Merry Christmas? Is it really?

A couple of days ago we celebrated Christmas. It has historically been the time of year that we set aside to spend time with family, share stories of past times and those who might not be with us any longer. It's the time when Christians celebrate the birth of Christ, although we know he was actually born in the spring, that aside, it's when we choose to celebrate such. It's been the time when we sing songs about the little drummer boy, the town of Bethlehem, Silent Night, etc. Oh, I forgot, we must be politically correct…we sing holiday songs about a white Christmas, Santa Claus coming to town and a red nosed reindeer [We don't want to offend]. What's unfortunate is the fact that many of the tunes we hum, strum and belt out have nothing to do with Jesus or His birth, but more to do with Santa, gifts, and the like. Lately this holiday that was formerly a HOLYday (yea Valerie, I used that one) has relegated itself to a time when we stress about giving gifts to those we love (and some we don't like) because it's time to do it and it really wouldn't make any sense to express these feelings in this manner at any other time of the year. It's like the day after Halloween (some wait until Thanksgiving) folks rush to put decorations of every sort all over their yard, house, and car. They decorate the tree in the front yard, the house with lights and the front door with a wreath. Inside they have an enormous tree clad with even more lights, ornamentation, and a star on top. If asked they'll tell you they are just doing it up right to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Hmmm…I wonder? What symbolic purpose (or literal one for that matter) does a decorated tree, eggnog, mistletoe, Christmas stockings, a fat man in a red and white suit or eight reindeer serve to represent the Son of God? Not trying to be funny, this isn't a brain teaser. It's something that I've pontificated for many years.

I can safely say that none of those things (okay 90% of them) done at Christmas traditionally don't have the faintest bit to do with Christ, the have absolutely nothing to do with the true reason for the season, which, is the birth of Jesus Christ.

There are some who say (some even mean it) that they participate in the practice of giving gifts to symbolize the gift that God gave us in His son, Jesus, yea whatever. Honestly, that's wonderful, if you truly feel this way and exhibit it in your actions every other day of the year. That can be marginalized, but then that leaves the other stuff, like for instance the stockings? Or perhaps the Christmas tree? I've never heard of any correlation to my savior. I'm not even bringing up the fat dude in the red suit.

Don't get me wrong, I have, for years, written these off as nondetrimental customs. These things, in and of themselves, really mean nothing, right? It means nothing to exchange gifts…to put up a tree and decorations…to lie to kids about a fat guy in a red and white suit, flying reindeer and elves…perhaps there's no major issue with the Christmas songs that don't acknowledge or give honor to Jesus. On the other hand, I could say that there's something wrong with it all. Especially when we find ourselves focusing more on the "stuff" surrounding the holiday and not the reason it came about in the first place. I believe, if things detract from our understanding and celebration of Christ it makes that item an idol in our lives. Scripture tells us what God thinks of idols. We are not to place anything in higher regard than God himself.

It can't just be me who feels that Christmas can be so overwhelming that it's become quite irritating. There are some who actually work they're entire being around Christmas and its activities. They spend countless hours and trips to stores to try and figure out when and where to get the best gifts. Contemplating how they can decorate their house to look better than their neighbor's. Coordinating the holiday menu, who's coming over and the seating chrats, in addition to everything else surrounding the events, parties, and get togethers. Does it stop?

All that being said, I haven't a misgiving that we've lost sight of the true purpose of Christmas or what it should really be about. I'm not out to change the world and I'm not foolish enough to think I can change the manner in which our society celebrates this holiday (or Easter for that matter, but that's a different story). I can only do what I can do. What is that you ask? I make an intentional effort to focus on the "who" behind the "why" and share with those I love about Christ, and His coming to Earth for the sole purpose of dying for their sins. I'd do this in hopes that they might accept His gift, gain eternal life, and have the most memorable Christmas ever. What better gift to give to Christ during the celebration of His birth than a saved soul, or perhaps two.

It's just my opinion, but I'm not wrong!

How do you reconcile that?

    A few days ago an event occurred at the nation's largest military installation. I got a tweet from CNN stating that there was a shooting and 7 people were killed and 20 injured. A little while later that number grew to 9 and 25; then 11 and 27 and 13 and 30 was the final count. Each time I read the texts I was more and more unsettled. How did a terrorist get onto the base? What message were they trying to send? Did they catch them? Then the word came back that the person responsible for this bloodbath was a member of the US Army. I was taken aback, and then I became enraged! This guy had not only been a member of the Army for several years, but he was a psychiatrist; one who's sworn to aide those who had come back from the battlefield to deal with their stressors. This man had committed the unthinkable…he'd destroyed the trust that a soldier has with their therapist, the trust in another soldier. His actions have thrown into question the trustworthiness of every person of Middle Eastern descent that are in the armed services. He's caused the trustworthiness of every person of Islamic faith in the military forces to come into question. His deplorable, inexplicable actions has by default, weakened our military forces on the battlefield.

    The actions of one can cause a ripple effect throughout a community, organization or country. Immediately following Sept 11 you were hard pressed to find anyone who wanted to sit on a plane next to someone of Middle Eastern heritage. It's unfortunate that the actions of a few people affect the lives, shape the prejudices of and mold the thought processes of so many others. It may not be fair, but it is reality. I may not totally agree with it, but I understand it and have been guilty of having predispositions about certain groups due to the actions of others within that group. It's something that we all need to be mindful of. I dare not say that we shouldn't 'profile' (the new politically correct term), especially since all too often this 'profiling' is true. Had our military not been afraid of not being politically correct and offending someone they could have averted this action and the loss of life at Ft Hood. Its ironic how they always come out with information they knew before the killing started that they thought meant nothing. It's ironic how they had someone on the radar prior to the time they did whatever they did, but didn't act on their findings, inclinations or evidence. I'm befuddled by this every time it happens.

I chose the title because it was a question that was posed to me Felicia, childhood friend that I recently reconnected with via facebook. I posted that I'd like Hasan (the Ft Hood killer) to undergo a series of torturous events over a period of time before dying an agonizing death. More specifically I said, "…have him kept alive and tortured continually for at least 6 months before allowing him to die from starvation and exhaustion". She initially asked a question I thought was humorous. She asked if I was serious. I retorted with a tirade about the casualties he left and how other methods of death were too good for him before telling her I was indeed serious. That's when the questions came, "So how you do you reconcile this position with your religious beliefs?" This question should have put me in a position where I reevaluated my belief system and the position I took on the treatment of the perpetrator. However, it didn't. I got even more angry and determined that he ought to be tortured. You see, I was reacting out of the emotion of seeing soldiers die senselessly. I was emotional because of the traitorous actions of Hasan. As I indicated in one of my responses my feelings were 'less than Christian'; I went on to say that I wouldn't apologize for having these feelings. This statement needs explication…we are all emotional creatures and sometimes react out of those emotions. Whether they are happiness, anger, jealousy, etc you see, I was reacting out of emotion and expressed those emotions. For feeling as passionate as I did about the subject (and still do) I can't apologize. I was extreme in my feelings and still today can't bring myself to retract them. He has negatively affected this country, our protection system (military). This angers and bothers me greatly. I'm not perfect, and have never professed to be. However I know when I've allowed something to bother me to a greater extent than it should It's kind of like what we were told when we were kids, "You allow others to control you when you allow them to get you angry".

I have a respect for men and women in uniform unlike any other. I acutely understand the sacrifices they make of time with their families, time for themselves and the mental toll some of the things they have to do has on them. I understand how you can be given a mission and not agree with the objective, but have to carry it out anyway. Furthermore I understand the trust a soldier has and the bond they form with their psychiatrist, therapist, counselor or whomever it is they unload their burdens to. For this reason, I am still incensed and can't see anything less than a torturously painful death for this individual. I know I'm not right, but it's how I feel. When I'm able to think differently I'll let you know. By he way, it's not ego…it's anger.

It's just my opinion and this time I know I'm wrong!

 

 

I'm Sorry Non Christians...I'm Sorry

Having grown up as a son of the parsonage, I have been around the church and church folks all my life. I learned in latter years about being a Christian and what that has meant. There have been times that I was downright embarrassed to admit that I’m a Christian. You know, like when Falwell questioned the sexuality of Tinky Winky…when some preachers preach racial division from the pulpit…when some pedophile professing God molests a child…you know times like that. Recently I experienced another of those times as I sat and listened to a Baptist pastor who was explaining to the interviewer he was speaking to that he was actively praying for the death of Barack Obama, OUR president.

Why did this embarrass me you might ask. It embarrassed me because it’s difficult enough to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ then when you add in whack jobs like this proclaiming to serve the same god you’re trying to convince someone else to serve. Personally, I don’t serve that guy’s god (notice the small g). My God is a God of peace, joy and love…not of hatred, death and malice. Especially since I haven’t posted in a while, I decided to just put out an apology to those whose view of Christianity has been skewed by those who really don’t truly represent Christ and those who, in a moment of weakness or stupidity, misrepresented Him in some way.

For every Christian who’s truly endeavoring to live in ‘Christ-like’ life. For every Christian who understands that the ‘church’ as an institution hasn’t properly served its calling in spreading God’s word. For each and every Christian that has sat in the pews and winced when they heard their pastors (or other man of God) say something that you truly know was their personal opinion. For every Christian who lives their life dailytrying to convey God’s message of joy, hope, peace, and love, I offer this apology.

• I apologize that you’ve had to deal with the idiocy of the camera-whores who stand on a soapbox and prostitute the Lord for whatever their protest is this week.
• I apologize that you’ve had to endure the stares of church folk who judge you based on what you wear, who you’re with, your race, or any other trivial reason that really doesn’t matter to God.
• I apologize that there are those who preach grace and mercy, but fail to extend either when someone falls into a situation in their life when they need either, or both.
• I apologize that you’ve had to be ridiculed, judged and insulted by the homosexual, adultering, fornicating, molesting church folks who openly bash you as you deal with the same issue.
• I apologize for you having to deal with the guy on your commute that cuts you off in traffic, curses you out, and gives you the middle finger as they swerve into the church parking lot to teach Sunday school, Bible study, or preach the Word.
• I apologize that you have to listen to the rants of those fanftics that pervert the Word to say that we ought to hate muslims, atheists, or anyone else who doesn’t believe in Him.
• I apologize that you’ve had to listen to and be subjected to the jeers, stares and insults of those who profess Christ, but treat you as though you’re nothing because you don’t.
• I apologize for you having to sit and listen to the sermons of those who think that all they need to do is share scriptures and washed out spiritual clichés and you’d get saved.
• I apologize that they didn’t take the time to realize that all you needed was someone to talk to…or a shoulder to lean on.
• I apologize for you having to deal with those self righteous, Bible toting, always suit wearing church folks who treat you like you’re going to hell because you like jeans a t-shirts, or piercings or tattoos or whatever.
• I apologize for every act of unrighteousness that you’ve experienced in corporate life at the hands of a Christian.
• I apologize for you being lied to, lied on, preyed on and victimized in the name of God.
• I apologize for the sermons you heard and the false Biblical teachings that are designed to separate you from your hard earned finances (especially in this recession).
• I apologize to every altar boy, youth participant, child congregant, summer camp attendee that was every touched, fondled, molested, raped, degraded, emasculated, or otherwise hurt at the hands of a representative of the church.
• I apologize that the church that these people represented failed to reach out to you and exhibit the love of God after your innocence was taken and your faith shattered by their actions.
• I apologize that they turned their backs on you, told you to keep quiet and may or may not have offered you a settlement as they left you to reassemble your life, faith and image of God.
• I apologize for the times you went to the church for comfort, advice and guidance only to hear your issues being discussed in Bible study or immortalized in a sermon. Especially those times that they told everyone what you were dealing with so they could ‘pray for you’.
• I apologize for those who fail to meet the need of the community, share the word of God, feed and clothe the unfortunate because they have ‘better things to do’ or could be working overtime.
• I apologize for you having to deal with the attitude of those who came to help you, but did so with an attitude, complaining, or just made you feel stupid or less intelligent than them while they did it.
• I apologize for your embarrassment when you couldn’t repay the funds you needed that a Christian gave to you and they made sure everyone knew it.
• I apologize for those extremists who engage in activities that hurt others, destroy private, or public property, and blame it on God.
• I apologize for those who will overlook thievery, adultery, lying, and all other forms of sin to beat the gay community over the head because they are ‘outside of the will of God.’
• I most humbly and ashamedly apologize for you having to wonder if prayers for the death of someone else is what Christians do. For you having to wonder if pastors [or other Christians] can really determine or decide whether you are saved or not. For you having to listen to the lies, hatred, and ignorance of a man who has been entrusted with the role of shepherd of a flock of believers.
• I further apologize for each and every other infraction, insult, pain, or wrong done to oyu in the name of the Lord...it is not His will that you would suffer.

If you can find it in your heart to forgive “us” I'm sure there's a Christian around you somewhere who would gladly share the love of God with you. Or we'd be glad to just talk about the weather, sports, or world news…

Mr. Anderson, and those like him, infect the minds of those who don’t know God, know little about religion and turns them away. They paint us all with one stroke, much like our society has done to the Muslim community. I pray that you realize that we are not all like that; we don’t all desire our president to get brain cancer; we’re not all extremists.

I can honestly say that what Mr. Anderson said in no way represents the God I serve, neither the Bible I read, nor those that serve the God I do and read the Word I do.

You see, the scriptures in the Bible I read directs Christians to pray for those who lead our government, not for their downfall or their demise, but that God’s will be done through them.

Scripture dictates that we love our neighbor as we love ourselves…no one would pray for brain cancer for themselves.

Spiritual folks and religious folks have, for years, manipulated God’s Word for their own personal purpose. Hence I quote no scripture, but encourage you to read, decipher, and discern the Word of god on your own. I guarantee you’ll not come to the same conclusion of Mr. Anderson.

‘It’s Just My Opinion, but I’m Not Wrong’[look it up]

Goal Setting…at another level

I had some goals I wanted to reach by the age of 30, some I reached, while others I didn’t. You can rest assured that none of them were anywhere near the heights that Desmond Hatchett reached. He may have had a goal of finishing his post secondary education before reaching the age of 30. He may have wanted to own his own home by the age of 30. Perhaps he may have even desired to become an entrepreneur before reaching the tridecade mark in life. Regardless of any of those, this moron reached a new high, or shall I say low. He fathered 21 children before reaching the age of 30. According to reports he had 2 years where he had four kids born in the same year. How foolish is this garbage? Everyone is up in arms over octomom, as well they should be, but how many other Desmond Hatchetts are there out there? How many other idiots are there that father kids they can’t support. This imbecile even had the audacity to say he was a good father because he knew all their names and birthdays. A good father? A good father? It’s obvious to me he didn’t come from a household where there was one present. Least not a GOOD ONE!! Otherwise he’d not have made such a stupid statement. He even said that it's okay that he fathered all of those kids. What a moron!!! Do we really want to raise his kids?

Make no mistake, I am the one who said that we ought to go to a program where you have to get a license to have kids. We all know at least one person that really doesn’t need to be a parent. Who suffers? Yep…the kids. I’m also the one that says I would much rather my tax money go to sterilize a young mother than have her keep popping out babies she can’t afford. I recently met a young lady who was 24 with 5 kids and no job. 3 of her 5 kids were in special education in the public school system. Two of those really didn’t need to be in there, but she gets a check each month as long as they’re in the program. Again, I say there needs to be some sort of licensing program or sterilization for idiots. They should never be allowed to reproduce, they just make more idiots.

Now back to Hatchett. This fool went to court in Knoxville, Tn for failure to pay child support and it all hit the fan. All of these kids are under the age of 12 according to reports by various news agencies. He was in court for 11 different cases of failure to pay child support. Just to exhibit his idiocy, he’s 29 and working for minimum wage. Even if they take the Tennessee maximum of 50% of is check it would net each baby momma $2.74. That’s preposterous. This is the reason I believe that we need to not only sterilize the stupid, require licensure for the masses and morons. I believe animals like this should be caged. He obviously can’t afford to pay for the kids and he doesn’t have sense enough to stop creating lives. Therefore, he needs to be medically or chemically castrated and incarcerated as a result of the reckless and irrational behavior he has exhibited. Some may not agree, but I believe we have too many social programs without standards, requirements or requisites. If you can’t afford to have a child, you ought not be allowed to have it. If you father a child and you can’t afford to support them, there needs to be some sort of repercussions or required restitution that they have to pay. The child is the one who will suffer in the end. Let’s make laws that really protect our kids!!!

It’s just my opinion, but I’m not wrong!!!

Intolerance or just being honest…depends on your position

A few short days ago Miss California found that stating her true feelings and expressing her convictions may not always be accepted. She learned the stark reality that sometimes you get negative attention for standing on your beliefs. She’ll find in days to come that some may pull away from her for allowing her morality to mold her responses. Unfortunately she’ll learn the hard fast lesson that intolerance doesn’t go both ways.

I’m not a pageant watcher by any means [real talk], part of the reason is some of the canned responses to the questions posed to the contestants and the insincere premise of the whole thing. Besides, there may be something else on more interesting. You know something where someone is getting shot, stabbed, kidnapped, or blown up [lol]. However, I was taken aback when I heard of the backlash and controversy surrounding the response that Carrie Prejean, Miss California gave when asked whether she thought the decision on gay marriage should be left up to the states [thanks Clark Kent]. Her response wasn’t something that the person asking the question was prepared for. Perez Hilton, the self proclaimed gossip queen, an openly gay man, asked her this loaded question. I suppose the he assumed that because she is from California that she’d have another response. I'd venture to assume that he thought he was lofting a softball for her to grandstand and talk baout how she supports the union of men with men and women with women. HA! Much to his chagrin, she did what not too many other contestants do, she shared her personal belief and opinion. In other words, she actually answered a question.

Since then, she’s been lambasted, ridiculed, and hilton has berated her [complete with obscenities and harsh insults] on his personal blog. I believe she ought to be applauded for speaking her mind and not saying, ‘…I believe we should have world peace…’ or ‘I’d like to abolish poverty in the world…’ While I still won’t be watching any pageants anytime soon, I applaud her for doing something on a televised, highly media driven stage, that many don’t do in their personal lives for fear of backlash or having people look at you funny, she stood on her principals and stated a position!

I do, however, have a greater concern. I wonder? Had she answered the question the opposite way and said she’s fully in support of gay marriage...as a matter of fact my best friend is gay [okay maybe not the last part], would there be as much of an issue be made of her response. We all know that there wouldn’t be anyone to say anything at all. They'd talk about how smart she is and how she's so open. Here’s the issue, if you offend the gay community look out. They come after you full force and don’t believe in fighting fair. They say there’s nothing like a woman scorned I beg to differ…try pissing off a punk [I’m just sayin].

Case and point, proposition 8 in California; they got it on the ballot, the people voted, gay marriage wasn’t made legal. That’s the way things work in a democracy. That wasn’t good enough for them. They started picketing churches, blaming blacks and Hispanics for voting it down, and even took it to the state supreme court. We live in a democracy…we decide things by voting. Unless it doesn’t go their way…or the response isn’t what they want to hear…then it’s intolerance.

For too long, people in general and Christians in particular have allowed our beliefs, teachings, rituals, etc to be trampled on and said nothing about it for fear of being labeled intolerant or bigoted. I, for one, stand up and applaud Carrie Prejan for stating your opinion, not to offend, not to belittle, not to be malicious, but BECAUSE YOU WERE ASKED!

To Mr/Miss [or whatever you are] Perez Hilton, I say DON’T ASK A QUESTION YOU AREN’T PREPARED TO HEAR THE ANSWER TO!!!

Kgalema Motlanthe said it best, “You can’t improve any situation by staying away from it.” Stand up, state your position and be ready to herald and defend it against the world.


It’s just my opinion, but I’m Not Wrong!

Tragic situation, may cause tragic reaction

It wasn’t a great feeling to wake up this Saturday morning, I was taken aback by reports of three police officers losing their lives in Pittsburgh at the hands of an extremist idiot; a man who shot police like dogs in the street when they responded to a domestic disturbance call. This after trying to absorb the carnage left in New York with an immigrant taking the lives of 13 other people, before killing himself after barricading the back door of the community center with his car before entering and opening fire. This not a week removed from Oakland police officers losing their lives at the hands of another man who made the wrong decision. Unfortunately in coming weeks you will see the flags of those who desire to create new gun legislation waving. They'll be calling for lawmakers to make new laws, ban more guns and make it harder for law abiding citizens to defend themselves.

Anyone who knows me [or has read my previous musings] knows I am an advocate of gun rights while at the same time being an advocate of personal responsibility. Decreasing the availability of firearms to those who are law abiding will not solve our issues in this country. I am a firm believe that every law abiding citizen who desires to, should be able to carry a handgun on their person wherever they go. I personally believe that this would decrease crime so much so that many criminals would have to go and get a job. Now, in the case of these idiots, just as in the Virginia Tech and Columbine situations, these were crazy for real. They just wanted to kill some people. Having an armed citizenry would only have stopped them before they killed more. Again, more lives saved! Look, I know there are those who believe that no one should own a gun, there are those who believe that only the police and military should have them; but we have to decide if we want to live in reality or fantasy. In a utopian society we would have no need for guns, or police, or military for that matter. In reality, we live in a society where other people live whose morals and principles are not necessarily like ours.

I was ecstatic on Sept 1, 2008. Why you ask. That day in the state of Texas, the 'Castle Doctrine' took effect. Let me explain what this means. If someone breaks into my home, I am allowed by law to put a bullet in him and have no fear of being sued by the family of the intruder, or him for that matter if he lives. It basically states, that your home is your castle and you have the right to defend it against those who might mean you no good. It further allows for your vehicle to be, in essence, an extension of your home and allows you to carry a handgun in your vehicle as long as you meet 3 simple criteria: 1. It is concealed 2. You are not in the commission of a crime 3. You are not on a gang/organized crime watch list or associate. I don't have an issue with this. However, some people do and this portion of the bill is being contested by some lawmakers. You see, I've always had issue with having to determine if someone who has broken into my home in the middle of the night is armed before engaging him. Now, all I need to do is put my hands on my 45.


Let's not handle this in the wrong manner. There are between 43 and 55 million households in this country that own guns, that’s almost 250 million guns. Even if you add up all of the murders in the US for the last year that’s wouldn’t add up to half a percent of those person. Don’t get me wrong, these are tragic events that should never happen, but taking drastic actions is not the answer. Let’s think about it…if their logic is correct, we should ban cars because auto accidents kill more people annually than guns. We should also ban alcohol because DWI accidents add more deaths as well. We have some great laws on the books…how about enforcing them? Then we can see what's needed in addition to that. Emotional or logical…reality or fantasy…solution or reaction? I wonder which we'll see from lawmakers. Unfortunately with a democratic powerbase running the country right now, I think it'll be an emotional reaction to a perceived fantasy.

It's Just My Opinion, But I'm Not Wrong.

What’s going on?

May 21, 1971 Marvin Gaye released a song that asked the same question that I pose today. ‘What’s going on?’ I mean what’s really happening to morality, personal responsibility and common sense in this society?


Let me elucidate…on one hand we have an unemployed moron having a ‘litter’ of kids after she already has six running around the house. I wanted to post when the story first broke, but I decided to wait until we got a little more information. Unfortunately we’ve come to realize that we’ll be financing the life of these kids. She already has a couple of special needs kids at home, now a couple of the new ones will be special Olympians in the future as well. The most frustrating information comes in the fact that she’s on public assistance. What!?!?!? Who authorized this crap? There are plenty of people out there who legitimately need the assistance of their neighbors and friends (our tax money) and I personally think this heifer’s application should have been denied. She even set up a website to accept donations! She’s already getting donations every time she gets the food stamp debit card refilled. I stated when the kids were first born that I thought it was crazy, but I didn’t care. Now that I have learned that I’ll be paying child support for them, I believe I ought to have a say in the way they are raised. Isn’t that fair?

I say, take all those kids form this maniacal moron, sterilize her before she spontaneously procreates again, and put those kids into foster care or allow loving families to adopt them. This way they can be raised by someone who can be a role model to them rather than showing them how to have their hands out. Everyone involved in the insemination of this idiot needs to have their licenses revoked for being stupid. Did they not think about the burden they would be placing on society? Better yet, didn’t they care?


I read a story this weekend about the 12 and 15 year olds who are now parents. The article stated that their parents were ‘supportive’ of them being parents. Hmmm…could that be because they HAVE TO support them. Neither of these nimrods is old enough to get a job, have no skills to speak of and have no idea what work is. This is another child that ought to be in the foster/adoption system. I think we should put together legislation that calls for people to have to be licensed to have children in this country. I am sick of people having kids they can’t feed, clothe, or house and thinking that our society has a responsibility to aide in their irresponsibility. My personal desire would be to open a series of huge orphanages throughout the country and remove kids from the homes of those who irresponsibly keep having them, use government funds to tie their tubes, and stop this perpetual cycle.

In the land of the free, home of the brave why don’t we have parents being parents and raising and taking care of their own kids? Why don’t we have medical professionals held liable for reckless decisions they make in the care of patients? Why don’t we place a limit on the amount of funds a person can get publicly? Why don’t we have some parameters on those who collect public funds rather than giving them away to anyone who’s able to complete the application? A reform of personal responsibility, deportation of ALL illegals, and reform of all government aid programs would alleviate the need for any government stimulus plans.

It’s Just My Opinion, But I’m Not Wrong!

Tim Tebow: A Real Role Model ?

I know, the first thing some of you will say is why is he talking about this guy? Those who really know me, will know why. I learned of him while he was in high school and my wife and I talked about his outlook when they interviewed him then. He comes from a family of Christian missionaries who chose to home school him, but allow him to participate in high school athletics and other extracurricular activities [this can be done in any school district-your taxes pay for it]. I’m not a fan of Florida, but after seeing how this guy has handled himself with all of the notoriety and used it to witness while still doing mission trips between seasons/classes, I am a Tebow fan.


Too often you see athletes who proclaim their love Christ, but let that get lost as their fame grows. This kid exhibits a great combination of athleticism, character and faith, not to mention being humble at the same. He was even criticized for using yet another opportunity to share God’s word by putting John 3:16 in the black paint under his eyes for the BCS bowl game. Then he opted to stay in school for his senior year out of loyalty to the school. Come on!


Both on and off the field this kid has carried himself as a role model. Hos exhibitions of Christ’s love transcend racial boundaries. I don’t care what race, if you have a son who’s an athlete, this kid is someone they can look up to and pattern themselves after. On the field, he earned a Heisman trophy, a tremendous work ethic, and he has now earned another national championship. Off the field, his love for Christ is shown in his missions and ministering in hospitals and prisons.


How many other college players (or pro for that matter) are there out there that they mention their mission trips and prison ministry almost every time they’re talked about (on TV, in print and on the radio). It reminds me of when Kurt Warner was vocal about his love for Christ and they cut him off. It’s funny for me to watch some of the sportscasters squirm as they share the things he does. Sometimes, I think it’s because of human nature. They can’t explain why he does what he does. They can’t explain why he doesn’t take a camera crew with him every time he goes. This kid (who’s not even making pro money yet) does so much for others that some people have to ask themselves Why? The beautiful thing is they really know the answer, but don’t want to admit it. I know what it is and I’ll say it--his faith in Christ and his walk as a Christian.


This blog has been mostly about political topics and stuff, but I care about and think about more than politics. This kid has shown himself (to date) to be the real deal. I hope when he gets to the next level he keeps it up. He’s a role model for kids, other athletes and Christian men. He’s handling himself in the way we, as Christians, should live, with an abundance of good works, living a life above reproach and boldly sharing the gospel whenever he can. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Tebow is perfect, but like many Christian athletes before him, he’s using his spotlight to exhibit to others what it means to be a Christian. Whether you like Florida, the SEC, or not, Christians ought to be a fan of this kid and back him up on that. We ought to all strive to live that kind of life as an example for those we come into contact daily. Pray for God’s continued strength and guidance for him. He’s the real deal!

It’s Just My Opinion, But I’m Not Wrong!

YOUR President...MY President...OUR President

Every since Nov 5 we have all heard it and some of you reading have made some of the statements, but have you really put it into perspective? I sat listening to Warren Ballentine (yes frat I’m calling you out) and he made the statement that makes my skin crawl. He said, “Y’all’s president only has a few days left.” “My president will be sworn in on Jan 20th” To be a barrister and one who quotes the constitution on a regular basis this bothers me. While I’m talking about Ballentine, he’s not the only one who makes foolishly racist statements like this. Let’s look at it this way…if a white person would say, ‘…my president is leaving office on Jan 20 and y’all’s president will be sworn in that day.” There would be picketing, protesting and acting a fool until he was thrown off the air. No, not in this case; he has callers calling in agreeing with him and saying the same racist crap. There were even some idiots calling in after the shoe throwing incident saying they wished Bush would have gotten hit. How stupid can you be??? He is still YOUR president as long as you live in America!! Others saying, “…secret service better respond better when Obama takes office...” What??? Dumb as all outdoors!!!


Here in Dallas there will be an inaugural ball at the House of Blues. I heard the ad for it on the radio a couple of times, but then one time I really heard it. The radio personality said, “…come out and celebrate the inauguration of our first president.” What?!?!?! He’s not our first president!!! He’s our 44th president!!! The black community lauds Ebony, Jet and Essence for hiring permanent white house correspondents to start working after the inauguration. What?!?!?! Did these magazines just realist they are in America??? This is crap. How would the black community react if several magazines or television networks pulled their white house correspondents now that Obama’s president? How about if Fox decided they didn’t need a White House correspondent any longer? What’s different about that than BET sending one now; after all these years. Even when they had a legitimate news program (thanks Jackie and Ed), they didn’t have a full time DC correspondent.


We keep whining about what ‘main stream media’ and white folk do to slight us, but if you turn the mirror around we do the same thing, if not worse. I love being American and I love being black. I ain’t African American/Afro-American or whatever else you want to call yourself. Divisiveness must end and we must begin with ourselves sand stop using the actions of others as justification for our own ignorance. As I say this I think about the HBCU’s; I won’t go there now, but think about how you’d look at a school that bragged about being a HWCU. With an African American (he’s truly one, a generation away from the continent) in the White House we need to stop separating ourselves from our other countrymen. We’re all Americans and regardless of who’s in the White House they are YOUR president, MY president, OUR president!!! Even if you don't respect the man, respect the OFFICE...President of the United States. Not President of black people, Asians, whites, or any other segment of our population, but president to ALL Americans. If you don't consider yourself American, then move to whatever country you claim and get the hell out of mine!

It’s just my opinion, but I’m not wrong.

Was it a Waste?

We all recall the turn of events that shaped national headlines for weeks in late 2007. We all recall the busses converging on rural Louisiana to protest the treatment of 6 young men labeled the ‘Jena 6’. These young men [Bryant Purvis, Corwin Jones, Mychal Bell, Jesse Ray Beard, Robert Bailey, and Theo Shaw] were charged with attempted murder for assaulting a lone white school mate [Justin Barker] in response to the hanging of a noose on a tree in the schoolyard. Many of us have read the stories and know the background of the situation. However, I was looked upon as deranged when I asked a question about this situation. While everyone was rallying, organizing to go to Jena, and protesting the injustices, I was asking questions. I wanted to know a bit more about these young men and their histories. I wanted to find out a bit more about Justin Barker as well.


Historically, we have been a people who reacted on emotion rather than information. Case and point, the Tawana Brawley case that propelled Sharpton into the national spotlight. This turned out to be a lie. The stripper and the Duke Lacrosse team…no comment. You see, we have too many folks who cry wolf and we keep jumping to their aide before we find out the whole story. The actions of these young men since the whole rally, protests, etc. has shown me that I was right in the first place. My personal opinion was that they were properly charged with attempted murder. I don’t care what they hung from a tree, to have 6 people jump on one, you have the propensity to kill them (regardless of the race of the individuals involved) therefore, even without the presence of weapons, the charge was adequate in my opinion. However, somebody thought it wasn’t right so they protested.


Then, after the charges were reduced and everything was resolved they were paraded around the country as heroes. They went to the BET image awards, several talk shows, etc, it was one big party. It was almost as if their actions were being lauded as proper. The result of which is one of the young men moving to Dallas to live with a relative, who played for the Cowboys, and trying to run over a white boy at his new high school with a car, because he made him mad. They gave him probation and community service. Another one was later charged with assault for another fight he was involved in. Oh, by the way he had also been charged with trespassing for another incident he was involved in. Another one was charged with simple battery, simple criminal damage to property less than $500 and simple assault. He was given a suspended sentence and house arrest. He also had 13 disciplinary actions against him at school (recommended for expulsion). They later suspended his probation and allowed him to move to Connecticut to use Jena 6 defense funds to pay his tuition at a private school. Then you have the moron of the year who was arrested for leaving the jurisdiction while on bail and speeding in an uninsured vehicle. Later, there was the shoplifting, resisting arrest, and simple assault charges that were levied on Christmas Eve.


Some will argue that these young men got into this trouble because of the attitude toward them in the Jena community. This can be refuted by the fact that several of these young men’s troubles continued when they let the small Louisiana town. Others will say that the pressure of this whole situation was too much for them to handle. To this I say, as I often do, that we all have to deal with the decisions we make in life. They decided to work as a group (of six) to fight, and possibly maim or kill, one classmate and therefore need to deal with what goes with that. Then, to further exhibit the intelligence, or lack thereof of this group of miscreants, Mychal Bell uses a .22 caliber gun to try and kill himself. When I heard this I said, “What?!?!?! Why didn’t he just hit himself with rocks?” How stupid can you be to use such a small gun to do the deed? Being from the country he had to know that he wouldn’t be successful. To further exhibit his stupidity, he shot himself in the chest. What?!?!?!? He didn’t want death, he wanted attention. Nothing more! All reports state that it was a non life threatening injury. He’s shown himself to be an ignorant coward who misses the spotlight so much so that he’ll do anything to get back into it.
By the way, I’m also sick of black folk using the excuse, “If it had been a white boy…” How about this…how about we don’t commit crimes or put ourselves in a position to be maliciously prosecuted? How about that? It’s time out for us to justify our actions, or errors in judgment, by the fact that others are getting away with it. That’s crap and we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard than that. We can do right, we can walk the path, and we can be role models for your own kids and clean up our own communities.


What took place with these young men in Jena was a travesty on many levels. These young men weren’t treated fairly by the legal system, but no in the way that you’re thinking. We live in a society that levies penalties on its citizens for their actions, or infractions of the laws that are in place. What we have effectively told these guys is they were right to beat their classmate to a pulp with a 6 to 1 ratio. What we have told them is that they are above the law, and many of them are living like they are. What we told them is that if we protest, make noise and scare some folk we can get out of trouble, even if we are wrong. I don’t care if some Asian kid, white kid, Hispanic kid, or any other ethnicity got away with it. I was raised with the mindset, don’t put yourself in a situation you aren’t willing to suffer the consequences for. Yes, they should have been upset about the noose in the tree. Yes they should have been upset about the other events that took place in their community. However, none of that justifies one student being assaulted by 6 at the same time. They chose this path and should have suffered some consequences for their actions.


However, our community lauded their actions and treated them as heroes. Now we see the result. Had I been one of the ‘Jena 6’ my mother would not have allowed the parading across the country from show to show, event to event these young men did. They were wrong for what they did and should have suffered the consequences for their actions. Since they didn’t, and haven’t for consequent actions, they will continue to act in a manner that is above the law and outside of the parameters of our society. We created this monster, now we’ll have to wait to see how it looks as it grows up. Don’t get me wrong, they can change, should they choose to make different decisions, but based on present actions and immediate past decisions, I don’t see it.


It’s just my opinion, I Pray I’m Wrong.