interrobang

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial

2011-10-09T16:00:00.000-05:00

While in Washington DC a few days ago, I visited the new Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. It's a new memorial, just south of National Mall, in a direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials.

First I spent some time at the Lincoln National Memorial. So impressive and solemn, but also linked with the legacy of Dr. King. I contemplated that famous day in 1963, the bravery, compassion and eloquence demonstrated on those very steps. How ludicrous it would have seemed to all of them that someday the country would build a memorial to Dr. King on this hallowed ground. More believable, I'm sure, would have been the tragic news that first they would kill him.

With an almost heavy heart I took the short walk, less than half a mile, southeast of the Lincoln Memorial. As I approached the memorial, the first thing I saw was an immense, granite boulder with a channel cut straight through the center, and the Jefferson Memorial just visible on the other shore of the Potomac Tidal Basin.

As I got closer, I could see the "missing" center of the granite was pushed several yards ahead.

I walked through the unnatural valley and approached the center stone, where King's granite body gazes out over the water.

He's holding something, maybe a draft of a new speech. If I'm wondering what he's thinking about so seriously, if I'm wondering what he would share with me today, I need only look around me. Some of his most memorable thoughts are carved on the 450-foot curved wall that extends from either side of the granite boulder behind him. The themes of equality, compassion, peace and justice are so consistent that I have no doubt it's what he would still say to me. Though I wish he were still with us, still leading the way, I take direction from one of my favorites of his quotes:

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.

The final word in reality, not just in the ethereal future that may great us after death, but in reality. A reality that he understood would end for him with evil triumphant. May this memorial be a continuation of the message of the power of unconditional love, a stone that outlives evil's temporary triumphs...

You Were Pretty As A Picture

2011-10-03T10:00:00.032-05:00

A few friends on Twitter enjoyed a September project dubbed #photofun. Every day there was a predetermined topic and our assignment was to take a picture that represented that topic. The idea was suggested by Niki, and as the contest commissioner she declared the picture had to be taken by you and on that day. As far as I know, only phone cameras were used.

It was loads of fun, sometimes insightful, and at one point it so riled the anger of several participants they committed a break-in and burglary. For real.

I picked a "best" picture from each day. Picking a "best" was arbitrary, of course; biased, naturally. Feel free to agree, disagree, and link to your own favorites.

Day 1. Self-Portrait.

Day 2. Your Favorite Shoes

Day 3. Hands

Day 4. Clouds

Day 5. Breakfast Today

Day 6. Books

Books Honorable Mention (because about 5 people had this idea)

Day 7. High Angle

High Angle Honorable Mention (for having the highest actual angle)

Day 8. Sunset

Sunset Honorable Mention (the idea submitted by my 8-year old, and he's holding the sunglasses for me)

Day 9. Fresh Fruit

Day 10. Animal

Day 11. Silhouette (perhaps Best in Show)

Day 12. Sun Flare

Day 13. Reminds You of Childhood

Day 14. Someone You Love (drawn by one of the little girls in the picture, and includes her unborn new brother/sister)

Day 15. Action

Day 16. Mason Jar / Jelly Jar

Day 17. Bokeh

Day 18. Eyes

Day 19. Summertime

Day 20. Water

Day 21. Micro

Day 22. Landscape

Day 23. Black & White (it was Henri's 2nd birthday)

Day 24. Love

Day 25. Citrus

Day 26. Favorite Color

Day 27. Your Weakness (other than me, only superficial weaknesses submitted, but I guess it was called Photo Fun, not Photo Psychoanalysis)

Day 28. Transportation

Day 29. Trees

Trees Honorable Mention (because I love to see palm trees)

Day 30. Family (everyone submitting their family was a winner that day)

Is It True That Perfect Love Drives Out All Fear?

2011-04-28T19:00:00.000-05:00

This week I am reading the autobiography of John Lewis, and I watched the documentary Restrepo. The contradictions can't be brighter. Do we confront evil with violence or with nonviolence?

John Lewis was instrumental in the civil rights movement, considered one of the Big Six. John's humble autobiography is a testament to his sincere and complete commitment to nonviolence. As indignities grew to burnings, horrific beatings, and even multiple murders, John held firm to his value that love and nonviolence were the only lasting answer to evil.

Restrepo is a documentary movie of a remote outpost of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. These soldiers were put into an impossibly dangerous situation, where good motives and diplomacy were useless against the daily attempts to kill them. These soldiers responded exactly as they were trained and with the equipment in their hands, killing both "bad guys" and innocent people. When the men mourn the deaths of their brothers, the captain of the outpost sums up the entire cycle by exhorting his men, "We need to go out there and make them pay... we need to make THEM feel the way that we're feeling."

I can't do justice to the two themes presented above, but I am struck (again) by the humble and powerful path of nonviolence. The unique bravery in saying

I offer my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who pull out my beard;
I will not hide my face from mocking and spitting.

The words hang ridiculous in the air immediately after I read them. To what extent can I really live that level of love? It feels dangerously vulnerable. It also feels like a conversation worth having, a way of life worth exploring.

I Didn't Get to Heaven, But I Made it Close

2011-01-27T13:51:00.000-06:00

I sat in the front of the cart, bracing my hand on the steel edge as I twisted to get a view of what lay ahead. The tracks guided our cart, in a ponderous pace, into an immense cavern. The curving rock walls were visible on either side, lit red from below by an unseen source, though the flicker and smoke gave me a pretty good idea. I could see a split in the tracks ahead. I looked back at those riding with me, a circle of about 6 people that filled our iron cart. A guy in the back sat close to what looked like some controls, and I wondered which way he'd turn.

The cart wrenched left, and I could tell by the sway of his body and the look on his face that he had no more control than I. There was nervous laughter in our group and a small joke that he should have turned right. As I really looked at us for the first time, we seemed like any ordinary group of people I'm surrounded by on any ordinary day, familiar but not intimate. Another turn in the tracks. Hands gripped the sides harder, a few even reached for each other.

I turned again to the cavern and could see other tracks, thought I could see another cart full of people in the distance. The dim glow and occasional smoke made it hard to see a possible destination. I felt afraid because I didn't know where I was, and I was also afraid I did know.

A sharp left around a towering stalagmite, and a long, straight stretch of tracks came into view. I could see because straight ahead was a chasm whose round opening was bright with fire. It was a fire too intense for flames, hot enough for dancing volcanic sprays. And the tracks led directly into the hole.

Our fate no longer deniable, our sorrow erupted, but in a strangely calm way, crying and words, but not hysteria, a true mourning. We grabbed hands and arms. I faced straight into the growing chasm. I could see the bend of the rails drooping over the edge. Hot tears on my face, holding tightly onto the others, I spoke for the first time. "I love a lot of people, I hope I see them in an afterlife!" Knowing my existence was about to be extinguished, I repeated over and over, growing louder in a fervid mix of desperation and hope - "I love a lot of people, I hope I see them in an afterlife!" "I love a lot of people, I hope I see them in an afterlife!" "I love a lot of people, I hope I see them in an afterlife!"

I woke up. Shirt drenched in sweat. Feeling the reality of my uncertainty...

Hear Their Heartbeat

2010-08-06T09:34:00.013-05:00

On August 6, 1945, 65 years ago today, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. With heat up to 7,000 degrees and blast winds over 600 mph, the bomb obliterated a square mile of the city, killing between 100,000 and 140,000 people. Most of those killed were civilians as Hiroshima had a civilian population of 300,000 and an army base containing about 43,000 soldiers.

Three days later, on August 9, 1945, the United States dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, a city of about 200,000 people. The blast that day killed between 40,000 and 70,000 people.

Thousands and thousands of women, children and other innocent people were incinerated, deformed or given slow painful deaths. This is a tragically sad day in history.

I take time today to reflect with humility and horror at the unimaginable pain and destruction. I reflect on the horror without judgment of the men who rained it down, themselves trapped in the human pattern of violence and of valuing our own life greater than someone else. The bombs' effect on the end of the war is debated, but that seems to me a distraction from the reality of charred and mutilated women, boys, girls and men. Maybe it ended the war more quickly, maybe it didn't. But it's hard to see any justification for annihilating a city's civilian population, people no different than those in Kansas in 1945, just trying to get through the war and praying their family did too.

Though saddened by America's choices, I am also encouraged by America's renewed interest in eliminating nuclear weapons. We can, and should, lead the way. By remembering the horror and anguish, maybe we can find the courage to take bold steps toward eliminating weapons designed to kill innocent people.

I Was a Stranger

2010-06-02T14:35:00.002-05:00

"I love you, but stay in line, on THAT side of the wall. Yes, yes, I know your family is hungry and there are jobs and food here, but just wait your turn. Yes, I know the wait is years long... if at all..."

It's not the wall I oppose, it's the gates. I don't want people dying while trying to cross a desert, I don't want drugs and weapons trucked across the border, I don't want known criminals traveling about freely. So fine, build the wall, but administer the gates openly. Verify what we can, but let people come in.

"What's my concern about you, my brother, coming into 'my' country? Well, your hard work will lower my income. You see, I benefit from having you on that side of the wall. I pay less for my shirt because it's made in your country, by a company that pays your family much less than it would have to pay me. I pay less for my beer because the company makes its bottles in your back yard, and doesn't need to worry about your family's safety like it would mine. I love you, you are my equal, but I depend on cheap stuff."

I must admit my role in the poverty that drives my brothers and sisters from their homes. They don't want to leave their children, unsure if they'll ever hold them again. They don't lightly leave all familiar things behind for a place they don't know, can't speak the language, are not welcome. Maybe instead of worrying about how their arrival will affect my security, my health care, my income, I can actively support life-sustaining practices by those I give money and time.

"How did I get on this side of the wall? I was born here. Luck of the draw, brother, sad for you. How did my family get here? Several generations ago they stood in line, followed the rules, just like I'm asking you to do. Who made those rules? Someone before my family, I had nothing to do with it and neither did my family. Yes, yes, the rules were made by someone AFTER they had murdered, cheated and driven out the original people living here, but that was long ago..."

It's very convenient of me to demand strict immigration practices, now that I and my family are here. I don't need to feel the shame of immoral practices of past generations, but I have the power to make my own choices now. I must consider how present, arbitrary rules continue the immoral acts of the past. I didn't force the Choctaw on their fatal Trail of Tears, but what is my part in the Chavez brothers' fatal journey across the Mexican border into this land where I live?

"I've worked hard, these things are mine, I'm scared of what will happen. Just stay on that side of the wall. Please."

"Wait! Come back! You are hungry, let me feed you. You are thirsty, let me give you a drink. You are homeless, let me give you a room.... I have plenty."

I Got My Own Hands to Pray

2010-04-23T20:30:00.004-05:00

The National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional, says a Federal judge in Wisconsin.

The National Day of Prayer statute says:

The President shall issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals.

The First Amendment says: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

I will let the judge explain her reasoning:

This case explores the line that separates government sponsored prayer practices that are constitutional from those that are not. The case raises the question whether the statute creating the "National Day of Prayer" violates the establishment clause of the United States Constitution. The challenge to the National Day of Prayer statute arises at the intersection of two different lines of Supreme Court jurisprudence. On one hand, the Court has held on many occasions that the government violates the establishment clause when it engages in conduct that a reasonable observer would view as an endorsement of a particular religious belief or practice, including prayer. On the other hand, the Court has held that some forms of "ceremonial deism," such as legislative prayer, do not violate the establishment clause. Although there is tension among these cases, I do not believe they are irreconcilable; they simply show that context is important when applying the establishment clause.

In my view of the case law, government involvement in prayer may be consistent with the establishment clause when the government’s conduct serves a significant secular purpose and is not a "call for religious action on the part of citizens." Unfortunately, the National Day of Prayer statute cannot meet that test. It goes beyond mere "acknowledgment" of religion because its sole purpose is to encourage all citizens to engage in prayer, an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function in this context. In this instance, the government has taken sides on a matter that must be left to individual conscience.

It bears emphasizing that a conclusion that the establishment clause prohibits the government from endorsing a religious exercise is not a judgment on the value of prayer or the millions of Americans who believe in its power. No one can doubt the important role that prayer plays in the spiritual life of a believer. In the best of times, people may pray as a way of expressing joy and thanks; during times of grief, many find that prayer provides comfort. Others may pray to give praise, seek forgiveness, ask for guidance or find the truth. However, recognizing the importance of prayer to many people does not mean that the government may enact a statute in support of it, any more than the government may encourage citizens to fast during the month of Ramadan, attend a synagogue, purify themselves in a sweat lodge or practice rune magic. In fact, it is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence an individual’s decision whether and when to pray.

I understand that many may disagree with that conclusion and some may even view it as a criticism of prayer or those who pray. That is unfortunate. A determination that the government may not endorse a religious message is not a determination that the message itself is harmful, unimportant or undeserving of dissemination. Rather, it is part of the effort to carry out the Founders' plan of preserving religious liberty to the fullest extent possible in a pluralistic society. The same law that prohibits the government from declaring a National Day of Prayer also prohibits it from declaring a National Day of Blasphemy.

I trimmed legal citations and edited for flow, but believe I kept correct context. If this is something you are interested in, I highly recommend reading Judge Crabb's entire opinion. It's a thoughtful and encompassing review of the First Amendment as it's been applied to the establishment of religion. In its 66 pages, she discusses everything from the disagreement over legislative prayers in the Continental Congress to today's practice of Christmas as a Federal holiday.

For years I have believed that this statute is unconstitutional. The judge quoted above pretty much sums up what I believe the Consutitution requires in this area. But this is hardly the final word on the consitutionality of the National Day of Prayer. It will be appealed next to the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (presided over by Frank Easterbrook, a legal rock star).

If this ruling stands, I believe it is legally correct and I also believe it is morally honorable. My personal beliefs about prayer shouldn't matter in whether I believe the Constitution protects us from a government declared day of recognizing prayer. I enjoy incredible religious freedom, and so does my neighbor...

Into the Arms of America

2010-04-08T12:50:00.002-05:00

Presidents from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama have each taken steps to restrict nuclear weapons. Today, the United States and Russia sign a new START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty). The new treaty makes a few important advances like restricting the number of warheads on a missile and restricting the number of warhead delivery options that can exist and can be deployed, but mostly the new START continues the trend of drastic reduction in the number of nuclear weapons held by the US and Russia.

As important as the new START, this week President Obama issued his Nuclear Posture Review, "a legislatively-mandated review that establishes U.S. nuclear policy, strategy, capabilities and force posture for the next five to ten years." It's most important elements are declaring that the US will not conduct any nuclear weapons tests and will not develop any new warheads or weapons. The NPR also declares a further limitation on the actual use of nuclear weapons, stating that the US will not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against a country if that country does not have nuclear weapons and is in compliance with the nonproliferation treaty.

This all sounds like good news, and I certainly celebrate the progress. We've gone from limiting ourselves to 6,000 (!) nuclear warheads in START I, to 1,550 warheads in this latest treaty. But we still have over 1,500 nuclear warheads and the willingness to use them. I'm glad we're stepping back, even a little, from the implicit threat of incinerating millions of innocent people. I agree with Reagan, however, that the only value in possessing nuclear weapons is to make sure they will never be used, so it would be better to do away with them entirely. So YES, let's do away with them entirely! Must we wait or should we lead? As Obama said a year ago, "As the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act. We cannot succeed in this endeavor alone, but we can lead it, we can start it."

I'm glad we're leading. A long way still to go. I look forward to the voluntary dismantling of our last nuclear weapon...

Doc Says You’re Fine, Or Dying

2010-03-30T01:13:00.008-05:00

They say you can't put a price on good health, at least I know I couldn't put a price on my own. It's more difficult for me to say whether I can put a price on your good health.

I've heard endless loops about the things people disagree about on the new health care law, but there is actually consensus on a few big things: 30 million people that do not currently have health insurance will have health insurance, coverage under Medicare and private insurance improves, and the changes will cost at least $100 billion per year. So it seems to me that the effect of the new health care law is that the health of many people will be improved but it's going to cost a lot of money.

It's a complex issue and I realize that is a rudimentary simplification, but I believe it's true.

The similar simplifications I've heard against this new law are: the new health care law is a violation of American liberties and will bankrupt the United States.

Is the simplified decision, then, how much liberty and money am I willing to give up to improve the health of my brothers and sisters?

I'll admit I've lost my right to go uninsured, but every other liberty I've heard I'm losing has been settled in the US since the 1920's. Other cries of lost liberty I've heard ring hollow to me as accusations of what might happen later or are too wide-ranging and frenzied to take seriously. As for the cost, I agree this is costly. I take the cost seriously and I want accountability. But I also understand that we find the money for what we believe is important (few Americans blink at spending over $600 billion per year on the defense budget).

Wait a moment... See how quickly and easily this can turn into a discussion, a debate, or even a fight over liberty and money?! And as we turn on each other in this debate that has been more bitter than accurate, we leave the sick to the side... The sick. This group that Jesus favored, and that we all eventually join.

With my focus again on compassion, I push past these superficial distinctions I create of wealth and health and Americanism, and I find myself without support for clutching to control and to my wealth. Instead, I am impressed again that EVERY human being is Yahweh’s child and protecting the health of every human being is a profoundly important personal and communal responsibility. This new law is a mere drop in the bucket, an imperfect step toward human equality. We will really have to roll up our sleeves and soften our hearts if the goal is to value and care for every person, if the goal is equal opportunity for health and care for every child in Philadelphia, every senior citizen in Flagstaff, every mother in Los Angeles, every father in Des Moines... and then on to the rest of the world...

Born to Run

2010-02-19T13:00:00.004-06:00

I was resting in the sand next to the Pacific Ocean as I watched Aaron, age 7, play a game with the surf. As the spent waves slid back to the ocean, he ran onto the newly exposed, smooth sand. As the water slowed its retreat, then rolled back toward the beach, he would sprint along the curve of the incoming surf, his churning legs keeping bare feet just out of the foaming edge. A look of unencumbered joy, excitement and pride on his face. Running back and forth, as tirelessly as the surf itself. There was no doubt, he is born to run.

I like to run, but I run carrying the weight of my expectations. I run expecting improvement in my fitness, expecting a certain speed or distance, pushing through the pain of shins or feet or knees or lungs, always wanting farther and faster but feeling limited by my body and energy. My days of running carefree in the sand are so long ago I can't remember them. In the book Born to Run, writer Christopher McDougall entices me with the notion that I can regain the unabated joy of running. Even more, McDougall builds a strong case that my health, emotional and physical, depends on it.

The book is part science book, part mystic text and part adventure novel. The writer spent many years running with expectations similar to mine, and with results similar to mine - persistent progress always ending in a new injury. With each injury he would engage a new therapy and find a new shoe designed to help the problem. As I have found, though, it seemed as though the "problem" just traveled around the body until he was hit with the Mother of all Running Injuries: plantar fasciitis. McDougall's journey to finding a better way took him all the way to the Copper Canyons in remote, Western Mexico, home of the Rarámuri, a people with a nearly super-human running tradition and stunningly strong health. The Rarámuri run at age 90 like Aaron does at age 7.

Though it may be intended to be life-changing, Born to Run reads like a story told over a few drinks, and sometimes just as outlandish. It's not a manifesto, it's a story. And along the way you may find yourself convinced of the basic Rarámuri principles: human feet and bodies are designed to run, and to run far, and a lot of the technology we design to help us run actually defeats our natural design; nutrition is essential, emphasizing whole foods with limited meats and processed food; we run easier when we run for fun, unencumbered by expectations and stress.

Born to Run is a ripping good read and likely to inspire you to shed your inhibitions (and your shoes) and take off running.

One Man He Resist

2010-01-17T22:00:00.000-06:00

I celebrate the courage, passion and tenacious love of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I admire, even envy, his equal commitments to peace and change. Dr. King faced the hate from his white brothers and sisters, illegal acts of his government, and beatings and murders of his black brothers and sisters with a persistent love. Seeking to change, never to destroy, those persons responsible, believing that "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend."

On this national day of remembrance and celebration, everyone from the President of the United States to the President of the Local Chamber of Commerce will talk admiringly of Dr. King's life and passion. No doubt, thousands of his words will be read (and will inspire yet again).

What if we took it seriously?

Thousands of us will hear the words, feel the tingle, then walk back into our mis-beliefs unchanged. We may feel energized about equality and peace, but will we ignore the demand for nonviolence? If we acknowledge it at all, will we believe that nonviolence only applies to changing voting laws?

An equally important part of Dr. King's message was "Violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones."

Persistently, Dr. King lived and preached, "Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal."

Even President Obama, surely a sincere admirer of Dr. King, in his Nobel speech could not commit to Dr. King's example "in the world as it is." On one hand saying there was "nothing weak - nothing passive - nothing naïve" about Dr. King's belief in nonviolence, but justifying abandoning the principles because "of threats to the American people." Threats like death? Isn't that EXACTLY the threat facing Dr. King when he stubbornly stuck to his belief that love was still the best answer?

On this day, do we truly admire and celebrate him, or call him weak and naïve by celebrating only half of his legacy? I want what he wanted, equality and peace, but am I willing to commit to love as my only weapon and defense? Even if it means my life...

Baby, Baby, Baby, Light My Way

2010-01-12T09:55:00.000-06:00

"Arrogant, overfed and unconcerned." I heard the words spoken only once, but they have resonated for months. The one who said them believed it described American culture; I knew it described me.

I am arrogant in valuing myself more than others by protecting my own safety and possessions at others' expense, arrogant in my certainty of truth, and in many other ways. I am overfed on food, entertainment and stuff. I have extravagantly fed my basic human needs but my appetite only grows. I live unconcerned, at a safe distance from anything that disturbs my familiar patterns.

By some measures, I seem to do well in these areas. But I know my paradigm is so radically skewed that my "doing well" is still firmly arrogant, overfed and unconcerned. I'm an infant proud of my ability to raise my head off the ground.

I thought I could use the occasion of a New Year to gather some ideas and get some energy behind them and perhaps experience growth in these areas. My first thought is that I find it ineffective "not" to be something. I want to "be" not to "avoid." So what are the healthy alternatives to "arrogant, overfed and unconcerned"? It's not "ashamed, starving and obsessed." I believe the alternative to arrogant is humble; the alternative to overfed is content; the alternative to unconcerned is loving.

Humility, contentment and love - they are big ideas worthy of ambitious plans and they are also components of daily interactions. How can I move the trajectory of my life toward humility, contentment and love? Seems like it should start by living today humbly, contently and lovingly, with those that depend on me and those that are interdependent with me. It seems inevitable to me that it grows from there, and that actually loving others as my equal will impact how I care about their civil rights, human rights, starvation, illness, or imprisonment; how I understand or share their joy, sorrow or pride; how I count their lives and families as important to protect and nurture as mine.

If that's where, then how? I don't see a path, but I've got a sense of the direction. "If I want to live, I've got to die to myself someday." Sounds painful.

Hear it Every Christmas Time

2009-12-20T22:00:00.003-06:00

I was at a nonprofit business meeting last week, and as we prepared to leave I asked the others about their holiday plans. Holiday, not Christmas. One of the other people there is a practicing Jew. I wasn't concerned about offending her, she would have smiled and answered politely, it just seemed to be the considerate thing for me to do, not to single her out in some way and not to act as if I didn't know or care that she held a faith tradition that was unique in the room. I happened to know someone in that group would not celebrate a traditional Christmas, but for those same reasons (basic kindness and consideration of others) I act similarly if I'm talking with someone, or a group of people, that I don't know their traditions.

So it really baffles me when Focus on the Family wastes resources evaluating whether WalMart and Banana Republic "openly recognize Christmas." The comments posted about the retailers are quite, well, un-christmas. This counterattack on a perceived "War on Christmas" is somewhat of a mini-movement. I could understand the concern if someone was trying to celebrate Christmas and was hushed, or somehow singled out for their Christmas beliefs. No, this is an anger directed at retailers who dare to be "inclusive." In addition to being the opposite of the spirit of Christmas, it gets downright strange when the anger is directed at retailers - because nothing says "Christ" like consumerism? I'll let someone else tackle that one: "Christians get all bent out of shape over the fact that someone didn't say 'Merry Christmas' when I walked into the store. But why are we expecting the store to tell our story? That's just ridiculous." That's from a guy who helped start Advent Conspiracy, a pretty courageous group, if you ask me.

By the way, is it really fair to complain about someone possibly "taking Christ out of Christmas" when a 4th Century Catholic Pope started Christmas by injecting his Christ into someone else's holiday? Maybe Pagans are somewhere organizing boycotts of stores that say Merry Christmas...

Happy Holidays!

Unholy Clouds Reflect in a Minaret

2009-12-07T21:30:00.009-06:00

As of now, it is illegal to construct a minaret in Switzerland.

I'm not sure what's more shocking: that the symbol of a major religion has been banned in Europe, that it was Switzerland that did it, or that other major religions do not seem to realize the danger this represents to them.

In November, Swiss voters overwhelmingly approved the ban on new construction of the towers. I've read that of Switzerland's 7.7 million people, there are about 400,000 Muslims with 150 mosques but only 4 minarets. It's no shock that the ban was promoted with fear:

It's such an interesting poster, though, because it does tap a fear. But when I take a minute and think, I have to say, I can't remember a missile from a predominantly Muslim country hitting a non-Muslim country. I can think of Western missiles hitting predominantly Muslim countries. Is the fear being stoked that the extremists who have distorted and defiled Islam will copy those who have distorted and defiled Christianity?

Non-Muslim Germans are also concerned about the impact of Muslim immigrants on Germany's culture. A former finance minister said recently about the Turkish and Arab immigrants in Berlin, "I don't need to respect anyone who lives off the state, denies the state, doesn't do anything to educate their kids, and just produces more headscarf girls." Though elected officials there denounce the statement, Germany's Immigration Minister said that she is working to implement an "integration contract" for immigrants to Germany. It will reportedly include requirements ranging from respecting equal rights for women to learning the German language. Like the minaret ban in Switzerland, this German proposal sounds like more fear. Fear of those not like us.

While I don't agree with the minaret ban or what seems to be the intent and content of the integration contract, I do believe everyone, regardless of religion, should be subject to the laws of the land where they live. If someone is doing something illegal, like Christians purporting to marry underage girls in Utah or Muslims maiming young girls in Germany, by all means use law enforcement to stop them. I believe this should include equal treatment for women, of course, and would gladly support applying all discrimination laws to religions (hard to believe those institutions whose missions should embody love are exempt from some discrimination laws). I don't believe the dominant practice of Islam treats women equally, and I don't believe the dominant practice of Christianity does either.

What I'm seeing in these examples from Europe are reactions to fears, sometimes hypocritical reactions, and reactions aimed at appearances that will do nothing about legitimate concerns for safety and equality. I believe a better choice is enforce the laws we have and welcome our brothers and sisters with open arms even if it means less for us (and who cares what language they choose to speak!).

Intransigence is all Around, Military Still in Town

2009-12-02T21:55:00.004-06:00

Last night a somber President Obama explained to a room full of young US military officers why he was sending them to Afghanistan. To begin, Obama effectively re-tied Afghanistan to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The President reminded us that nearly everyone agreed, at the time, invading that country was necessary to prevent further attacks on the US. Building on that, Obama argued that there is a resurgence of long-range terrorist strike capability in the region along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. His conclusion is increased military involvement in the short term is necessary to reduce the capability of harm and to stabilize the Afghan government so it can protect and provide for its people.

Put in other terms, it's a continuation of the belief that it is better to inflict violence and death THERE so we don't have those things HERE. Regardless of whether I judge that as just or as a necessary evil or as simply evil, I believe it's important to state it honestly. Even the stabilization of Afghanistan requires the calculation that it is okay to kill some innocent people as long as it saves other innocent people.

Securing our safety and their safety are virtuous objectives, the highest calling of the human race. But it seems to me that a misbelief continues, firmly entrenched, in our attempts to reach these objectives: the misbelief that violence will ever end violence.

I hope for the safety of that beautiful country and my beautiful Afghan brothers and sisters. I ache for the violence and fear brought to them by those with evil intentions, and those with virtuous intentions.

As I mentioned, the President gave his speech to West Point cadets. I noticed that the name of the hall was Eisenhower Hall. It seems appropriate, then, to quote President Eisenhower, to quote beliefs he formed after witnessing the horrors of war.

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.

This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals.

It is some 50 miles of concrete highway. We pay for a single fighter with a half million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more than 8,000 people.

This, I repeat, is the best way of life to be found on the road the world has been taking.

This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.

Movember - Finally Over

2009-12-01T11:31:00.004-06:00

The entire experience may have been worth this one photo. That, and the money we raised. Thanks mostly to the efforts of myself and E.C., our team, ShowMeMos, is #991 nationally in raising money. So thanks to those that gave, and for those that were going to, we still have a chance to climb the rankings through December 5th. You can still give.

Some important team members are missing, but here is most of the team and the spectacle that was Movember.

Movember Update

2009-11-23T09:15:00.005-06:00

One week to go!

Growing a "mo" has been an uncomfortable experience, physically and socially. But just a few days ago I was reminded of the seriousness behind our silly fundraiser. A guy at my work was diagnosed with prostate cancer and is undergoing surgery. He's a runner, in great shape, and always has a very positive attitude. It's sobering.

I've helped raise $150.00 from people at my office. If you haven't given and have an opportunity, you can donate any amount, it's all helpful:
http://us.movember.com/mospace/253642

Consumer Complaint about Bluegreen Corp

2009-11-17T15:57:00.005-06:00

I feel like a sucker, but in the hopes of sparing someone, anyone, here is the letter I sent to Bluegreen Corp (and I sent a similar one to Bass Pro who promoted the sales event).

On Saturday November 14, 2009, I attended a Bluegreen sales presentation at The Falls Village in Branson, MO. I am writing today to let you know I am very disappointed in the experience, and to let you know that your reputation has been severely damaged for me. I also want you to know that I have written Bass Pro to let them know that it is harming its reputation by associating itself with the behavior I experienced at a Bluegreen sales presentation.

Prior to the sales presentation, my experience with Bluegreen was actually very positive. The phone operators were professional, courteous and helpful. Check-in at The Falls Village was also quickly managed and professionally handled. The accommodations provided by Bluegreen were also satisfactory. I was even interested in the Bluegreen product, as my family takes regular vacations.

The sales presentation and one-on-one sales experience, however, were unprofessional and offensive. I am sure you are no stranger to the "time" complaint, so I'll not bother to explain in detail how the sales experience was 3 hours instead of the promised "approximately 90-120 minutes." It seems elementary to me that Bluegreen would be far better off being truthful about the time commitment. My wife and I had arranged for childcare based on a 2-hour presentation, not 3 hours. Starting off a sales event with low credibility is a very poor way to begin. Better yet, Bluegreen could reduce the time spent in group presentation.

The group presentation that I attended in Branson included racist jokes from the group presenter (I think his name was Kevin), who also expounded for a full 5 minutes or longer that the problem with today's kids is that "they are not whipped enough." Unnecessary, incorrect and terribly unprofessional.

I save the worst for last, however, in that the one-on-one sales presentation was even more unprofessional and a ridiculous attempt to intimidate and even insult me and my wife. It was someone named Jerry Miller and I signed a formal complaint with the local Bluegreen manager about his behavior.

Frankly, I do not expect my concerns will change your sales model, but I write anyway in the hopes that someone may be spared my experience.

Now I have gift cards for Bass Pro merchandise and I can honestly tell you it was not worth it and I have no appetite to give Bluegreen or Bass Pro any business, not even for free with these cards and certainly not my hard-earned money in the future. I am very disappointed in Bluegreen's behavior and in Bass Pro for aligning itself with these tactics.

UPDATE After posting this and within a couple hours of emailing Bluegreen, I got a call from Bluegreen headquarters in FL. The woman apologized and asked for details. She apologized for everything from the time to the specific behavior. She promised follow-up with the Branson people involved and gave me her contact information. Impressive response.

Under a Blood Red Sky a Crowd has Gathered

2009-11-04T14:00:00.008-06:00

"The U.S.S. New York reached New York City Monday morning, sweeping under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, pausing at the World Trade Center site and pushing along the Upper West Side before circling around, like a contestant in a beauty pageant, to dock in Midtown Manhattan.

It was the end of an inaugural five-day voyage from Norfolk, Va., for the ship’s official commissioning into the Navy fleet on Saturday, as well as an emotional 'homecoming' for a vessel that was named for the state after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and has 7.5 tons of steel from the twin towers cast into its bow..."

The celebrity of this ship is the melted steel from the twin towers of New York. Ship-builders, sailors, politicians and family members of 9/11 victims attest to the hallowed anatomy of this ship, advertised by the Navy as "designed and built to fight." The unmistakable message is reverent but vengeful. A brother of a 9/11 victim gave the honest statement, "I really like the idea of people going out and avenging what happened to us." Charlie Daniels' crass song in "tribute" promotes the ship as a "bringer of vengeance" and "bearer of truth's deadly force" created to "hunt down our enemies."

I feel the primal urge too, it wasn't my family and I didn't know those killed on 9/11, but I stood next to the still-reeking mountain of rubble just 4 weeks after 9/11. I mourned the loss of life there and took satisfaction in the swift and efficient annihilation of some of the people that supported the government that gave safe-haven to the 9/11 killers.

But now I question, 8 years later, hundreds of billions of dollars spent, two countries invaded, thousands and thousands of people killed. Is another vehicle of violence, even more efficient and more lethal then ever, really the best tribute to those killed? Appropriate and ample reverence for the innocent lives lost on American soil, but not a whisper for the innocent lives lost in our hunt for our enemies? We spent over one billion dollars on the USS New York. Even if the goal was safety, is the best use of One Billion dollars to build a larger and better weapon?

Must the cycle continue? They struck us, so we strike back harder. They killed some of us, so we kill even more of them.

Are we not sick of it YET?!

This ship will not stop the violence. Five Hundred ships like this will not stop the violence. But they would keep the violence away from us... Is that the goal?

Revenge is hard work and battle takes courage, but forgiveness is harder work and peace takes stronger courage.

Movember

2009-11-02T08:43:00.006-06:00

I'm always up for a gimmick. If the fun also benefits something worthwhile, even better. In the month of November, now known as Movember, I will be growing a moustache. It's a worldwide event to raise awareness and funding for research of cancers that affect men, specifically prostate and testicular cancer. I'm more into the awareness than the fundraising, but if you would like to donate, you can HERE. Any amount, no matter how small (no pun intended) is welcome.

Here's my starting shot:

By the end of Movember I think I'll look like Josh Brolin from "No Country For Old Men."

Or maybe I'll go with the "Clark Gable" for the ladies.

I'll keep you posted. Or, maybe I'll only email the updates to those that donate...

Under the Crescent Moon

2009-10-26T01:00:00.003-05:00

This week I read the astounding, first-hand account of a New York Times reporter who was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan, along with his translator and driver.

All were held hostage in Pakistan for over 7 months, before he and his translator escaped. The story is a chilling portrait of the mindset of the fighters and a discouraging look into the political realities of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The story is fascinating for many reasons, but it is also timely given the tipping point that the U.S. seems to be at with its battle in Afghanistan and Pakistan. President Obama sent more troops to Afghanistan this year, and more already on the way, which will bring the total there to 68,000. And the general in command in Afghanistan has requested more troops, up to 40,000 more. Meanwhile Afghanistan is trying to hold a runoff presidential election, and Pakistan seems to actually be taking on the Taliban and/or Al Qaeda that has taken over parts of Pakistan.

It's tempting to read stories like this hostage one, remember that a US soldier is being held hostage there, see the mounting deaths of Americans and Afghanis, military and civilian, and just say, "Get us out of there."

How do you weigh the cost of staying against the cost of leaving? Yes, the reality is gut-wrenching with unyielding anger and senseless violence, and maddening with its futility of political partnerships and inconsistent Western involvement. But there are also those, like the translator held hostage, who are the larger part of the population and who would partner with legitimate and consistent efforts to bring peace to their families. I saw it put this way recently:

The hell of withdrawal is what kind of drama would fill the vacuum, who would re-emerge, who would be empowered, what Pakistan would look like with a newly redrawn reality in the neighborhood, what tremors would shake the ground there as the U.S. troops march out. It is the hell of a great nation that had made a commitment in retreat, abandoning not only its investment of blood and treasure but those on the ground, and elsewhere, who had one way or another cast their lot with us. It would involve the hell, too, of a U.N. commitment, an allied commitment, deflated to the point of collapse.

The hell of staying is equally clear, and vivid: more loss of American and allied troops, more damage to men and resources, an American national debate that would be a continuing wound and possibly a debilitating one, an overstretched military given no relief and in fact stretched thinner, a huge and continuing financial cost in a time when our economy is low. There is no particular guarantee of, or even a completely persuasive definition of, success. And Pakistan may blow anyway.

The debate is over which hell is less damaging in the long term, which hell is more livable.

So which hell is the better choice? Or is there an alternative? Are the only choices abandoning the vulnerable population or waging an ugly and violent war?

The Rich Stay Healthy, The Sick Stay Poor

2009-10-20T21:25:00.002-05:00

Health care reform is moving again in Congress. I believe there are two viable bills in the Senate and one in the House. The belief is that the two Senate bills will be combined in some way, then the House and Senate bill will go to conference.

It's hard for me to call these bills "reform." I guess it might change things for the better, but I apparently need to grieve the lost opportunity for what I believe to be the needed change: universal coverage and a single payer system.

Here's where I start the health care discussion: EVERY human being is Yahweh’s child and protecting the health of every human being is a profoundly important personal and communal responsibility. The proposal that best meets those values, that I have seen so far, was put forward by George McGovern. To steward my energy, I copy his proposal:

It's Simple: Medicare for All
By George S. McGovern
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Washington Post

For many years, a handful of American political leaders -- including the late senator Ted Kennedy and now President Obama -- have been trying to gain passage of comprehensive health care for all Americans. As far back as President Harry S. Truman, they have urged Congress to act on this national need. In a presentation before a joint session of Congress last week, Obama offered his view of the best way forward.

But what seems missing in the current battle is a single proposal that everyone can understand and that does not lend itself to demagoguery. If we want comprehensive health care for all our citizens, we can achieve it with a single sentence: Congress hereby extends Medicare to all Americans.

Those of us over 65 have been enjoying this program for years. I go to the doctor or hospital of my choice, and my taxes pay all the bills. It's wonderful. But I would have appreciated it even more if my wife and children and I had had such health-care coverage when we were younger. I want every American, from birth to death, to get the kind of health care I now receive. Removing the payments now going to the insurance corporations would considerably offset the tax increase necessary to cover all Americans.

I don't feel as though the government is meddling in my life when it pays my doctor and hospital fees. There are some things the government does that I don't like -- most notably getting us into needless wars that cost many times what health care for all Americans would cost. Investing in the health of our citizens will enhance the well-being and security of the nation.

We know that Medicare has worked well for half a century for those of us over 65. Why does it become "socialized medicine" when we extend it to younger Americans?

Taking such a shortsighted view would leave nearly 50 million Americans without health insurance and without the means to buy it. It would leave other Americans struggling to pay the rising cost of insurance premiums. These private insurance plans are frequently terminated if the holder contracts a serious long-term ailment. And some people lose their insurance if they lose their jobs or if the plant where they work moves to another location -- perhaps overseas.

We recently bailed out the finance houses and banks to the tune of $700 billion. A country that can afford such an outlay while paying for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan can afford to do what every other advanced democracy has done: underwrite quality health care for all its citizens.

If Medicare needs a few modifications in order to serve all Americans, we can make such adjustments now or later. But let's make sure Congress has an up or down vote on Medicare for all before it adjourns this year. Let's not waste time trying to reinvent the wheel. We all know what Medicare is. Do we want health care for all, or only for those over 65? ...

Head First, Then Foot, Then Heart Sets Sail

2009-10-14T14:42:00.001-05:00

Three weeks ago at this time in the afternoon, I was passed out cold on the floor. My descent into oblivion began about an hour earlier as I watched Casey and Henri struggle to make the miraculous, but harrowing, transition from womb to earth.

It was almost 4 weeks before Henri's due date, but he had been experiencing a decelerated heart rate with Casey's occasional contractions. Casey's doctor decided that the risks of continuing the pregnancy were more than the risks of early birth. Casey and I were nervous, but the extensive monitoring of Henri in the prior weeks gave us confidence that he was healthy. Casey stayed in the hospital overnight on Tuesday, September 22, and was scheduled to have labor induced in the morning.

Wednesday, September 23, started early for us, and everything seemed to be going as planned, labor was progressing and Henri was handling the strain. By early afternoon, however, labor had stalled and Henri was showing signs of stress. Casey and I knew the situation was becoming serious, and the nurse said she was bringing the doctor back. I whispered to Casey that we would know how serious this was by how quickly the doctor arrived. It seemed like she arrived immediately, and our concern grew even more when the doctor had the room cleared of the trays and stands that have the baby equipment. It seemed that Henri was probably not going to be born in this room.

Knowing my propensity for getting light-headed with trauma, I had eaten healthy and sufficiently all day. I even had a bottle of Mountain Dew close by to amp my blood sugar when needed. As my fear for Henri mounted, despite my planning, I began to get light-headed. When Henri's heartbeat could not be located for a second and then third time, my vision began to gray and I thought it best to sit in the chair next to Casey's bed and not stand. Unable to see anything, as the flurry of voices and activity grew, it took every ounce of concentration I had to stay conscious. I was concentrating on only the voice of the doctor, and listening to every word. When she said, "We're going!" and I knew Casey would be wheeled to the O.R., I stood up. The nurses told me my head bounced off the wall before I hit the floor. The noise caused more of a concern than needed, because the glance off the wall probably helped my head by slowing the fall.

I regained consciousness on the chair-bed, with a doctor and nurses huddled around me. I was pretty agitated and anxious to get to the O.R., but I knew I would be a liability if I moved so I stayed lying down, distraught and in disbelief that I would miss what was happening.

As they wheeled Casey down the hall, they said she needed to have her nose piercing out. No one was able to do it for her, so Casey pulled it out. No one was able to take it from her, so she threw it. They had also said she needed her wedding ring off, but when she got that off, they yelled, "Don't throw it! Just put it back on!" In the O.R., Casey's doctor knew Casey had received an epidural, but did not know there had not been enough time for it to work. As the C-Section started, Casey felt the slice. The anesthesiologist used a fast-acting, general anesthetic to put Casey out. At 2:42 p.m., Henri David VanDyke was born, and both of his parents missed it.

As I was regaining my senses, I was keeping tabs, through the medical staff, on what was happening with Casey and Henri. I knew moments before Henri would be wheeled by the door and managed to get up and make it out to see him. My first moments of seeing Henri...

The first reports on Henri were very positive. His weight was good (5 lbs 9 oz), he had cried after birth, things generally looked good. He was going to the Intensive Care Nursery, but the Neonatologist sounded very positive. I was told I couldn't see Casey for an hour, so I followed Henri into the ICN.

It didn't take long in the ICN to see that Henri was having trouble breathing and would need help. Henri's Respiratory Therapist gave calm, detailed information on exactly what was going on inside Henri and what they were doing about it. There was an intense helplessness in watching the skin suck under Henri's ribs as he breathed, so understanding what was happening brought a (desperately) needed sense of security.

Over the next hour, more help was added for Henri and more monitors. It was an interesting mix of feelings about the tubes and monitors. These efforts were saving Henri's life, so mixed with the helplessness, fear and sadness was a sense of gratefulness. And at times I could see right through the mechanics and see only the precious baby boy.

The next few days, we saw improvements that would exhilarate and declines that would devastate. I spent hours turning from Henri to the monitors, and back. I can tell you where every lead went, what the purpose was of every monitor, and what the numbers indicated. It's an exhausting way to exist, but the small sense of purpose or control probably stabilized me in some way.

After four days, on Sunday afternoon, Casey went home. That's more her story than mine or Henri's, so I feel inadequate to explain how difficult that was, other than to say it went against Casey's every biological and emotional instinct.

The good news was that from Sunday on, Henri steadily (though slowly) improved. He breathed with a tube instead of the ventilator, then room air. Then he ate on his own and the feeding tube was removed. Then the final hurdle of maintaining his own body temperature. On Thursday afternoon, October 1, after 8 days in the ICN, Henri came home.

This is the story as bare as I can tell it. Each of Henri's first 8 days could be a chapter. I could go on about the 2 boys at home and how amazingly well they handled it, and also the unique situations the stress brought for us and them. As usual, I can't imagine how I would have survived without my friends, especially Casey's mom and my sister. With Casey's mom taking care of the boys and the house, I was able to spend 4 nights at the hospital and most of those first 4 days. Late night proved many times to be a valuable time to be in the ICN; I first held Henri at Midnight Friday. My sister was there through that first day and I am extremely grateful. She was who Casey called for when I went down (a nurse came in asking "What's Laurie's last name?!" and in my poor condition I hollered "VanDyke!"). She was there right after I regained consciousness. She was there as I reeled from news and as I wept in my few moments away from the action. I felt comforted and grateful for her.

I am also keenly aware of the positive reality of Henri's situation. Living in the ICN for 8 days gave me accurate perspective on what other babies and their parents have endured, and some of them still are.

This is simply how Henri arrived. And my heart sails.

Love Can Rock

2009-09-15T22:09:00.006-05:00

Love can be as quiet as a 2 a.m. nursing of a newborn. As calm and casual as a hand resting on someone's leg. Love is in the last whisper before sleep... or death...

But,

Sometimes,

Love rocks.

Sometimes, Love roars with the chest-rumbling thunder and blinding light of a 254-ton rocket ship.

Sometimes, Love does not take a back seat, leaves no room for modesty, and stands up to be heard. This is a rare phenomenon, for sure. 70,000 people gathered with a common purpose doesn't guarantee it. A space ship doesn't guarantee it. We need someone leading the way, calling us forward.

Love's most passionate and compelling advocates are not pink-skinned cherubs, they are the weathered and worn faces of the prophets. The robust energy of young love dims in the fire of a plea for Love and Grace by the battle-scarred soul. No one rocks Love like one who has fought for Love till their knuckles bled.

From the first blast of Breathe, U2 was that force, calling us into the street, daring us, then begging us, to drop gravity and join them, reminding us why Love needs us, painting Love in LED, convincing us how powerful we can be...

Right now, let's go, let's lock arms and march out to advance Love. We won't walk far and there is a little boy cowering in fear in his closet. Another block and there's a young mother working her second job today. Look across the street and there is a man laying on the bench who has lost all sense of his indescribable worth, he hasn't had a hug in years, he hasn't even had eye contact with another person for days.

We can do it, feel Love's power and energy, we can change the world! Together. If I don't know what to say, you're here. If you start to feel foolish, I'm here. We get to carry each other. Sure we might get hurt, no we can't reach them all before we fall, and fall we will, but someone's hungry, someone's hurt, someone's angry, someone's dying. And tell me

How long, how long must we sing this song?
How long, how long?
'Cos tonight
We can be as one, tonight.

It Was A Beautiful Day

2009-09-13T21:44:00.015-05:00

Saturday, September 12, 2009, a day that will live with me forever. Words will come later, but here is a quick chronology of one fabulous day, as captured on my phone camera.

Erick and I left Timbers Court, Columbia, MO at 4 a.m. and boarded the train in St. Louis at 6:20.

We passed through miles of Illinois prairie before we reached the foothills of the suburbs.

Then finally the glass and stone mountains and canyons of Chicago.

From Union Station we took a short walk on downtown streets.

We stayed with my cousin Michael and his fiancé Ling on the southern edge of downtown. Here's the view north from their building.

After an afternoon of cold beer and college football, we took a short walk to Soldier Field (a walk made much longer by cousin Fred's "shortcut"). We were seated directly in front of the stage.

The opening act, Snow Patrol, gave a passionate and rocking performance. But at 8:45, with a puff of smoke and a flash of light, the 254 ton, 164-foot-tall space ship took off.

I didn't have the space or time to capture every iteration of the magnificent stage, but here's a quick snap of the LED screen that hung from the center. The 500,000-pixel, 360-degree screen was 23 feet tall when fully compressed, but it could also stretch to a 72-foot-tall cone, as seen here.

The stage was part of the show, and always an extension of the message. For "City of Blinding Lights" beams of light towered straight into the sky.

The band performed "Sunday Bloody Sunday" bathed in green light and showing images of the latest "Bloody Sunday" events from the Iran protests.

After 2 hours and 10 minutes of an emotional and fantastic show, Erick and I were filled but exhausted. It was a beautiful day.

EPILOGUE:
I was up before sunrise on Sunday for a run on the shore of Lake Michigan. I ran with Man's majestic skyline on my left and Nature's simple yet elegant skyline on my right. Then it was time to leave Chicago. Having passed a Dunkin Donuts on every block, we eventually caved and bought a dozen for the train ride home.

I sank into my train seat, my soul still glowing and my heart still humming.

There is no Limit

2009-08-31T22:30:00.001-05:00

There's enough for everyone, I remind myself every once in awhile. Sometimes it's harder to believe. When Casey and I were talking about having a 3rd child, my biggest concern was my ability to give unconditional love and acceptance to another child. The lack of sleep, the physical limitations, the financial costs, etc. are all temporary and seem to get quickly outweighed by the benefits. But I was far more concerned with my ability to give love and acceptance. I've worked very hard for the boys I already have and I don't want them to suffer any lack, nor would I want to parent a new baby with anything less than I gave the first two.

Fortunately, I am learning from the abundance mentality of the boys. The boys (almost 7 and just turned 5) were pretty quickly accepting and their acceptance has grown into excitement. Early on, I even tried to communicate my scarcity concerns for them. Trying to explain that a poopy diaper might interfere with a game, and that we'd have to fit 4 people into the reading chair at night, etc. These things do not concern them. William has shown me where Henri would sit in the chair and Aaron wants to practice changing diapers so he can help. The boys bring up Henri in ordinary conversation, talking about what he might be doing right now or what he'll do when he comes out. A couple weeks ago William was telling a new babysitter about his other brother Henri and showing her things he had made for Henri, till the sitter wondered what was going on. So William had to say, "Well, he's still in mommy's tummy." But more importantly, they seem to have no concerns for what this addition might mean for their emotional needs. Perhaps a quick story from Sunday morning best explains it.

Taking a break from a morning of pajamas, cartoons and playing, the boys were eating a donut on the deck. Aaron said, "This wouldn't be near as much fun without William." After checking what he might mean, he talked about how much William added to everyday life. William, who had been sitting there listening, piped up, "Yeah, and when Henri gets here it will be even better."

As the other Henri said, "With an abundancy mentality we say: 'There is enough for everyone, more than enough: food, knowledge, love ... everything.' With this mind-set we give away whatever we have, to whomever we meet. When we see hungry people we give them food; when we encounter people in need of love, we offer them friendship and affection and hospitality and introduce them to our family and friends."

So Henri VanDyke, your family is still human and will be selfish sometimes, but we're excited, and hang on because I've got a feeling it's going to be quite a ride.

The Scent of it Lingers

2009-08-27T00:05:00.002-05:00

I was up early for a run. My path turned East in time to see the rising sun paint orange ribbons across my horizon. The weather was cool, but humid. The air clung to my shirt in drops and dripped off the end of my nose with every fourth stride.

When the air is that humid, it seems to intensify smells, as if the scent is captured in the moisture, hanging mid-air, waiting to be inhaled. As my path ran through tall grass laying freshly cut, I breathed deeply a smell from my past.

French novelist Marcel Proust said "When nothing else subsists from the past, after the people are dead, after the things are broken and scattered - the smell and taste of things remain poised a long time, like souls bearing resiliently, on tiny and almost impalpable drops of their essence, the immense edifice of memory."

The smell of cut hay opens, for me, an immense edifice of memory of my adolescence. It is the smell of hayfields on a hot summer day from my teenage years, hayfields on my grandpa's farm. The feelings are strong, and conflicting. It is the memory of being exactly where I wanted to be and doing what I wanted to be doing, yet also the worry of doing it right, appearing competent and capable.

I remember this one afternoon, my last day before we moved rather far from the farm, I raked hay using an old John Deere. As the day neared its end, my grandpa waited at the edge of the field in his truck. When I finally climbed into the cab, he said, "You could have combined those last windrows instead of making so many passes. But I figure you wanted to make it last." Yes, I did. And for good reason, because that memory is now all that's left.

As We Divide Against Each Other

2009-08-12T22:39:00.005-05:00

I’m all for dissent and challenging authority. So when I heard the buzz about these raucous crowds at town hall meetings on health care reform, I thought “good for them” even if I don’t agree with the dissent. I finally got a chance to see one of these town hall meetings. Sen. Specter held an open meeting in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and I watched the entire meeting on CSPAN.

I’m not a political fan of Sen. Specter, and from a distance his party-switch sure seemed opportunistic. I also understand (as I’m sure he does) that he chose this job and that means dealing with people, whether they like you or not. To make matters worse, the senator started the meeting off with some unhelpful words that displayed an insolent attitude, something like “I don’t get any extra pay for being here and I don’t have any requirement to be here.” Not a good way to endear yourself to your constituents. None of that, however, excuses being rude or mean to the man, and many at the meeting certainly were. But they were angry and we often do regretful things when we’re angry.

It’s that anger, though, that astonishes me. At times the expressed dissent was downright hateful. Unfortunately for everyone, most of the concerns expressed were based on misinformation or distortions and the questioners’ general sense of anger and distrust seemed to completely cloud their ability to reason (again, certainly a common human issue when we’re angry). A few good questions were raised, but the overall theme was definitely one of anger and resentment.

Before the question period could begin, a man rose and began shouting in anger. He was literally shaking he was so emotionally upset. Shouting just a few feet from Specter’s face, he accused Specter of trampling the constitution and that “One day God will stand before you and judge you and the rest of your damn cronies up on the Hill and then you will get your just desserts." I have to believe the man was sincere and I take him at his word, which means this man believes that God has taken a position on interpreting the US Constitution and to violate the Constitution is a sin! Beyond that this man’s anger is palpable and his desire for someone to “pay” for how he feels is very real.

The crowd cheered loudly for another man who believed part of the health care solution is to “round up the illegals and get them out of here.” It was heart-breaking to hear my fellow citizens cheering at the “rounding up” of men, women and children. An older gentleman expressed concern, in a respectful manner at least, that the Koran orders Muslims to kill non-Muslims. President Obama was accused several times of the auto bailout even though that was actually proposed by and signed into law by President Bush.

The loudest reaction from the crowd was for a woman who declared that the anger was about “the systematic dismantling of this country, we don’t want to turn into Russia!” It was not clear if she thought Obama was accomplishing the dismantling in the last 6 months or if she was unloading years of anger (though I believe the Republicans controlled all 3 branches of government for 6 or 7 of the last 10 years). This was a recurring theme and also one that astonishes me - whether or not someone or some idea is “American.” With no awareness of the irony, the crowd bristled at having been called un-American by some but then turned around and shouted angrily when Specter said “President Obama knows he’s an American.” The mere fact that Specter even had to say that is jaw-dropping; the crowd’s reaction is beyond belief.

In similar style, one dissenter was concerned that the proposed health care was “not American” and was “socialist” and then admitted he was currently unemployed and receiving unemployment benefits! I am glad for him and his family that the socialist program of unemployment is able to help him.

You might think I’m cherry-picking but I assure you I am not. The video record is available. The best-expressed concerns were about whether we can afford the proposed health care plans and questioning the financial sense of the cap-and-trade bill. The best question of the night was “why would the government buy an auto maker who makes cars no one wants?” But these few financial concerns were quite small compared to the charges of un-American, socialist, turning into China, etc.

Serious topics often come down to such buzzwords, sadly. Two buzz words even more loaded than those already mentioned are euthanasia and abortion. A woman said that according to the current House of Representatives’ health care bill, “Section 1233 of the proposed health care plan… What it says is, as a 74-year-old man, if you develop cancer, we're pretty much going to write you off because you're no longer a working citizen who will be paying taxes.” I read Section 1233 that she’s talking about and for her to say that flat-out amazes me. I believe someone told her what that section means, because it’s not at all as she stated. Section 1233 is a favorable provision for patients; it offers to pay for something that right now is needed but not a covered expense. That section offers to pay for (but does NOT require) a doctor to talk with a patient about a living will, advance care planning, durable power-of-attorney, the roles and duties of a health care proxy, and what all this stuff means. These things are incredibly important and far too many people are without them. I would abhor euthanasia and this Section 1233 does nothing to advance euthanasia. In fact, it looks to me like this would get more people making their OWN decisions. Absolutely incredible that something like this would be so blatantly distorted.

I am also highly in favor of reducing abortions and am sensitive to the concern about abortion funding. This issue is also being distorted, but it only came up once at Specter’s town hall. My caution regarding shouts of “I don’t want my money paying for someone’s abortion” is that we already do. If you pay taxes, our taxes help pay for abortions. If you pay insurance premiums to a private insurer, it is most likely that your premiums help pay for abortions. Depending on the medicines you buy, the doctors you see, the hospitals you pay - your money helps pay for abortions. That’s a stiff wall to climb, and it may be one you’re willing to pursue, but it bothers me when people get twisted around by this sensitive topic during a discussion of health care reform. If your goal is to stop any of your money from helping to pay for abortions, you have to head straight to amending the Constitution, not stop a health care reform that maintains the status quo.

I’ve gotten into more specifics about the dissent than I intended, but once I got started I thought it best to provide examples of the anger and resentment I saw. It’s difficult for me because, as I said, I respect dissent and challenging authority. And I believe these were sincere people, I know them, they are some of my friends and family. They are afraid and have been hurt and they are angry. When I’m feeling those things I get even more defensive and self-focused than I usually am, and anything that looks like it might take something from me (or did take something from me) is an easy target for my anger. My heart goes out to the people I saw on CSPAN and I wish for all of us a health care discussion that has as its central values that EVERY human being is Yahweh’s child and that protecting the health of each human being is a profoundly important personal and communal responsibility.

Need

2009-08-09T23:00:00.003-05:00

What's stalling progress in health care, in my opinion, is any sense of "need." I read a recent Rasmussen poll that said 68% of voters considered their health insurance coverage "good" or "excellent." It's difficult to achieve change for only 32% of voters (I think we can safely ignore non-voters when discussing achieving political change). And it's VERY difficult to achieve change for a minority when it may cost the majority something.

I want health care reform because health care is rationed here in U.S. and I believe we can be more equitable in our rationing. Personally, I'm happy with my health insurance coverage. I consider it expensive and the costs have risen every year the past 10 years, but I am able to adjust finances and I have been fortunate enough to avoid all major illnesses. But I also understand that our health care is rationed here in the U.S., I just happen to be at the head of the ration line. Because I can afford my premium, deductible, co-pay, and co-insured payment, I can afford most health care I will need. When we needed help for Casey's migraines beyond what was covered by our health insurance, we were able to pay the bill from our own pocket and she was able to gain some relief. I can afford preventative medicine with my son's asthma. Others may have emergency care available for free when an asthma attack hits, but because I'm at the head of the ration line I can obtain preventative care. The health care system rations care and gives it to me and my family because I can afford it.

I want health care reform because I am already subsidizing the care the system gives to people with no health insurance coverage at all. The hospital charges me more to make up for the care it gives to people who receive care even when they can't afford it. The ambulance service costs me more because it's cheaper for some people to call 911 and get emergency care (for non-emergencies) than it is to go visit a doctor. Doctors and hospitals have to charge me more because people who could not afford care neglected to see a doctor for problems that have now gotten much more serious, but their ability to pay hasn't changed. Since I'm already paying an extra cost for this broken style of care, I'd rather see these same people get preventative care.

I want health care reform because getting sick shouldn't cause bankruptcy. A recent Harvard study showed that 62% of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. in 2007 were caused by medical debts. The study found: "Most medical debtors were well educated, owned homes, and had middle-class occupations. Three quarters had health insurance." It makes me wonder if very many of the 68% who think their coverage is good or excellent have yet weathered a serious illness. How many times have we seen collection cans on the gas station counter to help pay for the out-of-pocket costs of some hard-working family hit by illness or tragedy? Just last week a guy in this area saved a toddler from certain death and suffered severe injuries in his efforts. Of course, a fund raiser was immediately scheduled to help him pay for his medical care not covered by health insurance.

I do not believe that tweeks will resolve my concerns. I believe we need serious change.

Yes, I'm concerned about what the financial costs of health care reform may be. But when I can progress beyond my desire to protect what's mine, I realize something MUST be done. The status quo is not an option. If I approach the current legislative proposals with an understanding of need and desire for serious change, I am much better able to ignore the lies and distortions about what the proposed reform is (and is not).

Hear Their Heartbeat

2009-08-06T12:00:00.001-05:00

On August 6, 1945, 64 years ago today, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. With heat up to 7,000 degrees and blast winds over 600 mph, the bomb obliterated a square mile of the city, killing between 100,000 and 140,000 people. Most of those killed were civilians as Hiroshima had a civilian population of 300,000 and an army base containing about 43,000 soldiers.

Three days later, on August 9, 1945, the United States dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, a city of about 200,000 people. The blast that day killed between 40,000 and 70,000 people.

Thousands and thousands of women, children and other innocent people were incinerated, deformed or given slow painful deaths. This is a tragically sad day in history.

I take time today to reflect with humility and horror at the unimaginable pain and destruction. I reflect on the horror without judgment of the men who rained it down, themselves trapped in the human pattern of violence and of valuing our own life greater than someone else. The bombs' effect on the end of the war is debated, but that seems to me a distraction from the reality of charred and mutilated women, boys, girls and men. Maybe it ended the war more quickly, maybe it didn't. But it's hard to see any justification for annihilating a city's civilian population, people no different than those in Kansas in 1945, just trying to get through the war and praying their family did too.

Though saddened by America's choices, I am also encouraged by America's renewed interest in eliminating nuclear weapons. We can, and should, lead the way. By remembering the horror and anguish, maybe we can find the courage to take bold steps toward eliminating weapons designed to kill innocent people.

We'll Build a Bridge

2009-07-28T22:00:00.002-05:00

I recently finished a memoir by an incredible woman named Shirin Ebadi. Her book, Iran Awakening: A Memoir of Revolution and Hope, tells her story of growing up under the rule of the Shah, the quick ascent of her legal career, her zeal for the revolution of 1979 and her subsequent struggle under the Islamic Republic. Shirin Ebadi's story is the parallel story of the fate of democratic and intellectual freedom in the last 35 years in Iran. Shirin fought to overthrow the tyranny and brutality of the shah, only to see it replaced with an equally brutal and culturally more-oppressive regime. Now, Shirin and others continue their quest to bring basic human rights and basic freedom to their brothers and sisters.

My timing in reading this book is no coincidence, I wanted to read it because of the recent events in Iran. I wish I had read the book prior to the Iran election, because the events after the election wouldn't have surprised me.

Some of the things from her book supported what I had already learned about Iran, women and democracy. For example, the anti-shah movement was not at all a pro-ayatollah movement. The ayatollah was but one of several factions seeking to overthrow the tyranny of the shah. After the shah fled Iran, it took the ayatollah a year or more to consolidate power and begin the Islamic Republic that we are familiar with today. Also, Iran's cultural view of women is very different than Arab cultures and Iran has long respected some authority for women. One of the difficulties for the Islamic Republic has been their inability to control the women in the country. The scenes of the crowds after the recent election made clear that Iranian women are engaged and taking some leadership.

There were also several things I learned from the book. Probably the most distressing thing to learn was how the Iran-Iraq war solidified the rule of the Islamic Republic. What made that particularly difficult was the role of the United States in furthering that war by supporting Saddam Hussein, even after we knew that Saddam was using chemical weapons against the Iranians. As I mentioned earlier, being anti-shah did not mean you were pro-ayatollah. When the Iran-Iraq war started, there were many factions still working toward resisting the kind of rule desired by the burgeoning Islamic Republic. The weak rule of the government was one of the reasons Saddam knew it was a good opportunity to strike. The counter-productive actions of the United States in that war are too tragic to be mere irony. Though I believe we sincerely wanted peace and democracy in Iran, we managed to help squelch all dissent and cement the control of the hard-line leadership. When I look at the present position of Iran, I see a perfectly human response to 50 years of duplicity and complicity and the occasional direct intereference. In fact, I am in some ways surprised to read about (and see evidence of) a decidedly pro-Western sentiment among the younger generation of Iranians. This was not the focus of her book at all, but certainly a theme that stood out to me as an American.

Ultimately, "Iran Awakening" is a book of hope. The revolution took a necessary pause during the Iran-Iraq war, took several more years to recover its voice, and has been steadily on the rise since 1999. Shirin Ebadi, at great personal cost, has taken that fight one case at a time. As a lawyer, Shirin has picked the ripest opportunities she can find to fight within the system for human rights, and democratic, cultural and intellectual freedoms. Her work has earned her the Nobel Peace Prize. Shirin, and many like her, continue to push for reform within the Iranian systems. They report a growing resentment and strengthening resolve, and the world has recently seen evidence of what is apparently right below the surface.

Shirin's story is far more textured than I've relayed here, and her story reveals as much about the rich Persian culture as it does the gritty reality of today's prison cells. So while I learned a lot about the social and political climate of an important and strategic country, more importantly, I took a trip across a bridge and caught a glimpse of families that love like I love, care for their children like I do, and die like I will.

"As long as there is distance between us and we cannot look in each other's eyes, all sorts of false ideas and images arise. We give them names, make jokes about them, cover them with our prejudices, and avoid direct contact. We think of them as enemies. We forget that they love as we love, care for their children as we care for ours, become sick and die as we do. We forget that they are our brothers and sisters..." Henri Nouwen

I Don't Want to Talk About Wars Between Nations (Not Right Now)

2009-07-14T22:00:00.001-05:00

I've been on vacation; a good, long vacation. My vacation was the kind where I started out contemplating the moral poverty of the world and 10 days later was mostly concerned with the angle of the sun on my lounge chair and the temperature of the water in the pool.

I guess even on vacation I was always aware of the extravagant luxury of my life. I knew I was literally swimming in water while my sister Lily gathers water 10 times a day in her jerrycan. But I was also able to live in the moments of abundance: abundance of grace and love from Casey and the boys, of leisure time, of safety, of freedom, of food, of intellect... Okay, just threw that last one in for fun, but my point is I have a lot of a lot and vacation was wonderful.

My reading for the trip was Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" and "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience." Works I was well aware of by a guy I vaguely admired, and literature I suddenly felt the need to read (for reasons that will become clear in later months).

Turns out, HDT is pretty awesome. It's not light reading, and as my brain steadily vegetated over the 10-day vacation his 1850's prose grew denser by the day. But HDT was dedicated to a few ideals that I aspire to, and he practiced and wrote about them with passion: a desire to live simply and resist consumerism and materialism, the preservation of and human interdependence with nature, transcendentalism and our duty to act on our conscience. Good stuff. A simple book review would never be adequate, but his works will be infused in my thinking and writing for several up-coming topics.

Now vacation has ended and my regular life resumes. But that's certainly no complaint.

One Life With Each Other: Sisters, Brothers

2009-06-24T23:00:00.001-05:00

Twice today I had to close the door of my office, just for a few minutes, to allow the tears. The frightened bursts of communication coming from the people of Iran gave me the visual of a light dimming. The light of hope and peace that seemed so bright last Monday was being dimmed by the relentless pounding of black batons, and worse.

During one of these emotional interludes I caught myself, for a moment, thinking "Wow, almost everyone around would think I'm overreacting. Am I overreacting?" I soon recalled something I read from William Wilberforce: "If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow-creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large.” By the time I was collecting myself, it seemed crazy NOT to be reacting to the suffering. Real people are being killed, beaten and terrorized.

It was Tuesday around ten in the evening, when I first heard of my son’s arrest. I got shocked and I found myself in total despair. Amin is only seventeen years old and is currently in eleventh grade and attending the program in his school. I immediately started to look for him, experiencing very hard and painful moments. Moments that neither cinema nor any other kind of art will ever be able to express. What I went through and witnessed that night is not easy to describe…I had no idea where they had taken my son to, therefore I stared looking in every ambulance, every police station and every hospital in town. I came face to face with other parents looking for their children as well. Mothers screaming and calling the names of their sons and daughters. Fathers weeping silently. Terrified kids in police stations awaiting their faith…it was a total nightmare.

As I mentioned a few days ago, the close proximity (via technology) of this suffering makes it unique and adds the personal dimension I'm just not used to in world politics. I don't get to read the blog of a mourning North Korean mother whose son was falsely accused and publicly executed. I don't get frantic Twitter updates from a woman in the Congo as she tries to escape the militia's rape squads. I didn't have fresh cell phone video of the last moments of the 50-60 Iraqis killed by a bomb in Baghdad today. It's hard to imagine my reaction if I did have that access. I'm almost thankful I don't, but it's no less real.

Am I overreacting? I think I've barely even begun to react...

The Courage to Walk Out Into the Street

2009-06-20T22:15:00.002-05:00

"In retrospect, all revolutions seem inevitable. Beforehand, all revolutions seem impossible." Michael McFaul

I am drawn to the Iran election protests. By drawn, I mean I feel a magnetic pull radiating from my solar plexus toward the men and women demonstrating bravery and independence in the face of violence and death. I see the massive crowd walking in quiet defiance, and I want to be there. I see the peaceful response to violence, and I am in awe. I see videos of beatings, and I want to offer protection. I hear the haunting shouts of Allah-u-Akbar from darkened rooftops in Tehran, and I get chills. I see a video of the moment of a young woman's death, shot to death by militia trying to stop the protesters, and I beat my chest in sorrow. I can't link it, it's too awful, but you can find it if you try. Her name was Neda.

Why are my emotions so strong for my Iranian brothers and sisters? Is it because for the first time in history the revolution is actually being "televised"? Because I can read and see and hear the struggles within minutes of it happening? Before I went about my day this morning, I watched a newly uploaded video of the streets of Tehran. Knowing that this is literally happening during my day, and I can easily see it, how can that NOT affect my day? According to someone who says they were with Neda when she was killed, she was shot about 9:30 a.m. my time. I saw it about 3 p.m. the same day.

Is it because the people look like me? It's certainly a more "Western" side of Iranian culture than we usually get to see. The young woman dying on the street looks like someone I saw at the store yesterday. The young man getting clubbed looks like me. The disillusioned revolutionary running down the street looks like my good friend. The pervasive presence and use of technology looks like me and my friends.

Is it because my soul is awake to its purpose and is inherently drawn to the suffering of my human family? Is it because my deep-seated pride immediately rebels against the boot of dictatorship?

I say yes to all, and more reasons I can't even describe yet.

So now what? I feel helpless. I am helpless. The revolution still feels impossible, and even if successful the result is an unknown. But enough has happened already to warrant real emotion, and I agonize for an action. If all this does is make me more grateful for my insanely peaceful and easy life, that seems like I would have wasted an opportunity. It doesn't seem enough that I simply gripe less, and be a kinder and more peaceful person. Am I stuck with the feeble Butterfly Effect of my choice to live nonviolently? These questions are not just rhetorical, they beg for an answer, even if that answer is not a satisfyingly-definable action. Please, offer your thoughts.

I'll keep working toward an answer, but for now, my feeble peace and love are better than nothing. Today, my brothers and sisters, I am Iranian too. Allah-u-Akbar!

What More in the Name of Love

2009-06-15T05:00:00.002-05:00

I've heard it said that your heroes are people that are living what you aspire after. In that case, Dr. Izeldeen Abuelaish is a hero to me. I contemplate, talk about and aspire to live peacefully, even in the face of violence, and Dr. Izeldeen Abuelaish lives it.

I heard a story on NPR this week that grabbed my attention. It was about a Gazan doctor who had 3 of his children killed in their home by the Israeli army on Friday, January 16 of this year. The doctor lived in Gaza but worked in Israel and in Gaza, serving Jewish and Palestinian patients. I could certainly understand if Dr. Abuelaish responded in the anguish of a dad and lashed out at others, particularly those that killed his girls. Instead, Dr. Abuelaish is responding with a simple philosophy: "Love each other, help each other, respect each other."

Before the tragedy, Dr. Abuelaish, who had ties with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and media, was known regionally for his belief in peace and nonviolence. As he said, "This is the path I believed in and what I raised and educated my children to believe."

During the Israeli-Gaza battle earlier this year, Dr. Abuelaish stayed in his Gaza home with his 5 children. He stayed in constant contact with outside media, believing this contact and his reputation kept his family safe. Instead, tragedy. In his words:

"My daughters were just sitting quietly talking in their bedroom at home," Dr. Izeldeen Abuelaish told me on the phone between sobs. "I had just left the room, carrying my youngest son on my shoulders. Then a shell came through the wall. I rushed back to find their dead bodies - or rather parts of their bodies - strewn all over the room. One was still sitting in a chair but she had no legs."

Unimaginable pain. Through his connections, Dr. Abuelaish was able to get medical help for his family that survived, but 3 of his daughters plus a niece died in the attack. The victims were Bisan, 20, Mayar, 15, Aya, 13, and the doctor's niece Nur, 17. "My eldest daughter was five months away from finishing her degree in business and financial management. She was looking forward to the future and I was so proud of her." You can find some video from that night HERE.

From the night of the tragedy through today, even during intense and public grief, Dr. Abuelaish has remained steadfast that "Military ways are futile, for both. Words are stronger than bullets. We have to understand each other. We have to respect each other as a human, as equal, and that the dignity of both is equal." Equality, not revenge. Dr. Abuelaish even accepted the Israeli Army's fact-finding which found its mistake "reasonable."

In his interview with NPR, Dr. Abuelaish said his faith in God is helping sustain his belief in peace and the possibility of love. "As a believer, as a Muslim, with deep and strong faith, everything which comes from God is good. Why I was selected? Why my daughters were selected? For a purpose, for something good," He believes that Allah is using the tragedy to help the doctor get out the message that "Gazans are dying. They are human beings like others." Another fruit of hope from this tragedy is that Dr. Abuelaish is establishing a foundation, from the money paid as compensation by the Israeli government, to provide scholarships and support for the education and health of Palestinian women and girls.

Dr. Abuelaish prays that maybe his daughters will be the last sacrifice, that his children would be the last price for peace.

I find this a truly remarkable story of grace. Dr. Izeldeen Abuelaish is a heroic man.

Here is the interview that introduced me to Dr. Abuelaish. Five minutes of airtime; five more minutes of turning a tragedy into a step toward a more peaceful world.

If You’re the Prosecution I Get Away With Murder

2009-06-06T22:15:00.003-05:00

The meaning of the word Murder is exactly what I have been pondering. If I saw a man driving a car through crowds of children, and I saw he was headed toward another group – what force is appropriate to stop him? I invite you to answer that question for yourself too. The answer probably jumps to us pretty quickly.

Here is the rub, what do I (or you) REALLY believe about the meaning of the term "unborn child"?

The tragic killing of Dr. George Tiller challenges our true beliefs about the unborn. Dr. Tiller was willing to perform abortions after the 21st week of pregnancy. If I actually believed that 21-week (and later) fetuses were unborn children, then isn't the same amount of force appropriate to stop Tiller the same as if he were driving a car through crowds of children?

If I don't condone using brute force to stop persons like Tiller, am I conceding I don't really believe he was killing unborn children or conceding I'm a coward? I wish people who toss around words like "abortion is murder" and "you're killing unborn children" would think about this. If they mean it, and they're not stalking abortion doctors are they cowards?

Personally, since I can’t be sure a 21-week fetus is a life, I can decry Tiller’s murder. But I am aware of the safety of my choice.

Life Should be Fragrant, Roof Top to the Basement

2009-06-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

One year ago, on June 2, 2008, I lost my grandpa. I had been amazingly blessed to have known all of my grandparents for my whole life until that day. He was my dad's dad. He was a unique and loving man and I miss him. While driving to his funeral, I wrote these words to him, and the tears are as fresh today in re-typing them as they were the day I wrote them.

Dear Popo,
They say, and you agreed, that the best thing about grandparenting is getting to spoil the kids and enjoy them but none of the responsibility. It seems that works both ways. We got your best. Without the complications and baggage of others' problems and hurts, you gave me unconditional love and acceptance. I feel wildly blessed to have gotten that. I am sorry your loss of hearing affected our communication, but you never had any trouble communicating that you loved me and affirmed me. The thing I love most from you is that same love for Casey and the boys. I saw you expand your family, more than once, with sincerity.

So many fun times: arcades, camping, fires in your yard, games in your living room, donuts, pancakes, puzzles, hobbies... I remember telling you one time that when I was younger I went to other places and did things, but when I was at your house I was the center, it was about me. It was just part of a conversation then, but I'm so glad I told you. Visiting as an adult was the same. How was I? What was new? What was interesting? What were the boys doing? Your broad smile and strong hands and arms.

I am proud to look like you and to carry your name. I am, after all, 25% you. What 25% do I choose to believe I carry? Donuts of course - that's literally in my DNA. But also questioning conventional wisdom, a penchant for puzzles, the ability to change, love of the odd thing (let's call it "unique" things), and sharp wit (and tongue?).

I carry part of you with me but I will miss your fountain of love and affirmation. I feel regret for not drinking in more. But you would just beam and say "We are happy to see you, come back when you can, I love you." Thank you, Popo, thank you.

I miss you but your investment of love and affirmation lives on. I hope that it honors you (even as I write this I see your beaming smile, of course it does).

That felt almost happy and now a few minutes later here I am so sad. As Henri says, dancing turns to mourning and mourning to dancing with no clear lines.

Grandparents occupy a unique throne. Thank you for using yours for me.

Your loving grandson.

InterviewProject.com

2009-06-01T12:00:00.004-05:00

David Lynch launched the Interview Project today. Lynch's son and another film documentarian traveled 20,000 miles in a meandering trip across the United States and back. Along the way, the two interviewed hundreds of people. The Project posted the first interview today and a new one will follow every 3 days for a year.

I'm a fan of Lynch's work and I am drawn to the humanity of this project. Based on the first interview, I am expectant.

InterviewProject.com

"Regrets? Oh, I got a whole
bushel basket of them but I can't
do anything about 'em."

It's the Stuff

2009-05-27T22:45:00.000-05:00

I've been out of pocket this week, so I want to take this chance to pass along an excellent video called The Story of Stuff. In their words:

The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

There is some hyperbole in the video, but I encourage you to consider the entire message. It's a little long but it's worth viewing even if just for the down-to-earth explanation of Externalized Costs and revealing look at "the Golden Arrow of Consumption."

www.storyofstuff.com

The Trenches Dug Within Our Hearts

2009-05-25T09:50:00.001-05:00

"War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today."

-John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (1917-1963)

Jesus, I'm Waiting Here Boss

2009-05-19T21:30:00.001-05:00

You know the exact minute Dennis Skillicorn will die. At 12:01 a.m. his time, just a few hours from now, the State of Missouri will kill Dennis Skillicorn. When I go to sleep, he'll be alive. When I wake up, he'll be dead.

Skillicorn and his friends took part in a crime spree that involved the killing of 3 people. One of their victims, Richard Drummond, was the father of 3 girls. I have no comprehension of their pain.

We can all agree that Skillicorn was involved in an act of evil that drenched innocent people in agony. We can all agree that there are consequences to Skillicorn for his actions. But I cannot agree with killing him.

I believe the death penalty is wrong, for several reasons, but when applied to a real person like tonight the arguments are empty words. People, a man will be KILLED tonight in our names. A real live person.

Where are those who in other contexts want to "err on the side of life"?! I know no rational person who thinks it is morally WRONG to keep Skillicorn alive. So if there is even the CHANCE that killing him is wrong, shouldn't we err on the side of life?!

My beliefs tell me this man, even with the evil he committed, Dennis Skillicorn is Yahweh's child and we have no right to kill him. No right.

I ask you to take 1 minute of silence and meditate on this issue. 60 seconds of your day to contemplate both the pain of the Drummond family and the fruitless continuation of that violence by killing yet another person. Let it end...

Numb

2009-05-14T13:00:00.002-05:00

A new survey by Pew Research Center indicates that the more often you attend church in America, the more likely you are to approve of torturing a suspected terrorist to try to gain important information. I'm not surprised, are you? Also not surprising, if it's a white evangelical church you attend, you are even MORE likely than other church-goers to approve the use of torture.

The results of this survey were released a couple weeks ago. I have not written about it because some things are just too easy. How much effort does it take to rail against the rank hypocrisy of many church-goers and the evangelical movement? How much thought does it take to create a bumper sticker asking "Who Would Jesus Torture?"

Here is something that does require thought: Why? What is the connection between church attendance or religious affiliation and the approval of torturing another person?

Here is my humble attempt at understanding, but I am interested in other opinions:

I think this is a symptom of the heart-felt view of God as Judge that is embedded in the dogma of Protestant and Catholic religions. This heart-felt view of God as Judge leads to more frequent, and eventually habitual, judgment of others. When you are being judged constantly, it is natural to become more judgmental.

The inevitable destination of these dogmas is that some life is more valuable than other life (for example, an unborn life is more valuable than a convicted murderer's life). So if you believe that God is judging you as worthy of the everlasting torture of hell (and you're not a terrorist) then suspected terrorists are certainly way worse and temporary torture at our hands is acceptable. The suspect's life is expendable if torturing him will save innocent life.

When I look at what I believe about the life and words of Jesus, there seems to be no justification for torture. So I have to believe that it is the poison of religion that has created the connection between church attendance or religious affiliation and the approval of torturing another person.

I Can't Close My Eyes and Make it Go Away

2009-05-12T21:00:00.001-05:00

A year later, Iowa raid still marks a flashpoint
By MIKE McGRAW
The Kansas City Star
POSTVILLE, Iowa | If there is an epicenter in the shifting, emotionally charged debate over U.S. immigration policy, it is here, amid some of the richest soil on Earth.

That alluvial black dirt nurtures corn, beef cattle, chickens and turkeys, which require massive slaughterhouses. And that in turn nurtures a lively trade in the illegal immigrants willing to work in them.

All that ended in Postville a year ago today, when two government helicopters and some 900 immigration agents descended on this town of 2,200 and rounded up nearly 400 illegal immigrants working at a nearby meatpacking plant.

Believed to be the second-largest workplace immigration raid in U.S. history, it cost taxpayers $5.2 million, according to one estimate; it terrified workers and their families; and it left economic devastation in its wake.

"I am not angry at the people who do not want us here," said a weeping Nohemi Hurtado, who is from Mexico and earned $7.50 an hour cleaning the hair from beef carcasses at nearby Agriprocessors. "It is their country, but I just ask God that I can stay." [story continued]

On this anniversary of that dreadful event, I have difficulty wrapping my mind around its many implications.

To the extent anyone was taking advantage of these people, I am glad that ended. In no position to bargain, I expect the temptation to take advantage of them was intense. But then, that extends to the American consumer... okay, that extends to ME. Nohemi accepted $7.50 an hour to clean hair from beef carcasses. If I insist on cheap beef without care for how it was grown, processed and shipped, then I am part of the apparatus that exploited these workers.

I am confused and a little disturbed by the amount of resources put into this raid. Much like I am confused and disturbed at the anger often poured out on illegal immigrants from people who are only on this side of the border thanks to the DNA lottery and mere fate.

I am distressed at Nohemi's "it is their country..." If unquenchable love is the value, borders seem to be arbitrary divisions created by unquenchable pride or selfishness. Things that were stolen from others we now refuse to share.

The law is the law, and millions of hard-working people are here illegally. But perhaps the law is the problem this time and needs changing, to end the emotional, financial and sometimes physical devastation of my brothers and sisters who simply seek a fraction of the opportunity I have.

Sailing

2009-05-07T12:35:00.004-05:00

This is Bike, Walk and Wheel Week! This is my 3rd year participating, and last year was part farce and part adventure. You haven't heard from me yet this week because, sadly, it has all gone swimmingly. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I rode my bike to and from work without incident. I enjoyed warm sun and cool breezes. Today I rode the bus (it's Ride the Bus Free Day as part of BWWW). Today I knew where to go and when to be there. Sigh. Where's the adventure in that?

I have a chance at some adventure tomorrow. Aaron is in kindergarten and wants to participate in BWWW. Modeling works, eh? Fortunately, his class will have a "walk to school" event in the morning. If I can get him to a downtown park before 8 am, Aaron will get to walk the rest of the way to school. What is pretty funny is I will be taking him to the school kids' breakfast I inadvertently horned in on last year! This year I will return as an invited guest.

My sailing through the week is evidence that with a little perseverance, anyone can become a regular user of alternative transportation.

In God's Country

2009-04-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

I write this fable as a cautionary tale for America:

Drawn by the opportunity for jobs and greater freedoms and to escape hunger and oppression, Mexican citizens began to immigrate into the border areas of America. The numbers of the immigrants was small enough that it did not seem to threaten the American economy or culture. Even though they had no legal right to enter, there were enough jobs, money, food and space to accommodate the arrivers, so the Americans tentatively welcomed them. Some groups of Americans even welcomed their new Mexican neighbors with open arms.

Many Americans, and even the government leaders, shared personal and government resources, made personal friends with many of the immigrants and learned about their culture. As the Mexican population grew, people and the government sold the Mexican community property, provided education and health care resources to the immigrants. Under the care, support and mutually beneficial relationships with the Americans, the Mexican-American population began to thrive.

New immigrants joined the thriving population at a steady pace and the Mexican population began to form larger and larger communities of their own, making their relationship with the local governments and other original inhabitants less and less necessary. Unlike the first immigrants, the newer arrivals did not have to mingle as much with the Americans. Relations between the cultures weakened over time as the newest immigrants made no effort to learn English, transplanted as much of their culture from Mexico as possible, and even did business as much as possible within their own community.

After years of steady immigration and a generation that was born on this American soil, the Mexican-American population had grown so large that they began to view the land as theirs. As their needs increased, they became more aggressive about taking the resources they could see around them. When necessary, they even used violence or intimidation. It seemed they no longer feared (or respected) the Americans.

The episodes of violence increased at an alarming rate. The American population grew restless with these now-violent interlopers who were consuming more and more resources. Out of fear and retribution, the Americans launched a military offensive against the Mexican-American population and the war was on.

In a shocking turn, the Mexican-American population was much stronger than expected and heavily armed. In one stunning and violently grotesque episode, the Mexicans attacked the Texas government and (as crazy as this sounds) beheaded the governor of Texas and posted his head on a stake in the Texas capitol. Not through, and fully aroused in their anger, the Mexicans captured the 9-year old son of that governor, shipped him south and enslaved him…

I’ll end the story now but the next few chapters only get worse. The Mexicans eventually take completely over America through alternating bouts of political trickery and literal slaughter. By the time the story ends, the original Americans make up less than 2% of the total population.

Oh, one last thing, this story is true. Just insert "Christian Europeans" everywhere you see Mexican or Mexican-American above and it’s a sketch of the annihilation that unchecked immigration brought upon the Native Americans in the 1600s, right down to the beheading, slavery and slaughter. In the later chapters, more generations of American immigrants continue the torture and mass murder, including women and children, that would make the Taliban jealous. Even if you think you know the stories, it might be a good idea to revisit the history, especially in light of the intensifying immigration reform discussion in America.

See the Tuna Fleets Clearing the Sea Out

2009-04-22T12:14:00.003-05:00

When it comes to "green" products I live in the tension of wanting to be an early adapter and show great care, but also not wanting to get taken by misinformation or marketing campaigns (called greenwashing). Also, I believe that re-use is usually the best option for the Earth (and my money). It seems silly to me when people discard functioning items, from cars to water bottles, to buy a "green" replacement. Finally, it seems to me that unless I know more about the manufacturing, packaging and shipping process of the item or food, I may have a serious misconception about how "green" the product or food really is.

With this tension and uncertainty in mind, I hesitantly put out there what seems to be a good source. As you can see from the list of concerns, how can I stay on top of the life cycle of everything I buy or eat? This resource, Good Guide, doesn't cover everything, but it has extensive food and personal care reviews and, more importantly, good information about how to increase our intelligence in this area.

A good example of this whole process at work is applying this "industrial ecology" to something I recently purchased: a metal water bottle. After analyzing the extraction, processing, manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal, I learn that I need to use the bottle 500 times to beat plastic (though there is increasing benefit after only 50 uses).

In the interest of avoiding "all or nothing" thinking, I want to use Earth Day to further nudge me into a comprehensively responsible life.

Money Money Money

2009-04-20T08:48:00.004-05:00

So Oprah says to me yesterday, "hope you're loving your Sunday as much as I am."

My inner dialogue goes something like this: Has Oprah lost all sense of reality? She just told 300,000 people that she hopes they're loving their Sunday as much as she was. According to Forbes, Oprah's net worth is 2.7 billion dollars. She's clearly been too insulated for too long. That's a crazy thing to say from her position.

Those thoughts had barely hung in the air like a puff of Glade® air freshener, when it hit me. If I believe that, then I believe more money will help me love my day more (and my life is made of days).

Now I have no doubt that Oprah's Sunday was quite different than mine. Many things about her day were more convenient. Oprah had far more choices yesterday about how to spend her day. But I bet I loved my Sunday just as much as she did. Coffee and donuts on a rainy morning, read the news, played with the boys, was brought a meal by a friend, learned a lot from stimulating and friendly conversation during my visit to the Islamic Center, took care of my weekly budget responsibilities and had plenty to care for my family, laid in bed with a sick Aaron to help him go to sleep, eventually went to sleep myself in a safe bed with my best friend and a tiny new baby-on-the-way.

Come to think of it, I hope Oprah loved her Sunday as much as I loved mine...

These Are the Hands that Built America

2009-04-15T23:00:00.000-05:00

This quote from President Barack Obama is too juicy not to discuss here. But my time is limited this week so please feel free to unpack for me.

Monday April 9, while in Turkey, Obama said

One of the great strengths of the United States is ... we have a very large Christian population -- we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.

I agree.

President Obama and 76% of American citizens call themselves Christians (whatever that may mean to them). But we are a country of many religions or non-religious and we choose to consider ourselves unified by what we do have in common - certain ideals and values. The U.S. is about 70 to 75% Caucasian but we don't go around calling ourselves a "white" nation. If we called ourselves a Christian country, does that mean that 24% of Americans are not part of this country?

For anyone wanting to argue whether the U.S. was founded "Christian," they will need to address the fact that the nation became a majority "Christian" and majority Caucasian only after killing and driving out the original residents.

Frankly, isn't Christian a meaningless term anyway? Is there a universal definition? Don't Baptists define it with words that end up sounding a helluva lot like their religion? Catholics the same? On and on?

We may or may not see the end of a majority Christian America. But I'm ready to declare an end to calling our country "a Christian country." Next on the list is hopefully "the greatest nation on Earth...."

Speeding on the Subway Through the Stations of the Cross

2009-04-09T16:29:00.000-05:00

Despite my efforts to slow the Bang and the Clatter, this has been a hectic Lent. A combination of my own choices and unplanned circumstances upended my plans. My plan for Lent was to deny some of my overappetite for stimulation. My purpose in reducing stimulation is simply to increase my Awareness. Awareness of my Inner Light, of Charity (unconditional love) and Grace. While other years I have been more expansive, this year I was thinking more of just media stimulation. Every day I read multiple news sources, read and listen to political and social commentary, engage in discussions with multiple groups, listen to music, and I am "connected" at all times. The only media source I avoid regularly is television. I enjoy PBS, football games and a few shows. I loathe 24-hour news channels. I digress...

I have created some space these past few weeks and have had a few moments of better Awareness, but overall I have probably INCREASED my media stimulation. I am more connected than ever before. I see serious future benefits to relationships and even to increasing my Awareness from this increased connection, but the fact that I slipped right into it does give me pause. With difficult circumstances such as incapacitating pregnancy sickness Casey had (she's better now), bad spring allergy season, Momo dying, distressing family dynamics around the funeral, some extra commitments in the evening, increased work load - with these circumstances it is my nature to turn to stimulative and enjoyable activities, not to turn to quiet.

This week, sometimes called Passion Week, I had to assure myself that it was not too late. The temptation is to say I've failed, I'll do better next time, but the truth is I can still do a lot to increase my Awareness in this intense ending of Lent.

To that end, this Passion Week I am reading the works of Anne Catherine Emmerich. You can concern yourself, if you care to, with the authenticity or origin of her visions. But frankly I don't care. Like an African Proverb I heard, "I don't know if it happened, but I know it's true." There are some strange things she reports, to be sure, but not really any stranger than many incredible stories presented in our versions of the Gospels. And much like the Gospels, I don't concern myself with whether the details are right, it's the main themes that matter. What matters most to me in Anne's works is that it builds a reality for me of Jesus and his life, relationships and death. I read her intense and vivid descriptions and I'm transported. The preparations for Jesus' last Passover with his friends. The emotional moment when Jesus tells his mother what is about to happen.

She did not weep much, but her grief was indescribable, and there was something almost awful in her look of deep recollection.

Jesus' writhing and anguish in the garden right before his arrest is a tremendous story. Here Anne's recognition of what it was that grieved Jesus and her own part in that is both agonizing and inspiring. If you are interested, you can find her visions HERE. This week I have found it has significantly moved my Awareness.

The Sun is Coming up on the Ocean

2009-04-04T16:29:00.000-05:00

Des Moines, April 3, 2009— In a unanimous decision, the Iowa Supreme Court today held that the Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution.

Iowa is ending its discrimination against gay and lesbian couples. Wow.

After the debacle in Arkansas and the vote in California, it's not a surprise that this progressive move came from the Iowa Supreme Court. The traditional role of courts is to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority. Actually, it's more complicated than that, because actually the court enforces the will of the majority as set out in the constitution. It's the role of the court to remind the majority what they already agreed was the law. It's as if the people gather together in a time of calm reflection and agree "We want to be treated equally" and then the court must calmly ride that principle through the storms of the moment.

This decision brings up an interesting Federalism issue. Traditional conservatives tend to rely heavily on "state's rights" arguments and argue against Federal preemption, they argue "let the states decide!" However, in this area (and abortion) these same people find themselves pushing for Federal intervention on the issue. The "Defense of Marriage" act was passed with huge conservative support and it forbids the Federal government from recognizing a same-sex marriage even if a State endorsed the marriage. The debate around this Federal intrusion on state sovereignty is described well HERE.

From what I've read, the Iowa constitution cannot be changed until 2012, but I am sure the campaigns began yesterday afternoon. I am certain many ugly things will be said. I am sure that God will be misquoted and his name misused in this public discussion. I must brace myself. I can hope, however, that perhaps a few years of gay-lesbian marriages will be enough to convince thinking Iowans that the world didn't come to an end - maybe even enough time to convince some that their state is better off treating each other with fairness and equality.

"No Line on the Horizon"

2009-03-24T17:30:00.000-05:00

Having spent the last 22 years enjoying (and unpacking) U2's lyrics and having spent 2 years inside Bono's head, I approach U2's latest work looking for the usual theme: Grace. The pursuit of, the desperate need for and, occasionally, the liberating experience of Grace. Really that describes what's important to me, which is probably why I connect so strongly to U2 and their themes: Grace, Love, Equality and Peace. I have argued for years that U2 is the Greatest Rock Band of All Time, and for several years (especially after Pop) not many agreed. All That You Can't Leave Behind stormed out in 2000 and I heaved a sigh of relief as U2 validated my adoration. With How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2 cemented its legacy, in my opinion.

I waited patiently (and a little nervously) for how U2 could follow up the last 2 blockbuster albums. I have my answer and I'm breathing deeply the complex aromas of hope and despair, love and grace. I find this latest album, No Line on the Horizon, contemplative. This album is a fine wine, there is a bouquet that you'll miss if you think it can be gulped. There is plenty of rock and the usual steady influence of universal themes, but compared to the previous 2 albums I find the album's motif much more personal. All That You Can't Leave Behind and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb were "big" global themes where we traveled the globe in one Beautiful Day, we were blinded by the big City lights, we were sick of war and demanded Love and Peace or Else.

You'll find those subjects in No Line, but framed much more intimately. Bono doesn't want to talk about the wars between the nations, but we get the intensely personal experience of a dying soldier in Afghanistan. We share a few lonely, desperate hours in Unknown Caller. We experience the most effective "alone in the crowd" music in the haunting chords of Moment of Surrender. Is there anything more intensely personal than Being Born?

It's not all brooding introspection, of course, because you've already heard Get on Your Boots. I suspect Breathe is the most under appreciated song on the album, but if you can get through the inscrutable verses the choruses are sing your heart out awesome. And my favorite song on the album, Magnificent, has it all for me: it rocks, it's both personal and universal, and it captures a complex concept in a phrase.

Only love can leave such a mark, but only love can heal such a scar.

Speaking of turning a phrase, there is none better than Bono and there are many such bon mots here, such as the one above or "Choose your enemies carefully 'cos they will define you" or "While I'm getting over certainty, stop helping God across the street like a little old lady." As usual, every song has a few gems to mine. One from their last album that's been in my head this week, with the loss of my grandma, is "As you enter this world, I pray you depart with a wrinkled face and a brand new heart."

I won't have as long to wait for the next release. U2 plans to release another album this year, apparently called Songs of Ascent. Bono described it as "a kind of heartbreaker, a meditative, reflective piece of work, but not indulgent." I am overjoyed, you can imagine, but for now I continue to unpack and enjoy No Line on the Horizon.

Out From Under Your Beds C’mon Ye People Stand Up For Your Love!

2009-03-15T20:45:00.000-05:00

When I realize I've made a mistake and I've changed my actions to stop making that same mistake, I wish that were the end of it. I think that's human nature, don't you want to do that with your mistakes? Just declare, "okay, I realize the error and have changed course, so let's just proceed without mentioning this again."

More facts emerged this week about the United States' practice of torture from late 2001 through at least 2006. The facts are ugly. But the new administration has given the world every reason to believe we are done with torture, so does it really matter anymore? Why should we expend time and energy on the past if it's truly not continuing?

I believe there are at least 2 reasons. One reason is that this was kept secret from us. The only parts that were discussed publicly were twists and shades. If the perpetrators of this torture really believed this was not torture and was within moral and legal limits, why was it secret? Some facts are now available to us. I believe we should read it, ask questions if we can, and demand to know what has been done in our names. I believe we should close our eyes and imagine the smell and sounds of the 10 by 13 cell buried under the ground. Imagine a man being picked up by his neck and slammed against the wall. What does that sounds like? Does he yell out or just grunt? See the blue of his skin as he sits naked being doused with cold water, just so he can endure more beating. Imagine the torture of waterboarding.

I struggled against the straps, trying to breathe, but it was hopeless. I thought I was going to die. I lost control of my urine. Since then I still lose control of my urine when under stress.

The facts are available. Where is the outrage? Where is the fucking outrage?!

Is it because the people we were torturing killed us and would like to kill more of us? Is that what makes torture okay? Thoughts like that are exactly why we need facts. It is far too easy for us to justify this outrage when we sit comfortably in home and office, far away from the smells and sounds and blood. It's not us or ours being tortured and it may be us or ours that the torture "saves." Yes, it's hard to declare that you will live without the "benefits" of torture, that you believe the better choice is a life of love.

Every day I have to find the courage
To walk out into the street
With arms out

Another very important reason that we need to find out the facts behind what happened is that this reprieve of torture must withstand the forces that brought about the torture in the first place. I don't know whether you call it irony or ghastly justice, but in the same Sunday New York Times that detailed some of the torture, former Vice President Cheney claimed that the recent decisions to stop violating the US Constitution and international law (not to mention basic human rights) "will, in fact, raise the risk to the American people of another attack." The absolute gall of this position exasperates me. Once again, without proof, Cheney makes the argument that the best way to protect Americans is to violate the Constitution and international law. And even if it were true that torture could prevent attacks (and there is a body of evidence that torture, in fact, does NOT deliver helpful information), fear is again being used to try to convince us that torturing another human being is our best choice. Fear, if we let it, will drive us to fight evil with evil.

I, for one, want to come out from hiding in fear under my bed and stand up against this evil.

"Waltz With Bashir"

2009-03-08T18:30:00.001-05:00

"Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander."
- Holocaust Museum, Washington D.C.

This human commandment, because of its origin, develops as thick irony in the documentary movie "Waltz With Bashir." On its way to this tragic end, the movie offers a few intense views of the ravages of war. Though about an event 20 years ago, the resemblance to today's military actions is striking - and alarming. Western armies are not Blitzing London or annihilating Hiroshima, but war is also not pilotless drones and grayed-out crosshairs over inanimate objects. Every shot fired delivers and recoils agony.

"Waltz With Bashir" effectively lays out a series of events that leave us contemplating the slim moral distinctions between killing "only" a few innocent civilians, killing a child in self defense, outright ethnic cleansing and standing by doing nothing. Allusion is also made to our modern ability to completely ignore these tragedies as we move about our lives out of sight of the blood and out of earshot of the death wails.

When I saw in a preview a few months ago that the movie was animated, that seemed odd and possibly even distracting. But in performance, the animation allows the movie to flow seamlessly between interviews, memories of events and dreams. You get the view of past action without clunky reenactments and the boundaries between memories and visions are appropriately blurred. Even better, writer-director-producer Ari Folman makes use of animation to drive home his most important point in stunning fashion.

If we are never to be a victim, perpetrator or bystander, then this movie, like the real world it portrays, leaves us very little comfortable space.

The Road Refuses Strangers

2009-03-03T16:28:00.004-06:00

A person who flees to the United States and was persecuted in their country of origin, or who has a well-founded fear of persecution if they return, can stay in the U.S. as a refugee. However, a person cannot be a refugee if they "assisted, or otherwise participated in the persecution of any person." This persecutor exception makes sense. But what if the person was "forced" to assist in the persecution of others?

Daniel Girmai Negusie was forced to work as an armed guard for four years at an Eritrean prison camp where prisoners were persecuted because of their religious beliefs. According to Daniel, part of his job was to firmly control the prisoners, to punish the prisoners, too, by exposing them to the extreme heat of the African sun. The guards would hold a stick and follow prisoners who were being forced to roll on the ground in the sun. Because it was extremely hot, prisoners would quickly get tired and feel shortness of breath and stop rolling. They were then beaten. Prisoners typically could not survive this punishment for more than two hours. Indeed, at least one prisoner died from sun exposure while Daniel stood guard. Daniel admitted that, as a guard, he prevented the prisoners from showering and forbade them from leaving their rooms for fresh air. This form of punishment was particularly severe because the prisons were built from stone and bricks with no cooling system, no ventilation, no windows, and intolerable heat. Daniel also prevented prisoner escapes, for which the punishment was forced sun exposure. And, although he never used electricity to torture prisoners, he was aware that his supervisor did.

But Daniel, who had converted to Protestantism when he was confined as a prisoner at that same camp before becoming a guard, also testified that he did not want to persecute any of the prisoners because his new religion taught him to be merciful. Thus, at times he disobeyed his orders. On one occasion, he gave water to a prisoner who was dying from sun exposure. On another occasion, he let female prisoners take showers after they had been denied that privilege for a long time. Daniel also occasionally allowed some of the prisoners to go outside during the night and during the evenings and refresh themselves in the fresh air.

After four years as a prison guard, Daniel deserted his post and hid in a container, which was loaded on board a ship heading to the U.S. The container arrived in the U.S. with Daniel inside on December 20, 2004.

Should Daniel get asylum in the U.S.?

Just the Bang and the Clatter

2009-02-25T20:22:00.003-06:00

When William was 3 years old, he had this delightful thing he did. If he was out of the room from me for a little while, he'd bounce back in smiling, "Here I am, Daddy!" As if I had surely missed him, I had certainly wondered where he was and (most importantly) as if William fully expected that I was thrilled to see him.

There's a profound sense of vulnerability in that confidence. It would have been easy to inadvertently crush the tender petals of his spirit with just the turn of a head, stony look of a face, or mumbled words.

Leaving myself that unprotected is incomprehensible to me. Even in a more vulnerable moment, I'm bringing a picture with me I had just drawn, or showing how I can read words beyond my age level or telling how I just jumped farther than ever before. I am not having those expectations of joy about just me.

What if I left my drawings on the table, climbed down from the chair, took those steps around the corner and said, "Here I am." What if there is someone whose heart would nearly burst with delight at seeing just me step around the corner? Doesn't seem likely. Hardly even seems possible. But to be honest, I don't know because I can't remember ever trying. I keep distracted from the possibility with the Bang and the Clatter.

Today is Ash Wednesday. I can't say I'm stepping around the corner anytime soon, but I can say I am going to try to pare the Bang and the Clatter.

If you have any thoughts on Lent, plans of your own, or experience with your own Bang and Clatter, I'd love to hear.

And the Oscar Goes to ...

2009-02-23T10:00:00.002-06:00

There was a time, before children, when I had seen every movie nominated for Best Picture, nearly all the movies nominated for Best Actor, Actress, and Director, and many of the other nominated films.

This year I've seen only 1 of the Best Picture nominations (Slumdog Millionaire) and all 3 of the Best Animated Feature movies. That about sums it up.

I still get away for a few movies now and then and a few of those have nominations: The Wrestler, The Dark Knight, and Tropic Thunder (what the...). Other movies on the list that I’ve seen are Iron Man and Wanted, but technical nominations don't really count.

So even though I am behind on my movies these days, I watched the Oscars - with Sexiest Man Alive Hugh Jackman hosting, a live performance of Jai Ho and hopefully a speech by Mickey Rourke, I wouldn't miss it!

The Set
I loved the set. The stage and seating had a rather intimate feel - the presentation podium was right in the crowd. If you are going to put Brangelina on the front row, you may as well stand Jennifer Aniston only 6 feet from them! This year the sets were actually part of the presentation. Each one changed with the category of awards and related specifically to the category. A clever and artistic idea that worked.

The Host
Hugh Jackman is awfully excited that "the musical is back!" (but do NOT call him gay, his wife will get pissed). I kid. Overall I thought he did a good job, and seemed perhaps underused. His opening number was very good. I also liked his "musicals are back!" song and dance and feel affirmed that Wolverine also likes musicals (cuz, hey, I admit I loved Mamma Mia). Other than the opening and the dance number, I can’t remember anything Hugh did. Perhaps that’s a good host. But it seems he disappeared for long periods of time. I liked Will Smith’s joke that "Hugh is napping somewhere." So my review on Hugh hosting is mixed, though I attribute any poor marks more to him disappearing than anything he did.

The Presentations
The Actor awards this year were presented in the most personal manner that could have been imagined. I loved it. Each nominee was personally introduced by a past winner, and with the stage set-up the people were within feet of each other. More than any other award show, it seemed to actually honor the nominees and not just the winner. Cuba Gooding Jr.’s intro of Robert Downey Jr. was funny. Shirley Maclaine’s intro of Anne Hathaway seemed heartfelt. Overall, a good piece of the evening.

A few presenters were genuinely funny. Tina Fey and Steve Martin were naturals together and had funny material. I enjoyed the Seth Rogan and James Franco bit, but when they added Janusz Kaminski it was hilarious. Seth cracking up at James Franco mangling the winner’s name was so inappropriate and yet so funny. Ben Stiller tried an impression of Joaquin Phoenix and I was with it for awhile, but it went on too long.

The Political Theme of the Night
The Oscars tend to have a political theme most years. Without Bush to kick around, I wasn’t sure what the theme would be this year but it became obvious quickly: Gay and Lesbian Rights. The orginal screenplay winner was Dustin Lance Black for Milk and I found his acceptance speech moving. Sean Penn tried the "shame on you" tactic, but I believe Dustin’s approach will move far more people than copying the church’s usual tactic of shame. But I digress.

What They Wore
Not much to talk about with wardrobe this year. There was no Bjork Swan Disaster, but no one seemed to dazzle either. I’m not sure what Philip Seymour Hoffman was wearing on his head, but it looked like a stocking cap and I thought that a poor choice. My quick pick for worst dressed was Tilda Swinton. If you are going to wear a dress that looks like a bag, you should at least pick a color other than the exact shade of your skin.

Musical Performances
I was highly disappointed in the performances of the 3 nominated original songs. I correctly predicted the winner a couple weeks ago, and maybe I expected too much in its performance. All the right elements were there: the artists, the drummers, the dancers, moving through the crowd, etc. But it seemed flat, uninspiring and the sound through the television was very poor. I’m a John Legend fan, and even his song just seemed off.

The Winners
Mickey Rourke was robbed. When the self-centered Sean Penn gives you a nod in his speech, I think you know you were robbed. Okay, I haven’t seen Milk so I can’t say for sure, but I was shocked that Mickey didn’t get the win. In The Wrestler, Mickey Rourke gave what I would call a complete performance. I’m pretty sure Mickey is in every scene of the movie, he portrays nearly every basic human emotion in a realistic and consistent way, and created a complex character of someone you genuinely like and root for even as he destroys himself with his inability to pull away from his self-destructive choices. I am disappointed he didn’t win. I was going to see Milk anyway, and when I do Sean better be good!

Heath Ledger winning Best Supporting Actor was such a forgone conclusion that they left him out of the In Memoriam montage. It was a sad occasion and I believe he would have had a good shot at winning even without his death.

Slumdog Millionaire won the most Oscars and that seemed appropriate to me. If you’ve seen the movie, the sight of those children actors onstage at the final award was a great moment.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button won so many awards that I am, well, curious because that movie just looks strange to me. I look forward to seeing the movie.

Quote of the Night
"Suck on that, Anthony Dod Mantle!" - by Janusz Kaminski, the first cinematographer to ever present an Oscar to the cinematographer that had just won an Oscar.

"You are beautiful, wonderful creatures that have value. And no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you." - Dustin Lance Black speaking to gays and lesbians. Sincere words of love are always powerful.

"Slumdog Millionaire"

2009-02-12T18:56:00.002-06:00

Some time last year I read this interesting article on the slums of Mumbai, India. A fascinating read because of the paradox of the vibrant yet destitute nature of the slum's subculture. The recent movie "Slumdog Millionaire" captures that paradox. The movie has gathered considerable attention and mega award nominations. In my opinion, the movie earns the praise by delivering an original-feeling, creatively-told story of the ancient struggle of the human spirit against the human condition.

The creative centerpiece of the film is a unique story-telling device centered on Jamal Malik playing the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," but the heart is the story of unconditional love. The movie manages to show an unblinking portrait of life in the slum and yet retain the humanity of its characters, for better and worse. I found it a truly remarkable movie weaving together elements of classic tales (an unwavering hero and unconditional love) with modern tales (a conflicted antagonist, brushes of religion, geopolitical reality) with necessary movie elements (memorable acting, excellent cinematography and editing, not to mention a great soundtrack).

I'm probably drawn to it because at its essence it is the story of grace: the unrelenting pursuit of someone and never doubting the infinite value of that person.

It's hard to predict Oscars, but I'll say Song and Screenplay for sure.

The Grammy Goes to ...

2009-02-08T19:18:00.005-06:00

I love the Grammys. I watch the Oscars to see who wins, but not really anything else. I am interested in who wins the various Grammy awards, but mostly I watch the Grammys for the music performances. Tonight I will try some blogging as the Grammys roll.

The show kicked off with The Greatest Rock Band in History. The performance was not the greatest, but hey I'll never complain about an opportunity to see the boys from Ireland perform, and they do rock. Bono takes off his glasses just to show us he's wearing guyliner. Having worn guyliner before, I have no comment. "Thanks, Walter. Can we get Whitney Houston on the show?"

Whatever Bono asks for, Bono gets. Whitney presents next. Best thing I can say for her: she appeared sober. And trying to stretch her minute on the stage out as loooooong as possible. Jennifer Hudson wins the first Grammy of the night. Great girl and seems to be on a roll with the Super Bowl national anthem and now a Grammy for R&B album of the year. I believe her brother was killed recently, so her acknowledgment of family in heaven was poignant.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson bombed. Not funny and Katy Perry seemed embarrassed to be mentioned by him.

I'm a Justin Timberlake fan, but even he bombs in trying to say something funny here. The crowd seems a little dull.

Al Green is classic and can still sing, Justin does a nice job singing with Al. Casey says, "Al Green makes me smile." We love that song too. Justin advertised Keith Urban and Boys 2 Men would be involved with this number. Keith must be the white guy and B2M the backing vocals. Wow, how B2M have fallen.

Coldplay. Great band. Nice jacket on Chris Martin (if you've seen my new one you'll know why). Jay-Z steps into "Lost" with Chris Martin?! Uh-oh, Coldplay's performance is now the coolest of the night. Chris wore himself there in "Viva la Vida."

Sorry, I've never gotten into Carrie Underwood and tonight is more of the same. Ugly dress and a country song written by a committee. Sugarland just won a Grammy for something. They're a country band that sang a song one time I liked. Best I can do there.

[BTW, DVRs rock. Boys to bed without missing a thing and now I can start skipping the ridiculous commercials anyway]

Song of the Year already? An eclectic choice of songs! All good ones, but it's apples and oranges, really. By the way, the video for that "Chasing Pavements" song is really cool if you've never seen it. Another little tidbit about a song nominee here, I heard Sara say one time that the target of her song "I'm not going to write you a love song cause you ask for it" is not a guy - it was her recording studio who told her that her album needed a love song. Nice one, Sara. "Viva la Vida" wins. More incentive for Joe Satriani to pursue his lawsuit. It's a good song, but not sure I'd call it the song of the year. That album was phenomenal music but just "okay" lyrically. Could have been so much better, oh well. Moving on.

Kid Rock. "Amen." Change really has come to America when white trash is singing about race relations, poverty and war. [FYI, I use the term white trash here in the non-pejorative as used self-referentially by white north Americans with higher socioeconomic status to jokingly describe limitations they sense in their culture] Welcome to the cause, Kid!

Taylor Swift and Hannah Montana!!!!!! OMFG!!!!!!

Taylor kicks Hannah's ass. Pop Collaboration is yet another difficult choice, but the right one is made here. I heard that song only once or twice ever, but I loved it.

Jennifer Hudson is singing. I hope she doesn't make me cry (I'm only on my 2nd beer, I should be okay). Oh no, she's singing "You Pull me Through" - I am verklempt...

Thankfully I now have the Jonas Brothers to drain all emotion from me. Soulless Disney, I ain't feelin' it. The parts where they aren't singing and only the band and Stevie Wonder are playing are okay, as long as I'm not actually looking at three 15-year old, home-schooled white bread boys.

Rock Album Grammy always throws me. I never know what they mean by "rock." Coldplay wins over Metallica, see what I mean?

Katy "bicurious" Perry performs. She's come a long way since her christian artist days, that's all I can say about that. Don't bother kissing a girl on stage, Katy, you'll never top Madonna and Britney a few years ago.

10-time Grammy winner Kanye West? I thought he was always angry that he never wins? Kanye's hair is totally Lionel Richie from the "Hello" video, dude! Well, not curled but that same shape. Not his best work, but I like Kanye. Best New Artist Grammy? Anyone but Jonas Brothers, please... Yeah! Good song, I don't know if her other stuff is good.

Does Morgan Freeman have a fake arm? Miming Michael Jackson? He's friends with Kenny Chesney?! WTF?! I never knew Morgan was gay... I kid! Just because he's friends with a gay guy doesn't make Morgan gay. About 10 years ago Kenny won me over with a song about his grandpa, I give him grace since then.

Record of the Year already? I like spreading these big Grammys throughout like this. Same song that won Song of the Year, right? So it won for the song writers earlier and now the performers and producers. Robert Plant and Alison Kraus are 2 great artists so I guess you can't go wrong there.

The next performance is a great example of something that sounded great in planning but wow what a mess on stage. Don't get me wrong, I love a pregnant rapper as much as the next person, but wow. Kanye, Jay-Z, et al. At least I just realized that MIA's song is on the Slumdog soundtrack.

Paul McCartney takes Kurt Cobain's spot in front of Dave Grohl. Can't be worse than what we just saw. Note to Bono, stop singing before age 66.

Pop Male Vocal. "Say" by John Mayer. Excellent choice.

I'm reminded what I liked about Sugarland, this is that song I couldn't remember earlier, nice song and emotion for "Stay." Hey, the last song was only one letter different. Say now Stay. Wild.

That "Chasing Pavements" song is good. That's one of the funny things about the Grammys. I heard this song a lot a long time ago, haven't heard it in a long time, now I've heard it 3 times tonight.

Radiohead and the USC marching band. Awe. Some. (I wonder what Thom has against wireless mics?)

TI and Justin Timberlake. We kinda like TI around here, the boys are fans of "Whatever You Like" (radio edit, people, please). Ooh, soon as I said that, TI got censored by the live delay. Believe it or not, the song has a positive message and is really good.

Neil Portnow. Every year this guy gets up there and wastes our time. This year he tops that by trying to ride on Barack Obama's coattails. What a douche.

Four Tops' music. 50 years from now, a botoxed Kanye West will be reliving his glory days. Out of respect for that possibility, I don't fast forward.

Josh Groban introduces Neil Diamond. I'd rather hear Josh. Will Ferrell will always be Neil Diamond to me ("my heart and my ass hurt!"). I had a friend who sang "Sweet Caroline" at every karaoke opportunity, and did a great job actually. The crowd acts like they're at karaoke.

RIP, Eddie Arnold. Isaac Hayes died? What did South Park do with Chef?

I really, really like John Mayer. He has respect for music and plays new stuff that sounds like old stuff.

Lil Wayne and Robin "Alan" Thicke. Interesting experiment: will the combination bring up Thicke's cool more than it drags down Wayne's? I believe the result cancels each other out. It's not cool and it doesn't suck. The New Orleans stuff (Terence Blanchard) is cool. I was in New Orleans less than a year before Katrina, and I'd love to go back.

You know Will.i.am wasn't going to NOT mention Obama. Rap Album Grammy to Lil Wayne. How'd he beat the Godfather Jay-Z? Congrats, Lil.

[an aside regarding the new Pepsi commercial, they stole Obama's campaign symbol and now his songwriter?]

Alison and Robert Plant finally perform live for us. I remember Alison Kraus from her bluegrass circuit days in Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. I first heard her live when she opened for Garth Brooks in about 1993. She looks better every year. Alison Buttons?

Album of the Year, the biggie. With so much love tonight, it's no surprise that it's "Raising Sand" by Robert Plant and Alison Kraus. I clearly need to listen to this album.

Well, that's it. I think the best performances were all in the 1st half. I didn't get that memorable performance we sometimes have at the Grammys, but a good music show nonetheless. We close the show with Stevie Wonder by himself singing his newest song "All About the Love Again." So on a night to celebrate the best musical art of 2008, we leave with this:

What if someone made a soda
That caused everyone to love each other

Good night!

Singing This Song Makes Me Dance

2009-01-28T10:03:00.001-06:00

A new song I've been enjoying lately is "Let it Rock" by Kevin Rudolf and Lil Wayne. A fun song that combines synthesizer and guitars into driving rhythm, but keeps its hip-hop essence. Not really Rap Rock but could be called Pop Rock Rap. Here's a 70-second (radio-edit) clip:

I also have a new artist I've been enjoying. I've been listening to him for about 6 months, and this week heard him on the radio for the first time. I can't claim credit, though, Pandora introduced us. Pandora: like a Match.com for music fans. With a new album that's getting more support, you may soon hear of Brett Dennen. Here's a sample of his music I first heard about 6 months ago. From the album "So Much More" a clip of the song "The One Who Loves You the Most"

Brett's new album "Hope for the Hopeless" continues his mellow groove but the first single "Make You Crazy" adds an Afro-Beat with great effect, in my opinion. Groovy and upbeat, with culturally progressive lyrics:

Not bad for a red-headed white guy. I hope you enjoy him. His website streams several of his songs.

One more music note, there's no way I can talk about music this month without mentioning that the greatest rock band of all time released a new song. U2's first new song in 5 years was leaked last week so the band released the song on their website. The song and album cover art are HERE. I hope you have Bose speakers for your computer, because the steady beat is very Vertigo. For guys almost 50, they can still rock. I'll have much more to say when the album drops; till then I sit agog and get on my sexy boots...

Future Needs a Big Kiss

2009-01-24T11:06:00.004-06:00

I found President Barack Obama's inauguration speech skillful but not eloquent. It seemed to me that more than once he packed entire policy or value discussions into one sentence. The overall tone was firm but with compassion. Here are my Top Ten most important things Obama said in his inaugural speech:

10. "To those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."

9. "Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." [avoids the easy blame of "it's all Wall Street's fault" and includes our personal responsibility]

8. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate." [gives heroic value to nurturing a child, an echo of Dag Hammarskjöld as discussed in a prior post]

7. "The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works...Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end." [values substance over political perception]

6. "Our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead...our power grows through its prudent use. Our security emanates from the justness of our cause; the force of our example; the tempering qualities of humility and restraint." [strength through humility and true justice, not brute force and exclusive knowledge of "truth"]

5. "With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat." [rolling back nuclear weapons isn't as fashionable as it once was, and I have appreciated Obama's persistent focus on this issue since his first days in the Senate]

4. "Because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace." [draws on our past mistakes as a strength and as reason for hope that the same things can happen in other places of the world that seem hopeless right now]

3. "We will restore science to its rightful place." [nuff said]

2. "A man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. So let us mark this day in remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled." [understated notice of remarkable human evolution and invokes our better nature, not shame]

1. "We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals."

I Can't See What You See When You Look at the World

2009-01-14T20:44:00.000-06:00

The terror in Gaza and Israel continues today. More rockets fly in from both sides. Those of us that try to learn of the history and stay current on the cultures, politics and religions of the area can easily throw up our hands and call it impossibly complex. An endless quagmire that only "divine intervention" can resolve. But again it's so easy to sit at safe distances and shrug that only God can fix this. There's nothing we can do about it. Terror and war will always be with us. And poverty and disease. Only the naive believe they can change these inherent evils, believe they can change the world...

I sat today at an all-school assembly for Lee School Elementary. 330 kids in an age range of 6 to about 11. After a program of announcements, recognition and performance, the principal said they would sing in closing "our new favorite song." This brought a stir up from the kids. I was unprepared for what came next. 300 young voices sang "Together we can change the world." Imagine with me the voices of about 300 kids, some strong and clear and some hesitant, together quite a choir singing:

My heart simultaneously soared with hope and sank with sadness. The sweet earnestness of hundreds of kids asking "What if we spoke with one voice, knowing that we have a choice?" The rueful naiveté of a child's belief in our ability to "Change your mind and change your life, set aside the fear and strife, together we can change the world!"

Naive kids. Destined to have their dreams of changing the world shattered. Nearly half of the kids in the room, 156 of them, live at or below 1.5 times the federal poverty level. Forget changing the world, half these kids will be lucky to make it out of poverty! Imagine that, a minority boy in the middle of a midwestern state whose family works merely to survive is singing about changing the world. But maybe... just maybe...

We Eat And Drink While Tomorrow They Die

2009-01-08T16:02:00.005-06:00

While I concern myself with the new simplifications I'm trying, while I enjoy the comfort and safety of my home, while I play games with my boys ...

An Israeli mother drops to the ground, protecting her boys from a terrorist rocket with her arm... her arm. Look how well trained the boys are, their faces against the bricks, their hands perfectly placed in protection.

While I entertain myself with a football game tonight, while I feel inconvenienced by the weather or my sinuses, while I say goodnight to my boys with the room and night light arranged to get rid of every scary shadow...

A Palestinian boy flees his home from the "righteous" rockets and waits in a strange place bewildered and afraid. Look at his feet on the stone. Imagine the bulk of his sweater and the heft of his body as you give him the hug he clearly needs.

I'll get along tonight because somewhere in the activity of my evening the images will fade. The tears won't be pressing behind my eyes. The goodness of life will again have my attention. But those boys are still out there. At least I hope so...

The Heart is a Bloom

2008-12-31T13:20:00.005-06:00

20 years ago today, on December 31, 2008, the number one song was "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison. "Rain Man" was the big movie of the year. "The Cosby Show" was the number one TV show.

20 years ago today I was 17, in the middle of my senior year of high school and it was an unforgettable New Year's Eve. Before you imagine the party scene at Wyatt's house in "Weird Science," you should know that my school was a small, highly conservative, private school, so New Year's Eve was pretty low key. Because my school was so small, we teenagers didn't pay much attention to grade level (senior, sophomore, etc.) for sports or social activities.

That New Year's Eve 20 years ago several of us got together at Jason's house to watch a movie (VHS no doubt, as 1988 was the also the year Sony conceded defeat of its Betamax video). The movie was "Full Metal Jacket" kind of an odd pick in hindsight, not sure who picked it, but I didn't pay that much attention to the movie. I ended up sitting on the couch next to Casey Twidwell. Casey was younger than I was but we had known each other for a few years by then, and had been at many group activities together. We were friends and always had fun. Something was different that night though and we stayed right next to each other the whole night. Halfway through the movie most of the kids left to go somewhere, and I can't recall now where they went, but Casey and I stayed put even though I don't think either one of us was watching the movie by then, we were talking and laughing and having a good time being together.

An interesting parallel from that night to something that happened recently was that a severe fog rolled in that night. I can't recall how this part worked out, but I got to drive Casey home. In that thick fog, a driver needed to be cautious and drive pretty slowly. I drove even slower. I got up the courage on that drive home to tell Casey how I felt that evening and that I was interested in being more than just friends. We left it at that when I dropped her off, early in the morning on January 1, 1989. Within days we were talking for hours on the phone and then "going together" and have been together ever since.

Our life together began 20 years ago tonight.

Someday At Christmas

2008-12-23T16:49:00.001-06:00

When we have learned what Christmas is for
When we have found what life's really worth
There'll be peace on earth

I Must Be An Acrobat To Talk Like This And Act Like That

2008-12-13T12:52:00.007-06:00

Last week ABC News aired an interview with George W. Bush, an interview that focused entirely on Bush's faith in God and its impact on his governance. I found it interesting and informative. During Bush's first presidential campaign and into his first term, I thought he talked well about his faith, tending to speak of grace not a dogma of exclusion. It has also seemed to me that his positions on immigration, foreign aid, and AIDS have been consistent with his expressed views of grace and faith. Of course, I find some decisions of war and torture to be wholly inconsistent with these same views.

Freed from the constraints of another election, I think we're hearing some candid answers from Bush. And to be honest, as frustrated as I am with Bush about some pretty big things, I am in tune with his views of faith. The juicy excerpts below (edited for easier reading), and the entire interview HERE.

(Voiceover) To the sympathetic, he's a man of deep and abiding faith. To his detractors, he's a man whose leadership has been blinded by that faith, leading the nation dangerously off course. What there is no question about is that his faith has played a central role in his presidency and his life since the mid 1980's.

CYNTHIA MCFADDEN
So do you believe that God actually intervenes in human affairs?

PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH
I'm not so presumptuous as to kind of be God. In other words, it's one I get asked all the time, well if you're religious, therefore you must think that you were picked out of all the people on the face of the earth to become president. I just can't go there. I'm not that confident in knowing the Almighty to be able to say, yeah, God wanted me of all the other people. My relationship is on a personal basis, trying to become as closer to the Almighty as I possibly can get. And I've got a lot of problems I mean, I've got, you know, ego. I've got anxieties and all the things that prevent me from being closer to the Almighty. So I don't analyze my relationship with the good lord in terms of, well, you know, God has plucked you out or God wants you to do this.

I know this. I know that the call is to better understand and live out your life according to the will of God.

MCFADDEN
Does God talk to you at all? People of faith throughout the ages have wondered about this. How do they know when it's their own ego, when it's their own desires and when it's actually God's will?

BUSH
I guess that's one of the universal questions. I think one way you make sure it's not your ego is you stay in the bible, at least that's what I have found. And I'm still learning. The bible is an amazing book.

MCFADDEN
Is it literally true, the bible?

BUSH
You know, probably not... No, I'm not a literalist, but I think you can learn a lot from it.

MCFADDEN
So you can read the bible and not take it literally? I mean you can - it's not inconsistent to love the bible and to also believe in evolution say?

BUSH
Well, I think you can have both... I think that the world - the creation of the world is so mysterious it requires something as large as an Almighty. And I don't think it's incompatible with the scientific proof that there's evolution.

MCFADDEN
Do you believe that when you pray to God that that's the same God that a Muslim prays to?

BUSH
I do. I do.

MCFADDEN
So the leader of the Taliban is praying to the same God...

BUSH
No, I'm not sure he's praying to a God. I think anybody who murders innocent people to achieve their objective is not a religious person. They may think they're religious and they may play like they're religious. But I don't think they are religious...

MCFADDEN
I want to focus for a moment on your decision to go into Iraq, because an awful lot of people believe that you did this based upon your faith. Was that part of the decision?

BUSH
No, I did it based upon the need to protect the American people from harm. You can't look at the decision to go into Iraq apart from, you know, what happened on September the 11th. It was not a religious decision.

MCFADDEN
There are so many people who are comforted to have a strongly believing Christian in the White House. Some people feel excluded by it though.

BUSH
Probably do. Yeah, I'm sure they do. I'm sure people say, well, Bush must feel that I'm inferior because he believes in Christ and I don't... I'm sure people say George Bush is a Christian therefore he can't possibly relate to me or he doesn't like me or he thinks I'm condemned and I'm sorry that's the case because that's not the way I feel.

Human Rights Day

2008-12-10T01:00:00.001-06:00

Today, December 10, 2008, is Human Rights Day. It also happens to be the 60th Anniversary of the first Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Justice. Fairness. Equality.

No doubt you agree that every person deserves each of these fundamental rights. But how deeply do we believe? Are we simply, "Those people deserve justice, fairness and equality, and doggone it I hope they get it!"

No doubt we think we personally and the United States are strict observers of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. What about this one: "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" or "Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal" or "As soon as a person is legally entitled, he or she has the right to marry and have a family"?

Is violence acceptable justice?

Is willingly sustaining an economic system that relies on paying below subsistence wages or exploits workers morally any different than "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude"?

Today is a good day to contemplate China, Darfur, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and others. It's also a good day to consider whether we consider the person next door our equal and the person across town and the person across the world. How do I behave if I truly believe they are my equal, if I love them as much as I love myself?

Will we revolt against our own culture? Will we join a true Human Rights revolution?

My Favorite Artists of 2008

2008-12-03T00:01:00.001-06:00

My favorite artist of 2008, for the 21st year in a row, is U2. But that’s a blog, or a book, in itself. My attempt here is to discuss a few musicians from 2008.

Music Artist of 2008

My pick for Music Artist of 2008 is Katy Perry. Katy released her first album in June 2008, and has already scored 3 huge hits from that album. Prior to 2008 she published some songs on MySpace and got one of those songs on the soundtrack for “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.” So to go from that to a Billboard Top Ten album in the first week of release is a serious “blast” into music.

To sell a lot of albums off of one hit is obviously quite an accomplishment. “Ur So Gay” was a nice hit for her(Madonna apparently called it one of her favorites this year). A song best described as “either horribly homophobic, a sly piece of social commentary or, possibly, both.” I just hear a savvy, sarcastic girl fed up with her emo boyfriend.

You don’t eat meat
And drive electrical cars
You’re so indie rock it’s almost an art

It was much more impressive, however, when Katy followed that with her smash hit from the same album “I Kissed a Girl.” Provocative, indeed, maybe even homophobic in the sense of frat boy lipstick lesbian fantasies, but an irresistible beat, strong hook and alluring lyrics that couldn’t be ignored.

A very strong debut and perhaps enough to qualify as one of the most influential artists of 2008. But Katy’s status in 2008 was cemented, in my opinion, by her third hit within months: “Hot N Cold.”

Comeback Artist of 2008

Britney Spears. Admit it, after the head shaving incident, the loss of the custody of her kids, attacking the paparazzi with her umbrella, and an involuntary psych commitment, you never expected to see her anywhere but “Celebrity Rehab” or TMZ. So it’s quite a comeback for Britney to score a number 1 hit in October with “Womanizer” (her first number 1 since “Baby One More Time”).

All this talk of pop music, you’d think it was what I listened to most. I listen most to music that might be called “acoustic rock” from artists like John Mayer, Matt Nathanson or Jason Mraz. Or rock from artists like Kings of Leon, Coldplay or The Killers.

Artist I listened to the Most in 2008

Thanks to Pandora.com, Amos Lee is the artist I listened to most (outside of U2, of course). I find Amos a steady performer that produces consistently authentic music. Just thumb through the playlist on his MySpace page and you’ll hear the sound I’ve heard most this year.

Country Artist of 2008

Darius Rucker. You may know him as Hootie, but this is no joke. Darius Rucker has a 2008 Top Ten country hit, the first black artist since Charlie Pride in 1983 - “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It.” It’s as bad as you think.

Next up: Albums of 2008

My Favorite Song of 2008

2008-11-30T20:38:00.010-06:00

My favorite song this year wasn't released until September and never made it higher than 56 on Billboard's Top 100. For me, the steady then climbing guitars and vocals gave the song great energy and the melody hook is strong enough to match the eye-catching title. My favorite song of 2008 is "Sex On Fire" by Kings of Leon.

The Song I Heard Too Many Times

I don't think I can guess how many times this year I've heard "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis. My guess for Memorial Day alone is 6 times, but I lost count. Apparently it's not just here in the U.S. that the song has achieved overload. It was also number one in the airplay charts of the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Latvia, Slovakia, Latin America, Estonia and Japan. For the 1 millionth time this year, you can listen here but I bet you a nickle you won't make it all the way through.

The Song I Can't Get Out of My Head

I'm as much a Kanye West fan as the next person. But one of his latest songs is burned into my brain. Kanye's synthesized voice is repeating over and over "So keep ya love locked down, ya love locked down. Keepin ya love locked down..."

While I'm here keeping my love locked down, what are some of your favorite songs from the year?

Wednesday: Artists of 2008.

Open Up Your Eyes

2008-11-23T16:25:00.002-06:00

I'm not going to try to talk you out of eating turkey on Thanksgiving. I'm moving slowly toward less and less meat (for various reasons) but, heck, even I'll have turkey on Thursday. But I do think we need to make our choices with full knowledge.

This video is not acts of unusual or staged behavior. This is just the routine life of new mass grown turkeys.

Mass slaughter is no picnic either. The majority of turkeys are killed in large, semi-automated slaughterhouses. Turkeys are removed from their crates and hung upside down by their legs from shackles on a moving line. The shackles carry them to an electrically charged stunning water bath through which the bird’s head is dragged in order to render the bird unconscious, their necks are cut and the birds are then placed into a scalding tank, which is designed to loosen their feathers before plucking (hopefully they're dead by then).

In comparison, it's "compassionate" to stuff a live turkey upside down into a steel cone, slit its throat and then hold it down against its last desperate attempt to live.

So go ahead, enjoy our turkey, but we'll do it with our eyes open.

The Wisdom of Condoleezza Rice

2008-11-21T13:13:00.006-06:00

From the New York Times.

Welcome to My World, Barack
November 16, 2008

Interviews by HELENE COOPER and SCOTT L. MALCOMSON

On Jan. 20, Barack Obama will inherit a world very different from the one his predecessor found in January 2001. Over the past eight years, the Bush administration has faced great challenges and nurtured grand ambitions; it has tried hard to remake the world. Condoleezza Rice has been a central player in that effort since becoming the candidate Bush’s chief foreign-policy adviser in 2000, so we arranged to interview her at the State Department late last month. The interview turned into a wide-ranging discussion of where this government has taken the United States and what sort of world it will leave for the next president. The editors have culled the highlights of her remarks in the text that follows. We also spoke with other administration foreign-policy makers — Christopher Hill and Daniel Fried of the State Department and Gen. James L. Jones, former supreme allied commander, Europe — whose remarks supplement and illuminate those of Rice.

....

THE MIDDLE EAST AND BEYOND
HOW WE CHANGED THE CONVERSATION.
There have been some real gains, but there also has been a complete change in the conversation, particularly in the Middle East, where some form of popular legitimacy is being sought in almost every country. The American voice has got to stay strong in that conversation.

HOW TO MOVE THE CONVERSATION FORWARD.
I really think we have the best atmosphere between Palestinians and Israelis since the mid-’90s, so I’m very gratified that that has come into place. The Palestinian leadership is avowedly in favor of negotiations, renounces violence, recognizes the right of Israel to exist. There is a robust negotiating process, and they have made a lot of progress on how to get to a two-state solution. There is now broad Israeli acceptance of the need for a Palestinian state. After all, Kadima came out of Likud (6) with that in mind. And we have a process on the ground that is beginning to make some progress in terms of making life better for people who live on the West Bank. Palestinian security forces are becoming competent enough that they’re now about to move into Nablus, one of the toughest areas, with Israeli consent.

WHY SPEED IS ESSENTIAL TO DEALING WITH HAMAS.
The Hamas takeover of Gaza is a problem, but thanks to good Egyptian work, at least there is calm for now. One reason to try and get an agreement done pretty quickly is that I think Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas needs to be able to take an agreement to the Palestinian people through either referendum or elections in order to sideline Hamas politically or to have Hamas buy in, which I think is unlikely, or to sideline Hamas by demonstrating that they don’t have a solution for the Palestinian problem. So that’s another reason to do it quickly. But I think the structure is there, I think the Annapolis structure is a very powerful structure . . . On the Palestinian-Israeli issue, we will leave this in a much, much better place, agreement or no.

HOW TO CHANGE A REGIME — SLOWLY.
We have said to Iran that this is about changing your regime’s behavior, not changing your regime. That has been the message all along. Would we hope that the Iranian people . . . do they deserve to have a different regime than they’ve got? Absolutely. But the way that we have tried to help with democracy in Iran is to help indigenous forces there — to bring everyone from people who do disaster relief to artists to sending our wrestlers there. You know, it’s why the question of an interests section continues to be important to us.(7)

FINDING PRO-AMERICANISM IN IRAN.
There’s a very pro-American feeling among most Iranians not because of our policies but because of who we are and because we have stood for democracy. Iranians are sophisticated people — that’s a sophisticated and great culture — and we need to be able to reach out to them. But in terms of dealing with the regime, I think we’ve made it very, very clear that we’re prepared to deal with the regime; we just don’t want them to use negotiations as a cover while they improve their nuclear-weapons capability.

...

If you have time, I recommend the (lengthy) interview.

Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad

2008-11-18T15:00:00.000-06:00

A 15 year old kid walks into a bar with his dad... Sounds like the start to a good joke (or a sad joke). But in Wisconsin, it's legal. Anyone under 21 can possess or consume alcohol, as long as the minor is accompanied by a parent, guardian or spouse who is 21 or older (see Wisconsin Statutes Section 125.07). Anyone under 21 can even go to a bar and be served alcohol as long as they are with a parent or guardian.

Advocates of the law say it allows parents to educate their kids and supervise underage drinking. That's a fair argument at ages 18-21. Personally, I have never understood why we say young people age 18 are old enough to fight and die in war, but not mature enough to drink alcohol. This Wisconsin law, however, establishes no floor. You can serve alchol to a 10 year old, though the discriminating bartender will surely say "that's a no-go."

According to the news article, in addition to the legally drunk minors, drunk drivers in Wisconsin are not charged with a felony until they have been arrested a fifth time and Wisconsin law prohibits sobriety checks by the police.

Sadly, an organization formed to change Wisconsin's liquor laws informs us the state's loose approach to drinking has consequences:

1. Wisconsin has led the nation in binge drinking (5 drinks in a sitting for men, 4 in a sitting for women) every year since the CDC began its surveys more than a decade ago.

2. People in Wisconsin are more likely than anywhere else to drive drunk.

3. Wisconsin has among the highest incidence of drunken driving deaths in the United States.

Hard for me to say how scientific the connection is between lower drinking ages and drunk driving, binge drinking, etc. Makes a certain logical sense, but maybe it's the cold or the cheese or those underachieving Packers!

Regardless, I found this Wisconsin approach to "underage" drinking very interesting and with some merit. For now, I'll just dabble at supporting lowering the drinking age to 18 (maybe only when in the company of a parent?) and be glad I have several years before I address this with my boys.

Love...Dying Every Hour...Love

2008-11-12T14:36:00.004-06:00

Reverend Lovejoy: "I know one of you is responsible for this. So repeat after me. If I withhold the truth, may I go straight to Hell where I will eat naught but burning hot coals and drink naught but burning hot cola [all the kids recite in unison] where fiery demons will punch me in the back, where my soul will be chopped into confetti and be strewn upon a parade of murderers and single mothers..."

Something truly shocking happened in Arkansas last week. 57% of the voters passed a law that will forbid unmarried couples from adopting or providing foster care for anyone under 18.

So starting January 1, if grandma or aunt has a live-in boyfriend, they cannot provide foster care or adopt their own grandchild or nephew. But grandma and auntie are "collateral damage" because the openly-stated targets of this law were gay and lesbian couples.

If you think that the welfare of the child is the purpose behind the law - these groups had their day in court to prove any link between child welfare and gay parents and they failed.

An Arkansas trial court decided, and the Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed, that there is no rational relationship between gay or lesbian parents and the health, safety, and welfare of the foster children. According to the Arkansas courts, the facts demonstrated that there was no correlation between the health, welfare, and safety of foster children and a foster parent who was gay or lesbian or who resided in a household with a gay or lesbian, and the Arkansas Department of Human Services admitted that no known complaints were ever made in those situations.

They can't prove it's harmful to kids, it just contradicts their moral code. Truly mind boggling. It's yet another disappointment to learn that Focus on the Family are the malevolent moral police behind this bigoted law that actually reduces the available foster homes and adoptive parents in Arkansas. Given the simultaneous push from these organizations of adoption instead of abortion, this strikes me as perverse.

I hold out hope that this new law will be found unconstitutional. If you don't have to prove a connection to the welfare of the child, then it's simply the majority opinion that determines who are fit parents. Right now, your opinion may happen to be the majority, but that could change.

"That the desires of the majority of the people are often for injustice and inhumanity against the minority, is demonstrated by every page of the history of the whole world" - John Adams

Remembrance Day

2008-11-11T12:04:00.006-06:00

What have we learned?

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

- Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, May 13, 1915

"So on we go with our journey of equality. On we go in the pursuit of justice."

2008-11-08T11:52:00.003-06:00

- Bono, February 22, 2006.

My week has been a blurry buzz of joy and grief. I've celebrated history with the world, I've celebrated a little boy's birthday, I've said good bye, I've experienced the frustrations and work of life, I've gotten a few precious hours alone with my best friend.

As Bono says with typical directness, the journey of equality goes on. But can we take a moment to rest? Can we sit here for just a short time and feel the hope of a new day? Just the possibility...? Barack Obama is not the savior. Try to just enjoy the beat, because if this election has taught us anything, it's this: Will.i.am makes a kick-ass political video!

Yes, We Can.

2008-11-04T00:01:00.003-06:00

It's been a long Monday. Obama wasn't the only one who lost a grandma today. Rest in Peace, Toot and Nellie.

As all across this country we head to the polls, pack into a box the sacred memories of a life, pick up kids from school, hug the ones we still can, watch the vote tally, regardless of the outcome of the vote, I feel these words:

We are not as divided as our politics suggests.
We are one people;
We are one nation;
And together, we will begin the next great chapter in America's story with three words that will ring from coast to coast;
From sea to shining sea -
Yes. We. Can.

This song is for all of us. I never get tired of it. As I am reminded today, again, of the frail shells that protect our priceless spirit; that even when it was long, life is short; I want to believe that we can...

See the Bird With a Leaf in Her Mouth

2008-11-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

I saw Barack Obama downtown Columbia on Friday morning. I know, he was here Thursday night, I saw him then too. But on Friday morning I went to Lee Elementary School's "America My Home" themed parade. The kids were encouraged to dress up in a way that displayed America their home, the suggestion was very open ended. More than one little African-American boy dressed up as Barack Obama and several kids wore Obama-themed outfits. The pride in their faces was evident.

I was wearing an Obama sticker with Obama's face on it, and I attracted a crowd of kids all trying to high five and show their enthusiasm. One little guy stood back and looked at my sticker, then looked at my face; then looked at my sticker, then looked at my face. We don't want these kids to see color, to feel different. But I'm sure at times they do, especially when it comes to power. And their pride was obvious in seeing a person of color in a position of real power.

I've read and heard that Obama rallies are diverse. Well, I live in a brightly diverse community and I've attended large political, cultural and sporting events here so I had no expectations Thursday night to even notice the diversity of the crowd. But as I looked at the 40,000 people around me, I was actually surprised at the range of age, culture, race, color, and income level around me. Not black and white, but every race and culture I could have imagined. Not in a carefully arranged mosaic, but in large groups and mixing together in a common purpose - to try to see from way back where we were!

It was an incredible experience, buoying my spirits and giving me encouragement for at least the moment that there are more of us that believe this diversity is America than there are those that fear our differences and see only an ever decreasing piece of "their" pie. And I got my wish. I got to yell "Yes We Can!"

Before Love Came to Town

2008-10-30T17:30:00.001-05:00

Once already this year, claiming to speak for God, James Dobson reared his ugly rhetoric against Barack Obama.

He's at it again. Since his prior invectives didn't have the masses grabbing for stones to slay the anti-christ Obama, Dobson must have thought he needed to up the vile.

In Dobson's latest execration, he predicts in the first term of Obama's presidency, and I'm just picking some "highlights" of this guy's fear mongering:

1. The Supreme Court orders the Boy Scouts "to hire homosexual scoutmasters and allow them to sleep in tents with young boys."
3. "Elementary schools now include compulsory training in varieties of gender identity in Grade 1" and no parent is allowed to opt out.
4. "There are no more Roman Catholic or evangelical Protestant adoption agencies in the United States."
5. "High schools are no longer free to allow 'See You at the Pole' meetings where students pray together, or any student Bible studies even before or after school."
6. Public school teachers are no longer free to lead students in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States.
7. "Television programs at all hours of the day contain explicit portrayals of sexual acts."
8. "It is illegal for private citizens to own guns for self defense in eight states, and the number is growing."
9. "Millions" will be killed in Iraq because the troops were brought home.
10. "Since 2009, terrorist bombs have exploded in two large and two small U.S. cities, killing hundreds, and the entire country is fearful, for no place seems safe."
11. Russia re-takes Eastern Europe.
12. "In mid-2010, Iran launched a nuclear bomb that exploded in the middle of Tel Aviv, destroying much of that city."
13. "Euthanasia is becoming more and more common."

Homosexuals sleeping with young boys, nuclear attacks, euthanasia. You have to be thinking that I made this shit up. I swear, this is what Dobson really said! It would be laughable if this blaspheming hypocrite wasn't on 3,000 radio stations every day, or didn't have many people who believe he speaks for God.

I debated whether to even post Dobson's comments, but because of some emails and conversations I've had lately, I think the reality is that Dobson speaks what a certain segment of our population actually believes. The amount of anger, contempt and pure venom that is being unloaded at Barack Obama is staggering. And for some reason the majority of people I see or hear trafficking in anti-Obama lies and making these kinds of insane predictions are evangelical "christians." I don't recognize anything of Jesus in Dobson's words.

It is my sincere hope that in 2 or 3 years Dobson has the experience and opportunity to apologize for this slander of a Christian man who has devoted his life to public service.

I Heart Chase

2008-10-26T21:24:00.007-05:00

I love Tiger football. There are not many places in this world I'd rather be than the bleachers of Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium on a crisp fall Saturday. The cares of the world are gone, and for 3 hours my mind and soul are free and focused. I like watching the Tigers on TV, but there is no comparison to the packed, cheering crowds, the cannon, the rock M, or the diamonds in the end zone. No matter the opponent or the record, I get chills when the players rush out of the tunnel and onto the field. And at every kick-off, I believe the Tigers will win this game.

The last several years, we've been fortunate enough to win more and more of those games. Along the way, the Tigers have managed to gather some rather stunning talent. But there is sometimes that player that grabs not only the record book, but also my heart. That player who fills my chest with gratitude and admiration every time they step out onto my home field.

It started with Corby Jones. A player of grit and leadership who played through some terrible personal circumstances and helped revive a struggling program. But then came Brad Smith. He shattered school and NCAA records and played with a physical ability that was sheer grace. Certainly the greatest football runner I've ever witnessed. His form gliding down Faurot Field is forever etched in my mind.

On Saturday, I was at Faurot Field for Homecoming. And it was the last time I will watch Chase Daniel and Chase Coffman play on my home field. I get one more game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, but this was a monumental occasion for us (me and the Chases). Our last time together at Faurot Field. Chase Coffman, who my friends and I have called Tight End Jesus since his freshman year, delivered the miracles we've come to expect. Yes, he caught that and, yes, he's going over that guy's head.

Of all the Tigers I've loved, though, Chase Daniel is my biggest crush. Not the pure talent of Brad Smith, not the pounding frame or blue-collar player of Corby Jones, but systematically knocking down school records with the same assured calm he has spreading the ball across 5 or more receivers on the field. A commander, a cheerleader, a fighter, a football dispensing machine.

I was there on Homecoming of 2005 when a true freshman Chase Daniel came into the game when Brad Smith went down. The Tigers were down 24-14 and facing third-and-10 at their 25 with just under nine minutes left. Chase captained 2 scoring drives in those final minutes and then won the game in over time. It was the sign of what was to come. In Chase's 3 years as starting quarterback, Missouri has reached heights not seen for many many years. These have been halcyon days in Tiger Nation. With Chase, the chubby, happy face coexists with the laser throw on 3rd and 11 in the biggest Tiger football game in 40 years. The bouncy step coexists with the cool reflection of reading the defense as if he were in their huddle.

You have honored Faurot Field with your play, Chase. Thank you for being a Tiger. I love you, man. The next time I walk into the stadium, you will not be on the field, and there will be a piece of my football heart missing. I need a moment, dear reader, I am verklepmt...

"A Thousand Splendid Suns"

2008-10-23T12:44:00.001-05:00

"A Thousand Splendid Suns," a novel by Khaled Hosseini, is the story of two women of different ages in Afghanistan, spanning from the early 1960s through 2003. Mariam and Laila suffer, endure, love. They suffer from personal, relational and cultural hardships as well as the severe hardship of war. Many of the unendurable, to me, circumstances are simply life in Central Asia. But there is another layer of severity of life that is brought by being a buffer state, located in what some call the crossroads of East and West. Yet Mariam and Laila also find beauty and love in nature, religion, their culture and each other.

Every street of Kabul is enthralling to the eye
Through the bazaars, caravans of Egypt pass
One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs
And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls

Two powerful themes rise from this book. Sometimes the difficulties of the present can become the pleasant remembrances of the future; live in the moment. And there is intense power in a relationship (loving and being loved) to transform a life.

She thought of her entry into this world, the harami child of a lowly villager, an unintended thing, a pitiable regrettable accident. A weed. And yet she was leaving the world as a woman who loved and been loved back. She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last.

Through Hosseini's combination of dense and eloquent prose, I am transformed to another country, another culture, a world I sometimes scarce believe is the same one I live in. Though it's not a political book, the engrossing and transforming story serves a sobering reminder that the other end of the "shock and awe" on my TV screen is the rubble of a ripped apart family and the screams of an orphan.

But far more powerful than that, as I find comfort in the Koran alongside Mariam, weep with Laila on the floor, cradle Aziza with the fiery (but powerless) protection of a parent, and feel the blessing of Allah in the gentle touch of someone who knows the truth and loves me anyway, I realize our sameness. Mariam and Laila are my sisters.

Ultimately, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is not hemmed in by geopolitical or cross-cultural themes. It is a stirring and skillful story about life.

Though there had been moments of beauty in it, she knew that life for the most part had been unkind to her. But as she walked the final twenty paces, she could not help but wish for more of it.

Can't You See What Love Has Done?

2008-10-20T09:05:00.003-05:00

One more quick point on this "christian" religious bigotry against Islam. Sometimes I am fortunate enough to find myself on the same side as more thoughtful, experienced and wise people than I am. On Sunday Colin Powell had this to say on the same topic I raised last week:

I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze Star--showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way.

Oh yeah, and he endorsed Barack Obama for President.

Final Presidential Debate of 2008

2008-10-15T22:27:00.004-05:00

John McCain's rally attenders will be thrilled with McCain tonight, but Obama closed the deal. McCain was a live replay of every "popular" anti-Obama YouTube clip, with only one exception. McCain spontaneouosly mentioned Ayers, Acorn, "spread the wealth," abortion votes, repudiating public spending and town hall debates, and generally snarled and attacked at every possible opportunity. Surely McCain was kicking himself for having previously taken Reverend Wright off the table.

This was, politically, what John McCain had to do. However, it ended up, in my opinion, setting the stage for Obama to politically seal the deal. Obama absorbed every attack with calm and gave the viewing public, often directly to the camera, a reasonable response for every accusation. Now that these topical attacks have finally been lobbed directly from the top toward Obama, there is no more damage that can be done by them and they failed to bring Obama down. They have have now lost their steam, lost their edge.

On substantive issues I think McCain started out very strong on taxes, and I think McCain answered the Supreme Court judicial appointment question very well. On every other question, I think Obama talked substantively (though it was all a repeat) while McCain attacked. At one point, McCain was so eager to get back to attacking Obama that he dismissed the moderator's question with a "yeah" and then spun to resume his own negative attack. For his performance, McCain will be greeted warmly at tomorrow's rally. For Obama's performance, he will be rewarded by remaining ahead in the polls.

With the debates over, McCain must now rely on some outside event or circumstance to swing this election.

Angel or Devil, I Was Thirsty and You Wet My Lips

2008-10-09T12:18:00.003-05:00

I had a disturbing conversation with a regular guy this week. This was not a radical person, or an ignorant person, just a normal guy. He insisted that Barack Obama was a Muslim. Later that day he forwarded me an email he had received as proof. I was shocked to discover this regular guy was relying on a blatantly false email, not just "out of context" stuff, but also outright lies. It is almost pointless to discuss the motivation behind the million or so people who forward, read and believe these lies, or people at Palin rallies who shout "terrorist" or "treason" or "kill him" or make racial slurs. But I am interested in this fixation by many people on whether or not Obama is a Muslim. We have zero evidence he is, but who cares if he was?

I would agree that I am concerned about the "moral compass" of a candidate. I would agree that I am concerned about a candidate's passion and plan for social justice. I would also agree that a candidate's spiritual beliefs are a factor in those issues.

But NO religion, or religion at all for that matter, has a monopoly on social justice or morality. I can appreciate a candidate's spiritual beliefs, but I put more value on a candidate's consistent message and action in areas of social justice.

I would consider the way the candidate holds their beliefs in terms of ability to govern all people fairly, certainly, just as I would a Methodist or a Catholic or a non-practicing person. I just do not understand why I should reject a Muslim for President, simply because that person is a member of the Muslim faith.

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Second Presidential Debate of 2008

2008-10-07T22:19:00.006-05:00

Tonight's debate was a dispiriting display. Both candidates spoke rather negatively and gave the same answers I've heard already. When the word "Iran" was mentioned, out came the same answers. Same for "taxes" or "healthcare," etc.

The negativity was no surprise, given the rhetoric of the past week. Sarah Palin has apparently adopted the mission of questioning Barack Obama's character by association and fitness as Commander in Chief, and declared that Obama "is not a man who sees America like you and I see America." Unfortunately, Obama felt the need to respond with a discussion of McCain's Keating 5 scandal. A similar tone dominated the discussion tonight, though no mention was made of any of these specific things that are being discussed in campaign stops. I'm not sure if it is worthwhile to try to evaluate the negativity of each candidate tonight, and I don't have the benefit of a transcript yet so I have scant examples, but McCain's negativity feels more "belittling" to me than Obama's negativity. McCain's worst example that I can remember was during some discussion of an energy bill when McCain jabbed a thumb toward Obama and called him "that one." Just unsettling to me. If I had to scale the negativity, I would score Obama at 4 out of 10 and McCain at 6.

On substance, as I mentioned, I heard nothing new. It seemed to me that on two questions Obama passed McCain by a clear margin. One question that Obama handled with a substantive answer over McCain was the young man who asked about specifics from the bailout bill that would help middle income earners. Obama gave an explanation about the availability of credit that might have actually answered the guy's question. The other question that Obama succeeded on very well was "what will you ask Americans to sacrifice?" McCain proposed a spending freeze and fewer "earmarks." If the earmarks are wasteful, how is that a sacrifice? If spending is out of control, how is a freeze a sacrifice? Obama did not give the full call for sacrifice I think is probably needed, but he at least did answer that we have to conserve resources in our households and our businesses. One other Q&A that stood out to me was once again the "Pakistan" question. Except this time the questioner was very smart, and included "let them go back across the Pakistani border like we did in Cambodia during the Vietnam War?" I have expressed before that I cannot understand why McCain digs in his heels on this issue, and especially tonight in the face of the Cambodia comparison. Very damming of McCain's thought process, in my opinion.

On the non-verbal part of the evening, Bill Clinton can rest easy. He remains the King Of The Town Hall. If you have time, read this amazing account of Clinton and town hall events: "The Visual Byte: Bill Clinton and His Town Hall Meeting Style." Obama's visual performace was not notable, but will also give no one anything to talk about. McCain did pretty well, but sometimes seemed to wander the set. Once he answered a question without raising his microphone. And when Brokaw was ending, McCain walked in front of Brokaw's teleprompter, apparently not aware Tom was reading from it and it threw McCain in a blur in front of the camera. Three small things there, but gave people something to mention.

My "who won" polls have apparently bothered some readers. I guess candidates aren't the only people reluctant to answer a yes or no question. I'm all for nuance, so feel free to give your refined answers.

Judgment

2008-10-05T20:49:00.004-05:00

I'm sure you have heard that Barack Obama opposed the Iraq invasion of 2003. Very few people these days, however, take the time to find out just what it was Barack had to say about it. To save you the trouble, and frankly because it is almost eerie in its foresight, I have excerpted the majority of a speech Barack gave on Wednesday, October 2, 2002. It might be hard for us to remember the politics of October 2002, but I'm sure we can all agree that opposing the invasion of Iraq was rare and not considered a politically smart move. After reading it, contemplate the judgment behind this, said six years ago.

Now let me be clear — I suffer no illusions about Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man who butchers his own people to secure his own power. He has repeatedly defied UN resolutions, thwarted UN inspection teams, developed chemical and biological weapons, and coveted nuclear capacity.

He's a bad guy. The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better off without him.

But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors, that the Iraqi economy is in shambles, that the Iraqi military a fraction of its former strength, and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history.

I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda.

I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars.

So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the president today. You want a fight, President Bush? Let's finish the fight with Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings.

You want a fight, President Bush? Let's fight to make sure that the UN inspectors can do their work, and that we vigorously enforce a non-proliferation treaty, and that former enemies and current allies like Russia safeguard and ultimately eliminate their stores of nuclear material, and that nations like Pakistan and India never use the terrible weapons already in their possession, and that the arms merchants in our own country stop feeding the countless wars that rage across the globe.

You want a fight, President Bush? Let's fight to make sure our so-called allies in the Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop oppressing their own people, and suppressing dissent, and tolerating corruption and inequality, and mismanaging their economies so that their youth grow up without education, without prospects, without hope, the ready recruits of terrorist cells.

You want a fight, President Bush? Let's fight to wean ourselves off Middle East oil, through an energy policy that doesn't simply serve the interests of Exxon and Mobil.
Those are the battles that we need to fight. Those are the battles that we willingly join. The battles against ignorance and intolerance, corruption and greed, poverty and despair.

The consequences of war are dire, the sacrifices immeasurable. We may have occasion in our lifetime to once again rise up in defense of our freedom, and pay the wages of war. But we ought not — we will not — travel down that hellish path blindly. Nor should we allow those who would march off and pay the ultimate sacrifice, who would prove the full measure of devotion with their blood, to make such an awful sacrifice in vain.

Vice Presidential Debate of 2008

2008-10-03T10:58:00.002-05:00

Despite my poking fun yesterday, the only Vice Presidential debate of 2008 produced no major disasters. For that, both Biden and Palin succeeded. Beyond meeting the pitiful threshold of “don’t screw up,” both candidates also scored some political points and gave us a more energetic discussion than Obama and McCain gave us. Because of his dominance in knowledge and experience, I believe Biden “won” the debate, though I strongly suspect that anyone who already liked Palin will believe that she “held her own” (alas, the soft bigotry of low expectations…).

Palin did her job in speaking to her base and re-energizing them after the absolute embarrassment of her recent interviews. The format suited her very well by not allowing a follow-up question to any of her talking points. For example, she said “There have been huge blunders in the war. There have been huge blunders throughout this administration, as there are with every administration.” Obvious follow-up: “Like what?” Or how about following up her statement “Two years ago, remember, it was John McCain who pushed so hard with the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reform measures” with “What reform measures?” I also assume that several of Palin’s one-liners played very well to her fans, regardless of whether what she said mattered or even made sense. For example, she said at one point “I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I'm going to talk straight to the American people.” I’m sure that thrilled anyone who thinks Gwen Ifill is the liberal media and Joe Biden is a blowhard. But it’s disingenuous, because how is refusing to answer the question talking straight to the American people?! Her only low blow of the evening was “Your plan is a white flag of surrender in Iraq.” How Biden didn’t explode at that is beyond me. Aside from the affront to Biden as a father of a soldier in Iraq, the biggest problem with that statement is, again, the facts. Obama’s plan is endorsed by the President of Iraq and is being nearly completely adopted.

What Palin did well, though, was stick to her talking points and talk passionately about and in favor of John McCain. In political terms, she was very effective in her last half hour of making a long point at least twice about contrasting her “ticket” with the opposing party’s.

Biden had the clear advantage on substance, but I’m not sure it was politically effective. When Palin claimed that Obama voted 94 times to increase taxes, Biden (since he was there) is able to rebut that misleading statement by pointing out that by Palin’s standards, McCain voted 477 times to raise taxes. Or when Palin talked about Obama’s vote on funding for the war, Biden was able to point out how her comment was deceitful, but in my opinion the political advantage goes to the one talking first in that situation. Biden let himself get cornered too often in explaining any difference between himself and Obama. It seems to me that it would have sufficient (and more honest) to simply say “we disagree on that issue but that doesn’t matter because he will be the President, not me.”

The most amazing exchange of the night is one that will largely go unnoticed, in my opinion. Palin said that she agreed with Dick Cheney that the Vice President is a member of Congress and, in her words, there is “more authority given to the vice president if that vice president so chose to exert it.” Biden immediately shot that down with “Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that's the Executive Branch. He works in the Executive Branch…The only authority the vice president has from the legislative standpoint is the vote, only when there is a tie vote. He has no authority relative to the Congress. The idea he's part of the Legislative Branch is a bizarre notion invented by Cheney to aggrandize the power of a unitary executive and look where it has gotten us. It has been very dangerous.” If you care at all about the expansion of Executive Power in the last 8 years, this exchange is VERY enlightening.

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Veep Veep

2008-10-02T10:08:00.003-05:00

With these two VP candidates, who knows what we can expect tonight. A highlight from each:

"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," Biden said. "I mean, that's a storybook, man."

COURIC: Why isn't it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families who are struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries; allow them to spend more and put more money into the economy instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?

PALIN: That's why I say I, like every American I'm speaking with, were ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health-care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy, helping the--it's got to be all about job creation, too, shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health-care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans. And trade, we've got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, scary thing. But one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today, we've got to look at that as more opportunity. All those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is a part of that.

I'm afraid that gaffes and inane answers are about all we can expect tonight because the format is for 90 second answers with 2 minute discussion. Imagine, "You both agree on ending our dependence on foreign oil; what is your plan to achieve that? You have 90 seconds..." Should be very informative!

For Love or Money Money Money

2008-09-29T12:54:00.004-05:00

What fun, an intersection of religion and politics! Only it’s not fun, it’s outlandishly ugly. Oh yeah, and illegal. On Sunday, a reported 33 pastors across the country defied Federal law and endorsed a political candidate for President.

As you no doubt know, churches are tax exempt. Churches do not pay income taxes on donations or earnings, don't pay sales taxes on purchases, don't pay property taxes on buildings and land, etc. We the people (not the IRS) gave churches this gift in exchange for a few trade-offs. Through our elected officials, we said you don’t have to pay taxes if you agree that you will not directly or indirectly participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.

What these pastors did was a morally irresponsible example to their churches and community. I highly doubt the IRS will take the action it should and enforce the tax code against these churches, but I wish it would. And this is not just an issue of the IRS going after right-wing churches. In 2004 the same thing occurred when some churches spoke out against the war in a way that intervened politically against George Bush.

The pastor interviewed by the Washington Post shared his insight into why he needed to defy Federal law:

Asked why he felt the need to discuss the candidates by name and to be explicit in rejecting Obama and his pro-choice views, Johnson said he must connect the dots because he is not sure that all members of his congregation can do so on their own.

I hope you are equally aghast at this outrageous abuse of religious authority. But even if you are not, I hope my fellow taxpayers at least want these moral hypocrites taxed.

First Presidential Debate of 2008

2008-09-27T08:12:00.004-05:00

After a tumultuous week, the debate was almost anti-climactic. The events of the week will be remembered long after what was said or done at the debate. From the previous debates by Obama and McCain in their primaries, I expected McCain to "win" in the eyes of the viewing public. McCain's usual performance of short, directive answers plays better than Obama's usual nuanced and longer answers. However, every poll on Saturday morning shows people believe Obama "won" the debate (not counting online polls like mine - unscientific but vote anyway!).

I'll pause here to give kudos to Jim Lehrer, the moderator. The questions were fair and relevant, and this was the closest thing to a "debate" I have seen in presidential politics in a long time. Jim worked hard in the beginning to try to have the candidates engage each other, but stayed out of the way.

On substance, I thought Obama gave the clearest and most accurate answers in the economic discussion that was the first half hour. I agree with Obama on the economy, so I'm sure that affects my view of the answers, but I was glad to hear him make the point that McCain is proposing tax cuts without equal spending cuts. McCain uses earmark spending as his only example of spending cuts but McCain could not respond to the fact that earmark spending doesn't even come CLOSE to covering his tax cuts. Neither candidate would identify specific programs for spending cuts, but I thought Obama explained what his decision process would be.

The majority of the time was spent on the foreign policy issues of Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. On these topics, my analysis of the debate was that McCain displayed more experience but Obama showed better judgment and a far better analytic approach. The two best examples for me of this analysis involved Pakistan. I thought it was fairly damning of McCain for him to say his only problem with Obama's approach to military strikes in Pakistan was whether or not we talked about it! I was also impressed with Obama's willingness to say to the American people that we "coddled" the dictator Musharraf and thus lost the Pakistani people. McCain's attempted justification of "but the alternatives were worse" is no excuse. But more importantly than who is right is Obama's willingness to be OPEN about it. Let the American people know what we're doing abroad instead of this secret supporting of dictators when it's convenient.

In the Iraq war discussion, nothing new. But a great line from Obama, "John, you like to pretend like the war started in 2007." It's true that McCain will not defend his 2003 position on the Iraq war. The Iran discussion was similar. I believe McCain knows more people and has been more places, but I also believe that Obama is right that the approach of McCain has not worked. McCain had no evidence that it has worked. It's pretty remarkable when, on this issue, even the Bush Administration is now moving toward what Obama has been saying for quite awhile.

On the non-substantive debate dynamics, eventually I could no longer ignore that McCain would not look at Obama during the debate. I don't think he even turned his head. Given the exchanges and the direct urging of the moderator, that seemed like a decision. I have no idea why. Watching a clip later I noticed that McCain didn't even look at Obama when shaking hands in the opening. Also, McCain gave a few sarcastic answers and repeatedly said "he doesn't understand" (though wouldn't look at Obama and say "YOU don't understand"). Overall I think this icy demeanor hurts McCain. Obama wasn't Reagan or Clinton "warm" either, but seemed equally engaged with the moderator, McCain and TV audience.

Overall, I have to give Obama the win on substance in the economy (better description of his own plan and distinctions with McCain's); a draw on foreign policy substance (just comes down to who you agree with); a slight edge to Obama on demeanor (though if you're turned off by sarcasm you would give Obama a big edge here).

Has this debate impacted my vote? Only to the extent that I feel more confident in Obama as a leader. I already agreed with his economic plan but liked his open analysis on foreign policy. If you have a different opinion or something stood out to you, I'd like hear about it.

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New Debate Poll

2008-09-25T13:41:00.000-05:00

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Presidential Debate Poll

2008-09-24T14:35:00.001-05:00

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And The Trees Are Stripped Bare Of All They Wear

2008-09-23T15:39:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was the Autumnal Equinox, a special joy of mine. Every season gives us its own treasure, but I might pick Autumn as my favorite. Yesterday evening was dry and cool with that telltale angle of the evening sun tipped slightly to the south now. This poem came to mind, a favorite of mine since childhood. Reading it, I'm nostalgic for Fall's treasures and eager for a new round.

"When the Frost is on the Punkin"
by James Whitcomb Riley (1853–1916)

WHEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere
When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here—
Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees,
And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,
And the raspin' of the tangled leaves as golden as the morn;
The stubble in the furries—kindo' lonesome-like, but still
A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;
The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;
The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover overhead!—
O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps
Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps;
And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through
With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage too!
I don't know how to tell it—but ef such a thing could be
As the angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me—
I'd want to 'commodate 'em—all the whole-indurin' flock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

Bodies Strewn Across the Dead End Street but I Won't Heed the Battle Call

2008-09-18T21:54:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago Obama and McCain were asked the same question and they each gave their immediate answer without knowledge of the other's response. One question really grabbed my attention because I think it gives us unexpected insight of the mindset and belief system of the two.

"Does evil exist? And if it does, do we ignore it? Do we negotiate with it? Do we contain it? Do we defeat it?"

OBAMA: Evil does exist. I mean, I think we see evil all the time. We see evil in Darfur. We see evil, sadly, on the streets of our cities. We see evil in parents who viciously abuse their children. I think it has to be confronted. It has to be confronted squarely, and one of the things that I strongly believe is that, now, we are not going to, as individuals, be able to erase evil from the world. That is God's task, but we can be soldiers in that process, and we can confront it when we see it.

Now, the one thing that I think is very important is for to us have some humility in how we approach the issue of confronting evil, because a lot of evil's been perpetrated based on the claim that we were trying to confront evil. In the name of good, and I think, you know, one thing that's very important is having some humility in recognizing that just because we think that our intentions are good, doesn't always mean that we're going to be doing good.

MCCAIN: Defeat it. A couple of points. One, if I'm president of the United States, my friends, if I have to follow him to the gates of hell, I will get bin Laden and bring him to justice. I will do that. And I know how to do that. I will get that done. No one, no one should be allowed to take thousands of American -- innocent American lives.

Of course, evil must be defeated. My friends, we are facing the transcended challenge of the 21st century -- radical Islamic extremism.

Not long ago in Baghdad, Al Qaida took two young women who were mentally disabled, and put suicide vests on them, sent them into a marketplace and, by remote control, detonated those suicide vests. If that isn't evil, you have to tell me what is. And we're going to defeat this evil. And the central battleground according to David Petraeus and Osama bin Laden is the battle, is Baghdad, Mosul, Basra and Iraq and we are winning and succeeding and our troops will come home with honor and with victory and not in defeat. And that's what's happening.

And we have -- and we face this threat throughout the world. It's not just in Iraq. It's not just in Afghanistan. Our intelligence people tell us Al Qaida continues to try to establish cells here in the United States of America. My friends, we must face this challenge. We can face this challenge. And we must totally defeat it, and we're in a long struggle. But when I'm around, the young men and women who are serving this nation in uniform, I have no doubt, none.

For some reason, I see so much in these answers I could dive in and spend 30 minutes (okay, I did spend 30 minutes discussing this with a patient friend). But I'll try to make the main 2 points quickly.

First, Obama cares as much about domestic evil as genocidal evil. When asked about evil, this country's children and the streets of our cities are as close to his mind (and heart) as the "usual" and politically safe paradigm of genocide or terrorism.

Second, and I think this is far more important, Obama recognizes his own (our own) depravity and when all political "sense" is saying "never equivocate on a question like this!" Obama is willing to say the hard thing yet again. I cannot overstate the importance of this quality to me.

In contrast, McCain exhibits callous disregard of the fact that evil will accompany HIM in his battle against evil. On a certain gut level there's a part of me that says, "Yeah, get 'em!" when McCain immediately launches a war in response to evil. But that quickly fades into the gut-wrenching reality that an American captain is going to be put into the situation of knowingly killing a woman and child to try to protect his men.

Kearney could see a woman and child in the house. "We saw people moving weapons around," Kearney told me. "I tried everything. I fired mortars to the back side to get the kids to run out the front. I shot to the left, to the right. The Apache got shot at and left... Finally, we shot a javelin and a tow. I ended up killing that woman and that kid."

Our cheer "follow him to the gates of hell, John!" should get stuck in our throats as we realize OUR desire for revenge and belief in the rightness of our cause has just sentenced 3 young American soldiers to a situation where they will eventually execute in cold blood four Iraqi prisoners with pistol shots to the head as the prisoners stood handcuffed and blindfolded beside a Baghdad canal.

Yes: us, we, the good guys. These were good people fighting for a good cause whose lives are ruined, yet John McCain is getting people pumped up for revenge without a thought of humility. Beware the righteous warrior. I find Obama's answer so much more seasoned, wise and (dare I say) more in line with how Jesus would answer.

I Can't See for the Smoke

2008-09-16T22:28:00.003-05:00

I'm told the media elite are in full throat panic over Sarah Palin and are out to get her, have an agenda against her, etc. I imagine it's a tough call in the "tone" of interviewing an elected official. I like to see politicians asked tough questions, made to clarify generic statements, and contradictions pointed out. But is there a point of taking the tone too far? I offer for input this clip of Charlie Gibson interviewing Sarah Palin. She's getting killed by facts and her inability to articulate any differences between McCain-Palin and Bush-Cheney on the economy. Yet aren't you distracted by Charles Gibson's condescension? Take a look and answer 3 quick questions below.

1. Do you think Gibson was fair or overly condescending?

2. Do you think Palin was speaking fairly, spinning or lying?

3. Did Gibson's demeanor have any impact on your impression of Palin's answers?

Neighborliness

2008-09-10T12:38:00.004-05:00

There is a serious waste of resources happening today in the media and fanned by McCain's campaign. I wish the same amount of time and energy was being spent discussing things like, oh I don't know, let's say taxes! The tax "plans" of Obama and McCain take 2 very different approaches. Here is an interesting discussion Obama had with Bill O'Reilly about Obama's view of taxes and their use, you can read the transcript or there is a video link:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,419703,00.html

I think a few facts are important:

Obama would restore the top two income tax rates to their pre-2001 levels of 36% and 39.6%. Currently they're 33% and 35%.

Obama would start applying payroll taxes to income over $250,000. Currently they pay Zero payroll taxes on income over $250,000.

Obama would tax long-term capital gains and dividends at 20%. Currently the most one would pay is 15%.

The Congressional Budget Office said today the U.S. budget deficit for fiscal 2008 is $407 billion and predicted it is likely to rise further in fiscal 2009.

The U.S. national debt is $9.6 trillion.

Now some opinions:

I don't think it is realistic not to raise taxes in some way. Even if we magically cut $407 billion from next year's budget, we'd still be looking at growing the $9.6 trillion in debt because of interest. And don't think it's Iraq. Obama says we're spending $10 billion a month in Iraq. We can assume he's using the highest possible figure. So saving every single cent of that saves only $120 billion. 300 billion to go in the budget...

I am for cutting spending, of course. Let's cut billions and billions in spending. I have no idea where, but let's slash it! But the reality is that the demands of infrastructure, commerce, energy and security are rising. I see no one else being honest, or at least specific, about how to pay for these things!

If we assume taxes must increase, what's wrong with Obama's plan?

Okay, I'll throw it out there and hope you can help me. Give me your opinions and stats on what's right or wrong on Obama's proposed tax initiatives.