The end of another year is once again upon us. Though our world seems turbulent, this is the time of year to observe and reflect on the more positive aspects of our existence. As you sit by the fireside and watch your family interact or just simply try to recover from the excessive consumption of turkey, pause for a moment and take account of all the things that you have to be grateful for. At times, we seem more preoccupied with the acquisition of material goods than we should be. In the end, it is the simple thing which should center your soul.
The meaning of family in America has become difficult to define. Oftentimes, families no longer coexist in the same town, county, or even state. Instead, families travel over the holidays in an attempt to maintain some semblance of familial unity. I spent the last two weeks traveling between Oregon, California, and Nevada. I was lucky enough to partake in a family gathering in Nevada. What a joy to watch three generations of a family devour a tasty yuletide dinner and listen to the constant jabbering as each individual jockeyed to be heard. To top off the evening, libations, a fire, and football were available as well. Events such as this, are what constitutes the formation of timeless memories.
Traveling through the Sierras and Cascades was a seasonal delight. The mountains were adorned with a thin covering of snow and the valley floors were frost covered. Cattle breath hung suspended in air as I drove by numerous ranches. Deer loitered in pastures, looking for easy forage in a furious attempt to fight off the winter chill. Waterfowl stood on frozen rivers, lakes, and ponds. For them, open water was at a premium. The landscape has adorned its winter mantel of cold, snow, and ice. Small towns with the names of Quincy, Portola, Chester, Susanville, Alturas, Lakeview, Silver Lake, Lapine, and Bend were alive with Christmas cheer. Decorations were everywhere and the soft glow of Christmas lights could be seen far off in the distance as you approached each small hamlet. Shoppers scampered along icy, snow covered sidewalks, searching for last minute gifts. People waved as I drove by, wishing me Christmas cheer. With the exception of Bend, these small towns are working class, low to middle income enclaves. They represent the very essence of America. They are all inhabited by unique individuals from different walks of life. For example, in Quincy I saw a VW bus driven by a couple of "old hippies", as well as, a logging truck driven by a dude in a cowboy hat. I'll bet that the occupants of each vehicle differed both socially and politically yet, they both claim residence in the same town.
At this time of year it is important to remember those things which unify us. We will have a judicious amount of time in the coming year to bicker over whatever our hearts desire. Be grateful for family, friends, a roof over your head, food, health, or any number of things. Above all, please remember the trials and tribulations of others. For myself, I will be thinking about an uncle recovering from cardiac surgery, soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the families left behind by the climbers on Mt. Hood.
De Oppresso Liber
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Ideological Warfare
As Christmas approaches and defeated politicians pack up to leave Washington D.C., the American populace eagerly awaits the New Year. The coming change in power will make for interesting viewing this January. The electorate has voted for change and for now, we all will have to join in the game of wait and see. I fear however, that this change is merely a modified version of the Vietnam era and will only bring in a new form of weak willed politicians who are ill equipped to deal with the reality of what we face.
I spent the past week hauling freight from Oregon down to Los Angeles and back north to Spokane and the Idaho panhandle. In L.A. nobody was talking much about Iraq. Californians tend to think about local issues but then again, maybe that isn't so unique to California. Spokane is a college town with an air base on it's periphery. This makes for a combative view of world affairs. I spent the better part of Friday morning listening to two guys argue over Iraq, democrats versus republicans, the economy, you name it. They were chattering away on the CB. One guy was obviously a young man, more than likely a college student who despised the Bush Administration and the war in Iraq. The other gentleman was probably a trucker. Both of their arguments were long on emotion and short on fact.
The weather was extremely gloomy with temperatures hovering at the freezing point, no wind and the beautiful mountainous terrain obscured by heavy fog cover. As I listened to these two men argue, I got to thinking about the mess we are in over in the Middle East. Who has a well defined, bullet proof solution for this? Nobody! However, this does not mean that we should not bother trying to find an answer. I wonder if we still have not learned the lessons of the Vietnam era? Have we developed a society which will not allow us to identify our current threat? Have secular progressives (Bill O'Reilly's term) changed our social fabric to the point that we no longer recognize an ideological threat to our nation? I don't know the answer to these questions but I often think about them.
The counter cultural movement of the late 1960's produced a laissez-faire attitude in many Americans. The so called, if it feels good, it must be good mentality. Members of this movement felt that if we could all just be mellow and groovy there would be no negativity in the world. In their view, the world would be one happy place with no need for warfare or economic competitiveness. Organizations of all types were the antithesis of their desire. A personal sense of right and wrong and long standing social norms were turned on their heads. They weren't "bad" people, just overtly naive about humanity and nation states. Many of the leading players on today's national political scene are products of this generation. These same people seem to feel in their hearts that they can make the entire world a groovy non aggressive place and fail to recognize that the threat we now face would annihilate us if they could.
Why do these folks not recognize this threat? In my opinion, by recognizing the threat of Islamic Jihadists, this group of people would be forced to reanalyze some of the basic tenets of their belief system. They have worked long and hard to develop this social belief system and will stubbornly refuse to relinquish it. In order to avoid doing this, they tend to blame us for the problems in the Middle East. To be sure, our foreign policy has made mistakes in the Middle East since the end of World War II however, these mistakes nor the existence of Israel have created the animosity of the jihadists. The United States and Israel are easy scapegoats for the jihadists. Economic disparity and lack of education are the primary culprits in the development of this hatred.
The current power brokers of the flower power generation would have us believe that all we need to do is talk with our enemies. Enemies of nation states do not agree to talk until they are convinced that negotiations are the only guarantee of their very survival. Sound militaristic? You bet it is. War is ugly however, humanity on a global scale has yet to progress to the point where the act of war between opposing sides becomes extinct. We now face an opponent that wishes to destroy us regardless of how inoffensive we may try to be. The only way to deal with this threat is to make the members of this movement come to realization that their belief in our total destruction will instead, lead to their extinction.
Lastly, in our ongoing struggle to come to terms with just what the separation of church and state means, we fail to recognize that as far as the jihadists are concerned, the church is the state. In our attempt to avoid offending Islam, we fail to call a spade a spade. Yes, we are in an ideological battle for our very existence as a nation and I only hope that the flower power generation who now have gained the reins of power in Congress will recognize the threat. We need to vigorously debate policy issues and search for new solutions to old problems however, we also need to avoid at all costs the deadly snare of existing in the safe, nonthreatening social paradigm that we may have created.
De Oppresso Liber
I spent the past week hauling freight from Oregon down to Los Angeles and back north to Spokane and the Idaho panhandle. In L.A. nobody was talking much about Iraq. Californians tend to think about local issues but then again, maybe that isn't so unique to California. Spokane is a college town with an air base on it's periphery. This makes for a combative view of world affairs. I spent the better part of Friday morning listening to two guys argue over Iraq, democrats versus republicans, the economy, you name it. They were chattering away on the CB. One guy was obviously a young man, more than likely a college student who despised the Bush Administration and the war in Iraq. The other gentleman was probably a trucker. Both of their arguments were long on emotion and short on fact.
The weather was extremely gloomy with temperatures hovering at the freezing point, no wind and the beautiful mountainous terrain obscured by heavy fog cover. As I listened to these two men argue, I got to thinking about the mess we are in over in the Middle East. Who has a well defined, bullet proof solution for this? Nobody! However, this does not mean that we should not bother trying to find an answer. I wonder if we still have not learned the lessons of the Vietnam era? Have we developed a society which will not allow us to identify our current threat? Have secular progressives (Bill O'Reilly's term) changed our social fabric to the point that we no longer recognize an ideological threat to our nation? I don't know the answer to these questions but I often think about them.
The counter cultural movement of the late 1960's produced a laissez-faire attitude in many Americans. The so called, if it feels good, it must be good mentality. Members of this movement felt that if we could all just be mellow and groovy there would be no negativity in the world. In their view, the world would be one happy place with no need for warfare or economic competitiveness. Organizations of all types were the antithesis of their desire. A personal sense of right and wrong and long standing social norms were turned on their heads. They weren't "bad" people, just overtly naive about humanity and nation states. Many of the leading players on today's national political scene are products of this generation. These same people seem to feel in their hearts that they can make the entire world a groovy non aggressive place and fail to recognize that the threat we now face would annihilate us if they could.
Why do these folks not recognize this threat? In my opinion, by recognizing the threat of Islamic Jihadists, this group of people would be forced to reanalyze some of the basic tenets of their belief system. They have worked long and hard to develop this social belief system and will stubbornly refuse to relinquish it. In order to avoid doing this, they tend to blame us for the problems in the Middle East. To be sure, our foreign policy has made mistakes in the Middle East since the end of World War II however, these mistakes nor the existence of Israel have created the animosity of the jihadists. The United States and Israel are easy scapegoats for the jihadists. Economic disparity and lack of education are the primary culprits in the development of this hatred.
The current power brokers of the flower power generation would have us believe that all we need to do is talk with our enemies. Enemies of nation states do not agree to talk until they are convinced that negotiations are the only guarantee of their very survival. Sound militaristic? You bet it is. War is ugly however, humanity on a global scale has yet to progress to the point where the act of war between opposing sides becomes extinct. We now face an opponent that wishes to destroy us regardless of how inoffensive we may try to be. The only way to deal with this threat is to make the members of this movement come to realization that their belief in our total destruction will instead, lead to their extinction.
Lastly, in our ongoing struggle to come to terms with just what the separation of church and state means, we fail to recognize that as far as the jihadists are concerned, the church is the state. In our attempt to avoid offending Islam, we fail to call a spade a spade. Yes, we are in an ideological battle for our very existence as a nation and I only hope that the flower power generation who now have gained the reins of power in Congress will recognize the threat. We need to vigorously debate policy issues and search for new solutions to old problems however, we also need to avoid at all costs the deadly snare of existing in the safe, nonthreatening social paradigm that we may have created.
De Oppresso Liber
Saturday, December 02, 2006
The Long Winter
Here we are, December is upon us and the long winter nights have begun. Temperatures hover at the freezing mark and we anxiously await the first signs of burgeoning life once April arrives. Politically speaking, life in our nation's capital will remain in a deep freeze for the next two years. The electorate has spoken and voted for change. The requisite question however, is what change, specifically, have we voted for? Change, in and of itself, need not necessarily lead to positive outcomes. The Democrats have been long on condemnation and short on policy reformation. Well, the proverbial ball is now in their court. Their sole objective for the next two years will be to position their party for victory in 2008. If the electorate believes that they will discover a new light shining out of Washington D.C. then, they have deluded themselves. The Beltway has always been isolated from the electorate and its search for, "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness".
The month of November was a busy travel month. I was provided with the opportunity to observe Americans from all walks of life as I moved about. The month started in the vastness of the Idaho panhandle, Montana, and Wyoming. My travels took me from Billings north to the Mussellshell River basin where I loaded rock from a quarry run exclusively by women hardened by life on the northern plains. They were a tough looking bunch with wind whipped hair, straight backs, a plethora of wise cracks, and painted finger nails. They seemed more concerned with running their quarry, friendships, raising their kids, and making a slim profit from their toil. The self important postulating from politicos back East seemed far away. I took the rock to Jackson, Wyoming and delivered it to the new residence of a TV actress. Luckily for me, she wasn't on site thus enabling me to stare at the luxurious homes and barb wire fences dotting the winter range of the local mule deer and elk herds. I wonder if these folks ever think about the ecosystem that they have disrupted in order to maintain an elevated social status within the fabric of Hollywood social circles? They regularly search out available microphones to tout their concern for the environment so the question begs to be asked, why build obnoxiously extravagant homes in a pristine, fragile alpine environment?
From Jackson, I crossed the Continental Divide, drove along the Wind River to Riverton, Wyoming and then turned north through Thermopolis and on to Cody. I wonder if those rich folks over in Jackson have ever spent any time on the Wind River Indian Reservation? The Continental Divide does a magnificent job of hiding the reservation's poverty from the self indulgent crowd in Jackson.
Later in the month I traveled from Oregon to Tennessee. For all of the turmoil boiling out of Washington D.C., all seemed uneasily quiet in our heartland. I wonder if Congress even recognizes the fact that the common citizen has grown tired of their inability to function effectively as a governing body? Historically, our Congress has never enjoyed anything much better than a tenuous existence with the American public so, our current situation is really not all that unique. The difference this time is the fact that while the two parties bicker over power, and the electorate loses interest, our enemies abroad are salivating at upcoming opportunities for operations against us. Our government's refusal to acknowledge the ideological aspect of our battle with Islamic Fundamentalists has blindfolded the public and created a national disinterest in our activities abroad.
Political hacks from both sides of the aisle can point fingers at President Bush, Vice-President Cheney, Secretary Rumsfeld, Senators Clinton, Schumer, Durbin, Kennedy, Kerry, Congresswoman Pelosi and the like, however, this battle we now find ourselves in transcends transient political personalities. We often feel ourselves to be untouchable however, I must remind you that once again December 7th is upon us and September 11th will soon follow. While we need not live in fear, we must acknowledge the fact that we can never be all things to all nations or people and some will live to destroy our way of life. It is up to the common man to defeat our opponents, not Washington D.C. Informed, polite debate is requisite for the survival of our republic but the overreaching component which binds us together must forever be our unified stance as proud Americans.
De Oppresso Liber
The month of November was a busy travel month. I was provided with the opportunity to observe Americans from all walks of life as I moved about. The month started in the vastness of the Idaho panhandle, Montana, and Wyoming. My travels took me from Billings north to the Mussellshell River basin where I loaded rock from a quarry run exclusively by women hardened by life on the northern plains. They were a tough looking bunch with wind whipped hair, straight backs, a plethora of wise cracks, and painted finger nails. They seemed more concerned with running their quarry, friendships, raising their kids, and making a slim profit from their toil. The self important postulating from politicos back East seemed far away. I took the rock to Jackson, Wyoming and delivered it to the new residence of a TV actress. Luckily for me, she wasn't on site thus enabling me to stare at the luxurious homes and barb wire fences dotting the winter range of the local mule deer and elk herds. I wonder if these folks ever think about the ecosystem that they have disrupted in order to maintain an elevated social status within the fabric of Hollywood social circles? They regularly search out available microphones to tout their concern for the environment so the question begs to be asked, why build obnoxiously extravagant homes in a pristine, fragile alpine environment?
From Jackson, I crossed the Continental Divide, drove along the Wind River to Riverton, Wyoming and then turned north through Thermopolis and on to Cody. I wonder if those rich folks over in Jackson have ever spent any time on the Wind River Indian Reservation? The Continental Divide does a magnificent job of hiding the reservation's poverty from the self indulgent crowd in Jackson.
Later in the month I traveled from Oregon to Tennessee. For all of the turmoil boiling out of Washington D.C., all seemed uneasily quiet in our heartland. I wonder if Congress even recognizes the fact that the common citizen has grown tired of their inability to function effectively as a governing body? Historically, our Congress has never enjoyed anything much better than a tenuous existence with the American public so, our current situation is really not all that unique. The difference this time is the fact that while the two parties bicker over power, and the electorate loses interest, our enemies abroad are salivating at upcoming opportunities for operations against us. Our government's refusal to acknowledge the ideological aspect of our battle with Islamic Fundamentalists has blindfolded the public and created a national disinterest in our activities abroad.
Political hacks from both sides of the aisle can point fingers at President Bush, Vice-President Cheney, Secretary Rumsfeld, Senators Clinton, Schumer, Durbin, Kennedy, Kerry, Congresswoman Pelosi and the like, however, this battle we now find ourselves in transcends transient political personalities. We often feel ourselves to be untouchable however, I must remind you that once again December 7th is upon us and September 11th will soon follow. While we need not live in fear, we must acknowledge the fact that we can never be all things to all nations or people and some will live to destroy our way of life. It is up to the common man to defeat our opponents, not Washington D.C. Informed, polite debate is requisite for the survival of our republic but the overreaching component which binds us together must forever be our unified stance as proud Americans.
De Oppresso Liber
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Seasonal Transitions
The movement of autumn into winter is a joyous sight to behold. Birds of all sorts are packing their bags in preparation for their voyage south. Large herbivores are rapaciously devouring forage in an attempt to gain weight and avoid starvation in the lean months of winter. Predators, both avian and terrestrial, are preparing to evict their offspring and devote more time to the search for prey. Deciduous vegetation is alive with color fluctuation and conifers remain steadfast in green. The earth is alive with movement.
Waterfowl are the symbol of autumn. Their airborne skeins etch beautiful patterns across the sky. Specklebellied and snow geese have begun to congregate in the Klamath Basin. Further south, marsh birds such as the ibis and avocet have taken up residence in the Sacramento Valley. They will need to enjoy the relative silence of October for their raucous neighbors to the north are soon to follow.
The impish grey squirrels who call our backyard home have been busily stashing their hoard of conifer nuts. It is quite hilarious to watch their antics as they scamper to and fro, scold our dogs, drop pine cones on our roof, and look into our windows just to annoy the cats.
The Cascades have begun to adorn themselves with their winter mantle of white and spend much of their time obscured behind cloud cover. Deer and elk have begun their slow trek downhill with the snowline in fast pursuit. The rains of the season are fast approaching the Coastal Range and will soon enshroud them in a vaporous veil of obscurity. Alpine lakes and streams will become dormant as ice encapsulates their surfaces and the resident aquatic life becomes dormant.
For our part, my wife and I sit in the den and relax amongst the aromatic smell of slowly burning seasoned juniper. Our oldest cat, a true senior feline citizen of 18 years, maintains an omnipresence in front of the woodburning stove. All in all, everything is upright in our personal universe and if we remain grounded by observing life's minute details, the travails of the world will not become oppressive and we will endure. Besides, we all have to get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Waterfowl are the symbol of autumn. Their airborne skeins etch beautiful patterns across the sky. Specklebellied and snow geese have begun to congregate in the Klamath Basin. Further south, marsh birds such as the ibis and avocet have taken up residence in the Sacramento Valley. They will need to enjoy the relative silence of October for their raucous neighbors to the north are soon to follow.
The impish grey squirrels who call our backyard home have been busily stashing their hoard of conifer nuts. It is quite hilarious to watch their antics as they scamper to and fro, scold our dogs, drop pine cones on our roof, and look into our windows just to annoy the cats.
The Cascades have begun to adorn themselves with their winter mantle of white and spend much of their time obscured behind cloud cover. Deer and elk have begun their slow trek downhill with the snowline in fast pursuit. The rains of the season are fast approaching the Coastal Range and will soon enshroud them in a vaporous veil of obscurity. Alpine lakes and streams will become dormant as ice encapsulates their surfaces and the resident aquatic life becomes dormant.
For our part, my wife and I sit in the den and relax amongst the aromatic smell of slowly burning seasoned juniper. Our oldest cat, a true senior feline citizen of 18 years, maintains an omnipresence in front of the woodburning stove. All in all, everything is upright in our personal universe and if we remain grounded by observing life's minute details, the travails of the world will not become oppressive and we will endure. Besides, we all have to get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Factionalism: Friend or Foe?
As the upcoming mid term elections draw near, political opponents have drawn lines in the sand and disparaging remarks are flying through the air from both sides of the aisle. Supporters of their candidates have also joined the fray. Such is the nature of American politics. Some of the most renowned political pundits on the air have called for a return to a more civil approach to political discourse. Unfortunately, civil political debate has never been a dominant presence on the American landscape. Others call for unbiased reporting from the predominant newspapers and periodicals available to the public. By looking back in time, one can quickly come to the conclusion that these publications have never been unbiased in their reporting. From the founding of our country, journalists have always been the loudspeaker for their respective factions.
Several newspapers vehemently attacked the policies of President George Washington's administration. Many of them accused him, even with the absence of supporting facts, of a monarchic form of government. Of course, in today's world, he is revered as the father of our country. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison corresponded frequently over the fear of a developing carnivorous factionalism within our fledgling republic. Madison's Federalist #10 dealt specifically with this problem. Jefferson felt that a revolution now and again was a healthy antidote for renewing the viability of democratic governing. Factionalism reached new heights during the presidency of John Adams. Our founding fathers initially felt that we had no need for the presence of political parties in our system of government. Reality quickly gave way to the development of political parties. Vice President Jefferson covertly campaigned against the policies of President Adams. Jefferson's activities led to the formation of the Democratic-Republican Party. This political party became the counter political force to the Federalist Party of Adams. Adams was vehemently attacked by the Democratic-Republicans during his bid for reelection. Pejorative remarks were leveled at him by political operatives and newspapers. These activities directly led to his defeat and the ascent of the Democratic-Republicans. The enmity between Jefferson and Adams lasted for over a decade. At the urging of Abigail Adams, the two men reestablished their friendship and remained so until their deaths on the Fourth of July in 1826. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr epitomize the more deadly aspects of carnivorous political factionalism. Their pernicious political diatribe led directly to the duel at Weehawken in 1803. As we all know, Hamilton paid for his hatred of Burr with his life.
Looking at the early years of our country, one could quickly come to the conclusion that factionalism was noxious for our country. Is this assumption correct? The years leading up to the Civil War were filled with political compromise. Two great statesmen represent this era of factional suppression. Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts and Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky valiantly attempted to avoid the inevitable Civil War. They fought for common ground. As factions for the North and South grew in opposition to each other, Webster and Clay held us together. Unfortunately, their joint efforts were doomed to fail. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 are two examples of an attempt to find common ground. Webster and Clay supported these legislative measures. Their oratory in both the House and Senate held our country together as we tread through the murky waters of slavery. Would our country have dissolved prematurely if these two men had not practiced legislative civility? Nobody can know for certain but, did the suppression of factionalism only delay the inevitable explosion of the Civil War? The real issue these men bring to light is that we can, as a nation, not devolve into rampant salacious political dialog.
As we approach these elections we need to remain informed. All of us bring preformed opinions to every issue. Regardless of how open minded we attempt to be, all of us are products of our environment. As the old adage goes, "birds of a feather flock together". We all should practice the golden rule and treat others in the same manner as we desire to be treated. We need to politely listen, observe, and read the opinions of others. When afforded the opportunity, we need to state our case and support it with relevant facts. If your opinion doesn't carry the day and the electorate heads in a different direction, we need to support those who have been elected by recognizing the fact that they are now in power. If required, we should re-analyze our position on specific issues and provide a relevant, well informed, fact based opposition to their governmental policies. Just as assuredly as the ocean tide floods and ebbs, the political party in power comes and goes. The polite and informed disagreement amongst the electorate will have a direct impact on the form of political diatribe to be found in Washington D.C. Factionalism is neither friend nor foe. It merely mirrors the civility, or lack thereof, amongst the populace.
Several newspapers vehemently attacked the policies of President George Washington's administration. Many of them accused him, even with the absence of supporting facts, of a monarchic form of government. Of course, in today's world, he is revered as the father of our country. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison corresponded frequently over the fear of a developing carnivorous factionalism within our fledgling republic. Madison's Federalist #10 dealt specifically with this problem. Jefferson felt that a revolution now and again was a healthy antidote for renewing the viability of democratic governing. Factionalism reached new heights during the presidency of John Adams. Our founding fathers initially felt that we had no need for the presence of political parties in our system of government. Reality quickly gave way to the development of political parties. Vice President Jefferson covertly campaigned against the policies of President Adams. Jefferson's activities led to the formation of the Democratic-Republican Party. This political party became the counter political force to the Federalist Party of Adams. Adams was vehemently attacked by the Democratic-Republicans during his bid for reelection. Pejorative remarks were leveled at him by political operatives and newspapers. These activities directly led to his defeat and the ascent of the Democratic-Republicans. The enmity between Jefferson and Adams lasted for over a decade. At the urging of Abigail Adams, the two men reestablished their friendship and remained so until their deaths on the Fourth of July in 1826. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr epitomize the more deadly aspects of carnivorous political factionalism. Their pernicious political diatribe led directly to the duel at Weehawken in 1803. As we all know, Hamilton paid for his hatred of Burr with his life.
Looking at the early years of our country, one could quickly come to the conclusion that factionalism was noxious for our country. Is this assumption correct? The years leading up to the Civil War were filled with political compromise. Two great statesmen represent this era of factional suppression. Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts and Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky valiantly attempted to avoid the inevitable Civil War. They fought for common ground. As factions for the North and South grew in opposition to each other, Webster and Clay held us together. Unfortunately, their joint efforts were doomed to fail. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 are two examples of an attempt to find common ground. Webster and Clay supported these legislative measures. Their oratory in both the House and Senate held our country together as we tread through the murky waters of slavery. Would our country have dissolved prematurely if these two men had not practiced legislative civility? Nobody can know for certain but, did the suppression of factionalism only delay the inevitable explosion of the Civil War? The real issue these men bring to light is that we can, as a nation, not devolve into rampant salacious political dialog.
As we approach these elections we need to remain informed. All of us bring preformed opinions to every issue. Regardless of how open minded we attempt to be, all of us are products of our environment. As the old adage goes, "birds of a feather flock together". We all should practice the golden rule and treat others in the same manner as we desire to be treated. We need to politely listen, observe, and read the opinions of others. When afforded the opportunity, we need to state our case and support it with relevant facts. If your opinion doesn't carry the day and the electorate heads in a different direction, we need to support those who have been elected by recognizing the fact that they are now in power. If required, we should re-analyze our position on specific issues and provide a relevant, well informed, fact based opposition to their governmental policies. Just as assuredly as the ocean tide floods and ebbs, the political party in power comes and goes. The polite and informed disagreement amongst the electorate will have a direct impact on the form of political diatribe to be found in Washington D.C. Factionalism is neither friend nor foe. It merely mirrors the civility, or lack thereof, amongst the populace.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Narcissism in America
Do not let the title of this blog run you off. It is not intended as a pessimistic outlook for the future of our society. It is merely a collation of interactions with other Americans. Have you noticed how often many of us seem preoccupied with getting ahead? You can observe this in traffic, at stores and, the workplace. When does getting ahead of others lead down the path to a cultural form of rudeness? As a society, have we lost the capacity for consideration or, are we like the seagulls in the animated feature "Finding Nemo"? Do we scurry about shouting "Mine" instead of politely saying, "excuse me"?
I spend countless hours traveling down the highways of America. The manner in which people drive often indicates a sublte form of narcissism. Yes, there are indeed rude truckers however, it is often the common personal vehicle which operates in an inconsiderate manner. I've lost track of the times that I've changed lanes for a merging car and have had to suffer the aggravation of that small vehicle as it either travels alongside me or, races ahead to cut in front of me. When did the highway departments remove the yield sign from highway merge ramps? During rush hour in major metropolitan areas it is common practice for cars to rush ahead of you, pull in front of you and then hit their brakes as they try to squeeze into the already full exit ramp. I wonder if they didn't notice the empty stretch of asphalt behind my truck? A couple of months back, I was heading northbound in Denver on I-25 during morning rush hour when a gentleman flipped me off because he had to slow down to exit speed and exit behind my truck onto I-270. He was angry because I was traveling in the far right lane and he couldn't safely cut in front of me. He was driving a black BMW SUV from Boulder, Colorado. He had two bumper stickers on the vehicle. One read "Peace", whilst the other stated to "Celebrate Diversity". He is either a hypocrite or he simply forgot to read his bumper stickers before getting into his BMV for the morning commute.
I am a hunter. This activity is my passion and every autumn finds me in the backcountry in an annual attempt to return to the essence of human nature. Buried deep within each of us are the hunter-gatherer traits of our ancestors. You do not dominate the backcountry. You either integrate into the natural flow of life or, Mother Nature is likely to provide you with an experience you'll not soon forget. The taking of game is ancillary to the total experience of living outdoors. You hunt to watch sunrises and sunsets, listen to ravens, laugh at the cocky chipmunk as he scolds you for daring to sit on "his" log, smell the sage and pine and, try to keep Clark's Nutcrackers from telling the world, "Hey, here he is."
In an attempt to reap the rewards of this experience, I choose to hunt in areas where vehicular travel is restricted. The US Forest Service utilizes a green dot marking system for the unimproved road network in the forests. Vehicles can only travel on green dot roadways. During my deer hunt, two hunters abused the system. On the night before opening morning an ATV barreled by my campsite and roared up the canyon I was going to hunt. The very next day, a hunter in a Toyota pickup drove up this very same canyon. I had walked 90 minutes into the canyon for a quiet hunt. When I informed him that he was in a green dot area, he stated that he didn't see the sign which clearly identified this region as a restricted travel area. He thanked me for telling him that he shouldn't be there in a vehicle however, he came back the same afternoon with his vehicle. I took great joy when I saw him later that evening with the forest ranger in tow. Being selfish cost him $300.
So there you have it, rude people live on the highways and in the backcountry. All is not dire however, because there is always a considerate individual on the periphery who re-validates the basic goodness of the human spirit. Oftentimes, people wave a "thank you" when I move over to let them merge and on the last day of my hunt, a party of five hunters waited patiently by their trucks as they watched me making my descent down the ridgeline towards my pickup. When I got to my truck, we exchanged pleasantries and a soda pop. For every rude, self absorbed person out there, somewhere on this planet is their polar opposite. Such is the yin and yang of life.
I spend countless hours traveling down the highways of America. The manner in which people drive often indicates a sublte form of narcissism. Yes, there are indeed rude truckers however, it is often the common personal vehicle which operates in an inconsiderate manner. I've lost track of the times that I've changed lanes for a merging car and have had to suffer the aggravation of that small vehicle as it either travels alongside me or, races ahead to cut in front of me. When did the highway departments remove the yield sign from highway merge ramps? During rush hour in major metropolitan areas it is common practice for cars to rush ahead of you, pull in front of you and then hit their brakes as they try to squeeze into the already full exit ramp. I wonder if they didn't notice the empty stretch of asphalt behind my truck? A couple of months back, I was heading northbound in Denver on I-25 during morning rush hour when a gentleman flipped me off because he had to slow down to exit speed and exit behind my truck onto I-270. He was angry because I was traveling in the far right lane and he couldn't safely cut in front of me. He was driving a black BMW SUV from Boulder, Colorado. He had two bumper stickers on the vehicle. One read "Peace", whilst the other stated to "Celebrate Diversity". He is either a hypocrite or he simply forgot to read his bumper stickers before getting into his BMV for the morning commute.
I am a hunter. This activity is my passion and every autumn finds me in the backcountry in an annual attempt to return to the essence of human nature. Buried deep within each of us are the hunter-gatherer traits of our ancestors. You do not dominate the backcountry. You either integrate into the natural flow of life or, Mother Nature is likely to provide you with an experience you'll not soon forget. The taking of game is ancillary to the total experience of living outdoors. You hunt to watch sunrises and sunsets, listen to ravens, laugh at the cocky chipmunk as he scolds you for daring to sit on "his" log, smell the sage and pine and, try to keep Clark's Nutcrackers from telling the world, "Hey, here he is."
In an attempt to reap the rewards of this experience, I choose to hunt in areas where vehicular travel is restricted. The US Forest Service utilizes a green dot marking system for the unimproved road network in the forests. Vehicles can only travel on green dot roadways. During my deer hunt, two hunters abused the system. On the night before opening morning an ATV barreled by my campsite and roared up the canyon I was going to hunt. The very next day, a hunter in a Toyota pickup drove up this very same canyon. I had walked 90 minutes into the canyon for a quiet hunt. When I informed him that he was in a green dot area, he stated that he didn't see the sign which clearly identified this region as a restricted travel area. He thanked me for telling him that he shouldn't be there in a vehicle however, he came back the same afternoon with his vehicle. I took great joy when I saw him later that evening with the forest ranger in tow. Being selfish cost him $300.
So there you have it, rude people live on the highways and in the backcountry. All is not dire however, because there is always a considerate individual on the periphery who re-validates the basic goodness of the human spirit. Oftentimes, people wave a "thank you" when I move over to let them merge and on the last day of my hunt, a party of five hunters waited patiently by their trucks as they watched me making my descent down the ridgeline towards my pickup. When I got to my truck, we exchanged pleasantries and a soda pop. For every rude, self absorbed person out there, somewhere on this planet is their polar opposite. Such is the yin and yang of life.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Individualism in America
As we prepare for the upcoming mid term elections, the political heat has been turned up by both sides of the aisle. The Republicans have attempted to draw our attention towards national security whilst the Democrats are floundering for an issue to call their own. So far, all they seem to have come up with is the necessity for change. Change in and of itself is not healthy for society. Change requires an identification of something amiss within society followed by, the selection of a specific requisite course of action to re-adjust social direction, implementation of the change and finally, follow up to insure that the change has been effective. All I've heard from the DNC is, "Vote us in and we'll make changes." Change in our society begins at the individual level. We don't need to be told by politicians that we need change. The national government's primary reason for existence is to protect us from enemies both foreign and domestic. A secondary requirement of our government is to limit unnecessary roadblocks as they occur in our individual pursuit of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The strength of our great country has always been based on the strength of the individual. Traveling this past week through rural Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Nevada brought this great American attribute into clarity.
I spent part of this past week in the rugged mountainous region north of the Great Salt Lake. This area is home to ranchers and miners. Their primary concern is living. They scratch out a living with most of them living below the poverty line but, it may surprise you that I detected no sense of animosity amongst them. Instead, they were proud of their individuality, their families and the general condition of their lives. They were not looking for federal handouts. They take it upon themselves to improve their lot.
These observations bring me to my point of the week. When did our society absolve the individual from taking responsibility for his or her own actions? If you are not responsible for yourself, then who is? At times, it seems that the nouveau trend is for the individual to blame others for his or her plight. It's their spouse's fault, their friend's fault, the other driver's fault, their boss screwed them, etc, etc, etc. People expend more energy blaming others than they do looking inward. On a personal level, I know this to be a basic human flaw that must be recognized and dealt with. Looking at yourself and enforcing a requisite behavior pattern is often the most difficult task we undertake in our daily lives. Unfortunately, failing to accomplish this often leads to entire social groups blaming others. For example, many blacks blame whites for their social condition; according to some who support illegal immigration, it's not the illegal immigrant's fault for being illegal and for many gays, it's not their group's fault for the general populace not supporting their stand on legalized marriage. Understandably, you cannot paint all of these groups with a broad brush and leave it at that for, there are most definitely free thinking individuals within each group; however, there are enough individuals within each group to formulate a generic thought pattern for the group. Why?
Free thought is a difficult task at best. It requires time, situational analysis, and the open minded acceptance of new data. The crux of the issue is, free thought leads to a belief pattern and new data need not necessarily lead to a change in belief. On an individual level, you choose to change or not. You cannot allow others to make your mind up for you. At times, each man is an island. The reality which connects us together is the safe, navigable water between islands. These waters form our society. You are responsible for keeping your own island clean of debris. Maybe we all should spend more time thinking for ourselves, examining our actions, and less time searching for distractions. No person, government, nor any social group should ever keep you from thinking anew. All you can do is treat yourself and others with respect and, be ever mindful of the fact that you and only you are the captain of your ship.
I spent part of this past week in the rugged mountainous region north of the Great Salt Lake. This area is home to ranchers and miners. Their primary concern is living. They scratch out a living with most of them living below the poverty line but, it may surprise you that I detected no sense of animosity amongst them. Instead, they were proud of their individuality, their families and the general condition of their lives. They were not looking for federal handouts. They take it upon themselves to improve their lot.
These observations bring me to my point of the week. When did our society absolve the individual from taking responsibility for his or her own actions? If you are not responsible for yourself, then who is? At times, it seems that the nouveau trend is for the individual to blame others for his or her plight. It's their spouse's fault, their friend's fault, the other driver's fault, their boss screwed them, etc, etc, etc. People expend more energy blaming others than they do looking inward. On a personal level, I know this to be a basic human flaw that must be recognized and dealt with. Looking at yourself and enforcing a requisite behavior pattern is often the most difficult task we undertake in our daily lives. Unfortunately, failing to accomplish this often leads to entire social groups blaming others. For example, many blacks blame whites for their social condition; according to some who support illegal immigration, it's not the illegal immigrant's fault for being illegal and for many gays, it's not their group's fault for the general populace not supporting their stand on legalized marriage. Understandably, you cannot paint all of these groups with a broad brush and leave it at that for, there are most definitely free thinking individuals within each group; however, there are enough individuals within each group to formulate a generic thought pattern for the group. Why?
Free thought is a difficult task at best. It requires time, situational analysis, and the open minded acceptance of new data. The crux of the issue is, free thought leads to a belief pattern and new data need not necessarily lead to a change in belief. On an individual level, you choose to change or not. You cannot allow others to make your mind up for you. At times, each man is an island. The reality which connects us together is the safe, navigable water between islands. These waters form our society. You are responsible for keeping your own island clean of debris. Maybe we all should spend more time thinking for ourselves, examining our actions, and less time searching for distractions. No person, government, nor any social group should ever keep you from thinking anew. All you can do is treat yourself and others with respect and, be ever mindful of the fact that you and only you are the captain of your ship.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Landscapes: Testaments to Time
I've just returned from an extended two week tour of the West. My loads took me from the Pacific Northwest to Southern California, Colorado, across the vastness of Utah and Nevada, back into California and finally, up into Oregon. As I passed through these regions, the stark ruggedness of the land brought into focus for me just how small the human struggle is in the great scheme of things. All too often, we tend to place our struggles for power, money, security, ideology etc, over the landscape. As a specie, we see ourselves as more important than we really are. Instead of each generation hurrying about to place its stamp on the universe, they ought to just open their eyes to the wonder that surrounds them. With all of the worldly pressures around us it is easy to forget just how beautiful this earth is.
My route took me through several versions of the American desert and mountain environment. The Mojave, Great Salt Lake, and Great Basin have much in common. Of course, they can be blistering but, they can as well be extremely cold. As you rush by at 70 MPH it is easy to miss the life which abounds there. The joshua tree of the Mojave gets replaced by the grease bush of the Great Salt Lake, which in turn gets replaced by the sagebrush of the Great Basin. The desert mountains are beautiful, especially when light and shadows vie for influencing the striations of their rocky surface. How old are they? Who knows. How many variations of the human tumult have they quietly observed? It is sort of comical when you consider it. Do the jackrabbit, coyote, raven or puma ever realize just how important our human struggles are or, are they simply too preoccupied by their daily struggle for survival? Traveling through the Colorado Plateau, Wasatch, Rockies, Sierras, and Cascades revealed the imminent approach of winter. Deciduous vegetation was already beginning to change color. There was a certain briskness to the morning air and light snow was covering the summits of the Cascades. Fall has arrived in the high country with winter in hot pursuit. Deer, elk, and black bear are devouring a smorgasbord of life in an effort to prepare themselves for the onslaught of winter. They seem to not care much about the human condition. Maybe we are not as important as we believe.
My point is simple. We tend to take ourselves a bit too seriously. Yes, world events are important. The War on Terrorism, the upcoming elections, immigration, and local politics will require our undivided attention however, don't lose sight of life. Pay attention to the flights of southbound song birds and waterfowl. Observe the light changes as summer moves into fall and fall to winter. Notice the squirrel as he franticly scampers to and fro, collecting all the nuts he possibly can. Find out what your kids are up to. Are they happy? Do they enjoy school and their friends? Are you happy? What makes you happy? What is your neighbor like? Are you ready for winter? In short, are you ready for life? Regardless of how important we feel we are, the land will be here long after our demise. All one can do is, pay attention to the beauty which surrounds you, live for each moment, and be considerate of those around you who are attempting likewise.
My route took me through several versions of the American desert and mountain environment. The Mojave, Great Salt Lake, and Great Basin have much in common. Of course, they can be blistering but, they can as well be extremely cold. As you rush by at 70 MPH it is easy to miss the life which abounds there. The joshua tree of the Mojave gets replaced by the grease bush of the Great Salt Lake, which in turn gets replaced by the sagebrush of the Great Basin. The desert mountains are beautiful, especially when light and shadows vie for influencing the striations of their rocky surface. How old are they? Who knows. How many variations of the human tumult have they quietly observed? It is sort of comical when you consider it. Do the jackrabbit, coyote, raven or puma ever realize just how important our human struggles are or, are they simply too preoccupied by their daily struggle for survival? Traveling through the Colorado Plateau, Wasatch, Rockies, Sierras, and Cascades revealed the imminent approach of winter. Deciduous vegetation was already beginning to change color. There was a certain briskness to the morning air and light snow was covering the summits of the Cascades. Fall has arrived in the high country with winter in hot pursuit. Deer, elk, and black bear are devouring a smorgasbord of life in an effort to prepare themselves for the onslaught of winter. They seem to not care much about the human condition. Maybe we are not as important as we believe.
My point is simple. We tend to take ourselves a bit too seriously. Yes, world events are important. The War on Terrorism, the upcoming elections, immigration, and local politics will require our undivided attention however, don't lose sight of life. Pay attention to the flights of southbound song birds and waterfowl. Observe the light changes as summer moves into fall and fall to winter. Notice the squirrel as he franticly scampers to and fro, collecting all the nuts he possibly can. Find out what your kids are up to. Are they happy? Do they enjoy school and their friends? Are you happy? What makes you happy? What is your neighbor like? Are you ready for winter? In short, are you ready for life? Regardless of how important we feel we are, the land will be here long after our demise. All one can do is, pay attention to the beauty which surrounds you, live for each moment, and be considerate of those around you who are attempting likewise.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Wal-Mart: Class Warfare in the Marketplace
I live in a medium sized town in Central Oregon which is growing at a fast pace. As new residents arrive, a more viable and diverse market place will be required to support their consumer wants and needs. Our city's economy is primarily based on the tourism industry. The logging industry used to predominate the area however, it has disappeared and the large mill complex it supported has been transformed into an upscale shopping, business, and residential community. The downtown area has also been transformed into a marketplace for chic boutiques. Both of these locations primarily cater to tourists and local citizens with disposable incomes.
Our identification as a fast growing resort community has brought an influx of affluent retired or semi-retired citizens who come to build their retirement home in order to relax and enjoy their retirement years. Being a resort community, we naturally see a large influx of tourists. Our climate and geographical location supports a healthy year-round tourist industry.
The confluence of these two events, as well as others, has caused an economic separation within the community. The tourism industry, regardless of location, is historically known as a low paying, service oriented industry. Affluent retired citizens do not start new businesses. Tourism and a manufacturing based economy do not easily coexist hence, the disparity between those with a disposable income and those young families struggling to get by continues to widen.
As I've stated, our tourism based economy provides low paying jobs for our community thus, many young families are trying to get by on limited budgets. They require a competitive marketplace which will offer them the best buying power for their dollar. Many of them choose to spend their money at our local Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has noticed this and decided that our area can support the construction of a Supercenter. A Supercenter is not some monolithic box shaped monstrosity as some would have you believe; rather, it is simply a Wal-Mart with a grocery store attached to it. Not being naive of course, we all know that Wal-Mart's desire to build a Supercenter is not altruistic in nature and that they wish to increase their profits.
Thus the battlelines have been drawn between those with disposable money and those just trying to get by. Many of those who oppose Wal-Mart's Supercenter desire to see our community grow to resemble Aspen or Vail, Colorado. Being a former resident of Colorado and an avid skier, I can tell you that the "worker bees" of these two towns have to reside further west along I-70 in the towns of Gypsum and Eagle, Colorado. Why? Simply because they cannot afford to live in a resort community and thus, they have become a commuting body of underclass workers. Do we truly wish this for our pristine community? I hope not.
The primary organization opposing this Supercenter is called, Our Community First. A quick glance at their website reveals their intent. They are purely an anti Wal-Mart organization. A primary fiscal donor to their organization is a grocery store workers union. Contrary to their name, they are not interested in our community at large; rather, they wish to see it grow into a form which is not inclusive of others. They have stated that we do not need another Wal-Mart. In their view, the current store is sufficient for our town and yet, they are currently opposing the construction of the Supercenter due to the perceived development of traffic congestion at the new store site. If the present store is more than sufficient for our community then the question begs to be asked, how could there possibly be a traffic problem at the new store's location? They also oppose Wal-Mart because they claim box type stores are an eyesore. I guess they didn't notice that across the street from the proposed Supercenter, a Lowe's and Home Depot coexist next to eachother. Following their logic, our eyes should really be hurting by now.
Why would an organization with a name like Our Community First oppose a Wal-Mart? Do they wish to develop an underclass within their community? Do they oppose a healthy free marketplace? If, as they stipulate, their concern is for their fellow man, why would they force him to spend his hard earned dollars in a more costly manner? Unfortunately, the answers to these and other questions remain unanswered. When provided the opportunity, this group has refused to debate their viewpoints in a public forum. They choose to castigate Wal-Mart at governmental public hearings and avoid discussions with fellow citizens. It is time for those of us who oppose their viewpoints to stand up and be accounted for.
Our identification as a fast growing resort community has brought an influx of affluent retired or semi-retired citizens who come to build their retirement home in order to relax and enjoy their retirement years. Being a resort community, we naturally see a large influx of tourists. Our climate and geographical location supports a healthy year-round tourist industry.
The confluence of these two events, as well as others, has caused an economic separation within the community. The tourism industry, regardless of location, is historically known as a low paying, service oriented industry. Affluent retired citizens do not start new businesses. Tourism and a manufacturing based economy do not easily coexist hence, the disparity between those with a disposable income and those young families struggling to get by continues to widen.
As I've stated, our tourism based economy provides low paying jobs for our community thus, many young families are trying to get by on limited budgets. They require a competitive marketplace which will offer them the best buying power for their dollar. Many of them choose to spend their money at our local Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has noticed this and decided that our area can support the construction of a Supercenter. A Supercenter is not some monolithic box shaped monstrosity as some would have you believe; rather, it is simply a Wal-Mart with a grocery store attached to it. Not being naive of course, we all know that Wal-Mart's desire to build a Supercenter is not altruistic in nature and that they wish to increase their profits.
Thus the battlelines have been drawn between those with disposable money and those just trying to get by. Many of those who oppose Wal-Mart's Supercenter desire to see our community grow to resemble Aspen or Vail, Colorado. Being a former resident of Colorado and an avid skier, I can tell you that the "worker bees" of these two towns have to reside further west along I-70 in the towns of Gypsum and Eagle, Colorado. Why? Simply because they cannot afford to live in a resort community and thus, they have become a commuting body of underclass workers. Do we truly wish this for our pristine community? I hope not.
The primary organization opposing this Supercenter is called, Our Community First. A quick glance at their website reveals their intent. They are purely an anti Wal-Mart organization. A primary fiscal donor to their organization is a grocery store workers union. Contrary to their name, they are not interested in our community at large; rather, they wish to see it grow into a form which is not inclusive of others. They have stated that we do not need another Wal-Mart. In their view, the current store is sufficient for our town and yet, they are currently opposing the construction of the Supercenter due to the perceived development of traffic congestion at the new store site. If the present store is more than sufficient for our community then the question begs to be asked, how could there possibly be a traffic problem at the new store's location? They also oppose Wal-Mart because they claim box type stores are an eyesore. I guess they didn't notice that across the street from the proposed Supercenter, a Lowe's and Home Depot coexist next to eachother. Following their logic, our eyes should really be hurting by now.
Why would an organization with a name like Our Community First oppose a Wal-Mart? Do they wish to develop an underclass within their community? Do they oppose a healthy free marketplace? If, as they stipulate, their concern is for their fellow man, why would they force him to spend his hard earned dollars in a more costly manner? Unfortunately, the answers to these and other questions remain unanswered. When provided the opportunity, this group has refused to debate their viewpoints in a public forum. They choose to castigate Wal-Mart at governmental public hearings and avoid discussions with fellow citizens. It is time for those of us who oppose their viewpoints to stand up and be accounted for.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
War On Terrorism: Does America Know Her Enemy?
As we approach the fifth anniversary of September 11th, 2001 it seems quite appropriate to evaluate where we, as a country stand with regards to our continued war against those who would annihilate us. As the mid term elections draw near, the hyperbole on both sides of our current Middle East policy increases in the hopes of invigorating their respective political base. Unfortunately, this incitement of the prospective electorate often clouds the reality on the battlefield. For some unseen reason, many in America are unable to connect the activities of Hezbollah, Hamas, Al-Quaida, or the Iraqi conflict.
We often seem preoccupied with the running of our daily lives. We are more concerned with getting to work, taking the kids to school, paying bills, and getting in front of the television set before our favorite evening sitcom begins. Many of us are totally ignorant of the reality in the Middle East. We eagerly accept the views of political operatives that most support our position on issues which we deem important at the time. As a people, we seem to approach global issues with what I call a fast food attitude. What is a fast food attitude, you ask? Put quite simply, we have a short attention span.
I spent the last week running between Kettle Falls, Washington and Turlock, California. As always, I spent a large part of my time listening to the CB radio as truckers argued over many things. A large part of the daily radio repertoire was spent discussing the Middle East. Comments ranged from inane (Bush is an idiot.) to intriguing solutions for the problem.
An overriding aspect of the conversation revealed just how little the average American knows about the Middle East. Many see the Iraqi conflict as separate from the War on Terror. They fail to see the inter-connected actions of Al-Quaida, Hezbollah, and Hamas. They truly don't believe that the Arab community at large has no problem with seeing Israel removed from the Middle Eastern landscape. They also do not realize the duration of time which has elapsed since Islamic Fundamentalists chose to attack us. Many Americans fail to realize that this war began with the kidnapping of our embassy personnel in Iran in 1979.
When we make decisions which will impact our family we tend to base them on the accumulation of facts which will support our decision making process. Why do we fail to do the same for important national issues? Does the turbulent rate of our daily lives prevent us from processing the vast amount of information available to us or, do we simply not care and wish the whole problem would go away? Every American must answer these questions for themselves. As is often the case, some questions lead to other questions.
Do you believe that this war started with the kidnapping of our embassy personnel in Iran during the Carter Administration? Did it continue with the Beirut Marine barracks bombing and kidnappings of the 1980's? What about the 1990's? Do the World Trade Center, Kobar Towers, Africa, and USS Cole ring a bell? If Iraq has nothing to do with the War on Terror, then why did Zarqawi go there from Afghanistan? One thing is for certain, regardless of the political party in power, we have been attacked since the late 1970's. Failing to recognize that these events are intertwined is, in my view, directly responsible for our nation's inability to come to terms with the threat we face.
Another obvious dilemma facing us, is our inability to fully comprehend the ideological aspect of the turmoil in which we currently find ourselves embroiled. Somewhere along the way, our nation has confused a spiritual foundation for the development of law with established religion. In our eagerness to separate church and state, we incorrectly assume that we follow this path of national development with the support of the founding fathers. In order to discover this falsehood, all one needs to do is read the diaries, letters, and essays of the founders. Our founders learned well from the failure of the Puritan theocracy in Massachusetts however, they also realized the social importance of a spiritual base for the development of a viable society.
Our current enemy is fighting an ideological war against us. Their view of us as an evil secularist society colors all that they do. We on the other hand, in an effort to free ourselves from our perceived influence of religion, refuse to accept the fact that a disagreement over the control of spirituality is at the root of our problem with Islamic Fundamentalists. Religious expression is not the enemy of America rather, religious leaders in charge of government are to be feared. With this in mind, all of us should recognize the threat of Islamic Fundamentalism. Be you liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, all should stand together to oppose this threat. A failure to identify the threat represented by the theological continuity of Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Quaida, and numerous Shiite clerics is akin to hiding your head in the sand. While we need not be overly jingoistic in our response to this threat, we must accurately identify it, develop a plan of action to oppose it and follow the plan through to its completion. Warfare in the abstract has not changed. An enemy must be defeated on the battlefield prior to sitting down at the table to discuss terms. We have yet to bring the battlefield to Islamic Fundamentalists.
We often seem preoccupied with the running of our daily lives. We are more concerned with getting to work, taking the kids to school, paying bills, and getting in front of the television set before our favorite evening sitcom begins. Many of us are totally ignorant of the reality in the Middle East. We eagerly accept the views of political operatives that most support our position on issues which we deem important at the time. As a people, we seem to approach global issues with what I call a fast food attitude. What is a fast food attitude, you ask? Put quite simply, we have a short attention span.
I spent the last week running between Kettle Falls, Washington and Turlock, California. As always, I spent a large part of my time listening to the CB radio as truckers argued over many things. A large part of the daily radio repertoire was spent discussing the Middle East. Comments ranged from inane (Bush is an idiot.) to intriguing solutions for the problem.
An overriding aspect of the conversation revealed just how little the average American knows about the Middle East. Many see the Iraqi conflict as separate from the War on Terror. They fail to see the inter-connected actions of Al-Quaida, Hezbollah, and Hamas. They truly don't believe that the Arab community at large has no problem with seeing Israel removed from the Middle Eastern landscape. They also do not realize the duration of time which has elapsed since Islamic Fundamentalists chose to attack us. Many Americans fail to realize that this war began with the kidnapping of our embassy personnel in Iran in 1979.
When we make decisions which will impact our family we tend to base them on the accumulation of facts which will support our decision making process. Why do we fail to do the same for important national issues? Does the turbulent rate of our daily lives prevent us from processing the vast amount of information available to us or, do we simply not care and wish the whole problem would go away? Every American must answer these questions for themselves. As is often the case, some questions lead to other questions.
Do you believe that this war started with the kidnapping of our embassy personnel in Iran during the Carter Administration? Did it continue with the Beirut Marine barracks bombing and kidnappings of the 1980's? What about the 1990's? Do the World Trade Center, Kobar Towers, Africa, and USS Cole ring a bell? If Iraq has nothing to do with the War on Terror, then why did Zarqawi go there from Afghanistan? One thing is for certain, regardless of the political party in power, we have been attacked since the late 1970's. Failing to recognize that these events are intertwined is, in my view, directly responsible for our nation's inability to come to terms with the threat we face.
Another obvious dilemma facing us, is our inability to fully comprehend the ideological aspect of the turmoil in which we currently find ourselves embroiled. Somewhere along the way, our nation has confused a spiritual foundation for the development of law with established religion. In our eagerness to separate church and state, we incorrectly assume that we follow this path of national development with the support of the founding fathers. In order to discover this falsehood, all one needs to do is read the diaries, letters, and essays of the founders. Our founders learned well from the failure of the Puritan theocracy in Massachusetts however, they also realized the social importance of a spiritual base for the development of a viable society.
Our current enemy is fighting an ideological war against us. Their view of us as an evil secularist society colors all that they do. We on the other hand, in an effort to free ourselves from our perceived influence of religion, refuse to accept the fact that a disagreement over the control of spirituality is at the root of our problem with Islamic Fundamentalists. Religious expression is not the enemy of America rather, religious leaders in charge of government are to be feared. With this in mind, all of us should recognize the threat of Islamic Fundamentalism. Be you liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, all should stand together to oppose this threat. A failure to identify the threat represented by the theological continuity of Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Quaida, and numerous Shiite clerics is akin to hiding your head in the sand. While we need not be overly jingoistic in our response to this threat, we must accurately identify it, develop a plan of action to oppose it and follow the plan through to its completion. Warfare in the abstract has not changed. An enemy must be defeated on the battlefield prior to sitting down at the table to discuss terms. We have yet to bring the battlefield to Islamic Fundamentalists.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Illegal Immigration: A National Emergency?
Of course you now know that I make a living as a flatbed truck driver and as such, I have direct daily contact with the encroachment of Hispanic culture into the melting pot of American society. The ever increasing presence of Hispanic influence on our society instills fear in some, loathing in others, and amongst many of us, a grudging acceptance. According to the most widely accepted estimates, there are now approximately 12 million illegal aliens in the United States. The vast majority of these have crossed our southern border with Mexico and are of Mexican descent.
I spend a large part of my time driving out West where Mexican culture has been present since the advent of the United States. I regularly travel through California, Arizona, and New Mexico and interact often with Mexican-Americans. New to the American scene however, is the presence Mexican migrants in such far flung places as North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Nebraska.
As a society, we must address some aspects of this issue in an honest manner. In an effort to support their political stance, individuals on both sides of this issue naturally superimpose their views on the available data. First off, any individual who crosses any international border without clearing customs is an illegal alien. Politically correct titles such as "Undocumented Worker" merely attempt to cloud the issue of national sovereignty. Secondly, those who support the free exercise of American enterprise (a distinct national identity), often fail to castigate those entrepreneurs who circumvent the system and hire illegal aliens. Thirdly, as the Hispanic ethnic group gains in economic and political power, politicians naturally sidestep the issue for fear of alienating their constituency. Lastly, illegal though they may be, these impoverished immigrants have much in common with prior migrations of poor, uneducated workers to our soil.
So, the question looms before us, need we fear this influx of poor uneducated workers? It goes without saying that something must be done. Hiding behind a fence, while it might make us feel better, is not a solution. Hiring more Border Patrol agents and streamlining interagency cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies will help stem the tide. The possibility of immediate deportation will also stem a portion of illegal aliens from attempting to enter our country. Businesses which hire illegal workers must face a stiff penalty if convicted of illegal hiring practices. We as consumers must also bear responsibility for price increases in the marketplace. Have you ever wondered why produce is relatively cheap in the United States? Amnesty is also not the answer. The Reagan Administration tried it, and illegal immigration has only increased. Politicians need to investigate the impact of economic stimuli or the threat of trade restrictions with Mexico if they do not become an effective partner in controlling our mutual border. After all, try to illegally cross over into Mexico as an American and discover for yourself just how fast Mexican authorities will deport you.
At the end of the day, we must gain control of our borders and develop a rational program for documenting and assimilating those illegal aliens currently amidst us. As new citizens, these former illegal aliens must actively submerge themselves into our society. Yes, this will occur at a cost to their former national identity however, this has been the price paid by all former waves of migrants since the founding of our nation.
I spend a large part of my time driving out West where Mexican culture has been present since the advent of the United States. I regularly travel through California, Arizona, and New Mexico and interact often with Mexican-Americans. New to the American scene however, is the presence Mexican migrants in such far flung places as North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Nebraska.
As a society, we must address some aspects of this issue in an honest manner. In an effort to support their political stance, individuals on both sides of this issue naturally superimpose their views on the available data. First off, any individual who crosses any international border without clearing customs is an illegal alien. Politically correct titles such as "Undocumented Worker" merely attempt to cloud the issue of national sovereignty. Secondly, those who support the free exercise of American enterprise (a distinct national identity), often fail to castigate those entrepreneurs who circumvent the system and hire illegal aliens. Thirdly, as the Hispanic ethnic group gains in economic and political power, politicians naturally sidestep the issue for fear of alienating their constituency. Lastly, illegal though they may be, these impoverished immigrants have much in common with prior migrations of poor, uneducated workers to our soil.
So, the question looms before us, need we fear this influx of poor uneducated workers? It goes without saying that something must be done. Hiding behind a fence, while it might make us feel better, is not a solution. Hiring more Border Patrol agents and streamlining interagency cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies will help stem the tide. The possibility of immediate deportation will also stem a portion of illegal aliens from attempting to enter our country. Businesses which hire illegal workers must face a stiff penalty if convicted of illegal hiring practices. We as consumers must also bear responsibility for price increases in the marketplace. Have you ever wondered why produce is relatively cheap in the United States? Amnesty is also not the answer. The Reagan Administration tried it, and illegal immigration has only increased. Politicians need to investigate the impact of economic stimuli or the threat of trade restrictions with Mexico if they do not become an effective partner in controlling our mutual border. After all, try to illegally cross over into Mexico as an American and discover for yourself just how fast Mexican authorities will deport you.
At the end of the day, we must gain control of our borders and develop a rational program for documenting and assimilating those illegal aliens currently amidst us. As new citizens, these former illegal aliens must actively submerge themselves into our society. Yes, this will occur at a cost to their former national identity however, this has been the price paid by all former waves of migrants since the founding of our nation.
Highway Wanderings
Welcome,
One could say that I make my living as a wandering unemployed philosopher. Actually, I make a decent living as a long haul truck driver. Traveling over the asphalt covered highways and byways of America leaves me a copious amount of time to ponder the complexities of our distinct American society. At the risk of appearing schizophrenic, my blog will present more questions than answers as I attempt to understand current issues facing our land. So, climb aboard, fasten your seatbelt, turn on the tunes, start the engine and roll this big rig out onto the highway and lets see what we discover along the way.
One could say that I make my living as a wandering unemployed philosopher. Actually, I make a decent living as a long haul truck driver. Traveling over the asphalt covered highways and byways of America leaves me a copious amount of time to ponder the complexities of our distinct American society. At the risk of appearing schizophrenic, my blog will present more questions than answers as I attempt to understand current issues facing our land. So, climb aboard, fasten your seatbelt, turn on the tunes, start the engine and roll this big rig out onto the highway and lets see what we discover along the way.
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