I have avoided, in the past, making religious statements or stating religious opinions because I did not think they were relevant to the issues I was speaking to. As is often the case, I was mistaken in that belief. I will attempt to rectify that now.

    I am a Christian, which mean that I believe that Christ was the son of God, that Christ died on the Cross for the purpose of forgiving my sins in the eyes of God, that Christ was and is the example of what it means to be perfectly human. I was fortunate enough to be raised in the Methodist church by thoughtful religious parents, both of which encouraged me to question God in my own way and find my own path to Him. In doing so, I have made mistakes and changed my mind over time, as is necessary to spiritual growth, as with any other type of growth. But I have found that certain "truths" hold out over my experience. Please allow me to enumerate some of them for the reader:

    God does not need or want warriors. There is no war with Satan except in the hearts and minds of people. Satan, in my opinion, is the personification of the evils that people are capable of, not an entity unto himself. He is the dark side of choice, which God gave to people. God gave us choice as is made apparent in the story of Adam and Eve. Eve chose to take the apple and Adam chose to taste from it, despite God telling them not to do it. Choice is the sole purveyance of Man. God gave it only to Man. And along with that power of choice comes the creation of evil. People choose to do evil things. God, nor Satan makes people do those things. They choose it for themselves. Satan, if he existed, never had the power to force evil on someone, just to tempt people to it. We could always say no. God prohibits himself from forcing choices on us. He gave the choice to us. Why would he do that? Because he wants us to love him. And is love without choice?    Yet, so often, we choose power over love. Why is that? I do not have an answer for that, but it is, again in my opinion, the source of the greatest evils this world has ever known. In the wilderness, on a mountain top, Satan offered Christ dominion over all nations if he would simply bow to evil. Christ refused. Christ never exercised dominion over anyone. He let people choose. And by people, I mean all people; men, women and children. Is he a leader? Absolutely. But he is a great leader who leads by example, laying out the choices that we have to make for ourselves. And history, both personal and global, have shown us the consequences of those choices. Hitler, Stalin, Genghis Khan, etc. all chose to gather power unto themselves instead of choose to rule through love and mutual understanding. Look what that caused.

    Woman are not second class citizens. They are not lesser in any way. Men have no natural and inalienable superiority over women. My wife is neither my servant nor my master. She is my wife, my partner, my friend and confidant. To think otherwise is to lessen masculinity on a grand scale. True men, masculine men comfortable in their own masculinity, have no need or desire to prove their masculinity to anyone, and certainly not by subjugating women. If you feel this to be untrue, may I as what the hell you are afraid of? Femininity is the compliment of masculinity, not its opposite. Real men do not subjugate or seek dominion. Real men value differences for the broadening of possibilities it creates within their own lives. True satisfaction is obtained through service, not rule.

    Love, in all of its true forms, is NEVER wrong. LBGQT+ love is no less real and transcendent than heterosexual love. It can be as supportive, and in many of the cases I've seen, more supportive, than any love I've ever witnessed. I believe that it comes with some of its own unique problems, but one of those should not be societal disapproval. My relationship with my wife has had its ups and downs, as does every relationship, but nobody condemns that. It cannot be wrong to love. It simply cannot. It is antithetical to the very concept of love.

    Sometimes it is very difficult to do the right thing. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. But sometimes the cost is very high. Going back to my Christianity, Christ died on the Cross because it was the right thing to do. How high a cost was that? As a Christian, I must be prepared to pay that cost, even when it is high. That is how I define courage. And I pray that if and when the time comes, I have it.

    An unquestioned faith is not faith. Faith should not come easily or be a steady state. If you have not questioned your God, you don't really believe in Him. I question my God all the time, but somehow, the questions generally seem to get answered. How can he allow the abuses that occur in His name? Well that's an easy one. He doesn't. We do. Those abuses are created, carried out, covered up and propagated by Men, not God. Its that pesky choice thing again. See? I get answers.

    As human beings, we are given choice. The choices we make effect those around us, sometimes globally. We must commit to deliberate and thoughtful choice-making. I choose to believe what I believe. I also choose to believe the other choices made by other people can be as valid and thoughtful as mine, even if they are not the same choices. They are not me. I believe that other faiths are as valid as mine, if they teach the same values as mine, as most of the world religions do in their original, unpolluted forms. Islam, Judaism and Christianity share a common heritage and history, we're just changing prophets. Buddhism teaches the seeking of peace through self reflection in various forms. The God within instead of the God without. Hinduism has broken down existence into several Gods who each have various aspects, but the message is the same. Take care of each other. (And there is a single God in charge). I accept that my faith is not universal, and probably shouldn't be. I accept that love and peace are universal, no matter your God. As my God intended. I accept that there is evil in the world. I believe that the way to defeat evil is love, not power. I believe in humanity. I believe in the transcendent power of love. Which by the way, defines my God.

    Believe what you believe. I will not challenge it, but I may question it. Its absolutely acceptable to me for you to question my beliefs, but you must be willing to listen to my answers. I'll be delighted to listen to yours. I bet you'll find that we have way more in common than we have differences. If you have the chance, let's find out Ask away....

I Am Called By My Conscience To State...

     I have listened to all kinds of people whom I respect and value say that it is necessary for ordinary Americans to speak up and plainly state what they believe in and point out those things they think are wrong in America, especially politically. I imagine it would be difficult to find an American more ordinary than myself and I do have my opinions on what is important and what is true. So, damn them, now I feel obligated to say these things in a somewhat public forum. So here goes...

    First, a little personal history: I was the first registered Republican in my family since Reconstruction. I voted in my first Republican primary when I was 19. I stayed a Republican for many years and donated my somewhat hard earned money to Republican candidates that I believed in (and still do - believe in them, not donate). I understand from a personal perspective what conservative beliefs are and what I think they should be. To quote Gordon Sinclair, "the government should defend my shores, deliver my mail and leave me the hell alone".

    That is not the Republican party of today. The current party has genuflected and is genuflecting to a demagogue that cannot help but lie, cheat, and defame all who disagree with him. I cannot and will not support any institution whose sole function is to support one man in a quest for power. (I will leave the faults of Donald Trump for more knowledgeable people to enumerate). I do believe that the Republican party has put America in an existential crisis. Not Donald Trump, the Republican party. 

    The Republican party has stacked the courts, passed unfair laws, killed problem-solving laws, , and refused to concede elections and undertake the peaceful transfer of power that is so basic and vital to our democracy. They seek to dehumanize some and villainize others in what I can only see as an attempt to create fear in order to gain power. It is at the very least immoral and at its worst, criminal. It should be and must be treated as such. Make no mistake, Trump and his fellow conspirator are on trial because a Grand jury found enough credible evidence to issue an indictment. That does not make them guilty, but the people deserve their day in court as much as any defendant.

    Only a couple of elected Republican officials stood up and stated that what occurred on January 6th was wrong and should have consequences. Instead of supporting them, the party vilified them. Choosing to support those they perceived as the purveyors of power over what was right for America. Hell, over what was right for them. They were in the capital when it was attacked. Those few have my respect and gratitude. The rest of them have my contempt. They are cowards afraid of losing what little power they have managed to acquire.

    As a former Republican, let me attempt to re-educate my former party. They are merely stewards of a power granted to them by a much more powerful entity. The holders and brokers of power in America is still the American people. When have been in these dark halls before, where through lies and the creation of false fears, Americans were duped into going along with horrible and vicious actions. Think of the Japanese interment camps of WWII, the "Red Scare" of Joseph McCarthy (Look where he ended up). The same thing is being attempted now, but the dehumanized faction is "immigrants". Its easy to dehumanize them. They look different, they speak differently, they do not worship the same God (which is BS), they eat different food. OMG, how terrible. They also have the same hopes, dreams and aspirations that you and I do. They didn't come here to make us afraid. They came here to make things better for themselves and their children. 

    And we need them. The American economy would collapse without the work and spending of immigrants. Our population would literally be shrinking if they weren't coming. Deaths of U.S. citizens outnumber births by 100's of thousand right now. We need immigrant to do the jobs they are being accused of stealing for the simple reason that there are no Americans to fill them. Its simple math. And guess what else immigrants do; they spend money, they pay taxes and the contribute to their communities. Like it or not, they are your neighbors, your cohorts in local politics, and, if you give them a chance, your friends. They are not eating your pets. But they will help you fend off dangers to your home, your family and your pets. Why? Because they have them, too.

    The real power in America is not in Washington, D.C. or rather not just in Washington, D.C. It is not in any one place. It is us. We are the power. We exercise that power every time we cast a vote. We decide who gets to sit in Congress and pass laws that govern our society, We decide who sits in the Oval office and executes those laws. We decide which laws are fair and just and, by God, our Congresspeople better get them passed or appealed if we decide they are unfair and unjust, or we will use our power to find someone who will. They are public servants, we are the public. They serve at OUR whim. And, I believe, its time we let the Republican party know that by not voting for their cowardly, unjust and unfair policies and candidates. While I cannot agree with all of her policies, I cannot vote for fear and hatred and the pushing of the idea of "other". I am voting for Kamala Harris. And while you are welcomed to reasoned disagreement, personal attacks will be willfully ignored.

    So I implore you. I beg you with everything I can bring to bear to persuade you - VOTE. Do not let this election go by without your personal exercise of your power. Vote for whomever you choose, but for all the right reasons, VOTE! May God bless each and every human being on the planet, and may God bless the United States of America.

AN APPEAL TO YOUNGER AMERICANS:

As a history buff with a particular interest in Constitutional history, I appeal to Americans of majority age to exercise their fundamental Constitutionally guaranteed right to vote. It is massively important that every vote be cast and counted. We are facing a Constitutional crossroads where our future can go very different directions. It is not my place, nor anyone else's, to tell you how to cast your vote. I am simply imploring you to cast it. Do not disenfranchise yourselves by not voting. Exercise your power and encourage others to exercise theirs. Your vote most definitely counts, even if your candidate does not win.

Democracy requires, at its very foundation, that every possible vote be cast and accurately counted. This is truly the voice of the people, the citizens of our Constitutional Republic. The Constitution sincerely attempted to build the American Revolution into the on-going existence of our nation by placing the ultimate political power in the hands of its citizens. That power, your absolute ability to define the course of our nation's history, is your vote. Please - I am begging - that you consider the issues that you find important to your place in our society, you consider which candidate most meets those requirements (or at least does not ignore them) and cast your vote for your considered choice.

It is the American thing to do.

 Some thoughts on democracy:

If, in a democracy or electoral republic, a majority of the voters decide that democracy no longer works for them, isn't that a basic tenet of democracy? The death of democracy is built into its very functioning. I would point out that, historically, these deaths do not bode well for the society those voters belong to; Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany, Putin was "elected", etc., etc. The examples go back for millenia. 

But the American form of democracy had never been seen before, and it works, for the most part and for the most people. When the Constitution was written, there was generational slavery (another uniquely American institution), women could not vote (or own land, sign a contract, etc.), and things have changed to the betterment of our society. A diverse and accepting society is the strongest type, against those things that threaten it from foreign shores or from within its own borders. A diverse view of a problem offers more solutions than a singular aspect. 

OK this next statement is going to get me in trouble with my liberal friends- MAGA Republicans (that aren't presently holding elected office) are not wrong in their beliefs. They are different from what others believe. And both sides of the political spectrum are equally guilty in preaching (And preaching and preaching) that different is wrong. Differences make us stronger. Quit trying to browbeat the opposition. Listen to what they have to say and persuade with your viewpoint. Notice that the first word in that sentence was "Listen". 

What I hear from my conservative friends is that are afraid. They are afraid of losing their rights, their money and their livelihoods. And, admittedly, some of those are legitimate fears. But no one should let fear be a force in their ethical behavior. "Do the right thing" shouldn't just be the title of a movie. Do what is right, as best as can be done, for the greatest number of people, even if it costs you to do it. If everyone did that, the individual costs would be offset by societal reciprocations.  

So, to be completely transparent, here is what I believe:

I am a married man with no biological children. I have no business telling a woman what she can or cannot do with her body.

I own guns, but have no problem proving to my community that I am a responsible and safe steward of those guns.

Inflation is bad, but nobody was complaining when salaries and wages went up. What did you think would happen?

I question when is it enough money. Yes, corporations owe their stockholders dividends, which means they need to make a profit. But it seems that no matter how much profit they make, the dividends stay fairly stable. Is that because their paying CEO's and executive millions in salaries and million more in stock options and other income producing benefits? How much is enough, and why aren't boards of directors setting boundaries on executive level expenses? Is that responsible stewardship?

I would vote every time for a candidate who is not afraid to do the right thing, even if its not politically expedient. I applaud Liz Cheney for standing by her convictions and speaking truth to power (and it cost her). Golly, what a President she would make!

Its time for old, white men to step aside and let younger people take the reins. Oh, and I'm an old white man, by the way. Boomers,  just retire already. We have disenfranchised our younger generations to the point that they have no hope of matching our own personal accomplishments. It is hard to have a healthy 401K when your paying off $250K in student loans you took so you could enter a professional career - that isn't paying enough to service that kind of debt.

Ok, enough of that...

Fear is not unreasonable, but should never outweigh hope. That's all I'm trying to say.

 How to Stop Cheaters from Winning

     My wife taught me long ago (before she was my wife, actually) that the best way to stop people from cheating is to win anyway. At the time, we were discussing the playing of spades, but it works in any contest where there are established rules that one party believes the other is not following. Win anyway.

    Therefore to those nay-sayers who truly believe that the election of 2020 was stolen by the Democrats (and I can assure you, it was not), then I say to you that you are going about winning the wrong way. Instead of limiting the votes of people who may disagree, or monitoring polling places for reasons tp contest the outcome, Republicans should come up with a message and/or purpose to serve the American people better than the Democrats. Instead of catering to a "base" and attempting to limit access of political power to that base, expand the base! Include more voters in your political aspirations. 

Sell a dream, a common hope, a common goal to a broader spectrum of people. Become statesmen, see and feel what the United States of America needs and wants to be a whole nation - one people under God. Find a way to communicate this to the constituency of your choice and to others whom you must work with to make these dreams a reality. Enlist the American people to help you, and them, reach these lofty goals. Teach, help, speak with truth and passion about those things that all Americans want and need; a good education without crushing debt, a place to work without being exploited, safe homes and neighborhoods, and to build a life according to the American Dream. If you can reasonably achieve these things with a plan that voters will accept, then no one can beat you at the ballot box, no matter how much they try to cheat.

    The 2020 election was not stolen by the Democrats, it was lost by the Republicans because they are sending the message that they know better than the people what is good for the country. And the people answered. If Republicans want to win, and hold power long term, then instead of telling us what's best for us, listen, and we'll tell you what's best for us. And if you promise that, you'll win. Be you Republican or Democrat.

The Constitution Article VI, Clause 3:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

Presidential Oath of Office under Article VI, Clause 3:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Congressional Oath of Office under Article VI, Clause 3:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

   What I am about to argue is that several of our current legislators are foresworn and have acted against their oaths to protect and defend the constitution, and to well and faithfully discharge the duties of their office. Here's why:

Argument Primus 

   In any reasonable interpretation of the constitutionally required oaths cited above, both the Executive and Legislative branches of the government are swearing to uphold and defend the Constitution of The United States. In order to well and faithfully execute their duties, they cannot be reasonably be bound, by oath or deed, to any other person, institution or ideal. Therefore, Senators and Congressmen who, through actions or speech, public or private, take on allegiance to other persons, institutions or ideals are foresworn and have abandoned their Constitutional oaths. They have not borne "true faith and allegiance" to the Constitution, because a person cannot faithfully serve two masters, ipso facto.

  Therefore, any legislator who, through speech or action, has declared allegiance to anything or anyone, before or after taking this oath, is not fulfilling their constitutionally sworn oath, again ipso facto. They have sworn to protect and defend the Constitution, and therefore cannot protect and defend any other person, institution or ideal that is not in direct accordance with that oath. Then they cannot swear fealty, unquestioned support or any other blanket commitment to anyone or anything other than the Constitution. Some of our legislators have done this. They are foresworn and in violation of their oaths.

 Argument Secundus

  If a legislator pre-emptive seeks to avoid prosecution through a Presidential pardon, the this should be considered prima facie evidence that they have knowingly committed a crime. They swore that they were taking the oath "without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion". Yet they have knowingly committed a crime and seek to evade the possible consequences of their crimes through channels of political patronage. They are foresworn and in violation of their oath.

Argument Tertius 

Again addressing the "a man cannot serve two masters" concept, legislators are elected by a constituency in a political and social contract that they will represent the best interests of that constituency with all their powers of office and persuasion. Their first responsibility is to their constituency. After all, we elected them to do a specific job for us, not to serve a political party or demagogue. Yet some of our elected officials have demonstrably and publicly done just these things.  If they are not representing their constituencies to the best of their abilities, then they are not "well and faithfully discharg(ing) the duties of the office". They are foresworn and in violation of their oath.

     I ask you to consider if your elected officials are upholding their oaths in the manner the Founding Fathers intended and you should reasonably expect. If so, I hope you voted for them. If not, then I urge you to enter into reasonable discourse by whatever means you find most comfortable and say that you find your elected official(s) in violation of their oaths and why. Say it loud and long, then pause to listen to refutations of your statements, Someone might know something you don't.  But reasonable discourse and holding your public servants accountable is what our democracy was founded upon. You have the right to expect selfless service from your elected officials. Its what you elected them to do and what you are paying them for.

I'm Too Tired to Hate

 When did America become a nation of hate and fear? I have seen attitudes change in my lifetime, but DAY-YUM, when did we decide that you either agree with me and mine or you are other than human? Its the height of hubris and as un-American as anything I have ever heard. Its not like we haven't seen it before, but did we learn nothing from McCarthyism, Japanese internment and unjustified black deaths?

It is my right to be wrong about what I believe, just as its is your right to believe differently than I do. Its is a right that every American has and a right I would lay down my life to protect. Let me say that again - I would fight and die for your right to be wrong. It is one of my strongest beliefs that everyone has the right to their own opinion, no matter how they came by it. I would hope that no matter how strongly I believe something, I would still allow the questioning of that belief if for no other reason than to support that belief. 

And I, me personally on my own, welcome that questioning from all cultures, races, religions, sexual orientations, educational, social and cultural backgrounds. If my belief is true for me, it should hold water across all these lines - not just because I think so. 

I'm tired of racism, sexism, terrorism - all just other words for hate. I'm tired of hate. It cannot heal, it cannot persuade, it cannot cross boundaries. It builds walls, dehumanizes, and cause pain wherever it is and can reach. 

I'm tired of fear being used to manipulate individuals and societies into hating other individuals and societies. Stop being afraid! (Dune Flashback: "Fear is the little death, fear is the mind-killer...") Try just taking a deep breath, putting your fear aside and listening to a voice that says something outside of what you believe. Why is that voice different? How did that voice come to say those words? What does that voice know that I don't? What do I know that that voice doesn't?  Let's exchange ideas without fear and hate. 

Let's just listen to each other. You don't have to agree, but if you'll listen, you'll understand.