Amidst the final days of a surreal summer and in anticipation of the election propaganda about to be unleashed, I offer the following observations for my thoughtful audience to contemplate:
It is easy to caricature and criticize, but difficult to think critically and act wisely.
In the absence of solutions, attack your opponents character and motives. It will veil your superficiality.
The world is changing daily while our educational and governmental enterprises are still stuck in decades-old systems.
The way forward for the global economy is unleashing wealth creation, not taxing the productive. This said, wealth creation without compassion and ethics is one more form of exploitation as dangerous as increased government bureaucracy.
Changing our politicians without moral and spiritual change in the populace at large is simply replacing one ruling elite with another.
St. Peter wanted to build a monument to an ecstatic experience; Jesus invites us to build people with faith, hope and love.
The "new atheists" recycle the old, unsuccessful arguments with better promotional material. The Preacher was right, "There is nothing new under the sun" - including attacks on faith.
When we make the exception the rule, there are no more rules. In the ensuing moral anarchy, the way is paved for dictatorship.
Failure to self-regulate allows others to run our lives.
When a Palestinian leader of repute stands and proclaims Israel's right to exist within reasonable borders, and with real exchange of commerce and diplomats, there is a chance for peace.
Do not ask people of deep faith to promote lifestyles contrary to their convictions. Conversely, the call to faith is an invitation, not a coercive calculation. We are freest when we defend for all others the rights we desire for ourselves.
No one wins with a mosque at the 9/11 site. Bitterness is amplified and religious tradition obscured by political agendas. A place for all to pray and remember is the only way forward.
Every leadership guru advises, "Begin with the end in mind." My challenge to the Left and the Right is simple: what is the 'end" you have in mind for the USA and the world? On the Left, is it some kind of Star Trek-inspired global federation ruled by a politically correct elite? On the Right, are you trying to bring back the good old days that never were?
Solving BIG problems begins with "small" acts of personal courage and kindness. Mother Teresa did not begin with grant money and media campaigns - one child at a time was rescued from the ash-heap.
We can improve our economy and rebuild our infrastructure with private-public partnerships. We need private initiative and profitable ends. We also need oversight for ethical and structural integrity.
If you journey around the globe, you will find a direct connection between the level of political freedom and the historical influence of Judeo-Christian values. Except for some movements in Indonesia and Turkey, no Muslim-dominated state has ever been a pluralistic democracy with complete freedom of conscience, religion and speech. Of course, it took about 1200 years for Christendom to cease its infighting as well.
The either/or fallacy rules too much thinking. Churches divide over musical and sermon styles instead of creating mosaics of the best of the past and future. We need head and heart. It is not freedom or oversight, but liberty with accountability.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Awakening and Revolution
America and France have a long love-hate relationship. French help was critical in our War of Independence. Many Americans were initially excited about the anti-monarchical tendencies of the nascent French Revolution in 1789. The implosion of the secular left and the rise of Napoleon cooled affections for awhile. America's help in WWI and WWII is appreciated and resented by French elites, who consider most Americans ignorant and too religious, while we Yankees shake our heads at the arrogance of a second-rate power that will be an Islamic state in less than half a century.
The American and French Revolutions of 1776 and 1789 share some similarities, but the difference is instructive concerning the nature of social transformation. Both nations wanted a new order of liberty and representative government, with more equality and opportunity. Both nations were suspicious of traditional monarchy and state religion. Both nations were impacted by the Enlightenment, an assortment of ideas and personalities ranging from common sense Scots to radical disciples of Rousseau and Voltaire. Both nations were on a mission to bring their enlightened visions to the rest of the world.
These similarities only underscore the key difference that makes all the difference, then and now. In 1685, Louis XIV, the autocratic "Sun King" who uttered, "L'etat ce moi" and "Apres moi, Le deluge" ("I am the state" and "After me, the deluge"), issued his famous Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The original Edict, dating from 1598, ended more than 30 years of civil war by granting religious toleration to the Huguenots (Reformed Protestants) and protecting their properties and cities. This was not complete freedom to evangelize, but a significant step toward liberty.
Between 1598 and 1685, numerous Huguenots found positions of influence and leadership as artisans, bankers, merchants and prosperous middle-class farmers. Hundreds of thousands helped the nation thrive. This modicum of religious toleration created an environment for the free thinking of French intellectuals, both religious and anti-clerical. Even the Roman Catholic Church of France (always a bit independent of Rome) improved her apologetic skills as she had to be more competitive for the allegiance of some of the population.
All this changed in 1685. With the stoke of a pen, between 150,000 and 200,000 Huguenots fled France for refuge in England, Holland, the Americas and even South Africa. The economy suffered and there was no middle ground between the ancien regime of very traditional Catholicism and the rising elitist skepticism and outright anti-Christian perspectives. By the time the tinder box was lit in 1789, the way was paved for the tragedies of the guillotine and Napoleon.
In contrast, England and her colonies in North America were increasingly tolerant in matters of conscience and religion from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the Evangelical Awakenings of the mid-18th century. The variety of religious options, coupled with genuine inner renewal in the faith communities, created much different futures for England and the emerging American nation.
The "Great and General Awakening" in the Colonies from the late 1730s to the 1750s saw about one-eighth of the population experience some kind of conversion and renewal. Another important consequence was the birth of an Evangelical (Protestant) ethos that united communities across denominational and theological lines. One of the interesting sub-stories of this era is the wide divergence in style and theology among the leaders of the Awakening.
The Awakening also polarized religious communities. Not everyone identified with the "religious affections" that Jonathan Edwards eloquently defined. This said, the important sociopolitical consequences of the Awakening in the Colonies were 1) the birth of an American identity distinct from the Old World yet rooted in the liberties of English common law; and 2) a deep commitment for compassion and social change from many revived believers, including nascent abolition movements (John Woolman) and care for orphans. In one meeting, revivalist George Whitefield convinced freethinking Ben Franklin to empty his pockets for the orphans!
Even among those not directly impacted by religious fervor, a sense of personal reverence for God, responsibility for one's neighbor and a deep distrust of centralized institutions took root. When the conflicts with England arose during the 1760s, many radical leaders appealed to the past evidences of God's grace as affirmation of the justice of the Colonial cause.
Why does this matter in the post-Christian West of the 21st century? The answer is profoundly simple. Political revolutions, whether they are Left, Right or Center, without authentic moral and spiritual awakening in a critical mass of the populace, will simply displace one oligarchy with another. People who covet power do not care about principled policies or ideology - for them the masses are there to manipulate, whether it is an appeal to conservative or progressive ideas.
America 2010 is imploding. The current economic policies are bankrupting our future. Moral anarchy is rampant and compassionate and intelligent voices are drowned out amidst the noise of accusations from both extremes. We must have an authentic and holistic spiritual awakening or our Republic will be consigned to the ash-heap of history within one generation. Here are some facts that transcend simplistic ideology:
* Islam is not a democratic world-view and the aim of current leaders is not a land of pluralistic debate and liberty, but the gradual submission of all to a particular version of Islamic Law. I challenge all "moderate Muslims" to unequivocally affirm complete freedom of conscience and religion, regardless of what percentage of a population is Muslim. Please note that Islam has never produced a pluralistic republic in history.
* 21st century Christians of all traditions are not agitating for an undemocratic theocracy; in fact, it is Judeo-Christian values that set the table for the current freedoms we enjoy.
* Self-regulation, within a context of reverence for God and personal commitment to truth and virtue, is the best guarantee of liberty. The fact that we have a population expecting the federal government to solve all their problems is a tragedy of epic proportions.
The election of 2008 was a mini-revolution in the tradition of 1789 - contemptuous of traditional Christianity, radical in policy and destructive to our long-term future. Today's policies are so bad that some are willing gives up their freedoms for a government handout. The same mindset pervaded France in the 1790s, Russia in the 1920s and Germany as Hitler came to power.
Electing compassionate and intelligent conservatives in 2010 is a good start to reversing our current course, but it is inadequate to secure lasting change. We must have a Third Awakening that stirs religious commitment and stimulates social transformation. A rebirth of reverence and responsibility, local community action and real love for our neighbors - of all faiths or none - is our only hope.
Join me in praying for God to grace our land with holy love, humility, moral strength and sacrificial service. Then perhaps, in the Providence of the Almighty, we can see "a new birth of freedom" and aspire to the values of Washington and Lincoln.
The American and French Revolutions of 1776 and 1789 share some similarities, but the difference is instructive concerning the nature of social transformation. Both nations wanted a new order of liberty and representative government, with more equality and opportunity. Both nations were suspicious of traditional monarchy and state religion. Both nations were impacted by the Enlightenment, an assortment of ideas and personalities ranging from common sense Scots to radical disciples of Rousseau and Voltaire. Both nations were on a mission to bring their enlightened visions to the rest of the world.
These similarities only underscore the key difference that makes all the difference, then and now. In 1685, Louis XIV, the autocratic "Sun King" who uttered, "L'etat ce moi" and "Apres moi, Le deluge" ("I am the state" and "After me, the deluge"), issued his famous Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The original Edict, dating from 1598, ended more than 30 years of civil war by granting religious toleration to the Huguenots (Reformed Protestants) and protecting their properties and cities. This was not complete freedom to evangelize, but a significant step toward liberty.
Between 1598 and 1685, numerous Huguenots found positions of influence and leadership as artisans, bankers, merchants and prosperous middle-class farmers. Hundreds of thousands helped the nation thrive. This modicum of religious toleration created an environment for the free thinking of French intellectuals, both religious and anti-clerical. Even the Roman Catholic Church of France (always a bit independent of Rome) improved her apologetic skills as she had to be more competitive for the allegiance of some of the population.
All this changed in 1685. With the stoke of a pen, between 150,000 and 200,000 Huguenots fled France for refuge in England, Holland, the Americas and even South Africa. The economy suffered and there was no middle ground between the ancien regime of very traditional Catholicism and the rising elitist skepticism and outright anti-Christian perspectives. By the time the tinder box was lit in 1789, the way was paved for the tragedies of the guillotine and Napoleon.
In contrast, England and her colonies in North America were increasingly tolerant in matters of conscience and religion from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the Evangelical Awakenings of the mid-18th century. The variety of religious options, coupled with genuine inner renewal in the faith communities, created much different futures for England and the emerging American nation.
The "Great and General Awakening" in the Colonies from the late 1730s to the 1750s saw about one-eighth of the population experience some kind of conversion and renewal. Another important consequence was the birth of an Evangelical (Protestant) ethos that united communities across denominational and theological lines. One of the interesting sub-stories of this era is the wide divergence in style and theology among the leaders of the Awakening.
The Awakening also polarized religious communities. Not everyone identified with the "religious affections" that Jonathan Edwards eloquently defined. This said, the important sociopolitical consequences of the Awakening in the Colonies were 1) the birth of an American identity distinct from the Old World yet rooted in the liberties of English common law; and 2) a deep commitment for compassion and social change from many revived believers, including nascent abolition movements (John Woolman) and care for orphans. In one meeting, revivalist George Whitefield convinced freethinking Ben Franklin to empty his pockets for the orphans!
Even among those not directly impacted by religious fervor, a sense of personal reverence for God, responsibility for one's neighbor and a deep distrust of centralized institutions took root. When the conflicts with England arose during the 1760s, many radical leaders appealed to the past evidences of God's grace as affirmation of the justice of the Colonial cause.
Why does this matter in the post-Christian West of the 21st century? The answer is profoundly simple. Political revolutions, whether they are Left, Right or Center, without authentic moral and spiritual awakening in a critical mass of the populace, will simply displace one oligarchy with another. People who covet power do not care about principled policies or ideology - for them the masses are there to manipulate, whether it is an appeal to conservative or progressive ideas.
America 2010 is imploding. The current economic policies are bankrupting our future. Moral anarchy is rampant and compassionate and intelligent voices are drowned out amidst the noise of accusations from both extremes. We must have an authentic and holistic spiritual awakening or our Republic will be consigned to the ash-heap of history within one generation. Here are some facts that transcend simplistic ideology:
* Islam is not a democratic world-view and the aim of current leaders is not a land of pluralistic debate and liberty, but the gradual submission of all to a particular version of Islamic Law. I challenge all "moderate Muslims" to unequivocally affirm complete freedom of conscience and religion, regardless of what percentage of a population is Muslim. Please note that Islam has never produced a pluralistic republic in history.
* 21st century Christians of all traditions are not agitating for an undemocratic theocracy; in fact, it is Judeo-Christian values that set the table for the current freedoms we enjoy.
* Self-regulation, within a context of reverence for God and personal commitment to truth and virtue, is the best guarantee of liberty. The fact that we have a population expecting the federal government to solve all their problems is a tragedy of epic proportions.
The election of 2008 was a mini-revolution in the tradition of 1789 - contemptuous of traditional Christianity, radical in policy and destructive to our long-term future. Today's policies are so bad that some are willing gives up their freedoms for a government handout. The same mindset pervaded France in the 1790s, Russia in the 1920s and Germany as Hitler came to power.
Electing compassionate and intelligent conservatives in 2010 is a good start to reversing our current course, but it is inadequate to secure lasting change. We must have a Third Awakening that stirs religious commitment and stimulates social transformation. A rebirth of reverence and responsibility, local community action and real love for our neighbors - of all faiths or none - is our only hope.
Join me in praying for God to grace our land with holy love, humility, moral strength and sacrificial service. Then perhaps, in the Providence of the Almighty, we can see "a new birth of freedom" and aspire to the values of Washington and Lincoln.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Change Language, Change Reality
Recent Obama speeches in Egypt and China have hailed "freedom of worship" as an important universal right. At first glance, this seems to be a simple reiteration of the best in American social thought. I applaud the sentiments that champion freedom, but I am appalled at the subtle and subversive change in language from "freedom of religion" to "freedom of worship."
Our founders understood that freedom of religion/conscience is the first and most fundamental freedom of all. The U. S. Constitution and Bill of Rights were - and remain - unprecedented and unequalled in world history as charters of personal liberty. The federal (and by implication local and state) government does not exist to bestow rights, but to protect God-given (or Natural) liberties. America remains the only nation in the world with a complete "free market" in matters of faith and conscience.
"Worship" as defined by the current Administration is a narrowly-focused set of activities that are easily marginalized and privatized away from the public square. This new language conforms to Islamic thought where other monotheistic religions are "protected" - coded language for permitted as second-class (dhimmi) citizens. Obama-speak "worship" will permit gatherings for religious ceremonies, but allow the government to declare other public activities verboten if they are not is the interest of the "general welfare." One example of this is the arrest of peaceable Christian evangelists at an Arab cultural festival - in Michigan!
The Left for years has called upon the "people" to "speak truth to power" and "subvert the dominant paradigm." Well, now they are revealing their true colors in their intolerance of any dissent. As Tea Party activists expose their failed policies, the propaganda machines crank up their lies about the extremists and racists in the movement, conveniently ignoring the millions of hard-working citizens of every color and creed who oppose current policies. Collectivism destroys incentive and does not work. More government and more deficit spending will only destroy the prosperity of two centuries.
There are other language games being played by the magicians in power. They promised hope and change. They promised a post-partisan and post-racial era of good feelings. They promised reduced deficits. They promised exit strategies from "untenable" wars. Obama promised a "sharp pencil" look at every expenditure. The results? Utter failure on every count and the planned rapid destruction of what remains of free enterprise. Instead of a NASA promoting math and science in U.S. schools, the new Director sees his primary task as boosting the "self-esteem" of Islamic nations concerning their historical contributions to math and science. We have a State Department marginalizing the one democracy in the Middle East (Israel) while initiating new "outreaches" to the 57 nations living under the iron hand of Islam (none but Turkey are close to democratic).
I call upon all people of conscience to join me is an open process of decoding public rhetoric. Our enemies are not those who debate policies. There is room for rigorous public dialogue on the best ways to solve our problems. Our enemy is more nefarious. Our opponents are linguistic subversives who redefine terms that require a special class of interpreters! "Pro-Life" has become "against women." "Marriage" is now up for grabs. "The gender assigned at birth" is the new phrase for what any normal person would call "boy" or "girl." "Progressive" used to mean freedom with a social conscience - now it means control of the instruments of business.
Why does every politician need a spin doctor to interpret what she or he has just said? Our founders spoke unambiguously and laid the foundation for the greatest nation in history. Current leaders within the Beltway need to learn plain speech again and understand that ideas have consequences. People are not groups to be manipulated, but individuals made in God's image to be unleashed to their full potential.
There is still a window of time to change course - not back to Bush, but forward to our founder's best ideals. There is no time for nostalgia - we need renewal and responsible choices. Join me in not just reacting to the latest outrageous policies, but in actions that demonstrate our finest principles.
Our founders understood that freedom of religion/conscience is the first and most fundamental freedom of all. The U. S. Constitution and Bill of Rights were - and remain - unprecedented and unequalled in world history as charters of personal liberty. The federal (and by implication local and state) government does not exist to bestow rights, but to protect God-given (or Natural) liberties. America remains the only nation in the world with a complete "free market" in matters of faith and conscience.
"Worship" as defined by the current Administration is a narrowly-focused set of activities that are easily marginalized and privatized away from the public square. This new language conforms to Islamic thought where other monotheistic religions are "protected" - coded language for permitted as second-class (dhimmi) citizens. Obama-speak "worship" will permit gatherings for religious ceremonies, but allow the government to declare other public activities verboten if they are not is the interest of the "general welfare." One example of this is the arrest of peaceable Christian evangelists at an Arab cultural festival - in Michigan!
The Left for years has called upon the "people" to "speak truth to power" and "subvert the dominant paradigm." Well, now they are revealing their true colors in their intolerance of any dissent. As Tea Party activists expose their failed policies, the propaganda machines crank up their lies about the extremists and racists in the movement, conveniently ignoring the millions of hard-working citizens of every color and creed who oppose current policies. Collectivism destroys incentive and does not work. More government and more deficit spending will only destroy the prosperity of two centuries.
There are other language games being played by the magicians in power. They promised hope and change. They promised a post-partisan and post-racial era of good feelings. They promised reduced deficits. They promised exit strategies from "untenable" wars. Obama promised a "sharp pencil" look at every expenditure. The results? Utter failure on every count and the planned rapid destruction of what remains of free enterprise. Instead of a NASA promoting math and science in U.S. schools, the new Director sees his primary task as boosting the "self-esteem" of Islamic nations concerning their historical contributions to math and science. We have a State Department marginalizing the one democracy in the Middle East (Israel) while initiating new "outreaches" to the 57 nations living under the iron hand of Islam (none but Turkey are close to democratic).
I call upon all people of conscience to join me is an open process of decoding public rhetoric. Our enemies are not those who debate policies. There is room for rigorous public dialogue on the best ways to solve our problems. Our enemy is more nefarious. Our opponents are linguistic subversives who redefine terms that require a special class of interpreters! "Pro-Life" has become "against women." "Marriage" is now up for grabs. "The gender assigned at birth" is the new phrase for what any normal person would call "boy" or "girl." "Progressive" used to mean freedom with a social conscience - now it means control of the instruments of business.
Why does every politician need a spin doctor to interpret what she or he has just said? Our founders spoke unambiguously and laid the foundation for the greatest nation in history. Current leaders within the Beltway need to learn plain speech again and understand that ideas have consequences. People are not groups to be manipulated, but individuals made in God's image to be unleashed to their full potential.
There is still a window of time to change course - not back to Bush, but forward to our founder's best ideals. There is no time for nostalgia - we need renewal and responsible choices. Join me in not just reacting to the latest outrageous policies, but in actions that demonstrate our finest principles.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Needed: Character and Competence Not Color and Condemnation
When times are tough, people look for scapegoats. Today the Obama Administration leaders are lambasting the racist elements of the Tea Party Movement and encouraging African-Americans to be more "intense" in their demands for better health care, education and job opportunities. For an Administration billed as "post-racial" we are seeing familiar agitprop and a refusal to condemn the hate speech of racial radicals on the Left. The failure of Attorney General Holder to prosecute the New Black Panther leaders in Philadelphia for voter intimidation is only one example of the preferential politics of this "post-partisan" regime.
There is no place for racism or sexism in American life. Too many have shed blood, sweat and tears to bring us to the current moment of opportunity. Democrats and Republicans have their saints and sinners in our history of moving toward the ideals of our Constitution. When we are at our best, the words of Martin Luther King resound in our hearts, as we long for the day when all are judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin. Word like "cracker" and "nigger" should never flow from our lips. We can be proud of our ethnic heritage and enjoy the contributions of every culture to the living cathedral of the American community.
Our current crises are solvable, if women and men of character and competence keep the media out of the room, roll up their sleeves and get to work. We can create new private-public partnerships to repair our infrastructure, restore urban war zones and deliver services to the rural poor. Instead of posturing for attention and and lining our pockets with present and future kickbacks, civil and political leaders must exercise integrity and imagination and usher in a new, more humble and more creative era.
Black families are in crisis. The factors are many and structural; however, they are also moral and spiritual. Poverty and redlining are not the immediate causes of illegitimate babies and murder. Fathers must be held responsible for the children they sire. Ministers of religious communities must insist that reverence for God and respect for others are the only antidotes to the rage men and women feel. Educational leaders must step up, remove incompetent administrators and leaders and create a new environment for empowerment.
White America is also in dire straits. Some of the problems are better hidden, but they are just as serious. Narcissistic parents divorcing each other and dividing the loyalties of children cause a huge strain on the legal and social service systems. The rural poor are trapped in their own cycles of domestic violence, ignorance and hopelessness. Two generations of indulgence have produced men and women who grow up too fast in the wrong categories (sexual experimentation) and too slowly in the important ones (hard work and integrity).
"Brown" America struggles with the issue of illegal immigrants draining the economic and social resources of many localities and states. Hispanic leaders cannot pretend to be loyal to the USA and pander to the La Raza crowds. While the Left-leaning African-American and Hispanic groups share a jaded vision of past and future, the majority of folks in their communities just what a safe world for the children to flourish. We need men and women of courage to help us create legal pathways to citizenship and not just amnesty and cheap labor/votes.
We need character and competence, not emotional appeals to color. We have shared challenges and dreams that require more than tolerance - they require love and respect that are the keys to the transformational synergy our nation and world needs. We have structural issues that transcend color-coded politics:
Public employee pension funds must be overhauled. Sloganeering will not preserve jobs or services.
Politicians must have the same health and retirement benefits as the private sector. This is the fastest pathway to real reform and the unleashing of creativity in the public square.
Balanced budgets are no longer optional. If we need more money, we streamline or raise revenues openly. The California Legislature cannot account for billions of misappropriated dollars, scores of commissions and unspeakable waste of the taxpayers' money.
We cannot have a war economy and welfare state at the same time. Our troops need to destroy terrorist locales, protect allied interests and rapidly train host nations' personnel. We must stop being an occupying force in Muslim lands and bring our brave women and men home. We do need excellent technology and we must care for troops and veterans; however, we can do these effectively without the corporate and political largess that misuses our tax dollars.
Government regulation of private industry is needed to ensure ethical standards. Government administration of the same is the quickest road to disaster. Seventy years of USSR-led economic experiments should teach us something about the dangers of bureaucratic collectivism.
I call upon conservatives and progressives, accountants and agitators, engineers, ethics professors and all people of conscience to unite in dialogue that leads to action. There are dangers to real success: We must let go of anger and show compassion. As we solve homelessness, some "advocates" will need to find a private job. Capitalists will have to be accountable to more that their leading shareholders. Read and Yellow, Black and White - we are all precious in His sight. Precious...and accountable for how we live.
There is no place for racism or sexism in American life. Too many have shed blood, sweat and tears to bring us to the current moment of opportunity. Democrats and Republicans have their saints and sinners in our history of moving toward the ideals of our Constitution. When we are at our best, the words of Martin Luther King resound in our hearts, as we long for the day when all are judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin. Word like "cracker" and "nigger" should never flow from our lips. We can be proud of our ethnic heritage and enjoy the contributions of every culture to the living cathedral of the American community.
Our current crises are solvable, if women and men of character and competence keep the media out of the room, roll up their sleeves and get to work. We can create new private-public partnerships to repair our infrastructure, restore urban war zones and deliver services to the rural poor. Instead of posturing for attention and and lining our pockets with present and future kickbacks, civil and political leaders must exercise integrity and imagination and usher in a new, more humble and more creative era.
Black families are in crisis. The factors are many and structural; however, they are also moral and spiritual. Poverty and redlining are not the immediate causes of illegitimate babies and murder. Fathers must be held responsible for the children they sire. Ministers of religious communities must insist that reverence for God and respect for others are the only antidotes to the rage men and women feel. Educational leaders must step up, remove incompetent administrators and leaders and create a new environment for empowerment.
White America is also in dire straits. Some of the problems are better hidden, but they are just as serious. Narcissistic parents divorcing each other and dividing the loyalties of children cause a huge strain on the legal and social service systems. The rural poor are trapped in their own cycles of domestic violence, ignorance and hopelessness. Two generations of indulgence have produced men and women who grow up too fast in the wrong categories (sexual experimentation) and too slowly in the important ones (hard work and integrity).
"Brown" America struggles with the issue of illegal immigrants draining the economic and social resources of many localities and states. Hispanic leaders cannot pretend to be loyal to the USA and pander to the La Raza crowds. While the Left-leaning African-American and Hispanic groups share a jaded vision of past and future, the majority of folks in their communities just what a safe world for the children to flourish. We need men and women of courage to help us create legal pathways to citizenship and not just amnesty and cheap labor/votes.
We need character and competence, not emotional appeals to color. We have shared challenges and dreams that require more than tolerance - they require love and respect that are the keys to the transformational synergy our nation and world needs. We have structural issues that transcend color-coded politics:
Public employee pension funds must be overhauled. Sloganeering will not preserve jobs or services.
Politicians must have the same health and retirement benefits as the private sector. This is the fastest pathway to real reform and the unleashing of creativity in the public square.
Balanced budgets are no longer optional. If we need more money, we streamline or raise revenues openly. The California Legislature cannot account for billions of misappropriated dollars, scores of commissions and unspeakable waste of the taxpayers' money.
We cannot have a war economy and welfare state at the same time. Our troops need to destroy terrorist locales, protect allied interests and rapidly train host nations' personnel. We must stop being an occupying force in Muslim lands and bring our brave women and men home. We do need excellent technology and we must care for troops and veterans; however, we can do these effectively without the corporate and political largess that misuses our tax dollars.
Government regulation of private industry is needed to ensure ethical standards. Government administration of the same is the quickest road to disaster. Seventy years of USSR-led economic experiments should teach us something about the dangers of bureaucratic collectivism.
I call upon conservatives and progressives, accountants and agitators, engineers, ethics professors and all people of conscience to unite in dialogue that leads to action. There are dangers to real success: We must let go of anger and show compassion. As we solve homelessness, some "advocates" will need to find a private job. Capitalists will have to be accountable to more that their leading shareholders. Read and Yellow, Black and White - we are all precious in His sight. Precious...and accountable for how we live.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
History and Hope: Celebrating America
For seven years I have commented on current events, waxed philosophical about creative and disturbing trends and tried to be a faithful "messenger to the thoughtful." As we celebrate America's 234th birthday, we are watching the erosion of ideals and institutions that have held our experiment in liberty together. I will continue to try to move the conversation from anger to action, from subjective feelings to principled thinking and from collectivist control to personal freedom.
Today, however, let's take a moment to celebrate. Historical reflection is not mind-numbing nostalgia. Looking back can help us look ahead. Seeing the depravity and dignity of previous generations can inspire and warn us about our own. Here are some reasons to light the sparklers and ignite the fireworks over the ocean.
We still live is the freest land in the world, with open space and opportunities found nowhere else.
We are a generous people, who, in spite of our own environmental challenges, lead the world in care for other nations.
We are still living in the shadow of the Greatest Generation who spent their teen and young adult years battling the Great Depression, storming the Normandy beaches and surviving the Bataan Death March. This generation witnessed the Holocaust and Hiroshima and still built the most prosperous land in history, marched for civil and voting rights and bequeathed a belief in the future.
We are the land of Lincoln. We are capable of repentance and transformation, of challenging injustice and changing structures when needed.
We are the land of Washington. We know intuitively that a free people must be reverent and virtuous, humble and sacrificial, ready to serve posterity over their personal passions.
We are the land of Christian and Enlightened thinkers who pioneered total freedom of conscience and created a context for people of all faiths or none to live peaceably with their deepest differences.
We are also the land of William Jennings Bryan and Dorothy Day. One was a progressive Democratic candidate for President three times and a fundamentalist Christian (who says traditional faith and social conscience cannot be woven together?). The other was a Catholic lay leader who spent her lifetime working for the poor and laboring populations and refusing to accept the economic or social status quo.
We are the land of Rabbi Abraham Heschel and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. They marched together for Civil Rights and left speeches and writings that remain as fresh as they day they were uttered or written.
We are the land of The Williamsburg Charter, a celebration of two centuries of freedom of conscience. This Charter is signed by Coretta Scott King and Phyllis Schafly. Elie Weisel and Norman Lear's signatures are next to bishops, intellectuals, politicians and business leaders who all know that religious liberty is the first freedom.
We are the land that represents hope for a world where liberty is unknown and violence plagues people of faith and justice.
Yes, i could comment on the legacy of slavery, our continental conquests and our many mistakes. But today we need to thank God for our land, humbly beseech His mercy for our many failures, leave our computers and go eat with our neighbors and serve those who cannot return the favor.
"America is great because she is good." May we live up to the praises of Alexis de Tocqueville, circa 1831. We have reason to celebrate and in our rejoicing reconsecrate ourselves to our Founder's vision.
Today, however, let's take a moment to celebrate. Historical reflection is not mind-numbing nostalgia. Looking back can help us look ahead. Seeing the depravity and dignity of previous generations can inspire and warn us about our own. Here are some reasons to light the sparklers and ignite the fireworks over the ocean.
We still live is the freest land in the world, with open space and opportunities found nowhere else.
We are a generous people, who, in spite of our own environmental challenges, lead the world in care for other nations.
We are still living in the shadow of the Greatest Generation who spent their teen and young adult years battling the Great Depression, storming the Normandy beaches and surviving the Bataan Death March. This generation witnessed the Holocaust and Hiroshima and still built the most prosperous land in history, marched for civil and voting rights and bequeathed a belief in the future.
We are the land of Lincoln. We are capable of repentance and transformation, of challenging injustice and changing structures when needed.
We are the land of Washington. We know intuitively that a free people must be reverent and virtuous, humble and sacrificial, ready to serve posterity over their personal passions.
We are the land of Christian and Enlightened thinkers who pioneered total freedom of conscience and created a context for people of all faiths or none to live peaceably with their deepest differences.
We are also the land of William Jennings Bryan and Dorothy Day. One was a progressive Democratic candidate for President three times and a fundamentalist Christian (who says traditional faith and social conscience cannot be woven together?). The other was a Catholic lay leader who spent her lifetime working for the poor and laboring populations and refusing to accept the economic or social status quo.
We are the land of Rabbi Abraham Heschel and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. They marched together for Civil Rights and left speeches and writings that remain as fresh as they day they were uttered or written.
We are the land of The Williamsburg Charter, a celebration of two centuries of freedom of conscience. This Charter is signed by Coretta Scott King and Phyllis Schafly. Elie Weisel and Norman Lear's signatures are next to bishops, intellectuals, politicians and business leaders who all know that religious liberty is the first freedom.
We are the land that represents hope for a world where liberty is unknown and violence plagues people of faith and justice.
Yes, i could comment on the legacy of slavery, our continental conquests and our many mistakes. But today we need to thank God for our land, humbly beseech His mercy for our many failures, leave our computers and go eat with our neighbors and serve those who cannot return the favor.
"America is great because she is good." May we live up to the praises of Alexis de Tocqueville, circa 1831. We have reason to celebrate and in our rejoicing reconsecrate ourselves to our Founder's vision.
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