A friend of mine just shared an article that showed one man's view on why Evangelicals hate Jesus, then posted his own excellent blog on the subject and the whole thing got me thinking about religions and radicals. With all the chatter that is going on these days about the "Ground Zero" Mosque (Which isn't at Ground Zero) and whether or not Muslims are "being cooperative enough with law enforcement agencies." (Funny I remember reading similar musings written during the McCarthy Era disasters.), Radical Movements and such are an hot subject for everyone that can type and post.
So like I said before my mind started wandering, it got me to thinking about one of the most famous radicals in all of history. A man with teachings went against the accepted norm and whose actions continuously angered both the officials of his own people those of the occupying nation. A man who, when they finally couldn't deal with his insurrection any more, was put on trial before a Kangaroo court (Wait no Kangaroos there, ummm Lizard court?) and executed for his "crimes." I am, of course, Speaking of Jesus of Nazareth.
Now before I go any further, let me try and attract as many people as possible so I can peeve off a greater number. Whether you believe that Jesus was the Son of God, sent to Earth to help us see the right path to Heaven (which I do) or simply that he was a nice guy who tried to teach us to just be a little nicer to each other, it is pretty much a certainty that this man did live and die. I leave whether or not he did all the things that the Bible says he did up to wiser minds (Any of those out there), to me the fact that he existed and taught is all the proof I need.
Okay now that I have a hold of Christians and Non-Christians, lets get on with the message which is simple and eloquent. Jesus and his followers were a bunch of Radical Freedom "Fighters" who struck so much fear into the hearts and minds of the period's leaders that they had to shut him up before he did any more damage. His radical teachings took, as most really good ones do, all the teachings of his fore fathers and pushed them in an entirely new direction. Hells, if he was alive today he would probably be labeled a "dangerous terrorist" and have a price on his head.
Have I offended anyone yet? Well, I'll keep going to make sure. Everyone has this image in their head of Jesus as the kind and gentle shepherd that tended the souls of man and taught us the way of peace. This image is accurate but it doesn't go nearly far enough. Jesus also had no problem raising heck whenever necessary as is shown when he cleanses the Temple of Money lenders and such. He understood that sometimes you had to make a little noise to be heard.
In the end, Jesus' "radical" ways were mostly of the peaceful kind. He wanted to fix the "system" not destroy it. Sometimes I wonder if, since when he walked the Earth he walked it as a man, He had any idea the incredible changes his simple teachings would cause.
People are always pointing out all of the negative things that have come about through humans' interpretations of his teachings. The Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition are just two of the hundreds I could quote. The various "versions" of his teachings that have come about because of the translation and retranslation of the Bible, have given groups lots of leeway over the centuries. Heck, even the time of his birth was conveniently moved several months by man to attract more followers to the fold.
Jesus never wanted us to be complacent. He wanted us to stand up for our faith and our fellows. Being "Meek" does not mean being a door mat so if something calls for a little "radical" action then step up. At the same time remember that Jesus always tried to respect the ways and attitudes of those around him so try to show tolerance to those who's beliefs might be different from yours. "Judge not lest ye be judged" is still a truism today as it was so long ago.
Rambles and Rants about pretty much everything ranging from Bad Service to Political Correctness. Being offensive and making people go "Hmmm" for the better part of two decades.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
it's just my opinion folks, take it or leave it
I got an email from someone today who asked me (In so many words) where I got off "forcing" my beliefs and attitudes on other people. Now I will admit that this person severely confuzzled me. I really don't see how posting anything on a site where people have to actively search for and then actually read all the way through can be seen as forcing someone. Just for the sheer sake of argument and to give me something to write about, let's ignore the confusion and plunge straight ahead. It's more fun that way.
Before cable TV and 24 hour "news" programs that started giving us people like Beck and Hannity, if a madman hopped up on his soapbox in the middle of a park or sidewalk, the few people that saw him tended to ignore him. These folks tended to be grungy and a little ripe. The person espousing his views couldn't "force" his opinions on anyone. Hells if Glenn Beck had started his diatribes in 1810, no one would have looked twice at him.
These days, places like Faux News and all the others of it's ilk give "commentators" a soapbox seen by millions of people around the world and gives their comments and attitudes a sense of gravity because of the location. People become convinced that if they see it on one of these news channels, then it has to be news. Never mind that shows like Beck's aren't news, they are simply one man's beliefs and attitudes.
So with the dozens of cable newshows with segments like that on them and dozens more available from the web, I fail to see how my column which I freely admit is just my opinion. (Well researched and decently written but still just my opinion) I don't pretend to utter pronouncements from the Gods like the Oracle of Delphi, nor do I claim to have all the answers. These words and all the other non-fiction I write are simply me putting my thoughts out there to hopefully make someone go Hmmm.
What it boils down to is this. If you don't like what I write, don't read it. Hell, if you really don't like what I write put down your own words to dispute me. In the end (pun intended) opinions and it doesn't matter where they come from are like the old saying involving opinions and anuses. Right or wrong, everyone has one.
Before cable TV and 24 hour "news" programs that started giving us people like Beck and Hannity, if a madman hopped up on his soapbox in the middle of a park or sidewalk, the few people that saw him tended to ignore him. These folks tended to be grungy and a little ripe. The person espousing his views couldn't "force" his opinions on anyone. Hells if Glenn Beck had started his diatribes in 1810, no one would have looked twice at him.
These days, places like Faux News and all the others of it's ilk give "commentators" a soapbox seen by millions of people around the world and gives their comments and attitudes a sense of gravity because of the location. People become convinced that if they see it on one of these news channels, then it has to be news. Never mind that shows like Beck's aren't news, they are simply one man's beliefs and attitudes.
So with the dozens of cable newshows with segments like that on them and dozens more available from the web, I fail to see how my column which I freely admit is just my opinion. (Well researched and decently written but still just my opinion) I don't pretend to utter pronouncements from the Gods like the Oracle of Delphi, nor do I claim to have all the answers. These words and all the other non-fiction I write are simply me putting my thoughts out there to hopefully make someone go Hmmm.
What it boils down to is this. If you don't like what I write, don't read it. Hell, if you really don't like what I write put down your own words to dispute me. In the end (pun intended) opinions and it doesn't matter where they come from are like the old saying involving opinions and anuses. Right or wrong, everyone has one.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Where does your freedom end and mine begin?
By now pretty much anyone who listens to, watches or reads the news knows what the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan is and what it's members are doing. Outrage over their picketing of Military and other funerals with horrendously offensive signs has been plastered pretty much everywhere. Most people feel, and rightfully so in my opinion, that these people should be dragged somewhere and put out of our misery.
The Supreme Court, in an 8-1 decision has ruled that the WBC is within their rights and protected under the 1st Amendment while they picket. They argued that the grief and pain caused by these micro-minded morons is simply a side effect of their freedom of speech. And the very disturbing thing about this ruling is that I agree with it.
Before I go any further, let me assure you that I feel what the WBC is doing is MORALLY wrong. They take the teachings of the Bible and pervert it into something hateful. "Judge you not, lest ye be judged" and my personal favorite about Sin and Stones is completely ignored by these hate mongers as they wave their signs in front of processions and outside of funerals. I personally feel that "Hanging is too good for them...They oughta be cut into little bitty pieces and buried alive." (Special Hoorah to the person that can tell me where that quote is from.)
That said, we aren't talking about morals here. The government cannot and should not produce laws and rulings that dictate morality. We are talking about individual freedoms given to every citizen of this great country no matter their beliefs. We are talking about Laws that protect everyone not just a chosen few and the WBC is well within their rights and the laws doing what they are doing.
A wise man once said, "No one follows the laws of the land more than those that wish to abuse them." WBC members never break the law at these demonstrations. You can bet that they will always be the prescribed distance away, standing on public property and following the letter of the law exactly while they brandish their hate on a stick. You can bet that if you check, you will find that all of their permits and permissions are signed, notarized and filed in triplicate. You can bet your last round of ammunition that whatever they needed to do to legally do what they are doing has been done.
Everyone has the right to exercise their First Amendment rights no matter how offensive someone else finds it. No one has the right to say, "Well I don't like what you are saying, so you can't say it." If we start doing that even with these idiots, then it is a very steep and slippery slope downwards from there.
Our country, despite all of its faults, is still the greatest country in the world with more freedom than most other nations dream of. However, these freedoms and rights have to apply to everyone no matter what or they are meaningless. If you find what the WBC is doing and believe me I do, organize your own groups and travel to where they are picketing and wave signs in their faces. Show your support to the families insulted by these people with letters and blogs. Make your protests as legal as theirs, but do everything you can to peeve them off.
In the end, it all boils down to freedom and the law. Until the WBC breaks the law, they have the freedom to say what they believe. It is offensive and stupid, but it is their right. We don't have to like it or respect them, but we do have to accept that.
The Supreme Court, in an 8-1 decision has ruled that the WBC is within their rights and protected under the 1st Amendment while they picket. They argued that the grief and pain caused by these micro-minded morons is simply a side effect of their freedom of speech. And the very disturbing thing about this ruling is that I agree with it.
Before I go any further, let me assure you that I feel what the WBC is doing is MORALLY wrong. They take the teachings of the Bible and pervert it into something hateful. "Judge you not, lest ye be judged" and my personal favorite about Sin and Stones is completely ignored by these hate mongers as they wave their signs in front of processions and outside of funerals. I personally feel that "Hanging is too good for them...They oughta be cut into little bitty pieces and buried alive." (Special Hoorah to the person that can tell me where that quote is from.)
That said, we aren't talking about morals here. The government cannot and should not produce laws and rulings that dictate morality. We are talking about individual freedoms given to every citizen of this great country no matter their beliefs. We are talking about Laws that protect everyone not just a chosen few and the WBC is well within their rights and the laws doing what they are doing.
A wise man once said, "No one follows the laws of the land more than those that wish to abuse them." WBC members never break the law at these demonstrations. You can bet that they will always be the prescribed distance away, standing on public property and following the letter of the law exactly while they brandish their hate on a stick. You can bet that if you check, you will find that all of their permits and permissions are signed, notarized and filed in triplicate. You can bet your last round of ammunition that whatever they needed to do to legally do what they are doing has been done.
Everyone has the right to exercise their First Amendment rights no matter how offensive someone else finds it. No one has the right to say, "Well I don't like what you are saying, so you can't say it." If we start doing that even with these idiots, then it is a very steep and slippery slope downwards from there.
Our country, despite all of its faults, is still the greatest country in the world with more freedom than most other nations dream of. However, these freedoms and rights have to apply to everyone no matter what or they are meaningless. If you find what the WBC is doing and believe me I do, organize your own groups and travel to where they are picketing and wave signs in their faces. Show your support to the families insulted by these people with letters and blogs. Make your protests as legal as theirs, but do everything you can to peeve them off.
In the end, it all boils down to freedom and the law. Until the WBC breaks the law, they have the freedom to say what they believe. It is offensive and stupid, but it is their right. We don't have to like it or respect them, but we do have to accept that.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Middle East: Middling Uneasy
I find what is happening now in the Middle East Area absolutely fascinating. No, unlike many pundits and commentators, I do not expect anything truly grand to come of it besides replacing one totalitarian ruler with another. Nor do I expect some new grand threat to the US to arise from it besides an increase in oil prices. Which I think is a good thing since it will finally force us to start using new technologies or find a way to use old tech more efficiently. No I find the whole Middle East Uprising so darned interesting because it so clearly embodies one of humanities greatest character flaws.
To further expand on this, let me ask this question of my readers. What has changed in the Middle East to inspire so many ordinary people to rise up and protest, potentially over throwing regimes that have been in place for decades? The answer is, quite simply, nothing. Except for minor changes in the area that pretty much no one except a historian or global economist might have noticed, Libya, Bahrain and so many others are exactly the same now as 30 years ago. So why have so many people suddenly decided to rise up against their rulers and demand freedom?
Quite simply it is because one person/group did it first. Protesters, unhappy with their way of life in Egypt managed to force through relatively non-violent actions their ruler of 30 years to step down. Not to go all Biblical on you guys, but this was a "sign from above" to all of the other masses of people spread out across the Middle East that it was possible. So after decades of quietly living with their suffering and fear without so much as a peep, these groups of people followed the lead of Egypt and began demanding the freedoms and rights that they deserve.
People, as a whole, are too fearful and lazy to try and bring about change themselves. They want to wait until "someone" else does it for them. History is full of examples ranging from The Exodus where the Hebrew people suffered for generations while waiting for Moses to come along to WWII where most countries felt that "something should be done about Hitler" but most including America in the beginning felt that someone else should do it.
Revolution is almost always the work of one man or a small group of men. The Communist Revolution in Russia wouldn't have happened without Lenin leading the way. Our own American Revolution came about because a small group of individuals decided it was time. (At the time of the American Revolution most colonists were quite content with England's rule. They merely wanted the same rights as all of members of the Empire.)
So here we have a massive front of revolution sweeping across the Middle East where thousands of men and women are rushing into the streets demanding rights and freedoms that should have been theirs at birth. I am no expert on these situations so I have no real idea what is going to happen, but whatever does happen will be because one small group started it all.
Always remember, "We must always be willing to fight for our freedom or the freedoms we have will mean nothing."
To further expand on this, let me ask this question of my readers. What has changed in the Middle East to inspire so many ordinary people to rise up and protest, potentially over throwing regimes that have been in place for decades? The answer is, quite simply, nothing. Except for minor changes in the area that pretty much no one except a historian or global economist might have noticed, Libya, Bahrain and so many others are exactly the same now as 30 years ago. So why have so many people suddenly decided to rise up against their rulers and demand freedom?
Quite simply it is because one person/group did it first. Protesters, unhappy with their way of life in Egypt managed to force through relatively non-violent actions their ruler of 30 years to step down. Not to go all Biblical on you guys, but this was a "sign from above" to all of the other masses of people spread out across the Middle East that it was possible. So after decades of quietly living with their suffering and fear without so much as a peep, these groups of people followed the lead of Egypt and began demanding the freedoms and rights that they deserve.
People, as a whole, are too fearful and lazy to try and bring about change themselves. They want to wait until "someone" else does it for them. History is full of examples ranging from The Exodus where the Hebrew people suffered for generations while waiting for Moses to come along to WWII where most countries felt that "something should be done about Hitler" but most including America in the beginning felt that someone else should do it.
Revolution is almost always the work of one man or a small group of men. The Communist Revolution in Russia wouldn't have happened without Lenin leading the way. Our own American Revolution came about because a small group of individuals decided it was time. (At the time of the American Revolution most colonists were quite content with England's rule. They merely wanted the same rights as all of members of the Empire.)
So here we have a massive front of revolution sweeping across the Middle East where thousands of men and women are rushing into the streets demanding rights and freedoms that should have been theirs at birth. I am no expert on these situations so I have no real idea what is going to happen, but whatever does happen will be because one small group started it all.
Always remember, "We must always be willing to fight for our freedom or the freedoms we have will mean nothing."
Friday, February 11, 2011
bonds strong than steel
Okay this one may seem a little off my usual rant and maybe it is, but hey it is my blog so I can do what I want to. Nah!
How many friends do you have? Most people would probably list a dozen or so people they consider friends when you first ask that question. Now, let us refine that question a bit. How many friends do you have that you can depend on no matte what? How many friends do you have that you would kill for? How many friends do you have that if you called them in the middle of the night and said you just shot someone breaking into your house would simply drive up and help you hide the body? In short (too late) how many friends do you really have?
When I was growing up, I was the odd one in a family of "normal" people. I loved to read, write and be creative. I didn't dream of growing up to hold down a "good steady" job and raise a dozen kids. (Well maybe the kids part) I dreamed of being an author. I dreamed of crafting worlds where people could lose themselves in adventures. Needless to say this kind of put me apart from my blue collar family members and kept me from having a lot of childhood friends. Had a few and they were awesome, but not a lot of them.
When I hit High School, I had lots of "friends." Hells, I played Football and was in the Marching Band so I had lots of them. (And if you don't think half time shows were a pain, you aren't very imaginative.) Still, most of these "friends" were not what I described in the first paragraph. Sure we had good times, but only one or two would have been there in a pinch. (Mark, Brian, Tony and Jeff God Bless you)
College was a major event for me. I would go on to become the first member of my immediate family to ever graduate from College. (My Brother and Sister tried and didn't make it because of monetary reasons not because of lack of dedication and intelligence.) I made tons of buddies and discovered the world outside of my tiny hometown of Goshen. (Pop. 545 at the time I left, now even smaller) College was an amazing time.
Decades later, I can still remember most of the buddies I hung out with and I have come to realize that we were just that, buddies. I really don't miss most of them and prolly wouldn't connect with them very well if we did somehow meet again. They were a wonderful part of my college years but have since faded. This is not a bad thing, it is actually kind of normal.
But thanks to Facebook, I have reconnected with three people that truly fit the category of Friends! It has been at least 20+ years since we have had any sort of conversation, but we have picked up right where we left off. We still think alike, still believe in the same things and still understand each other. It is like the decades of seperation never existed.
One of these friends lives all the way across the country and two live right next door (Statewise), but I know to the core of my being that if I called one of them up and said, "I am in trouble!" they would drop what they are doing and find some way to help me. Hells one of them even offered to loan me a gun till I can afford to buy one. Now that is friendship.
I guess how this all ties into the general gist of this blog is that these three friends (And if God is willing) a couple of more if I can find them are like me. They are outspoken and unafraid to tell people exactly what they think. Hells, one of them has spent his entire life writing pieces exactly about that. (GO BENJY!) My attitude about always saying how you feel and trying to make things better has alienated a lot of people. It has chased off a bunch of people who might have been my "friends." But it has also forged friendships that are stronger than steel and tighter than blood. Because of this, I think I have come out ahead.
So in closing, let me ask you again. How many Friends do you have?
How many friends do you have? Most people would probably list a dozen or so people they consider friends when you first ask that question. Now, let us refine that question a bit. How many friends do you have that you can depend on no matte what? How many friends do you have that you would kill for? How many friends do you have that if you called them in the middle of the night and said you just shot someone breaking into your house would simply drive up and help you hide the body? In short (too late) how many friends do you really have?
When I was growing up, I was the odd one in a family of "normal" people. I loved to read, write and be creative. I didn't dream of growing up to hold down a "good steady" job and raise a dozen kids. (Well maybe the kids part) I dreamed of being an author. I dreamed of crafting worlds where people could lose themselves in adventures. Needless to say this kind of put me apart from my blue collar family members and kept me from having a lot of childhood friends. Had a few and they were awesome, but not a lot of them.
When I hit High School, I had lots of "friends." Hells, I played Football and was in the Marching Band so I had lots of them. (And if you don't think half time shows were a pain, you aren't very imaginative.) Still, most of these "friends" were not what I described in the first paragraph. Sure we had good times, but only one or two would have been there in a pinch. (Mark, Brian, Tony and Jeff God Bless you)
College was a major event for me. I would go on to become the first member of my immediate family to ever graduate from College. (My Brother and Sister tried and didn't make it because of monetary reasons not because of lack of dedication and intelligence.) I made tons of buddies and discovered the world outside of my tiny hometown of Goshen. (Pop. 545 at the time I left, now even smaller) College was an amazing time.
Decades later, I can still remember most of the buddies I hung out with and I have come to realize that we were just that, buddies. I really don't miss most of them and prolly wouldn't connect with them very well if we did somehow meet again. They were a wonderful part of my college years but have since faded. This is not a bad thing, it is actually kind of normal.
But thanks to Facebook, I have reconnected with three people that truly fit the category of Friends! It has been at least 20+ years since we have had any sort of conversation, but we have picked up right where we left off. We still think alike, still believe in the same things and still understand each other. It is like the decades of seperation never existed.
One of these friends lives all the way across the country and two live right next door (Statewise), but I know to the core of my being that if I called one of them up and said, "I am in trouble!" they would drop what they are doing and find some way to help me. Hells one of them even offered to loan me a gun till I can afford to buy one. Now that is friendship.
I guess how this all ties into the general gist of this blog is that these three friends (And if God is willing) a couple of more if I can find them are like me. They are outspoken and unafraid to tell people exactly what they think. Hells, one of them has spent his entire life writing pieces exactly about that. (GO BENJY!) My attitude about always saying how you feel and trying to make things better has alienated a lot of people. It has chased off a bunch of people who might have been my "friends." But it has also forged friendships that are stronger than steel and tighter than blood. Because of this, I think I have come out ahead.
So in closing, let me ask you again. How many Friends do you have?
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Where is the outrage? Where is the anger? Where are the angry mobs?
Sgt. James Hurley has had the unthinkable happen to him. While he was away serving his country, the bank came in foreclosed on his home and property because he had fallen behind on his payments due to the reduced income he receives while serving. The bank did this despite a law intended to protect active military personnel. Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)which was modified from a previous Act protecting soldiers and sailors, protects active duty warriors both full time and reserve from foreclosure (among other things) during the time that they are serving in times of war.
"When the sergeant returned in December 2005, he drove past the densely wooded riverfront property outside Hartford, Mich. The peaceful little home was still there — winter birds still darted over the gazebo he had built near the water’s edge — but it almost certainly would never be his again. Less than two months before his return from the war, the bank’s agents sold the property to a buyer in Chicago for $76,000."
Now if that one quote doesn't break your heart nothing will. Now this travesty of justice would be bad enough if it was an isolated incident where one lone bank was snubbing its nose at the sacrifices made by our service men and women, but its not. Here's another quote from the article.
"By 2006, a Marine captain in South Carolina was doing battle with JPMorgan Chase to get the mortgage interest rate reductions the act requires. Chase eventually reviewed its policies and, earlier this month, acknowledged it had overcharged thousands of military families on their mortgages and improperly foreclosed on 14 of them. Before a public apology, Chase began mailing out about $2 million in refunds and working to reverse the foreclosures."
Improperly foreclosed on 14 and overcharged on 1000s. Essentially cheating the very people we depend on to fight for the freedoms we all enjoy. Studies show that people are becoming more and more reluctant to serve in our military and with this horror, I can't blame them. Why aren't out institutions doing more to protect the people that protect us?
You are probably wondering how all of this ties into my general Blog theme. Sure the news is horrible, but how does it connect to being an Ass? Simple, oh devoted readers.
We, as a people, just don't get honked off to much anymore and if we do, it's usually about something personal. We read these horror stories (maybe if we can find time past reading the sports section and the comics) and think "what a shame." Most people won't give it more than a second thought. Some good people might wish these people well, but that's about it.
Like the title of this post says, Where is the outrage? Where are the angry mobs? There was a time that we as an American people would have risen up in righteous wrath (Hey I like that) if we had heard of crimes like this. American Revolution, Civil War (Sure the causes in that one were not the most noble, but boy did both sides rise up.), WWII after Pearl Harbor are all excellent examples of what we can do when we feel injustice is being done.
Sure they are the extremes and I am not recommending staging an armed revolt against the big banks (or am I? Hmm), but why aren't we doing more? Where is the public outcry? Where are the powerful lawyers who represent powerful celebrities on drugs at the drop of a hat? Where are the petitions and protests that we have so often seen in the past? Why are we as a people just sitting on our collective butts without giving a damn?
The great Douglas Adams, brilliant comedic author of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, one described a phenomena he called an S.E.P. or Someone Else's Problem. Coined as an answer to the impossibility of invisibility, SEP's were effects placed on things that made the object so improbable that people ignored it because it was "someone else's problem." With this effect you could put a bull elephant in the mens toilet at Grand Central Station, slap an SEP on it and no one would notice because, well an elephant there is impossible and if it is there it is...
The whole world, not just the USA, is suffering under massive amounts of SEPs. We read horror stories in the paper and online, but it kind of rolls off us because it is "their" problem, not our "problem" Sure the crimes being committed against other Americans like Sgt. Hurley are horrible, but it is a problem to be solved by someone else.
Well, I have news for the millions of people out there walking blithely past the elephant. Everyone is "the other people" to someone. The day may come (given today's economy and crooked government probably sooner than later) when you are suddenly the one being screwed over. When that day comes (When not if), unless we change on a fundamental level as a people, you will suddenly become an SEP.
One reader noticed that I quote and mention my father a lot and I do. Johnny Rayford McLeod never finished school beyond the 6th grade. He never went to college or received any specialized training. Besides serving in the Pacific during WWI, he probably never traveled more than 300 miles way from our home town in his entire life, but he was also one of the wisest men I ever knew. We didn't always agree on everything, but I can promise you that my father and the men of his generation would have read that article about Sgt. Hurley and have mustered up for battle. All of these big banks would have found themselves surrounded by a whole bunch of angry Rednecks demanding something be done.
Like I said earlier, I am not recommending armed attacks or destructive mobs. Just take a moment and read the article. Pass it on to others and bring it to their attention. Write your Congressman or Senator whether you live in Sgt. Hurley's state or not. Hells, write the president. One letter, one petition might get ignored, but I promise you that if millions of people start writing, whinging and complaining out loud about these travesties of justice, someone will take notice.
Right or wrong and whether you agree with the attitudes or not, the recent elections prove that when enough Americans get angry about something than things change. I personally find much of the Tea Party Rhetoric unrealistic and mildly annoying, but this powerful grass roots movement is forcing some fundamental changes in our government. (We have Republicans honestly trying to cut the budget and talking about cutting Military spending. My God look for six other signs.)
Fire up some of that anger, that outrage against the crimes being committed against all of us. Don't just meekly sit there and assume someone else will fix the problem. It won't be easy, but in the words of my Father, "Bobby, if doing the right thing was easy, everyone would do it." These people fight for us everyday. Isn't it time we fight for them? God Bless America!
For those of you who are interested, the actual article I am talking about is here. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/business/27foreclose.htm
"When the sergeant returned in December 2005, he drove past the densely wooded riverfront property outside Hartford, Mich. The peaceful little home was still there — winter birds still darted over the gazebo he had built near the water’s edge — but it almost certainly would never be his again. Less than two months before his return from the war, the bank’s agents sold the property to a buyer in Chicago for $76,000."
Now if that one quote doesn't break your heart nothing will. Now this travesty of justice would be bad enough if it was an isolated incident where one lone bank was snubbing its nose at the sacrifices made by our service men and women, but its not. Here's another quote from the article.
"By 2006, a Marine captain in South Carolina was doing battle with JPMorgan Chase to get the mortgage interest rate reductions the act requires. Chase eventually reviewed its policies and, earlier this month, acknowledged it had overcharged thousands of military families on their mortgages and improperly foreclosed on 14 of them. Before a public apology, Chase began mailing out about $2 million in refunds and working to reverse the foreclosures."
Improperly foreclosed on 14 and overcharged on 1000s. Essentially cheating the very people we depend on to fight for the freedoms we all enjoy. Studies show that people are becoming more and more reluctant to serve in our military and with this horror, I can't blame them. Why aren't out institutions doing more to protect the people that protect us?
You are probably wondering how all of this ties into my general Blog theme. Sure the news is horrible, but how does it connect to being an Ass? Simple, oh devoted readers.
We, as a people, just don't get honked off to much anymore and if we do, it's usually about something personal. We read these horror stories (maybe if we can find time past reading the sports section and the comics) and think "what a shame." Most people won't give it more than a second thought. Some good people might wish these people well, but that's about it.
Like the title of this post says, Where is the outrage? Where are the angry mobs? There was a time that we as an American people would have risen up in righteous wrath (Hey I like that) if we had heard of crimes like this. American Revolution, Civil War (Sure the causes in that one were not the most noble, but boy did both sides rise up.), WWII after Pearl Harbor are all excellent examples of what we can do when we feel injustice is being done.
Sure they are the extremes and I am not recommending staging an armed revolt against the big banks (or am I? Hmm), but why aren't we doing more? Where is the public outcry? Where are the powerful lawyers who represent powerful celebrities on drugs at the drop of a hat? Where are the petitions and protests that we have so often seen in the past? Why are we as a people just sitting on our collective butts without giving a damn?
The great Douglas Adams, brilliant comedic author of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, one described a phenomena he called an S.E.P. or Someone Else's Problem. Coined as an answer to the impossibility of invisibility, SEP's were effects placed on things that made the object so improbable that people ignored it because it was "someone else's problem." With this effect you could put a bull elephant in the mens toilet at Grand Central Station, slap an SEP on it and no one would notice because, well an elephant there is impossible and if it is there it is...
The whole world, not just the USA, is suffering under massive amounts of SEPs. We read horror stories in the paper and online, but it kind of rolls off us because it is "their" problem, not our "problem" Sure the crimes being committed against other Americans like Sgt. Hurley are horrible, but it is a problem to be solved by someone else.
Well, I have news for the millions of people out there walking blithely past the elephant. Everyone is "the other people" to someone. The day may come (given today's economy and crooked government probably sooner than later) when you are suddenly the one being screwed over. When that day comes (When not if), unless we change on a fundamental level as a people, you will suddenly become an SEP.
One reader noticed that I quote and mention my father a lot and I do. Johnny Rayford McLeod never finished school beyond the 6th grade. He never went to college or received any specialized training. Besides serving in the Pacific during WWI, he probably never traveled more than 300 miles way from our home town in his entire life, but he was also one of the wisest men I ever knew. We didn't always agree on everything, but I can promise you that my father and the men of his generation would have read that article about Sgt. Hurley and have mustered up for battle. All of these big banks would have found themselves surrounded by a whole bunch of angry Rednecks demanding something be done.
Like I said earlier, I am not recommending armed attacks or destructive mobs. Just take a moment and read the article. Pass it on to others and bring it to their attention. Write your Congressman or Senator whether you live in Sgt. Hurley's state or not. Hells, write the president. One letter, one petition might get ignored, but I promise you that if millions of people start writing, whinging and complaining out loud about these travesties of justice, someone will take notice.
Right or wrong and whether you agree with the attitudes or not, the recent elections prove that when enough Americans get angry about something than things change. I personally find much of the Tea Party Rhetoric unrealistic and mildly annoying, but this powerful grass roots movement is forcing some fundamental changes in our government. (We have Republicans honestly trying to cut the budget and talking about cutting Military spending. My God look for six other signs.)
Fire up some of that anger, that outrage against the crimes being committed against all of us. Don't just meekly sit there and assume someone else will fix the problem. It won't be easy, but in the words of my Father, "Bobby, if doing the right thing was easy, everyone would do it." These people fight for us everyday. Isn't it time we fight for them? God Bless America!
For those of you who are interested, the actual article I am talking about is here. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/business/27foreclose.htm
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Say what you mean, mean what you say...
Well, yesterday I published my first blog hoping it would spark people to think and provoke meaningful conversation. Well it sparked one person to think and definitely provoked some conversation. Whether it is actually meaningful is up for debate. Never got hate “mail” before so it is a new experience for me.
This person, who choose remain anonymous, informed me that my attitude was rude and disrespectful towards others. He/she even went on to imply that it is beliefs like mine that cause people to go on killing sprees. Apparently dissatisfaction with service and complaining about it can be very unhealthy for other peoples' health.
Even though I tend to ignore stupidity since that only encourages it, I feel the need to answer to this one person just on the off chance that other people are misunderstanding what I mean. So here we go. Everyone ready because this might get a little bumpy.
Let's address the “rude” accusation first. My father, God rest his soul, was old school when it came to manners. He held doors open for ladies and he always tipped his hat to them. He taught all of us kids from day one to always be polite even when others aren't. I can never remember my father raising his voice to anyone more than 10 times in my entire life. (Heck probably half of those times were aimed at me.) My father pounded into us that manners matter.
Most of that stuck with me. I greet people when I pass them on the street. I shake hands and meet a person's eyes when I see them. I try to hold doors open for the ladies, but hey you guys are getting a lot faster than me and usually get there before me. In other words, I try and do like my father taught me all those years ago. I don't always succeed but I do try.
Demanding good service and complaining when the service is bad isn't about being rude. It is about getting what you deserve. It is about holding the people who provide our services accountable for the mistakes they made. It is about getting back in the truck and driving back to Wendy's when they put onions and pickles on your burger and not simply scraping it off. Unless the service people are being complete and utter jerks about it, this should always be done with civility. 9 times out of 10, the mistake was an honest one and is easily fixed.
Besides being bad manners, Rudeness and Anger are, more often than not, counter productive in this situations. You start yelling and screaming at the Manager/Server and they start getting defensive. They start justifying to themselves that what has happened isn't their fault and is in fact your fault. Any creature will fight when backed into a corner. However, when you approach even the most timid and frightened animal calmly while speaking reassuringly they will react well.
The S.I.O.T.B.A.A. Movement isn't about being rude or belligerent even though the situation may call for it occasionally. Remember that the world is a dangerous and violent place that could use all the politeness it can get.
Which neatly segues us into the second of Anonymous' complaints. He/she claims that complaining when things are bad and trying to fix them is what leads people to pick up guns and go on killing sprees. In this person's odd little world (Wonder what color the sky is), standing up for your rights leads to everything from fist fights to road rage. Anon feels that if we all just keep quiet and not get noticed, the world will be a better place.
This person, who choose remain anonymous, informed me that my attitude was rude and disrespectful towards others. He/she even went on to imply that it is beliefs like mine that cause people to go on killing sprees. Apparently dissatisfaction with service and complaining about it can be very unhealthy for other peoples' health.
Even though I tend to ignore stupidity since that only encourages it, I feel the need to answer to this one person just on the off chance that other people are misunderstanding what I mean. So here we go. Everyone ready because this might get a little bumpy.
Let's address the “rude” accusation first. My father, God rest his soul, was old school when it came to manners. He held doors open for ladies and he always tipped his hat to them. He taught all of us kids from day one to always be polite even when others aren't. I can never remember my father raising his voice to anyone more than 10 times in my entire life. (Heck probably half of those times were aimed at me.) My father pounded into us that manners matter.
Most of that stuck with me. I greet people when I pass them on the street. I shake hands and meet a person's eyes when I see them. I try to hold doors open for the ladies, but hey you guys are getting a lot faster than me and usually get there before me. In other words, I try and do like my father taught me all those years ago. I don't always succeed but I do try.
Demanding good service and complaining when the service is bad isn't about being rude. It is about getting what you deserve. It is about holding the people who provide our services accountable for the mistakes they made. It is about getting back in the truck and driving back to Wendy's when they put onions and pickles on your burger and not simply scraping it off. Unless the service people are being complete and utter jerks about it, this should always be done with civility. 9 times out of 10, the mistake was an honest one and is easily fixed.
Besides being bad manners, Rudeness and Anger are, more often than not, counter productive in this situations. You start yelling and screaming at the Manager/Server and they start getting defensive. They start justifying to themselves that what has happened isn't their fault and is in fact your fault. Any creature will fight when backed into a corner. However, when you approach even the most timid and frightened animal calmly while speaking reassuringly they will react well.
The S.I.O.T.B.A.A. Movement isn't about being rude or belligerent even though the situation may call for it occasionally. Remember that the world is a dangerous and violent place that could use all the politeness it can get.
Which neatly segues us into the second of Anonymous' complaints. He/she claims that complaining when things are bad and trying to fix them is what leads people to pick up guns and go on killing sprees. In this person's odd little world (Wonder what color the sky is), standing up for your rights leads to everything from fist fights to road rage. Anon feels that if we all just keep quiet and not get noticed, the world will be a better place.
I can sum up that attitude with just a few words. HORSE HOCKEY! (FYI Hockey was my dear Grandmother's word for poo. She firmly believed in cursing, she just didn't believe in using actual curse words.) The human race is one of the most belligerent, arguementative creatures on the face of the planet. History has shown time and time again that we do not play well with others. We distrust strangers, dislike non-strangers and are just generally hard to get along with.
Ever since the advent of Political Correctness (Which I am so against.), we have slapped on this veneer of civilization where we accept that other people are kind of weird, but that is okay. We have suppressed our feelings of antagonism and distrust. Well, that doesn't really work out to well. We hide our feelings way down deep inside until we can't take it any more then we go berserk.
During my freshman and Sophomore year at good old Goshen High School, we had a rifle club that met three days a week. Most of us had gun racks in our vehicles where the rifle stayed during classes and some of us carried the rifle to school in a case which sat in the principals office until after classes. Most of these guns were very high power and we carried copious amounts of ammunition, but not once did any one of us take the gun and unload into a group of students.
I will be the first to admit that driving has gotten much more dangerous with the advent of texting/calling while driving, but I can assure you that there were a lot of people just as bad when I was a teenager on the road. People still cut each other off, stole parking places and were just down right rude. I haven't made an extensive study, but I am betting that you could look at that time and find very few if any cases of road rage.
So if all of this is true, what has changed? Why does a man wait all day outside of his garage and then shoot someone because the neighbor's car occasionally blocks his way out? Why do kids take their parent's gun to school and suddenly kill people?
I don't have all the answers. Heck, I might not have any of them since all of this babble is just my opinion, but I do have some ideas. As the world races to the point where there will be too many people and too little resources, we are being forced into closer and closer proximity to each other. There are no more places to escape to and we are starting to realize that we are trapped with each other on this tiny planet. Anger, prejudice and distrust can't be avoided.
Because we are taught almost from birth to suppress our fears and distrust of others, these feelings simmer under the surface for years until something sets them off. When that bomb goes off inside of us, we react the same way we have reacted since humanity first came into being. We strike out, violently and angrily at the thing that frightens us. It is not until later, once the rage has past, that we fully realize what we have done. By then, it is too late.
We are a violent people with a history filled with blood. We have spent more time at war than at peace. This idea that we have to force our feelings down and hide them away just makes it worse. Be polite if you can. Respect other peoples' rights always, even if they offend you. Do everything you can to make the world a better place, but if something honks you off tell someone. If the waiter at your favorite restaurant gets your order wrong, let someone know. Heck if someone cuts you off in traffic while simultaneously talking on their cell while trying to type in the laptop on the seat beside them, honk your horn. Better yet, call 911 and report them. A $200.00 ticket is sure to ruin their day.
But while you are doing all of this, try to remember that the waiter might have a sick kid at home and he is distracted. The person who messed up your dry cleaning might have a really horrible cold and just simply isn't all there. The person driving might...Nah, I'll leave that one alone. Complain and try to make things right. Remind people that they need to do their job, but always try to do it with all the grace and civility you can manage. After all, we all have to live with each other.
Ever since the advent of Political Correctness (Which I am so against.), we have slapped on this veneer of civilization where we accept that other people are kind of weird, but that is okay. We have suppressed our feelings of antagonism and distrust. Well, that doesn't really work out to well. We hide our feelings way down deep inside until we can't take it any more then we go berserk.
During my freshman and Sophomore year at good old Goshen High School, we had a rifle club that met three days a week. Most of us had gun racks in our vehicles where the rifle stayed during classes and some of us carried the rifle to school in a case which sat in the principals office until after classes. Most of these guns were very high power and we carried copious amounts of ammunition, but not once did any one of us take the gun and unload into a group of students.
I will be the first to admit that driving has gotten much more dangerous with the advent of texting/calling while driving, but I can assure you that there were a lot of people just as bad when I was a teenager on the road. People still cut each other off, stole parking places and were just down right rude. I haven't made an extensive study, but I am betting that you could look at that time and find very few if any cases of road rage.
So if all of this is true, what has changed? Why does a man wait all day outside of his garage and then shoot someone because the neighbor's car occasionally blocks his way out? Why do kids take their parent's gun to school and suddenly kill people?
I don't have all the answers. Heck, I might not have any of them since all of this babble is just my opinion, but I do have some ideas. As the world races to the point where there will be too many people and too little resources, we are being forced into closer and closer proximity to each other. There are no more places to escape to and we are starting to realize that we are trapped with each other on this tiny planet. Anger, prejudice and distrust can't be avoided.
Because we are taught almost from birth to suppress our fears and distrust of others, these feelings simmer under the surface for years until something sets them off. When that bomb goes off inside of us, we react the same way we have reacted since humanity first came into being. We strike out, violently and angrily at the thing that frightens us. It is not until later, once the rage has past, that we fully realize what we have done. By then, it is too late.
We are a violent people with a history filled with blood. We have spent more time at war than at peace. This idea that we have to force our feelings down and hide them away just makes it worse. Be polite if you can. Respect other peoples' rights always, even if they offend you. Do everything you can to make the world a better place, but if something honks you off tell someone. If the waiter at your favorite restaurant gets your order wrong, let someone know. Heck if someone cuts you off in traffic while simultaneously talking on their cell while trying to type in the laptop on the seat beside them, honk your horn. Better yet, call 911 and report them. A $200.00 ticket is sure to ruin their day.
But while you are doing all of this, try to remember that the waiter might have a sick kid at home and he is distracted. The person who messed up your dry cleaning might have a really horrible cold and just simply isn't all there. The person driving might...Nah, I'll leave that one alone. Complain and try to make things right. Remind people that they need to do their job, but always try to do it with all the grace and civility you can manage. After all, we all have to live with each other.
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