Thou Shall Not

Thou . . . . shall . . . . not . . . . ?

 

Thou . . . . shall . . . . not . . . . question.

Thou shall not question?

Thou . . . . shall . . . . not . . . . QUESTION! 

THOU shall not question?

THOU! . . . . shall . . . . not . . . . question!

Thou shall NOT question?

Thou . . . . shall . . . . NOT! . . . . question!

Why?

Martin Luther King - 2012

January 16^th is the only national holiday that commemorates the peace and justice work of a U. S. citizen.

I’m a Vietnam veteran and for me, Martin Luther King‘s most powerful speech was on April 4^th of 1967.   “Beyond Vietnam” directed attention to the triplets of war – militarism, materialism, and racism.  All of these lead to moral and financial poverty.

When I was in Vietnam I saw many children.   Every time I look at a child I see our greatest national resource.  It pains my heart to see our children’s future being depleted by our government’s fixation on invasions, occupations, death and destruction.  Every dollar spent on “defense” is a dollar that could have been used to bring our over 15 million children out of poverty.

 On this national holiday read “Beyond Vietnam”.   Contemplate the words of this brave and magnificent man.  Think about what you can do to bring peace and justice into the U.S.A. and protect our greatest national resource.

Age

As I get further down the path of life I think about things and question things I've never thought about deeply before. One is aging. For me, age has a number of components, some of which we can control. The one component most discussed is chronological age. Most don't want to get "old" - but unless the numbers keep growing, we're dead. So the question for me is, what is "old"? Is it the number (which we want to keep growing) or is it the rest of the stuff?

What stuff? The other components of "age" are, in my opinion, psychological, physical, mental, emotional. I think these (other than being effected by disease or accident) are controllable. Thus a person of 90 ("old") can be very "young" (active/vibrant) in these areas. And a person of 30 ("young") can be very "old" (inactive/dull).

So, for me, yahoo - I'm 65! I've concluded that life is change, choices and relationships.

Veterans Day - 11/11/2011

I'm a veteran. I was in the Army, infantry, Viet Nam. I think Veterans Day has been subverted from it's original intent and is now just one more tool that is used to build the myth that the solution to conflict is military action.

I feel that the glorification of the military is so pervasive it has become part of our culture. "The few the proud . . .", "An army of one", highways dedicated to military units and organizations, fighter jet fly overs, POW-MIA flags, basketball games on war ships - the list goes on and on. What is seldom said is that military action is death and destruction. Therefore, all of these subtly add to the myth and glorify the act of killing.

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 was when the killing stopped in WWI. In November of 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. He said this day should be used by America "to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations". On June 4, 1926 Congress passed a resolution that said we should observe the day "with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples."

I recommend that you use the eleventh hour of the eleventh day to research the most decorated Marine in history - two time Medal of Honor recipient General Smedley Butler. After his career he wrote a booklet titled, "War is a Racket". Reflect on General Butler, the trillions of dollars spent on war, the millions of lives lost and ruined, and the original intent of Veterans Day. Then, do something to promote peace and justice.

9/11 WAS/IS A CRIME

9/11/2001 was a crime, not an act of war. Four women from New Jersey, whose spouses had been killed in the Twin Towers, forced an investigation. Those in power fought the concept, and then stacked the Commission so that the toughest questions would not be asked.

The nation of Afghanistan was invaded and occupied. We were told to go shopping. The nation of Iraq was invaded and occupied. We were told that weapons of mass destruction were everywhere. Millions of people have been killed, maimed, displaced, and negatively effected by a decision to use violence vs. the rule of law.

On this tenth anniversary of the squandering of an opportunity to set a world example for non-violent conflict resolution, I recommend that you research 9/11 and then have dialogue on the options that could have been chosen.

GOVERNMENT IS NOT A BUSINESS

Many people have been overwhelmed by the "business mind set" - if it works for business, it works for government. I believe this mindset is un-democratic and short sighted.

I'm a retired businessperson. I've worked for small companies, Fortune 100 corporations, and finished my career as a business owner. As I watch politicians try to cut their way to "strong" states and a "strong" nation, I find that there is much confusion between the purpose of business and the purpose of government.

The purpose of a democratic government is to provide the programs and structure that allow the people to be the best that they can be. The purpose of business is to provide products/services that generate a profit. Both share the need for efficiency. Both must generate revenue. Both must control their expenditures. However, their purpose, their reason for being, is very different.

A business can achieve its purpose by charging a price for its products/services, expanding its market and controlling its costs. A business can start up or close down at will. It can have products/services that are aimed at selective segments of its selective market.

A democratic government can achieve its purpose by listening to the people. It must decide what the people want/need. It must then raise the revenue to accomplish these wants/needs. It can't close down or start up at will. It must serve the majority of the people. It must look at the long term and assess its actions on future generations.

People in a democratic society - WE THE PEOPLE - expect to pay taxes and fees. We expect services. We expect efficiency. We expect fairness. We don't expect special treatment for the richest. We don't expect bribery in the form of "campaign contributions". We don't expect to be treated less fairly than the people who hold political office. We expect a government of, by and for the people - not just the richest people, not just the business people - all of the people. We are a state and a nation, not a business.

Memorial Day - 2011

Memorial Day - for some it's the start of the summer season and a holiday. For others it's a day to wave a flag and go to a parade. I’d like to see Memorial Day be a day for dialogue on issues that really matter for the future of our children and for this country as a whole.

There are many things that can be discussed. Here are some suggestions. Why do we have war? Why do we so proudly send our children to kill other children? Why are weapons our number one export product? Why do we have over 700 military bases in over 140 countries? Why do almost half of our tax dollars go to the war industry? Why do we cheer when the government chooses to assassinate someone instead of using the rule of law? Why do we ignore the Geneva Convention and the voices of experienced interrogators and use torture? Why do we allow those in power to demonize entire nations or cultures, or religions? Why do we think we are better than the rest of the people of the world? Why do we let the corporate owned media tell us what to think and do? Why are we so afraid of everything? Why do we read so little and watch TV so much? Why don’t we know our history?

So, while you’re grilling your hot dogs or standing at the parade, bring up an issue, get other viewpoints, engage in dialogue. The children and this country are depending on it.