Holy S**t! It's fascist picture story time!!
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14
I'm just going to post two pictures first and the story. I'll comment more later; one thing though: What is the difference between Muslims trying to defend their homeland by recruiting from mosques and Christians trying to defend their homeland by recruiting from churches? And this is coming from an old school Iraqi Assyrian Orthodox Christian. In plain speak, I think both are wrong any way you cut it. This absolutely blows my mind. This is another one of those whatever happened to the separation of church and state moments. Onward Christian soldier.
This first picture is the American flag clearly covering up the cross.
This picture apparently shows banners of the various branches of American Armed Forces hanging from the pews.
Now here's the story told by a self-proclaimed Republican, remember...locomono, whom I completely agree with besides the fact he supports the war:
First off, this is absolutely true and only happened about an hour ago. I am a Christian, a republican and support the war in Iraq, but this pisses me off in ways I cannot explain even to myself. This is not a debate thread, after you read this and look at the pictures, if you post anything it will be reactions, advice, or simple opinion. I know there are a lot of military personal in this forum and I would love to here what you have to say about this but if this turns into a flame war I will be extremely upset with whoever's involved. Now on to the story
The other day my dad tells me we're going to a "guy's night out" banquet. Innocent enough sounding, right? Well I haven't done anything that could be considered a favor for him in a long time, and it seems important to him if incredibly boring so, what the hell I'll go. He picks me up at the house around six. I nearly walk out the door about 5 times each time remembering something I've left behind, the last thing I go back for is my camera.
In the car conversation goes as awkwardly as it usually does with my dad,
"What is this thing anyway? Just sitting around card tables talking about good ‘ol days?"
"Probably not they've got one of the guys from the battle in black hawk down to talk about his time there"
Thinking to myself, at least that doesn't sound too bad, "Cool enough. Where is it, are we gonna get there on time?"
"Oh, it's right up the street at porter memorial"
So, that's kinda weird that it's at a church, but whatever. Churches are relatively cheap to rent out during the week.When we get there traffic is crazy, there must be two thousand people coming to this one church. It's kind of odd that there are three squad cars just to stop traffic and let us all in, but you know what they say, "when enough people gather together in harmony, the fuzz come to break it up"
There's a humvey and black hawk helicopter sitting outside with corresponding units, half the people that are walking in with us are wearing service shirts. Whether air force, army, marines, coastguard, ambulance driver or fireman, all these guys get a check from Uncle Sam. Ok, I don't have any problems with men in uniform, unless I'm drunk outside and they're cops. A door opens and we're headed into the basement for pork barbeque sandwiches, chicken quarters, refried beans and slaw. On the way I glance guardsmen setting things up with that military motion you don't lose in civilian life until about a year out of boot camp. We tell old war stories full of gore and glory and times we almost bought the farm, as we eat. Without any of that kind of story of my own I told him about a PI named John Landrith killing three armed kidnappers with a rusty old meat cleaver to save a seven year old. It's well received in the basement of a church while we eat our Oreo minis. When our meal is done the mass is herded to the sanctuary were we watch the history channel's documentary on the events of black hawk down. When the lights come up my earlier discomfort is redoubled. I realize something is very ********ed up, and start taking pictures. What I see reminds me of footage from the third right the way patriotic imagery is thrown around bugger all. What you’re looking at is government mesh thrown over the steps to the balcony, and a huge flag covering up all but the tip of a huge cross in the first picture, and the huge amount of people sitting below various armed forces banners in the second. There was a nice POW one behind me. I apologize for the poor quality but it’s a new camera, and I’m still learning how to use it, especially in low & mixed light conditions
So, I can't help myself. I'd like to share locomono's utter disbelief and completely repost the thread in this discussion forum.
They were ready to start the show, so after a raffle for all five branches of the military t-shirts, UK basketball tickets, and Famous Dave’s BBQ coupons(the caterer), we were subjected to a really shitty Rockapella group wearing camo with cackies, and singing mixed Christian rock and patriotic numbers.
About then I was given a bulletin. Roughly the same time they had all active members of the armed forces stand up for aplause, then all former members, then the fathers of active members (Remember this is supposed to be a father son thing, guilt trip anyone?)
Then our state National Guard ceremonially presented colors, i.e. this is now a military function. I think they were the only ones that didn’t say that pledge of allegiance, but maybe their lips moved and I didn’t hear it. I was way back. This was the first time in my life I said the pledge of allegiance with any hesitation at all. I guess I don’t like doing it in a place of greater allegiance, especially when it only barely has “under god" in it anymore. Right after when the shity Rockapella group sang the national anthem a couple people shouted “Amen!” at the end. I started to get sick right then.
After that, they had guys wearing the traditional US uniforms over time walk out in order while scenes from a Jesus movie I cant recall played. I was never aware of voodoo style witch doctors, or Indiana Jones being members of our military (far left and second from right respectively in the first pic). I think it’s kinda funny that unless I’m wrong that fellow on the far left of the second pic is wearing a confederate uniform. I know it’s ridiculously bad taste but yes, that really is Jesus on the cross in the first picture…in behind our troops. When the final modern troop stepped out too the front and center he thrust his rifle one handed into the air to shouts of approval, the Jesus footage was still playing, and at that particular point even my dad was uncomfortable.
At this point Captain Sturecker preached to us in full dress uniform about his early faith was based in fear of going to hell, but now he doesn’t need to fear death, and about his experiences in the black hawk afair. In particular he prayed after his first drive back to base (If you‘ve seen the movie, he was the humvee driver with the injured man on strecher in the back. He was also the guy that said, “The difference in between heroes and cowards isn‘t the fear it‘s what they do with it”), and after that even though the vehicle was shot to hell, he had no casualties. He even watched an RPG barely miss its’ mark and deflect off his hood. Every word of this might be true, but it was also part of a “The lord will protect you in the military” themed sermon. I have never had both respect and disgust for a single individual with such volume in my life. When I asked him for a picture with him holding the same bible he is in the sermon picture I think my attitude came off as “fan boy”.
Here’s a close-up of the Marine donated supplies they made such a big deal about. They were effectively his pulpit.
Mike could you do me a favor and open a thread where-ever we do debates these days, and link it. I would really apreciate it. I mean this as more of an informational, and reation thread, but it should be discussed
BTW no, I'm not done. It still gets worse
Even as I had already taken these photographs of something that I clearly know is wrong, hell we ended with “I‘m proud to be an American”, after a sermon and a combined rendition of all the services anthems. I was conflicted. I knew, and know that almost all of the people I’m depending on to bring this to light disagree with me on virtually every issue. I wasn’t going to release this unless they were recruiting. They were.
Jesus himself only got mad once. It was because merchants were using the church to sell their wares, he flipped their tables, seized a whip, and attacked them. This day the answer to “what would Jesus do?” is grab one of the m-16s laying around and start kneecapping.
This is a close up of strucer's nametag just to make sure I got the name right, and the tag on the recruitment dummy, as they both attach at least two people involved with this mess.
As I leave you with the final images I plan to of two of the ancient flags that surrounded the stage, and The banner at the front door I have to express regret that even a very small portion of my country is as religiously militaristic as the whole world already believes it to be. I myself think of this as a huge fuster cluck of the balances that are already there being missed.
If you have any questions feel free to IM or PM me. I have huge 5 mega pixel raws to prove it was me.
And
if you still try to tell me this administration will not attack Iran,
there is no way I would remotely believe you. And I even question how
they will manage to do such an insane thing. Instead of a draft (at
least for the mean time), we have such sick invasion of places of
worship? I am not sure which is worse. Wow...wow...wow.
I'm truly speechless. This is very significant. This has to be illegal. How can this be?
:O
liminal
------------
I wonder what enterprising journo would be willing to infiltrate and see how pervasive it is. (Donna Minkowitz - is this a job for you?) My first response, actually, is sort of aesthetic: it reminds me of a park in Saigon, of all places, that in December 1996 featured figures of the Buddha, Jesus Christ and Snoopy (I swear) with dim tiny Christmas bulbs. I turned to the German boy I was walking around with and said "Kitsch is a German word, yes?" And the outrage above actually fits Milan Kundera's definition of the word quite well:
The Czech writer Milan Kundera, in his book The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1984), defined it as "the absolute denial of shit." His argument was that kitsch functions by excluding from view everything that humans find difficult to come to terms with, offering instead a sanitised view of the world in which "all answers are given in advance and preclude any questions."
In its desire to paper over the complexities and contradictions of real life, kitsch, Kundera suggested, is intimately linked with totalitarianism. In a healthy democracy, diverse interest groups compete and negotiate with one another to produce a generally acceptable consensus; by contrast, "everything that infringes on kitsch," including individualism, doubt, and irony, "must be banished for life" in order for kitsch to survive. Therefore, Kundera wrote, "Whenever a single political movement corners power we find ourselves in the realm of totalitarian kitsch."
For a lefty who's been over-influenced by Kundera, I wonder if/how he would comment on the Jesus Soldier Picture Show above. If my French were good enough, I would write and ask him.
I was just browsing through my referrers and I saw your blog. Just for the record, I'm an Iraqi blogger...and I'm Lebanese too. And I'm many other things as well, but that's too complex to get into now.
Thanks for putting up this post on your blog. I think it's really important more people see this...esp. in blue states. There's a great disconnect between diff. parts of the US, I think.
Happy blogging,
lim.
Posted by: liminal | June 05, 2005 at 05:39 PM
*blush* I've fixed it now. You're nicely obllique on the site itself.....
Posted by: Chris | June 05, 2005 at 08:14 PM