The average life expectancy for a male in the United States is 77.9 yrs. The Bible says, "The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,.." Psalms 90:10. I had a disturbing thought today and it was that I am now middle age. I turn 35 tomorrow and everyday after I get closer to the end then I am to my beginning. Whether I live to 70 or 80 doesn't really matter I am at the mid point of my life. I have reached the top of the hill and I am now descending down the other side. I know this sounds very pathetic and sad. I know some of you that are older are thinking that you wish you were 35 again but the fact is numbers don't lie and I am middle aged.
At first when I thought about this I started to think about the past 35 years and the disappointments and regrets that I have. I have made a lot of mistakes and hurt myself and a lot of people. I have done stupid things that I am still paying for. All I have to do is turn to quickly one way and my back reminds me that I have scars that show my physical battle wounds and the trip down memory lane digs up some of the emotional pains as well. The fact is the past 35 years in a lot of ways haven't been pretty. As I started to think about this I started to feel panic and anger. What had I done that is worth while? Have I done anything that would last once I was gone? Have I transferred my beliefs and values to my children? To be completely honest I was pretty discouraged by the answers to those questions. I was having a midlife crisis. The truth was hard to accept. There was not a lot I am proud of.
I know this sounds very depressing on the eve of my birthday but the truth is this time of personal accountability was exactly what I needed. I decided that I would not have a midlife crisis but a midlife crusade. A crusade to live the life I was meant to live. A crusade to be the very best father, brother, son, friend, citizen and Christian I can be. All aspects of my life are on the table and the changes can and will be made no matter how painful. Webster describes a crusade as, "a remedial enterprise undertaken with zeal and enthusiasm." I will live with a zeal and enthusiasm that is worthy of this one life I have been given. We have only one shot so why live it mediocrity? Only excellence will do from here on out. I want my children, family, friends and my Creator to expect nothing less from me and I will do the same for them. I won't live my life for the next 30 or 40 yrs but I will live for the next 100 yrs and as a believer I will live for eternity as well.
I have a friend who has taught me this lesson. Jim Mercer is an older man (the truth is I don't know his age) but he makes decisions all the time that he will never live to see. He doesn't just live for today but he lives for the future even though he wont be here to see all of it. He has been a successful business man who could easily live out the remainder of his life in comfort but he will not go quietly. He will continue to be a force to recon with as long as he lives and generations of his family will benefit from his actions. I have benefited from the fact he continues to be a master of business.
That's how I want to live my life, at a solid enthusiastic burn until the flame of life has been put out. The truth is nobody remembers the beginning only the end. I experienced this personally when I came home from both tours in Iraq. All the pain, all the fear and all the loneliness of the deployment was instantly forgotten the moment you were dismissed from that final formation and your family embraced you. I will never forget my two children running to me with tears of joy in their eyes, and of course I had a few of my own. At that very moment there was no thought of killing, death, explosions or bad food, all was forgotten. The beginning and the events of the tour paled in comparison to that one moment, the end of the deployment. That is how I want to live the remainder of my life. What has happened in the past 35 years will not compare to the next 10, 20 , 30 or 40 years. I will be smarter. I will be stronger. I will love deeper and take more risks. After all what do I have to lose, I only get one go at this anyway.
One of my favorite quotes is from the movie Gladiator when Maximus says, "what we do today will echo through eternity." I believe that but it is my intent to make as much noise here as possible before I go. So here is to the rest of my life, my midlife crusade.
Thanks For Reading
Steve
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
What Is Real Leadership?
I mentioned in my first blog that I wanted to write a political blog. This may not start as a political post but read along and see if you can come to the same common sense logic I did.
Today I had the privilege of attending the memorial service for David Rodriguez. The truth is I barley knew the man. A brief hello and handshake at church was pretty much the extent of our interaction. To be honest I went more for the support of my church family and the pastors that had to speak, then for my own grief. During the ceremony one theme came up time after time in reference to David and that was he had lived his life as a, "servant"(Not to be confused with a slave). By all accounts he was a man that would give you the shirt of his back and would be the first to help in any situation. He volunteered for the church regularly. His daughters entire swim team was there because he was their inspiration. He was at every practice and swim meet. He was a soldier at Ft. Drum and served his nation over seas. There were many soldiers there for the ceremony and all the ones that spoke talked about a man that helped in every way possible. One young sergeant spoke of the mess her life would have been without the guidance of this man. David Rodriguez wife said that David's life was happiest when he was, "serving God and others."
Before I went to the ceremony I picked up my mail and I had a letter from Congressman Bill Owens. Congressman Owens (D) represents the 23rd District here in NY. I had written an email to the congressman earlier in the week in reference to my disappointment with the VA medical system. He told me in the letter that he appreciated the fact that I would contact him and he had already started to inquire about my situation. He then said he would, "be in touch" as soon as he had any updates. This is not the first time I have contacted the 23rd District congressman and each time I have been pleasantly surprised.
By now you are probably wondering how does David Rodriguez and the letter from Congressman Owens connect? I had a thought today at the memorial service that true leadership is nothing more then serving. When we talk about people in the military we say they served in the armed forces. We use the term public servants to describe fireman, police or other local officials. When we refer to a politician we say they served in the Senate or some other governmental capacity. Being a great leader just means you are the biggest servant.
I learned this lesson in the military. I remember Christmas Day 2004 in Baghdad, Iraq. I was on duty and I had been up all night. It had rained all night and it was very cold, yes you read that right. I was exhausted and all week our 1SG had promised we were going to have a huge Christmas dinner. I have to tell you after that long cold night I was aching for some turkey mashed potato's and gravy. Just about the time my shift finished the Battalion Commander drove into our location and our 1SG let him and his Personal Security Detail eat a good portion of our Christmas meal. It wouldn't have been a huge deal but the Battalion Commander and his boys got to go back to the base that evening and eat at the good chow halls. This was our Christmas meal in our little hell hole. When I got off duty my buddies and I went to get some chow but it was mostly gone. We scraped up a few things and went to the bombed out building we slept in. I will never forget what happened when I walked in that building. My platoon leader. Lt Calderon was there as well as the platoon sergeant SFC Bass and both were clearly angry. When I asked them if they had eaten both of them said no because they wanted to make sure we all were fed first. Their anger was directed to the leadership that had taken advantage of their soldiers. That experience told me the kind of men they were. They placed their men above their own needs and desires, even Christmas dinner. I never forgot that example. Over the course of two deployments I gauged leadership not by wisdom, courage or tactical expertise, although that was important, but simply by whether the leadership put their men first.
I wonder what would happen if we expected the same of our politicians; servant type leadership. I wonder how many people would actually run for office if this is what was expected and demanded? See it doesn't do any good to just complain, after all we voted them in. The truth is how many of the people that complain about government have actually taken part in our democracy by calling or emailing their representatives? How many grumble and complain but don't even know the names of the people they are complaining about? Or my personal favorite is when people take the time to complain but won't take the time to support when they can.
I have recently changed what determines who I vote for. I no longer vote for a party but for a man or woman that understand what it means to be a public servant. I ask myself these questions. Do they put their self interest first? Is the position they are holding a ego trip or do they really want what is best for their constituents and the country? You will find a lot of time a little homework will reveal all you need to know about them and their leadership style.
I learned a lot today about a great leader that I didn't really know and I am beginning to learn about one that is representing me in Washington. So thank you David for the life lesson of what it means to lead through being a servant. Congressman Owens I look forward to hearing back from you and you can be sure you will be hearing from me more often. If you lead like David Rodriguez you will have my support and vote.
Thanks For Reading
Steve
Today I had the privilege of attending the memorial service for David Rodriguez. The truth is I barley knew the man. A brief hello and handshake at church was pretty much the extent of our interaction. To be honest I went more for the support of my church family and the pastors that had to speak, then for my own grief. During the ceremony one theme came up time after time in reference to David and that was he had lived his life as a, "servant"(Not to be confused with a slave). By all accounts he was a man that would give you the shirt of his back and would be the first to help in any situation. He volunteered for the church regularly. His daughters entire swim team was there because he was their inspiration. He was at every practice and swim meet. He was a soldier at Ft. Drum and served his nation over seas. There were many soldiers there for the ceremony and all the ones that spoke talked about a man that helped in every way possible. One young sergeant spoke of the mess her life would have been without the guidance of this man. David Rodriguez wife said that David's life was happiest when he was, "serving God and others."
Before I went to the ceremony I picked up my mail and I had a letter from Congressman Bill Owens. Congressman Owens (D) represents the 23rd District here in NY. I had written an email to the congressman earlier in the week in reference to my disappointment with the VA medical system. He told me in the letter that he appreciated the fact that I would contact him and he had already started to inquire about my situation. He then said he would, "be in touch" as soon as he had any updates. This is not the first time I have contacted the 23rd District congressman and each time I have been pleasantly surprised.
By now you are probably wondering how does David Rodriguez and the letter from Congressman Owens connect? I had a thought today at the memorial service that true leadership is nothing more then serving. When we talk about people in the military we say they served in the armed forces. We use the term public servants to describe fireman, police or other local officials. When we refer to a politician we say they served in the Senate or some other governmental capacity. Being a great leader just means you are the biggest servant.
I learned this lesson in the military. I remember Christmas Day 2004 in Baghdad, Iraq. I was on duty and I had been up all night. It had rained all night and it was very cold, yes you read that right. I was exhausted and all week our 1SG had promised we were going to have a huge Christmas dinner. I have to tell you after that long cold night I was aching for some turkey mashed potato's and gravy. Just about the time my shift finished the Battalion Commander drove into our location and our 1SG let him and his Personal Security Detail eat a good portion of our Christmas meal. It wouldn't have been a huge deal but the Battalion Commander and his boys got to go back to the base that evening and eat at the good chow halls. This was our Christmas meal in our little hell hole. When I got off duty my buddies and I went to get some chow but it was mostly gone. We scraped up a few things and went to the bombed out building we slept in. I will never forget what happened when I walked in that building. My platoon leader. Lt Calderon was there as well as the platoon sergeant SFC Bass and both were clearly angry. When I asked them if they had eaten both of them said no because they wanted to make sure we all were fed first. Their anger was directed to the leadership that had taken advantage of their soldiers. That experience told me the kind of men they were. They placed their men above their own needs and desires, even Christmas dinner. I never forgot that example. Over the course of two deployments I gauged leadership not by wisdom, courage or tactical expertise, although that was important, but simply by whether the leadership put their men first.
I wonder what would happen if we expected the same of our politicians; servant type leadership. I wonder how many people would actually run for office if this is what was expected and demanded? See it doesn't do any good to just complain, after all we voted them in. The truth is how many of the people that complain about government have actually taken part in our democracy by calling or emailing their representatives? How many grumble and complain but don't even know the names of the people they are complaining about? Or my personal favorite is when people take the time to complain but won't take the time to support when they can.
I have recently changed what determines who I vote for. I no longer vote for a party but for a man or woman that understand what it means to be a public servant. I ask myself these questions. Do they put their self interest first? Is the position they are holding a ego trip or do they really want what is best for their constituents and the country? You will find a lot of time a little homework will reveal all you need to know about them and their leadership style.
I learned a lot today about a great leader that I didn't really know and I am beginning to learn about one that is representing me in Washington. So thank you David for the life lesson of what it means to lead through being a servant. Congressman Owens I look forward to hearing back from you and you can be sure you will be hearing from me more often. If you lead like David Rodriguez you will have my support and vote.
Thanks For Reading
Steve
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
In Defense Of The Second Amendment.
What was I doing? I reluctantly handed the very tired and frustrated looking man an AK-47 with one full 30 round magazine. I am not going to lie I was a little nervous. I had just woke him from a deep sleep by kicking in his door and herding his family into a small room. I then commenced with, for the lack of a better word, ransacking his home. During the search of the home we had uncovered the assault rifle and one single shot shotgun. We confiscated the old shot gun and left the assault rifle.
This story is true but it didn't take place here in the United States but in a village called Lutifyah about 30 miles south of Baghdad. This scene played out night after night as we searched countless homes throughout the Triangle of Death, as the area was affectionately called. In almost every home we found at least one AK-47 and one 30 round magazine. Unless we found a reason to arrest someone in the home we would leave them the weapon. My first thought was we were crazy for allowing the Iraqis to have weapons but then one night after a mission it came to me that I was watching one of the greatest examples of why the 2nd Amendment is so important. I was proud of our country for following through with the right to keep and bear arms even in Iraq.
Most Americans have no idea what the 2nd Amendment really means. I have to be honest I didn't either for a long time until I read it. The 2nd Amendment doesn't explicitly say that you have the right to own a hunting weapon, a family heirloom or a firearm that you use for recreational shooting. I believe those are penumbras but they are not mentioned. What the Constitution specifically guarantees is that you can own a weapon for the sole purpose of being a part of a Militia. The militia was to be prepared to defend the country from foreign invaders and even our own government when they over reached. The 2nd Amendment reads, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. To understand what this means you have to look at the time frame the Constitution was written.
Farmers, hunters, merchants and craftsmen had just defeated the worlds great super power of the time with their personal weapons. Most were not professional soldiers and had very little military training but I can assure you that most were proficient with a weapon. It is clear from the wording of the 2nd Amendment and the time frame it was written, that the founding fathers were thinking of the, "right to bear arms" in a military way.
Over the last week high capacity magazines have come under fire. A high capacity magazine holds the ammunition for the firearm and it would be able to hold more shells then a traditional magazine. One TV personality asked, "who needs a 30 round magazine for hunting?" My answer to that is, nobody. A good hunter only needs one shot or occasionally two. There are very few recreational shooters that need a 30 round magazine. So why have them? The reason for high capacity magazines is for combat situations. On more then one occasion in Iraq I was glad that I didn't have to reload after 10 rounds. The reason I use 10 rounds as a reference is because that is the maximum capacity that a majority of weapons have when purchased today. The United States military realizes that 10 rounds is not enough for a firefight so they give you seven magazines that hold 30 rounds a piece. If you think I am being extreme go to YouTube and watch shootouts and see how quickly even 30 rounds can go. At this point you may be thinking here goes another gun nut telling us why he has the right to have a machine gun or as much ammo as he wants. Well lets look at the 2nd Amendment with some common sense and see why it is so important for politicians to leave it alone.
Every night since the shooting in AZ you can watch a politician on TV talk about the new gun control measures they want to bring before Congress. Most of the measures are just political posturing. I mentioned in my previous post the legislation that would make it illegal to carry a gun with in 1,000 feet of a politician. Can a reasonable person really think that would have stopped the tragedy on Jan 8th? A criminal doesn't care about the laws he breaks, that's why he is a criminal.
I know some will think I am a right-wing radical for what I am saying. I would disagree I believe I am a Constitutionalist. I believe what the Constitution says and stands for as it was written. However, I am not an unreasonable man and if I believed that outlawing high capacity magazines would save lives I would gladly give mine up. I can't say that all gun owners would be willing to do that but I would. The problem is I know it wouldn't change anything.
Answer this question with honesty and common sense and you will see gun control measures and outlawing guns would not stop anything. Has the government ever been able to stop the illegal flow of anything into and throughout the country? The government could not stop alcohol during the prohibition, it cannot win the war on drugs and it cannot stop the flow of illegal aliens into this country. Are you comfortable giving up your right to bear arms and depending on the government to protect you from illegal weapons that criminals will no doubt have? I am not, nor will I ever be.
As a supporter of the 2nd Amendment I realize that giving any ground in this debate is to much. Ask yourself this question. What other Constitutional Amendment would you feel comfortable having the government alter and change? What if they started chipping away at the First Amendment? Most Americans would say they would never let that happen. However, the 2nd Amendment is constantly under attack as they try to take a little bit of ground at a time. Their new game plan is clear. Use tragedy's to manipulate the situation and then convince gun owners they don't want your hunting rifle or your dads old shotgun. They just want your assault weapons and high capacity magazine. You know just the weapons actually covered by the Constitution.
Thanks For Reading
Steve
Ps. I never witnessed one violent attack with a weapon from a law abiding Iraqi citizen during my two deployments and virtually every home has an assault weapon and high capacity magazine
This story is true but it didn't take place here in the United States but in a village called Lutifyah about 30 miles south of Baghdad. This scene played out night after night as we searched countless homes throughout the Triangle of Death, as the area was affectionately called. In almost every home we found at least one AK-47 and one 30 round magazine. Unless we found a reason to arrest someone in the home we would leave them the weapon. My first thought was we were crazy for allowing the Iraqis to have weapons but then one night after a mission it came to me that I was watching one of the greatest examples of why the 2nd Amendment is so important. I was proud of our country for following through with the right to keep and bear arms even in Iraq.
Most Americans have no idea what the 2nd Amendment really means. I have to be honest I didn't either for a long time until I read it. The 2nd Amendment doesn't explicitly say that you have the right to own a hunting weapon, a family heirloom or a firearm that you use for recreational shooting. I believe those are penumbras but they are not mentioned. What the Constitution specifically guarantees is that you can own a weapon for the sole purpose of being a part of a Militia. The militia was to be prepared to defend the country from foreign invaders and even our own government when they over reached. The 2nd Amendment reads, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. To understand what this means you have to look at the time frame the Constitution was written.
Farmers, hunters, merchants and craftsmen had just defeated the worlds great super power of the time with their personal weapons. Most were not professional soldiers and had very little military training but I can assure you that most were proficient with a weapon. It is clear from the wording of the 2nd Amendment and the time frame it was written, that the founding fathers were thinking of the, "right to bear arms" in a military way.
Over the last week high capacity magazines have come under fire. A high capacity magazine holds the ammunition for the firearm and it would be able to hold more shells then a traditional magazine. One TV personality asked, "who needs a 30 round magazine for hunting?" My answer to that is, nobody. A good hunter only needs one shot or occasionally two. There are very few recreational shooters that need a 30 round magazine. So why have them? The reason for high capacity magazines is for combat situations. On more then one occasion in Iraq I was glad that I didn't have to reload after 10 rounds. The reason I use 10 rounds as a reference is because that is the maximum capacity that a majority of weapons have when purchased today. The United States military realizes that 10 rounds is not enough for a firefight so they give you seven magazines that hold 30 rounds a piece. If you think I am being extreme go to YouTube and watch shootouts and see how quickly even 30 rounds can go. At this point you may be thinking here goes another gun nut telling us why he has the right to have a machine gun or as much ammo as he wants. Well lets look at the 2nd Amendment with some common sense and see why it is so important for politicians to leave it alone.
Every night since the shooting in AZ you can watch a politician on TV talk about the new gun control measures they want to bring before Congress. Most of the measures are just political posturing. I mentioned in my previous post the legislation that would make it illegal to carry a gun with in 1,000 feet of a politician. Can a reasonable person really think that would have stopped the tragedy on Jan 8th? A criminal doesn't care about the laws he breaks, that's why he is a criminal.
I know some will think I am a right-wing radical for what I am saying. I would disagree I believe I am a Constitutionalist. I believe what the Constitution says and stands for as it was written. However, I am not an unreasonable man and if I believed that outlawing high capacity magazines would save lives I would gladly give mine up. I can't say that all gun owners would be willing to do that but I would. The problem is I know it wouldn't change anything.
Answer this question with honesty and common sense and you will see gun control measures and outlawing guns would not stop anything. Has the government ever been able to stop the illegal flow of anything into and throughout the country? The government could not stop alcohol during the prohibition, it cannot win the war on drugs and it cannot stop the flow of illegal aliens into this country. Are you comfortable giving up your right to bear arms and depending on the government to protect you from illegal weapons that criminals will no doubt have? I am not, nor will I ever be.
As a supporter of the 2nd Amendment I realize that giving any ground in this debate is to much. Ask yourself this question. What other Constitutional Amendment would you feel comfortable having the government alter and change? What if they started chipping away at the First Amendment? Most Americans would say they would never let that happen. However, the 2nd Amendment is constantly under attack as they try to take a little bit of ground at a time. Their new game plan is clear. Use tragedy's to manipulate the situation and then convince gun owners they don't want your hunting rifle or your dads old shotgun. They just want your assault weapons and high capacity magazine. You know just the weapons actually covered by the Constitution.
Thanks For Reading
Steve
Ps. I never witnessed one violent attack with a weapon from a law abiding Iraqi citizen during my two deployments and virtually every home has an assault weapon and high capacity magazine
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Blame Game Part II
In my previous post I discussed how the guilty parties in the tragic shooting in Tucson, AZ were in fact the First and Second Amendment. The following is part II of why I think the First and Second Amendment are in fact guilty and what should be done about it.
The day after President Obama spoke at the memorial service for the dead and wounded of the January 8th shooting in Tucson, AZ; press secretary Robert Gibbs squared off with a Russian journalist. Andrei Sitov of the Russian official news agency ITAR-TASS suggested the "deranged" actions of the gunman represented the "reverse side of freedom." He then went on to tell Politico, "if you want this to stop you have to be willing to restrict some freedoms." I couldn't have said it better myself minus the heavy accent of course.
It is the freedoms that we are guaranteed in the Constitution that provide the opportunity for terrible crimes and abuse of those freedoms. Show me a guaranteed freedom in the Constitution and I can show you where someone has misused that freedom.
The First Amendment states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...." One does not have to look far to see where people have taken this freedom to unhealthy levels. David Koresh in Waco, Texas and Jim Jones and the Nov 18th, 1978 mass suicide of 900 members comes to mind. Who can forget the sexual abuse by some in the Catholic church? These were terrible abuses of the religious freedoms that we enjoy in this country, but should all ministers, pastors, priests, rabbis or imams be judged by the actions of a few? Should we as citizens be demanding more government regulations and control over the church to stop these abuses? Most reasonable people would say no.
The First Amendment guarantees, "freedom of speech and of the press". You do not have to think very hard to recall times when those freedoms have been abused. The Second Amendment is obvious as we discussed in my last post. People have severely abused the right to bear arms many times. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments guarantee a fair trial but how many times has the justice system failed by convicting an innocent person or letting a guilty person go. Anybody other then me thinking OJ Simpson? The Fifteenth Amendment deals with a persons right to vote. I know I have abused this freedom many times by casting and uninformed vote or just voting for a party instead of a man or woman that holds to my ideals. The Twenty First Amendment repealed the Eighteenth and ended prohibition. How many people have been killed by drunk drivers since the Twenty First Amendment became law? There is no doubt the more freedoms we are given the more likely abuses of those freedoms will take place.
Whenever a hideous crime, like this shooting, takes place people look to see how it could be avoided in the future. I for one am all for looking into how things could be different so that tragedy can be avoided. Unfortunately what usually happens is knee jerk reactions and finger pointing that make no sense and resolves nothing. Here is where some common sense would come into play.
Rep. Peter King, a Republican from New York, is planning to introduce legislation that would make it illegal to bring a gun within 1,000 feet of a government official. Lets see if this passes the common sense test. For the sake of this argument I am going to try to get into the mind of a deranged gunman.
I have finally decided, for whatever reason, to take the life of a politician. I have purchased, stolen or borrowed a gun and I have planned my attack. There is only one problem I have and it is a law on the books that states I am not allowed to go within 1,000 feet of the politician I am going for. I guess I will have to call of my attack that would have violated fifty laws because I just got a conscience and I realized I can't break the law. Maybe it's me but the use of the term deranged should be for the man who created this law. Here is a news flash for you. Criminals don't care about the law hence the name criminal. Sadly there is no common sense in our reactions.
So what should we do? First, is we honor all those killed and wounded that day by realizing they were taking part in what makes us great, democracy by the people and for the people. Rep Gifford just a few days before the shooting swore and oath that she would defend and support the Constitution and she was shot doing just that. The oath she swore was very similar to the very oath I took as a soldier. When a soldier is shot or wounded we call them heroes and to me Rep Gifford is a hero. To be quite honest with you so are all the victims of that tragedy.
The second thing we do is realize that in our greatest freedoms lay the potential for great abuse. However, we do not change our freedoms because we fear the few evil episodes that may come up but we celebrate the immeasurable good that is done everyday in the name of freedom. If you really want to honor the lives of those wounded and killed on January 8th find out the next time your congressman or congresswoman is going to be in town and attend the meeting, even if they are not who you voted for. Do your part to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and let those who would do evil know that their actions will not stop freedom. Let the Russian journalist(who clearly doesn't get it) and the rest of the world know we are not going to give up any freedom because we will not dishonor the lives of those lost and wounded on January 8th by giving up what they suffered and or died for; freedom.
Thanks For Reading
Steve
In the next few days I will write about the most attacked amendment in the Constitution.
The day after President Obama spoke at the memorial service for the dead and wounded of the January 8th shooting in Tucson, AZ; press secretary Robert Gibbs squared off with a Russian journalist. Andrei Sitov of the Russian official news agency ITAR-TASS suggested the "deranged" actions of the gunman represented the "reverse side of freedom." He then went on to tell Politico, "if you want this to stop you have to be willing to restrict some freedoms." I couldn't have said it better myself minus the heavy accent of course.
It is the freedoms that we are guaranteed in the Constitution that provide the opportunity for terrible crimes and abuse of those freedoms. Show me a guaranteed freedom in the Constitution and I can show you where someone has misused that freedom.
The First Amendment states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...." One does not have to look far to see where people have taken this freedom to unhealthy levels. David Koresh in Waco, Texas and Jim Jones and the Nov 18th, 1978 mass suicide of 900 members comes to mind. Who can forget the sexual abuse by some in the Catholic church? These were terrible abuses of the religious freedoms that we enjoy in this country, but should all ministers, pastors, priests, rabbis or imams be judged by the actions of a few? Should we as citizens be demanding more government regulations and control over the church to stop these abuses? Most reasonable people would say no.
The First Amendment guarantees, "freedom of speech and of the press". You do not have to think very hard to recall times when those freedoms have been abused. The Second Amendment is obvious as we discussed in my last post. People have severely abused the right to bear arms many times. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments guarantee a fair trial but how many times has the justice system failed by convicting an innocent person or letting a guilty person go. Anybody other then me thinking OJ Simpson? The Fifteenth Amendment deals with a persons right to vote. I know I have abused this freedom many times by casting and uninformed vote or just voting for a party instead of a man or woman that holds to my ideals. The Twenty First Amendment repealed the Eighteenth and ended prohibition. How many people have been killed by drunk drivers since the Twenty First Amendment became law? There is no doubt the more freedoms we are given the more likely abuses of those freedoms will take place.
Whenever a hideous crime, like this shooting, takes place people look to see how it could be avoided in the future. I for one am all for looking into how things could be different so that tragedy can be avoided. Unfortunately what usually happens is knee jerk reactions and finger pointing that make no sense and resolves nothing. Here is where some common sense would come into play.
Rep. Peter King, a Republican from New York, is planning to introduce legislation that would make it illegal to bring a gun within 1,000 feet of a government official. Lets see if this passes the common sense test. For the sake of this argument I am going to try to get into the mind of a deranged gunman.
I have finally decided, for whatever reason, to take the life of a politician. I have purchased, stolen or borrowed a gun and I have planned my attack. There is only one problem I have and it is a law on the books that states I am not allowed to go within 1,000 feet of the politician I am going for. I guess I will have to call of my attack that would have violated fifty laws because I just got a conscience and I realized I can't break the law. Maybe it's me but the use of the term deranged should be for the man who created this law. Here is a news flash for you. Criminals don't care about the law hence the name criminal. Sadly there is no common sense in our reactions.
So what should we do? First, is we honor all those killed and wounded that day by realizing they were taking part in what makes us great, democracy by the people and for the people. Rep Gifford just a few days before the shooting swore and oath that she would defend and support the Constitution and she was shot doing just that. The oath she swore was very similar to the very oath I took as a soldier. When a soldier is shot or wounded we call them heroes and to me Rep Gifford is a hero. To be quite honest with you so are all the victims of that tragedy.
The second thing we do is realize that in our greatest freedoms lay the potential for great abuse. However, we do not change our freedoms because we fear the few evil episodes that may come up but we celebrate the immeasurable good that is done everyday in the name of freedom. If you really want to honor the lives of those wounded and killed on January 8th find out the next time your congressman or congresswoman is going to be in town and attend the meeting, even if they are not who you voted for. Do your part to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and let those who would do evil know that their actions will not stop freedom. Let the Russian journalist(who clearly doesn't get it) and the rest of the world know we are not going to give up any freedom because we will not dishonor the lives of those lost and wounded on January 8th by giving up what they suffered and or died for; freedom.
Thanks For Reading
Steve
In the next few days I will write about the most attacked amendment in the Constitution.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The Blame Game.
The headline on the TV read, "Sarah Palin Responsible For Shooting In Tucson, Arizona?" I was shocked and in disbelief. Had Palin flipped her lid and gone on a shooting rampage? Did she seriously go after Rep Gifford? The shooting had taken place just hours before I read this headline. Before I even knew the name of the shooter I knew that Sarah Palin and the Tea Party were responsible for the horrific shooting and the type of weapon used in the attack.
Over the last five days the talk shows have been buzzing trying to place blame for this senseless crime on two perpetrators neither of which are named Jared Lougher (the actual shooter). What are the names of the guilty parties you ask? The First and Second Amendments are the responsible parties and they are to blame for what happened last Saturday morning.
You may think that I am stretching this a little bit but if you watch any of the news channels you will see I am not exaggerating in the least. Free Speech (political rhetoric) and firearms were the cause of this heinous crime. The fact Lougher was mentally unstable had nothing to do with it (at least that is what the media portrayed). The blame fell squarely on the shoulders of the aforementioned parties. Lets put these accusations to the common sense test and see if the media is right. You maybe surprised by what we find.
The First Amendment guarantees us freedom of speech. We have the right to express ourselves with our words and actions. Unless you have lived under a rock your whole life I can guarantee there will come a time that you will be offended by someones freedom of speech. I recently finished a college course on Constitutional Law and I was offended regularly by the Supreme Court rulings that allowed for issues like flag burning or cross burning. But here is a little secret the Constitution protects us from losing our rights as free citizens it does not protect from hurt feelings.
No one will argue today that political rhetoric is intense. There are polarizing figures on both sides of the spectrum and the talk can get heated. But I would argue that political speech today is no more intense then it was at any other time in our nations history. I was not alive or to young to remember Vietnam and the protests that came with that or for that matter the rhetoric from the Civil Rights Movement. I know from reading history that the nation was greatly divided during both World Wars about our involvement and the way the wars were conducted. I can assure you the political scene during the time before the Civil War was intense and heated. From the very beginning when our founding fathers created this democracy there was strong dissent. I believe a honest look will show that at times this rhetoric produced violence and uprisings.
The shooting on May 4th 1970 at Kent State University comes to mind. The protesters had gathered in an antiwar rally when violence erupted. Detroit had violent race riots in 1943 and 1967. In the late 1850's a mad man name John Brown dumped fuel on the fire of an already unsettled country over the issue of slavery when he massacred 5 men in Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas and then raided a weapons depot in Harpers Ferry, Ohio. A simple search on the Internet will reveal that during the 1700-1800 close to two dozen politicians were killed in actual duels. Four US Presidents have been assassinated and several other attempts were made on other presidents. There is strong proof I believe that politics in general and certainly heated political talk can incite violence. So step one of our common sense test says, "yes political rhetoric can cause violence."
The Second Amendment states that as citizens we have the right to keep and bear arms. Let me say that I am a strong believer in the Constitution and that includes the 2nd Amendment. I am a card carrying NRA member and usually very close to that card is a handgun of some type. I have a concealed handgun permit and I use that right as often as I can. I own assault weapons, hunting weapons, recreational shooting weapons and even high capacity magazines for several of those weapons. I enjoy shooting, hunting and having the freedom to protect myself and my family. I recently had a mother tell me that she wasn't comfortable with her child at my home because there are guns in the house. My response was. "I don't feel comfortable with my child at your house if there isn't a gun." I say all that to show you how strongly I feel about the Second Amendment. But again applying the common sense test lets look at the question as to whether firearms played a part in the horrific shooting in AZ.
This one is far easier to prove then political rhetoric because it is the firearm that did the damage. It was the tool that brought death and it is the teeth behind the violence. In every violent episode I mentioned above firearms were used. All the presidents that were assassinated were with a firearm. The students at Kent State were shot, Martin Luther King was shot and there were many shootings in the Detroit race riots. John Brown raided a weapons depot so he could get more weapons for his cause. Without firearms none of these acts of violence would have been possible. Guns kill people and there is really no debating that sad truth.
So it would appear that the media got it right for once. The First and Second Amendment are guilty as charged and responsible for the death and mayhem that took place last Saturday. I think the obvious conclusion is that we need to change the constitution starting with more government control of our free speech and then with more government regulation on firearms and if all possible the complete eradication of weapons. The United Nations has been using this with great success all over the world. Where ever the UN goes and weapons are removed safety and peace ensues.
So the accusations have been leveled at the Constitution namely the First and Second Amendments and because the Constitution we are attacking guarantees us a right to trial I guess we should allow the defendant to speak for itself. Unless of course we just want to go ahead and get rid of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment while we are at it.
Over the next few days I will try to write a compelling argument in defense of the Constitution and in defense of common sense. Contrary to what some may think they actually go together quite well.
Thanks For Reading
Steve
Over the last five days the talk shows have been buzzing trying to place blame for this senseless crime on two perpetrators neither of which are named Jared Lougher (the actual shooter). What are the names of the guilty parties you ask? The First and Second Amendments are the responsible parties and they are to blame for what happened last Saturday morning.
You may think that I am stretching this a little bit but if you watch any of the news channels you will see I am not exaggerating in the least. Free Speech (political rhetoric) and firearms were the cause of this heinous crime. The fact Lougher was mentally unstable had nothing to do with it (at least that is what the media portrayed). The blame fell squarely on the shoulders of the aforementioned parties. Lets put these accusations to the common sense test and see if the media is right. You maybe surprised by what we find.
The First Amendment guarantees us freedom of speech. We have the right to express ourselves with our words and actions. Unless you have lived under a rock your whole life I can guarantee there will come a time that you will be offended by someones freedom of speech. I recently finished a college course on Constitutional Law and I was offended regularly by the Supreme Court rulings that allowed for issues like flag burning or cross burning. But here is a little secret the Constitution protects us from losing our rights as free citizens it does not protect from hurt feelings.
No one will argue today that political rhetoric is intense. There are polarizing figures on both sides of the spectrum and the talk can get heated. But I would argue that political speech today is no more intense then it was at any other time in our nations history. I was not alive or to young to remember Vietnam and the protests that came with that or for that matter the rhetoric from the Civil Rights Movement. I know from reading history that the nation was greatly divided during both World Wars about our involvement and the way the wars were conducted. I can assure you the political scene during the time before the Civil War was intense and heated. From the very beginning when our founding fathers created this democracy there was strong dissent. I believe a honest look will show that at times this rhetoric produced violence and uprisings.
The shooting on May 4th 1970 at Kent State University comes to mind. The protesters had gathered in an antiwar rally when violence erupted. Detroit had violent race riots in 1943 and 1967. In the late 1850's a mad man name John Brown dumped fuel on the fire of an already unsettled country over the issue of slavery when he massacred 5 men in Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas and then raided a weapons depot in Harpers Ferry, Ohio. A simple search on the Internet will reveal that during the 1700-1800 close to two dozen politicians were killed in actual duels. Four US Presidents have been assassinated and several other attempts were made on other presidents. There is strong proof I believe that politics in general and certainly heated political talk can incite violence. So step one of our common sense test says, "yes political rhetoric can cause violence."
The Second Amendment states that as citizens we have the right to keep and bear arms. Let me say that I am a strong believer in the Constitution and that includes the 2nd Amendment. I am a card carrying NRA member and usually very close to that card is a handgun of some type. I have a concealed handgun permit and I use that right as often as I can. I own assault weapons, hunting weapons, recreational shooting weapons and even high capacity magazines for several of those weapons. I enjoy shooting, hunting and having the freedom to protect myself and my family. I recently had a mother tell me that she wasn't comfortable with her child at my home because there are guns in the house. My response was. "I don't feel comfortable with my child at your house if there isn't a gun." I say all that to show you how strongly I feel about the Second Amendment. But again applying the common sense test lets look at the question as to whether firearms played a part in the horrific shooting in AZ.
This one is far easier to prove then political rhetoric because it is the firearm that did the damage. It was the tool that brought death and it is the teeth behind the violence. In every violent episode I mentioned above firearms were used. All the presidents that were assassinated were with a firearm. The students at Kent State were shot, Martin Luther King was shot and there were many shootings in the Detroit race riots. John Brown raided a weapons depot so he could get more weapons for his cause. Without firearms none of these acts of violence would have been possible. Guns kill people and there is really no debating that sad truth.
So it would appear that the media got it right for once. The First and Second Amendment are guilty as charged and responsible for the death and mayhem that took place last Saturday. I think the obvious conclusion is that we need to change the constitution starting with more government control of our free speech and then with more government regulation on firearms and if all possible the complete eradication of weapons. The United Nations has been using this with great success all over the world. Where ever the UN goes and weapons are removed safety and peace ensues.
So the accusations have been leveled at the Constitution namely the First and Second Amendments and because the Constitution we are attacking guarantees us a right to trial I guess we should allow the defendant to speak for itself. Unless of course we just want to go ahead and get rid of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment while we are at it.
Over the next few days I will try to write a compelling argument in defense of the Constitution and in defense of common sense. Contrary to what some may think they actually go together quite well.
Thanks For Reading
Steve
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Common Sense
I remember growing up thinking my dad must be the smartest person alive. It never ceased to amaze me that he seemed to be able to fix or build anything. He was not an electrician, mechanic or plumber but no matter what the challenge he could fix it. The day I am recalling was a little different though. The shower head was giving him a fit and he was frustrated. He had walked out of the bathroom to compose himself and make a call to a friend for some advise. When he walked out I decided to see if I could figure out the problem as to why the shower head would not come off. I grabbed the wrench and went to work. With in 30 seconds I had the shower head off and handed it to my dad. To say the least he was amazed and asked me to show him what I did. The truth was all I did was turned the shower head the opposite way he had. For whatever reason the plumber had put in reverse thread fittings. All that it took was turning the shower head in the right direction.
I learned two very important lessons that day, and it is because of those lessons that I started this blog. I will never forget my dad laughing and saying, "Life is not that hard son if you use a little common sense. Unfortunately common sense is not that common anymore." I am sure you have all heard something similar to that statement.
The first lesson was that common sense is hard to find in some of the most important aspects of our society. As a country we have started to rely on "intelligent people" in politics, media, the justice system, education, economics, military and even religion when in reality their "intelligence" has made a mess of almost everything they touch. It has been a little over a year since I started using Facebook and I have enjoyed it. One of the things I like the most is good healthy, respectful debate on issues that some people bring up. Sometimes the debates are heated and emotional but more times then not they resolve into common sense solutions. I am hoping that I will get feed back on the issues I write about and I don't care if you agree with me or not. It took me a long time but I am learning to appreciate challenges to my way of thinking and that leads me to the second lesson I learned that day.
The more frustrated my father got at the shower head the more he viewed the issue through tunnel vision. He was right the shower head should have come off the way he was turning, but it didn't. We all view things a certain way and usually the more emotional or stronger we feel about the issue the more likely we are to miss the views of others that may hold the answers. Two sets of eyes are better then one and two opinions are better then one. You will either find strength in the support of someone with a like mind on the issue or you will be challenged to broaden your views to see if there is a better approach you may have missed.
I don't know how often I will write and what the topics will be. Although I can say the first topic will be about the tragic shooting in Tucson, AZ. I will write about politics and all the issues that comprise that difficult topic; sports and maybe even religion. Again I would love to hear feedback both for and against what I write. I am one of those people that likes to find answers and solutions to problems. I am hoping as I write and receive feedback that answers can be found.
Thanks for reading,
Steve
I learned two very important lessons that day, and it is because of those lessons that I started this blog. I will never forget my dad laughing and saying, "Life is not that hard son if you use a little common sense. Unfortunately common sense is not that common anymore." I am sure you have all heard something similar to that statement.
The first lesson was that common sense is hard to find in some of the most important aspects of our society. As a country we have started to rely on "intelligent people" in politics, media, the justice system, education, economics, military and even religion when in reality their "intelligence" has made a mess of almost everything they touch. It has been a little over a year since I started using Facebook and I have enjoyed it. One of the things I like the most is good healthy, respectful debate on issues that some people bring up. Sometimes the debates are heated and emotional but more times then not they resolve into common sense solutions. I am hoping that I will get feed back on the issues I write about and I don't care if you agree with me or not. It took me a long time but I am learning to appreciate challenges to my way of thinking and that leads me to the second lesson I learned that day.
The more frustrated my father got at the shower head the more he viewed the issue through tunnel vision. He was right the shower head should have come off the way he was turning, but it didn't. We all view things a certain way and usually the more emotional or stronger we feel about the issue the more likely we are to miss the views of others that may hold the answers. Two sets of eyes are better then one and two opinions are better then one. You will either find strength in the support of someone with a like mind on the issue or you will be challenged to broaden your views to see if there is a better approach you may have missed.
I don't know how often I will write and what the topics will be. Although I can say the first topic will be about the tragic shooting in Tucson, AZ. I will write about politics and all the issues that comprise that difficult topic; sports and maybe even religion. Again I would love to hear feedback both for and against what I write. I am one of those people that likes to find answers and solutions to problems. I am hoping as I write and receive feedback that answers can be found.
Thanks for reading,
Steve
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