What, gives you the right?

Tonight I had the displeasure of attending a talk given by Neo-con Islamaphobe Robert Spencer, hosted by the Binghamton University Zionist Organization and the Binghamton Review (the conservative publication on campus).  The fact that this man was allowed to spew hatred on our campus confounds me.  His entire presentation was aimed at convincing the article that Islam is a threat to Americans and the American way of life.  What surprised me the most was when he started quoting from the Koran as if he were an expert.  Sir, studying Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina DOES NOT make you an expert.  Frankly, sir, when you decided to shout down the Muslim students when they tried to correct you shows arrogance above and beyond that which I have ever seen.  You pick the most convenient passages and quote a few extremists and then feel that you have a legitimate conspiracy theory where Muslims seek to take over the United States.  You insist that people reject the notion that Islam is a “religion of peace”.  The question I have for you, is WHAT gives you the right, to come to this university and tell us that you know, the “truth” about Mohammad and Islam.  WHAT gives you the right to tell Muslims that you KNOW what the Koran says, and that others are choosing to ignore what it says.  Lastly, WHAT gives you the right to shout down students and impose you’re radical beliefs on others.  You, are no better than those Imams and extremists that you condemn.  You live in a world of your own and you need to wake up.

The ironic thing is, he said nothing of Zionism but rather decided to go on about his own beliefs.  This isn’t the first timw that this has happened on our campus.  Daniel Pipes and Dinesh D’Souza were both allowed to speak here last year in spite of their hateful and an inflammatory rhetoric.  These three men and their rhetoric have no place on our diverse and multi-cultural campus.  I am all for freedom of speech and freedom of expression, but please, don’t use my tuition to bring these fuckers to our campus where my other activities suffer from chronic shortages of funding.  It’s ridiculous, so please find somewhere else to spew this garbage.  This campus needs to stand up to this hateful behavior, the backlash would be tremendous should a speaker be allowed to criticize Israel or the Bible on this campus, and the same protection should be afforded to other students as well.

Proposition 8

I think its time to start writing again.

For too long we Americans have let ourselves become slaves to the whims and opinions of others.  Others who think they know what’s best for us, who think they can dictate and tell us how to live our lives.  I am appalled that something like Proposition 8 (to ban gay marriage) is even on the ballot in California. Gays have every right to marriage and to deny them of something so basic and fundamental is frankly, un-American.  To those people that spew garbage about “protecting” the institution of marriage, why not look at divorce rates? 1 out of every 2 marriages end in divorces.  To say that marriage is something scared in this country is laughable.  Not when you can be wed via drive-through in Las Vegas.  Civil Unions aren’t enough and never will be enough.  The whole “separate but equal” thing is inherently unfair and discriminatory.  Religious groups, 80% from outside California have poured thousands of dollars of they’re congregation’s money into fighting to pass this proposition.  They view California as a “battleground” on which this issue is too be settled.  Honestly, what gives you the right to tell people how to live they’re lives?  What gives you the right to impose you’re values on others?  Conservatives sicken me.  They’ve held this country from greatness for far too long and hold way too much power in our system.  Meanwhile, John McCain and others have the need to pander to thier needs rather than dismiss them as they rightfully should.  Religion in this country is now a protection racket, preaching morality and brotherhood while working to undermine the rights and liberties of others.   If you look at organized crime in the early 1900s, you will see a shockingly similar pattern.  Buying politicians and offices, lobbying for favorable legislation and imposing thier values and beliefs.  In some parts, it only takes a few words to make or break senators, congressmen, governors and even presidential candidates.  Frankly, in California, people need to stand aginast Proposition 8 and against the right-wing conservative religion syndicate, and show that we Americans will not stand for bigotry and injustice against our friends, neighbors, colleagues and family.  We are a better nation than this, and it is my sincere hope that our children will look back on this and wonder how we could have been so foolish to try to deny same-sex couples a basic, fundamental right,