[+/-] Wear a Guy Fawkes mask on election day

Good evening, America. Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of every day routine: the security, the familiar, the tranquility, repetition. I enjoy them as much as anyone. But in the spirit of mourning over the death of Habeas Corpus, I thought we could mark this occasion by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat. There are of course those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now, orders are being shouted into telephones, and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth.

And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance, crusades and torture. And where once you had the freedom to object, think, and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who’s to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.

I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn’t be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. They promised you order, they promised you peace, and all they demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent. Tonight I seek to end that silence to remind this country of what it has forgotten: that fairness, justice, and freedom are more than words, they are perspectives.

So if you’ve seen nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you then I would suggest you allow this election day to pass unmarked. But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek, then I ask you to vote beside me wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, and together we shall give them a seventh of November that shall never, ever be forgot.

[If you don't understand this, go rent V for Vendetta.]

[+/-] An Alternate 9/11 History

We could be living in a different world. Jonathan Alter writes:

Five years after 9/11, the world is surprisingly peaceful. President Bush's pragmatic and bipartisan leadership has kept the United States not just strong but unexpectedly popular across the globe. The president himself is poised to enjoy big GOP wins in the midterm elections, a validation of his subtle understanding of the challenges facing the country. A new survey of historians puts him in the first tier of American presidents.

As Bush warned, catching terrorists wasn't easy, but he kept at it....

Read more.

[+/-] Advice for Atheism curriculum?

Yesterday I volunteered to lead a class of seventh-grade students in a discussion of atheism/rationalism. These are some bright minds who all belong to the local Unitarian church. As part of their religious education studies, the students learn about different religious traditions, including taking "field trips" to other religious services.

Since I have not done this before I would appreciate suggestions on what topics to include and how to best cover the topic.