Category: In The News

“In The News” topics stir us up and the internet becomes abuzz. Unfortunately, most of the conversations generate more heat than light. I hope these posts are at least a little enlightneing.

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Mamdani and Maduro

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Two very strange things happened in the last few days. A Democratic Socialist was sworn in as mayor of New York City and the United States invaded another sovereign nation capturing its leader to face justice in the U.S. These are unusual events to say the least and they are representative of two ways of governing that have a very long history of opposition in our country. 

One is socialism, a system where the government owns or controls the major resources and industries, aiming to distribute wealth and opportunities more equally. The goal is to ensure everyone’s basic needs (like healthcare, education) are met by government programs, rather than private individuals and companies that profit from them. It’s about collective well-being and cooperation, contrasted with capitalism’s focus on private ownership and free markets, though many modern systems blend elements of both systems. 

We are a capitalist country which enables a few people to do extremely well, many people to get by pretty well, and some folks to really struggle. Our personal prosperity is controlled by the markets and other economic factors along with individual effort and good (or not so good) fortune. Our goods and services come mostly from the private marketplace, though we also have some quasi-socialist programs like Social Security and Medicare.

Capitalism champions personal freedom and individual effort. Socialism upholds the common good and the ability of the government to oversee it. The capitalist one-liner about socialism is. “Socialism doesn’t work because eventually you run out of other people’s money.” 

Several European nations have massive socialist programs providing things like childcare and higher education for “free,” but they have a much higher tax rate. The population in these countries are some of the happiest people in the world because they don’t have to worry about affording these things, like we do. Yet, communist countries also deploy socialism with a much less desirable result.

The new mayor of New York has promised several free services Americans find necessary for daily life. We’ll see how that goes. It sounds great, but it will be extremely expensive. Where will the money come from?

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On January 3rd in the wee hours of the morning the lights went out in Caracos, the Venezuelan capital of 300,000. Military bases and air defenses were bombed by over 150 U.S. aircraft. Then the helicopters came in flying under the radar. Members of the US Army’s Delta Force quickly found Maduro and his wife and extracted them. Dozens of Venezuelans were killed, along with 32 Cuban citizens who were part of Maduro’s security detail.

Maduro was indeed a narco-terrorist and allied with Russia, China, Cuba, Iran, and Hezbollah, selling them oil from the world’s largest reserve. Even though resource rich, mismanagement and corruption led to the collapse of the Venezuelan economy causing eight million people to leave the country, many winding up in the US.

Maduro was a bad guy. But regime change has never worked very well for us. Remember Iraq and Afghanistan. While the military pulled off a flawless feat and there is a feeling it was good thing to bring this corrupt dictator to justice, we are left with an important question. 

Was it legal? 

It was not. It was a violation of international law. There was no security council approval or case for self-defense. It was a violation of the US Constitution which requires congressional approval for significant military interventions. It was not a law enforcement operation. It was a military operation in a foreign state.

But it is a good thing the thug is out of power, and the US took control of the oil and we are “running the country. “ Right?

It sounds rather like something we would condemn if another country did it. Mr. Trump has already issued 225 Executive Orders this presidential term, more than his entire first term. There are 253 active cases challenging his administrative actions. Trump obviously has a way of stretching the legal limits of his authority. Executive overreach is not new, but the blatancy and extent it is being used by the present administration is new.

It seems like a good thing. Does it really matter if it was legal? It does if we are a nation of laws that follows its constitution, let alone international law.

Frustration births change, for better or worse. People are frustrated with the high cost of living. Having the government provide necessary services for them that they cannot afford on their own has a broad appeal. 

People are also frustrated when we don’t have a strong response to countries that pose a threat to our nation. Many of us would rather see a quick and effective executive response than have Congress debate it to death.

These frustrations and extreme responses are born out of a basic dissatisfaction of our government and the status quo. My question is: Do we really want to throw out the founding principles and guardrails our nation was founded on? We might be inclined to say, “yes,” if it works to our favor, but the day will come that we regret it.

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Living in a Dysfunctional Nation

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By the time you read this I suspect that a short-term compromise has finally been reached to fund the government. But as I write, the federal government has been shut down for Forty-four days. It is the longest shutdown in history.  Unfortunately, it is not an isolated event, but it is emblematic of how our government is functioning. 

In too many ways it is simply dysfunctional.

Here is a brilliantly simple explanation of what has happened from Alex Buscemi of The Builders Movement (abuscemi@buildersmovement.org). 

The government shutdown is basically America’s version of parents fighting while the kids hide upstairs, wondering when dinner will be ready. Mom and Dad (that’s Congress) are too busy screaming at each other over who “started it” to actually parent. Meanwhile, the kids (that’s us) are left scrounging the pantry, surviving on crushed-up Triscuits from the bottom of the box.

Millions of people were left waiting on delayed food assistance, hundreds of thousands of federal employees were not getting a paycheck, and travelers were left wondering if they could safely fly as air traffic controllers are among the unpaid. 

How could this happen? I pay my taxes, and I suspect you do too. It happened because Congress could not agree on a budget. So, it was not passed, not even a short-term resolution could be passed. It is the result of an ill-fated game of chicken, a silly partisan game that hurts lots of real people. They (in this case, the Democrats) could have passed the Continuing Resolution which would have kept funding at its current level and then had the much-needed debate about healthcare. However, both parties have been guilty of playing this game in the past.

I think it is the members of Congress whose paycheck should be withheld. They are the ones not doing their job. Part of their job is appropriations and they failed miserably.

It happened because politics is more important than people. On bill after bill, the Republicans vote as a block and so do the Democrats. The Senate is split 53 Republican and 47 Democrats.  It takes sixty senators to pass legislation.

Our two-party system is not constitutionally mandated. As a matter of fact, our first and only independent president, George Washington, warned us about them.

He famously expressed his opinion of political policies in his farewell address.

The spirit of party serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the publicadministration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against the another, foments occasional riot and insurrection. 

His prophetic words sound more like a current news report than a historical document/

It seems unlikely one party would be right on everything and the other one wrong every time. What are the odds?

Each party would have us believe that they are trying to save America and the other is trying to destroy it; and people believe it. The purpose of political parties is to amass power and money, so their candidates get elected and their policies get enacted and thousands of federal employees keep their jobs or get new jobs through a change in administration.

Their message is one of fear and hate. Fear about how the other party Is trying to destroy their beloved nation and hate and vilification about how bad, how evil, and how un-American their opponents are.

America has been built upon civil discourse. Our founders knew there would be disagreements. They actually made it difficult to pass legislation and they wanted to protect of the minority view so that it got a hearing. Negotiation is absolutely essential for us to function. 

Now negotiation, compromise, and civility are as out of fashion as the leisure suit. The very principles that our nation was founded on, and the very core of our constitutional operating system are looked upon with as a sign of weakness and disloyalty.  

So, here we are. Legislators are too busy repeating their increasingly extreme party mantra, too busy vilifying colleagues who differ, too busy shamelessly gerrymandering districts, too busy running for re-election, too busy fundraising, too busy to hold the executive branch in check, and too busy to simply do the people’s business (their job).

The result is our country gets mired down in crisis after crisis. Our ability to respond to a growing array of timely challenges is frozen. The can keeps getting kicked down the down the road. We have drifted into tribalism and regionalism. Neighbor hates neighbor because he has the nerve to have a different opinion on politics and the very fabric that holds us together is alarmingly frayed.

What can we do?

Get out of the echo chamber. The easiest thing to do is confine ourselves to an echo chamber of people with like experiences and opinions, but we will never learn or grow there. It is not heresy to listen to someone who has a different opinion. To not do so is actually naïve and narrow-minded. We might not like somethings someone says and believes, but they may have a different experience and perspective that deserves hearing.

“Make our own sausage.” Sauage is made from lots of different ingredients and opinions on important issues are best if based on information from several varied sources. I know it is easier to follow what someone else believes than to gather our own information and form our own opinion, but everyone has blind spots. Unfortunately, there is a whole cadre of politicos and media types who make big money by projecting a particular opinion rather than conveying solid information from various sources. Their job is to keep the base outraged at their opponents and blind to the misgivings of their chosen politician. 

Remember relationships are more important than politics. The most heartbreaking thing about what is happening is that relationships have been fractured because two people have different political opinions. 

There are a lot of people who I just don’t understand. Why would they say that? Why would they do that? Why do they think that way? At times I feel that way about the some of the people closest to me. 

Love is stronger than that. Love kicks in when we don’t understand. You don’t have to agree with someone to listen and treat them with respect.

Please contact me at glennhager1@gmail.com or find me at glennhager.com or on Facebook.

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Leader of the Free World?

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Hi there. This post is a little different. I am tipping my hand a bit by letting you know how I feel about something of which there are serious differences of opinion. These days most everything has been made political with extreme opinions ruling the day. 

Your civil, well-reasoned comments are always welcome, even if you disagree. I believe that relationships are generally more important than opinions. My goal is to write what I understand to be true while still loving those who disagree. Let’s aim for that.

Last Friday was a big day in world news. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine met with President Trump at the White House to sign a mineral rights deal giving the U.S. 50% of the proceeds of the mined rare earth deposits unearthed in Ukraine. Instead of a done deal, the meeting ended in a shouting match with President Zelensky being asked to leave. 

The shear drama of it was unprecedented. Negotiations around the conference table can get very heated, but the public face of meetings between heads of state is always conciliatory. This was anything but conciliatory. It was an emotional loss of control (or an ambush) with people talking over each other during the last few minutes of the meeting. It was ugly and Vladimir Putin was the only winner. 

Trump and his apprentice, J.D. Vance, were bullies. Zelensky seemed exasperated and unable to get a word in. The lives of his people and the very existence of his nation hung in the balance since they are dependent upon aid from the U.S. for the nation to survive the Russian onslaught. This war has already cost thousands of lives.

The harsh words began when Vance said they are trying to use diplomacy to end the conflict. Zelensky asked, “What kind of diplomacy?” Vance told Zelensky he should be more grateful and respectful. Trump reminded him he was losing the war, and he doesn’t have any cards to play. Zelensky was backed into a corner simply because he wanted some commitment to security for the minerals deal. Trump wanted the deal with no commitment for future military aid and has been critical of the help already provided.

I have had my share of experience with bullies and at times I have been dependent upon them for help accomplish something. Their tactics are to belittle you and brag of their great power. They try to gaslight you into believing you are the one in the wrong. They will destroy you if that is what it takes to get their way and keep their toxic narcissism intact. The best thing to do with a bully is walk away and ignore them while no longer relying on their help.  The problem is that no other country can help Ukraine to the degree that the U.S. can.

As Trump followers beat their chest, thinking “Boy, we really showed him.” Most of the rest of the world was appalled and assured Zelensky of their support. Many in our own nation were profoundly embarrassed.

The context for the meeting included: 

a call from Trump to Putin about the war, without the involvement of the country that was invaded

a lie that Zelensky started the war. They are a sovereign nation that was invaded by Russia with the goal of toppling its government. 

a lie that Zelensky is an unelected dictator. He was indeed elected, but elections are not permitted during times of war by their constitution, the same as the UK under Winston Churchill during WWII. How could they have fair and safe elections when Russia occupies a large chunk of their nation?

a lie that Zelensky’s approval rating is at 4%. It is 57% (probably much higher now). Trump’s is 44%.

a lie without evidence (like all his lies) that the U.S. aid is unaccounted for

On top of denigrating the man with lies, he then expected him to sign a deal that profits the U.S. and provides zero toward a secure future (or any future) for Ukraine.

Cities have been turned to rubble. Children kidnapped. Women raped. Hospitals, schools, apartment building, and power plants targeted. Twenty percent of the country is Russian occupied. That is three and half million people. One-third of the nation has been displaced from their homes. 

Twenty percent of our states would be most of the east coast (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. 

Imagine if the Russian invasion happened here. Imagine ten states were occupied by the foreign invader. Imagine that our weapons cache was depleted and thousands of our military personal were killed or wounded. Imagine entire cities turned to rubble. Imagine our hospitals, power plants, schools, and residential areas targeted and destroyed. Imagine our women raped, our children kidnapped. Imagine that the NATO countries who were legally bound to come to our aid not only abandoned us but flipped the table and declared us to be the enemy and sided with Russia as we were left with little hope of survival. Imagine the leaders of our closest and most powerful ally belittling our leader fighting for our survival.

While Trump is not known for his good character, his obvious lies about an ally leave many scratching their heads. He did not humiliate Zelensky. He revealed his true character and humiliated our nation.

Now he has “paused” all aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, much of which was long ago promised and yet to be delivered. Trump has demanded an apology from Zelensky. He is functioning like a childish mob boss. Some of the same people who criticized Biden for slowly providing aid for only defensive purposes are applauding Trump now. Is not the blood of innocent people in Ukraine on his hands?

On the international stage this seismic shift of turning on our allies and cozying up to our enemies changes everything. We are forfeiting our position as the leader of the free world.

So, who is the leader of the free world now?

One is so erratic that world leaders never know where they stand or for how long

Another has been brave and steady during a terrible three-year long war

One is dumping alliances that have keep the world much safer for eighty years

Another has been instrumental in making NATO and other alliances stronger.

One is isolating the nation focusing on self interest

Another is fighting for survival while battling a ruthless, imperialistic enemy in their homeland so that a victory there does not threaten other nations

One wants another nation’s rare-earth minerals at no cost to enrich their nation.

Another wants “ammunition, not a ride” so his nation can survive.

I say we stand with Ukraine and their noble fight for their lives as they battle not just their enemy, but our enemy, the world’s enemy and fight for survival.

I say we stand with our great nation and the principles upon which have made it great (even though they have been increasingly ignored or reversed).How about a return to common sense, compassion, and honor?

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Still Home of the Chiefs

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I had planned to write a tribute to my Chiefs while basking in the warm glow of victory. Instead, I am writing to process my grief.

I never really thought about the Chiefs losing after their victorious season of generally doing just enough to win game after game. I didn’t know much about our opponent, other than the success of their vaunted running back. Watching the game with a confident attitude made the sting of the meltdown even worse.

What the heck happened? I only have rudimentary knowledge of the game, but the consensus is the o-line broke down not giving Mahomes enough time to throw the ball downfield. Really, most everything went wrong, penalties, interceptions, sacks. 

However, this Monday morning quarterback thinks there was a problem that has plagued most of my team’s poor performances. It is the re-occurring theme of trying to force an arial bomb downfield, instead of playing the game at hand with short passes, quick releases, and utilizing our very good running backs. That’s just me, but I have limited understanding.

Moving from the analytical to the philosophical, this thing called the National Football League (even though they play in other countries) is pretty crazy. 

I often say the game appears to have originated with gladiators (the players), billionaires (the owners), lawyers (the officials who adjudicate the massive rule book), and marketers (who have turned a game into a multi-billion-dollar industry).

Sunday, I reveled in all of the hype and grandeur of the pre-game spectacle. It is an annual celebration of American culture. Beer, betting, and bingeing are encouraged through ads that cost eight million dollars for thirty seconds. The NFL always works in some well-produced messages, encouraging unity and tolerance, appealing to our better angels. Tickets are several thousand dollars. Celebrities cheer from their outrageously-priced luxury suits.

It is crazy. It is just a game, right? Yes and no. It is a game that becomes an excuse for all the rest. It is about money, lots and lots of money and celebrity (players, entertainers, and attendees). 

But it is also about gathering with people we love and who love the same team. It is about sharing good food, stories, and humor. It is about forgetting about the important stuff and the troubling issues and getting wrapped in something that really doesn’t matter. Yet, it does because it entertains us, unites us, and gives us something to share.

We are blessed in that we have watched nearly every Chiefs game for almost a quarter of a century. We are even more blessed in that we have watched those games in a massive fan cave festooned with most any Chiefs branded item you can think of and many that you have not. We share really good food, and we do it all with our son and daughter-in-law, and sometimes with our grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

Back about 2000 our son and daughter-in-law invited us over to watch the Chiefs play. It made sense because we are originally from the KC area. But it didn’t make sense because we neither understood nor cared about the game. Boy, did that ever change.

We have watched through many terrible seasons, way before the dynasty, and the Travis and Tay-Tay gossip. And we will keep watching. I firmly believe the Chiefs will continue to be very competitive so long as they have Bret Veach, Andy Reid, and Patrick Mahomes. 

I would not trade this journey for anything. The very best part of it is the incredible way it been instrumental in forming a deep bond with my son. We have even made several pilgrimages to St. Joseph, Missouri, our hometown and home of the Chiefs Training Camp. We have met many of the players and accumulated several of their autographs.

You may have noticed that during the singing of the national anthem, Chiefs fans conclude with “and the home of the Chiefs.” Our homes, wherever we live, and our hearts (because of how this crazy game brings us together) will continue to be “the home of the Chiefs.”

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Power to the Middle

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I watched the inauguration of President Trump, and I am brimming with reaction, but I am not going to write about it. If I did, a bunch of you would brand me as an enemy or, at least, a poor, misguided soul. You would probably delete me as a Facebook friend and never read another thing I ever wrote. I am just moderate enough to be hated by both sides. It’s not that I am a coward, I have written plenty of controversial things in the past

Rather, I am sick of the division, the sniping, the vilification, the cynicism, the politicization of every issue, and especially the strained and severed friendships because of some politicians in D.C. Unfortunately, my wife hears some of this from me, and I certainly have heard my fill from others.

Let’s be honest, we have had several of the least popular, most divisive presidential candidates in memory, but soon after the primaries, the people of our nation become ultra-tribalized, just like the political parties and media talking heads have been encouraging us. Suddenly, one candidate is the “savior of our nation” and the other one “will destroy America.” There is no room for nuance or a close examination of the issues. The “other side” never even gets a hearing. Moderation is a bad word. Our representatives are so busy fighting that little gets done and our nation falls behind.

Is one political party always correct on every issue? What are the odds? The purpose of political parties is to amass funds and power. They stir people up to get their people elected and massive numbers of bureaucrats appointed. They must cast a vision that is in opposition to each other, to have a purpose to exist.

We have had one independent president. His name is George Washington. When he left office our country was eight years old. His farewell address was written at a time before political parties had become accepted as vital extraconstitutional, opinion-focusing agencies, Washington feared that they carried the seeds of the nation’s destruction through petty factionalism. He was correct

I have been told you have to choose one or the other. I do not. You do not. We do not. We can choose neither. There are some positive values upheld by both parties, but they have become increasingly extreme. 

Hitching our wagon to a political party is lazy. It keeps us from exploring different perspectives and developing an honest opinion that has some room for nuance (and there is always nuance).

Our national heritage is a pendulum of reaction. The party in power sticks it to the opposition, back and forth. Little gets done and we grow further apart. This resembles tribalism as much as democracy.

Criticism is easy. Solutions are hard. I offer three items on the solution side.

Develop your own opinion. Do your own research. Stretch yourself by listening to others you disagree with. 

Learn how to discuss issues in a civil manner. You can have strong opinions, but you can express them in a civil manner. Certainly, some folks in power give us a lot to disagree with or be cynical about. But we can make a conscious choice to shy away from verbal molotov cocktails, and social media zingers. 

People are more important than positions. You don’t have to change your position or that of someone else to maintain a relationship. You simply refuse reject someone who has the audacity to disagree with you on politics. If you can have a civil conversation, do so. If not, there is much more to life than politics, talk about those things.

Move from complaining about the problem to being part of the solution.You can join with others who are working toward common sense solutions and begin exploring new ideas. It will be a better use of your mental and emotional energy

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The Leader of the Free World

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He was a comedian that played a teacher on a TV show whose character went on tirade about corruption in the country’s government. The tirade went viral on social media, and he was elected president of the country. That was a TV show. Now that same actor/comedian is the actual president of a war-ravaged Ukraine. 

What is it they say about life and art?

This thirty-eight-year-old with a law degree and a background in the entertainment industry is now the leader of the free world.

He has qualities that most Americans wish their leadership possessed. 

“I need bullets, not a ride.” This was his famous response to the US offer to help him escape the country. Staying put when he actively hunted by Russian operatives, required unquestioned loyalty and courage. 

His nightly addresses to the people of his nation and his endless pleading with western nation for weapons, utilized his skills with the media. He knew exactly how to approach the leadership of each nation and how to keep his people encouraged in times of immense loss.

His courage and communication skills have garnered him the kind of authority that has resulted in the re-unification of NATO, an outpouring of weapons and aid, and the overwhelming respect of the world. 

He can keep asking for more weapons and call out the hypocrisy of other nations and alliances because he has earned the right to do so. He can encourage others to stand up to the bully, because that is exactly what he is doing.

That’s what real leadership looks like!

It seems like history has taught us little here in our country. Our delay in getting involved in two world wars did not turn out to be prudent. Now, we are so fearful of escalation from a ruthless dictator with nuclear weapons that we are willing to do just enough to help the Ukrainians defend themselves for a time, rather than defeat a ruthless enemy that will always want more. We continue to turn a blind eye as thousands are killed and cities are destroyed when so much of the horror could be prevented.

We have a responsibility to do more, as Americans, as decent human beings.

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Safe Distance

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We should have known 

Poised, ready to pounce 

Shocked by the audacity 

Grieved by the brutality 

This living room war 

This you tube terror 

These people like us

All we do is discuss 

As we watch at a safe distance. 

Every night bloody bodies 

Scores, hundreds, thousands 

Soldiers, mothers, children 

Why kill even one? 

Leaving everything 

Livelihood, home, husband 

Land, father, and mother 

Bag in one hand, child in the other 

As we watch at a safe distance. 

No one laughing at the comedian 

Bravely leading from the front 

Superpower, moving slowly 

Don’t dare provoke the bully 

Will the dictator win? 

Former glory, more territory 

Who’s the next conquest? 

Remember this urgent request 

As we watch at a safe distance. 

Mutually assured destruction 

Still a deterrent?

Given a planet to enjoy

Still, we find ways to destroy

There is no safe distance. 

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Wars and Rumors of Wars

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I have lived through so many international conflicts.

The Cuban Missile Crisis – Even as a small child, I understood the threat of Russian supplied ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads ninety miles from our shore.

The Cold War – In school we had drills in which we went to the basement, covered our heads with our arms and hoped for the best in face of Soviet nuclear missiles and Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD).

The Vietnam War – It took over 58,000 American lives, drug on for nearly twenty years, divided our nation, and gave birth to a culture of protest. Two years after our withdrawal, North Vietnam declared victory. I just missed the draft.

The First Gulf War – Our forces, along with a large coalition of nations freed the tiny oil producing country of Kuwait and pushed Sadam Hussein’s forces back to Bagdad with speed and efficiency.

The Second Gulf War – Was an elective war to further punish Sadam for his treachery inflicted upon his own people, his disregard for UN directives, and for possessing Weapons of Mass destruction which we never found. The actual war lasted only a month. The resultant civil war and occupation lasted eight years.

The Afghan War was a retaliation for the 911 attack on our nation and lasted ten years making it America’s longest war. The Taliban quickly took over the country after our departure.

The costliest wars predate me. WW I (17 million lives lost) and WW II (60 million lives lost). Of course, we had our own internal Civil War which took 618,000 lives

The hot spots have been Europe, the Far East, and the Middle East, and now we are cycling back to Europe again. The more aggressive minded states seem to be Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. Nine nations have a stockpile of 13,000 nuclear weapons.

It seems like there are always a handful of ruthless leaders who have total control over their populous as well as control of the information they receive. There are always a few off-kilter dictators who want to force additional people into their submission and build a great empire by force. Dictators, empires, and wars are almost a summation of world history. 

This war feels different. 

  • It is obviously a war of choice.
  • It is being broadcast on social media by civilians caught in the middle of it. 
  • Russia is totally isolated.
  • The Ukrainians are fiercely defending their nation.
  • International support for the defenders is overwhelming, except…
  • There is little willingness to do anything that might provoke Putin.

There are big issues to consider.

Two nations with nuclear weapons fighting each other

  • The stability or instability of Putin
  • The implications for the future: Will Putin stop with Ukraine, or will he move on to a neighboring NATO nation?
  • How to respond to an international bully
  • The morality, or immorality, of war

No sane person wants to be in a situation in which he may be killed or maimed or inflict the same upon others. But what about the morality of protecting your own family, your countrymen, your neighbors, your own brothers and sisters, your own fellow human beings?

It seems our country was slow and tepid in our response as we watched Ukraine be surrounded by over 100,000 Russian soldiers and massive amounts of war machinery. We watch as the attacks were launched and civilians in apartment buildings and so-called humanitarian corridors were brutally targeted.

Can’t we at least stop importing Russian oil and stop financing the war?

Can’t we at least ramp up oil and natural gas production (for now) and send it to Europe if the Russians cut them off and have enough so we don’t have a significant dependence upon imports?

Can’t we at least replace the warplanes that neighboring nations are giving the Ukrainians?

Can’t we at least stand up to the bully with the long-term outcome in mind, so we are not green lighting him and every other nefarious dictator to go ahead with their next conquest?

Can’t we at least do what we can now to avoid further war in the future?

Can’t we at least do our best now to be moral and ethical human beings to protect innocent people?

Mathew 26: 4-8

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Plea From An Ukrainian Mom

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She looks so much like us. Except she is not trying to decide where the family is going out to eat tonight or what they are going to watch on their streaming TV service. 

Instead, she shelters in a basement, overcrowded, with no bathrooms, and enough food for only one day. It is an impossible situation for her to explain to her three children, old enough to know something is very wrong. 

It’s hard for her to keep from crying as she looks at them. Finally, she breaks down when she reflects on saying goodbye to her husband two days ago. The odds that she will see him again, are slim. He like all the other males have taken up arms to fight for his country and his family.  

Yes. It is a true story.

Maybe this how it felt when Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland in 1939. The isolationists prevailed until directly attacked themselves.  As the world stood by, yet another attempt at assembling a vast empire through sheer force and brutality almost succeeded.

It seems surreal. The largest amassing of a military and weaponry since World War II focused on a non-threatening neighbor nation happening as the world watches. 

The Ukraine is rich in natural resources. It used to be a part of the Soviet Union. Perhaps Putin wants the gradual reunification of the Soviet Union to be his legacy.

One man can be a huge force, if he is in leadership, is ruthless, controls the narrative, and has no one to stop him internally or externally.

How do you respond to an international bully? How do you take a stand against him without provoking a wider, more deadly conflict? How do you help people whose country is being overrun? What is the right level of force? How do you respond with both wisdom and compassion?

No matter the era of history or the calendar year, there are always hot spots and ruthless dictators in the world. Multiple countries have nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. We forget how fragile freedom and life itself are.

We pray for the hundreds of thousands of refugees who have left everything behind as they flee the war zone. We pray for world leaders to make wise decisions.

Remember that mom and her children pleading to the world on that cell phone video.

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The Third Way

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You don’t have to be a democrat or republican, conservative, or liberal. Don’t be deceived into thinking the only choices are one or the other. You could choose both, or neither. You could be a lot one and little the other, or a little bit of each. You be could very disenchanted and disenfranchised by either option.

You could opt out of political tribalism. 

There were no political parties when our nation was founded. George Washington, our first and only independent president warned against them. Incidentally, all the negative fallout he predicted has happened as he predicted.

Our stubborn adherence to the two-party system has devasted our country. We have been experiencing our own contemporary version of civil (uncivil) war. Neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother. Red states, blue states. Sides must be chosen on every issue. 

If one side says it is black, the other must call it white. An opposite position must be assumed for the party to maintain any sort of relevance. So far, we are not killing each other, just name-calling, ridiculing, vilifying, and appealing to people’s very worse nature. 

The most extreme of the “other side” is always marched before us to stir up fear about “what they are doing to our country.” Both sides are equally guilty. It’s not a democrat or republican problem. It is a human problem.

The consequences of our tribalization are devasting.

Americans are hating each other over their political positions on any and every issue.

Legislators are not doing their job representing their constituents because the party position is more important to them, especially, if they want to be re-elected.

The gerrymandering of legislative districts has insured that democrat or republican districts will remain so.

Due to gerrymandering, the only person who can win a primary is someone with an even more extreme party position.

Legislators vilify their colleagues across the aisle rather negotiate with them, which is the only way legislation is advanced. Hence nothing gets done and country continues to fall behind in so many ways.

The other option is that party with power, no matter how narrow the margin, does what it wants without negotiation, because it can. When the other party regains power, they switch it back. The hatred continues to grow worse.

I can guarantee that each and every one of us is not right about everything and we all have something to learn. 

There are experiences and perspectives foreign to us that we do well to attempt to understand before we develop an opinion.

There are billions of dollars to be made from tribalism. Without it, the very nature of our political system would have to change. It is how political parties raise money and appeal to their base.

It also generates staggering income for cable news outlets and other partisan media. If they began saying something like we need to “find a way to get along and work together,” they would die. They are built upon fear, outrage, and pseudo patriotism. The goal is to keep you worried, riled up, and tuning in.

We have voided something that our nation was founded upon: civil discourse, i.e., people listening to each other, trying to understand each other, and treating each other with common (uncommon?) human decency. We have rejected the idea that we may not be right and that we might have something to learn. 

In our polarized, tribalized, extremist culture, there is no room for negotiation, nuance, or hearing other voices. But there is where the truth lies. That is the way forward. That is how we begin being neighbors again.

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America’s Religion

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We just wished America a happy birthday. She is a magnificent lady, but she is starting to show her age. There are a few tell-tale signs that everything is not working as good as it used to. It is one of those concerns that I would like to address today.

I’ll just jump in.

Mr. Trump, the Bible is not a prop and the church is not a photographer’s backdrop for your photo!

That scene was one of the weirdest, cheapest, cheesiest things I have ever seen. It reminds me that there is an American religion, an attempt to make the perfect marketable cultural cocktail. 

One of its main ingredients is patriotism; the flag-waving, military-loving, lower taxes for the middle class, idealization of days gone by, and American exceptionalism kind.  

There is nothing wrong with patriotism, except it has been turned into something as sacred as one’s faith, if not more so. The United Sates is a great ideal; brilliant really. But our national history is not without serious blots and we have not always been right or on the right side of history. It makes sense because the people leading us are only human, and therefore, they are wrong sometimes. 

The brilliance of the American experiment is that people should be free and government should be limited with checks and balances to make sure that it is truly doing the work of the people. The further we drift from the founding ideas, the more flawed and corrupt we become.

The other main ingredient is Evangelicalism which for the last several decades has pushed for a society that mirrors its own beliefs. Jesus lived in a country occupied by a military superpower and co-opted by a corrupt religious elite. He had a lot to say about the corrupt religious elite and almost nothing to say about the godless ruling superpower, except that we should pay our taxes. His emphasis was on how to live out his teachings in that kind of cultural context rather than complaining about it, trying to change it, or attempting to make life more comfortable for his followers. Today’s Evangelicalism seems to have little in common with the way of Jesus.

Evangelicalism has created its own little brew over the last forty years or so by aligning with presidential candidates and the Republican Party to push positions they care deeply about. People came to know Christians for what they were against, homosexuality and abortion, rather than what they are for; love.  

It seems like we have enough to do in trying to follow the ways of Jesus and love people (even when we disagree with them and their choices). Judgement repels people. Love is indisputable.

For a really great all-American cocktail, we need to add a dash of the NFL, NASCAR, and country music.

I love Jesus. I love America. I love auto racing and I really love the NFL. I can also do with some Cash and Willie. I am comfortable with it all. However, I don’t believe it all should be mixed up together into some sort of pagan American religion because that which is most important, pure faith in Jesus, will be compromised, as indeed, it has been. 

I offer this alternative, evaluate these things separately on their own merits, rather than mix them up into some sort of take-it-or leave-it cocktail. Then, we can love our country for the good things we enjoy as Americans and speak up when it goes astray, trying to preserve the great idea without compromising our faith.

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Social Distancing

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It’s an oxymoron. How can you be social and distant? 

Do social media and technology finally attain a higher purpose? Perhaps, though they have so many limitations. There is no substitute for physical proximity and eye-to-eye contact.

Social distancing is an odd term. Very clear and very imperative in one sense. Very conflicting and intriguing in another.

We live in a fractured and angry society that has already pulled itself apart. Then came this health emergency that has the potential to unite us, only we need to practice “social distancing.”

This crisis will pass, in weeks or months, I suppose. We pray the resultant disease, death and disruption are minimal.

I wonder what’s on the other side, when this thing has played out. What effect will it have beyond the crisis?

Technology and politics have already had their viral effect that caused a social distancing of another variety. People will not be bothered to have a real conversation, so they use a technological shortcut. Everything became political. So, we have to be part of the same tribe to be friends.

I might be dreaming now, but it is a dream that can come true. 

What if this crisis gave birth to a new appreciation of our family, friends, neighbors, and associates? What if we saw the value, worth, and wonder in each person we encounter (even if we think their politics are stupid).

What if we took it upon ourselves to brighten their day with a little joy, humor, or compassion? What if our lives took on a rich, new meaning because of our relationships with others?

Hopefully, before too long it will again be appropriate to shake hands, to hug, to kiss.

What if we simply remembered that we need to love and be loved to live a life of meaning?

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We Are Better Than This

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The more I heard of Senator McCain’s story, the starker the contrasts became between the man who tried to become president and one who is president.

One was born into a family of service with a glowing history of military careers.

The other was born into a life of privilege and received huge monetary and business advantages from his father as he began his career.

One was an Air Force pilot in an unpopular war.

The other received numerous educational deferments, avoiding the draft.

One survived a deadly fire on an aircraft carrier, was shot down over Hanoi, knocked into unconsciousness by the ejection from his aircraft, shattered both of his arms and one leg, landing in a lake. He was fished out of the water by the enemy, stripped, spit upon, beaten, stabbed with a bayonet, interrogated and repeatedly tortured to the point of losing consciousness, starved to point of losing one third of his body weight, and suffered through several botched surgeries to set the bones in his shattered arms and leg. Broken, weak, and weighing one hundred pounds, he was not expected to live.

The other worked for his dad’s real estate business, rode in his limousine, ate at the finest New York City restaurants, and frequented the most outlandish clubs with beautiful women in tow.

One was trying to stay alive in a Hanoi prison, teaching himself how to walk again.

The other was building a glitzy real estate career in Manhattan.

One repeatedly refused a propaganda-induced release from his prison that he believed would show favoritism to him as the son of a high-ranking officer and dishonor his country. He endured over five years as a POW and was deemed a hero, receiving the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Distinguished Flying Cross.

The other tried to model his life his life after his heroes, Hugh Hefner, Clint Eastwood, and the fictional character, James Bond.

One, required nearly a year of rehabilitation, eventually retiring from the Navy with lifelong physical disabilities. He continued his family’s tradition of service as a two-term congressman, and five-term senator from Arizona.

The other got rich off of branding his name and self-promotion.

One became known as a negotiator, occasionally defying his own political party to enact campaign finance reform, normalize relations with Viet Nam, and support the members of the military.

The other became a reality TV star, famous for saying, “You’re fired!”

One was feisty, principled, self-effacing, fighting for what he believed in the arena of government.

The other, wheeling and dealing, claiming bankruptcy for his various business interests six different times, while protecting his personal wealth.

One debated the issues on the floor of the Senate and in campaigns.

The other became proficient in using the media to build his personal brand.

One represented the people with character and class.

The other denigrated the handicapped, a gold star family, women, immigrants, and gave elementary-school-level nicknames to his opponents.

One stood by our friends and put our enemies on notice.

The other is friendly with our enemies and regularly turns against our allies.

This list could go on and on. While McCain wasn’t the Messiah and Trump is not the Antichrist, they have very different values and they lived very different lives.

Personally, I long for an aspirational leader, one who gives us something to live up to. Unfortunately, what is being modeled for us is a new low, a myopic, narcissistic, gutter-level approach that vindictively protects a fragile ego at all costs, striking out at anyone who disagrees.

I understand how so many of my friends could have voted for a straight-talking, supposedly very successful businessman who can cut through governmental nonsense to get a better deal for the average American. Supposedly, he would run the country like a business and drain the swamp. Yet, I do not understand how, over time, they cannot see through this carefully manufactured caricature and became as gullible as my grandmother who believed professional wrestling was real.

I am at a complete loss to explain why character has become a totally irrelevant issue. There are no glowing character references for Donald Trump.

A friend once boasted to me, “Immigration is down and the stock market is up.” I thought, that’s it? That’s all you care about? Are we more or less united as a nation, more or less civil in our discourse, are we moving forward on complex, pressing issues or stuck in partisanship gridlock, are we leading the world with our best values?

Lastly, Evangelical Christians have done more to hurt their credibility and the very mission of Christ by their support of Trump than they can imagine. He has been given a mulligan to use the terminology by one church leader. Another said he was a baby Christian and not familiar with the terminology. Seems like we will sell our soul for a few goodies.

While all of us are flawed and our past presidents have all been flawed, this president has been open about several of his affairs and accused of others. His tit-for-tat infantile narcissism is on display daily on Twitter. Even his friends want to break his thumbs. He commits unforced errors with alarming regularity. He is vindictive, narcissistic, and erratic to the point of having a toxic effect upon the entire nation.

We are better than this. We desperately need to be better than this.

Feisty and flawed as he was, John McCain gave a lifelong picture of someone who was far from a perfect leader, but was so definitely, better than this.

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It All Comes Down to Relationships

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On March 3, 1991, in the wee hours of the morning three friends who had spent the night watching basketball and drinking were speeding on Interstate 210 in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. A California Highway Patrol unit gave chase, but the driver refused to pull over. The high-speed pursuit continued on surface streets was joined by multiple LAPD units, including a helicopter.

As the three unarmed subjects in the speeding car were finally apprehended, one of them was tasered twice, struck with a police baton thirty-three times by multiple officers, and kicked six times, even after being subdued. George Holliday videoed the incident from his balcony. That video became a media sensation.

Rodney King, who was found to be legally intoxicated at the time of his arrest, suffered a fractured facial bone, a broken right ankle, and multiple bruises and lacerations. Four LAPD officers were charged with using excessive force. The jury consisted of ten whites, one Latino, and one Asian. On April 29, 1992, three of the officers were acquitted and the jury could not agree on one of the charges against the fourth officer.

Within hours of the verdict, the Los Angeles riots of 1992 began. They lasted six days, resulting in 53 deaths, 2,383 injuries, more than 7,000 fires, damage to 3,100 businesses, and nearly $1 billion in financial losses. Other cities also experienced unrest.On May 1, 1992, Rodney King made a television appearance in which he pleaded, “Can we, can we get along?”

__________

I grew up in a white bubble. Blacks were almost a novelty in the small Midwestern city of St. Joseph, Missouri. Sadly, we had crude stereotypes, beliefs, and sayings that were an unfortunate part of the majority culture back in the sixties.

In 1992, I was a pastor of an all-white church in Decatur, Illinois, a city that had its own racial tensions. BY that time, I was almost forty years old and had never had a black friend or even a meaningful conversation with a person of color.

Somehow, I got word that the local black pastor’s association was re-writing their organizational constitution and bylaws. Since I had just written those documents for the newly formed Evangelical Pastors’ Association, I volunteered to help.

Even though, I was the only white face at their meeting, I was warmly received. However, I was puzzled that they were so involved with “social issues” and were obviously Democrats. I thought how could a Christian possibly have those political views? In those days, I was very much wrapped up in the White/Evangelical/Republican melding of religion and politics.

As I worked with the committee to get their organizational documents in order I found my new associates to be very gifted and dedicated men of faith, and I made a new friend.

Unfortunately, it was not very long before I moved to another church in another part of the state. But, I remember having lunch with my new friend. He was a fascinating guy and we had a lot of things in common. We were both struck by the importance of a black man and a white man becoming friends. Since we were both pastors, our friendship would have an impact on our congregations. Some congregants would likely view our friendship positively, others no so much. As we continued to talk about how to get past some of things that had kept us apart for too long, my wise friend reminded me that it all comes down to relationships.

__________

The white pastors group was having its monthly meeting when we got word that the police officers’ verdict was about to be proclaimed. Now that we finally had relationships with our fellow black pastors, we deemed it a good idea to get together and to pray. We did get together in the civic center park of the city. The local television station found us there, black people and white people holding hands praying for the situation in Los Angeles, praying for their community, and praying for change in people’s hearts.

It all begins with one person getting to know another.

 

This was my column for the Kenosha News on February 4, 2018.

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Help for a Polarized Nation

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This was my column in the Kenosha News in February, but is still very relevant.

We have a very energetic president who currently lives alone, doesn’t require much sleep, works weekends, and tweets before most people are awake. So, there is no telling what may have happened in the intervening week between the time I submit this column and the time you read it.

Already, after a whirlwind week one, the Trump presidency has generated as much controversy as his unorthodox candidacy. Many Americans are excited that this celebrity businessman can get things done and deliver quickly on campaign promises, while many other Americans feel the nightmare is just beginning. About the same number of citizens, think they have finally been heard as those who think the most unqualified, morally bankrupt individual who has ever held the office is wrecking their country and trashing its foundational values.

Sadly, more than ever before these very strong feelings have been transferred from the president to both his followers and his detractors. There is a new level of zealous anger, and outright hate based on political views that is expressed very openly and very personally.

How in the world can this nation find a way forward when one half disdains, belittles, and shuts out the other half, and respectful discourse is no longer fashionable?

Here are a few principles that we would all do well to embrace, no matter who we voted for.

People are more important than politics. We must find a way to get along with our neighbors, friends, and family members who don’t share our opinions. It’s time to stop overreacting to people who have the nerve to disagree with us on something. It is amazing how hateful and wrong we can become in condemning what we think is wrong in others. Your disagreeing neighbor has the same right to his opinion as you do yours. We can show him respect and look for the opportunity to learn and understand, and not just convince and correct. We can talk openly, understand where we agree and where we disagree, and determine to be good friends and neighbors anyway. Once we get to know a person and hear his story, its hard to think of him as the enemy. This is simply part of being a decent and reasonable adult in America.

Open-mindedness is more helpful than self righteousness. Many of us have felt the full thrust of self righteous behavior that is simply hateful and unreasonable. One person, one party, one philosophy is highly unlikely to have the best ideas on every single issue every single time. Open mindedness does not mean abandoning your convictions. It is not being wishy-washy. It means we examine our own positions and we carefully consider the opinions of others. It means we think for ourselves and refuse to blindly follow the spin of politicians and media pundits.

Respectful discourse is more productive than hit-and-run accusations. Anybody can find the most extreme example from an opposing perspective and ridicule it. That’s easy. What’s hard is sitting down and talking frankly to someone who thoughtfully approaches an issue from another perspective. What’s hard is loving and respecting that individual as a person. What’s hard is listening and learning. What’s hard is finding common ground. What’s hard is finding a way to move forward together. What’s hard is making things better.

That is the hard work that has been waiting to be done while we have been indulging our desire to expose those who differ with us while we claim the moral high ground for ourselves. Honestly, there is great value in having our opinions challenged. Then they can be evaluated until we get to the very core of what we truly believe as an individual, rather than just repeating want someone else told us.

Our country has weathered devastating wars, including civil war, great swings in political power, and being on the wrong side of history on a number of issues. We have dealt with too many bad presidents, congressmen, senators, judges, and administrators, and the nation has survived. All is not won or lost with a transfer of power.

Yet, I fear that if we abandon our duty to be thoughtfully involved in the system or loose our desire to have respectful discourse, we will be in very deep trouble.

 

Image Credit: Johnny Silvercloud. Creative Commons.

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Christians in the Age of Trump

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How does a follower of Christ respond to a President Donald Trump? What is the role of church in the age of Trump?

The evangelical leaders who endorsed Trump looked oblivious and uncaring because he so obviously violated Christian values and even common decency back when he was candidate Trump. I believe that Jerry Falwell, Jr., James Dobson, and Robert Jeffress were wrong for their endorsement. Consider Trump’s ever changing positions, his lack of specifics, his bullying tactics, his objectifying women, his remarks admitting his bent toward sexual abuse, and his denigrating the other candidates, the disabled, a war hero, a gold star family, the press, and anyone who disagreed with him.

It seemed obvious that their love of conservative policies and hate for Hillary Clinton was more important than their spiritual values.

Liberals, progressives, and younger people of faith endorsed Hilary or Sanders. Some have become a part of “The Resistance” once Trump became president. I applaud their upholding common human rights for all people, but dislike the self-righteousness and mean spiritedness that I have  witnessed. It seems like you have to use the exact terminology they use, down to the s/he pronoun, or you will quickly be labeled sexist, racist, homophobic, or xenophobic, even if that is the furthest thing from the truth.

They are as narrow-minded and mean spirited in the name of inclusion (the ultimate irony) and human rights as their conservative counterparts are in their zealous support of the free market and minimalist government.

Isn’t it funny how both groups believe God is on their side?

What always strikes me as counterintuitive is that Jesus had almost nothing to say about a totally corrupt theocratic puppet government that functioned in partnership with one of the cruelest, militaristic, occupying superpowers in world history.

He said pay your taxes. Paul said to pray for those in authority. They both indicated that we are part of another kingdom. Yet, we act like government should embrace our Christian values (as we understand them), as though that will change everything for the better. It won’t. There have been plenty attempts at theocracies throughout history. How did that turn out?

It is a privilege that we have something of a voice in our government. Many believe it is a responsibility to be involved. We can fight the good fight for our government to be better, more just, and more compassionate.

But there is also this other kingdom, the simple, subversive one that runs parallel with the corrupt, political one. It does not place any sort of responsibility or expectations upon the kingdom that we hear about on the news every day. 

It simply reminds us that our main responsibility, our main privilege, is to love. That’s right, more effective than a conservative revolution, or a liberal resistance, is simply loving people.

 

Photo Credit: Gary Skidmore. Creative Commons.

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Why Did the Royals Win the World Series, and Why Does It Matter?

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royalsThe Royals are atypical champions. They have no pitching ace, no huge power hitter, and no superstar. Two years ago, they were bottom dwellers. How did they become world champions?

They built on the right foundation. (Character)

Everybody has values and those values determine what you do, and how you react to what comes your way in life. The same is true of organizations.

The Royals have a GM, Dayton Moore, who built a team upon values that were both virtuous, and led to success.

  • Strong moral principles and devotion to family
  • Commitment to excellence and reaching your potential
  • A humble desire to learn, listen, and forgive
  • Refusal to give up

That all stands in contrast to the immature, narcissistic, trash talking, chest thumping, bragging, and whining that pervades professional sports. It also produced winners.

They had the right people in charge. (Management)

Dayton Moore, knew how to build a team from the draft. Ned Yost knew how to develop them into champions, and he is a fascinating story. He was such a poor hitter in high school that he worked as a pot scrubber at KFC to build his physical strength. Against all odds, he made it to the majors, but wasn’t very good.

However, as a manager, he turned two struggling, small market teams, the Brewers and the Royals into true contenders. But controversy seems to follow him because of his unconventional, highly personal style that is part knowledge of his roster and part confidence in believing they will develop into the players the team needs.

That’s a contrast to the stat-based world of sports in which reaction (or overreaction) is the norm.

They functioned as a team. (Unselfishness)

The Royals focused on the less celebrated elements of the game, like putting the ball in play, a solid defense, base running, and relief pitching. When all of those small pieces were put together in the team, they were more potent and complete than a team with a couple of superstars.

There are a lot of superstars trying to make a name for themselves, but the real heroes are those who do their part to achieve something great together. I cannot think of a venture that does not require a great team to pull it off.

They didn’t give up. (Perseverance)

This team’s hallmark is winning close games and coming from behind. That’s why we’re up so late for those extra innings games. You cannot count these guys out. They don’t get rattled. They always believe they can win.

How often have you seen a team’s confidence shaken, their spirit broken, and then, the downward spiral? That way of thinking doesn’t’t seem to be a part of the Royals DNA.

Conclusions

I am not much of a baseball fan, but when the Royals make it to post-season, I watch, and they make it interesting.

Really, any sport is just about a game. Or, is it? A game, a team, has the power to unite millions of people, bring family and friends together, give them something to cheer about, provide a needed distraction, and give us a source of identity and pride. A game and team can somehow bring hope to people fighting cancer, or those suffering from a broken heart. And it is just another context to tell a great story.

But it is even more. The reasons the Royals won the World Series was not just about physics or skill. Their victory was based on lessons that all of us can take to our businesses and our lives.

 

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Pro (All of) Life

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elderlyThis post is part of the July 2015 synchroblog that invited bloggers to write about “What It Means To Be Pro-Life.”

My fifty-seven year-old friend has been fighting for her life for over a month and half, after having emergency surgery to repair complications from a previous surgery. She is on a respirator with periodic spells of consciousness, and still fighting infection. It has been an epic battle. As we hope and pray she recovers from all of this, we know it will be a long-term process. (Most recent update: she is doing much better and is being weaned off of the respirator.)

When she became deathly ill and called the doctor’s office, the response was that her illness could not possibly be associated with the surgery. When she went to the ER and was barely able to remain conscious, she had to wait an inordinate amount of time just to be seen. Her condition became more critical by the minute.

What does it mean to be pro life for my friend?

My sixty-seven year-old brother suffered brain damage from an aneurysm surgery several years ago. Recently, he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He is extremely slow, needs close direction at every step, and requires someone to give him his medicine.

What does it mean to be pro life for my brother?

My eighty-eight year-old dad lives in a nursing home. He has been doing better there than when he was in an apartment with mom because his medicine is administered by someone other than him, and he is in a structured environment. He is extremely OCD, a hypochondriac, and has vascular dementia. In other words, he can be pretty ornery.

What does it mean to be pro life for my dad?

Like most issues, the pro life and pro choice causes have been politicized, characterized, and reduced to slogans. The movement has mostly focused on the unborn. Some have encouraged us to expand our thinking to include vulnerable children. I am saying we should include the whole spectrum of life.

To be pro life is to respect the life and dignity of every individual, especially, the most venerable and marginalized. Jesus elevated the role of children, women, and outcasts, like the disabled, the poor, and those guilty on the particular featured sins of that particular time and culture.

Children are vulnerable. Unborn children are very much at risk. So, are the poor, and the elderly.

Many elderly people need an advocate to manage the complexities of healthcare in America. (Actually, most Americans would probably like to have one.) Doctors really need to compassionately listen to their patients. Too many don’t. ER’s need to expedite the care of the critically ill and injured. Some are famously inefficient. The role of the basic caregiver in hospitals and nursing homes, as well as the home health worker needs to be elevated. Unfortunately, those who provide basic care for the elderly are poorly paid and there is a high turnover rate.

Some people are easily disregarded. They cannot advocate for themselves. Someone else must step up. Unfortunately, in our sophisticated times, there are huge pockets of people who are still pretty much forgotten, marginalized, and ignored.

We can’t narrow this problem down to just the unborn and children. They need our help, but our societal issues of disregarding vulnerable people are so much bigger.

We need full spectrum, whole life advocacy that shows a respect for life, at all stages. It’s easy to write people off because they are chronically ill, disabled, or elderly. Yet, advocating and assisting them is one of the best things we will ever do for ourselves.

It is not a burden, but a responsibility, and a privilege.

 

Here are the links to the other writers’ contributions on the topic.

Justin Steckbauer – What Is The Truth About Abortion?
Tim Nichols – Firm Foundations
Tony Ijeh – What It Means To Be Pro-Life
Wesley Rostoll – Embracing A More Holistic View On What It Means To Be Pro-Life

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What’s Wrong with Us?

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empty swingJust thinking about the images makes me crazy. A twenty-year-old young man shot his mom in the face, then using her guns blasted his way into an elementary school and mowed down twenty-six people, most of them six and seven year old before taking his own life. The tears are welling up in my eyes for the umpteenth time coming even as I write this.

I can’t remember the Internet lighting up like this. Everybody has their own theories about why this happened and how to mitigate such incidents in the future, and it is always very emotional and it is always one thing. Honestly, we probably need a little time and distance to come to any real, objective conclusions, but in hopes of a personal catharsis, I am going to try to get an early take.

Here are some of the “reasons” and “fixes” that I have heard.

The most obvious one is availability of guns, particularly, high-powered, automatic and assault-style weapons. I thought that the U.S. was one of the most violent nations in the world. It turns out that fourteen nations have higher rates of firearm homicide, primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean. I never would have guessed that. However, firearm homicide rates were 19.5 times higher in the U.S. than in 23 other “high income” countries.

It seems like most everybody agrees that guns should not be available to mentally ill people or criminals and that assault style weapons are so lethal and unnecessary for self-protection and hunting that they should be banned. No matter what legislation is enacted, it seems like an impossible task to totally keep guns out the hands of criminals and the imbalanced, but we can do better. This is indeed one piece of the problem.

Christians pull the trump card of “that’s what happens when you take God out of the schools” most every time something bad happens. While I understand where they are coming from, I still bristle every time I hear it. It was fifty years ago that the Supreme Court banned government endorsed prayer in public schools. I can’t imagine that a generic, watered-down, government-approved prayer changed the working of a sovereign, omnipotent, omnipresent God. That reflects a very small concept of God.

Now, if by saying that, people mean that decision reflects a seismic shift in our cultural values, they are right. Being “Christian” is not in vogue as it once was. The nation is far more secular. Christian folk ways have been largely abandoned. Many Christians feel very uncomfortable about this. Some are angry.

Yet, the U.S. was never intended to be a Christian nation, but a nation where people are free to worship as they want and a nation that will not establish a state church. Christian America as we have known it is coming to an end. Christian values are often no longer reflected by the government or the majority of the population. If this shift drives Christians out of political power and into living like Jesus, great. There is so much more power in a life of love.

School security is another thing people keep talking about. It freaks me out that we have to turn our schools into highly secured zones. But, so be it. If we can’t keep our children safe we are big trouble. Unfortunately, the Connecticut shooter literally shot his way into the school.

Yet another pertinent issue is the treatment of the mentally ill began to change about 30 to 40 years ago. Basically, they were de-institutionalized due to appalling conditions in many state institutions, civil liberties issues, court decisions, cost pressures, and new drugs. Many were simply turned loose to become homeless.

While the institutionalizing the mentally ill was wrong, so is ignoring them.

I heard one psychiatrist talk about how difficult it is to get a person admitted to a locked, hospital psychiatric ward. He had patients who indicated they posed a threat to themselves and others, but the hospital wouldn’t admit them because they feared insurance would not pay for their care. That is simply idiotic. Money trumps psychiatric care and public safety. This must be addressed.

I feel like there is something wrong with us other than the things I have previously mentioned. It is an “us issue,” not just a legal, security, or mental health concern. The words “community” and “love” keep flooding my mind. Jesus summed up all teaching about God, by simply saying to love God and our fellow man. 

If we love, if you love, if I love, things will change. We will gladly assume a some sense of responsibility for one another. We will not grasp on to our “right” to own extremely lethal weapons. We will “say something when we see something” potentially dangerous. We will not expect the government to act religiously, but we will live out a live of love. We will do everything possible to keep our children safe. We will no longer ignore the mentally ill. We will be aware of people who seemed detached and reach out to them. We will get to know our neighbors, our classmates, and our fellow workers. We will allow ourselves to be inconvenienced by them. We will let our heart be broken. We will love.

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Chickening Out

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chicfila

I have to admit that I have been itching to write about the hoopla surrounding Chic-fil-a and homosexuality. Based on what I know about the story, my conclusions are rather clear.

Everybody has a right to their opinion. That means Don Cathy, the CEO of Chic-fil-a, a privately held company, has a right to support traditional marriage. He can give money to whoever he wants. Personally, I don’t get why supporting traditional marriage is a bad thing. Does that mean that such a person does not believe that gay marriage should be legitimatized by being made legal? Probably. Does it mean that he hates gays and discriminates against them? Probably not. Does that mean that he believes gays should not be afforded equal civil rights? Again, probably not. I say, let Don Cathy and Chic-fil-a alone. If you don’t like the actions of Don Cathy and want to transfer that to his business, eat somewhere else.

There is no place for discrimination. That is a legal issue. Our government’s purpose is to protect individual freedom. It is faith issue, too. If anyone in the world is against discrimination, it should be Christ followers. Jesus is no respecter of persons, and I am living proof of that. Even further, if anyone is the champion of the marginalized, it should be Christ followers because that was our founder’s M.O. He broke all the rules and crossed all of the barriers to connect with people who had been shunned. Does that mean we have to agree with every personal choice and lifestyle? Of course not. I don’t know why some people are homosexual, but I do know it’s my place to love them and not judge them. If they are great big sinners, then, they fall into the same category as me.

Some local officials over-stepped their bounds. Government power grabs and the prevalent PC mentality have run amuck in the last several years. Don Cathy’s views on marriage are irrelevant to his business, as long as they the company’s business practices are not discriminatory. Local mayors should not be qualifying potential businesses by the position their founder takes on marriage. That is discrimination from the very people who say they are against discrimination. That’s the problem with being excessively PC, it preaches a  doctrine of tolerance, unless you disagree with me. 

Chic-fil-a is a quality operation. We don’t have a Chic-fil-a near us, but when we travel in the South, we try to stop in from time to time. What I have found there is a delicious menu, offering something that is a little different from the fast food I am used to. I find a clean, inviting restaurant. I find well-trained, kind employees, which is a rarity. Our experience was so good at a Chic-fil-a that we stopped at this spring that I asked to speak to the manager to compliment him on his staff and my total experience. Afterwards, I told my wife it was awesome to see someone living out their Christian values in a company. They weren’t just talking about their faith, they were living it out by running a quality operation with caring employees..