December Debate Continued

Continuing with the December 10, 2011 ABC News Republican debate in Iowa. In regard to immigration, all candidates believe we should secure our country’s borders. Gingrich wants a citizen review board to look at the illegal immigrants currently in our country and take them one by one and let the locals decide whether or not they should stay (criteria: in US 25 years, ties to the community, have an American family sponsor, be a model citizen and pay a penalty to get residency); those with no ties to the community should be deported, English should be the language of the government, we ought to have an effective guest worker program and have penalties for those employers that hire illegal immigrants. Romney said we should register those that that are here and they should go home and get in line to come for permanent residency or citizenship. Perry said to enforce the laws that are already on the books; if he were President you wouldn’t see our Justice Department suing states like Arizona over the sovereign rights that are put in jeopardy or have a catch and release program because an illegal hasn’t been in a violent situation. Paul, Bachmann and Santorum I don’t believe were given an opportunity to respond to this issue. (On December 13 it was reported that new figures show there are far fewer illegal immigrants entering the US from Mexico. I think this is because states are trying to be tougher. If we again relax our position more and more I believe would come.)

George Stephanopoulos said that Gingrich, on a Jewish channel, called the Palestinians a made up (invented) people. To Gingrich – the Chief Palestinian negotiator said - mark my words, these statements by Gingrich will be the ammunitions and weapons of the Bin Ladens and extremists for a long, long, time; Gingrich replied – how would he know the difference, somebody needs to stand up and tell the truth, one side is as bad as the other, someone needs to have the courage to go back to the 1921 League of Nations mandate, the term Palestine didn’t come around until after 1977 and it’s a propaganda war. Paul didn’t agree that the Palestinians were made up as a while back Israel didn’t have a state either, he thinks we get too involved in others squabbles. Romney said – he doesn’t agree with Gingrich’s comment but agrees with him overall saying - I think we ought to stick by our friends (Israel) but not jump ahead and try to negotiate. Romney said he’s not a bomb thrower (in regard to Newt’s comments) and said ultimately the Palestinians and Israel need to decide. When asked who had the better argument Bachmann didn’t actually answer the question but said she was there in 1974 and found that the Palestinians were teaching their people to hate Jews and that has to change. Santorum said both had good arguments, but agrees with Romney. Perry said the media is blowing the comments out of proportion, the problem is what the President is doing, not the comments Newt said (he said for example the President chose to do nothing in regard to the drone in Iran’s possession – didn’t destroy or retrieve it and now others have our technology). (After the debate Christiane Amanpour said Newt’s comments were contrary to history, Palestinians have been recognized since the 1800s and have been acknowledged by US presidents since HW Bush. She said it will not be favorable if he is President and has to negotiate with the Palestinians and Israeli.)

There was a question in regard to giving things up. Perry said he didn’t have running water until he was 5 and his mother sewed his clothes until he went to college; he joined the Air Force and feels that since he had nothing that there was nothing to give up. Romney didn’t grow up poor but his parents did; they made sure he understood hard work and the principles that make America the greatest country on earth; they made sure he had a job growing up, that he didn’t waste money and had a care for other people; he saw poverty here and overseas and marriages in distress because of it. Paul said he grew up during the depression and was poor and didn’t know it. He said he worked his way through college (wife worked to get him through medical school); when a government destroys its currency it transfers wealth from the middle class to the rich and it’s going to get a lot worse if we don’t stop overspending, over borrowing, printing too much money, and don’t understand the business cycle. Santorum said he grew up in a modest family with 2 parents that made him feel love and security and he feels there is a breakdown in families and with that the economic status (40% of single parent households are in poverty). He said we need to promote the institution of marriage and the family. Bachmann said she opposed the Wall Street bailout because they made foolish decisions, she came from a middle class family whose parents got divorced and her Mom found herself a single parent and full time homemaker with 4 kids that went to below poverty overnight, she had to get a job at 13 to help out the family and she still clips coupons and goes to consignment stores. Gingrich said he lived in an apartment above a gas station in Pennsylvania, relatives were steel workers, delivery men, department store employees and his Dad was in the Army; they were frugal but never felt desperate, he has several relatives that are unemployed and going through difficult times and his wife has a small business that knows what a difficult time this economy is. 

December Debate - Part 1

ABC’s December 10, 2011 debate, in regard to jobs, Gingrich said it starts very simply with lower taxes, less regulations, and an American energy plan. He’d start with zero capital gains, 12.5% corporate tax, 100% expensing for new equipment (right it off in one year instead of over 5), and permanently abolish the death (inheritance) tax. Romney said the 7 things he would do are: 1 - make employer tax rates competitive with other countries (the US is the highest), 2 – get regulators and regulations to not burden private enterprise but to encourage it, 3 – make trade agreements that make sense for America not just those it’s trading with, 4 – take advantage of the energy resources we have here, 5 – use the rule of law (this is plainly that every citizen is subject to the law; he said Boeing and the LRB violated that - this doesn’t make sense to me because they don’t prosecute themselves), 6 – have great institutions to create human capital and 7 – a government that doesn’t spend more than it takes in. Ron Paul said - less taxes and regulations as financial bubbles are created by extensive credit and stimulation by the Federal Reserve – we need to liquidate the debt. Perry said put in a 20% flat tax and get rid of the regulatory burden that’s killing people, he says there’s a big line between Washington and Wall Street - we need to stop the corruption and balance the budget. Bachmann (who was a tax attorney) said – get rid of the current tax code, lower taxes and use a pro growth policy, everyone should pay something (said 47% of the people pay nothing); legalize American energy, cut Obama care, and eliminate Dodd-Frank and the EPA. Santorum said we need to revitalize manufacturing (was 21%, now 9%), proposes a zero tax for manufacturers and repeal of regulations that are crippling them (create a litigation process that works), lower electricity rates, and have oil and gas drilling.

In regard to the payroll tax cut, Bachmann said she doesn’t support it, it takes money out of the Social Security Trust Fund and we’ll have to go to the General Fund and there is no money. Perry and Santorum are also against it. Gingrich, Romney (even though it’s a band-aid) and Ron Paul (cut funds from overseas to pay for it) are all for extending the tax credit. Newt pointed out that entry level janitors in New York get paid more than entry level teachers. I believe this is true and it’s part of the reason I have a problem with labor unions.

In regard to health care, (Romney’s Massachusetts (MA) plan and Perry’s shots for 12 year old girls to avoid sexually transmitted disease were brought up. Romney said the states need to decide health care, not the feds, he’ll strike down Obama care and in MA their medical other than Medicare and Medicaid is all private. Gingrich said he’s been working on health care since 1974 and that we now know that individual mandates are unconstitutional and wrong. He said Perry pointed out that there’s a 10^th amendment barrier (Powers not delegated to US nor prohibited to the states by the Constitution are reserved to the states or to the people). He doesn’t want a federal mandate as it would mean the feds could impose on what is purchased and it could lead to other things being imposed at a federal level. He also agreed with Santorum that people need to be more involved in their own health care. Gingrich said we need to completely look at our system; there are problems with the third party payment. Diane Sawyer said she was talking with the Iowa pharmacists and they said the biggest problem is people’s bad habits and obesity. Diane asked Ron Paul about this and he disagreed that we should have a government that protects the people against themselves, you have no choice in paying funds for Medicare and Obama care takes this further, he said once the government uses force it violates our concept of our revolution and the Constitution. Perry agreed that it’s not a federal issue but a state issue; people are sick of Washington DC, sick of the money spent, the fraud and corruption and he wants a part-time Congress.

There were discussions about fidelity and the only thing I heard of value came from Ron Paul. He said the Oath of Office needs to be taken seriously; more than fidelity. 

Bill Clinton on the Economy

On December 7, 2011 I heard former President Bill Clinton on the View. He said 2 months before our last election when Lehmann Brothers collapsed it precipitated a financial crisis and we were already in a conventional recession (our economy was slowing down, there were no new jobs and the median income was $2,000 less than when he left office); so when this happened the economy went into a tailspin until July 1, 2009. He said (look at history) when the financial system of a country collapses it takes 5 – 10 years to get back to full employment. And, when buildings have been widely owned by private citizens and there’s a real estate collapse and a financial collapse it normally takes 10 years. What America should be trying to do instead of being mad at everything that’s not working, it should be looking at what is working around the country and the world and say we can beat this and be the first country ever to do it in less than 5 years. He says if you look at the places that are working you’ll see that they have a strong economy and a smart government working together. Conflict makes for good politics but its lousy economics. He said if you look at the good ideas that the Republicans have had you’ll see that the payroll tax cut is a good idea, the Jobs Act and the health bill (tried in 1994) were all originally Republican ideas. He said back in 1994 the pre-Tea Party shut down the government, the American people didn’t like it and because people wanted to keep their jobs they started working together. There’s been no action forcing an event like that since, forcing them to work together and it’s up to the American people. He said there have been some events that are giving him hope – the Republicans are split on the tax cut, that’s a good thing, it makes it bipartisan, the Boeing settlement between management and labor to put jobs in South Carolina and Washington, the auto industry agreement that the President was involved in where labor, management and environmentalists all agreed to increase car mileage in a way that would save consumers money and put 150,000 people to work. The stimulus package which was agreed upon by both parties kept us in a recession and prevented a depression. Clinton said if we retrofit buildings we could be twice as energy efficient as we are, it saves consumers money and puts people to work – for every $1 billion invested we could put 7,000 people to work. In reference to Gingrich calling Obama the Food Stamp President, Clinton said he can turn a good phrase – the food stamp program is a good thing. He also said that the best thing Romney did was the health care in Massachusetts (MA), in an article he read yesterday it pointed out that the cost of inflation rose less in MA than in the rest of the country, they cover everybody, life expectancy is longer and the health indexes are better. He says we should be optimistic – we still have the biggest economy in the world, our average work force is younger than in Europe and Japan, we have the ability to bring back manufacturing and become more energy independent we if take a serious approach; those things along with flushing the mortgage debt quicker (the banks didn’t have the money to cover the risk). He said people have been counting us out since George Washington fought in the American Revolution and everyone that has bet against America has been losing money. He said what you have to do is to be for things that will bring America back; not debating whether the government is bad and private industry is good. There is hope and we can come back.

This is not the first time I’ve heard someone say we can get out of this mess. Back In September, I heard mayors and others say Americans need to have confidence in ourselves and us as a nation. And recently economists are saying the people buying all kinds of goods have made a difference. On December 15 it was said that the things that could derail or stop the progress are the gridlock in Washington and the problems with the Euro.  

On December 10, 2011 it was reported that Perry flubbed the name and number of the Supreme Court Justices in an interview and ABC News held the 17^th Republican debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa; it was the most watched debate and I’ll get to it tomorrow. 

Republicans - November & Early December

In the November 22, 2011 debate Ron Paul said the Patriot act is unpatriotic because it undermines our liberty; terrorism is a crime and we should deal with it – we dealt with it rather successfully with Timothy McVey. Gingrich responded with: McVey succeeded, I don’t want a national law that says after we’ve lost a major American city we’re sure going to come and find you; I want a law that says if you try to take out an American city we’re going to stop you. I agree with Newt. The New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper announced its endorsement of Newt Gingrich. Romney picked up the endorsement of North Dakota’s Senator. An Iowa poll showed that although they have serious doubts about Romney they would vote for him over Obama but they cannot agree on a Republican candidate to throw all their support to. On November 28 there was talk about the music played on Jimmy Fallon’s show when Bachmann was introduced and Rush (the drug addict) came to her defense. Herman Cain said blacks are brainwashed and a Georgia business woman came forward saying she had a 13 year affair with Herman Cain. After all the allegations of sexual harassment and affairs, Cain still had supporters that believed him over the alleged victims but this leads to a nosedive in the polls and Cain suspends (not terminates) his campaign on December 4 and endorses Newt who’s now ahead in the Iowa polls. Mitt Romney got a key Florida endorsement.

The View on November 30 talked about New Jersey Governor Chris Christie blaming President Obama for the failure of the Super Committee; he’s saying he’s just a bystander in the oval office and asking “what the hell are we paying you for”. I guess he didn’t understand the purpose and power given to the committee if he’s making such asinine statements. Joy Behar quoted some of the things the President has done: He gave us health care, even though it’s flawed and needs improvement people with preexisting problems can now get health care – it’s been tried since Truman; he ended the unfair bigoted military policy of ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ – put in place by Clinton, enacted the biggest financial reform since the depression (Dodd-Frank Act), saved the American auto industry with the stimulus package, and he took out Bin Laden. On December 4 we hear that Donald Trump is scheduled to moderate a GOP debate on December 27, Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman say they’re not going; it’s beneath the office of the presidency. Trump called them losers, said he was glad they weren’t attending and wasting the viewers’ time; he pulled as moderator since only Gingrich and Santorum were attending and on December 24, I heard he dropped his Republican registration; has no affiliation and can run as an Independent.         

On December 5 we hear that Gingrich said to Jake Tapper at ABC News - Some of the things they (young poor kids) can do is work in the library, work in the front office, some of them could frankly be janitorial - what if they cleaned out the bathrooms, what if they mopped the floors, what if the summer they repainted the school, what if in the process they were actually learning to work, learning to earn money, they had their own money and didn’t have to become a pimp or prostitute or drug dealer, they had the dignity of work and learned to be around adults who actually wanted to mentor them and help them; this is not a casual comment it grows out of a lot of thinking over many years of trying to figure out how do we break out people trapped in poverty who have no work habits. Newt said he talked to Trump about a child apprentice program and has also mentioned changing the child labor laws. Donald Trump was on with Matt Lauer on the Today show and he agrees with Newt’s characterization about what’s going on in poor communities; he said – it wasn’t maybe politically correct but it happens to be the truth. When Trump was pressed on whether he believed the poor had no role models he said – I think they have a role model, President Obama, let him be their role model, unfortunately he hasn’t turned out to be much of a role model, no they don’t in many cases have a role model, it’s very sad, I know it’s not a very popular statement but it happens to be true. Newt’s statement has a lot of assumptions about what poor kids are learning and doing. He also forgets that years ago child labor was used and it created sweat shops that Americans objected to. I think it would be better to put money into the educating the children in poor districts than to use children to take away jobs from the almost 9% of American adults that are unemployed. Dealing drugs is not just a poor person’s profession, look at Sam Hurd (ex-Chicago Bears Wide Receiver said to be a devote Christian and family man) who in mid-December was accused of dealing drugs to the tone of $700,000 a week (more than his million dollar contract) by undercover government agents. Although Newt’s statement is ridiculous, he takes a big lead over Romney. 

Bringing America Back

On December 10, 2011 ABC News did a segment called Bringing America Back, American Dreamers. They highlighted people and a business that they thought exhibited American values. These are the stories on that show.

On November 8 it was reported that late mortgage payments were up for the first quarter since 2009 and on November 10 it was reported that foreclosures rose to 7% in October, the highest level since last spring. So, Bruce Boguslav, a 54 year old former Finance Management Consultant, started a not-for-profit company called HIS Trust - HomeSavers to help people whose homes are in foreclosure to get real modified mortgage plans and hopefully end foreclosure and/or auction procedures. He spends 8 hours a day fighting for months to get big banks to agree to a reasonable mortgage payment and delay proceedings. I don’t know what part Bruce played in this but on December 15 it was reported that November foreclosures dropped 17% from last year.  

On December 2 it was reported that the big 3 US automakers gained the market share for the first time since 1988. Ford Motor Company was billions in debt; wouldn’t take the bailout money or file for bankruptcy, and instead they turned the company over to an outsider to help get it back on track. The new CEO, Alan Mulally, in order to size production to demand, cut 17 plants and over 50,000 workers as well as having Ford take out $23 billion in private loans. Generations of Americans have been building Fords and the current workers took wage and benefit cuts. The CEO knew they had to be more competitive in other countries and when Congress asked him if he would reduce is salary to $1 from $17 million he thought he was earning his pay because things started to turn around. Mulally says Ford will be hiring 12,000 employees over the next 3 years and over the last 7 quarters (less than 2 years) they’ve repaid over $21 billion of their $23 billion in loans.

Dwyane Wade grew up on Chicago’s harsh south-side and was abandoned by his mother. When he was 8, his 12 year old sister dropped him off at his Dad’s house not knowing whether or not he’d keep him. His Dad brought basketball into his life and he learned that homework was more important. Dwyane now earns $14 million a year as a Miami Heat basketball player. He’s a single father raising 2 sons and a nephew (went through a 3 year custody battle and the kids do see their mother). He said he learned from his Mother’s mistakes and he’s reaching out to fathers and sons, trying to bring back the family (72% of blacks are raised by a single parent, mostly women). He hopes to get people to make good decisions and bring back the American dream of having your kids live a better life. He says it’s not about how much money you make but sitting down with your kids and helping them to get it right. President Obama appointed him ambassador at large for fatherhood.

On December 9, I heard that the Environment Protection Agency found that fracking polluted Wyoming ground water. On this special, the ABC commentator said - our ancestors tamed the wilderness and love and respected it. We’re proud of the beauty and the bounty of our land and that we can raise our children in a healthy and safe environment. She went on to tell the story of Erin Brockovich who was a file clerk when she began piecing together people’s sickness to a chemical (carcinogen chromium 6) used by Pacific Gas & Electric. People from around the country are emailing her and reporting suspected areas of concern and she meets with them. She’s returned 15 years later to Hinckley, California (where PG&E had settled for $333 million) to find that the water problem has not been fixed and the area of pollution has grown. Des Bell, Senior VP of PG&E says no one in Hinckley is drinking bad water (people say PG&E has lied and covered up the issue) but they do have a ground water contaminate issue to deal with and they do intend to stay there and do it right. To the people that tell her not to batter down the companies because they need jobs – she says there is an opportunity here to create jobs in science, technology, and in developing new ways to dispose of our waste.   

Dale Beatty (brain injury) and John Gallina (lost both legs) are both veterans and heroes who have taken it into their own hands to start a foundation called Purple Heart Homes in order to help disabled veterans by building and retrofitting homes. They wanted to bring back the times when after WW II veterans were cheered and embraced by their communities. They found that there were over 17,000 veterans living in their North Carolina community alone and millions of veterans that need help that the Veteran’s Administration won’t pay for. The guys go to communities and get volunteers to help do the work. 

More 2011 Good Stories

Christmas may be over but I hope the spirit is not. We should remember that Jesus, not Santa Claus, is the real reason for the season. It’s my understanding that Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is observed for eight nights and days to commemorate the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE; it starts on the 25th day of Kislev (according to the Hebrew calendar) and may occur at any time from late November to late December. I believe this year Hanukkah is from December 20 - 28. Now to a few more stories that occurred in 2011. 

Business - The Alamo Drafthouse chain of movie theaters kicked those texting out of their theaters; Per ABC News, Watson the Jeopardy super computer will be used by Wellpoint to help diagnose patients; data has been downloaded to the computer for months and Watson can read 200 million pages in less than 3 seconds; starting next year Watson will serve as a consultant to doctors. Doctors (20) from Stanford’s Children’s Hospital separated twins that were joined at the chest; they had separate hearts and a joined liver. A new drug has been developed for kids with a rare cerebral palsy so they can live normal lives. A 19 ½ ounce baby receives the care needed to survive. MD Anderson Cancer Center found that instead of blasting the body with chemotherapy the combination of drugs in Afinitor are attacking and shrinking tumors. On December 4 it was reported that hundreds of companies (76%) are giving back the money match to people’s 401Ks. On December 13, per the Manpowergroup, employers will hire 9% more people in the next quarter. Help Portrait or El Puente is in 57 countries; photographers, make-up artists and other volunteers provide free photos to those that can’t afford it. Although 40% of Americans said they’d finished their shopping and because Super Saturday falls on Christmas Eve this year, several major chains like Macy, Sears, WalMart and JC Penny gave great deals on the 2 Saturdays preceding Christmas.          

People and Government - Taylor Stein went undercover to help the FBI bust a black market baby broker/surrogate ring resulting in 3 San Diego, California women pleading guilty. The women recruited surrogate moms from the US, sent them to the Ukraine to have embryos implanted, and when the moms reached the 2^nd trimester they shopped the baby around to desperate, rich, couples paying $100,000 to $150,000 for the babies.

Government – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Westinghouse High gave Fannetta Nelson Gordon (a black woman) the valedictorian honor she earned in 1936 (her sister Sofia received the honor in 1934). The Washington State Department of Transportation put out a tweet to all its workers to look for a little girl’s teddy bear lost on a trip; the bear was given to her by her father when he went to Afghanistan, the bear was found and returned. The First Lady and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel teamed up to bring healthy food to poor neighborhoods. With unemployment so high, poverty and hunger are on the rise and the problem is made worse with fresh and affordable fruits and vegetables hard to find in so many areas. There are food deserts, neighborhoods without local stores; 23.5 million low income Americans live more than a mile from one and fast or processed food is readily available. Emmanuel called summits with mayors across the country to cut red tape to national grocery stores and 36 stores have signed on ranging from traditional stores to mega stores like Walgreens and WalMart. The President signed the Kate Puzey Peace Corp Act that will protect whistleblowers and victims of violent crime coming forward. The White House said the number of young adults without medical coverage has dropped 2.5 million since the Health Care Reform law passed. States said 1 in every 10 people have unclaimed money totaling $32 billion; ABC’s staff in their series called Show Me the Money found and delivered $418,598 as of December 14^th and Missouri is about to give $6.1 million to a lady in Kansas City (Wisconsin returned $1.5 million and New York used to hold the record at $4 million); Good Morning America has an unclaimed money guide online if you want to check it out. The White House held a competition for holiday artwork and a 16 year old boy at the DC Duke Ellington Art High School won, his artwork was printed on the holiday invitation (the first time in 30 years) and he got invited to the White House party.

Rachel Beckwood was killed 3 weeks after she made her 9^th birthday’s wish to provide clean water to 15 people for a total cost of $300. Charity Water, the foundation started by this little girl, raised $1.2 million and at a ceremony to celebrate they challenged the audience to match the money and the people surpassed the amount in one night. An Arizona man miraculously wakes up right before doctors pull the plug. Music producer Doug Nelson helped blind 12 year old Emmanuelle Lo produce the Christmas song she wrote; she’s donating the proceeds so that poor children can get music lessons even though her family of 8 lives modestly in a 2 bedroom cottage in Michigan, the song Night of Our Lives is available on iTunes. 

America's Best in 2011

Here are more of this year’s (2011) stories demonstrating the caliber of the US people; the strength and caring of America’s best. 

The American People - The 2010 Miss USA pageant picked 25 year old Rima Fakih as the first Muslim winner. Adam Starr lost his leg to cancer and is training for gymnastics (he did a back flip). A 28 year old Oregon woman survived 3 days in the wilderness eating bugs and berries and crawling around because she had a broken leg. Army Sgt. 28 year old Jacob Perkins rushed into a burning bus in New York (NY) to save passengers. An Ohio man risks his life to save the life of his child that fell down a well. While hiking an Oregon man saves his son from falling off a cliff. A Texas woman, Monique Lawless, chased down beer thieves at WalMart. At a fundraiser for a southern Minnesota school you could pay $10 for a ticket giving you an opportunity to take shot at putting a puck through a space just barely large enough to let the puck in. If you made the shot you’d win $50,000. Nick Smith was to take the shot but when his name was called he was not in the rink so his twin brother Nate took his turn and made the shot. The father, Pat Smith, thinking ‘honesty is the best policy’ called and reported the discrepancy the next day thus foregoing the winnings. This is definitely an example of doing the right thing. It was decided that a $20,000 donation in their name would be made to a local hockey league. When cops couldn’t, 12 year old Jessica Maple of Georgia did, track down the person who broke into her late great grandmother’s house; she also went and found the stolen property at a pawn shop and confronted the guy who did it. An Albuquerque, New Mexico man saves a girl from being kidnapped; a Winter Haven, Florida (FL) man saves a neighbor from a car right before it explodes in flames. A group of Good Samaritans in Logan, Utah lift a burning car off a motorcycle rider in order to pull him out and save his life. Former President Jimmy Carter is helping build 100 homes for victims of the Haiti earthquake. A FL man who couldn’t swim jumped into the river to save a 2 year old who fell off a pier; a man threw him a cooler to stay afloat while another jumps in to rescue them.  Real men do wear pink – a Maryland firefighter, football players and more show support for breast cancer awareness. The American people credit reduced violent crimes by 12% in the last year; the largest drop since 2001 according to the Justice Department. There have been several stories regarding the US’s Millionmomschallenge.com campaign. Women are going to various countries to help other women and Americans contributed $1.5 million to the cause. As part of the campaign, Chelsea Clinton is helping to get cell phones to health workers in other countries in order to stop the 1,000 women who die every day giving birth. And there are many other organizations that instead of doing harm are trying to help people. On December 16, 2011 it was reported that an anonymous donor dropped a rare gold coin worth $1,700 in a Pennsylvania Salvation Army kettle. A West Valley City, Utah police officer vows to (and does) stay with a woman caught under a city bus until she is safe. My favorite story is the secret Santa Clauses showing up all over the country and paying off people’s Kmart layaways; some were also handing out $50 to shocked shoppers.   

People and Business - Living outside Buffalo, New York, Lexi Peters who loves playing and watching hockey, sent a letter to Electronic Arts telling them how unfair it was that there were no females in their hockey game – the company agreed and changed the game. With a grant from General Motors, celebrity photographer Linda Solomon is helping homeless children see life through another lens; she has them take pictures of their hopes and dreams and then their photos are turned into holiday cards and sold to help get them back on their feet; one girl snapped a photo at San Diego State University and the President of the university is offering her a full scholarship. Home Improvement and ABC went to Joplin, Missouri to help rebuild. In the US tradition, thousands of needy people were provided with Thanksgiving meals. Helen Keller International introduced the orange sweet potato to West Africa to help prevent blindness (they had white ones with no vitamin A). A family started a food pantry at their school and took in a needy boy; Target via Ellen gave a large donation to help them to continue and on December 17 because of an Ellen show, Justin Bieber held a concert at a low-income Las Vegas, Nevada school. National and local news stations are having coat drives that are doing well.  

Remember that there is more to a person than the wealth in his/her wallet – it’s the wealth in their hearts. Have a wonderful Christmas; I’ll post more on the day after. 

Americans Can and Do

In light of the holiday season I want to provide 2011 stories that show Americans are caring and can pull ourselves out of bad situations. 

A couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, in New York City, veterans and caregivers were honored with a celebrity show and Sears gave over $25,000 for clothes, etc. while volunteers did makeup and hair. The US on December 2, 2011 handed over its HQs to the Iraqi and 70,000 troops and private contractors are headed home by year end. Whether you agree with the war in Iraq or not, we should support our military and their families that answered our country’s call for duty. If you live near a veteran or a VA hospital just take some time and sit with them, find out if there’s something they need because they still deserve our respect. Don’t let things be like they were when our military returned from Vietnam. A couple of groups supporting our military are: Team Red, White & Blue (provides buddies for returning military) and Joining Forces. Operation Mend is a unique partnership between Brooke Army Medical Center and the University of California in Los Angeles; they give burned military several free facial operations costing up to $500,000 each.

On October 19 ABC News reported that the unemployment rate in North Dakota is 3% and there are 16,000 jobs available in oil, agriculture, manufacturing and construction (3,000 in Bismarck). Homes sell in 3 weeks or less, get 99% or more of the asking price and the value has gone up 6% this past year. On November 4 they said US factory orders and productivity were up. On November 7 it was reported that American businesses are taking their business overseas; Heaven Hill Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky is selling bourbon in 126 countries up 18% last year, Maine is marketing lobsters and sales are up 3 years in a row, Texas Pete hot sauce is in 8 countries and California is now in demand in Europe. Cyber Monday sales went up 18% over last year. On December 2 the Bureau of Labor statistics showed the US unemployment rate at 8.6%, the lowest since March 2009 (315,000 people are no longer looking for work) and Wall Street closed out with its best week since 2009. For the week of December 5, the Labor Department reported that the number of people applying for unemployment dropped to 366,000; the lowest since before the recession began and a lot of people are saying the turnaround is for real. People are buying products, cars and homes and more new businesses are being created. On December 16 Fedex reported a 76% increase profit and credits it with online shopping.

On October 28 The Talk announced that Cheerios was partnering with the USO, for every postcard the USO receives to distribute to military personnel by November 2012 using their special box they will donate $1 to the USO to help fund programs for military families.

On November 29 ABC News said the average American spends $700 on Christmas gifts every year; if every American spent $64 on a present made in American we could create 200,000 jobs (in the 1960s 9 out of 10 products were made in America; today it’s less than 50%). As a result of this campaign, on December 5 ABC reported that people are buying made in America products and small businesses are hiring. While in Iowa, Diane Sawyer on December 2 asked people about buying gifts made in America. It turns out that Iowans make shoes, salsa, wine, bleu cheese, socks, Rada cutlery, scarfs, blankets, clocks, and the store Isabel Bloom is under new management and selling handcrafted items made in America; they also grow grapes. Additionally, people started contacting ABC about made in America products, it turns out that Crayola crayons, slinkies and other toys are made right here; one such company makes trucks out of recycled plastic. 

Gays and the Government

Here’s the government leading by example. There have been laws on the books for years that prohibit discrimination in employment but it wasn’t until now that the government stopped being a hypocrite and finally got around to considering the military as employment when it comes to Gays. Even though the law to halt ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ was passed, the court had to get involved to implement the change. And, I’ve already discussed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that became law on September 21, 1996. Gays who haven’t harmed anyone should be left alone, not ashamed to be themselves; their fate is in God’s hands and should not be in the hands of our politicians that think they have a right to judge and disregard the premise of our Constitution. 

I’m beginning to think that our country is so busy chasing the problems of other countries that it doesn’t look at our own. I want to point out that a marriage license between a man and a woman is accepted in every state and a marriage license from another country is accepted in the USA but a marriage between two people of the same sex is only accepted in the states that allow said marriages (per DOMA). The federal government needs to quit copping out and make Gay marriage legal in all 50 states especially since the passage of the UN resolution and the recent survey showing that a majority (53%) of the US population is in favor.

But there is good news. California (CA) lawmakers recently approved a bill that will require schools to include Gay and Lesbian contributions in their social studies curriculum. Per CNN, in March the United Nations (UN) Rights Council adopted a statement supported by 85 countries on Gay rights called “Ending Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity”. This statement led to the June 17, 2011 UN Human Rights Council passage of a Gay Rights Resolution that supports equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation. The human rights resolution was introduced by South Africa and despite opposition (from Russia as well as Africa and several Arab countries) passed with a vote of 23 for, 19 opposed and 3 abstentions. Suzanne Nossel, the Deputy Assisted Secretary of State for International Organizations said – it really is a key part in setting a new norm that Gay rights are human rights and that has to be accepted globally. The resolution will commission the first ever UN report on the challenges that Gays face around the globe. As of June 25, 2011 New York became the 6^th state that allows Gay marriages.

On October 11, 2011 I heard on the View that every year the documentary ‘Lead with Love’ from the University of Utah comes out as a guide for families to deal with Gays coming out. On November 22 ABC News reported that the President has called on all agencies to stop providing aid to countries that punish Gays; Uganda is considering a law that would put them to death.  

On a side note, Dollywood apparently has a policy that requires employees to ask people with clothing or tattoos that could be offensive to cover up or change clothes. I’m thinking that this is intended to eliminate political and religious views in a place meant for fun. With this being said, a parking attendant asked a Lesbian with a t-shirt saying ‘marriage is so gay’ to turn her t-shirt inside out. I find this okay as long as it is implemented fairly and not just picking on a certain group. I also think they should post the policy so that employees are not taking the brunt of the flack. I agree with their policy and think it’s a good idea for people to keep their political and religious views at rallies for their causes and in private discussions. This way we can keep disturbances from breaking out in facilities meant for entertaining the general public.

I’ve said enough about this issue.   

The Gay Struggle

What people don’t seem to know is that most Gays and Transgenders struggle with their own identity. Their acceptance of themselves is just as difficult as your acceptance of them. Some Transgenders know at an early age that they are in the wrong body (Ohio’s Jack/Jackie) while it takes others struggling for years to figure it out (Chaz Bono). There is nothing in the bible that references Transgenders.  And, fortunately for them, conjoined twins and others there are operations that can correct their birth burden.

Gays often feel pain and disappointment when they figure out that being Gay is their lifestyle. They struggle with how to tell the people they love (parents and friends). There’s a constant voice inside them saying - if I don’t tell, they (family and friends) and I will never experience the life that is supposed to come. When they get up the nerve to tell, they’ll devise a plan and say it out loud. Some are lucky as they are accepted. Many are disowned; they’re left to wonder if opening up was worth it. Some have to put up with their parents’ continual hope of meeting a nice man or woman while some family and friends understand that they are the same person as before the discovery and disclosure and let them live their lives. During their careers it is usually necessary to keep their being Gay generally quiet, only telling those that ask or are completely trusted which are few and far between. And, even after years of working with or knowing someone and considering him/her a good friend doesn’t mean that the person will continue to talk with them after finding out he/she is Gay. With this said, people need to know an individual and ask if they like the person (character) the child has become before determining whether or not said person should be in his or her life. Anything other than the Gay person’s behavior should not be used in making this decision as any other preconceived notion would be a violation of the 9^th commandment.

Former New York Giant football player David Tyree said - Gays should not be married or raise children or it will lead to anarchy in the US. Elisabeth Hasselbeck on the View said that this man has committed the last 7 years of his life to serving God and that he doesn’t hate anyone and believes everyone is created by God. Mr. Tyree and I at least agree that everyone is created by God. However, my belief allows love and acceptance and his does not.

Mr. Tyree also said you can’t teach what you do not know. I want to know how many Gay parents he knows that have failed in raising an average child in order to support his conclusion. If there is no such support then he has definitely violated the 9^th commandment.  Apparently Mr. Tyree doesn’t know that Gays come from straight parents and they all have their life experiences to guide them. Most will teach the good things they learned and avoid any abuse that they experienced or saw by straight parents. Perhaps Mr. Tyree hasn’t heard that 61% of the children under age 5 are killed by their parents and that welfare, adoption and foster programs are due to straight not Gay parents. I also think that Mr. Tyree doesn’t understand that his statement would also include single parents and implies that a woman can’t teach a boy to be a good man and a man can’t teach his daughter to be a responsible woman. His comment also means that those with disabilities cannot teach their child to walk, to read, to touch or not touch, and other functions impaired by their own disability. It’s been said that it takes a village to raise a child. I’m pretty sure that all single, disabled and Gay parents have other people in their lives and a good parent Gay or straight will want the best for their children.

Mr. Tyree also doesn’t seem to understand that Gay people can live together for 25+ years and when their partners are ill they are not allowed to provide medical decisions that affect their partners. And should their partners die they have no legal claim to the household they shared. I have seen families that have disowned their child show up to clean out the house and leave the partner with little or nothing. Call it marriage or civil union but understand that Gays just want the legal privileges that come with marriage. If people cannot understand this then they do not believe in the Constitution of the United States which states all men are created equal. I think all our differences are to get us to have the discussions that lead to a true belief in a single higher power of good no matter what it’s called by. I also believe that it is the ultimate test of humanity; the test that allows God to determine if we truly know the difference between goodness and evil. If the Lord proposes good and love is good than 2 people no matter what gender should be allowed to be together. 

Religion and Gays

Although science has shown how the parting of the Red Sea and the Nile River turning red could have happened, it has not explained why it has not happened again. And, I already explained my thoughts about Darwin’s Theory in my interpretation of Commandment #1. Since the Family Leader is so persistent in its stand, I’m going to continue to speak of what I consider to be the biggest religious argument - Gays (and Lesbians).

Years ago anyone with a birth defect was killed or institutionalized; thank God that this is not the case today. I believe most Gays and Transgenders (souls in the wrong bodies) are born and are brave individuals being used for God’s test of humanity. To those righteous people of today who condemn the Gays and Transgenders, I ask why the birth difference of these people should be treated differently than someone born with Down Syndrome or any other birth burden. Some become Gay because of experiences in their lives and others find a spiritual connection with a person of the same gender but in any case I believe that being Gay is destined.

In Daniel Avila’s October 28, 2011 column in The Boston Pilot he blamed any biological basis for homosexuality on the devil. On November 2 the archdiocesan newspaper’s editor retracted the column and issued apologies from the editors and Mr. Avila who resigned his role at the bishops’ conference the following day. Although every human being is suppose to be made in the image and likeness of God, as I already said, I do believe that some people are born with bad brains and are descendants of the devil but I don’t believe this to be the case with Gays. Evil harms and Gays are not harming others. What I came to realize is that Gays have to see and survive two worlds; their own and the heterosexual world. As such, I believe most grow to be more liberal, caring, and less judgmental. Generally, Gays are not the ones molesting and abusing your children. Many are willing to care for your unwanted and abused children and thus help reduce the cost of foster programs. On October 21, 2011 it was reported that studies found that the number of Gays adopting children has nearly tripled in the last decade. By now people should know that AIDS/HIV is not a Gay disease just as the flesh eating disease and others are not. 

On Oprah’s May 25, 2011 final show she said - Everybody has a calling and your real job in life is to figure out what that is and get about the business of doing it. I agree but unfortunately, not all Gays are up to God’s task and some do fail their calling. Since I believe God created Gays, his followers should not show disgust or hatred. But this is not the case. There have been too many Gays bullied and committing suicides. In October 2011 it was reported that Pastor Jerry Pittman of the Grace Fellowship Church in Fruitland, Tennessee instructed deacons and members of the church to beat his own son and his boyfriend when they arrived at church. Bystanders and a Deputy Sheriff made no effort to stop the assault. We also had Tracy Morgan who used bad judgment in his comedic comments regarding his son being Gay. His comments were irresponsible in light of the horrific events that go on today. I do believe that his apology was sincere however all comedians need to think before they speak about volatile situations. And, I do agree with him in that God doesn’t make mistakes. We are all here for a purpose. On November 3, 2011 on the View, Tracy said it should be okay for anyone to get married, including couples of the same sex. On November 22 it was reported that a California teen got 21 years for shooting a Gay classmate in the back of his head during a computer class. On November 23 it was reported that no criminal charges were being filed in the case of the bullied Gay teen who committed suicide in upstate New York. 

So called followers of God think they have the right to judge people based on their man-made beliefs taken from a piece of a bible and not the Commandments. As a result, these individuals insult, harass, maim and murder; in my opinion they’re no better than Hitler, White Supremacy, or any other group that thinks they should be the chosen ones (funny that’s what Lucifer thought also). I was surprised to hear a Black church discriminating against Gays as I thought they would be the group of people to understand the pain and ill-thinking of discrimination. Parents of Gays should ask themselves if they really think God would give them a child they could not love. And everyone that would rather have a murderer or rapist in the family or as a friend than to have a Gay person in their lives should know that such a decision would show that they themselves are supporting God’s enemy and thus give God a reason to doubt their faith. 

Family Leader Condemnation

The Family Leader fails to tell you that in addition to man lying with man, Leviticus Chapter 18 speaks of prohibited marriages and unlawful lust which includes many forbidden sexual encounters that are to be condemned – all types of incest including aunts, uncles, cousins, children, grandchildren, in-laws or their partners as well as an unclean woman (hooker or prostitute is my guess), the neighbor or an animal and even polygamy would be included. Leviticus Chapter 20 puts all such violators to death as well as verse 9 condemning children cursing their parents. I also need to point out that Leviticus Chapter 11 and Deuteronomy Chapter 14 tell us what food to eat and not eat; all of these are as equally condemnable as someone being Gay.

The Family Leader wants you to overlook that compliance with Mark Chapter 10 means that you are not allowed to leave your parents house to get your own place, get a job or go away to school. Compliance with Ephesians Chapter 5, verses 22 – 33 implies that women are subservient to men and man is to take care of the woman. I believe these passages to mean that both single men and women would have to live with their parents until married; if single, they would be in the workforce and living with their parents and the good thing is if you’ve been married and your spouse dies, it’s okay to stay away from your parents’ home and work. The effect of this is a definite reduction in the unemployment rate, married men not women would be the bread winners and so there probably would be more people in poverty.

Let’s talk about another part of the bible that calls for people to be condemned. Romans Chapter 1, verses 18-26 speaks of God’s anger toward all manner of sin. Chapter 1, verses 27-32 as well as Chapter 2, verses 1-24 include the envious, malicious, backbiters, whisperers, proud, boasters, disobedient children, unmerciful, unbending, cruel, and those that judge others. Leviticus Chapter 19 is full of rules that forbid intermingling species and cloths, cutting your hair (on your head or more), making cuts in your flesh (piercings) or making marks on your body (tattoos) and many more actions that are forbidden but do not result in being condemned (put to death or beaten).

I looked up the US Census Bureau 2009 (latest figures posted) report and their American Community Survey (takes into account people age 15 and older) shows the US population with 19.1% married, 18.9% divorced, 11.3% widowed and 50.7% single. Wyoming had the highest married rate with 30.7%, 21.0% divorced, 13.2% widowed, thus leaving 35.1% single. Rhode Island had the lowest marriage rate of 15.0%, divorced 18.9%, widowed 10.6% and 55.4% single. I truly doubt that the single population is mostly gay or not having sex and are living at home with their parents. I also doubt that 100% of the married and widowed people do not violate Romans or the Commandments.

With all this condemnation (eating the wrong foods, leaving your parents house without getting married, showing pride, treating your surroundings with malice or committing any violations of the Commandments) I’m not sure that even 10% of our population is safe from the wrath of God or the Family Leader expectations. All of the contractions and condemnation is why I believe in God and the Ten Commandments and not the full text of the bible.  I find it worthy of note that the Family Leader wants you to ignore that they themselves are judging others and may be breaking Commandments #3 and #9. I also find it interesting that Newt Gingrich signed their document vowing fidelity to his third wife and excusing himself from his prior sins. I just think we should remember that Jesus in John Chapter 8 said to the crowd that was going to stone a woman to death for adultery – ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her’. As a result the men left and Jesus said to her –‘Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more’. I want to remind you that just because you are not Gay does not make you a better person in God’s eye. We have been warned of false preachers; perhaps you should watch the movie Left Behind. And, think twice because God will not forgive you for supporting the Family Leader any more than he did Adam and Eve for eating an apple. 

There is a reason that our government separates church and states and leaves mercy to God (see Commandment #2). I believe that Christians or any religion that condemns Gays or anyone that doesn’t comply with their religion by using other passages of the bible to hate are just as bad as Muslim extremists.  

Family Leader Marriage Vow

Let’s talk a little more about this Iowa Family Leader organization; this time, their Marriage Vow document.

I read the actual document; it’s not just an anti-Gay document. It talks about the taxpayer-borne costs of fragmented families and children born out of wedlock. Although I agree with a lot of what they have to say, the document scares me. The only bible references they quote are: Genesis Chapter 2, verses 18-25 which talks about Adam and the gift of Eve; Mark Chapter 10, verses 2-9 which states you don’t leave your parents except for marriage and you don’t commit adultery or divorce your wife and Ephesians Chapter 5, verses 22 – 33 that speaks of the wife submitting to the husband and the husband being her savior in order to define marriage. They use many other documents to reference human trafficking, pornography, and many other sexual situations (like rape) that we as a country do not approve of. Basically I found that they only supported single people with no sexual encounters and couples without divorce as anything else led to fragmented families and a large cost to the budget. The document left me with a feeling that only Jews and Christians are recognized as true believers in God and their ultimate goal was strict adherence to the bible and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Since the Family Leader document encompasses much more than the Gay issue I’ll make this a 2-part concern and I’ll start with DOMA as Gay marriage is what is being touted in politics. According to Wikipedia, DOMA is a US federal law whereby the government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no US state (or other political subdivision) may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state. The law passed both houses of Congress by large majorities and was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on September 21, 1996. Section 3 of the law codifies a lack of recognition of same-sex marriage for all federal purposes, which include family insurance benefits for employees of the government, survivors' benefits from Social Security, and joint tax filings. This section has been found unconstitutional in two Massachusetts court cases and a California bankruptcy court case; however, the court rulings are under appeal. Parts of the act have also been deemed unconstitutional by the Obama administration, which announced in 2011 that while they will enforce DOMA, they will not defend it in court.

When we think of Gays it’s normally Sodom and Gomorrah that come to mind. These places were destroyed in Genesis Chapter 19 and the issue of Gays does not come up after Jesus is born (remember that it’s not mentioned in the Commandments) except in passages spoken by others (not God or Christ).

Michelle Bachmann’s husband Marcus, of Bachmann & Associates Christian Center, is a licensed therapist, who said he doesn’t try to change Gay people (there is more than one subject to say otherwise). On the news I saw a tape showing a therapist in Bachmann’s employ saying God has designed our eyes to be attracted to the woman’s body. I swear my eyes see more than that; with that logic all women would be Lesbians. The American Psychological Association says the idea of converting Gays to straight through therapy is ineffective and potentially harmful. Some say that such therapy can cause depression and suicide.

The Huffington Post on December 16, 2011 at 02:50 PM ET reported that - Shortly after signing the Family Leader's controversial "Marriage Vow" pledge (Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum also signed this document), Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich signed another anti-gay marriage pledge, this time from the National Organization for Marriage (NOM). Signing the pledge means Gingrich (or any signer of the document) has committed to backing a US constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage and defending the DOMA in court. This means he must appoint judges and a U.S. attorney general who "will respect the original meaning" of the U.S. Constitution's definition of marriage as between a man and a woman (according to NOM's website). NOM's pledge has now been signed by every major Republican presidential candidate but Ron Paul (Jon Huntsman hasn’t signed it either). Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum signed the pledge back in August. 

Sharia Law vs Family Leader

I heard that the US adopted the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous (Native) People. Yet, I understand that the Family Leader group wants to do away with the Sharia law based on the Quran which I understand to be a code of moral living similar to the Ten Commandments (basis of Judaism and Christianity). The American Indians are concerned with states removing the use of the Sharia law in courts. Apparently the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy has a moral guide called the Code of Handsome Lake which is similar to the Sharia law.

As Islam does not separate church and state, the Sharia law goes further than the Ten Commandments. According to an article by Gale Toensing in the September 7, 2011 Indian Country Today magazine, it deals with all aspects of daily life such as family (marriage, divorce, custody, inheritance); finance, banking and contracts (investing, forbidding the paying or charging of interest); social issues (dress, hygiene); religion; and crimes (theft, murder, rape). The Middle East country of Oman uses Sharia law for personal and family law courts; it is not used in other courts.   

The US does separate church from state and that’s one reason why the Commandments are not used in our governing. This is probably a good thing as a good portion of our population would die because of committing adultery. I don’t know how our laws differ from the Sharia law or Code of Handsome Lake (they’re probably not as strict). But, I think our laws leave too much for ongoing dispute in behavior. I also don’t know if we don’t have something like the Sharia law because we allow the states to make their own; this leads to a behavior being acceptable in one state while it is not in another and various punishments for the same crime. Personally, I like knowing the rules and it would be easier if they were the same throughout the country. This would support our Constitution’s belief that all people are created equal (we’re not treated the same from state to state when it comes to crimes). Economically I would think we could save money on the various state governments. States could still deal with speed limits, budgets, insurance restrictions and more but the major issues that support our Constitution would be the same. So, I think the Islamic have something going here and perhaps it’s time for us to create a great document to support our Constitution.

Claremont Lincoln University in California says there’s no denying the role of religion in the world. On the news, we hear about suffering and injustice perpetrated by fanatics who wield religion as a weapon. But the same religions have deep wells of wisdom that speak to the best within humanity … if we’ll only stop and listen. Many universities study religion as a human phenomenon. Others are committed to the outlook of a single religious tradition. Both are important, but they aren't enough to solve problems in the 21st century. At Claremont Lincoln, they not only learn about religion and ethics, but also learn from them. Students bring their beliefs to the table, infuse them with the best of modern thinking, and then apply them to a world in need. Subsequently, they apply ancient wisdom to today’s problems. Claremont Lincoln is not the only place to find peaceful multi religion groups. But it would be nice to use such groups to help create a Declaration of Decency that would state what we will tolerate from each other (for example: products (not people) can be bought, sold or traded). When we have such a document then it would be okay to discontinue the use of the Sharia or other laws that are meant for fair treatment of a group of people.

We’ve had our share of Timothy McVeys and serial killers that we did not called terrorists which we probably should have. Although we did jail our Japanese Americans (and later gave them a stipend for our misconduct) we did not condemn all Germans because of Hitler, all Italians because of Mussolini, or all Russians and Cubans in our war against Communism. We seem to have a problem with Mormons although they are not all polygamists but we don’t condemn all Christians because of the laws that priests and others break. We as Americans are not to condemn all of any group; it’s supposed to be an individual issue. Yet, a conservative Florida (FL) Evangelical group (FL Family Association) started a campaign against the Muslim TLC reality show saying it’s propaganda and Lowe’s pulled its ads from the program. Osama Bin Laden was a terrorist but this does not make all Muslims guilty. Decent people have a code of ethics. No matter what nationality or religion there are always those who choose not to follow the rules.

False Prophets

From the looks of things, I don’t believe all religious leaders take a vow of poverty as many churches have become big business. I heard Republican candidate Ron Paul say Americans used to get medical assistance from churches. Now, I believe there are many poor congregations with pastors that live well, have nice homes and drive nice cars. The Pope is an excellent example of this situation. The only religious leader I’ve heard of that hasn’t become rich at the expense of his congregation is Pastor Joel Osteen of the Lakewood Church. He and his wife take no salary from the ministry; they take in and give away about $80 million a year to causes around the world. I’m not sure if living better than your congregation indicates pride or greed. But I’m pretty sure that the bottom line of any religion is to do away with evil. If it’s not then I believe that it’s a religion fostered by evil. I also believe that true religions with a faith in God would teach their flocks tolerance and hold them accountable for their behavior. Years ago men danced with men and men played the roles of women in plays. Today people despise the Gays that take up the roles of the past. I do wonder what church those young adults attended and what they were thinking when they beat up a transgender person in a McDonalds’ restaurant earlier this year; the same question goes for all of those who watched and did nothing. Many Americans are obese, commit adultery and are not jailed for other offenses that violate the Commandments and there doesn’t seem to be a huge religious rebellion against these people. Perhaps the lack of rebellion is because our religious leaders are just as guilty. Pastor Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church said - never follow a leader who always preaches against the sins of others and never publicly confesses his own. On October 15, 2011 for the first time that I can remember, a Bishop from Kansas City, Missouri, was charged with waiting 5 months to tell police about child pornography being on a priest’s computer; the Catholic diocese has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge. On November 23 ABC News reported that federal prosecutors charged 7 Amish men with hate crimes after cutting men and women’s hair over a dispute in Amish theology; the group’s leader (Mullet) had members sleep for days at a time in a chicken coop and counseled the clan’s married women to cleanse themselves of the devil with acts of sexual intimacy; law enforcement says the Amish community was living in fear. A Kentucky Baptist Church banned an interracial couple from attending services and on December 3 it was said that Georgia mega-church Bishop Eddie Long’s wife is moving forward with divorce because of his improper sexual relations.

We all know it’s easier to be bad than to be good and perhaps our society and laws are making it too easy to fall. But we must believe that all of the false leaders and their followers have chosen to go along with Lucifer and oppose the people who like Lucifer decide not to be God’s disciple. Mostly, we as individuals must stop the continued use of religion to justify our prejudices. Martin Luther King said - Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. We must remember it is God’s job to give mercy on our lives (see Commandment #2). Our job is not to judge but to be reasonable supporters of God. We must stop losing sight of God because someone has chosen not to do as God asks and blames God, not the individual(s), for an immoral incident. We should NOT be thinking ‘how could God let this happen’ when someone’s choice is to work for evil. Perhaps we should be saying ‘damn the devil and his followers’ instead. I believe life is a test and each of us has to decide whether or not the journey will be toward the greater good or not. The so called faithful need to stop aiding evil by supporting the livelihood of the true criminals; those that break the Commandments. Tom Shadyac on the Oprah show said – you have to have the courage to ask questions; be authentic (not a follower or joiner). He said it is scientifically proven that the entire human race is connected; we’re all hardwired to cooperate – not be competitive and if you don’t do what your heart wants you to do, it can destroy you.

Most religions, I think, believe in some form of reincarnation, return of souls/spirits. There are lots of documented cases to show spirits don’t always leave the earth and psychics talking about past lives. If we don’t change our thinking and hold people accountable for their actions the number of evil doers will continue to grow. It seems those are the ones that stay or keep coming back in large numbers.

People need to change if they want God’s love or compassion. And, I believe without change that God will be disappointed to discover that his/her faith in people is more than people’s faith in God. I urge everyone to look to themselves for guidance unless the result they wish to achieve is friends in hell when the time comes.

Demons

The experts are also saying that people are born with bad brains. This supports my theory that people are born descendants of Lucifer/Satan/Devil or just plain evil. In believing in God, no matter what name you use, you then believe in Lucifer, the fallen angel. Demons are those who follow Lucifer, the jealous angel that chose to cause havoc instead of good. (Sounds like some preachers and leaders I’ve heard about.).

Over the years, defense attorneys have used arguments like eating too much sugar, watching a show or listening to song lyrics make people do things. (On October 19, 2011 Good Morning American reported that the movie ‘The Town’ is being said to have given New York burglars the idea to splash bleach on ATMs to destroy DNA evidence.) And, researchers are now saying that head injuries including a concussion can lead to a bad brain, dementia or Alzheimer’s. Per Lancet Neurology there are 7 life factors linked to dementia and/or Alzheimer’s: depression, physical inactivity, smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and not regularly stimulating your mind. It’s felt that if behavior changes, the risk of the diseases is minimal. And, researchers at Loyola University say that moderate drinkers (2 drinks for men, 1 for women) are 23% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s, and other forms of dementia. Wine is the most beneficial. My grandmother used to give me wine mixed with orange juice. We don’t give children wine here but they do in some European countries; perhaps they’re on to something. 

Many of the people born with bad brains choose not to act upon their propensity to do harm. The bad brains allegedly occurring from eating too much sugar, playing a sport, and using drugs or alcohol appear to give the subject a choice in said conduct. I don’t think we should blame things that people choose to do in order to circumvent reality or justify their actions. As such, I believe we should not outlaw football, wrestling, boxing, and other sports because 1 in a million might choose to murder or exhibit other negative behavior. This includes people who commit a crime because of a bad childhood or being the victim of a bad event.  Your past does not excuse your unethical (or immoral) behavior. I think it was Tyler Perry who said you need to let go; get past situations to move on to something good; take the negatives, find out what the real reason is for them bringing you down and you’ll be able to turn them into positives. In November 2011, I heard on the View that comedian Darrell Hammond and actress Rose McGowan (homeless and on the streets at age 13) both had bad childhoods and along with Tyler Perry and many others they grew up just fine. Joy Behar said she was talking with a Forensic Psychiatrist who said serial killers and such can’t get any action sexually and that’s their problem. So basically, I believe that anyone who plans a crime is sane. Only those who immediately act on an emotional or situational confrontation should be considered temporarily insane.

On November 30, 2011 it was reported that John Hinckley is living in a Washington DC mental hospital for trying to assassinate President Reagan. The Secret Service was watching him when he was out on a pass visiting his mother. They found that he faked going to the movies and instead went to a Barnes and Noble and read about Reagan and presidential assassinations; he also searched the internet for photos of his female dentist. His attorneys say his condition is in remission, he should have home visits for 24 days at a time and eventually live outside the hospital (be released). In his 1980s diary Hinckley said that his doctors will never know the true John Hinckley.  Former FBI Agent Brad Garrett says that if he’s that obsessed, a reasonable person would say he might want to go try something else. In 1997 a psychologist’s evaluation of Phillip Garrido, 4 years after he kidnapped Jaycee Dugard, said “His prognosis is excellent, I do not suspect that he will ever be at risk for violence”. I believe Hinckley is right, evil people are too clever for the science of psychology. We do not excuse a drunk driver who kills someone while choosing to drive drunk and I don’t believe that people born with disabilities are excused from their crimes. Hinckley and Garrido support my conclusion that we should not accept bad behavior as anything less than what it is. There are no exceptions in the Commandments so anyone who has committed a crime should be punished and not excused. If we excuse the criminal by holding a disability, movie, song, talk show host, food company, bad brain or gun manufacturer responsible for a person’s choice then we must hold psychiatrists, priests, judges, and ordinary people, who could have prevented an event and did nothing, accountable for their lack of action. 

Angels or Heroes

On January 8, 2011, 22 year old Jared Lee Loughner, shot 19 people, killing 6, at the Casas Adobes Safeway supermarket parking lot just north of Tucson, Arizona. I have to say that when I listened to the people after the catastrophe, I wondered why they did not feel they were heroes, so I gave it some thought.

I think a hero is a brave person taught to act with or without fear. Firemen, policemen and soldiers are heroes. An angel, I believe, is a creature of exceptional goodness, the lowest level in the celestial hierarchy. My conclusion is that the Tucson people, although afraid, took action anyway. Therefore, I agree with them and say that they are angels and not heroes. I believe the same can be said for animals that come to the rescue of a person or other living creature. We had many heroes and angels on September 11, 2001. 

It’s being said that the Vagus Nerve shows we’re hardwired for compassion. This supports my belief that the majority of people are born angels. Some recent examples are: Pastor Bob Caldwell of the Arkansas Havana Assembly of God church who spends $700 a month and travels around the state everyday begging for food from businesses (he gathers 250,000 pounds of food a year to feed 700 people), Liz Scarpinato of the Kitchen of the Streets in Phoenix and San Antonio (16,000 meals per month for school children to take home), Wisconsin’s 13 year old Peyton Medick and her volunteers (collected 20 tons of food in 5 years) and as of August 30, 2011 ABC’s Hunger at Home campaign collected $188,000 which will provide 1.3 million meals for children. Good goes on everyday and everywhere in this country. This leads me to believe that the majority of us are born with a good sense of responsibility toward morality (ethics/goodness).

If we are hardwired for compassion then, in my opinion hate is learned or a behavior resulting from bad choices such as the use of drugs or alcohol or a bad experience. Unfortunately, because of the laws and actions that are condoned or excused, I believe a good person’s sense of direction can be discouraged. I think that all the confusion in our lives has caused it to be easier for gang members, thieves, drug pushers, etc. to tempt people as well as allowed greed to overcome compassion in some others.

We all need to have the courage to follow our hearts and not be swayed by the temptations of evil or the fear provoked. We have lowered our standards to say people needing an attitude adjustment have a mental illness instead of dealing with the real problem. I also have a problem with the term “mental illness” being used to describe Jared Loughner. This crazed drugged man killing innocent people is a demon. I believe that addicts are those not happy with themselves and are unable to get strength from within so they turn to artificial means for self gratification or highs. On November 8, 2011 it was reported that heavy use of methamphetamines is linked to schizophrenia. Loughner was privileged to go to school and considered such a privilege ‘hell’ because he was expected to perform and was dissatisfied with getting a ‘B’ instead of a higher grade. He made the decision to use illegal drugs to circumvent reality and perhaps his choice not to use his legal drugs to keep his situation in control. He needs to reap the consequences of his decisions. This same logic applies to the (unemployed Army veteran) drug dealer or user who murdered 4 people in an attempt to rob a New York (NY) pharmacy because he wanted the Oxycodone. These people planned their actions whether or not they intended to murder. These crimes are on the rise; we have young people who would rather steal then get a job and many have become violent.

Poor social behavior or isolation should also not be excused as a mental illness or a license to murder, maim, rape, and commit other violent crimes. Buddhists, the Dali Lama, hermits, the Chinese who focus on education and not social activity and others do not go around killing or abusing one another. And there are 68 tribes in the Brazilian Amazon living like their ancestors, untouched by modern conveniences. They don’t like the disease and violence brought by outsiders and don’t go around harming one another because of their isolation.

The media coverage of the Arizona and all other such tragedies normally provides more attention to the demons that cause a tragedy than the angels, victims and survivors; I believe the media did better than usual to see that coverage did give their stories and that Loughner is out of the limelight.   

The 7 Deadly Sins

I heard that our forefathers used the motto ‘e pluribus unum’ (one of many) in the beginning. I think that this was meant to say we do what’s best for the many, not the few. It’s said that the motto changed probably because no one understood what it meant. So, in 1956 our leaders changed it to “In God We Trust”. They put these words on our money and in doctrines thus showing support of a God.

A summary as to how our government adds up when it comes to initiating laws when compared to the Commandments shows the US is good with commandments #1, #2, and #6; the government allows violations of #3, #4, #5, #7, #8 (we’d be compliant if we eliminate or handle bankruptcy differently), #9 and #10 to go unpunished. Even though this doesn’t sound good, I believe our country does better than anyone in trying to show that all people are created equal. And rightly so we do not stay equal due to the choices we make in life.

If you paid attention, you saw no mention of Gays or Lesbians in the Commandments. The bible, following the Commandments, is full of passages that contradict one another which have allowed various man-made religions to crop up as they pick and choose what passages to follow. I believe the passages are not God’s law. On November 23, 2011 an Iowa poll showed that more than half of white evangelicals do not consider Mormonism to be Christianity; they probably don’t consider any other religion Christianity.

Just for information, I have noted the 7 deadly sins and how I believe they relate to the Commandments.

Pride – conceit, arrogance, self-importance, smugness, indulgence – violates 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 6^th, & 10^th

Sloth – laziness, inactivity – violates 4^th

Gluttony – excess, includes obesity/alcoholism, desire (drugs or sex) – 1^st, 8th

Envy – jealousy, resentment, robbery, murder – 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, 10th

Greed – self-indulgence, materialism, acquisitiveness, hoarding – 5^th, 6^th, 7th

Anger – annoyance, resentment, rage, rivalry, hostility, animosity, hatred – 5^th, 6^th, 9th

Lust – desire, thirst, long for, pornography, loss of moral judgment – 7^th, 10^th

These so called sins must have been developed by man as I did not find them told to Moses, Noah, or anyone that God or Jesus spoke to. In fact, I did not find them anywhere in the bible passages. Some people want you to think that Proverbs (King Solomon’s words) Chapter 6 created the sins. Others say the sins are contained in Matthew (developed after Jesus’ ascension to help the Jews that found it difficult to completely renounce Judaism and become Christian Jews - believers in Christ) Chapters 5 – 7 and others say that in the 4^th century a Greek monk created a list of 8 which was reduced to 7 sins by Pope Gregory in the 6^th century. In any case, I assume they were developed as a more simplistic way for humankind to understand the don’ts of how we are to behave. With the condition of the world today, I don’t think many people have been listening.