Political e-mails & the price of ignorance

"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" Benjamin Franklin

The above picture is one of my very favorites. I made it with my cell phone camera sitting on the back deck of my brother's house. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful day that included a special supper and playing with his three children. My brother is a special person. He is thoughtful and kind. We disagree on very few things, but politically we are polar opposites. He sent me a political e-mail today. He knows better, but he did it anyway. Both he and a brother-in-law that I love dearly, live under the mistaken assumption that they are going to "change" me, I think. I got a political e-mail last week that was a forward and incorrect. I went to snopes.com and there was the evidence; it was an e-mail that had been proven to be an out and out lie, but kept making the rounds thanks to the Republicans mouthpiece, Rush Limbaugh.

One of the quotes in the e-mail from my brother today included the following: "To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

I personally liked the quote and thought it was perfect in describing how I felt about the misuse of our tax dollars for the Iraq war. Of course, the Republican spin was all about how evil the stimulus plan is. Listen, the Republican party has been in power the last eight years and THEY are to blame for the financial mess we are now in the middle of. The "trickle down" theory didn't work, so Obama is in the position of straightening out their mess.

I would like to include an additional Thomas Jefferson quote: "I have never been able to conceive how any rational being could propose happiness to himself from the exercise of power over others. "

In regard to the Benjamin Franklin quote, I personally believe our country lost a lot of our freedoms in the name of what Bush called national security. I could write volumes about the situation in Iraq and the world's view of the United States during the Bush presidency. Instead, I will leave all of you to interpret all three quotes as you see fit.

A Journey Down Memory Lane

When Earth's Last Picture is Painted

by: Rudyard Kipling

When Earth's last picture is painted and the tubes are twisted and dried,

When the oldest colours have faded, and the youngest critic has died,
We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it -- lie down for an aeon or two,
Till the Master of All Good Workmen shall put us to work anew.
And those that were good shall be happy; they shall sit in a golden chair;
They shall splash at a ten-league canvas with brushes of comets' hair.
They shall find real saints to draw from -- Magdalene, Peter, and Paul;
They shall work for an age at a sitting and never be tired at all!
And only The Master shall praise us, and only The Master shall blame;
And no one shall work for money, and no one shall work for fame,
But each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as he sees It for the God of Things as They are!

Tonight, I have been taking a journey down memory lane.

A very dear friend lost his battle with cancer. Death is not the end,

it is only a bridge to another place. I've been reflecting on some of the

beautiful memories I have shared with Bob and his extended family.

I looked at family photographs and that was what sparked my memory

of this Rudyard Kipling poem. My best friends will recall my ability to

recite this poem word for word and how I learned it, but that's another

story.

Tuesday was a joyful day. I had visits from two different friends that

I literally hadn't seen in years. I had a phone call from a high school

friend and we talked until 1am. However, I also received a phone call

from my friend who is like a sister, telling me that Bob's time on earth

was coming close to an end. I could hear the pain in her voice and I felt

so helpless. As sad as that phone call was, I was also reminded of the

joy of connection. We all need one another.

So long, Bob. Thanks for adding to the fabric of our lives.

I BELIEVE........

"The weight of this crisis will not
determine the destiny of this nation."








Tonight, the newscasters were all quick to say
the nation was behind our president. It is going
to take all of us (including Kentucky's McConnell
and Whitfield) to work diligently to rebuild and renew this great nation. Wouldn't it be nice to hear Mr. McConnell take responsibility for his part and support of the Bush doctrine and stance on spending over $600,000,000,000 on the Iraq war? And he thinks the stimulus bill needs to be closely monitored? Give me a break. Where was he when Halliburton was playing a Bernie Madoff with our tax dollars?

Our President outlined a "Blueprint for the Future" and I support him.
I would hope that our Republican friends would put aside their
posturing and mud-slinging and do what's best for this country.

Wasn't it nice to hear our president address the country and speak
intelligently and correctly pronounce words?!?!

I believe

The Good Samaritan & the Oscars

I've always really enjoyed watching the Oscars. Great
music, funny jokes, beautiful dresses, and if we're lucky-
memorable speeches.

I was really moved by Dustin Lance Black and Sean Penn's
speeches tonight. It made me consider the parable of the
Good Samaritan and remember something my mom told me
years ago. I will save the story for another day, but my mom
ended a little speech to me by saying "Things are different
from the outside looking in. Remember that before passing
judgment." I never forgot that and the older I got, the more
I realized how wise that advice really was. THINGS REALLY
ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN.

I've been thinking about the parable of the Good Samaritan
a lot lately. I have heard that scripture in Luke preached
on so very many times. I've read the background scholarly
advice about how relevant it was that Jesus said the "Levite"
(assistant to the priest), the Priest, or a Jew didn't stop to
help. He used the example that a Samaritan was the only one
that stopped to help. Every sermon I heard and all scholarly
journals refer to the fact that Jews considered the Samaritans
to be from a religion and race that they scorned. And yet, a
Samaritan was the only one that stopped to help. I don't think
it was any coincidence that Jesus had a "man of the law" ask
the question or that he used a Jew and Samaritan to illustrate
his command.

Perhaps, we should remind ourselves of this lesson,
considering the current religious and ethnic tension being
spouted from religious columns and leaders. I think this
parable has very practical and modern applications today,
but that's just me. I think Jesus was saying unless we love
those that have differing religious and even moral beliefs,
then we are not practicing the "love thy neighbor as thyself"
commandment. I remember hearing one minister preach on
this and say that unless we loved the person that was the
MOST UNDESIRABLE to us, as that neighbor, then we didn't
understand what Jesus meant. The stipulations of these
verses are similar to what my mom told me, I believe. I have
found myself taking on the causes of different races and sexes
through the years because I felt compelled and convicted to.
I have my mom to thank for that, I believe.

When I decided to start this blog, I thought it would be a nice
outlet for my political rants. I never dreamed that I would find
myself in the position of erasing several "religious" themed
posts a day. It's certainly not what I had in mind.

I've always been the type to say exactly what I thought. I
think that was born from times when I was in grade school
and being teased about things that were happening at home.
I learned early on to just tell who had done what and then I
couldn't be hurt or embarrassed by it. Perhaps, it has made
me too blunt or opinionated. However, as embarrassed as I
might have been back then, I am just as much or more
thankful for those experiences now. My mom knew what it
was like to have a weakness or to be scorned. I have plenty
of faults; however, being racist, homophobic or unaccepting
of others are not three of them.

Thank you, Mom.

Forever Friends

Several months ago I received an e-mail from one
of those friends that you know you'll have forever.
She wrote to tell me that her father was going to
soon celebrate his 80th birthday. Sometimes we
go months and don't get to see or talk to each
other. And yet, when we do see each other, it's
as though we last talked the day before. Her
father was one of those people that made you
want to live a better life. He was the pastor
at the Marion Baptist Church for several years,
but he was like a father to me. They welcomed
me into their lives and changed how I thought
a real home and family life should be. I sent
her Dad a birthday card with a note of some of
my fondest memories. I will forever treasure
the letter I received back from him. It reminded
me of one of Steve Goodier's Life Support Messages.
I looked it up (Who's Your Best Friend) and here
is part of his post.

"And do you know who your best friend is? Automaker
Henry Ford was having lunch with a man, when he
suddenly asked the man that very question. "Who is
your best friend?" Ford asked. The man hesitated and
Ford went on. "I'll tell you who your best friend is,"
he said. Then he wrote this sentence for the man to
read: "Your best friend is he who brings out the best
that is within you." Our best friends are those who do
more than simply like us. They also believe in us.
They support us but, occasionally, they nudge us as
well.Someone put it well: "A friend is someone who
knows you as you are, understands where you've been,
accepts who you've become, and still, gently invites
you to grow.

"Now...who is your best friend?

What????????

Several months ago, I read a letter to the editor of our local paper.
I had never met the author and didn't know anything about him.
However, his letter stirred something in my heart. It seemed so
genuine and heartfelt. I sent him a note telling him how much I
enjoyed and appreciated his letter. I felt compelled to tell him this.
I am thankful that a great friendship has developed because of my
note.

I say all that to say this: Listen to your heart. I have learned
through the years to listen to that still small voice. The hard
part is to not only listen, but to ACT. Sometimes it might not
be the most comfortable or popular thing to do, but I guarantee
you that it will always be the RIGHT thing to do.

I received a lot of e-mails and calls about my post on the 18th.
It's always nice to feel like you've expressed a thought that
is well received. I found it interesting that a majority of
those I spoke with, found one thing more incredulous
than any other about the "religious" article in the press;
the word PARAPHRASED! Tedrick felt the need to "paraphrase"
God's Holy Word. WHAT???????????????????????????????????

Do No Harm

Is it just me, or does the title of the latest
"religious" column in our local paper, give
you reason to pause.........
ICE A WARNING FROM GOD

I can remember Dr. Bob McGaughey (retired professor of Journalism)
stressing the importance of the responsibilities of
a member of the press. McGaughey was one of those professors
that made you want to go to class, take something from every
lesson he was willing to give you, and just make
you a better human being. I can only imagine what he would
think about this column.

I'm constantly being told by family and friends that live out of
state, how upsetting it is to have this column in our local paper.
I have a good friend who takes it to work and she says that
people simply don't believe something like this exists in this
day and age. These former residents of Marion look forward
to getting their Crittenden Press and this one columnist manages
to insult their intelligence, question their religious beliefs, and
reflect poorly on a town and community they love. I sometimes
wonder how many people have failed to become a member of a
church or accept the love and instruction of God because of the
hate-spewing ramblings of this columnist.

I don't believe that God sent this ice storm to Marion, Ky. to
WARN us. I saw the presence and love of God in more people
than I could possibly recount in this post. If anything, my God
sent angels to help us survive this freakish natural disaster. But,
that's just me. I saw God in the linemen from North Carolina who
were so intent in restoring power to my 88 year old father-in-law.
I saw God in neighbors and friends who shared water and meals.
I heard God when my sons would call and ask what they could do
to help. I am blessed and I believe Crittenden County is blessed.

I've listed below a few quotes about freedom of the press and free
speech. The first one made me laugh and the others gave me
reason to think. We all have a responsibility to make this world a
better place.

Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one. A. J. Liebling (Newsweek)

There are many other conditions to free speech. I've got a right to say and believe anything I please, but I haven't got a right to press it on anybody else. .... Nobody's got a right to be a nuisance to his neighbors. Author: H.l. Mencken

All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. we can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level.--William Bernbach, of DDB Needham Worldwide, 1989

Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light.--Joseph Pulitzer

Article about Towery's induction into the Hall of Fame

We were all there for this big day and it
was quite moving. This is a really good
article.

*Click on the title and it will take you to
the article.

Carlisle Towery

Check out the section I added on Carlisle.

Western Kentucky University and The

Crittenden Press called him Crittenden County's

greatest player. We all call him the "greatest"

Pops and grandfather.

I wish I had said this........

Earlier today, I mentioned that I really enjoy an inspirational
newsletter I receive in my inbox from Steve Goodier.

Coincidentally, a couple of hours later, I received one of the best
I've ever read and the last paragraph was something that I wish I
had said. I had wondered why I hadn't received one in a while and
he had an explanation. However, he made up for it with this message.

Please read "A God too Small"

It's refreshing for me to read something written by someone who
has a long record of encouraging people to live their best life.
He has published many books and is in high demand to speak to
groups and churches.

Here's one sentence from the last paragraph and a link to his website.

If I imagine a god so small as to
favor those who think like me, worship like me and act
like me, then I know very little of life and less of faith.

http://www.lifesupportsystem.com

Today's message:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LifeSupport/message/1094;_ylc=X3oDMTM0bWhubml2BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzMzNDgxMzgEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MTA5Mzg4BG1zZ0lkAzEwOTQEc2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDdnRwYwRzdGltZQMxMjM0ODg2MjIxBHRwY0lkAzEwOTQ-

Past messages: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LifeSupport/messages

If you need a little inspiration

I start every day by reading the Upper Room Daily Devotional
You can sign up to receive it in your inbox. Here is a link:

http://www.upperroom.org/devotional/default.asp


Another of my favorite places to find solace, wisdom, patience, & joy
is from Steve Goodier - I used to get it in a daily e-mail from
LifeSupportSystems@yahoo.com
However, I think it has changed to this and you can
look up past messages. My favorite: Joy Along the Way

http://stevegoodier.blogspot.com/

Check this out....

Bob Cesca: President Obama Is Driving Republicans Insane


The older I get, the more liberal I seem to be. I loved the first line of this article.
Check it out...

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