running2nowhere

Jobs not Cuts!

2011-10-10T20:19:00.022-04:00

My friends Shane, Matt, Beth and I had the fortune to participate in two peaceful protests downtown today. Move On.org's "Jobs not Cuts" and Occupy South Bend, two organizations with similar wants and goals (ending corporate greed; getting Americans back to work with good wages; returning government to the principles of 'by the people and for the people--not for corporations) both organized to protest downtown, joining forces to make their (ours) voices heard.

Today's turnout seemed rather small, however, Occupy South Bend also had organized downtown on Saturday with reported crowds of approximately 100 citizens.

I went with the thought of representing returning veterans of war. Recent figures estimate 9.1% percent of Americans are unemployed. Those same conservative estimates state that 14 million Americans are unemployed (or underemployed). I doubt any of us have doubts that that figure is much much higher.

U.S. Labor Department figures are of those collecting benefits and does not take into account the other 4.5 million people whose benefits have long been exhausted (and even that is considered a conservative number). Some believe there are nearly 25 million Americans out of work--and one can only guess what those figures are worldwide... remember, America is not the only nation suffering from high unemployment!

While millions of Americans from all segments and age groups are unemployed, one segment often neglected are our returning veterans of the Iraq and Afghan War. As recent as this summer, it was estimated that more than 200,000 veterans are unemployed. The unemployment rate for veterans is 13.3. And for Reservists and Guardsmen, the news is even worse. More than 14% of our "weekend warriors" are having difficulties securing jobs after returning home while defending our nation.

This fact is unconscionable! While we veterans would be appalled to think we are any better--or worse--than the other unfortunate souls unable to find a job, it does seem a slap in the face to come home and be unable to provide for our families.

Another related fact in these hard times is that of the 4.5 million homeless Americans, 14% of those are our veterans of war. Poverty in America has risen to numbers not seen in decades. The poverty level (U.S. Census Bureau figures: September 13, 2011), estimate that poverty rose to 15.1% in 2010, the highest rate since 1993 (and social scientists believe it has risen even more in 2011).

It does not take a rocket scientist to see these the high unemployment rate and homeless rates are tightly interwoven together.

Today at the rally, one of the speakers from Occupy South Bend called Americans to arms. "We do not have a leader (in the movement). Our voice is our leader!" Many of the speakers today spoke of their frustrations of a government that seems to have forgotten who put them in office--and who they represent.

It, to me, is a disgusting fact that our corporations today are sitting on larger monetary stockpiles than in any time in our history yet they are not hiring; they resist paying decent living wages to their employees; increasingly in recent years, jobs were shipped wholesale overseas (I did read yesterday that there are signs that this trend may be reversing--welcome news, if true); and they are contributing more dollars to politicians to represent their demands... yet the last time I heard the Constitution read "we the people," not "we the corporations."

My friend Matt sadly represents the "99." Those people wearing that moniker have long sought jobs. Matt has sent out more than a 1,000 resumes over the past three years to no avail. These people, above most others, definitely have the right to raise the question, "where are our leaders who say they "feel our pain" but do literally nothing to get America back on track-- and their constituents back to work.

I make no apologies for echoing the cries of those who wonder what the GOP are doing. The Republican Party swept the nation in 2010 with the claims they would put America back to work, yet in the 11 months since that dramatic November election, the House of Representatives have not offered one single jobs bill. Instead, they have offered bill after bill that instead wreaks havoc on those who are unemployed (no jobs bills, refusing to extend unemployment benefits, working to repeal the health care package that should, in theory, benefit ALL Americans.

Jobs programs are sorely needed; likewise with educational training programs. Yes, this costs money, but let's face it, if our government (your government) can bail out the banking industry, it can surely find the means to do the same for its citizens. I know of those who decry the bailout for the automotive industry, but it appears those programs saved countless millions of jobs. Can the same be said of the banking bailout (those same business organizations that most believe helped contribute to near catastrophe)?

Realizing that all of these issues are complex (and finding answers just as complicated), it makes little sense for our government to sit back and do nothing to alleviate these dire situations.

Members of both political parties must... MUST set aside their differences and work to put America back to work again!

With the 2012 elections looming in the not-too-distant future, it is definitely time for us voters to make our voice heard and our displeasure known! I have seen signs around town that say "vote for neither party!" I can empathize with that thought, but do not endorse it. I truly believe the Democratic Party has the best interests of our people at heart. I have to ask a familar question, "Mr. Boehner, where are the jobs????"

Make your voice known!

10 years later, let us remember the best of who we are

2011-09-11T12:22:00.021-04:00

Let us not forget.

Let us not forget the tragedy that united us.

Let us not forget those were lost that day.

Let us not forget the bravery of the people who risked their own lives looking for survivors in the rubble of both the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.

Let us not forget those who have died in the war defending this nation since the events of 9/11.

Let us not forget that for a short period of days in the aftermath we were a nation united in shock and in fellowship.

Even then, our Congressional leaders of BOTH parties were able to set aside partisan differences AND we can do so again in these times of hardship!

Let us not forget our blessings.

And most importantly, let us not forget that we Americans are a compassionate, loving people.

Let us remember to be better than we think we can be, even when confronted by hardship and evil acts.

We are Family

2011-06-29T18:54:00.015-04:00

I'm not sure why, but traveling to Chicago's Gay Pride this year was more meaningful to me than I had ever anticipated. I mean, after all, it is just a collection of people riding on parade floats, loud music, people marching, huge crowds cheering--it is pretty much the same thing year after year. Or is it?

Mind you, as I have the past few years, I traveled with a number of good, close friends. Naturally, those of us who live in cloistered South Bend always revel in the "family feel" of the parade. Countless men walking hand-in-hand--women too--without fear of reprisal, something rarely seen here in small town America.

Opening the parade was a float loudly playing what is generally accepted as a premiere gay anthem "We are Family" (by Sister Sledge). It set the tone, as always, for this year's parade.

Family!

The three hour + affair was populated with the usual suspects.... American military veterans of war marched as did members from PFLAG--both groups have always been incredibly popular with the crowds--and the audience, as always, was huge! I've always enjoyed seeing parents marching alongside their gay daughters and sons. I somehow doubt my parents would ever do the same. Still, it was an amazing, heartwarming sight!

Tens of thousands of people (surely, more than 50,000 people where present for the parade)--gay, lesbian, transgendered and straight people alike lined the route on Chicago's Broadway, Addison and Halsted streets. We observers stood, sat, hang from upper floor windows--applauding, cheering, laughing, pointing... living it up for the day!

As always there were plenty of floats with scantily clad men and women; many church groups were there illustrating not all homophobes are Christian--clearly so... many Christians churches and other denominations have embraced the gay community with open arms.

And what gay pride parade would be complete without the ever popular dykes on bykes? Drag queens joined the Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps (ROTC) baton twirlers, the gay square dancers and then, of course, were the countless business floats proudly proclaiming they embrace and support their gay employees.

Local political figures courting the gay and lesbian were out in force... notably, Chicago's mayor Rahm Emmanuel marched in the parade. I believe, he was the first Chicago mayor to walk the parade greeting the crowds. He did it on foot, not separated from his constutuents seated in a car, but he marched on foot... and he obviously was not afraid to be seen there! He shook hands, smiled, and he was there! With us!

So why did this year's parade leave me so verklempt? Honestly, I am not sure, but I can say that the vote legalizing gay marriages in New York state just two days earlier surely played a part f my feelings.

One woman who marched alone carried a sign, proudly and up high, saying "Thank you, New York!" Another carried a sign saying "Illinois is next!" And yet another "Illinois, we're coming next to you!"

I wish I could say the same of my native Indiana, but I know better. Hoosiers may proclaim "Hoosier hospitality," but all too often, that does not include its gay sons and daughters. For us to experience the emotions of this day, we usually are forced to travel to Chicago, New York City or other major metropolitan cities, where inclusion is much more common.

As the four of us watched the parade, we wondered why the parade seemed so out of sync and unevenly spaced out. Not until the next day did I learn that homophobes slashed the tires of many of the floats just prior to the beginning of the day's events. If not for the ingenuity of parade officials, this year's parade might have not happened at all. Last minute efforts heroically rounded up enough tires to keep the floats going! Kudos to them--and to the marchers undaunted by hate... And shame upon those who attempted to douse this year's annual celebration!

Knowing this, even after the fact, made the parade more meaningful this year.

During the parade, I met a lesbian named Beth. She and I talked about our roots (her hometown--13 years ago--was Denver), our jobs (in her job she works youth and veteran programs, getting people ready for college and enlisting them for jobs) and we talked about whether we are "out" in our jobs or not. Beth, 33 years old and I being 53, bo,th agreed today's gay teens are a different animal than from *both* of our generations. Kids amazingly, are coming out today at the age of 10, 11, 12!!! This was unthinkable in earlier times... and I am sure this is scaring the beejeebies out of the Christian right, a notion I find rather amusing and ironic!

And this leads me to what I think moved me the most about this year's parade. Late in the parade there came a point where there were hundreds... literally hundreds.. at least three to four hundred youth marching in unison. It was like a huge disorganized conga line. It was so cool! The sight of all these youth gave me goosebumps (see the video at the end of this post).

I had turned to my friend Matt and Shane and mentioned wishing I had a video camera to capture this sea of moving bodies. Literally, I was in tears as I witnessed this. Hundreds and hundreds of youth who were proudly gay and lesbian--and if not, their straight friends--were marching alongside in support of their friends.

Thinking of that huge undulating mass of teens and twenty-somethings walking proudly in unison, I have goosebumps all over again just reliving that moment.

We truly are... family!

photos by the author

video courtesy of Shane Kellar

New York, New York!

2011-06-24T23:57:00.016-04:00

New York state tonight became the sixth state in our nation granting marriage equality to its gay and lesbian citizens (which includes Iowa, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont... and in our nation's capital, Washington, D.C.). With a vote of 33-29, the New York legislative body said to the rest of the nation "marriage equality is the law of our land." Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to sign the legislature into law on July 25, 2011.

No longer will New York's gay citizens be shunted aside as second class citizens. That said, this bill will not correct the deficiencies on a federal level, but this is a start.

New York is now the largest state with the largest population to pass such legislature without being forced to do so by its courts. Brave leaders took a stand tonight.

With New York, long considered far more conservative than many other states, passed the marriage equality amendment on Friday after much hand-wringing and debate during the course of this past week. Republican leaders agreed to let the bill go to a vote only after guarantees were written into the legislation that would protect religious institutions from lawsuit.

Fine. So be it. Gay activists have long said they have little problem with religious institutions being permitted to practice their faith. This was never a matter of us vs. them. It has long been an argument on fairness, equality and rights guaranteed by our nation's Constitution. It is sad that gay people even have to fight this battle, but the realities have also made this a necessity.

Last night, President Obama was in New York state hosting a fundraiser. The President's spokespersons says the President still favors this issue be resolved state-by-state. This is unacceptable! Since when should citizens ever have the right to sit in judgment of their fellow citizens.. and to decide what rights are to be meted out--and to whom.

President Obama is on record saying gay and lesbian couples should be afforded the same (and equal) rights that heterosexual couples receive by saying the two simple words that conclude a wedding ceremony. "I do." By that very argument, "I do" should be a part of the President's re-election mantra.

Personally, I think the President has a lot of balls to go before gay and lesbian donors and tell them to their face "I support you, but only so far.... and while we're at it, can you give me your money?" Mr. President, you have my marginal support, but unless you are willing to go all the way, my support will remain in question.

Earlier this year, the President instructed the Justice Department to stop enforcing the legislation Defense of Marriage Act--DOMA, to most of us. Not enforcing the law is a wimpy way, passive-aggressive even, in saying you believe the law is unconstitutional. Non enforcement is no answer. The law must be abolished to ensure equality in our 50 states. Non-enforcement says nothing to the states other than "business as usual."

History is awaiting. Six states have said enough is enough. Sadly, my own state leaders (Indiana) are working to amend our state constitution saying "marriage is between a man and a woman." If successful, yet another state (currently 40 states expressly forbid same sex marriage) will step into the lane saying "we condone, nay, demand that discrimination be the land."

Just last week, California's recent constitutional battle took on a new urgency when local courts refused to vacate an earlier decision stating Proposition 8 is unconstitutional because the overseeing judge, Judge Walker is gay. Californians now await further rulings later this year to see if the nation's most populated state will be permitted to discriminate against gay and lesbian couples.

C'mon Mr. President. You have said your opinions about gay marriage "are evolving." To that, I say, "Evolve already!" Put your beliefs into practice... You have said you believe DOMA is unconstitutional. You cannot say one thing and yet be so spineless to not more aggressively put this law where it belongs--in the grave.

In other words, put forth legislation that goes beyond mere words, but in deeds. Leaders who permit such discrimination to continue will find themselves on the wrong side of history. I can honestly say, who wants to be remembered in our nation's history textbooks that way?

Clearly, public sentiment is slowly changing. Just two years ago, an overwhelming majority believed gay marriage should be forbidden, but many recent polls now give the affirmative camp a slight majority. It goes without saying much work remains to be done, and hearts to be won before this issue will be resolved.

Last word: Congratulations, New York leaders. Your brave stance tonight will not be forgotten!

Note: Gov. Cuomo signed the bill shortly before midnight tonight, cementing the legislation, making it the law in the Empire State.

Reckless lips, guns and consequences

2011-01-10T23:20:00.006-05:00

We all knew it had to happen. It was, after all, just a matter or time. Of course I am referring to the tragedy in Tucson over the weekend.

And so we have to ask, is any of this surprising?

When Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford was doing a typical "meet and greet" with her constituents, she was shot by a 22-year old lone gunman (actually, that fact remains a point of question right now). The gunman, Jared Loughner was tackled by bystanders, but not until after 31 shots in all had been fired, leaving six people dead including a nine year old girl who was there because of her interest in politics.

His actions sent a chill down the political scene nationwide.

For every politician who goes out of his or her way to meet their voters in town halls, at shopping centers, their concerns about safety were suddenly brought to the forefront.

The most important question remains why did this happen? I posit that, in part, this tragedy occurred because of the hate-filled airwaves of talk radio and Fox News; because of the rantings of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck and others. And if the vitriolic rantings of media pundits were not bad enough, we have seen some of our politicians, our elected leaders acting no better.

When, during the 2008 presidential campaign, someone yelled out to Sarah Palin "kill him (referring to candidate Obama)!" Did candidate Palin chastise this person? No, of course not. Her inaction only served to fan the flames.

More recently Palin and her aides played the role of advocate for candidates, many from the Tea Party. Her SarahPac organization used one catchy jingo-istic ad campaign calling for candidates and voters alike to "Stand Up, Don't Retreat, Reload!"

Palin and her aides can claim all they want that the "Reload" campaign was not using rifle sights, but we all know better. If it wasn't, why did they hastily remove it from the web? Was she slapped down by the GOP? Hardly.

A Palin aide says the poster was supposed to have been removed after the 2010 election, but due to some oversight it had not been pulled.

Yeah. Right. The ad was pulled only because one of the names on her target list had been targeted.

Let's examine the landscape coming from the far right of recent years . When our political leaders spout outlandish remarks, one has to wonder why no one from the GOP has called them on the carpet. I am increasingly angered by the GOP when the party remain silent enmasse after their own party members use reckless language and campaign tactics that either overtly or covertly advocate violence and intimidation. Where are they?

I'll tell you where... they are sitting with their hands over their ears, their eyes and their mouths... not to mention their hearts.

Of course, Ms. Palin offered her sympathies to the Gifford family. BUT seriously, just stating one's sympathies for the victims is not enough. We all can do that... the difference is, some of us really mean it.

When associates do or say something stupid, slowly backing away, disassociating one's self from the them or the their crowd inconspicuously is not bravery, saying nothing is not bravery. Taking a stand against them is.

When candidate Sharron Angle said if we don't get our way we might have to use "second amendment remedies." Did the GOP chastise her? No.

When Minnesota Rep. Michelle Bachmann said "I want people armed and dangerous over the Obama Health Care plan," was she put down? No. In fact, the GOP recently threw her a bone, naming her as their representative for the House Intelligence Committee (if there was ever an oxymoron, this is it).

When former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee joked about President Obama getting shot, did the GOP chastise him? No.

When Congressman John Boehner said (after the Health Care Reform vote) “Take Rep. Steve Driehaus, for example,” he says. “He may be a dead man. He can’t go home to the west side of Cincinnati. The Catholics will run him out of town.” Was he repudiated by his fellow GOP? No. In fact, he became majority leader. In essence, he was rewarded.

When Texas (naturally) Senator John Cornyn said violence against judges is understandable. Was he slapped down by his fellow GOP? Of course not.

Were any of them? If they were, it certainly was done out of sight with no public admonishments. I've heard the apologists claiming the Democrats were doing the same. Perhaps, but I doubt it.

But...

Show me one Democrat or left leaning politician who has ordered their followers to show up at a political rally packing a gun or baseball bat. Show me one. Show me a liberal who has told his or her constituents that it's time to take to the streets with guns, utilizing our God given right to bear arms. Show me a Democrat who has called out for Americans to run a politician out of town because they disagree with the party line. Show me one. I dare you.

All the people who say we cannot blame the right for these acts of violence seem to forget that when our elected officials make speeches using incendiary language, they are virtually giving permission to the loose cannons in our society to act out as we saw this past weekend.

It's time for the vitriolic remarks to stop.

Together secretly

2010-12-06T13:51:00.002-05:00

I saw this posting and found it moving so here I am sharing it.

Go to:

http://vimeo.com/9849745

Yikes!

2010-11-14T13:44:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone, I'm a bit embarrassed I've been gone so long. Trust me, the past three or four months have been very trying.

In addition to that, writer's block is a real bitch.

Be here again real soon... as I've plenty to say.

Happy Independence Day 2010

2010-07-04T09:30:00.009-04:00

From sea to shining sea...

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T08:03:00.008-04:00

Today I honor my Mother on this day set aside for her and other Mommies! My mom raised six kids (four boys and two girls), sometimes alone, sometimes in less than ideal conditions. She worked two jobs for a number of years to keep us fed and clothed (and we all know being a Mother is a job in and of itself). She worked hard on the job and at home and she still found time to be a great Mother!

In more recent years, her health has declined (she's had two mini-strokes, she has diabetes and suffers from multiple sclerosis) a bit, and yet she remains upbeat, funny and loving. If I know her like I think I do, she is out planting her garden today.

We kids (and the grandkids) all love you, Mom!

Repeal DADT

2010-05-03T00:45:00.017-04:00

I want to share with you the reason I believe it's time we ended "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." While my reasons are personal, they do not affect me alone, but the thousands of servicemembers who have knowingly joined our Armed Forces with the knowledge they could face expulsion for no reason more than being who they are. I risk much by even posting this release, but I do so anyway with trepidation.

I am a Petty Officer First Class of the U.S. Navy Reserve, having served for the past fifteen and a half years. I look proudly upon my service to our nation's Armed Forces. I have served three tours of duty in the Middle East (two in Kuwait and most recently in Afghanistan in 2008-09).

I will tell you that my service to our nation has been one of the greatest joys of my life, but the fact that I must do so closeted wears heavily on me.

When I joined the Navy in 1994, I had not given much thought to serving long-term, but when I hit the ten year mark I realized how much I have riding on my commitment to this nation. When I joined it was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to serve in the world's finest Navy. I joined because Don't Ask Don't Tell gave me the opportunity to do so without lying.

But silence is a lie.

It pains me that to serve I must remain silent about who I really am; and to perpetuate an untruth. Our nation's Navy is based on the foundations of honor, courage and commitment.

Asking Sailors such as myself to remain silent, sometimes to lie, to hide, to divert attention is dishonorable. I look at my fellow Sailors who have the opportunity to share their lives, their family lives, their personal heritage and am joyfully glad to hear their stories, but when presented that same opportunity I find it painful to tell half the story, present tainted facts or just remain silent.

DADT offers half an opportunity for those gays and lesbians like myself to serve, but to remain as second class citizens, second class servicemembers; and second class recipients as protectors. DADT was implemented as compromise, but it also offered those of us to prove we could augment our nation's Armed Forces and do so honorably.

Most recently, we have served in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as serving daily around the world in countless settings, but we have a long storied history of serving our nation dating back even as far as the Revolutionary War.

We have proven the world did not end when we signed up to protect this nation. I think of Sailors such as Allen Schindler, who was murdered by his fellow shipmates because there were no protections for him as a closeted gay Sailor. I think of Sailor Keith Meinhold who served the Navy well for 15 years, but was forced to resign because he is gay. I think of Sailor Jason Knight who was discharged, somehow readmitted and recalled to duty to serve in Kuwait in 2006 and then discharged yet again, yes, because he is gay. I think of a personal friend who I shall let remain nameless who received a dishonorable discharge from the Navy when it was discovered he was gay in the 1970s.

DADT is a lie. DADT is a cruel joke. DADT is dishonorable and must be repealed.

Many of our fellow allies in NATO and other countries such as Israel have long led the way to treat ALL of its servicemembers with the honor and dignity deserving of those willing, and sometimes who have died, to protect their national interests. I am appalled and saddened that our country, who has always prided itself in leading the world in promoting and protecting human rights, has fallen behind our allies. Even worse, with our current policy we virtually stand in the same league as Iraq, Cuba and China.... countries I feel shame that we share this commonality. I am reminded of the old adage. 'Lead. Follow. Get out of the way.'

Some of our leaders such as Senator John McCain obviously do not get it. For our nation to move forward into the 21st century, we must practice our preachings by treating every single citizen with the dignity set aside to us in the Declaration of Independence, where the words 'we hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL Men are created equal.' We cannot have it both ways. We cannot believe these words yet treat a segment of our population as second class citizens. Doing so is a mockery of the words and intent of our founding fathers.

Our nation cannot fairly accept our (and my) service to our nation if we cannot fully enjoy and reap the honor and rewards of serving our country in honor. I look forward to the day that I can proudly retire in four years and do so as an openly gay Sailor.

President Obama has said we cannot waste the talents of a single person willing to serve. The time has come to do more than pay lip service.

Action is needed now.

I respectfully ask your support in repealing DADT immediately.

The Tea Party Pledge (membership is free, leave your brain at the door)

2010-03-22T23:21:00.011-04:00

For all the whiners out there who claim our government is out of control and turning into a socialist regime, then maybe you will agree to read and sign the Tea Party's Pledge.

This is for the doubters who decry the passage of the new health care bill awaiting President Obama's signature (tomorrow). I cannot take credit for the following, but I applaud its absurdities and the points it raises.

Enjoy!

To all Tea Party members, I urge you to take the following pledge before it's too late.

Please pass it on to fellow members:

I do solemnly swear to uphold the principles of a socialism-free society and heretofore pledge my word that I shall strictly adhere to the following:

I will complain about the destruction of 1st Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 1st Amendment Rights.

I will complain about the destruction of my 2nd Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 2nd Amendment rights by legally but brazenly brandishing unconcealed firearms in public.

I will foreswear the time-honored principles of fairness, decency, and respect by screaming unintelligible platitudes regarding tyranny, Nazi-ism, and socialism at public town halls.

Also, I pledge to eliminate all government intervention in my life. I will abstain from the use of and participation in any socialist goods and services including but not limited to the following:

•Social Security
•Medicare/Medicaid
•State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)
•Police, fire, and emergency services
•US Postal Service
•Roads and highways
•Air Travel (regulated by the socialist FAA)
•The US Railway System
•Public Subways and Metro Systems
•Public Bus and Lightrail Systems
•Rest areas on highways
•Sidewalks
•All government-funded local/state projects
•Public water and sewer services (goodbye socialist toilet, shower, dishwasher, kitchen sink, outdoor hose!)
•Public and state universities and colleges
•Public primary and secondary schools
•Sesame Street
Publicly funded anti-drug use education for children
•Public museums
•Libraries
•Public parks and beaches
•State and national parks
•Public zoos
•Unemployment insurance
•Municipal garbage and recycling services
•Treatment at any hospital or clinic that ever received funding from local, state or federal government (pretty much all of them)
•Medical services and medications that were created or derived from any government grant or research funding (again, pretty much all of them)
•Socialist by-products of government investment such as duct tape and velcro (Nazi-NASA inventions)
•Use of the Internets, email, and networked computers, as the DoD's ARPANET was the basis for subsequent computer networking
•Foodstuffs, meats, produce and crops that were grown with, fed with, raised with or that contain inputs from crops grown with government subsidies
•Clothing made from crops (e.g. cotton) that were grown with or that contain inputs from government subsidies

•I will refuse summons for jury duty; he or she is guilty anyway, they were arrested after all, weren't they?
• I will not accept the thousands of dollars in federal benefits that are accorded by an act of government-sanctioned marriage

If a veteran of the government-run socialist U.S. military, I will forego my VA benefits and insist on paying for my own medical care

I will not tour socialist government buildings like the capitol in Washington, D.C.

I pledge to never take myself, my family, or my children on a tour of the following types of socialist locations, including but not limited to:

•Smithsonian Museums such as the Air and Space Museum or Museum of American History
•The socialist Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Monuments
•The government-operated Statue of Liberty
•The Grand Canyon
•The socialist World War II and Vietnam Veterans Memorials
•The government-run socialist-propaganda location known as Arlington National Cemetery
•All other public-funded socialist sites, whether it be in my state or in Washington, D.C., I will urge my member of Congress and Senators to forego their government salary and government-provided health care.

I will oppose and condemn the government-funded and therefore socialist military of the United States of America.

I will boycott the products of socialist defense contractors such as GE, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Humana, FedEx, General Motors, Honeywell, and hundreds of others that are paid by our socialist government to produce goods for our socialist army.

I will protest socialist security departments such as the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, Department of Homeland Security, TSA, Department of Justice and their socialist employees.

Upon reaching eligible retirement age, I will tear up my socialist Social Security checks.

Upon reaching age 65, I will forego Medicare and pay for my own private health insurance until I die.SWORN ON A BIBLE AND SIGNED THIS DAY OF __________ IN THE YEAR ___. _____________ _________________________Signed Printed Name/Town and State

RIP, U.S. Navy Senior Chief Dawn Hunter

2010-03-16T02:40:00.021-04:00

One of my closest friends in the Navy died this past weekend at the age of 37, far too young for someone so vibrant; of ever-positive outlook; so energetic and she, sadly has left behind so many who loved, respected and cherished her friendship, leadership and mentorship.

Ask anyone who knew Dawn and they would tell you she wore a smile brighter than the sunniest day--her warm comfortable smile and infectious laugh made you feel good knowing it was meant just for you.

I met then IT1 Dawn Hunter, like the rest of us when we reported for duty for Navy Customs Battalion PAPA in Norfolk, Va., at NMPS and later I got to know her even better while we were berthed (housing) at that rundown Clarion Hotel as we trained at NAVELSG's training grounds in Williamsburg, Va.

Dawn and I were in the same training team and became instant friends. I remember our first formation with us standing side-by-side. And the rest is, shall we say history. Senior Chief Kat Hotmer and Chief Joe Villa, our senior enlisted leaders, whipped us all into shape preparing us for the unexpected when we would step aboard that plane leading us to those hot sands of Kuwait.

During this period it was then I learned Dawn and I shared a love of running. One day we both decided we should starting a running club. It started with just the two of us, but soon blossomed to seven or eight of us running down the dark streets of Williamsburgh at 0500 .

During our six-mile runs we talked, shared philosophies, talked about our friends, families, pets (Dawn talked of her dogs and I of my cats) and other things that helped strengthen our friendship. Later as we neared the end of our training in Virginia, Dawn and few others arranged a small party in my honor on August 5, 2005. It was my 48th birthday and for me, a milestone as both my Dad and Granddad died at the young age of 47. Dawn knew I was nervous about this birthday and I'll never forget that night of fun and bad Mexican food (and me under a huge sombrero). Master Chief Powers, Chief Hatch, Chief Villa and Senior Chief Shindledecker even sang an acappella 'Happy Birthday to me'... and I owed it all to Dawn!

Dawn was always upbeat, always there for a friend, always caring and someone who could always be counted on for a word of advice. I know this will sound cliche, but she cared for everybody and would do anything to help them out.

When we arrived at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, we didn't see as much of each other. Dawn in HQ Company and me in Alpha, our schedules rarely meshed, still we found time to run on occasion, but more often than not, just to sit around and shoot the bull or share an occasional meal.

As our tour came to end in the spring of 2006, I had made my mind to stay behind with Customs Battalion QUEBEC, so I had to let my friends go back to the United States while I, and 30 others stayed behind to help the next group perform our customs mission. Dawn, again was the voice of encouragement.

Even with my friends from PAPA gone, I remained in touch with Dawn and was pleased to learn when she advanced to Chief Petty Officer. Was I surprised? Absolutely not! Dawn never did anything halfway and when she was pinned I wished I could have been there.

In the intervening five years since we deployed I often received an email from Dawn and with the advent of Facebook we kept even more closely in touch. She sent me emails while I served in Afghanistan in 2008 and I, in turn, kept in touch with her when she once again went Active Duty. I often thought about those lucky Sailors who would benefit from her leadership.

Just two weeks ago Dawn and I chatted online for about an hour. We talked about our new directions, she asked me about my cats and I asked her about training for a marathon whe want to run (naturally) and as we closed our chat, she told me she looked forward to seeing my name on the new Chiefs list this year. Those were our last words, but not my last thoughts of her.

Even with 900 miles between us, Dawn still offered encouragement and advice, offering support and best of all... her friendship. I will treasure that friendship and my memories of her. I know when I do make Chief I will see Dawn in my mind and know that she is looking down on me and the rest of us, her friends and comrades of U.S. Navy Customs Battalion PAPA.

And every time I go out to enjoy a warm sunny day, I will reminisce about Dawn's smile and how it was meant for me and for every other soul she met and helped become a better person. Dawn, you and the rest of the members of Customs Battalion PAPA became a family that year. You were an important part of that 'Navy machine' and most importantly, a part of our lives--we made a difference. What more could someone want out of life?

Now, when I am out running, I will imagine you running there to my left as we did so many times in Virginia, and will think of the friendship we had and I will remember you fondly.

Dawn, I know I speak for all of us PAPAs when saying I respect you, love you and will miss you forever!

Senior Chief Kimberly Dawn Hunter, U.S. Navy Reserve, February 23, 1973 - March 13, 2010, RIP

U.S. Navy photos by MC1 Greg Devereaux

Civilian photos courtesy of Dawn Hunter's family and friends

Asshat of the Week: Texas Follies, Part I

2010-03-15T23:35:00.009-04:00

Former Congressman Tom Delay (R-TX) commented this weekend on CNN that millions of Americans are unemployed because they want to be.

When asked about Republican Congressman Jim Bunning's (R-KY) recent attempt at blocking an extension on unemployment benefits for millions of Americans, Delay commented that if the situation were different Bunning would have been applauded as a fiscal hero.

"You know," Delay said, "there is an argument to be made that these extensions, the unemployment benefits keeps people from going and finding jobs. In fact there are some studies that have been done that show people stay on unemployment compensation and they don't look for a job until two or three weeks before they know the benefits are going to run out."

CNN's State of the Union host Candy Crowley pushed for clarification:

"People are unemployed because they want to be?" Crowley asked.

"Well, it is the truth. and people in the real world know it. And they have friends and they know it," Delay said. "Sure, we ought to be helping people that are unemployed find a job, but we also have budget considerations that are incredibly important, especially now that Obama is spending monies that we don't have."

Mr. Delay, after being unemployed for nearly a year I can tell you I am ready and willing to work. I certainly don't have the luxury of working with all the lobbyist contacts you maintained while you ill-served our nation.

Seriously Mr. Delay, people are unemployed because our economy has tanked to levels not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930 and 40s. In case the former congressman has not noticed, business expenditures are down, hirings are down, unemployment numbers are high (though nowhere near as bad as when President Obama took office) sales are down and business failures are up. Recent figures state that 1 in 6 Americans are currently looking for work.

There really must be something in the Texas water supply that reduces their politicians to babbling idiots.

Hey Mr. Delay, I hear Faux News is looking for commentators to stand alongside Bill O' Reilly, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and Sean Hannity, maybe you should join them.

Texas Textbook Chainsaw Massacre: Texas Follies, Part II

2010-03-15T22:20:00.023-04:00

Texas has done it again! Over the weekend the Texas Board of Education unveiled its new U.S. History curriculum. Amazingly, this new curriculum virtually ignores the contributions of ... are you ready for this... Thomas Jefferson!

Yes, the third President of the United States! And yes, the same Thomas Jefferson, the principal architect of the Declaration of Independence and one of the framers of our Constitution, one of the greatest documents ever crafted!

The board has replaced Jefferson with religious right darling John Calvin, who had absolutely nothing to do with American independence, but with theological reformation in the 16th century.

The new curriculum also downplays the Constitution's amendments detailing the separation of church and state by not requiring students to learn the Constitution bars the government from favoring one religion over another... or that religion is barred from interacting with our government.

Gone are scientists Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein, both who made great strides in science. Gone (or diminished) are civil rights leaders' place in American history. In their place, emphasis has been afforded to right wing organizations such as the National Rifle Association and Phyllis Schlafly. Even Sen. Joseph McCarthy, who has long been demonized (and rightfully so) for his draconian actions in the 1950s, has now been written in a more favorable light.

Clearly the culture war has heated up with conservative leaders working feverishly to present a purely conservative point of view to our children. In other words, the good ole white boys club is back in town.

It has been a rough year on Texas citizens. Last year, their governor suggested the state should secede from the Union in disagreement with some of President Obama's policies. Last weekend former congressman Tom Delay suggested that this nation's unemployed are out of work by choice. Now, add to to this debacle the radical change in education curriculum and some Texans fear they will become this nation's laughing stock, but I find nothing humorous about any of this.

If this news was not bad enough, it is made even worse with the fact that Texas is the second largest buyer of high school textbooks in the country. For decades, Texas has held school textbook publishers hostage to what is and is not to be included in our children's textbooks.

What Texas demands of publishers, will eventually end up in textbooks slated for purchase in the other 49 states of the union. For conservative right-wing leaders to impose their backward small-minded values on an entire nation smacks of arrogance and deception.

Here, in my opinion, are the real reasons why members of the Texas Board of Education have worked tirelessly to remove Thomas Jefferson from the curriculum:

"Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity." -Thomas Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1782

"Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law." -Thomas Jefferson, letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, February 10, 1814...

"In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own." -Thomas Jefferson, letter to Horatio G. Spafford, March 17, 1814

"Priests dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of daylight and scowl on the fatal harbinger announcing the subversions of the duperies on which they live. -Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Correa de Serra, April 11, 1820

"Man once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the sport of every wind." -Thomas Jefferson to James Smith, 1822.

"Law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual." --Thomas Jefferson to Isaac H. Tiffany, 1819.

"Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government." --Thomas Jefferson to Richard Price, 1789.

"Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." - Thomas Jefferson

"Religions are all alike - founded upon fables and mythologies." - Thomas Jefferson

"The clergy, by getting themselves established by law, and ingrafted into the machine of government, have been a very formidable engine against the civil and religious rights of man." --Thomas Jefferson to Jeremiah Moor, 1800.

"Religion is a subject on which I have ever been most scrupulously reserved. I have considered it as a matter between every man and his Maker, in which no other, and far less the public, had a right to intermeddle." --Thomas Jefferson to Richard Rush, 1813.

Clearly, uber-conservative religious leaders, in their minds, have reason to deny Jefferson his seat in this nation's history. Jefferson was a free-thinker who questioned everything, INCLUDING religion. Religious zealots cannot stand the fact that he and many other of our forefathers were deeply suspicious of religion's role in our society-- and especially our government. And clearly it is no coincidence the conservative leaders of the TBOE have removed Jefferson when considering his writings about religion.

Mind you, if right wing conservative leaders have their way, these are surely the first steps of implementing more wholesale changes in our nation's textbooks. Is it so hard to believe that creationism is not the next element they wish to foist on our public schools? Will evolution be the next target for removal?

I have no problem with people having faith in their religion and God, but I do when religious kooks are not content until they force every single person to believe as they do. Anyone who knows me knows I believe in God, just not his (or her) followers-- nor most of organized religion.

The culture war is not going away any time soon. For those who yearn for more enlightened, more intellectual education, one firmly entrenched in science, research and constant review, this is not the time for complacency. For historians, the old adage of 'history textbooks are written by the victors' surely must be alarmed and suspicious of the turn of events of this past weekend.

Again, complacency is the educators worst enemy.

Keepin' the faith... separate!

2010-02-15T22:20:00.034-05:00

If you spend any time on any of the social networks such as Facebook, you've surely seen sites where friends try to enlist you in one cause or another... try this one on for size.

"Allow God in School..." The site proclaims to spout 1,633,659 members. Impressive, huh?

Not by a long shot. Not unless you want to equate numbers with might--might makes right--which smacks of bullying to me. So I ask this question: If faced with the question, do I (or do you?) want your public schools teaching your children religion? My answer is quick, easy, simple and direct!

Nope.

Go to church instead; pray in your own homes where your faith is a private matter between you and your creator, but do not inflict it on myself or students who may not share your beliefs.

On the Facebook site, two of my former high school students agreed in the affirmative, thinking our schools need God. For people arguing that school prayer is desirable, my initial response would be, there is prayer everyday in school as is. Just ask students if they pray before taking a test.

All kidding aside, if I were still teaching and my school administrators had instructed me to involve religion in my classroom, honestly I would find myself with a very easy choice. I quit. You see, I object to the notion that a meticulous pursuit of faith equates morality; we've all seen plenty of examples that illustrate just the opposite.

Our founding fathers wrote Separation of Church and State clauses into this nation's Constitution for a reason.

After telling one of the students this, she said that 'your [sic] allowed to have your thoughts......as for my children they will grow up with God.'

Of course they would--and for many that would be a good thing, but children would have the right to pursue this whether it happens in school or not--after all, it is my contention that in all matters of religious faith are best left to parents--and the child.

As is, parents already complain they don't want schools teaching their children about sex; about starting and raising their own families; about sexuality; so why add another element that has not one little thing to do with learning how to read, write, add / subtract / multiply, learn business, etc?

To further my argument, if you go into any Catholic Church, an Episcopalian church, a Baptist church, a Methodist church, a Lutheran church, a Jewish temple or a Islamic mosque and you are going to find a different explanation of their faith in each of these churches. I would venture even further that no two ministers of even the same faith are going to preach the word of God in the same fashion, conviction or belief.

Teachers today already are counselors, coaches, babysitters (sadly all too often this is true), sometimes a friend, sometimes grief counselor, sometimes mediator, sometimes administrator, and to add more on to their job title is just not practical, desired or possible. Are you asking a school take the time to explain the faith of each church to every child?

Furthermore, churches themselves don't even agree on what story of God is correct, so why expect schools to insert their own stamp? Next, for those who have worked tirelessly to secure a moment for daily school-led prayer, are the rest of us to seriously believe that you would stop there? Next, creationism will be taught; next, biology and physical science classes will be compromised; next, health classes will be compromised; and next, English classes will include the Bible as a textbook.

I offer this warning: If this door is opened, every single faith will be wanting their say. Do you want a school teaching things in matters of religion you do not agree with? I know those same people who feel school prayer is a good thing would be horrified if their child would be forced to sit through a Muslim prayer... and there are some really kooky churches out there that who will also be standing in line for their turn at your child's young mind.

Teachers are not preachers, they are not theologians, nor are they Bible thumpers... or least they'd best not be. Personally, faith is not something you can teach anyway; it is something you feel.

I do not mean to sound antagonistic towards those people of faith. As I read of more and more religious folks lashing out in anger saying their rights are being trampled on, I wonder where we have gone so wrong to feel that we have the right to demand 'my' time, 'my' faith,' my beliefs are more important, more correct and they trump yours or mine.

The cynic in me would respond by saying, 'oh boo hoo hoo hoo, you poor dears.' When did we become such a nation of cry babies?

Simply, these folks fail to see the irony of their cries... that if given their way, if they examined their desires so intently they would find themselves guilty of the same actions as those decried as sinners and heathens. The best, and most measured response is 'grow up, suck it up, and permit each of us to lead our lives the way we choose. I would have to say to those of religious faith, no one is denying you your right to practice faith, but do so in a manner that does not inflict, insult and demean all involved.

My student continued by saying, "I believe that children should be able to be who they are in school and that includes religion."

I have seen no evidence schools are denying children their right to self-actualization. No school is telling a child they cannot follow their faith. What the arguer really wants is to hand over all control to God instead of thinking for one's self (whether they want to admit it or not). I could paraphrase a recent speaker's chant of 'how's that hopey, changey thing working out for you?' No. Give me some tangible proof, give me something concrete that shows how schools are harming children by not bringing church to the educational table (or desk); or how schools will be improved by this intrusion.

Point is, as is, there is not enough time in the school day to teach what we need to teach.. and with the world's expanding base of new science, new literature, new history, new math concepts, new computer technology, all the things one needs to succeed in life... And if this still does not satisfy the most ardent of religious faith, my best answer would be, please, send your child to a private religious school where your child can pray to his or her heart's content.

Perhaps one answer to this 'dilemma' can easily be solved thusly. When churches are no longer tax-exempt; when churches are required to pay property taxes that contribute to public school funding; and when churches pay for teachers to study theology, then perhaps I (but not likely) would agree it is time for church involvement in our children's every waking moment.

Until then, I can honestly say there is not time enough or reason enough to teach religion, which is why I said that teaching faith is a job best left to parents and their churches.

Is this what President Obama was saying?

2010-02-04T14:58:00.011-05:00

Is this what President Obama was referring to in his State of the Union address last week (click on the photo)?

All kidding aside, the Supreme Court's recent ruling to overturn campaign finance legislation was certainly disturbing. I don't know about you, but I find it extremely troubling that this ruling could, and most likely will, open the floodgates for corporate sponsorship of our elected leaders. Can you say, 'let's make a deal (minus TV game show host Monty Hall)?'

I know the Justices said that campaign legislation limits free speech, but I don't buy it (pardon the pun). I do not equate money with free speech, although it seems apparent to me that the Justices have bought into the old maxim 'money talks.'

I've not spent a lot of time pondering over this issue. There has to be a common sense answer, but sadly I am reminded of Cyndi Lauper's song 'money changes everything.'

Personally, I favor some kind of state funded elections (with restrictions). In effect--and theoretically, this would enable anyone who wishes to run for office instead of just those who have access to big bucks. Seriously, who would you entrust more with your concerns, an "average Joe" with every day roots or some big fat cat who is beholding to corporations and big spending billionaires who donate money to protect their interests over those of we, the people?

Yeah, that's what I thought too.

Men of the Week

2010-02-03T12:24:00.052-05:00

"I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.

For me personally, it comes down to integrity — theirs as individuals and ours as an institution. I have served with homosexuals since 1968. Putting individuals in a position that every single day they wonder whether today’s going to be the day, and devaluing them in that regard, just is inconsistent with us as an institution.”

--Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, USN

"I fully support the president's decision. The question before us is not whether the military prepares to make this change, but how we best prepare for it. We have received our orders from the commander in chief and we are moving out accordingly."

--Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense

Both men sat before the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday explaining a proposed change of military code that would put an end to the notorious policy commonly known as 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' Both explained the rationale of abolishing a policy that President Obama has deemed irrational and prejudicial--and one not befitting of our Armed Forces.

Each explained as a matter of conscience the cost this policy has inflicted upon the military, both morally and politically--as well as the implications of undermining the military's longstanding commitment to integrity. Their testimony before the senate committee signals an end of the nearly 17-year old ban on gays and lesbians from openly serving their country in the world's finest military force.

In contrast to the two leading U.S. military leaders, the following comments clearly illustrate the hypocrisy put forth by some senate leaders. Yesterday, U.S. Senator John McCain voiced his opposition to changing the policy.

"I want to make one thing perfectly clear upfront: I am enormously proud of, and thankful for, every American who chooses to put on the uniform of our nation and serve at this time of war. I want to encourage more of our fellow citizens to serve, and to open up opportunities to do so. Many gay and lesbian Americans are serving admirably in our armed forces – even giving their lives so that we and others can know the blessings of peace. I honor their sacrifice, and I honor them."

You honor them??? Forgive me, Senator, if I don't believe a word of your careully crafted speech. You say in one breath you honor gay and lesbian servicemembers, and in the next you say they can stay with the condition that they behave and keep their dirty little secret to themselves. In effect, you want them to become liars. Where are the sensibilities in this?

Sir, you are a former Navy officer. The Navy's core values of "honor, courage, commitment" are instilled to every Sailor from the day they step foot at Naval Station Great Lakes for boot camp. Expecting a man or woman to lie is anything BUT honorable!

The statement you read at yesterday's senate committee meeting smacks of hypocrisy of the highest degree. In my opinion, your very words bring shame on yourself, your state and your service to this nation--and to the Navy we both love.

One cannot serve in honor when encouraged--nay--demanded to perpetuate a lie about an integral part of one's very being. It is dishonorable to set Sailors (and servicemembers of the other branches of service) up for failure over a private matter that has nothing to do with defending one's homeland and fellow citizens.

Senator, you said, "Has this policy been ideal? No, it has not. But it has been effective."

Sir, respectfully, effective at what? Has it improved readiness? Prove it! Has it improved unit cohesion and morale? Again, give us Americans proof. Don't give us platitudes, don't give us speeches that veil your prejudice. Tell us why discharging 13,000 patriotic Americans was an honorable thing to do, and why it was the right thing to do for this man's Armed Forces?

Look at the stories of other nations who have abolished this ban. Are the armed forces of Britain, Canada or Israel any less effective because they they permit gays and lesbians to openly serve in their nations' armed forces?

Sir, what do you know that 20 nations of the 26 who participate in NATO do not? AND as a nation that prides itself on treating all of its citizens equally, do we want to be lumped in the same category as Iran, Russia, China, Venzueala and countless other countries well known for civil and human rights violations?

Senator, where were you the day 'honor, courage, commitment' was taught at the U.S. Navy Academy? Your words, especially in light of previous comments you have made regarding DADT (see below), merely add credence to President Obama's claim that the Republican Party has become the party of 'just say no!' You are an affront to everything I believe about serving in my beloved U.S. Navy.

Hypocrite of the week

"The day that the leadership of the military comes to me and says, 'Senator, we ought to change the policy,' then I think we ought to consider seriously changing it."

--Senator John McCain, to an audience of Iowa State University students in 2006.

Charity starts at home; so, apparently, does anger

2010-01-25T23:01:00.014-05:00

If you are a Facebook user you probably saw this one floating about this past weekend:

"Shame on you America: the only country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed without eating, elderly going without needed meds, and mentally ill without treatment - yet we have a benefit for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations. 99% of people won't have the guts to copy and repost this."

Sadly, I saw at least five people pass this along for others to read. Needless to say, I am troubled not so much by the sentiments, but the venomous hintings that the Haitian are undeserving of our aid. Oddly, I agree with some of the points the posting raised.

Most troubling to me were some of the ensuing comments by various readers. I read some comments that were downright hateful and racist--and angry. It shames me to think so many fellow citizens can be so hardened to the plight of those unfortunate.

I was so upset by the original post that I fashioned my own retort:

"Shame on some Americans for decrying we help a people (the Haitians) befallen by a horrible tragedy! And yeah, shame on us that we don't set enough time, money and energy aside to help our own. AND shame on us that we have more than 18 million people out of work, looking for jobs while our politicians and people devote not enough time and energy worrying whether all Americans are treated equally with health care, equal marriage laws and that we complain when someone talks about spending money for research to better our world's environment. Yeah, shame on us self-centered Americans who can see no further than our own wallets."

I was heartened to read more positive letters coming in afterwards. I'd like to think that the current economic conditions are the root cause of some of the hateful words I read, but I still ponder the source of all this anger and resentment.

I also wonder if Americans realize that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that Haiti--yes Haiti, one of the poorest nations on this Earth, offered financial aid to our disaster survivors in 2005. In the end, our nation did not accept the Haitian government's kind offer, but it is the thought that counts. In kind, how can anyone begrudge our people's act of kindness and generosity in light of this horrendous disaster that has, so far, claimed more than 150,000 lives?

In recent years while reading various blogs and comments on online news stories, I have come to a disturbing conclusion about a great number of our citizens.

We are an angry people.

Angry at just about everything, and everyone and maybe at life itself. But I ask why?

It doesn't take a genius to see this, especially after watching some of the town hall meetings last summer. It strikes me ironic the people who criticized our people for providing aid to the victims of Haiti are also saying we need to do more for our own people. To me, these are the same people who think our government is destroying our nation by sticking its nose into every avenue of our day-to-day lives.

Many of these same people who shouted down voices of dissent at the town hall meetings, it seems to me, are the by-product of Reagan doctrines who shut down medical facilities for the mentally challenged; shut down countless programs providing shelter and aid to the indigent. Those same people said these are best issues left to local government, not federal concerns.

Where were these people's concern back then? People took heart when they assumed their federal tax burden would be alleviated.

The problem, in my opinion, was their logic was misguided.

Sure, the federal government can cut its costs by cutting programs left and right. It can pass off these concerns to state and local governments. And yes, perhaps local entities can better address these issues. BUT there is a trade off. The feds can cut their costs by curtailing its services, but in reality they are passing along those same expenses to local governments.

In essence, one hand dropped its load while the other has taken on the additional weight. The costs remain the same, only the provider has changed.

We have become a nation used to its government entitlements, at least in part: Social Security, Food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, Home Start, pre-and post school programs, public schools, the interstate and state highway networks, local and federal police forces, and a myriad of other state and federal programs, all designed as a convenience or as a security net in time of need. The list is endless and the costs are vast. AND none of them are free.

These programs are based on moral tenets that we provide aid to those in need.

For those who ask why so many of our people not tended to properly, ask yourself this: Where were you last week when Massachusetts held its special election to fill the late late Ted Kennedy's seat? Why weren't you attending the town hall meetings asking our leaders why aren't they doing more to guarantee health care for ALL of our citizens, no matter what? Do you write your congressmen and women asking they support programs to better serve our people?

Worse still, I have--and I am sure you have too--heard people blame the victims for their plight. Just this past summer after our local CBS affiliate ran a story about the attempted break-in to my home one early August evening; after the story had aired, I read a number of online comments blaming me for the incident.

Point is, we are so busy being angry at God-knows-what, that we spend a great deal of time and energy looking for reasons to lay blame rather than solving the root cause of our problems. I am reminded of the old maxim that is takes but seven muscles to smile, and more than 20 to frown.

Michael Moore, controversial filmmaker, once raised the question (in his documentary Bowling for Columbine) "why are we so afraid?"

I put to each of us to the question, "Why are we so angry?"

They said what???

2010-01-15T17:42:00.033-05:00

What do Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson and the staff of the University of Notre Dame's newspaper The Observer all have in common? No, this isn't a joke as I do not like to mention 'Notre Dame' in the same breath as these two men. All three have found themselves in a bit of hot water this week when they acted without thinking first.

First off, let me make no bones about it. I despise political and religious intolerance, and I have a very deep disdain for both Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh. I find them both to be pompous, hypocritical windbags.

Both are guilty of regularly inserting their foot in their mouth(s). And for Notre Dame, I expected better than what happened there earlier in the week.

In ranking of particular importance, I task both Limbaugh and Robertson, as I think they all too often speak without considering the implication of their words.

In case you missed it, Pat Robertson earlier this week practically said that the disaster in Haiti was invited upon its people after they had made a pact with the devil when they threw the French government out (many, many decades ago).

Now mind you, it's hard to take Pat Robertson's (I hate to even call him a reverend) rants seriously. He has, for years, made cryptic Biblical threats when he has seen actions for which he doesn't agree. I mean, don't you know, Hurricane Katrina visited New Orleans because of the actions of homosexuals residing there; likewise when he said meteors would flatten Orlando, Florida, for similar reasons. He even indicated that the acts of 9/11 were the results of this nation's collective sins (funny, Osama Bin Laden would agree with the right reverend over this issue).

Robertson has been making these ridiculous rants for decades and it must make for great ratings for his '700 Club' when he goes into one of these religious stupors, otherwise why would he do it? You don't really suppose God visits upon Robertson's altar to whisper in his ear about what he (or she) is displeased about this week, do you? And no one else?

C'mon. Religious leaders like Robertson truly test my patience. Seriously, I believe in God... it's just some of God's messed up religious leaders (dare I say kooks?) and institutions in which I have little or no faith.

Next.

Radio commentator (and unofficial) rank-in-faith leader of the Republican Party, Rush Limbaugh is off his rocker yet again. This week, in the aftermath, of the Haitian disaster said on his program that President Obama is using the disaster to hone and bolster his political image.

I was not aware that offering humanitarian aid was a political tool--I always, and maybe stupidly, thought it was the Christian and moral thing to do. Would Mr. Limbaugh prefer we stand by as thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people suffer and die by our inactions?

If by Limbaugh's definition that our President is acting out of political gain, then President George W. Bush was guilty of this as well when offering humanitarian aid when the tsunamis struck Indian Ocean countries in 2004... or when President Bush offered humanitarian aid when Katrina struck New Orleans... oh wait, we all know how well the Bush administration reacted to that disaster.

Maybe President Bush believed Pat Robertson's claims and decided NOLA wasn't worth the effort?

Both of these two men have refused to apologize for their comments. Robertson said he was quoted out of context--and to be fair, Robertson did offer prayers to the Haitian citizens.

Mr. Limbaugh says he stands behind his words. Both... both so-called righteous men are morons as far as I am concerned.

Do Republicans really need a leader, even if they won't admit that is what role Limbaugh plays, like this loud-mouthed hypocritical radio show host? Limbaugh would be quick to say that he is not a politician, but a commentator and an entertainer.

I would also offer that he is none of the above.

AND then there is The Observer. Normally, I have the utmost respect for the University of Notre Dame's daily newspaper. After working at the university for eight years, I feel I have some insights about the school.

To read of the following incident hurts me; I love Notre Dame. I always have. My son is a 1999 ND graduate, and for those who feel the school is far too conservative, I would offer that that is not necessarily the case and that the student body and its faculty have done great things in its long storied history.

But with the January 13, 2010, issue I must take a sad exception. The staff must have taken a collective leave of absence on Wednesday when they published a cartoon strip that asked the following.

"How do you turn a fruit into a vegetable?" The answer, according to the strip, was "a baseball bat!"

What??? This thinly veiled and patently unfunny comic was, unfortunately, referring to gays. I am simply shocked beyond words--AND for many reasons beyond the obvious.

I worked at Notre Dame Law School Library in 1998 when University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard was beaten and tortured and left to die by two local criminals. University of Notre Dame students, like many other universities stood united in fellowship and voiced their opposition together against hate and bigotry. I stood with hundreds of ND students and faculty members at a candlelit vigil that was moving beyond words. Prayers were offered for Shepard's recovery, and sadly in this case those prayers went unanswered.

Shepard's death shook our students and many of us adults too--and citizens around the world. Many activists have tirelessly worked since to ensure that his death would not be in vain (made all the more obvious by the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009).

But the publication of this strip has unquestionably done much to undo the goodwill fostered on this campus.

Worse still--and much more troubling, the comic strip original Q & A was as follows. "How do you turn a fruit into a vegetable?" This time, the far more offensive punchline, answered by saying, "AIDS." Real funny, huh?

Have we not gotten beyond this sort of stupidity, this kind of bigotry? Obviously not.

This incident begs many questions, what were these young people, these bright, young journalists thinking? How could they have permitted such a pointed cartoon to go to press? What of the artist's character of this strip? Where was the newspaper's faculty adviser who permitted this comic strip to be included? And what does this say about the university itself?

Sadly, to some degree the Golden Dome is a bit tarnished in my eyes today.

BUT on the positive side of this episode, and to the newspaper's credit, the editor and staff ran a detailed apology in today's edition. Unlike the elder Robertson and Limbaugh, the staff of the Observer realized its error and quickly took measures to rectify their mistake. They did the right thing, but this staff certainly took a hit on the stage of journalistic moral integrity.

Lastly, will Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh follow suit? Don't hold your breath. Stupidity is alive and well on America's television and radio airwaves!

photo of the University of Notre Dame administration building is by the author.

Happy New Year -- 2010

2010-01-01T17:35:00.003-05:00

2009, thank God, is over.. history... fini, kaput... bye bye!

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T21:55:00.020-05:00

Last year at this time I celebrated Christmas with my colleagues in the CSTC-A's public affairs shop in Kabul, Afghanistan. While it was a charming, restful day (something very rare) for us as we shared the holiday with my friends at Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan, it still felt a bit vacant without my son, family and close friends.

Yesterday and today being home with those who mean the most to me meant a great deal to me, but I am ever mindful of our servicemen and women serving overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq and in countless other countries.

Please keep each of them, as well as the many peoples of other countries, in your thoughts, prayers and actions (yeah, I mean charity for those less fortunate than us).

Merry Christmas everyone. Here is hoping that 2010 is a great year!

(The photo is from the December 24, 2008, Christmas Eve services at Camp Eggers, Kabul, Afghanistan. photo by the author)

Lead, follow... get out of the way!

2009-12-08T22:19:00.011-05:00

This country, one of the world's leading contributors in pumping carbon dioxide and other pollutants into our atmosphere, needs to get its act together (bet you thought I was going to say something a bit more urbane, didn't you?) and lead the rest of the world in saving our world from utter destruction!

We talk and talk and talk, then talk some more about creating new "green" jobs; about cleaning up our environment; about taking the technological lead; yet STILL our country has not had the balls to break its dependence on foreign oil; or find a way to utilize clean energy such as wind power, solar power, geothermal energy or ocean currents to power our cities; to go "green" and to repair the environmental damage our thoughtlessness has set in motion.

And still the evidence piles up daily with each new study clearly indicating our recklessness is leading to the extinction of more and more plant and animal species including the polar bear; the decimation of fish populations such as tuna in our oceans; the death of the ocean's coral reefs; and the ruination of the tropical rain forests of South America.

The fragile balance we call the food chain is on the verge of collapse and yet we act as if nothing is wrong! It would be a crime against this planet if are the root cause of vast extinctions worldwide. It is bad enough we kill our own with barely a second thought but to murder defenseless creatures is a unconscionable.

Last week, former Vice President Al Gore, Jr, mentioned on the David Letterman Show that enough solar energy hits our earth every single minute to power our planet's energy needs for the rest of our lives (and beyond)... IF only we would do the work to harness it. Wasted energy! and we do... nothing! Absolutely nothing about it!

If it is not evident that we are heading towards an ecological collapse, nothing is... and all we can do is talk about trading energy units and how excessive it will cost to combat this problem. The real question is at what cost will we suffer by doing nothing?

Today, as I walked through the local Barnes & Noble bookstore where I work, I saw a book that showed a lone polar bear swimming amongst the broken ice floes of the frigid Arctic Ocean. This left leaning liberal is not ashamed to admit the photo nearly moved me to tears when I considered the photo's dramatic implications.

I am not so naive to realize that the photo was an obvious attempt in manipulating my emotions... and it did! I don't care. If we cannot see how our planet's ecological balance has changed dramatically in the past fifty years (AND will continue to do so even more), then we deserve everything we will get by inaction!

And even in the most remote of possibilities that current scientific leanings are wrong or alarmist, what possible harm could come of developing new, clean energy sources for our planet's use?

My thoughts on this subject are obvious. And to our political, business, engineering and scientific leaders I say... lead! follow! get out of the way! BUT dammit, do something!!!

World AIDS Day 2009

2009-12-01T20:24:00.012-05:00

Today is World AIDS Day. According to the CDC, more than one million Americans are infected with HIV, the virus believed to cause AIDS; and nearly 35 million people worldwide are infected with HIV, with most living in thirdworld nations in African and southeast Asia.

World AIDS Day is observed every year on December 1st. The World Health Organization established World AIDS Day in 1988. World AIDS Day encourages governments, national AIDS programs, faith-based organizations, local community organizations and people everywhere to raise awareness and direct scrutiny on the global AIDS epidemic. With hundreds of organizations and NGOs (non-government organizations) working to eradicate the disease, much work remains to discover a vaccine that would finally put an end to this scourge.

Former President Bill Clinton's foundation has worked tirelessly to ensure that poor third world nations have access to medications that helps bring relief to those afflicted with HIV yet who are unable to afford treatment. Former President George W. Bush also directed attention to the worldwide problem by allocating funding for medicines and other humanitarian aid (yes, once in rare moment I can find something good to say about W), albeit he also implemented "strings attached" that many, including myself found repugnant... nonetheless, he did much to help those in need.

Remember, the best means of safeguarding your sexual well-being and your health is sexual abstinence. The remaining options are practicing safe sex, not sharing intravenous needles (don't use illicit drugs and do not drink excessively--lowering one's inhibitions is an invitation to reckless behaviors that makes infection possible), stay educated, know the facts... and get regular HIV testing so that your HIV status is not a mystery.

Just because...

2009-11-26T23:48:00.006-05:00

Danger! Danger, Will Robinson! My sensors detect the presence of an intruder!

Capt. Bugs: Ain't I a stinker?

Daffy Spock: Most illogical.

Doctor Sylvester: Dammit, I'm a doctor not a critic!

Chief Engineer Montgomery Pig: b'd, b'd, captain, my poor engines, they're breakin' up!

Nurse Tweety: I tat I taw a bowl of plomeek soup!

Red Shirt Yosemite: Awwwh hate you!

Tasmanian Sulu: rrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, warp two, Captain!

Happy Thanksgiving Day

2009-11-26T11:19:00.014-05:00

Even in these rough times we have so much to be thankful for.

I am thankful for my son Wes, my parents and my siblings. I am especially thankful for my friends who are as much my family as my relatives.

Having served in Afghanistan last year I can say without doubt that we are the most blessed people in the world. I invite everyone to take a moment to make a difference for those less fortunate than us.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Happy Veteran's Day

2009-11-12T02:38:00.016-05:00

World War I, "the war to end all wars," officially came to its end on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

U.S President Woodrow Wilson first called for an "Armistice Day," a day to honor veterans of World War I on November 11, 1919.

Not until June 4, 1926 was an official act of Congress made that brought federal recognition of the holiday honoring veterans of war.

The holiday known as 'Remembrance Day' or 'Armistice Day' in other countries is concurrently observed on the day Germany signed the armistice, thus officially bringing one of the bloodiest, most costly wars (up to its day) to a close.

In the United States--Veteran's Day--in the intervening years, has become a federal holiday and amended to recognize veterans of all wars, past and present.

We live in a country where we have more freedoms than any nation on earth, and while our country is far from perfect, our servicemembers work tirelessly to ensure that that tenet of our lives never changes. Perhaps it is a cliche, but the adage 'Freedom is never free' is more appropriate today than ever before.

Happy Veteran's Day!

---

Today, I would like to thank Applebees restaurant for their act of kindness. This year, in recognition of Veteran's Day, the franchise offered all U.S. servicemembers and veterans all over the country a free lunch or dinner. Taking them up on their kind offer, I went to dinner tonight with friends and we found a packed house with veterans of all ages. In fact, I met a World War II veteran and another from the Vietnam War!

The franchise gained a customer in me because of this very kind act! Thank you, Applebees!

Bigots

2009-11-10T03:04:00.019-05:00

This goes out as old news, actually.

But tell me what's wrong with this photo? How can people be so exuberantly gleeful when they are spreading so much hurt and pain?

This photo makes me ill looking at people who so happily celebrate the hurt they have caused.

The reverberations of last's week's hateful vote will spread like concentric waves after throwing a rock in the water of a lake; the ripple effect will assuredly touch countless lives.

How can people band together to spend millions of dollars so to deny all citizens equal rights? And why are people's civil rights being put forth for people to vote upon? To be trampled on? To be denied? To be bartered?

Last month when I attend the historic march for Equality in Washington, D.C. I saw a man carrying a placard that read, "If you don't like gay marriage, don't have one!" So why cannot *these* people take care of their own lives and let others tend to their own? Rhetorical question, I know.

Some people just cannot help themselves in throwing their judgment around without thought or care who they hurt.

If so-called Christians are so worried about the sanctity of marriage, why aren't they working to pass laws to outlaw divorce? Why don't they devote those misspent millions of dollars to provide counseling to protect troubled marriages? So let me ask another question... did the sky fall when gays were permitted to marry in Vermont? in New Hampshire? in Massachusetts? in Connecticut? or in Iowa? or in Europe where gay marriages have been legal for decades? No?

This is Christianity at its worst! And it certainly doesn't display the love of God that I follow and love. Justice denied for some is injustice for all.

So my question is, what are these people so afraid of? This is just wrong in so many ways!

Dad

2009-11-09T22:52:00.021-05:00

Yesterday was my Dad's 72nd birthday!

My Dad, Douglas Robert Mappin, was a good man who was a great mentor and teacher to his seven sons and one daughter. When I think of him I am mindful of the military tenet that demands its servicemembers lead by example. Dad, a 26-year veteran of the Indiana National Guard, lived and breathed that principle... in his military career, with his job and with his family.

He led. I can think of few men who were so principled, so honest and so perfectly suited to be a leader in the National Guard or as a father.

After his passing--he taken from his family and friends far too young--memories have slowly begun to fog, but I have memories still cherished of the man, the friend and the father that he was. I know, from conversations with my son, that he was too young to have many memories of his grandfather. The point is, sadly, as the years pass images have become less prominent, but thankfully, I have some that will never fade.

I leave it to my brothers and sisters to their memories nor can I speak entirely for them. Their memories are their own, after all. I do know there has not been a day we each have not missed his easy humor, his smile, his laugh and his incredibly strong principles and ethics.

Dad was, like many of our parents, a product of the Great Depression. His work ethic was incomparable. In retrospect, I think we kids sometimes wished that had not been the case. You see, my Dad held three jobs for a good number of years. He was a tool and die maker for a company in North Manchester, Indiana. He proudly served in the Indiana National Guard. And in the last few years of his life, Dad had dreamed of running his own business.

He took that leap of faith to develop and hone his own business skills. Not too long before his death, Dad had quit his full-time job to devote full attention to his own tool and die company on the northside of our hometown Rochester, Indiana.

But this was just one aspect of his life.

Dad had a great ear and always the time for when we needed his advice. I remember his words of advice the day I married; the day I became a father; the day I separated from my wife; and the day I decided to enter college, and I remember how proud he was when I told him I was going to be a teacher.

If there was one thing I remember most about my Dad is the pride he had in each of his kids. And if not pride, the concern he showed even more so when we were troubled. I am sure that at one moment or another, each of the eight of us put him through the test of parenthood. I wonder how many headaches we each caused.

While Dad was a great father, I have only vague memories of what kind of husband he was (young kids are so self-centered after all. I am ashamed to say I did not even know when his and my stepmom's wedding anniversary was until after he had died).

I have only the vaguest of memories of what kind of relationship they celebrated together. I do recall a few times of watching he and my stepmom together. Not long after he had suffered a heart attack, I remember them sitting in the living room one time holding hands. In that regards, Dad and my stepmom led a quiet, private life. But I know how hard they both worked to provide for each of their children.

Now while I said I can only guess what kind of husband he was, I look at my brothers Bryan, Rob, Scott and Matt and look at their marriages. Each of them lead lives that I believe were shaped by Dad's (and Mom's) example.

Funny, when I look at my brother Matt it is like looking at Dad, who we (my siblings) have often commented upon, is nearly the image of our Dad.

Dad was also a loving son. His mother, my grandmother, Valda Mappin was diagnosed with Parkinson Disease when I was a young lad. Dad, being an only child, did the best he could to ensure her life was safe and as healthful as possible. So in addition to being a father of a large clan, working multiple jobs, he still found time to devote what energies he had to his mother.

I suspect he felt he didn't have enough time to do everything he needed to do.

Perhaps my strongest--and favorite memories about Dad were him spending time with us kids. He played with us, taught us and often took us camping at a nearby campground. Fishing at Lake Manitou on his pontoon boat and roadtrips around the state were always fun as well.

One of our favorite jokes involved Dad's long-time penchant for finding the ugliest fir tree tree for Christmas. Dad always cut his own tree and in my mind, I think he sought out the puniest, ugliest tree he could find every year. Thinking he took pity on that one tree, we found a way for it to shine in beauty for that holiday. In fact, one year the spindly, sparse tree had to be tied to the wall so that it would not tip over. We laughed so hard! But Christmas Eve was always special in Dad's home (and still is to this day, to my stepmom's credit).

In any case, I am sitting here remembering Dad. One of my friends over the weekend told me that he thought it sweet that I mentioned it was Dad's birthday--even after all these years, but I cannot help it. He shaped our lives in ways I cannot imagine.

He lived long enough only to see the birth of his first two grandchildren. I remember his pride when he first held my son Wes, his first grandchild.

He did not live to see my brother Rob nor I join the military, however, I do remember how proud he was when both Bryan and Teresa joined the Armed Forces. I remember crying on the plane flying to boot camp when I recalled my stepmom telling me how proud Dad would be if he had lived to see me, his first-born, joining the Navy.

Dad did not live to see any of his kids marry (except for Teresa and I). Like his Dad before him, his life was cut far too short (both died at the age of 47). While Dad was so proud of his children and wife, it only seems fair to say how proud we were of him as well.

Perhaps the best tribute I can give my father is knowing that each of his eight kids, me, Teresa, Bryan, Mike, Rob, Chris, Scott and Matt all finished school and have all gone on to lead fairly happy lives with their own families.

This past year, a hometown reporter wrote a piece about me while I was serving in Afghanistan, but one of my proudest moments came from reading a letter to the editor. That letter, written by a man who joined the National Guard because of my Dad's leadership, said I "sound" just like my Dad. That, to me, was one of the finest compliments I have ever received in my life.

I do wish that Dawn, Tracy (Rob's wife), Tracy (Matt's), Alana and Lori (my sisters-in-law), the grandkids would have had the chance to have met Dad. They would've loved playing with him and including them in their lives.

I think I speak for each of my brothers and sister when I say I miss Dad dearly. Here's to you, Dad. We love you!

Those who are dead are not dead,

They're just living in my head.

--Coldplay

Memorial

2009-11-09T22:44:00.003-05:00

March for Equality 2009

2009-10-12T13:32:00.038-04:00

I have been pretty remiss of late. In recent weeks I have started two postings only to get shut down by writer's block (the scourge of every writer at one point or another... those two posts remain unfinished, awaiting my creative muse to return). I apologize and would like to comment on my day yesterday after arriving in Washington, D.C.

Yesterday, I had the distinct honor of attending the National Equality March in Washington, D.C. While I got into town too late to meet up at the White House where the march began, I was at the Capitol Building lawn ready to greet the marchers as they came en masse; to record the events for posterity. And for my own purposes, to commit to memory a very special (and long) day.

Some unofficial accounts placed nearly 200,000 people present for the march and subsequent rally, something I doubt, but I will certainly agree there were lots and LOTS of people gathered to voice their passion, their frustrations, their demands for respect and equality and their love for this country of ours.

I can unequivocally state there were a number of moments that tugged at the heartstrings. Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP gave a speech that was a huge home run ("We have a lot of real and serious problems in this country, and same-sex marriage is not one of them. Good things don't come to those who wait, but they come to those who agitate!").

Both activists David Mixner and Cleve Jones voiced their hopes and concerns with equal zeal... and why not? These men are professionals and know their craft well. Perhaps, to me, other moments... somewhat more low-key, captured my attention completely.

The first was when Judy Shepard, mother of slain college student Matthew Shepard (has it really been 11 years now?) took the stage. The instant Judy's name was announced the audience fell completely silent out of respect for her... and her family. Her comments were brief, powerful and softly stated. But make no mistake, sometimes the softest voice delivers the most impact-- and this she did. My respect for this woman rivals that of the mother of slain Sailor Allan Schindler, who was brutally murdered by his own fellow shipmates in 1992.

One moment was offered by one of the co-founders of the march. Sadly, I don't recall her name, but her tearful plea for President Obama to follow through on his promises to the community were heartfelt. She offered her concerns for her family, her children and their future-- and we all understood and felt her pain.

Other moments involved the power of music, actually there were four... were each delivered separately and speak to music's ability to transcend above political and social paths. The first was when the Washington, D.C.'s Gay Men's Choir sang 'Bridge Over Troubled Water.' How amazing that that old Paul Simon song still carries so much strength all these years later (a song I know well from my high school swing choir days)!

The last moment (in order of performance anyway) was when the young Broadway cast of 'Hair,' who took the day off from their New York City stage, came to perform 'Aquarius!' and join in what was often (that day) called 'the right side of history.'

I was struck by how young and beautiful the cast was, but when I looked around at the crowd surrounding me I noticed just how many young people were present. And they were not there to ask but to demand the respect and equality all of us deserve. The moment was clearly reminiscent of the old Vietnam War-era protest marches.

Two events brought tears to my eyes. Why? With all the noise, hate, shouting and screaming so often waged against gays and lesbians, I was touched by this simple fact. Even with all the disrespect heaped upon the gay community, they showed that in spite of that, they/we love our country.

At the point where we stood together, side by side, and sang the 'Star Spangled Banner,' our national anthem, I was moved beyond words! People everywhere stood at attention, hands over their heart, and sang... and sang proudly. And later on, when we sang, again with reverence, 'America the Beautiful,' I would defy anyone not to have been moved. Say what you will about our very diverse community, but it cannot be said that we do not love our country any more, or any less than any other American.

Here's the point... at least the one that was obvious to me, this march was a call for everyone to phone in, to write, to meet with their community leaders, their congressmen and congresswomen, their senators and our President. To be silent no more. The time for indecisiveness is long past and it is time that every.single.American be treated with equality, with respect and with peace.

So what are we asking for (and if you think about it, we shouldn't have to do this)? We expect the same rights as our heterosexual counterparts: the right to marry with the same rights, respect and benefits; the right to serve our nation's military openly and respectfully without having to lie or hide who we are; the right to be employed without fear of reprisals for being who we are; and the right to live free of fear of being victims of hate.

And it is time our government live up to its motto, 'we the people' and practice the 14th Amendment of our Constitution as it would any other law of the land.

Equality is a God given tenant of our existence. Yesterday's march was our voice saying enough is enough... So either help us lead the march or get out of the way. As was mentioned in one speech, "Equal rights are for all, all of the time, not just when it is convenient."

photos by the author

Catch-22: Afghanistan

2009-09-03T14:48:00.033-04:00

For those who want us out of Iraq and Afghanistan... keep wishing, but don't hold your breath.

Why? Okay, for starters--thankfully--the U.S. and coalition forces are slowly making their way out of Iraq. This is old news. But even if we leave we probably will have some presence there for a long, long time. Witness this: World War II is more than 70 years distant, yet the U.S. has a huge presence in Europe as a member of NATO as well as remaining in Japan. South Korea and the Korean War is more than 50 years behind us and, like Europe, we still maintain military bases in South Korea (where one of my friends is stationed today).

I am not naive enough to state that our presence in Europe and Asia is unwarranted, but I am pointing it out as a point of reference to my thesis that the U.S. Armed Forces forces will most assuredly remain in the Middle East as a vigilant watchdog for more years than I imagine the Bush Administration ever contemplated, and therein lies a problem.

It is obvious to most of us President George W. Bush, his paranoid vice president and "yes-man" staff did not think things through prior to launching a war against Iraq. If they had, they might have (or should have) reconsidered opening the can of worms that they have. But so they did, and now we have to live with those consequences and move on--and hopefully rectify what I consider was a hugely disastrous foreign affairs blunder.

This whole situation of our war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan is complicated and was exasperated by the events of September 11. Whether readers want to admit it, our preemptive war with Iraq really had little to do with 9/11, but more to do with the Bush Administration's misguided desire to punish Saddam Hussein for his past sins. I do wish to clarify that I am not saying Hussein was a leader we could live with--I am saying other means were available to force him to "play nice," but think he basically drew a line in the sand and lost--and handed the Bush Administration an excuse to attack.

Bush's spin doctors were most expert in drawing conclusions that were erroneous at best, and blatant lies at worst, to gain national and world support for toppling Saddam Hussein's empire. It saddens me to this day that Secretary of State (Gen.) Colin Powell's reputation was used (and severely diminished) to launch a needless war in Iraq.

But I digress.

Today, public support for the Afghan War is beginning to show signs of waning.

Just this week ABC News and independent commentator George Will came out (ala Walter Cronkite's reluctant admonishment that we abandon our war effort in Vietnam) in favor of pulling coalition forces out of Afghanistan, saying we cannot accomplish our goals...

Will says, "So, instead, forces should be substantially reduced to serve a comprehensively revised policy: America should do only what can be done from offshore, using intelligence, drones, cruise missiles, air strikes and small, potent Special Forces units, concentrating on the porous 1,500-mile border with Pakistan, a nation that actually matters."

To some degree, I cannot fully support Will's position, but I do understand it. I disagree with his assessment that we should scale back and wage war from the skies. In the past, this has proven imprecise, unreliable and deadly to many innocent victims. We already have claimed more Afghan lives who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, thus weakening our friendship with the Afghan government, which in some ways is not necessarily a bad thing (the Karzai government, like many before it, is corrupt beyond compare.

As a Sailor in the US Navy I find this approach of detached warfare somewhat cowardly. I do, however, agree with Mr. Will's position regarding Pakistan.

Already, critics are calling this "Obama's War." This is rather unfair assignment as this was a war launched by President Bush in response to the actions against us on September 11, 2001. I do not, however, have the same harsh words over this one issue. The Afghanistan of 2001, one ruled by Taliban tyranny also played host to Al Qaeda. As news commentator Ted Koppell said on National Public Radio it was here where Al Qaeda was given safe refuge; it was here where the events of 9/11 were nurtured, planned and launched (with the aid of certain factions in Saudi Arabia) and it was here where American launched a manhunt for the world's most hated man, Osama bin Laden.

Where I part ways with President Bush in regards to the Afghan War is simply this: He blinked. He lost focus; and he lost the game. By allowing his hatred of Saddam Hussein to consume him, he lost track of why we went to war in Afghanistan. We weren't at war with Hussein, but with Al Qaeda. But he forgot that and we lost ground; we even lost the "high road."

Not because of WMDs as he claimed; not because Hussein was a threat to U.S. security as he claimed; and not because Hussein was killing his people (that argument, I could have supported). Saddam was not the first nation to thumb his nose at U.S. concerns, but he was the first to suffer from a U.S. led preemptive war.

President Bush lost the game in Afghanistan and now--eight years later (next month)--we find ourselves immersed in the longest war in our history and many are beginning to question for what gains and at what cost... and why?

Having served as a Navy photojournalist in Afghanistan for a year, I am proud of the work our troops are doing in the streets of Kabul and countless other cities. We are there, not as conquerors nor bullies, but as teachers, mentors, humanitarians and as a protective friend. However, as the violence against the Afghan people escalates--and against us--that role is beginning to change... and as a result plans are being made to circumvent a return of Taliban rule.

When we invaded Afghanistan in 2001 we were welcomed by a people as we put an end to the Taliban tyranny that for all intents and purposes propelled that nation backwards to the 13th or 14th century.

For those of us leading comfortable lives here in our safe and sanitized world, most of us cannot imagine the horrors of the day-to-day lives of the Afghan people under Taliban rule. Women were stoned to death for refusing to submit to male dominance (the old adage of "barefoot and pregnant" would find a willing home in the Taliban's eye); girls were forbidden to attend schools; men imprisoned for refusing to wear a beard; no music, no television; beheadings in public squares... all used to invoke terror and subjugation. This is what the U.S. led coalition forces saved the Afghans from.

Move forward eight years to today and now the Obama Administration finds itself in a quandary. In 2007, then Sen. Obama, on the road as a presidential candidate, made it very clear he was not in favor of the Iraq War, but reluctantly concluded that our presence in Afghanistan a necessary evil. Today, plans are afoot to send in more troops to face an increasingly bloody Taliban threat who want "their" country back.

The sad matter of fact is, they (the Taliban) are beginning to make inroads. Perhaps even more troubling is the fact that the Taliban is making life increasingly more difficult for the Pakistan government as well. Today's military strategists believe Osama bin Laden and the top Al Qaeda echelon are hiding out in the twisting mountains of Pakistan, aided by members of the Taliban.

This is dangerous for both coalition forces and the Pakistan government. For Afghanistan, this is problematic since the border between the two countries is extremely porous making it easy for Taliban terrorists to move back and forth with relative ease.

Coalition forces training the Afghan National Border Police are making this a more difficult aspect for the Taliban, but for Pakistan, the presence of the Taliban is creating its own dilemma-for both Pakistan and for the coalition forces hoping to bring a lasting peace that would bring a revival of long poor Afghanistan (where the average Afghan earns approximately $400 a year).

Not wanting to appear as alarmist as the expert Bush Administration, the Taliban's influence in Pakistan is increasing and this puts us--and Pakistan in a terrifying position. Terrifying for Afghanistan, terrifying for India, terrifying for China and Russia and terrifying for the entire southeast Asian continent.

Why? Because Pakistan possesses the bomb. It is no secret that Pakistan has built approximately 100 nuclear warheads, standing ready for launch. World leaders as well as the Pakistan government are fully aware of the consequences if that government were to fall to the Taliban. The entire region could be destabilized with one careless action from Pakistan if its government fell to a zealot Taliban force (especially if they remain aligned with Al Qaeda).

So... back to Afghanistan, where we are definitely damned if we do, damned if we don't. This is the ultimate nightmare... and why it is unlikely the U.S. will leave the region any time soon.

But one can certainly hope.

15 books

2009-07-28T18:57:00.028-04:00

As a writer--and especially a reader--I love the written word, so without any further explanation here is a fun exercise.

The rules: This can be a quick one. Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Email 15 friends, including me because I'm interested in seeing what books my friends choose. Only 15...

1. When Worlds Collide by Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylie (this book and its sequel are the ultimate doomsday novels showing mankind at its best... and worst... I love the fact that the writers had the balls to do exactly what most authors would never dare to do... end it all. While the book was written in 1932, it still strikes me as an incredibly emotional read. For years, I have been trying to write a prequel... Let me tell you now, writing a novel is really HARD!!!)

2. After Worlds Collide by Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylie (I first read this book and its first installment when I was in the 4th grade.... I've revisited these two books more times than I can count, even as recent as when I was stationed overseas. I highly recommend them both!)

3. Maurice by E.M. Forster (one of my all time favorite love stories written in 1913-14... The author considered this book so controversial that he refused to allow it to be published while he was alive. He left instructions that it could be published a year after his death, which was in 1970, and the book was released the following year. Oddly enough, the 1987 movie based upon it is remarkably faithful, which almost never happens).

4. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (yeah, yeah Charles Dickens is long-winded. But then the book's roots was a newspaper serial where the author was paid by the word--you do the math! At 39 chapters, this book captured me from page one).

5. Silas Marner by George Eliot (this too, was my mother's favorite novel as a child). I've not read it in years. It is one of the most moving books I've ever read. Most modern readers probably know this, but George Eliot was a woman... but Victorian English society in that time frowned upon female writers... interestingly enough, Charles Dickens once commented he thought the "male" author was a woman... Maybe I should revisit the book?).

6. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle (another book that launched my interest in science fiction... I discovered this book about the same time as #1 and 2 on this list. This highly regarded, esoteric award-winning novel is well worth the read! Like many other books on my list, this popular book launched a series).

7. Trapped in Space by Jack Williamson (books I read in childhood really had a profound affect on my life.. I have often wondered if it would read as good now 40 years later).

8. Revolt on Alpha C by Robert Silverberg (this was a Scholastic Books selection I bought when I was in the 6th grade. This is basically a sci-fi version of the American revolution. It was the author's first book).

9. Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov (I read this long before I had the chance to see the movie... both stand on their own and both are amongst my favorite stories ever committed to paper and film).

10. 2001 A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke (what can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? For some it was the ultimate "trip" (one of my high school friends got high when he saw the movie and totally tripped on it), for me the book was an incredibly good voyage into the unknown--as was the movie).

11. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (I believe this was the author's sole novel. As a former teacher, this and Dickens' Great Expectations should always be required reading).

12. The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov (in more recent years, the trilogy expanded to seven books before the author's untimely death [some written by other sci-fi authors]. The original three, Asimov's way of imagining the rise and the fall of the Roman Empire, were written during the "golden age of sci-fi," it remains one of my favorite series.).

13. Star Trek The Motion Picture by Gene Roddenberry (this was the Star Trek creator's sole work on the written page. It fills in some holes left by the movie and was a quick read. You didn't really think Star Trek wouldn't make the list, did you? BUT with over 700 novels published in the series I really had a hard time picking just one).

14. Star Wars by George Lucas (okay, Alan Dean Foster really wrote it. I read this book a full six months before the original movie came out in 1977. Remembering it now, I could not put the book down, as I read each page I thought, "oh my God, how are they going to put this on film???" To be honest, this book and The Empire Strikes Back shall be the greatest stories of the entire franchise).

15. Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin (this title is a series... seven books so far, but who's counting? It captures the 1970-80s San Francisco's gay culture in a very compelling, humorous and thought-provoking fashion. Who can ever forget the sweet, lovable Michael "Mouse" Tolliver or the antics of 28 Barbary Lane?).

Okay, I am cheating as I am adding an honorable mention: The War Against the Chtorr by David Gerrold (This book was originally intended to be a trilogy, but it has expanded to four completed novels with an additional three planned... that said, the last installment was published in 1993 and frankly, I wish the author would complete the series as it is a superior, psychological science fiction series!).

email me at: dmappin@sbcglobal.net

Verklempt!

2009-07-27T20:02:00.030-04:00

Coldplay definitely knows how to play a crowd. I, and 34,000 other fans were reminded of this when frontman Chris Martin "hired" us all to join the band during the "Viva" tour when they played the Alpine Valley Music Theater, near East Troy, Wisconsin, last Saturday night.

"We finally have more members than the Dave Matthews Band," Martin said as he joked with the audience. After prompting us to sing along, the audience attempted a line--poorly I might add--inviting Martin to chastise us by saying, "no, no, no c'mon we just hired you guys (okay, I am relating this as the "family-friendly" G-rated version)!"

We got it right after that.

Anticipation, excitement and elation were the emotions I felt leading into that night. How could I have not? My friend Shane and I had been planning this night long before I had returned home from my one-year deployment in Afghanistan (not counting some of the acts I saw while stationed in Kuwait in 2005-06, this was actually the first concert I had attended since seeing Elton John in the late 90s-- I really need to get out more).

If I had something to look forward to upon my return home, this concert clearly was it!

The light show, the uber-frenetic, pulsating show on big screen TV--seemingly programmed by someone with ADHD--the three-foot diameter balloons dropped upon us during the performance of their haunting "Yellow," the butterfly-shaped confetti, the "cell phone wave," the unwanted cloudburst mid-way through the show (which thankfully failed to dampen our excitement), the band moving twice to play on mini-stages amidst the audience and of course, their upbeat music (!) all added up to one big verklempt!

The band's charismatic, energetic performances fired up the crowd as they played songs familiar to the audience. The venue, while cavernous, felt intimate due to Martin's ability to connect with his fans.

For those of us in attendance at Alpine Valley, "Viva" is now history, however, my memories of such a great time definitely are not. What a show! For nearly two hours, the band covered songs from their current album as well as those of the past.

British alternative band Coldplay, members consisting of bassist Guy Barryman, Jonny Buckman on lead guitar, Will Champion on drums and lead singer Chris Martin, sounded great! Sometimes a band sounds great as a studio band, but true artists can move the audience both off and on the stage--happily, Coldplay is of the latter category.

I cannot imagine anyone leaving feeling disappointed by Coldplay's performance; the band was definitely there to please! "Viva" was a feast for my eyes, ears and spirit! I know I was overcome with verklempt. *

(* translation: think of Jonathan Winter's old line "I had goose bumps all over my body" and multiply that by a factor of ten!)

photos by the author

Run Sarah, run!

2009-07-27T18:45:00.005-04:00

If anyone were to vote for this potential candidate, I would move to Australia. Maybe I should have said, "run voters, run!"

Dreaming like a child

2009-07-21T00:45:00.038-04:00

As an 11-year old boy (and younger) I can vividly remember watching the dark skies scanning the vista of stars every night, anxiously awaiting NASA's next mission. As I watched satellites traversing the darkness at night, sometimes I dreamt I was up there too.

Unlike some of my childhood peers who were angered every time NASA pre-empted regularly scheduled TV programming for a space launch, I was glued to the television set with either a book in hand, or a notebook to draw sketches of the launch, which would in turn end up taped to my bedroom wall.

Today when a space shuttle goes up or a new probe is launched for the outer planets, America yawns... and I wonder where our sense of adventure and curiosity has gone.

I turned 12 three weeks after Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin travelled to, descended upon and returned home from the moon. Like another of my heroes, CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite, I was excited beyond words when the Apollo 11 mission touched down at Tranquility Base on July 20, 1969.

Ask my mother, and she will tell you countless stories of my model spaceships, the old Mattell toy astronaut Major Matt Mason, the drawings I created, all the books I read and the imaginary games I played with my siblings or by myself that were firmly rooted in the imagination--travels to the moon, to the planets and beyond; and to other worlds orbiting faraway star systems and galaxies... present-day, I miss those immature but lofty dreams of us doing something bigger than ourselves.

Today, being the 40th anniversary of the historic occasion, I've often pondered over why the space race seems so distant and unimportant to so many people (or worse, those who believe it all was a cruel expensive hoax); and I am reminded of the dreams so many of us had back then and I would guess a lot of us today, feel are yet unfulfilled.

With NASA's current configuration, orbital science experiments being conducted and with the robot explorers on Mars I feel so much is still being done in the name of science, but feel so much more could be accomplished. Politically, I wonder if NASA will ever be up to the role it held in our imaginations during the 1960s.

I know there are countless arguments of why space exploration should be halted; I've heard and listened to them all: our tax monies could be better spent elsewhere; the dangers involved; that we need to take care of our problems here and now-- I can sympathize with, but cannot agree with the view that the space program is a waste of dollars and talent; there is just too much evidence to the contrary, in my opinion... and while sometimes, I cannot argue logically against those viewpoints, some things remain better felt with the heart than with the head.

BUT (and it is a big 'but') I believe man is meant to do things that are hard and sometimes impractical. Whimsy, curiosity, lofty, big things, challenging things, mind-expanding exploration, seeking answers are all part of our psyche. I worry if we become complacent and give up on the dreams of wonderment that we will become a stagnant and uninteresting people.

With NASA currently being tasked to return us to the moon (and Mars) sometime in the next 20 years, I hope that the excitement of going back to the moon can be re-captured, but somehow I fear that society just isn't interested. Movies, TV, video games, political discord and unrest, war and famine and the like, in my opinion, have all worked together to rob us of a great deal of what imagination used to offer us. Sadly, I do not think, in general, that we as a society dream like we once did in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.

When I see photos of the wonders of the universe captured by our mighty Hubble Space Telescope, I marvel at the beauties of the creation that are far beyond our reach.

Just last week, I had mentioned to my son Wes that it saddens me that our space program has not yet achieved a manned space program equivalent to the one portrayed in the movie "2001 A Space Odyssey." To me, it is inexcusable that we have not taken full advantage of the successes of the Apollo space program or that the Space Shuttle program is being allowed to wither and die.

It is ironic that Walter Cronkite died this past week just as we are remembering the first manned trip to the moon 40 years ago today. Some of my heroes of the space program are still with us-- Armstrong, Glenn, Aldrin and the current explorers in the space shuttle program. To me, they embody the best of what makes humanity special.

Today, I celebrate the 40th anniversary of those historic footsteps on the moon. It was an incredibly exciting time for me as a youth and hope we can go forth and do so much more (yes! Mars!). I hope that we, as a people and society can recapture that optimism; that is when we are at our best. Sometimes I just think it unwise to place a dollar value on our dreams. It is, after all, our saving grace that...

We dream. We work to make those dreams become a reality. And then, we dream of something bigger and work some more.

Heroes

2009-07-17T20:44:00.038-04:00

A legend died tonight.

The journalistic greats of my lifetime, they are all gone now. Howard K. Smith, John Chancellor, Peter Jennings, David Brinkley, Chet Huntley, Harry Reasoner and now the last--and the best of the old school journalists--Walter Cronkite, the face of CBS News during the 1960s through the early 80s, is gone.

Walter Cronkite died tonight at age 92 after a lengthy illness.

Respected.

Cronkite, the most influential journalist/news anchor of his time, personified accuracy, objectivity, empathy and integrity. Few journalists have had the longevity that exemplified his storied career.

And what a career his was! He covered events during World War II, the Nuremberg War Trials and went on to become the anchor for CBS Evening News. Often forgotten were his long stints with the programs "You Are There, CBS Morning News, The 20th Century, The 21st Century"--and countless, countless documentaries.

Storyteller.

Under his tenant as evening news anchor, Cronkite oversaw the most tumultuous years in American history--and we saw it all through his objective eyes. For viewers of the boomer generation, Cronkite was the voice we remembered when news broke that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. No one can forget Cronkite's moving announcement when he choked, knowing he felt the pain as we did.

In 1968, after providing coverage for the Vietnam War from the safety of the New York news desk, Cronkite felt it necessary to see the war firsthand for himself. After returning to the states, he reluctantly announced that America could expect no more than a honorable exit by negotiating a peace settlement with North Vietnam.

If any would question Cronkite's credibility, they need not have looked any further when President Lyndon Johnson himself declared "if I have lost Walter Cronkite, I have lost middle America."

Cronkite had often noted his favorite topic he covered was NASA's manned lunar landings. It seems only fitting he died on what is the 40th anniversary of that historic Apollo 11 spaceflight.

Inspiration.

On a personal note, I have often told my friends my heroes are journalists and writers. Cronkite in particular, was nearly a god in the world of reporters in my eyes. His example provided me a guide of what good news reporting should be.

For me, watching the Walter Cronkites, David Brinkleys, John Chancellors, Peter Jennings or the Tom Brokaws as they practiced their craft was my inspiration as a Navy photographer and reporter.

Last summer while I was stationed at Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan, I had the opportunity to ask (then) Senator Barack Obama a few questions; I remember thinking to myself what would "Uncle Walt" have asked if he were there?

Ethical.
In later years when interviewed on NPR's Diane Rehm Show, Cronkite explained what made a good journalist:

"The ethics of a … responsible journalist is to put his or her biases, his or her prejudices aside in an attempt to be really fair to all sides at all times," he said. "And my pride is that I think I did that fairly well during my years."

By all accounts, Cronkite succeded in that mission as his name was synonymous with credibility. He was named in a 1972 poll as "the most trusted man in America." The fact that even 14 years after he had retired from CBS News' anchor desk, he was still regarded as one of the most influential news reporters of our time.

His authoritative presence immediately lent credence to any story he reported upon. Even after retiring from CBS News in 1981, he spent his "retirement years" working for CBS, PBS, the Discovery Network and NPR.

Integrity.
He was a force that time could not diminish, yet his integrity was not limited to only his career but in his personal life as well. His marriage to his wife Betsy lasted mere days shy of 65 years, when she passed away in 2005.

In today's world of instantaneous news coverage and 20-second sound bites, Cronkite's brand of journalism will sorely be missed. In the coming days, I hope the news agencies afford him the same reverence bestowed upon the likes of entertainer Michael Jackson. The difference here, in my opinion, is that Cronkite was a true legend deserving of the praise that is likely to be heaped upon him by his colleagues and those whose lives he influenced.

And in closing I'd like to quote Mr. Cronkite himself:

"And that's the way it is on this Friday, July 17, 2009. Good night."

Yuck!

2009-07-17T18:53:00.017-04:00

Okay, now they've really gone too far!

Today, one of the most awesome landmarks of the Chicago skyline was robbed of its longtime heritage. After 36 years, the Sears Tower, the tallest building in North America, became (ugh) the Willis Tower (all I can hear is: "what you talkin' about, Willis?).

Personally, in the future I will refuse to acknowledge its new moniker!

Other name changes in recent memory that boggle the mind: Chicago Comiskey Park became U.S. Cellular Field; the Hoosier Dome (before being demolished in 2008) was renamed the RCA Hoosier Dome.

There is something just plain wrong when significant landmarks are named after corporations; the selling of a famous landmark's name, to me, is akin to a mind rape. Okay, that is pretty dramatic, but I detest corporate America feeling it has the right to plaster its name on everything from stadiums to skyscrapers from streets to college dormitories and study halls.

What's next? Here are my suggestions for renaming some familiar landmarks:

* The Trojan Empire State Building (if you get my drift)

* Big Ben Gay Clock (Clock! I said CLOCK!!!)

* The Lavender Gate Bridge (could San Francisco's landmark have been mislabeled in the first place?)

* The New York Rudy Guiliani Subway (where one can get the shaft everyday)

* The Halliburton-Enron White House (oops, that wasn't too far removed from the truth during the "W" years)

* Sure Deodorant Statue of Liberty (raise your hand if you're sure)

Okay, okay so those are all pretty lame, but my point is that renaming landmarks IS lame. It is one of those things that I find wrong with today's America... that being that we are far too easily bought out by the almighty buck.

Chicago Willis Tower? Yuck! What were they thinking???

Don't ask, don't tell, don't care

2009-07-15T19:39:00.055-04:00

As anyone who is reading probably knows, I am a Petty Officer 1st Class in the U.S. Navy. I recently returned to drill status as a Reservist after serving for a one-year tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Something interesting happened to me at Naval Station Great Lakes Training Center last weekend that... well, to be honest really surprised me. And certainly increased my respect for our young Sailors who are currently training to serve and protect our nation.

I was shopping for computer software at the NEX (that is the Navy Exchange, an on-base department store, for all you non-military types). While browsing, I had my back to three young Sailors when I inadvertently brushed my hand up against one of the Sailors' standing directly behind me.

I immediately turned to apologize and his response both startled and amused me. By the same token, upon later reflection I was proud of this young Sailor's progressive attitude.

As I apologized, he said (while smiling), "Now you owe me dinner." and then he caught me off-guard as he leaned closer and demurely mumbled ala "Friends" Joey Tribbiani, "How u doin'?"

We all laughed and after talking "software-geek" for a few minutes we all moved on. So what is the point of this story? It's simply this.

There are a lot of people in the today's military upper echelons and political circles worrying themselves senseless over the issue of whether gays and lesbians should be permitted to serve in this nation's armed forces.

The fact of the matter is, gays and lesbians are--and have always served our nation in what I consider the finest military force in the world. They have served with honor and distinction ever since there has been a United States of America... even before there was a USA... and to the many people who have voiced dismay that gays and lesbians serve, I have to say that today's youth seem to have little patience for such archaic notions.

So why the fuss? Probably for the same reasons that America wrung its collective hands over the issue of African-Americans serving in a racially-integrated military force ever since the Civil War. Outright and blatant bigotry is the simplest answer, however, things are rarely so simple.

It is no secret our nation has had its problems dealing with segments of the population that do not fit perceived societal norms. Before President Harry S. Truman signed an executive ordering an end to racial discrimination in the Armed Forces, it was not uncommon for black servicemembers to face discrimination from all fronts while serving.

Today, many gay activists feel President Obama should act in a similar fashion. He, on the other hand, claims "don't ask, don't tell" must be abolished by Congressional action. And their anger is perhaps not so misplaced as then Senator Obama, during his campaign for the presidency said he would move to abolish this policy.

Even today, in the 21st century, both political and military leaders alike seem to have difficulty getting past old-time prejudices haunting this man's military. I won't go into the details relating to the more than 12,000 servicemembers discharged since the advent of President Bill Clinton's compromise today known as Don't Ask Don't Tell. Or that 265 servicemembers have been discharged since President Obama took office.

Just last week, Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA) announced he is sponsoring House Bill 1283 that will jumpstart the effort to see this bill repealed. Murphy, a former U.S. Army captain and a Roman Catholic, said:

“My time in Iraq taught me that our military needs and deserves the best and the brightest who are willing to serve- and that means all Americans, regardless of their orientation. Discharging brave and talented servicemembers from our armed forces is contrary to the values that our military fights for and that our nation holds dear.”

"Old school" opponents constantly decry the dangers of damaging unit cohesion, breakdown of morale and discipline, all the same arguments used to justify racial separation in the 1940s and 50s. Of course, the changes were initially painful, but history has proven them beneficial.

The funny thing is today's youth, for the most part, could care less about one's sexual orientation and the ability to serve in our nation's military. Recent polls indicate that 75% of the American public concur. With such an overwhelming majority seeing no problem with gays and lesbians serving proudly and openly in the military, one has to ask why politicians and military leaders are dragging their feet?

So why did this young Sailor make me proud? Simply put, and it is similar to feelings I have always had about my mother. When I was a kid, my mom had little sympathy for racial discrimination of any kind. She instilled those same values into her six kids. I was proud that this Sailor's comfort in "his own skin" and his own sense of manhood wasn't so easily threatened. To this young man I met last weekend, I saw a glimmer of open-mindedness that gives me hope that when all is said and done, this too shall pass.

Perhaps today's leaders should listen more closely to our young. Cliches aside, they are our future... and they clearly could care less about one's sexual orientation.

Happy Independence Day

2009-07-03T00:23:00.015-04:00

As we celebrate this nation's 235th birthday, I want to wish everyone a wonderful and safe holiday!

We are a lucky people with bounty aplenty.

Having served three tours of duty in the Middle East, I am thankful for my son Wes, family and friends--and for the countless members of the armed forces with whom I served in the U.S., Kuwait and in Afghanistan.

God bless my fellow Sailors and members of the U.S. Armed Forces serving abroad. May we thank and remember them every day, for without them we would not have the freedoms we enjoy today.

"You're not of the body! You're not!"

2009-06-29T19:33:00.040-04:00

You know, I have to laugh at some politicians. Yeah, so what else is new? Some of them make it so easy. The two latest and greatest missteps I find of particular interest occurred in the past two weeks.

Most prominently are the recent chronicles of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford as he brings shame to his stature. Amazing, he acts as if his transgressions hurt no one--he is wrong, of course. He mouthed all the right platitudes with his tearful apologies, but he has clearly betrayed his obligations as governor, his duty to state and his voters, and most importantly, he has hurt his wife and his children--who he used to trot before cameras to enforce his familial righteousness. And yet he remains in office.

If you haven't read about it--or seen it on the news-- here's the scoop! He recently disappeared and--no one, not his family, not his staff--no one knew where he was. His aides told reporters the governor was out on a nature hike in the Appalachian Trails. THEN the truth became apparent. As it turns out, hiking the backwoods was the farthest thing from this man's mind.

Sanford was nowhere in America, not North America anyway, but in Argentina dallying with his mistress (on Father's Day, no less!)! In his confession, he admitted spending five days crying in the arms of his Argentinean lover, all on his state taxpayers' dime.

Yeah. Crying... really? Like I believe that. The governor has claimed he will repay his state for this amorous trip, but would he have done so had he not been caught? And then there's this, just days earlier Nevada Sen. John Ensign admitted he too, had an eight-month extramarital affair with a member of his staff. You really have to ask yourself, what is it with these guys?

Now don't roll your eyes, go with me on this one; in 1966, "Star Trek" aired an episode called "Return of the Archons."

The premise was not so far removed from the current woes of the Republican Party. The inhabitants of planet Beta III lived in a repressed society where uniformity of thought and sexual repression was the norm, not the exception. Except for periods called the "Red Hour," conformity was not only practiced but demanded. During those periods of the red hour, Betans went totally wild; their reserve of emotion ripped from them in total abandonment.

Violence against one another (sexual, emotionally or otherwise) left virtually no one unscathed.

What Betans found most frightening was to be singled out as being (gasp) individual... the words "you're not of the body!" could prove most damning!

This cry strikes me as nearly identical to the mantra of the Republican Party.

Now I am not claiming the Republican Party wears the mantle of impropriety solely. Lest I be accused of partisanship, I've not forgotten about the acts of former N.Y. governor Elliott Spitzer or 2008 presidential hopeful Sen. John Edwards. We all know the Democrats have had their share of scandals; human feelings and weaknesses know no political lines, BUT the Republican Party has made family values the very mantra of what they stand for... and they have perfected the choir where their condemnation of anyone who doesn't agree with them is clearly heard, felt and all too often, punished.

What this really means is, "this is what we believe but don't hold us to it..." and of course, this is the Republicans' version of "don't ask, don't tell." In other words, "DO as I say, NOT as I do."

I tell you, any time a politician gets before a camera and microphone proclaiming "I stand for family values," I immediately wonder who is hidden in his or her closet, AND those who proclaim most loudly are, to me, most immediately suspect.

Back in 1998, Gov. Sanford (then Representative), who like so many other Washingtonian Republicans, stood in condemnation of President Bill Clinton when the details of his affair with Monica Lewensky became public. Sanford was on record saying the President's behavior was reprehensible and he should be removed from the highest office in the land.

Now all these years later, his words have come back to haunt him.

My question is why hasn't Gov. Sanford resigned his office? His recent actions only prove his hypocrisy as he has avoids the same question being posed to him. How are his actions any different?

These are the same men who work so ardently to protect the sanctity of marriage and family values. I think of men like former Sen. Newt Gingrich, Larry Craig, Sen. John McCain, and countless others who, at the very least, stand on shaky ground when professing their morals best represent American traditional family values.

The reality is, these are the very men with whom I want to share nothing. I question what these men are afraid of, and what do they think they are really protecting us Americans from? Which brings me to a somewhat related topic.

In the recent film "Were the World Mine, a TV news reporter confronts two lesbians seeking marriage, "What about traditional family values?" he asks. One of the two women laughs and responds by saying, "We have families, we have values!"

Yes. But obviously not those shared by they who feel they have the right to demand conformity from everyone else, i.e., "my morals are superior to yours."

The problem posed by those who loudly proclaim they are against same sex-marriage think those "nasty homosexuals" who have dared ask for the same protections represent values different then their own. The falsity of this notion is that each and every person is raised in a family unit--whether it was in a father-mother family, a single-parent family, a grandparent, an adopted family, a blended family and yes, even some in a same-sex family... so really, whose values are different?

Family values have been assimilated and ingrained from the moment we are born. Is it so unthinkable, so unreasonable that gays and lesbians would want to perpetuate those same values in their daily lives?

To me, what is most important is to lead our lives honestly, courageously and happily and with the dignity afforded us by our creator. For those who claim their way is the best way--the only way, act as bullies "with a toy" they are unwilling to share; they are deluding themselves and running away from what they don't care to take the time to examine or attempt to understand. Here's the blunt universal truth: love is love. Period.

And finally, this is why Gov. Sanford and hypocrites like him need to examine their own values before passing judgment on others. Personally, I do not believe anyone has the right to make people's lives here a hell on earth. You know, the lines in the Holy Bible "judge not lest ye be judged" says it best.

I love this guy!

2009-06-29T19:24:00.003-04:00

Bill Maher speaks for me!

Visit this link for a great moment recently aired on his program.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3kXpfEFjqQ&NR=1

You want inspirational?

2009-06-20T03:46:00.014-04:00

When I was searching for photos that could inspire, initially I was searching for a quadriplegic runner. Then I found this one and was touched by its subject-matter. It wasn't until after I had decided to use it that I really paid attention to the details. At first, I thought it sweet that a little girl would run with this man, her daddy perhaps? BUT the details finally sunk in and then I caught it... if you want inspiration, this photo is it... 'nuff said?

About the photographer: Andy Hooper was born in Dorset in 1963. He studied at Salisbury Art College where he gained a Higher Diploma in Photography. Winner of the prestigious Royal Photographer of the Year, Andy is a multi-award winning photographer. He is based in Surrey with his wife and three young children.

You won't believe this

2009-06-17T22:48:00.014-04:00

This week I had planned on writing about our leanings toward political and social identity groups, but somehow the events of yesterday sidetracked that idea... and to be honest, this week's comments are far removed from anything I ever expected--or wanted to talk about.

So you ask what happened yesterday? Well, you are not going to believe this.

Since returning from Afghanistan I have not had much luck of establishing a regular sleep schedule and I find myself asleep (annoyingly so) during the day, as was the case yesterday afternoon. While napping, I was instantly awakened to the noise of three loud slamming bangs against my front door that shook the house and sent my cat Billie running for her favorite hiding place.

I jumped up, ran to my front door, opened it to see three male teens running away from my house. I then examined the door which is now cracked, the door jam splintered and it immediately dawns on me the the three had just tried to batter my door down! In broad daylight! In the afternoon, no less!

Naturally I immediately called the local police department with a police officer arriving just shy of three minutes. He records my information. One by one--four police cars in all--appear within seconds after that! I compliment our police force for being so prompt!

In any case, the officer toured my yard looking to see if anyone is hiding out in the backyard--or for any evidence left behind. Not finding anything, we talked for about fifteen minutes about what just happened.

The officer tells me that this kind of thing has been happening with a disturbingly increasing frequency. One: he tells me my neighborhood is experiencing difficulties. No kidding! This is not my first brush with such idiocy! While serving in Afghanistan last year some local kids (and not apprehended) were playing with matches and nearly burned down my garage and in August someone--in the dark of night--stole my central air conditioning unit!

Seriously. It is bad enough that these events have occurred, but more so since I was overseas defending our nation and not here to protect my home. It is downright insulting!

Two: the officer tells me things are getting worse as our country's economy turns south. Last month, a similar event occurred, only this time the perpetrators, also reported to be teenagers, gained entry and beat up an 89-year old lady while ransacking her home. This too, occurred in the light of day.

One has to ask, what the hell is going on in my city, and in our country?

Having resided in my current home for the last thirteen years--and in South Bend for 27 years, I have seen the ups and downs (mostly downs) of my neighborhood. The police officer tells me this used to be a nice Polish neighborhood. I agreed, but I know those days are pretty much a memory.

Sadly, my neighborhood has turned into an area that is depressed with many abandoned homes and perhaps the most telling change is that it has primarily become a rental community rather than like its origins where families owned their homes, improved their homes, lived in their homes, raised their families here, and took pride in their neighborhood.

That too, seems to be of a bygone era.

Our local government, well aware of the problem, has in recent years taken some superficial steps to remedy the problem (such as tearing down longtime abandoned buildings, more police patrols, etc.), but not fast enough to suit my tastes.

Ironically, I see some similarities here of some conditions I observed while stationed in Afghanistan.

When poverty takes root, it isn't long before one can see civility and citizenship slide away to be replaced by despair, ugliness and crime. Three: When I mentioned to the officer I was shocked someone would do this in broad daylight, in a home where I have a home security system. His reply was rather disturbing.

He said that these kind of crimes follow a similar scenario: The burglars burst into a home, look for light, easy, valuable things to grab such as DVD players, TV game systems, computers and other valuables... and if necessary, rough up a resident if they happen to be home, and then run for cover.

The criminals, and that is what they are, are in and out of the house in a matter of minutes--much faster than police can usually respond.

After the police have left me standing in my front yard, I make the usual phone calls (I hate to say 'usual' in this kind of situation) to get matters under control. I hear the expected comments: "I'm shocked! Can I help? Are you okay? Please, sell your house--get out--please!"

Now you can call me stupid, but leaving, to me, is not really an option. I like my home, simple it may be, but it is mine; I plan on living here and retiring here someday; AND seriously, who wants to be run off by the random acts of cowards and criminals?

After my friends John and Sherri come over to help me begin the process of repairing the door I began thinking of what I need to do to make sure this does not happen again.

John tells me we need to fortify my house. Sherri questions this, saying, "who wants to live in a fort?" A sentiment I happen to agree with, but when it comes down to it, I can be logical about this situation or I can be reactionary. I choose the former, but... to some degree John is right.

Let's face it, crime is not a matter of logic. And not wanting to be a victim, I have begun considering what options are available to me... some are cheap and easy, some not, some are hard choices and again, some not:

* Move out... not really a choice as far as I am concerned.

* Buy a gun for protection. This, perhaps, is the hardest choice to ponder. In my case, not bloody likely as I have always despised guns! Sure, I know how to use one. I just do not want one in my home (give me a good working phaser, however, and I could probably be coerced).

* I called the police late last night asking if I "could pick her brain" for a few minutes. I asked for advice for someone who does not want a gun... she suggested I keep mace in strategic locations (it does one little good to have mace in the upstairs rooms if criminals were to burst in and you are on the first floor)... she also suggested keeping mace on my car's key chain.

* Ask the police to inspect your home; they are always happy to give helpful tips to crime-proof your home.

* Make sure your doors are sturdy. Mine are--obviously, since the criminals (luckily) did not succeed in busting the door in. Next, and this should be a simple idea, but one so many people never give a moment thought: Lock your doors--day and night... whether you are home or not... ALWAYS!!!

* Keep all windows locked at all times. Outside your home, plant thorny bushes below the windows to make it painful for any would-be intruders, dissuading them from an apparent easy entry.

* Have a home alarm system installed (I have had one for years). If you have an alarm system, test it quarterly (for example, making sure its batteries are working).

* Bond with your neighbors so that everyone keeps an eye out for each other.

* Enclose your property with a security fence.

* Install night-time security (with motion detector) lights.

*Watch your neighborhood for strangers who seem to have no visible purpose being in the area.

* IF you happen to be home when criminals break-in, try to remain calm, do not confront or antagonize the criminals--and if at all possible, get out before you can be harmed. Your things are replaceable, you, on the other hand, are not.

* For some, buying a dog is an answer-- for me, not possible as I am allergic to most dogs.

* Most importantly, know the local police station's phone number... as a reminder, for emergencies call '9-1-1.'

You know, I could get angry (and believe me, yesterday I was); I could wring my hands crying; I could get all reactionary, but really what would that accomplish? And frankly, I refuse to give such lowlifes the satisfaction.

So now a day afterwards, I am sitting here at home tonight thinking about taking care of this situation. But to me, there are matters far more pressing. I am still seeking meaningful employment, still trying to get acclimated to home-life after being deployed overseas for a year, and I really hate having such stupid distractions.

But as they say, this too shall pass--and still, who would have believed it?

And awaaaaay we go

2009-06-09T21:18:00.006-04:00

I'd like to let loose my voice in a more public forum--one that is simply my opinion and not necessarily those of the U.S. Navy (I am a Sailor in the Navy Reserve) where I have proudly served as a photojournalist for nearly fifteen years now (and counting).

What would you, the reader, expect to see here on this site? Lots.

So where to begin? First off, I see myself as an outspoken social commentator. Unlike the majority of servicemembers serving in our Armed Forces, I consider myself a liberal-minded democrat whose opinions, at times, rival the liberalism of Senator Edward Kennedy. You see, I don't see 'liberalism' being the dirty word for which so many would like to paint it to be. I see liberalism, especially socially, as a means of rectifying the social ills that I see plaguing our nation... and yeah, our world.

I suppose on a more personal level I am rather conservative in how I lead my life. Gee, a social liberal and a fiscal conservative mix. What will they think of next?

I pay my bills. I like to treat others as I wish to be treated. I volunteer when and where I can; I laugh; I put my pants on one leg at a time; and believe that people, for the most part, want the best for everybody else--and especially want to leave things better for our children.

So in one aspect, as I write these logs, I expect to foster discussion; I hope to provoke thought; and I will share my thoughts on so many wide-ranging topics...You might see me discussing foreign policy in one breath and how great the new "Star Trek" movie is in the next (really, it is!).

You can expect to read about politics, religion, how I feel media is leading people through manipulation (some ways good, some not so much)...You can expect reading about commercialism, gun ownership rights, literature, the arts, crime (and punishment), capitalism, people's lib (do they still call it that?), animal rights, consumer rights, children's rights, environmentalism, global warming, parental rights, space exploration, education, gay rights, music (yeah!!!), hypocrisy... and countless other topics.

One thing I hope not to do is to demonize those with whom I vehemently disagree--and believe me, there are plenty. I see that as a major problem today. Instead of talking, working to bridge differences, I see people lining up, taking sides and refusing to work rather than moving towards a common goal--that of making for a better life for everyone.

So, one thing I hope we can all agree upon from the onset is that sometimes we will not agree, BUT we will be civil... and we will be respectful of all opinions.

I will post ground rules for discussion later on... hey! this is my first posting and I will learn more about this as I go along.

So might you ask if I am an expert on all of the topics I listed above?

Oh hell no, but like you I do have opinions. This blog will be a journey for me to travel upon-- and I invite you to come along for the ride. Who knows where it will lead, but I hope to have some thought-provoking conversations down the pike.

As the Dave Matthews song says... "so much to say, so much to say..."