Bashing @ MindSay

I just want to warn you. I`m all fired up.

A renowned opera house in Berlin has canceled a production of a Mozart opera because they were afraid to offend Muslims. Apparently, there`s a scene in this version of the opera which features a king carrying the heads of Jesus, Buddha, and the Prophet Mohammed. Wow, that sounds good.

Now here`s why it was canceled. The Germans aren`t really worried about offending, you know, the Buddhists or the Christians. No, no, no. They`re just worried about the Muslims. All over the world we`re fricking retreating, and it has to stop now.

Here is the point. I can see the future, and here`s what it looks like: we are going to lose this war unless you are as sick and tired as I am of being called a hate monger.

Here`s how I got there. You can`t even mention Mohammed in a knock- knock joke. Not that I have a good one or anything. But you can`t without getting burned in effigy. But Jesus? Oh, he`s fair game.

For example, remember the singer Charlotte Church? When she was a teenager, she was a nice girl. She had a cute little song called "Blessed Jesus". Well, I think she`s trying to change her image. She`s now got a new talk show in England, and here are just some highlights from the first episode.

First she called the president, President Bush, clueless and a four-letter word that I won't say. She said the pope was a Nazi. She stuck a wad of chewing gum on a statue of baby Jesus. And then she dressed up like a nun while pretending to eat Ecstasy-covered communion wavers and act all high. And that`s great.

So just to sum up here, Christ bashing on TV, oh, that`s fine. But Mozart? An opera in Germany with Mohammed in it? Oh, no, not so much.

I am sick and tired of everybody else`s little complaints about how offended they are. I am sick of everybody being a loving, non-racist person except for me. I am really sick of everybody else`s religion being off limits except for mine. I`m sick of being called a hate monger.

I am mad as hell, and I ain`t going to take it anymore! And I know that sounds a lot like the movie "Network", because it is. But until everybody opens up their window and screams it at the top of their lungs, nothing`s going to change.

The small part of this story is that political correctness is going to cripple our children. If they`re not able to handle someone saying something bad about their religion, what the hell are they going to be like when they enter the business world?

The bigger part of this story is that, by continually buckling under pressure, we are killing ourselves. They complain about a cartoon, and we retreat. The pope makes a speech, and we retreat. They complain about an opera; we retreat a little more. Pretty soon we`re going to be backed up right against the wall. And you know when your back is against the wall, you know what happens? Yes, usually, you`re facing a firing squad.

We have made too many compromises and too many retreats already. Not again. The line has to be drawn.

I am mad as hell, and I`m not going to take it anymore.

Don`t tell me that this war is about what we`re doing over in Iraq. Bull crap. You know it and I know it. Look at the words. Listen to what they`re saying.

Here`s what I know tonight. I have absolutely no desire to offend anybody about their religion. We can all live together. But we are in a fight for our lives here. I refuse to listen to a group of people who say that we`re offending them and yet they make speeches like that one that you just saw. They kidnap journalists. They behead prisoners. They blow up school buses. I don`t give a flying crap if I offend those Muslims.

But by the same token I also know that when good, moderate Muslims reach across the table, speak out about terrorism and smearing of other religions and then back it up with action, which is apparently missing too much in our society, well, you know what? Then we can talk about the Mohammed cartoons. And we`ll all have a big hug and we`ll share a Coke and sing "Kumbaya" on a mountain top. Won`t that be fun? But until that happens, sit down, shut up.

Here`s what I don`t know. Why is it OK to bash other religions every two seconds? I just saw it. Anybody see "Studio 60"? Just saw it. Nobody sets fire to anything. They`re bashing Jesus and Christians. But boy, everybody walks on eggshells the minute you say anything about Islam.

And if that's not enough, I just learned my friend, whom is 18 years old and not even a year out of high school - is pregnant!  What are we going to do about society?  What can we do?

Does anyone else think that the new SAT writing section is ridiculous? When will you ever need to write a quality essay in 25 minutes? How fundamentally retarded is that???? My mom just scored my practice essay and told me she expected better. I am rather disappointed with my score, but it's only my first practice essay that I've actually completed.

You know what?!? While we're bashing the SAT's...lets go further! Hoe much of this stuff on the SAT's will you EVER have to do again? An English major does not need to learn all of those calculator active questions, while a future engineer does not need to do all of these writing essays...

Agreed?

Let me know if you are aware of any website where you can submit essays to be scored without having to take a course or use their prompt or anything.