John Adams And The Constitution

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." (John Adams, 2nd. President of the U.S.)
If it were not for the freedoms that the United States Constitution guarantees; the irony of Bill Maher's verbal attacks on people of faith would never exist. Satirist Bill Maher is making much more money off of religion than most preachers ever dreamed of. There are 3 main reasons for this: Maher's skill, Maher's passion, and Maher's freedom. The freedom, of course, is not available elsewhere. This sort of freedom is only offered in the United States of America. The strategy of mocking and offending someone's faith as a means of entertainment would not fare well in most parts of the world; either financially or otherwise. Freedom is beautiful and can be lucrative. Let freedom ring. Freedom exercised will never change eternal truths. Talented, educated, angry and sophisticated clowns and satirists will never change this. Jesus said: "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life." The Word of God is a powerful spirit that produces powerful results. Here is the key to freedom/liberty: "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (II Cor. 3:17) The eternal Word of God is the producer of liberty. "It is impossible to govern the world without the Bible." (George Washington)

We Are Not Creatures of Circumstance

"We are not creatures of circumstance; we are creators of circumstance." (Benjamin Disraeli) I would like to expand on Mr. Disraeli's quote. First I must state that I am not a "Pollyanna," but I firmly believe that life is what you make it. You have a destiny to forge. You are destined for success. Why not? Of course you must want it. If you don't want it, it probably won't come by itself; because success is created. How? By creating circumstances that produce success. Firstly, two things are essential: Passion and purpose. It does not matter which comes first; you need both. Then you need to prepare. Then comes perseverence; which can be another term for hard work and smart work. The smart, hard work needs to continue because it produces powerful results. The strategy then is: Passion + Purpose + Preparation + Perseverence = Productivity. Productivity equals success. There are basically 4 parts to this process. It is necessary not to exaggerate or overdo any one part. Balance is important. We are creators of circumstance. We must rise above those who try to stop us; the bitter ones, the haters, the envious, the critics and doubters. They are not calling the shots. If they could they would. Forget them and move on.

One Of The Best Gifts From Parents

There is an old saying I heard a long time ago: "If you give me a fish; I can eat for one day; if you teach me how to fish, I can eat for the rest of my life." It seems that I have come across a great amount of lazy people. To meet someone who really likes to work is pretty special. How did they get that way? Why do they like to work? Why are they responsible? Why are they seldom late or absent from work? What is it that motivates them? Why the motivation? I think most of us can answer those questions. They were taught to be that way. They were encouraged to be that way. They were rewarded for being that way. They were loved for being that way. So who did those things for them? Probably their parents (or parent). Parents can leave their children wealth, property, and many things of material value. However, if their children were never taught the importance of being a hard worker; those "children" could possibly have a very difficult time when they become adults. It seems that hard and smart workers are always in demand.

On Intolerance, Tolerance and Indifference

I remember being called intolerant. Some people who claim to be tolerant are intolerant with anyone who disagrees with them. The reason I was called that was because I did not agree with the lifestyle of a certain person. I want to make it real clear that it is not normal or soundly reasonable to agree with everyone all of the time. I want to make it clear that I am a firm believer in freedom. I also want to make it clear that I refuse to hate anyone. I have certain convictions that persuade me that there are some things that I will never do. I am capable of doing them, and it is possible for me to do them, but I refuse to do them. I ALSO REFUSE TO HATE THE PERSONS WHO ENGAGE IN THE CONDUCT THAT I HATE. Is it not possible to hate a certain lifestyle and not hate the persons who engage in it? There are some mixed up people in this world who confuse compassion and respect for others with indifference to others. Many of those people are not really tolerant. They are indifferent. A writer who really believed it was Somerset Maugham. He said: "Tolerance is only another name for indifference." G.K. Chesterton said: "Tolerance is the virtue of a man without convictions." Indifference? It is serious business. Some say it is worse than hatred. "I did not hate them; I was indifferent to them. My crime was far worse because I was not an anti-Semite." (Albert Speer: A Nazi war criminal) "Indifference, to me, is the epitome of evil. The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference." (Elie Wiesel) Tolerance is a positive attribute; I really believe it. But only if it is truly tolerance and not merely indifference.

First Love

I was just a few months away from being 5 years of age, but like many others, I was already in kindergarten. I was with my friend, Arturo. He and I were trying to check out books at the San Diego County Library in San Ysidro. We were having a hard time because we could not speak English. And then she came. Her name was Norma Rogers, I saw her for the first time. And then she spoke. I'll never forget what she said. I never saw anyone so pretty, as she said: "These boys are trying to tell you that they want to check out a book." And then she smiled at me. That smile did it. I didn't know what to do as I felt a gentle warmth encompass me. I guess my face got really red. I can't say for sure. However, I know this: I was introduced to a brand new feeling. It felt good inside but at the same time it was funny, curious and mysterious. Yes, it was brand new. I guess many experiences are brand new when you are that age; but some have a greater impact than others. Time passed and I never saw her again. Then something unusual happened. I was working in the shoe department at Sears in 1967. She came in with her husband and greeted me. She was an attractive woman, and she smiled that smile. But twenty years later it didn't have the same effect. I told her that I knew her. She didn't remember me. And that was fine. Nevertheless, in spite of the innocence of the experience, Kahlil Gibran's thoughts on the subject might be applicable. "Every young man remembers his first love and tries to recapture that strange hour, the memory of which changes his deepest feeling and makes him so happy in spite of all the bitterness of its mystery."

Cultures Cannot Remain Static

We observe and report, observe and report, observe and report. At times many of us are cultural anthroplogists, sociologists, or social scientists; albeit without the titles. Due to the fact that the term "culture" has approximately 12 meanings: I will select several and just deal with that. Firstly, however, I will state clearly that anything that is alive; whether it be plant, animal, human or protista cannot survive without culture. Culture is a requirement for life. Why? Because there will be no life unless there is a way of life, and simply stated; culture means way of life. "A style of social and artistic expression peculiar to a class or society. Intellectual and artistic activity." Those are two of the twelve definitions given to us by Webster. Is it safe to say that all aspects of culture are constantly changing? Yes, if you are referring strictly to human culture. Let us assume that we are talking to a sociologist that started teaching at a university in 1960. He is still teaching at that same university. If we were to have asked that sociologist in 1960: What is American music? We would have gotten a certain answer. If we could have asked him that same question in 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000, we would have heard different answers. Why? because culture is always changing. Besides that; it is difficult to define our terms when discussing abstract matters of art within eclectic societies. I realize that this is perhaps too broad of a subject to deal with in this entry. To conclude: As a roaming sociologist, I will ask a man in the street: "Will you please name 3 Mexican foods?" He answers: "Sure, enchurritos, flying saucers, and fiesta pita delight."

"That Is Just The Way I Am"

"That is just the way I am, thats' just me, you know how I am." And the list goes on and on. What do I say to that? I say: Baloney! Particularly when someone does something extremely rude, inappropriate, or injurious; and then defends his/her actions by responding with such blather. People make choices. Every action (not necessarily a reaction) is a result of a choice. This means people selected to execute certain actions. "That is just the way I am." Okay. Just remember this: Our inconsiderate words and actions produce consequences. "Thats' just the way I am" will not forge an escape from consequences. Sometimes those consequences are dire. I know we all make mistakes. I know because I have made plenty, and there has been plenty to pay. Have you ever heard the words: "He knew what he was doing." Or, "That is no excuse, he knows better." It sort of confirms what I am talking about. All of us are in need of compassion and forgiveness. I am in favor of it. But do we scrape away the layers of nonsensical justifications first; and then forgive; or do we forgive first and then start scraping?