God Bless America

Went to the Hash tonight in the midst of a typhoon. I think the worst is supposed to hit tomorrow, but I don't watch the TV so much so I can't know for sure. Sounds like perfect Kayak weather.

At the hash (actually after) I went and did it again... I lied. Why is it that I say all these things, with no intent at all that anyone believes me, and yet people do? To me it is so obviously a sarcastic load of crap, yet of course no one knows me enough to realize... which is part of the reason I guess that I try to write on this site... of course I wind up writing sarcastic bull-crap much of the time. Who taught me this?

I received another comment about the Pledge of Allegiance... I am glad to get these responses... I don't really have many people here to have serious conversations with right now.

Of course I support leaving "...under God" in the Pledge, because I believe it's true regardless of what others believe. I like to have God in as much of my life as possible, even if it's not politically correct. That doesn't mean that is fair based on our constitution. However, I don't like the idea of total separation of ourselves from God.

Unfortunately the question is not if it is "true" or not, but if it is constitutional or not. No matter how much some of us believe it is true, the constitution doesn't allow us to force it on others (something I thank God for). Is that a problem with the constitution? I don't think so... there are also Christians in Japan, though obviously in the minority. So what if, since most Japanese people consider themselves Buddhist and Shinto, the Japanese school system made everyone, even Christians pledge their allegiance to Japan "under Buddha" , or even "under the Emperor" in the context that the eemperror is a diety. That's not nice of the government.

The comment above states that it is true regardless of what other people believe... I agree... it is also true if we don't even say it. I would rather not say it in the pledge, than have the government become involved in my religious beliefs, telling me what I should or shouldn't, or worse, can or can't believe, or more likely, endorsing another religion. That is a great freedom... regardless of what anyone believes in.

Finally, when the ruling was made, no one tried to promote an idea of total separation of ourselves and God, just keeping the government out of promoting and regulating what we can or can't, should or shouldn't believe. In effect, makgin us free to be as close as we want to God without worry. The Supreme court did not say that we are not allowed to recite the pledge, as is, on our own time, free from government sponsorship. I don't feel anymore separate room God if I am not expected to recite "under God" than if I am... after all, 99% of the time when I was in school, I was simply reciting a bunch of words that where pounded into my head by the teacher anyway because if we didn't recite it perfectly word for word, we got an 'F'... it didn't matter if you understood the meaning, and could rephrase it in your own way... it was just a bunch of words. But that's a different conversation.

However, if someone wants to remove the word 'indivisible' from the Pledge, I have no problem with that, because then it would be a little more accurate. Just look at how we're divided as a nation on this simple matter.

I'll accept that point. So let's make the pledge just say "I pledge allegiance to the United States of America". Though I also value the division. And it seems to me that as much as we are divided, so far, (except for a few extremists) we are all divided, yet still indivisible in our freedoms to have different opinions and beliefs.

I could rant on for another hour, but I am sleepy.

Also this

On Sunday you wrote that you "hopped on my bike and rode the one hour there and back." Does this mean the whole trip was one hour, or it's one hour one way? Even if it's only 30 minutes one way by bike, that's a pretty good distance. ...And now you run home? That's a pretty good workout...