Unholy Clouds Reflect in a Minaret

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

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

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

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

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

"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

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...