Why Not Peyton?

Peyton Manning vs. Dr. Huxtable

Ok, Bill Cosby was accused of numerous sexual assaults, including rape, and had his life turned upside down. Cosby has yet to be convicted of anything yet his career and reputation have been destroyed. We all form our own opinions based on media reports and intuition long before the inside of a court room is ever seen...sometimes. I grew up loving Bill Cosby, back to his days of Fat Albert, and with a heavy heart have convicted him of these heinous accusations. I'm glad his career is over, his reputation ruined, and his squeaky clean facade dismantled. So then, why isn't everyone doing the same with Manning? Unlike Cosby, I never liked Manning; he always seemed a little shifty to me and I just couldn't believe others couldn't see through his act. Well, now the stage lights have come on and his make-up is off...so where's all the outrage? Why is poor little Peyton being given a pass? (excuse the pun) Tom Brady got caught deflating footballs; he is the Nixon of the NFL. It was the talk of the town for months. Yes, as a society we spent our time discussing the weight of footballs and weather or not they factored in the outcome of a game...A GAME! When Johnny Manziel, the quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, has one too many drinks and makes a public ass of himself, the media has a field day. Apparently public degradation of an alcoholic is amusing; but let's not forget the media wouldn't keep publishing these things if there wasn't an eager audience. I could go on for pages about the abuses perpetrated, on and off the field, by these athlete "heroes." But back to good old Peyton, the Good Ole Boy.

Really Ladies????

Why so quick to persecute Mr. Cosby but not Manning? Both had good guy images. Both excelled in their fields. Both made commercials. Both are white.....oh wait, no they're not....is that it? Are the very people that cry for a color blind society really oblivious to this? That's not even the worst of it. What about the female physician twho was allegedly abused by Manning WHILE she was treating his injury? Why aren't the empowered women who also happen to be football fans as outraged as I? Why is Tennessee's response to this, and all the other sexual assault charges they face, on the back pages? 

The most troubling question that has been rattling around in my brain is this: Why do we value the career of a quarterback over that of a physician? Her career was ruined; he just won a trophy and sells insurance on TV. Physicians heal people; sexual predators harm them.

 I ask that all my friends who truly want a color-blind, gender-neutral society to get angry. I want you to repost this. I want you to really think. Cosby was accused by numerous women, Manning was accused by one(that we know of); does that make it ok? Does a person's first act of sexual abuse get a pass? No! So for all of you that personally convicted Bill Cosby, I ask: Why not Peyton?

I Pledge to Simplify

     The Pledge of Allegiance continues to be a topic of heated debates. The sticking point is the word "God." This can be resolved quickly if we take into consideration another word in the Pledge; "Liberty." If, during the recitation, we are pledging to honor the liberty of our fellow citizens then we must allow everyone the agency to determine which god they honor, if any at all. If you adhere to atheism, just remain silent during the phrase "Under God." If you refer to God by another name, freely say that name, "Under Allah... Vishnu...Jesus...etc." Being allowed to freely and openly aver your choice of a god or remain silent during this particular phrase is paramount to remaining an indivisible nation.

Bellamy's handwritten draft of Pledge of Allegiance

(http://rbscp.lib.rochester.edu/1779)

     "Indivisible" is perhaps the most significant word in the Pledge. Written by Francis Bellamy (a Christian Socialist) and first published on September 8, 1892, the original version of the Pledge had no mention of God; nor did it mention the United States. Bellamy was affected greatly by the American Civil War and was prompted to write the Pledge, specifically to include not only the word "indivisible," but the phrase "one nation." The revised version in 1923 added (among other grammatical changes) "the United States of America." It was not until 1954 under the perceived threat of Communism that "Under God" was incorporated into the Pledge. This again brings me to my confusion when people say they want the "Old America" back yet at the same time want God in the Pledge of Allegiance. Personally, I would rather go back to 1923 than 1954; I'd love to go to a Speakeasy and try the Charleston. 
     If we are to stay one, indivisible nation, we must address conflicts such as this collectively. The best part of being American is that we are each entitled to our opinions. That being the case, disagreements and opposing views are guaranteed to ensue. To differ, disagree, and vary in opinion is fine; it is actually wonderful as if we all keep our minds open, new ideas will follow. Opposing each other with closed minds creates divisions and that is exactly what we are pledging not to do! Conversations, not arguments, are conducted with open minds and result in wonderful, new ideas. Let us then respect our neighbor's liberty and discuss guidelines under which we will remain an indivisible nation.
   

Change Exposes Cowards

     Poorly worded postings on Facebook are fodder for this blogger. One that caught my eye recently asked that "God Bless the Old America." So many things are wrong here. First, which God?  As there are roughly 5,000 gods worshiped in the world, this is very exclusionary. Let me just say, in an effort to give you a better understanding of my position, I believe in God; my own version of God. If I thought about it for any length of time, I'd say I'm a Deist. That being said, given the source of the post, I am guessing it's the Christian version of God. 
     In the post I saw, there was a U.S. flag in the background. Using my well-honed detective skills, I concluded that the America God was being asked to bless, was the United States of America and not one of the two continents once inhabited by indigenous people. Now that I understood which God and which America, I just had to decipher the meaning of "old." The U.S. is now as old as it has ever been. By the time you finish reading this, it will be even older. If the person who posted this wants to go back in time, he really wants God to bless the Young America. Now, that makes sense! After all, when a living entity (which is exactly what a country is) is young, she makes mistakes; lots of them. The young America did need some supernatural guidance as she was wrought with mistakes; read the Articles of Confederation or an early draft of the Constitution, or I don't know, think about slavery. As the U.S. has gotten older, through the acts of courageous men and women who fought and died (right here at home), this country has corrected her mistakes. Why then, does anyone want to go back to a former time when so many people were denied so much? The answer is, fear.
     This one innate entity has denied so many so much. People that wish for a Utopian past are afraid of the changes that threaten their power. A wish for an imaginary Utopian society, by the way, is a basic tenet of Fascism. If someone wants to go back to a former society, we must ask how far back we should go. Shall we go back to the 80's when people were dying of AIDS in droves and the Reagan administration ignored pleas for government funding for research? Perhaps a decade before when we had hostages in Iran, a secret war with Laos, bombings in Cambodia, and Watergate? Or the 60's so we can see the pictures from Kent State (1970) anew? Eisenhower's 50's brought the Interstate system and suburbia yet left the urban poor in neglected slums so white collar workers could have 2 cars and washing machines. The 40's provided us with the horrors of nuclear bombs and a World War. How bout the 30's when kids rode the rails so their parents had one less mouth to feed because a quarter of the nation was unemployed?
     Perhaps we should go back 86 years from today, October 29, 1929. The Great Crash. This occurred due to more than a decade of overproduction and speculation. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about time travel. I'd love to go back and see Bogie walking down the street in a trench coat and fedora. I'd love to sit in a Speakeasy and have a drink with an Irish cop. That all looks so fun...on a movie screen. Ever watch an old movie and see an African American as anything but a servant? 
     It is evident to me that the person who made this FB post wants to go back to an idealized, white-Christian America because that is what makes him feel safe. Safety is great but it doesn't let you go anywhere. The changes we are seeing in our society are exposing the cowards who proclaim to love this country. To love something is to nurture it and watch it grow into something of which one can be proud. Cast your fears aside and be amazed.

Take Our Country Back???

     Recently I saw a Facebook post that said, "Let's take our country back!" Not being very bright, I was immediately confused. I broke the sentence down and came up with the following: "Let's" is the contraction of Let Us. Who constitutes "us?" Further, there can only be an us is there is an opposing group labeled, them. Next is the word, "take." You can only take something you do not have. "Our" is the possessive for the country that belongs to the us group. Now, to take something "back" you had something you no longer possess and want to regain that something, in this case an entire country. In sum, Them took a country from Us, and now Us wants it back. Hmmm, quite a pickle.
     In order to resolve this, my feeble brain concluded that we must first identify us and them. The country in question, of course, is The United States. That is the simple part. My confusion arises when trying to discern who belongs to the us group. You see, once that group is identified, everyone else becomes them. The person who posted this inane command on Facebook is a white, Christian, heterosexual male. Although this is a strong lead as to who believes themselves to be the rightful "owners" of this country, I do not subscribe to the belief that; a) this man originated the post, nor b) all people fitting the above description feel as though they are the dominant, us. 
     I then switched my strategy to trying to uncover the identity of them. Since this group now has the country, it seemed much easier. That being said, I used what little deductive skills I possess to reach the following conclusion: Them has the country; Americans have the country; therefore, the them group consists of Americans. Huh, how about that? The opposing group (us) can only be made up of people other than Americans. Who are these people and why do they want to take my country away?
     Yes, I am a them! And I hope the people who support the above mentioned FB post understand that, "It is not in numbers but in unity, that our great strength lies." (Thomas Paine, Common Sense) Dividing a nation is not a solution in addressing her problems. We did that once and more than 628,000 Americans lost their lives in a vain attempt to assert supremacy. All of those who deem they belong to the us group are all to fond of (mis)using the tenets of the Founders; the one deemed greatest is George Washington. I humbly ask that they deeply consider his words, "it is of infinite [emphasis mine] moment that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national union."(Washington, "Farewell Address, 1796)

Happy New Year, Rump

     December 31 marks the end of a year for us all. For Karin Rumpza, it also marks the end of another year of life. For the sake of our friendship, I will not mention how many years of life she has had; however, next year the first digit will change. Let me tell you about my friend.

     The last name, Rumpza, has left her open to a variety of nick-names; Rump Roast, Rump Shaker,etc. I just call her Rump. I feel comfortable saying that the girl is a mess; the reason being that I am a bigger mess. Over the last dozen years or so, I have had a number of heartbreaks and upheavals in my life. With uncanny precision, the worst of the painful events in my life occurred when Rump was out of the country...God has a wicked sense of humor. I had other friends that were compassionate and comforting but it wasn't the same; I needed Rump. Those of you who know Rump must understand why. For those of you who don't, I'll tell you why.

     Rump meets upsets in her own life with great passion and when a friend is in need she commits that passion to the other person. With her humor and understanding (I almost wrote, "patience," Ha!) she adopts the pain and therefore lessens the suffering of her friend; in many cases, me. There is a special comfort she offers; I believe it is due to the deep and inherent goodness of her soul. But that's not all there is to Rump.

     She is funny, very funny. Much of her humor is unintentional. One early memory I have of Rump happened at work. Several of us ladies were sitting in the locker-room chatting and laughing. In all sincerity, Rump stood on a bench; with her arms spread wide and a room full of people looking up at her, she declared, "I hate being the center of attention."  Another episode took place when we were hiking the Superstition mountains; in Phoenix...in July. Rump disregarded my advice to wear a hat and bring lots of water. After a few hours of hiking she asked, "Is this a good time to tell you I'm out of water?" There is no good time to say those words. We both feared we were lost (and we were) and began to take shortcuts through the thorny brush. Being as coordinated as ever, I stumbled into a plant that broke off in my knee. I later learned this type of plant has poison in the tips. As we tramped and limped through the desert, Rump heard her first rattle snake. At this point I was having great difficulty walking. Good friend that she is, when Rump heard the snake, she pushed my from behind screaming, "Get out of my way!" She left me in the dust with one good leg to escape the diamondback. She did redeem herself, however when we finally sat and she pulled the tip of the plant from my knee. She saved me that day; and on so many others.

     I am writing this off the top of my head thereby making it impossible for the reader to truly appreciate Rump. I am writing for two reasons: First, because I didn't get her a gift. Rump, this is your present. Secondly, because I want people to know how important you are; not just to me but to the world. Rump (and Kari) worked at a refugee camp in Ghana for a month to help people who literally had nothing but the clothes on their backs. She volunteered in Haiti after the earthquake and helped people who had lost everything. She is an advocate and volunteer at the Welcome to America Project in Phoenix, helping to feed and clothe refugees who had to flee their homes in order to survive. Through her benevolent actions, she has instilled this sense of duty to humanity in others; myself included. Her kindness and generosity are surpassed only by her compassion. 

     Rump has her faults and over the years we have had a tiff or two, yet there is nothing she can do to diminish my opinion of her. From me to you, Rump: Thank you. You have helped and inspired me more than you know and from the bottom of my heart, I offer my gratitude and respect. I love you, my friend. Happy Birthday, Rump.

     

                                                     

                                                                    For the Families of MH370

     You are angry; and you have a right to be. You are afraid; and you have a right to be. You are confused, lost, and physically ill; and you have a right to be. You have a right to any feelings you have at this time. From my little corner of the world, so far away, I too am afraid, confused, and scared. To say I understand your feelings is a lie, and you've been lied to enough. By enduring what you have over the past 5 days, you have more strength than I can ever hope to have. I admire you. I respect you. And I am angry with you. 

     Every hour or so, a "breaking" news report is released with some astonishing development, only to be refuted the next hour. Today we find out that the aircraft changed direction at last verbal contact but was visible on radar for another hour or so. Today we found that out yet the airline new about it days ago. And when I say "we" I really mean "we" as I fear you are discovering new information in the same manner as the rest of the world; via Internet or television. That is just so wrong. I wish I had a better vocabulary to describe just how wrong it is. 

     I read an article just now, which may or may not be correct, that said a few senior managers from the airline came to give you folks a briefing. Some threw water bottles and one man said "All Malaysians are liars." I immediately thought that's wrong. However, when I let it sink in for a moment I scolded myself for judging you people. How do I know I wouldn't do the same thing if someone I love was on that plane? Unless we are standing beside you, how do any of us know?

     Many of us all over the world are standing beside you in thought and spirit; some in prayer. Trying to make sense of what is happening must come second to letting you know that there is a sense of humanity in the world. Geographical boundaries do not matter. What matters is we are all individual persons who share the bond of humanness. Language, culture, nationality, religion, or skin color matter not. You, the families of those who boarded flight 370, are important. You matter. Your feelings matter. And when you are feeling confused and alone, remember that the humanity of the world stands beside you.

Boston Bombed

It's been quite some time since I've written anything; partly because I'm lazy and partly because I don't have much of an audience. But I am compelled to write this evening after my home town has been bombed. I don't mean the fun kind of bombed...I've been bombed in Boston plenty of times. I mean the kind of bomb used by an ideological miscreant; a coward; a senseless drone who lacks so greatly in intellect that he sees his only recourse as being violence. Maybe it's a group of people; that means they are an inane group of extremists which does not possess even the slightest semblance of gray matter. We must be careful to remember the word extremist. When angry and hurt one can let his emotions take over and condemn an entire group based on the actions of the relatively small number of violent operatives. I urge everyone (all 4 of you that read this) that violence answered with violence produces a never ending circle of senseless pain. We are better than that. This of course was an act of terrorism. The first known terrorist group in the U.S. was identified in 1866---the KKK---a group of white, Christian males. Let's all remember that terrorists come in all colors...including white. There has been a hatred in this country of anyone betraying indications of a Middle-Eastern background. I believe that Bostonians---Americans--- and all human beings are wise enough to understand that those who engineered a horrific event such as the one we witnessed today are extreme members of whichever group to which they belong. We know this. We must remember this. Today's tragedy was perpetrated as a symbol...though I'm not sure of what.

The Boston Marathon is run every year on Patriot's Day. This holiday has been celebrated in Massachusetts in recognition of the beginning of the Revolutionary War. For me, it was always a day off of school. It was usually opening day at Fenway. The runners used to get a wreath and a bowl of stew. There was no money involved. People ran to be a part of history. Perhaps today's bomber(s) doesn't understand what Patriot's Day really means. Against seemingly insurmountable odds, men from numerous towns in Massachusetts met the British army on Lexington Green and the first shots of the War were fired; April 19, 1775. Though many Minutemen were killed, the British eventually had to retreat. A group of rag-tag farmers sent the most powerful army in the world a clear message; Don't mess with New Englanders. Bostonians don't quit. Nor do they cower. They do get afraid, but instead of succumbing to fear, Bostonians forge ahead. That is what they will do now. Unfortunately, there will be some who will profile and hate as a result of today's tragedy. Like I said, all members of a certain group are not of the same mind.

My family is safe. My nieces were just a few blocks away from the bomb area and are now home safely and physically unharmed. Unfortunately, not everyone can say that tonight. To those people, I offer my sincerest sympathy. And to those of you who will insist on hating all the members of the group to which the extremists belong, you have my sympathy, too for you will retain a bitterness in your heart that will permeate every aspect of your life. You hurt yourself the most. There's been enough hurt today.