Sunday, June 18, 2017

How great is America?

Desperate people do desperate things. Good people can be led to believe things that are not true. Decent people can be convinced to support indecent things.
In recent years, these facts have weighed on me. How could, why did so many people join the KKK in large numbers? How could, why did the German people support the Nazi's? We often focus on the leaders and the specific actions of these organizations but they were supported by many, many ordinary people very much like you and I.
Could you, are you supporting the types of ideas that give rise to the types of things organizations like the KKK and the Nazi's did? Are you? Could you? Do you?
How prone are you to a need for power and control? How far will you go to pursue an ideal?
On the left side of equation, Marx, Lenin and Castro started with lofty ideals. But power, control and suppression took over with them as well. Greed and corruption took hold of them and magnified the flaws in their theories of system.
We need to develop systems of society that applaud and support exceptional achievement while tempering greed. Greed may lie at the lowest and highest levels.
We need to adopt an expectation of equal treatment while rewarding exceptional character, ethics and effort. Some will achieve much with little effort. Others will achieve much with major effort. We need to know the difference and reward it accordingly.
What has made America great for over 200 years, is that we found those exceptional people and exceptional efforts and lifted them. We have had a moral compass that, over time, squelched greed and corruption. (or at least attempted to slow it)
We learned from the depression that allowing 10, 20 or 30 percent of our population to flounder has a crippling effect on us all. Now, with a global economy, we need to learn that allowing 10, 20 or 30 percent of the world population to flounder has a crippling effect on us all. These are the fertile grounds for groups like ISIS. Or the KKK. Or Nazi's. Or Marxists.
What has been great about America is that we have navigated those waters and squelched greed, corruption, and power grabs when they most posed a danger to our existence as a democracy. Power, greed and corruption are threatening us now. They are burning us apart from within. Desperate people are doing desperate things. Good people are let to believe "alternative facts".
Have we, will we now cross that last bridge where decent people are convinced to support indecent things? Therein lies that question that will determine just how great America can be.



Tuesday, June 6, 2017

What troubles me....

Much of what is happening in the world troubles me from time to time. Try as I may to keep it at a distance and preserve perspective of the reality of danger, I also see nothing as disconnected or so very distant. The pain of one, no matter how far away, is pain to me.  It ripples, somehow, into my world no matter whether I acknowledge it or not. Your pain is mine and mine is yours. Nothing exists in isolation. Nothing.
In response to the most recent terror attack in London, according to the BBC, "Theresa May has said she will change human rights laws if they "get in the way" of tackling suspected terrorists."
This sounds like a familiar approach. In the wake of great "danger", human rights must take a back seat. In terms of human rights we're talking about due process, the right to privacy, innocent until proven guilty, and freedom of religion. If human rights are not at the very heart of what we fight for, then what are we fighting for?
There is a great shift toward "survival" mentality as though our very survival is based on fighting. Many times I am reminded of Jesus' command to "fear not". When fear is our driver, we will always make the wrong choices and follow the wrong path. Sadly, we now have leaders who cherish fear and fear mongering. They think the answer to overcoming our "enemy" is to make them fear us more. That will not work. We cannot win by being nastier and meaner than the next person. We don't win with cleverness or force. It's a marathon. If you believe in eternity, a slap today is not a problem solver. 
Our violent reaction - their violent reaction - creates ripples that cannot end UNTIL someone does something rationally different. We need to understand what is at the root of this terrible thing that is spreading. And we need not feed that root. If we cannot understand why someone is radicalized to the point of terrible violence and hatred, we will never solve it. If we respond in kind - with violence and hatred - we will continue to grow it.
Human rights should never be in question. We have to maintain the standard by which we measure humanity. We have to BE the standard by which we measure humanity. We don't lower our standards to match the depths to which our enemy will take us. We raise our standards and insist that they join us. Insist, not by force, but by example. If they cannot see, it is OUR failing, not theirs. If our ideology is truly right and just, there should be no question. If there is question, we need to look at ourselves.
If we lower our standards, what have we gained? In my mind, we may win a battle but the war is lost for all. We gained nothing. Humanity gained nothing.

Saturday, June 3, 2017

The Henderson House

Some years ago (I'm bad with passage of time), my sister Laurie and I imagined that the brick house on Elk Street could be a guest house. It would be a place where we could welcome visitors and help them find all the wonderful things our region has to offer. And it has been a guest house to many already with friends and family staying there when need arose.
Laurie and I thought of many names for it. Informally, it's been called "the Brick House" but finally it's landed on it's most appropriate name, "The Henderson House". It's most appropriate not because that is my name, but that is the name that is historically accurate. It is named for Miles R. and Freda Henderson who built that house. In that, I am honoring a part of the family I never knew but also honoring my own family with the name.
We started a guest book with my own house experiences and what we know of M.R. and Freda. I'm sure we'll be adding details. Fortunately many who occupied the house before me preserved important features - the mantel, woodwork and overall layout of the house. It even still has the original, intact and sound, slate roof which I'm quite protective about having only allowed renowned slate roof experts to maintain it. I'm hopeful that with their help it will long outlast me.
The house will be a balance of preservation and creation of a place that provides comfort and welcome for all who stay there. I love this house. I love sharing it. And I love making it some place special. Can't wait for Laurie to see what we've done so far!