Persistence of Survival

As this year swiftly comes to a close, and looking back, I'm aware that I have acquired skills that all those who went through the Vietnam War era, also surely acquired. As the death toll in the current war continues to mount, I'm reminded that the military base that I was once assigned to, was one of several where the bodies of returning servicemen were logged-in, before being forwarded to their families for burial.

Forty odd years later, I still tend to drive towards the middle of the street, as if to avoid some deadly hazard that might have been planted at roadside. In a restaurant, I invariably sit with my back against the wall that allows me to see and face the front door when possible. I'm quick, usually much quicker than the average person, to hit the ground at the slightest sound that smacks of danger. I also tend to withhold and guard my emotions, which I think is a defense mechanism against the multiple tragedies that the war produced. Also I'm quick to size up a situation and give it a red or green light in my mind - in a fraction of a second, relative to the danger it might pose to me and others near me.

These skills persist and don't go away - they can't, because they become a part of you. Psychiatrists are just learning to identify them and how they affect one's life, persistently. I bet the vets who are returning from the war in the Middle East, have acquired these same skills, and have to learn as we did, to adapt them to this far different environment when they come home.

This persisting survival mode has served me well and has carried me through to another year. Certainly, of course, I have God to thank for all this, for without Him, I wouldn't have made it this far.

And now, I've been blessed and privileged to climb to the mountain top, and I've seen the promised land of 2007 - Happy New Year to all - it's going to be a great one!

Reconstructing Ford

Gerald Ford has barely passed before the media is predictably, spinning his legacy and putting the best face on it. As they did with Reagan's Iran-Contra mess, they are whitewashing Ford's pardon of the criminal, Nixon, which was a huge disservice to our country, and set the stage for the debacle we find ourselves in now. By pardoning Nixon before justice could be meted out to him, and by not firing his co-conspirators, Rumsfeld, Chaney, Kissinger, Bush Sr. et al., Ford's claim of trying to "heal the land and restore public confidence in the white house" rings as a hollow as Reagan's claim of ignorance of the Iran-Contra conspiracy, which he was a central part of.

Now we find out that Ford wanted his criticism of Bush's illegal warmongering, withheld until after his death. This speaks volumes about his lack of courage and his being just another loyal party hack, who would rather have our soldiers bleed and die, than tell the truth and perhaps save some of them. Also, don't forget Ford was on the Warren Commission, who many feel was instrumental in covering-up the truths of JFK's death.

Ford kept the door open for future presidents to have the same constitutional arrogance that Nixon had. This is the very door that Bush has walked through and which we are now suffering from.

Ford did not heal the nation, he just closed a festering wound which has now been re-opened by many of those he saved, but should have fired.

The Duke U. Rape Case

It appears that the case brought by the D.A. of Durham, N.C., against three white, wealthy lacrosse playing students, is falling apart. The D.A. has just dropped the rape charges, but has maintained sexual assault and kidnapping charges, for what is alleged to have happened to a black stripper, who is the accuser.

In a country where disproportionate numbers of black people are targeted by abusive police and prosecutors, this case is an anomaly. Some have said, it was brought because the D.A. wanted to ensure black support in his bid for re-election. Whatever the reason, the D.A. clearly thought he had enough evidence to bring the charges, and he was able to convince the grand jury to issue the indictments.

It is being said by defenders of the students, that they are innocent and their reputations have been irreparably harmed. I say to these students, get over it - welcome to the real world! It's rare that wealthy whites get a chance to see the justice system at the level most blacks routinely see it. As for their reputations, they will just have to get over it as blacks have always had to do. If they are proved to be innocent and all charges are dropped, they have the means (unlike most blacks), to sue for millions in damages as a result of the charges.

At least one of the defendants, has a prior arrest record and conviction for assault. Had he been black, this would have been enough to presume his guilt in this case, even without DNA or any other corroborating evidence.

The media is outraged that the NAACP and other black organizations, supported the D.A. in bringing these charges against these students. One paper branded them as 'appallingly demagogic', 'identity-politics-obsessed', and said the accuser was 'an unstable black "exotic" dancer' (presumably then, unworthy of any legal protections). They also note that the black vote put the D.A. over the top in both the earlier primary and then in the general election last month. To them this means that the fix was in from the beginning, and the accusations by the black stripper against these upstanding sons of the South, should have been discounted, ignored and summarily dismissed from day one.

Maybe the South is changing, and black folks are finally being listened to when they allege that crimes have been perpetrated against them.

If this is so, it's a positive step forward.

I'm Black and I'm Proud???

Like most music lovers, I'm shocked and saddened at the recent passing of James Brown, another one of our musical icons who has now joined Jimmy Smith and a host of other stellar musicians in the heavenly music band.

Not to diminish his musical accomplishments and influence, there is another side to Brown that has always been a puzzle and a disappointment to me, and perhaps to others like myself. It is the contradiction between the many inspiring words and messages in his songs, and the choices in his personal private life that belied his public messages.

How does a man who said 'he was Black and he was proud', choose to support a succession of White wives, the last of whom was 37 years younger than himself? Is it only me that finds this to be very odd, or am I being too critical and unwilling to accept his choices, which definitely didn't match his public utterances?

Another oddity was his choice of the 'superfly' pimp-style hairdo that was his trademark. Am I to view this as merely a show-biz prop, and not a revelation of his true mind-set and world view?

What about his numerous arrests and convictions for spousal battery, as well as the prison terms he served for other misdeeds?

I guess what I'm saying, is little of his behavior and choices are consistent with someone who I feel truly exemplifies being 'Black and being Proud'. I would love to be able to cite him as an example my grand kids could proudly follow.

Sadly, in his case, I don't think I can bring myself to do so.

What Does Love Have to Do With It?

Recently, I read an article by a single man (he describes himself as a 'Grown-Ass' single man) and how he tries to cope with that status at Christmas, when those of his friends who are married or partnered, tend to be a little bit pitying towards him and his singleness.

As one who was married for 21 years and now has been single for 24 years, I have been on both sides of the holiday table, and have found that whether I have someone special to love or not, does not detract from the significance and the specialness of the holiday for me. In fact, when I was married and had a growing family, Christmas had a meaning that was totally different from what it means to me now, but both states have been full of the good vibes that come automatically with each season's celebration. I don't envy those who have partners, and I don't feel 'less-than' because I'm single. Each state has it's own positives and negatives, and I prefer neither one over the other.

Love has a lot to do with who we are individually, and how readily we have accepted and adapted to our status. That is the real essence of love....for ourselves first....which then permits us to love others fully and unselfishly, regardless of the season.

Some years I have a Christmas tree, this year I didn't, but all years are filled with the richness of holiday music, some recorded, and some created by me. And I don't need music to put me in the mood, neither shopping nor the usual parties, all I need is to be alive - to be breathing and in good health - that's enough to make it memorable for me. Those friends and family that I am able to spend time with and correspond with, are the icing on the cake and are a great substitute for the lack of that special someone so many think is necessary. This season is almost over now, and in a few days the new year of 2007 will be here. I'm already looking forward to the next holiday season!

Finally, Love has always had and continues to have, a lot to do with everything - but maybe not in quite the same way many people tend to think it does - this is how I see it!

Happy New Year to all the long-suffering and wonderful readers of my blog!

What's in a Name?

Yesterday I heard a right-wing talk-show host, quoting several studies that showed that resumes submitted online for prospective employment, were 17% more likely to be downloaded if the applicant's name was 'white-sounding' like Emily, Betty, Anne or Pamela, rather than 'black-sounding' like Ebony, Tamika, Shawana or Monique. Similarly, male names like Earl, Robert or David, were more likely to be downloaded, rather than Tyrone, Leroy, Willie or Donte.

This host claimed he was concerned about the opportunities for Black children when their parents gave them names that decreased their chances for future gainful employment. He further said, that Black parents were doing their children a disservice, by continuing to give them names that were likely to be labeled and identified as belonging to a Black applicant, and then used to discriminate against them.

Of course I knew his concern was disingenuous, because historically, most of his political opinions have been racially insensitive and consistently anti-Black. And he never missed an opportunity to highlight and criticize some supposed flaw in the character and morals of Black folk. Also, he never discussed why there was systemic prejudice against black-sounding names, and how the racists who were guilty of such biases (probably like himself), should be dealt with.

Black parents have the right, like white parents, to choose names that they like and want to give to their children. If the studies are accurate, then it provides further proof that racism is still a major factor and impediment in America, and has not 'all but disappeared', as some black and white propagandists like Shelby Steele and others, continue to constantly and lyingly, insist.

Studies like these are constant reminders that racism is indeed, alive and well, and the playing fields in American society, are far from being level.

I say, don't censor the name, rather, severely sanction the racists who discriminate based on the names and the supposed race of the applicants.

The Koran or The Bible?

Once again the right-wing repugnants in the person of pundit, Dennis Prager, are showing their racism and religious intolerance - this time directed at the representative from Minn., Keith Ellison, who is a Muslim convert and whose wife is a Christian. Prager pretends to be outraged about Ellison's stated intent to use the Koran instead of the Bible, in his private ceremonial swearing-in next month.

The real unstated motive of Prager, is his objection to a Muslim serving in the U.S. Congress. On top of that, Ellison is also Black and a Democrat, so that adds an additional layer of angst for White supremacists like Prager, who hide behind the fig-leafs of patriotism and religion while indulging their hatred for non-Whites and their intolerance for any religion that is not Judeo-Christian based.

As a religious Jew, Prager does not even believe in the full Bible - just the Old Testament, yet he wants to force Ellison to use a book that he only partially subscribes to. So far Ellison has ignored this right-wing attack and his mostly White constituents have been overwhelmingly supportive of his plans.

In spite of the Constitution's stated prohibition of 'religious tests, Prager and his Taliban-like ilk, want to impose them where, when, and on whom, they see fit. They have no regard for the tenets of the document they pretend to love, and constantly try to re-write it to suit their anti-democratic agendas.

In the public mass swearing-in ceremony of congress persons, there is no religious texts used at all - just a pledge to uphold the Constitution. In the private ceremony, which is basically just a photo-op, I would recommend that instead of pledging on a Bible or other religious text, all congress persons should merely place their hand on the shoulder of a constituent, and pledge to do the best possible job for those who sent them to congress.

That's the way it should always be - nothing more and nothing less!

Dying While Climbing?

Of all the ways to die, this is got to be the stupidest - there is nothing noble or heroic about dying this way, it's just plainly stupid!

I don't mean to be insensitive to the recent loss of the climber who was just found frozen to death in an ice cave on the side of a mountain in Oregon. It is tragic but entirely predictable that this would happen to him and probably to his two buddies that have yet to be found, because of the sheer insanity of their expedition in winter, on one of the steepest and most dangerous mountains in North America.

Every year, this scenario is repeated where climbers irrationally set out to 'conquer' a mountain that clearly wishes not to be conquered, particularly in the winter season. It has to be asked, what motivates these individuals to risk their lives and limbs and the future lives of their families, for the thrill of conquering an unforgiving mountain somewhere? Do they not care about the loss and heartache that will be experienced by their families if they don't return? Do they not care enough about their own lives that they are risking so foolishly? Do they not care about the thousands of man-hours and thousands of dollars that have to be spent from public funds in trying to find them if they don't return? Do they not remember that 14 other climbers have died on this same mountain in the last 4 years?

Sadly and incredibly, I think the obvious answer to all five questions is....no, no, no, no and no!
If they truly cared, would they really engage in such a dangerous undertaking, given the huge risks and the uncertain prospect of success? I certainly would not - and I'm certain all of my sane friends and associates would also agree.

It's especially sad when these tragedies happen at a time of year, when we are celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with the joyous celebration of the birth of the Prince of Peace, Jesus.

Their deaths are a sorrowful reminder to their families and friends, of how inconsiderate, selfish and self-absorbed, these thrill-seekers were.

I'm sorry I can't say it any other way - I get angry just thinking about their stupidity, their arrogance and their recklessness!

How to Steal from the Rich

Carmelo Anthony, like Ron Artest before him, was just hit with a fine that is nearly $1 million dollars, for a game fracas that he did not start but unwisely got involved in. He also was on track to garner the honor of leading the league in scoring this season – now that is probably a moot point given the length of his suspension. This is a case of VERY rich White owners, legally stealing from NEWLY rich Black players, using a contrived concern for civility to do it, in a sport that is far less violence-prone than football, hockey or baseball. I guess the millions that the owners are stealing with these outrageous fines, can be used to make further campaign contributions to their favorite political parties or however else they care to use it. For them it's a better investment than giving it to Black players who are considered merely rich slaves on their NBA plantation, with David Stern as their overseer. During slavery, the owners brazenly and criminally stole their slave's labor and wages. Today in the NBA, the owners still brazenly steal their slave's wages - nothing much has changed!

It is inconceivable that they would similarly try to steal $5 million from a Larry Bird or a Bill Walton as they did from Ron Artest in his year-long suspension. Everyone knows it would never have happened to them, Stern and the NBA would have found some way to mitigate even the most egregious behavior, had it been Bird, Walton or some other White player.

As one White sportswriter pointed out, “baseball's players are 60 percent White and only 8.5 percent Black. The NHL has 2.5 percent Black players, while the NBA is about 80 percent Black. But I'm sure it's insignificant that the players in the NBA fighting this past weekend were Black. After all, we're a color-blind society, right? We treat everyone the same, and comparing professional hockey or baseball fighting to basketball fighting isn't really fair. And the race of the athletes has nothing to do with how we respond to the fighting in those sports, either. Or maybe in the end, the reaction of our country when NBA players fight says a lot more about us than it does about them.”

This sportswriter correctly identified how race is factored in, depending on who is fighting and if the league is the NBA. There it is determined how much is deemed acceptable to 'steal' if the player is Black. Such a player who happens to get into a fight, whether of his choosing or not, is almost certain to be fined an amount that most of us would need at least a lifetime to earn.

Some might argue, that a player who is earning millions of dollars per year, is by definition exempt from being exploited or treated unfairly, and deserves no sympathy.

But in the NBA, if there is a fight, legalized theft and unfair treatment by the owners toward their slaves, is the rule rather than the exception.

Race or Class?

This is the question that is often asked, and the debate is on which is more important - and which needs to be focused on in pursuit of social justice for all? An increasing number of Americans are convinced that race and racism are all but gone, and should no longer be a factor when we formulate our social policies. At the same time they believe that class inequality is the new frontier and the only one worth examining and remedying.

I say that the two are inseparable, and there is most often a direct link of race to the class one is a part of. Is racism as egregious as it was during slavery and the sharecropping Jim Crow era in the south and the north? Certainly not, but race is still the kindling that begins the process towards inadequate health care, poor housing, inferior educational opportunities, discriminatory charging and prison sentencing, police profiling and excessive force, joblessness and a host of other ills. These are usually what determines the class of those affected, and although remedying class inequities are important, for a significant part of the population, race and racism should, and must be dealt with first.

If and when we muster the will and commitment to focus on ending racism as we know it, we will begin to see the uplifting of those classes that have been negatively impacted by systemic racism. This will benefit all of us who make up American society. We cannot have one without the other.

What Should Be Done About Racists?

Absolutely nothing! They are who they are and unlikely to ever change. Hopefully the laws will be sufficient to prevent them from acting on their racism.

This brings me to the recent, unseemly, racist rant of "Seinfeld' star, Michael Richards, at a Hollywood nightspot. As he later admitted, his racism came from deep inside him - no surprise there! In fact, I am never surprised when the racism finally manifests itself. After all, most Whites harbor racist feelings toward non-Whites, and Blacks in particular. Finding the few that are not racists, is like finding an oasis of tasty water in the middle of a desert, or having a delightful dessert at the end of a meal, or some other unexpected delight.

Would I sue Richards, as it seems two Black patrons who were subjected to his racism are planning to do - definitely not! From my standpoint, it is more reasonable to expect racist words and actions from the majority of Whites, rather than be surprised when it finally happens. I would not even want an apology - let him be who he is, and let them be who they are.

That's the way it is in America, and Black folks should be realists about how they are perceived and often hated by their fellow citizens. Thank God for the few Whites I have met in my lifetime that were truly not racists. They remind me that people have the ability to choose who and what they want to be, and that's good enough for me.

Thanksgiving and America being Thankful They have O.J. to Hate

With O.J. resurfacing in the news once again, and the public outcry at the Fox Corp. attempt to 'pimp' the tragedy with a new book and TV special as so many others have done, it occurred to me that there might be a silver lining in all of this.

Most of America believes O.J. did the crimes, regardless of the botched investigation, or the lying of a racist cop under oath, or the political ambitions of a D.A. that had to have a conviction at all costs, or the fact that the prosecution never proved 'beyond a reasonable doubt' that he did it. So, America finally has a Black former 'beloved icon' of theirs, that they can publicly and unashamedly hate and vent their most racist feelings toward, and the past few days have been filled with a steady stream of all manner of such racist bile.

It just occurred to me that in my lifetime, I probably will never learn who really did this crime, because I truly believe that even if the killer or killers came forward and confessed, it would be covered up and withheld from the public - perhaps it already has! This is because America's investment in O.J.'s guilt is so huge. And like all investments, no one wants to lose what they have invested - this investment is no exception.

Perhaps O.J. deserves this for committing the ultimate sin in America, being Black and wanting to and having a White woman, who unfortunately turned up dead. He should have known better, now he will have to pay for his sin for the rest of his life.

This Thanksgiving I am truly thankful for the many blessings of Almighty God. I am also thankful that in the next life I will finally learn who is guilty and who is innocent of this crime - that's the silver lining!

A Right To Bear Arms?

David Stern's problem is that he sees himself as the overseer of a NBA plantation populated mostly by high-paid, child-like, irresponsible Blacks that he feels have to be controlled, regulated and restricted from carrying guns to protect themselves and their families, lest they embarrass or endanger the White fans and the owners. Denying players (effectively all Black) from going to the plantation directly from H.S., is also part of the mentality, that if they get rich too soon, they may get swelled heads and become unmanageable later. The other leagues don't have this concern since most of their high schoolers turning pro, are safe White athletes. The NBA under Stern, is a perfect metaphor for the slavery system in which Blacks were feared, controlled, harshly punished (like the unjust 1 yr suspension of Artest and loss to him of multiple millions), and were powerless to protect themselves, as Stern now seeks to do by denying them the right to carry their guns for protection. Stern and his owners do not see these players as full persons entitled to the respect accorded to other athletes, but instead sees them only as the 3/5 that the constitution mandated. His overtures to European players is his attempt at 'whitening' the league, thereby depressing salaries and making the NBA less dependant on the labor of Blacks. I've been watching Stern for a long time and I've become more and more convinced of his racist, patronizing mind-set.

Genetically Destined or Merely More Motivated?

I agree that those sufficiently motivated to start over in a strange land (or even a different part of the same country, such as the northward and westward migration of southern Blacks starting in the early part of the last century) are probably destined to succeed, even beyond most of those that are natives of the new land. The Jamaican immigrants, Marcus Garvey and Colin Powell comes to mind, among others. However, I think it goes beyond being merely more motivated, focused, educated and purposeful. I would not discount the possibility that those who are so motivated, could be part of the 'talented tenth' of each particular ethnic/cultural group, as W. E. Dubois discussed in his writings. Could there be a superior gene common to these who have this drive and willingness to go beyond their comfort zones to migrate to succeed? If so, then it might indeed be said, that the 'best and brightest' who migrate elsewhere, are probably 'better' than the average of the persons who are native to the new land they have come to. This might be a more satisfactory explanation for their dominance, since they as a group (1st and 2nd generations) appear to achieve even more, than those natives among them, who could be characterized as focused, educated and purposeful.

Spiritual Fruits or Religious Nuts?

What does Jim, Jimmy, Paul, Ted, James, George, Jeff, and Mike have in common? The first four; Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggert, Paul Crouch, and Ted Haggard, are all right-wing, republican Evangelicals who have railed against sexual sins in others, but have been exposed and outed for having secret sinful sexual lives themselves. The next two, James Dobson and George Bush, are close friends and confidants of these and the recently outed, Ted Haggard, a mega-pastor and head of a 30 million member evangelical association. The last two, Jeff and Mike, are admitted male prostitutes. Jeff Gannon was given cover and unlimited access to the White House as a fake journalist in the press corps, and Mike Jones is the male escort that has accused Haggard of paying him for monthly sex over a 3 year period and also was the procurer for his drug of choice, crystal meth. At first Haggard denied knowing Jones, now he flip-flops and says he went to him only for a 'massage'. He also admits to buying crystal meth from him, but "threw it away before using it". We don't need to speculate if he is telling the truth or not, but it should be noted that he has quickly resigned from both of his high-profile evangelical positions. If I were similarly accused but innocent of these charges, I would never resign, but instead, sue my accuser for slander, and every publication that printed the accusation. Let's see if he does this. The experts say that $200 worth of crystal meth, is not a quantity that a first-time user would buy. Instead it is the quantity that only a regular user committed to this drug and it's effects, would buy. Further, buying this drug in any quantity is a felony in Colorado, so Haggard is probably not only a regular user, but is also an admitted law breaker and felon as well. Rumor also has it that the gay community in Colorado Springs has known about Rev. Ted for years and that he not only has had sex with gay prostitutes, but has also had a ten-year long affair with one of his male aides, and has come on inappropriately to many of his young staffers. Once again it seems, here is a case of another so-called 'godly' person, who along with right-wing pundits like Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly, regularly brand the rest of us as 'godless, leftist secularists' in the culture war, but who has now been exposed as the ultimate hypocrite that we suspected, but did not have proof of, until now. These are the fruits of the more moral, more holier-than-thou crowd, that wraps itself around the flag and the Bible, and proclaims their righteousness and morality, while savaging and persecuting gays and other undesirables, and conducting their own depraved lifestyles in private. These are also the phonies who claim to be 'pro-life' while supporting a war which has killed thousands of innocent Iraqis and American servicemen and women, using lies and deceptions to justify their actions.

.....As the Elections Approach....

....let us remember and note that the top players in the ruling party, are mostly religious fundamentalists, who are the latest in a long line of those who have used God as a cover for, and endorser of, their actions. The proof that God is not in the mix and that they are hypocrites and religious impostors, is their sorry record of failures in every thing they have touched and in every crisis they have had to deal with, particularly since 2000 when they took over fully. This extends from Iraq, Afghanistan, Katrina; failing health, educational and social services; rapid decline of the middle class and the dramatic increase of those below the poverty line while the richest have been further enriched; the decline from a large budget surplus to a huge budget deficit; the revocation of some of our civil liberties using the 'war on terror' as an excuse....to the scores of resignations, indictments and convictions of various lobbyists, staffers and congressmen for their criminality, lies and sexual perversions, etc.
These are classic examples of those who 'honor God with their lips, but whose hearts are far from Him'!

Fantasy or Facts??

Fantasy:

The top US general defended the leadership of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying it is inspired by God. "He leads in a way that the good Lord tells him is best for our country," said Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Facts:

U.S. MILITARY DEATHS IN IRAQ: 2,700+

U.S. MILITARY WOUNDED & MAIMED IN IRAQ: 111,000+

IRAQI CIVILIAN DEATHS OF MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN : 600,000+

BUSH, CHENEY, RICE, RUMSFELD, BOLTON FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE INJURED, MAIMED OR DEAD IN IRAQ, OR SERVING IN IRAQ: 0

By ascribing this carnage to the "good Lord",
the Bushites hope to escape responsibility and accountability for their own actions and failures.

For the dead, injured and maimed, it's sadly too late, nevertheless, the Bushites will not escape the judgement and wrath of God.

...Hug Thy Neighbor??

I don't know about you, and maybe I'm getting too crotchety and critical in my old age, but I'm a little tired of,..no, very tired of, the popular device the mega-preachers of mega-churches are now using while preaching their mega-sermons. What I'm talking about is the frequent exhortation to "touch your neighbor and tell him...", or "give your neighbor a high-five and tell him...", or hug your neighbor and tell him...." What is this all about??? Why does this directive have to be sprinkled in, upwards of a dozen times in a 50 minute sermon? Why do I have to tell my neighbor something - isn't that the job of the preacher? Is it a new attempt at interactive sermonizing that preachers are employing to hopefully evoke a favorable response from their congregants? Others speculate that it might be a controlling and manipulative mechanism that feeds the ego of the preacher, as congregants dutifully and sometimes gleefully, scramble to obey. Whatever the purpose, I wish they would stop it! I go to church primarily to hear the Word, enjoy the singing and music, and worship in my own way. And I would bet that my neighbor came to church with mostly this same objective also. And I really don't want to touch, slap, feel, hug, poke or rub my neighbor (no matter how attractive), or for that matter, anyone else around me. In my mega-church, my neighbors are most likely to be strangers, and I don't want to encroach on their private spaces or on their persons, anymore than they want to encroach on mine. At the end of the service, and if mutually desired, why can't just a handshake and a few words of greeting with my neighbors be sufficient?
Okay there,..I said it, and I feel sooo much better!

'Stay the Course' or Conflict of Interest?

Is it only me that is appalled at the massive corruption that has been ongoing in Iraq? How is it that we are spending $8 billion per month, much of which is going to two corporations with no-bid contracts, and which are closely connected politically to the president and the vice-president. The most egregious is Halliburton, which was formerly chaired by the vice-president and is headquartered in Texas, the home of the president and former home of the vice president. With this overt conflict of interest, comes the Bushites determination to 'stay the course' in spite of the chaos, the civil war, the 600,000+ Iraqi collateral deaths, the disappearance of $9 billion that is unaccounted for, the disappearance of the billions of Iraqi oil revenues which were to pay for this mess of an occupation, the military being stretched to it's limits, the desire of most Iraqis that we leave now, the desire of most Americans that we get out now, and so on. This unholy alliance of Halliburton, Blackwater and others, with the Bushites, means that we are not leaving any time soon. They financed Bush's governorship and then presidency, and now they are being rewarded with massive amounts of taxpayer funds with no end in sight. This is why the Bushites were hell-bent on going into Iraq, to begin the criminal fraud that is now unfolding. This is why the Bushites are hell-bent on 'staying the course' in Iraq, and ignoring every sane indicator of the utter failure of the occupation. Only for we the people, has this war been a failure, for them it has been a huge success. And once again, political influences and profits are revealed as the gods of both political parties, and the supreme god of the Repugnants.

Just a Numbers Game

Growing up in Harlem, the big game indulged in by almost everyone, was playing the 'numbers'. A nickel, a dime, a quarter or more, could return upwards of a thousand dollars if you 'hit' all three, and if you could get your money before the 'banker' suddenly left town for parts unknown. But this is peanuts when compared to the new game of counting or not counting civilian casualties in Iraq. The Lancet, the peer-reviewed, highly respected British Journal, has just released it's latest estimate of casualties in Iraq, as being over 600,000 since we invaded in 2003 - this doesn't even include the thousands of Americans killed and injured in this same time period. The head Bushite was quick to deny this new number, because he favored his own lying, understated estimate of 30,000. So what's another lie or denial from him - it's par for the course and is consistent with the debacles that characterize his administration. He even denies the existence of global warming, which is as real as he is clueless, so his denial of a scholarly estimate, is in keeping with his anti-scholar, anti-intellectual good old boy persona. The real point, is his lack of regard for the lives of civilians lost as a result of his policies, commonly referred to as 'collateral damage'. And whatever the true number, it's a monumental slaughter that qualifies as a war crime by any humane standard, and will have to be reckoned with in this life or the next.

A New Fascism???

I am distressed and dismayed that brilliant, principled scholars, like Tony Judt and Noam Chomsky, both of whom happen to be Jewish, are routinely harassed and censored from speaking out and promoting their views on Israel and the Middle East. Both decry the failure of the leadership in Israel and the USA, to ensure justice, equity and liberty for ALL, in that part of the world. Instead there is a coordinated effort to try to silence them and prevent them from telling the truth of what is happening over there. These tactics are reminiscent of the old fascism of Spain, Germany and Italy of the last century, that has been reborn. They, like me, will not self-censor for fear of being labeled anti-Semitic by the new fascists of our time. The gambit of labeling those who disagree and oppose Israeli policy as anti-Semites, will not work, because the need for truth, equity, justice and liberty, overrides and exposes the racist, hegemonic course the Israeli leadership is following. We will always speak out, and not shut up!

Buck O'Neil: un-Inducted Hall Of Famer

I've been saddened by the passing of 94 year old, Buck O'Neil, who still has not rightfully been inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame. This is why major league baseball has never been on of my favorite sports, because of the systemic racism that still pervades it. Even after Black players were belatedly allowed in, starting with Jackie Robinson, there remains a bitter aftertaste for me because of the past exclusions. Many have visited the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, but I would not go across the street to visit it! Maybe its because I know that many of the records White players are credited with, would not have been attained if they had to compete on a level playing field with Black players from 1900 -1947. Even the icon, Babe Ruth, may not have held the batting records that he did, had he had to bat against the pitching of some of the better Black pitchers of that era. I admire those who can set aside the pain and hurts of the past, and move forward positively and hopefully. For me, it remains very difficult to smile and forget, and will probably always be that way.

An Unseemly Mess!

The latest outrage of the Bushites, is to blame yesterday's nuclear test by the Koreans, on the Clinton administration. All the foreign newspapers are saying, that ever since the Bushites unilaterally and illegally, invaded and occupied Iraq, a sovereign country that did not attack us, nor was capable of doing so, every other country, particularly those branded as part of the 'axis of evil', have no choice but to gather and test their own weapons to defend themselves if similarly attacked. They are also saying this is the first nuclear domino, and shortly, Japan, Taiwan, China, So. Korea, Pakistan, India, and Saudi Arabia, must do the same to protect themselves from the possible new threat to the world community, posed by the unstable, North Korea. The Bushites must love chaos - everything they have touched, from Iraq to Katrina, to the current Congressional Page scandal etc, has been nothing but chaotic and an unseemly, unmitigated disaster. What is really stunning, is that as murderous, clueless, inept and duplicitous the Bushites are, more than 30% of the voters still approves of and supports them! For them to have any support at this point, is a sure sign that we are on the edge of an abyss, waiting to implode.
By the way, what if all this chaos and nuclear proliferation, is a deliberately planned outcome, to justify giving massive 'star-war' type contracts to the defense industry buddies of the Bushites??? Am I being too cynical???

...Now the Other Shoe is Dropping!.....

Most everyone knew that it was just a matter of time, before it was revealed that Foley and others, were actually having sex with some of the underage Pages they were sending sexually explicit email messages to. It is not reasonable to assume that these sickos would not have sex with underage Pages, if they were able to successfully seduce them with their entreaties. We know Foley took some for rides in his BMW and had dinner with them at expensive restaurants. He had others over to his house for pizza. Then this weekend, a former page admitted that he had sex with Foley after he left the program and after he turned 21. Apparently there is a whole raft of, then underage Pages, who are about to come forward, who will tell of being threatened with career-destroying retribution, if they revealed and exposed those congressmen and staffers who hit on them and had sex with them, when they were in the program. What is also now starting to emerge, is that there is a much wider ring of pedophilia operating in the nation's capital, servicing the sick desires of those who crave sex with children and teenagers. My research indicates that most pedophilia is engaged in by heterosexual males and females, not homosexuals. We recently read of noted conservative icon, Rush Limbaugh, being charged with possession of un-prescribed Viagra in his luggage, upon his return from the hugely popular playground for sex with underage children and minors, the Dominican Republic. Bangkok, Thailand, is another favored playground of these sickos, many of whom constantly trumpet high moral and family values, but possess neither. Earlier we found out that the head of a male escort service was given press credentials to attend White House press briefings. I wonder who were his clients in the White House and in the congress, and why he was not uncovered by the illegal secret domestic wiretapping, that Bush now admits he has been doing? On and on, cracks are emerging in the phony moral facade of the Bushites and their enablers.
Bill Clinton had nothing on these holier-than-thou, perverts!

Et Tu, Foley?

So another hypocritical, gay-bashing Repugnant has been unmasked and sent packing from his house seat. Judging by the blatancy of his emails, Mark Foley couldn't have imagined that his pedophilia would be ever exposed, and his cover as chairman of a committee to protect children, blown. Insiders say, his unmasking is just the tip of the iceberg! The dominoes are starting to finally fall at an accelerated pace, and the Repugnants are being exposed left, right, north, south, east and west. The supposed moral high ground of this group, has been revealed to be a house of cards, and built on the shifting sands of their pathological lies. Their ability to hide behind moral issues, has been blown away by the revelations and denials of those who knew what and when, regarding this predator and his enablers. Like their Iraqi house of cards which is unraveling exponentially, their supposed integrity is being exposed as a fraud, and their trumpeted moral revolution of 1994, is revealed as nothing more than a coup by criminals and perverts who hoodwinked the voters, and took over the congress. While railing about Bill Clinton's moral failings, theirs were in full swing, hidden behind 'family values' and other lying slogans. Their slime has oozed through the halls of congress and into the inner sanctums of the white house. Hopefully their control will be wrested away by the voters next month.
In that event, a good riddance to them is long overdue!

A 'Surprise' Visit

This morning on television, I witnessed the arrival in Iraq, of the secretary of state of the mightiest nation on earth, Condi Rice, wearing a huge bullet-proof vest to avoid being killed by the resistance and insurgents who are roaming the country. The compliant and corrupted media, euphemistically described her visit as a 'surprise' visit, instead of correctly describing it as a 'sneak' visit - which is how all Bushites have to enter the country, usually by cover of darkness. This reality gives the lie to the claim by the commander-in-chief, over three years ago, that 'the mission had been accomplished'. Instead, it is more unsafe now than ever, especially for those who are illegally occupying this sovereign country. This is another blatant example of the unintended consequences of hegemonic forays around the world. I really feel sorry for the men and women of our military, who are being forced to fight and die for the empire ambitions of the Bushites and their supporters. But I don't feel a bit sorry for the Bushites who arrogantly continue to pursue their criminal policies, but still have to continue to 'sneak' into Iraq, three years after invading it with their much ballyhooed, 'shock and awe' bravado!

Why Do Poor Whites Overwhelmingly Vote Republican?

I have always felt that Whites, particularly the poor Whites in the deep south and in middle America, who vote Republican even against their own economic interests, were doing so because of race and their racist antipathy towards Blacks. Since the Bushites came to power in 2000, median household income has declined by 3%, those without healthcare have risen by 9%, and poverty has risen by 7%. Blacks who are only about 3% of the total voters, overwhelmingly vote democratic, because they recognize how poisonous the repugs are to their well-being. On the other hand, Whites, who are over 90% of the voters, and are most affected by the anti-poor policies of the Bushites, are fairly evenly split between democratic and republican voters. But, the vast majority of poor Whites who live in the deep south and middle sections of the country, have, and continue to vote republican, by a wide margin. They apparently have discovered the racist core of this party, and votes in sympathy and in solidarity with it. So, in spite of the fact that this party is pursuing economic polices that is continuing to make them poorer and poorer, their racism continues to trump their economic self interest and better judgement. What a pity, but so be it!

Why My Prayer Wasn't Answered

Almost ten years ago, I along with hundreds of others, prayed fervently for a close friend of mine, who was stricken with, and was dying of cancer. He did not want to die, and we certainly did not want him to die. Yet, it seemed that he got worse and worse in spite of our prayers. Finally he passed on, and it took me several years to come to grips with the finality of his passing. Part of it was asking why my prayers had not been answered. It took me a long time to realize, that God's will SUPERSEDES and trumps all our prayers and desires. Matt. 6, says, .."Thy Will be done in earth as it is in Heaven..." When I came to understand this, then I understood how important is the part that God plays in our lives, whether we acknowledge it or not. As I get closer to the end of my own life in this world, I am also coming to realize more and more, that everything starts and stops with God, and without Him there is nothing but emptiness and despair. With Him is the hope for this life, and more importantly, my hope for the next life.

A Scary, Sobering Thought

As an observer of the news and of the politics that governs our existence in America and in the world, I see much that is inequitable, unjust, unfair, demeaning, unhealthy, life-threatening, murderous etc. But mine, is just a tiny, tiny, insignificant viewpoint, looking through a small window, at the big stage of life. But how about what, and how God sees things??? My viewpoint is limited to only what I can see here on earth, while His viewpoint is ETERNAL, throughout all time and space, and with no beginning and no ending. I am constantly frustrated at my inability to know and find out, the real truth of events past and current - who is doing what, where, why, how, and to whom? God does not have these limitations! And because He doesn't, He can't be lied to, propagandized, flim-flamed, schmoozed, bribed, lobbied or otherwise fooled! This has devastating, eternal consequences for the powerful, the rich, the elites, the movers and shakers, the imperialists, the new world order dominionists, and all those who can and have, successful hidden their agendas, crimes and other misdeeds from the eyes of observers like myself. While it is scary and sobering to know that everything is being viewed and judged from an eternal perspective, it is also liberating and a relief to me, to realize that I don't have to know everything. Whatever I miss and can't uncover, is not forever lost or forever unknown. This gladdens me, even as I'm scared and sobered by the reality of it.

"...No one ever, could have imagined...."

This has been the standard lying excuse, given by the Bushities to explain their criminal negligence in failing to prevent or respond in a timely manner, to the many disasters that have happened on their watch. The list goes on and on.... 9/11, Iraq occupation and resulting resistance, Katrina, Resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Failure to capture Bin laden etc. But while watching the MTV program, 'Cribs', the other day, the thought came to me, that the financial success and ownership of the sumptuous mansions featured on the show, by Black rappers, athletes and other super-star entertainers, could also 'never have been imagined' by the racist, slave holding founding fathers of this country. Could Jefferson or Adams or Washington, ever have imagined the likes of an Ice Cube, owning a multi-million dollar compound in Beverly Hills? Or what about Snoop Dogg's compound in Encino? Or Jay-Z's multi-million dollar nightclub in mid-town Manhattan? Or Oprah's $50 million compound in Santa Barbara? The list is endless! These are real examples of unintended consequences! - and are true instances of outcomes that could not have been imagined, given that Blacks were conspired against, resulting in most being born into poverty-stricken circumstances across the country, and were the most unlikely to succeed at all, never mind to this extent. What a rude awakening is in store for our founding fathers and the Bushites, when they finally stand before the judgment seat of God, to give an account of their deeds while here on earth.
Will they use the 'no one could have imagined' excuse - or, more importantly, will God accept it????

"...Not a Dime's Worth of Difference Between...."

The other day when Bush was asked whether he would go into Pakistan to capture Bin Laden? He immediately said, 'Pakistan is a sovereign country, and we can't go into a sovereign country without being invited'. Excuse me - Is this an epiphany on the sanctity of another country's sovereignty? Was not Iraq also a sovereign country? Did Saddam invite Bush into his country? Did that stop the Bushites from illegally attacking, invading and occupying it? It's clear that when it comes to illegal, criminal actions by this gang, they are very selective of who's sovereignty they will or will not respect. With this illegality in mind, all discussions by liberals and conservatives alike, about what to do about Iraq and the quagmire we created there, are moot. I even hear liberals saying, had we gone in there with the proper number of troops, and planned better for the eventual occupation, things would have worked out much better. I say no! - we should not have gone into Iraq in the first place! It was based and predicated on a supremacist imperial notion of hegemony, that believes we have the right to take whatever land and resources that we covet, anywhere in the world. Any discussion of how we should have gone in etc., ignores the fact that it was wrong and illegal from the start, and the blood of hundreds of thousands that were killed and maimed, plus the massive destruction of cities, utilities, infrastructure etc., are charged against us, and we will have to give an account of it to Almighty God one day. It's clear that this disease of supremacist thinking, and the willingness to act illegally on it, is shared by liberals, conservatives, democrats and republicans, alike. Although few will admit it, 9/11 happened because of past instances of our imperial hubris similar to our invasion and occupation of Iraq, which pissed-off millions, maybe billions, of people around the world. Will we ever be able to live in peace with our neighbors, without trying to tell them what to do, and taking what resources we need from them?

How Do You Deal With Evil?

In my study of the history of World War II, many writers said that Hitler and his inner circle, in their private lives, were very sociable and jocular, and loved attending the opera and attending symphonic music concerts. If we did not know about the depravity of their policies and deeds, many would say these were pretty nice, cultured people. Does being nice privately, excuse and make acceptable, those who are supportive of global hegemony, involving the gratuitous bombing of civilians and their infrastructure, and other murderous policies? Do we disregard the evil they are supportive of, and base our approval on how nice they are personally and privately? I think one has to look at the total person and decide if the policies they support disqualify them from being considered good people, and are therefore, unworthy of our regard, respect and friendship. If most of us would apply this standard to an extreme case like Hitler, we should certainly also consider applying this same standard to those around us who are supportive of the evils of this current administration and it's allies.
I was taught as a young person, and I still believe, if you want to know what kind of person someone is, a good starting point is to consider their personal political beliefs, and what causes they support.

Saddam Shook Hands With The Devil !!

I remember the early 70s when George Bush Sr., was CIA director, and a picture of him posing with his arm around Saddam's shoulder on a visit to Iraq, appeared in our local newspaper. Back then Saddam was our boy, and was supported by us and sold WMDs to contain the Iranians and any domestic threats to his regime. Not surprisingly, he used the WMDs on the northern Kurds when they revolted against his dictatorship. He was our proxy then, but he should have been tipped off that we were hedging our bets, when our other proxy, Israel, was given the go-ahead to bomb his nuclear facilities in 1981. Nevertheless, he continued to stay somewhat in our good graces until he was no longer useful to us. That is when we tricked him by giving the tacit go-ahead to invade Kuwait in response to a border dispute with them. As soon as he invaded, we double-crossed him, and initiated a military action against him, resulting in a decade of sanctions and no-fly zones against his country. The other shoe was dropped by the second George Bush, who invaded and occupied Iraq in 2003. Saddam is now on trial (and among other things, he is accused of gassing the Kurds), his country is in tatters, and is also undergoing a ruinous civil war. The lessons he should have learned, is that when you shake hands with the devil, he invariably and eventually will turn against you. George Bush is not the devil, despite the recent assertions of Hugo Chavez in his United Nations speech last week. The devil is our desire for global hegemony, that has been the backbone of our foreign policy since the later years of the 19th century. That is why Saddam had to go, he was only useful up to a point, then his oil became too valuable for him to remain in control of it. Chavez is in the same quandary, his oil reserves are even larger than those of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Wisely, he is aligning himself with countries that don't have hegemonic designs on the rest of the world, and so far, is sensibly keeping his distance from us.

A New Perpetual Enemy

This past weekend, the NYTimes reported that our incursion into Iraq has actually made us LESS safe, because of the creation and radicalization of jihadists in the Arab world, who are opposed to our illegal occupation and our plans for further global hegemony. In my view, this radicalization and creation of a new enemy, is exactly what special interests in the US wanted, to replace the loss of the threats from the Soviet Union. They believe we must have a perpetual enemy to justify the maintenance and growth of the Military Industrial Complex, which is composed of defense, oil, media, chemicals, and a host of other related industries. Without a war (currently on 'terror') or threat of war with an 'enemy', it's hard to rally our people behind their hegemonic plans. In my view, two primary objectives necessitated the U.S. invasion of Iraq; Oil, and our support for Israel, who has her own regional hegemonic plans. The CIA estimates China's and India's surging, oil-hungry economies will cause world oil shortages by 2030 - or sooner. Accordingly, the Bushites moved to assure America's global hegemony by seizing Mideast and Central Asian oil before the impending crisis. Doing so required occupying Iraq and Afghanistan. Any other reasons offered, such as 'spreading democracy', 'weapons of mass destruction' etc., are pure fiction and should be ignored and disregarded.

It's the Devil In the Details!

So Hugo Chavez just referred to George Bush as a 'devil', in his speech to the United Nations Assembly. Predictably, these remarks have caused a firestorm of indignation and criticism, such as, "How dare he come into our country and insult our leader!" There was also a host of other responses from various other politicians eager to distance themselves from Chavez's remarks. What everyone seems to forget however, is our leader has aided and abetted those who have tried twice, to overthrow and possibly kill Chavez, who was democratically elected. And worse, one of our leading evangelical Christians, Pat Robertson, also publicly called for Chavez's assassination. These are glaring examples of two professing Christians, who see no inconsistency in trying to kill someone they don't like, and the message of Jesus, which says to love one's enemies, and to be blessed as peacemakers. Also let us not forget that Bush previously identified Chavez as being part of the "axis of evil", and called him a populist dictator, a tyrant, and a drug trafficker, among other things. How should we expect Chavez to react to that kind of personal attack and prior attempts to kill him? Why should we be surprised that he views Bush as a 'devil'? If Bush does not like being called a 'devil', I suggest he stop doing devilish things, like lying us into an illegal war, torturing captured enemy soldiers, and a host of other things. And how would we view someone who actively tried to kill us? I think Chavez used this world stage to respond to the attempts on his life that Bush was a part of, so I am not surprised at what he said. What I do commend Chavez for, is his humanitarian sale of low-cost heating fuel and gasoline last year, to our urban poor in the northeast states. This year he plans to increase the amount available to 100 million gallons, up from 40 million gallons sold last year, to the poor in a total of nine states. As an ex-oilman, Bush should be embarrassed and insulted that a foreigner is doing more for the fuel needs of our poorest citizens, than he is doing. Where is Bush's compassion for the poor of our country in the face of unconscionable doubling and tripling of fuel prices since he took office? It took a stranger to provide the price relief so desperately needed by so many of our citizens. It should also be remembered, that both Chavez and Fidel Castro immediately offered to send badly needed aid to the victims of Katrina, but it was rejected by the Bush administration, long before FEMA belatedly acted to relieve their suffering.

Considering all this, who would you say is a 'devil', and who would you say is 'evil'?

"....Thy Kingdom Come....."

It is so difficult to pray for those who I feel have lied to us, and are yet actively raining down death and destruction on hundreds of thousands of others in countries that have never attacked us. All this is being done in the name of 'spreading freedom', and 'bringing democracy'. This evil is addressed by Paul in Eph. 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Even though it is difficult, we should continue to pray for those who are our leaders, and for those who have the rule over us.

This is my prayer; 'Father God, You know all things, and You know the truths of our domestic and foreign policies, and how they are impacting us at home, and others abroad. Because You are all powerful, I ask you to restrain, contain and eliminate the evil that is being done in my name. You know my heart, and you know I don't support imperial conquests by our military, spreading democracy by the sword, tax cuts for the rich and cuts in services for the poor, and all manner of other evils that are being done by our leadership. I ask that Your kingdom will spread, and that Your will may continue to be done on earth, as it is in heaven. We are told to pray without ceasing, so please give me the strength and the courage to do so, and always to resist evil and to seek justice for all. I ask all these things in the matchless name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen!'

Are You a 'Red-Letter' Christian?

I just came across this label for Christians that I like much better than 'Evangelical Christian', which has been unfortunately conflated with right-wing politics, as evidenced by the 83% of Evangelicals who vote Republican. 'Red-Letter' describes a Christian who knows that Jesus is neither a Republican nor a Democrat, and the words of Jesus that are in red in most New Testament versions, are His directives that are meant to be followed. I am disturbed by policies that have made life much worse for those already poor, the increasing imperialism and militarism, the pre-emptive doctrine that has resulted in the loss of life for hundreds of thousands of our neighbors who don't look like us, the lack of a national healthcare program for all our citizens - all these policies and actions are condemned by the red letter words of Jesus. In these words He calls on us to take care of the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the sick, the stranger, the prisoner, as if we are doing it unto Him. He tells us to be merciful, to be peaceful and be peacemakers, to love our enemies - not kill them in a war on terrorism, not to look at the loss of civilian life as mere 'collateral damage'. He does not tell us to cut the taxes of the wealthiest while cutting the food stamps of the poor. His is a message of justice, peace, compassion, integrity and equity, which are all conspicuously missing from the policies of our right-wing administration and supported and endorsed by many Evangelicals. Their Christianity consists of affluent conformity, greed and covetousness, political party loyalty, support for Israel no matter what the outrage is, and their mantra is 'God Bless America while killing our enemies' - all are at variance with the central message of Jesus Christ. His message transcends partisan party politics, it is anti-consumerism, and meeting the needs of the poor is the prime message and responsibility given to His followers.

To those of you who are Christians, which kind of Christian are you?

'.....On Life, Death and Dying'

Every since the deaths of my own parents in '90 and '91, and the death of a very close friend in '97, I have grown very accepting of death, both to it's inevitability and sometimes it's desirability.
My father lived to age 93, and although he enjoyed a spiritual, healthy, and productive life, he realized that many of his faculties had been substantially diminished, and life for him was becoming less of an adventure and more of a chore. My mother who had been married to him for 50+ years, did not want to live a day without him, and passed on to meet him about a year later. In both of their cases, death was desirable. My friend on the other hand, had a very young family, and after being diagnosed with cancer, he did everything in his power to find a cure so he could live to be with his family and see them grow to adulthood. For him, death was inevitable, but not desirable. Having been profoundly affected by each of their transitions, I now have no resistance to the inevitability of eventually dying. From a spiritual point of view, I have the great hope and assurance of seeing them once again in the next life. That prospect alone, fills me with much joy. I live each day now, with thanksgiving and gratefulness for each breath of air, for the heat of the sun and for the light of the moon, and for every one of the many blessings I am enjoying from the hand of our Creator God. So I am not running from the inevitability of this chapter ending for me - in fact I'm looking forward to the next life with much anticipation, hope and delight.

What If We'd Turned The Other Cheek Instead?

Considering we have already spent a third of a trillion dollars since 9/11, and have suffered thousands of dead and injured of our own, plus hundreds of thousands of our enemies (mostly civilians), how successful has our 'war on terror' been? Being a 'Christian' country, would we have been better off following the teachings of Christ to 'turn the other cheek' instead of the 'shock and awe' insanity of the Bushites rush to war? Wouldn't it have been better to follow the examples of Gandhi, or Mandela, or King? What if we had taken a hundred billion of what we have wasted, and instead spent it for schools, hospitals and social services all over the Middle East, in the name of, and in memorial to the 3,000 souls lost on 9/11? How about if we had spent another hundred billion for universal healthcare and a free college education for every American? Lastly, it would have cost us only a fraction of the remaining money to catch the perpetrators of 9/11 and bring them to justice, as the Clinton administration did to those who attacked the World Trade Towers in 1993. What was left could then have been spent on alternative energy sources to free us from dependency on fossil fuels, particularly from the Middle East. So much goodwill has been lost, so much money has been squandered, and five years later we are further from winning the 'war on terror', than on 9/12/01.

"...Let Their Habitation Be Desolate....

....and their bones cleve to their skin...." These words describe some of the judgements pronounced by God on the enemies of Biblical Israel. As I continued to watch the footage of the 9/11 carnage, all I could think about was the need for some similar Divine retribution on the conspirators and the perpetrators. More than most, I was affected because I could identify with the victims as well as the location of the catastrophe in lower Manhattan. Previously, most large-scale attacks have occurred in foreign lands which are much more remote and removed. But this one was right at home, virtually at my doorstep! I'll admit I'm suspicious, and I don't buy the conclusions of the official 9/11 report. But being suspicious is not enough to prove what did or did not happen, and who was responsible.
Happily and gratefully, I can leave the job of retribution to the Creator God who knows all, sees all, and judges all, righteously.

The Hubris of Supremacy

In listening to the talking heads on the various talk shows today, whether they were on the left or right, they all missed talking about the supremacist component of our occupation of Iraq in response to the attack on 9/11. Instead of talking about the immorality and illegality of preemptively attacking another sovereign country who had not attacked us, they all were talking as if our attacks were justified, but so far, unsuccessful due to a lack of sufficient troops sent in to fight. Why are we so caviler about our aggression in the Middle East? Is this another manifestation of 'manifest destiny' or 'conquest for oil and empire' or 'he who has the most bombs, gets to rule'? Are not the feelings and the sensitivities of these 'darker' more ancient cultures, worth considering and respecting? Would we not have resisted with all our might, if we had been similarly attacked and occupied by them? Is our military supremacy the free ticket to steal and control the resources of the rest of the world? Given the all-out invasion, insurgency and resistance which has resulted in the tremendous toll of death and destruction in Iraq, are we now sorry that we violated the golden rule of "doing unto others as we would have them do unto us"? Are we so deluded with our 'whiteness and rightness' that we could imagine we would be greeted as liberators and saviours by the Iraqis?
On the anniversary of 9/11, what lessons have we learned these past five years - or, have we learned NOTHING at all? I say we have learned nothin at all !
On yesterday, in a TV interview, V.P. Chaney said, that not only was the Iraq invasion the right thing to do, "if we had to do it over again, we'd do exactly the same thing"......... I rest my case!

Which God Is Your God???

There are many different gods that are being served by man. But this is a salute to those Christians who unabashedly love and serve the one true Almighty God - Creator and Supreme Ruler of the Universe! As the Numero Uno of this world and beyond, He has no equal, and there is none greater, wiser, more powerful nor more loving.
There are numerous things that God says of Himself in scripture, that may be shocking and a turn-off to some. But I have no problem identifying with, and serving a God like this - after all, after Almighty God, there is none else! I long for and want to be ruled by and serve, a righteous God and King who is not subject to the corrupt compromises and influence peddling that typifies the rule of men.
I can't serve a god who is equal to, and no better than me, or who is made of stone, wood or iron shaped by man's hands. There are some who prefer a tamer, more benign, 'god is love' kind of god. Many believe that because we have free will and freedom of choice, we can sculpt and choose what kind of god we want to believe in. Also, many believe we can choose what path to God we feel most comfortable in taking.
The truth is, we have to choose or reject God on the basis of who He says He is, and what He says of Himself. In Deuteronomy 32:39, God says, "See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god with Me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of My hand." Verse 4, says, "He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He." Jesus also says , "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." Also according to scripture, before the world began, God selected and predestined some men to salvation, and others to destruction (Eph 1). Some would say this is not fair, but the Supreme Ruler of the Universe has the prerogative, and is the only one empowered to determine what is fair, and what is not. Later, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die and be the perfect and only acceptable sacrifice for our sins. Through His death on the cross, we can have forgiveness of our sins and everlasting life. Can your god do that?

It should also be said, no matter what we believe or don't believe about God, in no way changes or has any bearing on who God is, His character, His power, His knowledge or on any of His other numerous attributes. My God stands alone, above all other gods, without beginning and without ending! - the Alpha and Omega!

This is my kind of God - which is yours?

...and to those of you who don't even believe in God - I'm hope you will soon!

9/11 - Who Is Responsible??

It's Sunday night, and I'm watching the footage showing on CBS that was shot on the morning of 9/11 from the lobby of the twin towers right after they were hit. It captured the activity of the firemen in the lobby command center, as well as the view of the collapse of the 1st tower, and the view of the collapse of the 2nd tower as the cameraman ran for his life. This is a painful reminder of the carnage that happened to the city of my birth and of the thousands who lost their lives in the process. It's hard to remember all my thoughts on the actual day of the attack, but I do remember thinking back then, that the chickens had come home to roost. Back then there was much speculation as to who was responsible and how it was accomplished. Today five years later, I'm still not sure what the truth is. Osama Bin Laden is being blamed as the mastermind, but the Bushites are either incapable of, or not very anxious to capture him. If he is the perpetrator, then indeed the chickens have come home to roost, since he was rumored to be a CIA-trained operative who was involved in fighting the occupation of Afghanistan by the Soviets in the 80s. If it is not him but instead an inside job pulled off by a CIA/Mossad cabal of domestic and foreign co-conspirators, then it falls in the same category of similar inside jobs pulled off by the Nazis who firebombed their own German parliament building, or the phony Gulf of Tonkin incident engineered by Lyndon Johnson in order to declare war on Vietnam. These 'incidents' are a very effective way of mobilizing mass support of the citizenry for wars that would otherwise be impossible to be supported. From this 9/11 incident, we now have the Patriot Act, a war and occupation of Afghanistan, a war and occupation of Iraq, a full-blown sectarian civil war in Iraq, a budget deficit of over 400 billion dollars, obscene tax cuts for the richest 2% of Americans, more than doubled gasoline pump prices, a criminally inadequate response to the Katrina catastrophe and the cutback and de-funding of virtually every social service desperately needed by our citizens, particularly the poorest of them. These and hundreds of other negative events have stemmed from 9/11, and the only positives have gone to those who have profited and benefited from it.

They are now showing pictures of those firefighters who did not escape from the towers - I counted among them about a dozen African-Americans who died tragically and needlessly. I am filled with sadness and rage at their sacrifice for which no one has been brought to justice and punished. I am also enraged that about half the voters, voted for the Bushites not once but TWICE. If they have suffered as a result of their votes for the insane policies and politics of the Bushites, even half as much as those of us who wisely refused to vote for them, then there is a God in heaven after all.

Are you a Preterist or a Futurist???

This will be one of my most controversial pieces, because being a Preterist runs counter to the beliefs of most Christians, who are mainly Futurists. A Futurist, believes in, and is waiting for, the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ, accompanied by the rapture of the saints prior to the tribulation. This view is the pillar of the eschatology of most Believers. However, a Preterist believes that Jesus already returned a 2nd time, in 70 A.D. The saints who were alive then, were raptured, the saints who had already died were resurrected, and all or most of the Biblical prophecies were completely fulfilled. I will outline in detail why I hold the Preterist view.

There are many key passages that lead me to this view. First, starting in Matt. 24:1, Jesus spoke about the future utter destruction of the temple, and then in response to His disciples questions in verse 3, Jesus then gave a detailed description of what would be the signs of His coming and of the end of the world (end of age). In verse 9, He further predicted the martyrdom of many of them, which is corroborated in the book of Acts. In verse 14, He spoke about how the gospel would be preached in all the world, and then the end would come. In verse 21, Jesus speaks about the great tribulation which was the 3 year siege of Jerusalem in which the temple was destroyed. This has been verified by Historians of that day. Verse 29 -33 tells what would happen immediately after the tribulation of those days, and verse 34 says, "Verily I say unto you, THIS GENERATION SHALL NOT PASS, till ALL these things be fulfilled." Not only did Jesus give much detail about what and when things would happen, but he also said that it would happen IN THE GENERATION of the disciples to whom He was speaking. In Matt. 16:28, Jesus further says, "Verily I say unto you, There be SOME STANDING HERE, which shall not taste of death (SHALL NOT DIE), till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." Luke 9:27 also says the same thing. These are the infallible words of Jesus, and those who believe in a future rapture and 2nd coming, must do so by ignoring what Jesus said - I cannot and will not ignore what Jesus says! Paul also further added to what Jesus said, by pointing out in 1Cor. 15:23, that all the saints that have died, will be raised at Christ's 2nd coming, and in verse 44 he says these saints will be raised in their new spiritual bodies. In verses 51 - 52, Paul points out that NOT ALL OF THEM WILL HAVE DIED when Jesus returns, but all will be changed at the last trump. Again, in 1Thess. 4:15 (NLT), Paul repeats the fact that "WE WHO ARE STILL LIVING WHEN THE LORD RETURNS, will not rise to meet Him ahead of those who are in their graves." In verse 16-17, he says, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, WE WHO ARE STILL ALIVE AND REMAIN ON THE EARTH, will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever." It's clear that Jesus taught and Paul believed, that SOME OF THEM WOULD STILL BE LIVING when Jesus returned the 2nd time. In 1Thess 5, Paul uses the same language that Jesus did in Matt 24, to advise that the day of the Lord's return would arrive unexpectedly like a thief in the night....so be awake and watchful. In 1 Tim 6 (NLT), Paul advises Timothy in verse 14, "that You obey his (Paul's) commands, with all purity. Then no one can find fault with you UNTIL OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST RETURNS." In Hebrews 11:37(NLT), it again refers to Jesus coming back SOON -"For in JUST A LITTLE WHILE, the Coming One WILL COME and NOT delay."
Some believe that the book of Revelation was written sometime after 70 A.D. - as late as 95 A.D. But there is much evidence that it was written by John just before the events that Jesus predicted in Matt 24. The language in Rev.1:1-3 is very significant as to the immediacy of the events that must shortly happen, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants THINGS WHICH MUST SHORTLY COME TO PAST; and He sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND." In Rev 22:6, John speaks about "the things which must be SHORTLY DONE, and in Rev 22:7, Jesus says, "behold I COME QUICKLY: blessed is he that keepth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. In Rev 22:10-12, "And he saith unto me, SEAL NOT the sayings of the prophecy of this book: FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I COME QUICKLY; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." And finally in verse 22, Jesus says, "Surely I COME QUICKLY."

Finally, one significant event in Matt 27:52-53, that no one who believes in a future rapture and 2nd coming has answered - what happened to the many saints who were resurrected and came out of their graves after Jesus was resurrected? We know that it is appointed to men, ONCE to die (Heb. 9:27), so we know that these resurrected saints could NOT die again. So they are either still wandering around on the earth 2,000 + years later - waiting for the 2nd coming and to be raptured, OR they must have been raptured along with those disciples who were still alive when Jesus returned in 70 A.D.

This is the reason why I believe that the rapture and the 2nd coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, must have already occurred in 70 A.D., and is NOT a future event. I can find no hint nor suggestion in scripture, that the 2nd coming of Jesus is a future event occuring 2,000+ years later. Jesus did prepare a place and returned for us as He promised, and the saints started going there when He returned in 70 A.D. Since then, as we die, we immediately get our new glorified, resurrection bodies, and go directly to the place that God has prepared for us, "and so shall we shall ever be with our Lord." (John 14:2,3)

I could be wrong in this view, and if someone thinks so, I would love to hear why I am wrong with sound scriptural evidences. I am open to being persuaded back to the Futurist view, which I used to subscribe to. Until then, I believe the Preterist view is the correct one, and it meets all the tests of sound scriptural hermeneutics.