Sunday, April 25, 2010

Our elected officials don't seem to be acting like leaders. Whether it's federal or state these legislative office holders are beginning to annoy me. Whatever happened to real leadership in the legislative process. House and senate members say, "The American people want...". Or, "The polls say ...". Leaders do what they think is best for society even though the people may disagree. Example: Civil Rights. When civil rights legislation became law the majority of Americans were against it. The same can be said for Social Security and Medicare. Sometimes governmental leaders must do what's right despite public opinion. In my opinion President Obama and the majority of congressional Democrats are doing just that and they are truly leaders. Republicans and poll watching Democrats are merely swaying in the breeze of public opinion. Public opinion often times changes. Real leadership survives the test of time. When you do the right thing for all Americans you ultimately win and are sustained. 

Florida Governor Charlie Crist, will he withdraw from the Republican Party and run for the Senate as an Independent? Governor Crist is a real leader. He is a Republican, but more importantly he does the right thing for all Floridians. This is evident by his veto of the education bill that would have changed the role of teachers in the Florida educational system. Governor Crist is not afraid of crossing party lines when the good of all Floridians is at stake. Governor Crist is a rare Republican. 

Sunday, April 18, 2010

There will be a vacancy on the Supreme Court this summer for President Obama to fill. Justice John Paul Stevens will step down at the end of this session. Justice Stevens is the only Protestant on the Supreme Court. Will President Obama be pressured to nominate a Protestant? Six Catholics and two Jews currently make up the Court. At one time Protestants were the mainstream of the Court, as well as governmental higher office holders. President Eisenhower changed the 1 Catholic/1 Jew token justice unwritten law when he nominated a second Catholic to the Supreme Court in 1956. He did so in order to secure the Catholic vote for his re-election. Since then more and more justices with minority religions have been seated on the Court. Now we have an interesting turn of events. Will the replacement for Justice Stevens be a token Protestant? I think there is a broader implication here. The implication is one of the major reasons for the conservatives campaign or fight to "regain" their country. The white conservative establishment seems to be uncomfortable with the recent rise to prominence of minorities, minorities of all persuasions. It was OK when minorities were a "token" part of government, control and prominence, but now that minorities are becoming fully represented in all aspects of government and American life the established white conservatives are become fearful. Why? Because establishment conservatives are essentially a closed society of power. In other words, traditional conservatives are the true elitists. Male, white and protestant are the battle cry of the true established conservative way of thinking. Current leading conservatives are fueling the fires of the anti-American government movement in the United States. Their slogan, "Take back our country", is just another way of saying that minorities as well as anyone who disagrees with conservative self-righteous dogma, are less American and therefore less deserving in the eyes of the conservatives. Ordinary, decent, well-meaning Americans are become indoctrinated into a prejudicial and un-American way of thinking. All people deserve full constitutional rights, freedoms and the opportunity to compete for the heart of the American way. In other words, no person or group of like persons have any preordained or special right to anything in the American system. All people are created equal.

There are some bright spots in the Republican Party. Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown as well as Governor Charlie Crist of Florida are becoming the pillars of hope in the American political system. These men are transcending their conservative ideology to actually becoming the selfless servants of the American people. Each has maintain their basic conservative ideals, but have forgone the bigotry and hatred of traditional and current conservative thinking. They are leaders without the limitations of party. In short they are governing with positive leadership qualities. I am sure that these men will emerge as tomorrow's leaders in spite of today's strife and double standard of their party. 

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

I like to watch Fox News here and there when I get the chance not because I am politically aligned with the Fox News philosophy, but I find it entertaining. To me it's entertaining in much the same way as right wing talk radio. These guys are unbelievable. They employ half truths, rumor and out right deception to sway the conversation to their way of thinking. An example, last week a man called into Rush Limbaugh's afternoon radio program. He said that he lost his job last year (2009), he was married with children and made $30,000 in 2009. He also said that he received around $2,300 as a tax refund for 2009. He was amazed at the tax refund. Rush told him that Obama was trying to keep the people poor and he (Obama) was paying the people to do so. Then Rush proceeded to say that he was mad because the man got a refund and Rush didn't. Let me point out the "rest of the story" for his un-honor, Rush Limbaugh. First, a tax refund absolutely is meaningless without looking at the total picture. The man lost his job. While employed tax responsibilities were withheld from his paycheck commensurate with the level of his salary. The man had a wife and children - deductions. All of this including many other factors must be explored to get the real picture of his tax responsibility. Secondly, Rush Limbaugh is putting himself on the financial level of this man? Rush gets a multi-million dollar annual salary. Enough said. Right wing extremists misrepresent the facts on a continual basis. Don't be fooled or misguided. Next, today on Fox News, Neil Cavuto's show, Neil interviewed the president of Georgia. The only comments that Neil made were of a critical, anti-Obama nature. Neil asked why the president of Georgia didn't get a private meeting with President Obama. Neil said that the president of Georgia had experience with loose nuclear material. The president of Georgia was very gracious and said that President Obama was very busy with meetings and the agenda of the day. Neil Cavuto immediately ended the interview and moved on. Was Neil Cavuto showing disrespect for President Obama while interviewing a foreign dignitary? Was Neil Cavuto trying to cast doubt on the actions of an American president, in effect to the security of the American people, while interviewing a foreign dignitary? Despicable behavior. What makes this behavior worse, Neil Cavuto is in a leadership position at Fox News. Unacceptable. 

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Senator and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in June 1968. He died on my high school graduation day. During the sermon at my graduation mass the priest spent some time talking about the death of Bobby Kennedy. I remember vividly the priest telling us in no uncertain terms that we should not be spending our time asking why and hating the then would be and later convicted Sirhan Sirhan. Monsignor instructed us to look deep into our own lives and discover the ways that we show disregard and uncharitable thoughts and/or actions to others. The Monsignor was telling us that the world needs to look personally for the answers to life's catastrophes. The thoughts, words and deeds of all people affect the lives of all human beings. The evildoer should be held accountable for his or her deeds, but the answer to the why is found in each of our own hearts. I feel that this is the only way to understand and recover from any of life's misfortunes. We can't just complain and attack. We must understand and make amends by reforming our own lives. If each person would do this on a personal basis, then the world would be a better place. Even if we know that there will be people who don't do this, who don't amend their lives, we must still do it. Why? Because it's the right thing to do. We are responsible for our behavior including thoughts and deeds, but we also are responsible for making this world a better place for all people. In the end, we will be happier and more satisfied. 

Monday, April 5, 2010

It's Easter Monday and the Catholic abuse controversy continues. The abuse must stop. The predators must be held accountable for their actions. The finger pointing must stop, too. Remember folks the practice of many if not virtually all religious organizations, educational institutions, medical facilities, governmental organizations, business models and many, many other institutions in American and world history have historically dealt with abuse, any kind of abuse, and other non-abuse violations of the law in a confidential, closed, quiet and self-contained manner. Today abuse as well as other illegal activities must be dealt with in an open, legal manner. Give the offense and the accused to the legal system. Let the legal system do it's job. Grow up people. Stop popping off about everything that you are in disagreement. Quite frankly, unless you are involved in the questionable situation, it is none of your business. Too many people from special interest derivatives are getting involved in commentary that does not pertain to them. Mine your own business. Respect the rights of all people, even those who are involved in the illegal or unethical situation. The legal system should be able to handle the job. Take a look at your own lives, re-examine your behavior and make the necessary changes in your own lives to make your world and our world a better place. Make no mistake, abuse, any abuse is wrong and should be dealt with in the legal arena. It should not be dealt with in the arena of special interest. 

Tiger Woods is back. He is scheduled to participate in the Masters later this week. He has scheduled a press conference for this afternoon. Why are so many people interested in the personal life of Tiger Woods? The man's golfing ability should be the object of our interest. Tiger's sexual, family or personal problems are none of our business. To refresh your memory concerning individual behaviors, please reread the above entry for this date. If the personal behavior of Tiger Woods is upsetting to you, then don't have anything to do with his professional life. In short, don't watch the Masters golf tournament, etc. It is so simple.

Friday, April 2, 2010

It's Good Friday 2010. These are the most sacred and important days of the Catholic Church. Actually, in the Christian Church, too. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and most importantly, Easter Sunday are the days in the Catholic Church's calendar where Jesus Christ shows that He is truly God the Son. Easter Sunday substantiates the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church, the Catholic Church. Many other Christian religions do consider Easter the paramount day in their Christian heritage, but fail to recognize and honor the importance of Holy Week including Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. They fail to share in the suffering and death of Jesus as it relates to His Resurrection. The substance of Catholic belief and the manner in which Jesus instructed his disciples to remember Him can be traced to these four sacred days. The Catholic Church recognizes the sacred message of Jesus, the risen Son of God. That message being, to share in the glorious resurrection of the Lord we all must share in the suffering and death of this same Son of God. In other words, our resurrection requires that each of us takes up his or her cross and serves the Lord.  A significant point that is often times ignored by many other Christian Churches. Easter is the basis of our Catholic Christian belief. The how, the where, the what and the when are inconsequential in our belief. The only thing that is important in our belief is that, "He Is". 

The current scandal involving the hierarchy of the Catholic Church is yet another blemish upon it's people. The abuse scandal by priest and other clergy members gives clear indication that the scandal involves the human beings of the Church. People make mistakes. These mistakes are many times mortal as in mortal sin and sacrilegious in nature, but the Church of Jesus Christ, the catholic Church, has never been and never will be marred by these human frailties. The Church founded by Jesus Christ will survive. It has done so since the time of it's inception. From the moment Jesus installed St. Peter, Simon Peter, as the first catholic pope, the Catholic Church has endured many human sins, but has and will always survive. During that installation Jesus told St. Peter,  "... And the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (His Church). The Church will survive. Evil will survive, too. But God will protect His Church and His faithful from the evil, in any form that it may take. 

So what am I saying here? Jesus Christ founded the catholic (universal) church. Followers of Jesus Christ are called Christians. The Catholic Church is the only church that can be traced back to Jesus Christ. From the time of Jesus Christ to the present, many Christian peoples have protested against the original catholic church, broke off and developed their own set of liturgical rituals. I choose to follow the Roman Catholic brand of Christianity. However, I believe that all people, irregardless of specific doctrinal beliefs are in the running for salvation, so to speak. Furthermore, I believe that all people regardless of their religious or nonreligious pathways have the same option of salvation. How is this possible? That's where I'm having the problem. I don't know the how, but I do have the "He Is". In my opinion, the particulars of salvation or eternal life or life after death or whatever one calls it, is not important. God or whoever is the supreme caretaker will have all the answers once we get there. In other words, you'll know it when you see it. No one religion, Christian or not, has the exclusive rights to eternal life. We are all in this together. So, let's stop doing the things that separate us or hurt us. And let's start doing the things that unite us and are beneficial to mankind. It's the way we treat ourselves and one another that is important. 

Thursday, April 1, 2010

April Fools Day!