Rep. King Hearings Unjustified

On March 10th, Rep. Peter King, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee led a hearing on Muslim "radicalization" in America. Though his goal was to further examine the causes of "homegrown terrorism" and "inform", he couldn't have been further off target to achieve his goals of a safer nation. He effectively took us back to the days of McCarthy and his cronies, singling out the religion of millions of Americans based on the acts of a few. If the goal was truly to find the roots of home grown terrorism, he would have also paid attention to a study published less than two weeks ago by the Southern Poverty Law Center showing an explosive growth of right-wing anti-government and hate groups. The shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords should stand as a reminder that home grown terrorism is more diverse than one religion.

As the vitriol and political shenanigans continue on the Hill, I urge those that have hate and mistrust towards certain groups of people to check themselves. Learn about those people from different sources, and better yet, befriend them, learning that individuals are much too unique and diverse to be typecast into the broad brushstrokes political leaders and those in power want us to think.

Bollywood Revival

I've recently ignored my bollywood needs. Thanks to a friend's great link, www.bombayproduction.com , I am hooked again. I am feeding my soul and Mohit Chauhan is bringin' the hits.

Time for the U.S. to do something...

The facade that is American foreign policy is shining through these days. As protests, revolts, and legitimate revolutions for democracy take place in Middle Eastern countries with unjust and brutal dictators, we seem content to sit back, watch, and comment from behind podiums. Though it is true that some countries have to fight their own battles, we have taken a proactive position as a nation that supports democracy especially in the Middle East and are willing to send troops and dollars towards.

Selectively deciding where to meddle in the Middle East shows that we are less concerned with the values we hold dear, but more concerned with the geo/religious politics that dominate the region. As the wave of protest and democracy spreads through the region, the response by dictators has become increasingly savage and violent with military force literally killing its people.

The US should flex its muscle, whether through its own means or through the UN Security Council seat which it occupies, to support dignity, human rights, and democracy with real action.