President of the United States is ultimately as I am bound by that same oath. It is our sacred honor and duty to hold him and ourselves to that oath even when it counters our self-interest.<br />
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My oath did not come with an expiration date nor should any oath we swear for it is a reflection of what we hold sacred and honor most about ourselves, our people, and our beloved nation. I call upon all of us to either swear or renew our oaths to support, uphold, and defend our Constitution as well as our ideals that gave birth to this nation. We as a nation have often failed more than we have succeeded but that is where our greatest strength lies, we despite failures continue to move forward to the future.<br />
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Let us leave no one behind in that march to our future. All Americans are valuable and necessary to our nation even those we would otherwise shun or ignore. Yes even those who espouse hate and spew venom against their fellow Americans, we will lead by example and answer hate with love, violence with peace, and ignorance with the light of knowledge. Growth and change are constant but always painful in some way, I believe that we are more than capable of this and so much more.<br />
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Our nation requires informed and active citizens, if you wish to change things become involved in every single aspect of our government from local all the way through to national level issues. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH and always VERIFY your sources never trust anything that is presented to you by anyone else, remember they have an agenda and it may not be yours. Call your elected officials, hold them accountable, and never give up an inch of ground because its hard.<br />
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Support groups and organizations that help do these very things as well for they can magnify our efforts to uphold and defend our Constitution against those foreign and domestic enemies. Do not give in to complacency or brutality given as a response to your efforts to uphold your oaths. I challenge all of us to renew our oaths to our nation, our people, and our way of life. We can do it and I will be right beside you.<br />
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I will hold our government accountable, I will educate and inform myself about the issues facing our nation and act vigorously on them. I challenge everyone to do the same with the caveat of remember to love each other when we want most to hate or denigrate one another.Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-17463954650367636492016-11-14T11:50:00.002-08:002016-11-14T11:50:51.697-08:00Fear and Predjudice in America <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today I sit in my comfortable and unafraid in my home, I am not in any danger outside of a really messy diaper today. Yet I have watched the growing storm of protest and counter protest occurring just outside my walls both literally and figuratively Social media has become a battleground and many of us are still confused as to what happened to our country to have fallen so far. I have no answers and according to some I should just sit down and shut up because I am not a marginalized person.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> How do I as a white male whom by all appearances who is so blandly "normal" as to make vanilla seem spicy and exciting act? Well folks its confession time to the larger world, I am not the bland individual that I have seemingly been so successful in masquerading as to the larger world. Lets start with one of my personally "sarcasm" favorite topics, religion. I am NOT christian, in point of fact, I am a heathen to be technically correct. I worship and follow the Norse Gods, yes those Norse Gods and no not the ones from the comic books either.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> During my first combat tour in Iraq, I found myself praying to my "perceived" identification as "Christian" to help me make sense of the insanity I had found myself in daily there. Yet no small voice came, nothing happened I felt hollow and empty. I went to my Chaplain and described what was happening to me, he spoke to me gently saying "You are having a crisis of faith." This was even more disturbing and frightening to me as I felt adrift when I needed my faith the most.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I made it home and eventually was stationed at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona in 2004. For the next hear or so I watched myself try to reintegrate into a "normal" life of a stateside soldier. 2005 was an eventful year for me as I found my first marriage beyond anyone's ability to fix. Thus I joined yet another statistical grouping in America, those marriages that end in divorce. So yet another blow came to my identity and faith that had already been shaken to its core. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Mutual friends of mine asked me if I would attend a pagan group with them and finally I said yes. It was largely to get myself out of my doldrums and into interactions with other human beings. The first moment I walked into the grove, I hadn't been sleeping well due to stress and nightmares for a while, I felt a peace I had never felt before. While the ceremony went on and I kept silent as I watched and listened to the goings on, I felt something whisper to me and I looked up to see a Raven fly overhead, the voice continued to speak inside my mind.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> It was that day I swore upon the oath stone that I had been chosen by my patron God, Odin. This may seem silly to you but it is what I felt and saw that day. I have never looked back since. Yet this is not the only place I break with convention or what is expected of me as a white male in America. In that same time period post divorce I had found myself directing a local branch of what was then the Camarilla Fan Club in Sierra Vista, AZ.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> In 2005 we had our International Conclave Convention or ICC in Phoenix, AZ. That year also saw a major hurricane hit the United States so in order to help inspire our domain to give as much as possible to charity, I made a wager. I wagered that the could not raise a thousand dollars or more to donate to the Red Cross in support of their relief efforts. I lost my wager as they raised over 1,200 dollars for that organization.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> My payment for that loss was to appear in public at opening ceremonies at the convention in full drag. At the time there were several coordinators, all males, who were making the same statements as I yet I was the only one to show up in full drag and even role-played that night as a female character to cement my honoring the wager. Ask anyone that knows me I don't go in for half measures nor do I hold back in keeping my word.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I spent weeks learning how to walk in heels as a woman walks, yes I spent hours learning how to swing my hips. I went shopping for the full kit, including women's undergarments, ladies you have my respect and I too want to beat the bastard that invented the underwire bra to death because that shit pinches like hell.I even did a few practice runs as well prior to the event, risking my security clearance and job to honor my wagers. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Here is a pic of me at that event;</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I went to that event, armed out of acknowledgement of the dangers I could potentially find myself in due to my appearance as woman but clearly a man underneath. So I can understand why Gays, Lesbians, Bisexual, and Transgendered people could be afraid of Trump and those who voted him into office. I researched my role and completely got into character and for a few moments I saw into a world that I still only barely scratched the surface of. Yet when I took off the dress and make up I had not changed, I was still employed and enjoyed the benefits of being white and male in the worlds eyes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> That single event by no means makes me any kind of expert on those groups or issues that they face daily. I will never know what it is like to be a Muslim in this country or to be Black and yet still treated as some kind of second class citizen simply because of my skin color. So I can only stand along side them and other groups that are fearful for valid reasons. To say that they don't have at right or a reason is to be a hypocrite of monumental proportions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Yet I am about to break silence upon something that at this point I feel as though I have no choice. I am bisexual and I have slept with at least one man in my lifetime. Who and why is no one's business and that I will NOT ever share to anyone. This is my first open and public declaration of such and thus I recognize that many will be angered and hurt especially my extended family who did not know this about me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> It pains me to see anyone marginalized and disenfranchised for a simply difference of faith, race, or sexual identification (gender as well as sexuality). I have sought to live my life honorably and faithfully adhering to a code that was taught to me by my parents. To be honest, forthright, and treat everyone equally based upon their character alone. To that end I will raise my children whom I have been blessed with the same way I was raised. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I will stand in defense of my fellow human beings to be who they are as they are without limitations other than they do no harm to themselves or others. I am no one special or unique in who I am, I am simply human like the rest of you. Yet know this, I have yet began to fight for what I believe in and I believe in the inherent goodness of all humankind. I believe in the promise of our nation as dedicated to the inalienable rights of "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." I believe and honor the ones who have come before me and fought for those same things.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I am not afraid, I am not cowed, and I will not be silenced by ignorance or hatred ever. I stand with everyone who desires to be free to choose for themselves a life that is their choosing. I accept responsibility for my obligations as a human being and citizen of the United States, I ask you to answer that calling every day and do not hide yourselves. I love you all and stand with you against those things that would deny us our hard won freedoms. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I believe...do you? </span>Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-467846014276159782016-11-13T07:53:00.002-08:002016-11-13T07:53:55.600-08:00A few minutes of your time...can change the world <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The year was 1863, the place Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where a gathering was going to take place to consecrate the grounds there as a memorial cemetery. President Abraham Lincon was invited at the last minute to speak, he wasn't even originally scheduled to attend. The reason for his invitation was due to the inability of a famous orator who was to speak that day. The "Gettysburg Address" as it is known was written on the way up from Washington DC and was roughly 11 minutes in length. It is considered to be one of the greatest speeches ever given and certainly one that has relevance today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <b> "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the idea that all men were created equal"</b> This is the first line of the speech, and we see here that Lincon spoke to the roots of why the United States came to be. While the language could be interpreted to mean "white males" Lincon talked about "men" as to say humanity. Equality of opportunity is the equality of which he spoke and did so with great eloquence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The next few lines of his speech expound further upon his initial point as follows.</span> <b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"<span style="font-size: small;">Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this." </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lincon lays out the reason for why he's speaking and the purpose of his words. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The election of 2016 was vicious and divisive in its entirety, leaving deep scars upon the psyche of our nation. Here in 1863, the United States was in the midst of a greater danger of lost entirely and due to differences in our beliefs as we see today. I am not suggesting that we will face a second American Civil War but that we now see that that struggle for freedom still goes on even today. American's have never shirked their duty to fight for the ideals that founded this nation or to even die for those beliefs. However, it is this author's opinion that we have forgotten to live for our beliefs, martyrdom is not the way forward for our people.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The final paragraph of the address then challenges us as a people and a nation to renew that will to live for our country, its ideals, and most of all to honor those who have sacrificed so much for us. Please read below.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>"But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion" -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> </b> Lincon challenged the nation on that day in 1863 over a hundred and fifty-four years ago. We have elected Donald Trump, yet many feel as though they in the loss of Hillary Clinton, were cheated. Before this President-Elect Trump refused to comment if he would accept the results if he had lost the election. This result disturbed many people, this author included, as such his conduct appeared unpresidential if not outright dangerous. While this nation has endured many trials and tribulations our next four years and beyond will be more so. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We are called upon to stand together to move our country forward, working for that "rebirth of freedom." It is incumbent upon each citizen of the United States of America to become educated in the duties and responsibilities of being a citizen of our Federal Republic. Do not rest on your laurels waiting for someone to show you the way or to do it for you. America does not need or want such people in her borders. Freedom requires hard work and sacrifice, and it is each of us that must do this daily.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Freedom is precious but like life itself, it must be cared for daily and lovingly maintained regardless of the cost. So in this, I say clearly and loudly "I will stand for the rights of all citizens regardless of race, creed, color, or religion to live as they so choose within the laws of our nation." Furthermore I will stand in defense of all human beings for the rights inherent as a member of the human race regardless of where or how they came to be. I ask and humbly beseech the rest of my countrymen to dedicate themselves to the same.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> In short a few minutes of your time really can change the world... </span></span><br />
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Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-27650346484975711042016-11-12T12:10:00.000-08:002016-11-12T12:10:22.651-08:00Questions, Answers, and Truth...why they matter. Waking up this morning was simply another day for me. I woke up in a house with running water, food to eat, and I was safe in the knowledge that the most fearful part of my day would be changing diapers. As I comforted my twins, both are quite ill, this morning my mind does as it is often wont to do, wanders. My thoughts over the past few days have ranged from anger, disappointment, hopefulness, and much more. I have watched my social media pages abound with friends who are terrified of what may happen to them in the incoming Presidential Administration.<br />
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I have also watched first hand as friends and family belittle and dismiss those fears as "whining" about losing an election. Worse I have seen media figures and pundits alike attempt to explain how Donald Trump won the election, with some on either side of the political spectrum casually disparaging or outright insulting anyone who disagrees with them. My background from a former life is as an Intelligence Analyst, so my brain has been literally on fire as I try to make sense of all that happens and I am still attempting to gather data.<br />
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I am a white male and thus often feel as though I am an outsider in my homeland. I have felt this way for most of my life, never quite fitting in with the norm since I can remember. I am bombarded daily with various snippets of sound or images that leave me feeling even more lost within myself. Images such as a banner on a news site claiming "White men are responsible for 90 of reported rapes" or a commentary from a non-white individual about how "White people are all racists and want to oppress others." I recognize these as hyperbolic generalizations used to grab one's attention to the actual questions asked by the commentators.<br />
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It can be hard to see that because of factors that I had no choice over how I to bear some responsibility for the actions of others who look similar to me. I will not say that I do not have racist thoughts or sometimes make judgments based on factors that are rooted in a visible or perceived difference from me. Even among people who look like me, I feel as though I don't belong so what does that mean?<br />
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Do I deserve to feel the guilt and shame cast upon me by people who bear the same skin color as I do, even though I don't feel like a part of most of them? A term I have found very useful in attempting to understand myself and how I fit into the world that doesn't ever quite seem to fit me is cognitive dissonance. This cognitive dissonance is what appears to place me at odds with the world around me and other individuals in it.<br />
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Human beings are social animals, and it is here that the basis of our shared responsibilities to each other begin. Oppression of one group humanity will have secondary and tertiary effects upon the larger population as it ripples outward. So racial injustice or social inequalities to what we as human beings need to thrive and prosper affects all of us eventually. One of the strongest impulses of humanity is to secure resources designed to ensure the survival of our progeny, biologically we reproduce and then strive to acquire what they need to grow and do the same.<br />
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Thus it is the social constructs that we create to share on a larger scale than simply a single family unit, that we find our greatest source of conflict as human beings. This drive for resources impels us to act in our most primitive natures as selfish or at least in obvious self-interest above others around us. Human society as it grew into larger and larger groups saw the need for a common foundation for sharing resources and roles within the community.<br />
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As these societies grew and expanded into a size large enough to have to go further and further afield for securing what it needed to survive. Human beings came into contact with other humans who were the same biologically yet seems very different; barriers such as language, cultural norms, and other structures made understanding and acceptance nigh impossible. This led to the actualization our impulse to fear anything that is different or unknown as a threat to our survival thus provoking an aggressive response.<br />
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There is a biological root to our divisive nature yet we fail often to see that ultimately we are all biologically the same. Even socially there are commonalities to be found such as the need for protection of children. So why does racism occur? How does it negatively affect society as a whole especially the group that is the oppressor? It can be distilled into a simple concept that conflict without benefit to the whole of society, drains needed resources and energies that could be used to better all into entrenching and attempting to over come barriers that are created by that conflict.<br />
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This process can be applied to just about any human conflict and you will see a similar result. Conflict over resources or the power to secure and maintain those resources at the expense of an other group hurts the whole of society due to wasted resources and efforts better applied elsewhere. So how does this deal with our current social anxiety within the United States due to the election of Donald Trump? This event and my explanation of how to understand the base issues gives us a plan to go forward.<br />
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Do not allow yourselves to be divided into tribal or sub-groupings, understand that what effects others will eventually affect you. Seek knowledge of differing points of view especially those in oppositions to yours. Critically assess those differences with an understanding of your own biases. Confront and overcome those biases and do not accept them from others either. What we can accomplish as a species is nothing short of amazing when we get beyond those barriers that we have created for each other. This is what I will fight for daily and what I shall teach my children. <br />
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<br />Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-73915380213373134412016-11-11T07:10:00.000-08:002016-11-11T07:10:33.552-08:00A Call to Serve on Veteran's Day and Everyday Good morning America,<br />
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I hope you slept well or at least rested enough to function as a human being. I wanted to take today to discuss a topic that now more than ever is relevant to our daily lives. Aftershocks of the election and the reality to many who fear for themselves or others still ripple across our hearts and minds today. Today is Veteran's Day yet like most holiday's that denote Military Service or honoring our war dead, it will be simply a day off for many American's.<br />
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We as a nation after the first World War, this day was known as Armistice Day as today is the day the first World War was ended. Yet like all things Armistice Day changed into something else as our nation grew and moved ever forward. Military service to one's nation is a calling yet many come to this calling out of reasons that are as diverse as we are as a people. My own reason for choosing to serve was as complex as I am as a person, I joined because I was the son of a Vietnam Veteran, the grandson of a Veteran of both World War II and Korea, because I believed in the documents and beliefs that led to the founding of our imperfectly beautiful nation.<br />
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Less than one percent of our nation's young men and women have served in our most recent conflicts. Let that sink in for a moment we place our nation's security and sovereignty in not even a full percentage point of American's who are willing to serve. Our nation and its people have a tradition of service to each other and to the world at large. Study our history and along with our darker selves, you will find stories of selfless sacrifice to serve others needs before our own. What makes us do this as a people? What drives our hearts and souls to commit to the larger whole? How do "We the People" find the strength of will to serve like this?<br />
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These are not rhetorical questions but ones we should ask ourselves daily as we are the beneficiaries of those sacrifices. How many of us can think of how hard our parents worked to care for us or at least some person who gave a damn about us? When is the last time we went without so others could have something, however, small that was theirs alone? When have we as a people come together and stand against injustice, intolerance, and ignorance? How do we continue forward with honor and dignity for our fellow citizens and even those who are not?<br />
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Today I call upon you, my fellow citizens to serve without reward or recognition of your service as so many have before you. I call upon you to think of others before yourself, to stand in defense of those who cannot defend themselves. I call upon you to defy those who abuse and denigrate their fellow American's and humanity for not being "like them." A life of service is NEVER wasted nor is it useless to try. That is the language of the weak and cowardly who speak such that one person "can't do much" or "why try?"<br />
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Find a way to be of service to others, do a random act of kindness each day to a random stranger. Look for opportunities in your local communities to take a stand against bigotry, intolerance, and hate. Educate yourself and others as to the rights and responsibilities that are inherent as a citizen of our beloved Federal Republic. We have a calling to serve the needs of others because in doing so we serve ourselves and our future generations.<br />
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Don't let so few of us sacrifice so much without your contribution, let us renew our faith in the goodness found within the promise of "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." We stand on the shoulders of giants who have bled for us and continue to do so to this day. Find it within yourself to look outwards against what is wrong or unjust, act vigorously but tempering that vigor with civility and humility. This not a call to crusade but a call to serve as so few of us have both living and dead.<br />
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I will close with this thought, in the face of confusion and terror do not falter nor let your heart quail in fear, stand boldly and firmly against the darkness around you and say "No you move..."<br />
Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-61190758970360414392016-11-10T08:52:00.001-08:002016-11-10T08:52:30.384-08:00Violence as a political expression and why its threat to all of us On November 8th of 2016, Donald J. Trump won soundly within the confines of the law as far as the election for the Presidency goes. Yet this election cycle normally quite peaceful was marred by recurring violence by political partisans of both sides. While no one was killed or severely injured in the violence, it sets a disturbing trend for American politics. Such violence lends credibility to the extremist groups throughout the American political spectrum for advocating their adherents to prepare for more of the same.<br />
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While there has always been low and somewhat discrete amounts violence due to strong and deeply held beliefs throughout our history. The overall history of our nation even in the midst of a civil war was a peaceful and smooth transition of power during the election process. It has become a point of pride that we tell the world of our ability despite deeply held beliefs that often divide us, America respects the rule of law above all else. Thus any violence reported is quite shocking to see reported as we have become so accustomed to a peaceful political process and transition of power between Presidential administrations.<br />
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President-Elect Donald Trump ran a campaign using language and at times clearly urging his adherents to commit themselves to violent actions due to their strong revulsion to the "Establishment and Liberal Elitists." This combined with language that was highly inflammatory remarks regarding various racial groups such as Americans of Latino extraction particularly those of Mexican descent among others lent credibility to those who sought to violently oppose the participation in our political process. Groups that were once nationally shut out of open participation in the process such as the KKK were now openly endorsing Trump and his rhetorical vision of "Making America Great Again."<br />
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Yet the violence and the encouragement of such was not entirely one sided to the Trump camp. Various protests against Trump such as San Jose, June 6, 2016, were marred by violence directed at attendants to those rallies (1), This bodes ill for what is seen by many as a rise in partisan violence directed towards differing points of view on how the United States should govern itself. While political campaigns are infamous for their brutal and nasty effects those are largely restricted to character insults and other items using nonviolent methods to disrupt one's opponent<br />
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Violence within the American social and political process is a direct assault on one of the most clearly defined elements of our Constitution, the right to peaceful assembly and to demand redress of grievances. We are too large and diverse a group to have a homogenous vision of our culture and that is what makes us such a strong nation. Americans draw from cultures from around the world and this dynamic energy thrusts us firmly towards the future. We are not a nation that idly waits for the future but instead seeks it out.<br />
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I would call upon all who read these words to remember that tradition of peaceful protest and respect the rule of law. If we fail in this the consequences are very dire and could spell the end of our "great experiment". While I detest the rhetoric and actions of President-Elect Trump and the various extremist groups that have sought legitimacy under his banner, we must not lose ourselves in the opposition by resorting to violent means to "end" or "stop" his tenure as our elected President. It is beyond my comprehension that we elected a man who was so clearly willing to encourage violent action on his behalf or at least to benefit from his "passionate followers".<br />
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We are the American people and while we may be divided into many issues, it is clear we must respect the rule of law lest we descend into barbarism. It is the goal of this author to encourage all of us to educate ourselves on the laws and nature of our government intimately. Our Federal Republic requires us to be active and knowledgeable, passively accepting what we are told IS NOT an American trait or tradition. But please leave the violence to your imaginations regardless of what side you march upon, it is unbecoming and dangerous to our cherished freedoms.<br />
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1: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/06/anti-trump-protesters-attacked-all-of-us-in-san-jose/485444/) Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-42293000968574212712016-11-09T10:33:00.000-08:002016-11-09T10:33:46.625-08:00This We'll Defend...To all my fellows who follow my silliness and general misanthropic adventures in being an Adult :)<br /><br />We have just ended one of the, if not the most divisive, election year in my lifetime. I have posted to my friends and to anyone who could read my words that I do not share the enthusiasm that half of our nation does at this moment. You see I started out with my political identity as solidly conservative with an eye towards a strict interpretation of the United States Constitution with a firm mindset on the checks and balances contained within that document. I still believe in our constitution and our Federal Republic to which I swore an oath that has no expiration date.<br /><br />Normally I do not disclose whom I voted for as I firmly believe in the absolute sanctity of "hidden" or "secret" ballot. Yet in the ever charged and negatively so, the swirl of my beloved nation's political discourse. I find myself needed to break with tradition that I have set for myself. I fully expect to be ridiculed and ostracized for my choice but I hope to explain why I fee the way I do. I pray that you do me the basic courtesy and respect my choices as I respect yours.<br /><br />Thus I ask you please to not respond at all if you have to respond with insults to either my parentage, my mental status, or my basic human decency. I have earned the right to speak as I will within the confines of civil discourse and the rule of law as well as the time-honored principles upon which our nation has relied upon from inception. I served my country in a time of war as did my father and his father before him. Royka's now have bled for 3 consecutive generations in our Nation's conflicts for those rights we exercised yesterday and every day.<br /><br />I voted for Hilary Clinton, a woman whom I had serious issues with on multiple levels. I voted for her not because I was deranged or deluded, I searched the facts as they were available and made my decision to give her my vote. I can already here the divestiture of friendship due to the above statement. While she was and is an extremely flawed candidate and I believe the Democratic Party did us all a disservice by their unabashed push to cement her as the "heir apparent." Hillary was one of the most qualified political figures of the past 30 years, even more so than her husband who did serve two terms as President, in my personal assessment.<br /><br />I felt that even with her flaws she was a better and stronger choice for our country. It is clear that my fellow citizens disagreed with me and that IS their right to do so. That is the risk we take in engaging in a Federal Republican form of governance, we risk not choosing the winning side of the ticket. To President-Elect Trump and his supporters, I congratulate you on your victory. Yet let it be known that I will oppose vociferously any attempt to harm those very freedoms I have fought for personally.<br /><br />To that end, I will call anyone out that tries to push an agenda that harms or seeks to subvert the inalienable right to "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." I welcome those who flee oppression and tyranny to seek a better life here in the United States for themselves and their families. I believe in the fundamental rights of all our citizens and even would-be citizens to a basic respect of their humanity and individual persons.<br /><br />I believe in the sanctity of private property and ownership of said property this includes one's body. Yes, I know I am jumping right into the rabbit hole from hell on the thorny Abortion issue. I fundamentally disagree with "Roe v. Wade" as it violated the Constitution as the Judicial branch overstepped their authority to "legislate" an issue that clearly belonged to the legislative branch yet they felt compelled due to the political climate of the day.<br /><br />Yet I firmly believe in the right of a woman to do with her body as she sees fit. Yet we must acknowledge that there is something that must occur in this regard if we are as men to be held equally responsible for the creation of life. I do not wish to delve solely into this issue but to use it as a highlight as to why my political views are not black and white or some other shade of tribalistic purity. They are complex and thorny like most human beliefs and ideas.<br /><br />Yet I am always looking for empirical evidence to disprove my beliefs as well as my ethics and morals to guide those beliefs. I am a lover of freedom and the right to be wrong, I despise those who cloak themselves in the flag or in religious rhetoric that if it came from a follower of the Muslim faith, would cause a firestorm of rage and rightfully so. <br /><br />We are a nation founded on the clear separation of church and state. This separation must be clear and unequivocal that NO religion or spiritual belief should be used to oppress anyone's faith or lack thereof. Even the most hateful speech used by Trump during his candidacy for the Presidency is still his right as a US Citizen to do so. But this freedom of speech comes the price of the consequences of one's actions or words, so long as you are willing to accept them fully and without limitation or exception.<br /><br />I have uttered and will continue to do so the words of Voltaire "Sir, I may not agree with what you say but I will defend unto the death your right to say it." I will spend the next 4 years and beyond watching and researching for those who would abuse or erode that which I have shed blood and soul to defend. I am not a liberal or a conservative, I am not Christian nor am I an atheist. I am a patriot who believes in the inherent goodness of my nation and her people and in the motto of the United States Army, "This We'll Defend"... <br /><br />There Will Be MORE to follow so please read and offer your thoughts if you can do so respectfully.Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-15237657587781713432016-03-06T20:27:00.001-08:002016-03-06T20:27:44.556-08:00<h2 style="height: 0px;">
Tribalism, the greatest threat to humanity itself.</h2>
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In the recent light of the electronic haze of the latest 2016 US Presidential Election coverage</div>
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kerfuffle, Saturday Night Live among others has taken a swipe at the candidacy of Donald Trump. The skit features several white comedians being unusually normal, till at some point the connection is made to Trump and his dance with the ugly side of white tribalism in the United States. Yet this candidate appears to be willing to embrace that ugly side, at least for the sake of electioneering and ultimately winning the Republican nomination for President. I have viewed the clip and want to try and use it as an example of why my title for this post matters.</div>
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The Federal Representative Republic that the founding fathers left for us is ultimately a human institution, thus they recognized the frailty of the human condition when power is granted or used by any governing body. They saw the need to instill within their documentation of the guidelines of how that power was to be structured and used but more importantly how to restrict that use of power to avoid the dangers of tyranny of the majority. And while our history is replete with examples of "legitimate" use of that power as we have advanced within the understanding the unifying bonds of our shared humanity, that now in the aftermath were not morally just or ethical uses of that power.</div>
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The repeated commentary that Mr. Donald Trump is a lesser demagogue in the vein of an "American Hitler" is profoundly disturbing to this author and a great many others. Yet his rise to national fame is not some unknown effect of a societal pressures and fears being manipulated. Nor is he alone in his manipulations of symbols and imagery that evoke the justification for those comparisons to the epitome of the "Evil Empire" of Nazi Germany. Sadly he is yet another willing to exploit a need within the human psyche, that need to belong and to identify with others of like mind or of social, cultural, religious, or even political views.</div>
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I am referring to the concept of "tribalism" or as I define it, "the need to belong to a group that provides an identity that marks those who belong as somehow superior or worthy of greater power". This compelling need for many if not most of humanity to belong and to be deemed worthy of their tribe's place as first among equals, in and of itself has no moral or ethical value. But the actions taken to secure and retain that tribal identity and then the use of that tribal's rightful place or power to subjugate those who are not apart of the tribe is, in point of fact what makes such actions utterly devoid of any redeeming value or bluntly stated "evil".</div>
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We must recognize the inherent call to action that our history compels us to act in defense of humanity and ultimately ourselves. Tribalism in all its forms must be completely and utterly rejected if we are to truly achieve the "American Dream." Identity must be shaped to recognize that all life is sacred and holy, that all human beings are united in the common bond of existence and that all have the right to exist. The cults of individuality and self are dangerous in their seductions of our will to move forward as a society and people.</div>
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Our mad rush to be unique or at least be part of that special group is what allows us to commit horrors upon each other with depressing frequency. I call upon each of us to examine our inner-most thoughts and feelings, so as to identify that which would lend itself to a tribalistic view of the world around us. Recognize where that tribalism could and can does lead us towards inhumanity towards those who are not part of our tribe. Active and conscious, we must be in combating this darkness that resides within us all.</div>
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If we fail to do this, we do so at our own peril....</div>
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Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-7892561561135271442013-06-25T15:01:00.000-07:002013-06-25T15:01:48.567-07:0020 Weeks: Trial by Fire<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">20 Weeks: Trial by
Fire</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Rights, Groups, and
Intersectionality in the United States Today</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">By</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Jared Michael Royka</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Well dear readers I have been bitten
again by the writing bug and its finals week for the 1<sup>st</sup> half of my
summer semester at ASU. I have the privilege of having several friends whom are
professional writers so any time I put my thoughts to paper, I feel that I have
tall shoes to fill. One of my longest and dearest friends, Paul Matuzsak, is a
professional journalist in the wide open realm of modern journalism,
specifically blogging on political, social, and personal issues. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">While I do not always agree with my
dearest friend he does manage to make a strong point on a single topic. That
topic is to get oneself informed and ready to take action in regards to how our
nation is ran. I tend to be a bit more prosaic in how I get to the same point
but on this we both adamantly agree, it is critical to be active and demand your
government works. Without active citizen participation we get what has become a
political system mired in partisan rhetoric and the pervasive influence of
those whom think they know better than you what it is you need.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Again I do not endorse any given party
or political faction as I tend to rate most of them with the leadership skills that
are best defined as; they couldn’t lead starving wolves to fresh meat. Yet as I
slowly it seems finding myself drift politically into that no-man’s land of a
blend of libertarianism/constitutionalist/moderate or as I call it the “Leave
me the Hell Alone Party.” I have become a cynic when I “Insert hated opposition
group/ideology/ect here” is ruining our nation. Frankly I have become violently
ill at vitriolic sewage that we call political discourse, my blame gun is
locked, loaded, and I have ammo enough for both sides.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If you have to blame someone for my
rising need to speak out on many issues blame my friends, my wife, my growing
education, and lastly my family for instilling in me a love of my nation. We
have a lot of issues that this country needs looking at and having real
solutions suggested, not hey this group or this really rich person or industry
wants me to do this? In fact I find that my friends like Paul and my lovely
wife do much to show me intelligent dialogue that while in disagreement is done
with respectful candor. So I am challenging myself to do at least one post on a
social/political/economic issue for the next 20 weeks. I have to admit that in
my own estimation of this goal being successful is well about as likely as me
getting returned to active duty and then being allowed to retire from the
military.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I am further challenging myself to
approach these issues that I will write upon from a neutral perspective as
possible. I am likely to be all over the map as I am finding my own opinions
somewhat broader than they were 20 years ago. So dear readers I challenge you
to give me a new topic to write about each week. I will pick one and do the best
job I can to provide information and my own assessment of the topic as I see
it. Please take me upon this challenge as I need to continue work on improving
my research and analytical skills. Throw me some good ones and before someone
goes there, yes I will discuss just about any topic that is relevant to us as a
nation and a people today.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So let’s see what trouble we can get
into together, eh? It is often said that knowledge is power, so let’s all get
empowered off facts, information, and the consistent ability to apply critical
thinking skills. Oh and I challenge you dear reader to do the same thing
yourself. The more voices heard the more likely we will connect as a people and
make the decisions that have to be made. Let’s get to work and I am excitedly
waiting your suggested topics.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 7;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 7;"> </span>Very
Respectfully,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 7;"> </span>Jared
M. Royka</span></div>
Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-89445540156493553262013-06-13T10:11:00.000-07:002013-06-13T10:12:22.083-07:00Liberalism? Conservatism? The duality and duplicity of our modern political reality.An inquiry posted to all,<br />
<br />
<br />
I wish to posit a question to any whom honor my thoughts with a few moments of your time in reading my humble blog. If we look back in the last 33 years of American political development we can see two major shifts in our political cosmology. We have seen the rhetoric approach unprecedented levels of openly partisan warfare both in our Federal, State, County, and even Municipal levels of governance. While this is in many ways nothing earthshaking or all that noteworthy in regards to political partisanship in our nation's history.<br />
<br />
What is noteworthy is that while our "political" leaders seem to grow farther and farther apart. The American people seem to be continuing their intent on a balanced political philosophy. This in my humble opinion is the first trend of the disconnect between our leaders and us the citizen. We here terms like "War on Women" and "Socialist/Marxist" being thrown about carelessly even worse recklessly. The tea party is decrying what they see as "Casus belli" in regards to the IRS targeting their non-profit groups because of their political orientation.<br />
<br />
We see the specter of "abuse of power" in the recent revelation of the NSA's Operation Prism. Neither party is without sin in this regard. While I am glad to see open opposition and policing of the opposing viewpoints by both political philosophies and parties. I am not glad at all, in point of fact, rather angry at the utter lack of civility towards those whom are being treated as unclean for daring to disagree with the "mother church" in the form of a chosen political identity or association with a political party.<br />
<br />
We see the Democratic party and its liberal/progressive leadership guilty of their own "war on women." The largely white male Democratic leadership in both houses of Congress are guilty of cowardice by forcing female party members to "take the lead" in chastising the Republican ergo "conservative" groups. This is both unethical as well as immoral to so deliberately use the women of your part as a bludgeon to score points against the other side. Women's issues affect all of us and men as well as women need to recognize and speak on these issues.<br />
<br />
Our sitting President for all his claims to his liberal ideals has acted in parallel to his predecessor rather than honoring his promises a more liberal form of governance. The Republican party is no less guilty in their duality and duplicity towards the citizens of this nation. We see the Republican party oppose the serious need for reforms in the areas of health care, taxation, and overt discrimination towards the issues of same sex marriage. This is not a party that was founded prior to the Civil War and openly took the stance against the evils of slavery. <br />
<br />
We permit the open demagoguery and demonizing of anyone whom does not march in lockstep with their chosen or given political identification. By this statement I am referring towards the behavior of both ideologies and parties not agreeing to disagree and striving to find a middle ground for what is in the best interests of our nation. Both parties give an unfair amount of influence to those whom have wealth in determining what is in the best interests of our nation.<br />
<br />
Our nation has accepted that it is ethical and moral to classify "money" as a form of free speech. I do not think our founding fathers would see this trend as healthy for our Republican form of government. Rather than seeking to work with each other for the betterment of all our citizens, our people are divided in to racial, social, economic, sexual, and religious camps. This division does not serve to strengthen our people rather it permits to control a given group through fear and manipulation.<br />
<br />
Why do we permit this behavior? Who bears the blame for this situation, I believe that it is ourselves that are to blame. The intersectionality of our modern lives does not permit a single issue approach to handling the complex issues that our nation face now and will face in the future. I don't see liberals or conservatives as inherently wrong nor are the parties themselves. We must as a people commit ourselves to active citizenship. It is our duty to vote and to actively participate in our political process.<br />
<br />
If you wish to see change occur then get out there, get active, and educate yourself with facts. Avoid the overly emotional reactions to an issue but understand that issues that affect others will eventually affect you. The information you need is out there and it only requires basic research skills to find what you need to make informed decisions. Do not passively accept anything fed to you as "news" or "information." Make decision for yourselves and act in what you understand based upon those facts as what is in the best interests of our nation. <br />
<br />Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-1757615381393713602013-06-10T01:25:00.001-07:002013-06-10T01:25:38.525-07:00Torture of Suspected Terrorists<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We have been at war with terrorism at
least in the United States since Sept 11, 2001. Yet we can trace the history of
terrorism long before that infamous date in the history of the United States.
Terrorism is defined roughly as the usage of “violent means or activities to
achieve a political or social goal.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Torture is derived (from the Latin torquere,
“to twist, distort”) <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506466203704I78984T412506776851852">(Taylor,
2007, p. 710)</a> and is by no means a simple topic of discussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In fact, we have since the 2<sup>nd</sup>
World War promulgated international laws and policies that define both torture
and the general prohibition against its usage<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506241550926I78984T412506834375000"> (Van der Vyer, 2003)</a>. This was
largely the result of the reaction of the Allies in regards to the activities
that were discovered in the Nazi concentration camps spread throughout Eastern
Europe. Medical experimentation among other activities was performed on Jewish
prisoners as well as other inmates. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These and other activities were conducted
without any consent from the prisoners and done without any concern for pain or
suffering of the participants.</span></div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Largely due to the holocaust and its
horrors laid bare for the world to see. The world began to recognize torture as
a serious issue. Led by the United States and the impetus to deal with anything
deemed a threat to humanity itself, gave rise to the United Nations as well as
various documents in the later part of the 20<sup>th</sup> century such as the
Declaration of Human <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506241550926I78984T412506915972222">Rights (Van
der Vyer, 2003)</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And events that
occurred since the ending of the 2<sup>nd</sup> World War, such as the
disintegration the former Yugoslavia as well as the events in Rwanda all
involved torture and state sanctioning of such behavior.</span></div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We shall discuss
three main themes in this paper. The first is the definition of torture as
defined in International Law and how that definition is treated when torture is
apparently sanctioned. Second we shall look at the moral arguments both for and
against the usage of torture. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Third we
shall see how the United States itself has acted both in the usage of torture
and the prohibition of such activities. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally
we shall close with a summation of what we have discussed in the body of this
paper.</span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The definition of
what is torture or the legal standard applied what exactly constitutes torture
is still hotly debated. Yet we can find from the Convention against Torture
which was passed in 1984 and the United States is a signatory member of this
convention. Article 1 defines torture as: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For
the purposes of this Convention, the term "torture" means any act by
which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally
inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person
information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has
committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him
or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when
such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the
consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an
official capacity. Article 1 of the CAT, does not include pain or suffering
arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions</i>” <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506368171296I78984T412508473263889">(Weissbrod & Heilman, 2011, p.
354)</a>. Yet there are numerous other documents that modify, enhance, or
remove certain language as to what exactly constitutes torture.</span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The sanction or
prohibition of torture has been energized by the recent moral and ethical
debates that have occurred since the events of Sept 11. The Bush administration
bears the largest amount of blame or praise in regards to the USG’s usage of
the enhanced methods of interrogation. This is not to exclude events such as,
Agiza vs. Sweden, where such interrogations were “outsourced” to allied nations
whose legal standards permitted a greater degree of freedom to engage such
methods as decried by international anti-torture entities or agencies <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506340393519I78984T412508935532407">(Joseph, 2005, p. 340)</a>. </span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Yet the debate on
torture of suspected terrorists has not abated since the election of President
Barrack Obama in 2008.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The USG’s
definition of torture has conflicted with what is recognized as the legal
standards as promulgated in the Convention Against Torture. The USG has stated
that its usage of enhanced interrogation methods does not in fact constitute a
breach of international law and treaties of which the USG is a signatory party
to<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412508822453704I78984T412508975231481"> (Allhoff, 2012)</a>. We see
that both sides still debate what the definition that constitutes “torture” is
even to present day. </span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This renders the
question as to who decides such a definition and how does that definition apply
to a sovereign government or its designated agents. The definition of torture
is generally agreed upon by most governments and international bodies. Where we
have a conflict then is in the application of that definition at the tactical,
operational, and strategic levels of the “War on Terror”. This conflicts with
the opinions of the average person that opposes the use of any form of
“torture” including such enhanced methods of interrogation <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506430092593I78984T412509039583333">(Gronke et al., 2010)</a>. </span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Let us delve into
our next theme, the moral and ethical arguments for and against the usage of
torture against suspected terrorists. We will first look at the arguments that
support the usage of torture against suspected terrorists. The first and most
likely argument is to permit the usage of torture of a suspected terrorist to
save innocent civilian lives from an immediate threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The argument that has been most often used at
least in a moral sense is the “Ticking Time Bomb” argument <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412508822453704I78984T412508862037037">as argued by Fritz Allhoff in his
book bearing the same title (Allhoff, 2012)</a>. </span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the post 9-11
environs the United States Government or USG, through the Office of Legal
Counsel, promulgated via official memorandums the authorization for “enhanced”
interrogation methods <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506368171296I78984T412509256250000">(Weissbrod
& Heilman, 2011, p. 345)</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Enhanced interrogation methods were permitted until the Abu Ghraib
scandal was made public <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506707754630I78984T412508671296296">(Posner
& Vermeule, 2006, p. 673)</a>. Yet the USG is still accused of engaging in
practices that circumvent international law and even elements of its own laws <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506430092593I78984T412509331828704">in regards to the “torture statute”
(Gronke et al., 2010)</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506368171296I78984T412509337268519">
(Weissbrod & Heilman, 2011)</a>.</span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What is “enhanced
interrogation”; this can be seen as various methodologies such “water
boarding”, “sleep deprivation”, or any methodology that permits a more
aggressive form of interrogation of a suspected terrorist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The USG argues that such enhanced methods do
not meet the international legal standard of torture. This argument is extended
to the “out-sourcing” to other nations that have a less legal restriction in
regards to the interrogation of terrorist suspects <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506707754630I78984T412509111458333">(Posner & Vermeule, 2006)</a>. </span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the arguments
against the usage of torture as a method to gain information from a suspected
terrorist, the common theme is its antithetical nature in regards to basic
human rights <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506522916667I78984T412509147453704">(Iacopino, Keller,
& Oksenberg, 2002)</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another
element that is commonly found within arguments against the usage of torture is
the moral erosion of the democratic ideals of any sovereign nation that permits
its usage<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506466203704I78984T412509197453704"> (Taylor, 2007)</a>. We
often see in the arguments against torture, as parallels drawn between the
permitted use of sanctioned torture and “war-crimes” <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506241550926I78984T412509246296296">(Van der Vyer, 2003)</a>. The
argument of the unreliability of information gained through torture, mostly due
to the supposition that the person being tortured will say anything to make it
stop <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506466203704I78984T412509383564815">(Taylor, 2007)</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506707754630I78984T412509385995370">, (Posner & Vermeule, 2006)</a>,
and <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506241550926I78984T412509387731481">(Van der Vyer, 2003)</a>.
The strongest argument against torture is that any benefit gained is severely
degraded by the costs associated with its usage <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506707754630I78984T412509410300926">(Posner & Vermeule, 2006, p. 8)</a>.
</span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Next we
specifically see how the United States Government has acted in regards to the
usage or prohibition of the usage of torture in regards to suspected
terrorists. This theme has been dramatically increased since the events of
September 11, 2001.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The USG has often
argued that its activities were permissible in light of extenuating
circumstances in regards to the difficult nature of targeting terrorist
organizations such as Al-Qaida.</span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The interrogation
facility that sprang up at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba shortly after the events of
September 11<sup>th</sup> is often the first place mentioned in regards to USG
activities in the interrogation of suspected terrorists <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506707754630I78984T412509479513889">(Posner & Vermeule, 2006)</a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The USG insists that anyone detained is
considered an “unlawful combatant” thus not subject to the legal principal of
“habeas corpus” <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506368171296I78984T412509520717593">(Weissbrod &
Heilman, 2011)</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet as of this paper
the facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is pending closure via executive order
signed by President Barrack Obama in response to pressure to close the
facility.</span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Something that has
not been widely discussed until recently was the permitted practice of
indefinite detention of suspected terrorists <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506368171296I78984T412509609837963"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506707754630I78984T412509611574074"><span style="mso-bookmark: C412506368171296I78984T412509609837963;">(Posner
& Vermeule, 2006)</span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: C412506368171296I78984T412509609837963;">
(Weissbrod & Heilman, 2011)</span>. This has become strenuously opposed as
it could include US citizens that would be potentially denied their civil
rights as guaranteed by the United States Constitution, specifically the 5<sup>th</sup>,
8<sup>th</sup>, 10<sup>th</sup>, and 14<sup>th</sup> amendments to the Bill of
Rights<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506368171296I78984T412509711921296"> (Weissbrod & Heilman,
2011)</a>. The USG has argued in the case of the “dirty bomber” Richard Padilla
that he should be ruled as an “unlawful combatant” as he is suspected of ties
to Al-Qaida despite his US citizenship. This “unlawful combatant” standard has
been applied to any area outside of the United States <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506241550926I78984T412509747337963">(Van der Vyer, 2003)</a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506368171296I78984T412509745949074">(Weissbrod & Heilman, 2011)</a>. </span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Also of note as
previously mentioned is the USG practice of “out-sourcing” interrogation of
suspected terrorists to countries that are accused of using interrogation
methods that meet the international definition of torture (Van der Vyer, 2003)
(Weissbrod & Heilman, 2011). In fact this was not known until the end of
the 2<sup>nd</sup> Bush Administration circa 2006; that the USG was sending
suspected terror suspects to foreign nations for interrogations in secret
prisons <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506466203704I78984T412509776504630">(Taylor, 2007)</a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506368171296I78984T412509778703704">(Weissbrod & Heilman, 2011)</a>. </span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This leaves us with
the question as to why the USG felt this was both acceptable risk and legally
defensible?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can see that given the
slow introduction of information that could possibly be construed as sanctioned
torture by the USG to the general populace within the United States as well as
international interests. It appears that while not directly engaging at least
in a public manner of condoning torture there have been some serious questions
raised as to this issue. </span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Given the shadowy
nature of terrorism itself as an entity, this makes direct prosecution of
suspects supremely difficult via normal methods of investigation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The legal statues of the United States shows
a clear prohibition to the use of “torture” as a method of gaining information
from a suspected terrorist <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506368171296I78984T412509878472222">(Weissbrod
& Heilman, 2011)</a>. Also the United States is a signatory to many
international agreements, thus could be considered to be legally bound to
adhere to such as the CAT <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C412506368171296I78984T412509887962963">(Weissbrod
& Heilman, 2011)</a>.</span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">How then do we as
citizens of the United States construe our government’s activities often taken
allegedly upon our behalves? I see this as the greatest argument towards the necessity
of critical thinking and the education of such skills. Given the morally
ambiguous nature of terrorism and what role torture of suspected terrorists
plays within our moral, ethical, and legal institutions as well as our belief.</span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We can see that throughout
all the themes discussed in this paper, a common thread that shows on a public
level there appears to be a universal condemnation of torture. Yet in the post
9-11 world that we now live it seems to be a “grey area” that has no hard and
fast rules in regards to its usage as a tool to protect society from acts of
terror like the events of 9-11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
struggle to balance the need for security and safety against the concerns of
the damage that torture causes to our moral, ethical, and social framework both
at a national and international level.</span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In summary, we have
discussed the following themes within this paper. The first we discussed the
definition of torture as defined in International Law and how that definition
is treated when torture is apparently sanctioned. Second we have looked at the
moral arguments both for and against the usage of torture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Third we have discussed how the United States
itself has acted both in the usage of torture and the prohibition of such
activities.</span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
<div class="APAHeadingCenter">
References</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="R412506466203704I78984">Taylor, D. (2007). Double</a><span style="mso-bookmark: R412506466203704I78984;"><span style="font-family: "Cambria Math","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Cambria Math";">‐</span>Blind: The torture case. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Critical Inquiry</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">33</i>(4), 710-733. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/521566</span></div>
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Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-78472275823308756932013-06-10T00:42:00.001-07:002013-06-10T00:42:02.830-07:00Gratitude and Intersectionality<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I have to be very thankful
for my opportunity to have the good fortune to have access to a quality
education. I am fully aware that many do not have access let alone opportunity
to that education for reasons far too numerous to list here. I find myself
changing as I have always done when I expand my consciousness of wonderful
sensation of taking in knowledge with the intent to turn that knowledge into
purposeful action. This change is at times frightening and I am constantly on
guard to act as a critical thinker.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My closest friends have
heard me speak of my favorite aphorism "Watch always for what is NOT being
said." By this I mean to take a stand against being duped or manipulated
by anyone yet it remains a constant vigil. It is my darkest nightmares that I someday
would be a party and worse a willing one to something that if laid bare would
be of a morally reprehensible nature to me. I have striven to treat anyone I
meet on an individual basis. Yet I have to recognize my own biases and
prejudices for I am all too human.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In the labeling of my own
faults and shortcomings I have begun to notice a change. I have become aware
many inequalities and shortcomings in humanity itself. Humanity seems to
embrace the duality of inclusion/exclusion within its very heart and soul. We
see that the first step to eventual dominance and subjugation of a group is to
begin by diminishing their individual humanity. History is replete with
examples of this and the often tragic results that stem from this activity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">What do we do to combat
this? Is there any hope of a reduction if not a complete dissolution of such
ignorance? I am the world’s most cynical optimist at least according to my own
feelings and those whom have shared their views of me seem to agree upon this
fact. I detest those whom refuse to see the humanity of an opposing view or
opposing group. While I acknowledge the fact that conflict is a central impetus
of humanity itself, without it we would not live in paradise but rather than a
static state of entropy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Out of that conflict which
if of a healthy nature, such as children at play simply for the sake of fun
itself, is the impetus of progress upon which humanity depends. Yet conflict
unchecked can quickly spiral into a maelstrom of destructive behaviors that
ultimately damn all whom are washed in its rage. Conflict is not itself the
great enemy upon which we war rather it is that some have harnessed its
energies for immoral and potentially evil ends. What do I mean in my addressing
of conflict as a positive force yet decrying its evils?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Let me paint for you this
picture, pick a group or topic that is different or potentially frightening to
a given person. What we see is whether that individual has been trained and is
skilled in critical thinking. For those whom use conflict as a tool for the
accumulation of power and then the exercise of that power is to justify any
action taken to protect that power. A critical thinker will see that it is
simply a tool to manipulate their fears for the purposes of the power fearful
ignorance gives to the controlling force.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">One who is NOT a critical
thinker will spout the "information" that has been provided for their
consumption and will not be able to fully answer the 5 interrogative questions;
Who, What, Where, When, and Why. Yet worse they fail to see the hidden sixth
interrogative question of how, this then renders them subject to further
manipulations and assignations of their erstwhile masters. Similar to the
effect and intent of the web of a predatory spider, to grab, hold, and ultimately
control the fate of all whom enmesh themselves blindly within its silken cage.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The next tool of choice for
those whom have become enmeshed with the illusion of power is fear. Fear is a
powerful emotion and because of its visceral impact upon the human condition is
a constant target for manipulation. The powerful have a vested interest in two
things where fear is the tool of their accumulation and exercise of power.
First is that fear is often dependent upon the ignorant or uninformed
individual so that they are not thinking but reacting. Next is that fear must
be inflamed so as to overwhelm the target that is being manipulated.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">With great power comes a
greater responsibility, an aphorism often uttered by the powerful to cast a
cloak of nobility about them. How do we counter such things and worse the lies
wrapped in double-speak half-truths and cherry picked facts to further gain and
protect power used for ill intent? Be intellectually honest, strive to fight
ignorance through careful research, question everything you encounter, and
ultimately educate you in the art and science of critical thinking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">How far could humanity
advance if we exercised such skills on a daily basis? I for one, believe that
we would truly become enlightened beings. The egalitarian impulse of the
republican views of our founding fathers would take deep roots strengthening
our people. It is my dream that our egalitarian ideals would engender and cause
freedom to blossom for all humanity. We would find equality in our shared
humanity rather than embracing divisiveness that excludes such growth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Equality is a thing of the
mind and heart for reality is not an equal opportunity construct as life shows
us daily. Justice is what is striving for in the pursuit of equality, not the
outcome itself. That is a belief that burns brightly in my breast and in my
soul, I believe in the words I swore an oath to defend. I am humbled that I
have the opportunity to not only grow but to share my story with others. That
is true equality that we must fight to enshrine at the altar of freedom. That
equality is available to all and none are turned away from its embrace.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In Thoughtful Service,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Jared Michael Royka</span></div>
Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-6574448457388438652013-06-01T16:44:00.004-07:002013-06-01T16:45:22.231-07:00Reasoning: A mind's eye view of the process in real life.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="APA">
In late September 2009, I received a summons for jury duty for
Cochise County in Arizona where my wife and I reside. I informed my supervisor
and my site lead and then on the morning of the 28<sup>th</sup> I drove to the
Cochise County Superior Courthouse to report for jury duty. Upon arrival I was
placed into a room with the other prospective jurors. We were then taken across
the street to the courtroom and were told to find seating by the bailiff. About
10 minutes after that the Judge came into the room and announced to us what we
were summoned for, to pick a jury of 12 + 2 alternates for a murder trial.</div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
The selection process seemed tedious but I watched the lawyers and
judge show reason and logic in their choices. Some of the people were excused
for personal reasons, moral, ethical, or just real life. All parties involved
in our selection seem to blend experience, knowledge, and a lot of
observational learning to make judgments about a prospective juror. It amounted
to over a day and a half of selection then there the jury was formed. I had the
distinction of being chosen as a juror to sit and hear this case.</div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
That afternoon the Judge before the opening arguments by the
attorneys read the jury its initial instructions. We were told to listen to all
the evidence, arguments, witnesses, and statements made by the participants
wholly and impartially. This I found to be not as hard as I had initially
feared it would be, I found myself utilizing my experience as an analyst and my
reasoning skills with logic to categorize the information presented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were issued note pads and writing utensils
to take notes, of which most of the jury took copious notes throughout the
trial.</div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
The assumptions that I think most of us juror’s had were to the
effect of “can I be truly fair and impartial?” Only one of us had ever sat upon
a trial before and that juror was involved in a civil case. To say that we were
apprehensive was a bit of an understatement indeed. The opening arguments took
about 30 minutes and then the state called their first witness. I found myself
quickly and rapidly assessing and categorizing the information as it was
presented. I relied upon my logic and reasoning skills to avoid letting my
emotions influence my perceptions of what was going on before me. </div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
This is not to suggest that I ignored my emotions, to the contrary
I utilized my emotional intelligence to asses each witness for their emotional
state and to attempt along with rational (reason & logic) aspects of my
mind to discern if they were being truthful and any dissimulation that they may
have been attempting. I also made a point of looking around the room at the
defendant, the attorneys the defense team and prosecution, the audience, and
the judge. I was taking in the essence of the room to assist me in gauging the
trial whether a witness was testifying or not.</div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
We sat upon the trial for 2 weeks going home each night with the
admonition of the judge etched into our minds. Memory was a part of the process
and an important one but I was aware enough not to completely rely upon it
solely. I took meticulous notes throughout the trial, these served me well when
we were given our final instructions from the Judge and told to retire to the
jury room to begin deliberations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
entire jury began to pour over their notes and once a foreman was selected we
began deliberations.</div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
We the jury began by starting at the beginning of the trial and
working our way through the process from its beginning. We found that we were
the largest obstacles in this part of the process as a few jurors’s appeared to
be dominated by their emotional intelligence and it appeared to hinder their
reasoning abilities. Another obstacle that presented itself was the crime
itself and the flow of events. The evidence both physical and circumstantial
was powerful and compelling. This required us to find a way to “recreate” in
our minds how the crime actually took place.</div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
During the deliberation my fellow jurors and I several types of
reasoning, used was the following, inductive reasoning, cause and effect,
cognitive awareness, and plain old common sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several of the jurors, me included were
either federal law enforcement officers (US Border Patrol, Immigration and
Customs Enforcement) or former military. I also found myself utilizing an
analytical tool that I had learned in the military to aid me in my
deliberations upon the evidence.</div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
I utilized the Association of Competing Hypothesis Matrix or ACH;
this was developed by William Heuer for the Central Intelligence Agency back in
the late 1990’s to combat human bias that skewed analytical assessments. I
shared this process with my fellow jurors and I believe it made a critical
difference in how we approached the case. I also had noted that my fellow
juror’s and I had been conducting observational learning throughout the trial,
whether that was observing a witness or the physical evidence.</div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
I believed that we could as a body been more effective if we had
been permitted to use my analytical model from the beginning of the trial. We
were delayed in our deliberations by one juror whom could not get past their
emotional reaction to the case. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another
method that would have been effective in my humble opinion would have been too
been able to ask questions directly without going through the judge. But given
the importance of the legal necessity of the trial I can accept that limitation
that was placed upon me and my fellow jurors.</div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
Memory and language were definitely a real aspect to this case, we
relied upon it as we took our notes, when we went home for the night as we
assessed the information provided that day. Still I found myself not thinking
in words but a mix of words, images, and emotions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found myself completely drained at the end
of a day in the courtroom. I attribute this to the fact that I was completely
focused upon the case and trying to assess/analyze without predetermining my
assessment/judgment of the case at prior to proper legal instructions from the
judge to do so.</div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
In the end we found the defendant guilty of Premeditated Murder
in the First Degree. I believe that we did so fairly and impartially. We
utilized all of our reasoning skills, our logical thinking processes, and our
various intelligences. Reading about this information after going through this
experience has shown me how important it is for me to attempt to better
understand those processes such as thinking/reasoning, memory, language, and
emotion. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I am to assist my fellow
human beings someday as a mental health professional, I must learn all that I
can about how we think, perceive, judge and how our emotions, perceptions,
biases play a part.</div>
Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-25390040114144798722013-05-31T23:31:00.001-07:002013-05-31T23:31:16.535-07:00Bio-Psychology: Foundation, Present day, and Future.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="APAHeadingCenter">
<br /></div>
<div class="APAHeadingCenter">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
It
is hard to imagine an introduction to into the realm of psychology without
encountering the thought of how does the body affect the mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What causes our emotions and behaviors to be,
does some biological process provide the answer or do we still have much to
learn about our bodies and ourselves? Where does bio-psychology begin and the
realm of pure biology, bio-chemistry, and other “hard” sciences end? Let us
begin our journey into the murky past of the foundations of bio-psychology.</div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What
is bio-psychology and what does it mean to be a student of bio-psychology?
Biological Psychology is the study of the brain and how it produces behavior<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C403577919791667I78984T403578305787037"> (Wickens, 2005, p. xxv)</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However this definition of bio-psychology
deserves more than that, bio is literally translated to mean “life”, psych is
derived from psyche (Greek for mind), and logos (also Greek in origin) meaning
reason or study of the mind <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C403577919791667I78984T403578336458333">(Wickens,
2005, p. 3)</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This conflicts with the
earliest stirrings of the nascent philosophy/science that become modern
psychology which seeks to find a more “scientific” structure and empirically derived
body of knowledge. </div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
The
founders of what became psychology; include names from antiquity such as the
Roman physician, Galen, who postulated the first recorded theory of the brain
and its inner workings. The earliest bio-psychologists thought that the
ventricles of the brain contained or carried some spirit that the mind told the
body to function. We then see as scientific knowledge crept out from underneath
the specter of religious authorities that would possible deem such knowledge or
research heretical that a more scientific approach began to appear <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C403577919791667I78984T403578411342593">(Wickens, 2005)</a>.</div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
The
next leap was spearheaded by Rene Descartes, of the oft quoted author of the “I
think therefore I am” remark. He offered a new theory that the mind and body
were two distinct and separate entities; this became known as the Cartesian
Dualism theory. However, this theory was unable to explain the how the body and
mind affected one another. Descartes then theorized that it was the pineal
gland that was the location for this exchange of information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Descartes noted that not all actions were
clearly based solely upon conscious thought but occurred out of something he
termed “reflex” This evolutionary thinking of Descartes opened the door to
later research <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C403577919791667I78984T403578471412037">(Wickens, 2005)</a>.</div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
As
early as 1791 we saw an Italian scientist, Luigi Galvani, who demonstrated that
nerves communicate via electrical impulses through his research using amputated
frog’s legs. This was then further advanced when in 1875 that another Italian
scientist, Camillo Golgi, who discovered a stain that allowed for the first
time individual nerve cells to be clearly defined utilizing silver nitrate.
This discovery allowed study of the individual component of a nerve cell to be
observed. This discovery saw its greatest advance within the workings of Ramon
y Cajel’s, who showed that all nerves are distinct and individual entities not
a mass as previously believed. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C403577919791667I78984T403578523726852">(Wickens,
2005)</a></div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
It
is from this earliest work in the neurological elements of bio-psychology that
we began to understand the unique relationship between mind and body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The role of genetics within bio-psychology
began with the workings and research of Gregor Mendel, who first showed that a
plant could be bred for specific traits from two different parent plants. Still
the work of Mendel would not be as profound if it were not for Charles Darwin,
considered by many to be the father of modern biology. It was upon Mendel’s
work that Darwin’s theory of evolution found a bedrock upon which to stand<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C403577919791667I78984T403578579513889"> (Wickens, 2005)</a>.</div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
We
then see where the juncture between biology and psychology merge, as we learn
more about the structures of the human body beyond the micro-biological level
we see how important that a clear understanding of the relationship between
them becomes to the future of bio-psychology and psychology in general <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C403578039930556I78984T403578658912037">(Carr, 2008)</a>. It is the
discovery of profound concepts as DNA and thus what role does our DNA play in
who we become and how we behave do we find that connection with the field of <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="C403577919791667I78984T403578684259259">genetics and bio-chemistry
(Wickens, 2005)</a>. This cross-pollination of the science of the mind and body
meet but both seem to be at odds with each other.</div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
The
major assumptions of bio-psychology is that with unlocking the interaction
between the mind (a mental construct) and the brain and associated biological
systems (physical reality) we will finally decide the question of “Nurture vs.
Nature”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the assumptions of the
field of bio-psychology are more than simply answering this one question how
ever profound. We seek to understand why past behaviors from a previous
generation of human beings find themselves reborn it seems in the genes of the
next. Is mental illness or its prevalence of a likelihood of contracting one
have a genetic element? If so can we modify the gene or at least study how it
affects subsequent generations? </div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
However,
we must move beyond assumptions and clearly the way is a unified and multidisciplinary approach to the field of bio-psychology. As students of the
human condition, we must remember that while both the mind and body are
distinct and seemingly separate entities; they are both involved in symbiotic
relationship that we have yet to fully understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope this paper has shed some light upon
the field of bio-psychology and its role within the science of psychology in
general.</div>
<div align="left" class="APAHeadingCenter" style="text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;">
<br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;" />
References</div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="R403577962152778I78984">Binnie-Dawson, J. L.
(1982). A Bio-Social Approach to Environmental Psychology and Problems of
Stress. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">International Journal of
Psychology</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">17</i>(4), 397-495. doi:
AN 5774948</a></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="R403578039930556I78984">Carr, J. E. (2008, March).
Advancing Psychology as a Bio-behavioral Science. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">15</i>(1), 40-44. doi:
10.1007/s10880-008-9093-z; (AN 31518202)</a></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="R403578110300926I78984">Read, J.,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fink, P. J., Rudegeair, T., Felitti, V.,
& Whitfield, C. L. (2008, Oct). Child Maltreatment and Psychosis:A Return
to a Genuinely IntegratedBio-Psycho-Social Model. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Clinical Schizophrenia & Related Psychoses</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">2</i>(3),<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>p235-254. doi: (AN 34715675)</a></div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="R403577919791667I78984">Wickens, A. (2005). <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Foundations of Biopsychology </i>(2nd ed.).
[e Book Collection, PDF]. doi: 1000-0001-60A1-0003C4E4</a></div>
Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-31848647895661332382013-05-31T23:28:00.000-07:002013-05-31T23:28:32.042-07:00Abnormal Psychology and Therapy <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="APA">
We have compared and contrasted the similarities/differences of
Normal psychology vs. Abnormal psychology. We will now begin to highlight some
mental disorders and mental illnesses to show those similarities and
differences. Then upon the completion of this portion we will discuss therapies
for treating such illnesses as currently utilized among the mental health
professionals in the United States today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We will begin by discussing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or (PTSD) as
it is more commonly referred to as in public discourse.</div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
Post-Traumatic Stress disorder has an unusual history as it has
likely been with us since the biblical reference to the murder of Abel by his
brother Cain. It is most often associated with military personnel that have
directly or at least closely involved in a combat environment. PTSD was not
recognized as a mental health issue until Vietnam and was poorly understood by
the military leadership, general public, as well as the mental health
community. Prior to its acknowledgement during the Vietnam era it was often
referred to as “combat-stress” or “battle-fatigue”. </div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s most public display of
ignorance in regards to its existence and being a serious issue worthy of
medical treatment was the slapping incident involving General George S. Patton
during WWII. General Patton was attending to his wounded soldiers at a field
hospital when he chanced upon a visibly unwounded soldier, when Gen. Patton
asked the soldier why he was not at the front fighting the soldier’s reply was
“Sir, I can’t take it anymore.” Gen. Patton became incensed at this apparent
“cowardice” and struck the soldier with a leather glove in the face. Gen.
Patton berated the soldier and ordered him immediately to return to the front
or face a court-martial for cowardice in the face of the enemy. The remaining
history of this incident is public record and not pertinent to this discussion.</div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
Yet even with the acknowledgement of the existence of PTSD during
Vietnam, it was at least 20 years before the Veterans Administration began to
seek new methods of treatment or simply even acknowledge a veteran was suffering
from the condition. I saw this first hand as a boy, my father had served from
1968 till 1971 in Vietnam and saw direct combat. He rarely if ever spoke to
anyone about his experiences there but I saw much of his suffering directly if
he had an episode. The most graphic was back in 1987, it was during the night
and we were experiencing a severe thunderstorm with hail. </div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
My father was apparently triggered by the hail, it sounded like
gunfire to him. I was sleeping in a bedroom over our garage. He low-crawled all
the way from his bedroom and up the stairs into my room, I was awaked by him
hissing in a low voice “Gooks are in the fucking wire, man your position and be
ready to kill them when the move towards the perimeter.” Needless to say this
frightened me but I learned much about my father after that when I began to
slowly discuss it with him. Despite his own wounds from his service he did not
discourage from me seeking to become a soldier myself upon graduating
high-school in 1992</div>
<div class="APA">
.</div>
<div class="APA">
To provide some more technical details of PTSD, it is defined as
Disorder and not a Psychosis. This simply refers to the fact that most
disorders are at least treatable and often a “cure” can be found to mitigate
the effects of the disorder. The symptoms are somewhat vague and are often
mistaken for an anxiety or depressive issue but there are clear distinctions of
PTSD from a regular anxiety or depressive disorder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Individuals that suffer from PTSD in any form
often will “re-live” the incident that caused the disorder over and over, will
experience arousal in response to a trigger such as a smelling cooking meat on
a grill or a sound. PTSD is not simply a disorder suffered by the military but
by any human being such as victims of sexual assault or abuse or anyone whom is
likely to encounter life-threatening situations either for themselves or
others.</div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
I am currently actively seeking treatment for PTSD due to my
service in Iraq and can say that we have learned much but still have many gaps
in our knowledge of how to treat this disorder. I currently have been provided
both counseling and medication to deal with my PTSD. One of the more popular
and successful approaches used today is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT
involves the active participation of the patient and provider to find ways to
deal with or prevent the PTSD from being triggered or how to mitigate its
effects once triggered. This usually involves one on one or group therapy with
others whom suffer from PTSD. By active discourse and by learning how to
recognize triggers, the patient can be better prepared for his or her own
issues as they arise. </div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
PSTD is not a death sentence but if left untreated can become
aggravated and lead to other behaviors that are either self-destructive or
potentially dangerous for society as a whole. This is not to insinuate that
anyone who suffers from PTSD is a danger but that we should be cognizant of its
severity and the risks if left untreated. Like any mental illness education and
raising awareness of the issue is critical to avoiding the stereotyping of the
disorder and its victims.</div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
<div class="APAHeader">
Reference</div>
<div class="APAReference">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="R401314341319444I78984">Laugharne, J., Lillee, A.,
& Aleksandar, J. (2009, November). Role of psychological trauma in the
cause and treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders [Abstract]. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Current Opinion in Psychiatry</i>,, 1-5.</a></div>
Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-2369840510006810692013-05-31T23:21:00.004-07:002013-05-31T23:21:54.438-07:00Critical Observation: Post-Traumatic Stress<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Note this post is from one of my papers I have written in the course of my pursuit of a degree in Psychology so it is academic in nature.</b> </span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The subject of this
paper is Post-Traumatic Stress or as it is more commonly known Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder or PTSD among most individuals today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The term in current usage in the psychological field is Post Traumatic Stress or PTS. </span>PTS was not given its current name until the
Vietnam War and shortly after when returning veterans began to have difficulty
re-adjusting to life outside of a combat zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This label very quickly gathered a negative stigma to be associated with
it; veterans who found themselves unable to get proper treatment languished in
a personal hell for many years. Only in the last 15 years has the public’s
perception changed in regards to PTS but there are many still ignorant of what
it really means. </span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The subject of this
paper is myself; I am a decorated Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran with my initial
combat tour occurring in 2003-2004. I returned for a 2<sup>nd</sup> combat tour
that was cut short when my degenerative disc disease was aggravated and I was
returned to the continental United States in June 2005. My symptoms appeared
approximately about 6 months after my return. I found myself very quickly
reverting back to the hyper-vigilant mode of awareness. I became easily
agitated in crowded locations and did not wish to be around such gatherings. </span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I was able for
quite a while to deal with the PTS by having a strong support network of close
friends and family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But by late 2005 my
first marriage after 12 years ended in divorce I found myself adrift. The
dreams and feelings seemed stronger and more intense; I then threw myself into
my work as a Military instructor at Fort Huachuca, teaching other analysts to
perform in combat the same job I did. I enjoyed the work and it became my
security blanket to teach the soldiers how to do the job right and bring your
guys home alive.</span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Things were going
smoothly then around mid-2006 I met and began dating the woman, who would
become my 2<sup>nd</sup> wife, Kathryn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Kate as she prefers to be address became very quickly an anchor against
the darkness that I felt sometimes was going to swallow me whole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Assisting me in dealing with my PTS was a
fellow veteran, Paul Matsuzak; he served with me as a fellow instructor. Paul
and I became very close as we shared many of our issues with each other and
became that friend you call at 2 a.m. and you can’t sleep because of the
nightmares. In September 2006 the Army moved me to Camp Parks, where I spent
the next two years training soldiers whom were about to deploy to Iraq or
Afghanistan.</span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">For myself my PTS
episodes begin very innocently, usually restlessness when attempting to fall
asleep. I will hear voices, smell burnt flesh, or see images of comrades that
died over there during my tour(s). I also see my father whom I was informed of
his death the day we lost 5 men to a grenade attack while during a shift change
so some of them were lying down, the others getting ready to pull their
shift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot ever forget that day, it
is burned in my soul till I die and beyond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can recall how I begged my mother to not make me return home as I had
a mission do take care of, that my father would understand why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally sought treatment in August of 2009
for my PTS through the Veterans Administration; I was diagnosed with a
“mild-anxiety” disorder shortly after being discharged for my degenerative disc
disease in 2008. </span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The effects of a
PTS episode upon me range from mild to severe, examples of my PTS is I with
draw from social activities for a few days, possibly miss work, or feel the
pain in my back reach excruciating levels beyond the pain medications I take to
control the pain. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The emotional toll is
I am left feeling numb to everything around me as I slowly recover from the
latest episode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been proscribed
medication to deal with the anxiety and with the counseling seem to be
effective in managing my PTS so far. </span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The psychology that
is used to explain my behavior is still developing as we learn more about
how/why PTS occurs in human beings. The current and ongoing conflicts in Iraq
and Afghanistan have dramatically increased the number of individuals that now
seek or are directed to mental health professionals for treatment. This is the
reason I have sought a degree in psychology, to better understand myself and my
issues and to eventually seek to become a mental health professional to treat
others whom suffer as I have. </span></div>
<div class="APA">
<br /></div>
<div class="APA">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The ethical
dilemmas that could arise from my PTS and the fact I seek to become a mental
health professional to treat others, first I must have my own issues in control
and be able to set aside my biases so that I can treat others. Another that
could arise is the danger of becoming too emotionally invested in a patient,
preventing effective treatment based on sound psychological/scientific
practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet another issue is putting
my issues upon my patient and not treating their issues as a separate and
unique issue. This can be avoided by a solid grounding in professional ethics
and ensuring that I am able to separate self from patient/client needs.</span></div>
Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-88481889785901166992013-05-16T20:01:00.000-07:002013-05-16T20:01:16.487-07:00A Soldier's Thoughts on Memorial Day<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A Soldier’s
Thoughts on Memorial Day</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jared
Michael Royka</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Today
I choose to write because once again I am struggling with the guilt of my
surviving my combat service unharmed and getting to go home. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My life is a story in contradictions and
things I have done or not done, it seems that I am adrift without those anchors
I once held to so tightly. I do not feel sorry or ashamed for myself as that is
a waste of the priceless gift I have been given by my gods, life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are so many days now that I miss what I
once had, mostly my identity as a soldier and a servant to our great people.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
miss teaching the young faces and hearing the grumbles of those just starting
out on their service as a soldier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
miss my brothers and sisters in arms especially those whom I had the distinct honor
and privilege to serve alongside directly throughout my 18 years of military
service. I try to honor them each day by being thankful that I live and was
blessed by knowing them. I find my body getting older and things don’t work as
well as they did back when I was 19 and felt immortal. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Yet
I see the cycle move endlessly about me as I view the world through those eyes
of mine that have seen many things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
thing I have found most interesting about my life since being honorably
discharged from active duty service, is that I see what my dad surely must have
seen after his departure from the Army. I watch at a distance a world that I
can never be fully a part of ever again. I am forever changed not just by my service
but what I did as a soldier in both peace and war. I do not resent those whom
do not understand why my eyes mist with tears when I return to a place I will
never wholly leave behind.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
now know what it is that all veterans carry within themselves especially those
whom survive to return home. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know now
what it is my father saw in those moments he drifted back to another time and
place. I know the shame he felt at being a “lucky one” who made it home, only
reinforced by a nation that could not separate the war from the warrior. I am
eternally grateful to my fellow citizens whom have so courteously and with such
heartfelt honesty thanking those whom have served, are serving, or will serve
in the future. Our nation learned many painful lessons during the Vietnam War
and we still have much to learn and remember.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I remember
every single moment and I each day offer prayers to my gods that my fellow
warriors will never be forgotten so long as I remember, I cannot forget. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My eyes stream with tears at how fortunate I
am, when so many others paid the highest cost in the service of their country.
It is the least I can do for having that gift that they gave so nobly and
freely to all of us. We owe it to them and ourselves to reflect each day on
what we have that truly matters most our humanity. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The events
that propelled our nation into its current conflict have been largely forgotten
by most. It greatly hurts me deep inside my soul that so many of our warriors,
men and women, linger slowly fading into a background of the daily pressures of
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not out of a gross
negligence on the part of everyday citizens but a larger issue that of we must
never forget those whom have borne the scars of war. Less than 1 percent of our
nation has served in the current conflicts that our nation has fought in recent
memory.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">What
shames me more is that so many of us forget the costs paid to ensure our
freedom is kept intact. We live in a world now that seems more chaotic and
dangerous than ever. Yet we still move onwards towards a future that is often
unclear to us till we have passed through it and it becomes the past. We argue
over political and social viewpoints with an ever increasing hostility towards
any whom may disagree with our point of view. This to me is the greatest
tragedy of all as we seem to forget those bitter lessons history teaches us and
so few now have to bear its weight till their dying day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">May
30<sup>th</sup> is a day set aside to remember and honor our fallen heroes, who
have come from every place upon this earth, every walk of life, and ultimately
chose a life of service to others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet I
watch those whom see it as merely a day to go shopping or enjoy a barbecue with
friends, not taking a moment to reflect on what it means to be free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every day is a day of remembrance for our nation’s
veterans; we lived those moments and cannot ever forget them even when we want
to. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">So I
ask all whom read these words, remember and never forget the price paid and
sacrifices laid upon the altar of liberty by so many.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember not just those whom served directly
but those whom are truly never seen. The mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters,
friends, and loved ones whom bear that memory of that sacrifice, they deserve
your respect and thanks as well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ultimately Memorial Day for me is a renewal of
my sacred vow to remember and never forget the humanity and the human dignity
of all whom have sacrificed so much in the service of our people, our nation,
and our way of life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">That
is why we have fought and bled our bodies, our hearts, and our souls for that
is the most perfect distillation of our nation’s ideals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is that all humanity has the right to be
treated with respect and dignity no matter the situation. It is an ideal that
we must never stop striving to achieve a state of perfection but when we fall
or fail to remind ourselves why it is important in the struggle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In closing
I ask everyone before you hurl an epithet, insult, or slur at anyone remember
what price was paid for that human dignity to be freely expressed. Remember
that is a fellow human being and we are a people steeped in the idea that all
humanity has a sacred right to be treated with dignity and respect. We will not
always agree with each other nor will we always remember to be respectful of
one another. But we are all human beings and thus deserving of that most basic
right of our human dignity.</span></div>
Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-13544808976866531922013-04-18T02:10:00.001-07:002013-04-18T02:17:45.923-07:00Fatherhood...my journey into unknown waters.I sit now in the silence of my mind contemplating what today may mean to
me in about 9 months from now. Kate and I today return to our fertility
doctor to take the final step in our IVF treatment, the implantation
of the fertilized embryos into Kate's uterus. I now find myself dumbfounded at the possibility of being a father at a later stage of my life. <br />
<br />
Likely
I am one of the last of my high school classmates to have had children.
Having to face infertility has challenged me on many levels, I have
been largely able to handle it by focusing upon my wife and not looking
too deeply into myself. Yet now less than 12 hours away from this dream
potentially becoming a reality, I cannot run any longer from myself.
There are days when I feel like I am a study in failures of every size
and scope.<br />
<br />
This is despite what many of my closest friends say is
the opposite of the supremely confident man they know. Many things that
lurk within the darkest parts of my psyche bubble to the surface of my
mind's eye at moments such as this. I have to admit that I am terrified
of the idea that I would be permitted to be a father. <br />
<br />
When that
thought finally hit me I began to list all of my faults and failings as a
human being. I cry tears of sorrow and joy equally mixed for various
reasons. One of the first is that my father will never get to see or
hold his grandchildren from myself and Kate. Next is the question do I
deserve to be a father after serving in combat and helping to kill other
human beings? <br />
<br />
Forgive my maudlin ramblings but I cannot help
myself but to think about what my life has been to this point. I am an
itinerant writer, philosopher, and lackadaisical student of the human
condition. What business do I have in creating life and then being
responsible for that human being's education, welfare, and upbringing?
While I am not the first man to have these thoughts mine are well
uniquely of my own creation.<br />
<br />
Kate is so much stronger than I and
it is for her that I keep my voice silent of the doubts and questions. I
could not ask for a better friend, lover, and most importantly
stunningly beautiful woman to share my life with. I have to wonder now
how my father felt when he and my mother found out that I was growing in
her womb? <br />
<br />
On a slightly humorous note, my parents were hoping
for a girl rather than a boy as I would have been, if born female, the
eldest granddaughter on both sides of my family. I was told this as a
young boy, talk about things that come back to mind when you are least
expecting them. That rates right up there with your mother and father
telling you that your sister was conceived to the song "Paradise by the
dashboard light" by Meatloaf. Yeah I still threaten to send my mother
the therapy bill for that little bit of too much information.<br />
<br />
But
what scares me most in spite of this potential miracle so much hangs
upon something that is amazingly fragile. I have had nightmares about
being back in combat again and rather than being told I have lost my
father, that I lost my child and my wife. That very image within my mind
horrifies me and makes me wake in a cold sweat praying to my gods that
its only my fears that plague my unwanted dreams. <br />
<br />
There is
nothing I would not sacrifice or suffer to provide for my family, I
would break my body and soul a million times over to see them cared for.
Now I sit contemplating what it will mean to me if this dream comes to
pass? I have to admit as well that this journey for me has been harder
than just about anything I have ever experienced.<br />
<br />
Watching my
wife endure countless injections and vaginal ultrasounds in our drive to
become pregnant. I know that she considers me to be far more than a
sperm donor yet my daemons plague me with doubts. I at times feel so
utterly useless and undeserving of such a magnificent woman in my life.
Kate has endured so much and I am often left feeling lost and in the way
of progress? <br />
<br />
Again I don't have an answer to why I feel this
way and I understand why this is so difficult for couples. Being under
fire in combat wasn't as scary as realizing that you cant' conceive
normally. It also makes me boil with a silent and cold fury at those
whom seem to have children and then treat that gift as though it were
an inconvenient and unwanted nuisance. <br />
<br />
Also given my wife's
strong feminist identity I have to understand that ultimately it is she
not I whom must undergo the trials and tribulations of pregnancy. Having
grown up in a post Roe vs. Wade United States and coming to the
realization that if she so desired to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. I
have no real authority or recourse and it makes this prospect more
frightening than it was before.<br />
<br />
I find myself at odds with the
idea that I am basically as far as the law goes really nothing at all
other than a contributing bystander. Yet I am strangely accepting of
this as I understand because of this what it is that women face in this
even today still dangerous process of conception and ultimately giving
birth. It is women whom bear the greatest risks and potential losses in
the perpetuation of our species. <br />
<br />
I personally view all life as
sacred and deserving of protection from anything that would endanger
that life. Yet I do not believe that life as far as sentient life begins
at the moment of conception. I have very strong feelings about abortion
as well as the landmark case that made it the law of the land via the
Constitution. I am however sensitive to the fact that it is not a
trivial topic despite its treatment in the realm of the 6 second sound
bite media that we know today.<br />
<br />
Perhaps it is that I accept the
fact that life is complicated enough without passing judgement on the
most intimate of human activities, giving birth to a child. I have come
to accept that life as I know it is full of contradictions and
conflicting desires, beliefs, and ultimately needs. I do not condemn any
woman whom makes her choice for ultimately it is they whom must bear
the costs of that choice for the rest of their lives. <br />
<br />
In fact I
find it reprehensible that both sides treat the women whom face that
choice as little more than a football to be kicked around for points.
Now having to face the prospect of becoming a father it further forces
me to look at what life does really mean. I respect the right of my
fellow citizens to voice their beliefs and views, in fact I went to war
to defend those rights and to see those rights were extended to a
subjugated Iraqi people. <br />
<br />
I don't expect my thoughts on this
night to make sense to anyone even myself. I hope and pray to my gods,
my ancestors, and the great mother whom we all depend that I am granted
the sacred charge of being a father. Again forgive my ramblings and
musings as I am a jumble of thoughts, hopes, fears, and dreams of
holding my a baby or potentially babies in my arms.<br />
<br />
I hope that I
am both worthy and up to such a monumental task. I will not let my
fears rob me of the joy that bubbles up from my soul at the idea of
being called "daddy". I know when that day finally arrives I will weep
unashamed of the public display of raw emotion of becoming a father.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this with you, I have
bared my soul to let these words flow from my fingers to this medium.
May all of you be blessed for the support and friendship you have shared
with me and Kate.<br />
<br />
<br />
JaredJuxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-73707486359786807822013-04-17T20:30:00.000-07:002013-04-17T20:40:51.403-07:00Op-Ed Boston and the human face of triumph borne from tragedyApril 15, 2013 is yet another date that is etched deeply in to my soul and it seems that my generation has had many of these already.<br />
<br />
That day for me started with another night of no sleep as I have became accustomed to my nocturnal nature these days. That morning saw my beloved wife and I taking the next step in our struggle to conceive children as we underwent the next step of the in-vitro fertilization treatment. With that process being done and returning safely home we went about our daily lives with our customary quiet dignity.<br />
<br />
Yet when I awoke after finally convincing my body it needed sleep, my wife informed me of the events that occurred at the Boston marathon. My mind immediately pictured my beloved sister-in-law Thia and her lovely soon to be wife hurt or harmed by someone's desire to use violence to make a political statement. Gratefully I was informed that both of them were safe and well.<br />
<br />
Yet I have spent the past few days mulling over what this event and its aftermath means to me. It has been this stream of conscious thought that prompts me to write about this tragedy. Some have compared the shock of this bombing to the terrible day of Sept 11, 2001 and that is I believe an apt comparison for many reasons that I will discuss in depth. What followed that immediate tragedy is what makes my eyes tear up with humble pride at the resilience and strength of my fellow citizens of our great nation.<br />
<br />
Within minutes and hours we began to hear news of the sheer capability of our nation to come together as one in the face of such things as terrorism upon our shores. To paraphrase our President Barack Obama, "On days such as this we are not republicans, democrats, conservative, or liberal. We are Americans one and all." I disagree with many of the policies and ideas of our sitting President yet I echo those same sentiments.<br />
<br />
We are a free people and we all know deep within ourselves that that freedom demands a price of each and every one of us. We do not always get along and our disputes can be vitriolic and savage in their intensity of the give and take of the free market place of human thinking. Like any family we do have our dysfunctions and yet when something tragic strikes we line up to give selflessly to our fellows in a time of need. This strength is what makes my heart swell to bursting with pride and bow low with humility at the speed with which we act when the need is great.<br />
<br />
No force upon this earth will ever deny our people the inalienable rights of "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." We have fought amongst ourselves and even others outside our borders in defense of that ideal that epitomizes our central belief of both the divinity of humanity and that freedom of humanity is paramount above all else. As our country begins yet another search in the murky world of terrorism in its hunt for the perpetrators of the Boston marathon bombing, please read my words and take heart.<br />
<br />
We are a free people whom will when it matters most put aside our differences and live up to the Latin phrase of "E Pluribus Unum" or translated "One out of many". Do not let your hearts be darkened by fear of the unknown faces that seek to remove our freedom to replace it with fear and terror. Instead celebrate that we will not ever bow to any such pressures. In those acts of human kindness and unity in the face of fear and terror find strength to resist those whom seek to harm our belief in the goodness of humanity and the unity found in our bonds of brotherhood.<br />
<br />
We the people of the United States of American stand in defiance of those whom would use violence and terror to subjugate humanity in an endless darkness. Our people are united yet again because you fail to understand what freedom does to the human soul once its light shines brightly upon it. We WILL NOT give up nor will we GIVE IN to fear and terror. As we have so many times before we rise to your challenge and overcome it with poise and dignity. So in closing to my fellow citizens whom directly suffered this terror, you are not alone for we stand united with you now and in perpetuity.<br />
<br />
<br />
Jared Royka<br />
<br />Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-13405985980495939882013-04-11T05:25:00.001-07:002013-04-17T20:40:59.892-07:00A Call to Arms...Attack the culture of violence itself not the tools.<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Distinguished Readers,</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To walk through the world in which we live our daily lives, it is amazing that we get out of bed at all. If one simply turns on the television, internet, print media, or radio; one is overwhelmed by the sheer amount of violence and horror in our lives. After the recent spate of extremely sensationalized mass shootings of recent memory all of them are horrific and tragic to the extreme. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yet again the talking heads and pundits of various interests ranging from the anti-gun crowd and their opposites namely the National Rifle Association war with each other. I hope to offer you a rational post of my thoughts upon this subject and to elicit a response in you the reader. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The response I am hoping to elicit within you is to have you take the time to fully research this issues and what is really going on. Let me first begin saying that I personally own several handguns and rifles as I enjoy the discipline required of a marksman. I</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">also have a concealed carry weapons permit and intend to always have one as I am very committed to the exercise of my freedoms as a law abiding citizen of the United States of America.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Both points of view upon this issue have made it quite clear that neither side of this issue will accept anything less than total victory of their goals.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We have had gun control in the United States since the passage of the National Firearms Act in 1934 during the Franklin D.Roosevelt administration.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This legislation prohibited the possession of fully automatic weapons, silencers, sawed-off shotguns, ect by private citizens.</span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The National Firearms Act was followed in 1938 by the Federal Firearms Act which required those whom sold firearms; specifically interstate or international sales to purchase a Federal Firearms License. So we can see that we have had some form of gun control since the depression in the United States. Also one can specifically find instances of earlier restrictions upon the carry, possession, and use of firearms throughout our nations history. An accurate example is the Tombstone, Arizona law requiring those entering the town to leave their firearms at the Tombstone Marshall's office circa 1870s <span style="font-size: small;">boom-town</span> era. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;">Yet we continue to see a raging debate upon the 2nd amendment of the bill of rights because of the tragic shootings of past and recent memory. </span></span><span style="color: red;">Are further restrictions upon firearms ownership and other firearms related items required? One statement that I have heard often is that we should "enforce those laws on the books" rather than passing further legislation. Furthermore those whom resist further restrictions upon firearms see any reforms of existing laws as a evidence of intention to take away their rights to bear arms. And this concern is often ridiculed and those whom utter it are often labeled derisively as "gun-nuts". </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The advocates of stricter gun laws and regulations often state that private ownership of firearms creates more potential harm to society at large. Often called "anti-gun" or worse by those whom support the more liberal interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. Another area that often is cited as a reason for further regulation and restriction of firearms is the prevalence of firearms found in criminal activities. Gun violence is in their views all too common and tragic could be easily prevented by the aforementioned reform of gun control legislation.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The concerns about gun violence are not entirely unfounded or without merit.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yet I offer you this what is really at stake here within the gun control/2nd amendment debate? Do we no longer require the 2nd amendment? Should we have unrestricted access to firearms and to use those firearms for any purpose that does not harm others? At the heart of the gun control/2nd amendment debate is a a deeper question that does not get address at all by either side in my humble opinion, the culture of violence itself. What is the culture of violence you ask?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The culture of violence is in my own words; the cultural acceptance and inculcation of the usage of violence to achieve one's desired ends or to defend one's self from the violence of others. To clarify I am addressing the root cause of gun violence, which is the act of committing violence rather than the method that is used to commit the violent act itself. Among the feminist community there is a concept called "rape culture"; feminists state "rape culture" is the cultural elements that trivialize rape, protects the perpetrators of rape, and ignores the victims of rape. I believe that our society has made the same cultural mistake with violence within our culture.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We glorify violence and encourage our young children to embrace it as a legitimate way to get what they want from others. Violence comes in many forms and flavors whether its against women, children, minorities, or simply for the sake of violence itself. This inculcation of violent behavior is ingrained by everything from sports to music. Yet sadly we see those areas blamed as the root cause or at least part of the problem of violence rather than ultimately laying blame where it truly belongs ourselves.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is we whom permit the use of violence as a socially acceptable method to get what one desires, not guns, video games, movies, music, or any other medium consumed by us. I also wish to clarify that violence per my definition also includes aggression as that is the act that often proceeds violent action. We have the duty and responsibility to educate ourselves and others; when violence is permitted and even necessary such as the defense of those whom cannot defend themselves. I do not say that violence itself the evil that must be fought but that it is the ignorance we permit in regards to understanding the culture of violence.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I hope these words reach you and cause you to ponder a moment upon what really is wrong within our culture. I firmly believe that violence is a tool but that it should never be employed lightly or without the understanding of its consequences. To long have we pointed fingers at everything but ourselves in attempting to deal with this issue. Please read, research, and critically assess the nature of the problem and educate yourself upon the culture of violence. We all must learn when, where, what, and how violence is necessary as well as when it is clearly not justified in its application.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Very Respectfully,</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jared M. Royka</span></span>Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8522041643346430179.post-14583073292946308302013-04-11T03:35:00.001-07:002013-04-17T20:40:59.894-07:00Money Talks & It's Not Going Away Any Time Soon...<span class="userContent">Distinguished readers,<br /> <br /> Yet again we
find ourselves at the same place yet again, its time to argue and
wrangle over the federal budget. Regardless of what side of the isle you
stand or don't, this is a important issue. We are once again deluged
with messages of fear-mongering by both political parties. This is when
we must be critical thinker<span class="text_exposed_show">s and be able do our own research and make decisions based upon those rational facts we find.<br /> <br />
I am by far not the most politically active within my circle of friends
yet I understand all too well its impact upon our daily lives. Both
sides of the congressional isles wants to cut spending on the other
party's constituent programs or simply items as defense spending or
social security depending upon orientation of view. Yet there is a 3rd
group those whom are fed up with the partisan bickering and brazen
behavior that our lawmakers demonstrate all to well by acting with the maturity of toddlers in a sand
box. <br /> <br /> I know of people whom without some form of governmental
assistance would be homeless and starving. Yet we all know from our
experiences in the real world that we cannot spend excessively without
consequences. Screaming about how the poor are over paid in this
country or that the rich get too many breaks is frankly tiresome and
detracts from the real issues. Will there have to be a spending
reduction of some sort or fashion likely so but that doesn't mean we
throw anyone to the wolves just yet. <br /> <br /> So yet again I implore
you all, to read as much information on these proposals. DO NOT buy into
the fear-mongering of interest groups or political parties. Be vocal,
call, write, email all your congressional representation. But remember
in the end we must find a middle path and balance within ourselves. Our
first words in our constitution is "WE THE PEOPLE" not corporations,
political interest groups, and for god's sake certainly not money are
the arbiters of our own government.<br /> <br /> Yet we mostly remain
content to be sheep waiting to be led to the next patch of grass. This
cannot be permitted any longer, our Federal Republican form of
government requires an educated, informed, and active citizenry. YOU
get the leadership you DON'T demand and hold ACCOUNTABLE. <br /> <br /> Yet
we are a people that believes that while the majority rules, we will
never permit the persecution or harm of a minority either through legal
or illegal actions leveled at that minority. To permit that is to accept
tyranny and that is not who we are as a free people. I hope that my
words spur you to some action to research both sides of these issues. To
find the facts and even if they contradict your personal views make a
decision upon those facts. <br /> <br /> We are one out of many and in that
is our greatest strength. No force on earth can touch that strength. Let
us set about shaping the rebirth and new growth of freedom; with malice
towards none and charity for all (Lincon, 1863, Gettysburg address)<br /> <br /> Sincerely,<br /> <br /> <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=743489554&extragetparams=%7B%22group_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/jared.royka?group_id=0">Jared Royka</a></span></span>Juxta-positionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15548818055386938609noreply@blogger.com0