You Can’t Vote “Yes.”

I watched, or listened to, most of the hearings today. Of course, those of you who know me, know I lean progressive. So I was biased against Kavanaugh from the start.  I’ll admit that. And while I could give you a million reasons why I thought he was disgusting, I won’t. Because I have to admit, my take on him is biased. And some of you would disagree, of course.

The republicans kept blasting the democrats for playing politics. Maybe Feinstein sat on the letter. While she explained it, just for the sake of argument, let’s say they were completely partisan and biased. Even if they were, that’s not the point. Vote them out, or schedule hearings to expose their crookedness. But the hearing today is not about them, it's about the Supreme Court.

And the real point is simple: Will Brett Kavanaugh be a fair and unbiased judge on the Supreme Court? There are three reasons why, if I were a senator, I could not vote “yes.” And I believe these are factual, not my impressions.

1) In his opening remarks, and throughout the hearing, he continually blasted “the left.” Over and over. If he really feels that way, how unbiased will he be the next time a case comes before him where a progressive idea is challenging a conservative one? And if you’re a republican reading this, imagine how you would feel if a SC justice continually blasted “the right.” You would say it’s unfair, and it would be. And so is this.

2) He may or may not have committed the sexual assault. I believe he did, but of course I can’t prove it. But he clearly lied. Many times. Maybe you don't care if we was a cad in high school. But then he should at least admit to that. Just for fun, google “Devils’ Triangle” or “boof.” They don’t mean what he said they mean. His explanation of the FFFFFFFourth of July was simply not believable. And the Renate Alumnius? Do you believe his explanation? I don’t.

3) But it doesn’t matter what I believe. If there WERE an FBI investigation, it wouldn’t have to come down to a “he said/she said.” They could ask his classmates what those terms meant. They could find out what was the significance of the July 1 meeting about “skis.” They could grill Mark Judge to see what he knew. Yet 9 times he refused to encourage the FBI to investigate. If they did, I wonder what they would find. Now, it may be that the FBI would turn up nothing, and he was completely truthful. If that were the case, the vote would be completely different. But until that investigation takes place, and until we find out if he is lying, my vote would have to be “no.”

Because maybe you don’t care about what he did in high school. But if he’s lying, he’s lying NOW. And the Supreme Court is no place for a proven liar.

It Should Have Been Easy

I watched the Putin-Trump press conference today. And as one of the pundits said “A lot of people will remember where they were when they saw this.” Yeah, believe it or not, I will. It somehow seems that important.

Because the big reaction to this press conference came from a couple questions asked by American reporters. They were both very good questions. Really. But each of them really set up a softball for Trump. All he had to do was take it. But he didn’t.

Here’s the first question, from Jeff Mason of Reuters:

QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. President, you tweeted this morning that it's U.S. foolishness, stupidity and the Mueller probe that is responsible for the decline in U.S. relations with Russia. Do you hold Russia at all accountable for anything in particular? And if so, what would you -- what would you consider them -- that they are responsible for?

It should have been easy. All the President had to say was something like “Of course. They are suspected of a lot of really bad things, horrible things, that you’ve all read about. These things are contrary to what Americans value, so this has really hurt our relationship. But still, I think we have to get past that, and look to the future.”

See how easy that was? He didn’t even have to name the things, like: shooting down passenger airliners, killing journalists, jailing political opponents, meddling with our elections. He could have kept it very general, then it could easily have been spun as Trump being tough on Putin. And all would have been fine for him.

But he didn’t do anything like that. What did he say? Here it is:

TRUMP: Yes I do. I hold both countries responsible. I think that the United States has been foolish. I think we've all been foolish.

“Both sides.” Of course…

The other question, from Jonathan Lemir of the AP, was this:

QUESTION: Thank you. A question for each president; President Trump, you first. Just now, President Putin denied having anything to do with the election interference in 2016. Every U.S. intelligence agency has concluded that Russia did. What -- who -- my first question for you, sir, is who do you believe? My second question is would you now, with the whole world watching, tell President Putin, would you denounce what happened in 2016 and would you warn him to never do it again?

Again, it should have been easy. Something like: “Of course I believe my intelligence community. And as I told  him in our meeting, this is unacceptable to the US, and it has to stop--now. There is no place in our relationship for this.”

See how easy it was? He could even have told Putin ahead of time something like “I may have to hit you hard on a few things, just to save face, but I don’t really mean it.”

But he didn’t do that. Here’s his answer.

TRUMP: So let me just say that we have two thoughts. You have groups that are wondering why the FBI never took the server -- haven't they taken the server. Why was the FBI told to leave the office of the Democratic National Committee? I've been wondering that, I've been asking that for months and months and I've been tweeting it out and calling it out on social media. Where is the server? I want to know where is the server and what is the server saying? With that being said, all I can do is ask the question. My people came to me, Dan Coats came to me and some others, they said they think it's Russia. I have President Putin; he just said it's not Russia. I will say this: I don't see any reason why it would be. But I really do want to see the server.

But I have -- I have confidence in both parties. I -- I really believe that this will probably go on for a while, but I don't think it can go on without finding out what happened to the server. What happened to the servers of the Pakistani gentleman that worked on the DNC? Where are those servers? They're missing; where are they? What happened to Hillary Clinton's e-mails? 33,000 e-mails gone -- just gone. I think in Russia they wouldn't be gone so easily. I think it's a disgrace that we can't get Hillary Clinton's 33,000 e-mails. So I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.

Yeah-- asked about Russian meddling, he immediately goes to Hillary’s emails. Yes, he really did that. And said he believes "both sides." He believes Putin as much as his own hand-picked intelligence community. Apparently he believes Putin is more truthful than our own intelligence experts.

You can interpret this however you want. But I’ll be honest. Before today, I kinda figured the idea of kompromat and Russian blackmail of Trump were just conspiracies. Now, I’m not so sure. Because I can’t really conjure up any other reason for our President to act so ass-kissing to a dictator such as Putin.

Believe what you want. But if you aren’t wondering, just a little bit, if Trump is either compromised, stupid, senile, unstable, or all of the above, then maybe Trump really could shoot a guy on 5th Avenue, and I’m pretty sure you’d still be Ok with him.

2033

He fumbled in his pocket, for the umpteenth time, feeling for the switch. He knew it was there of course. Yet he liked the touch of it in his hand-the way it made him feel. Strong. Powerful. For once. After all these years. After all he had been through. He was finally going to change things. What a feeling.

His mind went back. Fifteen years. It seemed like a lifetime, which it was mostly. He had only been 8 at the time. But he could remember. He never forgot. He felt the pain all over again. The journey, the long journey; a way out of the misery they were in. He and his mother and his little sister Mia. It took them months. And it was horrible. They were beaten and robbed many times along the way. Miserable. But his mother just kept telling them “When we get there, we’ll have a good life again. I’ll get a real job, you will go to school, you’ll learn all about the world. And you’ll grow up in a good place. Just wait.”

When they arrived at the border and saw the stars and stripes, his mother cried-they had finally made it. But something went wrong. His mother had said they would seek asylum, that the Americans were good, generous, and rich people, and that they would help them.

But it wasn’t to be. They never even got to ask. They weren’t allowed close to what his mother had called a “port of entry.” A big mean guy in a uniform had kept them away. So they waited. And waited. For days. When they finally made a dash for it, more mean guys in uniforms caught them, and took them away. As the mean guys pulled him away from his mother and Mia, his mother kept yelling “Be strong. I’ll find you.”

But she never did. He was taken to a “detention center” with a bunch of other boys. They were all told they’d see their families soon, but that never happened. Instead he was sent to a foster home. Then another. Then a few more stops. Finally, the Americans sent him back home. Without his family. Where he knew absolutely nobody. He had no idea what had happened to his mother and Mia. Were they living happily in America somewhere? He didn’t believe that. These Americans were not the good generous people his mother had believed in. They had said they wanted to "make America great again.” Apparently that meant they didn’t care about him. Or his family. Or anybody except themselves. Some of his foster parents seemed like nice people. But mostly, Americans were cruel. He didn’t know where his family was, but he knew nothing good had happened. Were they even alive? Probably not.

No matter though. For 15 long years, his whole life had been building to this point. The months in the “detention center,” the trip back to his homeland, the years on the street, the gangs, the drugs. But always, through all that, the hate. The Americans had taken away his mother, and sister. And they would, finally pay for that.

He looked around him. His mother had been right about one thing. The Americans WERE rich. As they went about their lives all around him, they seemed to be completely unaware how good they had it-and how bad others had it. There was a man over there, just reading in the shade, seeming not a care in the world. Off to the right, there was a teenage couple completely absorbed in each other. There was a woman walking her dogs. And over there was a young family- a mother and her son and daughter-just like what his family had once been, except much richer. Everyone seemed so happy.

And he hated every one of them. They all had it so good, and didn’t seem to care about anyone else. They didn’t care what America had done to him. They didn’t care what had happened to his mother. Or Mia. So he hated them. And if he was honest with himself, he hated almost everyone. Except the one man who had understood him, had talked to him like he meant something, who listened to him. And who had given him this vest. He had been assured that he wouldn’t feel a thing, that it would be quick, and it would be over. And many Americans would feel his pain. For once.

This isn’t what he wanted to do. He wanted to find his family again; somehow put his life back together. Live a normal life. But he knew that wasn’t going to happen. He tried to imagine, one last time, what it would be like to live a happy life. But that had been taken away all those years back when they took his mother and sister. His chance for a happy life came to an end that day. And the people around him, so happy and carefree--theirs would end today.

Today. Right now. He felt the switch one last time.

And he squeezed.

Baby Boomers?

Boomers. We were the generation that wanted to change the world. We wouldn’t accept the status quo. We rebelled against “the establishment.” We hated the war--we got political, we protested, some even died trying to stop it. And stop it we did. It took a while, and there were lots of reasons, but we helped.

It wasn’t just the war. We marched for civil rights as well. Guys grew their hair. Girls burned their bras, hippies got high, and the whole generation brought us rock and roll. We had marches, sit-ins, and boycotts. We protested anything we thought needed changing. Hell, in junior high we even boycotted the school cafeteria.

We were the generation that was going to change the world.

And we did. We made the world better. We fought hard and achieved great things.

So why did we stop?

Back then, we were so progressive. Not progressive as in being Democrats, but progressive in that we were trying to change things. Those causes were all things our un-hip parents yelled at us for. Yet now, few boomers identify as progressive. For good or bad, we’ve changed. We’ve become our parents. We’ve become the establishment.

Recently I was reading the comments on a Fox News site, relating to students staging a school walkout to protest gun violence. Boomers are the largest demographic of Fox News viewers, so I can be pretty sure that many of the comments came from boomers.

And the comments? Things like:

• If that were my kid, I’d drag him out by his hair. 
• Bunch of punks. They’re so stupid. They don’t even know the right names of the weapons.
• Go back to school. Study and get a job.
• Lazy, entitled snowflakes, that’s what they are.
• Where are their parents? Why aren’t they disciplining them?
• What? Did they run out of Tide Pods?
• I hope they get suspended.

You get the idea.

These people, many of them boomers, all sounded like “the establishment” in the 60’s. The establishment that  told us Martin Luther King Jr., was just a troublemaker. Or said “Cassius Clay” was a traitor. Or that Watergate was a witch hunt. Or that yes, war was hell, but we really gotta kill those commies. Or even that the Beatles were nothing--and they need to get their hair cut.

I don’t care if you think these students’ ideas are right are wrong. That’s not the point. You don’t have to agree with the protests of these kids to respect that they’re trying to make a difference. After years of boomers complaining that “kids nowadays” only care about their phones, how refreshing it is to see this generation wake up. So disagree with their stances if you want, but celebrate that they are trying to change the world.

That’s more than most of us boomers are doing now.

Social Media, Listen to Your Mom

I really don’t get it. Social media I mean. Why is the goal to just get people mad?

I mean really. Maybe my mom was different. But I know she always told me not to call other people names. Not to say nasty things, and try not to hurt other people’s feelings. And to treat them like I wanted to be treated.

I’m guessing most moms told their kids that. But lots and lots either didn’t hear it, or are just ignoring it.

It’s cool now to call people names. Whether it’s “libtards” or “Cheeto-head” or any of a million others, it doesn’t matter. Even if they do it to you! Mom would say: just don’t do it. And it never gets you anywhere. It just pisses off the people you’re having the discussion with.

Which of course is what they want. (Why, I don’t know.) They want to get other people mad. It’s their whole goal. And they love it, so much so they even convince themselves they’ve done it, when they’re actually not even close. I had what I thought was a discussion the other day on Facebook. The poster put something I didn’t agree with, and I pointed out the factual inaccuracies. (I do that, you know.) To which the poster replied something about “so I see you’re all upset over this.” I’m not sure how calling out lies comes across as upset. But I guess it does when that’s the whole goal.

Really, I don’t understand. Thecla Morgan, if she were still alive, would be pretty mad at me if I behaved like that.

Mom also told me not to lie. She pushed that one real hard. So I try not to. Now I’m not perfect, but I try to only post things that I am pretty sure are factual. Sometimes I get it wrong, and when I do, if you tell me and provide evidence, I’ll thank you for it. Of course I’m talking about facts, not opinions. You may not agree with my opinions or conclusions, but that doesn’t mean either of us are lying.

But when I point out lies to most people, they don’t thank me. And they don’t take the post down either. Normally they just get pissed off at me and call me names. (“Boy, I bet you feel all great and superior now, don’t you”) Or something like that. Stupid me, I figure most people want to tell the truth...

I have a lot of flaws. I know that. But I try to remember what mom said to me.

I don’t have an answer, other than listen to your mom, and do what she told you. And if she wasn’t as fair, honest, and decent as my mom, then you’re living life with a handicap. And I’m genuinely sorry.

Guns Gone Wild

With the recent school shooting, this is THE topic in the news and on social media. And I’ve noticed something about most opinions: they are just that--opinions, based on little or no data, and sometimes, no sense. Most people are discussing solutions, yet they don’t know the cause of the problem. It is clear that America has significantly more gun violence than other similar countries. (Sources here, here, and here.) Agreeing on that is actually the easiest part. What to do about it is, of course, a different story.

A word of warning however-while mass shootings are horrific and news-grabbing, they are only a very small part of the gun violence problem America has. So to find a solution, or even identify the problem, we have to look at the entire gun issue, not just mass shootings.

But before we try a fix, we have to find the cause. Let me explain. And I’m sorry, but this is going to sound a little like a science class! Pretend instead of trying to find a way to minimize gun violence, we are trying to find a way to minimize lung cancer. What we would do, (and what was done, of course) is that we would look at large groups of people who have lung cancer, and those that don’t. And we would try to find what is different between those groups. If I thought that chewing gum caused lung cancer, but we found out that both groups chewed gum in about the same amounts, I would have to eliminate gum chewing as a possible cause. No matter how much I wished one way or the other.

This is what so many people are NOT doing about guns. In the last week or so, I’ve heard all the following as causes for our gun violence problem: mental health issues, video games, drugs, bad parenting, lack of fathers in the home, movies, the media, abortions, phones, lack of discipline in our society, rap music, too many trophies, Facebook, bullying, removing God from our society, MTV, no discipline in school…

Some of these are foolish, but some make a lot of sense. And while many of these may be contributing factors, it’s doubtful that any of them are major causes. Because they all have a serious flaw. All of these issues are also issues in most other similar countries. Countries similar to the US all have mental health issues, video games, etc, yet they don’t have the same degree of gun violence. So while these factors may contribute, they can no more be THE cause of America’s gun violence problem than chewing gum is the cause of lung cancer. No matter how much we wish otherwise. It doesn’t mean we ignore these things; certainly addressing them could help. But it does mean we have to look further at causes.

Instead we have to look for something that is different between America and the other countries, just like we look at what’s different between groups with lung cancer and without lung cancer. While I'm sure there are more, there are three that have been suggested, and that make sense to me:

1. Americans are just different from people from other countries. 
2. We have the second amendment.
3. We have way, way, more guns.

If we’re really going to address our gun violence issues, we have to address these three. Because these are how we ARE different from countries with less gun violence.

But #1 and #2 both contribute to #3. Yes, Americans love guns, so we have more of them. Yes, America has the second amendment, again contributing to the number of guns in the country.

So like it or not, boiled all down, the one thing that makes us different from the rest of the world, comparing us to similar countries, is that simply, we have a lot more guns.

But that’s the easy part. Solutions? Much tougher. I’ll focus on some possibilities next time.

Let’s Not Be Stupid

America’s problems right now are not because of laws we pass. They are not because of health care, gun violence, or even Donald Trump. These, and many more, are symptoms. I will discuss some of those problems soon. But here I’d like to point out some underlying reasons.

1. We, as a public, have given up on critical thinking. We just believe what we want to believe.
2. We have allowed ourselves to put blind, unquestioning faith in certain leaders.
3. We have put party above all else--yes, even above country.
4. Honesty and integrity mean nothing.

       None of this is normal, and none of this is good.

Let me stress #1, since it actually leads to the other three: We have given up on critical thinking; we make and accept arguments that make no logical sense. We take positions that are against all scientific conclusions and reasoning.  We don’t care if we are right. We only care that we win the argument, using any “facts” we want, even if they might be wrong.

And while I say “we” I don’t mean all Americans. But it seems like many, maybe most of us.

For starters, I have a few examples here, all from just the last week. These trouble me. Not because I don’t agree with them. But because they just plain don’t make sense. Notice that these examples affect right-leaning stories. I see things like this on the left as well. But no matter how much I try to say “both sides,” right now it’s much worse on the right. Even the National Review, a very conservative publication concurs. Feel free to disagree. Here they are:

1) The FBI didn’t follow up on the Florida shooter because it was too busy with the Russia inquiry.
The FBI has over 35,000 agents. No intelligent person should believe that they can’t do two investigations at once.

2) We need weapons to protect ourselves from the government.
If the US military came after you, with all their advanced weaponry, do you really think your AR-15 would save you? Think about that honestly. You know you wouldn’t have a chance. Or maybe you think you should be allowed to own any weapon, like a nuclear bomb.

3) David Hogg, the student from Florida talking about gun laws is a not a student, but a paid actor.
When I saw this, I didn’t jump on it. I waited till I heard word from the school superintendent, as well as reporting of articles about this student from his school paper over the last 6 months. Think about this: if he didn’t attend school there, don’t you think the actual school kids would figure that out?

It used to be just conspiracy nuts saying this kind of stuff. No more. I’ve seen these stories and more on Facebook from people who supposedly are “reasonable people.”

These are easily proven wrong. But even when they are, people refuse to believe the proof, calling it “fake news.” They keep believing the story.  Or maybe they don’t believe the story, but they keep repeating it anyway. I’m not sure which is worse. But I know that truth means nothing. And this is destroying us.

It is interesting to note that, a week out, all agree that David Hogg is, indeed, a student. But the credibility of all those who said otherwise hasn’t suffered. Their followers don’t care that they were lied to. They’ll keep believing and spreading their lies.

I remember in the early days of the internet, I (foolishly) thought. “From now on, nobody will be able to lie or spread propaganda. All we have to do is search for the information ourselves.” I assumed that all people wanted to be truthful, wanted to know the truth. I find now, people are more interested in making arguments for their “side.”  This saddens and troubles me. I want truth, not stories that reinforce my opinions. And you should too.

I don’t know how we move forward in truth, if truth doesn’t matter.

My next article will show how this thinking affects one issue particularly.

Previous blog in this series: What Can We Do?

What Can We Do?

For the very first time in my life, I am worried about America. I’ve just seen too many things happen recently. Mass shootings, Russian interference, the ignoring of climate change, the trashing of our environment in the name of “cutting regulations,” heartless executive actions, our increased lack of respect in the world, the breakdown of how congress works (or doesn’t), many many scandals in the White House, the normalization of gas-lighting and lying, and about a million more.

But those things honestly are not what worry me. No, most of those problems are “up there” in Washington, or someplace far away from me. Politicians will always be assholes. But I’ve always had confidence that Americans will recognize the BS and vote them out. But no more. No, I'm surprised by the large number of normal people who either don’t care about those things, or even more amazingly, actively support them. Or maybe don’t even know about them because of the limited one-sided news they consume.

In any crisis, we basically have two choices: try to make a difference and change it (fight), or just accept it, hope for the best, and try to stay sane (chill). Neither one of those choices is the “right” choice. It depends on who you are, and what you have the power to do.

Some complain when athletes or actors talk about their political or social beliefs. But I understand it. Most of us don’t have much of a stage. We’re pretty unknown. But let’s take LeBron or Chuck Norris. They have a stage, and they choose to use it. Not because they hate America. On the contrary, they talk about their beliefs because they love this country and they want to make it better. They could go the other way, of course. Like Tiger or Michael Jordan. Those two both pretty much avoid any kind of political or social statement. Neither way is “right.” But for me, I think I'm more LeBron than Tiger.

So what can we do? As for me, I’m a little old to run for congress, and I don’t think Marcy Kaptur is retiring any time soon. We all can vote, call our congressman… and most of us do those things. 

Or we can choose to put stuff on Facebook--which sometimes I do. That’s the biggest stage I have. But that normally just pisses people off. It rarely helps; many times it actually hurts.

The only thing I can think of, at least for now, is to put my thoughts in writing, in the hope that some people will read them and get to thinking. And to do so in a way that hopefully inspires thought, not anger. Without making fun of people's opinions, or belittling them in any way. I like to think that if I explain something well enough, it will be fodder for some people’s thoughts. Maybe it won't make any difference.  But hey, I can try.

So in the next few weeks, you’ll see things I’ve written. Most are about politics and the country, but there will be some on other topics, such as social media. I hope they’re read by many people, including those who disagree with me, or else really, what's the point? I hope you’ll find them fair, even if you don’t agree with me. I won’t put these writings on Facebook, but I will link to them there. And twitter as well. 

If you find them interesting or helpful, feel free to share them. If I find they’re getting read, I’ll keep it up. If not, well--nothing ventured, nothing lost, and I’ll move on to something else.

Look for them here. I’m old, not dead, and it would be great to make a difference. We’ll see.

They're Not Just Refugees, They're People

With all that's been said and written in the last few days about Trump's EO regarding immigration, the part that upsets me the most is including the Syrian refugees.

Americans did not make these people refugees. No, it was Syria's own troops, backed by Russian leadership, that did that. But we didn't stop it. I don't know if we could have. Or if we should have. Should we have gone in, boots on the ground, and fought? Were there diplomatic remedies that Obama couldn’t, or wouldn’t get done? I don't know.

But I do know this. We let it happen. And whether that was the right or wrong decision, there are still hundreds of thousands of people who no longer have a home. We sometimes forget who these people are. We call them “refugees” because that has its own set of internal images and attitudes associated with it. But these are not just “refugees,” these are people: moms, dads, children, infants, grandparents, and families. These people are not just a burden to be taken care of. Until a year or so ago, these were merchants, teachers, electricians, carpenters, day-care workers, and nurses—just like you and me. They had jobs and families. Their lives had purpose. They are no different fromany of us, except many worship differently, they speak a different language, and their skin is darker.

Imagine if the bombs came where you lived, and destroyed a few square miles around you. If you survived, where would you go? What would you do? How about a tent city? Really? Of course, when you’re desperate, you’ll take whatever it is that allows you and your family to survive. And you would be grateful for that, for a while. But you wouldn’t want tents. You wouldn’t want hand-outs. You would want a place where you can work, have a home, raise your children, send them to school, live a normal life, and generally make a difference.

That’s what these people want. They don’t want handouts. They want a chance. And we are denying them that. Christians, as much or more than others, are denying them.

Matthew 25: “For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.”

How can we turn our back on these people? And be proud of it? Yet many Americans, many Christians, are.

I’m not 100%  sure what to do. But shutting them out, letting them live in tents, or hoping someone else takes them, is not the right choice. It certainly is not the Christian choice.

They're not just refugees. They're people. Let's not forget that.

NBA vs. Federal Government

I remember when I was in seventh grade. Basketball was the first time in our lives where there were “cuts.” If you weren’t good enough, you didn’t make the team. So of course, I didn’t even try. I was horrible. But lots of kids did try out, and some of them made it, but lots didn’t. That was the very first difficult, but probably necessary step, in getting the best athletes on the court. Those dozen kids who made it were "the best." Of our seventh grade class anyway.

When we moved to high school, we now had several classes competing for the team, so a few more  got cut. After high school, only the very very best could play at the college level. Finally, of all the thousands that played in college, only a tiny fraction made the NBA. I don’t know the exact numbers, but I read somewhere that only .03% of high school players make the NBA, so from those original seventh graders? Very few.

It's a clean, simple, obvious, though sometimes painful method, of choosing the best of the best. Only the extremely talented, the very best of the best of the best, make the NBA.

Now let’s turn to government.

Well, it doesn’t work that way. Oddly, when I was a kid, I just assumed that on some level it did. That every senator, for instance, certainly had to be the smartest of the smart, even if he’s not, compared to the other senators. Kinda like the 10th player on the Cavaliers may not seem very good, but he’s way better than almost everyone else on the planet.

But that doesn’t happen. Getting into politics in Washington depends on intelligence, integrity, and many other good qualities. But it depends much more on how well known you are, how much money you have, who your parents are, or just plain luck.

Was Schwarzenegger really the most qualified to be CA governor? Is Trump the LeBron of politics? Or Al Franken: he was famous from Saturday Night Live. But is he the best possible senator of all the people in Minnesota? Probably not, to all those.

But it doesn’t mean they can’t be good. Sometimes it works, and we get someone who is very good. Of those three mentioned above, you probably have positive views of at least one of them. But sometimes, maybe most times, it doesn’t.

I’m not offering a solution. I don’t know a solution. I just know that the way we do it now is unfortunate and unproductive. I have no training in politics at all, but I’m pretty sure I would be a better congressman than some that I see in Washington. (Or maybe I’m just like the pickup gym player who is convinced that he could beat LeBron 1 on 1 if he just had the chance.) Who knows?

It’s an unfortunate way of doing things. But I do know this. If we had a method of picking our politicians anything like we pick our basketball players, this country would be in way better shape.

I’m guessing this is something we can all agree on.

America First

“America First.” I heard President Trump say that in his inaugural address. A couple times. It was meant as a rally cry. Like “red white and blue” or USA! But I couldn’t help think: “I’m not sure I’m crazy about it.”

Honestly, I’ve hesitated to post this. I don’t want to sound like a communist or leftist scum or America hater. Because I’m none of those. (I don't think!) I love my country. Which is why some things happening bother me so much. Yet, the expression bothered me.

Am I alone on this one? Maybe.

But I couldn’t help thinking that it just didn’t seem right, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. So I stewed on it a while longer. And I realized what it is that bothers me.

It seems, well, selfish. Yes, I think we always must look out for America. And we should never put it down, or demean it. Obviously. But America is more than the world’s mightiest super power. I like to think that we are, or at least try to be, its moral compass as well. We help countries that can’t help themselves. We protect those who are helpless. And we give to those that are in need. And in doing all three of those things, we will not necessarily be putting “America First.”

Because almost by definition, acting for the greater good, sometimes means that you will not be helping yourself.

No really moral, and certainly no Christian individual, would ever say, “Me first, always.” I would doubt if any person who said that would be a particularly caring, giving, or even moral individual. Does this same thinking apply to nations, not just individuals?

I don’t know. But that’s where my trouble with that statement resides.

It could be that Trump was just talking in grand trends, and he doesn’t mean he will just forget and give up on those who need us. I hope that’s what he meant. But maybe not. I don’t know.

If I did know for sure, then maybe I would more readily cheer his sentiment.

America First.

A Different Perspective

Hypothetical story:

I can't find a decent job anywhere, no matter how I try. After a long time trying, I finally find a job. But it’s in Toronto. A good job, with decent pay. But I have to move. To Canada.

Will I? I don't want to. I'm a patriotic American. I love this country. I fly the flag all the time. Yet....

I have no choice. I can't feed my family here. So I move to Toronto.

I find a place to live. And now, a year later, I'm pretty happy here. The job is great, the people are wonderful. Life is good.

Am I Canadian? Hell no. I'm an American, and I'm proud of it. I'm not going to become a citizen of Canada. I love America. Always have, and always will. And I fly my American flag every day. Because I'm proud of where I came from.

Yes, Canada has been good to me, but I'll always be an American.

*******************

This hypothetical story makes sense to all us Americans. But just for fun, read it again, with a few changes. I've changed all the "America" references to "Mexico." And all the "Canada" to "America."

*******************

I can't find a decent job anywhere, no matter how I try. After a long time trying, I finally find a job. But it’s in San Antonio. A good job, with decent pay. But I have to move. To America.

Will I? I don't want to. I'm a patriotic Mexican. I love this country. I fly the flag all the time. Yet....

I have no choice. I can't feed my family here. So I move to San Antonio.

I find a place to live. And now, a year later, I'm pretty happy here. The job is great, the people are wonderful. Life is good.

Am I American? Hell no. I'm a Mexican, and I'm proud of it. I'm not going to become a citizen of America. I love Mexico. Always have, and always will. And I fly my Mexican flag every day. Because I'm proud of where I came from.

Yes, America has been good to me, but I'll always be a Mexican.

*******************
Maybe the parallel isn't 100% accurate. But maybe it is. Either way, it's another way to look at it.

You Take Your Chances

Recently, Jeanne and I were driving somewhere. She was driving, I was in the passenger seat. We came to a stop sign where we were supposed to turn right. When we stopped, I didn't hear a turn signal. I didn’t think she was going to turn. So being the ever-helpful husband I am, I said “We turn right here.” The response? “I know!” OK, I thought. (I was just trying to help!)

A few weeks later, we’re at the same stop sign. Same situation. Same no turn signal. Do I say something? Does she remember? Or do I shut up, having learned my lesson from earlier. Well, I shut up. As any husband knows, that’s normally the right choice.

She immediately drives straight through. No right turn. So, again being the ever-helpful husband, I say “You were supposed to turn right back there.” The response? “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Later, I explained my dilemma. If I remind her of something she already knows, I get an “I know.” But if I don’t remind her and she forgets, I get a “Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked her how I’m supposed to know which to do. The answer, in typically female fashion was “You take your chances.”

I could probably cite 50 examples like this, but you get the idea. Men, you ALL understand where I’m coming from. It’s just one of the things we deal with. But to be fair, there’s a lot of things about us that our women deal with as well.

And to be even more fair, there’s a good chance this happens with the gender roles reversed, and I don’t realize it. But I’m writing the blog, so I get to tell the story!

*Final note: Jeanne Morgan approves this message.

It's a Bizarro World

When I was a little kid, I used to read comic books. Like most kids. My favorite was Superman. I mean, how could it not be? He could do anything, he always did what was right, he helped those less fortunate, and never sought credit for it. (A great role model, looking back on it.) But once in a while in the comic books, they talked about "Bizarro World." Bizarro world was just like the earth, except shaped like a cube. And everything was backwards. Bad was good, stupid was smart... You get the idea. The biggest heroes were just like Superman, except instead of saving lives, they killed as many as possible. And were admired for it.

It recently occured to me that we have come to live in a Bizarro world of our own. I've heard this reference lately, but it wasn't until now that I realized how applicable it is.

I recently saw a video of Trump giving a speech at his New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Logo. He was saying his usual stuff, and of course, all the people would cheer. But they saved their loudest and most boisterous cheer for this: "We're going to get rid of Obamacare." The place went wild. Of course, this place was filled with really rich people, most of whom have never had to worry about enough money to go to a doctor. And yes, if Obamacare is repealed, they could conceivably get a decent tax reduction. Not that they need it of course; the rich keep getting richer in this country, and nobody is questioning that.

But what bothered me was this: I can understand objections to Obamacare. And I can even understand why some people think it should be replaced. But just repealed? Cold turkey? It's not clear that's what will happen, but it's clear that a lot of wealthy people WANT it to happen. Just get rid of it, right now. And millions of people will now be without any way to afford even simple health care. You  would think these people would care, just a little bit. Don't they feel bad that some people will get sick and even die because they can't afford to go to the doctor? And if they don't feel bad, why doesn't every other single person in this country think those people are just selfish, cruel, people? Or is this the Bizarro world where it's become cool to love rich people and hate poor people?

In fact, that is exactly what we've become. Remember "It's a Wonderful Life?" Who was the bad guy? Mr. Potter, the greedy banker who wanted to take over the town. The good guys were the poor guys who worked hard, for almost nothing. That is no longer the America I know. In Bizarro America, we would cheer for Mr. Potter, and scorn the low-life working class. In Bizarro America, it has become cool to praise the rich guy. We don't care if he gets paid more in an hour than his workers do in a year. And it's fine that when one of these guys gets fired because he was incompetent that he gets a multi-million dollar bonus. All that's OK. But just wait till some fast food worker who is trying to support his family wants a wage he can live on. Now that's horrible! Really, isn't this Bizarro World? I mean, how is it not?

But what makes this even more sad, it's not just the rich people who feel that way. Just hang around on Facebook sometime when a story comes on about minimum wage. You'll see all kinds of hardworking people slamming these poorer hardworking people. But the rich guys who get zillions? That's all fine.

In today's Bizarro World, we adore and praise the wealthy people. They are the "job creators" and the "backbone of our country" and "the brains we need to run this country." And we despise anyone poorer than us. Treat them as slugs living off the system. They're "welfare queens" or "spoiled brats" who "need to get a real job." Or "lazy scum who just want a free ride." Or something like that.

I remember when we used to have empathy for those who couldn't make ends meet. And we wanted to help them. (Like Jesus told us to, if you need a reminder.) Now, we chastise them. After all, if they had some work ethic, they'd be doing just fine. (sarcasm intended)

Now, I know this is a cyclical thing. Periodically the world gets messed up. We start turning against each other, try to cut off rights for anyone "not like us." And in general, just get selfish. And since it's cyclical, I'm pretty sure this will turn around, and we'll get back to the times when we all work together and watch out for each other.

But I'm not holding my breath.

We Let It Happen

Here is just one picture of Aleppo, taken recently. If you have the stomach for it, stop right now and google “Aleppo.” Better yet, I’ve done it for you. Just click here. Look at just a few of the pictures of that once beautiful city. No really, do it now. I’ll wait for you.

Well, you’re back. This was a city of over 2 million people. Now, a large part of it is rubble. Its people, at least in  a large part of the city, have all been killed or forced out. Estimates of deaths range from 300,000 to half a million people. Kinda like they just killed every person in Cleveland. Or Denver. Or New Orleans.

And we let it happen.

I’m not an expert on foreign affairs. And I don’t know all, or even most of the details of the war in Syria. And I don’t know if I should blame Obama for this or not. But it sure seems like the US should have done more to prevent this. And I’m pretty sure that not helping will be the biggest regret of his presidency. Yes, I know we’re already in two wars, and most Americans don’t have an appetite for a third. So, for whatever reason, we ignored a genocide.

But I do know this. Syrian forces were completely backed by Vladimir Putin. Yes, the same guy that Trump and his buddies now call “friend.” Go and take a look at those pictures again, and tell me if someone responsible for that is one you would call “friend.” And no, this isn’t some left-wing wacko conspiracy theory. Putin IS behind Syria’s forces here, and there’s no question about it.

And I also know this. Many thousands of people were killed, including hundreds of thousands of children, but many also lived. Now, where are they supposed to go? Not here in the USA, apparently. Because according to most people in this country, we don’t want them. Apparently, that would be foolish. We don’t want to deal with them. Because they might take our jobs. Or they might be terrorists. Or something. I’ve even heard people say that “they should just go back where they came from.” Look at those pictures again.

Where are they supposed to go?

But what makes me so infuriated, is that only 18% of Republicans support accepting Syrian refugees. Yet most of these Republicans identify as Christians. Yes, Christians. The same ones who happily talk of “The Good Samaritan.” And swear by Matthew 25: 31-46. The key passage here:

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’  45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’  46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

I’m a Christian, and this confuses me. I know that accepting refugees has a lot of problems associated with it. Where do they live? Will they take my job? Will there be criminals or terrorists? I get it. But I also know the good Samaritan took risks, but he helped anyway. Which was pretty much the point of the story. Do I want refugees living in my house? No. But in my town? Yes, I think we could do that. At least we should. As Christians, I think we’re called to do that.

Still, if it came down to it, would I put my money where my mouth is? I don’t know. Or am I no better than those that I’m criticizing? I honestly don’t know. It’s easy to sit in my warm living room and write an angry blog. When it comes to helping, how will I do?

I don’t know the answer to any of this. But I know that as Americans we have just watched one more piece of genocide go by, while we merrily do our Christmas shopping and speak of Peace on Earth. And worry if Obama is still going to take away our guns. Or if some of our taxes are going for healthcare for some lazy guy who doesn’t want to work. And we really don’t seem to care about the Syrians. After all, they’re not Americans. Most of them are Muslims, so they don’t really matter. (sarcasm intended)

It’s no wonder so much of the world thinks Americans are arrogant and selfish.

Because apparently,  a lot of us are.