A Conversation with a good friend today evoked this quote. “I blame Hollywood for everything... for a long time.” This continued with discussion of governing policies that have entrenched the entertainment signaling into power degrading entire segments of our population. I believe it is a both and scenario and the backstops and cultural relevance of the local church and free speech are effectively insignificant today. This is deeply disturbing. Oh, and BTW, I agree now. I blame Hollywood for everything. He who controls the minds controls the culture.
The entertainment movie, tv, media money model is literally eating America. Correction: it has eaten America. Battles should be fought inside the capital building... but our constitution dictates the rules of how they are fought. Our representatives are expected to follow rules of debate and decorum and conduct themselves in accordance with the expectations of both their constituency and their bosses in leadership. The job of an elected representative to the Congress of the United States is a job. The citizens job is to elect a representative... The representatives job is to fight for his/her citizens with in the legislature. I am cynical about our future as a country when so many don't understand and can't even begin to articulate the practical realities of their job. #idiotsincharge I suppose I am lucky that my representative is doing a good job. My Senators are a disgrace. Judgement of the executive branch is a disaster. My job, my mission, is to be heard and communicate. I don't have a direct vote. That is how the system is designed for good reason.
74 million Americans voted for Trump and we lost the election. Vast majority of the protestors yesterday were peaceful proud Americans. The radicals who rejected rule of law and stormed the capital building violently were criminals and were indeed a vast minority. There are radicals on both sides of every issue and they must be treated with equal disdain and disgust. President Trump again acted recklessly with his rhetoric yesterday and Americans died. The escalating violence over the last year could have been stopped by Democratic and Leftist leaders but they acted recklessly in appeasing violence for votes and Americans died. Our system of govt is fully intact. We have a republic if we can keep it. Governing authority is derived from the people. Power is wielded by the people for the people by “the government” in DC and the states. We the people will always disagree. The mechanism for progress and prosperity is voting, and adherence to rule of law outlined by our constitution, enforced by our government. This is the way. The rush to blame and group is natural but wrong. 74 million maga Americans did not storm the capital building yesterday. An Illegal, incited, mob did. It was allowed to escalate out of control and Americans died. This story has been told over and over through 2020. It must not be told any more in 2021. Sadly, I’m not exactly hopeful that this is feasible. Something broke last year. It may not be repairable en masse. I pray that God is making something new in all of this. As for me and my house, we serve and we sing. This is the way. Many of us, spoke up passionately and vehemently condemning the protests and violence of the past year. I again condemn the protests and violence of today. The sides don’t matter. The emotions are strikingly similar. The results of our collective lack of action and appeasement have proven to be tragic and so very sad. The pursuit of uniformity is utopia and ridiculous. We CAN and must embrace a unity of purpose that binds US rather than divides us.
Quoting President Elect Biden, “enough is enough”... I add that enough was enough long ago. It is difficult for me to understand actions which elevate the darkness of our world in the face of such hope and light. The birth of the child, any child, is an inestimable miracle and blessing. Jesus birth, savior of the world, shows us the love and hope in the Lord.
It is a choice to embrace the sadness, and the darkness born out of our fallen nature. It is a choice to submit to the fear of the unknown. Faith is hope in the throes of the turmoil and struggle. Joy comes in the morning. The night is cold and dark, and we must not linger there precisely because we KNOW that the morning is coming. We as Christians MUST stand and be counted for what we know. I know whom I have believed. It is not the television, or the government. I trust in the name of the Lord of Lords. Jesus loves me in spite of my nature. That is a miracle indeed. To mask it not to mask is a straw man for the real questions. Individuals are talking past one another. The answers to the real questions are fire to the current powers. No side has acceptable healing answers for the wounds of mask v nomask
Can I force YOU via public humiliation and scorn to comply with the public opinion. Answer: YES is the popular response as you would expect. Can YOU choose to stand and be counted on defending principles of liberty in the face of friends and family who are afraid? Answer: YES. Are their consequences to defying popular public opinion? YES. Am I allowed to act in a way that YOU disapprove of? YES for now. Is there a defined boundary for medical authoritarian orders implemented by governing authorities for the greater good? NO - even the Bill of rights is being squashed at the state and local levels... CHURCHES are fearful to defy the government and are choosing to impose restrictions(which is their right) succumbing to tyranny of the minority and majority simultaneously. The members’ rights are non existent beyond attend or not, give or not... this is not new but it is unfortunate. All of this bothers me deeply as I’m committed to individual liberty. Merging medical and legal authority in a collective politically charged environment is a disaster for everyone. Is there a way to go back? The answer appears to be NO. Are there lines that I will not cross and are they getting close. YES. 79 years ago the Japanese EMPIRE attacked the United States of America’s 🇺🇸 Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor. We were not prepared and the results were devastating. The legacy of the day that will live in infamy is that we must ALWAYS be prepared to defend our country. Americans have a sacred civil duty to remember and act accordingly serving and protecting the greatest country in the history of the world. It is not just up to the military. We are all in this together.
Healing a relationship and asking another to heel are not the same thing. Ask yourself which one you seek when you have power. Consider what outcome your choices require when you do not have power.
There are some big wins in this election cycle/debacle.
Americans are learning how important their state governments are. The elections for Secretary of State and Attorney General matter immensely. We better understand the differing roles of states and federal govt. Many of We the people are reading and studying the constitution, Declaration of Independence and even federalist papers. This knowledge is a proven foundation for hopeful future. States matters matter. I am sincerely happy that so many friends are encouraged by the words of PresElect Biden. Rhetoric is a powerful tool. Practical progress in change management policy is a very complex process and it certainly begins with awareness and desire.
The arc of my experience has shown me that desire must be followed with knowledge and ability at scale and duration. Results are measured and reinforced. This is the way. The danger zone in governance is the addiction to power and the reliance on power to achieve. The power approach does not past the test. “Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” —C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics (1970) Elections are about raw power. Authority lies with each of us and comes from our creator. Power and authority are not the same thing. #PSA2020 #InspiredByChief
Fear mongering is about focusing on what others cannot or should not do because of what you "might" lose...because of wildly speculative models and ideas with faulty logic and flawed assumptions... Hopeful leaders focus on foundations of faith and love... anticipating what we will all gain when we adhere to principles.. rather than principals. I was in attendance at the school board meeting last night and I witnessed the consequences of fear on fine people. It is devastating. I could see the pain in faces of friends and leaders and so many others. I am sorry for that. I believe that our superintendent and staffing leadership is exemplary. Our School Board members are listening and leading. The efficacy of their decision will be told in results over the next year. Success is not certain with any of our existing paths.
That said... Finding a path forward rooted in principles and priorities is the only way. What we have now is NOT working. Maintaining a focus on the children is paramount in every sense and I’m proud to them leading our school system. I challenge them to their experience even in the face of the withering emotional toll from the fearful. Our culture is in a bad place currently. Poor behaviors and choices are infecting us all but leadership and bold thoughtful steps is the path forward. We must ALL Think outside the box. We MUST Get those kids back into rooms with teachers and trust in the skills and passions of the teachers to find a way. I believe that we cannot continue to allow families and children to burn 🔥 with the farce that is virtual learning 2020. Attendance, equity, special needs, arts, coaching, sports... The public services in these areas are failing daily. Burning is the correct analogy in every sense as families, schools, churches, workplaces and society is coming apart quite literally. Our future is in those children. Our present is with those parents and teachers. We do not have the choice to continue on We will must work together and help. Hard decisions are required. Leaders must lead. We the people must follow and then adjust in the future. This is the only way. "Tebow extended peace and BLM extends judgment and division, not unity. Black lives matter. Free speech matters. Prayer matters. Sports and entertainment matter. But at the end of the day, at the end of life, I believe it is one’s faith that truly matters." brilliant and elegant analysis. -- From Julie Boltz..
Today's NFL and pretty much all of the sports "protests" are driving people apart.. not bringing them together. Why.. because there is no faith at the center. If you have decided that you are right, but you no longer feel a need to listen to anyone else then in reality, YOU ARE WRONG. Additionally, if you feel the need to demagogue and disparage others without any sense of civility, you are WRONG. Being right is NOT enough. It never was, it never will be. This is a huge problem on the left and the right. Weakness incites violence. Strength does not. Violence takes many forms. Physical, economic, semantics.
Politics and our system of government provides a peaceful way to manage the people and the diverse ideas while respecting their strength. The idea that we would no longer have blue states and red states was idyllic and perhaps even utopian, but clearly unrealistic anytime soon if ever. Unity does not require uniformity when strength and honor reign. At sporting events. Passions and tempers flare, and the people get excited. It is expected. Political conventions and rallies are the same. These days the energy and excitement is expressed on social media. If we grant sincerity and look through the energy to the substance, policy, and record we are afforded a better view of reality. That said, conventions and energy are fun. It is awesome to stand up and be proud of a position, an idea, a team, and even a protest. The rub, is that it all needs to remain peaceful. When the games becomes too violent in words or actions then everyone loses.
See something. Say something is wrong. This is correct:
SEE SOMETHING WRONG? Do something about it. You. Yes you. Expecting someone else to handle it is the root of the problem. Need help, ask for it. PERIOD!!! Powerful men standing together black and white, young and old, committed to a secure future rooted in individual liberty and justice for all. Justice must be coupled with liberty. Mob rule is not rule of law.
The current strategy of the left that paints conservatives as racist is a fear response. If the Democrats are forced to embrace principle and practice they will lose. Their only hope is to divide and destroy using emotion, cancel culture, and identity politics with the goal of retaining and increasing power. Spreading fear and allowing misery is deplorable on all sides but particularly when its foundation is rooted in a legacy of lies, and anecdotal extrapolation. Conflating and Confusing... are pillars of politicians. Voting blocks are amazing tools and hard for rational, liberty minded individuals to embrace. We all want security and prosperity and the opportunity to pursue happiness. People are equal. Ideas are not. Practical liberty exists in the shades of gray. #2A is just one issue, but it is a big one because it embodies individual rights and power. Local and immediate. The vision to move on with life embracing faith and fellowship over fear and isolation threatens the houses of sand for many in power. Reputation, position, even authority is shifting. A powerful vision. evokes fierce opposition from many who are comfortable and just want to return to how it was “before”.
Our times are a chrysalis. We will emerge and fly soon enough. God is in command and evolving HIs space and time around us as He decides. We are changing and when we live in Him we are remade...literally. EVERYTHING CHANGES. Tutto cambia. Vedo la luce. Will you seek a future filled with faith and hope, rooted in love? Now is the time to decide. Don’t be one of the millions who is acting a part, performing for man rather than worshipping a loving and living God. News anchors and media personalities are NOT equal to elected leaders. One side talks and judges what the other does. That is all. The search for principles in reporting goes on. The search for principles in politicians is basicly useless.
It is easy to judge and tear down. It is simple to write a narrative which tells your story. How you tell it does not make it true. The decisions and results are the essential arbiter of truth and credibility. I have long supported the idea of the bully pulpit of the President. I equally support the principle of silence. I’m thinking that Calvin Coolidge was on to something. The executive should decide, enforce, and act, forcing the representatives to actually represent and champion principles of law and order. The judges then judge all of this according to the law of the land. News anchors and media personalities just watch and talk. They are entertainers, not influencers. Are you entertained? The gladiator asked after killing his opponent. The population of the US will be immersed in wave after wave of fear responses. The new threat is the fear and isolation itself originally caused by the RONA.
A vaccine will be released and approved. It will be only marginally effective at treating RONA but it will be highly effective at treating the humanitarian crisis of fear and the economic disaster wrought by our lockdown cycles. The vaccine and associated media blitz will make many unimaginably wealthy and be heralded as the savior of the world in our new normal. In reality it will do almost nothing clinically to treat RONA but it will manage the fear. The new normal will be here. As the world turns, we will all move on. <100% speculation> this is not science. This is fiction. |
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