Humanist Files

DIY: Creating Your Own Beliefs in Contemporary America

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“Understanding Our Basic Human Rights” by Charlie Aldred

Found on Pinterest, via blazepress.com. 

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Watch: Show this to anyone who brings up black-on-black crime in response to police killings.

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White yearbook photos vs Black mugshots for the same crime.

Why did this story get run with these criminals’ school photos, where on the same day, same situation, the article of another group of burglars featured their mug shots? (source)

Same day. Same channel. Same crime. Same author.

So why weren’t mugshots good enough for the white guys who got arrested?  Who already looks guilty before their trial?  Which story plants the seed into a potential jury pool that this is a group of good kids versus this is a group of criminals?

Read More

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THIS is white privilege. THIS is anti-Blackness. 

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Nov. 29  10:30 am

Young white Americans are no less racist than their parents

(TW: rape) Daniel Holtzclaw’s trial defense attacks credibility of vulnerable black women

4 new videos of Laquan McDonald shooting raise more questions. Reports claim that none of the videos have audio because the “batteries were put in backwards”. (TW: GRAPHIC) However, a video with audio has surfaced.

Burger King manager testifies that Chicago Police deleted 86 minutes of surveillance footage of Laquan McDonald execution

The other Laquan McDonalds: More questionable killings by Chicago PD

Laquan McDonald shooting is just the latest episode in Chicago Police’s brutal history

Chicago public schools offer lesson plan for Laquan McDonald discussion

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An Open Letter to the United States Congress,

If you have a seat in either chamber of Congress, you have to had obtained some form of formal education. Most degrees require an introductory course in economics, or even two -macro and microeconomics. I hope, if you have a seat in Congress that you have taken at least one of these courses. But if you didn’t it could explain some things… 

Anyone who has studied economics at all, knows the different types of economic systems, and knows that one pure economy does not work. 

Why is this concept so hard for you to grasp? Clearly you are educated individuals, older than I. 

If you don’t want to admit to being heartless and greedy, that’s fine I’ll discuss how unconstitutional your actions are. 

When you are opposed to any and all socialist reforms, then you are opposed to any chance the United States and its citizens has at survival. 

This is not natural selection. It is not survival of the fittest. If you had any introductory biology course ever, you would know that natural selection is the ability of a species to reproduce and survive.

Just because those in poverty do not have as much money as you, does not mean they cannot reproduce. However, just because they are not fit to survive in your world, does not mean that they will just go away, or eventually die out.

For those of you who have demanded citizens who are poor or homeless or ill, to claim responsibility for their situations; it is you that are responsible for their situation. 

As an elected official of U.S. Congress, you know our government was formed for the people of this country, thus you work for us: every American citizen, and I must say,you are not doing your job. We are a democracy before we are capitalists. So the next time you get uncomfortable, or annoyed walking past a homeless man asking for spare change, remember you ran for office. That man became your responsibility when you took that oath.

As U.S. Congressmen and women, you are responsible for determining how this country operates, and you are doing a really shit job. How is it that 25% of laws enacted last year had to do with the designation of someone’s name on a Post Office or the allowance of some award ceremony for some one? Do those things really need to be discussed or enacted while Americans are suffering from hunger, cops are implementing unlawful punishment on African Americans, and inner city schools cannot get enough funding to provide textbooks for students. 

So you have time to plan award ceremonies, choose people to name Post Offices and courthouses after, but when a bill that require real thought and action is presented, outlining real and reasonable solutions to the problems this nation is facing -poverty, racism and racial discrimination, LGBT discrimination, unemployment, education system reform, religious discrimination; to name a few- these bills have simply been overlooked, and not been decided on…even a year later.

This suggests you are lazy and incompetent for this position. My suggestion is a change in priorities.  

Mixed economies work and anyone in congress who opposes the implementation of a mixed socialist/capitalist economy is not insuring the general welfare of the people- stated very clearly, in the US Constitution’s preamble- as a responsibility of the people including those who represent the people. 

If you were to take a step back from bigotry, you might be able to recall from that introductory microeconomics course, the law of demand and the factors that influence demand. This might, just might reduce your fear of losing all of the material wealth that you have been accumulating during your time in office or through any business ventures. 

One factor of influencing demand is difference in taste and preferences of consumers.

Believe it or not, not everyone wants or cares for the bright and shiny things you show off, nor does everyone desire to live in a mansion or own a private jet, and wearing all the latest of high end brands. The trouble is, people are told that they want these things and through media representation, they have lost sight that they are the consumer and they have the power. 

It is a form of propaganda. Making American citizens believe that they cannot and will not be happy until they obtain these material items, and the only way they are “free” to do so is through minimal government intervention in business, capitalism. 

However, what those of you opposed to socialist reforms do not realize is, the lives of American citizens is not a business. And they are single handedly acting unconstitutionally by depriving those citizens of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

The only reason I can think of, why so many Americans support anti-socialism is because they aren’t looking at the big picture, or are uneducated in the simplest lessons of economics (I chalk that up to America’s education system, dumbing down its citizens).

I find it hard to believe you really want people to suffer, however the problem is, you are so detached, in your own world, that you don’t realize the imminent danger facing this country. 

There is no reason for American citizens to be living on the street.

There is no reason why American citizens need to work more than one job, nor 40+ hours a week just to live a somewhat comfortable life.

There is no reason why the cost of higher education should be a burden for American citizens, when it is the work force that is requiring such standards for employment, and the government that needs its citizens to be employed in order for any economic growth. 

There is no reason for American citizens to lack adequate clothing, in a world of consumerism, fast fashion retailers are producing new collections to sell monthly, biweekly, and some weekly. They cannot possibly sell all of those items and back to the taste and preferences; I’m sure that girl who outgrew her dress she got two years ago, wouldn’t mind wearing last season’s collection if it fit her. 

Anyone who believes in pure capitalism is destroying the integrity of the United States. Democratic Socialism is not to impose on your precious big business, but to show some humanity for the people suffering in the world you created. 

We are a divided country in more way than one. You cannot treat America as purely capitalist if you want it to remain united. It is your responsibility as legislators, to govern the United States appropriately, the way our Founding Fathers intended. 

Sincerely, 

A concerned American Citizen

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A portion of a law review article about children's rights.

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Feel Small, It’s Good for You

We’ve all been in a position or know someone who has, where we felt small. It is an awful feeling people when someone does that to you. We try to avoid feeling that way at all costs, because it doesn't feel good. I’m here to say that those cheesy quotes you read about how no one can make you feel small but yourself, is true. But I am also here to add, that its okay to feel small. The reason so many people hate feeling small is because they were put in a box that relinquishes them of all power. Living life believing that you are not in control, and are in fact, powerless will make feeling small seem like hell. I feel small often. My favorite is when I’m flying and I look down on city lights, mountain ranges, freeways, and all that his been built on this earth by humans. I find peace in those moments I feel small. You may wonder why or how. The reason is because I feel powerful in all the moments that I don’t feel small. I am completely aware of how much control I have in my life, and how much responsibility comes with that power. So, when I get the chance to feel small, I rejoice because for a short while, a weight is lifted. I see how big the world is and how small I am. I see that there is more to the world than just my own. There is life happening in every city, every town across the globe. And that in fact, I am really so small therefore everything going on in my life is just as small as I am. It is a sigh of relief, to be honest. When someone signs you up to believe in something you don't, they are giving away your power. If you find later in life, that decision was made for you and don’t do anything about it, you are surrendering your power. When I speak of power, I mean the power you have to control your life. So many people give this up to a god, believing that there is a plan for you. Living by this rule puts you in a locked box, because you yourself believe nothing is in within your power of control. Your best response to when someone makes you feel small, is to make sure it doesn’t happen again-more often than not, you then make others feel small out of self defense, and fear of feeling that way again. People can’t make me feel small because I already know that I am. But for those who were brought up practicing a religion that stated there is a higher power than you in control, that in itself makes you feel tiny, powerless. Being brought up believing you are weak compared to some supernatural being is more than enough of an explanation to why you would never want to feel that way by any means, because it is already so instilled in your core that you unconsciously try to compensate. The negative affects this has on humans results in greed, anger, and negativity; What if everyone grew up feeling like it’s okay to be small.It’s okay to be wrong. It’s okay to not know sometimes. It’s okay to just be okay. I really want to see what that would look like. I imagine there would be less hate and jealousy, more secure men and women, and happier humans all around. 

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Waiting on Faith

I’m not saying religion should be outlawed. However if banning children from religious practices until they are old enough to make their own choice in faith is the only way, then I believe it is the right thing to do. As long as children are forced to go through youth religious teachings, education in science will always come second. That means we will always live amongst people who, deep in their core, believe in fables for factual evidence. When a child asks, “Mommy, how did that mountain get there? How did it get so big?” and a mother responds, “It’s god’s work” Anything that child learns later, when he/she finds themselves in an earth science class, will always come second to what Mommy told them when they were three. 

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This Couple Donated Their Wedding Funds To Syrian Refugees

Samantha Jackson and Farzin Yousefian know that the best wedding gift is giving back.

“People need to be reminded that a humanitarian crisis requires a humanitarian response”

Their selfless act definitely restores a little faith back in humanity, please read. 

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Read about Frantz Fanon and his thoughts, theories, and work in regard to humanism, as well as a biography. 

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The Tricky Topic of Religion

It’s one of those things you are supposed to avoid at dinner parties, why? Because it is someones beliefs, what they believe to be true, and any argument you have against it is a direct insult of their intelligence. 

With all due respect, I do not intend to offend anybody. 

There is power in religion if enough people believe in it. The issue I see today is how detached we are based on beliefs. Let’s face it, you may not practice everyday, but you identify yourself with a particular religious affiliation. Most likely that of your parents, since growing up they made you attend those religion classes or maybe even a religious school, church every sunday, or just during the holidays. 

And then there are those who identify themselves as “spiritual” which basically means “I don’t practice any religion but I believe there is a higher power”. Being “spiritual” has become more popular in recent years, as we millenialls are growing up and racking up numbers in society’s adults. 

Why is it that some of us identify with a belief system and others spiritual? Probably because you weren’t calling the shots when your butt was being dragged to church on sundays. Or you came from a family who practiced their faith privately but was damn sure to make an appearance at Christmas and Easter mass, therefore you understand the gist of what you believe but only do so because your parents do. 

Think about that for a second, “you understand the gist of what you believe” or at least what you were raised to believe, and some part of you truly believes it. 

I try to break things down as simple as possible, and one of my favorite ways is to compare them to high school. The problem that is most evident to me is the pushing of one’s religion unto another, or isolating oneself from another based on a difference in belief. Basically the bullying someone into doing something they wouldn’t have, e.i peer pressure. Or exiling someone from the lunch table because they are different and don’t fit in. 

Of course this is a super extreme to the actual situation, I don't think anyone “bullies” anyone into a religion, but I definitely believe that some more than others try to push their faith onto others, especially weak others, in the form of speaking of it as a universal truth, and making empty promises in the name of god. And as for isolation, marriage is a good example. Most people marry within their own religion, and if they don’t, one is most likely to convert to the religious affiliation of their spouse. 

There is so much stress put on religion. As if it is the most important aspect of life. It may be difficult to understand, but the unwavering attitude towards religion is one of the obstacles standing in the way of the real change America needs.   

Any one religion is not better than the other because any form of religious practice is one in the same; a school of thought; a belief system in which one chooses to live by. 

That being said, what you choose to believe in is your choice. It does not matter what your parents practiced, or what your grandparents practice. 

It’s a cycle where generation to generation this one religion is taught within your family so it just becomes the norm. But who was the one that made that executive decision? It goes back thousands and thousands of years, and it doesn’t mean its wrong or bad or that you do not believe in it. But it also means that you did not choose what you believe in, someone else did and taught you to believe in it. Who knows if you would have chosen the same path if you happen to know any better the time you were being dragged to Sunday mass. 

I hope, as a generation we bring forth a future that chooses for itself and allows others choose for themselves. A future where what you believe in, does not determine who you are and where you stand in society. 

It matters that you choose what you practice. The first step towards a change in direction is basic physics; a stop in the current direction. I’m sure if you are very very religious this seems crazy, but consider not raising your future children to practice the faith you chose. Rather YOU-without the influence of religious text- raise them. You teach them right from wrong through example, not from a passage. Teach them how to treat people by showing rather than flipping to your favorite proverb. Teach them that no one but themselves save them from the bad things they do on this earth, simultaneously biting your tongue about heaven if you need to. Teach them to think about their actions very carefully, for they are the only ones capable of forgiving themselves, no one else. Most importantly, teach them how to forgive themselves and others, because they don’t believe the same things you do, so although you know they will be forgiven if they ask god for it, they don’t need to know that.  Instead, teach them how to learn from their mistakes through the art of letting go, moving forward, and doing better next time. Let them know they have a reason to be here and only so much time to figure it out. Eliminate the fantasy of heaven and the fear of hell from child rearing. And then, when they are old enough to understand what it means to believe in something, let them decide what they believe in. 

If we, as a generation, can stop going through the motions and actively decide to let our children decide what faith they will practice, then we have a chance of erasing one form of division that this nation is facing. We can’t help anyone if we can’t help ourselves and I absolutely believe it is up to us. We are a divided country in many ways other than religion; wealth, race, education. Not only are we divided, but we allow those divisions to govern our society and we are now suffering the consequences. The steps we take now dictate whether or not we will remain the United States of America or become increasingly divided in beliefs until a Civil War breaks out. 

It’s due to the fact we are following blind or maybe it is we take what is said to us at face value because there has always been a divine explanation for every question we ever asked, nipping any inquisitiveness in the butt thus destroying any curiosity and weakening our power of thought at such a young age. 

Allowing someone to choose your faith, even if it is your parents and even if you were too young when they decided for you, is still considered you following blind. You are not being an active decision maker in your life, and I’m afraid for our future that if this continues we will no longer deserve to be a country because what the hell would we stand for, if we can’t stand for ourselves.  

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humanism /'(h)yo͞oməˌnizəm /: any system of thought or action based on the nature, interests, and ideals of humanity; specify., a modern, non theistic, rationalist movement that holds that humanity is capable of self-fulfillment, ethical conduct, etc. without recourse to supernaturalism

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition

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