tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11520882156585477862024-03-18T20:39:07.878-07:00Steve’s SoapboxCalculated thoughts from a contrarian thinkerSteven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-35413258087197587802022-02-12T11:09:00.014-08:002022-02-14T10:10:34.015-08:00IN SEARCH OF TRUE SPORTSMANSHIP<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlL2O59OgG1_cOTJadKtrxIF8SofKIzIhafxk-CHfsmJAIg07PyKvS9naefKvBjf0hoCFJkJkjnfrmC9IDICCJM_dvJ1lq1AOB0EzMNHyjZVkaOetjjl4VREQy4vCoIYn-x2pBo4iCTAol0eHIzaASnB7drT5q32wQsnzBmyzE1kjv7VMONPmOa8bB" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1107" data-original-width="1141" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlL2O59OgG1_cOTJadKtrxIF8SofKIzIhafxk-CHfsmJAIg07PyKvS9naefKvBjf0hoCFJkJkjnfrmC9IDICCJM_dvJ1lq1AOB0EzMNHyjZVkaOetjjl4VREQy4vCoIYn-x2pBo4iCTAol0eHIzaASnB7drT5q32wQsnzBmyzE1kjv7VMONPmOa8bB=w200-h194" width="200" /></a></div><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">At the tender age of seven, I learned
to swim at a boys’ club in Hollywood. I competed for years on the club’s swim
team, and also for my high school. With my Red Cross WSI certification, I worked
a couple of summers as a lifeguard and swimming instructor. After watching the
Olympic team trials in 1976 (just across town in Long Beach) I thought,</span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> I
can do that</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">. John Naber, a resident of Los Angeles like myself, became my
new hero.</span></div></span><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I went into serious training soon
afterward, with my sights set on the 1980 Games in Moscow. I spent about six
hours in the pool, almost every day. My workout included running, bicycling (on
my shiny new Schwinn Varsity ten-speed!), and weightlifting. This effort lasted
just over two years. And then I quit. Just couldn’t keep up the pace, with so
many other important things battling for my adolescent time and attention.</span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Then it happened: On Christmas Eve,
1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. In protest, President Jimmy Carter
declared that the United States would boycott the Moscow Olympics. I was
shocked, incredulous, that any American president would punish his own people
for the sins of his enemy. After all, the US Olympic Committee is a private
organization, not an arm of the government.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Of course, I already knew that I
wouldn’t be going anyway. But for legions of young athletes, their dreams were crushed.
They trained for years, sacrificing jobs and college and relationships. All for
an awesome opportunity that might never come again. I felt their pain, their anger,
their profound disappointment.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I believed, then as now, that any
Olympic village should be considered a stateless community free of politics. The
Games are a vehicle for athletes to bring honor to their country. It’s a
matchless occasion for diplomatic engagement, as if we ever needed an excuse
for mortal enemies to declare a brief cease-fire from their customary bluster
and saber-rattling. For three weeks every four years we can sit back, hoist a
pint </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">together</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">, and enjoy the show. Those partisan battles will still be
there when you get home. But clearly, Carter couldn’t see this big picture; the
world will never know the full extent of the damage wrought by his foolhardy decree.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Of course, I’m not the first person
to express these sentiments. But it grieves me to see that we still haven’t
learned from the lessons of our </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">very recent</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> history.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">This year, the Games again are
hosted by a rival country. So our president decided to penalize them by withholding
the usual diplomatic delegation. (Dozens of heads of state are there, to cheer on
their people; where are you?) For no greater cause than to affirm </span><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">who da man?
</i><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">This is shameful. As ever, the petty tit-for-tat reprisals will surely
follow, and hinder the cause of peace.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">To make matters worse, the Speaker
of the House issued a stern warning to the American team: They shouldn’t
criticize the government of their host country, or consequences might follow. Seriously?
You bark out commands to a noble group who only wish to make you proud? This is
the worst possible time for our leaders to mount the world stage and display
weakness and fear.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Frankly, I happen to agree that the
athletes should keep their lips zipped. But for a better cause. Let their bodies
do the talking; make a show of strength, and of dignity even in defeat. Let’s have
a repeat of the Miracle on Ice, where the American hockey team whipped the
Soviets for all the world to see. Win or lose, let us never leave the field of
battle without a gesture of respect and friendship toward our worthy opponent.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I learned so much from Dan Beattie,
my swimming coach at John Marshall High School. Not just about swimming, but
about life.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p></p>Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-85365088468594857372020-08-19T14:45:00.007-07:002020-08-20T10:05:58.519-07:00WHAT’S WRONG WITH DACA<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9N0LE_Ay0ukQCr_3OTIJzl5bataveLuJOKXqHA99-k-a5zRKBC4ZLL5Ec3eLwqGTW7nTcczNMiUM3UXjTiUtXjqPOWu6vew7SSy6Dn_uTfOK-TbcHk99lmwvmGGFpGzTt71UqPuH8Cc/s2048/daca3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9N0LE_Ay0ukQCr_3OTIJzl5bataveLuJOKXqHA99-k-a5zRKBC4ZLL5Ec3eLwqGTW7nTcczNMiUM3UXjTiUtXjqPOWu6vew7SSy6Dn_uTfOK-TbcHk99lmwvmGGFpGzTt71UqPuH8Cc/w320-h213/daca3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Quick question: What is it that makes the USA distinct from a banana republic dictatorship? Simple: We have the rule of law. We have a process for how we enact new laws, and everyone has to play by the rules.<br /><br />On at least 19 occasions (depending on how you count), President Obama insisted
that he didn’t have the authority to rewrite immigration law without an act of
Congress. In spite of this deeply held conviction, his administration enacted the
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy in 2012. Under this program, hundreds
of thousands of illegal aliens were shielded from deportation if they arrived
in the country as children. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><a name='more'></a></span></div></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But there’s a problem with DACA. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In this country, we have several levels of laws: <br />
<br />
First, we have constitutional law, the supreme law of the land. (Article 1,
which assigns legislative authority to the Congress, is an example of a
constitutional law.)<br />
<br />
Second, we have statute laws, which are those enacted in the ordinary course of
congressional action. (The Clean Air Act of 1963, which regulates automotive
exhausts, is an example of a statute.) </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(The following are not laws, exactly, but they have the
force of law.)<br />
<br />
Third, we have what’s called case law, which is rooted in far-reaching court
verdicts. (Plessy vs. Ferguson, which upheld racial segregation in public
schools, is an example of case law.)<br />
<br />
Fourth, there are executive orders, the personal directives of the president. (The
Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Lincoln in 1863, is an example
of an executive order.)<br />
<br />
Fifth and finally, there are agency rules. When Congress created the Food and
Drug Administration, they empowered this agency to regulate drug companies. (With
this authority, the FDA can enact rules to determine how new drugs are
approved.)<br />
<br />
So where did DACA come from? None of these. Rather, the Secretary of Homeland
Security simply issued a memorandum to agency staff. From henceforth, we will
do it <i>this</i> way. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Upon assuming office in 2017, President Trump vowed to end
the DACA program. Surely, a unilateral action by one cabinet secretary could
easily be undone by her successor. After all, they are endowed with precisely
the same level of authority. Yes? What could possibly go wrong? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Well, it wasn’t so simple. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A couple of months ago, the Supreme Court placed a roadblock
in the president’s plans. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts
offered no opinion as to whether DACA is a sound policy. Instead, he argued that
the administration failed to follow the proper procedure to roll back an agency
rule.<br />
<br />
The problem with this opinion, of course, is that DACA was not born of an
agency rule. It followed no known process, and did not receive any type of external
review. Instead, Secretary Napolitano’s memo simply instructed her staff to <i>disregard</i>
the agency’s own rules. (And, for that matter, the statutes passed by Congress
and ratified by previous presidents.) </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As case law, DHS v. University of California brings a dangerous
precedent. It sets a double standard for how we rule our country; one side has
to follow rules, while the other doesn’t. No matter what you think of DACA, or
of President Trump, this is bad news for the rule of law in the United States of America.<br /><br />If we lose the rule of law, we lose <i>everything.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-63249338409764967702020-06-13T10:16:00.004-07:002020-06-20T16:41:42.718-07:00STOP CALLING ME A RACIST<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<a href="https://cdn.jns.org/uploads/2020/06/800px-Wandbild_Portrait_George_Floyd_von_Eme_Street_Art_im_Mauerpark_Berlin-2000x1125.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Outrage over the murder of George Floyd doesn't justify ..." border="0" height="356" src="https://cdn.jns.org/uploads/2020/06/800px-Wandbild_Portrait_George_Floyd_von_Eme_Street_Art_im_Mauerpark_Berlin-2000x1125.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<span>I was born on Sunset Boulevard. My mother was Mexican, and my dad was black. My friends, neighbors, and schoolmates hailed from every corner of the world, every color of the rainbow. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<span>My parents’ best friends were the Marshalls, the Itos, the Mendelsons, and the
Dobrovics. (That is, a black couple, a Japanese couple, a Jewish couple, and a
Russian couple.) Their children were among my best friends, almost from birth. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<span>I still believe that we kids were a colorblind generation. Of course we were keenly
aware of the racial tensions in our city, as the wounds of the Watts riots were
yet fresh. But in East Hollywood we lived in a melting pot, an island of civility.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<span><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<span>On Christmas Eve, our family invariably spent the day at Aunt Bea’s house in
South El Monte. There we enjoyed a dinner of turkey, stuffing, ham, and the customary
fixin’s. (Plus tamales, tacos, and menudo.) Then on Christmas morning we
ventured out to Aunt Sharon’s place in South Central LA. There we feasted on
eggs, bacon, waffles, and all the usual suspects. (Plus grits, greens, and
gumbo.) Indeed, my sister and I grew up
in an eclectic milieu of many cultures. We didn’t know that it was unusual, and
we didn’t care. Life was good. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>When I was in the fourth grade, a white kid and a black kid fought
on the playground. Our principal assumed that we had an incipient race war on
our hands, so she decided that we all needed a quick and intense dose of racial
sensitivity training.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>A few days later, we watched a film that described a typical
day in the life of a boy in Mexico. The narration went something like this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span>¡Hola! My name is Juan. I live in
May-hee-ko. This is my mama, and this is my papa. Every morning, my mama wakes
me up. I get dressed, and she makes me breakfast. But we call it <i>desayuno</i>. Can
you say “desayuno?” But we don’t have bread like you do, we have<i> tortillas</i>. Can
you say “tortillas?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>It went on from there, in the same condescending tone.</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span>The film ended, the lights came up, and we scratched our heads. <i>Who do you
think you’re talking to? </i>This film didn’t tell us anything we didn’t
already know. About a quarter of the kids in our class were Mexican, and the
rest were already familiar with Mexican culture and cuisine. We gained nothing
useful from this silly exercise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>In the early 1970s, the Los Angeles Unified School District decided
to integrate their campuses. That is, they would send white kids to schools in
black neighborhoods, and black kids to schools in white neighborhoods. Let’s
just say that I thought it was a lousy idea.</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span>For one, it seemed that my school and neighborhood were sufficiently diverse; we
didn’t need anyone to rescue us by manufacturing a fake ideal society. My
attitude was, it ain’t broke, so don’t try to fix it. Also, many of our
campuses (including my own) had extensive damage from the Sylmar earthquake of
1971. In my mind, those millions of dollars could be better spent on rebuilding
the schools. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>On the evening news, and in the local newspapers, I
discovered that my position was politically incorrect. Obviously, only a racist
would ever deny a black child the opportunity for a better education in a nicer
part of town. Right?</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span>And so it began: Someone called me a <i>racist</i> for the first time, at the
tender age of ten. Should I have felt guilty?</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span>From that day, and through high school, ethnic-based controversies multiplied. So,
if I…</span><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span>
<!--[endif]--><span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span><span style="font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Don’t favor a particular minority candidate for public
office; or <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span><span style="font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Think that a company should hire the most
qualified person; or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span><span style="font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Believe that we should defend our nation’s
borders; or<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span><span style="font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Sympathize with the genius Chinese student who aced his
SAT yet got denied admission to college… </span><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span>
<!--[endif]--><span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>It can only be because I hate people who are different from
me. I’m not allowed to hold a dissenting opinion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>When I worked in a restaurant, and seated the patrons in
their order of arrival (forcing a black family to wait their turn), I got
labeled a <i>racist</i>.</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span>When I worked in a supermarket, and refused a black customer’s check (he had a
record of passing bad checks in the past), he reported me to my manager as a <i>racist</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>In my current career as a literary agent, I receive over 5,000
submissions each year. From that number, I must turn away all but a few.
Sometimes I get angry retorts. And about once a year, someone calls me a <i>racist</i>.
Even though I had no possible way to know the author’s race at the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>Just a few weeks ago in Minneapolis, a white police officer
murdered a black resident. Right on cue, the local activists and news media cried
“racism!” Before any investigation, they reflexively jumped to the most
sinister possible motive. (As if a homicide wasn’t terrible, all by itself?)</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span>Since then, I’ve witnessed countless speeches by preachers, politicians, and
news reporters. And several of these commentators informed me that I, too, am a
racist. Apparently, as a member of the human family, I just can’t help it. All
of this, from a group of people who have never met me. <o:p></o:p>And when they insist on being called by the title <i>Reverend</i>, my disappointment only grows.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>Often, when I see the big-name activists give an impassioned
speech to decry the evils of racism, I don’t hear a love for their own people.
What I hear instead, is hostility toward the other guy. They fail to denounce the
rioting and looting, which mostly punish the innocent. This kind of language
doesn’t heal anything or anyone. It only makes the gulf wider and deeper. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>In an era where so many invoke the Constitution’s guarantee
of Equal Protection, it saddens me that we apply this outrage so selectively.
No one marches in the street, or torches a police car, to avenge the death of a
white man. No one cries “racism!” when a black man did the deed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>All over our country, we hear cries of “end racism now!” This
sounds familiar: A few years back, Attorney General Eric Holder pledged that he
would “end racial profiling, once and for all.” More and more, we look to the
government to fix our problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>There’s only one problem with this plan: No government
agency, anywhere, has the power to do it. Affirmative Action won’t do it. Hate
crime legislation won’t do it. The most passionate rhetoric in the halls of
Congress will never change a thing. No threat of punishment will ever turn a
hater into a lover. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><div class="MsoNormal">With the iron hand of the state (aided by the sensationalist media), you can bully me into good behavior. (At least, for a time.) You can shame me into a closet with my prejudices, so that I make sure to get my picture taken with a black guy and a Jewish guy and a lesbian. (At least, for a time.) <i>See, some of my best friends are...!</i> But only God can change a person’s heart. Only God can reconcile enemies. Only God has the answers we seek.</div>
<span><br /></span>
<span>What we need, is more mothers like Toya Graham. (Look it up.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>When I was a child, the ultimate political accusation was to
call y</span><span>our enemy a Communist. The Soviet Union was the greatest threat to world
peace, and Senator Joseph McCarthy worked to expose the evil hiding among us. In
the process, he ruined the reputations and careers of many innocent people.</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span>But today, Commies are cool. College </span><span>students around our country proudly wear
t-shirts bearing the image of Che Guevara. Socialist candidates win millions of
votes, based on the promise of endless joy and prosperity through an economic
system that has never worked anywhere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>Now, the ultimate political accusation is to call your rival
a <i>racist</i>. Without evidence, we claim to know the private thoughts and
attitudes of strangers. But for some reason, this (generally) only applies to
white people. Only minorities are allowed to favor their own; and when they do,
somehow, it’s downright virtuous. I don’t get it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>Surely, we must call the haters to repentance. And yet, it seems
that we sometimes break out the heavy artillery far too quickly. It can be a
cudgel, a careless act of retribution. When we pull the trigger on that “R”
word too hastily, it adds another brick to the wall. It forestalls the conciliatory
engagement that can start the process of healing. And nothing ever changes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span>
<!--[endif]--><span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>Oh, how I long for those days of innocence at Lockwood
Street School. I am proud, and profoundly blessed, to live in a free and
prosperous country. This is the land of opportunity, where any child can grow
up to attain his fondest dreams. This is by the grace of God, not because any
of us have earned it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span>I’m searching for a word. What do you call it when you form
an opinion about someone you’ve never met? Oh yes, that word is <i>prejudice</i>.
So please, until you get to know me…</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span><i>Stop calling me a racist. </i>I don’t deserve your scorn. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-39037123687428495722020-05-02T13:44:00.005-07:002020-05-02T13:45:51.401-07:00LET'S OPEN UP THE COUNTRY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RCsyM1RgHqhvvDyyyAnPWim1PkTcVyalZrH_FYTxal96h5h0rUegRvVQiL8lX4c1xfWnH1fSAFq4KSSkIr6gRut04PYulJNfsgxUvlFq4ol1gy0CP2b2YMZxH-K1wuy7rehMMj2xvBc/s1600/mask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="278" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RCsyM1RgHqhvvDyyyAnPWim1PkTcVyalZrH_FYTxal96h5h0rUegRvVQiL8lX4c1xfWnH1fSAFq4KSSkIr6gRut04PYulJNfsgxUvlFq4ol1gy0CP2b2YMZxH-K1wuy7rehMMj2xvBc/s200/mask.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I have a confession to make.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Last weekend, I packed a lunch and headed out to a scenic
spot down by the lake. This, despite the governor’s order for most of us to
stay home. After all, there’s a nasty virus going around. Right?<br />
<br />
But I wasn’t having it. I had run out of household chores (yes, the place is
now impeccably clean), and I needed to get out. It’s springtime in Southern
California, and the poppies are in full bloom. Who can resist? <br />
<br />
As it turned out, some of my favorite locations were off-limits: gates closed,
barricades up, all manner of signs that bade me “go away.” But as luck would
have it, I found a picnic table in an obscure space away from the main road. And
(hopefully) far from the prying eyes of the state enforcers. For about 30
minutes I shared this quiet corner with birds, squirrels, and several thousand
trees. (Oh, and a few scattered beer bottles.)</div>
<a name='more'></a>.<br />
And with that, my soul was refreshed.<br />
<br />
In this quiet moment, I had a chance to reflect. Our federal, state, and local
governments want to protect us from this highly contagious disease. How best to
do so? The theories and approaches abound. The government scientists favor one
extreme, while the chamber of commerce-types favor the other. Which way should we
go?<o:p></o:p><br />
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<br />
All over our nation, I’m seeing protest marches. Our countrymen are tired of
staying indoors; they want to dine at a restaurant, take in a movie, worship at
church, frolic at the beach. Yeah, me too. But when they complain that their
constitutional rights have been denied? I’m not so sure. There’s a bigger
picture here, which some don’t want to admit.<br />
<br />
Now, everybody take a breath.<br />
<br />
While I agree that some of our mitigation measures are excessive, I can respect
the intention behind them. We’ve never done this before. Nobody has an
authoritative playbook. Even our most exalted scientists only know a few things
with any certainty; everything else is only a best guess. Our president put
Mike Pence in charge of the committee to fight this thing; I wish he would just
stand aside and allow the vice-president to do his job and enjoy a rare day in
the sun.<br />
<br />
Millions of people are out of work, many of whom were in desperate financial
condition even <i>before</i> this disaster. Because they’re not driving to
work, the oil industry struggles. Businesses were forced to close, and now
timid about when and how to re-open. State and federal tax revenues have
plummeted, because hardly anyone is working or shopping or dining out.<br />
<br />
So, how can we find a reasonable way forward?<br />
<br />
I don’t believe that any of our leaders are interested in destroying the
economy, by continuing these lockdowns indefinitely. And it would certainly be
a mistake to suddenly lift all restrictions. Surely no mayor or governor wants
to be responsible for re-igniting the pandemic in their jurisdiction. As we all
know, the path of wisdom is rarely found in extremes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So how about this?<br />
<br />
According to the CDC, over 90% of deaths from COVID-19 have been people with
known pre-existing conditions: asthma, obesity, COPD, diabetes, kidney disease,
AIDS, over 65, and so on. So, let these vulnerable populations continue in
their home confinement for now.<br />
<br />
For the rest of us, let’s reclaim <i>some</i> of our freedom. Wear a mask when
you’re out in public places. Continue washing your hands regularly, and keep
the sanitizer handy. Be mindful that others around you might feel uncomfortable
if you get too close.<br />
<br />
Allow the restaurants to operate, say, six hours per day or fewer days a week. Limit
their seating capacity, and hand out disposable paper menus. Or, post giant
menus on the wall (so that no one has to handle a dirty menu).<br />
<br />
If I get bumped from a restaurant because of their limited seating, let me get
my dinner to-go and dine at a picnic table in a public park.<br />
<br />
Likewise, allow other retailers to reopen with limited hours and limited
occupancy. <br />
<br />
As restaurant sales cratered during this pandemic, supermarket sales surged. (You
have to eat one way or the other, right?) If we open up the restaurants, the
grocery lines will abate and you won’t have to fight over that last quart of
milk. <br />
<br />
Allow our houses of worship to gather, on a limited basis. Congregations that
normally have a single weekly meeting, could break it up into several smaller
groups. <br />
<br />
Let’s preserve our democracy by re-instituting meetings of public agencies such
as city councils. If the room gets too crowded, you can provide a room for
overflow seating with a video feed.<br />
<br />
At my local gym, the only service I use is the swimming pool. (Translation: I
immerse myself in 10,000 gallons of anti-viral disinfectant.) Let me swim.<br />
<br />
Some children do well with online distance learning, while others don’t. Let’s
open up the schools, maybe at half-capacity, or a half-day schedule. If some
students still prefer to study from home, let them.<br />
<br />
Dodger Stadium has 56,000 seats, but we don’t have to fill them all. Let’s play
ball, even with small crowds.<br />
<br />
All businesses thrive on their creativity. That is, they continually work to
solve problems and beat out the competition. Let’s unleash our employers to get
creative, and devise their own unique solutions. Half-day shifts, staggered
shifts, temporary barriers between departments. All while wearing masks and
washing hands and preserving personal space.<br />
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Our government can’t keep on printing money forever. And
even if they could, do we really want to cultivate an ongoing state of
dependency?<br />
<br />
I vote no. Let’s get back to work.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-47517939386163431312019-09-09T15:17:00.000-07:002019-09-12T23:33:10.187-07:00DO WE REALLY WANT A LIVING WAGE?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-v3pHR27ggc59u3EVcmS9SVdKMO_u7tlJ4JaDB-uNZR2aQiBZdfwGvOGn_5q3_st8aCqB7phENhH-6PXiw0jRehZMYiMrbQ0y4mkWaW8M50UV2pnUHGO-OvIIVsIKMQO5IioG-35wFqM/s1600/warehouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-v3pHR27ggc59u3EVcmS9SVdKMO_u7tlJ4JaDB-uNZR2aQiBZdfwGvOGn_5q3_st8aCqB7phENhH-6PXiw0jRehZMYiMrbQ0y4mkWaW8M50UV2pnUHGO-OvIIVsIKMQO5IioG-35wFqM/s320/warehouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A story of three average residents on Elm Street in Suburbia, USA:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Meet Joe. He graduated from high school just three months ago. While he ponders his future, he will continue to live rent-free with his parents. But he’s tired of riding the bus to get around town, so he wants to earn money to buy a car.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />
Next door is Jeffrey, a single father with four children. They each need clothes, food, and after-school daycare. Their mother is doing hard time upstate. If Jeffrey misses even one more house payment, he could lose <i>everything</i>.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Across the street, we meet Janice. She’s a successful career woman and an astute investor with an MBA from Harvard. Her employer went out of business last year, so she has enjoyed the time off to travel and pursue her hobbies. But now she wants to find something productive to occupy her days.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Big news! The Euphrates Book Company has just chosen their town as the location for a massive new distribution center. Before they can even break ground, protesters travel in from far and wide by the hundreds to picket the building site. Congressman Carruthers gives a speech to decry corporate greed. The company earns billions in profit each year, so they all demand that the company pay a living wage – plus generous benefits – to its workers. Union organizers aren’t far behind.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the building nears completion, Euphrates buys a full-page ad in the Daily Chronicle: They will soon need to hire hundreds of people to staff the facility. Joe, Jeffrey, and Janice all apply for the same job, unloading trucks on the early-morning shift. None of them have done this kind of work before. As luck would have it, they all get hired. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">As a routine matter, the company starts all of their warehouse workers at the same training wage. After six months, they each get evaluated for a possible raise and maybe even a promotion. As it turns out, all three of our friends end up with the same scores. They’re equally productive, equally competent, and they all have good work habits. Great! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">So how about that living wage? Sure, it seems like a noble and virtuous thing to pay our workers enough money to live on. But how do we calculate it? Easier said than done.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">In our example, all of our workers are novices. They are equally proficient in the same job. At the end of each workday, they have each made the same contribution to the company’s bottom line. By every objective standard, they’re all equally valuable to the company. How do we calculate their pay?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I figure, we have three options, each of which will produce its own set of winners and losers. We can pay them according to individual merit, or according to their need, or according to the employer’s ability.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">1) Pay according to merit</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">In our capitalist society, for most business owners, it seems most natural to pay our workers according to their individual merit. Those who produce the most, should earn the most. This color- and class- blind arrangement rewards hard work and best serves the company’s interests. Under this arrangement, all three of our workers will earn the same wage.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">2) Pay according to need (living wage)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Joe has never had a job before, and he has no urgent need for this one. The car he desires to buy, is a luxury and not a necessity. Should he earn less, because he doesn’t really need the money? He could live very well, with $7 per hour.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Jeffrey is desperate. He’s drowning in debt and can barely feed his family. For him, this opportunity is everything. Should he earn the most, because he has the greatest need? On his previous job, he could barely meet expenses at $20 per hour.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Janice is set for life, debt-free, with money in the bank. Technically, her living wage is zero. (That is, she already has plenty of money.) But with $10 per hour, she could easily pay her monthly bills and leave a greater inheritance to her children.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Joe, Jeffrey, and Janice are alike in many ways: they live in the same city and neighborhood, with equal access to public transportation. Their homes cost about the same, and they travel the same distance to work. Shall we shortchange Joe, because he has simple needs? Must we pay Jeffrey the most, because he has the greatest need (although he makes no greater contribution and the company didn’t cause his problems)? Should Janice work for free, because she doesn’t need the money at all? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">If we pay them according to their need (very different) instead of merit (exactly the same), it will upend the economic model that made our country prosperous in the first place. To divorce compensation from productivity, is madness. As if we’re handing out participation trophies for T-ball, where everybody wins and nobody keeps score. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Now, what if their circumstances change? If Joe moves out to live alone in an apartment, should he get an automatic raise? If Jeffrey’s ex-wife starts paying child support, should we pay him less? If Janice’s house burns down, should we double her pay to help her rebuild? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">3) Pay according to company’s ability</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">In the opinion of some, successful companies (such as Euphrates) should pay their workers more, simply because they can. They should share the wealth. Fair enough. But what if the company’s circumstances change? What if they start losing money, year after year? (Remember, the activists demanded higher wages because of Euphrates’ huge profits.) Should they now be allowed to cut everyone’s pay? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">(Think about it: All of these questions make perfect sense with a need-based compensation schedule, predicated on huge corporate profits.) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">If this becomes our new normal, then who among us would ever be so crazy as to open a new restaurant, or factory, or supermarket? How many of us would bother to learn a vocational skill, or to excel on the job, if they can get the same weekly paycheck by entitlement instead of education or hard work? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Of course, this is not why young Milos Euphrates started his company. He did it to make a living, to feed his children, and treat his wife to nice things. In time, he succeeded far beyond his wildest dreams; so he gives generously to charity, and endowed a chair at State U. He drives the speed limit and treats people as he would like to be treated. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">After 30 years in business, Milos has paid billions in taxes. He employs tens of thousands of people in twelve states. Locally, many of them shop at Fred’s Grocery and lunch at Aunt Betty’s Diner. His suppliers struggle to keep up, with hiring binges of their own. Together, these workers have purchased enough cars and homes to populate a small city. Which generates yet more taxes to fund schools, police, firefighters, and other important public services.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">For this, Milos might expect a handshake of thanks from the local community. Instead, he faces the derision of strangers who think he should do much more. They think his money is theirs. If he tries to keep the cash he earned by the sweat of his brow, they call it greed; but if they can redistribute it by the iron hand of the state, they call it justice. Really?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I look back to my old neighborhood in Los Angeles, where we were surrounded by growing family businesses: Blum's Liquor Store, Don Quixote Antiques, Jim's Market, Max's Lawnmower Shop, Keystone Cleaners, Kodama's Landscaping, Jay's Jayburgers, Nicola Twins Market, and Sunset Nursery. Back in the day, we called it a virtue when you risked everything to start a new enterprise. We celebrated success and rejoiced with you. When you shared the wealth, we were grateful. Give my kid a job, and you’re the neighborhood saint. Supply uniforms for the Little League team, and we carried you on our shoulders.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">And today? Increasingly, candidates like Bernie Sanders scorn the successful and heap praise on the unaccomplished.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Clearly, we have short memories. When the first national minimum wage was instituted during the New Deal, unemployment soared among black workers; even more, for black teens. Previously, low wages had enabled them to learn a marketable skill without the expense (and delayed gratification) of college or trade school. But when they lost the right to negotiate with an employer, they also lost their only path to upward mobility.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">In the long run, many well-intended government decrees end up doing more harm than good. Rent control and easy credit drive up the cost of housing. Student loans enable colleges to raise their tuition. Economists know this, but they get overruled by politicians in need of votes. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">When did we become a nation of selfish, covetous whiners? What does it say about us, when our political candidates promise to hand out endless free stuff? (They wouldn’t say it, if they didn’t think we would be attracted by it.) We need more people like Milos, not fewer. We should reward his initiative, not punish his success. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
Or maybe we’d all be better off if he had just settled for a part-time job at the local Starnes & Fogle bookstore.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span></div>
</div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-84845504167302518302019-06-21T20:14:00.001-07:002019-06-22T05:39:45.520-07:00WHAT DO BABIES AND BEEF BROTH HAVE IN COMMON?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLpz7Q-UQX2k4uUyXGdE0rRAXYNe59yltq08n-dO295d_xrlPCB7HgceEJiItgl5HVbR8_C3LL-A7E8NgagDa80Ua4uiS_Cg3kQst_l47iV_IK9mMprKHnQjAuYwoygTHkFG-Kpph2R0/s1600/baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1255" data-original-width="1289" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLpz7Q-UQX2k4uUyXGdE0rRAXYNe59yltq08n-dO295d_xrlPCB7HgceEJiItgl5HVbR8_C3LL-A7E8NgagDa80Ua4uiS_Cg3kQst_l47iV_IK9mMprKHnQjAuYwoygTHkFG-Kpph2R0/s200/baby.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I will never forget the first time I heard the word <i>abortion</i>. It was in the fall of 1974, part of the sex-ed curriculum in my 7th grade health class. Mrs. Stevens explained that this was a backstop to failed contraception, if you weren’t prepared for the burden of raising a child.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then she went on to describe the mechanics of the process in greater detail than I cared to know. Just the thought of such a thing made me sick. Literally, physically, viscerally. I didn’t quite vomit on my desk, but it came close. At the age of twelve, I had no political leanings. It wasn’t about my religion or my ethics (yet). Just a grotesque visual in my mind’s eye.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wasn’t much of a deep thinker at the time, but…was this an act of murder? Or just a routine medical procedure? Surely the grownups must know what they’re doing, and the government hadn’t seen fit to forbid it by law. My juvenile brain was still developing; surely, someday, I would understand.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, this was about a year after the monumental Roe v. Wade decision. Abortion was now a sacred civil right, enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. If this was murder, those Nine Wise Souls would never allow it, much less lend their explicit approval to the practice. Right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I talked to my mother. I discussed it with my pastor. Both were resolutely noncommittal as to the ethics of it all. Thanks for nothing.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The years came and went. The public debate waxed and waned, keeping time with the political seasons. Presidential elections and Supreme Court nominations seemed to bring out the crazies on all sides. In time I arrived at a firm conviction: this is wrong. And it’s also unnecessary: If you’re not prepared for parenthood, about a million childless couples stand ready to give your baby a loving home.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And what if it would endanger your life to carry that child to term? I’d be willing to grant exceptions for such. My passion is to save lives, so I’m not interested in sacrificing yours.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apart from the morality of the act itself, I am equally troubled by the nature of our public discourse. We don’t just claim that the other guy is wrong; we tell him that he’s evil. This hateful invective infects our relationships, and it keeps us from engaging in any kind of meaningful dialogue. It helps no one, and it poisons the well for any future engagement.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve been reminded, again and again, that my opinion is unimportant and my perspective should not be heard. You see, it appears that I don’t possess a uterus. As such, I will never know the anxiety of an unwanted pregnancy. I can never experience the horror of carrying my rapist’s child. Men have ruled over women for all of human history (and they selfishly caused these unwanted pregnancies!), so I should just butt out.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seriously?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many a commentator has twisted himself into knots, trying to argue that a mere cluster of cells is not a living person; it has no rights, and it can’t be killed. And it will remain in this transitional state, until (insert arbitrary gestation duration here). The problem with this kind of argument, of course, is that it’s utterly unscientific.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let me explain. The other thing that I learned in the seventh grade was a bit of history. Aristotle, one of the great thinkers of ancient Greece, was a firm believer in spontaneous generation. Essentially, this means that living things magically spring forth out of non-living materials. This (it was thought) explained the appearance of maggots on dead flesh, and the emergence of insects out of dirt. This notion was accepted as scientific fact for thousands of years.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That was, until the 19th century, when Louis Pasteur discovered germs. In an experiment with beef broth, he confirmed his belief in <i>biogenesis</i>. That is, only a living thing can beget another living thing, and this by a process called reproduction. Or briefly (in Latin), <i>omne vivum ex vivo</i> (all life comes from life).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And yet today, over a hundred years later, some among us want to believe that a living human – the most advanced and complex organism ever to appear on the planet – grows spontaneously out of a lifeless lump. Only a religious nutcase would ever subscribe to the wild idea that life begins at conception (even though all scientific evidence tells us that it does).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Really?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But then again, this debate was never really about science in the first place. Like the current dispute about global warming, it’s at least equal parts about politics. It’s a club that you can use against your opponent, to cast him as evil and ignorant, to win the argument. Or the election. Or the lawsuit.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Recently, a friend of mine accepted a position as the director of a pregnancy crisis center. This is where a woman can go for a pregnancy test, counseling, encouragement, material assistance, education, and advice on alternatives to abortion. Recently, they acquired an ultrasound machine; many women, when they can see the perfectly formed human within, quickly make the decision to keep their baby.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In recent months, several states have enacted new laws to restrict abortions. It’s only a matter of time until one of them provokes a legal challenge, and makes its way to the Supreme Court. With a new bench in place, assumed to be right-leaning, Roe itself could very well end up in the medical waste dump of history.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span>Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-91213663371430674022019-03-06T15:46:00.001-08:002019-03-07T17:09:40.832-08:00DON'T DO THAT!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyA1FsUvctOVJJrU4PFZmva2qSOj0M9LtVZ7Ug0x0SmbHY8_Kb4eppqI4tMP6lnkmH9nEWwsBshIpiVIXEUt2XxKiD8Nf-89UOnZnvVCEiYI5C4UzwFAW3hS0hOs0quoPfAT2dn7Mk1M/s1600/HENNY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="867" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUyA1FsUvctOVJJrU4PFZmva2qSOj0M9LtVZ7Ug0x0SmbHY8_Kb4eppqI4tMP6lnkmH9nEWwsBshIpiVIXEUt2XxKiD8Nf-89UOnZnvVCEiYI5C4UzwFAW3hS0hOs0quoPfAT2dn7Mk1M/s200/HENNY.jpg" width="173" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In an era when most comedians
told long, elaborate jokes that crawled to the punchline, Henny Youngman was
different. He was known as the king of one-liners. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Take my wife…please!</i>) Some were just funny for funny’s sake, but others
carried a more profound meaning (even if unintended). For example:<br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A man went to his doctor and said, “Hey
Doc, it hurts when I do this </i>(insert awkward gesture here)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">!” Doc says, “don’t do that!”</i> (Insert
rimshot and hysterical cheers here.)<br />
<br />
Indeed.</span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surely some diseases are
genetic (diabetes), while others are environmental (tainted water). For this
reason, we might not get diagnosed until it’s too late to do anything about it.
It’s not your fault. And yet, other ailments are caused by our own voluntary
choices. </span><br />
</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example: We all know from science, that alcoholism can destroy your liver
and ruin your marriage. What will a doctor tell you? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Don’t do that!” </i>He won’t suggest that you drink less, or switch
from whiskey to beer, or seek out a new wife. He won’t ask you to take a pill
before your first drink. Rather, he will tell you to stop. Period. And at that
point, everything’s up to you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a similar way, we all know from science that smoking can kill you. If not
from lung cancer, then from heart disease or a dozen other intermediate causes.
What will a doctor tell you? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Don’t do
that!” </i>He won’t suggest that you smoke less, or switch to a lower-tar
brand. He won’t ask you to take a pill before your first daily smoke. Rather,
he will tell you to stop. Period. And at that point, everything’s up to you. (Yes,
there are meds that can help you quit. But that’s the goal: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to quit.</i>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Further, we all know from science that risky sex practices can lead to HIV and
AIDS. And eventually to an agonizing death. What will a doctor tell you? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Don’t do that?” </i>Probably not. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whaaaat?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yep. Instead the customary advice is, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">keep
on doing what you’re doing. But be safe: wear a condom. Get tested regularly. And
here, take this pill, as an extra precaution.</i> What kind of plan is this?
What kind of science?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HIV and AIDS are not hereditary. You can’t contract them from a dirty toilet
seat. The virus is not found hiding in poisoned food or water. Instead, over
99% of all patients got infected through their own (preventable) voluntary
behavior. You know, kinda like drinking and smoking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The good news is this: This scourge could be wiped from the face of the earth,
in one generation. (In fact it would also work for syphilis, gonorrhea, and
every other STD.) Without a new wonder drug, and at no cost to any insurance
company or government program. The hospices would empty forever, and our medical
research labs could move on to curing the next thing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What’s the plan? Beginning tomorrow, only married virgins could have sex. That’s
right: If this disease is spread through an exercise of our free-will choices, we
need only to make better choices. We’re all born disease-free, and we can only
get sick through sexual contact with an infected person. It’s all within our
grasp.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do I expect this to happen? Do I realistically believe that millions of people
will repent overnight, for the sake of a better future for us all? No, I don’t.
But just imagine: it’s all so simple.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t do that.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-15385055358148090432019-01-26T10:07:00.000-08:002019-02-02T11:43:31.587-08:00MANUFACTURED OUTRAGE FATIGUE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJly8AldqGpdj-UUqF_I0JkNxjkqNBeCPDKVwz09D-napwPM0rI-JEPpfRee3P3n-bQeL4s72rmvv-y4Kdwz_Nx9096LHVYp0F_jdwuRdMKk_8BsQYqv19XAhtjJFu9ViWd-ELCxqmlYY/s1600/time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJly8AldqGpdj-UUqF_I0JkNxjkqNBeCPDKVwz09D-napwPM0rI-JEPpfRee3P3n-bQeL4s72rmvv-y4Kdwz_Nx9096LHVYp0F_jdwuRdMKk_8BsQYqv19XAhtjJFu9ViWd-ELCxqmlYY/s200/time.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>
In this week’s issue of TIME magazine, there’s a thought-provoking article <i>When Bad Men Make Great Art.</i> It recounts the many Hollywood sex scandals of recent years, particularly that of Bryan Singer, director of <i>Bohemian Rhapsody.</i> The article got me thinking.<br />
<br />
Between the two of us, my sister and I probably own the complete works of Michael Jackson. Whether on vinyl, or cassette tape, or CD, or MP3 or video, I believe that we could reassemble his entire career: Every note, every lyric, every dance step. We were the ultimate fans.<br />
<br />
In time, of course, he died a horrible death. Under a cloud of suspicion for the vilest of crimes against children. OUTRAGE! But wait: What did we ever know about his personal character, such that this should come as such a surprise? Years earlier, he slipped behind a curtain as a recluse, leading a decadent lifestyle of ultimate self-indulgence.<br />
<a name='more'></a>.<br />
When Arnold Schwarzenegger ran for governor of California in 2003, several women came forward to accuse him of sexual harassment on movie sets. OUTRAGE! But wait: Why was he famous in the first place? He was a sex symbol, a smiling hunk of sweat and muscles, known for his charm and rugged good looks. Not for his virtue.<br />
<br />
In 1999, writer Amaani Lyle won her dream job with hit NBC comedy <i>Friends</i>. But in the writers’ room, they only talked about sex. Constantly and explicitly. Within a few months, she was fired. OUTRAGE! But wait: Having viewed every episode of the show, what did she really expect? Her lawsuit made its way to the California Supreme Court, where the producers prevailed. As one judge observed, “the Friends production was a creative workplace focused on generating scripts for an adult-oriented comedy show featuring sexual themes." Indeed.<br />
<br />
Pick your felon: Harvey Weinstein, Al Franken, Kevin Spacey, Jeffrey Tambor, Louis C.K., on and on. The list seems to grow with each passing week.<br />
<br />
I admired Michael for his music.<br />
Ah-nold for his tough-guy movies.<br />
The Friends cast for their humor.<br />
And so on.<br />
<br />
But I know well the cesspool from whence they came, and they were never the role models that I would choose for my children. With each successive revelation I think, what's your point? I never imagined that they were paragons of virtue in the first place.<br />
<br />
Did you? <i>Really?</i><br />
<br />
As a child growing up in Hollywood, I knew that I lived in Sin City. It’s where Eddie Fisher left his wife Debbie Reynolds, to marry Elizabeth Taylor. Who, in turn, married six others. Clean-cut types like the Osmonds were ridiculed for their lack of cool-ness, while the marketplace rewards rappers for glorifying the abuse of women. I'm tired of the manufactured outrage.<br />
<br />
So where am I going with this? (No, it’s not to excuse the sins of men who can’t control themselves.) Simply, this is exactly the kind of behavior that we’ve all come to expect from men in this industry, and we admired them for it. So why should we feign surprise and indignation now? Should I now boycott their movies, music, and TV shows? For this observer, it all seems so disingenuous.<br />
<br />
Tom Cruise had me at hello, with <i>Risky Business. </i>But I don’t pretend that he’s my friend, and I have no plans to bring him in to teach Sunday school at my church. He entertains me in a dark theater, and I expect nothing more.<br />
<br />
Somehow Donny now looks pretty cool about now, eh?.Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-90978507841091193912018-02-21T08:44:00.000-08:002018-02-22T13:35:58.991-08:00FORGET ABOUT FIXING THE WORLD. YOU CAN'T!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjafTFJ_mqducy8BWjMvrxWrzhl6_JUGrxaYKsYtlMOMR_yLW9v46e4PCsLWV4woOd_UBmHGbyKYsyIS52faM7hnf7IK-YV230vZPlRvt9p8RhpA7WOQ9ZO7pXrjFEe5okp5T_Y_wgaGg/s1600/homeless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="273" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjafTFJ_mqducy8BWjMvrxWrzhl6_JUGrxaYKsYtlMOMR_yLW9v46e4PCsLWV4woOd_UBmHGbyKYsyIS52faM7hnf7IK-YV230vZPlRvt9p8RhpA7WOQ9ZO7pXrjFEe5okp5T_Y_wgaGg/s320/homeless.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #202022;">In the headline of today’s Los Angeles Times: ARE HOMELESS HERE TO STAY? Of course, that’s a big <i>duh</i>. The answer is an unequivocal <i>yes! </i>Jesus told us so: “You will always have the poor among you.” Indeed, in big cities like my own Los Angeles, it’s hard to miss.<br /><br />But that’s not the only intractable problem in our modern American society.<br /><br />In the summer of 2014, Michael Brown robbed a convenience store and assaulted the store’s owner. In a subsequent struggle with a police officer, he was shot dead. His city of Ferguson, MO erupted in violence for several days. <br /><br />A few months later, Attorney General Eric Holder delivered a speech at an event in Atlanta. In it, he lamented the demise of young Mr. Brown. “In the coming days, I will announce updated Justice Department guidance regarding profiling by federal law enforcement…to help end racial profiling, once and for all.”</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="color: #202022;">.<br /><i>Profiling</i>, you say? Even by the reports of his friends, Michael threw the first punch. Twice. And the officer already had an eyewitness report about a young black man carrying a box of cigars. <br /><br />But let’s forget about that for a moment. What struck me the most about Mr. Holder’s remarks, was his pledge to “end racial profiling.” Forever. Period. Never to return. REALLY?</span><span style="color: #202022;"><br /><br />In truth, the problems that Holder described are not within his power to solve. Only God can turn a hater into a lover.</span><br />
<span style="color: #202022;"><br /></span><span style="color: #202022;">I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by this comment, seeing as Mr. Holder worked for a president who truly believed that government held the solutions to all of society’s ills. That we should look to the state to meet our needs. (Witness Mr. Obamas’s composite citizen Julia, from the 2008 campaign.) All of these remedies could be accomplished simply with a stroke of the president’s pen. <br /><br />If only.<br /><br />Last week we witnessed another school shooting, this time in Florida. Once again we see our fellow citizens marching in the streets, calling for new restrictions on the sale of guns. We need new laws with harsher penalties. And <a href="https://townhall.com/columnists/kevinmccullough/2018/02/18/how-to-eliminate-school-shootings-overnight-n2450380" target="_blank"><b>some tell us</b></a> that we can actually “eliminate school shootings,” period. How do we do it? Make sure the teachers are packin’. Install airport-style checkpoints. Up-armor the buses and buildings. Or even better, let’s lock up our guns so tightly that we can’t get to them when we need them. On and on.<br /><br />Trouble is, none of this will change the hearts of people who are determined to do wrong. You lock a door, they find an open window. Only God can take away their desire to force their way in.<br /><br />With the iron hand of the state (aided by the sensationalist media), you can bully me into good behavior. (At least, for a time.) You can shame me into a closet with my prejudices, so that I make sure to get my picture taken with a black guy and a Jewish guy and a lesbian. (At least, for a time.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #202022;"><i>See, some of my best friends are...! </i>And I can fool you into thinking that I'm a regular guy, just like you.<br /><br />But I will remain the same racist, sexist, homophobic jerk that I was before.This is not the kind of thing that we can just legislate away.</span><br />
<span style="color: #202022;"><br />Just as we will always have the poor among us, methinks the same applies to crime, racism, and police brutality. The cost of freedom in America, is that we will always have people who abuse those freedoms. I refuse to accept a “solution” that only serves to restrict the freedoms of the rest of us. <br /><br />Which, of course, is not to say that we should just sit back and do nothing. I say, let’s do all we can to serve the poor. To hold our police accountable. Or to protect our children from the crazies. But let’s not fool ourselves: All the king’s horses and all the king’s men, can never feed and house everyone. Or stop a hater from hating. No act of Congress, and no executive order from any sovereign anywhere, can force me to love my neighbor. You can sue me; you can prosecute me for the vilest felonies; you can beat me with a whip and lock me up for a thousand lifetimes.<br /><br />But you can’t control my thoughts or change my attitudes. You won’t stop me from trying. Only God can do that, but we all can have a part in the process. What will <b>you</b> do?<br />.</span></div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-21526236542394461642017-05-25T15:17:00.003-07:002017-05-26T12:02:47.667-07:00LET'S HEAR THE TRUTH (NO MATTER WHO TELLS IT!)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I need to rant today.<br />
.<br />
One of my clients has written a fascinating memoir about her experiences as a missionary in the war-torn Middle East. Great story, great writing, interesting perspectives. <br />
.<br />
As I shop this story around to publishers, the responses are mixed. Some comment that the author’s platform (name recognition) is weak. Others worry that the subject matter isn’t timely (even as the wars continue!). Almost everyone agrees that the writing is strong and the author’s style is engaging.<br />
.<br />
Yet, there’s one response that I didn’t expect: Today, an editor expressed concern that the story is told in the voice of a white conservative American Christian. VERY politically incorrect these days. Yup, white American Christians already control most of the world, and they’re looking to take over the rest. (Witness the many American military engagements around the globe, as evidence.)<br />
<a name='more'></a>.<br />
Here’s the problem: I'd be just as happy to pitch this story from the viewpoint of a Bulgarian Deist. Or a Nigerian animist. Great! But wait; they're not the ones doing this important work, so they can't write about it. I would love to hear the testimony of a Brazilian spiritualist, but he’s not there.<br />
.<br />
American military leaders, and local governments, send out their censored reports that are edited through the lens of their respective biases. Then it goes through the filter of a largely liberal news media who decide what’s fit to print. By the time the news reaches our newspapers or TV screens, what’s left? Hard to say.<br />
.<br />
Christian missionaries (many of them Americans) are out there, doing the work that others won’t. They’re on the ground in strategic places, bearing witnesses to history. If they have a perspective, it should be heard. If they saw something that the news media won’t report, we should listen. Not because they enjoy some special privileged status as Christians or as Americans. But because they were there. If nothing else, their firsthand accounts can hold our government leaders – and news media – accountable to tell the truth.<br />
.<br />
My client did not volunteer to serve in a war zone, in order to prove that Jesus is good and Mohammed is bad. She didn’t write the book to show that Americans are better than Arabs. She did it because she felt a calling from God to feed the hungry and house the homeless. Regardless of whether her neighbors ever confessed Christ or submitted to baptism. <br />
.<br />
We owe it to our children, to give them a genuine history of our time. This cannot happen, if we summarily dismiss the testimonies of people we don’t like. The need is real, and the Christians of the world are the ones leading the way. <br />
.<br />
I can't see how that could be a bad thing.<br />
<br /></div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-33179002562165688452017-05-02T12:49:00.000-07:002017-05-03T15:00:18.878-07:00MY SISTER'S KEEPER?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaGuTYK9g6Xqk2VC8bXSAhmFh_BFDDgh6xBn5bALO-_FVzYw-Ik72MJTeUFWBgoViGNs_zSVPSCO3yTGyvCQAbkckdCNXPG5vORnlyKUqr_l-v7M6blc_g9e9rZxqe26X7jUEnDUDS6E/s1600/pences.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaGuTYK9g6Xqk2VC8bXSAhmFh_BFDDgh6xBn5bALO-_FVzYw-Ik72MJTeUFWBgoViGNs_zSVPSCO3yTGyvCQAbkckdCNXPG5vORnlyKUqr_l-v7M6blc_g9e9rZxqe26X7jUEnDUDS6E/s200/pences.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
A few weeks ago, Washington Post reporter Ashley Parker
revealed a bit of personal info about Vice President Mike Pence: He will not
meet or dine alone with a woman who isn’t his wife. The Pences are known to be
devout Christians, and with this restriction the Vice President is following
the Billy Graham rule. (Graham announced decades ago, that he follows this
policy.)</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
Is this a good or bad thing? I don’t know. But is Pence
truly deserving of the scorn that has been heaped upon him in recent weeks?</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
On the one hand, Scripture cautions us, “among you there
must not be even a hint of sexual immorality” (Eph 5:3). Private meetings
between men and women can certainly provide that “hint.” Just ask Jimmy
Swaggart, Bill Cosby, Bill Clinton, and Roger Ailes. With a third person in the
room, their careers could have turned out very differently.</div>
<a name='more'></a>.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
But conversely, this kind of policy (however well-intended)
turns every woman into an unwitting object of sexual temptation. Under this arrangement,
how can they ever get ahead in their careers, if they get left out of meetings?
How can they be “equal” in the workplace, if their male colleagues treat them
like Kryptonite?<br />
<br />
Oddly enough, when I watch the news for the past few weeks, the pundits try to
take both sides: Pence is evil because he won’t, while Bill O’Reilly is equally
wicked because he did, and the vice-president gets no credit for<i> trying</i> to do the right thing. As for me, if I have to choose between preserving my marriage
and promoting a colleague’s career, I will opt for the former every time. For
this, Pence should be applauded.<br />
<br />
That said, I work in an industry that’s about 80% female. So it would be hard
to make a living, without taking meetings with female colleagues. Several weeks
ago, I traveled to New York City to meet with publishers. Among my 38
appointments, 32 were with women. How did they turn out?<br />
<br />
First, on the way to Manhattan, I stopped in another city to visit a client. We
met in the living room of her home. But I knew that her husband or her
father or her children could enter the room at any moment.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
I had two meetings at Simon & Schuster; one was at the
editor’s desk in an open area, while another was behind a closed door in a
private office. At Harlequin, we met in the company cafeteria. At St. Martin’s
Press I met one editor at her cramped cubicle, and another (unplanned) in the
hallway. At Hachette, we used a large conference room with clear glass walls. At
Skyhorse, I didn’t even make it into the office; we arranged to meet at a local
coffee joint. At Amazon, it was a small conference room with the door closed. At
Random House and Little Brown, we met at their desks in high-visibility areas.
(All of my appointments at Penguin were no-shows, due to the storm of the
century that never came.)</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
Had I followed the Billy Graham rule, all but two of my
meetings could not have happened. <br />
<br />
That said, I know from experience that many women will be reluctant (or even
refuse) to take a private meeting with me (or any man). They have their
reasons, and I won’t argue. Some have religious reasons. Some are socially awkward. Others may have had an unpleasant experience in their past. Whatever the cause, Pence’s policy will be welcome news.<br />
.</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-82181404992107894312017-03-27T12:32:00.000-07:002017-03-27T12:34:01.632-07:00PLEASE, SPARE ME THE SERMONS. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijowdOJVzhBLC34ujN7BJRqd5dc0L4_Mj7IRsnAuHYCqgFIvyzWP90sm_GuH2gdeX01giviKD4DUyJWttRXKsCPr87aj2d6Ju5vAZN7M52-ORFchLwNBjFG_7ZqqyJSYK7TYxb_XFew0o/s1600/unitedlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="55" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijowdOJVzhBLC34ujN7BJRqd5dc0L4_Mj7IRsnAuHYCqgFIvyzWP90sm_GuH2gdeX01giviKD4DUyJWttRXKsCPr87aj2d6Ju5vAZN7M52-ORFchLwNBjFG_7ZqqyJSYK7TYxb_XFew0o/s320/unitedlogo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am increasingly disappointed in the shallowness of news
reporting these days. So much of it seems driven by a political agenda, not a
quest for truth. And for me it only serves as an upward call to be more
careful and honest in my own writing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently, two young women were denied entry to a United
Airlines flight because of their inappropriate attire: leggings. Such hatred!
Such sexism! Misogyny! Stop the presses! Who are these corporate titans, to
tell women what to wear? The problem is, the story isn't as simple as it might
seem at first glance.<br />
. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
First, these women were flying on a buddy pass, essentially
a free ticket afforded to company employees and their friends and family. As such,
they were subjected to restrictions (including a dress code) that don't apply
to the general public, and these rules were explained to them in advance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Second, holders of buddy passes are <i>never</i> promised a seat.
Ever. They fly on standby, and are only allowed to board if a seat remains unsold at
the last minute. If you urgently need to be in Poughkeepsie in time for a 2:00 business meeting, this is not a reliable way to do it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Third (and this is the most under-reported factor), at least
one of these young women sported <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">flesh-tone</i>
leggings, the painted-on type that cling to every curve and made her appear
naked. She made quite a spectacle in the terminal, as dozens of travelers did a
double-take at the sight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Say what you will about corporate greed, or sexism, or
whatever. Indeed, these issues pervade our American culture. But this isn’t
that.<br />
<br />
As for me, I don’t own an airline, or even a single crop-duster biplane. But I have
a car. If you need a ride somewhere, and I happen to be around, I will gladly give
you a lift. No problem. But for the duration of that drive, you have to wear
clothes. You cannot play Barry Manilow on the radio. And I will not allow you
to light up a cigarette. Outside the confines of my Saturn SL1, it's a free country where you can do as
you please. But within? My chariot, my rules. Take it or leave it.<br />
<br />
Enough. I’m tired of the whiners. I’m tired of so many people inventing new
civil rights for themselves, at the slightest insult or inconvenience. Everyone’s
a victim, and no one is responsible for their own welfare. Give me a break.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I travel often for business, and plane tickets are
expensive. If you want to give me a free ride, I will gladly put on a grass
skirt, a long wig, and a coconut bra and dance the hula. Every time. Just tell me when and where.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-21379154515279251282017-02-01T17:38:00.002-08:002017-02-05T00:01:42.240-08:00I'M NOT A TERRORIST! TRUST ME.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWv9hI2aQmcGyX-xg0s9nMjOB-XnLjfMfXv_YbvHi-vr4z9PlsV0M4PCiYHBy5z7-RQwaCqrliXHZGg3TZLlreade20fUx-iUBVPH8CqTjb8CHGRi5mQzExU0XDzkpxT3iKYFWirOOj4/s1600/JOKER2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWv9hI2aQmcGyX-xg0s9nMjOB-XnLjfMfXv_YbvHi-vr4z9PlsV0M4PCiYHBy5z7-RQwaCqrliXHZGg3TZLlreade20fUx-iUBVPH8CqTjb8CHGRi5mQzExU0XDzkpxT3iKYFWirOOj4/s200/JOKER2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Many years ago, in one of my many careers, I worked for a background check service. Employers are very selective about who they trust to work for them, so they hired our company to check them out.<br />
<br />
For every project, the subject provided:<br />
<br />
Full given name at birth<br />
Place of birth<br />
All aliases<br />
Social Security number<br />
Driver’s license number<br />
Fingerprints<br />
Employment history<br />
Education history<br />
Their consent to very this information<br />
<a name='more'></a>.<br />
Without leaving my desk, I had access to databases all over the country. Social Security Administration, DMV in every state, National Crime Information Center (FBI), Livescan, and Equifax. I could verify their employment, pay rate, licensing, criminal record, and college degrees. I even uncovered former employers that the applicant didn’t reveal.<br />
<br />
Yeah, we were that good.<br />
<br />
And yet, about 20% of the time, we were unable to find much of anything. We verified the information provided by the applicant, but little else. When a 40 year-old native-born American citizen has no credit profile, it’s weird. When his Social Security number had no activity until ten years ago, it’s suspicious. If he has a college degree but no record of attending high school, how can that be? When we interviewed their references, they offered little useful intel. All of these things can have perfectly innocent explanations, of course. But whatever the case, it doesn’t help their prospective employer to make an intelligent decision.<br />
<br />
Today, millions of people have fled their homelands in Africa and the Middle East. They seek sanctuary in another nation, and the USA is at or near the top of their list. As a Christian living in a prosperous country, I believe that we have a duty to help. But how?<br />
<br />
The US government tells us that they’re performing extra-rigorous background checks on these people. It can take two years or more. And for this, I am grateful. We want to do the right thing, but not invite a terrorist in to kill us. <br />
<br />
But how? These people have no reliable bonafides. They have no fingerprints on file anywhere, no verifiable driver’s license or birth certificate, no credit report. Do they have a criminal record? No way to tell. One thing for sure: the governments of their home countries are not eager to cooperate. Any official files that might exist, are far out of reach to their American screeners.<br />
<br />
So the president tells me that he’s running a brutal background check on every potential refugee. Good for him. This gives me great pause, and no comfort. This matter of keeping our country safe is, on a good day, a messy business. Sometimes we just don’t want to know how the sausage is made.</div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-86100917496140269132017-01-11T13:40:00.001-08:002017-01-13T05:39:27.734-08:00INTOLERANCE GOOD, OR INTOLERANCE BAD? PICK A SIDE.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdBwb2eVLnHVaCRigttzk_is1kNzoJssal6Ar9HxIC_ZOYcgh2qvndohbLXuFj8rKg_wGdgKhtCccsNJfLaLtuhcPZQG4q2cTvp26exElJQHov0VxFauN4XHNO8s_d5wW2_0NlM5ATjs/s1600/sessions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdBwb2eVLnHVaCRigttzk_is1kNzoJssal6Ar9HxIC_ZOYcgh2qvndohbLXuFj8rKg_wGdgKhtCccsNJfLaLtuhcPZQG4q2cTvp26exElJQHov0VxFauN4XHNO8s_d5wW2_0NlM5ATjs/s200/sessions.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
Yesterday, I watched a portion of Jeff Sessions' Senate
confirmation hearing. I agree that it’s only right and proper that he (or any
cabinet nominee) should face close scrutiny before we endow him with such
awesome authority. His career experience, personal character, and general
demeanor are all fair game, at a time like this. But in the view of this
observer, the tests of orthodoxy seem to be getting weirder and weirder with each
passing year.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
Under questioning from Sen. Richard Blumenthal, it seems
that Mr. Sessions keeps company with some shady characters. Apparently, he
received a few awards from people with dangerous beliefs: One guy is a racist,
one hates women, and the other is a general schmuck. "Will you return the
awards and sever all ties?" </div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
REALLY? Is this what our country has come to?</div>
<a name='more'></a>.<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
This reminds me of a situation a few years back, when Sen.
Trent Lott was labeled a bigot by the liberal media, because he said a few kind
words about (proud admitted racist) Sen. Strom Thurmond in honor of his 100th birthday.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
Isn’t this what we call intolerance, in any other context? Isn’t this what American society is NOT supposed to be about? Am I truly answerable for your sins, or you for mine? I'm getting a serious case of whiplash, from the hypocrisy of it all. Please, pick a side and stick to it.<br />
<br />
Me, I have a lot of friends. I come from a big family and I
worship with a big church. In my business, I have daily dealings with more
people than I care to count. Altogether these might add up to a couple thousand
people, with the list growing every week.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxt2ul-tQjiBOnD_tRcwE5OZgGDw4A52xTUfpu21QXRk6qvpe7WvCmFb_LXU093giEJbPKnwpHKdcIahYRoUUT-wEmApF16ECN2ig-MTHeBGvbFn3gWRI6DqeewW95L2tZK2DFQyzCI8M/s1600/lott.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxt2ul-tQjiBOnD_tRcwE5OZgGDw4A52xTUfpu21QXRk6qvpe7WvCmFb_LXU093giEJbPKnwpHKdcIahYRoUUT-wEmApF16ECN2ig-MTHeBGvbFn3gWRI6DqeewW95L2tZK2DFQyzCI8M/s200/lott.jpg" width="163" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>SEN. TRENT LOTT</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
Here’s the thing: I love my fellows dearly, and we rarely
talk politics. For most, I just don't know or care what they believe about
racism or abortion or affirmative action. I know not whether they voted for
Clinton or Trump, nor where they stand on Obamacare or worker rights or GMO
foods. And frankly I never gave it a thought until this very moment, to care whether
most of them are gay, straight, bisexual, or something else. Nor, for that matter, am I
particularly inclined to pick a fight about it.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
Don’t get me wrong: I have some strong convictions on these
issues; indeed, I’m probably as stubborn and dogmatic as anyone you know. But
should I quiz you about them before I entertain a business deal with you or
welcome you into my home? Must I send you packing, if you give the wrong
answers? If that’s the case, then please disown me this instant. For I will
probably disappoint you every day of the week, and twice on Sunday. (One of us might get nominated for Secretary of State someday, and I don't want to ruin my chances or yours.)</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
Perhaps Jeff Sessions is the right guy for the job. Or maybe
not. But whatever the case, let’s talk real issues and choose a better hill to
die on.<br />
.</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-67548667684095825632016-12-27T11:05:00.002-08:002016-12-28T08:37:04.222-08:00FIFTY YEARS OF KWANZAA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfQcLdoZOW0cYwdNjQmCt0806lnXM63C-FJbMsOxHbXMwfW_u0oOwZBm17Kydr1DgvDpQIWtEEu7edYCi0rldOY6cVf0MakA6w0v8MZRxSCeIO77Dap5c5EzSXQMpCo2l1Eer-SbGY94/s1600/kwanzaa-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfQcLdoZOW0cYwdNjQmCt0806lnXM63C-FJbMsOxHbXMwfW_u0oOwZBm17Kydr1DgvDpQIWtEEu7edYCi0rldOY6cVf0MakA6w0v8MZRxSCeIO77Dap5c5EzSXQMpCo2l1Eer-SbGY94/s200/kwanzaa-2.jpg" width="167" /></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">The holiday of Kwanzaa is now
upon us. This seven-day feast (Dec. 26-Jan. 1) was devised in 1966 by Professor
Ronald Everett of California State University at Long Beach, to instill a sense
of cultural pride among African-American families. According to the website (<a href="http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/"><span style="color: #0563c1;">www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org</span></a>),
the holiday celebrates the “ancient and living cultural tradition which
reflects the best of African thought and practice.”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">In recent years, Kwanzaa has
gained traction as an occasion for gatherings of family and friends. It’s
rooted in the seven principles of Unity, Self-determination, Collective Work
and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith.
Hallmark sells Kwanzaa-themed greeting cards that emphasize these principles,
conveying a message of dignity and empowerment. At least, that’s the popular
account that most people hear.</span></div>
<span style="margin: 0px;">.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="margin: 0px;">But none of it is true.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">Yes, that’s right: everything
about the Kwanzaa legend is false. Not exaggerated or misunderstood, but
fabricated out of thin air. And yet, several American presidents have been
persuaded to issue official proclamations. Even the reputable textbook
publisher Prentice-Hall fell for the hoax a few years ago when they added a
sanitized version of the story to their high school history text <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The American Nation</i>.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">As the apologists of Kwanzaa
take to the internet and airwaves this week, they preach a revisionist history
and disagree on many central tenets: Some say that only black families should
participate, while others say it’s for everyone. Some say the holiday is a
substitute for Christmas, while others insist that it’s a perfect complement.
Some recognize it for the uniquely American observance that it is, while others
persist in the claim that it’s an all-African celebration. Uniformly they complain
that they’ve been marginalized in American society (hence the need for their
own holiday), while failing to understand that their own efforts only widen
that chasm.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">The term Kwanzaa (“first
fruits,” indicating a harvest festival) comes from Swahili, which Everett calls “the most widely spoken
African language.” Not so: Swahili is spoken in only a few countries, all of
which have at least one other major language. And they’re all on or near the
east coast, whereas almost all American slaves (the ancestors of most American
blacks) were snatched from the west. Further, the language isn’t uniquely
African; over half of the vocabulary is borrowed from other languages,
including English and French. But the biggest portion is from Arabic (which, by
the way, is the most common language in Africa).</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">As a group, the Seven
Principles (and their Swahili equivalents) were held sacred by at least two
Marxist movements:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">The Black Nationalist group
Organization US (United Slaves), established by Everett in 1965 as a rival to
the Black Panthers. They preach the superiority of all things African,
believing that black folks should separate themselves from whites, and only
patronize black businesses.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">The Symbionese Liberation
Army, a domestic terrorist group that kidnapped newspaper heiress Patty Hearst
and went on a crime spree in California in the 1970s.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">The first Principle, in the
traditional order, is <i>Unity</i>. Really? In truth, the disparate peoples of Africa
have never been unified by any measure. They’ve waged war among themselves for
thousands of years, since long before the arrival of white colonists or slave
traders. Even today Hutus and Tutsis routinely massacre one another for no particular reason.
Genocides have wiped out millions in Rwanda and Ethiopia, and warlords rule in
Somalia and Liberia. It’s the Hatfields and the McCoys, ancient prejudices
where no one remembers what they were fighting about in the first place.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">The fourth Principle,
<i>Cooperative Economics</i>, was a cornerstone doctrine of the Marxist Tanzanian
dictator Julius Nyerere, who forced his citizens to toil on his collective
farms. During his reign, the nation declined from the enviable status of a food
exporter, to the continent’s biggest food importer.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">Everett calls it a
“pan-African” holiday, but this has never been true. No holiday of any kind,
has ever been so widely observed across the continent. In many isolated tribal
areas, the people don’t know or care who their national leaders are.
Politicians don’t seek their votes, and even the most violent rebels don’t
disturb them. Will they really set aside their centuries-old traditions and
embrace a new holiday brought by a foreigner?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">I wonder if anyone has ever
dared to make such sweeping generalizations about the countries of Europe. Do
they sing “God Save the Queen” in the opera houses of Lisbon, or can you order
bratwurst at the cafes on the Champs-Élysées? I don’t think so. People don’t
say “I’m European;” they say “I’m German.”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">Interestingly, this holiday
seems to be indistinguishable from the personality of Dr. Everett. (He has
since invented an “African” name for himself, meaning “master teacher.”) It is
described as an enterprise of the National Association of Kawaida (African
culture) Organizations, and its official publications are produced by the
University of Sankore Press. This might sound impressive until we consider that
both of those organizations were established by (and continue to be headed by)
Everett himself.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">Some would like to discredit
the holiday by pointing to Everett’s checkered past, and the violent history of
Organization US. But in my mind, that’s not playing fair. The truth of a story
doesn’t lie in the character of the teller; the undisputed record of history is
all we need.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">I have a few questions for
Professor Everett:</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfSN6IXigxWVVZQTnWwZjAgX2k3iUMglFt0QGhL_BXDbP5xsmKFKY6f_N9xRiTXjqqIILC-9tJGgnShxv7rmdIomjnIj92ArnNOYYb9DaqynKjAZJQQNqF_MybSvUVmENykC_ajgUEGw/s1600/ron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfSN6IXigxWVVZQTnWwZjAgX2k3iUMglFt0QGhL_BXDbP5xsmKFKY6f_N9xRiTXjqqIILC-9tJGgnShxv7rmdIomjnIj92ArnNOYYb9DaqynKjAZJQQNqF_MybSvUVmENykC_ajgUEGw/s200/ron.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;">What part of the Kwanzaa observance is ancient?</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">Seeing as the holiday was invented
only 50 years ago, I don’t get it.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;">What aspect of Kwanzaa is distinctly African?</span></b><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">Unlike (say) France, which
has a known language, political system, major religions, cuisine, and
traditions, “Africa” is not a country. It’s not a monolithic civilization with
a singular culture, and never was. The continent’s fifty-four nations speak
hundreds of languages, practice hundreds of religions, and jealously guard
their respective identities and customs. The composite “African” culture that
Everett praises so highly, has never existed.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;">What is the significance of corn?</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">A proper Kwanzaa dinner table
will be set with an ear of corn for each child in the house, but corn has
absolutely no cultural meaning anywhere in Africa. The grain was introduced by
foreign traders in the early 20th century, and even then was slow to gain
acceptance. Corn is indigenous to Mexico, and no place else on earth.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;">What aspect of Kwanzaa is empowering?</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">Unclear. No society embracing
this philosophy has ever prospered, and Black Nationalism only fosters hate and
division. They promise to liberate, but invariably they enslave. Racism from a
persecuted minority group is still racism, and nothing good can come from it.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;">Who is harvesting what, during this harvest festival?</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">Nobody and nothing. No farmer anywhere
gathers crops in December.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;">What is significant about the date?</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">Surely it must have some meaning
in African history or culture. The birth of a king, the founding of a nation, a
military victory over an invading army?<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Such, after all, is the stuff of national holidays. Well, how about it?
Not even close. By Everett's own account he purposely scheduled the observance
to draw attention away from Christmas, and borrowed many of its customs. Add
the nightly lighting of a multi-stemmed candlestick, and I smell Hanukkah.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;">But why should we want to minimize Christmas? </span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">In the view of many, Christmas is a
white man’s holiday rooted in a white man’s religion, and culturally
insensitive to non-whites. (Early on, the teenaged evangelist Al Sharpton said
it would serve to "de-whitize" Christmas.) They’re misinformed: The
Christian faith thrived in Africa very early on. John Mark (author of the second
Gospel) established a congregation in Alexandria in the first century. (The Islamic invaders, with their forced conversions, didn’t arrive until about six hundred years later.) Some
of our greatest theologians (Augustine, Clement, Irenaeus, Athanasius) served
as leaders of African churches in the first few centuries. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">Many would say that we
detractors of Kwanzaa just don’t get it. We don’t understand black culture
or traditions, and we've never walked in their shoes. But when you invent a
false culture and a made-up history that have never existed, we’re no longer in
the realm of “perspective.” These claims are demonstrably false. Period.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">Ultimately the tragedy of
Kwanzaa (or the philosophies surrounding it) is that they will never achieve
the ends they seek. No one has ever empowered a downtrodden people by inventing
a false heritage for them. No society has ever advanced itself by embracing a
self-identity based on eternal victimhood. And will they ever reconcile with
the white or Christian population of our nation? </span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="margin: 0px;">Their fiery rhetoric and
exclusivist teachings seem to imply that they don’t even desire to try.</span><br />
.</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-85647274340337720592016-10-18T11:59:00.001-07:002016-10-18T15:02:34.735-07:00COULD IT BE THAT WHITEY COP ISN'T THE PROBLEM?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsikCF0xDu__z-e7BGgSlp9CuS341_zZOeIQGJEvRi6_fIymHGIPlZDs2BDts3DHpnUhH4ZZFJ_vxvvMalV1h0okWCuCwH4W56l2by9_bYC00fpLmTWCNuld8ngPPNV2iayslg38BYW5w/s1600/toya3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsikCF0xDu__z-e7BGgSlp9CuS341_zZOeIQGJEvRi6_fIymHGIPlZDs2BDts3DHpnUhH4ZZFJ_vxvvMalV1h0okWCuCwH4W56l2by9_bYC00fpLmTWCNuld8ngPPNV2iayslg38BYW5w/s320/toya3.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Toya Graham is my hero.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, the name doesn’t ring a bell? She’s the young mother who
got caught on network TV, roughing up her teenage son because she found out
that he was rioting on the streets of Baltimore. She reminds me of my own
mother.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s right: In my old neighborhood, we knew our neighbors
and they knew us. If someone hurt one of her children, Mom would run to our
defense like a mother grizzly caring for her cub. But if I was the offender,
she’d be the first to apologize on my behalf and then slap me back to my
senses. Which is as it should be. How could she complain about the bully down the street, if her own children were no better?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mom knew that it wasn’t in her power to fix all of the ills
of our society. But one thing she <i>could</i>
do, was to keep my sister and me from making it worse. And it worked: We’ve been (mostly) on the straight and narrow ever
since. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<a name='more'></a>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that, it seems, is where our civil rights movement has
gone astray. We’re so accustomed to playing Mama Bear when someone else has
done us wrong (either Whitey, or an over-reaching government), that we can’t
bear to admit our own failures. Sure, it brings a short-term satisfaction when
we sue the police for shooting someone. Even more so, if we win. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmxY_5geQ0H2_qERbrF5STTcIuDmEQTrcWe07mJKuCx9QswpdOp8MEDYC6Nrc9Ppu-ibxhw9my78-BxeVdUwHJi4oaHCa73uTyNDUNU1mKlTlWotbH85ZUeQUEtQ6GqgW6CxmSX04JFA/s1600/glo4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmxY_5geQ0H2_qERbrF5STTcIuDmEQTrcWe07mJKuCx9QswpdOp8MEDYC6Nrc9Ppu-ibxhw9my78-BxeVdUwHJi4oaHCa73uTyNDUNU1mKlTlWotbH85ZUeQUEtQ6GqgW6CxmSX04JFA/s200/glo4.jpg" width="141" /></a>But then what? Rodney King won millions from the LAPD, but he blew through it quickly and remained the same thug that he was before. Will our children learn their lessons from
the experience? Will they think twice before they steal a box of cigars or
taunt a cop? For as long as Benjamin Crump and Al Sharpton are allowed to steer
the conversation, I’m not hopeful. Where are they when a black man shoots a
white cop, unprovoked? Where are they when mobs of black residents burn down
their own neighborhood? Hello? Nothing.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead of complaining that “too many” black men are in prison, perhaps we
could instill our sons with a healthy dose of obedience and humility. Even if they're innocent, help them choose better friends, and make better choices.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Were you really pulled over for the crime of DWB, or because you were speeding? In either case, perhaps
you could de-escalate the situation by NOT having an open can of malt liquor in
your hand. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Were you evicted from your Section 8 housing because you're black, or because you broke the rules? Think carefully before you answer. (In my town, minority residents constitute over 80% of the Section 8 population, so it's only natural that any subset will look about the same.) Maybe you could set a better example for your children, by admitting your own mistake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In recent years, multiple studies have shown that three out
of four black babies are born to single mothers. And that two out of three
black children live with only one parent (generally their mothers). In both
cases, these numbers are by far the highest proportion of any ethnic group. Without a father in the home, boys choose poor role models; girls look for love in all the wrong places.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do Messrs. Crump and Sharpton truly want to help? Perhaps
they could start by calling their own people to repentance. Teach them to accept responsibility
for their own bad behavior and poor choices. Until they do, they have no standing to blame anyone else. Eighty percent of all crime against
black people, is by black people. But for some reason, we only talk about the
20% that isn’t. In the famous traffic stop that ignited the Watts Riots in
1965, even the defendant’s mother, Rena Price, freely affirmed his guilt.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Police body cams won’t solve this problem. We don’t need
more lawsuits or government programs. We don’t need more hateful rhetoric
against Whitey. Affirmative Action and school quotas are but quick fixes that
make us feel good for a time. Stiffer penalties for hate crimes only increase the hate, and crowd our prisons.<br />
<br />
We need more mothers like Rena Price. And Toya
Graham. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And Gloria Hutson.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-25125477115220662402016-10-09T20:20:00.001-07:002016-10-10T01:36:01.999-07:00Political Correctness Has Come to This?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLe0Jkf-NIotX1qx3nbkjx-A_oMYOYlFAMNz-Anr38Ru2urFNvg_e-MBL3LSsIlrLm3XeDY7wLqIpLXhZVt4ci6BmkdO-GOWdxccfT1qEmcUHKfu9XDhqHUE0mXff7Sh_SSTa74t4NlhY/s1600/fblogo2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLe0Jkf-NIotX1qx3nbkjx-A_oMYOYlFAMNz-Anr38Ru2urFNvg_e-MBL3LSsIlrLm3XeDY7wLqIpLXhZVt4ci6BmkdO-GOWdxccfT1qEmcUHKfu9XDhqHUE0mXff7Sh_SSTa74t4NlhY/s200/fblogo2.jpeg" width="178" /></a></div>
Anyone who has known me for more than five minutes, will know
that I am a person of many strong opinions. On politics, religion, economics,
relationships, publishing, whatever. I don’t apologize for my views, although
in recent years I’ve become smarter in how I express them. No longer do I try
so hard to win every argument. To prevail in battle but lose a friend (or a
client), is surely a hollow victory.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lately, few issues have divided our nation quite like the
problems of police excess and civil unrest. Cop shoots criminal suspect,
suspect shoots cop. Who was right, and who was wrong? Often, it seems, we form
our opinions before the ink is dry on the story. Nevermind the details, forget
the nuances. Let’s run into the streets, lay blame, and burn down a department
store. As if.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week, one of my Facebook friends posted a short rant
that began: <i>There is no such thing as a
good cop.</i> Of course I couldn’t disagree more, and I don’t know how he came
to that conclusion. I tried to draw him out to understand his reasons, with no
response.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<a name='more'></a>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week, just down the street from where I live, Los Angeles
Sheriff's Sergeant Steve Owen gave his life to protect his community. He held
his fire, to give the other guy a chance to back down. But my friend just thinks
he got what he deserved. I shared this news on Facebook, and explained that I
hope to dissuade him from this hateful view. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was stunned at the response. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many of my friends advised me to disown him as a friend, posthaste,
lest I share in his guilt. One classmate from high school, who has known me for
almost 40 years, let loose a string of epithets and summarily un-friended me.
(Note: I still have a problem with the word <i>friend</i>
as a verb. But that’s neither here or there.)<br />
<br />
REALLY?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s the thing: In the course of the past 54 years, I have
done many stupid things to harm and offend many people. I’ve lied, I’ve stolen,
I’ve gossiped, and I’ve lusted. And when I come to my senses each time, I go
back and beg forgiveness. Sometimes I gain pardon, sometimes not. But with the
benefit of hindsight, I now understand that I brought it on myself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for my friend the cop-hater, I have known him for about
ten years and this is his “first offense.” That is, up to now he has done
nothing to hurt me, and this is the first that I’ve heard of his attitude
toward law enforcement. I am reminded of the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant:
Having been forgiven for a multitude of sins, how can I now cut him off for <i>one</i>? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I suppose I should feel glad to see that so many of my
friends share in my support for law enforcement. But at the same time, I’m
doubly dismayed to see so many of my fellows so eager to condemn someone who
disagrees. Is <i>this</i> what our country
has come to? No compassion, no patience, no willingness to engage?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you doubt my loyalties because I'm willing to keep company with a
political heretic, then <i>please</i> shoot
me now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-75418053190927874942016-08-05T10:17:00.001-07:002017-05-26T13:21:38.937-07:00Why I Don't Wear a Cross<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmCDiEfiKvE2aLYwX9L4tbmY4C-_Cm3sDemydlcT70D-RSG02l5dBzX5M424soa-BH_xoa5RbFgIl0WLCwdoqx-g8vWFr1ZnSkR8uk52PDJMNQYlym4oWogeuCNNYeARv2HPhsyM84GY/s1600/crosspendant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmCDiEfiKvE2aLYwX9L4tbmY4C-_Cm3sDemydlcT70D-RSG02l5dBzX5M424soa-BH_xoa5RbFgIl0WLCwdoqx-g8vWFr1ZnSkR8uk52PDJMNQYlym4oWogeuCNNYeARv2HPhsyM84GY/s200/crosspendant.jpg" width="124" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a child growing up in church, I strove to understand what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. I attended Sunday school faithfully for years, but my teachers didn’t do much to help the process. That is, they filled my brain with theology, rules, and information, but not a lot of practical advice. We never (and I mean, never) discussed sex, dating, decision-making, discipleship, drug abuse, or any of the important real-world issues that affect the daily life of a 20th-century teenager in the big city. I wanted to live a righteous live worthy of my calling, but…how?<br />
<br />
The physical trappings of faith confounded me. Jesus wore a robe and sandals, but I have to wear a tie and shiny shoes? Our Messiah worshiped in the open air and fed the poor, but we had to spend endless sums to repair our crumbling chapel? So many questions I dared not ask.<br />
.<br />
<a name='more'></a>And then there’s the cross. Yes, the cross that represents the death of Christ. I knew so many people who wore a gold or silver cross on a chain, or as a pin on their lapel. It crossed my mind that I should have one, but it seemed like jewelry. And guys don’t wear jewelry. My Protestant friends ridiculed those silly Catholics for their many graven images, while they kissed and embraced their own.<br />
.<br />
But then my cousin Mario, my fashion role model, began to wear gold chains. So I bought a gold(ish) chain, which made me feel cool – for about five minutes. I hung a tiny cross from it, and the kids at school teased me for – yep – wearing jewelry. That pretty much settled the matter for me.<br />
.<br />
When I finally got serious about my faith in my late twenties, I studied the Bible in earnest for the first time. I read up on church history and traditions. And then I began to revisit the cross thing, and here’s what I found:<br />
.<br />
First, we have no record, in Scripture or in history, that the early Christians observed such a practice. For them, a cross had absolutely no religious significance. (If they employed an icon at all, it was the simple fish symbol that identified their meeting places.) Crucifixion was a Roman custom (not Jewish or Christian), and the cross itself was a pagan tool for administering capital punishments. Indeed the Romans labeled the early Christians as atheists, because they didn’t exhibit the normal trappings of religion.<br />
.<br />
Can you imagine adorning your outfit with a tiny electric chair? Me neither.<br />
.<br />
But wait! If we cling to a cross as a symbol of our faith, what did said cross look like? If we examine the Roman practice of crucifixion, Jesus didn’t carry the whole cross up that hill. He carried the crossbar, or patibulum, which was then lifted onto the vertical post. Thus our Lord died not on the “Latin” cross that we see in Medieval art, but rather on a “Tau” (the Greek letter) cross that resembles our letter T.<br />
.<br />
Of course, none of these things should be interpreted to mean that it’s wrong or sinful to wear a cross. But still it brings to mind my childhood days, when the gang members at my schools uniformly wore a cross on a chain, even as they tried to sell me drugs. As did prostitutes on Hollywood Blvd. And porn stars in action (don’t ask how I know that one). And rappers who sport it as bling, as they celebrate their abuses toward women. If a symbol doesn’t represent a reality (in this case, holy living), what good is it?<br />
.<br />
Don’t get me wrong: I hold no judgment for anyone who wears a cross today. But for me, it still feels like a cheap trinket. It seems like a talisman, a good-luck charm, not unlike a rabbit’s foot or a four-leaf clover. I recall my minister telling me that a cross could bring me an extra measure of divine protection against criminals or evil spirits. Really? If we ascribe spiritual power to a physical object, it feels like a graven image, a token of sorcery. <br />
.<br />
Let’s worship the right things.</div>
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Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-70238653635051525582016-07-20T13:46:00.001-07:002017-05-26T13:26:13.434-07:00Intrigue at Pasadena<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtsOUvHe1SMPEiCk767MUznACTg6W-0psbYxH3nG9Vp9OcPvUkD0ZaDAWx4KaCDaGBM4I198K2ScGVTKTv4upz_siT_89AQSa26hLeRxMO6WpLY3lmdyrw9w1SLN8hKfsZ2vK4Q6ijMg/s1600/roseslogo+%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtsOUvHe1SMPEiCk767MUznACTg6W-0psbYxH3nG9Vp9OcPvUkD0ZaDAWx4KaCDaGBM4I198K2ScGVTKTv4upz_siT_89AQSa26hLeRxMO6WpLY3lmdyrw9w1SLN8hKfsZ2vK4Q6ijMg/s200/roseslogo+%25282%2529.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">For about the past twenty
years, my sister has been engaged in the research of our family history. In the
course of this project, she has turned up dozens of relatives that we didn’t
know we had. Sometimes she confirms information that we already knew, while
occasionally she discovers that we had it all wrong. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This week she discovered an
<a href="https://www.newspapers.com/image/?spot=5845047" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">article</span></b></a> on the front page of the Los Angeles Examiner (a Hearst newspaper, now
defunct), dated December 31, 1908. As a writer, I was amused by the curious
grammar and word choices. The headline:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">DEATH LIST IN TWO CITIES
ESTIMATED AT 115,000 <br />
<br />
Due to a massive earthquake, two cities in southern Italy – Messina and Reggio –
were destroyed. Fire, flood, and crumbling buildings conspired to kill thousands. Shiploads of injured refugees to Naples and other cities are called <i>fugitives.</i> King Victor Emmanuel and
Queen Helena came to visit. Telegraphs at railroad stations became the only
means of communication with the outside world.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">BIG PLANT DESTROYED BY FIRE: BUILDINGS AND STOCK OF SYRUP COMPANY SWEPT AWAY</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Separately, the Pacific Coast
Syrup Company plant burned to the ground in Los Angeles. I was taken by the
great amount of fine details in the story: Southern Pacific Railroad workers
discovered the fire, and the fire alarm in the factory was installed by the Los
Angeles Fire Alarm Company. I wasn't </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">familiar with the syrup company, so I
looked it up: In January the same year, a U.S. District Court ordered the
confiscation of a large amount of cane sugar syrup, because it was mislabeled as
Canadian maple syrup.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">But I digress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Just below the fold appeared the
story that caught my sister’s attention:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">CONSPIRACY TO KILL CHARGED: PASADENA
MAN DISCOVERS LETTER TO WIFE</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Because of the quirky writing
style, I had to read the article several times before I could understand it.
But there it was: My great-grandmother Emma hired a hit man to kill her
husband, my great-grandfather Albert. Yup. This was her third attempt.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_gTKf0nQF2UHzntlLwz8KTHARnA_fNCDmShdENaI8VCToHk29iZcgES6eTh23OQrOGDH276l7kWDCRyW7v40GwT8AS9ekhIPtdCCb0w4CVn9AbwSjt2NI85U_Fd449mtany7rl9K-WU/s1600/hutsonalbert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_gTKf0nQF2UHzntlLwz8KTHARnA_fNCDmShdENaI8VCToHk29iZcgES6eTh23OQrOGDH276l7kWDCRyW7v40GwT8AS9ekhIPtdCCb0w4CVn9AbwSjt2NI85U_Fd449mtany7rl9K-WU/s200/hutsonalbert.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">ALBERT</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>“T. Smith of Pasadena was arrested at San Diego yesterday morning by Deputy
Constable O. F. Kunzman and brought to Los Angeles, where he is now in the city
jail. He is charged with conspiracy to kill A. Hutson of Pasadena, agent of the
Siezers Oil Burning Company. The other party to the conspiracy being, it is
alleged, Emma Hutson, wife of the last named.”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Apparently, great-grampa
Albert was wealthy. He had $3,000 in life insurance and lived in Linda Vista
(an upscale section of Pasadena). The article describes him as having “money in
the bank, being in comfortable circumstances, industrious and highly respected.”
Apparently, great-grandma Emma wanted that money and property for herself.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlZX3vHHI-gW7mgh5sS_Yhtc8nlNeqV05Qyx6NC6TKjwLHGY5Sg6_Bo90aLmbfod4XOqT3vw53mHcljXL_sHKhPwHo_tTQGcDBlJBLkZnAk97P738Y8SduxrafJFm5qX8_WMVUmXrhoc/s1600/hutsonemma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlZX3vHHI-gW7mgh5sS_Yhtc8nlNeqV05Qyx6NC6TKjwLHGY5Sg6_Bo90aLmbfod4XOqT3vw53mHcljXL_sHKhPwHo_tTQGcDBlJBLkZnAk97P738Y8SduxrafJFm5qX8_WMVUmXrhoc/s200/hutsonemma.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">EMMA</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The weapon of choice? Mr. T.
Smith, it seems, slipped a dose of sulfuric acid into great-grampa’s drink (he
was known to be fond of beer and whiskey). But all three attempts failed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Great-grampa discovered this
scheme when he found a letter addressed to “Mrs. Hutchinson.” But we Hutsons
are accustomed to having our surname misspelled and mispronounced. Mr. Smith was angry
because he had not been paid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><i>
“I thought you was a truthful woman to your word. You asked me to kill your husband
for you, and I told you it was worth a thousand dollars. You ain't going to see
me no more, for I am going to Newton, Kansas, Sunday. You are going to get
yourself in a jam, not me.”</i><br />
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The discovery of this letter led to the arrest of Mr. Smith. Great-grandma was
nowhere to be found. I found the last sentence of the article amusing:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><i>
“All of the parties concerned in the affair are negroes.” </i>This part, I know, is inaccurate. Emma was full-blooded Cherokee.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This story contradicts much
of what we’ve always “known” about my dad’s family. I know that my grandfather
lived much of his youth in Pasadena, so that checks. His parents were Albert
and Emma, and the article correctly gives her maiden name as <i>Nowell</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">But were they wealthy?
Everything I've heard for the past 50 years, says no. Albert was a
self-employed tinkerer and inventor, not (as the article claims) an agent of an
oil company. (He, and my grandfather, built the world's first self-propelled parade float. Many of their creations appeared in the Rose Parade.) By one account, one of our relatives worked as a household servant
for David Gamble, one of the founders of Procter & Gamble. (Gamble lived in
Cincinnati, but wintered out west.) The “Gamble House” in Pasadena is now a
museum and a state historical landmark.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Is there a hidden fortune
that we don’t know about? I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></div>
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Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-42876382781111279832016-06-28T14:26:00.002-07:002016-07-03T20:10:22.893-07:00Don't Be a Boob<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Just yesterday, one of my friends posted an intriguing
question of Facebook: <i>Is it proper for a
woman to breastfeed a child in a public place? What do you think? </i>Ah, one
of those topics that is sure to bring out strong opinions on all sides. <o:p></o:p></div>
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About a dozen people answered, all women, and the broad
consensus was “Sure. Just be discreet, and don’t make a show of it.” But as the
odds would have it, a couple of people came out on both extremes: “No, never
expose yourself in public! It’s gross!” and “Yes, I’ve got my constitutional
rights, and no one can stop me!” (I should mention, all of these respondents
identified themselves as Christians. I will explain why this is significant, in
just a moment.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<a name='more'></a>.<br />
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As the only man in the discussion, I brought a different perspective:
This kind of public display makes us uncomfortable. The response from a couple
of the ladies was predictable: “Get over it! My rights are more important than
your comfort.” Apparently, I’ve been programmed by my American culture that
sees sexual meaning in almost everything.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Honestly, I get it. I do. But…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Several years ago, my wife and I had dinner at the home of a
couple who had a newborn. Six weeks old, as I recall. Right in the middle of
the meal, the baby fussed. Whereupon Mom opened her blouse (with no bra) and
lifted the baby to feed him. <i>Ummm… What’s
the protocol for this kind of thing?</i> <i>Should
I excuse myself from the table? Pretend that nothing happened? </i>I don’t
generally make it habit to engage in casual conversation with half-dressed
women. It surprised me that she felt so free to do this, in front of a man she
barely knew (me).<o:p></o:p></div>
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This story brought angry retorts from a couple of ladies in
the discussion. You see, if this situation makes me uncomfortable, then clearly
I’m evil. I’m just a dirty old man who enjoys objectifying women, and blaming
them for my own weakness. I should stay away from all women of child-bearing
age. <br />
<br />
Now, just hold the phone for a cotton-pickin’ minute. News flash: men get
excited at the sight of female nudity, however limited. That’s just how it is; it's not as if we have a switch that we can turn on and off, at will. Would you
prefer that it be different, between you and your husband? I thought so. <o:p></o:p></div>
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More “shoulds” and accusations. <i>Your sinful lusts are your problem, not mine.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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Here’s the thing that bugs me, more than anything else in
the conversation: In defense of their rights, these <i>Christian </i>women cared nothing about the rights or interests of
anyone else. I can scarcely imagine a more un-Christian attitude, especially
from someone who claims to be defending the cause of Christ. This is not love,
it’s hostility. No virtue there. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Incidentally, I practice what I preach. For example: I like
beer, and I have every right to drink it. But if my drinking it makes you
uncomfortable, I will stop. If my actions tempt you to sin, I will be just as
happy with a Pepsi. My rights are not more important than yours, and my
Heineken is not more important than you.<br />
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<o:p></o:p>But do you have the right to forbid me to drink beer? Never. Just as I won't forbid you from feeding your hungry child. But we can both be reasonable about it. </div>
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I am my brother’s keeper. And so are you. Don't be a boob.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-20816570186245636872016-06-16T09:34:00.001-07:002016-06-17T07:47:55.662-07:00Of Guns and Crosses<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I’m a Christian. There, I’ve said it.<br />
<br />
When I out myself as
such, I never know what to expect. Some people love me, some hate me (although
they’re far too polite to say so), and some just don’t care.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Indeed, the unfavorable perception of my religion is not
entirely undeserved. We all know a few grumpy religious hypocrites, don’t we? And
of course, there’s the baggage of history: The Crusades, the Inquisitions, and
so on. Without a doubt, some of the greatest criminal atrocities of all time
have been committed in the name of Christ.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One thing for sure, these guys don’t speak for me. They’ve
hijacked my religion, based on a false reading of my holy book. They don’t
represent my beliefs or my politics. Further, most modern
Christians will likewise quickly distance themselves from such things.</div>
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<a name='more'></a></div>
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In recent years, as we know, some pretty horrible crimes
have been perpetrated in the name of Mohammed. Thousands killed or
injured. These terrorists truly believe that they’re saving the world from
terrible heresies, Zionist aggression (their term, not mine), and Western
worldliness.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And yet, if you were to visit the average mosque today, you’d
be hard-pressed to find a worshipper who endorses such doctrines. The
terrorists have hijacked their religion, based on a false reading of their holy
book. <i>Those guys don’t speak for me, and they don’t represent my beliefs or
my politics.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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This week our nation once again mourns the slaughter of innocents, this time in Orlando. Seeing as the perpetrator used a big gun, and not a knife, our
president thinks it’s time to pass more and more laws to restrict the sale and
use of firearms. And on the other side, of course, is the NRA; they still
firmly believe that guns should be traded freely, with almost no restrictions.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p>But one of my earliest lessons as a young child, was that the path of wisdom is rarely found in extremes.<br />
<br />
What American city has the most restrictive gun laws? It's Chicago. What American city has the most gun murders, year after year? It's Chicago. I wonder if our president has ever been there. (Contrast this situation to Houston, which makes it easy to get a gun permit; gun violence is rare.)</div>
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As for me, I have no dog in this fight. I have fired guns a
few times in my life, but I have never owned one. Yet at the same time, I have
no quarrel with those who do. My wife and I both have dozens of gun freaks in
our respective families; mine in Texas, and hers in Virginia. If you’re a 16
year-old boy, you have a truck with a gun rack. That’s just how it is.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When our founding fathers ratified the Second
Amendment to guarantee our right to bear arms, I can’t imagine that they had
machine guns in mind. Our citizens needed to protect their property and hunt
for food, but an automatic rifle is good for neither.</div>
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Indeed, the bad reputation of firearms is not entirely
undeserved; but that doesn’t make them evil. What our nation needs now, is for
gun owners to come forward <i>en masse</i>
and plead for sanity. We need reasonable regulations to protect us from the nut
jobs who shoot up schools and nightclubs. They must pack the halls of Congress
and shout with all their might: <o:p></o:p></div>
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“These criminals have hijacked my cause, based on a false
reading of our national charter. They don’t represent my beliefs or my politics.”<br />
<br />
How’s <i>that</i> for a reasonable middle ground?<o:p></o:p><br />
.</div>
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Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-1177694175955120522016-06-01T17:50:00.001-07:002016-06-01T18:28:53.579-07:00If You Seek to Be Understood, Seek to Understand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I found this <b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://ow.ly/SZ5p300Pgp3" target="_blank">article</a></span></b> in the Huffington Post today, and the
title intrigued me: <i>Black, Gay Christians
Do Exist, And It’s Time You Hear Us.</i> While I have never endured the
persecution and heartbreak that this young man describes, I nonetheless believe
that he has drawn the wrong conclusions from the experience. <o:p></o:p></div>
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First, I was born and raised in Hollywood. So as you might imagine,
my education in these matters began at a very early age, long before my
juvenile brain knew how to process the information. Yes, I know you exist, and
nothing in this article is new. I heard these arguments over 40 years ago.</div>
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.<br />
<a name='more'></a>He says that his family owned a church. How does that work?
I don’t get it..</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I will pass no judgment on his lifestyle, which he fights so
hard to defend. And I will certainly not deny that God loves him. And yes, I'm painfully aware that cruel religious hypocrites abound, all over. But does God’s
love for us, mean that he approves of all that we do? That’s a very different
question.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am intrigued by his comment, “The sanctity of a church is
not in danger because of the personal lives of its congregation.” Very well,
then, Mr. Whiteside; from whence cometh said sanctity? Surely it rests not in the
building, or the pews, or the trappings of religion. Clearly, in the record of
Scripture, the holiness of a church <i>absolutely</i> depends on
the holiness of its people. Both Old Testament and New.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
This young man demands to be heard and understood, and I
couldn't agree more. Now, in all fairness, he must strive to understand the
motives and intentions of those who disagree. We’re not all haters.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-20600533049199307452016-01-11T07:49:00.000-08:002016-01-11T20:23:07.066-08:00Writer Seeks Clear Communication. Hello?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQplLJTFfDf2Ty6DvE1iat10X8oPyfk98V3Ao_vWhxW-46gjrUVAiIw3Jljs9hqCJOKMXnia2y6ofO4iqHkeo7d9kiSUdbjvOIRMBUjc1ZQ55qodZRXRY_W66_Jf8k4rxRMV-bnArkt4/s1600/fastfood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQplLJTFfDf2Ty6DvE1iat10X8oPyfk98V3Ao_vWhxW-46gjrUVAiIw3Jljs9hqCJOKMXnia2y6ofO4iqHkeo7d9kiSUdbjvOIRMBUjc1ZQ55qodZRXRY_W66_Jf8k4rxRMV-bnArkt4/s200/fastfood.jpg" width="189" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have a confession to make: In my old age, I fear that I’ve grown into
a crusty curmudgeon. And for this, I cast all blame on comedian Jerry Seinfeld.
That’s right. You might recall that he became famous with the line, “have you
ever noticed…?” And sure enough, he has yielded hundreds (thousands?) of insightful
observations about the quirks of human nature.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
My latest gripe: fast-food joints.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
About 20 years ago, McDonald’s introduced combo deals. That is, instead
of ordering “Big Mac, fries, and a Coke,” you can just say “Number one.” The
other chains quickly followed, and I always imagined that the new arrangement
could make the ordering process much more efficient. Just imagine that your
store serves 500 customers per day, and you could cut five seconds from the
processing of each order. It adds up; that’s about 42 minutes that an employee
can spend doing something else. Probably more, I would think, if the simplified new procedure cuts down on mistakes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a>Except…<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I’ve been noticing a trend in the past few years. Often, these clerks
don’t even pretend to listen to me. Instead, they just try to follow a script.
For example, here’s a typical conversation:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Me: “Quarter-pounder with cheese to go, please.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
She: “Do you want the combo?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Me: “No, I want the burger."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
She: “Do you want cheese on that?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Me: “Quarter-pounder with cheese to go, please.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
She: “Will that be for here or to go?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Me: “Quarter-pounder with cheese to go, please.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ugh.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So is it any easier if I use the combo number instead? Not necessarily.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Me: “Number 2 for here, please.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
She: “Do you mean the burger, or the combo?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Double-ugh. Isn't that what the combo numbers are for?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
At Carl’s Jr. (also called Hardee’s), combo #1 has a Famous Star with
cheese. But if I ask for combo #1, they ask if I want cheese on it. Ummm…yes.
That’s why I asked for a #1.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Come on, can I get a witness, people?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The worst offender is Wendy’s, because their combo numbers don’t mean
anything. If I ask for a Number 3, they have to ask if I want it with fries,
chili, or a salad. If I proactively try to say “Number 3 with fries,” they
interrupt me to ask if I want fries, chili, or salad. Yup.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And if I want a combo with fries, PLUS a cup of chili on the side? They
argue with me that I can’t have both. Almost every time. <i>Don't they train you to upsell me into ordering <u>one more item</u>? A dessert, or a super-size? Is it OK with you if I do it on my own?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And then, almost everywhere (at least, here in SoCal) there are the
clerks who don’t speak English. They return a blank stare if I say anything
other than “Burger, fries, and Coke.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And these are the guys who demand a pay raise to $15 an hour. REALLY?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Are there any exceptions to this pattern? I have a friend who manages an In-N-Out Burger outlet, where he earned $98,000 last year. There, and at Chick-Fil-A, they seem to hire a
different class of people; they listen and smile and speak English. They’re
consistently polite and well-groomed, and don’t chatter among themselves when
customers are around. For this, they get paid more than the average fast-food
worker. And they stick around longer, on average, than the workers in the other chains.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Go figure.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-12100768229878052192015-10-26T22:12:00.000-07:002015-10-26T22:20:11.377-07:00My Fateful Ninety Minutes in Albuquerque<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kkh4_s6V0SPWT84TeQExrnT8D95APA4tSEm1d2-XwFX5Xfhbyjo6tty5HBROtXwQ2MtTlTT3ZdLMPMEsxFCWE9BaDyZeSlIZ3cgyN1yJW6ZZBzRX_YvJlPtc69dBdrTdnZfkac3a7Tw/s1600/Southwest-Airlines-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kkh4_s6V0SPWT84TeQExrnT8D95APA4tSEm1d2-XwFX5Xfhbyjo6tty5HBROtXwQ2MtTlTT3ZdLMPMEsxFCWE9BaDyZeSlIZ3cgyN1yJW6ZZBzRX_YvJlPtc69dBdrTdnZfkac3a7Tw/s200/Southwest-Airlines-logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This weekend, I had the pleasure of speaking and teaching at
the Heart of America Christian Writers’ Conference. It’s one of my favorite
things to do. But as it turned out, that wasn’t the highlight of my weekend.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During my stay in Kansas City, I watched the Royals win the
big game. In the so-called City of Fountains, all of the water in said
fountains was dyed blue. But that wasn’t the highlight of my weekend, either.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
About an hour into my three-hour flight home on Southwest
Airlines flight 3064, I heard a slight commotion a couple of rows behind me.
The flight attendants seemed to be paying special attention to something or
someone there. But it was none of my business, and I had a manuscript to edit.
Nose back to the grindstone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a>.<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A short time later, I heard an announcement from the
captain: “Do we have any medical personnel on boar--?” Before the sound of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">D</i>, the man next to me (who was snoring a
nanosecond before) sprang to his feet and into service. But it was none of my
business, and I resolved to stay out of it. Nose back to the grindstone. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More commotion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The flight attendants called someone on the phone, fielded a
thousand questions from passengers (such busybodies!), and carried supplies to
the…whatever it was. They pulled out some type of special communications
device, plugged it in to a port inside the overhead baggage compartment, and consulted
quietly with some official person somewhere. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OK, now it’s getting harder to ignore.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Seeing as all passengers are supposed to stay seated at all
times, a woman came over to sit next to me. She had just been displaced by my (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">medical professional?</i>) neighbor, and now
took his seat. Certainly she must possess some juicy intel. I could stand the
mystery no more. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hi, I’m Steve.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hey, I’m Julia. How are—” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“WHAT’S HAPPENING? TELL MEEEEE!!! Ahem. Sorry.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Turns out, a fellow passenger was feeling increasingly
uncomfortable. First she had a sore throat, then she gasped for air, then felt
chest pains. Julia was the one who reported the situation to the flight crew,
who took quick action. As it happened, the afflicted was a lady pastor
traveling to a revival meeting with two friends. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More commotion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another announcement: “This is your captain speaking. Due to
a medical emergency, we will have to divert to Albuquerque. We apologize for
this inconvenience, and we will get you on your way to Los Angeles as quickly
as we can.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More…yeah, that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not a terribly experienced traveler, but I can swear
that I’ve never seen any airplane land so quickly. We descended (it seems)
faster than normal, got cleared for landing ahead of others who should have
gone first, and rushed to a gate without yielding to any other traffic on the
tarmac. The jetway extended, and the door was opened so fast that I could hear
a depressurizing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">swoosh</i>. A fire
engine and ambulance stood ready, and four paramedics rushed in.<br />
<br />
Our “medical pro” (he turned out to be a nurse) reported to the paramedics:
With a quick preliminary diagnosis, the patient probably had a heart attack; he
administered a dose of nitroglycerin (provided by the airline; who knew?) which
brought immediate relief. Being a diabetic himself, Nurse Jack broke out his glucose
meter and used it on the patient: a whopping 320! The medics spoke kindly to
Lady Pastor, calmed her, lifted her into a wheelchair, and rolled her away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Apparently a few legalities had to be settled before we
could take off again. Jack, and the captain, signed a couple of official forms.
Since we had time to kill, a truck came up to resupply the plane with food and
drink. For a moment, it crossed my mind to get off the plane. This was my
mother’s hometown, and I hadn’t been there for many years. But I hesitated five
seconds too long, and they closed the cabin door.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Still more delays. I chatted with the flight attendants, who
found themselves in the unaccustomed position of having nothing to do; surely
they had vast experience dealing with sick passengers. Nope. It was the first
time for all of them. But they handled the situation with the utmost of
professionalism, poise, and discretion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ah, but it's not over yet. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The passenger on my right, in the window seat, chatted away
on her phone speaking French. I wasn’t sure that she knew English, so I didn’t
try to make conversation. But (apparently) her boredom grew along with the
continued delays. “So, business or pleasure?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Huh? Oh, hi, I went to Kansas City to speak for a writers’
conference. Taught a couple of classes.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ah, you’re a writer?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, I’m mostly a literary agent these days.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh, really? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, Marie has a book that she wants to get published. It’s
about human trafficking out of India. Wasn’t sure that I wanted to handle her
book, but I didn’t want to be rude.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, here’s my card. Send me an email and tell me more.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Can I have one, too?” I turned around. That was Julia.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m writing a memoir. Really, I’ve led a fascinating life.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Uh, sure. Here.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A very untypical day in the life of a (soon-to-be) famous
literary gatekeeper. All hail the KC Royals, Southwest Airlines, and ABQFD.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
</div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1152088215658547786.post-29178345954391057202015-08-03T19:16:00.002-07:002015-08-03T19:16:25.155-07:00Shall We Kill the Killers?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iM__MUP8qzyd0dqHABfZnyl-bbHWR8t6iQ354iuSpC5Vdsq98pXL-iPYaJaVUyTbfjQsJ36p3GlryqyFQeb05dwfqkHQOmjV43Fnanco1y_PdTCt8jZDSpJYC_MuqEckwDcl331y1RA/s1600/James_Holmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iM__MUP8qzyd0dqHABfZnyl-bbHWR8t6iQ354iuSpC5Vdsq98pXL-iPYaJaVUyTbfjQsJ36p3GlryqyFQeb05dwfqkHQOmjV43Fnanco1y_PdTCt8jZDSpJYC_MuqEckwDcl331y1RA/s200/James_Holmes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some political issues seem to go in and out of season, from
one year to the next. For a while we obsess over abortion, then evolution, then
racism, then equal pay. Rarely do they occupy the front page at the same time. Recently,
the trial of James Holmes has brought wide attention to the issue of capital
punishment, for the first time in a while. Should he give his life, as
punishment for the murder of dozens of moviegoers in 2013? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some would insist that capital punishment is a perfectly
proportionate penalty: a life for a life, seems perfectly reasonable. Others argue
the opposite, that a death penalty is the ultimate hypocrisy: That if it’s
wrong for me to kill you, then it’s equally immoral for the state to kill me.</div>
<a name='more'></a>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many will consult the Bible and come away with two very
different conclusions: On one side, we should display mercy; on the other, we
must uphold of the law: an eye for an eye, and so on. Surely I find it
refreshing, whenever I see a fellow believer stand up for Bible truth in the
public arena. Such a person is sure to face ridicule, persecution, or worse. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But here’s the thing: In the record of the Scripture, all of
these crimes are worthy of death: murder, cursing parents, disobedience to
parents, child sacrifice, kidnapping, blasphemy, adultery, bigamy, rape, bestiality,
incest, homosexuality, heresy, witchcraft, idolatry, oppressing the poor,
theft, fornication, loansharking, greed, envy, rabble-rousing, gossip, hating
God, arrogance, and lack of faith. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So if you claim Bible authority to execute a murderer, then
why not these others? Good question. Somehow, in our modern society, we’ve
become quite selective with our moral outrage. Which leads us to defend the
honor of God only halfway. Or less.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the broader record of Scripture, this issue is not as simple
as you might think:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First, any death penalty requires the testimony of at least
two witnesses. This means <i>eye</i>witnesses.
Not fingerprints or DNA analysis, but two people who actually observed the
crime with their own eyes. And you can forget any notions of witness protection
or anonymous testimony. Open court, all the way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Secondly, the witnesses themselves must be the ones to carry
out the sentence. Not an executioner, not a firing squad. YOU. If you’re so
certain that this man is guilty and worthy of death, here’s a rock. You first.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what does Jesus have to say about it? Not much. But
plenty.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On one occasion, an adulterous woman was brought before him
for judgment. Not for a real trial, of course, but as a mockery and a test to
see if he would uphold the law. <i>Should
she be stoned, as Moses prescribed?</i> He could have answered any number of
ways:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He could have judged her innocent; surely, he knew the
truth. But she stood there naked, or nearly so, having been snatched from her
lover’s bed only moments before. Not an option.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He could have pardoned her and set her free; but this would
do nothing to satisfy the blood-lust of her accusers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or like many of our modern-day prophets, he could have
proclaimed a new age in which adultery is no longer considered immoral. But
nope.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead, he gave an answer that no one expected: <i>Only the sinless, can punish sin.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, the law was valid, and should be upheld.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, she was guilty.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, (apparently) two witnesses saw it happen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes, she deserved to die.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nothing in American jurisprudence, comes close to the model
that we see in the pages of Scripture. If we execute murderers, we should do
the same for heretics and thieves. And who among us is prepared to call out
witches, or slay disobedient children? You might have your own reasons for
believing that certain people are so evil that they don’t deserve to live. And
you might be right. But now, who shall carry out the sentence?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thought so.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
.</div>
</div>
Steven Hutsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02742470465598372806noreply@blogger.com0