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I filled in a Census Forum this year and was again struck by how a person's race is much more important than the same person's culture, religious beliefs or political views are in the United States. The first thing that struck me as strange when I came to live in America was how I was asked at my port of entry to fill in a form that asked me to identify my race.  I have visited and lived in many countries in Asia, Europe and Africa and the first time I was ever asked to identify myself by race was when I entered America. It offended me then and it still does today, especially as my race (Baltic-Germanic) is never on the forms I am asked to complete.

I was brought up to believe that you can never judge a person by what race they belong to; but only by who they are.  No-one chooses what skin they are born into, they can only choose who and what they wish to be recognized as.  You inherit your skin color, but you can personally choose your culture - so I will continue to be angry at having to identify myself and others in the United States by race.

I have learnt over the years that if I consider the Culture, World Knowledge, Sophistication and Education of a person and, how they conduct their lives related to others, I know them far better than if I recognize them only as a part of a designated "Race".  And yet today I feel as if I am being forced to join in the polarization of the United States - but just because the country as a whole does so, I think I will go my own way - and looking back on the wars and political extremes of the last three Centuries, I may just save myself.

The First 100 Years of the United States Supreme Court    

  animated large gold symbol of Islam    elaborate celtic cross            budded cross    Greek cross    gold buddhist wheel animated     animated gold OM, large     anamated large gold Star of David               
               Muslim   Catholic  Protestant  Orthodox Alternative   Buddhist     Hindu       Jewish     Atheist                              
 

 
Name, State Associate Justice Chief Justice Yrs Birth Place Date Died Religion
John Jay  N.Y.   1789–1795 5 N.Y. 1745 1829 Episcopal
James Wilson, Pa. 1789–1798   8 Scotland 1742 1798 Episcopal
John Rutledge S.C.   1790–1791 1795 1 S.C. 1739 1800 Church of England
William Cushing, Mass. 1790–1810   20 Mass. 1732 1810 Unitarian
John Blair, Va. 1790–1796   5 Va. 1732 1800 Presbyterian
James Iredell, N.C. 1790–1799   9 England 1751 1799 Episcopal
Thomas Johnson, Md. 1792–1793   0 Md. 1732 1819 Episcopal
William Paterson, N.J. 1793–1806   13 Ireland 1745 1806 Protestant
Oliver Ellsworth Conn.   1796–1800 4 Conn. 1745 1807 Congregational
Samuel Chase, Md. 1796–1811   15 Md. 1741 1811 Episcopal
Bushrod Washington, Va. 1799–1829   30 Va. 1762 1829 Episcopal
Alfred Moore, N.C. 1800–1804   3 N.C. 1755 1810 Episcopal
John Marshall Va.   1801–1835 34 Va. 1755 1835 Episcopal
William Johnson, S.C. 1804–1834   30 S.C. 1771 1834 Presbyterian
Brockholst Livingston, N.Y. 1807–1823   16 N.Y. 1757 1823 Presbyterian
Thomas Todd, Ky. 1807–1826   18 Va. 1765 1826 Presbyterian
Gabriel Duval, Md. 1811–1835   23 Md. 1752 1844 French Protestant
Joseph Story, Mass. 1812–1845   33 Mass. 1779 1845 Unitarian
Smith Thompson, N.Y. 1823–1843   20 N.Y. 1768 1843 Presbyterian
Robert Trimble, Ky. 1826–1828   2 Va. 1777 1828 Protestant
John McLean, Ohio 1830–1861   31 N.J. 1785 1861 Methodist-Episci.
Henry Baldwin, Pa. 1830–1844   14 Conn. 1780 1844 Trinity Church
James M. Wayne, Ga. 1835–1867   32 Ga. 1790 1867 Protestant
Philip P. Barbour, Va. 1836–1841   4 Va. 1783 1841 Episcopal
Roger B. Taney Md. elaborate celtic cross   1836–1864 28 Md. 1777 1864 Roman Catholic
John Catron, Tenn. 1837–1865   28 Pa. 1786 1865 Presbyterian
John McKinley, Ala. 1837–1852   14 Va. 1780 1852 Protestant
Peter V. Daniel, Va. 1841–1860   18 Va. 1784 1860 Episcopal
Samuel Nelson, N.Y. 1845–1872   27 N.Y. 1792 1873 Protestant
Levi Woodbury, N.H. 1845–1851   5 N.H. 1789 1851 Protestant
Robert C. Grier, Pa. 1846–1870   23 Pa. 1794 1870 Presbyterian
Benjamin R. Curtis, Mass. 1851–1857   5 Mass. 1809 1874 Protestant
John A. Campbell, Ala. 1853–1861   8 Ga. 1811 1889 Episcopal
Nathan Clifford, Maine 1858–1881   23 N.H. 1803 1881 Protestant
Noah H. Swayne, Ohio 1862–1881   18 Va. 1804 1884 Quaker
Samuel F. Miller, Iowa 1862–1890   28 Ky. 1816 1890 Unitarian
David Davis, Ill. 1862–1877   14 Md. 1815 1886 Protestant
Stephen J. Field, Calif. 1863–1897   34 Conn. 1816 1899 Episcopal
Salmon P. Chase Oh   1864–1873 8 N.H. 1808 1873 Episcopal
William Strong, Pa. 1870–1880   10 Conn. 1808 1895 Presbyterian
Joseph P. Bradley, N.J. 1870–1892   21 N.Y. 1813 1892 Presbyterian
Ward Hunt, N.Y. 1872–1882   9 N.Y. 1810 1886 Episcopal
Morrison R. Waite Oh   1874–1888 14 Conn. 1816 1888 Episcopal
John M. Harlan, Ky. 1877–1911   33 Ky. 1833 1911 Presbyterian
William B. Woods, Ga. 1880–1887   6 Ohio 1824 1887 Protestant
Stanley Matthews, Ohio 1881–1889   7 Ohio 1824 1889 Presbyterian
Horace Gray, Mass. 1882–1902   20 Mass. 1828 1902 Protestant
Samuel Blatchford, N.Y. 1882–1893   11 N.Y. 1820 1893 Presbyterian
Lucius Q. C. Lamar, Miss. 1888–1893   5 Ga. 1825 1893 Methodist
Melville W. Fuller Ill.     1888–1910 21 Maine 1833 1910 Episcopal
David J. Brewer, Kan. 1889–1910   20 Asia Minor 1837 1910 Protestant

 

The United States Supreme Court in 2010*
 * Provided that President Obama's 2010 Nominee is Confirmed

Name, state Associate Justice Chief Justice Yrs Birth Place Date Died Religion
Antonin Scalia DC              elaborate celtic cross   1986–   — N.J. 1936 — Roman Catholic
Anthony M. Kennedy CA     elaborate celtic cross 1988–   — Calif. 1936 — Roman Catholic
Clarence Thomas DC        elaborate celtic cross 1991–   — Ga. 1948 — Roman Catholic
Ruth Bader Ginsburg  DC   anamated large gold Star of David 1993–   — N.Y. 1933 — Jewish
Stephen G. Breyer Mass.    anamated large gold Star of David 1994–   — Calif. 1938 — Jewish
John G. Roberts DC     elaborate celtic cross   2005– — N.Y. 1955 — Roman Catholic
Samuel A. Alito, Jr. NJ         elaborate celtic cross 2006–   — N.J. 1950 — Roman Catholic
Sonia Sotomayor NY            elaborate celtic cross 2009–   — N.Y. 1954 — Roman Catholic
Elena Kagan N.Y.*               anamated large gold Star of David 2010-   - N.Y. 1960 - Jewish

 

The United States Religious Affiliation of the Population*
 * From the CIA Fact Book

    Protestant 51.3%,

elaborate celtic cross   Roman Catholic 23.9%,

anamated large gold Star of David    Jewish 1.7%,

gold buddhist wheel animated    Buddhist 0.7%,

animated large gold symbol of Islam      Muslim 0.6%,

Greek cross     Mormon 1.7%,  other Christian 1.6%

Greek cross     other or unspecified 2.5%,

Greek cross     unaffiliated 12.1%,

      none 4%  (Atheist)

Does this mean that for the first time in History only 25.6% of the population are represented on the Supreme Court of the United States, or that Politics has finally superseded Religion in the U.S.A.???

Bantering is a non-serious, very serious, conversation, usually between friends. The purpose of bantering may at first appear to be an offensive affront to the other person. However, people engaging in such a conversation are often signaling that they are comfortable enough in each others' company to be able to say such things without causing any offense while they are attempting to educate or good-naturedly challenge a friend's beliefs and understanding.

For thousands of years most people have accepted as unquestionable and have diligently professed the religion of their parents; most people also follow in the political footsteps of their parents; and they associate with, vote and base their beliefs on the community within which they live, and they are convinced that the country of their birth is the greatest or the worst country in History.  Problem:~ as long as they do so - progress and advancement dies.

A Bantering is designed to make the reader think. To make them question their beliefs, or challenge the accepted wisdom of the day, to look behind the words to assess how they were used to camouflage the truth in a way that would benefit the speaker who uses those words. A Bantering can at first be seen as offensive or whimsical, humorous or ridiculous; but the reader who is used to such challenges of their long held beliefs must read between the lines and try to find qualified fault with the writing, knowing that it is meant only to promote thought.
 

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