Sunday Reflection

A quote to ponder on this Sunday morning:

If evil be spoken of you and it be true, correct yourself, if it be a lie, laugh at it.---Epictetus

We are not what other people say we are. We are who, we say we are.

We determine this not only by what we say, but how we act. If our actions meet the criteria for high moral principles, we are not bound by other people's faulty perceptions.

But....if we are getting feedback that can be verified as true by more than one reputable and validating source, it is up to us to make corrections that will ensure we are living up to the highest principles that we have set for ourselves.

It is not a sin to be wrong. It is a sin to choose to remain wrong, long after it has been proven to be so.

Sunday Reflection

This is not a post to toot my own horn or pat myself on the back. And I am not seeking anyone to do that in the comment section either. So please bear with me a moment, while I develop this line of thought.

The purpose of this post is to make a point about charity.

I know that I have no need to point out to my acutely intelligent readers that charity is not just money given to worthwhile causes or organizations. It is that.... but it is also the giving of oneself to help others. Time counts in that equation as well as the very acts of kindness that do not necessarily involve the transfers of funds.

Recently, I took a new job within the same corporate system. Now, I am again working alongside a lady that I once worked with in the same system for years. She is one reason I chose to work in this new area and is probably a big reason why I got the job to begin with. She knew what my work ethic was back in the past and she also knew that I know what I am doing. But i know know that it was probably a little more than this.

When I started in the new role, she was introducing me around to the people that I did not already know and she told a story that I had forgotten about.

Many years ago when this lady had shoulder surgery, she wasn't able to cook for herself, while she was Vicodined out and with her arm in a sling. So, I made some of my famous Italian Beef and along with Mrs. Sunsett, we took it over to her with all of the trimmings that go with it. It was no real trouble at all. But I honestly had forgotten about it until she reminded me.

So here's the point I want to make. My parents instilled a code of ethics within me that I have internalized deeply enough for it to manifest itself, without much thought being put into it. That is to say, I just instinctively help people who need it.....if it is within my power to do so

Through this instance and others, it tells me something that rings clear.

When we help people for the right reasons, others will remember it. And someday down the road, we will need help and those who we have helped will find about it and will rise to the occasion much like we did, when we had the opportunity.

Doing the right things for the right reasons means we do not need to keep score. Someone else is doing that and we just need to keep playing like we are behind. In the end, our rewards will come to us without having to call them in like political favors.

Sunday Reflection

Nothing is as strong as gentleness; Nothing is so gentle as true strength. - Saint Francis de Sales

Beating one's chest is not a sign of true strength.

Quietly maintaining the highest standards (while withstanding every adversity that is brought upon us) is.

Sunday Reflection

For an outstanding post co-written by PYY friends Mustang and Leslie, go over to Blunt Politics. It's lot of stuff to reflect on and digest.

And I am sure she won't mind if you leave a comment, under my lengthy filibuster.

Sunday Reflection: Wisdom And Power

Solomon said that "in much wisdom comes much grief and he that increases knowledge, increases sorrow". I don't know about you, but it makes perfect sense to me. The more we all know and understand, the more we have to worry about. There is another old saying that says, "ignorance is bliss". The less we know, the less we have to concern us. But that isn't rooted in anything as sound as a Solomonic piece of writing.

The same Solomon also said, "Happy is the man that finds wisdom, and the man that gets understanding". And while this sounds like a contradiction of sorts, there is a clear message being communicated in all of this: All things come at a cost.

Today, we see a world in which there are few considerations as to what costs may be incurred, when something is desired and sought after. Someone wants something because it sounds good or it is stylish, and yet they have not taken into account the amount of sacrifice or the very responsibilities that may come with the thing they truly desire.

Power is one of those things. Many seek it, but few know how to manage it once it is acquired.

Power is the ultimate lust. It is intoxicating and can cloud an otherwise wise man's ability to perform in a moral and ethical manner. Even Solomon succumbed to his power as king over Israel and died in quite an unhappy state. As a result of this deceptive seduction, I have always had a proverb of my own - similar to the first Solomon quote in this post: With much power comes much responsibility.

Too bad the people that inhabit Washington cannot grasp this simple concept. Too bad they won't even try. Because if they did, they would behave in a manner that would be better suited to serve the people they represent rather than rule and reign over them, like lords in the days of feudalism.

If they could reach this level of understanding, think of the things we could accomplish in our nation and our communities. Think of the problems we could all solve. But, I am afraid their senses of duty and moral obligation (if they ever existed at all) have left them - once they realized they could implement their will on the people who sent them there, unabated.

Sunday Reflection

I am not sure who to credit for this little quote, no one seems to be taking credit for it on the internet. So if anyone knows, feel free to help me out here.

It's one that I think speaks volumes about seeing events as adverse on the surface, but in reality being necessary for the maintenance of life. There are many such things we can list, but there is one that can serve as a great analogy for all of the others:

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain. -- Unknown

We need water to sustain out physical lives, our bodies are about 90% water. Rain brings us the water of life.

So the next time the rain spoils your fishing trip to the lake, just remember something. Without the rain, there would be no lake. Without the rain, there would be nothing but a vast desert expanse, incapable of sustaining the kinds of life we need to survive.

The next time a storm in life comes our way, remember that it brings us a vital resource we cannot live without. So if nothing else, let us all dance in our hearts and be glad.

Sunday Reflection - Vision

Helen Keller, a woman who had neither sight nor hearing is credited as saying, "The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision."

How many of us have sight? Well if we are on the computer, it stands to reason we can see. But that doesn't mean we necessarily have a vision.

Vision does not require functioning eyes, but it does require a mind with an intellect that is capable of producing a dream, an imagination, and a reasonably attainable goal. Looking back at the many visions that have come to fruition over the many years, I have to wonder how many of them truly started with pure luck?

Some, maybe. But I would have to say that the vast majority of them were born of a vision created in the mind of a person who dared to set a goal, came up with a plan, and implemented it through skill, perseverance, and hard work.

Helen Keller had to have some vision or else how could she have any real knowledge or understanding. While I cannot connect with her in most of her political leanings, we can come to appreciate how hard she must have worked to break out of her isolation that was imposed upon her, through no fault of her own.

Others have been credited with defining vision. Jonathan Swift is quoted as saying, "Vision is the art of seeing the invisible." Maybe we can modify that just a bit to read: Vision is the art of seeing the unseen.

If it were not for my faith, I honestly believe I would be devoid of vision and understanding, about a great many things in this world. Without it, my vision would be altered, maybe even non-existent.

And what is faith? Many people have tried to define it over the many years. But I think Paul best defines it in Hebrews 11:1, saying:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

When we think about it, the definition is somewhat abstract. But at the same time it's still concrete. In some ways, it's tangible, but also intangible; confusing, but otherwise clear.

Maybe understanding faith is murky, but there are things we can understand about the need for vision. Solomon wrote clearly and concisely, in Proverbs 29: 18, the following:

Where there is no vision, the people perish.

We have heard the saying "the blind leading the blind". It is my belief that Solomon, being the wise man he was, had a deeper understanding of this concept than anyone else in his day. And although his personal life became a mess in his later years, he had ample wisdom to govern, as one of the fairest and most justice-oriented kings in the history of the world.

For us, we need not a kingdom to require or acquire a vision. All we need is an open heart and an open mind, then allow our intellects to work uninhibited. What we cannot formulate on our own, I believe God will make up the difference. Once we have it, we can see the way we should lead those who have been charged to our care. Families, those under us at work, all need guidance. We cannot guide if our vision is lacking or tainted.

Sunday Reflection - Vulnerability and Illusions

You will rarely find me spending much time discussing Carl Sagan. Astronomy, physics, and astrophysics were not my best subjects, so there's not much I can offer to the mix even if I wanted. But every now and then, someone like Sagan says something that rings true in any other science or discipline. The same can be said for life in general.

Here is one quote that is appropriate for this week's reflection, it comes from the chapter entitled The Fine Art of Baloney Detection in Sagan's book, called The Demon-Haunted World:

One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. The bamboozle has captured us. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.

Have you ever known a pathological liar? I mean a person that when the truth does them just as good, they will choose the lie, anyway? With no vested interest either way, they will simply seek and elect to lie no matter what the outcome may be. They do it so much that after many instances of telling it, they soon begin to believe it to be the truth.

The same holds true in reverse. That is to say, the more some people are lied to, the more they begin to believe the lie is really the truth. And even when confronted with solid proof it was a lie, they are not able to see the reality because the lie has become so deeply rooted into their psyche, it has become a part of their daily thought processes.

The more they are fooled into believing falsehoods, the easier it is to lead them astray and sway them with deceits. The "Bush lied, people died" group comes to mind immediately, when pondering this little quote. Add to this group, a new generation that has bought into the entire "hope and change" mantra. This garbage is still being fed to the people now that the election has been over, for seven months.

How easy is it for those of us who see through the rhetorical fallacies, to convince them that the current government isn't any better? Not very, and it may be doing more damage in a shorter amount of time than any other in history.

If you can see and understand this, you have a strong conceptual understanding of what Mr Sagan was saying in this quote. And it is likely that you are difficult to fool, because like me, you are skeptical at every turn. You see, I have been lied to on many occasions and have responded quite differently than the people I have described.

It doesn't mean that I believe no one, ever. This means that I do not count things I run across newly, as fact, until I verify them with others who know. This is true of every subject. There is a stark difference between that attitude and approach, and one of pure cynicism.

Sunday Reflection - Freedom Of Speech

From the White House Blog, we find some disturbing information. Speaking of changes being made to the process of restricting influence toward the Administration, here is one of the more critical points raised:

...we will expand the restriction on oral communications to cover all persons, not just federally registered lobbyists. For the first time, we will reach contacts not only by registered lobbyists but also by unregistered ones, as well as anyone else exerting influence on the process. We concluded this was necessary under the unique circumstances of the stimulus program.

Another disturbing bit of information can be found here. According to the report, a Tea Party organizer was visited by the FBI after being turned in by a Democratic U.S. Senator, as a possible domestic terrorist. (Hat Tip on this one: Carol)

Loved and revered by the Left, the Obama Administration and his supporters in the federal legislature are attempting to chisel small pieces of freedom away, unnoticed. These are the same people that cried out for dissent when they were the minority and Bush sat in the White House.

Let's take a walk back down memory lane and review what the current Secretary of State once said during the Bush Administration:

"I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you're not patriotic and we should stand up and say, we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration..."

Listen to it here for yourself:



She was right. Despite the fact her voice cuts right into my spinal cord, that statement resonated with truth back then. And it still does today.

Also loved and revered by the Left is Noam Chomsky, whom I disagree with about 85% of the time on most topics. But even a stopped clock is right twice a day, and so does a Leftist get it right occasionally. He is credited with this quote:

If we do not believe in freedom of speech for those we despise we do not believe in it at all.

The Left is forever quoting this man. Let's just see how often this quote gets used during the time this Administration and Democratic Congress are firmly in power.

Sunday Reflection

Proverbs 27:5,6 states:

5) Open rebuke is better than secret love. 6) Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Open rebuke, put together, these two words speak for themselves. In other words, there are times when something needs to be said to someone who is about to do something wrong, or about to make a big mistake of some kind. Just as there are times when a parent needs to say something to a child, some people need some correction in a matter.

Secret love is when a person says nothing because they believe it's not their place. They take the stand that it is none or their business and whatever happens, happens. They are not going to get involved. They may harbor thoughts that their friend is not doing the right thing, but they stay silent anyway.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend means that sometimes in the course of corrective action, there are some hurt feelings that could be interpreted as wounds. This scripture states that these kinds of wounds are faithful, because they are not malicious and they will in time heal. They are the kind of wounds that help save the other person from doing something which could cause great harm to him/herself, if left unchecked.

True friends will help their friends in these kinds of instances. They will say something because they do not want to see their friends suffer more greatly in the future, as a result of something that can be prevented now.

Enemies kiss deceitfully, because they care nothing for others. I have to question those who put their approval on something stupid, so as not to lose their friendship or because they secretly want to see a (so-called) friend screw up.

Saying something does not come without risk. It may come down to a loss of friendship. But we must ask ourselves, is that friendship worth a compromising of our principles?

Sunday Reflection - Egocentrism

In her first work called Adam Bede, Mary Anne Evans (George Eliot) told us of someone who was like a rooster, who thought the sun always rose in the morning to hear him crow. He did it without any consideration that the sun was there long before he was, and would be there long after he was gone.

This is known as egocentrism, something that is very often seen in children and even some adults who fail to mature in a timely manner. Many of those adults will eventually pass through this stage of development. Those who do not outgrow this trait tend to transition into narcissism and they will seldom develop any real respect for others.

Egocentrism is often comprised of arrogance and selfishness, but other components may include anger and a sense of inadequacy. In other words, someone may try to compensate for deficits by making every issue about them and what they want. But more than anything it is a lack of maturity.

I have noticed a sharp increase of people who fail to outgrow it. I think a lot of it may generational. Those of us who have raised children may very well be to blame for some of it, but certainly not all of it.

Specifically, I mean there are some of my generation who tried to keep our kids from learning about disappointment, from feeling pain. In some sense, we thought parenting had advanced far enough that we could manage negative feelings with intellectual explanations and controlling the children's environments. Like Dr. Spock, we thought all of this could be done without spanking and without raising our voices. We thought we could all be Ward Cleaver.

We got them through some of it. But as they grew, it became more apparent that many of the kids were not well-equipped to deal with adversity. To put it more plainly, they had no problem solving skills.

Some have had a hard time dealing with life and it's curves at first, but through perseverance and patience they came to realize that some things were bigger than Mom and Dad; they soon learned they would need to gain control of their own lives, before they could learn how to seek a lasting inner peace and some sense of happiness. Others still expect their parents to solve their problems and get angry when they cannot or will not.

The more I look back and the longer I think about it, I now see the error of my ways. Although I am far from a perfect human being without any reproach, I now see that my parents may have had it right in their approach to child-rearing. My dad would have gone to jail had he lived in this day and age of parenting, he was not a "spare the rod" kind of guy.

But all of this is hindsight. We are now faced with a generation of egocentric adults who lack sufficient coping and problem-solving skills to navigate this thing we call life. And even when they do humble themselves to ask parents what they should do in a specific instance or certain scenario, they are not prepared to follow through with the advice because they think the parents are archaic, which translates to stupid.

So it all comes down to one thing and one thing only: I say, let them figure it out for themselves. "The earlier the better" is the preferred method. My kids are pretty much grown now and when they tell me something (about anything), as if to solicit some kind of response, I say what I think. When they shoot it down, I simply say okay, do what you want. I cannot tell you how many times, it has come back to haunt them that they didn't. Oh well, silly them.

But beyond all of this, I think the real message of this post can be found back in the opening stages, where the rooster thought the world revolved around him. We are here but for a short time on this earth and I would hate to miss the world because I was so self-absorbed with myself that I could not experience what others had to offer. Even at my age, I still learn much from others.

The world was here before me and will exist long after I am gone. It rotates in front of and revolves around the sun, not me.

My favorite part of life is giving back to those who have given so much to me. If they have left this life and are not here, I pay it forward. If all I ever thought about was myself, I would be a lonely man devoid of any companionship or friendship.

As it stands now, I am now the patriarch of the family. This is the scary part. Because now that I am, the weight of being right is squarely on my shoulders. Should my family ever need to solicit advice and then promptly disregard it, I am here for them.

And they do solicit. It's just that sometimes, it involves a piece of paper with Jackson's portrait on it.

Sunday Reflection

To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right. --Confucius

The hierarchy of sociological needs always begins with ourselves. No collection of people can exist without individuals.

Families are at peace, when the individuals of that family are at peace with themselves. Communities are at peace, when families are at peace. Once the family breaks down, the community is not far behind. If communities break down, society breaks down.

We can analyze this all day long, the bottom line is: It all begins with the individual.

Sunday Reflection

Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. -- Plato

Politicians always come to mind when thinking about these age-old words from Aristotle's mentor. If you have ever watched a hearing of a House or Senate committee, you likely have noted the bombastic statements that are presented as questions. It's because these people love to hear themselves talk, despite the fact they have little to say. And what they do have to say, usually has already been said.

But if you have ever been in the company of true wise men or women, you will note that very few will speak unless it is pertinent to the topic and they have some insight, which may have not yet been revealed in the course of the conversation. True wisdom manifests itself quietly, but surely.

Sunday Reflection

Some quotes and then commentary for this Sunday:


When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons. We cease to grow. - Anais Nin

So many people are looking for truth, but very few of them know how to recognize it. Everyone claims to have it, from the salesman on the car lot to the preacher in the church down the street. It would take a book to teach someone how to recognize the truth, when you hear it. But let's suffice it to say, within each of us lies the ability to seek out and research the truth for ourselves.

Truth does not always make us feel good. Note the the old saying, "the truth hurts". Many times it hurts deeply, so much that there are those people that desperately want to avoid or ignore the truth, so they can avoid the hurt that comes with it.

But the truth is the truth, whether one wants to avoid it or not. No system has all of the truth and no person should believe that it does. Those that blindly follow that which makes them feel good, may be high risk for cult membership. Religious cults, political cults, and others are hoping that a mind will not question, will not think for itself.



It may well be that our means are fairly limited and our possibilities restricted when it comes to applying pressure on our government. But is this a reason to do nothing? Despair is not an answer. Neither is resignation. Resignation only leads to indifference, which is not merely a sin but a punishment. - Elie Wiesel

Fear paralyzes us, when we allow it to reach a certain level. I believe that knowledge and understanding does much to paralyze fear. If we understand something, it is far less likely we will be afraid of it. That is not to say it will not create anxiety or apprehension, but it will not be as likely for us to succumb to the tendency to fall into a state of inaction, because we fear the possible outcomes.

Fear is not always terrifying. It could be a more subtle form as described by Mr. Wiesel in this quote. Many may think: I fear that my voice will not make a difference, therefore I will throw up my hands in resignation and cry "what's the use?"

Many people fear that they will be wasting their time, if they write their Congressman, if they take a chance on a business, or some other such thing. But how does one ever really know, unless one tries? How can we really know what our true potential is, except we make an effort to see it?

Resigning one's self to a state of apathy, also causes a cessation in growth and makes us susceptible for grievous wolves who like to come in, and make us dependent upon them. Any ideology or dogma that facilitates laziness and dependence will also bleed the conquering spirit from anyone who allows them to do so. The more apathetic and less driven the individual, the better chance of becoming an automaton, as described in our first quote.




Addendum:

Check out Mustang's Sunday Reflection for some added value.

Sunday Reflection: The Value Of Health

My mother always used to say to me as a child, "if you have your health, you have everything". Of course most children are concrete thinkers and are not able to properly analyze abstract statements very well. So, I would file the thought away and go out to play. Life was good.

As I have aged, the reality of my mother's statement has become better known to me.

Other than some minor issues here and there, my health has been great. But this past January, I had a brief moment of chest pain at work. It went away rather fast, but my co-workers ganged up on me and made me go to the ER for an evaluation. I didn't want to, but they were relentless; so just to shut them up, I went.

Labs were drawn and sent, an EKG was taken, it all went so fast. To make a long story short, the cardiac enzymes were stable and the subsequent stress echo was negative. But some of the other labs were not normal. And after several more follow-up lab tests were performed, I was told I have a chronic illness that will never go away. That, within itself, was enough to depress a comedian. Other than the brief episode that landed me in the ER, I didn't feel sick. And I still don't.

If that wasn't enough, at the time I was being worked up for the illness, a second potentially dangerous problem was discovered. It's not serious at this time and I do not expect it to be any time soon. But who can say for how long? We can only control so much of our destiny.

So here I sit today, finally able to assign the proper value to health. Health is something that we cannot take for granted, because in one instant our status can be changed. But do not fear, I plan on being here for a very long time. I am doing everything the doctors are telling me to do. That which I can control, I am. That which I cannot control is out of my hands.

One of PYY's good friends, Amerloque, understands this of which I write. If you have not had a chance to read his story, you can read it here.

So, the reflection this Sunday is simple. If you have not been to the doctor in awhile, I say it is a good thing. If you have not had a physical in awhile, maybe you should get one. Both of my issues were diagnosed incidentally and likely would not have been discovered early enough, had my co-workers not been more presistent and stubborn than me. As Barney Fife used to say: Nip it, nip it in the bud.

Sunday Reflection: Will and Determination

The Left believes that the state assures social and economic mobility, in which they define as an egalitarian society. Since the state is the "so-called" guarantor of egalitarianism, justice eludes any other socio-economic model. They insist that without the help of the government, people just cannot make it in this country and many are forever doomed to a life of poverty and despair.

If you didn't get the opportunity to see ABC's 20/20 Friday evening, here is where you can watch a report that debunks this myth, advanced by those on the Left. I found the entire show noteworthy for many reasons, the one I would like to highlight can be found in Part Six, entitled America: Still The Land Of Opportunity. If you want to read about it, you can read Stossel's blog entry, which also includes a video witht some startling information.

Briefly, the part I want to point out is the profile of two books and the two stories behind the books. This is something liberals will not be able to refute, but they'll try anyway. It discusses the myth of the middle class erosion.

From Stossel's blog entry:

Social commentator and best-selling author Barbara Ehrenreich agrees. "It used to be that you could expect to get a job after college, rise in that job, maybe switch jobs at some point and then retire with a generous pension," she said. "Now, it's a very bumpy road with many gaps in between."

In her book "Nickel and Dimed," Ehrenreich went undercover to work as a nursing home aide, a Wal-Mart associate and took on other low-wage jobs to see if she could make ends meet.

She said she struggled to pay her bills and live comfortably. If you are poor, she said, and you want to move up the income ladder, in her experience, America doesn't "offer as much upward mobility as we think it does. That's a myth."

But is she right? Can only the rich make it in America? Not everyone agrees.

"I wanted to discover for myself if the 'American Dream' is still alive," said Adam Shepard, author of "Scratch Beginnings," a book he wrote after reading Ehrenreich's book in college.

Shepard, now 26, picked a city out of a hat -- Charleston, S.C. He went there with $25 in his pocket. How far could he get if he didn't tell anyone about his college degree?

"I arrived, and right away I figured I needed to get into a homeless shelter," Shepard said.

He lived in a shelter for two months. Then he got a job with a moving company, making $8 an hour. Soon he'd saved enough to buy a used truck. And within a few months he had an apartment. After one year, he had $5,500 and a car. How?

"I was able to do it because I made sacrifices," Shepard said.

Despite Ehrenreich's claim that income mobility is a myth, Shepard succeeded from humble beginnings.

There's more the learn from this particular segment. America: Still A Land Of Opportunity is worth your time because it demonstrates that anyone with a dream, properly motivated, and refuses to quit, can achieve success with little or no government assistance. I have a friend who is fond of saying that life provides two choices: chicken salad, or chicken crap. The video shows how a young person was able to demonstrate how flawed an older woman’s thinking is; it was very inspirational.

Much of human behavior is learned. People who are conditioned to believe they cannot succeed outside of extraordinary circumstances, generally will not succeed. It is a cruel joke played on young people by their parents, by our socialist education system, and often, by the people with whom we choose to associate. Evidently, this young man in the video went against that grain and resisted the lure to underachieve, because the mainstream educational experts said he would.

In all of this, let's not fail to consider the amazing transformation among people who complete military training. They become positive thinkers, planners, and develop amazing self-confidence. They, more than any other segment of our society, understand that we cannot help the circumstances of our birth. But we have much to say about what we actually accomplish in our lives.

Go ahead . . . watch this. And unless you are one of those people who love to be miserable, you’ll be encouraged at what you see. I recommend watching the entire report. But if time is limited, make sure you watch the entire Part Six. I think you'll be very surprised at what you see.

Sunday Reflection: Leadership

From the" look at who has the audacity" department, comes this little essay by, one, John F. Kerry.

Last week, when American taxpayers learned that a bank receiving Troubled Asset Relief Program funds had thrown a lavish bash and spared no expense to celebrate with the bands Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire, I introduced legislation based on a simple concept: if a company accepts bailout funds from the taxpayer, it can’t waste money on lavish parties, expensive dinners and Tiffany trinkets.

The reaction in some quarters suggests that I had attempted -- like a modern-day Dean Wormer in “Animal House” -- to ban fun of any kind, or that the wheels of commerce and marketing would grind to a halt.

He has a point, I cannot argue with him on this. He is spot-on, dead right.

But when we consider how Congress treats themselves to lavish parties and retreats, his words don't take on nearly as much weight, In fact, it pretty much negates everything he has said.

I often wonder something. What ever happened to leading by example, not asking others to do what you cannot or are not willing to do yourself? I have been in leadership positions at various times of my career, sometimes a bit reluctantly. But the thing that always stands out in mind about how to be a good leader is a song.

In Basic Training, we had several marching songs. Many are not fit to print at a family blog. The one that applies most in this case is the one that has this line:

Trainee trainee don't be blue,
Your Drill Sergeant was a trainee too.

Everyone of those men that were screaming at us for every last little thing, went through the very same thing when they started out their careers. Every last one, there were NO exceptions. So, it can be truthfully said that they had us do nothing that they had not done, or would not be willing to do, if it needed to be done.

Today, we cannot honestly say there is any evidence that this is the case, in the highest levels of our government or in some cases, even below. Haven't we had enough, yet? If so, when are we going to act? When will hold these crooks, these hypocrites accountable? I'd like to see them back in the private sector, wouldn't you?

Sunday Reflection: A Call For Political Introspection

Dr. James Dobson is resigning from the organization, Focus On The Family. He is the organization, always has been. He has been a lightening rod for secular progressives, but a standard bearer to those who buy his books, listen to him speak, and spiritually follow his ministry.

The overall mission of this group has been modified and altered through the years. Whereby it may have started out as a sincere Christian Fellowship to teach families about family issues, like any other large entity that gains a large enough following, it has branched out. It has expanded its sphere of influence into the political world, and has become a sizable force within conservative political circles.

In the early stages of 2008 presidential campaign, Dobson began to communicate his views on a certain candidate. He even threatened the Republican Party with staying home on election day, if this candidate was nominated. The only reason given for this withholding of support was the man's religion. He is a Mormon.

Mormons are not considered "mainstream" by fundamentalist evangelicals, despite the family values they seek to apply to their daily lives. They are still considered a heretical religion, with many preaching the likes of them into hellfire and damnation every Sunday. Many see the fringe polygamists as what Mormonism represents, and they unfairly assign that set of values to the bulk of Mormons everywhere. So with all of this negative input, it only stands to reason that many fundamentalists are never going to support a candidate like Mitt Romney.

I had problems with him at first, but not because he was a Mormon. My reservations were on the foreign policy front, whether or not he had the experience on the international level to deal with the threats we face. I really believed that he would have made a better running mate for McCain than Palin. As a VP he could have learned more about international issues, while being the chief architect of getting the economy back into swing, the right way. And looking backward, had he been nominated for President, he certainly would have been a much better candidate than McCain. He would have been a better President than Obama.

Because Dr. Dobson carries a lot of influence in a large sector of conservatives, Mitt pulled out for lack of support, McCain did not consider Mitt as a running mate for fear that he would have lost the Christian Right support, and now we have Barack Obama screwing up the country so badly, we may not recognize it in four years. Wonderful, isn't it?

So, while many of my readers may be sorry to see Dobson step down, I am actually happy to see him go. And while I am not trying to point fingers toward my evangelical friends, I would hope that during the next four years (while watching Obama wreck this nation worse than you could ever imagine), you think about what I am saying here. Not every conservative is going to belong to a church you deem to be mainstream enough and for a leader to picked on the basis of whether or not he/she is "Christian" enough is absolutely ludicrous, as we can now see.

I am not a Mormon, never will be. I, too, have some issues with the Mormon doctrine. But many of them live better lives than me, many of them are probably in closer favor to God than I am, and I am not going to sit in judgment of them. Certainly many of them are better suited to serve in elected office than me.

When I vote, I am not looking for a pastor. I am looking for a President that will not spend this country into oblivion and open this country to a new influx of people that will seek to destroy it. I want someone that will protect my freedom, not curb it because I do not jive with mainstream thought processes.

Dobson and his followers did a good job of alienating people solely based on their personal views of theology. They flexed their political muscles, despite the fact that Christ spoke of the separation of church and state. Now, instead of Willard Mitt Romney, we have Barack Hussein Obama. And while there is no guarantee Romney would have won had be been the nominee (or on the ticket), he would have debated Obama better, ran a better campaign, and would have articulated better economic solutions on the campaign trail. He would have been a hundred times better, than this clown we have now.

So my friends, you can shout from the housetops or mutter under your breaths how I am going to hell, if that makes you feel good. I am at peace with myself and God, right now. While I am far from perfect (as Mustang will readily tell you at the drop of a hat), I must suffer under the leadership of this wretched bunch in power now (like all of us). But even at this, I am at peace knowing that I didn't cut my nose off to spite my face in this last election.



UPDATE:

Romney Wins Straw Poll.

Sunday Reflection: Thanks For A Hero

We know that race-baiting is such big business these days. How else would guys like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson become so rich?

Anywhere there is a perceived injustice, you will find them there, getting their names in the paper and faces on TV. To hear them on a regular basis, one would think that there is no justice, no kindness, no compassion, or no understanding between black people and white people. They portray an image of everything being unfair, unequal, and bigoted, with whites having all of the advantages.

So with this in mind, it should come as no surprise that neither Al, nor Jesse, were anywhere close to what happened in Boston this past week. Why not? Because something good, something positive happened there, and they have no time to encourage anything that remotely sounds like a message of true hope.

Here is a real story of heroism and bravery that did not make the national media, at least I didn't hear it. I had to stumble upon it by accident.

In 1968, a white firefighter saved a black baby girl, touching the heart of a divided city. The two did not meet again. Until yesterday.

This is a great story. I recommend reading it in its entirety.

Sunday Reflection: The Pleasing Of The Eye

When I was a mere private in the U.S. Army (once upon a time long ago), 50% of our inspections were based on "eye wash".

Sarge didn't always have time to dig everyday, because the training schedule was often too loaded for him to spend too much time on one thing. The time spent in the morning doing PT, taking showers, eating chow, and squaring the areas away before work formation went fast and other things needed to be done, in order to properly to get ready for the day ahead.

He understood that looks are only important, in that, it gives an initial positive first impression. He knew that underneath it all, there were minds that needed knowledge and job skills that needed more improvement. But every now and then, when Sarge was aware of a possible hold-up for some reason or another, he'd take a little more time to dig. The deeper he'd search, the more flaws he'd find. The deeper one must search to find flaws gives a strong indication of how thorough of a job has been done.

Once, in one of my units not long after I had arrived, we had a new First Sergeant who wanted to hold an inspection of the barracks. It was billed as a room inspection, which meant it was to be closed locker. Lockers were to be secured and the troops were to be waiting in their rooms by their bunks. My stuff was thrown in the locker, in an effort to keep clutter out the sight of his eye. The locker was secured, the room was clean, and the bunk was tight.

When he arrived to my area, he ordered me to open my locker and the mess was plainly visible to anyone that was in the room. He left my area unhappy, and later the entire unit was informed that we would be reinspected that evening. (As it turned out, I was not the only one that had their locker in gross disarray. Remember, the entire unit had been informed this was to be a "closed" locker inspection.)

This particular first sergeant was soon to become known as First Sergeant HB (House Beautiful). His concentration on the barracks being as clean as a surgery suite was a good thing for when the Annual General Inspection (AGI) came around. No one in the entire battalion had better looking billets, than we did. And it was noted as such, by the inspection team.

However, this is not the only job an AGI team has when they visit. There are many other areas which must be examined to determine how ready a unit is, should they find themselves in combat. The serviceability of unit equipment, the preciseness of military paperwork which ensures accountability of the equipment, and a soldier's knowledge of their job and basic military affairs are just as, if not more important, than having eyewash in the barracks.

But because this First Sergeant was fixated on eyewash, this particular unit ended up failing the overall inspection. In his mind, the superficial far outweighed the underneath. By focusing on cleanliness almost exclusively, he was not properly prioritizing. He thought the pleasing of the eye (and not the soundness of the heart) was what determined how many people will end up alive, if the balloon ever went up

What am I getting at here? Let me first throw one more analogy out, before I come to the main point of this post.

A few months back when i visited my friend Mustang, we were chatting and half glancing at TV. I don't remember the movie's title, but it was based on something written by Evelyn Waugh. We didn't watch the entire film, but there was one scene that stood out and made an impression on me.

Dan Ackroyd's character was that of a powerful man who had something one of the younger characters wanted (a job, maybe?). As the young man sat in front of an ornate desk in a large office, Ackroyd's character read him some portions of the riot act, but this particular part stood out. He asked the young man what kind of insect he wanted to be. Did he want to be a butterfly, something very majestic, beautiful to look at, but produced nothing? Or did he want to be a bee, not very sightly, but hard working and very productive?

As I think back to that movie scene and that First Sergeant's desire to be the butterfly, it causes me realize that looks are superficial and not always an indication of how squared away an individual actually is, on the inside. Please understand that I am not saying appearances and cleanliness are not important, but some of the most intelligent people I have ever met in this world did not look like they were. They were not formally educated and many times worked with their hands. Their fulfillment came when they produced something of value, something they would not have been ashamed to sign their name to.

Ackroyd's character may have seen through the young man and made a determination that he only wanted a job, for status purposes. Looking and acting important seems to be fashionable, in the younger generation today. But I wonder, what will happen someday when the worker bees with stringent work ethics retire or pass away, leaving the world to these youthful butterflies?

So today in your reflections, ask yourself some things. Are you a butterfly or a bee? Do you want a car that looks good, or runs well? Do you value appearances or depth of spirit? The eyes are but one of the senses, there are four others to consider.