I heard a song on Valentine's Day which I liked when I was younger but never knew the name of or who sung it. Surprisingly, it was Barbara Streisand. The song is "Woman in Love." So I got home and looked it up and turns out its written by the Bee Gees. Good deal.

With this presidential election coming up, it's so stupid listening to what people are talking about. Most people, typically, are regurgitating sound bytes, ideological rhetoric, or have some one-sided, highly mis-/uninformed opinion on issues. After that first Paris terrorist attack last year, Paris admitted that they needed to integrate and treat their immigrant/Muslim population better and not just to the outskirts of the city. For most Americans, they do not understand European politics, foreign policy, history itself, nor the social systems and welfare systems they have there and what that means to society at large. For instance, Paris' Muslims are pushed to the outskirts of the city where they can survive off the social welfare provided to them without interfering with everyday life of other Parisians. This is the same tactics in America's inner cities.

Here in America, an over-simplified version is that we have blacks and other minorities in parts of the city where most people do not have to interact with or once they are done with work can leave the downtown area and let them do whatever it is they do. This has not worked well as one could see because one leaves people isolated, disrespected, demonized, etc., it stirs up what is called the "culture of poverty." This phenomenon is not exclusive to blacks or other minorities. A recent example would be the rise of MS-13 and look how big those guys became and how that has affected the world.

So this makes no sense why all these other countries feel that by doing this to Muslim and Syrian refugees will do anything good. I understand Greece because of their economic situation, only because when the economy goes bad, it's always the immigrants that become targeted, not that that is excusable but I understand why they feel it is the right approach. I don't, however, understand the other Nationalist movements. I understand they may have some concerns, especially in Paris, but it does not solve anything to do what they are doing; nor in Finland, Germany, etc.

So back to America, I just read an article in the New York Times about Arizona and they university students targeting, throwing trash, beer receptacles, etc, at the mosque there. Yelling, "Terrorist! Go home!" or some shit like that. I understand unprocessed emotions/anger with things like San Bernadino but overall it's the residual effect of the cultural landscape our media, fueled by attention the current GOP candidates are generating (hence revenue for those media outlet and plus for the ideological spins they can attach to those as well). This is the responsibility of adults which is to be educated about their views on subjects such as these. But this is what people like Trump, Cruz, and Carson are creating and the zombies following their leads are allowing this rhetoric and attitude to justify their bigoted/racists comments and actions.

President Obama mentioned this in his "State of the Union Address" how this does not make peace and how it disrespects the millions of Muslims around the world who are peaceful, nor does it show respect towards the Muslim-Americans who serve in our armed forces. But to me, it also does not show respect towards the Muslim-Americans who highly do not represent what is shown on TV. This is because of the better access to education and economic prosperity available in our country, which should show us how the religion itself does not prove the radicalization of those militants in other countries.

It is hypocritical for Americans to justify anything their ideologies do that do not represent what it is, but yet qualify the opposition as a whole for the minority bad seeds. It also makes no sense since most Americans have not read the Qu'ran, understand the historical context of the religion when it was created and what that represented, and the political and cultural influences on those religions as well.

So in America when one demonizes or accuses or attacks one's belief, whether right or wrong, what is the expectation? It does nothing to work towards any solution but puts one on the defensive. Pete Ricketts is not for the Syrian immigrants which is stupid because we already have tons of refugees. Him saying that puts these refugees in a tough spot among the people they are trying to integrate with. Even if this generation does the right thing and does not negatively react to this and just works towards compassion and peace, does not guarantee their kids will be that giving. Bill Maher is a good example of this willful ignorance, blinded by his staunch atheistic views, when he attacks and demonizes Muslims as a whole, then defends his stance as the liberals being too sensitive or such. Aside from actively dismissing many Muslim on his show who try to explain to him, he actively does not agree. Admitted to not traveling in the Middle East, nor would he ever, doesn't read any Islamic authors. Even when Gloria Steinem mentioned what the Prophet did in his time (which was giving rights to women and poor people) he questioned that, saying he did not know that but that he would look it up (read this as talking to Sam Harris and Ayaan Hirsi-Ali).

Historically, oppressed people try peaceful solutions but get pushed and pushed until they get angry and fight back. Stokely Carmichael was a pacifist at first until he realized fuck this, the only way to be heard was to become militant. History is there for us to learn from and it is time for people to become educated. This election period is already taking turns from the scripted, contrived events so it seems the right time for people to actually start making a difference. Although I do not like labels and ideologies, no GOP should be voted in. Although, I will give Jeb Bush props for being the sane person in saying how we have Muslim allies we have to work with. This is the part Americans need to understand. We can have this American bravado and hubris; or Ted Cruz's willingness to bypass collateral damage as a necessity for fucking with America or starting an international war over other countries following legal protocol and diplomatically following through. We can, ourselves, use this machismo approach to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world while they unite in their hatred for us, or we can become smart, make an educated vote, and change how our country is run so we can fairly represent everybody and work towards a better foreign policy/relations.