The Indy File
Topic: State Of The Union
The "Cafferty File" on CNN asked the question tonight, "What does it mean when the Iraq war is more unpopular than Vietnam was at this point?"

It means that not everyone who opposed this war from the beginning is a anti-American, un-patriotic, pinko-commie hippie. It means that those of us that were clearly correct when we questioned the motives of our President and the lies, half-truths and hidden agendas of this administration should have a much greater forum for our views and should be given the respect we deserve. It also means that if we really lived in a sane world, guys like Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, Savage and everyone at Fox "news" would be out on the streets panhandling for what their opinions are truly worth.

The Wizard of Odd...
Topic: Hopefully Humorous
From Indy's hometown newspaper,

Walt Handelsman's,
"No place like home"


Thanks Brian!!!

To Good Health
Topic: State Of The Union
A recently published study on health differences between the English and Americans found that people living in the U.S. are profoundly more unhealthy than their counterparts from over the pond. The study did not reach any conclusions but experts were shocked at the extent of the disparity.

You can find hints at the fundamental reasons underlying this problem everywhere you look. All you have to do is look out your front door. You can see it in the over-fertilized, over-watered and well manicured lawns; in fact it's a metaphor for the root of the problem. You can observe it by the things that hang on your wall, the car that's parked in your driveway and the designer jeans that hang in our closets. It's not hard to find at all. You'll see it on the $10,000 car with the $4,000 rims and in the state-of-the-art electronic devices that seem to occupy every nook and cranny of every house in America. You can look at it in the hands of our children as they sit in the back of the family gas-guzzler with the built-in DVD player that bellows the latest Disney movie, speeding away on the 10 lane highway only making pit stops for gas and McDonald's as it heads to our vacation homes.

The problem is that the antidote for it isn't reflected back in the state of our marriages or our families. You won't even come close to finding it in our schools and it's conspicuously absent in our libraries. The box that sits atop our mantle that seems to be continually droning on is nearly devoid of it. We seem to have reached the point where it's absent from not only our everyday conversations but from our hopes and our dreams.

The fact is that as a people we are unhealthy. We are physically, mentally and spiritually sick because we worship a god that is devoid of all substance - but we still keep praying at the altar. Our souls long for meaning and purpose and we feed it with the spoils provide us by our man-made god. We can't seem to grasp that no matter how hard we pray the void grows deeper and the chasm in our souls grows wider.

We come by "it" and we use "it," abuse "it" and discard "it" and that's just how we treat the people in our lives. Have you ever noticed how hard we can be on our possessions? Everything in our collective eyes is expendable - we just toss "it" out, whatever "it" may be with the belief that we can just get a new one. But our religions and our science conclude something contrary to the way we believe and the way we live our lives. Our actions do have consequences and we will continue to suffer as a people and as individuals when we don't feed our need for substance found in true relationships.

People are not expendable, they're not inherently evil and everyone, no matter who they are, hurts because they long for something more than just the attainment of things. We can heal our collective infirmity with a little courage but we must be willing to live, to love, to sacrifice and to give. We must forego our immediate need for the entertainment of the hour and work towards making our homes and communities something more than just springboards for our commercially crafted egos. Together we can remove the log from our eyes. Only then will we approach what it means to have good health.

Reagan In His Own Words
Topic: Hopefully Humorous
Those of you who have read The Indy Voice for any length of time are probably aware that Ronald Reagan wasn't my favorite President. So when I received an email from someone in his fan club I couldn't resist the opportunity to retort. I was compelled to publicly respond when the last line of the email read exactly (bolding and capitalization included) like this,

"IF YOU AGREE, PLEASE FORWARD.....IF NOT JUST DELETE."

So, here goes,

Reagan: "The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

Indy: He's right, I was terrified when he said it.

Reagan: "The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant: It's just that they know so much that isn't so."

Indy: Oh yeah and the facts haven't been strange bedfellows in conservative administrations.

Does Nixon's resignation and Iran-Contra refresh any memories?

This from a guy who didn't remember authorizing the sale of missiles to a "terrorist state" so that he could subsidize the "murder, rape, torture, maiming of children, cutting off arms, cutting out tongues, gouging out eyes, castration, bayoneting pregnant women in the stomach, and amputating genitals" of a so-called "freedom fighting" force.

Reagan: "I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandment's would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress."

Indy: A Christian would say that the Commandments came from God not Moses but hey "there I go again" with that liberal ignorance. Either way I don't think Reagan was aware that the U.S. Congress didn't exist when Moses presented the tablets.

Reagan: "The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination."

Indy: You constantly have to remind these guys that taxpayers don't take the civil service exam because they're the boss.

Reagan: "Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."

Indy: Kind of sounds like the political philosophy of the modern conservative movement. Don't they go around eating up all the things that make this country great and when it's their turn to return the favor all we're left with is a whiner and a stinking diaper.

Reagan: "If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."

Indy: I'm all for it except my God is evil. Can we be a nation under my God?

Reagan: "The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program."

Indy: ...and glib comments by bad actors.

Reagan: "Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops! moving, subsidize it."

Indy: His view could be summed up in a few short phrases: if it makes something blow up, secretively spend massive amounts of taxpayer dollars for it. If it keeps moving after you've tried to blow it up, deny that you blew it up and secretly spend even more money towards blowing it up. If it stops moving there's nothing saying you can't try blowing it up again.

Reagan: "No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."

Indy: So when do we stop raising taxes to build bombs?

Reagan: "Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book."

Indy: We're still waiting on that book.

Reagan: "It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first."

Indy: Spoken like a true pimp daddy!

What Would Jesus Do?
Topic: Iraq


WWJD

Oil Versus Independence
Topic: State Of The Union
If you are a believer in free market capitalism, high gas prices are something that you are going to have to endure as the supply is limited and demand around the world is only increasing. If you really wanna do something about high gas prices once and for all, scream at the top of your lungs to your political representatives and car manufacturers that you're not going to buy another car powered by gasoline. Tell your Rep. that we need to stop spending money in Iraq, stop making war around the world and we need to stop stressing taxpayers and cut our $500 BILLION DOLLAR A YEAR military budget (more than what the entire world spends on their military put together) and we need to start investing in de-centralized and alternative energy education, research and development with the goal of kicking the oil habit in no more than 10 years so that not another U.S. soldier has to die on a battlefield protecting an oil pipeline.

A Winning Strategy?
Topic: State Of The Union
I was just reading an article which I found on BuzzFlash.com by TBogg, who calls himself, "...a somewhat popular blogger," entitled, "Welcome to our world". It seems that the consensus is that the Republicans are going to have a hard time in the interim elections.

My advice: I wouldn't break out the champagne just yet. Yes, Bush does have a horrendous approval rating but so does congress. The key to remember is that it is as a whole. If you ask people what they feel about their individual representatives they're not that disapproving. Why you ask? It's the same thing you have heard The Indy Voice say over and over again. In fact, you heard a little squeak of it by Howard Dean just recently. The Democrats are pinning their hopes on a Presidential/Republican meltdown and why they are in the process of getting it, they consistently fail to do 2 things. The first is to offer the country a solution that moves us to the left and the 2nd is they all can't sing the chorus in unison,

"THIS IS WHAT YOU GET WITH REPUBLICANS!!!"

What do you get? Why do you even have to ask?

WAR, DEBT, AN ECONOMY THAT LOOKS GOOD BUT IS A HOUSE OF CARDS, POLLUTION, JUNK SCIENCE, HIGH TAXES FOR THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS, BRAZEN TALK WITH LITTLE SUBSTANCE, CRONYISM, LIES, DECEIT, FASCISM, ETC., ETC., ETC.

My prediction: the Democrats only gain a couple of seats but not enough to make any kind of difference.

When 2 boats race you can't bet your money on the boat who's anchored and hope the other sinks. You'll never win because while the other boat may sink, yours is going nowhere.

POSITION:
Topic: Hopefully Humorous
TITLE:

Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma, Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities.

Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:

None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:

None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:

Get this - you pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered, this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

Thanks MaryBob, you should know!

Flying A Flag of Desire Doesn't Make It So
Topic: By Paul Loeb

OUT OF THE SHADOWS—THE SEATTLE IMMIGRATION MARCH
By Paul Rogat Loeb

People marched because families and futures were at stake. Seattle didn’t have a half million marching for immigrant rights, like Los Angeles or Dallas, or 300,000 like Chicago, But 25,000 marched for fifteen blocks through the heart of our city, packing the streets. “I heard it on the radio,” people said. “I heard it at my church.” “I heard it from a friend.” Students came on chartered buses from farm towns 40 miles away. One family drove ninety miles after hearing on the nightly news that a march was going to happen and traffic might be swamped. Except for some students passing the word through MySpace and scattered social justice listservs, this march didn’t rely on the on-line networks that have become the activist standard. It built on more intimate networks, and as coverage rippled out, people came and brought others, affirming that this was now their country too, and they wanted to be treated with dignity and respect.

“It moved me to tears to see people coming out of the shadows to find their voice,” said my friend Jay Sauceda, a community activist who grew up poor in South Texas. “There are so many people in this situation,” he said. “They’ve been so quiet. Now they’re marching.”

“We’re hard workers, not criminals,” said the signs. “We aren’t terrorists.” “Don’t separate us from our families.” They proclaimed “Liberty, Equality and Dignity” and showed pictures of crops that they picked. Children paraded in strollers, teenagers laughed with their friends, elderly women helped each other walk step by step. The march was mostly Latino but also Korean, Filipino, Somalian. The rainbow tilted brown, but it was still a rainbow of participants.

There’s been a lot of flag brandishing for blind patriotism these days. The sea of American flags here were part political strategy—a more salable image than a sea of Mexican flags. But they also felt proud and celebratory. People carried them high, waved them again and again to say that they were Americans too and ask that this country honor promises of refuge and hope. The flags felt so far from the “we’re number one” belligerence of sealed-off Bush rallies.

The marchers chanted in Spanish, waved signs in English, speaking to each other and to those who watched from the sidelines. “Si, Se Puede,” they chanted, “yes we can,” the call of Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers and Latino social justice movements ever since. The yes they called for was to be treated with dignity, to no longer be invisible people used for every job at the bottom and discarded when convenient. “I work hard. I get good grades. I’ve lived here since I was five,” said a high school senior. “Why should I and my family have to go back?”

Immigration politics are complicated-- flooding this or any country with cheap labor can and will drive down wages, especially when unions are being busted and undocumented workers live in fear of deportation. If we don’t create enough global justice so desperate people don’t continue leaving their homes in search of a glimmer of hope, then all but the wealthiest will succumb to the worldwide race to the bottom. But as the signs at the march reminded us, we’re all children of immigrants, except for the Native Americans, who had two local leaders leading a blessing before the march began. And those marching and chanting reminded those of us who are legal because our ancestors immigrated earlier on that even in the land of Microsoft, we cannot separate our fates from the fates of those who pick our crops, build our houses, and clean our office buildings, that we’re tied in what King called “an inescapable network of mutuality…a single garment of destiny."

The march may not have found perfect policy solutions-- the ideal path to citizenship, the ideal way to respond to those who’d want to make this land their home without making things worse for others already at the bottom, the ideal way to pass and enforce workplace laws so employers pay a decent wage for all. But it was more about recognizing those who participated and all they spoke for as having a core human dignity, being fellow children of God, worthy of respect and gratitude for their innate worth and for the labors that serve us all. It was about their giving themselves a face and a voice.

Why can’t we have these kinds of marches to challenge the war or global warming, or Bush’s appropriation of the divine right of kings? Anti-war marches were huge before Bush went into Iraq, since then far more disappointing, even as Bush’s polls continue to drift downward. True, Air America has a fraction of the reach of Spanish radio, and the Catholic churches that helped mobilize so many in their congregations here, have been silent on most issues except abortion. But maybe it’s also because those more comfortable sit behind our computers so much that we come to believe we can do all politics with the click of a mouse. Maybe the issues feel too abstract. Unless you have a son or daughter over serving, Iraq doesn’t hit home nearly as much as the raw callousness of Congressman Sensenbrenner’s plan to make 12 million people instant felons, as well as anyone who gives them water or food, education or medical care. Maybe we just haven’t taken enough time to organize all the diffuse anger about Bush, beyond complaining to our friends.

Here the stakes were clear and immediate. People turned out despite the risks of being deported, because had Sensenbrenner’s bill had gone through, as might well have happened without these massive outcries, life would have immediately gotten far harsher and crueler. So for those of us who didn’t march but claim to act for justice, we need to heed the lives these voices represent, and do what we can to ensure they are heard. We also need to link this issue of fundamental human dignity to all the threats that make it difficult for people to live and flourish on this earth. Maybe by finding their voice and courage, those who marched in America’s cities these past weeks can teach the rest of us how to come out of our own shadows and fears and join across our own divides.

Paul Rogat Loeb is the author of The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear, named the #3 political book of 2004 by the History Channel and the American Book Association, and winner of the Nautilus Award for best social change book of the year. His previous books include Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time.

See www.paulloeb.org

To receive his monthly articles email sympa@onenw.org with the subject line:
subscribe paulloeb-articles

IT'S A GIRL!!!
Topic: Personal
The Indy Voice is now a proud papa.

Genavieve Lee was born April 4th, 2006, weighing 7 pounds, 15 1/2 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long.

Mr. and Mrs. Indy Voice are really tired but very happy!