Saturday, August 28, 2010

Laugh at Yourself First: The Salvation Shark


Read "The Salvation Shark," and more short fiction, scripts, and very little poetry at Laugh at Yourself First.
pauljuser.blogspot.com

If you're here with me in Binghamton, you may know Stan Kata of Endicott. I don't, but I feel like I've known him for years after his letter in the local paper this weekend. Living in Upstate, I'm accustomed to his level of hateful ranting in public places. Only the day before it was published, a different Stan Kata was on a tirade in a bagel shop about whites being smarter Native Americans for taking native lands. Therefore, bankrupt NY deserves tax money from cigarettes sold on reservations. (For those counting, Governor Paterson has attacked the public schools, the rank-and-file state workers, the not-for-profits, back to the public schools, and now people that are not even part of this nation to cover the deficit left by his pay-raise. Meanwhile, Paterson is raked over the coals for the unrepentable crime of not paying for baseball tickets.) The old man paused briefly when he caught me staring with eyes as wide as my mouth. Normally, once I'm pissed, I can't help but make a scene, but I was in work clothes, so I opted to wait outside. As my favorite teacher liked to frequently tell me, you can't win an argument with a fool, and the fool knows it.

I won't send Stan Kata a letter asking the last time he was sued for praying in public. I grew up Lutheran, and I don't remember any instance when I was jailed or beheaded for it. As a matter of fact, life wasn't that bad growing up as a white kid, and it doesn't look to me like much has changed. That's why I can't figure out the weird myth of Christian persecution. As much as I'd like to see Pat Robertson chased by a lion, I doubt it could catch his private jet. Stan Kata or someone else that drinks coffee with him every morning at McDonald's would probably argue for the Jews, but from what I see, Christian white guys run most of the world.

I stopped letting the Stan Katas of the world bother me. People like him will always oppose progress, but are barely willing to do more than lift a finger to stand in the way. Personally, I don't see why it would matter if our President is a Muslim. Isn't that the point of our country: anyone can do as well as a greedy white guy? I'm no fan of Obama, but he's certainly not worse than any of the Presidents I remember, and especially not as bad as the last guy. Stan Kata has already told us he disagrees. I'd like to know if he is working hard to shut down the porn shops and other improprieties too close to "Sacred Ground." I must admit, I've only been in one mosque, but everyone seemed nicer than strippers. They weren't even upset when I walked on the carpet with my shoes. Can anyone give me a count of how many innocent Muslims died in the World Trade Center attacks? The hijackers didn't give a shit about them either. Stan Kata has the right to recite the same tired rhetoric that created 9/11, the Holocaust, and countless other mass murders throughout history. I don't blame him. Instead, I'm embarrassed by the newspaper that would put those ideas in print. What makes this nation greater is that Stan Kata can say whatever he pleases, but that doesn't give him the right to be heard. Thanks for reading.

-Paul
printisbetter.blogspot.com

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