Where Has Sanity Gone?

Every Holiday Season the battles begin anew over a creche in the public square and whether or not Kwaanza is getting equal time with Christmas and Hanukkah. This year's "twist" consists of some members of the US Congress affirming Islam and Ramadan and refusing to affirm the importance of Christianity and the persecution of Christians around the globe.

I am a historian. There is a simple explanation for this insanity. Yes, it is insanity when the tradition of a vast majority of Americans is relegated to obscurity while the faith of many of our enemies is given special attention. 

Here is the problem: The protestors of 1968 are the "activists" of 2008; however, they are stuck in an ideological and moral time warp. They are still fighting what they see as the dominant "White-Patriarchal-Judeo-Christian-Traditional-Values-Colonialist-America-First" culture. All these hyphens are needed because the enemy list is so vast!

The deep self-hatred for all things traditional and Western is acute among these "Well-Educated-Mostly-White-Academic-Public Service [What - get a real job and support capitalism?)-One-World-Global (unless you hate the WTO)-Elites."

Radical Islam wants to reify the 13th century and there is nary a cry of protest from this quarter. "It is because of poverty - and that is our fault!" they cry. Nonsense. There is enough oil money in the Islamic nations to feed everyone and to stimulate new economies. 

Al Gore makes over $100 Million from peddling fear and he is rewarded with a Nobel Peace Prize and acclaim from jet-setters who have a Prius tucked away for public appearances. 

The nine Congresspersons who refused to affirm that Christians are persecuted and that Christianity is a faith honored by millions are part of this group still fighting the 1950s. They should be leading our fight against terror, the real fight for the environment (sound planning and wise preservation) and the wars on AIDS, poverty and slavery.

The answer to such insanity is clear, honest thinking rooted in history and hope. Narcissism and nostalgia are the twin enemies of honest assessment and hopeful aspiration. The Insane/Self-Destructive Elites need to ponder the economic engine that drives their Vespas. They need to think about where freedom is found and rediscover that freedom means responsibility and virtue and sometimes fewer choices, not endless navel-gazing about identity. 

Conservatives need to end all self-delusion about any halcyon days of yesteryear and allow deep-rooted values to propel us toward a more free and just society.

It was not ethnic or gender politics that brought Civil Rights to millions in 1965 - it was universal, Judeo-Christian principles (with some Ghandian pragmatism included!) that shaped the Rev. Dr. MLK's great assertion that we are assessed not by the color of our skin, but the content of our character.

It was not "redefining-the-family-sexualization politics" that saw our nation through a Depression, World War and the rebuilding of Europe and Japan. It was millions of hard-working people learning (sometimes the hard way) to live with their differences while making a difference!

Islam will not promote any peace except that of submission (coerced or voluntary; immediate or long-term) to its dominance. Yes, there were moments of cultural flourishing and toleration in parts of Spain and  the Middle East centuries ago; however, the contemporary Muslim voices for pluralism are few and persecuted.

Where did sanity go? It was sown to the wind of self-indulgence and we are reaping the whirlwind of self-destruction.

Is there hope? Absolutely! The hope lies in moral and spiritual renewal that affirms timeless truth while creating timely solutions. A non-polluting car is near - if free markets will partner with public good. Sustainable ecosystems are possible, if we get past the unproductive polemics. AIDS can be conquered - with medical care and moral responsibility.

Forty years ago I was a fifth-grader fascinated by the Presidential race between Humphrey, Nixon and Wallace, scared of the violence in Chicago, saddened by the Vietnam War, but hopeful about the future. I am still saddened by our current challenges and I am still hopeful - if we get off the lemming-style pathway of hatred and choose the road of responsive love.

July 5 is Reality

Our Founders ratified the Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July and John Hancock affixed his famous signature to the document that day. The other delegates would sign Declaration on August 2. John Adams and others recognized the importance of July 4th and suggested that it be perennially marked by celebration, fireworks and gratitude to the Almighty for the birth of a new land of liberty.

July 5th dawned as another muggy, oppressive summer day in Philadelphia. Imagine a non-air-conditioned room full if men who bathed weekly and wore layers of wool clothing! The Continental Congress had much to do beyond ratifying a Declaration. There was an army to feed and supply, a new Republic to govern and the real fear of losing everything if they failed.

Why is July 5th important? it is important because our Founders kept on working at the tasks at hand. Securing a new nation meant daily toil, not just high moments of public proclamation.

Why is July 5th important today? Today there are millions of Americans who are faithful to their families, work hard, serve the community, worship God and carry on the tasks that make this the greatest nation on earth. July 4th is great - fireworks and fun, beaches and barbecues - but July 5th may be more important, for it is the ordinary responsible activities of all our citizens that make us great!

Let's celebrate July 5th by being heroes to our kids and making history by our fidelity to the virtues that are the cornerstone of liberty.

A Trifecta for Sanity

Yesterday, June 28, we witnessed a three-fold moment of sanity in the sociopolitical world. Such a "trifecta" is rare and we ought to take a moment to indulge in some good feelings before our battles begin again.

President Bush's immigration legislation was dealt another defeat. Good riddance to the cheap-jobs-for-Republicans-and-cheap-votes-for-Democrats agenda - at least for awhile.

The "Fairness Doctrine" - a thinly veiled attempt of the Left to control the radio waves because they can not compete with conservative talk - was soundly rejected by the House.

And finally, the United Church of Christ, a mainline Protestant denomination, admitted that its policy statements concerning the Middle East were unfairly biased against Israel. A committee agreed that the Arabs share some of the blame for their problems and most of the violence is not the fault of the Israelis.

It is rare to hear see so much sanity in one day...let's enjoy it as we celebrate America's heritage and hope this week.

Welcome to America

This morning I had the honor of appearing on the KSFO AM 560 morning show, hosted by Leigh Rodgers and Melanie Morgan, with Officer Vic providing color, traffic and musical whimsy. Brian Sussman, who hosts his own show on KSFO from 6-8 PM nightly, was the guest host with Melanie and Vic. The topic was the current immigration crisis. A scheduled guest could not appear, so "Dr. History" spontaneously pinch-hit and provided historical perspective of the impact of immigration upon cultures throughout history.

America, by definition, is a land of immigrants. We have an uneven record toward welcoming certain groups at certain times, but overall, we have been, and remain, the first destination for those who want freedom and opportunity. Our sheer size, diversity of cultures, economic opportunities and the values that uphold our land draw people here by the millions.

In 1620 the Pilgrims landed, determined to practice their faith and live at peace with all - they did, for nearly 70 years.

Roger Williams established Rhode Island as a beacon of religious freedom.

In the 1650s, Maryland ("Mary-Land") was founded as a haven for English Catholics, with Lord Baltimore leading the exodus to freedom.

When our Founders wrote the Constitution, they expressly forbade any religious test for political office and forever enshrined the freedom of conscience and religion - the true "First Freedom" - in the first 16 words of the First Amendment.

Bigotry, racism and xenophobia are, alas, conditions of human societies everywhere and American history is no exception. Our Native American policies are a study in moral turpitude and self-deception. The War with Mexico was a pretence for conquest. In the 1850s there were anti-Catholic riots in Baltimore! The legacy of slavery and Jim Crow is still being overcome. The anti-Chinese and anti-Japanese laws of the 19th and 20th centuries are a stain on our history. The isolationism of the 1920s to 1940s kept thousands, perhaps millions, of Jews and other victims of totalitarianism out of our great land.

The previous paragraph reminds me of my history classes in Berkeley and Santa Cruz: America the colonial oppressor...America the racist...America - you get the idea. There were times I felt persecuted for walking in the room - after all, I am a white male, married and middle-class, so I am part of the problem and should apologize for living.

But there are other narrative threads that must be woven into our historical tapestry. Our Revolution was NOT like the one that came later in France! President George Washington spoke at a synagogue - and welcomed people of all faiths or none to be part of the virtuous citizenry our our new land. The Irish who felt persecuted in the 1850s became part of the elite by the dawn of the 20th century. The Asian laborers who built our railroads are now watching their descendants enjoy the American Dream. The African-American and Hispanic-American middle classes are growing and Martin Luther King's efforts are paying rich dividends for many.

Welcome to America - the greatest ongoing experiment in freedom in history.

Welcome to America - we need many "Ellis Islands" to welcome legal immigrants who want to become citizens and uphold our principles and virtues.

Welcome to America - if you are a visitor, we need to know where you are and if your intentions are good.

Welcome to America - a lighthouse to a world that is learning English.

Welcome to America - a land that must not "submit" to any theocracy, especially one designed to destroy our freedoms. People of all faiths or none live with their deepest differences in this nation. Yes, we can persuade and ask people to covert, but coercion and oppression of the conscience have no place in America.

Welcome to America - flawed, but struggling forward; naive at times, but anxious to receive all who embrace liberty and liberty's foundations of faith and virtue.

Welcome to America - and land that does not need to follow in the self-destructive footsteps of Western Europe and wallow in a post-religious vacuum of bureaucracy.

Welcome to America - if you can handle the responsibility that comes with freedom.

Here We Go Again

For thirty years there have been negotiations between Israel and some of her neighbors concerning a "final" geopolitical settlement in the Middle East.

Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded - but we have no peace.

Israel has withdrawn from major portions of the "Occupied Territories" - but we have no peace.

Israel has offered unilateral concessions - only to be met with ridicule and rockets.

Hamas, Iran and Syria are arming for war against the only democracy in the region and most of the world accuses Israel as being the problem!

Here we go again. It is January 30, 1939 exhumed from the ashes. As Hitler prepares to unleash war on Europe, he blames the Jews for the coming conflagration. In his speech to the puppet Reichstag (Parliament), he declares that any bloodshed in the coming years would be the fault of the Jews and result in their "destruction."

Will we ever learn? Will we ever liberate ourselves from the bondage of Anti-Semitic mythology? Or do we need another war (which will be won by Israel) with thousands dead to remind us of the futility of hatred?

What are the keys to peace in the Middle East? There are two simple ones: Unequivocal recognition of Israel's right to exist within clear boundaries and an end to state-sponsored terrorism.

Until some Palestinian leaders cool their rhetoric and demonstrate real courage, we will live with a tinderbox that could spark far more than a regional war.