Violence and a President Who Seems to Fan the Flames

What you sow, you will reap!  This is an old proverb, but still true.  It is unprecedented to have an American President make statements that advocate for violence.  Acts of hate and violence here and world-wide are early fruits of the harvest.

What You Sow

Here are some examples:

--A President who repeated refers to the Press "is the Enemy of the People"

--A President who applauds an assault on a journalist:

• “Any guy that can do a body slam — he’s my kind of guy,” Trump said to cheers and laughter from the crowd, referring to Rep. Greg Gianforte's  assault on Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs.

--A President who, as a candidate, encouraged the crowds at his rallies to commit violence:

• "Knock the hell out of him!...I promise you I will pay the legal fees.”
• “Maybe he should have been roughed up.”
• “I don’t know if I’ll do the fighting myself or if other people will.

With these and other examples, it beyond credibility that Sarah Huckabee-Sanders said at the White House Daily Press Briefing on 29 June 2017:  “The president in no way, form, or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence.”  This is just another example of a President and aides who call proven lies as their alternative facts.  (Ref. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donald-trump-incitement-violence/)

The Harvest?

• June 29, 2018 - Five dead in shooting at Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland. (Reference)
• October 25, 2018 - White gunman who killed two black people in supermarket made racist remarks before attack. “Whites don’t kill whites,” he said to an armed man who confronted the killer. (Reference)
• October 25, 2018 - Man sends 13 pipe bombs to Democrats who criticized the President. (Reference)
• October 27, 2018 - Man yelled "All Jews must die" as he kills 11 at Synagogue in Pittsburgh. (Reference)

Other acts of harassment and confrontation have occurred.  And there is the Unite the Right Rally in Charlotteville, VA on August 11 to 12, 2017, which included many carrying weapons, wearing Nazi insignia, chanting racist and antisemitic  slogans.  And there is the case of the the apparent assassination of a Washington Post contributor.

While most of the violence has been perpetrated by fringe characters (either with histories of mental illness and/or violence), the word seems to be "come out, it's safe" for the right-wing fringe.  And what is this saying to the world?

You can't sow the seeds of violence and hatred without expecting the harvest of the same! 

The Demeanor of the Candidate

 

On Thursday, much of the nation watched a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding Brett Kavanaugh, the current nominee of President Donald Trump for a seat on the Supreme Court, and allegations of sexual misconduct in his youth.  My impression is that people saw the proceedings colored by some combination of political views and personal experience. 

Democratic supporters see the need to investigate the allegations.  Republican supporters see it as a political show where suddenly these allegations surface just before the Senate needs to vote on the nominee.  

Women who’ve been raped or sexually abused (and those who know these women) may be suffering again through the horror of that experience.  Men may be worried that some forgotten event in their teens or twenties might be dredged up and now it’s a he-said-she-said situation.

While I could comment on all the above, I’m wondering if the trump card isn’t Kavanaugh’s demeanor both in his statement (a diatribe against the Democrats) and his emotion and anger.  If I were his lawyer, I wouldn’t want him on the stand.  If I were on the jury, I’d suspect he’s hiding guilt behind this offence of blame, accusations and anger.  As a juror, I’d probably vote “guilty as charged!”

I don’t think anything will stop the majority Republicans in the Senate from seating him on the high court.  I also suspect that the party in part sees him as red meat for the base:  he may be finally the vote that overturns Roe.  Think of that for the Republicans in the mid-terms and 2020:  the short shelf life for Roe added to the tax cut, beating up on trade partners, defense of the National Anthem, severe reduction in immigration, etc.  So much red meat for the base.

Kavanaugh is the poster child for the party of the angry white man!

More Evil in the Catholic Church

The recent news about evil within the Catholic Church is something I need to speak out about.

First, many say how can one remain a Catholic in light of such evil by priests and the failure of the hierarchy to address these evil acts.  To that I say that many don’t understand what faith and “being part of the Church means.”  Faith does not come from the institutional church or the hierarchy. Faith is a free gift from G-d.  The true meaning of “the Church” is the assembly of the believers, NOT the hierarchy institutional church.  The purpose of pastors, bishops and others in formal roles in the intuitional church is to be faithful servants.  Their authority only exists to the extent they remain faithful servants.  When they fail, they are not the true Church.  But the faithful believers remain the true Church even when the hierarchy fails.

In this regard, these evil acts and failures to act do not shake my faith or beliefs.  I see clearly that evil represents grievous offences before G-d.  And the Church is my Church and NOT that of the hierarchy and priests that failed their duties to G-d and the people of the Church.

Second, the acts of sexual abuse are mortal sins, grievous offences against G-d and G-d’s people.  Only once have I heard a priest or other official of the Church use the term “sin,“ which is accurate, not some lesser term like “failing’ or “lax” or some other term that diminishes the seriousness of the sin.  Once discovered, it was the duty of the hierarchy to realize the sins, and the life-long devastation it has caused to G-d’s little ones. 

The hierarchy then failed to take proper action.  The Act of Contrition speaks of “avoiding the near occasion of sin.”  The hierarchy needed to realize that the only way to keep pedophile priests away “the near occasion of sin” was to remove them from ministry and from any contact with minors. And that their priests need to turn themselves over to civil authorities to faces the due punishment for the civil crimes they committed. This is the correct action that anyone familiar with the old Baltimore Catechism would have realized.

At this point, if the institutional church can’t regulate itself, there needs to be at least an oversite board that investigates and takes proper actions:

1. All pedophile priests and others who committed sexual abuse must be immediately removed from ministry and “de-frocked”.
2. They must turn themselves over to civil authorities and be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
3. Ditto for all in authority who failed to act or covered it up or took improper actions (e.g., moving around priests to other parishes)
4. The investigations and prosecutions must extend up the chain to the Vatican if that’s where the trail leads.
5. States should revise laws to extend the Statute of Limitations to ensure prosecution of offenders

Reform

1. The Institutional Church must determine the root causes.  Is the vow of chastity unsustainable?  Frankly, testosterone is a power drug, and can drive a boy or man to think of and perhaps act on desires that should be curbed.  Having lived with both testosterone and estrogen flowing through me, I especially can testify to the power of the male hormone.  I have come to believe that most men should have the opportunity to express their sexual desires in a loving consensual relationship.  To be a faithful servant and a man, frankly one should not be fighting the unnatural battle that can accompany chastity.  Change needs to be considered.
   
2. There remains a need for oversight and transparency.  We don’t need to know all the minor sins of those in ministry.  But where there is serious sin – such as abuse – it must be called out, put in the spotlight of truth, and appropriate actions taken as I described above.  If we can’t trust the institutional church and hierarchy to perform this role, perhaps a lay oversight role needs to be created.

Summary

• The acts of abuse are mortal sins and serious crimes and full prosecution and removal from ministry is necessary.
• The hierarchy that failed also needs to be removed from positions of authority and prosecuted where there is a basis for that.
• The failure to take appropriate actions undermines the moral authority of the institutional church. 
• The believers have a faith that comes from G-d and not the intuitional church or hierarchy that have failed to protect the vulnerable, G-d’s little ones.  

No Cages; Families Belong Together

The Trump Administration's "zero tolerance" policy has resulted in the US Government treating human beings like animals, stored in cages, separating parents from young children.  Fortunately, the child separation policy has ended, but the damage to the children could be life-long. But the cages remain.

Though the number of persons crossing the southern border without documentation is reduced from year past, somehow this Administration thinks that treating human beings like animals is how to "discourage" people from crossing the border, all while the Administration has done nothing regarding its promised wall funded by Mexico after a year and a half in power.  The Trump development companies could erect luxury condo high-rises or a casino in a couple of years.  What's up with this wall?  Was it just a stunt for the campaign?

A rational policy would look at the areas of high crossing rates, and focus better security there both in terms of walls/fences, surveillance and, officials on the ground.  There should be foreign aid to improve conditions in the countries where people are leaving.  And an information campaign focused on these nations announcing that one needs documentation to enter the US.

Finally, there should be "sanctuary" zones in neutral locations outside the US where those seeking refugee status can remain in a safe place while their appeal is processed.

But treat all humans as humans!!

No cages!

Families kept together! 

Russia is Watching!

Is this possible evidence that Russia is watching the internet in the US?  I haven't published a blog for a few weeks.  But where are all the pageviews coming from?  That former major republic in the once Soviet Union.

Hmmmmm!!!

Interesting that they are using Internet Explorer on a Windows platform.  Perhaps Microsoft should be glad about their market penetration!

Grief in Florida

Where does one begin to describe the grief in Florida, where, yet again, evil intent in a man's heart rips again the fragile vale that separates this domain of the living where we dwell and the domain of death?  Lives lost.  Grief unreconciled.  

We've seen evidence of the carnage caused by this evil, sometimes in the hearts of misguided religious fanatics, sometimes in the hearts of others some with serious mental health issues, and others whose motives remain unknown.  In all cases, the evil consumes lives:  lives ended all too soon.  

And the grief spreads.  To families, to friends, to neighbors, colleagues, acquaintances, and those who hear the news.  Are we even at a point when virtually anyone in this land can name someone who died in a mass killing?

Will these horrors go on forever?  Can they be prevented?

Some point to a failure of the FBI to act on information about this perpetrator.  Some point to the need for more security.  Some point to gun control.  In many cases, there may not be definitive actionable information beforehand.  And in most schools there is a good degree of security, but short of armed troupes, could any security stop a well-armed intruder?

Perhaps, 20 to 30 years ago, the political climate allowed politicians to propose and enact "common sense gun control."  Now, this is virtually impossible in the face of a strong anti-gun-control lobby with ties to the current national majority party.  While millions own fire arms without harming others, in the hands of a person possessed by the evil to kill, a fire arm can magnitude that hate and evil within into the consumption of multiple innocent lives.  The weapon may not be inherently evil, but it can certainly magnify the damage of that evil.

I can only speak for myself, but at times I feel frustration and anger.  At those times, I would not want access to a weapon that would magnify that anger.  Better to wait for it to pass.  Better for it to remain no more than a passing series of pulses in the neurons of my brain.

In the end, there are no easy answers.  But we know that light overcomes the darkness.  We need to reach out and reinforces our bonds with family, friends, neighbors and others we come to know.  We need to talk, with open minds, about how to protect the innocent from the hate, anger, and frustration of those who might make manifest the evil within.  We need bolder leadership to lead the way, a leadership that we don't seem to have fostered of late, but perhaps that form of leadership will arise from the grief in Florida.

Government Not Working? Refund Out Taxes!

With the Federal government shut down, can we get a discount on our Federal taxes? 

I'd propose we get a refund 1/365 of our annual taxes for each day the government isn't working.  If the government isn't working, then refund our taxes!

No Shithole Nations

This week we heard reports that the elected leader of the US used an obscene and derogatory term to refer to Haiti and African nations, saying why do we want people from those nations and not a nation like Norway.

Besides the blatant racism of the statement, it is blatantly untrue that the desirability of an immigrating person is related to the nation from which they come.  As a civil engineer, I've worked with other engineers who have come from these countries, including Haiti, Eritrea, Kenya, and Lesotho, specifically. Besides being nice people, they were also good engineers.

I have to conclude that good and talented people come from all nations, even the poorest nations of the world or the nations where some might not expect talented people to come from.

Some nations may be poor. Some may not have the resorts for the rich and famous. But, there are good and talented people that come from these nations.