Peace Through Strength

The Tragedy at New Town has reinvigorated a group of Americans who would see the availability of guns diminished.  The picture shown above seems to carry a pro-gun message.  A young caucasian male is seen carrying a sidearm in what may be a coffee shop or bakery.  The warm lighting and welcoming environment help to disarm the viewer.

The young man carrying the pistol in the photo is wearing a black polo and dark rimmed glasses which seem to portray a sense of astuteness and responsibility.  There also appears to be an older gentleman in the background also carrying a sidearm.  He is wearing a white collared business shirt and dress slacks. Once again the characters chosen complimented by their surroundings certainly promote a feeling of security and not of fear.

Those who would oppose and resist the right of their fellow citizens to carry guns in public often discuss it as an entirely dangerous venture.  The picture is painted of a trigger happy populace itching to make a power statement with some fire power.  This image we see above is very much so in contrast to that idea.  It is warm, safe, and promotes the idea of the socially responsible among us being armed and powerful to fortify a peaceful community.

http://www.firearmstoday.com/2011/06/08/bill-moves-forward-to-outlaw-open-carrying-of-unloaded-handguns-in-california/

Scholarly Stances

It certainly can be befuddling sifting through articles to find ones that match the scholarly criteria.  In this case, I first noticed that the article was posted in a publication for psychiatrists.  This would imply a measure of objectivity, fairness, and scholarly tact.  I also noticed that the author is a medical doctor.  It therefore appears that we have a professional writing presumably to a group of professionals.  

Our author starts off by informing us of the disturbing fact that over the last 15 years, America has averaged two instances of mass murder per year.  He sympathizes with the prevailing notion that if we could only understand the psychology of the murder then surely we could prevent further tragedies.  He does however quickly dismiss this idea as simply not the case, revealing the limitations of psychiatric capabilities.  The point is made that with the broad availability of guns to the general public, murders of one form or another are wholly inevitable.  Our options then, he proposes, is to either accept mass murders as an occasional reality or to embrace gun control legislation.

This article's general message is clear and the rhetorical style employed is largely effective.  While I disagree with some of the conclusions made, the methods in which the arguments were presented are both fair and persuasive.  

Frances, Allen. "Mass Murders, Madness, And Gun Control. (Cover Story)." Psychiatric Times 29.9 (2012): 1-4. Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 13 Apr. 2013.

The Plight of a Pacifist Soldier

The issue of gay rights seems to be everywhere lately!  The topic has found its way to the heights of headlines and the crown of conversation.  One of the main debates here has been over the issue of marriage.  Should gay marriage be legal or not?

A good way to put in perspective what is in essence happening is to put this in military terms.  Imagine someone who desperately wants to join the army.  The only problem is that they are fiercely pacifist and the very idea of war is repulsive to them.  Therefore, they want the army to adopt an entirely new pacifist limb of the military so that they can both fulfill their dream of joining the army and stay true to their pacifist convictions.

In all honesty, I really have no desire to hinder or appeal to government to restrict gay individuals from doing whatever they wish.  We live in America and as such we hold that we are very much so a free people.  So far as someone's actions affect them and them alone, I have no right to seek to restrict that.

The only area that trips me up in all of this then is not that the gay community wants to live together but that they want to redefine marriage altogether.  This lofty goal of redefining a cornerstone of our culture is where they lose me.  If someone is a pacifist then they have every right to hold fast to that belief.  The army, however, has a clearly defined mandate and must stay true to that trust.

Diversity is fine, and people will do as they please.  But the institution of marriage must not be infringed upon.  More than we know, the very foundation of our society rests on the shoulders of family.  So goes the family, so goes our country.  Right now, both are having a bit of a rough time.  Here's hoping and praying that our next steps as a nation are not towards compromise but towards the bedrock strength of a family structure at its finest.

What do you think?  Should gay marriage be legal?

That's not fair!

I grew up with an older brother.  Peppered throughout my childhood, were numerous instances where I felt it vitally necessary to highlight for my parents any discrepancies in the activities that my brother and I were permitted to do.  If he was allowed to watch a movie that I wasn't, then that wasn't fair.  If he was allowed to go on a trip that I wasn't, then that wasn't fair either.  It was an immature and childish flare that I had to grow out of.  The temptation to complain whenever I recognized that someone else had some advantage or privilege that I didn't was present with me for years before I was able to distance myself from it, grow up a little, and take some responsibility.

Recently, I have noticed, peppered throughout the headlines, an unfortunate number of voices making a case for fairness in America.  There are voices that say it isn't fair how big of a gap there is between the wealthy and the poor.  Others who say these wealthy need to pay their "fair share" in taxes.

We see recent examples such as Cyprus where the country is actually freezing and taking control of money in individual bank accounts that exceed a certain amount.  Why are they doing this?  Well first of all because the country has been widely irresponsible and needs money, and secondly because they feel that these people obviously have far more than the average individual and probably don't need it.

The French President Francois Hollande has been trying desperately to tax individuals who earn more than 1 million euros at a rate of 75%!  Why?  Because, it's not "fair" that these people have so much more than the rest of us...

The cry for fairness that we hear so pronounced today is childish and shameful.  This illusive "fair share" the masses are requiring of the wealthy appears to have little to do with the amount given and far more to do with the amount they have left over after they have given.

When Speech is a Struggle

Communicating, unfortunately, is not always easy!  What makes perfect sense to one group of people can sometimes completely baffle another.  I came face to face with a prime example of this not too long ago.

After High School, I attended a ministry school in Northern California for 3 years.  I had grown up in churches always somewhere on the spectrum between conservative and charismatic.  This one however was really quite charismatic.  One legitimate and unexpected hurdle I was faced with upon arriving was what appeared to be an entirely new christian vocabulary.  We can leave the stories of my process of overcoming offense and recognizing the amazing heart and meaning behind it all for another day.  Today, I will probably just pull out a handful of the terms that initially caught me off guard and required urgent clarity.

I remember the first time someone mentioned getting "drunk in the Holy Spirit".  That was a new one for me.  I understand the affects of alcohol and have experienced the Holy Spirit but have never made that connection!  The terms "blasted", "wasted", and countless other seemingly out of place words were applied in a spiritual context that I would have never expected.

After spending 3 life changing years there, weird word choices and all, I have been faced on occasion with the dilemma of now having to describe to friends and family back home stories of what I experienced while avoiding the ready temptation to use language they would most certainly not understand.  From phone calls to letters home, this was never especially easy.  Slowly but surely, I grew more and more effective in my ability to describe things accurately with a more so mainstream vocabulary.

The Moral Revolution

We have all at one time or another heard the term "morals" thrown out there for one reason or another.  It is largely agreed upon that it is preferable to have good ones instead of bad, but what in the world are they really and what significance do they play in society?  Ernest Hemingway said once that "what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after".  This is obviously more than a little bit oversimplified but it's a start!

Morality is basically a concern over what is right and wrong.  The day and age in which we now find ourselves has been influenced largely by the idea that "right" and "wrong" are highly debatable titles and should be left to the discernment of the individual.  Whether that is so, or if there is in fact a set of standards that transcend the rest, can be debated another day.  For now, we can restrain ourselves to focus on what, if any, effect morals have on culture.

Rather than bring up case studies today, I think I will just invite you to imagine with me what an average day might look like where lying, cheating on your spouse, abusing and stealing from others, taking bribes, and distorting justice are commonplace.   It doesn't take much to see the ripple effect and disruption this would cause in every corner of society.  If, for someone, any mixture of that series of behavior seemed right and good then by all means they can continue.  I would only be intrigued to see how that is working out for them!

Theoretically, good morals find their goodness not only in and of themselves but also in the ensuing benefit they bring about for society.  Who can hold a measure to the blessing a nation receives from an honest, trustworthy, faithful, truthful, hardworking, and generous people?  Alexis de Tocqueville, a french political thinker from the 19th century, once concluded after an extended stay in America that "America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great."

I think it's time for a moral revolution in America!

How Free Do You Want To Be?

237 years ago, in 1776, the idea, freedom, was discovered like never before and dispearsed across an unprecedented span.  Men, women, and children alike paid a costly and at times absolute price to purchase for them, theirs, and posterity to come a treasure they deemed worth every ounce of sacrifice. 

Today, it seems we are all too willing to surrendered our freedom for either promise of greater efficiency or the noble ends of social safety.  Sometimes, I wonder if we are even aware that that is what we are doing. 

• It is illegal to drive a motorcycle without a helmet.
• Our government can rightfully require money from us as penalty if we don't put a seat belt on ourselves in our own car. 
• We are required to pay taxes our whole life towards Social Security, essential choosing our source of retirement income for us.
• Our government recently decided for us that everyone needs health coverage and so we are now required to purchase it under the Affordable Care Act. 
• A rising tax burden means we are allowed to keep less and less of the money we earn.  Money embodies the power of choice well.  The less money we are allowed to keep, the fewer choices we are allowed to make.

Europe right now is experimenting with an idea of collectivism.  Basically, you will never see the majority of the money you make, but the essential services you need to stay alive and be more or less happy are provided for you by the government.  I'm open to the idea that maybe the transfer of strength from the members of society to a select governing few may temporarily and to a degree increase the strength of a society over its now relatively weak people, but on the scale of nations, a strong country will always consist of strong citizens.  It is strong, free, and powerful people that make a nation great, not a strong and powerful central government. 

The famous economist, John Stuart Mill, once said that "the tendency of all the changes taking place in the world is to strengthen society and diminish the power of the individual".  The bad news is (at least from my vantage point), that is true!  The good news is, the advancement of that ideology in America is entirely at the mercy of "We the People". 

How free do you want to be??

Devious Diction

Diction betrays bias.  In our constant search for reliable sources for information and insight, the fairness displayed through word choice seems to go a long way to build trust in a commentator.  While reading two blogs this week debating the seriousness of America's current level of debt, I was made quickly aware of each author's views by their word choice and the methods employed to drive their point home.

The Maddow Blog, while making a largely balanced presentation of facts, resorted at times to loaded diction making reference to a recent moment when "the deficit scolds were doing their scolding".  It is true enough that her more so conservative counterparts have shown few reservations in vocalizing their misgivings and concerns pertaining to this most significant issue.  Referring to them as "deficit scolds", however, could likely be a debated title.  Her post was persuasive in it's facts but tainted by bias.

I also read through John Culberson's blog.  The bulk of his article appealed to Logos through the presentation of facts and figures.  He did deviate as well, although in my estimation less dramatically, from a pure and objective approach by simply stating the truth that it is "borrowed money" that is keeping us alive.  The statement, which really is only restating the obvious, carries a subtle bite which I would imagine is meant to jolt his readers, if even slightly, to a new level of alertness.  Largely, he succeeded in making an objective presentation of the current political landscape as it can been seen.

While refined rhetoric is certainly legal in the battle of ideas, the regularity of questionable tactics has grown to a dramatic volume in recent years.  It seems to me of the utmost importance that we the American people grow widely proficient at sifting through the emotional appeals and loaded diction to spot fallacies and make established, rational decisions.

Does loaded language bother you or is it okay?

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/news/2013/01/11/16463952-on-debt-reduction-us-is-nearly-finished?lite

http://www.texasgopvote.com/issues/gro-economy/america-s-looming-debt-crisis-004800

The Land of the Free

The total debt in America today is $58,142,718,773,402...

I was born an American and raised by patriotic parents who paid taxes, participated in community, voted faithfully with conviction, loved Ronald Reagan, and raised up two boys in the land of the free. When I was 4, I developed the initially cute but quickly less so habit of breaking into "It's a Grand Old Flag" at first sight of the stars and stripes.  In short, I am a really big America fan.  

When did it become so normal for everyone to be steeped in debt?  How many people do you really know who are debt free and just enjoying life?  Regardless of how robust your income is, it has become so culturally acceptable to embrace debt to try and leverage one more dollar into your pocket now.

Benjamin Franklin once simply stated that "when you run into debt, you give to another power over your liberty."  Be it for purposes of genuine need or ostentatious living we have not taken those words very seriously.  The daunting figure that hangs over the halls of capital hill and beyond is in all honesty not what disturbs me the most. I have the utmost confidence in our ability to stir ourselves, command our abilities, and overcome obstacles of any extent. What worries me most is our casual willingness to charge forward beyond our means.

Perhaps in all our long history, we have not been faced with a more predictable dilemma. The fearsome figure that confronts our country today was not accumulated in an afternoon and will not be dispersed in an evening. As the old adage goes: "A thousand mile journey begins with the first step and can only be taken one step at a time." The great challenge and call for us will not be to work a fiscal miracle but to re-approach and affirm once more the virtues held so dearly by those who went before us. It is among my most profound dreams to see in my day an America countenanced by a resolved commitment to fiscal responsibility, a conviction that our best days are not behind us but before, and an insistency that within our reach lies a time when our children and theirs can grow up in what has never before been more rightly blazoned “The Land of the Free.” 

What are your thoughts on debt?

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Containing Culture

How can you define that which of itself adds definition?  Culture has shown itself, throughout the years, to be among the most frustrating of concepts to subdue and contain.  It's illusive nature is such that just as one is proudly setting bounds to it's immense and diverse landscape, it embarks anew on a conquest of creativity and expression.  While I consider it fully futile to attempt to contain this most unruly term, I will gladly do my best to shed light on some of what it itself contains.

It appears to me that Culture is best defined as a hybrid of what was and of what is.  It's puzzling paradox is that while it is vulnerable to being molded and manipulated by the simplest of society, it also holds tremendous sway over the every day operations of life.  While we all contribute to the composition of culture, we largely only reinforce prearranged and accepted patterns.  The man or woman who would confront and alter the fundamental understanding of "normal" will do so with no small expenditure of effort and energy.

This can be seen in the example of the Flywheel.  Wikipedia defines a Flywheel as "a rotating mechanical devise that is used to store rotational energy".  If you can imagine with me an extremely large metal disk, mounted on an axis, weighing as much as 100 tons, we would be on the same page.  A considerable amount of energy is needed to rotate the disk the first time, but each ensuing rotation compounds on the last until such an enormous momentum has gathered that the wheel now has plenty of power to carry you around and around.  And culture does just the same thing; the energy we expend in changing culture compounds and becomes a force of it's own.  In the end, that which we first influenced comes full circle to influence us.

Where have you been investing energy to improve the culture we live in?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flywheel