A Question of Guns in a land of Murder

San Bernardino California.  Fourteen killed.  Assault rifles.  Two dead suspects.  Public pain. Private mourning.  Youth and wisdom gone Forever. 

Appeals for stiffer gun laws countered by "people kill people", guns are only ancillary.  The President appearing before us numb and dejected.  Nobody knows what to do or how to stop the kind of violence that erupts suddenly and without mercy.

In sum, our collective response has become "speechlessness".  We are not one iota closer to resolution than we were hundreds of years ago when terror struck.  And terror has been around since humans have been around.

Instead, we spend endless hours debating whether San Bernardino was an "act of terrorism" or not?  What the shooters motives really were?  But they are dead.  And terror struck--need it have another name?

In today's world there is no safe haven.  Armed militia roam our streets and schools. They lend an aura of safety, but do they keep us safe?

So then, you say, what should we do?  If we cannot stop the violence, should we prepare to die on an undisclosed day at an unknown location?  Should we get our affairs in order?  Live our lives to the fullest? Give ourselves over to the unstoppable?  Or should we pray for new weapons of defense, better technology, and smarter leaders?

I say no to all of the above.  For the above is what we have always done.  And nothing has changed.  In fact, one might argue, it has only gotten worse.

Sow trust, compassion, forgiveness, a smile, and a helping hand wherever you are and as often as you can. These actions do not involve money, power, guns, fear, doubt or revenge. They are positive tokens one gives freely to another.  Tokens that can then be passed on even if the giver is unaware that they have done so.

Such acts are already occurring throughout our globe, but infrequently do we hear or read of them.  We sorely need more stories in the media about the Good News.  Positive actions that brings warmth and light back into our damaged world.

People who kill people through acts of terror have lost their way.  Every ethnicity and religion has fallen victim to their acts.  Anger, hate and fear are deadly weapons.  Our job is to replace them with their opposites.  Not for one day or one year, but as a way of life going forward every moment of every day!

Pharmaceutical Companies and Pricing of Drugs, Among Other Things

Recently, my doctor gave me a couple of samples of time-release Naprosin with an added ingredient to offset stomach upset.  Naprosin has been around for years and is used to treat pain from arthritis and similar conditions.  The drug my doctor prescribed is called Vumovo.

You may recall last week that the media was abuzz with the outrageous pricing of a drug called Daraprim. Its bold, new owner had raised the price from $13 to over $700 dollars a pill.  One of the articles regarding this story included a list of other drugs with a similar histories (but no outright media frenzy).

Yes, you guessed it.  At the bottom of the list was Vumovo.  This drug once retailed for $200/60 pills, until the pharmaceutical company decided to raise it to $1683/60 pills.  Had I not seen the article, I would have asked my doctor to order a prescription.  Of course I would have refused to pay for it at the counter and the pharmacy would be left to restock it.

When I mentioned this situation to a friend, she asked:  "Isn't it illegal?  And I said, no!"  Diabetes, pain meds, tuberculosis, cancer, and antipsychoic meds are but a few of the drugs/treatments that companies overprice.

At its new price, Daraprim would cost about $252,000 a year for 360 pills.  Vumovo, $10,098 for 360 pills. I know of at least one instance when a single Chemo treatment cost $100,000.  Pharmaceutical companies do these things because they can--get away with it.

I have since asked my physician for an alternative to Vumovo and she has provided it, being none-to-pleased with the drug company herself.  I now take two pills instead of one.  A ninety-day supply of both drugs is $20/180 pills.  Over a year that's $80.

What troubles me most is that this travesty of humanity is but one instance of the insanity of greed, and that we, the consumer, often feel no recourse to complain.  Not everyone can switch to another drug.  Not everyone can say "I just won't take it."  For many, the drug is an absolute necessity.  Diabetics, people with cancer, mental illness, and drug resistant TB for instance.

Over the years we humans have lost control of our very lives.  Lost control because we didn't see it happening until it was too late.

Government takes our hard earned money and spends it willy-nilly.  If we refuse to pay taxes in protest, the IRS comes after us.  It's not a pretty scene.  They don't let up and they have a LOT of power to say--freeze your assets or empty your bank account.

Those who attend big sports events are very familiar with "event parking".  Here, price gouging is raised to an art form.  Want to go to the game?  Pay the going rate. The defenders call it the result of "limited" parking. That's nonsense. The same amount of spaces exist event or no event.  It's just a way to make a bundle of money at the expense of the sports fan who needs a place to put his/her car.

Movie theaters have for eons overcharged on snacks and drinks.  We pay.  Our blood pressure may rise twenty points, but we pay.

Recently it cost a relative of mine $30 to have a taillight changed.

A few weeks ago the labor to cut and lay tile down and remove the old tile was quoted at $4,000.  This in a 1500 sq ft house, the area being tiled about 150 sq feet.

And last, but not least, I have gluten intolerance.  A couple of months ago I went out to breakfast and ordered gluten free toast.  When the bill came, the toast was $6/2 slices.

A loaf of gluten free bread is about $6.  It has about 14 slices of bread.  Three dollars times 14 slices equals $42.  Instead of a tip, I left a note protesting the cost.  Here the server got penalized.

I don't always stand up for my rights, but of late I've done more standing and less sitting on my hands.

The world in which we live (a common theme with me) is created by us, you and me.  While we have been hoodwinked by corporations and government, that doesn't mean we have to take it.

In a capitalist society the pocketbook talks.  Speak up, not by shouting or throwing things, or loosing your temper.  Speak boldly, succinctly and proudly, but speak, as much as you can and as often as you can.  Go to places that are fair to their customers and their employees.  Buy products that are fairly priced.  Ask for alternatives to price-gouging drugs whenever possible.  Just because your insurance may pick up the tab doesn't make it right.  Someone else will pay for it down the line.  Eventually your insurance rates will rise.

The cost of living is over the heads of millions.  The great Titanic sank because one too many watertight compartments split open.  America is the richest country in the world  China is next.  The latter is struggling to hold its economy together, but there may not be enough lifeboats, as with the Titanic.  The former is about 18 trillion of dollars in debt and about to raise its debt limit.   Who will pay it back?  Your grandchildren!

There are more part-time and poorly paid jobs in America than ever before and, overall, there are fewer jobs.  Job security it non-existent, even in government.  More than one state teeters on bankruptcy.

We are one watertight compartment from sinking.  If you don't believe me, look at congress and its inability to get anything done.

You and me, folks!  You and me.

JUST BECAUSE WE CAN ...

Over the past couple of months I have heard comments regarding the future of certain technologies that will deeply impact the world in which we live.  The first are Robots, which can, and already are, replacing or assisting humans in a wide variety of tasks.  The second are driverless cars. Which are in the test mode as we speak.  Thirdly, the ability to clone a sheep is but one step away from cloning Us. Choosing the "perfect" human being without its attendant foibles and predispositions toward lethal or debilitating maladies.

The human mind is infinite in its ability to think up and then figure out how to put each thought into motion.  If it makes a lot of money, all the more reason to move on to development and sale.  Right?

This Blog is about human genius pitted against what is best for humanity today and generations to come.

JUST BECAUSE WE CAN...should we?  JUST BECAUSE WE CAN...must we?

The Robot, it has been predicted, will eventually do the menial jobs.  The lifting and toting, the repetitive jobs, the "labor" jobs.  Millions of Americans make a living at these jobs right now, but in the future, say the "futurists", these same individuals will have to reinvent themselves.  Maybe become  entrepreneurs who "invent two or three jobs" to put bread on the table.  "Entrepreneurs" because there will not be enough jobs to go around.

Driverless cars can enable the blind and disabled to "drive" from point A to point B.  They can deliver packages and food and every other manner of goods to far flung areas.  Thus eliminating the need for long-distance truck drivers.  Of course these driverless semis will be met by Robots at the other end, thus solving the problem of who will unload the freight.

As for cloning, wouldn't the world be better if we could genetically manage it's progeny.  Do away with disease, evil acts, and the undesirable?

I'd  like to think that our first considerations when inventing and then selling a new idea or product would be:  How will they impact my children and my childrens' children?  Will they make life better, safer, happier, more secure?  Will elimination of jobs create more poverty, more dis-ease, more war?  Will driverless cars further overburden our roads and highways, which are falling apart daily from overuse.

Will we ever be able to clone the perfect human?  What is the perfect human anyway?  And who gets to decide?  The cloners?  Do you we really want to live in a Stepford world?

Yes, Robots  might be useful in performing tasks humans no longer want to do, but shouldn't those same humans be the ones to decide, not the one who invents the possibility?

As for driverless cars.  Wouldn't it be better to devise ways to move people from A to B to C in mass transportation instead, and reduce cars and their attendant pollution?

The bottom line is, JUST BECAUSE WE CAN, does not mean it is wise or  humane; it just means we can.  Humans created the Bomb because they couldn't resist doing so.  Then we dropped it on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.  Thousands of innocents died ignominious deaths.  We haven't dropped a bomb since.  We dropped it because we could.  Now we have 16,000 nuclear weapons worldwide--just because we can.

Today's children are growing up in a world that is moving at warp speed.  Immediate gratification is a near reality with I-Phones and the Internet.  Games are played on handheld devices instead of in the backyard.  XBox has replaced outdoor basketball and baseball.

Technology is here to stay.  It arrived with the printing press and has accelerated humankind's ability to do and know beyond any cave dwellers wildest imagination.  In turn, no one can deny that technology has its place, but every invention, no matter how unique, must be approached with caution.

JUST BECAUSE WE CAN does not mean we will, or, more importantly, that we should!

SUFFERING

Why do we suffer?  

Why do we inflict suffering upon others?  

Can we change this pattern in our world?

I believe we can.  

If we lived in a world that abhorred suffering in all its forms, suffering would no longer exist.

I speak of all manner of suffering: that which is self-inflicted, that which occurs because of accident or random violence, that which is purposely imposed by courts and tribunals, that which catches us unawares, such as illness.

We live in a world that is not only filled with suffering, but also constructed about a system that guarantees its perpetuation.

We have 16,000 nuclear weapons stockpiled in world arsenals.  We believe in the maxim "an eye for an eye", and mete out so-called justice accordingly.  We wish to impose the greatest punishment upon those who inflict the most grievous pain.  We strive mightily to design a retribution that is equal to the act inflicted upon us.  We call this Justice; the law agrees.

In our anger and pain, we cannot see the lasting implications of all our hatred and vengeance. We choose not to see that it has changed nothing in our world.  It has not made it safer, more humane, or more loving.  It has, instead, created an "armed camp" waiting for the next terrorist to strike us down on some unknown day, in some unknown place, at some unknown time.

We believe in guns and armaments, the more sophisticated the better, until all our battles are fought by drones and robots.  The innocent will still die, while the "soldiers" will simply fall apart or into disrepair.

What have I done today to make a better world?  A less painful world.  What is behind my anger and my pain?  

The core of the world's pain is rarely examined.  James Holmes committed a heinous act. Innocent people died and were maimed.  James Holmes suffered from a brain disease that influenced his actions.  One juror held out for life in prison instead of the death penalty.

Our mental health system is in shreds.  It is poorly funded and lacking in trained professionals. Burnout is high.  There is rarely any intermediate recovery care for those released from acute care.  They either go home (if they have one), to the streets, or, too often, to jail.  This is one of the single most distressing issues facing mentally diseased individuals.  The majority of such individuals do not kill; we must be clear about this.  But some few do.

Beyond the failing system, is the stigma of mental disease, which often keeps families and victims from first, admitting it exists, and secondly, taking action to get help.

The U.S. is awash with guns.  The more the President and various individuals try to reign them in, the more they proliferate.  

We must get rid of our guns.  Now!  Of course this is drastic, but it is absolutely necessary.  We must get rid of our bombs as well.  All of them!  Nuclear proliferation treaties are like putting a raincoat on the ocean.  It is too big, too powerful and too unpredictable.

We must replace judgment with trust.  Now!  Once you judge a person, you eliminate the chance to ever truly know them.  

Suffering exists because we feed it daily on an international scale and locally on a personal level.  We often do so unknowingly by a snide remark or gesture.  Every action, be it internal or external, ripples across the globe like the flutter of a butterfly's wings.  Throw a handful of dirt into the wind and it will blow back at you.

Tomorrow is too late!  

BELIEFS

It is perhaps time in our human history to  pause and take a serious look at "beliefs"...in some circles, the term is capitalized simply by the weight and power afforded to it by its holders.

Some beliefs are standard practice.  Do not harm a child.  Do not kill the innocent.  Do not steal another's possessions.  Do not cheat.  Do not lie.  

Some beliefs are subjective, i.e., personal views of the world--beliefs that are often contrary to that of a neighbor, colleague, or family member.

In America, there are many different beliefs.  Even individuals with similar beliefs might express them in different ways.

The reason I am writing about "beliefs" is because the world we live in is ruled by them.  One of the most profound of all being religious Beliefs--the capital word is most suitable here.

The question I pose to you the reader, is why are religious beliefs given more weight than most any other belief?  Why do they garner so much power?  Why are we ruled by them, cursed by them, and too oft, destroyed by them?

When personal belief's become societal beliefs (not that all of society abides these beliefs), do they become more true?  Are they not still subjective beliefs held by a great number of people?  And as such, should they be given any more than respect?

A prior Blog looked at beliefs in respect to gay rights and suggested that one is entitled to believe anything he or she chooses, but draws a line at imposing (and having the law concur) them on others not so inclined.

This blog is here as food for thought.  In a pluralistic society, the unfettered power of one is contrary to democracy.  Religion is a belief system.  And I propose it is no more nor less than any other.

Capitalism

What is Capitalism?

To a poor man or woman, it is the unattainable.

To Karl Marx, it was greed.

To the wealthy, it is the reward for hard work and unfettered risk taking.

To politicians, it is the answer to all society's ills--albeit through very different lenses.

In truth, Capitalism is none of the above.  It is, first and foremost, an unruly system thrust into the hands of human beings without instructions or guideposts.  It is, to paraphrase Adam Smith, an "every man/woman for him/herself" kind of system.  And because it is a System, it has no feelings, no desires, no disappointments and no worries.

In most every other human interaction systems are governed by human being.  Not so with Capitalism.   Capitalism is the ruling Monarchy, the disguised dictatorship, the golden goose, the brass ring, the winner takes all, the no holds barred.

You get the picture.

When a pro athlete signs a 145 million dollar, three year contract and a pro golfer takes home nearly 2 million dollars for five days of sport, while 20 percent of Oregon's children live in poverty, one must ask, what is money, really?

When an employer says "this is all I can offer you," and yet that employer takes in millions, perhaps, billions of dollars a year over and above its expenses, a wide-awake human being should be appalled.

Yet, everyday people take poverty level, minimum wage jobs--which seem to be growing by leaps and bounds--the very same people who keep our corporations going from the ground floor up, and without whom these same corporations would have to close their doors.

I believe the day is coming when major world economies will crumble into giant heaps, buried under vast debt and speculation, immense greed and unrealistic ideals.

No one is worth 145 million dollars when over 1 billion of our world's children still live in poverty. One person living in poverty one single second longer is one second too many!  Charity cannot not sustain them.  Soup kitchens and food pantries do not give them lasting security.  They provide a meal for a day with no promise that another will be forthcoming tomorrow or the day after.  In turn, no one with a job today is guaranteed it will be there tomorrow.  And if you can't afford the necessities, you must chosse debt or go without.

How can we so idolize such a system?  Why are our greatest minds not focused on a new, more realistic one?  One that sees money as merely a tool to providing life's needs in equal measure to all.

A world built on debt and speculation, on mega corporations and the race to become billionaires so that we can possess more of the same and dispose of it with abandon, cannot stand forever.  An equilateral triangle will hold its point erect in perpetuity.  But in economics, that same triangle, with the wealthiest at the top and the poorest at the bottom, will eventually wither away at its roots until even this indestructible system must decay from lack of care.

The Naysayers regarding the Right to Marry

Yesterday was a joyous one for the gay community (June 26, 2015), but it was a troubling day for humanity as a whole.  

We come into this world a bundle of unknowns; the labels  "heterosexual" and "homosexual” are added sometime around puberty.  We don't go to Wal Mart and buy them for ourselves; they are "bestowed" upon us by a supposedly "all-wise" society, many of whom believe that such divisions really matter.

Yesterday, five members of the U S Supreme Court said that all people are equal, and entitled unequivocally to the privileges provided under our form of government.  

Marriage began as a consensual ritual formed centuries ago to set certain couples apart from others.  Over time it has gathered an abundance of legal and personal privileges.  Marriage has, and continues, to symbolize commitment between two individuals who love each other and who want to spend their lives together.  Just because marriage has traditionally been between men and woman, does not mean that it cannot include same sex couples.  

Marriage was “closed” by the courts and the Congress only recently, but  historical habit must not prohibit change and adaptation.

As regards the Bible--Jesus welcomed all to his table, without caveat, and yet most of the bias against gay marriage is religiously based.

A "belief system" is just that, something one believes.  Beliefs are not set in stone; they evolve and change over time.  Once there was a place the Roman Catholic Church called Limbo, an amorphous realm situated between Heaven and Hell where residents waited to be called to one side or the other.  Now, it does not exist at all.

I am a person first.  Do not label me.  Do not tell me I am less (or more) than you.  Do not assume that just because you do not like me or my lifestyle that you have the right to deny me the same choices you enjoy every day.

What is equality?  What is justice?  What does the phase "liberty and justice for all," mean?

Our country was founded on the above ideals.  Our founding fathers were centered on a vision of a better world.  They had no idea how that vision would play out over the centuries. They set up their ideals boldly, but those ideals had one shortsighted pitfall....they began with what those same men could comfortably negotiate.  Only landowning men could vote.  Slavery remained in place.  Though the dream of equality burned brightly, they were ill-prepared to afford it to all.

The U S Supreme Court justices who voted in favor of marriage for all understand that "government of the people" is a fine, noble ideal, but they also realize that no government can neglect minority rights while it waits for the majority to change their hearts and minds.

Equality has been "urged along" throughout our history; it has been urged along because people suffer when it is not.  This momentum has been acted out through legal statute often accompanied by public protest, and sadly, violence: The Emancipation Proclamation, the Black vote, the Women's vote, biracial marriage, and now, gay marriage.  

Equality cannot be parceled out when one is happy, amenable, or religiously or emotionally ready.  Equality is the foundation of America.  It is supposedly why our soldiers go to other countries to fight and die.  We hold America high and say, "be like us.  Free!!! 

By our actions will they know us, not by our words.

ou

Historic U S Supreme Court Rulings

On June 25, 2015, the U S Supreme Court ruled in favor of Affordable Care Act subsidies that provide less able individuals with the resources necessary to purchase health insurance at a price closer to what they can afford.

On June 26, 2015, the U S Supreme Court said that liberty and justice for all is a sacred right that can be denied to no U S citizen.  

Though these historic decisions were not unanimous, they are non-the-less law.  

Today, those with limited resources have access to health care.  The naysayers in Congress would dearly love to gut the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and replace it with something better.  They have yet to define or even propose an alternative.  The ACA is not perfect.  The mandate to purchase insurance is an onerous one that punishes those with the least resources.  It does not address economic inequality in our country. It is a band aid over an enormous problem whose woes are old and profound and have nothing at all to do with health care.  Nonetheless, the ACA is a stepping stone, just like Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell" was a stepping stone at a time when anything more would have been nearly impossible.

That being said, the second Supreme Court ruling named above is a giant step for liberty and equality in a nation that still grapples with those words and their deepest meanings.

Today, same sex couples may apply for and receive marriage licenses in all 50 states. Detractors say the federal government has over-stepped its bounds and entered into areas best decided by the people of each state.

But those of us who know prejudice, those of us who have been asked to wait until the majority "see the light" know better.  When the world understands that the majority have no right to withhold liberty, equality and justice from the minority for any reason, then our world will truly have progressed beyond the shadows of ignorant and hurtful darkness into the light of fraternity, compassion, and love.

Religious Freedom Law in Indiana

Religious freedom is a cornerstone of America.  Right up there with all the other freedoms our founding fathers envisioned some 238 years ago.

Indiana Governor Pence says that the law he recently signed does not encourage discrimination, but instead, protects the personal, religious beliefs of all Hosiers.  No one can dispute the upholding of individual beliefs.  Again, a solid American principle.

So, why all the backlash.  Huge corporations threatening to withdraw their business.  The NCAA rethinking the Final Four.  Signs going up in businesses saying "We serve Everyone".

Perhaps things are not as simple as they seem.

Right now the world is locked in mortal battle with disparate groups around the globe who profess a religious faith that they believe is the one true way to salvation.  Whereas Jesus said "love your neighbor as you would love yourself," many churches add caveats, i.e., side comments.  Such as: "Love the sinner, but hate the sin."  Most often applied to the GLBT community.

All of us have difficulty with those things in life we do not understand, especially when we feel they may harm us or our families by their very existence, even if these fears are unproven.  Sometimes these "feelings" become personal beliefs and we find ourselves choosing sides, passing laws, or accepting some while excluding others.

At their most benign, beliefs are private matters born on emotion and fed by ideas (not always our own) and life experience.  "Private" is the key word here.  As an American you may believe what you want, attend the church of your choice, participate in rituals and adopt a creed.

Things get blurry, however, when we take that belief and use it to deny our fellow human beings the same privileges we would go to our death to preserve.  When we reach this point, we have moved from belief to judgment; and this is just one step away from intolerance and hate.  To totally adhere to the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, one cannot have it both ways.  In other words, we cannot award these privileges only to those we deem worthy.

If a starving man offends your religion for one reason or the other, would you still deny him a hot meal and a place to stay?  If a person chooses to love differently from you, and your religion finds it offensive, would you deny him or her food at your grocery, a cake from your bakery, and best wishes for a long and happy life at his or her wedding?

Use this law to protect those aspects of your religion that affect your right to worship how, when and where you wish and with whom you wish.  But take care not to assume that because of your beliefs you are also entitled to judge another, exclude another, or condemn another publicly.

The New Testament is filled with many, many things, but at its core is  a single thread:  "Judge not lest you be judged.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." It couldn't be simpler, my friends.  Do we really need laws to codify common decency and humanity?

Our world's future is begging us to find common ground.  To listen.  To learn. To trust.  To take risks by reaching out to others not like ourselves.  We have tried the other way and it is apparent to all who care to see that it simply does not work!

APPLE'S $10,000 WATCH!!!

Apple has just released its top-of-the-line watch.  Its target: the luxury market.  Those who can afford to wear a high-priced gadget.

No mention is made of the six billion nine hundred ninety-nine million people on the planet who cannot afford it.  No mention is made of how such a watch will make a better world, end rampant poverty, or bring world peace.

I can think of many things this world needs more than another expensive gadget to show off to one's friends.  The Rolex is not enough?!

Companies that create and market such items have lost my business.  Period.

Instead of this, why not:

--End poverty,

--Cure debilitating and life-ending diseases,

--Mend our dysfunctional mental health system,

--Rethink and restructure our educational system,

--Disassemble our current U. S. Congress and reassemble it with people who actually understand diversity of opinion and the need for communication and compromise,

--Create products that will last,

--Provide equal and excellent healthcare to all,

--Pay a living wage to ALL,

--Create a People and Environmentally conscious world in lieu of a Money-driven world.

The world is filled with genius.  Apple is a fine example of a company that just keeps coming up with novel ideas and processes.   The only problem is, the goal seems to be:  stay one step of the competition.  Keep the stockholders and Wall Street happy.

This particular road is the road to Nowhere.  All giants fall eventually.

What if the world's focus was on collaboration with one's peers instead of competition? What if the end product was the creation of a wholesome and peaceful world?  What if money was ancillary and a healthy world primary?

What if, Apple?  What if?

February 13, 2015

The Vatican out of touch with the world?

Once more I am drawn to Pope Francis’ recent comments on how to react when insulted, on the spanking of children and on the "selfishness" of those who choose not to have children. 

First of all, I must applaud Ireland and Germany and the members of the committee looking into child abuse allegations against the clergy for coming out against physical punishment of children.  Germany has even gone so far as to outlaw it.

I was raised in an era when spanking a child with a belt or a switch (from a tree) was acceptable.  As a young parent, I spanked my children, though I did not use a switch or a belt.  Then one day I woke up and realized that it was wrong.  Terribly, terribly wrong!

Adults are many times bigger and stronger than their children.  They often act in anger and frustration.  They inflict pain and emotional hurt, especially as the child grows older and becomes more aware of what is happening.

It is never okay to hit a defenseless person, be it a child or an adult.  It is never okay to inflict emotional pain on another child or adult.  It is never okay because each human deserves respect and dignity, no matter the age. 

As for being selfish for choosing not to have children.  The Vatican has stepped into the inviolable realm of the intimate and personal.  Such decisions should be decided by the two consenting adults concerned.  If they desire Papal advice, then it is something they have chosen and not something that has been imposed upon them. 

Parenting is a lifelong commitment that is best undertaken when each party is mature and fully aware of the choices they are making.  The world is now 7+ billion people strong and growing daily. Those who want to have children should do so; and those who do not, should not.  How religion ever got into these issues is a puzzle.  Jesus was all about injustice, intolerance, greed and stale religious ritual.  He did love children, but I know of nowhere in the New Testament where he advocated procreation as a Godly pursuit.  In fact, scholars still argue over own his marital status or lack thereof.  

I applaud Pope Francis for his efforts to raise awareness of the poor and disenfranchised.  I applaud his efforts to encourage dialogue among warring nations.  But I am completely befuddled by a man who uses the "other hand", so to speak, to validate corporal punishment for children and "punching"  someone who "insults his mother."

We cannot have it both ways.  "Do no harm" is a fine maxim.  These three pithy words are tucked into every religious creed.  But in practice, religions often punctuate its meaning with a “but” . . . but when a child is misbehaving, but when we deem it otherwise, but when one is insulted.

It is possible that the Pope's advocacy of the "punch" following the Charlie Hebdo attack was metaphorical and in support of his belief that we must respect each other or incur the wrath of the injured party.  But it sent a message nonetheless:

When faced with an insult, retaliate in a manner that shows your anger.  In which vain follows, when faced with a recalcitrant child, whip him into submission.

What more can I say?

STATE OF THE UNION - 2015

The state of our Union on this cold January day, 2015, is Divided.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand," said Abraham Lincoln 150 years ago.

If one looks at our nation over time, it has always been divided: By the haves and the have nots, by the right and the left, by the hawks and the doves.

We call these divisions Democracy and praise America's undying (or dying) commitment to it.

President Obama will give his State of the Union address on January 20th.  One topic that is receiving a lot of attention of late is his desire to increase taxes on the wealthy to afford more spending power to the rest of the country.  While noble in theory, a starving man cannot move beyond his economic status on "crumbs" alone, which is what such well-meaning actions provide. Soon the "crumbs" are devoured by rising costs and the cry to buy, buy, buy!  Consume, consume, consume!  Our economy cannot survive without these actions, and the vicious cycle continues with no relief!

The only way for those with less to rise from the middle, or from the bottom, is for our country to change the way money is valued.  No one should receive a $20 million dollar salary when far too many workers make less than $15/hr.  In our world today, money really means nothing.  It means nothing because it does not do what it should do, provide every human being with  quality of life.  Economists who see only numbers, will argue that you cannot define "quality of life" for every person, therefore it cannot be achieved.

In our gut, we all know what a quality life is.  Nourishing food choices, decent housing, excellent healthcare and education, enjoyable employment, and leisure. Never having to worry about our next meal, a roof over our heads, or health services when in need.

In our world, the economic pyramid is inverted.  The point is being shoved into the earth by the weight of the accumulation of wealth at the top.  Money in the hands of a few trickles down only in proportion to the amount needed to keep the wealthy, wealthy.  And yet, all employees are invested in the commerce of our world.  All make the "world turn" so to speak.  They deserve their fair share!

Don't give us crumbs.  Restructure salaries so that everyone gets paid to live a quality life. And those who cannot provide for themselves?  Yes, they get the same.

In America millions are left out of our wealth.  So they act out. We need visionary leaders. We need true "people persons” who will create a world where people come first.

Money has become a means to an end.  And it is slowly killing our spirit.

We have a divided Congress.  This is not Democracy.  It is a nation divided against it self.   

THE FREE WORLD GATHERS IN PARIS - JAN 11, 2015

Today the free world gathers in Paris.  They gather in solidarity against those who use guns to silence freedom.  

In numbers, the terrorists are few.  But they are angry and they are single-mindedly set upon a course that destroys lives and communities.  They thrive on fear as their reward.

As with any story, there are two sides.  There is the defiance of protests and marches such as these.  There are the words of condolence and outrage.

The other side of the story is less easy to speak of.  It is the great question of mankind from the beginning of time.  The biblical Cain and Able.  The killing of one brother by another because of jealousy.  The Bible is symbolic of course, but its message is real.  We humans have been killing each other forever.  FOREVER!

Terrorism will not disappear today because of Paris.  I doubt future terrorists will be moved by our outward act of defiance in the face of the great uncertainty that terrorism engenders--its unpredictability.

So how do we stop it?  Can we stop it?  Yes!

One day at a time.  One kindness at a time.  Tolerance of all peoples.  Efforts to dig deep until we unearth the real reasons for radical acts.  Listening intently to what they say, for at the core of their oft cancerous rhetoric is a message.

Do we as a civilization bear any responsibility for the terrifying world we live in?  Did not America invade Iraq without due cause?  Did not thousands of innocents die as a result? Do we not systematically kill radical leaders without due process of law? Have we not worked with Middle Eastern leaders when it was advantageous and then summarily deposed them when it was not?  What of Guantanamo and its many inhumane and unresolved issues?

To heal we must admit our own part in the cruelty of our world.  The innocents who died in Afghanistan and Iraq also have a say.  Those easily lead or deeply frustrated say it with mayhem.

This story is not about the bad versus the good.  It is the story of a world that twists its meaning to fit the moment.  It is easier to name a wrong when it is brutal and in your face--as in France this week.  It is harder when it is couched in political terms as a justifiable response to murderous acts.

We must stop retaliating for retaliation's sake. The march in Paris today is an act of defiance against terrorism.  It is peaceful.  The majority of our world wants peace.  Quiet. Security.  Kindness.

Let is act in self-defense, of course.  But beyond that, we must stop the killing.  Until we do, until we see the story in Paris as Our story, the story of civilization, little will change and soon we will live in armed camps, with fear in our hearts, until someone somewhere commits the final act and kills us all.

PARIS MASSACRE - DAY TWO

A Moslem police officer was the final victim of the Paris massacre on January 7th.  He died defending freedom.  For me his death says that people kill people.  Not nations, not religions.

Two brothers killed 12 people.  It does not matter what their belief, who they followed, why they did what they did.  What matters is that somewhere along the course of their young lives, these two individuals decided on a  path of destruction.

The reasons for terrorism are many.  Too many to name or even explain.  Terrorism has been a part of our world for as long as people have found fault with their neighbor.  It is difficult to predict and it is always destructive.

Terrorism is the greatest ulcer on the soul of our world.  It has grown beyond all imagination into a worldwide poison that has "infected" those most vulnerable.

With all our bombs and rhetoric we have not been able to lance it.  It continues to grow.  Like a deadly cancer, we have found no cure.

We have faced it down in solidarity:  "Le suis Charlie" and "Le suis Ahmed".  We have bombed it.  Run it to ground.  Railed at it from very government in the world with a conscience.  We have written about it, satirized it.  Mourned its terror and destruction.  But what has changed?

We need to look beyond past responses.  We must begin anew.  Can we really kill terrorism?  And if we kill "it", will not others rise up in its stead?

We must offer those who would do these things an alternate message.  A message that  will lance the "ulcer" so that it can drain and heal.

Vengeance does not work.  You can kill terrorists, but can you really kill the thoughts and beliefs that inspire them?  We perhaps need new thoughts and new beliefs, beginning with teaching our young people to think for themselves.  To question everything.  To follow no one without checking their gut first.  We need to exemplify kindness, charity, forgiveness, compassion, acceptance of all and the exclusion of none.

Ninety-nine point nine percent of us do not take up weapons and kill.  Why?   Let's tap into that.  Let's mass produce that.

Paris Shootings - January 7, 2015

Twelve human beings were killed in Paris yesterday.  They were killed for speaking their minds openly.  In the aftermath, "Je suis Charlie" has become the rallying cry for journalists throughout the world: "I am Charlie".

Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of Democracy.  When human beings are muzzled, tyranny takes over.

And yet, what is Freedom?  Does it come with no responsibility, no consequences?

Be clear, no one deserves to be killed for one's words!  No one deserves to be persecuted for one's words (or cartoons in this case)!

In turn, I believe that with every right comes a responsibility.  I live in a world peopled by seven billion other human beings.  I am not alone.  What I say and do matters.  Everyday, somewhere, a politician is called to task for something he or she said.  He/she can continue to say the perceived offensive words, or he/she can desist.  The consequences may well decide his/her political future.  By calling these individuals to task no one has denied them the right to speak, but it has also made clear that with this right comes another one, equally sacred, that of rebuttal. Those who understand the complexity of our world will respond in such circumstances with integrity and courage.  Others, a small minority of our world, will not.  Paris is but one example of the deep, polarizing anger simmering in many parts of our world, angry individuals who need very little to set them on a course of utter destruction.

The questions begging for audience during this awful time are these: Do we continue to speak our minds without thought of what we are saying and how it is being portrayed, or do take pause to consider the outcome.  Do our comments make the world better?  Safer?  More humane?  Are we the only ones who may be put in harm's way by our actions?

"No man is an island.  No man stands alone."  As the song says.

There are many ways to stand up for human rights.  For justice.  For tolerance.  To stand against poverty. Isolation. Hatred.  Misunderstanding between cultures.  Any of which could provoke a similar outcome.  It is not that we should not speak our mind, it is that we should do so with the outcome in mind.

It is true that freedom of speech cannot be abridged in an open society, but Freedom is not the right to do anything we want any time we want.  Each person with that right is tasked to use it responsibly.

We create the world in which we live.  Within that world, each of us holds certain things dear.  If nothing is sacred.  If everything is open to assault, then are we really free?  Should we really be targeting the Prophet, the Koran, Islam, Moslems?  Is it not the radical and angry individual who causes wars, panic and death?

I absolutely condemn the actions of the gunmen in Paris!  But this conversation cannot be one-sided.

Why does terrorism persist?  What are its roots causes?  Do we really believe that killing or maligning the problem, by whatever means, will make it go away?

There has to be more!  There must be more!