millionfagmarch.com/

In theory, yes, it's great to challenge such blatant hatred with love. In reality, holding loving intentions in the face of bigotry can be very difficult. I've been to counter-demonstrations against Phelps where some anti-Phelps folks have yelled some really hateful slurs back at Phelps' supporters. (The slogan that i like to chant at these counter-demonstrations is: "DON'T HATE!!! GO MAS-TUR-BATE!!!!")

The organizers who call the Million Fag March can set beautiful. loving intentions and ask for no "God Hates Fred" signs.
But i predict that some people who show up will be angry and they'll want to tell Phelps and his church to go fuck themselves.
You get all kinds at actions.
And the pissed-off anti-Phelps folks--even if there's just a few of them-- are also likely to get media attention (just like Phelps)....
Also, Phelps supporters will probably show up at the Million Fag March to goad demonstrators into yelling nasty shit back at them so they can film it for their own propaganda videos.

My advice for anyone planning to protest Phelps (either at the Million Fag March or at a counter-demonstration) is threefold:

* if possible, take some kind of training in non-violent direct action before going.

* Be ready to engage with anger and hold space for people who are angry to ground their rage and channel it into passion and compassion.

* Direct you signs and slogans at KIDS. Many of the participants at Phelps' demonstrations are his grandchildren and the kids of people at his church. These kids don't really have a choice. They're dragged to protests and made to carry fucked-up signs that they didn't make.
They're being indoctrinated with ignorance and bigotry by their parents. Consider focusing your message on reaching these kids.

My friend P-Raw hosted an amazing performance art party last night in San Fran. It was the second annual "Saint P-Raw's Day." Basically, she's appropriating a holiday that celebrates a Christian driving all the Pagans out of Ireland. (The night before last I was at The Pilsner Inn where a petition was being circulated to make St. Patrick's Day a national holiday in the U.S.. I didn't sign it. But afterwards, i regretted it and wished i had signed the petition as "Phil McCrackin"

Anyway I performed three pieces last night for St. p-Raw's Day. Snippets from the Living Tarot "Emperor" card and a revised version of my one-man play "The Emperor Likes Black"

The following is the homily I delivered during the Chaosmatic Mass. Gawddam! It felt good to be behind the pulpit preaching the werd! Enjoy : )


In the Image of Eloheem

In the tradition of my ancestors, the Hebrews, we human beings are physical embodiments of ALL the Chaotic Forces of Creation. A reading from the Book of Genesis, Chapter 1, Verse 26:

"VayoMER EloHEEM Na’aSEH ADAHM BetsalMEnu KidemuTEnu"
Translation: "Eloheem said, 'Let us make a human being with our image and likeness.'

The Hebrew word Eloheem is often translated with the English word 'God'. But Eloheem is so much more than just 'God'. Eloheem is both singular and plural, both unity and diversity. Both masculine and feminine, Eloheem is all the Goddesses and Gods speaking together with ONE VOICE to make our Universe. All for One. One for All. Or if you're an atheist, you could say we humans are made in the image of the Big Bang. Eloheem is the epicenter of that explosive point of origin from which everything emerges.

Rabbi Gershon Winkler writes: "Humans are created in the image - as a snapshot of ELOHEEM - that chaotic, yet creative dynamic that brought the physical universe into being. More than any other animal on the planet, we humans walk around confused, dazzled, moody, chaotic, creative, manic, depressive, and fluctuating constantly with drastic emotional and intellectual swings that can take us from one extreme to the other in a matter of seconds. We humans are comprised of the whirlwind of Creation, of the divine powers dancing spirit into matter, matter into form, and form into action."

Each and every one of us is the image and likeness of ALL the CHAOTIC POWERS of MANIFESTATION bringing this reality into existence. Creation isn't some event that happened years ago in the distant past. Creation is HERE and NOW. Each and every moment created by us as the conduits of CHAOS.

And that's only the beginning. Actually, we human beings are even MORE than just the amazing creative power of chaos. According to Rabbi Moses Cordovero wrote, when Eloheem said "Let us make the human in our image," this was addressed to everything that been created up until that point. So human beings embody all the attributes of all the animals, plants, minerals, elements, suns, moons, stars, planets, galaxies. All their powers flow through us. Which is why we can heal with herbs and gemstones. Why we are diminished whenever another species becomes extinct. Why we connect with animal totems and why we read horoscopes. We can channel the powers of every aspect of the cosmos because we are made in its image. Imagine! The blood flowing through our veins is the white water rapids swirling towards the tumultuous abundance of the ocean. The frenzied sparks of neurons firing in our brains are the lightning crashes in turbulent thunderstorms. We are Creation in conscious form. We are the paradox of Chaos revealing Order out of Chaos. Chaosmatic in our bodies. In our minds. In our hearts. We are Chaos made manifest.


From the Zohar: If the Bible was meant to be taken literally, you and I could have written a much better book. But if G-d is infinite, so the word of G-d is infinite, imbued with meanings that transcend any one particular interpretation. It is upon us to drink from these words not as a limited chalice, but as from an eternal wellspring, and to find ever-fresh meaning in it for each of our life situations. Therefore, if you read scripture and it does not speak to you directly, know that it is not the word of God. You can then walk away from it clean and naive, or you can stay with it, dialogue with it, wrestle with it until it unfolds its meaning for you personally, until it reveals its mystery. The sacred teachings will not carry you anywhere unless you engage it unless you look beyond its external narratives and internal verbiage, unless you probe its soul, and then the soul of its soul.

So I know, I know. I had a little fun in my last piece where I cast Dubya as "The Emperor"

Actually, I personally have a different perspective on the war in Iraq which I'd like to share--mostly because i get tired of hearing the same old shit where people only blame "the Bush administration" for what's going on. The war is complex. There are many reasons and many antecedents.

The past three administrations have all been aggressive in Iraq to different degrees. Most people are familiar with Bush Senior and the First Gulf War. Most of us are unaware of Clinton's aggression since it happened during the beginning of the Lewinsky scandal and the media didn't give it much coverage. Clinton's bombings took place in 1998 after he signed the Iraqi Liberation Act calling for Saddam Hussein to be removed from power (Clinton signed this act on Halloween / Samhain of that year)

Also, Congressional representatives voted to grant Dubya the power the invade Iraq. Even if Dubya is largely responsible, many of our
leaders share in that responsibality to some degree which is why they tend to attack Dubya instead of stepping forward to accept
partial responsability. Our culture seems to prefer scapegoats and dualistic good guys/bad guys mentalities. (Just try to present a more
nuanced approach, and liberals and radicals usually respond with something like "Why are you defending Dubya?" or "Why are you trying
to let Dubya off the hook?")

Lots of reasons for the war too. The war isn't just about oil or rich Republicans making more money. The war is also about violence being
acceptable in our culture as a means of conflict resolution--which is the dominant view in our mass media ("In America when a man puts
something in another man, it had better be a bullet." Bill Maher)

The war is also the result of a corporate system where major candidates from BOTH parties receive contributions in exchange for not cutting the 'defense' budget.

The war benefits more than just elites. The ruling class is shrewd enough to profit off a war which benefits the average, everyday American. The deficit caused by the war translates into money in the paychecks of hundreds of thousands of Americans who work for
corporations with defense contracts. Gas is ridiculously cheap in America and cars are everywhere. And millions of people keep putting our green energie$ into paying federal income taxes and buying into the oil economy thus insuring that elites are laughing their way to the bank.

What's really needed to end the war is massive civil disobedince.

I'm not talking about people marching in the street with "Blame Dubya" signs.

I'm talking about war tax resistance (refusing to pay the percentage of your income tax that goes towards military spending)

And people opting out of the oil economy.

And people supporting and encouraging each other to make difficult changes like growing our own organic food instead of buying products shipped in from thousands of miles away.

And learning how to let go of blame and get the message out there that the war is, in part, the result of our everyday choices instead of pretending that we don't benefit from the war.

We need to find more ways of being FOR peace instead of being "anti-war."

thee origynal sinnerjee


* To the Tune of "This Land is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie

CHORUS This war is my war. This war is our war.
Put gas in my car. Food brought in from afar.
Paid my income taxes. Buyin' lotsa plastic.
This war is made for you and me!

'Cause I want cheap gas to put in my car
So I can afford to drive to gatherings.
By flyin' in airplanes, we support corp'rate oil.
This war is made for you and me!

This war is my war. This war is our war.
Put gas in my car. Food brought in from afar.
Paid my income taxes. Buyin' lotsa plastic.
This war is made for you and me!

Where's my food come from? Was it grown locally?
Most food is shipped in planes, trains and semi trucks.
Do I eat organic? Or petro-chemicals?
This war is made for you and me!

This war is my war. This war is our war.
Put gas in my car. Food brought in from afar.
Paid my income taxes. Buyin' lotsa plastic.
This war is made for you and me!

In the past I paid my fed'ral income taxes.
But from now it's war tax resistance!
You can learn more online. If we give them money,
Then this war is PAID by you and me!

This war is my war. This war is our war.
Put gas in my car. Food brought in from afar.
Paid my income taxes. Buyin' lotsa plastic.
This war is made for you and me!

It's more than just oil. Violence has been ingrained.
And building guns and bombs creates a lot of jobs.
We need to remake our whole society.
Together we can work for peace!

This war is our war--Study war no more!
Alternative fuels. Locally grown food.
War tax resistance. Practice non-violence.
Together we can work for peace!