A couple of thoughts on mass shootings and terrorism.
I propose that we drop all terrorism laws. Instead we call and charge these people with murder, plain and simple. First off terrorism is a political label that implies the perpetrator has a political/religious message to convey. Calling them a terrorist gives them a forum to shout their message. Secondly, terrorism is not applied uniformly. By just calling what these people do murder we call the act what it is; no message just killing for killings sake. Any message they may have is no longer listened to.
Secondly, I think a majority are attempting a loud suicide that will give them some fame. Do not publish the names or particulars of the perpetrators. Leave them unknown. This will not stop all but I believe it will greatly reduce the number of occurrences.
Thirdly, do a lot more research into providing police with non-lethal ways to subdue suspects. The goal is to reduce death by cop and death of cops to zero.
Monday, November 6, 2017
We visited St. Luke's Episcopal in Kalamazoo, Michigan yesterday. In his sermon the Rev. Dr. Randall R. Warren talked about Jesus welcoming all. I was reminded of my rereading of Exodus a couple of years ago where I realized the book is about the long, hard journey moving from slavery to freedom. The slavery can take many forms, addiction, money, profession, abusive employer, ownership, bigotry, judgement, etc. The road is long and hard with slips backwards.
Judgement and bigotry are two sides of the same coin. Rich looking down their nose at the poor. Egalitarians condemning White Supremacists. Democrats condemning Republicans and vice versa. Christians damning everyone that does not toe the strict line of their God.
These actions of judgement often strike me as sad acts of desperation (I also often find myself in this cart). We all act as though love (acceptance) is a resource in short supply. Because we are taught that we are flawed, not whole, and not lovable; we attempt to improve our standing by showing that others are worse than we are. Sort of like the story about a man putting on sneakers realizing he only had to run faster than another when a hungry lion chased them. We keep score as if it mattered.
God loves each of us equally! There is no shortage of acceptance (love). To compare you and me is an act of futility. We are not the same person; our different perspective can enrich both of us if we are willing to accept. Jesus condemned actions not people and never sent anyone away. We each of us is incomplete, not flawed. Is God a poor artisan?
We can look for the good in other (serve Christ in those we meet) or look for the bad. We will find what we look for. I find more joy in looking for the good; not necessarily comfort, remember Exodus. More anger and hate looking for the flaws.
Our journey as individuals, community, country, and people has setbacks as well a victories.
Judgement and bigotry are two sides of the same coin. Rich looking down their nose at the poor. Egalitarians condemning White Supremacists. Democrats condemning Republicans and vice versa. Christians damning everyone that does not toe the strict line of their God.
These actions of judgement often strike me as sad acts of desperation (I also often find myself in this cart). We all act as though love (acceptance) is a resource in short supply. Because we are taught that we are flawed, not whole, and not lovable; we attempt to improve our standing by showing that others are worse than we are. Sort of like the story about a man putting on sneakers realizing he only had to run faster than another when a hungry lion chased them. We keep score as if it mattered.
God loves each of us equally! There is no shortage of acceptance (love). To compare you and me is an act of futility. We are not the same person; our different perspective can enrich both of us if we are willing to accept. Jesus condemned actions not people and never sent anyone away. We each of us is incomplete, not flawed. Is God a poor artisan?
We can look for the good in other (serve Christ in those we meet) or look for the bad. We will find what we look for. I find more joy in looking for the good; not necessarily comfort, remember Exodus. More anger and hate looking for the flaws.
Our journey as individuals, community, country, and people has setbacks as well a victories.
40 Years of Voyager
I recently read an article on the 40th anniversary of Voyage I and II. The article also referenced John Kennedy's 1961 speech about putting a man on the moon. That got me to thinking about what thinks were like then and the changes we have seen.
In 1961 I was in Germany. Transistor radios had just come out. Their big feature was they were instantly on. There was even a top song about them. We did not have a TV in Germany. The Armed Forces Radio broadcast old radio serials; Inner Sanctum, The Lone Range, Johnny Dollar, Fibber McGee and Molly, Burns and Allen to name a few. The radios we used were big bulky affairs that took several minutes to warm up and activating the speakers.
Back in the states we had black and white TVs that took several minutes to warm up. One of us children had the duty of turning on the TV for the warm up period while the rest cleaned up from dinner. The warm up took anywhere form 90 seconds to 5 minutes, depending on the age of the tubes. Most convenience stores had tube testers and I spent many an hour testing tubes. The kiosks almost never had the tube we needed.
Radio and TV was over the air. Until UHF came available sometime in the 60s there were usually only 3 channels to watch.
Sometime in the 60s TV manufacturers came out with Instant On TVs. This worked by keeping the set on standby with warmed tubes all the time. electricity was cheap. Even the Instant On TVs were not instant on. They took about as long as current LED TVs to show a picture.
Color TVs were only for the rich. The NBC Peacock's purpose was to allow you to calibrate your colors as the color settings would drift. I never saw the utility of the Peacock as it was never on long enough for you to calibrate the colors. A tedious process. There were even psychological studies on your personality type based on the color setting you used. Football was one of the last shows to switch to color; as my father said it was too fast for the cameras to follow.
Computers where huge room sized machines. The first third generation language (FORTRAN) was not developed until the late fifties. The machines were slow and very limited by today's standards. I wrote my first program in January 1974 on a machine that was first released in 1962. It had a maximum of 64KBytes of RAM. Disk space was around 1-2 MBytes of removable storage. The machine ran at around 600KHz. We eventually sped it up to 1.1 MHz.
Now to 1977. Apple had just released their Apple II. Personal computer were for hobbyists and we mostly considered to be toys. There was no internet. We were coming out of the fuel crisis and a lot of cars smelled like rotten eggs and most had fuel economy in the teens with horrible quality (Vega). HBO was about the only TV subscription available and only was broadcasting from 3 pm to midnight. The shuttle Enterprise had its first test flight in 1977. No shuttle orbited until 1981. The AT&T Antitrust case was only about half way done. AT&T was accused of stifling innovation in phone systems. We were still tied to our land line phones. Most of us did not even have answering machines. Most people had instamatic cameras that used one time use flash cubes. We waited for up to a week for film to be developed.
In 1961 I was in Germany. Transistor radios had just come out. Their big feature was they were instantly on. There was even a top song about them. We did not have a TV in Germany. The Armed Forces Radio broadcast old radio serials; Inner Sanctum, The Lone Range, Johnny Dollar, Fibber McGee and Molly, Burns and Allen to name a few. The radios we used were big bulky affairs that took several minutes to warm up and activating the speakers.
Back in the states we had black and white TVs that took several minutes to warm up. One of us children had the duty of turning on the TV for the warm up period while the rest cleaned up from dinner. The warm up took anywhere form 90 seconds to 5 minutes, depending on the age of the tubes. Most convenience stores had tube testers and I spent many an hour testing tubes. The kiosks almost never had the tube we needed.
Radio and TV was over the air. Until UHF came available sometime in the 60s there were usually only 3 channels to watch.
Sometime in the 60s TV manufacturers came out with Instant On TVs. This worked by keeping the set on standby with warmed tubes all the time. electricity was cheap. Even the Instant On TVs were not instant on. They took about as long as current LED TVs to show a picture.
Color TVs were only for the rich. The NBC Peacock's purpose was to allow you to calibrate your colors as the color settings would drift. I never saw the utility of the Peacock as it was never on long enough for you to calibrate the colors. A tedious process. There were even psychological studies on your personality type based on the color setting you used. Football was one of the last shows to switch to color; as my father said it was too fast for the cameras to follow.
Computers where huge room sized machines. The first third generation language (FORTRAN) was not developed until the late fifties. The machines were slow and very limited by today's standards. I wrote my first program in January 1974 on a machine that was first released in 1962. It had a maximum of 64KBytes of RAM. Disk space was around 1-2 MBytes of removable storage. The machine ran at around 600KHz. We eventually sped it up to 1.1 MHz.
Now to 1977. Apple had just released their Apple II. Personal computer were for hobbyists and we mostly considered to be toys. There was no internet. We were coming out of the fuel crisis and a lot of cars smelled like rotten eggs and most had fuel economy in the teens with horrible quality (Vega). HBO was about the only TV subscription available and only was broadcasting from 3 pm to midnight. The shuttle Enterprise had its first test flight in 1977. No shuttle orbited until 1981. The AT&T Antitrust case was only about half way done. AT&T was accused of stifling innovation in phone systems. We were still tied to our land line phones. Most of us did not even have answering machines. Most people had instamatic cameras that used one time use flash cubes. We waited for up to a week for film to be developed.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Suicide
I have a dear cousin that bought a gun and used it once committing suicide in the family room. A few years later his daughter, who found him, committed suicide in the same way in the same chair. His wife then simply walked out of the house leaving everything behind.
My father gave up and dove into the bottle wishing to die. He had told me for several years that he would be dead before 50. He died at 46. We had lost him several years before but still did not have time to grieve.
I read the Las Vegas massacre as a very loud suicide.
I am unable to understand or know your pain. It is uniquely yours born of conditions that I can never experience.
Suicide rates, in this country, are increasing. It is becoming clear to me that our American way to pursue happiness is increasing suffering.
Each loss to suicide, the bottle, drugs or other ways to self immolation makes us poorer.
Each person we meet has the potential to enrich both of us. We just need pause long enough to see and acknowledge that person.
There is no one solution to ending misery. Doing one thing today to make another's life easier will help.
My father gave up and dove into the bottle wishing to die. He had told me for several years that he would be dead before 50. He died at 46. We had lost him several years before but still did not have time to grieve.
I read the Las Vegas massacre as a very loud suicide.
I am unable to understand or know your pain. It is uniquely yours born of conditions that I can never experience.
Suicide rates, in this country, are increasing. It is becoming clear to me that our American way to pursue happiness is increasing suffering.
Each loss to suicide, the bottle, drugs or other ways to self immolation makes us poorer.
Each person we meet has the potential to enrich both of us. We just need pause long enough to see and acknowledge that person.
There is no one solution to ending misery. Doing one thing today to make another's life easier will help.
Saturday, June 3, 2017
We are Great!
I think it is significant that some of our nation's most iconic symbols are testaments to failure. A poorly cast bell and a sunken ship that still holds its dead are among them.
We are a country made up of incomplete people, often lost and wandering in incoherence. We are often reminded of how fractured we are as a nation. We are often encouraged to look for the dark, eschewing the light.
When did we become not great? If we look there are beacons of love and hope all around us.
I was reminded of this yesterday watching the Ellen show and how she often highlights people holding their lamp high to help others find their hope and way. Teachers that go and extra mile to help their students achieve more. Neighbors who give to others. Groups that provide fine art venues to those without the option in the local schools.
A local credit union and TV channel once a week feature a local person that has reached out to others making life a little better.
Farmers that donate their unsold produce to food pantries when the local Farmer's Market closes for the day.
Even Popular Mechanics has articles on groups and individuals that provide venues to crate/build while learning skills, confidence, and hope.
There is much, mush more that I have not seen.
I see love, hope, and compassion behind all the sound and fury that occupies the public eyes, ears, hearts, and mind. We can do better, but let us not forget all the good we already do.
We are a country made up of incomplete people, often lost and wandering in incoherence. We are often reminded of how fractured we are as a nation. We are often encouraged to look for the dark, eschewing the light.
When did we become not great? If we look there are beacons of love and hope all around us.
I was reminded of this yesterday watching the Ellen show and how she often highlights people holding their lamp high to help others find their hope and way. Teachers that go and extra mile to help their students achieve more. Neighbors who give to others. Groups that provide fine art venues to those without the option in the local schools.
A local credit union and TV channel once a week feature a local person that has reached out to others making life a little better.
Farmers that donate their unsold produce to food pantries when the local Farmer's Market closes for the day.
Even Popular Mechanics has articles on groups and individuals that provide venues to crate/build while learning skills, confidence, and hope.
There is much, mush more that I have not seen.
I see love, hope, and compassion behind all the sound and fury that occupies the public eyes, ears, hearts, and mind. We can do better, but let us not forget all the good we already do.
Monday, May 29, 2017
My pastor Sunday talked about the Ascension. Particularly the part where the disciples where standing around looking up. Frozen, without the confidence to be able to act.
It has struck me recently that our lines "Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again" has us standing around, waiting.
In the Episcopalians baptismal covenant we promise to serve Christ in all that we meet. We talk about being part of the body of Christ. Has He not come again! For those of us who have been present at the birth of our child; is that not a glorias coming into the world?
For myself I have made a small change: "Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ has come again!"
Christ's image/spirit is in everyone I see and talk to.
It has struck me recently that our lines "Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again" has us standing around, waiting.
In the Episcopalians baptismal covenant we promise to serve Christ in all that we meet. We talk about being part of the body of Christ. Has He not come again! For those of us who have been present at the birth of our child; is that not a glorias coming into the world?
For myself I have made a small change: "Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ has come again!"
Christ's image/spirit is in everyone I see and talk to.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Partnership
Not long after our oldest was born it became obvious that Kate, my wife, was going stir crazy. She had worked right up until Liz was born. So one evening I ordered her to call her boss and ask about returning to work. After some protest she did. Her boss was delighted about the request and asked her to work nights representing the school of Arts and Science for the night students at Lawrence Institute of Technology (now Lawrence Technological University). She was the first woman to return to work after having a baby at Lawrence Tech.
For a dozen or more years she worked three nights a week when school was in session. Often we would pass at the front door when I got home. It was up to me to get dinner, entertain our daughters, and get them to bed complete with story time. Often I just wanted to relax with the evening paper unwinding from the day.
All four of us are richer for this environment.
My wife got to continue interacting with students and professors keeping her engaged with the world. She later went on to teaching office applications to other employees of Lawrence Tech and finally as an instructor at Baker College.
My daughters got to know me much better than if Kate had stayed home and taken on more of the parenting. I believe both are stronger women that have more self confidence and can interact with men on an equal basis. They have kept their curiosity.
I got to have longer, stronger marriage. Kate needed the mental stimulation. We also know each other better and allow the other more independence. We are equal partners who do not stay together out of need but of respect and love.
I know my daughters better. There is an openness in our discussions that I think would not be there if I had less involvement with them. I got to see a lot more of their rich and wonderful world.
For a dozen or more years she worked three nights a week when school was in session. Often we would pass at the front door when I got home. It was up to me to get dinner, entertain our daughters, and get them to bed complete with story time. Often I just wanted to relax with the evening paper unwinding from the day.
All four of us are richer for this environment.
My wife got to continue interacting with students and professors keeping her engaged with the world. She later went on to teaching office applications to other employees of Lawrence Tech and finally as an instructor at Baker College.
My daughters got to know me much better than if Kate had stayed home and taken on more of the parenting. I believe both are stronger women that have more self confidence and can interact with men on an equal basis. They have kept their curiosity.
I got to have longer, stronger marriage. Kate needed the mental stimulation. We also know each other better and allow the other more independence. We are equal partners who do not stay together out of need but of respect and love.
I know my daughters better. There is an openness in our discussions that I think would not be there if I had less involvement with them. I got to see a lot more of their rich and wonderful world.
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