All of us have been inundated the past few weeks with the controverseries relating to political correctness. Has it really gone amuck as some conservatives among us would have us believe? What can we say, and how can we remember all the rules of proper discourse? Some examples are in order.
Among those in trouble in the news are Mel Gibson, with his rants against Jews and threats against his former girlfriend; Dr. Laura, with her use of the "N" word repeatedly on her radio program; Rick Sanchez, with his statements also about Jews in the media industry; and now Juan Williams, who acknowledged feeling fear when he boarded a plane with Muslims. All have paid the price for saying probably what they really think by the loss of their respective positions.
On the one hand, I agree (and have since the early '90's when I first became aware of the concept through my daughter, a graduate students in English at USC) that one should not knowingly use terms that cause hurt to others. As educated people, why should we? On the other hand, as we now see in the latest controversies, at what point are we simply being hypersensitive?
The recent and most talked-about example occurred last week on the television program "The View" as commentator Bill O'Reilly said that the Muslims attacked us on 9/11. This comment led to a lot of shouting with Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar walking off the show in a storm of anger. Yet that very week, Joy had two people on her show that both separately used the phrase, "like the pot calling the kettle black." I have been taught that African-Americans find that phrase offensive, yet Joy said nothing to the two guests about it. Later, she bemoaned the loss of civil discourse in our society with guest Richard Dreyfess, yet she had just left the premises her own show while on the air. Is there a double standard here?
Of course, we all know what one of the key problems is. We have so many analysis shows on cable that the air time needs to be filled with controversial political and social issues. All serve to increase ratings for either a conservative position or a liberal one. I for one would love to return to the good old days--having three major networks only giving their news at the dinner hour each night. But then I certainly show my age here.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
A Narrative Poem for October
The Cross in the Clouds
After a summer of record temperatures,
the fifty-three degree fall chill surrounds me
as I step out the door, clad in my green jacket.
Once again I worry about our financial future
as I adjust the volume on the local NPR radio station
and prepare for my three mile morning stroll by the riverside.
They are interviewing people who have been struggling to pay their
bills during the Great Recession that has plagued us for the past two years.
The recession has been a brute for us as well with its constant devouring
of our savings and annuity payments—a set of tires here,
a new icemaker there, or a number of replacement balusters
for the repair of the deck—all serve to dampen my spirits.
I see before me the Halloween decorations in practically every yard I pass—
the numerous hay bales holding a variety of colorful mums in pots,
dancing skeletons, bright orange pumpkins, and spooky houses with
bats flying around them as if to frighten and menace us all.
I turn the corner and see the low-hanging fog over the mountains to the South;
It appears that the usual trees and radio towers have completely
disappeared magically, but then--I see it in the distance above the clouds:
It appears to be a white cross suspended in the sky with absolutely no support
underneath it. Could it be a sign of God’s faithfulness for the future?
His invisible Hand holding all of us so calmly and gracefully.
After a summer of record temperatures,
the fifty-three degree fall chill surrounds me
as I step out the door, clad in my green jacket.
Once again I worry about our financial future
as I adjust the volume on the local NPR radio station
and prepare for my three mile morning stroll by the riverside.
They are interviewing people who have been struggling to pay their
bills during the Great Recession that has plagued us for the past two years.
The recession has been a brute for us as well with its constant devouring
of our savings and annuity payments—a set of tires here,
a new icemaker there, or a number of replacement balusters
for the repair of the deck—all serve to dampen my spirits.
I see before me the Halloween decorations in practically every yard I pass—
the numerous hay bales holding a variety of colorful mums in pots,
dancing skeletons, bright orange pumpkins, and spooky houses with
bats flying around them as if to frighten and menace us all.
I turn the corner and see the low-hanging fog over the mountains to the South;
It appears that the usual trees and radio towers have completely
disappeared magically, but then--I see it in the distance above the clouds:
It appears to be a white cross suspended in the sky with absolutely no support
underneath it. Could it be a sign of God’s faithfulness for the future?
His invisible Hand holding all of us so calmly and gracefully.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Revisiting Capital Punishment
Once more I find myself sitting on the fence regarding the issue of capital punishment due to two high profile cases in the news. Generally my political stance has been to believe no one should be put to death in spite of the legality of the law saying it is o.k. to do so. Now, however, I find myself ambivalent.
Last week a woman, Teresa Lewis, was put to death in Virginia for ordering the murders of her husband and stepson--all for money. To me this case was particularly unfair for several factors. She did not actually carry out the murders herself, she was a woman (yes, I know that I typically argue for equal rights for women), and she had an IQ of 72. I believe life in prison, as her colleague in crime received, was justifiably the better decision.
On the other hand, the news media have been engrossed with the crime and its horrid details of the Petit family in Connecticut in 2007. Here a mother and her two daughters were raped and set on fire while still alive. Her husband escaped narrowly after a severe beating, but he was unable to save his family. As is typical, both of the defendants are blaming the other for the most heinous of the events. To me this case is one that requires me to rethink my position on capital punishment. If there was ever anyone who needed to be put to death, it is these two.
I believe I would speak for the majority of Americans. It is a complex topic as we all know.
Last week a woman, Teresa Lewis, was put to death in Virginia for ordering the murders of her husband and stepson--all for money. To me this case was particularly unfair for several factors. She did not actually carry out the murders herself, she was a woman (yes, I know that I typically argue for equal rights for women), and she had an IQ of 72. I believe life in prison, as her colleague in crime received, was justifiably the better decision.
On the other hand, the news media have been engrossed with the crime and its horrid details of the Petit family in Connecticut in 2007. Here a mother and her two daughters were raped and set on fire while still alive. Her husband escaped narrowly after a severe beating, but he was unable to save his family. As is typical, both of the defendants are blaming the other for the most heinous of the events. To me this case is one that requires me to rethink my position on capital punishment. If there was ever anyone who needed to be put to death, it is these two.
I believe I would speak for the majority of Americans. It is a complex topic as we all know.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
In the Stars?
Although I have been fascinated for years by the moon and the stars, I have never been a believer in the idea of astrology. I do read my horoscope, however, at times. Last week I was told that a person I had not seen in years would come back into my life, someone that I had never had a complete break with. I said to myself, "That will never happen."
About three p.m. though, the phone rang. It was a young friend that I had seen grow up, but whom I had not seen for several years. She was writing a story she hoped to market and wanted my advice. Her mother and I had had an argument a number of years back, therefore, the silence for years.
Our book study group this fall is now reading a book together entitled Goddesses in Every Woman by Bolen. It has been interesting to discover the feminine archetypes and to realize that I am most closely related to Artemis, the goddess of the moon. I take it all with a grain of salt.
I guess it is our human nature that compels us to explore our self-identity throughout our lives. The more we know about who we are the more we can understand ourselves and those around us.
About three p.m. though, the phone rang. It was a young friend that I had seen grow up, but whom I had not seen for several years. She was writing a story she hoped to market and wanted my advice. Her mother and I had had an argument a number of years back, therefore, the silence for years.
Our book study group this fall is now reading a book together entitled Goddesses in Every Woman by Bolen. It has been interesting to discover the feminine archetypes and to realize that I am most closely related to Artemis, the goddess of the moon. I take it all with a grain of salt.
I guess it is our human nature that compels us to explore our self-identity throughout our lives. The more we know about who we are the more we can understand ourselves and those around us.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Snakes in the Garden
It seems that I have always been aware of snakes from the beginning of my memory. When I was three, my parents went out to a swimming hole in Mississippi for a picnic with their friends. They took my sister and me to wade in the shallow water. I remember two events from that day--my father and some of his male buddies picked up my mother in her halter top and shorts and threw her into the water. She was screaming--good-naturedly though--that she didn't intend to go for a swim. The second memory revolves around seeing a rather large snake beside the water; I learned later it was a water moccasin so common in Mississippi lakes. My parents grabbed me up and begin asking me frantically if "the big bug" as I called it had bitten me. Of course, I liked the attention I seemed to be getting from everyone and kept pointing to numerous places on my body where the snake had bitten me.
As I grew a bit older and began to attend Sunday School at the Second Baptist Church of Greenville, Mississippi, I learned about another snake, this time in the Garden of Eden. It seems that this one was beautiful and even talked to the first woman, Eve, convincing her to sin against God by tasting the forbidden fruit. As a five-year-old, I had more trouble believing that a snake could be beautiful than believing one could actually speak.
As a teenager, I often went on fall walks with my friend Linda and her family around Lake Enid or Lake Sardis in the delta. On one occasion, the two of us noticed a snake hanging from a branch above our heads. We backed slowly away and told her dad who was back at his truck. He immediately took his shotgun--which all good Mississippians still carry--and shot the snake, bringing it out on a stick for us to see.
When I became a mother, my husband and I often took our fold-out Apache camper to our favorite state park in Arkansas, Devil's Den. We, along with our young children, enjoyed watching the naturalists present various programs during the day and occasionally at night. One of the most memorable for us all occurred around a large campfire. The naturalist was speaking on some topic when at least three small copperheads came crawling up into the audience's sight. The naturalist simply took the long stick already in his hand, picked each one up without missing a syllable in his presentation, and tossed it back into the dark night.
My position these days regarding snakes in that they are typically just trying to survive in an ever-more-difficult environment where humans continue to encroach upon their land. My grandson and granddaughter are city children and don't care to be out in nature as much as my children did. Charlie, our seven-year-old, however, recently was brave enough to attend a week's "snake camp" in which he learned about the habits of snakes, made models of snakes with clay, drew snakes, and even held one. It gave me hope that we could all get along.
As I grew a bit older and began to attend Sunday School at the Second Baptist Church of Greenville, Mississippi, I learned about another snake, this time in the Garden of Eden. It seems that this one was beautiful and even talked to the first woman, Eve, convincing her to sin against God by tasting the forbidden fruit. As a five-year-old, I had more trouble believing that a snake could be beautiful than believing one could actually speak.
As a teenager, I often went on fall walks with my friend Linda and her family around Lake Enid or Lake Sardis in the delta. On one occasion, the two of us noticed a snake hanging from a branch above our heads. We backed slowly away and told her dad who was back at his truck. He immediately took his shotgun--which all good Mississippians still carry--and shot the snake, bringing it out on a stick for us to see.
When I became a mother, my husband and I often took our fold-out Apache camper to our favorite state park in Arkansas, Devil's Den. We, along with our young children, enjoyed watching the naturalists present various programs during the day and occasionally at night. One of the most memorable for us all occurred around a large campfire. The naturalist was speaking on some topic when at least three small copperheads came crawling up into the audience's sight. The naturalist simply took the long stick already in his hand, picked each one up without missing a syllable in his presentation, and tossed it back into the dark night.
My position these days regarding snakes in that they are typically just trying to survive in an ever-more-difficult environment where humans continue to encroach upon their land. My grandson and granddaughter are city children and don't care to be out in nature as much as my children did. Charlie, our seven-year-old, however, recently was brave enough to attend a week's "snake camp" in which he learned about the habits of snakes, made models of snakes with clay, drew snakes, and even held one. It gave me hope that we could all get along.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Standing By Me
It's easy for me to work myself up into a frenzy of worry about money. I guess it must come from my single mother's constant concern over paying the bills when I was a young child. After all, it could not have been an easy task to work a split shift as a waitress at a restaurant and also support all the needs of her family alone. This week's news focused on the usual predictions of more gloom and doom for both the foreclosure market and the economy worldwide. Since we still own two houses in retirement, I started thinking once more about alternatives: Should we sell one or both at a great loss, or should we try to hang on making those payments every month in hopes that the market will eventually improve? As I was contemplating this question, I read a passage from I Samuel 7:12 which read, "Thus far the Lord has helped us."
The context of the biblical passage reminded us that stones were often used in ancient times for a variety of reasons: to cast at the enemy or to build a monument either to God or to someone who had died. I immediately remembered the popularity of small stones now sold in stores like Coldwater Creek that contain a single word like "believe," "faith," "hope," etc. While I am not a strong supporter of icons, it seems reasonable that one could place a small stone on a desk or in a prominent place to remind ourselves of God's faithfulness. I might wish the stone would say "sell" or "hold" in order to give me a sign about our dilemma. In the meantime, however, I will keep reminding myself that a stone is a great reminder of God's promise to stand by us.
The context of the biblical passage reminded us that stones were often used in ancient times for a variety of reasons: to cast at the enemy or to build a monument either to God or to someone who had died. I immediately remembered the popularity of small stones now sold in stores like Coldwater Creek that contain a single word like "believe," "faith," "hope," etc. While I am not a strong supporter of icons, it seems reasonable that one could place a small stone on a desk or in a prominent place to remind ourselves of God's faithfulness. I might wish the stone would say "sell" or "hold" in order to give me a sign about our dilemma. In the meantime, however, I will keep reminding myself that a stone is a great reminder of God's promise to stand by us.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Anawim - With Us Forever?
The word "anawim" is a Hebrew word that means, "the poor seeking God's deliverance." It is mentioned in Psalms 37:11 and other places in the Bible. Even Christ spoke of always having the poor with us. Statistics last week here in America have reported that the number of poor has grown to record highs with some one out of seven in poverty, under $22,000 yearly for a family of four. The debate rages between Democrats and Republicans in this election year regarding the future of entitlements. Should we continue to extend unemployment benefits to the least of us, or do we cut off benefits to help reduce the deficit?
My political persuasion is an odd mix, but I suspect it's not too different from most people. I believe in fiscal responsibility; my husband and I have struggled to pay two house payments in retirement because we cannot sell one. Thus far, we have been able to make those payments. On the other hand, there are many children in our American families in dire poverty and that simply must be fed and clothed and educated. Last night's news revealed that the so-called Octomom (yes, the one with the fourteen children conceived at a fertility clinic) is on the verge of bankruptcy. She indicated that she does not want welfare for herself and children, but she has just another week of money in her account.
My position is that the unemployment compensation must continue, as well as welfare for those who need it the most. Hopefully, we will not have the situation continuing forever as we now hover around ten per cent of those without work. Let us in the meantime take care of the children. They are the true anawim.
My political persuasion is an odd mix, but I suspect it's not too different from most people. I believe in fiscal responsibility; my husband and I have struggled to pay two house payments in retirement because we cannot sell one. Thus far, we have been able to make those payments. On the other hand, there are many children in our American families in dire poverty and that simply must be fed and clothed and educated. Last night's news revealed that the so-called Octomom (yes, the one with the fourteen children conceived at a fertility clinic) is on the verge of bankruptcy. She indicated that she does not want welfare for herself and children, but she has just another week of money in her account.
My position is that the unemployment compensation must continue, as well as welfare for those who need it the most. Hopefully, we will not have the situation continuing forever as we now hover around ten per cent of those without work. Let us in the meantime take care of the children. They are the true anawim.
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