At the risk of being an over-poster

I read this news article from France and could not resist posting about it. It is just so .. so .. well, I am not sure what it is .. It smacks of political correctness, but then falls outside by the appeals court ruling. you decide what it is.

Here is the rub: A company in France began selling voodoo dolls of French President Sarkozy. He sought an injunction to stop them from selling them. A lower court did not order the company to stop. Sarkozy appealed the ruling. The Appeals Court ruled that the dolls would remain on sale but with a notice stating that pricking the doll harms his dignity. The courts ruled that the doll was well within the 'right of humor'. Here is a pic of the offending doll:

Jesus and other impositions

A few days ago, I posted about a person’s response to my response to a faulty political email. The gist of the post, in her eyes, was that my response went to her family and some of them were 15 and 16 and didn’t understand all this wrangling.

Let me address one thing up front. To think that a teenager today is not savvy enough to comprehend the politics of today is simply ludicrous. My son, Kyle, will be 13 in a week and a half, and he will debate politics intelligently with anyone. He watched the debates. He commented on what was presented. He has clear and definable political views.

Beyond that, one of the family members responded to my response. She did not address my politics, but stated that she didn’t know me and didn’t want me emailing her. Since my response had a Biblical reference in it, she said she didn’t appreciate me imposing my religion on her. She said I had no way of knowing if she were a Christian or not. She was respectful in her email.

I thought about it. I agree that religion does not need to be crammed down ones throat. However, as I thought about it, it occurred to me that there are impositions in everyone’s life.

When someone on the street says to me, “how about that Wildcat game,” they are imposing their sports on me. What if I am a (shudder) Cardinals fan?

Every day, in some way, or someplace, someone is imposing their view on me. Every day I get emails offering me Viagra. Here someone is implying that I have difficulties in that area and they are imposing their medical opinion on me. How do I handle this? Just like most other people, I laugh and hit the ‘delete’ key.

Every day, someone is imposing their morality on me when they look disdainfully at something one of my kids is doing, in my presence. How do I handle this? Like most folks, I let it run off of my back. Now, if you voice your opinion, you might not get the ‘run off my back’ response.

At least a couple times a week, I get a spam mail about pornography. Oh my gosh, where is my uzi? No, just like most of us, I hit that faithful delete key. But, here is someone imposing their fetish on me. How many times have you been at a gathering where someone started telling an off color joke? What do you do? Walk away. It is just that simple.

What about racial humor? How dare you impose your bigotry on me? We generally walk away. If we comment at all, it is simply a request not to tell it.

However, just let a believer mention the name of Jesus in a conversation or email, and the non-believer starts making the claims of imposing our religion. Puh-lease! If you don’t believe, his name is just another name. I might as well have said Bob. Speaking of Bob, have you heard …. Oh wait, I don’t want to impose my Bob on you ..

I am telling you this. Jesus is part of my life. I talk about my wife. I talk about my truck. I talk about my kids. I talk about my grandkids. I talk about my job. I talk about my hobbies. All of those are imposing on you. I am going to talk about Jesus. I do have a blog for Bible studies. On it, I don’t talk about my wife, my truck, my kids, my grandkids, or my job. You can see it at won-by-one.blogspot.com.

If you don’t like what I say, don’t read.

My dad told me that my rights ended where his began. Same here, my right to write, your right to read, they work together. But, that is just me, imposing my opinion on ya.

Dare I say it?

Have a blessed day.

Hero or Villian

On my way from robbing a bank I rescue a young child from death by snatching him from in front of a bus, risking my own life. Am I a bank robber or a hero? Does the fact that I am a hero take away from the fact that I am a bank robber? Does the fact that I am a bank robber make my actions any less heroic?

Have I lost my mind, you ask.

Actually, I have been watching political ads, especially those centered around two candidates running for senator here in Kentucky. The two candidates have been tossing barbs back and forth for months. Recent polls have indicated that the race have become much closer. To this end, several other groups have entered the fray with ads of their own, including the democratic party and republican party. Now, this is not to say these are the only groups putting out ads. The muckraking and mudslinging has reached epic proportions. They seem to think that pointing out a negative in one of the candidates past erases any good either has done. I believe that both candidates have done great things for other people. It is as if we can only remember one aspect of any candidate.

One voted for a medicare increase while voting against a bill that would provide funds for child care. Another voted to improve health care while voting against a defense appropriation. One was a partner in a venture that was sued for mistreatment of veterans in a medical care facility. The other lined his pockets with money from oil lobbyists. Then they both deny all the allegations and point the finger at the other.

Some are hailing me as a hero. Others are trying to vilify me as a bank robber. Is it ever as black and white as we want others to see while our own lives are shaded in gray? The bank was a front for a drug cartel and the kid was a drug runner. So, now, am I a hero or a villain?

The Rub

Most of the time all the political rhetoric and mudslinging falls off my back. Oh, it galls me, but I resist commenting most of the time, because, most comments are, a) made out of ignorance, b) made by ignorant people, or c) made by people who have already closed their minds to the matter. Commenting, while clearing my clogged vent pipe, is useless in that commenting is generally meant to be a response in an open dialogue. It is not a dialogue nor is it open when it originates from one of the three before mentioned places.

Now, by the mere fact the first phrase in the first sentence of this blog is 'most of the time,' we can readily conclude that this is not one of those most of the times. Regular readers of my blog can tell you where I stand politically. some can tell you where I stand religiously and morally. For you newcomers, Let me say that I an not a cookie cutter 'stamp it out' decision maker. I am generally well versed on subjects of politics, the economy (more than knowing the price of a gallon of gas in my neighborhood,) and religion. I have, in my lifetime, held various jobs and positions which include, but are not limited too: Stock Clerk, Salesman, Electrician (union), Assistant Pastor, Teacher (public education), Cook, and various other jobs. This leads to my varied and various opinions.

I have not ever allowed someone tell me how to vote. I have in my 33 years as a registered voter, read the political slate that my union endorsed, and have voted my own heart, agreeing or disagreeing. I have listened to the advice and ramblings of religious leaders and heard their choices as to for whom I should vote. With them, I have equally voted my heart. I think the choice of who gets my vote in a political contest is one of the most important choices I make. It does not compare to choices I make daily concerning my children and my life, in as much as I make these decisions every few years instead of daily. However, the decision I make in 3 weeks will affect me for the next 4 years and beyond. Comparing to two are like comparing apples and oranges.

If I am deciding who will babysit my children, then certain issues are more important than others. In that decision, one issue can seal or kill the deal. If I am looking for a good mechanic, there are also certain things I look for, such as ASE certification, experience, product knowledge, and trustworthiness. If I am looking for someone to pal around with on Friday nights, other factors come into play.

To make the choice of who will be the leader of our country based on one issue is ludicrous. To decide who should be President based on any one issue is like deciding on who will work on my car based solely on his/her hair color.

Back to my original point: Someone sent me an email about one of the political candidates which stated the fact that this candidate was dangerous because of a book they were seen carrying. I, as I usually do, checked other sources to check the validity of this report. It was accompanied by a picture. The picture clearly shows the book. It is hard to cover that. However, the description of the book was wrong, and the premise of the book was attributed to an anti-American Muslim writer, which was wrong as well.

I could not contain myself. I responded to said email in a 'reply to all' fashion. I stated ion my response that the originally forwarded email was incorrect. I further stated that we need to be careful in how we judge others and upon what we base such judgements. The Bible says we will be judged with the same mercy with which we judge others. I was not mean or cruel in my response. I was informative and questioning.

A little while after sending the response, I got a call from the sender, in tears, asking me if she had offended me. I told her she had not. She was more upset, however, that I had used the 'reply to all' feature. This email was going to some of her family, which, in her words, were too young to understand. I was thinking, if they are to young to understand my response, aren't they too young to get the first email?

My questions is this, and here is the rub, If it is simple to check the validity of such emails, why forward them when you don't know if it is true or not? If we forward a lie, have we not lied? If we forward slander, have we not slandered?

Now, let me say this, I have made my decision as to who is getting my vote in the upcoming election. It was a decision I made based on a conglomeration of issues and concerns. It was not based on a political party's endorsement. It was not a down the line, agree with everything he says, decision. It was a decision that accounted for my political, economic, religious, and moral concerns. Unless some major new revelation occurs between now and election day, my decision is made.

I will discuss with anyone how I arrived at my decision. I will discuss with anyone how they arrive at their decision. I respect your right to have your own opinion regardless of how radically different it is from mine. I can be and am, friends with people that disagree with my views. It is one of my favorite freedoms. I cherish my right to hold my opinion without having to make you understand it, just as I cherish your right to have your opinion without having to make me understand it.

One should never ask a question if one is not prepared for the answer. In the movie, "A Civil Action," the character played by Robert Duvall told the character played by John Travolta, that a lawyer "should never ask a question you don't already know the answer too." I don't ask questions that I am afraid to hear the answer to. I don't always know the answer, but I am prepared, usually, for whatever answer comes.

Opinions are opinions. Opinions that have been proven are called facts. It is not my opinion that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. It is a fact. It is an opinion that Booth worked alone. Facts that are misrepresented are lies. They are not opinions. Opinions based on these misrepresented facts are called opinions.

Anyway, each of you are entitled your opinion. I am entitled to mine.

poste el número uno

I have two posts to post .. I dont want to post them together as they are completely unrelated .. so here is number one

Qualified ?

He began his political career with an unsuccessful run for the Illinois General Assembly.

He ran a small store for a short time before he decided to run for the Illinois State Legislature. He served four terms in the Illinois House Of Representatives. He was elected to a tern in the US House of Representatives. he was neither powerful nor influential. He criticized the Presidents choice to go into a war for his own 'military glory'. He spoke out against the war stating, "God of Heaven has forgotten to defend the weak and innocent, and permitted the strong band of murderers and demons from hell to kill men, women, and children, and lay waste and pillage the land of the just." The effects of his speech was so damaging that he decided not to run for re-election.

The new administration offered him a position far away from any real political decisions that would effectively end his political career. He decided to decline said offer.

While working in his law practice, he gave a memorable speech, attracting the eye of the Republican Party. He made speeches and participated in debates. Several years later, the Republican Party chose this untested, little qualified man to be the Parties choice to run for president. He won with 39.9% of the votes. the Democratic candidate received 18.1% of the vote. The candidate for the Constitutional Union Party received 12.5% of the vote. Abraham Lincoln had been elected as our 16th President. He was untested, unproven, and unqualified.

Article Two of the Constitution sets the principal qualifications to be eligible for election as President. A Presidential candidate must:

be a natural born citizen of the United States;

be at least thirty-five years old;

have been a permanent resident in the United States for at least fourteen years.

Woodrow Wilson was a one term Governor before he was elected President. Many of our powerful and influential president came into the job ill prepared and under qualified in the eyes of their opponents and even in the eyes of history.

No one talks about the early failures of Abrahan Lincoln. No one talks about how improbable it was that he would occupy the place in our counties history that he holds. In the darkest of times for our nation, he was the man for the job. You couldn't tell it from the other side of his presidency.

We can banter back and forth how qualified or unqualified Barak Obama seems. We can toss the question out about Sarah Palin. It cannot be the deciding factor in our decision. We must also learn to separate the facts from the rumors. I cannot count the emails I have received with misleading and misguiding information. This tactic has been around for centuries in these elections.

This is the age of information. in a time when we should be better educated about those we choose for our leaders, still people spout the rumor/lie as the truth. with two clicks of a mouse and a bit of typing, I have been able to check up on all the damaging rumors about either candidate. Still, the emails persist. Still the doctrine of misinforming the American public prevails.

I am not saying that Barak Obama is the next Abraham Lincoln. He may be. He may be more significant in history.

In these times, Abraham Lincoln would never make it out of the primaries.

I ate my cake. Where is my cake ?

WARNING ... Political ... The views expressed here do reflect the opinions of management .. I am Ron Simpson, and I approve this message !

There is an old saying about having your cake and eating it too. You cant have it both ways. Casting party affiliation aside, (I am a conservative Democrat, by the way.. this is here on purpose,) I want to look at some current issues being discussed in the news. I fully realize I am inviting the scorn and rebuke of those that disagree. So be it.

The RNC is highly touting Palin’s daughter for her choice to keep her baby. I agree. I disagree with abortion. I also disagree with my tax dollars paying for it, as I am morally opposed to it. However, and here is the sticky wicket, I am also opposed to back door butchers killing kids because abortion is illegal. We will never stop abortion. All of my morality will never prevent a scared teenager, pregnant and confused, from finding a friend that knows someone, that knows someone, that can take care of the problem, even if abortion is illegal. (I haven’t forgotten the cake.)

The high road traveled by the conservatives is their biblical imperative against murder.

Paul, in his letter to the church at Rome, addressed certain Jews that were refusing to fellowship certain Gentiles in the same church, because they had not submitted to the ritual of circumcision. Circumcision was a tenet of the Law of Moses. The Bible states that Jesus fulfilled the Law and it was complete. Where the Law was lacking in that it provided no help in obeying it other than the consequence of disobeying (which every parent uses as well,) Jesus provided with his sacrifice and coming Comforter giving the believer added strength and grace to measure up. These Jews wanted these Gentiles to enter into the tenets of the finished law. Paul stated to them, that if they wanted to abide by the law, they had to abide by the whole law and would die under the law. He basically told them that they did not have the option to pick and choose which rites and rituals, which laws and tenets, they were going to obey. It was an all or nothing deal.

Back to 2008:

We want to praise this unwed mother to be for her decision to not have an abortion. If we will use our biblical imperative as our stage from which to shout this praise, we must also stand on the biblical words about fornication (sex outside the bounds of marriage.) So, in one breath we must praise her. In the other breath we must admonish her. You cannot pick and choose which passage in the Bible you want to recognize.

Wait, wait, wait. Doesn’t the Bible tell us we are to forgive our brother? Why yes, it does. It tells us that we are not to forgive them once, not twice, not even seven times, but Seventy times seven (the words of Jesus.) So we can forgive her the indiscretion of sex outside marriage. Yes, we can.

However, does that forgiveness only extend to her? Does the forgiveness not extend to those that, for whatever reason, choose to abort their baby? Does the Bible tell us to forgive the fornicators, but not the abortionists? Does it say it is OK to forgive the adulterer, but only if that adultery does not involve homosexuality? Are we to pick and choose who and what we forgive?

A mob grew angry against Jesus when he healed a man of palsy and forgave his sins. They cast their claims of blasphemy against him. He asked them which was easier to say, be healed or be forgiven?

You want to heal this land ? Start by practicing forgiveness.

This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. This is a bipartisan issue. It will not be resolved by passing laws. Look at our jails. We keep them filled. Every law written has not stopped crime. I am not an idiot. I know we cannot wholesale abandon law. It is necessary. There must be a standard and accountability. However, we cannot eat our cake and wonder why we don’t have it.

If we want forgiveness, we must offer forgiveness. (Yeah, there is a passage and parable for that too.)

Before we can reach across an issue to attempt any realistic healing, we must first accept the validity of our opponents stand or, at the very least, the validity of their right to have it. We are a nation of diverse cultures. We sprang up because a rag tag group of separatists were tired of the oppressive rule of the Church of England. Three hundred eighty-eight year later and we have become that which we opposed. Tyrannically trying to bully our citizenry, not with fly-by-night troops and religious torturing, but by our bully platform.

On the View, (a show I do not watch for no real reason other than it does not appeal to me,) Hasselbeck decried the liberal left-wingers that look down on Palin’s daughter for making this choice. Whoopi chimed in that they had done the same thing, on that stage, to Brittney Spears sister. She stated, “We judged her, we did it. We, Americans did it. It is not a liberal or conservative thing.” (paraphrased)

We have become the cake eating cake mongers of our time. Democrats, Republicans, Indepenents, Green Party Members, and any other unmentioned political party of our country.

I ate my cake. Where is my cake?

once more into the abyss ..

There are two things I want to share today.

1st .. I have just returned from my book signing at the local public library. It was a blast. We live in a very small community, so I did not expect much. While we were small in number, however, it gave us more time to talk one on one with people. That was amazing. People, strangers to us, sharing their lives with us. Each ones story becoming part of us and ours becoming part of them. One of the librarians told me that she checked out my book from the library (which is way cool in and of itself) to scan it before we were there so she would have some idea of what it and we were about. When she got to the half way point in the book, reading instead of scanning, she realized it was not a book that could be just scanned. She told me in the first few pages the story grabbed her. She is dealing with similarities with her own mother.

Then I come home from this heart wrenching reprisal and begin reading the news online. I come across this story about certain comments made by Obama about people and frustrations and holding to their religion and guns, yadda yadda yadda, It seems that his opponents grabbed hold of this to say that he was aloof and considered himself to be ‘superior’ to the common man. (like any of them have their finger on the pulse of the common man in America)

It is amazing to me the double standard to which we expect our leaders to adhere. While leading the greatest nation in the world, we expect our president to be down to earth like us. While I feel a connection to America and American citizens is vital, it is irrational to expect our elected leader to be ‘one of the boys’.

I am fairly intelligent, and yet, I don’t have the first clue what to do about the war in Iraq. I don’t have the foggiest notion of how to balance the nations budget or right our failing economy. It is all I can do to control the spending in my own house and adhere to some semblance of a budget.

I hope to be considered for the volume of my work in my life, rather than a random statement made on a bad day at the wrong time. Everyday, I deal with my problems, my wife’s problems, my children’s problems, and then the problems of my sixty-five students. It is unfathomable to me to consider dealing with the pressures of the problems of this nation. I do not want my president to be ‘one of my boys’. I want my president to be one of the nations elites surrounded by the rest of the nations elites.

I want my president to display greater wisdom than I can. I expect greater clarity. I demand a level of intelligence that could well be considered superior. I am where I am because of who I am. I expect my president to be a president, capable of making one decision that will affect the six billion residents of this planet and to do so without worrying if some opponent or newspaper is going to try to rake him over the coals for it.

Yes, I expect my president to be in touch with me as much as we are both human beings living on the same planet. I will not agree with every word. I will not accept every statement. I will not support every idea. I will, however, support my president. I will give the benefit of the doubt. I will accept that, while I may not always agree with policy, the decision was made in the best interest of the nation as a whole.

Please deliver me from petty minded individuals that cannot see past the end of their noses. Deliver me from those who cannot accept the ramifications of daily decisions but want to make worldly decisions based on their own bias.
It seems these days, in politics, getting the job is harder than doing it.