Coming Clean

Several young kids have recently taken their own lives. Because of bullying. This is nothing new. It has been going on for a very long time. Decades even. I know that. You know that.

I've wanted to help with this problem many times but could not find the way. Others were making a dent in the issue, maybe even more than a dent. But still the bullying goes on. And the deaths, too. Suicides. Suicides go on. Let not that point get lost.

Somehow suicide makes this issue different. I think it is the loneliness of it that grips me. Here is a person – or was – who felt so alone in his or her agony that the existential abyss sucked them in. No one was there to hear their silent shriek. But they heard it. They acted on it. They are no more.

Well, that’s not totally true, is it? If they are no more then we would not be here writing or reading about it. They are here with us now. Reminding us of how it was with them. Perhaps pulling on us to lend a hand even now when it is too late for them but not too late for others.

I guess what makes this especially gripping for me is these kids took their own life because they were gay and other kids were bullying them because of it. Some of these kids weren’t gay but they were thought to be gay. Either way the victim felt like a victim, earned or not. They felt the pain. No one helped them or buffered their way forward in life. Not even their parents who probably were unaware of the suffering, the pain, or even the bullying in the first place. But then…maybe they did?

I’m gay. Have been all my life. Didn't know it really at early age points, but I knew I was different in some way. Did not know or have the words to describe the different-ness  Gradually became more aware and was able to articulate the feelings, the thoughts.  Eventually I came to own the wholeness of the who and what I am but it took decades to unravel and piece together again as a new whole.

There have been times when my life intersected with other gay people. We talked about the ‘situation’ and what we could do about it. We wondered out loud about the problems others faced in similar ‘situations’ and what we could do to help them. And of course we worried about the youth because we came through the journey ourselves and knew it was a difficult one.

At times gay youth have presented themselves to me for help. I did what I could as unprepared for that mentor role as I was! But now things are a little different. I work with a youth group. Ostensibly they are struggling with behavior and substance problems but there are usually causes beneath those behaviors that need to be identified. Alcohol and drug abuse do not come out of thin air. Something is driving the behavior in the first place. Then the use of the substances becomes a diversion or temporary fix for the initial driving force. And addiction takes over. Or seems to at any rate.

How many drunks and drug addicts are gay people unable to face their gay demon? Society has forced the message on us that it is wrong, abnormal, twisted, sinful, perverted. You place the term of your choice in that sentence. However, unless you share the gay element in your personal life you will not know how we gay people have felt the ostracizing force of society’s disapproval.

We feel wounded in some way. Deep down. And personal.

The youth I work with may be straight or gay, depressed or whole, mentally well or unhealthy. What’s the underlying cause? I do not know. But one thing I do know: I am gay and suffered for it emotionally. I became an alcoholic to deal with it unsuccessfully. Facing the gay demon was one thing. Facing the alcohol demon was another. Together I was able to emerge healthy from the fog.

This emergence must be used productively to ease the way for others caught in the grip. So this week I will share with the youth group my very personal background in the hopes that they may use my experience as a tool to gain control of their lives.

I’ll let you know how things went. And if glimmers of hoped for help appear on the horizon for them.

Stay tuned for developments.

January 31, 2013

Getting Things Done

Albert Einstein said:

           

“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”

We could go down a long list of things that need to be fixed. They all are manageable. We can fix them or improve upon them if we concentrate on the doing!  For example:

Global Warming: we dump tens of millions of tons of carbon waste into the atmosphere each year. The Earth’s atmospheric envelope cannot accept this abuse without consequences. Rather than arguing about whether global warming is real or not, or if we accept it is the truth, rather than arguing about how to fix it, why don’t we at least agree to lessen our carbon footprint over time to ease the problem until we can figure out something more effective? Doing nothing is not even trying. Doing something helps, even if we fail on a larger scale.

Gun violence in America. There is a problem. We pretty much all agree on that. Too many people die from senseless gun violence every year in America. We can do something about it. That is, to lessen the death and disability statistics. To bring it under better control. This is not about banning guns. It is about controlling owner access and owner behavior of guns. We license fishing and hunting. We license automobiles and boats. Why not guns. Why not gun owners just like car owners. Health or mental disability issues? Gun ownership and use is restrict. Do something to lessen the consequences of gun violence.

National Debt. We do have a problem. It has many causes, however. And changing economic conditions cause different applications of fiscal remedy. When in a recession (high unemployment, sluggish investment, slow economic growth or stagnation) investments need to be made in public infrastructure. These produce economic goods of long life that benefit the efficiency of the society and the functioning of its economy. Huge benefits result from investment in new highways, dams, sewer and water treatment plants, bridges, power grids, etc. Immediate improvement in employment is one such benefit. Improved consumer spending from higher employment levels is another benefit. Confidence in the economy slowly builds and then the economy functions better. Slowly additions to the debt cease. Then when the economy is cooking along we will have the dollars and budget margins to pay down the debt in an orderly manner.

Deficit Spending. This is not always a problem. It becomes one when expenses and revenues of the federal government are widely out of balance.  Discipline will restore relative balance to the budget. It does not have to broadly swing from one extreme to another. Use of debt is often wise. Long term purchases or long lasting goods purchased are wisely accomplished through debt instruments. Knowing what to fix and when is different than ‘addressing the problem’ of deficit spending. There are times when deficits are OK and other times when they are not OK. Listen to the experts in economic theory and policy to determine which is best at any given time.

Education Reform. America spends too much money at all levels of government compared with outcomes. We need better outcomes and they are greatly possible. We do not need to spend vastly more money to achieve the desired outcomes. We do need to retool the functions and budgets of public education periodically in order to dump out of date programs and improve efficiency. Education is our number one investment in our people. It must be done no matter what. Without education we have a dismal future nationally. It is also the number one economic good our economy relies on to function properly. Do something about this. Stop the ideological arguing and get something accomplished that improves desired outcomes of the education system. Work long and hard to lower the cost of the system, too.

Defense Spending. This area need not be out of control if world peace objectives are being met. Changing technology also alters both the expense and the shape of the defense overhead needed to ensure the nation’s security. We need to define our defense objectives and coordinate efforts for global peace to lessen the need for defense costs in the first place. Such efforts include: foreign policy that makes partners of our global citizens, both friends and enemies; economic development throughout the globe to reduce the number of have-not nations and people; non-petroleum energy expansion to lessen reliance on Middle Eastern nations’ supply of oil.

These examples are powerful enough to make the argument. Do something to improve our situation. Stop the obstruction. Partner with Einstein’s idea and prove him right or wrong.

January 30, 2013

Layers

Experience defines more and more layers to life the longer I live. These layers make things vastly more complex to deal with, but also enrich our existence.

Consider a movie scene: a romance in this example; a couple is coming together at last to express their adoration and commitment to each other. Here are the elements playing in the scene: two individuals, both attractive and lovable in our view as their characters have been developed by the story and the film’s director; lighting effects are soft and attractive of closeness; prop surfaces are soft, comfortable; colors within the scene are soft and embracing; script is voiced softly and in whispered breathy speech; music is swelling in the background, sometimes sweet melody, simple line of music with under-girding chord structures that symphonically float throughout the scene without dominating it. The scene is thus set for the real action – the coming together of the two heroes of our story, romantically involved with barriers to the coming together now removed and – voila! – they are now embracing, kissing, and who knows what is to come?

Layers of the scene play an important role in our appreciation of what is happening as well as hinting at what is about to happen, whether we witness it or not. The layers provide much to appreciate and key in on. The sounds, the mood lighting, the environmental props – everything. The characters are primed for us to imagine them coming together, enhancing and defining their love relationship. The culmination of many threads leading up to this prime event.

How we come to understand the world around us is a complex story of layers. So too is coming to understand myself – yourself. And family; its roles and people and how they bring articulation to our lives. Expectations are part of this layering. Education, too. And money – lack of or abundance of wealth. So many layers. Some are important always while others play only a temporary role. Some layers are needed to catch glimpses of other layers hidden away. Other layers grow in importance and develop along with our life itself.

Layers. Complexity. Appreciation of same but also value for finding simplicity. These are often the recreations of our times. We make an effort to set aside time for relaxation, thinking, meditation, travel and exposure to new experiences. We develop skills for activities that hone the body to healthy standards. Athletics are not just sport or games but also of mind development. Getting along with others. Understanding life from a different perspective.

Layers. Challenging yet the basis for deep appreciation for life.

Dealing with layers teaches tolerance, curiosity, differences among people, cultural understanding and so much more. Age diversity, too, is important to consider. The layers age provides in our life are instructive. An elder ‘gets’ the why, when and how of so many things because he has lived it before. The youth are experiencing it afresh without experience to gauge it or give it dimension that lead to easy understanding. These are lessons learned from experience, and effort.

I think of the youth group I’m working with. They want; they ache for something. But they do not know what it is. Perhaps escape or avoidance of the uncomfortable feeling or lack of knowledge that haunts them? The use of drugs and alcohol are only tools, then, to manage the avoidance maneuver. Yet the use of the drugs and alcohol become perpetual through addiction – either chemically or behaviorally. Either way they become a replacement to life itself. Life is experienced through the gauzy view of the chemicals. Not real life. Only a representation of it and then very sketchy.

Pulling youthful minds into focus is a challenge. What do you want out of life? What gives your mind a sense of understanding? A view of a larger world or existence? Do drugs and alcohol help or hurt that view, that ability to see the larger world?

What role do relationships hold for you in life? Are they central to your happiness? If so, why? Does the other person in the relationship help define you as a person? Or do you get good feelings from making someone else feel good? Are you adding to the other person or taking from them? Is there mutual feeling and purpose between the two people in the relationship? Or is it one-sided? Either way, which is better?

Do you like working with your hands? Do you enjoy creating things – music, art objects, designs in the sand or on paper? Or writing poems, prose, essays? What about feeling the air, or sensing the temperature, or the grit and texture of the objects surrounding you in your space? What about freedom of movement? And sounds and smells? All of these sensations that we have the ability to feel and appreciate – what do they say about me? What part in my life do I want them to be?

Learning the layers of life. The penetrable layers and the impermeable ones. The mysteries of life abound. Without skills to think about them, to sort them out, we can be overcome by them. They become not enhancements to life but hindrances!

Is that what at risk youth is struggling with? Can we unravel some of this so they can use it to heal their hurts?

I hope so. I will attempt to use this knowledge to help them build lives of usefulness; for them and for our society. They deserve the chance. We need their contributions for the future.

Layers. Resources of appreciation.

January 29, 2013

Thomas Jefferson Vs Modern Politics

I’m reading Jon Meacham’s new book, the Art of Power. It is an historical biography of Thomas Jefferson. It is a slow read but a careful one.

The striking note delivered over and over in its pages is the theme of gridlock and disagreement within political decision making bodies. That same theme was present throughout the recent movie, Lincoln, as well.

Today’s political process is arduous, serpentine, illogical (well maybe!) and bitter. It is demeaning at times and intentionally uncivil. And although we would wish it away, the same was present in the 1780’s and ‘90’s as our founding fathers struggled to put in place a form of national governance that would stand the test of time. For the most part that has happened.

In those days language was different. It took forms that designated classes one from the other. Formal speech, both written and spoken, were decidedly more formal for the educated and wealthy. More slang and idiom formed daily language of most everyone else. The common language was less careful than the formal one in use. The latter was proper, spaced and timed with care so thoughts were more carefully formed for absorption. Flowery and stiff written language was often hard to read and tested patience.

But through it all Jefferson struggled to articulate what the new American government needed to pay attention to. It was not automatic. It was an experiment. He dreaded monarchy and the Revolutionary War was over and won. Yet many well placed leaders and patricians hankered after a taste of royalty. They felt certain that Britain would help the colonies prosper if our form of government patterned itself after Britain’s; at least a little. Others desired a loose confederation of states in which the states retained their own governmental authority and power. There was the crux of the discussion – loose confederation of states or strong central monarchy?

Jefferson felt there was a third form of government to be explored. A strong central government run as a democracy for the benefit of all citizens and for their several states. The tension between the states and the central government was to provide the synergy to keep the republic’s governance focused, purposeful and functional without becoming dictatorial.

Leadership models then were back biting conspiracies, gossip mongering and outright lying. Sound similar to today? It should. Human nature was pretty much the same then as it is now. The only thing we share today is some misguided sense that our forefathers were astute gentlemen who thought with clarity and logic. After all the form of government constructed in our constitution has lasted over two centuries.

The reality is, however, the founding fathers were as upset, confused and stressed over options as we are today. Each decision was hard fought and won. Compromise was a constant factor in most decisions. We just think it was neat and tidy. It is the romance of our understanding of history.

Today leadership is needed. In fact it is demanded by many. Problem is no one truly knows what that involves.  Old models of leadership would include stating clearly the objective we should be working toward, identifying the resources to do that task, and then marshaling the activities and policies to make the task happen and the objective achieved.

Today and in years long ago, the arguments have been about defining the objective. Arguments also attended the estimation of resources needed. And finally who was to do what to accomplish the goal was fought down and dirty nearly every time.

During Ronald Reagan’s presidency he defined the issues. He encouraged citizens to understand those issues and their solutions. When he felt public opinion was on his side, he then asked the citizens to contact their elected representatives in the House and Senate urging their support of the president’s position. And they did. And Congress complied eventually with many of Reagan’s agenda items.

Obama has worked patiently with Congress – both divisions – to make his objectives known and his proposed legislation. Now he is enlisting We The People to press forward if they agree with the president’s positions. Congress will soon hear from the people accordingly.

There are those who feel Obama has not led. I don’t agree. He has asked the Congress to do its job. They have not. Stunningly, and historically, they have not done their job! And Obama has laid the foundation for the people to take charge once again. They don’t just vote every two years for congressional candidates, and every four years for president. They also have the option to become pesty constituents demanding their elected reps to do the job they were elected to do.

We shall see if this form of leadership works. The framers of the constitution had this in mind. Reagan understood it that way as well. And I think Barack Obama does too. Now we will learn if the People get it, as well!

January 28, 2013

Thought for the Day

This week we remembered Martin Luther King’s birthday. In memory of that let us think on this quote over the weekend. May it guide us all in good days and bad.

            “Only  in the darkness can you see the stars.”

                                                                                    ~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Think well and good thoughts!

January 26, 2013

We The People

Cesar Chavez was the darling of Hispanic agricultural workers in the 1960’s. Some of you may recall his affect on lettuce prices? Don’t buy non-union lettuce from California? The result was a national spike in the price of lettuce. Without Hispanic labor the lettuce crop in California rotted in the field. A shortage of lettuce resulted and prices zoomed.

That labor action by Chavez sparked a major change in immigrant worker rights. Soon thereafter the California grape boycott occurred. Although a protracted battle, union contracts were written to protect quality of life and wages for immigrant field workers.

Cesar Chavez did much for others. He also shared words of wisdom.  Here’s one:

“Once social change begins it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.”

Smart words. Perhaps our not being able to un-do social change is the basis of fear from our conservative friends?  We hear so much from them about entitlements and the mentality of entitlement. But is that really a true fear? Or a false alarm to rally the troops of believers? I think the latter. It is a rallying cry that is based on false assumptions.

First off, Social Security is a trust funded benefit plan paid for by payroll taxes earned and remitted by both employee and employer. The benefit plan is defined by the program’s law. It is administered as an insurance plan and is bound by the mathematics of actuaries. If the plan has been tweaked too often by politicians to sweeten benefits that have proved unsustainable, then shame on those politicians seeking votes for such favors. You know this has been done. But now many of those same politicians complain that it is the beneficiaries that are to blame!

I think not! And that is why it is a falsely based rallying cry. The same is true for Medicare. It is a benefit plan paid for by both workers and employers. It is actuarially based as well. It is not an entitlement. It is a benefit plan managed without deficit by administrators knowledgeable in such matters.

And a strong fact remains: both Social Security and Medicare trust funds are not in debt. They hold over six trillion dollars in balances. Those balances may be growing smaller over time, but there remains time to adjust income or payouts to maintain both funds at sustainable levels for decades. No budgetary action is needed. These two plans do not contribute one penny of debt to the national deficit.

Medicaid may be another matter. But that is just the point. It is a separate program and a government benefit program paid out of federal and state general revenues, not premium payments from the beneficiaries themselves.

Another deficit point. Congress – more specifically the House of Representatives – has the constitutional function of controlling the nation’s purse. They make budgets, authorize tax legislation and incur expenses. They cause the payment of those payments. Yes the Senate has to approve in some measure those legislative actions, and the President – the Executive Branch of the Federal Government – agrees or vetoes those actions.

Authorizing national deficit ceilings is not a control over the President, nor his over the Congress. It is a control over Congress set by themselves over their own actions. If they don’t authorize a higher debt ceiling, then they have declared their own check book to be broke; no checks should be written. But it is their expense authorizations they are denying, not the President’s.

You see the scam? This is a sophomoric political game played by Boehner, Cantor and McConnell. They are reduced to a pitiful level of name calling and false claims.

The President is not addicted to spending. Rather the Congress is so addicted. Worse, they are also deadbeats who are threatening to not pay their very own bills.  Shame.

We The People have the responsibility of saying so to our elected representatives. 320 million of us need to remind our congresspersons that they have the responsibility to solve this problem on their own recognizance. Reagan insisted we do this many times during his presidency. I don’t know about you but I think President Obama asked each of us to do the same from this day forward during his Second Inaugural speech. Yes. Democracy is not exercised every 2 or 4 years; it is our duty as needed on issue by issue.

Is now such a time for you? On gun control? On debt ceiling? On deficit spending? On taxation? On education reform? On election finance reform? On abortion rights? On any other issue of importance to you and to the nation’s well being?

If you agree, please contact your elected representatives now and frequently hereafter.

Thank you for your diligence in this matter. You will feel good doing it. And they will feel the burn of responsibility in representing you!

January 25, 2013

Moving Beyond Self

I don’t know where this thought came from. All I know is it popped to mind at 2:15 AM last Friday morning. Out of the blue!  Moving Beyond Self.

I have pondered this 3-word phrase. What does it mean? How does it apply to life? Is it a lesson?

I think yes on all points. Let me try to explain. I’m not sure I fully understand the phrase but I’ll give it a try.

Centering on self – myself – creates ego centric thinking and behavior. Life becomes all about me: what I need, want, hanker after; what matters to my life, its past, present and future. In my past that has always led to trouble. Egotism. Rigid thinking; what I think is more right than what you think. You know the story! You have probably experienced it yourself. The self-centered life also desensitizes me to my surroundings, other people and their needs and concerns.

Thinking about others, working with them for a larger good, or serving their needs provides two benefits. First, it gets me away from thinking of myself; and second, it leads me deeper into another person’s life. The worries, joys, interests and journey the other person experiences pulls me away from my issues. His or her life is a case study for building perspective which will teach me life skills I can use always.

Getting beyond my own concerns frees me from those concerns so I can concentrate on other matters that are important as well. The more this is done the more I should be able to acquire balance in my behavior, thought processes, and viewpoints. From that vantage point I should also be able to appreciate all the other things in life, both large and small. What keeps us from smelling the roses, or the fresh plant life on a walk through the woods? Or the smell of fresh air? Those things are always there; we just don’t always notice them.

Seeing the world about us is simple if we take off the blinders! It takes work to do that but with practices it becomes automatic and so much easier.

Music springs to life. Exercise adds spring to the step and ‘can do’ feelings grow confidence. Art takes on more significance. Appreciation for the work done by others is readily felt.

Moving Beyond Self is a prescription for mental and emotional health. It is also a lesson in everyday civics. We can be more polite because we are not focused on self. We are concerned about others – their needs and feelings, their problems and hopes. If we know those elements about their lives we may be able to help them, or at least keep out of their way! In return they may partner with me and help me with my journey.

Moving Beyond Self becomes an objective, and ideal, and something in constant motion. It is an uncovering or blooming reality. We are part of it and it is part of us. How refreshing and energizing.

Do you have a sense of the ‘moving beyond self’ in your life? Have you had it and lost it? Or do you think this is just baloney?

Think about it and let me know what you think.

January 24, 2013

Expectations

The Notre Dame footballer who claimed a girlfriend, one who was ailing, and then died. National sympathy grew for him, then crash! It came out the girlfriend didn’t exist, no one had died, what was this guy thinking?

Well, turns out he wasn't thinking or scamming anyone. Someone else had done it to him and he believed it. He didn't have a face to face relationship with this other person, just an internet and email relationship. It grew. Into something he took as real. Then it turned out someone had set him up. And he became the laughing stock of the social media circuit.

Trouble is it didn't stop there. People began to wonder if Te’o was hiding something. Maybe he was gay and adopted a gigantic ruse to cover it up? Once this genie was out of the bottle things turned really wild.

Then finally a fellow confessed to a friend that he had done this as a prank, had done it to many others. But Te’o was a national name during a brief window of time, and the rest grew exponentially out of control. Real people were getting hurt. Real time.

I think human nature is a tricky thing. We love to adore people who inspire us. Lance Armstrong comes to mind. Athletes in professional sports, and those coming up the ranks in college play. It doesn’t matter if it is football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis or any other sport. It just matters that some athlete demonstrates a skill well enough to garner attention.  Better yet if he or she has a story of hardship overcome – that really builds interest in the person. Soon thereafter a new idol has been formed. And we do much to build the pedestal for the person. It becomes news.

The next phase of that step, unfortunately, is tearing the idol down from the perch we placed them on.

Lance Armstrong is a good example. The cancer survivor goes on to health; national excellence in bicycling; then the international stage of that sport. A super story to feel good. A sport, by the way that is fraught with doping scandals for endurance purposes. Then the entire sport comes under an even larger cloud, and of course Armstrong’s saga doesn't help it any.

But then what of other sports? What of other expectations that stars must appear as heroic as possible, whether true to scale or not. We make them true up to our standards, don’t we? We want them to be bigger than life. It gives us a sense of possibility or joy or vicarious victory in their excellence. See what we can become!

If we take hero worship too far we feel a lessening of ourselves. Not far afterward we look for chinks in the armor of perfection. We hunt for the weakness, the real human being, and then the faults. Then the pulling down from the pedestal becomes an earnest lunge for the jugular.

Then we may feel sorry for the has-been-idol. But really we feel sorry for ourselves. We know what we have done. We have built up a false idol and we have torn him down. Both acts were false and done for the wrong reasons.

Sports is much like that in the popular venues. A big game on TV or the local arena/stadium. A time to celebrate something outside of myself. To lose myself in the play of others. Maybe even to wonder about how skilled some people are and wouldn't it be great if I could do something similar? Fantasy living, I call it. Event sports championship games or contests seem overblown and over hyped. Why do we do this? Why do we expect it?

Because it is entertainment? Because playing with the lives of others takes our minds off our own problems and failings?  Maybe. Maybe not.

Whether the questions are answered fully or not, it matters that we wonder about it. It matters that we admit we are human and flawed. The worth of any of us is how we handle the flawed life and still come out whole and a worthy person. Not perfect. Not up to expectations. But real. And human with heart, soul and emotions that make us so if we allow them to. And skills that will be useful for self and others if we hone them and use them wisely.

Dump the expectations. Focus on the true, the real. Then live life, our life, without using others.

I miss Lance Armstrong. I miss what he represented in my life. But I think I like him better now that I see the whole Lance.

January 23, 2013

Spokesmen?

Rand Paul does not speak for America. Neither does Texas congressman Stockman. Or John McCain, Lindsay Graham and a host of other narrowly focused conservatives, Republicans and libertarians. Those folks are not main stream speakers of public opinion.

Proof of this? The 2012 election results. Plain and simple.

Executive Orders were common place with George W. Bush. Not so with Obama. He is now considering issuing a few in order to deal with congressional inaction on the debt ceiling, budget impasses and gun controls.

News executives appear to be pandering to the public in who they choose to craft and shape the discussion on several issues. On gun control NBC news and MSNBC, as well as Fox News and others, have selected opinions from wing nuts both right and left, as well as extremists. That is not where the decisions are made in our country, nor is it representative of the opinion of the American people.

Controlling gun sales and ownership is not taking guns away. There are times I wish we could and would. But fairness dictates a middle course. It also demands a conversation not a shouting match complete with unfounded accusations and hyperbole.

Debt ceiling limits? Interesting issue. Why? Simple. Only the House of Representatives has the power of the purse under the constitution. They and they alone decide spending, budget, taxes and debt. To temper their actions the Senate must agree. After that the die is cast. The country and its government implements the decisions. The Executive branch is the doer of the implementation actions.

In the current case, Congress has decided the budget and the spending and the taxes. The President implements those decisions whether he agrees or disagrees. He does have the power to issue checks to pay bills Congress has created. If gthe checking account is empty, he has the authority via the Treasury to print money or borrow it to pay the bills. If Congress disagrees, they should not have authorized the expenditures in the first place. And to solve they problem they should be negotiating with the President, not dictating to him.

No. A leader gets to decide what he will or will not do against his will if it is wrong for the nation. Disagree with that, then the courts get involved.

We have three separate branches of federal government. Legislative (Congress), Judiciary (Supreme Court and all other subsidiary courts) and the Executive (White House and all departments thereunder). They operate best when cooperating and collaborating.

That is not to be since 1992. That was a decision of the Republicans at the time to fight Bill Clinton everywhere they could.  They even made up stuff to fight! They continued during George W’s reign of executive orders and one sided declarations of war. His administration warped the US economy and defied anyone to repair it. That fight continues on in spite of Barack Obama’s rise to the presidency. The Republicans continue their fight, orthodox or not, to strip power from the President.

Obama has merely said recently: Congress has a job to do. If they don’t do it they are to blame for the results. If I can take actions to soften those results, I will do so but I am not required to do so under the powers granted to the president in the constitution.

There it is in a nutshell. Leadership sometimes requires the leader to say no or to sit out the dance dictated by the unworthy. Such is the case today. Speaker Boner pushes his inaction on to the president with hope to tarnish Obama. It has backfired. Mr. Boner should resign and make way for reasonable leaders willing to solve problems.

Same for Mitch McConnell in the senate. Time for him to go. So real work can get done.

January 22, 2013 

Guns

They kill. They were designed to do so. Perhaps first in defense of person, then of property. But also to kill for food.

All of mythology reports that man was designed for love. To populate the earth on the one hand, and to love self and others in discerning the meaning of life and the joy thereof.

But man is more complicated than that. Fear, anger, hate – some of the negatives spoil the creation. Hence cunning and violence. Betrayal. Brutality.

Guns add to the brew as tools. Guns kill indiscriminately when man feels rather than thinks while holding the gun.

Guns are a fact of life. Man’s brutality and base instincts are a fact of life. The tool will be misused from time to time; that is a fact of life. What to do?

Control who can have a gun is one step to engage. Mature age to own a gun. Required training to own and use a gun. Place and time appropriate to use defined as part of gun ownership. Failure to comply with these basics requires separation from the public to safeguard them.

Mental health is a requirement of maturity. If unstable or faulty, no gun license permitted to the individual. Err on the side of caution to protect the person and the public. No guns permitted for the individual in question if any doubt exists.

Assault weapons allowed to police, security and military organizations and their people; only. No exceptions. These weapons are not used for sport.

A well regulated militia is the responsibility of government organizations – state, county, city/town, national military. No private militias. No guns for mass killing permitted to private ‘militias’.

Same regulations apply to ammunition. Such materials are dangerous whether used for sport or police-military operations. No exceptions.

The national conversation on gun controls should include these elements:

·         If the government has enough money for teachers’ firearms and firearms training, why doesn’t it have enough money for school supplies and professional development?

·         Fishermen do not use dynamite in place of the rod and reel; why use an assault rifle to hunt deer?

·         Over 4 million Americans are members of the National Rifle Association. Our population is 320 million. Why do NRA dollars control Congress?

·         How many people own guns? I understand there is about 300 millions gun owned by Americans. But how many owners are there? What is the proportion of them to people not owning guns?

·         It is said that over 20,000 gun laws are currently in force but that they are not adequately enforced. Why not simplify the gun laws (reduce them in number) and make them more enforceable? Then enforce them? Or are all the laws designed to confuse and frustrate enforcement?

·         Violence and crime is not as prevalent in nations with fewer guns than in our well-armed country. Why is that?

·         In the USA we license and regulate cars and trucks. We also regulate and license drivers. And fuel standards and regulations are also imposed. Cars are designed for transportation not killing. Guns are designed to kill; no other purpose. Why are regulations less on guns than cars?

I have proposed before and repeat it here:

Ask the NRA for methods they would use to lessen the number of people killed annually in America by guns. The number is conservatively 10,100 deaths per year. How would the NRA reduce this number to 1000 annually by the year 2020?

I want the NRA involved in the solution. So far they have not engaged the problem. They have only denied the rest of us a practical answer. It’s time for them to speak up and be responsible for their issue.

January 21, 2013

Thought for the Day

An internet gem caught the other day:

            “Buddha was asked, ‘What have you gained from meditation?’

             He replied, ‘Nothing!’ ‘However,’ Buddha said, ‘let me tell you

             What I lost: Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Insecurity, Fear of Old Age

             And Death.’”

Our homework for the weekend is to think about that. Think about what meditation is first of all, then think about the benefits of meditation. It took me decades to discern the mechanics of meditation. And then another few years to realize the benefits!

May your journey be shorter than mine!

January 19, 2012

Surroundings

Reading provides information and ideas about that information. News let’s us know what is going on around us and in far flung neighborhoods. Study pursues interests in detail. Friends reflect images of our self so we might know the inner self better. Learn, grow, develop.

Landscapes of weeds or trimmed plants? Well thought out gardens and lawns or jumbled flora in natural setting. Which is more beautiful or attractive? Depends on context doesn't it? At least to some extent.

Mentors – teachers – trusted co-thinkers ~ these are significant people in our lives. They help us form ideas about a range of topics. Found on the internet anonymously (of course!):

“Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself.”

Bull sessions were held in our college dorms. That’s what we called them then? I wonder if they still call them that! Today we ‘brainstorm’ ideas of similar or related topics. I like to call it ‘noodling and doodling’. Just let the brain work freely around a certain topic, allow it to wander to other topics, mingle those ideas with ideas from others in the room and see where it goes. If something seems important, jot it down. If other thoughts coalesce with others, jot that down as well. Later summarize the discussion and see if something valuable pops out. A valuable process whether a gem is discovered or not!

The quality of thinking is not about boundaries or limits. It is not about rules. It is about collaboration, nurture, encouragement and discovery.

Buckminster Fuller ~ adoringly referred to as ‘Bucky’ ~ lived from 1885 to 1983. He was a thinker, inventor, futurist and synthesizer of disparate ideas. Well known for inventing the geodesic dome, Fuller was a free thinker. He offered this insight to the world:

“It is now highly feasible to take care of everybody on Earth at a higher standard of living than any have ever known. It no longer has to be you or me. Selfishness is unnecessary. War is obsolete. It is a matter of converting our high technology from Weaponry to Livingry.”

Filled with ideas Bucky wrote 30 books. He lectured right up to his death. He was enthusiastic about young people, especially college students. He wanted them to be unleashed so they would pursue and build what he dreamt to be a better society. He surrounded himself with thinkers and dreamers. He urged others to do likewise.

His grandest dreams have not come about – yet! Maybe sometime in the future they will. We can only hope. Meanwhile we have real problems to solve and real people to learn to live with! The latter will always be with us. Other people are both the source of much good as well as heartache. Can we get past the one to reach higher places of development?

Time, effort and dreaming will help. Research, learning and sharing will edge us closer to the ideal. Alas no utopia exists. We can still yearn and seek it however! Doing that will enrich us for the present.

As we move into the weekend how will we spend it? Surrounded by dreamers and thinkers? Will we allow ourselves this pastime?

January 18, 2013

Collection of Thoughts

Catch some of these thoughts and let your mind ponder them at least a few minutes.

From physicist Stephen Hawking:

“Quiet people have the loudest minds.”

Ah yes! Loud because the ideas disturb the status quo. They make us think, demand it!

Anonymous gives us:

“If you have to make a law that hurts a number of people just to prove your morals or faith, then you have no true morals or faith to prove.”

If the belief is strong and right then people will follow it voluntarily. They will mold their lives around it spontaneously. No one will have to make them do so. However, if a law is required, then something is missing. Thus religion in America is unfettered and unlegislated. Let’s keep it so!

Former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders made this statement:

“We really need to get over this love affair with the fetus and start worrying about children.”

Several decades ago I worried about kids in low income areas. They were dirty, sick, uneducated and often absorbed into a life of poverty and crime. They provided a sick underbelly to American culture, one that I was not proud to own. I thought we could do better. No! We should do better. And we pressed many resources into the fight against poverty, illness and low educational achievement. The objective was to build good lives for kids. Lowering the birth rates in poverty stricken areas was a strategy to improve quality of lives. Abortion was a necessary tactic then. It is less so today but still a tool. May women continue to have the right to control their own bodies and reproduction values without such being dictated to them.

Anonymous provides this thought:

“People give up because they tend to look at how far they still have to go instead of how far they have gotten already.”

How many of our youth are stymied by this? It is a big world out there. Can they maintain self confidence long enough to find their way to an adult life of meaning and reward? How do we help them see this? How do we build alternatives to drugs and alcohol and crime? If we ignore this call to action we waste not only their lives but the resources they could have contributed rather than consumed by our stop gap social service agencies.

Another anonymous gift:

“The past is where you learned the lesson. The future is where you apply the lesson.”

And it is so much fun to apply the lesson and see the results! It keeps our focus on the future and the present. The rear view mirror is good for reminding us of lessons learned not of the time and place where we once were comfortable in memory only!

Helen Keller made this observation:

“The country is governed for the richest, for the corporations, the bankers, the land speculators, and for the exploiters of labor. The majority of mankind is working people. So long as their fair demands – the ownership and control of their livelihoods – are set at naught, we can have neither men’s rights nor women’s rights. The majority of mankind is ground down by industrial oppression in order that the small remnant may live in ease.”

This is now a dated view. You sense that from the sentence structure and vocabulary. However, her thought is cautionary and still true. The wealthy few need not be supported at the cost to the rest of mankind. What is of value to all is what we should focus on. That is the reward we should be striving toward.

January 17, 2013

Chuck Hagel - Defense Secretary

What is the reality behind Chuck Hagel’s nomination by President Obama to be the next Secretary of Defense?

Hagel is a Republican. He is from the Midwest, Nebraska actually. He is a former US Senator from Nebraska. He was independent minded, enough so to speak his mind on the emergent issue of gay rights and the continuing relationship with Israel.

Hagel made public comments on gay rights back in the 1990’s. The comments were anti-gay then, but in the nearly 20 years since he has reformed his thinking. A lot has happened in American culture that surround the issues pertaining to gay people. Mr. Hagel no longer has the same narrow sense of those issues as he did 20 years ago. That doesn't make him a champion of gay rights, but neither does it make him an enemy of gay people. So let’s just give him and others more space on this matter!

Now, about Israel. America is and has been a great supporter and defender of the state of Israel. And Israel returns its support and good will directed toward the United States. There is a mutuality contained within their relationship. It is also a relationship that is marked by change, attitude adjustments, and challenging differences of opinion. In short it is a normal relationship. It is not blind or deaf or dumb.

Israel has political challenges within its citizenry. Israel has an open political democracy in which public opinion is shared and discussed openly and vigorously. Such exchanges are not always polite. In fact many of them are scathing!

Prime Minister Netanyahu has often been a lightening rod of political disagreement within his own land. Naturally he will provoke similar disagreements outside the borders of Israel. Certainly the USA is no different.

There are many detractors of Netanyahu, I among them. He has a bully sort of personality and pushes people around to get his way. He does this in Israel. He also does this among his foreign enemies and friends.

American foreign policy supports Israel. It does not blindly support Netanyahu, or his objectives or means to attain those objectives. American foreign aid supports Israel. Military and foreign aid dollars amount to $4 billion annually; have for many, many years. Some years the dollar amount is higher, others lower. But Americans significantly support Israel in word, deed and money.

Chuck Hagel is a realist. He knows American foreign policy and defense postures support Israel but he also wishes America to set its own policy on its own terms and interests. He does not wish America to do so blindly in support of Israel. That is realistic and smart.

If Republicans in the House and Senate wish America to support Israel blindly then they have much to answer for. I prefer we determine our own self interest, the needs of the global community, and where Israel’s needs intersect all of those interests. We then support what is realistic.

Accordingly, Chuck Hagel appears to be a highly qualified person for the role of Defense Secretary. He also is of a different political party which should allow the White House more negotiating space with Congress on other issues of importance. The president is reaching across the aisle. I give him credit for that.

Only narrow mindedness would deny Hagel the appointment.

January 16, 2013

  

Free Thinking or Free Wheeling?

Leo Tolstoy is reported as having said:

“Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for right thinking; where it is absent, discussion is apt to become worse than useless.”

I find this statement fascinating. In a way it is also disturbing, or at least unsettling.

Using freedom to think freely – unassociated with fixed beliefs or relationships – allows the mind to seek meaning and truth without bias or presumption. It tests our understanding of the world around us. It challenges incomplete thoughts or what become known as incomplete truths – wispy assumptions made to fit the things we know.

Knowing anything is most likely incomplete. Coming to know is a process, and by definition not fully complete at any point of the process. The cycle of search, gather, ponder and conclude creates a point of stasis; collecting those points into a body of conclusions builds toward an understanding of those ‘things’ or thoughts gathered. But change one of the components and the process needs to restart and reanalyze the points of stasis.

To do otherwise makes me suspicious shortcuts will lead to slopping thinking and inappropriate conclusions. Perhaps this is ‘free wheeling’ and not the subject of our quest.

I think sound bites are products of such free wheeling behavior. So too is ‘spin’ on topics under discussion. Clever, yes; truthful and accurate, no.

So the latter is a peek at the unsettled-ness of free thinking. It can be abused and manipulated.

Oscar Wilde said:

            “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person.

             Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth.”

This is also a disturbing idea. Why? Because it suggests that much of what people say are apt not to be true reflections of who they are. How then do we deal with the chimera this poses? If it is not real is it then myth? And if myth, how does it inform discussion and understanding?

I agree that a person is likely to speak the truth about his understanding or person-hood if he is in a safe place. Hiding behind a mask or assumed name or identify provides safe place temporarily. It is not a permanent home in which the person knows himself or allows others to know him truly.

Fake persona or face does not build strong foundations of trust.

The juxtaposition of Tolstoy’s and Wilde’s thoughts gives us pause in today’s society. We need to think freely so as to understand reality, but our person-hoods need to be open and truthful else we are dealing with fakery. In a 24/7 social environment of image and staged appearance (news programs and entertainment programs) what we see is not real. It is masked and made pretty.

Jon Stewart’s daily program is an entertaining means of seeking accurate reporting and meaning. It strips away the fakery. He makes it funny. But the facts – truth – are there baldly to be seen.

How refreshing. However, why must we do this in the first place?

January 15, 2013

Basics

Much wisdom if found on the internet. Quotations, adages, parables, poems, bold statements…whatever shape they take the words are simple. Basic.

Such simplicity makes for bold statements. A cause for pause. A moment to think. Just on the thought immediately in front of the eyes. Important? Or not? A building block I should save for later? Or of immediate use?

Here’s one from ‘heyfrancis.tumbler.com’ (whatever that is!):

            “Three simple rules in life:

1.      If you do not GO after what you want, you’ll never have it.

2.      If you do not ASK, the answer will always be NO.

3.      If you do not step FORWARD, you will ALWAYS be in the same place.”

I do not know the web site where this quotation came from. Nor do I know the context of the quotation. On its own surface, however, it makes sense. Time will test its elements but basically it is a simple truth.  We will not acquire what we want if we don’t pursue it. The pursuit alone helps define what it is we want. The effort fine tunes the definition. When we have ‘it’ we will know it because we have pursued it. It did not drop into our lap. Had it dropped into our lap chances are great we wouldn't know what it is. The act of going after the dream defines it so it has meaning in our life.

OK. With that as prologue, asking for something means I’m forming the knowledge of what it is I’m asking for; if it is to be had, I may achieve it provided I seek it, ask for it and pursue it. If I don’t try for it the unanswered question is always a negative; no.

And finally, to get somewhere other than where I an at the present moment, I have to move. Walk. Step. Jump. Leap. Move form here to somewhere. Without the movement I  remain in the same place.

So if I’m unhappy with my life or the present circumstances, I need to do something about it. Define what I want. Pursue it. Dare to ask for information, help or guidance. Then take action. Move. I’m on my way to fulfilling the dream!

I think this is a basic truth we often forget – or at least allow the busy-ness of life to shroud. We lose sight of our dreams. We become fixed in present circumstances. We do not break out of what is holding us back.

If you are young you may not have the basic knowledge you need to form the basis of your dream. That alone is a major task to tackle. But it will not get done unless you begin to fill in the pieces of the puzzle.

I’m spending time with a small youth group, middle teenagers. I am beginning to remember what it was like to not know enough of life to help me figure out what it is in life I wanted. Building blocks of understanding were missing. How frustrating! To them. To me as I recall it now.

How did I fill in the blanks? How did I ever have the patience or drive or motivation to seek the ‘more’ in life without stumbling over booze, drugs, conformity, crime, destructive behavior…all the rest of the youth mine field?

I kept my nose clean and pursued education. I read. I sought answers to the questions the reading raised. I asked questions of elders, teachers, friends, family. Little by little the pieces took shape. A sense of future possibility, of potential came into being. I tested it. Some parts I didn't like so replaced them with new portions of different dreams. Eventually a larger dream took form.

Today the youth group challenges me to reconnect with the process of the past. I understand a little of their pain and frustration. I can get why they don’t think they have a problem although each has been placed in this group because they were caught using alcohol, driving while under the influence or using/possessing drugs. Whether ordered into the program by a parent or a court, they are being challenged to regain control over their lives without the behavior of alcohol or drugs. Some of them resent being in the program. They don’t have a ‘problem’ to repair, or so they say. If I can’t get them over that one basic hurdle, I will have no positive effect on their lives.

That’s the challenge. There are breakthroughs of tiny consequence. But breakthroughs nonetheless. I will keep trying. Perhaps they will know I’m trying to hear them?

January 14, 2013

Power of Positive Thinking

Maya Angelou is a gem! Found this quote of hers on the internet the other day:

            “You can’t use up creativity

             The more you use, the more you have.”

What a great thought! One fresh idea begets another one, and another one and another….!

Sort of like this quote from Shakespeare:

            “The earth has music for those who listen.”

Creativity made the music in the first place; other creative types play the music. All we have to do is listen. Even when we think there is nothing there for the ear. Listen! Music abounds in our universe.

Create what you will ~ art, music, literature, discovery of the planet or universe, shapes and materials. Think the new and make it appear! Use the noodle because it matters, it feels good, and it is there for use.

Think.

January 12, 2012

Fearing Fear

FDR said “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Whether it was the challenges of the great depression or the threats of World War II involvement, FDR knew what every school yard scrapper comes to understand. Fear of a bully or pending fight paralyzes action. Leaping into the fray, putting fear aside momentarily, unleashes the power and action needed to at least make a good showing, or even defeat the enemy!

The same is true in war, isn't it? Or depression or joblessness – whatever grave threat  reminds us of the perilous-ness of our existence.

I recall a time I was unexpectedly unemployed. I feared not having money enough for rent, food or transportation. I called my dad; I was only out of college 10 months. He said he’d help me when and if I need extra cash. That’s all I needed. That was a Friday. On Monday I got in my car and drove in on the Eisenhower expressway from Oak Park into Chicago. The sun was shining over Lake Michigan backlighting the skyline. I remember thinking that before me lay one of the great cities of the world. Surely there was a job for me, a place for me in that giant complexity of economic activity.

And there was. I had a job by the end of the day. This was 1966. From that day I knew that all would be well if I made the proper effort.  A good life lesson.

Over the years I've observed the lesson well many times. I’m reminded of something Marie Curie wrote:

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to  understand more so that we may fear less.”

Whether a mystery of science, or history or personal life, understanding the challenge is required if we are not to fear it.

Having the 2012 national elections so fresh in our memory, recall the claims of calamity, either hinted or claimed outright if we voted for the wrong person! A common theme ot political rhetoric and advertising for candidates or political parties. “Do this or weep” seems to be the message.

The answer to the fear mongering, of course, is understanding the issues well enough to know when such messages are cannon fodder to win votes from people ignorant of the facts. Often voters don’t really feel comfortable with a set of complex facts – the national debt, unrest in the Middle East, high cost of energy and the possibility of insufficient supplies that would jack up the costs – these are issues that seemingly have surface truth surrounding them. But no; they are manipulated by sound bites. Understanding tells us that plentiful energy supplies abound. Future supplies will most likely come from new technology and scientific breakthroughs. Middle Eastern politics revolve mainly around oil fields and who benefits from the trade of petroleum throughout the world. Political unrest is evidence of political power mongering. If oil were of lesser importance, the region’s political life would settle into petty bickering among the powerless, not of global concern.

Know the facts. Understand the relevance of issues. Their fearsome power ebbs to a tiny fraction of the initial concern.

A Buddhist adage shares this bit of calm wisdom:

“Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions.”

Therein lays the power or the power denied! Fear not the unknown. As well fear not the other person’s illusion of influence over you. And you will be free to live your life with conviction and commitment. Knowledge is power over such things. First, however, we must gain the knowledge.

Democracy is not for weaklings or lazy people. It takes work to understand the issues and to maintain an inquiring mind so facts, history and understanding grows with experience and effort.

Brazilian author and wise man Paulo Coelho gives this advice:

            “If you only walk on sunny days, you will never reach your destination.”

Lord knows that’s true in Chicago! Lots of cloudy days here especially from November through March. If anything is to be accomplished, each day must be part of our action plans. Fear has to be conquered each day. Understanding needs to be gained each day. We best walk the walk each day, sunny or not.

What are you doing today? Will you listen to the naysayers and doubters with power to grab? Or will you do your own thinking? And work?

Fear not! The future is a wonder to behold!

January 11, 2013

Adding Two and Two

Mark Twain said: “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”  He must have been speaking of the Congress of his time! Actually the Congress of any era.

I saw the movie ‘Lincoln’ and was surprised at the folly and duplicity of the Congress of his day. The machinations the politicians went through to block legislation, votes on important matters, even the legislation decreeing slaves emancipated. As I saw the chicanery unfold and the enormous effort expended to overcome the nonsense to make good things happen at last, I thought of our current Congress, both the 112^th just completed, and the 113^th just sworn in. What history will make of the 112^th! But what will the history become of the 113^th?

Then I read the new Thomas Jefferson book, The Art of Power, by Jon Meacham. The Congress Jefferson was a part of and ultimately the Congress he had to deal with as president – what perfidy to the spirit of democracy! Such shenanigans. How very shameful.

Twain’s observation that it is easier to fool people into thinking one way than it is to convince them they have been fooled is instructive for us today. Listen to politicians speak on TV in sound bites. They sound intelligent but they are saying empty words and phrases. They are stating what they want you to believe but they themselves don’t believe those words. They vote differently and flip their positions constantly. The chaos is representative of their tom foolery.

On Women’s rights and gun rights, if these two issues alone were added together, watch out! As a quote on the internet offered:

            “If women took up arms to defend their reproductive rights…

             The GOP would immediately demand gun control!”

The GOP had better hope women will not take up guns to defend their rights. The GOP has played so many games with issues near and dear to women the direction of up and down no longer make sense. And people frustrated by nonsense are not good users of guns, don’t you know.

Purveyors of congressional speak need to take care. Like the Chinese proverb says,

            “Life is an echo; what you send out comes back.”

Beware those echoes. When two and two are joined powerful results will happen.

Congressional players are playing with fire. They play for power. We the people wasn’t them to solve problems. Power is temporary. Smooth operations cast a long lasting spell into the future.

January 

Silence Within

When all is silent, no music playing, no TV on in the background, no one talking nearby, what do you hear? Is there a voice talking to you from within? Or is there silence? Calm quiet? Peace?

I ask because there are those who do not live well with silence. They turn on a radio, or TV or stereo. Or they pick up their cell phone and rummage its keys, or maybe boot up the computer and scan emails or a few internet sites. They busy themselves with noise or reading; maybe they hum to themselves. They simply cannot live with silence.

I on the other hand like the quiet. In fact I seek it. Even luxuriate in it.

Silence is the creative palette in which I think whatever I will. Let the mind roam unfettered! Think thoughts which lead to no conclusions; or do they? 

I write best during deep times of silence. No distractions. Perhaps the sound of the furnace coming on or AC in its season. Otherwise no sounds at all.

I asked friends the question ‘what do you hear when silence surrounds you?’ Some of them answered: a roar of nothing, sort of a sensation of hearing blood coursing through veins. Perhaps you recall that sensation; it is sort of like your ears are straining to hear something that is not there.

When I was very young, maybe 5 years old, I recall sitting alone in the middle of the Mojave Desert. I was sitting on a large rock. Full sun and deep blue sky. It was mid winter so not hot. My outlook included a large outcropping of rock surrounding a deep chasm. No sounds of birds. No rustle of wind through dry underbrush. Just silence. Enormous world view without a sound! I listened for naught. There may have been a sense of roaring in the ears, but I don’t recall it just now.

What do you hear when there is nothing but silence? Can you even find such a place or time when silence reigns?

When I was a teenager my dad took me to an open house tour of lab facilities at General Electric. One of the sites included a sound testing lab complete with a silent room, walls lined with deeply finned, upholstered crevices designed to trap all extraneous noise. It was stunningly quiet, almost suffocating. Not the same experience as being outdoors in the silent desert.

Of course that suggests that nature provides more sound in silence than we think!

Why this fussy insistence on silence today? I think I’m impressed with the noisy distractions of our lives. Noise that takes the place of mindsets and thinking, or at least affects our thinking. I know there are people who can study in the midst of chaos and a din of sound including raucous music. I never could. I found it hard to read on morning train commutes. Or on a plane with jet engines roaring. I tried listening to music but only slipped into the netherworld of emotion and thought as the music took me on a rigorous journey. Its message en-rapt me. I could think of nothing else but what the composer wanted me to feel.

To this day I write in silence with no background noise other than the workings of the house – refrigerator cycling on and off, same with the HVAC, a passing vehicle if heavy enough to rumble the neighborhood. Otherwise silence is interrupted only by the sound of my fingers thumping the keyboard – and the thoughts trail across the screen making their tracks manifest whether of meaning or not to be determined by the reader!

As time passes the moments of silence are yearned for, to be used to make ‘sounds of logic’ or poetry or a complete world of ideas. A world of silence encompassing its own standard of sound ~ of thinking.

What do you hear at such times?

January 9, 2013

Government Overreach?

Government trying to do more than it can at the moment is one definition of government overreach. Another variation of the definition is attempting to do more than it ought to be doing. Let’s look at a few scenarios of this.

First one: delivering education to everyone who needs it and wants it. Although there is no doubt the objective is enviable, the American society has only so many dollars available for the objective at any given time. Local governments in the form of school districts are the primary delivery agent of education. So too are state governments which monitor financial health of all school districts and distribute state aid dollars to ensure poor districts are delivering education as best they can while wealthier communities do not have much difficulty doing so.

Federal dollars are also available to school districts in many forms. Federal agencies monitor education delivery and dole out assistance to again ensure that poorer school districts still are able to provide education to their constituents.

Other government entities deliver education as well – community college districts are an example – but all do so with restricted budgets compared with the demand for their services. Likewise state universities systematically deliver higher education to those who need and want it. Such systems also serve the broader public with research and development efforts that advance the body of knowledge to be shared with younger generations.

These are the primary engines of education delivery systems. There are limited dollars to achieve their mission so restrictions apply on a practical level.

Second, with limited public resources the above education systems also attempt to deliver breakfast and lunch to low income children to ensure healthy nutrition among the students. So too are societal norms monitored for public safety of children – abused and neglected kids are identified to bring them help. Health standards are also monitored. Before and after school hours programming is provided to keep kids off the streets and away from homes where both parents are working to maintain a low income household. Many other social programs are managed and delivered by way of the education systems. It’s where the kids are and they are the object of these programs, so the schools get stuck with the function.

Trouble is these are not education programs but restricted budget dollars are diverted from education to social programming because we have made stop gap decisions endlessly and confused the missions of varying ‘departments’ of our society’s life. This is overreach. True the work is valuable and needed. The question here, however, is who should do it? Our overworked school staffs? Our cramped school facilities? Is there a better and more appropriate way of accomplishing the social objectives without weakening the educational objectives?

Third, local municipal governments observe elder citizens with transportation problems. Their answer is to create a small, custom bus service to meet the needs of the non-driving public in need of getting to doctor appointments as well as shopping and other social activities. A great objective. But is it the job of the local city hall to do? They may be interested in the service being offered to local citizens but should they be the delivery agent of such a service? Are there other means to meet the needs that would not involve overloading the small, local government?

It is easy to see local issues grow larger in importance as we focus on the same problem in a larger venue – county, state, region, nation. As the scope of the issue enlarges more levels of government become involved. This is not a bad thing in and of itself. But the questions need to be asked:

• What services are core to each government level/entity?
• Which services belong to higher levels of government?
• How important are these services in the grand scheme of things? Who is benefiting from these services?
• Where are the resources to fund these services?
• Who pays for the services?

There is a fundamental skirmish alive in America. It is the concern that all government be right sized. Not all good things need to be done by government. That’s where identifying core services is a must.

There are those who believe in a model of small, or least government options. On the opposite side of this debate are those who feel government ought to provide the public with what is needed for basic quality of life. Ability to pay ought not dictate that people of modest means need to suffer lack of basic life supports – food, housing, clothing, medical care, etc.

How far this debate ranges is important. And it easily exceeds boundaries! The conservative versus liberal political arguments rage around these issues.

The debate, unfortunately, turns ugly and self righteous quickly. What needs to be discussed and settled over time will only come when parties to the discussions learn to share their thoughts with civility. Less passion and more logic is needed. Sharing objectives based on shared ideals will help.

I’m more of a centrist on these matters. I believe our most common problems are best solved locally and with the help of local volunteers, churches and charitable organizations. Somewhere along the way, however, adequate funding is necessary and at levels that do not discriminate between wealthy and poor communities. Needs are needs. They exist in well-to-do towns as well as poor villages. Often the needs of wealthy and poor exist side by side.

Focus on the need. Focus on the people. Determine what services will fill the need. Design how to meet the need. Get needed funding from several sources. This is the work that needs to get done first rather than demanding that a government perform the service.

And that work only results after meaningful discussions are held so all parties understand what is at stake and what community needs need our help.

The discussions need to be held. What we believe and hold dear as a community needs to be identified and agreed upon. Then we can take actions to live our commitments to one another.

In the final analysis I doubt it is truly a debate about big or small government. It is about how we believe in each other’s dignity.

January 8, 2013