Punk Rocker to Renounce U.S. Citizenship over Roe v Wade

I have to make a confession right off the bat. I'm 70 years old and I had never heard of Billie Joe Armstrong or his punk rock band Green Day until I came upon the story of his recent declaration that he's renouncing his U.S. citizenship during London concert in wake of SCOTUS overruling Roe. Ho Hum.

He's hardly the first Liberal or Progressive to declare that he's leaving the U.S. because of his political disagreement with something going on in the United States. For those who don't know me, I left the U.S. in 2014 to live in Philippines. I did not do this for any political reason, and although I don't have plans to visit the country of my birth any time soon, I have absolutely no intention of renouncing my U.S.citizenship.

I was curious about Armstrong's situation, so I decided to look into his band and his bio. Does he have any idea how to go about renouncing his citizenship? It isn't as easy as just moving to the U.K..

First, I went to Spotify and immediately discovered that I had heard a few of the band's songs. I just didn't know who the performers were at the time. I'm not a big fan of punk rock, but I don't absolutely hate it. As far as music goes, I like Armstrong's singing but I don't see any originality or creativity gushing forth from his music. It's OK, but nothing special in my view.

I wonder, however, how much thought Armstrong has put into his idea to renounce his U.S. citizenship? I have no idea of his financial worth, but I imagine he could move to England without much difficulty. He could probably record whatever albums he plans to record in a studio in the U.K.. I'm sure his record label could work out the details. Touring, on the other hand might become a problem. Could he survive touring exclusively within the U.K.? If he's living in the U.K. he couldn't travel to the U.S. or Europe without his U.S. passport. Is he really renouncing his citizenship if he travels on a U.S. passport? Using your U.S. passport when you fly from London to the U.S. is pretty much an admission that you're still an American.

Of course, the problem of traveling on a U.S. passport is moot if and when he obtains a British passport. Assuming he packs up and moves to the U.K. today, he'll need to reside in the U.K. for five years before he can apply for citizenship. I don't know about immigration laws in the U.K., but here in Philippines, I have to check in with the government every year....and I'm a legal resident. I have to present my valid U.S. passport when I do. If the situation in the U.K. is anywhere near being similar, Armstrong will have to provide his valid passport from time to time. Again, he's back to having to show he's a citizen of the U.S.. It sort of makes his renunciation of his U.S. citizenship a little more complicated.

Finally - Both Sides Find Agreement

 

Much has been written over the past few years on the ever increasing divide within the United States. Many believe this polarization will one day lead to another Civil War.

Red States - Blue States. Democrat - Republican. Right - Left. Conservative - Liberal. Great Taste - Less Filling.

Finally, in a rare case of bipartisan agreement, both sides have come to see that the best way to settle political disagreements is by invading government buildings and threatening elected government representatives with acts of violence.

I know that this is merely a first step; there is still a long way to go, but "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" and "Mighty Oaks from little Acorns Grow". 

Keep up the good work America!

Switching Back to the Old Saddle

 

Eight months ago I purchased a Vertu Spyder saddle for my bicycle. I wasn't happy with the saddle that came with the bicycle and I was looking to find some way to make my morning ride less uncomfortable. It's not always easy finding what I'm looking for here on Negros island and so I have to look online.

At the time of that purchase, I had been unable to find padded briefs or bicycle shorts so a change of saddle seemed my best option. Since that time, I've found both padded bicycle shorts and briefs online.

Still, after using the Spyder saddle since October, I can't say that I'm completely happy with it. I've decided to switch back to the original saddle. Tomorrow will be the first ride with the change. No one can accuse me of getting in a hurry. I'll still keep the Spyder - who knows? maybe switching out from time to time might be the answer.

The Founding Myth : Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American

The month of June is very nearly half over and so far I've managed to read eight ebooks; four of which were written by atheists :
The Caged Virgin: An Emancipation Proclamation for Women and Islam by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Mortality by Christopher Hitchens
Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman and
The Founding Myth : Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American by Andrew L Seidel

Ayaan Hirsi Ali's atheism is a reaction to Islam and the horrible treatment of women by her former co-religionists. Atheism isn't obvious in Lightman's novel - I learned of it by reading his wikipedia page. Obviously, Christopher Hitchens wasn't going to turn to religion on his death bed, but his dislike of religion seems slightly less militant in this, his final book. Seidel, on the other hand is the most militant atheist of the four.

In The Founding Myth, Andrew Seidel sets out to prove that, contrary to the beliefs of the Christian Nationalists in the U.S., the United States as brought about by the "founding fathers", is not a Christian nation. I think he's done a remarkably  good job proving that point. The U.S. allows for freedom of religion - you're free to practice, or not practice, any religion, not specifically Christianity. His chapters showing how nearly all the Ten Commandments would be deemed unconstitutional if laws were passed following the 10, is very enlightening. The first commandment requires one to worship a particular God - certainly unconstitutional. Americans cannot be required to "keep the Sabbath". Law makers could not pass laws requiring anyone to honor their parents, and lots of luck arresting folks for committing adultery, to say nothing of trying to outlaw coveting . Of course, the U.S. has laws against murder, theft and perjury, but these "commandments" are not strictly of Judeo-Christian origin. Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists also forbid these acts.

Unfortunately, being a militant atheist, Seidel feels the need to attack Judaism and Christianity far beyond what's necessary to show that the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence are not based on Judeo-Christian values. In his hatred of these two religions, he seems to overlook anything positive. His mocking of a Catholic wedding ceremony shows him to be petty and juvenile. Like most atheists, he does not have a deep understanding of religious thinking. The book would have been much better had Seidel kept to politics and stayed away from theology.

Created Equal - Dr. Ben Carson

I've always found Dr. Ben Carson to be an astute and insightful person. I've been a fan of his long before his run for the Republican nomination for President in 2014. As a matter of fact, I believed then (and still do) that he was one of the most - if not the most - qualified candidates in the field. I knew, however, that he had little, to no chance of winning the nomination.

I didn't feel that his race would have any negative affect on the nominating process, but rather it was the fact that he is so soft spoken. Voters are much more likely to pick a loudmouthed buffoon over a quiet, thoughtful individual.

I'm not the only person to appreciate his latest book, Created Equal: The Painful Past, Confusing Present, and Hopeful Future of Race in America. It is a New York Times Bestseller, after all. Reviews by people certainly more impressive than myself have been positive:

“ Created Equal is a book that speaks truth to power and is so very needed in today’s divided society. Dr. Carson’s sensible solutions and advice should be heeded by all Americans that wish to see our nation united once again." - Dr. Alveda King

"Dr. Carson’s Created Equal brilliantly reveals the destructiveness of false divisions in society through his moving conversation on education, faith, race, and values in America." - Newt Gingrich

"You can't cancel Dr. Carson. Get ready to be informed, enraged, and entertained. In Created Equal , Dr. Carson draws on his inspiring personal success to weigh in on the national debate around race and equity. It is just what the doctor ordered—a stronger, more unified country." - Juan Williams

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Growing up during the early days of television, I was often entertained by Hollywood movies from the 1930s and 1940s - I suppose copyright laws at the time made the repeated showing of these films on television lucrative.

One such movie was the 1939 film, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn starring Mickey Rooney.

By the 1960s - thanks in part to films like the one mentioned above, Mark Twain's novel had gained the reputation of being a "children's' book". For that reason I had never read the novel, thinking it would be too immature for me.

I'd recently come to read (and in some cases, reread) the works of writer Kenzaburō Ōe. Reading over biographical sketches of Ōe as well, I learned that the Japanese writer credited The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn  as having a major impact on his life. Upon learning of the novel's influence on Ōe's writing, I decided to read the novel when I finished reading Ōe's The Silent Cry .

The novel is certainly not a children's novel.

Thankfully for my reading experience, the Mickey Rooney movie version isn't a 100% faithful adaptation of the novel. Many parts of the novel were a surprise to me. This is especially true of the ending.

The biggest criticism some modern readers have for the novel is Twain's frequent use of "the N word". Some have called the book racist on that account. I'm not one of those critics.

Some, like myself, see the book as satire and an indictment against racism.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is among the first in major American literature to be written throughout in vernacular English, and at times may be difficult for 21st century readers to follow. This is true regarding the dialog of both the white and the black characters. Many of the characters - of both races - don't come off as being particularly intelligent. A good deal of the humor comes from Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, the "Duke" and the "King" being basically doofuses.

The language may be a problem for many readers, but The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is really one of the Great American Novels.

The Silent Cry - Kenzaburō Ōe

As I mentioned in my last post, the last book I managed to read in May was A Personal Matter by Kenzaburō Ōe. I was not quite finished reading his novel, The Silent Cry ; it wouldn't be going onto May's list but would be the first book read in June.

The novel tells the story of two brothers in the early 1960s who travel to their ancestral village in order to rearrange their lives and sell part of their remaining property to the owner of a large supermarket chain.

Although not a sequel, by any means, the novel shares elements with Ōe's earlier work; as in A Personal Matter , the protagonist is the father of a mentally disabled child. In both novels, there are suicides, alcoholism, sexual infidelity and dreams of Africa. I didn't, however, find The Silent Cry as "disturbing and shocking" as the earlier novel.

Kenzaburō Ōe is not an easy read - I would classify him as a modern day Japanese Dostoevsky.

Ōe has often sighted Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as one of his favorite novels. On that recommendation, I've begun reading the Twain novel.

Reading List For May, 2022

 

The time has come once again for me to post the list of books I've read the previous month. Unlike some other months, I didn't stick to any specific genre or particular theme. I read whatever book took my fancy.

All but two of the books on this month's list have links to posts I've written following the read.Not quite sure why I didn't review Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari or The General of the Dead Army by Ismail Kadare; both books are worth a read.

I managed to read two by Kenzaburō Ōe - I had started on a third, but it will go on to next month's list.

All in all, I enjoyed the ten books I read in May.

Bellwether   by Connie Willis
Maigret and the Yellow Dog   by Georges Simenon
The Souls of Black Folk   by W. E. B. Du Bois
Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness   by Kenzaburō Ōe
All My Sins Remembered   by Joe Haldeman
Touch   by Claire North
The Autobiography of Malcolm X   by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind   by Yuval Noah Harari
The General of the Dead Army   by Ismail Kadare
A Personal Matter   by Kenzaburō Ōe