#BLM and Social Media

 Social Media as an Amplifier: Social media has, as with virtually every other aspect of culture and our very lives, enabled immediate communication with millions. In studying the race riots of 1967 in Detroit, Michigan it was evident that one vital factor in the riots being even more destructive than a previous riot in 1947 was that many people had access to up to date information on the growing tensions via live television reports.

Much of the same could be said about the Watts Riots of 1965 and the 1992 riots followed by the videotaped beating of Rodney King. In 1965 there were only three major television networks but in 1992, there were four network news channels plus several cable news channels. Information spread quickly and as a result; the amount of the destruction was multiplied.

The LA Riots of 1992 were not localized, as major cities across the US also saw mass protests. However, none of the previous mentioned incidents saw a scope and scale seen in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd in 2020. The protests and riots were not only nationwide, they were seen on a global scale. The previously mentioned riots in Detroit and Los Angeles came before the dawn of Social Media and for one to receive information/news coverage, they had to be near a television or witnessing it in person. Yet with the 2020 riots, millions of people had access to immediate information in the palms of their hands, information shared by thousands of other people in the middle of the protests.

Without social media, we likely would not have seen demonstrations on such a large scale and without technology itself, we may never have seen George Floyd’s evil and tragic end, which led to the demonstrations.

Digital Activism: After the 2012 Aurora mass-shooting in Colorado (which I find interesting the media would sugar coat and not call a massacre), I posted a picture of a heart with the State Flag of Colorado. Minutes later I was overcome with a feeling of shame, asking myself “Is that all I can do?” There is a saying that reads in part “Faith without works is dead” which reminds me of the futility of only posting pictures or empty words like the now comical “Thoughts and Prayers” that have to date, not saved a single life or improved race relations.

Also, there is a need to vet anything and everything we see and hear on social media, especially considering this age of “influencers” who are not in it for the cause, but rather for the “likes” or “clout”. For example, during the riots and protests here in San Diego in 2020, an aspiring “influencer” was recording live downtown. At one point he sat down for a break, then continued walking. Moments later he realized he had left his backpack behind. Upon returning to the location and learning the backpack was gone, he began saying “Someone stole my bag”, repeating himself well over a dozen times. Then an unthinkable but unsurprising thing happened; the “influencer” said “Some black guy stole my bag!”

As you might imagine, he was immediately verbally eviscerated by the hundreds of viewers. The bag itself was left by him and he admitted this, yet moments after this his knee-jerk reaction of blaming a specific race all but guaranteed his hopes of being an influencer were dashed by his own prejudice and ignorance.

All Lives Matter: I believe the phrase “All Lives Matter” as a response is a sad indication of the systemic racism we have in our country, and is very hindering to productive conversations. In viewing various posts and comment threads during and after the 2020 protests, most if not all replies using “All Lives Matter” indicated an “Us vs Them” mentality. On that note, there were a lot of replies stating “Not all cops are bad…”, yet when speaking of African Americans (or any other minority), they were referred to as “They” or “Them”; generalizing and entire race while also excusing racists officers behaviors since not all are “like that”.

Independence Day*

Ahhh, the Fourth of July. The day means many different things to many different Americans. Since I have not been to Philadelphia, I am grateful to Walter Knott for building an exact replica of Independence Hall just across the road from his wonderful Ghost Town at Knott’s Berry Far. So accurate was his version the National Park Service requested use of his blueprints when undertaking a full-scale overhaul of the original. Inside this replica building you’ll also find a replica of the Liberty Bell, an 18^th century carriage and various other items of antiquity. Also, there is a room identical to the one in which our Founding Fathers gathered and wrote the Declaration of Independence.

The Fourth of July used to mean parades and picnics; baseball and yes, apple pie. Now I scoff at the fact they call it Independence Day. Independence for who? Surely not independence from a minority rule. No nation that denies bodily rights to half its population is can tell those same citizens they are independent.

The cherry-picking of the Constitution continues, as the 2^nd Amendment is staunchly defended by some of the same people who ignore the 1^st. Two thirds of the Justices on the Supreme Court are Catholic, and one of them is already chirping about disallowing married couples from using any form of birth control. This means we have been suckered into being a Catholic nation. With all due respect to my Catholic friends, those justices can go to hell as far as I’m concerned. As long as they’re on the court, no American will live in complete freedom of or from religion. And there’s a growing number of Americans who echo my sentiments when I say “Organized religion really f***ed up my spiritual life…”

Even before last month’s horrific decision I had grown weary of celebrating this holiday. As with most holidays we have trivialized it to the point of no return. There is an inherent shallowness to the way we as a society celebrate these days. We don’t celebrate the occasion or its meaning, we celebrate the celebration. This is why for many, the only difference between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July is the fireworks. Oh, that and the fact most kids are out of school the day after the Fourth.  Aside from that, what is a holiday in this nation but an annual exercise in handing over our paychecks to the corporate machine? How man radio commercials will we endure which state “There’s nothing more patriotic than Old Glory, firing up the grill and buying a brand-new car or truck from…?”

Growing up I was taught Patriotism meant loving something. These days it appears the main requirement is hating something…

Other requirements include eating off red, white and blue paper plates during appropriate holidays, competing to see how many flag code violations one can make, and wearing tactical gear. (Wearing tactical gear doesn’t count if you don’t have at least one Velcro patch on your .511 or Condor hat…)

Theodore Roosevelt once said “To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public…” Contrary to the beliefs in some circles, these words rang true from 2016 to 2020 as well…

Apparently, not liking it when children are massacred in the classroom also makes one unpatriotic…

“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” I guess the fine officers in Uvalde aren’t good guys. They had guns but the only balls found in Uvalde that day were attached to a Border Patrol agent who showed up a little later…

Speaking of schoolroom massacres, there’s a meme going around (again) which claims a child asked God why he isn’t present during school shootings, and God replied “Because I am not allowed in schools”. Never did hear why God was banned from Sutherland Springs, Tree of Life Synagogue or Emmanuel Baptist Church...

On that note, still waiting on the meme explaining where God is every time a boy gets molested by a priest…

Saw a bumper sticker that said “If Jesus had a gun, he would still be alive…”. Too many holes in that argument, not least of which being: wouldn’t all the Romans have had guns too?...

Fun Fact: “Thoughts and Prayers” don’t raise the dead. Nor do they keep the bullets from flying again…

Apparently, “All Lives Matter” only until birth. After that, we’re on our own…

So the hearings into the January 6^th Insurrection/Riot/Trump Rally are underway. According to “Patriotic” Americans, anyone holding an opinion stating the events of that day were wrong hates this country as much as people who don’t like mass shootings. By that logic, I must be a meth user since I don’t like heroin...

The Blue Lives Matter crowd have been eerily silent on Capitol Police Officer Michael Fanone’s beating, with an American Flag no less. Just so we’re clear: beating a police officer who is attempting to defend our capitol: Good. Professional athletes protesting the murder of minorities: Bad...

Funny how those pissing and moaning about Biden and some of his verbal miscues continue to worship the guy who claimed windmills cause cancer, Lysol cures covid and Puerto Rico has a president...

On that note, I am waiting for Mexico to pay for the wall, and proof the 2020 Presidential Election was stolen...

If I actually had a large readership, I am certain a few replies would say “If you don’t like it why don’t you leave?!” Those people are like the Arizona Karen who told the Navajo girl “Go back where you came from!”…

Just finished reading Frederick Douglass “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” again. I cannot help but wonder What is the Fourth of July to a Woman… to a Trans Woman... To a Gay Man...

This nation was in existence for over 140 years before women gained the right to vote. 102 years later and now women do not have the right to their own bodies. As a therapist recently said in quoting a patient (with permission): “I have more right to own a gun designed to kill several people in a matter of seconds than I do to my own vagina”…

Parting Shot(s):

Tragedy struck Highland Park, Illinois in the form of six people murdered and dozens more injured. At a Fourth of July Parade. Guess there’s nothing more American than a good old fashioned mass shooting. Err, umm, I mean, exercising the right to keep and bear arms…

 I can think of six families who won't ever want to hear the words "Happy 4th of July" again...

2020 (Di)Vision

The other day I saw a post stating “Who knew Tiger King would be the most normal thing about 2020?” I have no desire to see the show, and not only because I am “Trend-Resistant”; meaning I don’t get into something simply because everyone else is. In fact, I tend to avoid anything trendy out of an innate suspicion. Simply speaking, I have plenty of better things to do with my time; so many books to read and so many subjects to study.

But you can bet I learned quite a bit from Tiger King and solidified some theories I hold. And don’t worry, none of these theories will have you wondering where I keep my tinfoil hat. Yet just as our Flag is a symbol of our nation, our cultural obsession with Tiger King is just one symbol of how far we have sunk as a nation. And that is saying a lot considering the examples we have today which have blown the lid of the sinking which has been in progress since day one, July 4th, 1776.

When the pandemic first hit home I realized we were living in a situation unprecedented in any of our lifetimes. And while many of us had no idea what the real threat of Covid-19 was, those of us who are capable of thinking for ourselves knew damn well it was not a hoax. People stormed the stores in search of toilet paper. Dried goods flew off our supermarket shelves nearly as fast. Some stores started charging ten times the normal price for everyday items like eggs, water and meat. Young children and the elderly were said to be at the highest risk. A truly global pandemic locked us in our homes, sent millions to the unemployment line and the biggest topic in our collective discussion was:

A goddamn reality show.

People were and still are dying from a virus with no known cure. And we cannot get enough of a story about people treating each other so horribly. My newsfeed was filled with meme after meme of some goofy-looking dude with a Grade-A mullet. It got nearly impossible to sift through the B.S. and find some real information. Even then, I found much difficulty in finding accurate information. Everything was opinion, even newscasts asked more questions than they answered.

Still, I saw glimmers of hope; drive-by birthday and graduation parties, children putting drawings of goodwill in their windows, volunteers delivering food and other necessities to those too at risk to leave their homes. Zoom taking our various devices by storm much like MySpace and Facebook did a decade and a half ago.

Then came Memorial Day 2020. You know, the one we celebrate with the same shallowness in which we conduct our daily lives.  While families were at home barbecuing and eating off red, white & blue paper plates, George Floyd was taking his last breath. And his last breath gave renewed life to a struggle against a 400-year history of aggression, colonization and racism.

I would suggest you pick up a history book but as the opening line in Braveheart states, history is written by those who have hanged heroes; meaning our history books are written by the ones who won the wars. Why else do you think Christopher Columbus is still treated as a hero?

Still, I am finding it difficult to put into words the thoughts and emotions I have experienced these past few weeks. I have seen cracks in our collective story for years and now, they’ve been busted wide open. And hopefully, we will be able to pull our heads out of our collective asses before this land ends up looking like the burned pile of rubble that used to be the Minneapolis Police Department…

Again, we see the rebel flag in the news. Defenders say it’s part of heritage. So was the swastika. And the cultures which had used it for centuries renounced its use once Hitler started using it…

On that note, some people in the South continues flying the flag of a vanquished enemy. Do we still allow the swastika to be flown? Or how about flying the Rising Sun over the USS Arizona next December 7th? I think not…

Flags Part Deaux: While we are all in an uproar about people kneeling during our National Anthem, why aren’t we in the same uproar over those who change its color, use it as an article of clothing or display it in any way not clearly dictated by the Flag Code? Guess we cherry-pick the code much as we do with the Constitution and Bill of Rights…

I’ll never kneel during the National Anthem but I’ll stand beside Colin Kaepernick’s right to do so…

Though not without era-common faults of his own, Theodore Roosevelt was among other things a great writer, orator and President. He once said "To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." Looks like those who still stand beside our current President haven’t read any of his books…

Come to think of it, I’m not sure 45 has read any books. Least of all the bible. I’ve haven’t read the entire bible m’self, but I think somewhere in there it says “Thou shalt not mace citizens to clear a path to the House of the Lord…

A twitter post referred to Melania Trump as the Third Lady. Did we count Stormy in that figure?...

Herbert Hoover said “We cannot do everything at once but by god, we can do something”. I am inspired by the change brought on by recent protests. Next thing I would like to see is a calling out of the Catholic Church for some of the actions taken on their behalf. In their wisdom, they were saving the Kumeyaay and every other tribe they encountered from eternal damnation by showing them Hell on Earth…

Living in the past can be a bad thing, unless one learns from it. Of all the images of the 1992 LA riots, what stands out most to me is the leaders of the Bloods and Crips declaring a truce. In comparing those riots with the ones we’ve just witnessed, I’ve learned there was better community leadership in the streets of LA than there is in the White House. Sad to see our president has less unification skills than two of the most notorious gangs in the land…

Saw a comment recently which described the murder of George Floyd as “…one dumb person made a terrible mistake”. Wrong on both counts. It was four people, and it was not a mistake…

Recent protests in San Diego County have given the proverbial fifteen minutes to a local man. He was mildly amusing for a moment, then I couldn’t wait for him to get arrested so he would shut up. After the fifteenth or twentieth “Someone stole my bag!” I muted the stream, yet not before hearing him claim a “black guy” stole it. His words flowed effortlessly, almost knee-jerk. 14:59, Arturo…

There were two others who are worthy of mention; the so-called “Snake King” who risked life and limb when La Mesa was burning to bring us the story local media are neither willing or able to bring us and  our new amigo Jorge out of Escondido, whose comments were as funny as the George Lopez show used to be. Way to go, guys…

In the old days they used to say “If you’re under thirty and not a democrat you have no heart, if you’re over thirty and not a republican you have no brain”. BREAKING NEWS: If you choose to be neither, you get to think for yourself…

When the Giants left Brooklyn for San Francisco in 1958, the Bay Area community was ready to embrace them. That is, except for the various realtors who refused to sell a house to Willie Mays…

If all lives really do matter; why do thousands of migrant children not count?...

I don’t know if a multi-billion dollar border wall would have stopped the coronavirus, but I am certain it would have stopped the riots from reaching so far north to Minneapolis. Oh wait…

There’s an old saying which states “If you’re under 30 and a democrat you have no brain, if you’re over 30 and a republican, you have no heart. Here’s hoping the next generation realizes if you make the conscious decision to be neither, you get to think for yourself…

Solutions are never easy but for even the worst problems they are usually quite simple. Makes me wonder what kind of world we would be living in if we all just took the advice our grandparents gave us; wash your hands and treat others as you would want to be treated yourself…

The Illusion of Accomplishment

Two weeks ago my sons and I camped for the weekend in the Cuyamaca Mountains. As a father, there is no better place to train sons in the cause-and-effect principles of life than the great outdoors. One of the many highlights of the weekend came when we were about half a mile from Cuyamaca Peak. Much of the mountain burned in the Cedar Fire; the once towering oak and pine trees now replaced by tall, thick Ceanothus brush. The final ascent to the peak brought forth memories of 30 years ago, when as a Boy Scout I made two separate weekend-long backpacking trips.

When I go to the mountains, I find it is just about the only place I can clear my mind and soul and focus on simply living. And though the convenience of instant communication isn’t always available in the more remote areas, I consider that intangible just as vital as having the right tent, the right pair of boots and of course, the right type of meals in camp and on the trails.

Not once during the weekend did I hear a mention of Dean Spanos, the celebrity stroke-fests known as Awards Shows or the War of Words between the Cheeto and the Rocket Man. I did however hear the whisper of the wind through the pines, the crackle of the campfire and the unmistakable hoot of a distant owl.

I didn’t smell car exhaust but I smelled bacon frying in my cast-iron pan in the morning, the aroma of white sage in the afternoon and of course the marshmallows roasting at night.

 I didn’t see a single stop light, sidewalk or the unused turn signal of some jerk who just cut me off. But I did see San Diego County from 6,500 feet above sea level, the tracks of deer and mountain lions and best of all, the looks pride and relief on my sons faces when we finished a 7-mile hike. I’ve never seen that look while they’re playing video games or watching TV.

Gone are the days when a man could drink from a mountain stream and camp anywhere he sees fit (and ecologically sound). And there is no shortage of reasons why I advise anyone and everyone to seek such experiences constantly in their lives.

Why?

There has been talk of Artificial Intelligence and along with that the prediction that someday, AI could actually take over the human race. And at the rate we’re going as a society, as a people, as a species on this planet, it won’t be long before a 1980’s Speak ‘n Spell will be able to outsmart the average human.

Average. Now there’s a word that should only have a positive meaning when combined with the word “Batting”. A man wiser than myself (And there are many. For now…) said “Average people compare themselves to other people, this is why they are average. I compare myself to my potential, this is why I am not average…”

We have all but ceased to think for ourselves, as evidenced by those who state an opinion solely based on what they see in a meme. A commenter a few months ago said it best; “People don’t focus enough on knowing what they’re talking about, but rather on making it LOOK like they know what they’re talking about…”

Sports fandom as well as the stating of an opinion can lead to a condition I have chosen to call “The Illusion of Accomplishment.” Nowadays some folks seem to believe sharing an opinion is proof of one’s greatness. In many cases, all they’ve done is hit “share” on a social networking post…

The Illusion of Accomplishment is the psychological Black Plague of the not-so-new millennium. Read any thread involving any professional sport, paying special attention to the NFL. Lots of bragging, right? Fans claiming superiority over others because of who they root for; even claiming superiority over teams they root against. Delusion of the highest level…

People these days are accused of not caring enough. I don’t think this is the case. I believe people care too much in the wrong places. How many out there waste precious thoughts and energy on the opinions of people they don’t like?...

Did that red or gold or black or blue dress really mean that much?...

The selfie craze is another indicator of the Illusion. Taking a picture or two of yourself is one thing; taking dozens, even hundreds of the same pose from different angles screams of self-obsession mistakenly believed to be self-confidence…

Most selfies are saying “Hey, look at me!” Only problem is, once you look they have nothing else worthwhile to say…

It’s all but impossible to turn the dial on the radio and find a song by a musician. Everything sounds so fake, so contrived, so inorganic and downright unhealthy. No surprise, we’ve been doing the same with our food for years…

At work I encounter guests from many different nations, speaking many different languages. I do my best to understand broken, heavily accented English and most respond in kind. Funny thing is, I have the hardest time understanding many who speak English only. This is not due to the new slang, but the fact many people have quite a limited vocabulary. Limited meaning 80% of the words used are “All” and “Like”…

I find it quite ironic how many of those who speak in such a way are often the most critical of those who don’t speak English as a first language…

Speaking (no pun intended) of irony, at times I have been criticized for not speaking fluent Spanish, with the excuse for said criticism “This used to be Mexico”…

Irony Part Deaux: Being called judgmental for asking the person if they speak Kumeyaay…

Saw more trash in one hour while cleaning up a local park than I did over an entire weekend in the Cuyamacas. Maybe it’s a good thing not many city folk take to the mountains…

People are bitching about NFL players sitting during Our National Anthem. I for one will always stand and respect the anthem. But I will also say it’s a damn shame that we’re focusing on who isn’t standing for the Anthem rather than why they aren’t…

There hasn’t been a president I would support 100% in my lifetime and it doesn’t look like that will change anytime soon. But Hillary saying it’s someone else’s fault she was not elected has gotta rank as the all-time second worst lie from a Clinton…

The kid who opens a book instead of a Facebook account is much more likely to have a contended, productive life…

On that note, I finally watched “The Revenant” the other night. Not bad, though filled with typical Hollywood inaccuracies. They don’t make movies or Americans like they used to. Hugh Glass crawled across 200 miles of hostile wilderness, with a bear skin sewn to his back to cover up his exposed ribs. More than a few Americans these days can’t make it across a parking lot without calling Uber…

Fun Fact: Wednesday’s Padre Game at Petco Park drew more fans than Sunday’s Charger Home Opener. Must have been due to 5:30 early evening weekday start time…

That said, there were probably more Dolphins fans than Charger fans at Petco as well…

There’s a good chance I will be called judgmental for some of the things I have written here. God/Buddha/Allah/Ned Flanders knows I’ve been called that for saying much of the same in conversation. To that, I say thank you in advance. These days, any time you state a truth someone is in denial of you are called judgmental…

It Pays to Pay Attention: What a Real Hero Looks Like

Sometime in 1990, a United States Army veteran named Rick Rescorla invited brother in arms Daniel Hill to New York. In addition to the desire to knock back a pint or two of Guinness with an old friend, Hill had another thing in mind. The World Trade Center was Rick Rescorlas’ workplace and as Director of Security for Dean Witter, he was charged with the safety of over two thousand employees. Having extensive experience in counter-terrorism measures, Daniel walked the grounds of the WTC with Rick and upon completion of their assessment, Mr. Hill said if he were a terrorist he would plant some sort of bomb in the WTC basement.

This statement was solidified upon their descent into the basement, which they were able to do with no visible identification and not even a single set of eyes from security being laid upon them. Rick Rescorla delivered a report to the New York/New Jersey Port Authority which strongly suggested the implementation of heightened security measures.

Ricks' suggestions were ignored, mainly in part to the high “cost” of such measures.

Final cost of the ignorance: - six deaths and 1,043 injuries.
Following the truck bombing on February 26^th, 1993 Rick Rescorla filed another report, this one with his employer. His report to Morgan Stanley/Dean Witter strongly suggested moving out of the WTC entirely, citing numerous reasons yet all focused on protecting lives. Again, Rick Rescorlas’ suggestions were ignored due to as you may have guessed by now, “cost”.

At the chagrin of his superiors (once again, due to “cost”), Rick held quarterly surprise evacuation drills for all employees. Workdays were interrupted as the jolly man from Cornwall led VP’s, Executives, managers and interns down dozens of flights of steps, then back up again. This went on for nearly eight years and before the Twin Towers fell on that tragic day, over 2,500 Rescorla-trained employees walked out and went home to their families.

In a constant search for stories of real heroes I can share with my children, I have studied all I can about Rick Rescorla. A statue of him has been chosen to represent all American infantry soldiers at the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia. An image used for the statue graces the cover of "We Were Soldiers Once... And Young" by Lt Gen. Hal Moore and Joe Galloway. Moore called him "The finest platoon leader I ever saw."

Rick Rescorla was last seen alive on the 10th floor of Tower 2. Unlike ever other person in the tower at that time; he was heading upstairs. His last known words were "As soon as I make sure everyone else is out..."

On Bruce & Caitlyn Jenner, Being Judged, and one Ratchet A** Hoe (Or, "Let He Who Is Stoned Cast the First Reality Show Judge" or something...)

They say the first signs of age are physical but a lot of the things “they” say don’t always hold up to be true. Personally, when I talk to coworkers I often start a sentence with “When I was your age…” or “Do you remember…?” Usually, they don’t remember because they were a decade or more from being born. To think, 9/11 is closer to most of their dates of birth than today is and to put it in perspective, my birthday is the midway point between today and the Invasion of Normandy. I mean, I’m closer to my discount at Denny’s than I am to drinking age. Does this bother me? Hardly. Good natured jokes are a specialty of mine, the giving as well as the receiving. They kid me for having once bought cd’s and I kid a coworker who, though a few years younger than me; looks ten years older.

All jokes and observations aside, I've realized my personal sign of aging is the way I shake my head at some of the ways of thinking that have not previously existed in our society. Or better yet, people who don't think, at least for themselves. People who clearly choose to allow the media, upbringing or even some damn internet meme to think for them, then are delusional enough to say "I'm an independent person." I have no other choice than use my not-yet-arthritic hands and type “What is this world coming to?”

Past blogs have ranted about celebrities, especially those who are celebrities because they are famous, and famous because they are celebrities. Curiously, no one seems to know or care they have done next to nothing to deserve celebrity status. And to take a quick scan of who our most celebrated and talked about people are, I wouldn’t exactly consider being a celebrity something to be proud of.

The following may anger some people and after seeing some posts as of late, may even get me deleted from a friend list or two. But before you delete me (if you choose to do so) I ask that you understand I am not offering opinion here. Opinions are of little value to me. Perspective on the other hand is vital to how I conduct my life, and perspective is what I am offering.

No disrespect to the people involved (meaning anyone who has a real life and isn’t tabloid-obsessed) but would Kim Kardashian's step dad, err, uhh step-mom be considered a hero if he (I mean… she) was not Kim Kardashian's step…. parent? Not knocking Caitlyn Jenner but unless she donated a kidney or other organ the operation was not heroic.

While perusing some of the online blather about Mrs. Jenner I read a sarcastic comment about how many women have “heroically” augmented their breasts. When you think about it, is having breast enlargement surgery much different than having a sex change operation? After all, at the core it’s the result of a human being dissatisfied with their physical appearance. I must also state that I consider fake boobs rather unattractive. In fact, I consider them about as attractive as Rosie O’Donnell eating lint from Michael Moore’s belly button and if you’ve read my past blogs you’ll know how much of an insult that is.

This brings me to the overall essence of this piece. The word “Judgmental”. And yes, I have been judged as “mental” more than once.

Anyone who has a harsh opinion about the current cover of Vanity Fair is accused of being Judgmental. In its new definition, being called judgmental now indicates someone who has a differing opinion. And before I am accused of being judgmental for saying Caitlyn Jenner is not a hero, read on.

Ever hear of a woman named Jennifer Pritzker? Jennifer Pritzker is a retired United States Army Lieutenant Colonel who was born as James Pritzker. What’s more, Mrs. Pritzker has spearheaded and funded efforts to integrate members of the transgender community into the military and emergency services. So call me judgmental if you like but members of the armed forces along with police officers, firefighters and paramedics are not only real heroes but vital to our very way of life and just maybe a little more important than any and all reality TV stars.

Late last year, I made a post regarding a well-known figure who committed several crimes against animals. I was accused of being judgmental by someone who did not like the fact my post suggested a fitting way to mete punishment for the heinous crimes. In defense of the criminal, the person accusing me said the criminal made a “mistake”. A mistake is defined as an unintentional act resulting in an unintentional outcome. The crimes committed were anything but unintentional and the word mistake was nothing more than an excuse used as a feeble attempt to avoid accountability.

I, myself on the other hand have made very few mistakes. Why, just the other day, I pushed the wrong button on vending machine and got the wrong candy bar. That was a mistake. But the things I have done in the past; the times I chose alcohol over my wife and children, the time I broke both hands while punching a wall in an inebriated rage, rendering my family broke and on the verge of our first stint of homelessness; and the time just a few weeks ago I yelled so loud at my son he burst into horrified tears, those weren’t mistakes at all. Those were decisions. Bad decisions. Decisions I regretted immediately yet decisions nonetheless.

A lot of folks use the “we all make mistakes” excuse as a way to side-step admission of poor decision making; I say we all make fewer mistakes than we think. But for some reason, many of us are wired to make excuses; to shift the blame, to feed a denial or two and surround ourselves with other like-minded people who have been similarly conditioned to avoid any and all personal accountability at all costs.

Which brings me to the other new definition of one who is “Judgmental.” Another curiosity of human thought I have observed is how accusations of being judgmental often come from those who think what they have been told to think, as opposed to those who have been wisely taught how to think. Being told what to think leads to denial and for a lot of years denial was my one constant companion. Denial nearly destroyed my family and denial nearly had me take a swan dive off the Coronado Bridge. Denial is sown in a lack of principles, it is fed by excuses and it harvests itself as disgrace.

To put it bluntly, one is often called judgmental by another for stating a truth the person is in denial of, or refuting a truth a person is told to believe without exception. Sometimes, tact has to take a back seat to truth. I would much rather be honest and hated than lie and be loved for it. Because if lies are involved it isn’t love in the first place, so what’s the point? And as we have seen in recent local news, denial and all its accompaniments often lead to misery and ultimately death. I have been accused of being judgmental for this very reason many times and if you have too, rest easy; for you are in good company. Sir Winston Churchill once said “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something in your life…”
Keen as I am on the subject of contemporary social thought I have closely followed the story of a United States Navy sailor who lost his life in a suspected road rage incident last week. This case catches my eye for many reasons; far too many reasons to list here now. But the reason the story of Chief Petty Officer Zach Buob has found its way onto this page is the enormous public backlash against his accuser. Never before have I followed a crime story where such a large percentage of people agreed on the poor character of the suspect. Not one reliable source shared anything which would suggest the suspect was anything other than a person of vindictive spirit, ill intentions and to put it bluntly in the words of dozens of men and women who knew her, “the bitch has issues…”

Accusations of theft, vandalism, threats of physical violence and child abuse have been publicly reported by people who know the suspect but didn’t know each other. This is definitely not your run of the mill “Let’s trashs someone’s name”, since the suspect trashed her own name long before the rest of the nation heard of her. Yet even as those who knew her shared actual messages from the suspect, a few others were quick to call them judgmental for doing so. These messages weren’t opinion or judgment, they were absolute proof of what a horrible person the suspect is.

Somehow, the suspect was able to delete her social networking profiles before heading to jail. A pity, since viewing them would have been an interesting study indeed. A few who disagreed with those who knew the suspect well accused the others of being judgmental. Following this story and others, I have learned the word judgmental is often used as a way to create the illusion of superiority over who with a differing opinion. The preceding examples prove this.

The Bible says “Judge not, lest ye be judged...”, among other things. Personally (And I say with utmost sincerity that I mean no offense to some of my dearest friends, confidants and spiritual advisers), I have had a problem taking the entirety of the Bible as absolute truth due to complete lack of acknowledgement of creatures who existed millions of years before us humans. But that's a rant for another time. I've observed people who were raised to think what they were told to think, people who (possibly unknowingly) choose to allow others to think for them. I think of people who wave the word “Judgmental” around like a banner of self-righteousness, those who make excuses in place of being accountable and those who live in ways that defy basic human morals and say “Only God Can Judge Me”;

I look at them and think to myself “Yup, God/Buddha/Allah/Ned Flanders is gonna kick their asses…”

Taking the Holy out of the Holidays

A few days ago a good friend made a post while on vacation in Costa Rica. He described the beauty of the Good Friday celebrations and expressed his thoughts and wonder of how such celebrations were going on all over the world, and the beauty of it all. At some point during the festivities, some jackass in a flea-bitten rabbit suit came bounding through the crowd, cheapening the sacred gathering and bringing a trivial side to an otherwise joyous occasion.

This got me to thinking, or to be more accurate; helped boil over some long simmering thoughts on how we celebrate Holidays. The meanings are all but lost in popular culture and interestingly enough, many who celebrate these holidays are against what these very holidays stand for. If you don’t believe me, do some research on how some folks of no religious belief complain about others using the word Christmas when celebrating you guessed it, Christmas.

Easter itself is one of what I call the mandatory church attendance dates for the “Two a Year” crowd; meaning it is one of only two days a year when certain people go to church, the other of course being Christmas. One Easter, my wife and our young son went to church while I went to work. Naturally, most people understand when a man has to go to work to support his family but one person in particular took exception to it. When asked where I was that day, my wife informed the woman of my whereabouts. “It figures he would go to work instead of coming to church today” the woman said, raising her nose so high in the air she likely scraped some boogers on the thirty-foot ceiling of the sanctuary. In her opinion, skipping church fifty times a year was totally acceptable for her, yet my going to work on a one of the two days she chose to attend church was totally unacceptable AND reason to criticize my wife. So, for some people it’s apparent church is where you go, especially on holidays; to criticize people who aren’t there. Something tells me they’re missing the message.

Easter isn’t the only day where we collectively forget the meaning, adding our own trivial celebrations as we stray further away from the true meanings. Bookending Easter we have our favorite ethnic holidays in Saint Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo. In our fair land, the only difference is the type of hat we wear and which brand of beer we drink. Nothing against the Irish celebration itself, but exactly how intelligent are we as a race of humans if we believe a priest waved his shillelagh and chased all the snakes out of a land which was never ecologically capable of supporting reptile life in the first place?

I am certain that barely a fraction of a percent of revelers know the true significance of Cinco de Mayo while hoisting their Corona’s and wearing sombrero’s which are surprisingly not banned in this era of Political Correctness run rampant. The Battle of Puebla was, as most may know; between Mexican and French forces. What none of us are taught is the French Army was attempting to march all the way to Dixie, in an effort to provide military assistance to the Confederate Army. The American Civil War would surely have had a different outcome had the French been victorious at Puebla, yet yearly news coverage suggests the only things worthy of celebration are $20 beer garden tickets, mariachis and great deals on tacos…

Such trivial celebration lacking in true meaning carries on throughout the year. What’s the difference between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July? If you look at the collective celebrations in our society, the only two visible differences are the date and one has fireworks. Thankfully, there are still Boy Scouts across the land who place flags at every grave in every National Cemetery across the land. This is not exactly so at public cemeteries, as the following anecdote will show. Last year I watched news coverage of a Memorial Day “celebration” at a local cemetery. While Taps was being played two young boys stood in the background. One boy’s eyes were glued to his phone while the other swayed side to side, eating from a bag of chips.

This gave me three examples of absolute ignorance toward the meaning of the holiday. Though there is no official law on an individual’s conduct when Taps is being played, it was evident the boys could not have cared less either way. Second, the parents of these boys were just as ignorant. I say this because had they been aware, surely they would have taught their sons proper conduct before arriving at such a sacred (at least to some…) ceremony. Last and possibly worst of all, the camera man chose to shoot the video with the boys in view and the director back at the station chose to air it. So it’s likely these boys went to school the next day bragging about how they got on TV the night before.

They may have had their moment of fame yet what they really did for me and for anyone else paying attention was show us how indifferent, ignorant and downright sloppy many people can be. Needless to say, I have not voluntarily watched that particular newscast since then…

One that really has grinded at me over the past few years is Thanksgiving. Now, I’m all for football on this day yet football and even turkey now come in at a distant second to the all-important Black Friday sales. We’ll see a story or two about feeding the homeless, maybe a newscaster will share a childhood memory or two. But the king of the airwaves is the amazing deals on electronics, clothing and any manner of otherwise useless material possessions. In each of the past five years, I have read online posts from people actually bragging about ditching their children at a relative’s house to line up at a store at noon Thanksgiving Day. NOON!

Ironically, the same people who brag about that new TV or god forbid video game system usually spend all of December complaining about the mounting bills. Guess shopping on Black Friday didn’t save them as much money as they expected…

Christmas. Ahh, who can forget the wide-eyed mornings under the tree? Or the smell of roasted ham in grandma’s kitchen? I certainly can’t and they are beautiful memories indeed. Yet those who choose to celebrate Christmas are forced to contend with the intolerance of those who don’t believe in the story of Christmas yet demand to be included in the celebration.  The mantra of “Keep Christ in Christmas” echoes another thought; for those who choose not to celebrate Christmas are hell-bent on taking Christmas away from Christians.

Yet as much as I love the music, love the food and certainly love the looks on my children’s eyes on Christmas Morning, for the life of me I cannot understand what trees, candy canes and flying venison have to do with it…

In grade school I was sent to the principal’s office many times. So many in fact the waiting area outside Mr. Aceves office was like a second classroom to me. Yet there was one time I was sent away for asking what I felt to be an innocent and honest question. A classmate of mine was allowed to place his head on his desk in silence when the rest of us said the Pledge of Allegiance. In this day and age, anyone who pledges to the Red White and Blue is often considered intolerant, elitist and even racist. But when I was a child, pride in our flag and gratitude for all the things it stood for was actually considered a good thing.

I always wondered why this classmate was not required to pledge and after asking my teacher about it, he explained how his religious beliefs prohibited it. Though I was satisfied with the answer, it brought forth a newer, deeper question. “Mr. Almack, if he doesn’t  believe in God, Jesus or the American Flag, why does he get to stay home from school on Memorial Day and Christmas?” He didn’t have an answer for that one, or at least not a verbal answer. He scribbled a note on a piece of paper, slid across the desk to me and said “Get out of my classroom…”

Now, the preceding may have come off as insensitive. Yet not once did I criticize my classmate for following a differing belief, I simply wondered why he was allowed to enjoy the benefits of a belief system he didn’t agree with.

For those of you who go to church every week and live the principles of your chosen religious path every day, I applaud you. To those who revere the American Flag and everything it stands for year round, I salute you. Those of you who show gratitude every day, I thank you.

To all of you and everyone else, I say this;

Don’t get me started on Columbus Day…