…….I am writing to you (and to any other American who wishes to share in this) because I, like many Americans, want to help our country get back on track.  Call it a cry for help or a public plea of a distressed citizen, but I digress.

…….My personal situation is hardly the worst it could be: I’m a graduate student living with my parents and partially self-funding my education with my own personal savings (I’m taking out loans for the rest).  On the other hand, I graduated in May of 2010 and have worked a total of only five months since then at a variety of jobs, always for $12 an hour or less.  Compared to other people my age, I consider myself to be incredibly lucky.  Think about that – lucky to have a supportive, loving family that has the means to keep me afloat while I struggle to get out on my own, barely holding down a poverty-wage job.  It’s heartbreaking and discouraging to know that so many others my age aren’t so fortunate, and I wonder how their futures will unfold.

…….Mr. President, I donated to your campaign, voted for you, and have defended your actions to the people that I encounter who disagree with or disapprove of them.  I, and many others like me, were swept up by your lofty rhetoric and cool demeanor.  I genuinely believed that your election would spell slow but steady improvement in our lives.  You campaigned on hope, but since your election Americans have only grown more hopeless.  Our situations are worse off now than when you took office, and as of now, I will be neither voting for you nor donating to your campaign in the next election because honestly, I and many others in my position – the very same people who put you in the oval office – feel betrayed by you.

…….I am very much aware that you did not create the enormous problems that our country currently faces.  You didn’t enact the policies over the past 30 years that triggered an economic collapse that some Cassandras knew was coming.  You aren’t responsible for the way wages have stagnated for 30 years while corporate profits have skyrocketed.  And of course I cannot blame you for the disgusting gridlock in Congress.  But your failure to make any credible attempt to rectify any of our problems has now made you complicit in them.

…….You are now two and a half years into your term and have been nothing but a disappointment.  The way you refused to fight for a public option in the health care debate.  The way you refused to expend any political capital to punish the people whose recklessness and greed caused the collapse (and how your administration, bafflingly so, is resistant to any attempt at holding those people accountable)! The way you cave to John Boehner and the Tea Party every single time a confrontation arises, be it the debt ceiling or the date of your supposed major address on jobs.  The way you allow blatant falsehoods about the economy and policy to circulate like the bubonic plague while refusing to provide your own narrative of what has happened in America.  The way you try to negotiate with those who have made clear their only goal is to bring you down.

…….You do not lead, you preside.  By the same token, you do not compromise, you capitulate.

…….In fact, your governing style (or lack thereof) is mind-boggling.  Mr. President, you refuse to stand up for your supporters while you try to reason with the unreasonable.  The opposition party has made it clear that they have absolutely no interest in working with you.  Don’t you remember when Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor that his primary political objective was to deny you a second term and to not solve our country’s problems?  I understand that good politics is about compromise, but when have any of your priorities not been sacrificed on the altar of bi-partisianship with nothing in return?  You just recently gave away the ability to regulate smog and got what in return?  That’s not a negotiated compromise, that is a giveaway – a sign not of strength, but of spinelessness.  You are actively abdicating your responsibility as President to be a leader.

…….Maybe I should have paid attention to the fact that you voted “present” more times than not in the Illinois legislature – a sign that you were afraid to do anything that might present an ounce of risk.  Maybe I should have thought twice when you tossed to the curb the man who married you and your wife, who was your “spiritual mentor” after a smear campaign comparable to John Kerry’s swift-boating.

…….Now, I have noticed how you stubbornly refuse to take positions beyond vague ovations of improving health care and appeals to a supposed American Exceptionalism.  At a time when the American people needed someone who would stand up for them, who would lead them and be unafraid to take a controversial position that he truly believes in, they mistakenly voted for someone who flees at the first sign of confrontation.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the man who said of the Wall Street banks (your campaign contributors) “I welcome their hatred” is rolling over in his grave.  Not only have you been an ineffective President, but also a failed Democrat – a party I was forced to abandon after years of active support when I felt that they turned on me.

…….I say with complete, unshakable honestly that I take absolutely no pleasure in doing this.  But with my firsthand experience and things I know about the current state of our economy, the trend is dismal, and reasons to be optimistic are harder and harder to find.  Your inability to successfully govern the country coupled with the undeclared war against the average American people by her own elites are causing America to crumble right beneath your feet.  I don’t even know for sure who’s side you’re really on anymore, the side of the people or the enemies of the people? Please be the president that I voted for in 2008. Otherwise, get out of the way.

………………………………………………………Sincerely in Frustration,

………………………………………………………Dave Imbriaco

______________________________

Photo courtesy of projectcensored.org

(http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/22-obamas-trilateral-commission-team/)

Alex Giannattasio: Civic duty is the moral imperative that members of society actively protect the rights of society as a whole. There are many ways to fulfill this duty, one of which, for instance, is voting. By collectively engaging in the democratic process, our society as a group agrees to work out its differences peacefully in exchange for giving everyone a voice. This in turn sets a baseline for the group’s peaceful coexistence to stand upon, thus preserving the basic rights of every individual.

But voting is not the only way to engage one’s civic duty. Voting takes such a small effort that the possible impact per person is diluted anywhere from hundreds to millions of times over. A more active way to meet one’s civic duty is to work in one’s local community to improve the quality of life of the most needy, and to just improve it in some valuable way. We as a nation are in fact living up to this now: community engagement in America is at very high levels, with 111 million Americans volunteering their time in the past 12 months and 60 million volunteering on a regular basis. The Future of American Power by Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Foreign Affairs, Vol. 89, No. 6, at 10. Community engagement bears a much bigger impact per person and improves the quality of the community in which you live. In the short term, this kind of civic participation can be much more valuable to a nation as a whole, because it translates into social improvement at an extremely efficient cost.

Michael Stuzynski: Americans have a sense of civic duty because after over 200 years people are still somewhat conscious of the concept of the Revolutionary War. The fact that people fought and died for your right to vote, among other things, is everywhere in culture, and is reiterated with every new war that our country fights. It’s less a sense of a duty and more a sense of a responsibility that is owed to the respectful remembrance of people from the past. But it’s also pretty cool that you can be responsible for firing the leader of the free world, and all of his oafish minions.

Jhoany Benitez: When I first read this question, I was immediately going to answer “Yes, definitely. It’s your right, so, why not? People in Cuba wish they could make a difference.” But then I opted to put some real thinking into my answer and ended up completely changing my mind. So my real answer is No. I think that the United States shouldn’t have a notion of civic duty. Why? Because people should not be forced to do something. Voting, to be exact. “It’s your right as a citizen!” Does this mean that I have to run out and vote—even if I don’t even know who I’m voting for? That’s why I changed my mind. Because I remembered hearing from friends who opted not to vote because they knew nothing about the people running.

Also, let’s say that you hate Republicans…but you don’t even know who’s running for either party. Does that mean that you’re going to vote for whoever’s representing the Democratic party even if you know nothing about them? This is where the notion of civic duty fails. I think it’s better to not vote than to shove down people’s throat the belief that it’s their “civic duty” to vote and have them vote blindly. So I say No to civic duty. Vote because you care, not because someone’s telling you to do so.

Dave Imbriaco: To me, civic duty is what is expected of a citizen in return for living within a system that allows them certain rights and freedoms – the RESPONSIBILITIES that come with those freedoms, if you will. There was a point in this country not too long ago when everyone who took high school social studies classes learn not only about how government works but how they must also actively participate in it. This seems to have all but died in our modern education, which is a tragedy of epic proportions. The mantra of a good social studies class went that it creates not only good students but good citizens. Also, it wouldn’t be called our “duty” if it was an easy thing to do. It sucks to choose between a giant douche and a turd sandwich, but you, as a citizen, still have the duty to make that choice because you live in a democracy. There are countless other ways you can get involved in a democracy but this is the most basic of all. /rambling.

Billal Ahmed: I find it interesting that while young people often have no problem condemning strict notions of what it means to be a good Muslim or Christian as a danger to global security, they hesitate to criticize civic duty for the same reasons. I have no problem with the idea of improving a nation through the idea of civic duty, whether through volunteering, teaching, building, etc. However, I blame civic duty for the prevalence of worrisome nationalism which inevitably begins to infringe on the rights of others. Civic duty easily leads to civic elitism, which reinforces the notion that a particular nation is special and requires extremely lamentable acts to be carried out in order to preserve that status. One could argue that civic duty is a fundamental motivation for the vigilante bands currently patrolling the United States border with Mexico. One could also argue that civic duty lead to the vengeance-fueled invasion of Afghanistan nine years ago with Operation Anaconda, which was blinded by passion and thus badly disorganized. Civic duty is excellent under the same conditions that religious zealotry can be considered excellent- when it is used to fuel the betterment of humanity rather than the suffering of others.

Brian Connolly: We pay taxes…so, we already all do have a notion of civic duty. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great outlet for people who have the time, energy, and willingness to help their fellow countrymen (and countrywomen, out). But, quite frankly, people have live’s to live. If you want to run a YMCA program for underprivileged youth–knock yourself out, you’ll probably feel great doing it. But in no way should America institute a mandatory system of community building exercises. That encroaches on the freedoms that we have. And, as an interesting reminder, historical precedents that include an overwhelmingly strong concept of national duty include Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia. Just a thought.

Rebecca Zandstein: Civic duty, being the responsibilities of a citizen are demanded by America to some extent. Citizen’s are required to pay taxes and obey all laws of the state in which they live or are traveling to and the federal laws. Aside from the latter give or take a few citizens are expected to follow other rules that are not necessarily obligatory or concrete: like voting and being morally just to one another. While America does provide citizens with a code that they must follow I believe that the “unspoken law” should be followed as well due to the positive effects it can have on society and the individual(s). Civic duty allows individuals to participate in activities that many would literally die for the opportunity to do. Civic duty can assist others, whether below or above you in the hierarchy, in a manner that no one else might necessarily have the capability of. Regardless of the latter, America can only enforce a limited amount of written code/rules on its citizens despite that it might be tempted to enact the “unwritten code” onto its citizens as well. Unwritten civic duties are optional and those who view them as mandated have the benefit of, at a minimum, being viewed in a brighter light than other citizens.

Marlana Moore: There are certain attributes that make a person a good, admirable human being, regardless of nationality. When I think of civic duty, I think of those things I can do to be a good and responsible person in context to my identity as an American. Civic duty includes voting, obviously, but voting entails some other duties as well. In order to vote responsibly, you have to be aware of the candidates and know what they stand for. Similarly, being a responsible American involves knowing what your government is doing, and telling them what you think about it. I think if more Americans really took this attitude of their civic duty seriously, our government would not feel so removed from us, and we might instead feel that they are helping us.

Ben Kharakh: I think that America lacks both a cohesive and shared vision of what it means to be a good citizen and the means by which the virtues of good citizenry are to be cultivated. Rather than wait, however, for the government to improve or for people to start discussing what it means to be a “good American”, it’s up to those people who desire reform and deliberation to be the change they wish to see. That means asking one’s self, “What can I do to be a good citizen?”, which is the same as asking one’s self, “What can I do to be a good person?”

It’s important to be a good person for a number of reasons, one of which is that the way we treat others teaches them how to treat us, something that’s easier to discern on a micro scale with a family than on the macro scale with a nation. A nation, however, is just a family with a lot of people, which means that it simply takes longer for the treatment that we’ve taught others to come back around and affect us. But it will, it does, and we are seeing the affects of now more than ever. Not that this is anything new; we just didn’t have TV and Internet 2,000 years ago.

Who’s to blame for this? No one or everyone; take your pick. Personally, I find the question of, “Who’s responsible?” less useful than, “What do I do?” It’s a question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately.

Brendan Kaplan: By “sense” I think what you mean is cohesive whole, picture, or gestalt.

Any position on the matter, even one devoid of commitment to civic duty is nonetheless a sense. We HAVE a sense… is it the right one?

I think the question really is then, what type of sense of civic duty should individual Americans have? How does this sense impact the greater country as a whole?

Things tend to function fractally, and that means the the number one thing you can do to change the country is to change yourself. To determine what type of country we should have, is to contemplate what type of people we should be. In short, by asking if there is a proper type of civic orientation, we are asking ourselves if we think that there is a proper way to act or not.

I am of the mindset that there is. I guess then, that I believe that we as individuals, and therefore collectively as a country, should maintain a set of behavioral standards. Our question further suggests that those personal standards that I think we should maintain are relevant to the way the nation functions as a whole.

OK, so what standards should these be?

I think it is very difficult to predict how any process will manifest in any specific situation. The content may be different for different people. For example, to become more well rounded, a really rich arrogant kid might be well served by working in a field for a week and being treated with little importance, while an illegal day-worker might truly benefit from being prodded to act arrogant and demand Pellegrino sent to his table. The content of the process of balance is different depending on the direction any particular actor is coming from.

Thus, by realizing that individuals can attain balance by acting in seemingly divergent ways, and considering that a cohesive national “feeling of duty” would necessarily account for these diverse methods of balance, a true and proper sense of civic duty would have to connect and encompass all of these facets.

Our duty must be then to translate the experiences of individuals within the country into content that others can understand as of the same process as their own. Civic duty isn’t about symmetrization, as in what I call ‘the new diversity’ whose maxim reads “Nobody can be discriminated against, therefore everyone has to be exactly the same [when measured against pre-approved factors such as income, education, wealth, aptitude]” Instead, civic duty is about recognizing the differences in the individual stories that become aggregated into cultures and nations, and elevating those differences as the welcome product of a highly specialized humanity that has evolved traditions and customs that allow it to live in a variety of situations.

Interaction between these different cultures must be facilitated in such a way as to not allow the willful destruction of a culture simply for the sake of its destruction.

Civic duty, then, is about communication, accountability, and rights. These days, accountability is so often lost as people are reluctant to suggest that an individual’s perspective might be flawed for fear of offending a cultural perspective. To compensate, these same people often become overly concerned with communication or rights, and end up as misguided activists, protesting anyone and anything in their paths.

A further revision then: Civic duty is about a mediation of communication, accountability (consequences/ resolutions), and rights. Those concerned about their civic duty engage in processes that further these three ideals.

Way to go JVP!!

Jhoany Benetiz: I believe that this upcoming election is crucial. People are losing trust in our president and the Democratic Party, which I find very upsetting. I think that people need to learn to be patient and not expect drastic changes overnight. My family and I have been affected by the recession, so I totally understand why people are growing desperate and need things to improve. But, still, people should not lose hope like that. Obama’s doing what he can.

I know that not everyone agrees with this. I constantly hear my professors urge us to vote on Tuesday and make a difference. But, unfortunately, I will not be voting. Why? Because I’m a permanent resident and only American citizens can vote. Isn’t that something? But I would vote if I could. Believe me!

Brendan Kaplan: Yes, I will be voting. I’m more concerned with keeping my pulse on the local state of things rather than any of the other races.

Also, I’m going to be voting in Princeton, my hometown community. I’ve heard a lot over the past few years about students needing to make a bigger difference in the political landscape of New Brunswick. I think that that is great, as long as one plans on staying in (or owning property in) this city. Aside from that, I think a more genuine way to give back to the community that more or less graciously provides us a place to study is through local community action rather that local community politics. True service can’t be put on a resume and should be undertaken as a means to an end, in this case hopefully a healthier community.

Additionally, there are a number of issues that are important to me in good old P-town. My parents still live and own property there. There are also a number of changes happening downtown there, especially with the construction of the new hospital getting closer and closer to completion. I’m going to follow the progress there with a watchful eye, and hope everyone takes the time to lend their own personal expertise to their hometown races. We grew up there, we know the issues.

Bilal Ahmed: This question does not entirely pertain to me because I am a Canadian citizen. However, I would advise people to register their dissent. I understand that voting sometimes appears to be a means of enabling a broken system, but I have watched enough news programs in the United States to know that most statistics are based on registered voters rather than eligible ones. The only way for your decision not to vote to have any effect on how party politics are conducted is to register before staying home on Election Day. I realize that some will argue that both parties are fundamentally flawed, but I have noticed that most objections to the American political process in this area of the country come from frustrations with the Democrat Party. They are labeled as spineless, cowardly, and unable to take a firm stance on issues such as Afghanistan. If I were able to vote in the 2010 election, I would register as a Democrat and remain at home in protest because of President Obama’s decision to escalate the war. I’d register in protest of the Afghan troop surge, as I believe it to be a political compromise that relegates bloodshed to an international theater rather than risking it in Congress. President Obama has decided to place life and human morality below American party politics, and in response I would register my disapproval.

Matia Guardabascio: Yes. I will be voting in the election. I am voting because it is my civic duty to do so. I am voting because I want to make sure I did my part to help the country avoid the wrath of incompetent politicians. Voting in a state—Massachusetts— that is historically Democratic (except for Scott Brown), my voting day is less of a hot spot than most. Still, the gubernatorial race up here has been heated and I am anxious to cast my vote for a man who has done a good job as governor for the last four years. I am also anxious to remind Barney Frank that he will always win his district back home, in spite of the lies and propaganda spewing from the other side. And given the issues on the ballot this year (particularly the lowering of taxes), I feel obligated to go out and vote to make sure that the reasonable and responsible decision is made.

Mike Stuzynski: I’m voting because, even though I have honestly lost faith in politics, a right un-exercised is a right lost. And my faith in politics will be restored only when everyone who voted for the bailout is no longer in office.  Ask Alex G if he remembers how exciting it was last year when we found out that the House of Reps rejected it the first time.  We had quite the celebration, and that was honestly the last time I really thought that the government was paying attention to my interests and wishes.  The current health care law is a joke, but you’d only find that out if you read the entire thing (hint: it’s long).  Listen to the media and they either criticize it for the wrong reasons (the asinine–but possibly true–notion that it’s an unconstitutional use of the commerce clause) or emphasize one or two talking points again and again.  The bill failed to establish the goal of government run health care, but also did little to change the already highly structured and monopolistic private health insurance industry.  Instead of using the natural force of private competition to drive costs of care down, the law allows insurance providers to divide up the market and keep prices artificially high.  Because of all this, the law just does more harm than good. It’s like you sent your buddies out for beer, and they come back with a keg of O’Douls, and you still have to pay for it!

Alex Draine: It was my intention to vote, but I will not be voting because the great state of New Jersey has failed to send me my absentee ballot in a timely fashion.  Either that or the US postal service lost my application for an absentee ballot in its journey to Trenton.

Dave Imbriaco: I plan on voting today and in every future election.  Why?  Because it’s the LEAST that a responsible citizen can do in a democracy.  I know it’s a trite expression, but democracy is not a spectator sport.  You can’t expect to have your interests represented in government if you don’t take the time one day a year to cast a ballot, and that is really the barest minimum that someone who considers themselves a responsible citizen can do.  I would never expect for people to get as involved in politics as I do (doing what I do requires a bit of insanity), but I truly don’t understand why people don’t vote (well I do, I just tend to think their reasons for not doing so are stupid).  It doesn’t matter if your choice is between a giant douche and a turd sandwich (credit: South Park), you still have a choice to make.  If voting was always an easy thing to do, it wouldn’t be called a civic DUTY.  You are lucky enough to be born in a country where you have the fucking chance to shape your own government, anyone who puts that down is an unappreciative asshole in my book.

Moreso, it’s ESPECIALLY important that us young people get out to the polls.  Do you all really expect our parents’ and grandparents’ to solve all the problems that they created?  If the American youth doesn’t step up and assert themselves and demand their place in American politics, no one will give it to them and we’re fucked as a generation and a county.

The day that I’m convinced that my vote doesn’t mean anything, you’ll find me on the front lines of the second revolution.

Marlana Moore: I am going home to vote on Tuesday. My dad is running for council in my very small town, and he needs every vote he can get. I should have just voted by mail, but I forgot to get the ballot. I am not sure if my vote will matter all too much. In fact, I haven’t yet looked up the other candidates. The last two elections have been pretty big ones, and I guess I have seen the most aggressive campaigning in other states that are voting on senators. As a culture, we stress the gubernatorial and senatorial candidates so much more than local county positions even though that is the sphere where your vote has the most direct impact. But does anyone know who is on the Board of Freeholders, or even what they do? How about the County Sheriff? I don’t, and I think that I should. In Merchantville, I know that my vote will count, at least personally. I will probably continue to vote, just because I can.

Rebecca Zandstein: I will be voting in the elections on November 2nd. I do not think I can complain about certain local legislation and actions being taken by our House representative if I did not at least vote. Voting is the minimum that is asked of us to do as out civic duty [as citizens]; voting is an easy way to go out and show that I care about what happens within my district. I do not approve of those who complain about budgets and taxes (cuts and increases) and free markets versus extensive restrictions on businesses when they did not even vote for a candidate who abides by their ideology. Furthermore, voting encourages education: one needs to know the core values behind each candidate and many times research is required for values that are not understood in depth. Educating oneself within society for the benefit of self and others is, in my opinion, a primary benefit to voting.

Ben Kharakh: While I’m currently of the opinion that voting is less than the least that one can do, I also recognize that the government exists. A lot of times people get caught up in criticizing and theorizing without admitting that, hey, the world is a particular way right now. If you’re going to try to change anything in anyway, you’re better off taking the current state-of-affairs into consideration. So, I will vote.

At first I was going to pick the candidates who seemed like they’d come closest to voting in the manner that I would vote, but they all fell short of that standard. And that’s based on websites designed with the purpose of making the candidates look good! So, rather than voting based on who I think will do the most good, I will vote based on who I think will do the least damage.

Why’d you come to Rutgers?

Not really for good reasons, initially (laughs).  When I was going into my senior year of high school I wasn’t totally sure that I even wanted to go to college.  I had a more or less miserable experience in high school (primarily the first half of it) and absolutely hated school.  I also had a bunch of friends who were enlisting in the Marine Corps.  I spoke with the recruiter on multiple occasions and was probably really starting to confuse and scare the crap out of my parents.  I ended up applying to only four schools, Rutgers being one of them because it, well, just made sense to.  It was close, cheap and a good school.  In the end, I got into three of my four schools and out of those three I only visited Rutgers and the just came to accept that I would be going there.  I know that sounds rather dismal but as soon as I got to Rutgers I became totally content with my decision.  I had a great time here in almost every conceivable way.

How has Rutgers changed you as a person if it changed you at all?

Damn, where to start?  Probably the single biggest effect Rutgers had on me was exposing me to an incredible diversity of people, backgrounds, and viewpoints than I ever knew existed.  I grew up in Clinton Township, NJ – probably the single least-diverse area of the state.  It’s pretty much all upper-middle class white conservatives and I was so excited to break out of there and see new and different things.  Not to patronize them, but it was an awesome experience to make friends with people of other races, religions and backgrounds because I had never been exposed to it really before, aside from various adventures outside of Hunterdon County when I was growing up.  You really cannot underestimate how much of a positive impact simply being exposed to so much personal diversity can have on you until you’ve experienced it yourself, and Rutgers gave me that experience.  It was very mind and eye opening and I’m incredibly thankful for it.

You write about politics often. What’s your first memory of a political encounter?

1996, I remember it well and I was in third grade at the time.  I spent a lot of time in the “Enrichment Program” at my elementary school and one of the activities we did that year was “Balloteers”.  Essentially, a group of like 20 of us were pulled out of class to learn more about the political process and about President Bill Clinton and Senator Bob Dole.  At the end of the program the students involved ran a mock election and polled the entire student body.  I remember Dole won but, hey, lose the battle, win the war.

What sort of role did politics play in your life growing up if it played any at all?

I can’t overstate it; politics runs in the family.  My grandfather was a city councilman in Linden while my Dad was growing up and he later became the city clerk and recently retired from that position.  My dad is now a councilman in my town after serving for something like a decade as the chairman of the Planning Board.  I grew up being forced to listen to National Public Radio in the car whenever my parents were in it and now my sisters and I are NPR addicts.  We’d always complain about it growing up but now we’re all pretty thankful we were introduced to it.  We’re all news addicts but I’m the biggest political junkie of the family by far.  Moreso than that, we were raised to value civic duty and to always do our part as citizens.

Did your parents introduce you to political thought?

Oh definitely.  I’m more liberal than they are but the apple did not fall far from the tree whatsoever.

When did you start to seek out politics on your own?

Probably around 7^th grade in the infamous year 2000.  I had a social studies teacher, Mr. Buschi, who pleaded with all of us to watch the news and pay attention to what was going on in politics.  I was one of the few that heeded his words and that was the beginning of my political trial by fire…that most of the other students didn’t want to hear about.  I was a super-immature communist/socialist/Marxist/whatever was the most rebellious thing at the time.  It’s silly now but it was definitely an important part of how my politics were shaped as I grew up.  When I see these kids nowadays doing stuff like that I see myself in them and it makes me laugh and sigh – I had so much growing up to do (and still do).

What sort of role did religion play in your life growing up if it played any at all?

Religion actually played a very significant role in my childhood and teen years, albeit reluctantly.  My family went to a centrist Presbyterian church (which has now swung super-hard right) and from the third grade on I was dragged kicking and screaming to church every single Sunday almost without exception.  It wasn’t because my parents were particularly religious or anything (they say they are and I don’t necessarily believe them – I think of them more as the spiritual but not religious type), but because they wanted me to be exposed to it.  Ironically by forcing me to wake up every damn Sunday morning and, if I ever wanted to have a friend sleep over on Saturday night, they had to come to Sunday School with me, they were training an atheist.  On the other hand, I ALWAYS participated and paid attention in Sunday School and was the kid who knew all the answers in the class.  I learned so much about Christianity (and saw a lot of anti-Catholic propaganda!)

When and how did you come to see yourself as an atheist?

I think the last time I ever felt religious was when I was 12.  Starting to call myself an atheist initially started out as rebellion against my parents and what my teenage mind perceived as authority, plain and simple.  I think I first started to use the word “atheist” to describe myself in 7^th grade, the same year that I started swinging further to the left in my political opinions.  I honestly just hated going to church every single Sunday and I was just starting to realize how many other ideas about religion were out there, giving me many possible ways to harass my parents that I thought church was stupid and pointless (laughs).  The stories I heard in church also quickly made less and less sense to me as I lost the mystical childhood perception of things that Jean Piaget mentions as we move towards developing formal cognitive operations.  I’d say by high school I had a solid intellectual basis for my atheism coming from all that I had reluctantly learned in Sunday school, teenage rebellion and exposure to more ideas about the subject.  Over the years after that I would swing between atheism and agnosticism.  I also briefly experimented with Buddhism during my Freshman year of college but when all is said and done, I am still an atheist, will live like an atheist and will die an atheist, and I’m incredibly comfortable and happy with it.

Those who oppose the construction of these two Muslim buildings have become extreme in their opposition. Some opposition signs read, ‘Mosques are monuments to terrorism,’ a disgusting display of a blatant lack of decency and respect for other cultures. How incredibly ironic it is that some of these protestors are instructing people to “Vote for Jesus”; this makes me question whether or not these so-called patriots actually understand anything about America’s relationship with religion.

Islam did not attack the World Trade Center on that fateful, horrid day. It was 19 men acting on a twisted and destructive interpretation of one of the world’s most widely-practiced faiths that did the horrible deed; then-President George W. Bush even made that specifically clear in the days following the attacks.  It would be just as unfair to label all Christians as supporters of the Ku Klux Klan (they claim to be a Christian organization) or to label all Jews as militant Zionists.  Any religion can be read as a religion of peace or a religion of violence, just as Crusader Christianity existed, as well as Quaker Christianity, which advocates pacifism.  No single person or group can possibly have a monopoly on a religion that preaches a personal relationship with his or her creator (this obviously excludes the Catholic Church).  Protestants would be wise to acknowledge that mainstream Islam preaches an almost identical message – those who practice Islam experience a personal connection with God, just as a Protestant does.  They also feel a sense of community when they go to the Mosque to pray with their fellow congregants, just as a mainstream American Protestant would when going to church.  It’s actually amazing that mainstream Muslims and Protestants do not get along better than they do now!

According to the New York Times, in the United States contemporary Mosques are actually active deterrents to radicalization and terrorism.  The Times cites a Duke University/North Carolina University study which states “that many mosque leaders had put significant effort into countering extremism by building youth programs, sponsoring antiviolence forums and scrutinizing teachers and texts.”[1] The conclusion here is obvious: if we as a society allow Muslims to assimilate into American society, there will be less radicalization of Islam.

It would have been so much easier for Mayor Bloomberg or the New York Historical Commission to say ‘No’ to the Mosque and Community Center. But then again, it is always easier to go on gut reaction rather than stop for a second and ask ourselves “Is this really what we stand for as a nation?”  Bloomberg and the city government deserve the utmost commendation for doing what is right, and not what is popular; this is the epitome of leadership.  If you haven’t seen the mayor’s incredibly passionate defense of the Mosque and freedom of religion, I highly recommend it; he has never sounded better in my opinion.  Giving in to our emotions is easy, but the struggle to fight our knee-jerk impulses and do what is reasonable and right is part of how we make progress as a nation.

It also seems like the further that one moves away from New York City, the more intense the opposition to the Park51 project becomes.  Does any one else find it odd that the people who are the most concerned and enraged about the project have almost no direct connection to New York City or the events of September 11^th?  Why the hell does Newt Gingrich care so much about it (besides to exploit a potentially divisive issue during an election year, as is his modus operandi) and why are random heartland farmers getting their panties in a twist over this?

In fact, there’s greater point that is crying out for understanding: these kinds of anti-Islamic protests and vitriol only help the terrorists.  Photographs of white Americans carrying signs saying “Islam is Evil” will, without a doubt, be used to convince more disaffected Muslims throughout the world that American really is anti-Muslim, continuing the narrative that they want: America is a bully that hates Islam and must be destroyed.  However, signs of tolerance and dialogue between the faiths (and the unfaithful; and yes, America is technically a secular country but one cannot ignore the reality of the inherent religiosity of the vast majority of American citizens) will take the wind out of the sails of those who deliver such messages.

Let us not forget the words of Benjamin Franklin: “They that would give up essential liberty for temporary protection deserve neither and will lose both.”  Depriving the rights of one group because we’re afraid of, disagree with, or morally disapprove of them leaves us all that much lower on the moral totem pole and strips us of what makes our nation so great.

Today’s Submission by: God (Dave Imbriaco)

1. Recommendation of the Day: This is Why You’re Fat

This peculiar photoblog documents contemporary cuisine that’ll give you Chris Christie’s waistline in no time! Some of these delectable dishes include The Bacon Mug: a giant mug made completely out of bacon and filled with cheddar cheese; or the “Flatline Burger”: “a double bacon cheeseburger with peanut butter deep fried and served with two sides of Chipotle Mayo; or “Tony’s BLT”, featuring a pound of fried bacon on Italian bread with lettuce and tomatoes. I think I might be able to whip up a few things that would be worthy of sending there…

“The Bacon Mug”

2. Quote of the Day – “They that would give up essential liberty for temporary protection deserve neither and will lose both.” –Benjamin Franklin

3. Random Fact of the Day – Before becoming an actor, Johnny Depp sought a career as a rock star, playing in multiple bands in Los Angeles that never made it big in the 1980s.

4. Top Internet Pick of the Day: The Best Page in the Universe

A blast from the Internet past, Internet pioneer and satirist “Maddox” criticizes children’s artwork.

5. Discussion Topic: Rutgers students: Have you been a victim of the RU Screw? Tell us about it!

Today’s Submission by: Dave Imbriaco

1. Movie Recommendation of the Day: Army of Darkness
Probably one of the least appreciated and unintentionally funny movies in existence, Army of Darkness is the third and final installment of Bruce Campell’s Evil Dead trilogy.  This movie is the epitome of a “cult classic”: the plot is completely absurd, it was made in the 1980s and everything that is supposed to be somewhat scary is laugh-out-loud hilarious.  In this film, protagonist Bruce Campell goes with his arm-stub-mounted chainsaw and trusty shotgun through a time warp to medieval times.  In exchange for the chance to return to his time, our hero has to find a magic book and lead a village against an undead army.  Sound stupid?  Yes, it is.  Extremely entertaining?  You bet your ass.  Just listen for the line “THIS IS MY BOOMSTICK!”

2. Random Fact of the Day: Male horses masturbate by slapping their erect penises against their stomach.

3. Quote of the Day: “The Democrats need to push the rest of their agenda while their boot is on the neck of the greedy, poisonous old reptile. Who cares if a cap-and-trade bill isn’t popular, neither was health care. Your poll numbers may have descended a bit, but so did your testicles.” –Bill Maher on the Democrats and the passage of the recent health care reform bill

4. Top Internet Pick:  Aladdin From Compton…

5. Daily Discussion: Has the recent health care/college loan reform had any effect on you?  Is it going to in the near future?  If so, what?

Today’s Submission by: Dave Imbriaco

1. Recommendation of the Day: The Presidents of the United States of America  – Love Everybody (2004)
Calling all of you that grew up in the 1990s!  Remember the songs “Lump”, “Kitty” and “Peaches”?  The Seattle-based Presidents of the United States of American (casually shortened to just “The Presidents”) burst onto the scene in 1995 with their self-titled debut and enjoyed a few brief years of superstardom before disappearing from the limelight.  In this time, they have since released five studio albums and have not departed from their signature sound: catchy melodies that you cannot help but sing a long with, a post-punk feel, their signature modified “basitar” and “guitbass”, and characteristically hilarious lyrics.  I picked up their discography a few weeks ago and their 2004 album “Love Everybody” is a great one.

2. Random Fact of the Day: Pope Julius I decreed Christmas to be on December 25 in 350 in order to make it easier for Roman Pagans to convert to Christianity, who were already celebrating a holiday to Isis on December 25 and the festival of Saturnalia on the Winter Solstice.

3. Random Quote of the Day: “I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is and then cross it deliberately.” –George Carlin

4. Top Pick from the Internet: For all you Modern Warfare 2 players.  I’m still working on my throwing knife skills…

5. Random Discussion Topic of the Day: Do you feel like something big is coming soon?   Like, something that is going to completely change the world as we know it?

I look forward, only to see behind

The halls of ivy are all I know

But the vines won’t take me where

I think I need to go

How shall I plan when circumstances are so constantly chaotic?

My thoughts are obsolete the very second

They occur

Soon cast out into a world that isn’t

What we thought we were entitled to

I didn’t make this fucking mess

But now I’m my own life’s janitor

With a shit-stuffed toilet to look forward to

Disillusioned and demotivated

At the same time feeling the tug

Of a thousand chains in a thousand and one directions

How much longer before we’re all ripped apart?

And so the time draws nearer, the point of no return

It’s coming for all of us, ready or not

Doom?  Success?  Mediocrity?  Happiness?

Self-discovery?  Self-deluding?

Anyting?  Something?  Nothing at all?

Will I get that job?  Will it have health care?

Is it even worth it?

What will become of my finite, insignificant existence?

I can see them all as they prevent

Me from seeing them individually

At least for now I can still stare into the mirror

At least until the illusion is shattered