The Honeycombed Heart

Weiner Resigns

2011-06-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

The press conference was an appalling circus, with shock jock plants heckling from the press pool in an attempt to, to, what? Who only knows, but it just added to the sordid side show atmosphere this issue has become for the congressman. Hopefully, once all the dissecting of it has run its course we'll be able to focus on more pertinent matters. I can only hope Rep. Weiner and his wife can get time to heal their relationship and move on with their lives.

Once again, I'll say that I believe he finally did the right thing. He behaved in an incredibly inappropriate way for someone in his position. For those of you who are still arguing that what he did wasn't as bad as some other public servants, some of whom are still serving, all I can say is that by attempting to compare Anthony Weiner's actions to other wrong doers you are actually admitting he DID do something wrong and SHOULD suffer consequences because obviously those others should be suffering as well. Whether you believe he did nothing wrong or not, the leadership of the Democratic party had every right to ask for his resignation. The question becomes "should we have some standards of conduct for our public servants or not?", and remember, those pictures of him will be on the internet forever, accessible by anyone, regardless of age or ability to understand this scandal in any form of context. This is fundamentally why this spectacle will be looked upon as a game changer in political theater.

Weinergate Officially Over

2011-06-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

Most of the MSM have moved the *scandal* further into the newscast. Priorities once again get rearranged. When Anthony Weiner finally makes his announcement as to his future in or out of congress it will be covered, surely, but this thing as a whole has run its course. New photos will no longer titillate, new emails will no longer be snicker worthy. It's done. In a world of internet attention spans, it's yesterday's meme. Best of luck for your future, Anthony.

Pertinent Question

2011-06-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking of changing the name and look of this blog or moving it to a blog I started but never invested any time on. I want to start blogging again more regularly, but feel I need a bit of rebranding since my recent change of life situation. So, any comments?

My Religion is the Internet

2011-06-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

This video, clocking in at roughly 12 mins in length, may be a bit long for an unplanned viewing (save it for lunch or some other free time) is worth every minute. Not only is Jim Gilliam's personal story so compelling, his message of finding God through and within the interconnectedness of human relations, especially with regards to the interactivity of communication of all types of people on the internet without the limitations created by preconceived notions of age, political affiliations, race, gender, caste or other snap judgements that limit us when we share physical space. Please watch, you'll be glad you did.

Watch live streaming video from pdf2011 at livestream.com

My own humble musings on #Weinergate

2011-06-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

So, since leaving the convent I've had loads of time on my hands (unemployment's uneasy gift that keeps on giving), enough time to be at home watching in real time Rep. Anthony Weiner's stunning implosion and heartbreaking mea culpa on live television. I say heartbreaking because I've never witnessed a public figure give such a brutally honest press conference where he basically laid himself bare for all to scrutinize, analyze, and sneer at. The ensuing nearly thirty minute period of questions from reporters, who in a better world would have politely averted their eyes from a fellow human experiencing such abject public humiliation, dragged on into the ridiculous. But still, in what appeared to be a deep, cathartic need for self immolation in personal shame, Anthony Weiner took all the questions, no matter how intrusive or debasing.

On a whole, it was one of the most astounding, and extraordinary performances by an elected official of humbling public self-exposure I've ever witnessed. All I can say is that I felt for him. Watching Rep. Weiner over the last couple of years; his feisty cable news performances; one could only imagine how difficult it was for him to stand there in front of the very press he had himself treated so antagonistically at times. The smell of blood in the air must have been heady.

As for his "crimes"of indiscretion, all I have to say is they're better left between him and his wife. It seems this was an issue before their marriage, and his addiction (for that is what this is) needs attending to if the marriage is to have a viable future. I do feel he should resign, not so much for the behavior, but because of the damage this is and will be doing to the Democratic Party. He can come back; after properly addressing his problems; and be a better public servant if he should wish it, at a future time. At any rate, it's time for the press to politely bow out on this issue, regardless of any new pictures surfacing. We know all there is to know about Anthony Weiner's fall from grace, and no amount of titillating sexting revelations will deepen the subject. Rep. Weiner fucked up, big time. Now move on.

One thing that still surprises me is the MSM's feigned indignation at the fallen humanity of the political class each and every time this sort of "scandal" surfaces into the public domain. If we don't already know that our politicians are human, and act accordingly, then we will never get ourselves out of this cycle of failed government. Politicians should be elected because of their ability to craft good legislation, not their supposed moral purity. If we know anything by now, it's that one or more of them will let us down in the morality department, in some stunning and debased fashion, but what was it that we sent them to Washington for in the first place, was it to represent us in the legislative process or be an poster boy/girl of moral correctness? Let's keep things in their proper place, shall we? Anthony Weiner may have lied, but he lied about something that had nothing to do with any of our concerns on the governing of the United States of America. And let's face it, how would you react to an impending disastrous public humiliation? Let's be real: I think many of us would lie, or throw someone under the bus to save our asses.

So, I'll be sad to see him go, but go he must. He was a much needed Democrat who fought for good policy, but now his pitiful side show is stretching on ad infinitum. The juvenile MSM and the GOP would like nothing better than to have this topic to bandy about all the way to into 2012. It gives cover to their lack of addressing the real issues, and muddies the democrats message. It's basically bad timing. Sadly, he needs to take one for the team, and resign.

Update: I just heard this referred to as the "Pound of Flesh" press conference. How appropriate.

Where is the Love?

2011-04-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

The recent horrors out of Afghanistan regarding the blowback from a certain U.S. pastor's unconscionable actions towards a different faith group of his fellow human beings have been hard to read about without slipping into the same disrespect and disregard for another's rights and dignity, regardless of whether one feels he deserves it or not. The fact that we should always treat people with the same courtesy and deference we would like shown to us is hard to fathom in situations such as these. The question remains however, is it correct and appropriate to forcefully, and justly, condemn this type of outrageous and hateful behavior as it happens, or are we in fact stepping on another's right to freedom of speech?

Our incredibly short attention span kept this resurgence of Pastor Terry's hate campaign against Islam far from being anything but a blip in the mainstream news media this time around. No presidential wrist slaps, no faith coalition's collective condemnation. Nope, nothing so important as that. Why? Well I suspect it's because we've become used to this kind of hateful, spurious rhetoric and disgusting behavior from the blowhards and talking heads on the TeeVee. Even (or is it especially?) from those who represent Christianity. Whether it's God fearing Americans protesting terrorism or states reacting to the horrors of Sharia, the very people who profess a faith in the God of Love have none of it. It is my opinion that as a Christians we have as special duty to denounce these misrepresentations of our faith. But the duty isn't only shouldered by us, we all have the responsibility as fellow humans to push back against hatred and intolerance where ever it rears its ugly head. Freedom of speech does not change hate into a rational viewpoint, or should it be treated with the same regard as a valid viewpoint and our media should not approach it as such. No, it should be justly condemned for what it is, even if the constitution allows one to spew it.

This is the main reason why our politics on a whole have degraded so much: just because one is allowed to voice an argument does not equal it's validity or the truth of its premises. When the fallacies and poisonous rhetoric go unchallenged in the MSM it secretly condones and justifies them. This goes for our personal lives as well. The very notion of a society where there are different versions of the Truth depending upon ones politics and/or religion is outrageous and shows a level of contempt for the Truth itself. In this type of society no one has rights because they will become suspect at the drop of an opinion poll. The only way to change this trend is engagement. Write or call your congresspersons, or write a letter to an Editor. Take to the streets if need be, but this intolerance in the name of religion must be responded to. If we cannot stop the bullying, the attacks, and the scapegoating then we will end up living in a society where everyone will lose the very American right to worship in the faith of our choice, even if it's the right to practice no faith at all.

It's been a long time....

2011-04-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

I've been away from the blog thing for quite some time. Part of it has been my infatuation with Twitter, but most of it has been the shifting currents in my personal life. Many of you know I was in discernment to religious life for nearly four years. I was to make first vows this July. Well, something wasn't sitting right with me this whole time, and I spent the good portion of last year in reflection as to which way to proceed. Many things came to the forefront. One major one was the gulf I felt between my own life experience and that of the sisters in my community, most of which entered directly out of High School. Being an artist, I've always sought work in the creative fields such as photography, or more recently, film making. This has given me quite a diverse exposure to people, places and differing world views that has enriched and broadened my own lens on life. Through discernment I had to realize that I've been given these experiences for a reason, as a gift, to use in service to the people I had come in contact with, which were mostly people on the fringes of culture, faith and religion. I now know what is meant by the statement "grow where you're planted", for I was planted in that particular soil for a reason. This became an Aha! moment, but also a letting go moment. I needed to let go of the idea that the only way to grow in my relationship with God was to become someone I was never meant to be. I am called to flourish in that special soil that is peculiarly "me", warts and all. Integrity is really what draws us to the Divine, the more we act with integrity, towards ourselves as well as others, the more we move towards God. Being honest about who we are is the first step, the next is allowing ourselves to realize that God loves us in this place of imperfection. This is the part that takes a lifetime.

I also came to the understanding that my own experience of the Divine was much bigger than the narrow understanding of the Catechism that religious life would ask me to support, in spite of my own lived experiences to the contrary. I have always been someone to speak my mind, and the censorship that I had to continually place upon myself was eating at me. A lifetime of this would have been unbearable. My heart goes out to those who can stomach it. Perhaps it's my ego, but I was unable to do it. I'm a Homo Loving, Tree Hugging, Bra Burning, politically Progressive, God is Love kinda gal, so you can see the "nun" shoes pinched quite a bit. Oh, and I know that is how many people see religious sisters, but the reality is different. There is much pressure these days to tow the party line, just look at the recent Vatican inquiry into the communities here in the U.S. for starters.

Well for all that said, I feel it's time to jump back into the long form and start blogging again. So much is happening in the world, some frightening, some inspiring. So with my mission statement in mind, it's time to jump back in with both feet. Let the blogging begin!

P.S. For some stupid reason Blogger doesn't have an "Unlink" function in the text edit, which makes me want to let loose a string of profanities, but I'm over it. So for the curious at heart follow the link for a special surprise!

P.P.S. I found it! Text link no longer embarrassing.

What is "Pro-Life"?

2010-02-12T12:58:00.000-08:00

A recent commentary by John Gehring in the National Catholic Reporter concerning the term "Pro-Life" and what it means got me thinking about how abused this term has become. His commentary starts with the irony filled reception of a pro-life award by former President George W. Bush. Granted, Bush did place an emphasis on "Pro-Life" pet issues, like embryonic stem cell research, federal funding for abortions, and so on. But he also presided over one of the most despicable policies of any administration: the use of torture. Not to mention his record as Governor of Texas on state sponsored executions. So, if someone like Bush wins awards for this, what exactly is "Pro-Life"?

It seems the "Pro-Life" crew want to focus only on abortion, and any deviation from the narrow goal of overturning Roe v Wade is simply socialism, also known in certain circles as "Bad" Catholicism. Here's two ways the term is currently used: "Pro-Life" is used as a sieve to separate the Democrats from the Republicans. Since the RNC adopted the anti-abortion platform, the term has practically become trademarked by the party. Any expansion into social welfare or human rights issues will not be tolerated. What's even more disturbing though is the use of the term and it's narrow interpretation as a tool to weed out the "bad catholics" from the "good catholics", which nowadays means the same thing as democrat and republican. (in case there's any confusion, "bad catholics" have been found by the "good catholics" to be of the democratic persuasion) Unfortunately, what this has resulted in is a politicized church divided along political party lines. No more noble Catholic Social Justice teaching, just divisive rhetoric lobbed from one camp to the next. In the meantime, we disregard our responsibility as christians to uphold the most basic tenant of our faith: our belief in the inherent dignity of the human person.

This narrow focus on the meaning of "Pro-Life" has morphed into its own form of fundamentalism, and empowers those who adopt it to behave in the most uncharitable and unchristian ways. Additionally, to use this strict interpretation of the term as one's divining rod for those who are false to the "True" faith is grotesque and in conflict with the very teachings of the faith they so vehemently defend.

To be truly pro-life is to be for life, from its conception to its natural death. It is neither bound by political parties or religions. It is the view that we are not alone in this world, and that we will fall or rise depending upon how well we take care of each other and our environment.

This view just also happens to sum up our Gospel principles as well.

Can we begin again?

2010-02-12T12:43:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry. Truly I am. I let you, dear blog languish long enough. Time to reconnect. My apologies. I'll make an effort once again to be thoughtful and heartfelt in more than 140 characters. An monumental effort, to be sure, but one hopefully that will redeem me from my Twitter infidelities.

With sincere regrets,

S.K.

How sad that the miracle that is life is obscured by such tragedy...

2009-10-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

This was previously posted on another one of my blogs the day after the murder of George Tiller. Until we are able to look at the larger forces at work here we will never resolve the issues of abortion, euthanasia and other failures of our society to protect the rights of the most vulnerable. Finally, the largest elephant in the room begs discussion: Does a woman have the right to determine what happens to her body? Are we willing to commit the female gender to status as a second class citizen? Without any attempt to deal with this and the other issues discussed in this post we are fooling ourselves as to our effectiveness as human rights advocates no matter what side of the fence we sit on.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Well, it's been one heckava week so far, and we're only to Tuesday. The week broke open like a dam bursting: as if all the pain, hate and violence over the abortion controversy that the dam of polite society had held back couldn't withstand the pressure; finally breaking free to flood our consciences with the dirty swill that is our political reality.

The murder of George Tiller by an act of domestic terrorism has sparked a firestorm of outrage on both sides of the issue. Some have, if not defended the murder, at least condoned it as an act of Divine Justice. The others on the Pro-Choice side have concluded this to be some sort of beginning of a Christian FundamentalistJihad. Most of us in the middle however, were left stunned, speechless. That so blatant an act of murder was carried out in the defense of the unborn somehow defied all logic, and to take place in a church, no less. Take life to save life? What is wrong with this picture?

The problem of abortion cannot be effectively handled with violence, protests or laws. The misfortune of abortion is symptomatic of a self-centered culture that puts physical pleasure and personal fulfillment above all else; anything that hinders or delays these goals is to be avoided at all costs. The "Culture of Death" is our very own. It is a culture that sexualizes violence and it's children. It pushes off personal responsibility, and reduces the human sex act into something of arbitrary self experience. It is a culture that picks and chooses among which things are worthy of special deference, and which some, sadly are not. These things aren't done through laws or policies. We are indoctrinated through our appetites. Through our insatiable need to postpone boredom and to experience pleasure. The media, especially advertising picks up on this restlessness and capitalizes on it. Think of the last fast food or blue jeans commercial you saw. It is right before our very eyes. All day. Every day. It is not the next Democrat or next Republican who has control of the issue, for both Parties push policies that are selective in their adherence to the issue of the inviolability of life.

No, the eternal truth of the sanctity of life and the inherent dignity of the human must be fully grasped by us. If we truly believe this concept, then the immensity of it's implications would become immediately apparent. We could no longer condone vigilante or state terrorism, war, abortion, torture, starvation, intolerance. Even our environment would become a key concern to us and no longer a pawn in the hands of Big Business or special interests. We would view all as interconnected and of equal importance to our well being as humans. We need to change fundamentally as a culture, and realize each issue is intertwined if we are to achieve any one piece of it.

That being said, we must denounce all violence that attempts to push one faction's own political agenda. Whatever side you are on on the issue of abortion, the gunning down of George Tiller was an act of domestic terrorism much like the suicide bombings in Baghdad or assaults on school girls in Afghanistan. In each instance the perpetrators were using violence to advance their group's agenda. Each believed they were in the right. We have to remember, we are a nation of laws. Our ability to adhere to them is our strength. We must have dialog to be able to advance in this larger understanding of the issue of human rights, and stop talking past one another. We doom ourselves into a vicious cycle of violence and unrest if we do not increase our ability to engage in respectful, serious discourse on painful issues.

The horror of abortion cannot be properly addressed by the narrow idea of its legality. The legal standing of abortion has never prevented the need for one. Only our full acceptance of our true worth as humans will ever hope to stem it. This is the idea we need to raise into our cultural consciousness, because here is where real change could happen.

This is NEVER a justifiable option for a country that believes in human rights

2009-10-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

We cannot be the "Righteous" if we engage in the same behavior as the "Enemy", it is a moral impossibility.

Let's Get Moving!

2009-10-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

Over at the HuffingtonPost Michael Moore has a great piece with fifteen things we can all do to help get things back on track in this country. Basically the tips are just instructions on becoming a better, more informed and active citizen, an actual participant in this country and world of ours. One of the things we had better get through our heads is that this new era of interconnectedness demands participation, no couch potatoes. If the last eight years have taught us anything, it should have taught us that inaction on the part of a country's citizenry can lead to it's near collapse. We've got to stop being a country with it's head in the sand and realize that it takes work to have a robust and credible democracy. So start by reading Moore's post and get to work!