Kevin LaRose

Blog

  • From the Sublime to the Ridiculous

    When I was younger, much younger, I actually enjoyed Christmas shopping. It was an event, something to look forward to. I especially enjoyed trips to the department stores—The Crescent in Spokane and Frederick and Nelson in Seattle. I treasure the memories of the Sunday Christmas brunch at the Crescent and indulging in a Frango shake at the restaurant in Frederick and Nelson. Spokane, in particular, did Christmas up right. Downtown was always extremely festive. It didn’t hurt that the festiveness could be experienced in the comfort of the system of enclosed skywalks. Lots of good memories abound.

    But that was then. The department stores are long gone, and my most recent Christmas shopping memories conjure up more frenzied herd than festive fun. I can’t remember the last Christmas season when I didn’t see at least one, and often several, news stories about fistfights breaking out over the last video game console or whatever must-have toy was currently in vogue. This is why I gave up braving the crowds years ago and do all my shopping online. I’m sad about the lost experiences, but what I remember no longer exists, and there’s no reason to brave the frenzied throng if I don’t have to.

    I will leave you with the experience that, looking back on it, began my retreat from Christmas shopping. My wife and I realized we had neglected to buy a gift for someone important, and so we dashed out to the mall to rectify the situation. To set the scene, it was after 10 PM on a Saturday night, less than a week before Christmas. Needless to say, the vibe of peace on Earth and goodwill to men was not evident in those walls that night. For the gift, we settled on a Hickory Farms gift basket. It was quick and easy, and it was hard to go wrong with it. As soon as we walked into the store, I noticed they weren’t playing traditional Christmas music. In fact, they weren’t playing holiday music at all. For background ambience, they had chosen Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Specifically, while we were in the store “The Mexican Shuffle” was playing. If you’re not familiar with the group or the tune, I invite you to look it up on YouTube and see if it conjures up visions of Christmas home and hearth in your heart. It didn’t for me. In fact, I was overtaken by a severe dose of the giggles.

    That experience, along with a few subsequent happenings, has almost certainly permanently sidelined me from the holiday shopping bedlam. There is nothing wrong with buying gifts from the comfort of my desk chair, after all. But I do admit, sometimes at this time of year, I find myself craving just one more Frango shake.

  • Sharing the Love

    An issue was brought to my attention today that I feel needs addressing. It’s something I admittedly had not given much, if any, thought to, and I suppose it doesn’t amount to much in the grand scheme of things. But, as a person who maintains a blog, sporadic as it may be, this is something worth considering.

    First, I need to say that it doesn’t bother me in the slightest if you feel anything I write is worth sharing. Quite the contrary, I’d be flattered. But there is something I want to be on record as requesting: Should you feel inspired to share any of my musings, please give me and my blog attribution. Simply cutting and pasting into your own post without any mention of where it came from is really not cool. I’m as guilty as anyone of the occasional cut-and-paste job. It’s a quick and easy way to share something you feel worth sharing. The problem is, in doing this the original attribution is lost. While you might know who wrote those ingenious words, many people you share it to probably won’t, and neither will those they share it with, and on and on it goes. Ultimately it becomes just another one of those anonymous Internet memes that nobody knows the origination of. But of course it just didn’t fall out of the clear blue sky. Somebody came up with it, even if nobody knows who.

    Here’s the bottom line. Writing in a blog takes energy and effort, even if it might not seem so. While I almost certainly won’t ever see a dime of monetary gain from my blogging endeavors, the idea that my writing is shared and enjoyed is gratifying in and of itself. So, as I said, if you feel moved to share, by all means do so. You can even cut and paste if you wish. Just please make sure you mention where you got it from. I’d really appreciate it. Think of it as sharing the love.

  • On Safety and Risks

    Events such as the terrorist attacks in Paris and Beirut last week tend to bring out the absolute best and the absolute worst in people. Unfortunately, over the course of the past few days, the majority of what I’ve been seeing falls into the worst category.

    Several governors (all Republican, by the way) have stated they will not allow any Syrian refugees to enter their states. The fact that they can’t actually do this hasn’t seemed to dawn on any of them. Further, this is a crass and craven political gesture that is ultimately meaningless, but actually has some rather damaging potential consequences. Even if they could do this, it would be absolutely wrong. If we are, as many continuously claim, truly a Christian nation, then we absolutely cannot do this. This is directly antithetical to the Biblical directive to show hospitality to the refugee, the widow and the orphan. It seems to me that it is possible to set up effective safeguards that would, to the best of our ability, keep the bad apples out. That seems a much better course of action than literally slamming the door in the faces of so many that really and truly need our help.

    Some will argue that draconian measures are necessary to keep us safe. Certainly safety is important, but it’s also important to remember that life itself is a constant risk. When you swing your legs over the edge of the bed in the morning and put your feet on the floor, that’s a risk. Walking to the bathroom is a risk. Brewing the morning coffee is a risk; I’ve actually burned my hand when some scalding hot coffee spilled. The point is, there is no way one can ever make life completely risk-free. And, when we don’t do something we know in our hearts is the right thing to do in the name of staying safe, do we really deserve that safety? I am at the point in my life where I’m really beginning to wonder if not doing something I feel called to do because of perceived safety concerns is something I should keep doing. The way I’m currently leaning, the answer to that question would have to be no. Getting back to the larger point, as a country we could do far better than denying people sanctuary based on where they came from.

  • On Voting and a Sort Of Modest Proposal

    I have a rather shameful confession to make. Yesterday was Election Day, and I did not vote. I could tell you a number of potentially good reasons why, but in the end they all amount to nothing more than plain old garden variety excuses. The bottom line is I shirked my civic duty. The fact that there was nothing of earth-shattering significance on the ballot in my neck of the woods and that everyone I would have voted for in local contests won is immaterial. I have come down hard on people in the past for not casting ballots, and by not doing so yesterday I failed to hold myself to that same standard. Looking at some of the results from yesterday makes me feel even worse, even though there was nothing I could have done to change anything. Shame on me for not doing my part!

    I was particularly distressed by the results of the gubernatorial contest in Kentucky. Jack Conway, the Democratic nominee, was defeated by Republican Matt Bevin, who is reportedly a TeaParty stalwart. Among other things, it’s my understanding that Bevin has pledged to essentially dismantle Kentucky’s very successful state insurance exchange and opt out of the expanded Medicaid program, which would terminate medical coverage for 400,000 residents of the state. I was all set to rant and rave about how this was an example of people voting against their best interests, didn’t they know better, and all the rest, but there’s a bigger issue here; voter turnout. The figures I’ve seen indicate there was a 25% voter turnout in Tuesday’s election in the Bluegrass. Put another way, three out of four people eligible to vote didn’t even bother to show up. 25% is an extremely small—one might even argue miniscule—sampling of the electorate. Shrinking the numbers for the case of example, let’s say you belong to a constituency of exactly 100 people. 25% voter turnout means only 25 people would vote. Candidate A gets 13 of those votes, and Candidate B gets 12. The end result is Candidate A wins, even though he ultimately only got 13% of the entire potential vote. To me, that’s not real majority vote; that’s the vote of the few.

    I have an idea that I know will never fly for many reasons, but maybe it should. Most professional and advocacy organizations I’ve belonged to have a quorum rule. In essence, if participation in a vote does not meet a certain percentage, there is no quorum and the results don’t count. Perhaps we as a nation should at least consider adopting a quorum rule, where if a turnout rate falls below a certain percentage (30%, for example), the results are thrown out and a revote is done. This would have the benefit of bolstering voter turnout, and maybe it would get more people interested and involved in the process. As I said, it’s a radical idea, and it won’t ever happen, but suppose it did? It’s not bad to dream, anyway.

    Another confession: The results from Kentucky and elsewhere make it sorely tempting for me to just throw in the towel, fold up the tent, and find somewhere else to call home. But in the grand scheme of things that is really not a viable option. As hard as it is, and as depressing as it gets, the fight must continue. And that fight will begin in the action that I failed to complete yesterday: Showing up!

  • Thoughts on Merton and Going Deep

    Last week I wrote about my reading of Henry Nouwen, particularly his emphasis on solitude. Reading Nouwen spurred me to introduce myself to the writings of Thomas Merton, whose copious journals have been published in several books. Merton was a Trappist monk, and he always strove for perfect solitude and prayerfulness in his life. I’m currently reading Dancing in the Water of Life, which encompass his journal entries from the time period 1963 to 1965.

    In reading this book I find myself struck by the constant conflict Merton appears to feel in his daily life. There is a constant tug-of-war for him between his desire for silence and solitude and the pressures and, as he refers to them, trivialities of the life outside the monastery. It’s hard to see Merton, or anyone like him, succeeding in living the full Trappist life in today’s day and age. Merton felt constantly distracted in his time, and there are infinitely more potential distractions in today’s world to pull even the most devoted prayerful heart off course. I’ve read and heard for many years about the precipitous decline in those choosing to enter the monastic religious vocations over the past several decades. I don’t know if Gethsemani, where Merton lived for much of his adult life, even exists anymore. It seems to me that today’s world, with its smartphones and 24/7 news cycles and the perpetual need to stay “plugged in”, can’t sustain a monastic, prayerful lifestyle. To me, this is a shame. As much as spirituality and deep thinking is dismissed and sometimes even maligned in today’s society, there is a real need for contemplators and those who dare to go deep these days. To me it feels very much like a dying skill. I very deeply admire Thomas Merton and those like him, who eschew the hustle and bustle of daily life to pursue what ultimately really matters. I’ve always felt a pull to do this, but I know I don’t have what it takes to stick with it. For one thing, as much as I’m ashamed to admit it, I’m as much wed to my smartphone as anyone. I get something very much akin to a panic attack if I’m separated from it for even a little while. This doesn’t make me happy, but it’s reality. Also, I’m too much “of the world” to divorce myself from it. As much as many things frustrate me, strike me as frivolous or inane or just plain stupid, this is the world I live in, and attempting to remove myself from it would be hurtful to those I care about and who care about me, not to mention, ultimately, myself. With that in mind, I’m going to continue to work on my contemplative self within the framework of my life as it exists today. What this probably means is I will continue to use this blog as a sounding board of sorts, which will result in continued lack of focus, at least for a time. I’m thinking maybe if I stick with it a focus will emerge in time. Regardless, I invite you all to stick around for the journey, wherever it leads. And I will continue to gain inspiration from the likes of Nouwen and Merton. I could do a lot worse in the inspiration department.

  • Knowledge Is Power

    I have to admit, few things bother me as much as willful ignorance. I don’t mean lack of knowledge; that’s completely understandable. It’s impossible to know everything about everything, and it would be ridiculous to claim otherwise. What sets my teeth on edge is not just a lack of interest in learning, but an actual hostility to the learning process. If there is something I don’t understand, I try to research what I can to gain knowledge. I will never understand those who wish to remain in the dark about certain things. Recently I’ve noted a couple of instances of this in the news pertaining to religion, and it troubles me more than a little.

    Both the cases I’m referencing involve the Islamic faith. Recently I read a story, from several sources, indicating the Tennessee state legislature had introduced a bill to scuttle religious education in public schools. According to the sources I saw, the specific objection was regarding the discussion of Islam as one of the religions. I can only assume the objection had to do with the mere discussion of Islam. Another story I heard about dealt with a school in Boston which, in the process of teaching a religion unit, took students on a field trip to a mosque. This caused much consternation and more than a little condemnation. I find these stories quite sobering. I have always believed that knowledge is power, and that would seem to apply in these cases. Perhaps if society in general could actually get some actual, fact-based knowledge about the Islamic faith, some actual understanding might result. At the very least, maybe some would stop believing that everyone who looks and talks like they might be from the Middle East is a potential member of ISIS who wants nothing more than to blow us to Kingdom Come. Regardless, I fear that willful ignorance will continue to prevail, and in that case we all wind up losers. I hope I’m wrong, but sadly experience and observation tell me I’m not.

  • Why I’m Feeling the Bern

    The other day I decided to put my money where my mouth was and actually give a bit of money to the Bernie Sanders campaign. When I talked about doing this on Facebook, I got a bit of push-back. Someone actually said they were surprised I was supporting a Socialist. It occurred to me it might be beneficial to actually give the reasons why I am, as the current saying goes, feeling the Bern.

    First and foremost, I think I’m going to do away with the term Socialist. In Bernie Sanders’s case, it’s nothing more than a meaningless label. People have used the label to try and paint him as someone who would be right there with Stalin and Castro, and honestly the way the press works these days that notion will almost certainly gain traction, deserved or not. For the record, Bernie is a democratic socialist. If you look back in American history, you will read about a rather robust democratic Socialist movement active around the turn of the last century, particularly in the Midwest. These were not wild-eyed radicals bent on world domination and general suppression. It was a movement that attempted to make life better for those on the lower end of the prosperity spectrum. They championed the formation of strong labor unions, called for a living wage, and (to a certain extent, at least) strove to make life more bearable for those who, for whatever reason, could not work. This is a huge part of what Bernie stands for, and since I consider myself part of a social group that has traditionally been marginalized by society, how could I not throw in my lot with him? He speaks my language more fully and clearly than probably any politician in my adult lifetime. It’s very clear to me that the playing field needs at least a bit of leveling, and that’s what Bernie wants to do. He resonates with me and what I stand for more than anyone ever has for as long as I’ve paid attention, and that’s why I have actually put monetary skin in the game.

    Even with all that, though, I am at heart a realist. Despite all the enthusiasm that Bernie has engendered in people like me, the chances of him actually making it to the White House are slim to none. Even if he secures the Democratic Party nomination, the powers that be on all sides will go into hyperdrive painting him as an evil threat to our way of life, or something. It has the potential to make what has happened to President Obama over the last eight years look like kid gloves treatment. That would have the almost certain effect of evaporating his support. I wish it wasn’t the case, but people really do seem fickle these days, and it seems way too easy to sway them. Critical thinking is a skill that appears to be in extreme steep decline. So, with all that in mind, would I support Hillary Clinton if she turns out to be the Democratic nominee? In a word, yes. I have serious questions about her ties to Wall Street and she is way too political for my liking, but in this scenario she’s head and shoulders over the alternative. But, ultimately, I hope I’m wrong and Bernie can travel the long and winding road without getting shoved into a ditch. America is in desperate need of political change, and whether you like him or not you can’t deny that Bernie Sanders offers that in spades. As for me, I will continue to proudly feel the Bern.

  • Enough Already

    I feel like I should apologize at the outset for the tone this missive is going to take. It certainly won’t be like most things that originate from this desk. I have finally reached my maximum tolerance level with the national political state of affairs, and it’s time to unload.

    Over the past few days I’ve read several stories in the media about how there will almost certainly be yet another government shutdown next month. Or is it the debt ceiling? Or both? I honestly can’t keep track anymore. For the umpteenth time, the Republican Party is becoming the hostage-taker. “Do what we say and nobody gets hurt.” This time, if what I’m reading is correct, the proverbial loaded gun they’ll be holding to the head of the democratic process is Social Security and Medicare. Essentially the game plan seems to be, either the Democrats agree to whatever cuts to Social Security and Medicare the GOP demand or we go through yet another round of shutdown and fiscal cliff and whatever else goes on in the circus. Now, in doing this, the Grand Old Party is messing with not only my livelihood, but also my wife’s livelihood and the livelihood of millions and millions of others who depend on these checks each month to do certain things like, oh, I don’t know, keep alive? To play political games with benefits so many people depend on is not just cynical, it’s downright cruel.

    Actually whatever the instrument used in this dance is irrelevant. It’s hard for me to imagine how any sane, rational, reasonable lawmaker could possibly see this as responsible governing. The American system has always worked based on the notions of consensus and compromise. These maneuvers are nothing more than overgrown adolescents holding their breath until they get their way. How many of you would let your kids get away with that? I know I wouldn’t.

    But, as a whole, the Republican Party, at least at the national level, have long shown they don’t have the slightest interest in actually governing. They’re perfectly content to lurch from crisis to crisis, doing pretty much nothing in the interim. What is truly mystifying to me is how many people are not only okay with this, but actually cheer it! This lack of leadership, this playing with people’s livelihoods, should by all rights prompt national outrage, at the very least. But not enough people even care. Either they see the political process as something that doesn’t affect them, or they’re distracted by all the shiny things out there, or maybe some actually do see this as some sort of noble principled stand. If you happen to consider yourself in the latter group, I have only three words for you…Shame on you!

    Growing up, I had respect for the GOP. My dad was a Goldwater Republican. My 12-year-old self respected Gerald Ford, as much as I thought about him at all. But all that was long ago and far away. Today’s Republican Party resembles the Know-Nothing party of the 1850’s much more than the Party of Lincoln. If the current state of affairs continues to hold sway, I could never see a scenario where I’d ever vote Republican ever again, even for local office. I just couldn’t in good conscience. Cooler heads need to assert themselves in the party mucho pronto. Right now all I hear from them is cut, slash, burn, hate, etc. etc. And yet they are, and will probably continue to be, the majority party, at least in the legislative branch. I’m left to shake my head and wonder why. I know the party doesn’t give a hoot about me and mine, and while the Democrats are by no means perfect I at least feel like they have the best interest of those like me at heart. All I know at this point is I’m so done. That god awful movie is going to run again next month, and not enough people care enough to stop it. And oh yes, I haven’t even mentioned the potential 20 percent cut in SSDI benefits next year. What’s terrifying to me is I don’t hear anyone in Washington mentioning it either. I wish I co8uld plead with all of them, particularly those in the GOP, to focus on things like that and stop this infuriating gamesmanship.

    I feel like I should apologize at the outset for the tone this missive is going to take. It certainly won’t be like most things that originate from this desk. I have finally reached my maximum tolerance level with the national political state of affairs, and it’s time to unload.

    Over the past few days I’ve read several stories in the media about how there will almost certainly be yet another government shutdown next month. Or is it the debt ceiling? Or both? I honestly can’t keep track anymore. For the umpteenth time, the Republican Party is becoming the hostage-taker. “Do what we say and nobody gets hurt.” This time, if what I’m reading is correct, the proverbial loaded gun they’ll be holding to the head of the democratic process is Social Security and Medicare. Essentially the game plan seems to be, either the Democrats agree to whatever cuts to Social Security and Medicare the GOP demand or we go through yet another round of shutdown and fiscal cliff and whatever else goes on in the circus. Now, in doing this, the Grand Old Party is messing with not only my livelihood, but also my wife’s livelihood and the livelihood of millions and millions of others who depend on these checks each month to do certain things like, oh, I don’t know, keep alive? To play political games with benefits so many people depend on is not just cynical, it’s downright cruel.

    Actually whatever the instrument used in this dance is irrelevant. It’s hard for me to imagine how any sane, rational, reasonable lawmaker could possibly see this as responsible governing. The American system has always worked based on the notions of consensus and compromise. These maneuvers are nothing more than overgrown adolescents holding their breath until they get their way. How many of you would let your kids get away with that? I know I wouldn’t.

    But, as a whole, the Republican Party, at least at the national level, have long shown they don’t have the slightest interest in actually governing. They’re perfectly content to lurch from crisis to crisis, doing pretty much nothing in the interim. What is truly mystifying to me is how many people are not only okay with this, but actually cheer it! This lack of leadership, this playing with people’s livelihoods, should by all rights prompt national outrage, at the very least. But not enough people even care. Either they see the political process as something that doesn’t affect them, or they’re distracted by all the shiny things out there, or maybe some actually do see this as some sort of noble principled stand. If you happen to consider yourself in the latter group, I have only three words for you…Shame on you!

    Growing up, I had respect for the GOP. My dad was a Goldwater Republican. My 12-year-old self respected Gerald Ford, as much as I thought about him at all. But all that was long ago and far away. Today’s Republican Party resembles the Know-Nothing party of the 1850’s much more than the Party of Lincoln. If the current state of affairs continues to hold sway, I could never see a scenario where I’d ever vote Republican ever again, even for local office. I just couldn’t in good conscience. Cooler heads need to assert themselves in the party mucho pronto. Right now all I hear from them is cut, slash, burn, hate, etc. etc. And yet they are, and will probably continue to be, the majority party, at least in the legislative branch. I’m left to shake my head and wonder why. I know the party doesn’t give a hoot about me and mine, and while the Democrats are by no means perfect I at least feel like they have the best interest of those like me at heart. All I know at this point is I’m so done. That god awful movie is going to run again next month, and not enough people care enough to stop it. And oh yes, I haven’t even mentioned the potential 20 percent cut in SSDI benefits next year. What’s terrifying to me is I don’t hear anyone in Washington mentioning it either. I wish I co8uld plead with all of them, particularly those in the GOP, to focus on things like that and stop this infuriating gamesmanship.

  • Some Thoughts

    As I type this, I am in the midst of a rather intense internal dialogue. Over the past ten plus years I have made several stabs at starting a blog. My efforts are sprinkled throughout the perpetual Net for anyone who cares to look. Despite my best intentions, however, none of my attempts have met with any type of consistent success. Lately I’ve been asking myself why this is. It’s a good question, and I’m not sure there’s a good answer. However, the point of my inner dialogue is to try to come up with an answer, and also what to do about it in the long term.

    It would be very easy to say my lack of blogging success is due to lack of motivation, and I concede that’s at least part of it. But it certainly isn’t all of it. One of the blocks I run up against when starting the blog process is the sheer numbers game. To state there is a saturation of blogs is somewhat akin to saying the ground gets wet when it rains. Seemingly everyone, their brother, and their Uncle Ted are blogging in some fashion. I have to admit it’s hard to motivate myself when it feels I’m just another voice joining in a cacophonous din of other voices. I have things I want to say, but very often I find someone else has already said what I was going to say much more eloquently than I ever could. In saying this I’m not trying to denigrate my own writing; I know I’m pretty good when I set my mind to it. But with literally millions of others doing the same thing it feels like shouting into a hurricane. Fun question: If something happens and someone blogs about it but nobody reads it, did it actually happen? Seriously, by the time I get around to saying my piece it often feels like mere redundancy. Besides all this, there’s this little evil voice in my head that pops up with the question: What makes you think anybody really gives a flying flip what you think of the price of rice in China anyway? Logically I know many of you do, in fact, care, proven by you reading this right now. However, the narcissistic part of me would like to expand my footprint beyond friends and neighbors. The problem with that is that would require me doing something I’m truly awful at, self-promotion. It smacks too much of self-importance for my comfort level. Nobody has to tell me that this is craziness, but it’s the way my mind works. Nobody is more aware than me that in order to get myself noticed and out there, self-promotion is necessary. It’s just something I have to convince myself of.

    Another problem I have when I attempt to blog is focus. When I blog, what, exactly, do I want to blog about? For some time now I have felt more and more passion about Progressive politics. I still enjoy writing about it and engaging about it whenever possible. The problem is, that avenue has become fraught with emotionalism and overreaction on all sides. I’ve lost at least one cherished friend because of political discussions. I remember a time when it was possible to discuss differences of opinion across the full spectrum of belief without it degenerating into a food fight. Sadly, we seem to have lost the art of civil discourse in our society, at least to a great degree. More and more, disagreement is seen as a personal attack at best and treasonous at worst. I often find myself tempering things I say, even those things I feel very strongly about, for fear of offending anyone or losing any more friends. Over time that makes blogging feel more like a chore than a worthwhile pursuit. I could also write about what it’s like to go about my life as a person with a disability. But honestly there are many others doing that same thing now, many quite articulately. Put bluntly, what could I possibly add to the existing conversation? Again, I’m not attempting to demean my own talents here, I’m just trying to be realistic. Looked at another way, am I not more than my disability? It’s a huge part of what defines me, absolutely, but is it the only thing I have to offer? This brings me to the other potential blog focus point for me: my personal spiritual journey. In some ways, this raises some of the same concerns that writing about politics does. There are those who find even the subject of religion, particularly when personal testimony might be involved, as offensive. In addition, this is by definition a niche topic, pretty much limited in interest to those who know me. As I have said, if I do blog I would like to reach a broader audience. I’ve attempted all of these blogging options in the past, but haven’t stuck with any of them. I haven’t been able to actually stick with any one.

    So where is all this going? Am I shutting down any and all blog endeavors? Not necessarily. That is the crux of my inner dialogue. Where do I go from here? One thing’s for sure: Not writing at all is NOT an option. Right now I’m leaning toward keeping the blog as is, making posts when I feel the urge and the cause to do so, and not worry so much about who is offended and who even cares. I think it would also be beneficial to start working on other long-term writing projects. Maybe it’s time to get to serious work on that darn book I’ve been talking about writing for years. I don’t know how this will all play out, but one thing is crystal clear to me. I must write. In whatever form it might wind up taking, writing is essential to me. Whatever the case, it’s time to get busy.

  • Conviction Time

    First, the good stuff. I need to do some bragging on my bride. As of today, she is a bona fide, newly minted professor of the Hebrew language. Her online class began today, and to say she’s hard at work would be a gross understatement. If I was wearing a shirt with buttons, they’d be busting right now. I’m more proud of her than words can say.

    Along with this pride, I’m feeling more than a little conviction. She has been working extremely hard in preparation for teaching this course over the past few months. She’s been living, breathing, even eating Hebrew all day, every day, all the time. I’ve even contemplated getting completely in the spirit and buying some Hebrew National hot dogs. Seriously, though, while she has been giving her all and then some for this class, my production level has slowed to pretty much nonexistent. Oh, I’m supporting her every way I can, making sure she’s eating, keeping coffee supplied, offering an emotional boost when needed, etc. During this time, though, I’m ashamed to say I’ve let my own self-development slide. It’s not like I haven’t had the time; there has been plenty of that. I have not been spending the time wisely at all. I’ve been fooling around on Facebook. I’ve been obsessively playing Trivia Crack and Dice World. And more recently, I’ve been binging on some rather mindless TV shows (my latest is Scandal, which is like a train wreck you just can’t turn away from). I’m devoting my precious time and energy to these fairly empty pursuits, and I find I don’t have any gas in the tank left when I want to turn to the more meaty stuff. For a long time Sarah has been admonishing me to be more mindful of my time usage. I want to say here, publicly, that she is absolutely right. With all the blood, sweat, and more than a few tears she has poured into this Hebrew class, I have no business essentially being a lump. So, from this point on, the meat comes first. There is certainly a place for games and television episodes and related frivolities, but I need to think of them more as the dessert course. I’ve been treating them like the meal in and of themselves, which is kind of tantamount to eating the ice cream out of the carton at dinnertime and foregoing all else. Thus, I will henceforth be devoting my intellectual energies to reading the massive backlog of material I haven’t gotten to yet. Also, I will be writing more in this space. I know I’ve said that before, but I now have some living, breathing inspiration sitting in the office with the nose to the grindstone as I type this. The way I see it, the best way for me to honor what she is doing is to work harder honoring my own intellectual pursuits and, more to the point, managing my time better. I won’t be disappearing from the games and Facebook front; I’m just going to be regulating my time more. If Sarah can sacrifice so much time and emotional energy for something meaningful to her, I can sure as heck do this for myself.

  • Way More Than A Score

    I am currently reading a book titled More Than a Score. It is a series of essays discussing the issue of high-stakes standardized testing in K-12 education. I have been sort of aware for a while about the emphasis that testing has developed in schools since the implementation of No Child Left Behind, but I had no idea how pervasive it had actually become. Frankly, it shocks me, and it makes me more than a little angry. It seems to me that the overemphasis on tests like this do nothing but dehumanize children, turn teachers into little more than autobots, and they do absolutely nothing to prepare kids for the world beyond the school walls. It really feels like we are attempting to, to paraphrase a song which was popular a while back, fit kids into little boxes where they all look just the same. My degree happens to be in special education, though I earned it over 25 years ago and I never taught. While I obviously don’t know this, I’d strongly suspect that at least some of my professors at Gonzaga would be horrified at what has happened in K-12 over the last 15 or so years. Multiple guess tests strike me as possibly the worst indicator of knowledge. I, for one, have always been a fairly low scorer in these types of test, even though I have a fairly high intellect, or so I’ve been told. Conversely, one can learn strategies to score higher than what they actually would in a real classroom scenario. This is somewhat personal for me, I admit. I have an 11-year-old daughter, currently making her way through the sixth grade. Since she lives with her mom in Washington State and I’m in Indiana, I don’t have any data on how these standardized tests are affecting her. What I do know is that she’s as smart as a whip, reads voraciously, and she could probably give kids two or three grades ahead of her a pretty good run for their intellectual money. I don’t want her to have to sacrifice one minute of precious actual learning time to prep for a test that, in the long run, will do her absolutely no good at all. She needs to concentrate on those things that will propel her forward, make her a better student, and when the time comes make her prepared for the next step. I’d say the same thing for any child in K-12 today. I’m heartened to see that some teachers are standing up to the testing juggernaut, and the protests are actually bearing some fruit. We need to get back to treating our children, the most precious commodity I can think of, as the incredible, diverse, individual human beings they are, and not just numbers on a corporate spreadsheet.

  • Thoughts on RFRA

    Recently a whole lot of hot air and much cyberspace has been dominated here in the Hoosier State by discussion of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), including by yours truly. I’ve had a few days to reflect on the law since it was signed into law by our governor, and I’m finding my views becoming a bit more nuanced than hyperbolic.

    First and foremost, let me be clear. Discrimination of any kind, be it real or implied, is as wrong as it gets. Nobody should be denied service anywhere because of their race, gender, age or, yes, sexual orientation. Not only is discrimination wrong on a personal level, it’s also not the least bit Christians. Jesus, after all, was all about inclusion. If I learned a business was denying service to anyone based on race or anything else, they’d no longer get my business either.

    After reading the digest of the actual law and reading many opinions on both sides of the issue, I’m developing the opinion that this law is, at its core, little more than political theater dressed up as legislation. The Supreme Court has sent signals that they might rule same-sex marriage constitutional this summer, which would make it legal everywhere. This has had the seeming effect of sending many right-wing lawmakers into a blind panic. Last month we saw Alabama channel their pre-Civil Rights era mojo in basically annulling a federal district court judge’s ruling that same-sex marriage was constitutional in the state. Now Indiana, along with other state legislatures, are scrambling to, at the very least, try and put their pinky finger in the dike. Ultimately it’s entirely possible that the RFRA will turn out to be a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing. The state legislature can point to it as something they attempted to do to stem the tide of progress. What they actually did was open the door, at least a crack, to the potential of discrimination. However, even if discrimination happens, it’s hard to imagine any scenario where any court will uphold it. This, too, shall pass, and a few years down the road all this will be nothing more than an unpleasant memory and same-sex marriage will have passed into normalcy. Now, I realize that notion fills at least some of you reading this with some level of trepidation, but the way I see it same-sex marriage does not diminish any other type of marriage in the slightest. In fact, it’s really hard for me to find fault with an extension of personal commitment. We have so many things dividing up as a society. Marriage is, by definition, the uniting of two people. It seems to me we could use as much of that uniting spirit as we can get. I may not agree with the homosexual lifestyle, but I don’t have to. Heck, there are some things other heterosexual couples do I don’t agree with, but that’s no more my business than what goes on in a same-sex marriage household. There has been so much bloviation during almost my entire adult lifetime about the so-called homosexual agenda. Well, perhaps they do have an agenda. It happens to be the same as my agenda, and most everyone else’s: They just want to be able to live their lives. They are not mutants from another realm. They are people just the same as anyone, with pinky toes that really hurt when you stub them, noses of all sizes and shapes, beating hearts, and feelings. Maybe, just maybe, if people spent less energy on fearing them and trying to ostracize them, and more energy in bridging the divide, it might turn out that there are more similarities than differences. And, in that world, there would be no need for an RFRA. Think on that one.

  • Carkey Worship?

    For the past few days I’ve been seeing a story kicking around about an individual in Detroit who walks 21 miles to work every day. First and foremost let me say, good on him! I honestly don’t know if I’d have the stamina to do something like that. But I suppose if you don’t have any other choice, as they say, you gotta do what you gotta do. I can’t help but wonder if there are similar stories like this one that haven’t been told. Taking into account the current state of the economy and the precarious financial predicament of many, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are.

    This story also brought to mind the attitude I see from a lot of people when they lose access to their car for even a little while. I’ve seen otherwise reasonable, thoughtful people turn into whimpering basket cases when they can’t actually drive. I wonder if they’re feeling the same feeling I had when I lost the speech on my iPhone for a time last month. The best way I can describe it was a creeping sense of panic deep in my gut. It showed me that, despite my best efforts, I had developed a somewhat pathological attachment to my phone. It’s my observation that some have the same pathological attachment to their carkeys. This attachment would be harmless if it didn’t color opinions about alternate transportation options such as mass transit. There are some who view having to take a city bus as a fate worse than death. After all, “those people” use mass transit—people too poor to afford a car, people who can’t get licenses for other reasons—in short, the losers of society. In many instances, if people think about mass transit at all, it’s a belief that it needs to go away. In my adult lifetime, I’ve seen several very robust transit systems in certain areas get stripped down to absolute bare bones. Meanwhile, new highway projects are pushed as optimal solutions. Not only is this shortsighted, it makes life much more difficult for those like me who actually rely on public transit as a lifeline to the community. I’m continually amazed with how so many just don’t get this. Over the years I’ve had occasion to ask advocates of cutting public transit funds what they’d say to someone like me who can’t drive and needs the service. Way too many times I’ve gotten the audible equivalent of a blank stare and the remark “well, can’t you just get someone to drive you?” I’m still trying to figure out a polite way to answer that without sarcasm. Some municipalities do get it. Portland and Phoenix’s light rail systems and the Puget Sound’s Sounder rail system come to mind. For the most part, though, dismantling is the order of the day. I live in a town with a transit system that, while it does exist, really doesn’t seem to be terribly significant. Also, there isn’t any way for me to independently get to Indianapolis, a mere 30 miles away, without spending a fortune on cab fare or inconveniencing someone else to drive me there. I’ve read that this story has prompted people to donate, at last count, $80,000 to this individual, offer free cars, etc. What I do not see is a broader discussion on what’s actually causing him to need to do this. And, so long as the car entitlement mentality holds, that conversation will probably never be had.

  • Thoughts on American Sniper

    Some online exchanges I had yesterday got me to thinking about my views regarding American Sniper. I decided to write down my reflections, at least in part.

    First, I will say that I have absolutely zero interest in seeing the movie. I’ve always had an aversion to war-based movies, or movies that feature excessive violence of any kind. I remember getting almost physically ill during the first ten minutes of Saving Private Ryan. I really don’t want to put myself through that if I don’t have to. Also, I am, and have always been, extremely uncomfortable with the war glorification today’s society seems to deal in. This seems to have become even more pervasive during the Gulf War, and especially with the Iraq War. It seems to me that television has reduced the spectacle of war to little more than a sporting event, like March Madness or the World Series. I almost expect to see bombing footage popping up on SportsCenter. Also, if one peruses the app store on iTunes, they’ll see enough war-based games to last countless lifetimes. But, of course, in reality war is a dirty business. It’s messy, often immoral, and always brutal. I have no doubt Chris Kyle saved many lives in his sniper role, but even that aside, is this something we as a society should be glorifying? It doesn’t seem to me that it is.

    Having said that, from the things I have heard and read the movie also raises the issue of the effects of war on the mental health of veterans. This may have the potential to spark a discussion about better treatment for vets in this regard, but I’m not terribly sure that will happen. I’m going to get the book the movie is based on, to see if I can read it without a visceral reaction. It will certainly stretch my comfort zone if nothing else. But as far as the movie goes, I just can’t. I’m about 95% sure it won’t be compatible with me.

  • New Habits, Hopefully

    Sitting here, trying to keep myself on task, I’m reminded of how hard it is to self-discipline oneself. I have come to the conclusion that the only way I’m going to move myself forward is to force myself to do the hard work that goes along with getting things accomplished. To that end, I’m going to start looking at my writing and thought-provoking reading as a job task. This means setting aside allotted blocks of time each day to do these tasks. It sounds great in theory, and I’ve resolved to do this before, but up to now it really hasn’t stuck. It’s oh so easy to get sidetracked, and once that happens it’s twice as hard to get back to square one. At least that’s how it is for me. At least that’s how it is for me. I’ll get these great ideas, and get off to a roaring start, and then something will momentarily divert my attention, and hey I’ll just do this for a minute, and then something else leads from that, and what do you know, I’m wandering further and further down the road of distraction. Then I check the time, and oops, another day has slipped away. I really need to do whatever I need to do to minimize days happening like that going forward. Right now I’m taking inspiration from Sarah, who is hard at work formulating the online Hebrew class she’ll be teaching this summer. I think we can accomplish a lot by encouraging each other through this process. She says it’s possible to learn new habits. Sometimes I wonder, but I’ll take her word for it. I am formulating some immediate changes to my daily regimen that might help. First and foremost, no games during the day. This means completely staying off DiceWorld, Trivia Crack, Hanging, and whatever other mindless diversion might come my way. I have not yet determined the hours of which this moratorium will be in effect; that’s still a work in progress. Also, I need to force myself o write. I’ve wasted far too much time waiting for inspiration. Sometimes inspiration just doesn’t come, and the best one can do is just do. Even if I write crap, it’s writing, and funnily enough I can think of some times when inspiration came in the midst of writing something I thought would be crap. So writing needs to happen every day, and it will happen. As I said, this is all a work in progress, so it might take some time to get everything to fall into place. For now, though, it’s time to start developing those new habits, wherever they may lead.

  • New Year Goals (Not Resolutions!)

    I’ve never been one for making New Year’s resolutions. When I have tried, they’ve almost always crashed and burned in a very short time. I have consolation in that I’m not the only one who does this. That being said, I’m feeling led to form some new habits as we turn the corner into 2015. In lieu of the term resolution, let’s just call them goals, shall we?

    For the past day or so I’ve felt something lying kind of heavy on my heart. I’m currently reading a book by Max Lucado, and as I’m reading I’m finding myself questioning my selection of reading material as of late. Sarah often asks me if I have fed my soul recently, and to be brutally honest I’ve done very little of that for a while now. So, one of my goals going forward is to take much better care of my soul. After all, it does need a lot of care and, yes, feeding.

    Another goal of mine is related to the first. I have been seriously neglecting my spiritual needs. This is very easy to do; after all, distractions abound in daily life. But this is no excuse, and I’ve got to do better. If I’m out of sync spiritually, I’m completely out of sync. So, along with feeding my soul, I’m also going to strive to cultivate my inner spirituality. I realize that doing this will not be easy. It is as much of a discipline as physical exercise—something else I’m not great at, by the way. But one can learn new disciplines and new habits. Part of this process will be to work on doing much more writing. To that end, I will be utilizing this blog much more than I have been. My intent is to use it to chart my spiritual progress and to hold myself accountable. In addition, there may be some who will want to vicariously join me on this journey, and so much the better. I don’t know what form or structure this will take, if any. As I said, I have felt the tug on my heart about this for the past day or so, and I can’t ignore it. Something else I need to keep in mind is it doesn’t matter who reads, or even if nobody reads. The fact is I can and will, and it will be a good progress indicator for me.

    How’s that for a preview of coming attractions? I’m feeling very strongly that this is something I really need to stick with, no matter how many distractions there are out there. So, with that, it’s onward and upward into 2015. Happy New Year! Let’s make it a great one!

  • Reservoir Thoughts

    Today I am writing about my current hometown, Anderson, Indiana. I’ve only lived here a little more than two years, which makes me a mere neophyte, but nevertheless there are some local issues—one in particular, actually—that I wish to address. Hopefully I won’t come off as self-righteous or something else negative.

    The hot topic around these parts these days is the proposed development of what is called the Mounds Reservoir. As I understand it, this would create a lake where much of the city now stands. If I have this wrong, please feel free to correct me. On its face, it’s hard for me to see this as a great idea. For one thing, what’s to be done about the residents and businesses of the area that will ultimately be underwater? I sincerely hope that somebody has thought to put provisions in place to deal with these folks fairly and equitably. I’ve read horror stories where imminent domain was used to basically trample over the rights of property owners for the sake of building something. I don’t know if imminent domain is going to be used in this project. I really hope not. It just seems unfair to me to displace people for something that really doesn’t have to be done in any event.

    Also, it seems to me that a project such as this would drastically affect the character of the city, not necessarily for the better. One of the things I have been very much impressed with in the time I’ve lived here is the sense of community I feel here. Whatever else might be wrong with Anderson, there does appear to be a very strong sense of community. I haven’t felt this in any other place I’ve ever lived, with the possible exception of Spokane. I fear that a project such as this would turn Anderson into simply a bunch of people who just happen to share a few zip codes. The fabric of a community should be at least considered along with property values.

    For the most part, I realize I’m talking from mostly ignorance here. I don’t know as much about the reservoir project as I probably should. I just feel like I found a good thing here, and it would be very sad to see what I think is a distinct character get sacrificed. Anderson has problems aplenty, no doubt. It just seems to me that there are better solutions to explore than flooding people out of house and home. If I’m wrong, I am open to being set straight.

  • On Societal Fragmentation

    This is a somewhat reworked version of a comment I left on a friend’s Facebook post. In essence, this person was lamenting how tribal we have become in today’s society, and their contribution to it. I wish I could say I wasn’t part of the problem as well, but I am. I’ve written before about the serious fragmentation of our media. I’m old enough to remember the days when our choice for getting news was very limited. You had the three networks, newspapers, a few news magazines and journals, and that was pretty much it. Nowadays, though, there are different choices for basically any political leaning you may have, and you can feel free to completely ignore everything else. What this does, unfortunately, is cause righteous obtuseness in way too many. The art of compromise and civil discourse has been almost completely forgotten, because we are so wrapped up in the overpowering need to be right. Not only that, but we need to prove everyone else is wrong and, beyond that, beneath contempt because they’re wrong. One of the more comical byproducts of this is the passage into common use of the term Nazi. This term has become so overused that what it actually means is, it seems to me, in danger of being completely forgotten. But I digress. One of the main reasons the American system of government has worked so well for 200 plus years is the concept of compromise and give-and-take. This is another art form that is going the way of vinyl records and Betamax. We are all so entrenched in our various ideologies that not only can we not see the other person’s point of view, we see it as dangerous, treasonous, criminal, etc. Not much useful dialogue can result from this state of affairs. I’m beginning to wonder if the societal fragmentation has become so acute that we’ll never again be able to find our way back to any common ground. I’d like to be less pessimistic, but it isn’t easy. This society needs to relearn the art of listening, fast. Otherwise the near future could wind up being very bleak indeed.

  • Some Thoughts on a Hard Subject

    As I write this, the death of Robin Williams has become by far the dominant subject of social media. It’s very sad, and he certainly will be missed. It’s certainly accurate to say he was a comic genius. But he was clearly also a troubled soul. To end it all as he has done is the ultimate tragedy. Suicide is a deed that can never be undone. His death, and the reactions surrounding it, have brought up lots of things for me. I’m going to try and put down some of my thoughts here. I can’t promise complete coherence, but I will try.

    While I can’t say I know what Robin Williams was going through, I do have at least a vague idea of what it feels like to do what he did. I know. I tried it myself. Back in October of 2007, I had pretty much reached the end of my tether. I believed that I had made an absolute mess of my whole life. I had alienated pretty much everyone I cared about, I hated my job more than I could put in words, and the icing on the cake was I had been evicted. So. On a lonely Saturday night, in a hotel room paid for with money I really did not have, I saw one viable option. In that time and place, I truly believed that everyone would be better off without me. So I swallowed the bulk of a large bottle of Tylenol PM, roughly sixty pills in all. Almost immediately, I snapped back to true reality. Luckily, I called 911 and was able to get help in time before any real permanent damage was done. I then went about the task of putting my life back together. It certainly hasn’t been easy, and I’ve had some bumps and setbacks along the road, but sitting here nearly seven years later, I can say the reconstruction project has been pretty successful. It’s a work in progress, of course, and I know the work will never be done.

    I have no idea what drove Robin Williams to end it all today. But I do wonder if he has ever attempted suicide before. I don’t know, but I suspect he has. Recently I heard a rather telling statistic. Nineteen of twenty people who attempt suicide fail the first time, but they are 37 times more likely to succeed the second time. There is still a huge stigma surrounding the subject of suicide. If some people encounter a suicide survivor such as myself, they will sometimes not say anything at all for fear of saying the wrong thing. What I can say is in the time immediately following my attempt the interactions that meant the most to me were the ones where people simply said hey, I’m here for you. Even more than that, it was very helpful to me to have people who have been there themselves share their experience with me. Some people truly believe that those who attempt suicide are just attention-seekers. I can’t deny that attention-seekers do exist, but I believe they are the minority. Sadly the stigma results in diminished resources for suicide survivors. There needs to be more of a discussion about suicide in our culture. It would go a long way toward reducing the isolation some suicide survivors feel, and almost certainly it would prevent at least some second and subsequent attempts. I for one am very glad I ultimately chose life, and it’s sad to me that Robin Williams will not have the chance to make that same choice.

  • Striking a Balance

    I find myself in a bit of a dilemma. On one hand, there is plenty going on in the world today to get outraged about. With Israel and Gaza, Putin trying to activate the Cold War way-back machine, plus all the squabbling and bickering going on stateside, it’s really difficult to know where to begin or where to end. Sometimes following the news can be an exhausting task in and of itself. Yet I feel like I must keep up with it. I’ve always taken a dim view of people seemingly caring more about reality television than what’s happening in the so-called real world. I do understand the temptation to bury oneself in escapist pursuits. I find myself inclined to head that direction at times. Luckily I have someone making sure I don’t totally lose myself. I know there has to be a happy medium somewhere. While I know it isn’t advisable to throw myself headlong completely into following current events, I also don’t want to completely disconnect. I learned the lesson very well in high school and college, that it’s a moral imperative to stay plugged into the world. So my task will be to find that happy medium. I don’t think it’s going to be easy.

  • Ruminations on Socialism

    I wrote this last year. It still rings very true.

    This morning I read that the stock market has risen more during the Obama presidency than during any other. The piece I was reading went on to ask the question:
    Does this make President Obama the worst Socialist ever? Considering how often our President is referred to as a radical Socialist Communist colonialist,
    or something, it feels like a legitimate question. This further led me to reflect on the general concept of socialism, specifically people’s reactions
    to it. Mostly, I hear socialism denigrated as right up there with full IRS audits and big zits predominantly placed in the middle of one’s face as outcomes
    undesirable. But I have a question that might seem heretical to some, and possibly un-American to others: Is socialism really all that bad? As I understand
    it, one of the main aims of socialism is to make sure everyone in society is taken care of. I have to ask, how is this a bad concept? Isn’t promoting the
    general welfare right there in the preamble of the Constitution? Isn’t taking care of the least of us a Biblical concept? In fact, if you look at Acts
    2:44-47 in the Bible, couldn’t that be considered socialistic? Really, at a basic level, who among us truly believes that anybody should be denied even
    the basics of everyday life? Yet we keep having this societal argument about lazy moochers and “takers”. I’m very much in favor of individual charity,
    but there needs to be something beyond that. There is absolutely no way that individual charities and churches can deal with the whole problem of poverty
    themselves. This was starkly proven during the Depression, which is the whole reason why we have such things as Social Security, worker’s compensation,
    and unemployment insurance today. And, as I said, isn’t promoting the general welfare right there in the Constitution? Wouldn’t that mean, then, that by
    definition one of government’s functions is to make sure as few people fall through the cracks as possible? Otherwise, what does that phrase even mean?
    The Second Amendment is parsed to death, over and over and over, and this phrase, which is just as much a part of the Constitution, is pretty much ignored.
    And yet the blather about moochers and takers goes on. I acknowledge that I am coming at this from a different angle than many. Because of the nature of
    my disability, I’m often put in the position to, in the words of a line from A Streetcar Named Desire, “rely on the kindness of strangers”. There is no
    shame in needing help sometimes. In some way, we all do, whether we admit it or not. Nobody should ever feel like a lesser person if they have to take
    advantage of certain government programs. Yet our society, thanks in large part to the rugged individualism narrative that has corroded the dialogue beyond
    belief, are way too often looked down upon, derided, scorned. Nobody I know, or have ever known, at least to my knowledge, gets up in the morning and says
    “gosh, what can I do today to become a greater drain on taxpayers?” I know such people probably exist, but I firmly believe they are the rare exception,
    as opposed to the norm as portrayed in much of the media today. Some people I know work up to three jobs, sixteen to eighteen hours a day, to obtain even
    the basics of life. This, to me, is not living, it’s surviving. All you’re doing is working, eating (probably not very well), and sleeping (again, probably
    not very well). On the flip side, I know way too many people who aren’t working, not because they prefer to sit at home and draw a government check, but
    because nobody will hire them. Some people have tried, quite literally, for years to get work, only to get constantly rebuffed. There is only so many times
    one can bang their head against a concrete wall before one gets a headache and gives up. Yet the welfare stigma remains—not just remains, but also getting
    stronger, more engrained into society. The direction things are going right now, quite frankly, terrifies me. Based on that framework, I ask the question
    again: Is socialism really all that bad? From my perspective, I have to say no.

  • Why Vote? (From the Archives)

    I’ve decided to dip into the way-back machine for this post. I wrote this in October of 2010, in the run-up to the ultimately disasterous midterm elections that year. Some of what I said here is now dated, but the general gist of what I said still holds true today. Here it is…

    When I was a homeowner, I was compelled to belong to a homeowners association. The annual dues were absorbed into the mortgage. This irritated me no end.
    Nobody asked me if I wanted to be part of the homeowners association. The meetings were normally scheduled weekday evenings, often before I was home from
    work. Even when I could have gone, however, I chose not to. Why should I, after all I never asked to be a member in the first place. Then, one day, I received
    a letter. It seems I somehow ran afoul of the association. I forget what the issue was, something about the front yard. Whatever the issue was, I began
    to grumble about some arbitrary rule I was made to follow by this association, and then it dawned on me. I was a member. I had the chance to have a say
    in policy (theoretically, anyway), and I chose not to. As a result, I had no right to grumble. To me, that is the case for anyone who chooses not to vote
    in elections. It’s certainly your right to not participate, but if you ultimately feel dissatisfaction with the outcome you don’t have much room to complain
    about things. So, educate yourself, and when Nov. 2 rolls around, vote. If you feel like we’re heading down the road to rack and ruin, vote for those who
    you think will restore sanity. If you feel like we’re making positive progress, vote for those making that progress. Whatever the case, don’t sit it out.
    Democracy works only when more people participate than not.

  • Historical Presidential Rankings

    A poll was published recently that ranked President Obama as the worst president since World War II. Notwithstanding that this seems to me to be yet another example of people who blindly hate the president for no apparent reason other than the huge unstated one (see my previous entry), it’s not at all fair to judge a sitting president, no matter who they are or what you think of them, by overarching historical standards. Some time ago I read an assertion by a historian (unfortunately, I can’t remember the identity) who indicated that a President couldn’t really be judged from a historical perspective until 30 years after he left office. Based on this, the last President who can currently be judged historically is Jimmy Carter. To digress for a moment, I believe that Carter presents a very interesting dichotomy. It’s hard for me to believe that anyone, no matter what politics you might subscribe to, can argue that Jimmy Carter is anything but an upstanding, decent human being due nothing but undying respect. As a President, however, he has always been judged as, for the most part, a failure. It’s hard to believe that history going forward will change that very much. Between skyrocketing oil prices, overall inflation and the Iran hostage crisis, he was dealt probably the worst hand in Presidential history. So, it could be said that he was the best person to be President, but maybe one of the worst Presidents. Nixon, on the other hand, was, to say the least, not a great guy. The moniker Tricky Dick was very justifiably won. Yet there were accomplishments during his Presidency that, from a historical perspective, proved beneficial for the country. The bottom line is, I don’t think a critique like that could ever be done completely subjectively. Will Obama be treated well historically? Who knows? The jury’s really still out on Reagan, after all, despite the efforts of many to stack the deck in his favor. Once you set aside your personal feelings for Obama, or George W, or even Bill Clinton, for that matter, would it still be possible to categorize any of them as the worst Presidents at this point in time? I really don’t think so.

  • Postracial?

    If there’s anything I’ve learned in the past six years, it’s that the pronouncements about this being a postracial society due to the election of an African-American president were, at the very least, too optimistic. In fact, I have seen more evidence of rampant racism in the past six years than I have in the first 43 years of my life. It is, of course, not called racism. It’s couched in other terms. It’s called stand your ground, defense against voter fraud, and other things, but in my mind it all amounts to the same thing. It does seem to me that there are many people today who just can’t come to grips with the fact that the president is, good grief, a black man! Horror of horrors how did this ever happen? What’s even more insidious is that many don’t even realize what they feel is racism. I know several people who say they can’t stand the president, but when I ask them why, I am either met by deafening silence, or a noncommittal hodgepodge of talking points. They just know, deep down, that he doesn’t deserve to be president. But, oh no, racism has nothing to do with it. Unfortunately, the idea of the inferiority of African-Americans—and other nonwhite races, for that matter—seems to be very deeply ingrained, like it’s part of the DNA. People can’t tell you why, it’s just the way things are. The fact that prejudices die hard is more than proven by the fact that The Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were passed 50 years ago, and we are still arguing over both of them. In fact, there have been significant attempts to toll back many of the provisions of both laws—sadly, with the complicity of the Supreme Court. A plausible argument can be made that showing a valid ID is valid, but how exactly do such measures as cutting back on early voting days and deterring voter registration help anything? Those really do have at least the appearance of good old-fashioned voter suppression, Jim Crow style. And the beat goes on, and on. These prejudicial thought patterns will almost certainly be with us long after Barack Obama takes his place as just another name in the history books. No, this absolutely is not a postracial society. At the rate we’re going, I’m ashamed to say that it could very well never be one.

  • Getting The Show On The Road

    Welcome to my new blog. I’m saying that for my benefit as much as for those reading this. I’ve attempted blogging in the past, and with the exception of a short stint in 2010 I never really stuck with it. I don’t necessarily count my posts on Livejournal over the years as blogging, since that was strictly meant for a specific group of readers. I’m really going to do what I can to stick with this. Writing is very good therapy for me, and I need to keep it going.

    First and foremost, a huge thank you to my lovely and extremely talented wife, Sarah, for all her efforts on my behalf to get this going. She never let me kill this idea, and kept it alive until she figured out a way it could work. Thanks for knowing what I need, sometimes even before I do.

    Now, what will this blog cover? The short answer is, I’m not sure. It’s very much a work in progress, and at this point I really don’t want to restrict myself to specific topics. What I am envisioning is a mix of personal, political, general, maybe some silliness thrown in…In short, the sky’s the limit. I will say this at the outset; it is my intention to, at least to the extent that I can, take off my editors. This is my space, and I’m going to feel free to treat it as such. Of course, I’m not planning to cut loose with invectives and diatribes, as that is not who I am. I’m just working to put the least amount of constraints on myself as possible. If you disagree with me, or think I’m full of hoo-ha, or even think what I wrote is the most brilliant thing you ever read, please feel free to utilize the comments section. That’s what it’s there for. I love conversation, even when it gets a bit heated. I may not always agree with you, but I promise that I’ll be respectful and not let the dialogue descend into the mud. To be brutally honest, one of my aims here is to expand my online footprint. Nobody is more aware than me how many blogs there are out there—I read many of them—and some might view yet another one as nothing more than adding to the existing cacophony. I can’t promise verbiage worthy of the pros that have been doing this for a long time, but what I do plan to give you is the best I’ve got. I’ll be in there swinging, and hopefully I’ll connect with a few solid hits as time goes on. In any event, if you’ve climbed on this flight of fancy, welcome aboard!