Programmed to Forego the First Amendment

Television has gained another generation of viewers and actors, since my television went out the door.  When I decided to get rid of the TV it wasn't a big religious decision and certainly no ritual involved, I simply no longer wanted one.  I referred to it as my "off switch."  I couldn't stay awake to watch more than a few minutes, so I never turned it on until late at night, then it was on indefinitely . . . My problem in falling asleep while watching, was the fact the programming continued to air while I slept.  I didn't want to be "taking in" the infomercials or whatever, subconsciously without choosing, so it was time to just get rid of it.  It's been wonderful to note how much more peaceful my sleep has been with no television.  In that decision, I became aware of making choices that were not necessarily big and life changing at the time, but that marked a notable distance between myself and mainstream.  I'm not saying televisions are evil, I'm saying they are a very integral part of our society, and the viewing schedule is called "programming" for a reason.

When the nation went from analogue to digital, it was a bigger game changer than most of us realize.  I know some folks did get rid of their televisions, while others just got the box or bought new sets.  Of course, cell phones have become commonplace and SMART technology has just about even rendered the desktop computer, an antique.  Cell phones have definitely relegated pay phones to the historical archives of Americana.  Again, we have a choice, but we have to decide just how "connected" we want to be.  To a point, we base our hours of connection with our level of knowledge and information which I believe is probably part of the programming to keep us tractable, as well as trackable.  I have chosen to maintain a desktop, a laptop, and no cell phone.  On nice days, I can work outdoors with the laptop and my home phone does record messages, so if I miss a call, I can return it.  In reality, I'm not any more important than I was before SMART technology and the world has kept right on going whether I receive a call instantly or return it later.

As a nation who prides itself in being informed and a superpower of the world, we need to realize our first amendment is definitely under attack and our news is filtered and biased.  We may only think we know what's going on!  There is definitely a division and distraction in regard to nearly every headline.  It really doesn't matter whether it's Presidential candidates, Planned Parenthood, Jade Helm or Bruce Jenner . . . There is division, and the uneasy queasy feeling there's more, either to the headline stories or information that is kept from making the headlines.  Every time a Bruce Jenner headline appeared, I wondered what was not being reported.  Oddly, the first Planned Parenthood video hit youtube the day before Operation Jade Helm 15 began.  Two things are quite troubling about both of these very newsworthy items.

The Planned Parenthood videos are becoming increasingly vile and barbaric, yet as I sit here typing about it, what am I actually doing?  Two things and they are both quite passive.  One, I'm not getting an abortion and two, I'm maintaining an income that does not fund Planned Parenthood through federal taxes.  Well, a third thing, I'm publishing information about it, but nothing I am doing is actually stopping the medically approved slaughter and dissection.  I try to keep a list of the companies that support Planned Parenthood to boycott them, and I do not utilize mainstream medicine as much of the fetal tissue that is sold goes to medical research.  Still, all that is passive.  I'm doing nothing proactive to stop this, because I simply do not even know where to begin!  We need to realize though, posting disgust on social media is not actively saving the lives of the pre-born.  The first few videos may have had an impact and I applaud the young man who blew this whistle, but now the videos are so horrific, they really aren't even being shared on social media at this point.  So, perhaps overkill has killed the plan.  Too much information may have been as futile as no information.  Where's the balance?  How much information actually changes things?  Or now the reality we must all face.  With this information, what are we going to do differently, as individuals?  What if this caused all of us to who claim to be pro-life to boycott every company that supported PP and what if we all held the entire medical system accountable for the research companies that procure fetal tissue?  Sadly, it seems change only happens now in this country, if loss of revenue comes into focus.

I said before Operation Jade Helm 15 began that I wondered if it was a mission to desensitize.  It's worse!  We, the people, have accepted that there will be no media coverage and simply decided to divide over this issue as well.  I've been called everything from a fear-monger to a conspiracy theorist.  So be it!  The press is not covering this massive "exercise," while Bruce Jenner is big news?  Please.  There's the desensitization I was concerned about.  If it's just a practice military exercise, the biggest ever, on American soil, why wouldn't the press be a part of that?  Reporters are embedded in military activities all over the world!

We've accepted filtered news and accepted that being told there will be no information, means nothing is happening.  Perhaps, it's the writer in me, but no press coverage seems to be a First Amendment issue and that is a very big deal!  Our press does not have the freedom to cover this on American soil?  This is not a matter of will there be martial law or not?  This is the beginning of the end of freedom of the press!  Let's not forget the business owners who have been put out of business, the new labels of "hate speech" and the intolerance of the Bible.  Free speech and religious freedom are also part of the First Amendment!

So many are oblivious to their surroundings, yet connected by text and twitter.  People are so far removed from their immediate reality that warning after warning about texting and driving go completely unheeded.  We have become a society that is more aware of a reality show, than the reality in which we live!  Meanwhile school is starting with mandatory vaccinations in many places and an agenda of gender confusion across this country, while it is now common knowledge that Planned Parenthood is killing and trafficking human babies.  Oh, look to peaceably assemble is in the First Amendment, also.  Planned Parenthood already got that one.  The people do not have the right to peaceably assemble within so many feet of their facilities.  Those distances vary, based upon city ordinances.

1. First Amendment - Religion and Expression. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Without the First Amendment, America is not the land of the free!

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  ~  words of Messiah

Technological Purgatory

There is a "spirit" over this country that seems to be covering nearly every aspect of our interaction.  In using the term "spirit" I am in no way giving an excuse to the behavior we choose to demonstrate, nor the words that fly out of our mouths.  What I am saying is, America had the world wide reputation of being rude, years ago.  Now we've gone beyond rude, to aggressive and argumentative!  There have been a number of situations in the past week, I find myself "not fit for polite society," then discover our society is far from polite.  Anger management has been an issue for several years now!  I don't want to interact on a level that feels like it's dropped the standard.  Technology is adding to this aggression, I believe, as well as to difficulties in our ability to focus and possibly a host of other emotional imbalance.

Usually, I'm pretty calm in person, until I've had more than enough.  My kids and grandkids say I'm, "patient, patient, patient, patient . . . DONE!"  I've gotten better about not always telling someone what I think and simply finding true peace in letting them have the last word.  I'm sure it could be labeled as some sort of convoluted control game of a free spirit, but so be it.  I'm at peace with it, and I feel if I didn't initiate the interaction, I am free to discontinue my participation.  Somehow the Scriptural passage in Proverbs warning about answering a fool according to their folly . . .really resonates in my spirit, to just be quiet.  Not every person who disagrees with me is a fool, but I would really like to avoid making a fool of myself when the disagreement will obviously remain unresolved at the time.  I realize this is beginning to sound more like a sermon than a state of our nation observation.  The title of this article does give warning of religious overtones.

As technology increases, the "human experience," of course, is decreasing, and with that decrease is the decline of etiquette.  Social media is filled with memes and images depicting groups of people in the same room, obliviously looking at their phones.  Although I don't have a smart phone or even a cell phone for that matter, I do spend a great deal of my day in front of this screen writing, posting, and answering questions.  I have realized, although; I have made some genuine friendships and relationships, I enjoy the fact that I don't carry the internet with me.  I remember when I noticed one of my daughters and grandkids focus on their phones and texts.  It seemed their apps were more important than personal interaction.  As it turns out, they do have personal interactive social lives; it was just their way of letting me know where I stood.  Technology is still neither good nor bad in and of itself, but rather only reflects the user.

I had a wake up call the other day, or I should say I made a wake up call.  When I came online in August of 2001, my first ministry website was through yahoo.  As I gained my footing online and expanded the size of the website, I stayed with yahoo.  The first website was very simple, just a few pages with which I had help so it didn't require much tech support.  In preparing to move and change my information, wires were crossed and the website was eliminated.  I remember that moment the technician told me he could wipe out my site as soon as the call ended.  That was back in 2004 or 5, with day shift personnel.  Upon relocating, I continued with yahoo, as I understood their sitebuilder and a couple of the people on the night shift were awesome tech support.  I still remember Charles and Angela, fondly with much gratitude.  They could walk me through any technical question I had or dig me out of any disaster I'd made.  Sadly, I haven't spoken with Charles or Angela in many moons.

In my continuing patronage of yahoo, I apparently missed a memo . . .  I'm working on moving my domains to GoDaddy while maintaining my webhosting at yahoo.  Thinking I had deactivated my card that yahoo could "automatically hit," I had planned to move the domains when they neared expiration.  On my screen, my yahoo wallet showed my method of payment had expired.  However, much to my surprise; I soon discovered that was not the case on yahoo's side of the screen.  I called, had my incident number, etc. and the voice on the other end in billing sounded strangely similar to the last voice I'd heard in tech support when my page wouldn't publish.  It took awhile to put the pieces together, and sadly, my reaction to yahoo purgatory was less than exemplary.  I thought I was prayed up enough, but as it turns out, I can be pretty obnoxious without coarse language or yelling.

The prompts seem to be just a technological stall.  I've decided it's probably been researched and found to be similar to the techniques of "mental breaking down" used in other areas of our society.  The method of "hurry up and wait" is a phrase credited to the military, but also very clearly seen now in health care as well.  Who is ever seen by the doctor at scheduled time of the appointment?  Unlike the military where there is a pecking order, and unlike health care where one can simply get up and leave the over crowded waiting room, there is no resolution in tech support and auto pay.  All we can do is pray before making the call; stay on the line, follow the prompts, breathe deeply, and practice anger management.  

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.  a Proverb of Holy Scripture