What does happen when rights collide?

     We have a right to practice our/any religion without interference from the government as long as we do not cause harm to come to another. This has been pretty straight forward, right up to the point where both parties involved are of the same religion, and as a result have the same belief. Can the government, in fact, protect a person from their own beliefs? The recent seizure of a church and the 'instruments' within it and the pastor's home in Kentucky comes to mind. The "instruments" were a collection of copperheads, timber rattlers, a puff adder, and various other reptiles of a venomous nature. Keep in mind that this didn't happen until one of the members was bitten and died as a result "...of her weak faith.".

     Now there is a more 'normal' collision taking place in Maryland. Which rights are more important? Sex or Religion? Maryland's constitution and code both guarantee both a man and a woman equal protection and representation under and before the law. I am quite certain that most of you are nodding your head mentally "Unhuh.....Sure....What's the possible problem here?". The problem arises once again with Islam. Specifically talaq. Where a man is allowed to divorce a woman by intent only if not action and then have the divorce be legally binding. Maryland has ruled that by law and constitution, talaq, is null and void in Maryland, just throwing all types of property and income disposition problems into the wind of any unhappy muslim male who wants a "do over'. Sorry, we don't care if you are muslim, you still have to pay the lawyers, etc., etc., etc. .

     We need to keep an eye on this as this will probably be the next big battleground in politics in the US. Cases like this are popping up all over.

     A Minnesota college student was forced out of school when a muslim student arrived because he uses a companion dog.  When did one person's religious belief forbidding the touching of dogs, get precedence over another person's right to attend college without being threatened?

     I would think it would be the belief holder's responsibility to be strong enough mentally to do what was necessary to avoid canine contact. Follower's of Judaism have been avoiding non-kosher foods for years.

     We need to sort this out soon.

     In case you ARE the 'bubble' boy/girl, we are having a presidential election come November. This has n o t h i n g to do with specific candidates, their or anybody else's party or lack thereof, or any issues. This doesn't even have a particular gripe against the media or any segment thereof about wether or not they are or are not being objective. This has to do with when or where the 'news' or 'opinion' actually became nothing more than marketing.

      Sirens and bells! Are your defenses coming to alert? Has 'That' thought started through your head? "...but I listen/watch/read [fill in the blank with your favorite news outlet], and he/she/it/they are always more accurate than [fill in your most hated outlet here] !!!...". By nature tend to absorb those who repeat what we already believe. It is a form of self-affirmation that makes us feel good. I freely admit that I do it myself. Our lives are so fast that we can't keep up with the demand of social strokes we need from actual friends and acquaintances, so we get them from our paper/computer/tv/radio from the depndable sources that are easy and always there even if sometimes bland.

      It takes a metal effort to seek out the 'other side' and listen/watch/read what they have to say about something. Very few people even bother anymore. This I believe is one of the reasons we seem to be becoming more and more polarized in this country. Those ideas we embrace are 'right', those which are opposite are 'idiotic' (our guy said so) and we disparage them while blowing off steam happily and at length, while those ideas which are mearly 'different' and not threatening for any reason are simply 'dismissed'....[crackpots].

      This I believe has and is further leading to an error in the process of readership/listenership that is quite disturbing and seems to be going unchalenged. Assuming the moral high ground as a means of discounting all of the oppositions offerings without even considering them.

     An example: Earlier last week a popular talking head was stating and discounting all of one candidates positions not because of any logical argument against them, but because of who the candidate had at one time associated with. This associate had in the past tried advancing an agenda using tactics that were and are contrary to law. The associate to this day is unrepentant as to the tactics used. However, the associate and the candidate have some ideas which oiginate from the same sources and are similar in goals if not execution. This talking head was essentially browbeating another person that they were stupid for considering the idea since it was put forward by a 'bad' associate and therefore the candidate was also bad for having met and discussed the ideas with the associate.  Listening further though, I was disappointed that none of the talking heads callers brought the patent fallacy of the argument up. Let's look at it from a logical algebra point of view for a minute. A has an idea. B has an idea. A and B's ideas are similar in nature and outcome. A uses lawful means to push an agenda. B uses unlawful means to push a similar agenda. A talks with B.

     How do you get from that point to: All of A's ideas are bad because they are similar to B's and B is a bad person. ? Answer: You can't! All of the callers were just accepting the talking heads assertion though.

     Wether A or B is bad or good is irrelevant. You have to weigh the ideas individually and on their own merits. Regardless of where they come from you MUST be able to weigh each on its own merits logically as to wehter it is good or bad.

     The apparent loss of this decision process is one of the things that has me very worried about the upcoming election. We all need to start putting forth the effort again and coming to our own decisions based on facts. Yes, it does require effort, but it is the only way we are going to be able to continue with our current and raise in the future our standard of living. Logic and Reason have worked very well for us for the last 400 plus years, why are we stopping now? Why are we letting our media get away with these mistakes?

     OK, this is your official warning that this could develop into a full blown rant.

    When did Army families on base become such lazy, non-caring, 'Oh, my husband/wife is in Iraq, so I/he/she/we/they can't [fill in the blank].' simpering pansies?!? I'm talking about the '...families at home...' now that live in base housing. Good God people, WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE! These are your neighborhoods, where you live. They are your kids. Take care of your own problems, PLEASE, for once in your lives.

     What is this all about? Playgrounds. I have two that are my responsibility on the base here. Every morning at 7:30 I go out to the playgrounds as part of our morning pickup in our areas. Every morning, I have insane amounts of trash to pick up from the previous day. Example, one playground is for the 3 to 8 year olds. Usually, I will get two or three pairs of socks a day. Three pairs of shoes a week. Two dollies a week. Three bikes a week. At least one gas or charcoal grill a month. Here lately a swimming pool or two a week. I could have an entire set or three of HotWheels, PowerRangers, or any number of other action figures..... ....and then there are the Sssiipppss, the Coolies, the FreezyPop sleeves, the Now & Later wrappers, and worst and most, some Mother is 'saving' by making KoolAid FreezerPops in styrofoam Dixie cups. Then there are the beer cans......

      This is YOUR playground. There is a trash can right there. We mark the cans everymorning with a blank newsprint square inside, so we know how much trash is actually making it into the cans. Almost none. But, after my pickup, I can fill two 80 gal. roling cans in a week with the trash from the ground. If I do see an adult, and mention it, I always get the variation of "....well Bobby's dad is in Iraq and he just doesn't listen...". Well, then jerk a knot in his head damnit.

      Then we hear the whining because the Army thinks that base housing is too dense and they are reducing housing from 1300 to 872 in the next two years.

     Look at the unit in the 100s that is lessthan 5 months old and burnt out. Her 4 year old tried building a bonfire on his matress. Mother's excuse? "He sees people smoking in all those old movies.....". If this is a problem why are you letting him see old movies?!? You really need to get a grip folks. Until that time, bring on the bulldozers. The new offices for TRADOC going in place of the housing in the 2300s block certainly will not have these problems. Either straighten up your act r go fend for your housing in the real world.

     I'm done ranting now....

     I was raised Southern Baptist. Right now, I would actually have a hard time describing in a sentance or two what I believe, if we had a few hours, maybe I could get a good start on it. ........ Here's a short version, I've learned alot, the more I learn the more I don't know, and Thomas Jefferson wasn't far off when he told people to consider him as the leading member in a religion of one.

     I did often wonder though about people wearing white roses to church on Mother's Day when I was growing up. At that point in life, death was simply what happened after life. Pop, then explained that it was a sign of respect for mothers who were deceased.

     I could write a long and involved essay here, on everything mothers are supposd to be, etc. and so forth. Instead, I'll give the 2 minute version. For everybody whose mothers are still here, talk to them, and remember them.

    For those today who would be buying or wearing white roses, be sure to keep those memories fresh, and share a few with those buying white roses for the first time.......

    Most of all, Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers.

I guess it was late last week when I was at work driving the van I heard an article on the radio about a Barack Obama delegate being asked to step down from her position because she had made an allegedly racist remark and had been charged with misdemeanor Disturbing the Peace by the local police department.

     What type of vile comment could this woman have made and to whom? Well, according to the police reports, she looked outside and saw a bunch of children climbing in her neighbors tree. So, being concerned that they were harming the tree, she approached the children from inside her yard and spoke to them ending with "....stop climbing in that tree looking [acting] like a bunch of monkeys." It was at this point that the owner of the tree who was also the mother of one or more of the children in question, called the police and filed a complaint of racism against the speaker.

     Let's look at the points here. The speaker is an Obama Delegate. If she was racist, why would she be supporting Obama for president? She didn't use the "N" word or make any disparaging comments at all about the children's ancestry. She apparently didn't make any direct comment about their race at all. She used a simile. She didn't call them monkeys,  she said they were "...acting like .....monkeys.". I must have missed the memo, when did simile become illegal? Are metaphors next? Can I no longer say "....his skin reminded me of midnight." if it is said about anybody outside of my government defined socio-economic group? These things are being taken way to far.

      Ok, I'm set now, I've found a suitable chip to place on my shoulder, I don't want to be left out anymore, I will claim my victimhood, particularly since I have never moved a great distance to anywhere else. I will take my share too......

 Carl     ...a Local-Tidewater-Virginian-Rebel-American

COOL! I'm hyphenated 4 times now, just like that..........

OMG, I am actually getting up for work mornings before 8:50a for my old job at 9:00a . This "Not a morning person...." is rolling out daily at 6:05a. Hit the road at 6:20a or so.... I found a secret too....there is a time of day when Jefferson Ave. and Warwick Blvd. aren’t full of maniacs......insomniacs maybe still......but no maniacs yet. I’ve also noticed that ALL 6am drivers are competent in 1 handed driving. Coffee or (fill in your favorite beverage here) is in the other hand.

      So....why did I suddenly turn my personality and job on its head? I have about 8,000 reasons a year. Ok, so I jumped from 73 units to 1300 units, but that will drop with the resuming demolitions in about a year or so to around 875. Also, I’m with a team of 16 now and no longer have to wear all of the hats. Its new, its different, it was even annoying a little today, and I have to deal with Uncle Sam and the DoD on a daily basis now, but all in all it should be alot of fun, and I’ll be learning new stuff.

       BTW, anybody who needs to qualify for an OSHA 10hr card, the class itself is a bore, but bearable with a good instructor, and the safety flicks from Canada are pretty funny. (The US flicks have all been scrapped as being ’potentially offensive’ and the instructor had these from Canada as his personal collection. No more Death on the Highway........sad......it was a pretty good flick.)

Knock, Knock..... It’s the men/women/youth/party from the (fill in the name of your favorite denomination here) at your door to try to save your soul. In some cases and countries that could be a mortal risk, answering the door. But, I was thinking about this a little bit today. Why, particularly in many Christian religions, is the onus entirely upon the listener that they are supposed to change ’just that instant’ and make a life and philosophy altering decision ’right there and now’ for something that supposedly has eternal consequences? Let’s look at this for a minute....

     First you have the people who have ’been saved’. Put them all onto a broad sheet of poster board, with your giant marks-a-lot draw a circle around them. Then you have the people who have ’never heard the word of God’. ’Peat and repeat here, draw the circle and label. Now, in the ’saved’ circle write "going to heaven". In the ’never heard’ circle do we write "going to hell"? That’s an AWFUL lot of people! WAIT. INSIDE that circle you need to make a smaller one called ’newborns’. These kids don’t even know what sin is yet. Are they also condemned just because they were born with a bad heart? How about a bad crack addiction that isn’t caught in time? Good headline there,"Mother condemns kid to hell by smoking crack, junior dies before being saved!". Different denominations have different explanations for all these problems, none of which agree, but I’m concerned today with another circle. What about those who have heard the word but not been saved?

     I got thinking about this because of a random remark I overheard today. The question that comes to mind is "How much of a witnessing argument of any type that is rejected by the listener is the responsibility of the witness?"? I know quite a few denominations just lightly skip over this idea. They have a view that if you are in the ’unheard’ group, and ’Joe’ witnesses to you, complete with a stutter and bad english, and you reject his argument, you immediately go the ’rejected’ group and are condemned to hell. Joe has no responsibility for this? In the world of ’resonable argument’ ALL of the responsibility would be Joe’s. That is the whole point of an argument to persuade. To change another’s mind. If they don’t change their mind, your argument failed. Period. In the religious world though, it seems that there is this belief that it is the listeners fault that they didn’t grab you about the shoulders and shout "Save Me!".

     Going back to the comment I overheard. When are these evangelists going to realize that "...don’t they want to be saved? Don’t they know they are going to hell?" isn’t even a valid question line? Shouldn’t they be asking "Crap! I *****d up this listener’s chance at the eternal bliss I believe in today! Now we are both toast! Where did my arguments go wrong?!?"? I think that if the world’s religions would learn this point, the world would be a nicer place.

     If the people overheard keep eating those Wendy’s triples though, they don’t have much time to accomplish their mission.

    Friday, I recieved some 'bad' news. Later, on talking about it with another friend, I was asked '...but why aren't you sad, she is dead you know?'. I guess I could be all bent out of shape, but that wouldn't do the moment justice. The news was that my Aunt Ruth had passed quietly in her sleep on February 20th. She was 88.

     Instead of feeling sad though, I had more of a sense of completion. This chapter is closed now, it is time to look to the future, it looks bright. Aunt Ruth was my last living relative of the last generation. My grandparents were dead or very old before I was born. I never knew then except as yellowing pictures and an interesting collection of backgrounds. Most of my aunts and uncles died before I graduated high school. I lost my parents in 2000 and 2002. Uncle John, my father's brother, and Aunt Ruth, his wife, were my last relatives from the last generation. John died in 2004, and now Ruth is gone. Quietly and at home.

     Even in my generation there is only my brother and sister left. I'm quite certain, that barring sudden health issues or accident, that I'll probably be left to turn out the lights. Les and Nancy are 25 and 20 years my senior. Oh there are a few cousins scattered across the globe, in California and Germany. But they are normally only heard from for funerals and weddings, and then not in person.

      Now I get to open the chapter on the future. I grew up with my neices and nephews, who have children, who in 5 to 10 years will be having kids of their own. I look forward to knowing that all of the '...waning years funeral processions...' are already behind me. I approach the top of the hill, I know that all I will see in the future are mostly happy births and marriages, with the only assured funerals being those of Nancy, Les, and myself.

      Christmas in the future is going to be expensive.....:-)

Ok, for years my life has revolved around what I can find on the internet everyday. It is a very useful tool. Too bloody damn useful. This is the beginning of the second week now since '...the mystical magical blue smoke...' escaped from the back of my computer's box. Yes, it's true. When the smoke escapes, the computer stops working. So.... today being a holiday, I'm shamelessly stealing time on Cyndi's computer while she sleeps..... I miss the net..... As soon as PC Doc finishes replacing my machine's heart and soul (video card went toastie and smoked the CPU and motherboard) I'll actually be able to finish paying bills and taxes and things.......... At times I think owning a computer can be almost as troublesome as owning a car.

........