Kicked Out Of The Idiot Club

"Critical thinkers often,...have to separate what we think from what our comrades,...expect us to believe, presume we believe, or would rather we didn't discuss in,...mixed company, in public, or at all. For us to reason independently of,...orthodoxy -- especially to criticize sacred cows,...means risking banishment from the,...community. The threat of getting kicked out,...(impossible as that sounds), or at least being seen as outside,...solidarity, looms large."

-- From James Hannaham's review of Randall Kennedy's book "Sell Out" on Salon.com.

I was touched by this quote because my recent history has been nothing but one of being banished, and abandoned, by believers of all kinds. Whether for political reasons, or my natural resistance to those that want me "mind, body, and spirit", they've all proven - in the most ruthless manner possible - they'd rather see me in the streets than capable of thinking for myself. Put another way, if you think for yourself, you live by yourself - "Brother", you're on your own.

And, of course, these same people all see themselves as the nicest folks you'd ever want to meet - while I'm left wishing I had never met any of them.

So how far do their insane demands go? Well, just in the last couple of years, there's been direct demands that I share my wife with another man (made by my french ex-wife, Karine Brunck) switch my political affiliation (made by various "friends") and allow myself to be exploited financially to help the poor (ANKA Behavioral Health, Inc., a former employer). You know, little things like that. No big deal, right? Riiight. All perfectly reasonable.

Liberals: You gotta love 'em.