the Dark Side of the Moon

A Letter to Americans

Imagine how the Apollo astronauts felt as their tiny craft drifted into the blackness of space. As they circled the "dark" side of the moon, they became completely isolated from all communication with Earth. They were alone, in the harsh vacuum of space.

It's amazing what Americans have done. Let's keep looking to the horizon. Humanity is limitless.

The world is what we make it.





sourmonkey... out.

Leaving Waco

I made it out in under ten years! ...barely. Of course, it hasn't it me yet, and who knows what it will look like when it does.

I'm might feel a little sad because I'm leaving behind some beautiful people. I've made some amazing friends during my time in Waco, and they've all inspired me in very profound ways. I'm blessed to be leaving Waco with my best friend in all the world, Bethany. Had I not naively left New Jersey nine and (355/365th) years ago, I could've never met her, and that would've been a tragedy.

I'm also leaving behind a church that I've grown very found of. This is something special to me because I don't usually like churches. I won't get into why, I'll just say that this church is something wonderful. It's a very dynamic community of idealists who desire to see through the veil of social secularism and into the heart of Christ and the design of God. I always felt inspired during the worship service, and I will miss this family very much.

I could go on about the mushy stuff, but I'll keep it at a minimum.

Well, it feels good to be leaving Waco. Austin just feels like home. I've always said that it was a little peace of New Jersey in the middle of Texas. It's the last bastion for "liberal" thinking in Texas, plus it's got music at it's heart. Can't beat that (unless you're a "conservative"... but I jest).

I'll be "blacked out" for the next week or two. Hopefully, once Bethany and I get settled, I can post some new music I'm working on.

Thank you guys for reading my blog. There aren't many, but my hit counter suggests that several people stop by everyday. Please, feel free to comment about anything.

Fahrenheit 9/11 and Me

I have an earlier post regarding this film.

So now I've seen the film twice. My opinion of it hasn't changed, it's an entertaining movie, and although it has it's subjective bias (what doesn't), it remains an important film for highlighting the influence of corporate profiteering within American foreign (and domestic) policy.

Bethany and I "won" tickets on a local talk radio program called The Morning Ritual with Garret Lewis. We met Garret and two other couples at the theater Friday night where the film was playing. Together we sat, we watched, and we discussed the movie afterward. It was clear that I was the "lib" of the group. Garret is, well, a conservative talk radio host. Don't get me wrong, he's a very nice guy, and I certainly find his show more entertaining than Rush, Hannity, et al. Garret is a year younger than me (he's 27), and after crossing paths with him on several occasions, I think he's a "liberal" in conservative's clothes. Perhaps he wears the face of a partisan pundit for the sake of his job, but deep down inside, he's a liberal. The other couples came from a military background, and although I appreciate their service to the country, their history has "shaped" their political preferences. They were staunch Bush supporters, and everyone within our group, except my wife and I, dismissed Fahrenheit 9/11 as fun, fallacious, and the product of the usual "liberal" propaganda. It was clear to me that they missed the point.

Garret asked us to come into the studio Monday morning to do an on air recap of our opinions regarding the film. As it turned out, it was just us guys in the studio; our wives had better things to do. Once we hit the air, the dialogue was fluid and well moderated by Garret. My only regret is that we didn't have more time to discuss our thoughts. During the progress of the conversation, it became clear to me that the three "cons" were fabricating their reasons for dismissing the relevance of the film. Basically, they were "making up" ideas to refute the ones that they accused Moore of "making up". Now, I believe that our "reality" is subjective, and that everyone is entitled to their opinion, but what they were truly doing was maintaining the posture of a closed mind. Heck, they're conservatives, after all.

Fahrenheit 9/11, despite the subjective narrative "fluff", contains many sobering facts that every American should be aware of. Interestingly, when I brought some of these up, no one in the studio refuted them, and one of the commentators, a gentleman named Ed, picked up on one of my points before I even said it (regarding the CIA's support of Bin Laden in the eighties during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan). I also mentioned Bush's profound financial relationship with the Saudi Royal family, the fact that the U.S. supported Saddam during the eighties, and that the drive for oil was the main motivating factor concerning American foreign policy in the middle east. No one argued against these. These are all in Moore's film. Of course, there's so much more to history than a handful of facts, but if one were to look deeply into the root of our "war on terrorism" regarding American "neo-imperialism", one would find some very dirty laundry. Saddam was one "soiled blouse" that had to go, and our reward for "liberating Iraq" is the world's second largest oil reserves. Oil and capitalism had everything to do with our invasion of Iraq. It wasn't over WMD, if that were true, we'd go after Iran, North Korea, and Israel. It wasn't because of our "war on terrorism". If that were true, we'd go after Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Israel. We placed 11,000 to 15,000 troops in Afghanistan to track down Al Qeada . If Bush was serious about fighting the "war on terrorism", he would've sent the 130,000 soldiers that ended up in Iraq. Instead, Bush has only made things worse in the name of personal economic gain for him and his cronies.

Near the end of his film, Moore says something to the effect of: "our troops have volunteered to lay down their lives for the sake of America's defense. The only thing they ask is that we don't place them in harm's way unless it's absolutely necessary...

Will they ever trust us again?"

Cheney's "Undisclosed Location" Revealed!

Vice President Dick Cheney has been spotted frequenting an Israeli zoo!



You can read more here:

Cheney In Israel

The View From Apollo 11

Think about life. It's easy to think about your life, but it's a bit more difficult to imagine how life appears to other individuals.
Everyone has their own interpretation of reality. Americans differ from Canadians and French. The Chinese appear different from the Arab world. One could say that humanity is a multi-colored quilt, and each color contributes to the whole of life on Earth.

We are ALL human. We have the same flaws, and the same beauty. We have the same disposition for violence, and the same dream of peace. This is true for everyone, on some level, and it certainly motivates us to act within our own best interest.

There is only one Earth, and countless ways to destroy life on it. Why can't we see the bigger picture?

Hockey in Central Texas

Last week, I heard in the news that Central Texas' only remaining professional hockey team has gone under. It seems there aren't enough fans to support it. Personally, I love hockey. I don't follow all the stats, but I love to watch a good game. This left me wondering, what would it take to bring fans in Texas back to the hockey rink?



Just add a some ice, and you've got yerself a pretty fine game.

MUSIC- DREAM SEQUENCE

This song is a precursor to another song I'm currently working on called "Beta Wave." This song is much darker with a faster tempo, and it contains some pretty raw and wild synth patches.

I wanted it to be dark and driving, synthetic and mysterious... like a good dream.

MUSIC- DAIZYS

This is a new song about flowers and bees. The name and the concept behind it were inspired by the sounds used in the song. I designed one of the synths to sound somewhat like a buzzing bumble bee because I was also using a "flowery" string arrangement to carry the melody. Funny enough, my wife commented that one of the synths sounded like a buzzing bee, but it wasn't the one that I had intended.

This song is actually a remake of that earlier version. I think it tells more of a story, but I'll leave that to you to decide.

to Lighten the Mood

these are a few recent jokes posted by "scatamousche" on the Karma Lab forum. You can click the link above to view MANY others. Have fun!

.. There was a boy who worked in the produce section of the supermarket. A man came in and asked to buy half a head of lettuce. The boy told him they only sold whole heads of lettuce, but the man insisted he only needed half a head. The boy agreed to ask his manager about the matter.
The boy walked into the back room and said: "Hey, boss, there's some idiot out there who wants to buy only a half a head of lettuce." Suddenly, the boy turns to find the man standing right behind him. He quickly added: "And this gentleman wants to buy the other half." The manager okayed the deal and the man went on his way.
Later, the manager called on the boy and said: "You almost got yourself in a lot of trouble earlier. I must say I was impressed with the way you got yourself out trouble. You think on your feet and we like that around here." The manager continued: "Where are you from son?"
The boy replied: "Canada sir."
"Oh, really? Why did you leave Canada?" asked the manager.
"They're all just whores and hockey players up there!" said the boy.
"My wife is from Canada!" exclaimed the manager.


"Oh, really!" said the boy. "Which team did she play for?"

(posted by scatamousche)


An American outlaw rides across the border into Mexico and robs a train,
taking several thousand dollars worth of gold. The Mexican police capture
the man and they're sure he's the train robber. But, they don't speak
English. So, they send a man to town to find an interpreter.

The interpreter shows up at the jail and the questioning begins:

Police Chief: We know you took the money and we want to know where it is
right now!

Interpreter: We know you took the money and we want to know where it is
right now!

Train robber: I don't know anything about any money.

Interpreter: I don't know anything about any money.

Police Chief: You see this gun against your head? Well, you have one minute
to tell me where the money is or I'll shoot. (Counting down from 60...)

Interpreter: You see this gun against your head? Well, you have one minute
to tell me where the money is or I'll shoot. And mister, I would listen to
him. I know the Chief and he's crazy!

Train robber: Okay! I'll tell you. Don't shoot! I hid the money in a cave
across from the big boulder on the edge of town.

Interpreter: Chief, he says go ahead and shoot. He will never tell you where
the money is.

(posted by scatamousche)


A fire fighter is working on the engine outside the station when he notices
a little girl next door in a little red wagon with little ladders hung off
the sides and a garden hose tightly coiled in the middle. The girl is
wearing a fire fighter's helmet. The wagon is being pulled by her dog and
her cat.
The fire fighter walks over to take a closer look. "That sure is a nice
fire truck," the fire fighter says with admiration.
"Thanks," the girl says. The fire fighter looks a little closer and
notices the girl has tied the wagon to her dog's collar and to the cat's
testicles.
"Little Partner," the fire fighter says, "I don't want to tell you how to
run your rig, but if you were to tie that rope around the cat's collar, I
think you could go faster."
The little girl replies thoughtfully, "You're probably right, but then I
wouldn't have a siren.

(posted by scatamousche)


on Exercise:

Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $5000 per month.

My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. Now she's 97 years old and we don't know where she is.

The only reason I would take up exercising is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there.

I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.

The advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier.

If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.

And last but not least: I don't exercise because it makes the ice jump right out of my glass.

(posted by scatamousche)

Sourmonkey LIGHT!

My new "half the carbs" blog. I don't quite know what to do with it yet. I don't think I'll make it as insane as this one... perhaps make it a bit more "even keeled."

I've dressed it up in red white and blue, because for some strange reason, I actually feel happy when I see those colors together. It's true.

I run the risk of spreading myself too thin with all of this blog action. I've got a 90% chance of blog burnout within the next few months. Oops, maybe now

Corporate Warmongers

I've been ranting about the root of violence, war, terrorism, et cetera, and it's relevance to the military industrial complex. Maybe that's not enough for some of you to see the problem with funding this drive to war the way we do.

You could see Fahrenheit 9/11, which clearly outlines the chain of evidence revealing "corporate" economic influence on war and foreign policy.

Or you could read an article entitled:

"A Cloud over Civilization
Corporate Power is the Driving Force behind US Foreign Policy - and the Slaughter in Iraq"

by JK Galbraith

Click the above link (in the post title). I think you'll find the author's credentials to be impressive.

or:

Read the article

on Post Modernism

Well, I'd provide an "official" definition for post modernism, but my dictionary couldn't provide it. So, you'll just have to sit with me as I attempt to explain this ideological phenomenon.

First of all, I think it is a mistake to think of post modernism as a twentieth century phenomenon. I think the cultural dynamics of post modernism have existed throughout human history. I remember looking up the definition of this "force" in an anthropology textbook of mine several years ago. Unfortunately, I don't have the book anymore, so I can't reference it exactly. Basically, the textbook defined "post modernism" as the breakdown of traditional cultural institutions and values. This would remain relevant to all forms of social belief, including religion, art, science, politics, and law. This type of social "evolution" has always happened in society. Some key moments in human history concerning the breakdown of traditional thinking are: the codes (laws) of Hammurabi, Greco-Roman democracy,
Christ, the Magna Carta, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Reformation, Civil Rights, etc. I'm being biased, as there is so much more, specifically pertaining to the scientific revolution. See also Copernicus, Newton, Darwin, Einstein, quantum physics, modern cosmology. Get the picture? History shows that what we "know" is always changing, or expanding. You can thank the written and spoken word for this, but as human population density expands, so does its territorial boundaries including all knowledge and belief of an individual culture.

What makes the idea of "post modernism" significant to today's society is the fact that we are "quickly" becoming a global society. Technology has given human communication an almost unlimited reach. A side effect of this is the present cultural conflict among nations. Of course, we've always had war, but our inter-continental "war on terrorism" is a perfect example of this. This is a war between cultural ideologies, initiated by the mutual belief that "my way is correct, your way is not." The idea of cultural relativism has everything to do with this. Perhaps "post modernism" may best be defined as the evolution and integration of culturally relativistic identities, wherein some cultural values fuse with new ideas while other traditional values break down. Basically, post modernism is cultural evolution on a global scale. It promotes the progress of human civilization. Simultaneously, in our nuclear age, compounded by our dependence on artificial environmental systems for sustainment, our blindness to the effects of post modernism threaten to destroy the very civilization we've come such a long way to build and protect, namely, the civilization of Earth.

Post modernism might be difficult to grasp. It represents an antithetical concept to our common beliefs, but we shouldn't hide our eyes from it.

Synthetic Realities

The above link will take you to my newest blog. This one is specifically concerned with America's War on Drugs.

Contemporary human society is synthetic- man made and maintained. It is my belief that all "realities" within human society are also equally synthetic and arbitrarily subjective. How often do you, good reader, consume a chemical to make your life "pleasant"? It could be a soda, like Coke or Dr Pepper. Maybe it's coffee, and a cigarette. Alcohol is another socially accepted "drug".

In a world where we promote the use of ritalin and adderall to children who can't "focus" in school, and where anyone can inject Botox to make themselves prettier, why do we support the criminalization of marijuana and ecstasy? Viagra, Levitra, Cialis, these can make sex better... with some negative side effects. It's a terrible double standard that society encourages the use of "legal" drugs and criminalizes the use of "illegal" drugs when, in reality, they are all "dangerous" to a certain extent.

Moderation is the key, in ALL things. Addiction is poorly understood in society, and as a result, it is stigmatized needlessly. Everyone is addicted to something. We should do more to recognize the roots of addiction, and live wisely.

sourmonkey merchandise

Now, you too can protest the evils of capitalism with this trendy lunch box. Impress all the boys and girls at work and at play.



Going to the golf course with the boss? Communicate your feelings on the economic direction of the company with this "patriotic" golf shirt!



Is your monkey sour? Try on these fleece shorts for a little snug support!

Yes, you can find all of these wonderful items and so much more on my merchandise web site (or click the link above)

on Free Will

I think free will might be a myth. That doesn't mean one can't still believe in it. However, I think this possibility is important to examine because this might provide a little bit of insight into human behavior. This is important to me in light of our world's continued political bickering. I've given it some intense thought, and this is what I've come up with.

Before I continue, I should add that I will refrain from any theological issues for the sake of time and "virtual" energy. Now, on with the post...

You can't choose the conditions of your birth and the start of your life. You CAN choose the end of your life, but most people fear this, and therefore, surrender that choice to time and entropy. Subconsciously, we often do things which threaten our lives, like, driving a car, flying, smoking, eating foods high in cholesteral, saturated fat, and sodium. Some people start fights, use drugs, and drink alcohol, often all at once, and then hop into a car to drive home... "I can make it..." they say. Let's say one brave sole does all of this and gets into a sudden accident and dies. Did this person choose their death? What motivated this person to do all of this activity in the first place? Was it some sort of instinct?

Humans are often defeated by disease, either through the genetic mutation of a human cell, or through the overwhelming force of biological parasites like viruses or bacteria. As a side effect to certain types of infection, feverous dillusional states of mind produce vivid hallucinations wherein the sick cannot distinguish actual reality from the dream reality. I myself have experienced this once when I was sick. I was very young and I remember seeing thieves walk into my room and steal pictures from my wall. All of this to me suggests that much of how we understand the world is determined nuerologically within the chemistry of our brain. We all "create" reality in our minds. Each mind is unique because each human is genetically unique. Each mind has it's own interpretation of reality, but together, we build society based on the collective agreement of our definitions for the exterior world. Most of us in America do this using the English language, the symbols of math, and a tremendous amount of subconscious body language. All of this is dependent upon our nervous system for "data crunching."

How many of our daily decisions are made instinctively? When I get hungry, the focus of my consciousness becomes seeking food. When I get sleepy, my consciousness begins breaking down, running a bit slower, until my eyes droop and I fall off to sleep. If I'm smart, I'll decide to go to bed before that happens. Once I'm asleep, I have a tendency to walk in my sleep. I don't do it as often as I use to, but sometimes I'd wake up in mid stride to find myself in the hallway. I would think "what am I doing?" Did "I" make the decision to get out of bed and walk to the front of my house? Not that I'm "aware" of...

I read an article by Scott Lafee entitled Undead Heads (unfortunately, you have to buy it now, but it's a good read). In it, he talks about how the majority of our CONSCIOUS activity is still determined by our subconscious minds. He says, "people talk without thinking all of the time." The author then quotes a Cal Tech nuerobiologist who says,"We all do things every day, virtually every minute, that do not involve conscious thought, from tying our shoes to driving to work or working out, to cooking dinner. These actions are essentially routine, automatic. You do them without thinking and often have no direct memory of them afterward." At times, we are all wandering zombies...

And then there's the sexual instinct. Oh, how that shapes the way we live. My point is, if free will exists, what is the nature of choice? What element of the human mind makes the decisions of one's life? Certainly*, it is not always the conscious mind. I'll wrap up with this...

Our nervous system, which carries information from the exterior world to our brain, is not perfect. Because each human is genetically unique, each nervous system is unique. Some are more "efficient" than others. Recently, President Reagan's death has illustrated the effects of Alzheimer's disease. My Grandmother herself is suffering from this, and it has made me aware of the tragic fate of this affliction. As the disease progressed, her behavior went through a retrograded process where she mentally went "back through time" to an infantile stage of life. As a result, she couldn't even feed herself, and needed constant care. My Grandmother didn't choose that life, it just happened.

I cherish all parts of my life, but I am not always in control...



*I will soon post my thoughts on why I think certainty is also a myth...

NPR and the gospel of Thomas

That "communist" radio outlet National Public Radio featured a program on the Gospel of Thomas on today's Fresh Air. As I listened, I was once again reminded why NPR is so valuable to society. There was no "talking head" political pundit preaching one side of "the truth." There was no malicious stigmatization of opposing viewpoints. There never is this type of thing on NPR. Only good, honest conversation, and if FOX NEWS is fair and balanced, then NPR is heavenly objectivity.

I invite all of you readers to follow the above link and have a listen for yourself. The program consisted of an interview with Elaine Pagels who is the author of "BEYOND BELIEF: The Secret Gospel Thomas." She is a professor at Princeton University, and her insight was very refreshing. At one point, Pagels juxtaposes the message of Thomas against the message of the gospel of John. She speculates that John was written later, perhaps, as an antithesis to the introspective gnosticism of Thomas. She points out that it is only in John where the apostle Thomas appears "doubting" or weak.

I read much of the gospel of Thomas many years ago, and I personally was struck by it's beauty and simplicity. Pagels references the early canonization of the Biblical texts, and points out that despite the Bible's implicit divinity, this process was bumpy and filled with great strife. She also implies that the thematic content of John, coupled with the New Testament books authored by Paul, promote the institutional establishment of the church, whereas the gospel of Thomas reveals Christ's message as a much more intimate and subjective faith in God's will, therefore potentially destabilizing the institutional foundation of Christianity.

Well, don't take my word for it, check it out yourself...

Fahrenheit 9/11

Americans through history have fought and died to establish and protect our "freedom of speech". The least I could do is pay $5.00 to see what is possibly one of the most controversial films to date. The fact that this film has been released, despite the efforts of many to prevent it, just goes to show that American free speech is rare and precious in the dim light of historical ideological totalitarianism.

I saw this film in Colorado Springs in a downtown theater which played it on BOTH of it's two screens. This was the only feature. I decided to seize the opportunity to see it because I knew that it would never make it to Waco where I live. Waco is some thirty minutes from Bush's "Western White House" in Crawford, and there is a snowball's chance in hell that Fahrenheit 9/11 would play there. Too bad. This is a film that everyone should see. In fact, you have no right to criticize it UNTIL you've seen it. Once you've seen it, say what you will, and I will respect that. But I will not respect the critical opinion of ANYONE who judges this film without having seen it first.

Is it propaganda? Yes. Everything breaks down to propaganda at some level... don't let this deter you from seeing it. Is it anti-Bush? Yes. After seeing this film, you might be too. Moore does a fabulous job at making Bush look like a fool, but, of course, Bush does this so well in the first place... Now, I'm not some naive liberal willing to believe anything that favors my opinion. Michael Moore's recent film told me nothing new. It simply provided the video clips (NOT filmed by Moore)and the paperwork to back up the reports that I personally have heard in the news over the last five years or so. It simply reinforced what I already knew. Nope, no surprises here, just that feeling of overwhelming relief that FINALLY, SOMEONE IS LIFTING THE VEIL TO REVEAL THE DARK UNDERBELLY OF AMERICAN CAPITALISM! Thank you, Michael Moore, I can't say this enough.

Now, some of you will get angry at this. No doubt, the derogatory names are popping to mind as you read this. The truth? No matter what you believe, anything is only a PART of the truth. Look deeper. Sure, you can reject whatever you want, but you are only ensuring your own ignorance. The world is BIG. You must ask MANY questions, and look closely to even BEGIN to understand how it works. Fahrenheit 9/11 does this... at least it's a start. Is it the complete truth? No, walking out of the theater, I thought, "man, I wish he would've included how Reagan supported Saddam in the eighties", or, "I wish he would've mentioned the historic pattern of western Imperial dominance in Iraq." He did hit on the "oil war" issue, and he provided the evidence to support this idea for both Iraq AND Afghanistan. Ever hear of fascism? This movie reveals the financial ties between the Bush family, the Saudi royal family, and American politics. Some of you might dispute this... go ahead, I'd like to hear a counter argument, but you better do a good job. He also hit on the fact that most of our soldiers at war come from low economic backgrounds. They defend an economic system that keeps them within the bottom economic tier.

No, Fahrenheit 9/11 isn't the whole truth, but what is? At least it's a glimpse at a reality which most on the "right" would pretend doesn't exist... until now.

Independence Day II

I could fill this space explaining why I like America... but that would be boring, and you, good reader, have been exposed to enough of that already. Instead, I'll explain why America isn't all that, after all, America is only as good as the Americans which believe it into existence, and we're only human.

First of all, we're really not that free... we couldn't be, or we would all be anarchists! The truth is, there are some things which I'm not allowed to say, well, actually, I could say them, but my blog would be shut down, and FBI (or Homeland Security) agents would come a'knockin' on my door. They might send me to Cuba (the only LEGAL way I could visit) and house me in a jail cell where I would sit in a legal blackhole indefinitely without charge (well, this was before the Supreme Court determined Bush's strategy was unconstitutional).

I'm also not allowed to take away someone's life, but I'm guaranteed the right to possess a weapon to which the sole purpose and design IS to take away someone's life. If an imperfect legal system determines that I have taken someone's life, America claims the right to take away my OWN life as punishment, despite the innate flaws of the judicial system. On top of that, most of the people who support this system of insane capital punishment also oppose abortion because "all life is precious", and they do this while simultaneously supporting war. Thanks America! You don't have to be intelligent to have an opinion, or to make a law!

American's love life. They defend their lives with nuclear weapons. That's wonderful! "Life is precious, and if you mess with us, we'll irradiate the whole country, and the Earth with it!" Once again, Americans prove the extent of their vision... a little history, a lotta here and now, and no future. Any animal can threaten another for social rank and security. We should be smarter than this.

The problem with America is the politicians. I'm sure most of you will agree with me here. Why don't we have intelligent leaders in government? Power. Intelligent people understand power to be illusory. People who hunger for power seek to get it, and we, through the miracle of democracy, give it to them.

Now, I like America because I can say these things, and the only people who wish me harm are conservatives, and I'm not worried about them. I like America because it is my home, and I wish to improve it for the better, for the sake of my children. I'm working on that...

I am in Colorado Springs for July 4th. This entry is the first of two, and I feel like I need to say this...

In church today, the pastor touched (briefly) on Christ's "sermon on the mount." He didn't mention this, so I will...

Luke 6:28

"Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who treat you spitefully. When a man hits you on the cheek, offer him the other cheek too; when a man takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well. Give to everyone who asks you; when a man takes what is yours, do not demand it back. Treat others as you would have them treat you."

Luke 6:35

"But you must love your enemies and do good;"

Luke 6:37

"Pass no judgement, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you shall be forgiven;"


The cycle of violence must end. Someone must take the first true step towards peace... if not us, then who?