The Point Has Been Long Lost

For some time now, we've seen our local police go from "protect and serve" to "enforce and subdue" in many situations that have raised ire and question.  We've watched a number of high ranking military officials be "retired" early, and we have an administration that simply does what it wants, without question.  Doctors and social services have taken a number of parental rights, as has the public school system.   In all of the power grabbing of the past 50 years, yes 50, not just the last six or the previous 8, depending upon which side of the aisle you lean . . . We have allowed ourselves to be divided politically, religiously, racially, while not realizing "we" are all in the same boat.  We have been groomed to have a "Them and Us" mentality on nearly every level and sadly; to either fear or hate "them."

This truly is on every level in our country.  It used to only be politically obvious through the campaign season, but now the name calling and the "hating on" is relentless and is the ongoing focus of headlines, talk radio, and social media.  American politics tends to be divided by religious differences which are only fueled by every headline.

I find the latest racial division to be quite alarming on many levels.  The reality is, we did have a division between police and public long before Ferguson and it's been lost in the race baiting.  I still remember back in 2000, the chief of police explaining to me about the "blue line."  He was explaining to me how a chaplain serving without pay, would have to earn the trust of the force, blah, blah, blah . . .That's not saying every cop is bad, but if a middle aged lady preacher was suspect, obviously; most every cop sees the citizens as "them."  This was before 9/11.

Right and wrong are continuously being redefined by society.  Headlines are often misleading, only serving to stir the pot, which seems to be just below the boiling point, at a constant 210°.  We've lost the calm in our society and seem to simply exist between violence and crises.  The citizens, in general, are being systematically divided!  Racial and religious profiling is coming and sadly the line in the sand between the citizens will be drawn between friends and family.

I ran for a county office in 2000.  As it turns out, I was not well connected enough to win the election and the one who did win, later resigned in the shame of embezzlement . . . yet my own mother said she would not have voted for me, as I was not in "her party."  President Obama is certainly not helping the political, religious, or racial division, and he even seems to be intensifying it, but he didn't start it.  The path(s) toward division have been being entrenched in our society for years.  We are on the brink of social collapse and a political party is not the answer, a ruthless religion is not the solution, and division based upon the color of skin is an outrage!

We must stop looking at each other to affix blame and realize, we are being divided to be conquered . . .
The maxim divide et impera was attributed to Philip II of Macedon, and together with the maxim divide ut regnes were utilised by the Roman ruler Caesar and the French emperor Napoleon.

 It's going to get worse before it gets better.  When it comes down to it, skin color makes no difference, and our politics won't save us.  There is only one solution and is NOT the alternative solution to division!

Come now, let us reason together, says YHWH . . . Prophet of Holy Scripture

For a Cause

Have you noticed how many "causes" there are and the various recommendations of activities or "badges" to display our support of these causes?

The variety of ways to demonstrate support certainly run the gambit from sending money to throwing buckets of ice water, to wearing ribbons to marches, to going braless or growing a beard.  The last two are obviously gender exclusive, well somewhat . . .  Even in all the variety, however; the way to show support is modeled in uniformity, depending upon the cause.  It seems most every cause will accept monetary donations and volunteers, so that's a consistency amongst causes, but then the changes come.

photo by nbcnews

The ALS challenge involved being doused in ice water.  Fortunately that was through a warmer month.  I don't have the stats as to how much money was actually raised.  I certainly am clueless as to how much actually went to research or to assist those suffering from the disease, after administrative costs.


No Shave November is a fairly recent "cause," founded in 2009.  It's an online not for profit to raise cancer awareness and of course, funds.  In the beginning, the goal was to help cancer patients and their families in their struggle of treatments, etc.  In 2013 this organization partnered with The American Cancer Society, so the funds that are now raised are allocated according to the larger organization . . .  There is an underlying message in cancer treatment, however; against natural treatment.  If a person submits to surgery and chemo, but still dies, and they do . . . they did all they could.  If a person utilizes only natural remedies, and they live, it's barely documented, if at all, and if they die, natural cures are to blame.  Then there are those who try to utilize a complimentary plan between natural and mainstream medicine.  In the case of death, natural remedies are blamed.

October was breast cancer awareness month, and the pink ribbons were everywhere.  There is one day that is designated to go braless for this cause.  I don't participate in that, as it seems to sexualize a very serious problem, as well as centering around conventional treatment, which is no cure.  Cancer is a huge problem in this country, and I don't believe it has much to do with the various parts of anatomy that are attacked.  Fund raising for research, in my opinion, needs to be directed differently.  In all the years of The American Cancer Society fundraising and research still revolves around mainstream medicine and big pharma.  If as much time and energy were spent to actually address the underlying cause of this deadly disease and natural treatment options, I believe we'd see a cure.  Which brings me to the next cause.

The March Against Monsanto could be one of my "pet causes" if the official marches did not take place on Shabbat.  Monsanto isn't going away, anytime soon.  Between the Lobby and the Supreme Court, this business is well covered.  As genetic engineering continues to gain ground, the destruction of creation has become a runaway train.  We certainly don't read about any big operators being raided, just the organic homesteaders.  There is one basic component missing in the March Against Monsanto, however; in this cause.  Marching against Monsanto doesn't put good food on the table.  Returning to our "roots" as an agrarian society is what it's really going to take to defeat Monsanto and other companies like it.  As long as our dependency for food continues, the companies holding the control of the seeds will continue to grow.

There are different color ribbons for every cause, it seems.  To be honest, the ribbons bring to my mind; the colored stars and triangles of the pre-holocaust days of Nazi Germany.

The various ribbons are a way to identify those who for now, are choosing to be identified.  It seems the day is coming, when the choice will be removed and the identification, assigned.  Since being gay is now a point of pride and the religious seem to be arguing amongst themselves, I'm not sure who will be wearing the signs, ribbons and badges of shame, but I have a few ideas.  There are actually businesses to make "cause ribbons."

As causes continue to be spotlighted, I can't help but wonder which one will be the one that rallies the greatest support against the social nemesis.  Although we rally for various causes, AGAINST something, as the momentum against continues to gain ground, the social nemesis that will get the majority of this country walking in lockstep, will have to have a face.  There's too much money in cancer treatment for research to ever bring a cure.  There is too much power in controlling the food supply for Big Ag to go away quietly.  I can't help but notice in all these "ribbon causes" the rainbow ribbon is gaining notice and momentum.

Will this be a part of the bigger agenda to rally the majority?  In all these "causes" have we noticed?  Natural health advocates, homesteaders, and Christian businesses seem to be the faces of what is deemed unacceptable for our society.

 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of YHWH thy Elohim, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:  Torah of Holy Scripture

Choices

I used to say, "I'm all about choice," until I found myself in a relationship with an individual who offers "no choice."  There are no words for the thoughts and feelings that slammed my brain like a tsunami, as that man would stand, half shrugging his shoulders, while saying, "What can I do?"  For some; choice seems to be just too much personal responsibility.  This has given me a great opportunity to think and observe what our society has lost because people no longer make choices, thus lack commitment.  It's as if we just go through life adding 10 or 20 percent of this or that to our already half full, half stacked wagon of baggage.  Relationships are based upon the acceptance of past baggage rather than building a future.  Of course, everyone has a past, but most folks now, drag it into their present.  I'm not talking about children from a previous relationship, most baggage draggers just use their kids as a cover to maintain control, or keep the drama stirred.   What I've noticed through a few generations now, of being all about choice, is the transition that has taken place, as each generation ricochets off the standard and example of the last one.  I still believe in choice, I'm just careful who I say it to!  My land radio show was entitled "Choose Life."

Some people take full responsibility for their choices, even for their not so responsible choices.  Many of the men of my father's generation made quite a comfortable living, acquired and amassed with a high school education, OJT, and determination toward their committed choices.  Regardless of how they came into adulthood, they made clear and concise choices to go forward, accomplish, acquire, and amass.  They made choices and they were committed to those choices.  When things didn't work out, they picked up the pieces and made the choice to rebuild.  Of course, there were exceptions, but that was the rule of the generation that arrived before WWII.  There are those who still make clear and concise choices and "pay the fiddler" as they go, but they are clearly no longer mainstream.  Our society no longer insists that anyone make clear choices, as a matter of fact, commitment to any long term choice usually now comes at a cost to the parents or society in general.

My generation, yes the boomers, we did a great deal to transition from the choice of lifelong commitment, to we'll see how this goes . . .  Our generation was the first to openly cohabitate, yet also caused the divorce rate to skyrocket.  Obviously that statistical equation has some unnamed variables!  For the most part, we had a little more education than high school and careers were extremely important, but we women followed the examples set years earlier by the "Rosie the Riveters" and made the choice to have it all.  Rosie the Riveters were married to men who were committed to them, feminists, unfortunately, were not!  Relationships failed and the men maintained their careers and their responsibilities, but most dragged their last relationship into the next relationship.  So, as men thought they could have a new start while still keeping an ex happy, the exes continued to dominate two households while moving on socially, and the new women determined careers and kids would come before men.   Although we may have grown up in secret dysfunction, the boomers openly made dysfunctional, the standard.  Choice was no longer applied to direction and building of acquiring and amassing, but rather to escape and "new" beginnings became mired with accumulated baggage.  Rather than making and sticking with a choice for life, choice became redefined to "finding ourselves."

While we boomers spent our twenties and part of our thirties, choosing to find ourselves, only to discover we weren't so thrilled with who we found ourselves to be, also discovered our kid's formative years were over.  In the starting over with accumulated baggage, our kids did seem to make one choice and that was to just start later . . . and of course, test the waters before even considering a commitment, if at all.  So many programs were afforded to single mothers going to school and live in boyfriends no longer interfered with state "benefits."  Marriage would only rob a young woman of assistance and a young man of, well . . .being a man.  Besides, a divorced baby boomer mom, usually had a basement to move back into, or a spare room.  So, a couple of babies later, no real commitment, a "place to come home," and life just expands and continues for everyone with no real choices being made.  Life just "happened" and babies just "came along."

Now, there is yet another generation.  Between ancestral guilt and nearly unlimited borrowing opportunities, this generation can have it all by their early twenties, with minimal accountability of reality.  Boys literally do not become men until, well until their mothers stop paying their bills and feeding them.  They do often, however; become fathers long before that.  Moms are so condoning and cool, girls no longer want their own space.  It seems the right of passage for young women these days is motherhood and the right to speak her mind.

Our society seems to have taken the centuries old approach of the family continuing to expand and work together, passing the torch of responsibility with the right of passage, to celebrating a failure to launch.  The right of passage to adulthood used to involve a conscious choice of commitment with no turning back and NO "Alternate Plan B."  Commitment or consequences used to follow choices.  Now, for the most part, our society seems to encourage the choice to not really build a future, but rather just exist, often dependent upon others.  Choices are still being made, but they are not choices of forward momentum and aspiration.  We are living longer and accomplishing less.  We are choosing stagnation, dependence and victimhood, rather than life!

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy children may live:  Torah of Holy Scripture

What's Behind the Headlines?

As racial tension escalates, the flames of religious difference are becoming explosive, and the mentality of "them and us" is fed by the mainstream media, I find myself wondering what's really happening.  I am leaning toward watching the health situations that are barely receiving coverage.  Remember ebola?  Now the CDC has announced that this year's flu shot isn't going to be effective, but . . . there are prescriptions.   I'm also keeping an eye on the economy.  One party says it's really improved, while they fight for more and more benefits for the working poor.  The other party says it's not improved, so we need to make more cuts in programs that are already not helping enough people.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . . What happened to Clive Bundy?    Harry Reid said it wasn't over, and although he's no longer the loudest, most powerful voice in the Senate, none of us really expect much change.   The circumstances in the Middle East continue to escalate, while Protestants seem to be heading to the Vatican.  I've watched many folks change position regarding the religious wars.  For this reporter, the bottom line is simple.  There are bad people involved in every religion.  I stand in agreement with Israel, even though I do not agree with the Chabad or Zionists.  I do not and cannot support the tenets of faith when it comes to Islam, nor do I embrace the teachings of the Vatican.

Shutting down the independents seems to be a major goal, here in America.  This goal seems to target a variety of independents from a variety of directions, be it ranchers, a bridal shop owner who had a thoughtless client, Christian bakers, organic farmers, and hobby farmers, to name only a few.  As I watched the reactions to grand jury decisions regarding racially charged headlines, I can't help but notice the businesses that were destroyed in the rioting didn't have a thing to do with the issue, and some of them were owned by individuals of color.  What did that accomplish?  Other than to further divide and cause independent business owners to lose business.  What mom and pop businesses, Wal-Mart hasn't shuttered, the choreographed problems, and programmed agenda will.  Without a doubt, illegal immigrants replacing citizens in the military will make Martial Law a much greater arm of power.  US Citizens would have greater difficulty firing on their fellow citizens, or taking them captive; whereas foreigners probably won't give it a second thought.

At last count, there were 1400 US citizens being monitored for ebola symptoms.  The sunshine state as well as Arizona have changed "their" mind about solar power and it's rumored some folks who have invested, could actually be fined.  Some states are already fining and worse, those who dare catch rainwater.   Obviously, the loss of independence is a major goal in bringing the NWO.  The filtering information is now also a glaring fact.  We simply cannot forget that freedom is not granted by the government, but rather is a gift from our Creator.

You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.  New Testament    

The Court of Public Opinion

Justice has become little more than headlines.  We simply do not know, and many do not care, what the truth actually is.  In the special edition of the Goshen Gazette, remembering the assassination of President Kennedy, a somber fact persists all these years later.  A great many people simply aren't sure we believe the official record.  Lee Harvey Oswald was literally tried, judged, and executed in "the court of public opinion" in less than 48 hours.  Although, only one man pulled the trigger in that Dallas Police Department taking, Oswald's life, that was basically the end of the investigation.  There was no jury, no trial, and no official judgment; but a simple presumption of guilt and the case was closed by the verdict of Warren Commission.

By the time O. J. Simpson was standing trial for a double murder, courtroom drama was already a part of television programming.  Considering O.J. had been big in sports, even movies and advertising, it seemed almost "natural" that his trial would be televised.  What we seemed to overlook in the publicity of this televised trial is the fact that the public had already determined his guilt or innocence, based not upon facts and evidence, but rather race and fame.  I didn't want O.J. to have committed that horrendous act.  I wanted justice, not legal technicalities.  I remembered having such a schoolgirl crush on the Heisman trophy winner back in 1968.  I wanted to believe that O.J. was simply incapable of doing such a thing.  Although he was acquitted, there was still much more than a lingering doubt in regard to his innocence, but he also had been tried by the court of public opinion.

Scott Peterson was clearly tried by the court of public opinion, in that there was a movie made about the case before he even went to trial.  I do have many doubts about this conviction, right down to the fact Laci's disappearance made national news within hours.  A woman presumedly takes her dog for a walk while her husband is fishing, and she's not home when he gets back.  Within just a few hours, a police report is made, the search is organized, and by morning, it's national news.  There's no argument that Scott Peterson is a cad.  He's an adulterous jerk, but that doesn't necessarily make him a murderer.  I've always had a few questions about the massage therapist.  As a former funeral director who worked with several county coroners, the condition and separation of the bodies seemed questionable. Sentencing a man to death, based upon circumstantial evidence seems presumptuous and irresponsible.  The only "evidence" was a single strand of hair thought to be Laci's, in a pair of pliers on Scott's boat.  As a woman with long hair, strands of hair can appear in many unlikely places.  I certainly do not view Scott Peterson as a truthful human being of integrity, it's just hard to believe someone could commit a murder and leave absolutely no evidence, whatsoever.  

Moving on to a more recent event, this past week the grand jury determined there was not enough evidence to bring charges against Officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown.  This situation was not only racially, but very, very politically divided and basically appeared to be orchestrated to ramp up tension and deeply divide the people.  There have been many incidents of police brutality, but the man had just stolen merchandise and had gotten a bit physical with the clerk, so there were enough variables to sort through without the racial issue and certainly without the Washington politicians getting involved.  It would appear to this journalist that the powers that be do recognize much is determined by the court of public opinion, and this is one more way to further divide the people.

But YHWH said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for YHWH seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but YHWH looketh on the heart.  History of Holy Scripture