Where is David going this time?

LONDON! : )

Yep, I decided to attend that wedding of my friend. Some people have suggested that, given our history together, I shouldn't. But then others said I should go...sort of as a 'parting' gesture, to see my friend off into marriagehood, but at the same time also close an open chapter in my life.
I guess it'll be 'bittersweet', and I hope it's more of the latter than the former. At the moment I'm feeling happy for my friend, really glad that he's found someone to settle down with. I'm not sure whether this will change once I see him really walk down that aisle (or whatever it is they're planning to do at the wedding--I really have no clue!). All I know is it's in Poole, on the south-west coast of England, and that I should bring a suit. And be there at six.

I'm looking forward to this trip actually, for other reasons. I mean been at home and not had any progress with my job applications and been really feeling stuffy and sometimes depressed lately. Going away for a couple of days will do me some good. Besides, I get to see London again, a city I spent three years of my life working and studying in. And get to see old friends too.

I'll be staying at a good friend's place while in London. He and I have some 'history' together too. Nothing too intimate, since when we met he was already with someone. But we do share a lot of life experiences (again mostly the bad ones), and get along well. In my final year he'd come over to my place often and stay the night. I guess I needed that, the company and talks, since I was a bit lonely that year, and really stressed because it was the final. He has a strange habit of sleeping naked, which was.......*cough* 'distracting' if you're in the same bed.

Anyways, it should be an interesting trip.

I should be back Monday...if nothing happens....

Oh, just to be clear to everyone, should anything happen, I have not part in any plot, conspiracy, scheme whatsoever. I have nothing to declare, nothing to hide.
: )

AIDS and "men who have sex with men"

With the on-going AIDS conference in Toronto, it’s become apparent that the world is not doing enough to combat the disease.

Shocking results from the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) survey:

The CDC last month published a survey of 10,000 men who have sex with men - the term preferred by epidemiologists, as some such men do not consider themselves gay or bisexual. They were questioned at bars, dance clubs, gyms, raves, beaches and on the street in 17 cities between 2003 and 2005.

The survey found that 77 percent had been tested for HIV in the previous year. Testing is a crucial prevention tool. Studies have shown that each year, 11 percent of people who do not know they are infected transmit the virus to someone else, compared with 2 percent of those who do know. Overall, it is estimated, about one-quarter of infected Americans do not know their status.

Forty-seven percent of those interviewed said that in the past year they had engaged in unprotected anal sex - the riskiest activity. Ninety-eight percent had gotten free condoms. But only 15 percent had had one-on-one risk counseling, and only 8 percent had had peer-group sessions - two interventions found to change behavior.

Lieutenant Ehren Watada

“One who breaks an unjust law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

A powerful plea by conscientious objector Lieutenant Ehren Watada on why he refuses to fight this war and all that it stands for.

“No one knows the devastation and suffering of war more than veterans - which is why we should always be the first to prevent it.”

A radical, but not new, idea

“[…]I speak with you about a radical idea. It is one born from the very concept of the American soldier (or service member). It became instrumental in ending the Vietnam War - but it has been long since forgotten. The idea is this: that to stop an illegal and unjust war, the soldiers can choose to stop fighting it.”

Why is the war illegal and immoral?

“The American soldier must rise above the socialization that tells them authority should always be obeyed without question. Rank should be respected but never blindly followed. Awareness of the history of atrocities and destruction committed in the name of America - either through direct military intervention or by proxy war - is crucial. They must realize that this is a war not out of self-defense but by choice, for profit and imperialistic domination. WMD, ties to Al Qaeda, and ties to 9/11 never existed and never will. The soldier must know that our narrowly and questionably elected officials intentionally manipulated the evidence presented to Congress, the public, and the world to make the case for war. They must know that neither Congress nor this administration has the authority to violate the prohibition against pre-emptive war - an American law that still stands today. This same administration uses us for rampant violations of time-tested laws banning torture and degradation of prisoners of war. Though the American soldier wants to do right, the illegitimacy of the occupation itself, the policies of this administration, and rules of engagement of desperate field commanders will ultimately force them to be party to war crimes. They must know some of these facts, if not all, in order to act.”

Actions reminiscent of Nuremburg

“The Nuremburg Trials showed America and the world that citizenry as well as soldiers have the unrelinquishable obligation to refuse complicity in war crimes perpetrated by their government. Widespread torture and inhumane treatment of detainees is a war crime. A war of aggression born through an unofficial policy of prevention is a crime against the peace. An occupation violating the very essence of international humanitarian law and sovereignty is a crime against humanity. These crimes are funded by our tax dollars. Should citizens choose to remain silent through self-imposed ignorance or choice, it makes them as culpable as the soldier in these crimes.”

Duty of a soldier

“Aside from the reality of indentured servitude, the American soldier in theory is much nobler. Soldier or officer, when we swear our oath it is first and foremost to the Constitution and its protectorate, the people. If soldiers realized this war is contrary to what the Constitution extols - if they stood up and threw their weapons down - no President could ever initiate a war of choice again. When we say, "… Against all enemies foreign and domestic," what if elected leaders became the enemy? Whose orders do we follow? The answer is the conscience that lies in each soldier, each American, and each human being. Our duty to the Constitution is an obligation, not a choice.

What the public can and should do

“[…] for the soldiers to stop fighting it, they must have the unconditional support of the people. I have seen this support with my own eyes. For me it was a leap of faith. For other soldiers, they do not have that luxury. They must know it and you must show it to them. Convince them that no matter how long they sit in prison, no matter how long this country takes to right itself, their families will have a roof over their heads, food in their stomachs, opportunities and education. [… Why must Canadians feed and house our fellow Americans who have chosen to do the right thing? We should be the ones taking care of our own. Are we that powerless - are we that unwilling to risk something for those who can truly end this war? How do you support the troops but not the war? By supporting those who can truly stop it; let them know that resistance to participate in an illegal war is not futile and not without a future.”

Brave words, shouting against the wind, it seems, at a leviathan regime and its military arms of control and war. We should support this cause however we can. We can write, we can demonstrate, we can inform others, we can help with whatever resources and means we can muster. Even if it’s just making others aware that there are those within the US, within the US armed forces that are not as blind and deaf to the lies and immoral justifications for the continuing chaos and wanton destructions in the world for the personal gain and pride of the few.

There’s no need for more blood shed, and resistance need not result in blood shed. With our silent defiance, with peaceful protests, swith our awareness of unjust causes bargained for in the name of our fundamental freedoms and principles, we can take a stand and say: “Enough is enough”.

And that is enough.

According to his mother, Lt Watada has since been charged by the military:

“In response, the military charged him with missing movement, contemptuous remarks against the president and behavior unbecoming to an officer. Taken together, these charges amount to 7 years in a military prison."

The war and other madness brought on by the current US administration may or may not stop as a result of our actions. But that is how it is with change. It takes a small step, a little action. And change will change itself.

For more of my (very) critical opinions on the war and US foreign policy in general:
visit my main blog

London calling...

Just had a chat with a friend I'll be staying with over the next few days in London. I guess I knew already, but didn't really think too much about it: the UK is in a state of emergency!
OK, they've just lowered the threats to "Severe" (second down), which is a little better than just before and after the foiled bomb plots. But it's still....severe.

Told me all these things I should be careful with, things not to carry, and he even wrote me an 'invitation' letter too, in case customs gets picky. I really did not think so far. Had a look around at the Home and Foreign Office websites, and there's really nothing much there. Even the Dutch foreign ministry hasn't issues a travel warning either; just mentioned that there might be delays, and that there's a possibility of bird flu (which also didn't cross my mind).
Was my friend just being (overly) cautious, or is it that bad??

Hm, I'll be travelling by train (Eurostar) into London... I guess that should be less problematic then flying. But still...

We'll see. This trip just got a more little interesting. 

Troubled men?

Here’s great article on how to be a man (gender), without being ‘man’ (macho sterotype).

To Be A Better Man:

Recognize the “three lies of false masculinity.” Athletic ability, sexual conquest and economic success are not the best measurements of manhood.

Allow yourself to love and be loved. Build and value relationships.

Accept responsibility, lead courageously and enact justice on behalf of others. Practice the concepts of empathy, inclusion and integrity.

Learn the importance of serving others. Base your thoughts and actions on “What can I do for you?”

Develop a cause beyond yourself. Try to leave the world a better place because you were here.

LYLM Ch12: The beach

OK! The latest installment of the story is up at Nifty and GA!
HAPPY READING! And please do send in any comments or suggestions you may have!

" The Beach"

A row of orange lights lined the street we travelled like torches.



I gasped, slowly turning my head to capture the world around us. From where we stood we could see far and wide. Before us lay an open stretch of beach, extending like a soft blanket with wavy loose ends where the sea brushed against the coastline. A mass of clouds draped over the sea, dense and thick and dark at the centre, but thinning out on the fringes to resemble soft swabs of cotton buds carelessly littered across the night sky. Sprinklings of grass, on what I realised now were the dunes, tossed their bodies in a lively dance under the wind’s spell.

LYLM Ch12: The Beach

As best I could make out, we were at the foot of a column of small hills
that stretched like an uneven barricade before us.

I looked ahead at the small waves that silently caressed the sand, and
carefully listened to the soft sound of the sea flowing and ebbing, flowing and
ebbing. Listening carefully, it sounded like a constant resonance of muffled
applause. At times the water seemed so certain and brave as it spread onto the
beach, drenching and consuming everything in its path.

A mass of clouds draped over the sea, dense and thick and dark at the centre,
but thinning out on the fringes to resemble soft swabs of cotton buds carelessly
littered across the night sky.

In the distance, yellow and orangey lights flickered and sparkled. I imagined the thousands, or perhaps even millions, of poor souls who were crowded in the sprawl of cities, trapped in a world far, far away from the one in which Leo and I found ourselves.

LYLM: Buddha and Star Wars

• Well, the link may not be so far fetched as you think.

There are lots of things in Buddha's teachings that are well reflected in George Lucas' epic stories in space. The emphasis on 'balance' (middle way), the idea of karma (doing good gets good in return, and conversely is also true), the search for inner peace through meditation. Why Jedi Knights could even be seen as Buddhist monks, with austere ways of living, their attempts to cut off emotions and not be affected by the ups and downs of daily life.

Have to see it to believe it. Or believe it to see it.

There's even a book about this, called the Dharma of Star Wars

Sexuality in the US army

• Gays in the US military can be discharged for being openly gay. But a West Point student recently received an award his thesis, which argued that “the military's policy banning gays is not only wrong, but harmful to the Army”. (First read on the Daily Dish)

“

Under the Pentagon's policy, the military is prohibited from inquiring about the sex lives of service members, but those who openly acknowledge being gay must be discharged. There were 726 military members discharged under the policy during the year that ended last Sept. 30.”
[…]
"I have a problem where you have a military that says you can't discriminate based on race; in all but very minimal ways you can't discriminate based on gender, and you can't discriminate based on religion or lack of religion. The only people not getting a fair shake were homosexuals," said Raggio, who is from Muncie, Ind., and describes himself as "about the straightest guy you can imagine."

• Sexual abuse in the (US) army. Appalling account of victims subject to more humiliation and chastised, instead of being believed and protected.
  
  

“Women and men have been sending us their stories of sexual abuse and harassment. Jessica was raped multiple times in South Korea and treated like a liar when she tried to report it. Lawanda was raped by a colleague in Afghanistan. When she asked for medical care, she was told she could not receive care until she filed a formal complaint. When she did file her complaint, she was transported to care on the same plane as her attacker. Each of them were humiliated by command and treated with disrespect. Now both women are fighting to come home. Why is it we are not protecting these women? I was speaking at the Oregon Country Fair and a young Iraq vet came up and spoke to me about his ruined mental health after being sexually abused by one of his sergeants. He said, "I would wake up with the sergeant's cock in my mouth." This type of abuse has got to stop.

It's bad enough we are sending our young people to an illegal occupation. But we must draw the line at our military having to defend themselves from sexual predators. […]”

There’s an online petition for Suzanne, an MP who served in Iraq and was sexually abused during her duties. She’s now spending time in jail because she refuses to go back to Iraq, as a result of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as well as Military Sexual Trauma.