Muslims, Christians and Freedom

I consider freedom to be a sacred right. I also believe in the importance of law and laws. I believe in the freedom of expression. I believe in the freedom of religion. I also believe in the importance of law and laws. The United States of America allows a great deal of freedom. Ironically, freedom can be the culprit that can possibly cause the demise of this great nation. Because moral parameters are so important in any society, the Islamic faith teaches them and has provision for the punishment of their violators within their faith. "Within their faith" is a key concept. As we all know: the nature of American freedom declares that in this country one can practice his/her religion, or not practice any religion. One can believe in God or not believe in God. This is freedom. As I have mentioned: I believe in freedom of expression. I believe in freedom of speech. I believe in freedom of the press. If I do not believe in the teachings of Islam; do I have the right to criticize them? If I do not believe in the teachings of Christianity; do I have the right to criticize them? Yes.....to both questions. At least if you live in America. By His critics: Jesus has been portrayed as a fraud, a drunk, a glutton,
a womanizer, a homosexual and much more. He has been discredited and denounced. No person has been arrested, murdered, persecuted, or caused to be a fugitive for doing such things. Is one free to discredit Mohammed? Is one free to portray him as an evil person? Yes.....to both questions. Why? Because you live in America, and America is about freedom. Just be aware of this: Human nature is such that the words we speak may cause us some unpleasant consequences (even in your own house). We need to be wise with our freedoms. But that is a whole other story.

I Remember Ezzard Charles

He may not be as famous as other boxers, but he is one of the greatest to ever step into the ring. He defeated Joe Louis. He is the only boxer to have lasted 15 rounds with Rocky Marciano. He is remembered as the "Cincinnati Cobra." He was born in 1921 and died in 1975 at the age of 53. He held the heavyweight title from 1949 to 1951. He fought 108 times, 93 wins (52 by K.O.) and 25 losses. Two of his fights are considered classics of the 20th Century, when he fought Marciano, and when he fought Jersey Joe Walcott. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame at Canastota New York in 1990. He may not be the greatest, but he is definitely among the greatest. I saw him fight. I remember Ezzard Charles.

The Future Belongs To Those Who Prepare For It

Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody, at one time or another has failed to plan. It is a human weakness. Overplanning can also be a fault. Recently I heard this quote: "We make choices, and then those choices turn around and make us." I agree. It is nothing but common sense. Common sense does not sit too well with some people. "Common sense is a sign of weakness, and a betrayal to my adventurous spirit." Maybe they do not say it that way, but they think it. I am not an insurance salesman or a college recruitment officer. I am a person who has seen the bitterness and frustration of people who did not prepare themselves for some of the harsh realities of life that come our way as time goes on. Maybe love got in the way. Maybe friends and peer pressure got in the way. Maybe sickness or some circumstances beyond our control got in the way. Maybe the pursuit of pleasure got in the way. Maybe lack of self control got in the way. Maybe some bad habits got in the way. Everyone has his/her story. But time waits for nobody. We are all victims of wasted time, whether we wasted it ourselves or someone else. All I can really say at this point is prepare for the future. Study. Find something you like to do and become an expert at it. Learn to get out of bed and go to work. Take care of your responsibilities. Discipline yourself. Know that there are consequences for our actions/inactions, both good and bad. Prepare for better days. Stay sober. Work hard. Study hard. What about friends? Remember this: there are friends and there are "friends." Some of those so-called friends can destroy your future. Do not let them. The future belongs to those who prepare for it.

Tyler Clementi Killed Himself

Life is precious. There are so many things to do. There is so much to experience. There is so much life to live. Tyler Clementi was 18 years old at the time of his death. He took his own life. Two of his acquaintances secretly filmed him as he was engaged in homosexual conduct. They then showed his private sexual activity on line. Tyler killed himself because he was devastated due to the fact that he was seen doing what he was doing. No doubt he was ashamed. No doubt he was disappointed in his so-called "friends" who filmed him. I believe homosexuality is morally wrong, but I refuse to hate, mock, discredit or in any way mistreat those who participate in that type of conduct. I cannot stop them. One thing I am convinced of: The majority of reasonable people agree that sexual activity among human beings is private activity. In this case; the privacy of two men was invaded. This, of course is wrong. I hear people clamoring for "sensitivity training" for understanding the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. I say no. I respond with the importance of teaching all children the importance of respect. Teaching tolerance is not enough. "Tolerance" is a buzz word. It may be considered a goal or an end, but I am persuaded that it is only a part of a bigger picture. The bigger picture being respect for others. An even bigger picture is to teach kindness. But then you enter dangerous territory. You might need to mention religion. What if someone were to teach: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself" in a public school setting. There would be trouble. Why? Because those are the words of the greatest teacher who ever lived. His name is Jesus. If one taught this gem of truth in his/her classroom great results would take place. It can be done. It can be done if wisdom is used. Society is in trouble. The time has come to drown the devil in his own craftiness. There is hope. Especially in the greatest country in the history of humankind.

Chargers: Fix Your Special Teams

Rule # 1) for the kickoff team: STAY IN YOUR LANE. Do not get behind a player who has the same color jersey as yours. Rule # 2) When a kickoff returner returns a kickoff for a 101 yards and a touchdown; do not kick it to him again so that he can return it 98 yards for a touchdown. Squib kicks are usually successful. They are not handled by the best runners. They usually leave the defense with pretty good field position. Special teams execution is divided into two general parts: 1) Inspiration, motivation, intensity, and focus. 2) Strategy, skill, preparation, and execution. With these two parts working together at their highest level: success is imminent. Also, when the opposing team runs back a touchdown for 100 yards, It is a cheap touchdown. It is also a nightmare. When your team runs it back for 100 yards; it is a masterpiece, a thing of beauty, a dream come true.

Let it go!

Please do not submit, subject, or saddle yourself with an obsession that will prevent you from arriving at a peaceful relationship or a purposeful solution or successful and meaningful communication. If someone has wronged you, let it go. If someone has insulted you, let it go. If someone owes you money that you will never collect, let it go. If you have been humiliated or offended, the event that occurred can never be reversed. It is history. Move on. Let it go. Do not hold on to a grudge because you feel comfortable with it. Do not refuse to forgive. Do not refuse to forget. Obviously there are some people who cannot be your best friends. Obviously you will not be wise by continuing to submit yourself to abuse or mistreatment. Nevertheless, what has happened, has happened. Now you have a responsibility. You have a responsibility to yourself. You have a responsibility to not build barriers that will prevent you from moving on and doing great things. If those unpleasant memories can serve to help you make better decisions then so be it. If those unpleasant memories can be like ladders and stairs of advancement, then make it happen. Let it go. Don't stop, move on. You have no idea what the levels of achievements that await you are. You have no idea of the possibilities. Use your experiences to help you succeed. Never ever wallow in self pity. Let it go. There is a life to live and there are beautiful experiences waiting to happen. Therefore, let it go.

Assimilation Is Not The Problem

I have known people who have lived in this country over 40 years and they do not speak English. They only speak Spanish. That does not mean they cannot speak it, or understand it. They were too busy raising children and grandchildren. THEY WERE NOT MOTIVATED BY POLITICAL ACTIVISM regarding this situation. They were motivated by priorities and time constraints. I think the first thing we need to do regarding this matter is define our terms. The dictionary has 6 definitions. In this discourse, I will deal only with one: "Assimilation: To absorb into the cultural population or group." (Webster) Most of the men that I know who shout: "No assimilation for Mexicans." Have not obeyed their rallying cry. They just offer the rhetoric. They have married White women. They do not speak much Spanish. Most of their kids don't speak Spanish. They can contact government officials who speak only English. They didn't need bilingual education.....far from it. Do I fault them for that? No way! I worked at San Diego High School almost 4 years. At that time, it was like a "war zone." I was working in the ESL department. I was not a teacher; I was an aid. Their teacher could not deal with them so he left me in charge. My safety was compromised many times. Some of the loud-mouthed enrollees (sorry, I can't call them students) Would say in Spanish: "Im a Mexican, I don't eat sandwiches, I eat tacos and burritos! He was lying. He took full advantage of the free lunch program. We know: "boys will be boys." It took two students; both females and both 16 years of age to influence my thinking regarding these things. One of them told me: "Mr. Dominguez, I cannot stay in this school. It is not preparing me for my future, my mom really wants me to learn to speak excellent English, and I hardly ever even hear it." That particular student spoke to me in very broken English. I responded to her in English. She liked that. She transferred to a school that had very few Mexicans. I never saw her again. The other student spoke no English. She complained to me in Spanish: "They put all the Mexicans together in all of our classes, and we are not learning anything." She sounded like she didn't care, but I think she did. I concluded that ESL was designed to keep Mexican young people from assimilating. I thought the anti-assimilation plan was a racist plan. If they assimilated; they might succeed. It may be a far-fetched idea, but it is something to think about.