Wow am I tired of the rhetoric

How many people are tired of president bush, raise your hands if you're sure.

I was listening to his comments on NPR this morning regarding the pulling of troops from Iraq and I'm continually astounded at how unintelligent he sounds.

He states that with the conditions on the ground we would be doing our troops a disservice and we'd be leaving Iraq in a terrible state.

This I don't understand?  Rarely do we hear of Americans being killed when they report casualties; and Iraqi officials said that overall deaths are down from last month.  Yes, they just had a big batch of coordinated bombings yesterday but overall things are quieting.

Some say Iraq will fall apart and some say it won't if America pulls out but was it our objective to rebuild Iraq or simply to help them establish a government after the saddam regime?  I think we've accomplished that goal.

I think George had a different goal which was to use the united states military as a protective force for american cooperate interests who wanted a piece of the middle east pie and they all decided Iraq would be a great place to start.

I think what George Bush is doing and the decisions he's making are completely disrespectful to the American military and he dishonors all the men and women who fought for true freedom in places like vietnam, korea, and world war I and II.  George is just a little kid with a bunch of big toys and our being in Iraq has nothing to do with democracy or freedom at this point and it certainly has nothing to do with American freedoms. 

These are his pathetic attempts to cloak himself in the american flag and make our country feel guilty.  The soviets did long before George Bush did.  His father was much smarter.  I say anyone that supports George Bush Jr's war in Iraq is unpatriotic and does not support our military. 

It's not your personal protective force to be lent out to the highest bidder King George.

Stop Driving
Destroy Walmart
Ventura for President

Darrin F. Coe

Posted by dcoe1 at 10:56 AM EDT

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Today in the course of my job, I met with a prison inmate who said he used to be into the bible and God but felt like God had turned his back on him.  This offender is a former gang leader who has recently contracted a terminal illness and is locked up in 24 hour lockdown.

I asked him, if perhaps he wasn't the one who'd turned his back on God.  He shrugged his shoulders and just kept looking at me.  I went on to point out to him the story of Paul a man who pretty much had it all and then he became a christian.

Paul was then in the course of his christianity stoned, jailed constantly, put under house arrest, shipwrecked on a prison island, and eventually killed for his faith.  I then reminded him that Paul was the same person who wrote, "In all things I am content".

The inmate made a few comments about faith that encouraged me to continue and I pointed out to him that christianity is not a pie in the sky type faith; God calls us to obedience and if you look at Biblical Christianity the only way to really maintain your faith is through belief in things not yet seen and that God does reward those who seek him.  I asked him to remember that God calls us to bless those who curse us and to pray for our enemies; God says if a man slap you on the face, turn and let him slap you again; God calls us to take joy in our trials and sufferings. 

I reminded him that God's will is not that we have stuff or that we be happy but that we are, more and more, every day, transformed into the image of Christ and our trials and struggles are lights into that transformation process; for some it means going to prison and contracting a terminal illness and for others it means working with inmates everyday and leading a family of four.

Finally, I pointed out that God tells us the rain falls on the sinner and saved alike and the only difference between a christian and a nonchristian is the Christian has received forgiveness and begun the process of investing in eternity.

"just something to think about," I said.

"you said that better than the chaplain, thanks," he said.

Create Peace and Forgive it Back
Darrin Coe

Posted by dcoe1 at 8:22 PM EDT

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Reading in the Book of Isaiah this morning I found a passage that said the work of the righteous will be peace and the service of the righteous will be quiet and confidence.

I want to be able to tell people that my work is peace and I think this is a call to all who call themselves Christian.  Christians are to work for peace; it is to be their place of service.  Christians aren't supposed to support violence and aggression.  Christians aren't supposed to be mean or mean spirited.  Christians are to be quiet, confident and work in peace.

start with yourself then reach out to others in peace and we can change the world one relationship at a time.

Create Peace and Forgive it Back
Darrin Coe

Posted by dcoe1 at 9:09 AM EDT

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Today, I find myself struggling with a hard rockin' sinus infection: headache, runny nose, facial soreness and tenderness, clogged lungs, and lack of energy.  It generally sucks.

When I find myself like this I have a couple of options:  1.  go to the doctor immediately and get antibiotics; 2. drug myself with over the counter cold medicine (it's not working); 3.  change my viewpoint.

Today, as I sat at work I found myself thinking, "this bites."  then I had a thought, "this really shows me how precious fitness and health is, doesn't it?"

When we are sick we greatly appreciate health; when we are injured it allows us a greater appreciation for fitness.  Take a moment to change your viewpoint a little when life is sucking and perhaps with a change in view there will be a change in other places as well.

Create Peace and Forgive it Back
Darrin Coe

Posted by dcoe1 at 8:31 PM EDT

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walking in Joy

According to the book of proverbs those who counsel peace will walk in Joy.

how often do we, consciously or unconsciously, support aggression and violent behavior?  How often do we agree with our friends when they discuss crackin the boss in the head or smacking someone around cause they were driving abit erratic?  I'm guilty of it, of thinking how much I'd like to thump someone with a baseball bat. 

Instead we should try to change the way we think and even the small ways we talk so that we can counsel peace and make changes in our world one person, one relationship at a time.

Darrin Coe

Posted by dcoe1 at 9:06 AM EDT

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Ok folks I's been thinking abit lately (it's a bad habit I'm trying to break) about gasoline, cars, war, and king George.

You know, Abe Lincoln believed this was to be a republic of the people and by the people and this is especially true in the market place.  The problem is things have gotten flip-flopped in our collective psyche. 

For some reason we the people think we don't run things any more.  We've become stupid and we act like little lemmings.  We go to Walmart just because it's there and seems cheaper but Walmart has degraded and impinged upon the integrity and dignity of our American people at a psychological cost that can't hardly be measured.

We whine about gas prices yet we just keep buying that good ole' gasoline don't we.  You say, "I must be able to drive, I have to go to work, and to the mountains and to the camping places, and to the clubs" or whatever but your brain has left the building because the more you drive the more you support high gas prices.

And about king george and his Iraqi/war on terror ducky -- I'm getting tired of it and all the propaganda around it.  Hey George, what about a friggin' domestic policy or is that to hard for you to pronounce?  Guess George likes short word like "war" and "stay the course".  It angers and upsets me that George is using the united states military as his personal protection service and loaning it out to his big corporate friends who are establishing themselves in the middle east.

He tells us that it would be a dishonor to bring the troops home before they've accomplished their objectives but I thought th objective was to boot saddam and to establish a freely elected government -- Ok, didn't we do that?  I would think it's time to come home snoopy.  Leave in place consultants and trainers and bring the vast majority of the kiddies home so they can go back to school and grow up.

If the corporate goobers want protection let 'em hire security instead of pimping the united state military.

So here's what I suggest:

1.  pick you least favorite big box store and stop going there whenever possible.  Start shopping at the Mom and Pop or at least smaller chain stores even if they are abit more expensive -- you'll be striking a blow for intelligent people everywhere -- and then convince one friend to do the same thing.

2.  Drive less.  That's right drive less.  If you have to drive to work then only drive to work.  If you have a big gas guzzling pickup that only gets 8 blocks to the gallon or some other behemoth -- sell it or park it and purchase something more fuel efficient or of course trade it in.  and then with your new economic car (don't worry guys this is not a reflection on your penis size if you sell your big truck) drive less.

3.  Bomb the white house with emails telling King George that we want him to bring back our troops and focus on domestic policy and stop using scare tactics and unkewl patriotic gibberish to keep us not focused on domestic issues.  You can email the white house at here:   http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

The less we depend in petroleum products the more peace we can create.  Peace is not only a moral issue it is also an economic issue.  Let's take back the market place as one united group of American Citizens.

And thus starts my destroy the walmarts of the world campaign:  Drive less and shop elsewhere.

Darrin F. Coe
Found:  Secret Society for Peace and Liberty
http://dcoe1.tripod.com/peaceliberty

Create Peace and Forgive it Back

Posted by dcoe1 at 12:01 PM EDT

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something interesting in the book of psalms

As I was reading on the concept of peace, I came across several interesting verses in which Solomon, David's son, prays for Kings.

From these verses and others it is my perception that God desires peace among nations.  Even as he is a God of justice and might he desires nations to live in peace.  Solomon asks God to provide the kings with a desire for justice and peace, that they would rescue the poor and the down trodden and make a way for all to prosper (the darrin coe paraphrase)

This is my prayer as well, especially for the leaders of the middle east.  the leaders of Israel, the leaders of hezbollah, the leaders of hamas, the leaders of palestine, the leaders of lebanon.  I pray they would invest in peace instead of conflict management because I believe God honors the pursuit of peace and blesses it.

Darrin Coe

Create Peace and Forgive it Back

Posted by dcoe1 at 10:46 AM EDT

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According to the book of Psalms in the Christian Bible, God says we can have peace and prosperity if we will but turn from evil and deceit, be humble and pursue peace.

I like the idea of peace and prosperity -- pursue it with me.

Darrin Coe

create peace and forgive it back

Posted by dcoe1 at 9:06 AM EDT

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Confusion
by D.F. Coe

Hands upraised but
not these
days

does He
speak
Am I
listening?

Where to
go and
what to
do?  Lord,
how 'bout a clue?

Much dreaming
Much frustrating
Never hating
Tired of waiting
My life on a
pond skating.

Forget it
I make more
of it.  Just live,
love, pursue peace

and know God
is good.

Posted by dcoe1 at 8:11 PM EDT

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Mood:  incredulous

Puking part 3

Ok, I recognize that I've dumped something of a pile of vomitus upon you lately but I keep running into this stuff that simply rises my gorge and inspires me to perform the technicolor yawn.

Today my children were out playing on the neighbors trampoline (a wonderful energy burner), and another child was standing next to the tramp, pretending to engage in target practice with an "air" pistol (like an air guitar). 

I immediately said, "Excuse me we don't play guns, we don't shoot people, we don't practice shooting people.  So stop."

The child looked at me and stopped but otherwise did not respond and eventually left the area.

This type of behavior is not uncommon among children.  I go to church functions and children are pretending to shoot, cut, sword-stroke, or otherwise maim or kill one another in play all the time.  When I suggest that they play a game in which they cooperate as a team and perhaps pretend to be helping someone or something they tend to look at me with a blank stare, reminding me of someone having gone through the zombification process.

Makes me wanna puke.  All this pretend violence and aggression in our children.  We don't even think twice about purchasing them toy guns, toy knives, and other toys of destruction so they can happily pretend better ways to hurt one another.  Wow! then we have the audacity to wonder why there's school violence, and teen violence, and "my goodness, where did they learn that?" when we let them stay up and watch CSI or professional wrestling, or take them to see violent movies rated PG-13 or even R for that matter. 

Makes me wanna puke some more.

Parents must take responsibility for their children's behavior.  Pay attention to what you're teaching them by the toys, videos, and games you provide for them. 

Stop buying guns, and knives, and swords, or whatever.  If you want your kids to learn to fight take them to someone trained in fighting like a reputable karate teacher or judo instructor.  If you want them to learn to shoot wait until their old enough to understand about killing and death and then take them to a trained instructor.

I'm a mixed martial artist and no holds barred fighter and I let my boys both box and wrestle, under my tutelage so they understand that it hurts when you hit someone and you must take responsibility for that person's pain and provide the help if necessary.  I allow them to watch me train and fight so they can see the bruises and bleeding so they know that when you hit someone or get hit it causes real damage.  I spend alot of time instructing them that violent behavior should never be an option for an intelligent human.

So let's pursue peace, train our children up in peace, and teach them properly about pain and suffering and to empathize with others. 

Create Peace and Forgive it Back
Darrin Coe

Posted by dcoe1 at 4:45 PM EDT

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