The Separation of Church and State

As 2013 began to draw to a close, the New York-based Satanic Temple had one New Year's resolution: to erect a statue of Satan in front of the Oklahoma state capitol building. The statue depicts Satan as Baphomet, the goat-headed, winged pagan idol sitting on a throne inscribed with an inverted pentagram.

The group argued that the new statue would "complement and contrast" the already existing statue depicting the Christian Ten Commandments, which was donated by Republican Representative Mike Ritze in 2012. 

"[T]he Ten Commandments are an important component of the foundation of the laws and legal system of the United States of America and of the state of Oklahoma," stated the legislature approving the statue.

The Satanist temple has raised more than the $20,000 needed to build the statue. The "impact" that Lucien Greaves (spokesman for the temple) hopes to accomplish is to "send a clear and distinct message to the world that pluralism is alive and well in the United States."

The statue is facing heavy opposition from the state that is known as the "buckle" of what is often called the Bible Belt. Rep. Bob Cleveland defended his opposition by stating "Any monument displayed on state property should reflect the values of Oklahoma or memorialize those who built or defended our freedom. In my opinion, this Satanist monument does not meet with the values of Oklahomans."

This isn't the first time the statue of the Ten Commandments has been protested. In August of last year, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed suit on behalf of several Oklahomans, including a Baptist minister. The suit argues that the constitution prohibits the use of state property to support a specific religious group or sect.

American Atheists, a New Jersey-based atheist organization, also filed suit to have the 2,000 pound statue removed from capitol building grounds. The suit argues that the monument violates the first amendment's establishment clause and the fourteenth amendment's due process and equal protection clause.

Since the request from the Temple of Satan was made public, the state has been flooded by requests from other religious groups, such as Hindus and Pastafarians, members of the satire church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

While it is unlikely that the Oklahoma state capitol will become somewhat of a museum of religious statues, one can only hope.

Speaking of Pastafarians...

Christopher Schaeffer became the first open Pastafarian sworn into office when he became the newest addition to the Pomfret Town Council. He took oath while wearing a colander on his head to symbolize his religion.

AP PREP POST 1: SIDDHARTHA

A) 1. A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. (Here).

They say the pen is mightier than the sword, and for many writers, the symbol is the sharpest blade available. Poets, playwrights, and novelists alike often use a variety of symbols to communicate their insights and themes with elegance. Although these symbols can prove frustrating for some readers (why can’t they just say what they mean!?), many others, this reader included, find the device to be integral to creating an intriguing and memorable work of literature. Herman Hesse, author of Siddhartha, certainly seems to subscribe to this latter mindset; in Siddhartha, one of his most famous and tightly crafted novellas, Hesse utilizes the symbol of the river to represent the work’s themes regarding the timelessness of existence and the unity of all beings.

2. Does love – familial, romantic, platonic, etc. – : bring us closer to enlightenment by moving us 

closer to a greater understanding of humanity, or does it move us away by forcing us to desire something 

which must perish? Prove your conclusion with evidence from the text; this will require an examination of the 

effects love has on Siddhartha throughout the novel. 

3. Siddhartha offers commentary on a number of issues: relationships, desire, wisdom (and 

teaching), the path to enlightenment, etc. Identify a subject that Hesse chose to study and respond to it – 

either affirming or rejecting Hesse’s argument through analysis and specific evidence. (For example, 

Siddhartha claims that wisdom cannot be taught; either agree or disagree with this, and prove why your view 

is correct using evidence from Siddhartha.)

4. There is a theme of circularity in : Siddhartha, with the novel incorporating cycles into its 

symbolism, plot development, and characterization. What sort of impact do cycles have on Siddhartha’s life? 

Remember to consider how “enlightenment” frees one from a cycle of suffering, and the idea of reincarnation 

in general. Give examples of these cycles, and examine their importance to the story.

(Questions 3-4 can be found here).
5. I lost the link to my last one as my computer turned off in the process:(. Will update asap.
C) Most of the essay topics dealt with enlightenment so a knowledge of his progression from disparity and disillusionment to understanding is essentially. It is Aldo essential to know how me made that transition and what helped him become one with himself. drawing from personal experience can definitely help; the age-old question of "Why am I here?"

Hacking My Education

 In general, I was want to learn more about everything. But more importantly, I want to know more about my future field of study (and career). I want to learn how to be a better journalist (for In Loco Politico). I want to further develope my knowledge of all things politics and current events. As hard as it may seem, I want to be more informed. I also want to dive a little more into philosophy. I want to be able to show off my writing skills, both online and on essays. I also want to be able to demonstrate my understanding on the aforementioned topics and not just on a superficial level. I want to see In Loco Politico burgeon as a result of this, and slowly become the vision that I have in mind. I really want more of Righetti and just the entire youth populous to become involved in ILP, expressing their views mainly in form of discussion and articles they write. I want to get in contact with professional journalists, political analyzers, and politicians so I can get a better grasp of it and learn how to do what I do better.

Blame it on “Affluenza”

On the fateful day of June 15, 2013 Ethan Couch and some friends went to the local Walmart to pick up some beer. The only problem was they were all underage; Ethan was only sixteen. So they did what any other teenager would do an steal the beer. 

The story could have ended here, with the boys drinking the beer that they stole until their blood alcohol content (BAC) reached 0.24, three times the legal amount allowed in the United States (0.08). But it didn’t. Instead, Ethan decided to take his two friends on a drive in his pickup truck.

Around the same time, Breanna Mitchell’s SUV broke down. She pulled over to the side of a rural road in the town of Burleson, Texas. She waited here until her neighbors Hollie and Shelby Boyles and youth minister Brian Jennings stopped by to help her out. But the, Ethan’s pickup truck came hurtling at them at 70 miles per hour and there was no escape. Breanna, Hollie, Shelby, and Brian all died because of the crash. Ethan’s two friends, Solimon Mohmand and Sergio Molina were violently tossed from his pickup truck. Solimon suffered numerous broken bones and internal injuries. Sergio became paralyzed and is now only able to communicate through blinking his eyes.

The scene of the accident.

Ethan was arrested and underwent trial. He was charged with intoxicated manslaughter and the prosecution sought a minimum twnety year prison sentence.

Just yesterday, Texas Judge Jean Boyd shocked the victims’ families as well as the country by sentencing Ethan to ten years’ probation. Judge Boyd agreed with the defense’s claim that Ethan was a victim of his parents’ wealth, a condition known as affluenza. The term affluenza is defined as “a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more“. The defense argued that Ethan was handed everything by his wealthy parents and that he never learned to take responsibility for his actions. A psychologist claimed that the boy had a cold and distant relationship with his parents and was taught to “throw money” at his problems.

This isn’t the first time Ethan has been in trouble with the law for alcohol related charges and got away. According to trial testimony, he was caught passed out and undressed in his car with an underage girl. 

Ethan’s father has offered to pay $450,000 a year for Ethan to attend a rehab center in southern California. This center has everything from chef-prepared meals, to yoga, to nature hikes.  These so-called rehabilitation centers are essentially a get-out-of-jail-free card for the wealthy.

We must remember that Ethan accepted a plea deal in order to go to rehab. This becomes an injustice for the poor or even most middle class Americans who cannot afford to go to such rehabilitation centers. If any other less affluent teenager were to commit this crime, the book would have surely been thrown at him. A less affluent teen would have never been offered this plea deal because their family wouldn’t be able to afford this treatment. 

How can one call this justice? A seventeen-year-old that participated in a $2 stickup also received 10 years probation. When he was caught smoking marijuana while on probation, a Texas judge sentenced him to life in prison.

Similarly, John Alexander Wood, a Texas business man shot an unarmed prostitute and only received ten years probation. Even when on probation, he constantly broke the law, smoking crack cocaine and failing drugs tests various times. The Judge let him remain free and soon exempted him from the usual conditions that must be followed while on probation, such as drugs tests, meeting with a probation officer, and owning a firearm.

How about this for injustice: A thirteen-year-old boy in California was sentenced to ten years in a state juvenile facility after killing his abusive neo-Nazi father. This boy also grew up in a broken home, yet his status was not enough to be deemed as a conditional to excuse his behavior, unlike in the case of Ethan. 

What this judge has done is essentially tell the affluent youth of America to go ahead and do reckless and moronic things, you’ll get away with only a slap on the wrist. This kid won’t learn from this. If anything, you can expect more reckless actions from him in the future.

Apparently in America, you can be too rich to know better, but if you’re poor, they throw the book at you.

Nelson Mandela has Passed Away at Age 95

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela has passed away this Thursday after battling health issues the past few years. Often hailed as one of the greatest human rights advocates in the world, Mandela fought to end the system of segregation known as apartheid. He was imprisoned for inciting worker's strikes in the early sixties and spent 18 years of his 27 year sentence in one of South Africa's most horrid prisons, Robben Island. Despite the oppression he underwent for nearly three decades, Mandela remained strong and optimistic. On February 2nd, 1990 Mandela was released from prison. 

He then proceeded to work with his former enemy, President F.W. de Klerk, to dismantle apartheid and turn South Africa into a democratic nation. Both Mandela and de Klerk would later earn the Nobel Peace Prize for helping end apartheid. The nation's first elections were held on April 27, 1994. He won the presidency and his political party, the African National Congress obtained 62% of the vote. 

Here's Mandela casting his vote in the election.

A Little Background on Apartheid

Apartheid in South Africa was a system of racial segregation enforced by legislature put in place shortly after the conclusion of the second World War. It was put into place by the Afrikaner-majority National Party. What apartheid did was curtail the rights and freedoms of the black majority and kept the white Afrikaner minority in power. Such atrocities that Apartheid ushered in include a ban on marriages with someone of a different race,  "whites only" on most public areas, inferior education to blacks, the banning of opposition parties, and the arrest of anti-apartheid leaders, such as Mandela.

A man with every reason to be vengeful, with every reason to be full of hate, Mandela focused reconciliation rather than revenge. The sheer compassion and forgiveness that Mandela had was evident when he placed de Klerk as his first deputy president. Through his policies, he helped curve the rampant racism and discrimination that were long held practices of the former governing political party. He assuaged the skepticism and fears of both blacks and whites alike and helped reunite both under a new flag, which represented the unity of the new, democratic nation. 

I have nothing but pure reverence and admiration for Nelson Mandela. He had a goal in mind and refused to let it go, despite the daunting obstacles he faced, including a 27 year prison sentence. Mr. Mandela has shown us how reconciliation is much more efficient than retribution. He is an inspiration to all and a truly exemplary member of the human family.

Rest In Paradise Madiba.

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
-Nelson Mandela

freedom

                A single drop of water awoke me from my otherwise peaceful sleep. I tried to raise my hands to wipe my eyes but there was some type of restraint preventing me. As I became more conscience, I noticed there was some type of cold heavy apparatus about my neck. I tried to look around to figure out where I was, as I was in strange, unrecognizable territory. As I couldn’t twist my head, I looked forward and saw some type of distorted silhouettes flickering and swaying. I heard voices around me and figured that I wasn’t the only one here.

                As time passed, I became accustomed to my surroundings and became comfortable with them. This once strange and alien place soon became my home and I liked it. I felt as if I was covered by a veil of some sort, a warm, comforting veil that left me with no worries. Whenever a new object appeared before us, we would all come to a consensus to what it was. Anyone who disagreed would be ridiculed by the rest. Conformity became the norm; we lived day in and day in that same spot.

                One day something strange happened. A man came down to our little enclave and began urging us to leave. He told us that there was a world outside of this one, a grandiose world where everything is “colorful” and “vivid”. The images we saw in front of us were only poor distorted misrepresentations of what was really there. He told us that we could break free from these “fetters” that held us back, that they were only mentally there. The rest of the inhabitants looked at him strangely and scoffed at these ideas. You could see the frustration on his face that resulted from the futility of his attempts to convince us that there was much more to this.

I became conflicted; something inside of me told me to follow this man. I began to feel a sensation that I had never felt before, a sensation to fight conformity and to explore. I realized how monotonous life here had become. But the comfort of my home and the fear of the unknown prompted me to stay. I fought the temptation to follow the strange man as long as I could, but soon the temptation defeated me. I was set on exploring the outside, the unknown. With some strain, I was able to raise my arms and prop myself up. The restraints were broken! I was finally able to be out and about and to look around. I noticed that the place that I had called home for as long as I can remember was a dark, dank cave.

The man’s eyes lit up when he saw me get up. The others’ facial expressions turned aghast with a combination of fear and amazement. They didn’t believe it was possible. I left them with their mouth ajar as I followed my guide up the stop steps on the side of where we were prior. As we ascended the steps, I noticed that there was some type of light that cackled bright colors and felt warm when we drew near it. In front of it, men paraded sticks with figures on them, casting the images we saw and accepted as the real thing. In the distance I saw a tunnel of light and it drew me closer; it seemed to have been calling me. At this point, I began to race up the steps making sure not to lose sight of this precious gleam. As I had not used my legs for as long as I could remember, I stumbled a bit on the way up.

I broke through the darkness and into the blinding light. I shielded my eyes from the intensity but soon I became adjusted. At that moment, I was flooded with new, strange sights. Everything was so vibrant and vivid; I was finally free. The sheer awe of my surroundings made me drop to my knees and my eyes just became inundated with what I later came to know as tears. These sweet, salty droplets of water that originated from my eyes kept on coming without refrain. It was all just so beautiful. Everything around me, from the creatures up above, to the soft grass that hugged and caressed my body as I laid there and wept. I finally had my first taste of true freedom.

The freedom was overwhelming. Simply put, the real world was frightening. The monotony of conformity and life in the cave ceased to exist, and with it also died the veil of ignorance that once cradled me and protected me. I was no longer in my comforting cave. At times, I just wanted to return, to live a simpler, worry free life. But the freedom, the reality, the immaculateness of it all convinced me to stay. I was finally able to experience things for myself. I was finally… free.

JAVI "FLAMEZ" SOLIS READS "FOX IN SOCKS"