I'm sitting at the kitchen table, resting after my early morning chores. The house is empty, sans Johnny Mathis and an assortment of other artists singing Christmas music via the stereo. It is December 1st and this is the time of year, the Holiday Season, where I become melancholy and reflective of years gone by and wonder how it all happened so quickly. My thoughts (some of them coherent) always turn to my parents and the wonderful life they provided for our family. Our Christmas season was one of religious etiquette. At my Catholic school, we collected pennies in a miniature stocking that my mom would sew together. We would proudly deposit our savings into a basket during mass.
A month before Christmas, our church would hang a magnificent wreath horizontally from the ceiling and adorn it with four large candles. As each week passed toward the birth of Jesus, a candle was lit. While the candles signified the approach of that blessed event, it was a tangible, visual count down for Christmas day. The day that Santa Claus would visit our house to leave Barbie Dolls, Chatty Cathy, GI Joe and many toys by Mattel and Minnetonka.
My mom was in the Adult Choir and my brother and I were in the Boy's Choir. On Christmas Eve, we sang at midnight mass. It was an impressive production of pageantry and music while steeped in ancient Catholic tradition. The organ music filled the church and trumpets accompanied the Christmas songs. Afterwards, we left the church and stepped out into the frigid Minnesota morning. A million stars adorned the early sky and we blew imaginary smoke from our frozen breath.
In my memories, the snow was deeper and the winter months lasted forever. Whenever I return to Minnesota for a visit, no matter what time of the year, I can still envision massive snow drifts in front of our house where we would build snow forts or dig tunnels. Max, our wonder dog, loved to chase the snowballs we would throw. She would run to where the snowball fell and with a mighty leap, she would bury her snout deep into the snow and flick it into the air.
But my memories also return to my time as a dad. When it came time to buy our first house, an absolute necessity was a fireplace. I have always associated fireplaces with Christmas and wanted to create a Norman Rockwell Christmas atmosphere for Brian, Jenna and Meghan. I loved decorating the house inside and out. Stockings were hung over the fireplace with colored lights and little Christmas nick knacks. And of course, there was the music. One year I apparently was pushing the season a little too much and began to play Christmas music in August.
As Brian got older, he insisted on the biggest tree that would fit in the house. The bigger the better. While we had traditional Christmas ornaments, we also decorated the tree with photos of the kids or with ornaments they had made in school. I still have a few tucked away in my Christmas boxes. Brian has carried his tradition of a large tree with him as he raises a family of his own. His house has a cathedral ceiling and every year he picks the most beautiful and glorious tree he can find. It is decorated to picture perfect quality and I’m sure that even Santa is impressed.
I fervently pray that my children have pleasant memories of Christmas and will make wonderful memories for their own children some day.
Well, Nat King Cole is taking his turn in the house. I suppose I should make good use of the day and start running errands. I just felt the need to write. It is, after all, Christmas season. I hope you all have wonderful memories of this time of year, but if you don’t, I pray you make some wonderful memories for yourself and your family. Merry Christmas, everyone.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Autumn
Winter is an etching,
spring a watercolor,
summer an oil painting and
autumn a mosaic of them all.
Stanley Horowitz
NINE WORDS WOMEN USE
This was sent to me by a female friend. Perhaps she sent it for humor. Perhaps she sent it as a warning. Whatever the reason, there is a tinge of truth. I have heard and experienced all of the following. Enjoy(?)
(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.
(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means one-half hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.
(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!
(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)
(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake. (7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - which is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome' -- that will bring on a 'whatever'.)
(8) Whatever: Is a woman's way of saying .......
(9) Don't worry about it, I've got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking, 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response, refer to # 3.
(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.
(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means one-half hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.
(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!
(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)
(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake. (7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - which is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome' -- that will bring on a 'whatever'.)
(8) Whatever: Is a woman's way of saying .......
(9) Don't worry about it, I've got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking, 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response, refer to # 3.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Irish Woman
A beautiful, well-dressed Irish woman seats herself in the first class cabin on a cross-country flight, and settles herself in for the trip, smiling prettily at admiring passengers seated around her.
Underway, a flight attendant soon approaches the Irish woman and says, 'Miss, I'm sorry, but I see that your ticket is for coach, and you're seated in first class; I'm afraid you'll have to move.'
The woman replies, 'I'm Irish, and I'm beautiful, and I'm going to New York to be a model.'
Slightly incredulous, the attendant alerts the senior flight attendant.
The senior attendant approaches the woman and says, politely, 'I'm sorry, Miss, but since your ticket is for coach, you'll have to move back.'
The woman replies, sweetly, 'I'm Irish, and I'm beautiful, and I'm going to New York to be a model' -- and shows no signs of moving.
Frustrated, the senior attendant informs the captain, and he says he'll deal with the problem.
He turns over flight control, walks to the rear, and observes the woman seated comfortably in first class.
Approaching her with a smile, the captain leans over and speaks quietly into the Irish woman's ear. Almost immediately, the woman gathers her things, gets up, and moves quickly to the coach compartment.
Amazed, the senior flight attendant asks the captain, 'Captain, I'm impressed ... what did you say to her?'
The captain grinned slyly and said, 'I just told her that the first class cabin doesn't go to New York.'
Monday, September 13, 2010
Paul McInerny Charged With International Crime
Arrogant American
by Paul D. McInerny
How's that for a headline? Talk about tabloid journalism, but if the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic States (OIC) found the following blog offensive, I could be imprisoned or executed for the international crime of Blasphemy Against Islam. You read correctly. An international crime for blasphemy or ridicule of Islam. This blog entry is an observation and opinion to address some key issues:
1. Imam Rauf's remarks concerning the arrogance of Americans
2. Research regarding author's Nina Shea and Paul Marshall
3. The Saudi-based Organization of Islamic States (OIC) and their goals
The article does not address issues regarding:
1. Christianity vs. Islam
2. Controversy at Ground Zero
1. Imam Rauf: The Arrogance of Americans
While America and the rest of the world remain on the alert for gun toting, bomb carrying radical, Islamic terrorist, evidence suggests a more subtle approach may be occurring. A smoke screen of misdirected blame and anger renders the world near-sighted to the bigger picture.
The following introduction to Imam Rauf was taken from the CNN web site: Feisal Abdul Rauf is chairman of the nonprofit organization Cordoba Initiative and imam of Masjid al-Farah, a mosque in Lower Manhattan, and he is a planner of the proposed Islamic community center near ground zero. He gave the talk above in October 2009. Below is an excerpt from his book, "What's Right With Islam.”
“Americans must outgrow the unbecoming arrogance that leads us to assert that America somehow owns a monopoly on goodness and truth -- a belief that leads some to view the world as but a stage on which to play out the great historical drama: the United States of America versus the Powers of Evil.”
Ouch. Unbecoming arrogance. Imam Rauf lectures Americans as if he were a father scolding his insolent children. Unbecoming arrogance? There probably isn't a country in the world that isn't viewed by someone as arrogant, so how should one interpret Imam Rauf and his words? What countries or what part of the world views Americans as arrogant? Perhaps Americans are viewed as arrogant because our governments position after 9/11 was that you were either with us or against us. Merriam-Webster defines arrogance as an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions.
American’s do possess a certain attitude, but also know that they do not have a monopoly on goodness and truth. Is it arrogance or could it be pride? While not perfect by any means, America is a country that is constantly evolving. It is a country like no other, in that it was literally created by its people. When it stood defiantly against England and declared its independence, the founding fathers chose a government that was run by the people. They did not choose a dictatorship or monarchy, but rather a government that represented the common man.
America, like most countries, has a past. Indeed, its expansion was a brutal acquisition of land from its native inhabitants. America enslaved an entire race of people and suffered a civil war. During World War II, it interned American born Japanese and later, denied basic civil rights to African Americans. America is fluid in that it is capable of change and has evolved to where it is today.
Despite its sordid past, America is the country that appears to be admired by most of the world. People came to America and still come to America for a better life. Imam Rauf chose America as his home when he came in 1965 and became a citizen approximately 15 years later. Parents from other countries send their children here for quality education, to study at our colleges and universities.
Imam Rauf talks of America's "...historical drama: The United States versus The Powers of Evil." He says that as if it were something bad and appears to diminish or tarnish the United States and her role in the world. Imam Rauf is an American now, and perhaps he has glossed over parts of our history that he considers "historical drama." Maybe it has all been just historical drama when America helped her friends in time of need. She was there in World War I and the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. After the surrender of Japan in World War II, America provided assistance to Japan to help them rebuild their war torn country. It was America and her allies that responded to the call for help from Kuwait and chased the invaders away. Historical drama, indeed.
Some evil appears in a different form. It could be pride from the fact that it is America that usually is the first to provide aid to any country suffering from catastrophic events such as tsunamis, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters.
Americans are proud of their heritage and the standard of freedom that allows debate, challenges to the status quo, and the freedom to criticize its leaders and call them to the carpet. Americans are proud of their ability to travel unrestrained throughout this great country. They are proud of a government that functions by a set of laws and not the whim of any one person.
It is in America that one can burn the American flag and draw unflattering cartoons of the president of the United States. It is America where one can belong to or make light of the many, many religions flourishing in the country. It is in America, Imam Rauf, and not an Islamic based country, where people can actually have a critical debate on religion or politics. It is in America and not an Islamic based country, where one can feel free and unthreatened to put words to paper such as these.
Perfect? Absolutely not. One of the best countries in the world? Absolutely.
Because of our standard of living and our leadership in the free world, we have enemies who want to destroy us simply because our values do not coincide with theirs. They are intolerant of the United States. Americans just honored its 9th memory of the horrific events of September 11, 2001. The events that unfolded that day were caused by Islamic terrorists; a group of men who subverted the teachings in the Quran to justify their hatred toward Americans. Presidents Bush and Obama reminded us that we are not at war with Islam. September 11, 2001, was the result of evil, Islamic extremists.
2. Nina Shea and Paul Marshall
3. The Organization of Islamic States (OIC)
Imam Rauf is said to be a man of peace and that Islam, like most religions, is a religion of peace. Yet, there is a certain air of arrogance and intolerance on a segment of the Muslim world concerning the religion of Islam and they are not what one would immediately identify as extremists. Remember the Merriam-Webster definition that arrogance is an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions.
Let us look at “overbearing manner.” Pastor Terry Jone’s threatened to burn the Quran and many Muslims and non-Muslims found the idea offensive. The governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Sudan not only perceived the threat as offensive, but also a deliberate act of blasphemy, punishable by imprisonment or even execution. These countries and others belong to the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic States (OIC).
Nina Shea and Paul Marshall, Senior Fellows with Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom and co-authors of the forthcoming book “Silenced” wrote an article detailing what a reasonable person could construe as an over bearing manner. The OIC is increasingly intolerant of those who would dare speak ill of Islam. Nancy Gibbs, Senior Editor for Time Magazine wrote, "Intolerance comes in many forms; arrogance is one of them, as is dismissing one's opponents as being ignorant or bigoted rather than drawn deeply to different principles or priorities."
Since Feb. 14, 1989, when Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini pronounced Salman Rushdie a blasphemer and ordered his murder, the OIC lobbied Western governments to repress ridicule and critique of Islam, and dissent within Islam, in ways analogous to the repression already existing in many of its own countries.
So now we have governments, not demented individuals, intolerant of any ridicule or critique of Islam. The OIC lobbied to silence critics of Islam and is making progress toward that goal. This appears to be arrogant and over bearing.
For example, in the United Nations, the OIC has for over a decade successfully sponsored annual resolutions calling for the creation of an international crime against "defamation" of Islam. This demand that Western governments use state power to coerce compliance by their own citizens with Islamic blasphemy strictures is therefore relatively new.
The OIC wants an international crime against the defamation of Islam. While Imam Rauf talks of dialogue and tolerance, the OIC demands that any critique of Islam should be criminal throughout the world. The OIC has been successful for over a decade sponsoring resolutions toward an international crime. If you have listened to any of the news channels lately, almost all of their guests and some of the hosts would be guilty of blasphemy against Islam.
Western Europe, Canada and Australia have reacted to this demand largely ad hoc; they are beginning to deploy racial and religious hate-speech bans to serve as proxies for Muslim blasphemy laws.
Most Americans and probably the rest of the world are unaware of the repercussions the OIC’s demands have had on free speech.
Politician Geert Wilders is now on trial in the Netherlands for his statements, and for his film "Fitna," in which he sharply critiques the Quran and calls on Muslims to destroy it. In Germany, a man was recently convicted for the sacrilegious treatment of the word "Quran," not the Islamic sacred text itself. Since the mid-1990s, prosecutors in Finland, Canada and the Netherlands have trawled the websites of anti-immigration advocates looking for anti-Islamic comments.
In France, Canada, Norway and Italy, publishers, editors and authors – such as Mark Steyn – have been tried for inciting religious hostility and insulting religious sensibilities with their critiques of Islam and Muslim immigration.
It should come as no surprise then that former French actress Brigitte Bardot “has been convicted and fined five times under hate-speech laws for denouncing Islamic slaughter practices and making other derogatory statements concerning Islamic practices.”
Authors Shea and Marshall say that so far the United States is an exception, “with its strong protections of free speech under the First Amendment. In the United States, neither blasphemy nor hate speech are violations of the law. ("Hate crimes" simply provide for enhanced penalties when traditional crimes are directed against certain protected groups).”
As applied in OIC states, blasphemy rules can touch on every area of human endeavor. At stake are the freedoms of religion and expression that lie at the heart of our liberal democracy.
“The late Indonesian president Abdurrhaman Wahid warned that such efforts "play directly into the hands of fundamentalists, who wish to avoid all criticism of their attempts to narrow the scope of discourse regarding Islam, and to inter 1.3 billion Muslims in a narrow, suffocating chamber of dogmatism."
America and the rest of the world have concerned themselves with the extremist-those that would do us immediate and physical harm. While the extremists are banging on the front door, moderates are quietly coming in through the rear door. There are many good, decent and well meaning Americans who are opening that rear door. Perhaps they do not understand or refuse to believe the intentions of the Organization of Islamic States regarding Islam.
Final Word
Imam Rauf talks of the arrogance of Americans and our opposition to evil. In the context of this article, evil arrogance and intolerance is the belief criticism of Islam is punishable by imprisonment or execution. Evil arrogance and intolerance is the belief criticism of Islam should be an international crime. Evil arrogance and intolerance is the belief Islam should be the only religion above reproach, critique, discussion and questioning. Finally, arrogance is lecturing to your fellow Americans that our "great historical drama" is some how to blame for the events of 9/11. An evil, demented and intolerant ideology of extremists was the basic cause of 9/11.
Let us not succumb to intolerance, panic or hate because one follows Islam, but let us not close our eyes to the OIC and its goals for the sake of tolerance. There are governments who would have Americans feel guilty for all the ills of the world, but Americans have every right to be proud of their country and the ideals by which it was founded. We have stumbled, picked ourselves up, dusted off the dirt and marched forward. We have recognized and acknowledged our weaknesses, but are buoyed by our basic philosophy of decency and freedom that most of the world respects while members of the OIC detest.
Extremism for any ideology rarely has a productive outcome. Extremism renders one blind and deaf to discussion, new ideas and growth. All Americans, including Imam Rauf, should be aware and follow the agenda of the OIC. Not in a paranoid state of hysteria, but in a rational, methodical and vigilant manner to ensure madness does not rule the day for either side of the spectrum.
Although Americans do not have a monopoly on goodness and truth, they do possess an attractive piece of the market. Arrogance? Maybe its just well deserved and earned pride, Imam Rauf.
PS - You can disagree vehemently with this article without fear of punishment, imprisonment or execution. The author, on the other hand, may have just signed his death warrant with the OIC.
by Paul D. McInerny
How's that for a headline? Talk about tabloid journalism, but if the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic States (OIC) found the following blog offensive, I could be imprisoned or executed for the international crime of Blasphemy Against Islam. You read correctly. An international crime for blasphemy or ridicule of Islam. This blog entry is an observation and opinion to address some key issues:
1. Imam Rauf's remarks concerning the arrogance of Americans
2. Research regarding author's Nina Shea and Paul Marshall
3. The Saudi-based Organization of Islamic States (OIC) and their goals
The article does not address issues regarding:
1. Christianity vs. Islam
2. Controversy at Ground Zero
1. Imam Rauf: The Arrogance of Americans
While America and the rest of the world remain on the alert for gun toting, bomb carrying radical, Islamic terrorist, evidence suggests a more subtle approach may be occurring. A smoke screen of misdirected blame and anger renders the world near-sighted to the bigger picture.
The following introduction to Imam Rauf was taken from the CNN web site: Feisal Abdul Rauf is chairman of the nonprofit organization Cordoba Initiative and imam of Masjid al-Farah, a mosque in Lower Manhattan, and he is a planner of the proposed Islamic community center near ground zero. He gave the talk above in October 2009. Below is an excerpt from his book, "What's Right With Islam.”
“Americans must outgrow the unbecoming arrogance that leads us to assert that America somehow owns a monopoly on goodness and truth -- a belief that leads some to view the world as but a stage on which to play out the great historical drama: the United States of America versus the Powers of Evil.”
Ouch. Unbecoming arrogance. Imam Rauf lectures Americans as if he were a father scolding his insolent children. Unbecoming arrogance? There probably isn't a country in the world that isn't viewed by someone as arrogant, so how should one interpret Imam Rauf and his words? What countries or what part of the world views Americans as arrogant? Perhaps Americans are viewed as arrogant because our governments position after 9/11 was that you were either with us or against us. Merriam-Webster defines arrogance as an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions.
American’s do possess a certain attitude, but also know that they do not have a monopoly on goodness and truth. Is it arrogance or could it be pride? While not perfect by any means, America is a country that is constantly evolving. It is a country like no other, in that it was literally created by its people. When it stood defiantly against England and declared its independence, the founding fathers chose a government that was run by the people. They did not choose a dictatorship or monarchy, but rather a government that represented the common man.
America, like most countries, has a past. Indeed, its expansion was a brutal acquisition of land from its native inhabitants. America enslaved an entire race of people and suffered a civil war. During World War II, it interned American born Japanese and later, denied basic civil rights to African Americans. America is fluid in that it is capable of change and has evolved to where it is today.
Despite its sordid past, America is the country that appears to be admired by most of the world. People came to America and still come to America for a better life. Imam Rauf chose America as his home when he came in 1965 and became a citizen approximately 15 years later. Parents from other countries send their children here for quality education, to study at our colleges and universities.
Imam Rauf talks of America's "...historical drama: The United States versus The Powers of Evil." He says that as if it were something bad and appears to diminish or tarnish the United States and her role in the world. Imam Rauf is an American now, and perhaps he has glossed over parts of our history that he considers "historical drama." Maybe it has all been just historical drama when America helped her friends in time of need. She was there in World War I and the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. After the surrender of Japan in World War II, America provided assistance to Japan to help them rebuild their war torn country. It was America and her allies that responded to the call for help from Kuwait and chased the invaders away. Historical drama, indeed.
Some evil appears in a different form. It could be pride from the fact that it is America that usually is the first to provide aid to any country suffering from catastrophic events such as tsunamis, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters.
Americans are proud of their heritage and the standard of freedom that allows debate, challenges to the status quo, and the freedom to criticize its leaders and call them to the carpet. Americans are proud of their ability to travel unrestrained throughout this great country. They are proud of a government that functions by a set of laws and not the whim of any one person.
It is in America that one can burn the American flag and draw unflattering cartoons of the president of the United States. It is America where one can belong to or make light of the many, many religions flourishing in the country. It is in America, Imam Rauf, and not an Islamic based country, where people can actually have a critical debate on religion or politics. It is in America and not an Islamic based country, where one can feel free and unthreatened to put words to paper such as these.
Perfect? Absolutely not. One of the best countries in the world? Absolutely.
Because of our standard of living and our leadership in the free world, we have enemies who want to destroy us simply because our values do not coincide with theirs. They are intolerant of the United States. Americans just honored its 9th memory of the horrific events of September 11, 2001. The events that unfolded that day were caused by Islamic terrorists; a group of men who subverted the teachings in the Quran to justify their hatred toward Americans. Presidents Bush and Obama reminded us that we are not at war with Islam. September 11, 2001, was the result of evil, Islamic extremists.
2. Nina Shea and Paul Marshall
3. The Organization of Islamic States (OIC)
Imam Rauf is said to be a man of peace and that Islam, like most religions, is a religion of peace. Yet, there is a certain air of arrogance and intolerance on a segment of the Muslim world concerning the religion of Islam and they are not what one would immediately identify as extremists. Remember the Merriam-Webster definition that arrogance is an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions.
Let us look at “overbearing manner.” Pastor Terry Jone’s threatened to burn the Quran and many Muslims and non-Muslims found the idea offensive. The governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Sudan not only perceived the threat as offensive, but also a deliberate act of blasphemy, punishable by imprisonment or even execution. These countries and others belong to the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic States (OIC).
Nina Shea and Paul Marshall, Senior Fellows with Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom and co-authors of the forthcoming book “Silenced” wrote an article detailing what a reasonable person could construe as an over bearing manner. The OIC is increasingly intolerant of those who would dare speak ill of Islam. Nancy Gibbs, Senior Editor for Time Magazine wrote, "Intolerance comes in many forms; arrogance is one of them, as is dismissing one's opponents as being ignorant or bigoted rather than drawn deeply to different principles or priorities."
Since Feb. 14, 1989, when Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini pronounced Salman Rushdie a blasphemer and ordered his murder, the OIC lobbied Western governments to repress ridicule and critique of Islam, and dissent within Islam, in ways analogous to the repression already existing in many of its own countries.
So now we have governments, not demented individuals, intolerant of any ridicule or critique of Islam. The OIC lobbied to silence critics of Islam and is making progress toward that goal. This appears to be arrogant and over bearing.
For example, in the United Nations, the OIC has for over a decade successfully sponsored annual resolutions calling for the creation of an international crime against "defamation" of Islam. This demand that Western governments use state power to coerce compliance by their own citizens with Islamic blasphemy strictures is therefore relatively new.
The OIC wants an international crime against the defamation of Islam. While Imam Rauf talks of dialogue and tolerance, the OIC demands that any critique of Islam should be criminal throughout the world. The OIC has been successful for over a decade sponsoring resolutions toward an international crime. If you have listened to any of the news channels lately, almost all of their guests and some of the hosts would be guilty of blasphemy against Islam.
Western Europe, Canada and Australia have reacted to this demand largely ad hoc; they are beginning to deploy racial and religious hate-speech bans to serve as proxies for Muslim blasphemy laws.
Most Americans and probably the rest of the world are unaware of the repercussions the OIC’s demands have had on free speech.
Politician Geert Wilders is now on trial in the Netherlands for his statements, and for his film "Fitna," in which he sharply critiques the Quran and calls on Muslims to destroy it. In Germany, a man was recently convicted for the sacrilegious treatment of the word "Quran," not the Islamic sacred text itself. Since the mid-1990s, prosecutors in Finland, Canada and the Netherlands have trawled the websites of anti-immigration advocates looking for anti-Islamic comments.
In France, Canada, Norway and Italy, publishers, editors and authors – such as Mark Steyn – have been tried for inciting religious hostility and insulting religious sensibilities with their critiques of Islam and Muslim immigration.
It should come as no surprise then that former French actress Brigitte Bardot “has been convicted and fined five times under hate-speech laws for denouncing Islamic slaughter practices and making other derogatory statements concerning Islamic practices.”
Authors Shea and Marshall say that so far the United States is an exception, “with its strong protections of free speech under the First Amendment. In the United States, neither blasphemy nor hate speech are violations of the law. ("Hate crimes" simply provide for enhanced penalties when traditional crimes are directed against certain protected groups).”
As applied in OIC states, blasphemy rules can touch on every area of human endeavor. At stake are the freedoms of religion and expression that lie at the heart of our liberal democracy.
“The late Indonesian president Abdurrhaman Wahid warned that such efforts "play directly into the hands of fundamentalists, who wish to avoid all criticism of their attempts to narrow the scope of discourse regarding Islam, and to inter 1.3 billion Muslims in a narrow, suffocating chamber of dogmatism."
America and the rest of the world have concerned themselves with the extremist-those that would do us immediate and physical harm. While the extremists are banging on the front door, moderates are quietly coming in through the rear door. There are many good, decent and well meaning Americans who are opening that rear door. Perhaps they do not understand or refuse to believe the intentions of the Organization of Islamic States regarding Islam.
Final Word
Imam Rauf talks of the arrogance of Americans and our opposition to evil. In the context of this article, evil arrogance and intolerance is the belief criticism of Islam is punishable by imprisonment or execution. Evil arrogance and intolerance is the belief criticism of Islam should be an international crime. Evil arrogance and intolerance is the belief Islam should be the only religion above reproach, critique, discussion and questioning. Finally, arrogance is lecturing to your fellow Americans that our "great historical drama" is some how to blame for the events of 9/11. An evil, demented and intolerant ideology of extremists was the basic cause of 9/11.
Let us not succumb to intolerance, panic or hate because one follows Islam, but let us not close our eyes to the OIC and its goals for the sake of tolerance. There are governments who would have Americans feel guilty for all the ills of the world, but Americans have every right to be proud of their country and the ideals by which it was founded. We have stumbled, picked ourselves up, dusted off the dirt and marched forward. We have recognized and acknowledged our weaknesses, but are buoyed by our basic philosophy of decency and freedom that most of the world respects while members of the OIC detest.
Extremism for any ideology rarely has a productive outcome. Extremism renders one blind and deaf to discussion, new ideas and growth. All Americans, including Imam Rauf, should be aware and follow the agenda of the OIC. Not in a paranoid state of hysteria, but in a rational, methodical and vigilant manner to ensure madness does not rule the day for either side of the spectrum.
Although Americans do not have a monopoly on goodness and truth, they do possess an attractive piece of the market. Arrogance? Maybe its just well deserved and earned pride, Imam Rauf.
PS - You can disagree vehemently with this article without fear of punishment, imprisonment or execution. The author, on the other hand, may have just signed his death warrant with the OIC.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Baldo - Say It Isn't So!
Baldo
by Paul D. McInerny
As a prelude to what you are about to read, the following may sound like the ranting of an ultra-conservative, paranoid, white male who is a card carrying member of the Tea Party, KKK and the Aryan Brotherhood. I concede that I am a white male.
Our Sunday paper carries the comic strip Baldo which I enjoyed reading, primarily because of the quality of the art. The story centers on the Bermudez family and normally covers non-political subjects. Until recently, it was one of my favorites.
This past Sunday (July 20, 2010) Baldo and his family sat at the dinner table and had the following discussion:
Graci: Papi, what is cultural assimilation?
Papi: Hmmm…let me try to explain.
Acculturation is where a group of people, usually ethnic minorities, keep some parts of their culture while adapting parts of the dominant culture.
In assimilation, a group is completely absorbed into the dominant culture, giving up their customs and traditions over time. The smaller group eventually becomes indistinguishable from the dominant group.
The next panel shows comic characters from other strips such as Lucy, Blonde and the dad from Family Circle, all sitting together. Not coincidentally, all the characters were Caucasian. Baldo and Gracie are seen thinking and reflecting that assimilation would mean becoming Caucasian in appearance.
Graci: I think I prefer acculturation
Baldo: Can you pass the jalapeno jam?
What disturbed me was that, according to the illustrators of Baldo, Hector D. Cantu and Carlos Castellanos, to assimilate in America, one had to be “indistinguishable from the dominant group” in this case, Caucasians.
Perhaps I am being overly sensitive, but allow me the opportunity to explain my sensitivity complex. In recent news, there was a video of King Samir, a member of the New Black Panther Party advocating the killing of “cracker babies.” This was the same member, who in November 2008 stood in front of a polling booth with a club yet, the justice department declined to prosecute (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neGbKHyGuHU).
Although New Black Panther Party Chairman Malik Zulu Shabazz denounced the actions of a single member of his organization, in a July 9, 2010 interview, he stated, “King Samir is back in our organization, and in good standing within our organization.”
I recall the story where Congressmen Andre Carson and John Lewis claimed racism against the Tea Party. Seems the good congressmen “staged a walk through the Tea Party crowd in front of the capitol the day before the health care vote and claimed they were threatened by a violent mob and were subjected to the vile N word slur fifteen times.” Writer Andrew Breitbart offered a $100,000.00 reward he would donate to the United Negro College Fund if anyone could produce video or audio evidence that this actually occurred. Despite the number of cell phones with camera’s and recorders and the presence of news media, no evidence was ever presented.
Then there was the MSNBC attempt to show racism at a Tea Party meeting because one member had what appeared to be an assault rifle strung across their back (turned out the member was an African-American).
OK, thank you for allowing me to vent and explain my delusions of persecution. I was a bystander in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and remember well the struggle and sacrifice of the activists, both of color and well, non-color. I know from my service in the army and a 30-year career in law enforcement that bias and prejudice are not exclusive to any particular race, but normally the Sunday comic strips allow me to escape the madness. I also know, as Columnist Tommy Christopher wrote, “The idea that whites are being persecuted is an irresistible notion to many Americans, an absolution from the need to take the full measure of our nation’s complicated racial history.”
I now return to Baldo. Gracie’s question to her father had to do with assimilation and so I thought I would turn to Merriam-Webster for guidance. The dictionary defines assimilate as the following:
a: to make similar
b: to alter by assimilation
c: to absorb into the culture or mores of a population or group
I identified three key words from Merriam-Webster: similar, alter and absorb. From the definition of assimilate, the words “similar” and “alter” do not imply the total abdication of one’s culture for another. In fact, the word similar is defined in part as;
1: having characteristics in common: strictly comparable
2: alike in substance or essentials.
To take components from one culture and alter or make them similar to another culture does not make them indistinguishable. In fact, the components from one culture can have the same characteristics or be alike in substance.
Baldo illustrators, Hector D. Cantu and Carlos Castellanos, would have one believe that to assimilate is wrong. To underscore their contempt for assimilation, they chose to define assimilation as the inheritance of the physical characteristics of a Caucasian. Baldo and his family soundly reject the concept of assimilation in favor of acculturation. So I turned once again to Merriam-Webster for assistance in the definition of acculturation:
1: cultural modification of an individual, group, or people by adapting to or borrowing traits from another culture; also: a merging of cultures as a result of prolonged contact
The word modification is synonymous with alter, which appeared in the definition of assimilation. Neither assimilation nor acculturation provides a choice of one culture over the other, but rather a merging of cultures. So, I am left wondering why Cantu and Castellanos, two talented illustrators, chose Caucasian comic characters to signify that any notion of assimilation would mean Baldo and his family would no longer be Hispanic.
Now to be fair about this discussion of assimilation, I did indeed find the following definition that would support the notion of Cantu and Castellanos:
A process by which members of an ethnic minority group lose cultural characteristics that distinguish them from the dominant cultural group or take on the cultural characteristics of another group (The Free Dictionary).
I am sure that Native American’s would agree with this definition as a result of the method in which we settled this country, but despite the cruelty and the hardships of reservation life, the Native American was still able to retain ancient customs unique to their culture.
Jingwei, from the City College of San Francisco, Tolerance wrote, “Usually, people who belong to different cultures have different ways to do things and solve problems. If people don't understand cultures other than their own, they may not understand what other people are doing or why they do in different ways. That's the misunderstanding between races. Conflicts emerge. Therefore, immigrants' assimilation into new cultures is very important to the society.”
12 years ago, William Branigin of the Washington Post, did a story on assimilation and interviewed Maria Jacinto. Jacinto became a U.S. citizen, but said she did not feel like an American. In fact, she was resistant to the idea of assimilating into U.S. society. "I think I'm still a Mexican," she said. "When my skin turns white and my hair turns blonde, then I'll be an American."
When her skin turns white and her hair turns blonde then she will be an American?! She is a citizen of the United States, yet considers herself a Mexican. In almost any city in America, local governments pride themselves on their diverse population. Cultural diversity is a descriptive title to recognize the multiple ethnic composition of a company or a city.
Tory King wrote about the Irish assimilation into American Culture during the 19th and 20th centuries and noted it was anything but easy. Irish immigrants, especially Irish Catholics were regarded as inferior to their Protestant counterparts already established in the United States. Irish Catholic immigrants were considered unskilled and worked in manual labor positions. The result was a general disdain for both Ireland and anything Irish and it is from this cultural and political attitude that the infamous phrase arose: “No Irish need apply” (BellaOnline, The Voice of Women).
Hispanics and Irish were hardly unique in the challenges of assimilation. Asians, particularly American born Japanese, had a difficult time following December 7, 1941. The prevailing attitude was American born Japanese would be loyal to Japan, even though many had never been to Japan.
From Asian-Nation: One reason why some immigrants assimilate faster than others is because of class differences. Some ethnic and immigrant groups on the whole have higher levels of education, job skills, and English proficiency than others. This in turn gives them specific advantages in achieving socioeconomic success faster than others by allowing them to get jobs that are higher-paying, more stable, and that offer higher status. As a result, they are able to achieve socioeconomic mobility and success faster than other groups ("Assimilation & Ethnic Identity" Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian America. ).
Peter D. Salins, Reason Magazine, wrote that in America, assimilation does not necessarily mean repudiating immigrant culture. Assimilation, American style has always been much more flexible and accommodating and, consequently, much more effective in achieving its purpose--to allow the United States to preserve its "national unity in the face of the influx of hordes of persons of scores of different nationalities," in the words of the sociologist Henry Fairchild.
Or, as our national motto so eloquently reads, “E Pluribus Unum (From Many, One).
Assimilation is not evil. It does not mean one becomes blonde haired and blue eyed. It does not mean being indistinguishable from each other. It does not mean having one religion or a master race. Perhaps the illustrators of Baldo should have shown a more diverse group in the panel and included comic strip characters from Watch Your Head, Candorville, The Boondocks, or Luther.
by Paul D. McInerny
As a prelude to what you are about to read, the following may sound like the ranting of an ultra-conservative, paranoid, white male who is a card carrying member of the Tea Party, KKK and the Aryan Brotherhood. I concede that I am a white male.
Our Sunday paper carries the comic strip Baldo which I enjoyed reading, primarily because of the quality of the art. The story centers on the Bermudez family and normally covers non-political subjects. Until recently, it was one of my favorites.
This past Sunday (July 20, 2010) Baldo and his family sat at the dinner table and had the following discussion:
Graci: Papi, what is cultural assimilation?
Papi: Hmmm…let me try to explain.
Acculturation is where a group of people, usually ethnic minorities, keep some parts of their culture while adapting parts of the dominant culture.
In assimilation, a group is completely absorbed into the dominant culture, giving up their customs and traditions over time. The smaller group eventually becomes indistinguishable from the dominant group.
The next panel shows comic characters from other strips such as Lucy, Blonde and the dad from Family Circle, all sitting together. Not coincidentally, all the characters were Caucasian. Baldo and Gracie are seen thinking and reflecting that assimilation would mean becoming Caucasian in appearance.
Graci: I think I prefer acculturation
Baldo: Can you pass the jalapeno jam?
What disturbed me was that, according to the illustrators of Baldo, Hector D. Cantu and Carlos Castellanos, to assimilate in America, one had to be “indistinguishable from the dominant group” in this case, Caucasians.
Perhaps I am being overly sensitive, but allow me the opportunity to explain my sensitivity complex. In recent news, there was a video of King Samir, a member of the New Black Panther Party advocating the killing of “cracker babies.” This was the same member, who in November 2008 stood in front of a polling booth with a club yet, the justice department declined to prosecute (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neGbKHyGuHU).
Although New Black Panther Party Chairman Malik Zulu Shabazz denounced the actions of a single member of his organization, in a July 9, 2010 interview, he stated, “King Samir is back in our organization, and in good standing within our organization.”
I recall the story where Congressmen Andre Carson and John Lewis claimed racism against the Tea Party. Seems the good congressmen “staged a walk through the Tea Party crowd in front of the capitol the day before the health care vote and claimed they were threatened by a violent mob and were subjected to the vile N word slur fifteen times.” Writer Andrew Breitbart offered a $100,000.00 reward he would donate to the United Negro College Fund if anyone could produce video or audio evidence that this actually occurred. Despite the number of cell phones with camera’s and recorders and the presence of news media, no evidence was ever presented.
Then there was the MSNBC attempt to show racism at a Tea Party meeting because one member had what appeared to be an assault rifle strung across their back (turned out the member was an African-American).
OK, thank you for allowing me to vent and explain my delusions of persecution. I was a bystander in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and remember well the struggle and sacrifice of the activists, both of color and well, non-color. I know from my service in the army and a 30-year career in law enforcement that bias and prejudice are not exclusive to any particular race, but normally the Sunday comic strips allow me to escape the madness. I also know, as Columnist Tommy Christopher wrote, “The idea that whites are being persecuted is an irresistible notion to many Americans, an absolution from the need to take the full measure of our nation’s complicated racial history.”
I now return to Baldo. Gracie’s question to her father had to do with assimilation and so I thought I would turn to Merriam-Webster for guidance. The dictionary defines assimilate as the following:
a: to make similar
b: to alter by assimilation
c: to absorb into the culture or mores of a population or group
I identified three key words from Merriam-Webster: similar, alter and absorb. From the definition of assimilate, the words “similar” and “alter” do not imply the total abdication of one’s culture for another. In fact, the word similar is defined in part as;
1: having characteristics in common: strictly comparable
2: alike in substance or essentials.
To take components from one culture and alter or make them similar to another culture does not make them indistinguishable. In fact, the components from one culture can have the same characteristics or be alike in substance.
Baldo illustrators, Hector D. Cantu and Carlos Castellanos, would have one believe that to assimilate is wrong. To underscore their contempt for assimilation, they chose to define assimilation as the inheritance of the physical characteristics of a Caucasian. Baldo and his family soundly reject the concept of assimilation in favor of acculturation. So I turned once again to Merriam-Webster for assistance in the definition of acculturation:
1: cultural modification of an individual, group, or people by adapting to or borrowing traits from another culture; also: a merging of cultures as a result of prolonged contact
The word modification is synonymous with alter, which appeared in the definition of assimilation. Neither assimilation nor acculturation provides a choice of one culture over the other, but rather a merging of cultures. So, I am left wondering why Cantu and Castellanos, two talented illustrators, chose Caucasian comic characters to signify that any notion of assimilation would mean Baldo and his family would no longer be Hispanic.
Now to be fair about this discussion of assimilation, I did indeed find the following definition that would support the notion of Cantu and Castellanos:
A process by which members of an ethnic minority group lose cultural characteristics that distinguish them from the dominant cultural group or take on the cultural characteristics of another group (The Free Dictionary).
I am sure that Native American’s would agree with this definition as a result of the method in which we settled this country, but despite the cruelty and the hardships of reservation life, the Native American was still able to retain ancient customs unique to their culture.
Jingwei, from the City College of San Francisco, Tolerance wrote, “Usually, people who belong to different cultures have different ways to do things and solve problems. If people don't understand cultures other than their own, they may not understand what other people are doing or why they do in different ways. That's the misunderstanding between races. Conflicts emerge. Therefore, immigrants' assimilation into new cultures is very important to the society.”
12 years ago, William Branigin of the Washington Post, did a story on assimilation and interviewed Maria Jacinto. Jacinto became a U.S. citizen, but said she did not feel like an American. In fact, she was resistant to the idea of assimilating into U.S. society. "I think I'm still a Mexican," she said. "When my skin turns white and my hair turns blonde, then I'll be an American."
When her skin turns white and her hair turns blonde then she will be an American?! She is a citizen of the United States, yet considers herself a Mexican. In almost any city in America, local governments pride themselves on their diverse population. Cultural diversity is a descriptive title to recognize the multiple ethnic composition of a company or a city.
Tory King wrote about the Irish assimilation into American Culture during the 19th and 20th centuries and noted it was anything but easy. Irish immigrants, especially Irish Catholics were regarded as inferior to their Protestant counterparts already established in the United States. Irish Catholic immigrants were considered unskilled and worked in manual labor positions. The result was a general disdain for both Ireland and anything Irish and it is from this cultural and political attitude that the infamous phrase arose: “No Irish need apply” (BellaOnline, The Voice of Women).
Hispanics and Irish were hardly unique in the challenges of assimilation. Asians, particularly American born Japanese, had a difficult time following December 7, 1941. The prevailing attitude was American born Japanese would be loyal to Japan, even though many had never been to Japan.
From Asian-Nation: One reason why some immigrants assimilate faster than others is because of class differences. Some ethnic and immigrant groups on the whole have higher levels of education, job skills, and English proficiency than others. This in turn gives them specific advantages in achieving socioeconomic success faster than others by allowing them to get jobs that are higher-paying, more stable, and that offer higher status. As a result, they are able to achieve socioeconomic mobility and success faster than other groups ("Assimilation & Ethnic Identity" Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian America.
Peter D. Salins, Reason Magazine, wrote that in America, assimilation does not necessarily mean repudiating immigrant culture. Assimilation, American style has always been much more flexible and accommodating and, consequently, much more effective in achieving its purpose--to allow the United States to preserve its "national unity in the face of the influx of hordes of persons of scores of different nationalities," in the words of the sociologist Henry Fairchild.
Or, as our national motto so eloquently reads, “E Pluribus Unum (From Many, One).
Assimilation is not evil. It does not mean one becomes blonde haired and blue eyed. It does not mean being indistinguishable from each other. It does not mean having one religion or a master race. Perhaps the illustrators of Baldo should have shown a more diverse group in the panel and included comic strip characters from Watch Your Head, Candorville, The Boondocks, or Luther.
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Aging of Paul McInerny
Recently, The Red Room, an on line site for writers, asked its members to submit stories regarding aging. Specifically, they were looking for anecdote’s that enlighten their audience to the benefits of growing old(er). I thought of putting pen to paper, but all I could conjure up was the fact I was becoming more and more familiar with my anatomy and doctors who specialize in its particular abnormality.
Face Book can be a brutal reminder of the aging process. While I have an internal memory drive of how I feel and therefore how I should look, recent family photos had me scratching my head trying to figure out who the gray (white?) haired gentleman was in the photographs. I realize, of course, that the ancient one is me. I even startle myself at times when I gaze into the early morning mirror after climbing out of bed with the cracks and cringles of dormant muscle and bones.
Climbing out of bed? Even the act of arising from slumber has been amended from the energetic “jumping” out of bed to the arduous descriptive phrase of “climbing” out of bed. Now that I reflect on the specific act of removing myself from a prone position of comfort, it is indeed a grueling task requiring nearly as much energy as it takes for me to arise from a squatting position. Never mind what I was squatting for. Just take my word that stretching my entire body to a vertical position requires a surprising amount of effort.
As my cousin, Paul Michael and I (sorry Paul, but I am not going down alone) approach the magical age of 60, I am reminded of the words sometimes attributed to George Carlin regarding aging:
"Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 . . . and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60."
Hmmm…”make it” to 60? For now, I think I will stick with “approaching” 60. It sounds far less ominous, don’t you think?
So what are the benefits of aging? I gave this a great deal of consideration and one word that keeps hammering away in my deteriorating cranium: memories. I have many fond memories of my youth.
In my younger life, I listened to some pretty amazing and diverse music. My generation had the benefit of introducing the world to the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Eric Clapton, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Righteous Brothers, The Association, The Beach Boys, Sonny and Cher. Let us not forget the folk singers who inspired us for social change and equality such as Joan Baez, Peter, Paul & Mary, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and even Dick and Tommy Smothers. And who could ever forget the societal benefits of Tiny Tim. Ok, forget Tiny Tim. Most of the world already has.
After the army, I returned to Minnesota to perform in a band and even wrote an album of what Fingers Fox dubbed, “Sappy love songs.” Music was a tremendous part of my life and writing songs provided me a venting process for an often broken heart.
Aging has a way of reminding me of all that was good in life. My time growing up in Minneapolis and then Richfield, Minnesota was absolutely wonderful. My recollection is that I spent my summers mostly shoeless, preferring to run around barefoot and feeling the green grass between my toes, tempered by the occasional “sticker” that would penetrate my skin. Going in was painful enough, but pulling out a “sticker” was far worse.
There were countless summer picnics and gatherings at Minnehaha Falls where kids could roam the former stomping grounds of such notable figures as Minnehaha and Hiawatha, the Romero and Juliet of the American Indian culture. I remember on one outing, brother Roger and I saw TV personality Mel Jass (the movies are great on TCN”) hosting an event at Minnehaha Falls.
Speaking of TV, it was much different back then. Programs went off the air at midnight to the National Anthem; one had to actually get up and manually turn the TV on and off, change the channel or adjust the volume and there were only 7 stations or channels to choose from. Rabbit ears were a must. We watched the programs in black and white and enjoyed Casey Jones and Round House Rodney, Vivian Vulture, and good ol’ Axel’s Tree House.
I remember my first car with a great deal of fondness. It was a 1963 Chevy Corvair. It wasn’t much to look at, but it was a graduation gift from my wonderful parents for making it through high school. It served its purpose with distinction until I sold it a few months later when I enlisted in the army.
These personal memories are a product of an exceptional home life provided by my parents. They created atmosphere where the home was the safe haven. Dad was/is the one man in the world I most admire and wish I could emulate. Mom was/is the person who would always listen to what I had to say. While my parents have vehemently disagreed with some of the choices I have made in life, their love has been unfaltering, even in the most turbulent of times.
An integral part of my life has been my brothers and sisters. From our early childhood together to our separate adult lives, my siblings have stood shoulder to shoulder with me through personal difficulties, providing words of encouragement and support. We have grown (aged) together, despite the fact we are scattered throughout the United States.
Finally, my children have given me immense pleasure and joy. Although they are all adults now, I have so many fond memories of happy times together. My memories of Christmas with Brian, Jenna and Meghan will sustain me even in my darkest hour. As a young boy, Brian always wanted us to get the largest tree. To this day, Christmas at Brian's house will display the largest tree that will fit in the living room. Each day that I live, I enjoy the creation of new and wonderful memories with my children and grandchildren.
If you are reading this and have no idea or recollection of some of the names that I have mentioned – not to worry. You will have your own memories of times that you’ll share with your own names, categories, events and places. My point was to simply present the concept of memories as a positive element of aging. Remembering all that was good and simple during your time here on earth. Let go, if you can, that which has left its ugly mark in your life.
Now if you will excuse me, I must prepare to have my gall bladder removed. As I mentioned at the beginning of this piece, I have become more intimately familiar with my anatomy and the accompanying specialized doctors and surgeons.
Final word: On a recent return flight from Tennessee, I was sitting with another gentleman and woman. The woman asked me what I did for a living and I told her I was retired. She turned to the other gentleman and asked what he did for a living and he replied, “I’m a Naval Surgeon.” She turned to me and said, “Oh my. The doctors are really specialized, aren’t they?”
Make your own memories. Enjoy life.
Face Book can be a brutal reminder of the aging process. While I have an internal memory drive of how I feel and therefore how I should look, recent family photos had me scratching my head trying to figure out who the gray (white?) haired gentleman was in the photographs. I realize, of course, that the ancient one is me. I even startle myself at times when I gaze into the early morning mirror after climbing out of bed with the cracks and cringles of dormant muscle and bones.
Climbing out of bed? Even the act of arising from slumber has been amended from the energetic “jumping” out of bed to the arduous descriptive phrase of “climbing” out of bed. Now that I reflect on the specific act of removing myself from a prone position of comfort, it is indeed a grueling task requiring nearly as much energy as it takes for me to arise from a squatting position. Never mind what I was squatting for. Just take my word that stretching my entire body to a vertical position requires a surprising amount of effort.
As my cousin, Paul Michael and I (sorry Paul, but I am not going down alone) approach the magical age of 60, I am reminded of the words sometimes attributed to George Carlin regarding aging:
"Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 . . . and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60."
Hmmm…”make it” to 60? For now, I think I will stick with “approaching” 60. It sounds far less ominous, don’t you think?
So what are the benefits of aging? I gave this a great deal of consideration and one word that keeps hammering away in my deteriorating cranium: memories. I have many fond memories of my youth.
In my younger life, I listened to some pretty amazing and diverse music. My generation had the benefit of introducing the world to the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Eric Clapton, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Righteous Brothers, The Association, The Beach Boys, Sonny and Cher. Let us not forget the folk singers who inspired us for social change and equality such as Joan Baez, Peter, Paul & Mary, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and even Dick and Tommy Smothers. And who could ever forget the societal benefits of Tiny Tim. Ok, forget Tiny Tim. Most of the world already has.
After the army, I returned to Minnesota to perform in a band and even wrote an album of what Fingers Fox dubbed, “Sappy love songs.” Music was a tremendous part of my life and writing songs provided me a venting process for an often broken heart.
Aging has a way of reminding me of all that was good in life. My time growing up in Minneapolis and then Richfield, Minnesota was absolutely wonderful. My recollection is that I spent my summers mostly shoeless, preferring to run around barefoot and feeling the green grass between my toes, tempered by the occasional “sticker” that would penetrate my skin. Going in was painful enough, but pulling out a “sticker” was far worse.
There were countless summer picnics and gatherings at Minnehaha Falls where kids could roam the former stomping grounds of such notable figures as Minnehaha and Hiawatha, the Romero and Juliet of the American Indian culture. I remember on one outing, brother Roger and I saw TV personality Mel Jass (the movies are great on TCN”) hosting an event at Minnehaha Falls.
Speaking of TV, it was much different back then. Programs went off the air at midnight to the National Anthem; one had to actually get up and manually turn the TV on and off, change the channel or adjust the volume and there were only 7 stations or channels to choose from. Rabbit ears were a must. We watched the programs in black and white and enjoyed Casey Jones and Round House Rodney, Vivian Vulture, and good ol’ Axel’s Tree House.
I remember my first car with a great deal of fondness. It was a 1963 Chevy Corvair. It wasn’t much to look at, but it was a graduation gift from my wonderful parents for making it through high school. It served its purpose with distinction until I sold it a few months later when I enlisted in the army.
These personal memories are a product of an exceptional home life provided by my parents. They created atmosphere where the home was the safe haven. Dad was/is the one man in the world I most admire and wish I could emulate. Mom was/is the person who would always listen to what I had to say. While my parents have vehemently disagreed with some of the choices I have made in life, their love has been unfaltering, even in the most turbulent of times.
An integral part of my life has been my brothers and sisters. From our early childhood together to our separate adult lives, my siblings have stood shoulder to shoulder with me through personal difficulties, providing words of encouragement and support. We have grown (aged) together, despite the fact we are scattered throughout the United States.
Finally, my children have given me immense pleasure and joy. Although they are all adults now, I have so many fond memories of happy times together. My memories of Christmas with Brian, Jenna and Meghan will sustain me even in my darkest hour. As a young boy, Brian always wanted us to get the largest tree. To this day, Christmas at Brian's house will display the largest tree that will fit in the living room. Each day that I live, I enjoy the creation of new and wonderful memories with my children and grandchildren.
If you are reading this and have no idea or recollection of some of the names that I have mentioned – not to worry. You will have your own memories of times that you’ll share with your own names, categories, events and places. My point was to simply present the concept of memories as a positive element of aging. Remembering all that was good and simple during your time here on earth. Let go, if you can, that which has left its ugly mark in your life.
Now if you will excuse me, I must prepare to have my gall bladder removed. As I mentioned at the beginning of this piece, I have become more intimately familiar with my anatomy and the accompanying specialized doctors and surgeons.
Final word: On a recent return flight from Tennessee, I was sitting with another gentleman and woman. The woman asked me what I did for a living and I told her I was retired. She turned to the other gentleman and asked what he did for a living and he replied, “I’m a Naval Surgeon.” She turned to me and said, “Oh my. The doctors are really specialized, aren’t they?”
Make your own memories. Enjoy life.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Warning: President Obama Wants to Kick Some Tail!
President Obama is angry. No, really. This time he means it. He is really, really angry and he wants to know whose “ass to kick.” For a man known for his eloquent use of words, this level of slang seems almost humorous. Under intense criticism for his perceived failure to respond to the crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, President Obama has resorted to the use of slang, or profanity, depending on your point of view.
Thomas E. Cronin, a political scientist at Colorado College and co-author of a book "The Paradoxes of the American Presidency" that examines how difficult it is for presidents to live up to expectations, made the following comment regarding President Obama’s choice of words.
"We want the president to be like us but to be better than us. So we hold the president to a higher standard," said Cronin.
It is the same rationale used in many professions that encourage what has been coined, “The Professional Use of Language.” Proponents of the Professional Use of Language argue just what Thomas E. Cronin articulated. We hold people in certain professions to a higher standard. We want them to be like us, only better. Opponents of the Professional Use of Language argue that sometimes slang or profanity is permissible and even necessary.
George Thompson, Ph.d, created a course, originally designed for the street cop called Verbal Judo, or Tactical Communication. Dr. Thompson was of the opinion that when faced with conflict, the problem officer often would express his/her feelings through the use of street language or personal language. Personal language involved profanity, calling people names, making fun of people, etc.
Conversely, the officer who viewed himself as a professional would use professional language in conflict. The professional officer would not resort to the use of profanity or inappropriate language. By the use of professional language, the officer would appear to be in control when he/she was least expected to be in control and that, Dr. Thompson said, is real power.
The concept was not without controversy. Some officers felt the use of street language (profanity) was sometimes necessary in order for the recipient to take the officer seriously or to take control of a situation. Dr. Thompson countered that if someone was not taking the officer seriously, then part of the problem was the officer’s delivery style. The use of profanity or street language would be viewed as an officer out of control or a street thug and certainly not a professional.
Expanding on what Thomas Cronin said, there are certain professions where a professional delivery style and language are expected. In a court of law, you would never hear the prosecuting attorney refer to the defendant in a descriptive phrase that pairs President Obama’s word of choice with a hole. The captain of an aircraft would never get on the intercom and yell, “Oh my gawd! Birds have been sucked into the ***** engine and we are all going to ***** die!” Indeed, you probably would never hear your physician tell you that you must lose weight because you had a fat, well, you get the picture. We do hold certain people to a higher standard and the president of the United States is one of those people.
It would appear BP CEO Tony Hayward implemented the use of tame, but personal language to express his feelings. President Obama was quick to criticize Mr. Hayward for saying, "I want my life back," and the Gulf is "a big ocean" so "the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to be very, very modest."
"He wouldn't be working for me after any of those statements," Obama said.
Really? Isn’t this the same president who didn’t have a problem defending a supposed man of the cloth for saying, “Goddam America!” Is that the type of language you would expect from your priest, rabbi, or minister at a Sunday sermon? Of course not, because we hold them to a higher standard.
So, what do we make of the president’s “tough” language? Was his language professional language or the language of a man out of control and trying to get the recipients to take him seriously. He is mad, don’t you know. He is so mad that he has to use the “A” word so we know how mad he really is.
As for me, I believe it is all show. Oh, he is mad, no doubt. He is mad that people are blaming him for everything under the sun. He is mad because he cannot control everything under the sun. Perhaps he is mad at that pesky little dog named Toto pulling on the curtain. Careful, Toto. The president might kick your ass.
Thomas E. Cronin, a political scientist at Colorado College and co-author of a book "The Paradoxes of the American Presidency" that examines how difficult it is for presidents to live up to expectations, made the following comment regarding President Obama’s choice of words.
"We want the president to be like us but to be better than us. So we hold the president to a higher standard," said Cronin.
It is the same rationale used in many professions that encourage what has been coined, “The Professional Use of Language.” Proponents of the Professional Use of Language argue just what Thomas E. Cronin articulated. We hold people in certain professions to a higher standard. We want them to be like us, only better. Opponents of the Professional Use of Language argue that sometimes slang or profanity is permissible and even necessary.
George Thompson, Ph.d, created a course, originally designed for the street cop called Verbal Judo, or Tactical Communication. Dr. Thompson was of the opinion that when faced with conflict, the problem officer often would express his/her feelings through the use of street language or personal language. Personal language involved profanity, calling people names, making fun of people, etc.
Conversely, the officer who viewed himself as a professional would use professional language in conflict. The professional officer would not resort to the use of profanity or inappropriate language. By the use of professional language, the officer would appear to be in control when he/she was least expected to be in control and that, Dr. Thompson said, is real power.
The concept was not without controversy. Some officers felt the use of street language (profanity) was sometimes necessary in order for the recipient to take the officer seriously or to take control of a situation. Dr. Thompson countered that if someone was not taking the officer seriously, then part of the problem was the officer’s delivery style. The use of profanity or street language would be viewed as an officer out of control or a street thug and certainly not a professional.
Expanding on what Thomas Cronin said, there are certain professions where a professional delivery style and language are expected. In a court of law, you would never hear the prosecuting attorney refer to the defendant in a descriptive phrase that pairs President Obama’s word of choice with a hole. The captain of an aircraft would never get on the intercom and yell, “Oh my gawd! Birds have been sucked into the ***** engine and we are all going to ***** die!” Indeed, you probably would never hear your physician tell you that you must lose weight because you had a fat, well, you get the picture. We do hold certain people to a higher standard and the president of the United States is one of those people.
It would appear BP CEO Tony Hayward implemented the use of tame, but personal language to express his feelings. President Obama was quick to criticize Mr. Hayward for saying, "I want my life back," and the Gulf is "a big ocean" so "the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to be very, very modest."
"He wouldn't be working for me after any of those statements," Obama said.
Really? Isn’t this the same president who didn’t have a problem defending a supposed man of the cloth for saying, “Goddam America!” Is that the type of language you would expect from your priest, rabbi, or minister at a Sunday sermon? Of course not, because we hold them to a higher standard.
So, what do we make of the president’s “tough” language? Was his language professional language or the language of a man out of control and trying to get the recipients to take him seriously. He is mad, don’t you know. He is so mad that he has to use the “A” word so we know how mad he really is.
As for me, I believe it is all show. Oh, he is mad, no doubt. He is mad that people are blaming him for everything under the sun. He is mad because he cannot control everything under the sun. Perhaps he is mad at that pesky little dog named Toto pulling on the curtain. Careful, Toto. The president might kick your ass.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Then & Than
Not being an English major, I am sometimes perplexed by the correct use of words in a sentence. As a sergeant, I would review many police reports and often noticed errors regarding the use of certain words such as, their, there and they're.
Two words that often stump me are the words "then" and "than". I have found the following explanations very helpful when trying to remember the correct way to use the words.
The word THEN is used to imply chronology. It is used to indicate when something has happened.
The word THAN is used to convey a comparison of some kind, or to be more accurate, a difference.
Crossing Over
Arizona is still in the news with its recent SB 1070. It would appear that few people are taking the time to actually read the bill and instead, listen to activists who claim the bill allows law enforcement to stop someone based on their looks.
Another interesting piece of evidence that didn't make it here to California is contained in the following two videos. From Douglas, Arizona, an investigative report on the "OTM's" that are crossing into the United States. OTM stands for "Other than Mexican." Take a look and draw your own conclusions, but more importantly, regardless of your stance, educate yourselves.
Video 1: ttp://www.wsbtv.com/video/23438021/index.html
Video 2: http://www.wsbtv.com/video/23438712/index.html
Another interesting piece of evidence that didn't make it here to California is contained in the following two videos. From Douglas, Arizona, an investigative report on the "OTM's" that are crossing into the United States. OTM stands for "Other than Mexican." Take a look and draw your own conclusions, but more importantly, regardless of your stance, educate yourselves.
Video 1: ttp://www.wsbtv.com/video/23438021/index.html
Video 2: http://www.wsbtv.com/video/23438712/index.html
Monday, May 17, 2010
Hummingbird Update!
From jelly bean size eggs to young Hummingbirds, it now appears our little guests are ready to leave the nest any minute now. The mom still comes by to feed them, but they are bulging out of their nest. My research shows that they are in the nest for 3-4 weeks and it has been just about that long since they hatched. We are still able to get up close and personal with them and check on them frequently. We were wondering if they would remember our faces or the noises we made as we "talked" to them. Who knows?
I set up the video camera and was able to get some excellent video of the mom feeding the babies. We are hoping for a visit from mom next year!
Movie Review
We saw two movies over the weekend. One at a theater and the other in the comfort of our home, courtesy of Netflix.
Date Night
I know why people like this movie so much. It is a decent enough comedy with Tina Fey and Steve Carell as a couple from New Jersey hoping for a night out to themselves. There were a couple of spots I could relate to as I watched the movie. In the beginning, Carell apparently has done the taxes for a very young couple and announces they will get a refund of $600.00. They respond with the hip, "Shut up!" I encountered such a response from my granddaughter and it caught me off guard. She explained to me that it was not a sign of disrespect, but what all the kids would say instead of, "Get out!" or "You're kidding me." I know...generation gap.
Another reoccurring part I could relate to was Mark Wahlberg's character, who just so happens to be buffed and likes to answer the door without wearing a shirt. Carell is noticeably jealous of Wahlber's physique (the part I can relate to) and the dialogue is pretty good.
The only part I felt dragged on a little bit too long was when the taxi and the vehicle Carell and Fey were in locked up together. It was the one part where I thought to myself, ok, we get it, it was funny now let's move on.
It was a silly comedy, but just what we needed to put a smile on our faces.
Everything's Fine (Netflix)
Kind of a sad, depressing movie about a widowed gentleman (Robert Deniro) who made plans to have his four adult kids visit him. The plans fell through when all four kids told dad they couldn't make the trip. Dinero decides to pay a surprise visit to the kids and learns some interesting facts about his relationship with his kids. I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone, but things are not always what they seem.
The movie reminded me of how short life can be. It made me reflect on my relationship with my kids, now all grown adults and on their own. It is amazing how sometimes we can think we have done everything right with our kids, but learn later that we were not even close for consideration for the "Dad of the Year" award. Time will tell. We enjoyed it immensely.
Date Night
I know why people like this movie so much. It is a decent enough comedy with Tina Fey and Steve Carell as a couple from New Jersey hoping for a night out to themselves. There were a couple of spots I could relate to as I watched the movie. In the beginning, Carell apparently has done the taxes for a very young couple and announces they will get a refund of $600.00. They respond with the hip, "Shut up!" I encountered such a response from my granddaughter and it caught me off guard. She explained to me that it was not a sign of disrespect, but what all the kids would say instead of, "Get out!" or "You're kidding me." I know...generation gap.
Another reoccurring part I could relate to was Mark Wahlberg's character, who just so happens to be buffed and likes to answer the door without wearing a shirt. Carell is noticeably jealous of Wahlber's physique (the part I can relate to) and the dialogue is pretty good.
The only part I felt dragged on a little bit too long was when the taxi and the vehicle Carell and Fey were in locked up together. It was the one part where I thought to myself, ok, we get it, it was funny now let's move on.
It was a silly comedy, but just what we needed to put a smile on our faces.
Everything's Fine (Netflix)
Kind of a sad, depressing movie about a widowed gentleman (Robert Deniro) who made plans to have his four adult kids visit him. The plans fell through when all four kids told dad they couldn't make the trip. Dinero decides to pay a surprise visit to the kids and learns some interesting facts about his relationship with his kids. I don't want to spoil the movie for anyone, but things are not always what they seem.
The movie reminded me of how short life can be. It made me reflect on my relationship with my kids, now all grown adults and on their own. It is amazing how sometimes we can think we have done everything right with our kids, but learn later that we were not even close for consideration for the "Dad of the Year" award. Time will tell. We enjoyed it immensely.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Red Light Camera's
A topic that comes up quite frequently when I teach traffic school is the subject of the red light camera system. You either love them or hate them. I was the traffic sergeant when the City of Garden Grove implemented the system. Most of our meetings consisted of how the citations would present themselves in court, identifying drivers, and a myriad of "what if" situations. There was very little talk regarding revenue, although it was understood that the potential for dealing with red light camera violators could generate some monies.
Over the years, I have watched challenges to the system fall flat in court. There have been some exceptions. San Diego lost many red light camera citations when flaws were discovered in their implementation and timing of the signals. Despite the initial problems, San Diego was able to re-establish their system after working out the legal ramifications and problems they encountered. In Orange County, the Chief of Police of Huntington Beach declined to have a red light camera system installed in his city because he felt the incidents of rear end collisions would increase.
Whatever your position, take a look at the following video for some eye opening red light violators and the subsequent collisions that occur.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=-qvXbIenivk
Over the years, I have watched challenges to the system fall flat in court. There have been some exceptions. San Diego lost many red light camera citations when flaws were discovered in their implementation and timing of the signals. Despite the initial problems, San Diego was able to re-establish their system after working out the legal ramifications and problems they encountered. In Orange County, the Chief of Police of Huntington Beach declined to have a red light camera system installed in his city because he felt the incidents of rear end collisions would increase.
Whatever your position, take a look at the following video for some eye opening red light violators and the subsequent collisions that occur.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=-qvXbIenivk
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Arizona SB 1070
People are weighing in on the new law signed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. Whatever your position on immigration, it is best that you read the bill for yourself. As I listened to members of the Los Angeles City Council talk of a boycott of Arizona and listened to talk radio, I decided I should read the bill. There is far too much emotion involved on both sides of the fence to simply listen to what politicians, activists, talk show hosts and their callers have to say about the bill. Unless, of course, they actually took the time to read the bill.
It is always best to argue passionately about a cause one believes in, but our argument should be fact based. Proponents of the bill say it will enable local law enforcement agencies to enforce current immigration laws that the federal government has been reluctant or refused to enforce. Opponents compare the law to Nazism, where people will be stopped on the street and asked for their "papers."
One of the prevalent misinterpretations of the bill is that it will allow law enforcement to stop someone based on the color of their skin. Provision #1 of SB 1070 clearly states:
1. Requires a reasonable attempt to be made to determine the immigration status of a person during any legitimate contact made by an official or agency of the state or a county, city, town or political subdivision (political subdivision) if reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the U.S.
Note that the inquiry to citizenship can only be made pursuant to a "legitimate contact." Constitutional law is very clear on when police can and cannot stop someone. Under Terry v. Ohio 392 U.S. 1 (1968), law enforcement officers are permitted to conduct a limited warrantless search on a level of suspicion less than probable cause under certain circumstances.
The 4th Amendment to the Constitution has been the source in all criminal court cases to determine the legitimacy of a law enforcement encounter. In criminal court proceedings, it is the initial stop that is scrutinized. If the initial stop was found to be without legal basis, then the case is dismissed.
Proponents argue that SB 1070 was necessary for a number of reasons. For example, some state the influx of illegal immigrants equals a rise in crime rates as evident by the large number of illegal immigrants in our prison system. Keep in mind that one could find statistics to support either side.
In one broadcast, television host Lou Dobbs said that nearly 1/3 of our federal prisons consisted of illegal immigrants. However, a 2007 article in the New York Times suggest otherwise. The article provided information that in 2000, 27 percent of the inmates in federal prisons were non citizens. Some of these non citizens were illegal immigrants, and some were in this country legally. In 2001, this percentage dropped to 24 percent, and it continued dropping over the next four years, falling to 20 percent in 2005.
Bottom line: illegal immigrants make up significantly less than a third of the federal prison population, and the share has been falling in recent years (source - New York Times).
Another inherent component of any law is the distrust a segment of the population has of law enforcement. Almost anyone who has been the subject of a stop by police can attest to the unpleasantness they felt - real or imagined. There are countless stories of police encounters where the citizen felt the officer had a poor or unprofessional attitude; a preconceived notion that the person they were dealing with was already a criminal in their eyes.
The courts have been less than lenient with law enforcement agencies and the personnel sworn to uphold the law if they abuse or violate the law. In addition to repudiation by the courts, a law enforcement agency or officer is subject to civil court proceedings for violation of ones civil rights (think the officers in the Rodney King incident).
Illegal immigration has been and will be a topic of discussion for quite some time and there is no magical solution. There are too many variables to consider when examining the cause of illegal immigration. Whatever your position on immigration or SB1070, do yourself a favor and read the bill.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
What? I Can't Hear You!
As most of you know, I was forced to retire early because of a duty related hearing loss. It took a little bit of adjusting to the fact that my services were no longer required and I would, from that day forward, be considered disabled and out of law enforcement forever. Well, until I die anyway, and then who knows what could happen.
The most significant hearing loss was the right ear and this week I discovered I had a cold. Being the trained observer that I am, I noticed the runny and itchy nose, a little bit of sneezing and coughing, but most of all, I noticed both my ears were slowing plugging up. For those of you with normal hearing, try lightly placing your left and right index finger on the appropriate ear - just enough to muffle sound and you will have an idea of what I am experiencing. Ugh.
So then I says to myself (cuz nobody else is listening), I wonder if they have jokes for deaf folks. Guess what? I said, GUESS WHAT? Yes, they do indeed have jokes for and about hearing impaired people. So, without further ado, hear (sorry, couldn't resist) is a sampling from the American Sign Language:
Two deaf men are signing to each other.
The first man asks, "What did your wife say when you got home late last night?
The second man replies, "She swore a blue streak"
And the first man asks, "What did you do then?"
And the second man replies, "I turned out the light."
____________________
A Mafia gang takes on a deaf man to run their deliveries, feeling it would be safer having someone unable to overhear conversations. However, one day when he is to deliver a large sum of money, he never shows up with it. The mobsters track him down, but don't find the money on him. As none of them are able to use sign language, they bring in an interpreter.
Mobster: "Where'd you hide the money?" (Interpreter signs the question.)
The bag man signs his reply. The interpreter says, "He says he had to ditch it in the river because the cops were onto him."
Mobster: "I'm not fooling around! You better tell me where that money is!" (Interpreter again signs.)
The bag man signs his reply, and the interpreter relays, "He swears he is telling the truth. He had to get rid of it."
The mobster pulls out a revolver and points it between the deaf man's eyes. "Tell me where that money is, or I'll kill you right now!"
(Interpreter signs his statement.)
The bag man, sweating profusely, signs, "It's inside a shoebox under a loose floorboard in my bedroom closet."
The interpreter says, "He says he doesn't know where it is and he doesn't think you have the guts to pull the trigger."
____________________
A 92 year-old man went to the Doctor to get a physical.
A few days later the Dr. saw the man walking down the street
with a gorgeous young lady on his arm.
A couple of days later the Dr. talked to the man and said, "You're
really doing great, aren't you?"
The man replied, "Just doing what you said Doctor, 'Get a hot mamma
and be cheerful."
The Doctor said, "I didn't say that. I said you got a heart
murmur. Be careful."
____________________
An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years.
He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a
set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%.
The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor
said, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that
you can hear again."
The gentleman replied, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit
around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three
times!"
____________________
An old man was wondering if his wife had a hearing problem.
So one night, he stood behind her while she was sitting in her lounge chair.
He spoke softly to her, "Honey, can you hear me?"
There was no response.
He moved a little closer and said again, "Honey, can you hear me?"
Still, there was no response.
Finally he moved right behind her and said, "Honey, can you hear me?"
She replied, "For the third time, Yes!"
____________________
SILENT AND ODORLESS:
A guy walks into the doctor's office and says, "Doctor,
you've got to help me. I pass gas HUNDREDS of times a day."
He tells the doctor that it's silent and odorless. Then he says, "Doctor, you won't believe this but I've passed gas ten times while we've been talking."
So the doctor gives him some pills, "Here, take two of these every day and come see me in two weeks."
The guy comes back in one week complaining, Doctor, what's in these pills? I still have the gas, it's still silent, but now it smells absolutely TERRIBLE!"
The doctor says, "Well that takes care of your sinus problem, now let's work on your hearing."
____________________
Just a few jokes that I hope make you smile. I'll be glad when this cold is over and my ears clear up.
As most of you know, I was forced to retire early because of a duty related hearing loss. It took a little bit of adjusting to the fact that my services were no longer required and I would, from that day forward, be considered disabled and out of law enforcement forever. Well, until I die anyway, and then who knows what could happen.
The most significant hearing loss was the right ear and this week I discovered I had a cold. Being the trained observer that I am, I noticed the runny and itchy nose, a little bit of sneezing and coughing, but most of all, I noticed both my ears were slowing plugging up. For those of you with normal hearing, try lightly placing your left and right index finger on the appropriate ear - just enough to muffle sound and you will have an idea of what I am experiencing. Ugh.
So then I says to myself (cuz nobody else is listening), I wonder if they have jokes for deaf folks. Guess what? I said, GUESS WHAT? Yes, they do indeed have jokes for and about hearing impaired people. So, without further ado, hear (sorry, couldn't resist) is a sampling from the American Sign Language:
Two deaf men are signing to each other.
The first man asks, "What did your wife say when you got home late last night?
The second man replies, "She swore a blue streak"
And the first man asks, "What did you do then?"
And the second man replies, "I turned out the light."
____________________
A Mafia gang takes on a deaf man to run their deliveries, feeling it would be safer having someone unable to overhear conversations. However, one day when he is to deliver a large sum of money, he never shows up with it. The mobsters track him down, but don't find the money on him. As none of them are able to use sign language, they bring in an interpreter.
Mobster: "Where'd you hide the money?" (Interpreter signs the question.)
The bag man signs his reply. The interpreter says, "He says he had to ditch it in the river because the cops were onto him."
Mobster: "I'm not fooling around! You better tell me where that money is!" (Interpreter again signs.)
The bag man signs his reply, and the interpreter relays, "He swears he is telling the truth. He had to get rid of it."
The mobster pulls out a revolver and points it between the deaf man's eyes. "Tell me where that money is, or I'll kill you right now!"
(Interpreter signs his statement.)
The bag man, sweating profusely, signs, "It's inside a shoebox under a loose floorboard in my bedroom closet."
The interpreter says, "He says he doesn't know where it is and he doesn't think you have the guts to pull the trigger."
____________________
A 92 year-old man went to the Doctor to get a physical.
A few days later the Dr. saw the man walking down the street
with a gorgeous young lady on his arm.
A couple of days later the Dr. talked to the man and said, "You're
really doing great, aren't you?"
The man replied, "Just doing what you said Doctor, 'Get a hot mamma
and be cheerful."
The Doctor said, "I didn't say that. I said you got a heart
murmur. Be careful."
____________________
An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years.
He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a
set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%.
The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor
said, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that
you can hear again."
The gentleman replied, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit
around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three
times!"
____________________
An old man was wondering if his wife had a hearing problem.
So one night, he stood behind her while she was sitting in her lounge chair.
He spoke softly to her, "Honey, can you hear me?"
There was no response.
He moved a little closer and said again, "Honey, can you hear me?"
Still, there was no response.
Finally he moved right behind her and said, "Honey, can you hear me?"
She replied, "For the third time, Yes!"
____________________
SILENT AND ODORLESS:
A guy walks into the doctor's office and says, "Doctor,
you've got to help me. I pass gas HUNDREDS of times a day."
He tells the doctor that it's silent and odorless. Then he says, "Doctor, you won't believe this but I've passed gas ten times while we've been talking."
So the doctor gives him some pills, "Here, take two of these every day and come see me in two weeks."
The guy comes back in one week complaining, Doctor, what's in these pills? I still have the gas, it's still silent, but now it smells absolutely TERRIBLE!"
The doctor says, "Well that takes care of your sinus problem, now let's work on your hearing."
____________________
Just a few jokes that I hope make you smile. I'll be glad when this cold is over and my ears clear up.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Irish Pope?
Old Murphy was a minister in a small Irish town. He had always been a good man and lived by the Bible. One day God decided to reward him, with the answer to any three questions Murphy would like to ask.
Old Murphy did not need much time to consider, and the first question was: "Will there ever be married Catholic priests?"
God promptly replied: "Not in your life-time."
Murphy thought for a while, and then came up with the second question: "what about female priests then, will we have that one day?"
Again God had to disappoint Old Murphy: "Not in your life-time, I'm afraid."
Murphy was sorry to hear that, and he decided to drop the subject. After having thought for a while, he asked the last question: "Will there ever be an Irish pope?"
God answered quickly and with a firm voice: "Not in my life-time."
Old Murphy did not need much time to consider, and the first question was: "Will there ever be married Catholic priests?"
God promptly replied: "Not in your life-time."
Murphy thought for a while, and then came up with the second question: "what about female priests then, will we have that one day?"
Again God had to disappoint Old Murphy: "Not in your life-time, I'm afraid."
Murphy was sorry to hear that, and he decided to drop the subject. After having thought for a while, he asked the last question: "Will there ever be an Irish pope?"
God answered quickly and with a firm voice: "Not in my life-time."
A quote from Judy Garland
“For it was not into my ear you whispered,
but into my heart.
It was not my lips you kissed,
but my soul.”
How I wish I could write such words!
To be as eloquent as
Garland, Shakespeare, de La Rochefoucauld, Frost.
To pen my thoughts for no other purpose, but
to please her to no end.
To have her think
only of us.
To disregard old lovers forever.
In that regard,
I am incredibly selfish.
I am who I am
she is who she is
by Paul McInerny
_________________________________________
It was, I could see
inevitable
I stood against the rail
My eyes, searched the ocean
Usually, the sun can dance
on the waves
I can see the waters hue
flashing sparkles of light
Its beauty comforts me
and I call to you
share with me the vision
Today, there was no name to call
You danced across the very waves
to a distant paradise
Oh, how I miss the feel
of your lips
The warmth of our bodies
the fragrance of your hair
as it flows across your face
by Paul McInerny
“For it was not into my ear you whispered,
but into my heart.
It was not my lips you kissed,
but my soul.”
How I wish I could write such words!
To be as eloquent as
Garland, Shakespeare, de La Rochefoucauld, Frost.
To pen my thoughts for no other purpose, but
to please her to no end.
To have her think
only of us.
To disregard old lovers forever.
In that regard,
I am incredibly selfish.
I am who I am
she is who she is
by Paul McInerny
_________________________________________
It was, I could see
inevitable
I stood against the rail
My eyes, searched the ocean
Usually, the sun can dance
on the waves
I can see the waters hue
flashing sparkles of light
Its beauty comforts me
and I call to you
share with me the vision
Today, there was no name to call
You danced across the very waves
to a distant paradise
Oh, how I miss the feel
of your lips
The warmth of our bodies
the fragrance of your hair
as it flows across your face
by Paul McInerny
Monday, April 12, 2010
Roger McInerny's Battle
Note: The following article provides an insight to the April 1, 1970 battle at Fire Support Base Illingworth. This is where Private First Class Roger J. McInerny, Jr. lost his life at age 19. This is one account of Roger McInerny's battle.
Battle survivors reunite 40 years later at Fort Sill monument
Apr 1, 2010
By Keith Pannell (The Cannoneer, Fort Sill)
Story Highlights
*Four artillery batteries and two cavalry companies occupying fire base five miles from Cambodian border.
*Artillery not allowed to bury and protect their ammunition - which exploded in night-long battle. 24 Soldiers were killed in action, another 54 were wounded. Soldiers described ammunition exploding as "titanic roar" that lifted everyone off the ground and stunned them all.
Ralph Jones, right with hands on hips, surveys damage to his 8-inch mobile howitzer caused by a rocket-propelled grenade at Fire Support Base Illingworth in Vietnam April 1, 1970.
Twenty-four Soldiers were killed and 54 were wounded in the attack by North Vietnamese army soldiers. Members of that unit are reuniting April 1.
Forty years ago today, the survivors of the battle of Fire Support Base Illingworth were trying to figure out which of their battle buddies were alive and which they would never see again.
That's why the men of A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery said it is important to have a reunion this year, the 40th anniversary of the battle. The group held a ceremony at 2 p.m. at the unit monument on Courage Drive.Courage Drive is south of Minor Road along Crane Avenue, between Minor Road and the Impact Zone Brewery.
The Battle
April 1, 1970 was the deadliest day of the deadliest month of the year in Vietnam and the ad hoc patch on a hill with no perimeter fence between them and the wood line, was right in the middle of the carnage.
The manning of FSB Illingworth, five miles from the Cambodian border, was made up of elements from several units including; B Battery, 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery; A Battery, 1st Battalion, 30th Field Artillery; A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery; B Battery, 5th Battalion, 2nd Field Artillery and Companies C and E, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. The artillery units are current or former Fort Sill units.
The base overlooked a heavily-used North Vietnamese Army route. And, the enemy didn't want them there.
Ralph Jones was a young Soldier with A Battery, 2-32nd FA when the unit and the two self-propelled 8-inch guns and several tons of ammunition were assigned to FSB Illingworth as added protection.
Jones said right from the start, the Soldiers had a bad feeling because they weren't allowed to get their ammo off the face of the hill.
"We were dangling out there like a piece of bait with no protection," Jones said. "On April 1, they hit us."
In an interview with "VFW Magazine" in 2008, Jones said before the attack, his unit wanted to get the ammo underground, but was ordered by higher headquarters to not waste time digging.
"From the first day on, we wanted to dig our ammo pits using our 8-inch howitzers as spades," said Jones. "We were ordered not to, thereby allowing the enemy to view our ammo from the jungle line."
Early in the morning of April 1, 1970, the NVA launched the first of 300 mortars, rockets and recoilless rifle rounds that would deluge the base for 20 minutes.
Then, about 400 NVA soldiers assaulted the base.
The battle was too close for artillery. The dust from the NVA barrage was so thick it caused M-60 machineguns and M-16 rifles to jam, according to Jones. The FA Soldiers jumped from their tracked vehicles and joined the infantry on the front line. When guns jammed, Soldiers fought hand-to-hand, using their rifles as clubs, said Jones this week.
Then, about 190 rounds of the ammunition that had been stacked on base exploded. In the magazine interview, Soldiers described it as a "titanic roar," and "everyone there was lifted off the ground." The explosion left a 20-foot deep crater and Americans and NVA alike stepped back to recover. This resulted in a lull in the fighting for five to 10 minutes, according to the after-action report.
By 5 a.m., nearly three hours after the first NVA rounds hit, the battle was over. Twenty-four Soldiers were killed in action including 10 from field artillery units. Another 54 Soldiers were wounded. Reports said 88 NVA were killed.
"Some of the kids who came in as replacements on March 31 were dead by 4 a.m. the next day," said George Hobson, who was the commanding officer of C Company, who will be attending the ceremony.
During the three hours, about 3,372 artillery rounds were fired.
Two Soldiers were awarded Distinguished Service Crosses and one Soldier, Sgt. Peter C. Lemon, was awarded the Medal of Honor."
The Reunion
Jones has put himself in charge of getting his battle buddies together for today's reunion.
"You remember some of the good times, some of the bad times and you remember those special guys, your friends, that gave their lives so you could live on," Jones said. "We honor them."
Reunion Bonus
This year's reunion will have the added bonus of about 15 members of C Company, 2-8th Cav, the infantry unit that fought with everything they had to keep FSB Illingworth from being overrun. For most, it will be the first time they've seen each other since the dust settled on that hill.
"The commander of Charlie Company [Hobson] traded e-mails and said he was coming and knew of about 15 more Soldiers that wanted to come," Jones said.
Hobson was originally drafted, but stayed in to make the Army a career before retiring as a lieutenant colonel.
"What this means to the men of Company C is it gives us an opportunity to honor all of the men who served in Vietnam," Hobson said. "They were all ordinary men who did an extraordinary job in extraordinary circumstances."
Battle survivors reunite 40 years later at Fort Sill monument
Apr 1, 2010
By Keith Pannell (The Cannoneer, Fort Sill)
Story Highlights
*Four artillery batteries and two cavalry companies occupying fire base five miles from Cambodian border.
*Artillery not allowed to bury and protect their ammunition - which exploded in night-long battle. 24 Soldiers were killed in action, another 54 were wounded. Soldiers described ammunition exploding as "titanic roar" that lifted everyone off the ground and stunned them all.
Ralph Jones, right with hands on hips, surveys damage to his 8-inch mobile howitzer caused by a rocket-propelled grenade at Fire Support Base Illingworth in Vietnam April 1, 1970.
Twenty-four Soldiers were killed and 54 were wounded in the attack by North Vietnamese army soldiers. Members of that unit are reuniting April 1. Forty years ago today, the survivors of the battle of Fire Support Base Illingworth were trying to figure out which of their battle buddies were alive and which they would never see again.
That's why the men of A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery said it is important to have a reunion this year, the 40th anniversary of the battle. The group held a ceremony at 2 p.m. at the unit monument on Courage Drive.Courage Drive is south of Minor Road along Crane Avenue, between Minor Road and the Impact Zone Brewery.
The Battle
April 1, 1970 was the deadliest day of the deadliest month of the year in Vietnam and the ad hoc patch on a hill with no perimeter fence between them and the wood line, was right in the middle of the carnage.
The manning of FSB Illingworth, five miles from the Cambodian border, was made up of elements from several units including; B Battery, 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery; A Battery, 1st Battalion, 30th Field Artillery; A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery; B Battery, 5th Battalion, 2nd Field Artillery and Companies C and E, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. The artillery units are current or former Fort Sill units.
The base overlooked a heavily-used North Vietnamese Army route. And, the enemy didn't want them there.
Ralph Jones was a young Soldier with A Battery, 2-32nd FA when the unit and the two self-propelled 8-inch guns and several tons of ammunition were assigned to FSB Illingworth as added protection.
Jones said right from the start, the Soldiers had a bad feeling because they weren't allowed to get their ammo off the face of the hill.
"We were dangling out there like a piece of bait with no protection," Jones said. "On April 1, they hit us."
In an interview with "VFW Magazine" in 2008, Jones said before the attack, his unit wanted to get the ammo underground, but was ordered by higher headquarters to not waste time digging.
"From the first day on, we wanted to dig our ammo pits using our 8-inch howitzers as spades," said Jones. "We were ordered not to, thereby allowing the enemy to view our ammo from the jungle line."
Early in the morning of April 1, 1970, the NVA launched the first of 300 mortars, rockets and recoilless rifle rounds that would deluge the base for 20 minutes.
Then, about 400 NVA soldiers assaulted the base.
The battle was too close for artillery. The dust from the NVA barrage was so thick it caused M-60 machineguns and M-16 rifles to jam, according to Jones. The FA Soldiers jumped from their tracked vehicles and joined the infantry on the front line. When guns jammed, Soldiers fought hand-to-hand, using their rifles as clubs, said Jones this week.
Then, about 190 rounds of the ammunition that had been stacked on base exploded. In the magazine interview, Soldiers described it as a "titanic roar," and "everyone there was lifted off the ground." The explosion left a 20-foot deep crater and Americans and NVA alike stepped back to recover. This resulted in a lull in the fighting for five to 10 minutes, according to the after-action report.
By 5 a.m., nearly three hours after the first NVA rounds hit, the battle was over. Twenty-four Soldiers were killed in action including 10 from field artillery units. Another 54 Soldiers were wounded. Reports said 88 NVA were killed.
"Some of the kids who came in as replacements on March 31 were dead by 4 a.m. the next day," said George Hobson, who was the commanding officer of C Company, who will be attending the ceremony.
During the three hours, about 3,372 artillery rounds were fired.
Two Soldiers were awarded Distinguished Service Crosses and one Soldier, Sgt. Peter C. Lemon, was awarded the Medal of Honor."
The Reunion
Jones has put himself in charge of getting his battle buddies together for today's reunion.
"You remember some of the good times, some of the bad times and you remember those special guys, your friends, that gave their lives so you could live on," Jones said. "We honor them."
Reunion Bonus
This year's reunion will have the added bonus of about 15 members of C Company, 2-8th Cav, the infantry unit that fought with everything they had to keep FSB Illingworth from being overrun. For most, it will be the first time they've seen each other since the dust settled on that hill.
"The commander of Charlie Company [Hobson] traded e-mails and said he was coming and knew of about 15 more Soldiers that wanted to come," Jones said.
Hobson was originally drafted, but stayed in to make the Army a career before retiring as a lieutenant colonel.
"What this means to the men of Company C is it gives us an opportunity to honor all of the men who served in Vietnam," Hobson said. "They were all ordinary men who did an extraordinary job in extraordinary circumstances."
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Words of Wisdom
Sometimes...
when you cry....
no one sees your tears.
Sometimes...
when you are in pain.
no one sees your hurt.
Sometimes..
when you are worried..
no one sees your stress
Sometimes..
when you are happy..
no one sees your smile ..
But fart just ONE time....
And everybody knows!!
when you cry....
no one sees your tears.
Sometimes...
when you are in pain.
no one sees your hurt.
Sometimes..
when you are worried..
no one sees your stress
Sometimes..
when you are happy..
no one sees your smile ..
But fart just ONE time....
And everybody knows!!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
April 1, 1970 - Vietnam
Remembering Roger James McInerny, Jr.
by Paul D. McInerny
To paraphrase President Roosevelt: April 1st…a day that will live in infamy with Roger and Lue McInerny. On April 1st, 1970, Roger McInerny, Jr. was serving with the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam. He would sacrifice his life that day, for ideals and beliefs that were near and dear to him.
As I sat at the kitchen table thinking of Roger, I was enveloped with a wave of emotion. It started as a chill of sorts; goose bumps starting at my feet and quickly moving upward toward the top of my scalp. It was a feeling of overwhelming sadness and reflection for a brother long gone in one of thousands of wars of past history. As tears slipped from my eyes and onto my cheeks, I spoke to Rog and talked of the passing of time and his death. I wished he could have met my children and grandchildren. Then, a stark realization of a thought that had never crossed my mind; I wished I could have met his children and grandchildren.
War has a way of altering families forever, especially when the warrior returns with emotional or physical injuries, or simply does not return. Roger was a first born and named after his father. He was the good and studious son who probably could have become anything he wished. He was obedient, focused and never gave my parents the kind of trouble I did. His decision to enlist in the army in 1969 was based, in part, by the opinion of an anti-war speaker who told Roger that only poor, black males were being sent to Vietnam to fight. Roger believed that statement and thought it was grossly unfair and felt compelled to do his part. He was in Vietnam for approximately two weeks when he was killed during a fierce battle at Firebase Illingworth.
I had the opportunity to travel to Beijing, China with Ling. China…a communist country, that for most of my life, I have been told is an enemy or potential threat to the United States. While I was in Beijing, I saw only people living and working much the same as they do in the United States. Taxi drivers negotiating the pedestrians and other vehicles that share the roadway, storeowners selling their wares, sales people working in the department stores, and restaurants serving the public. I asked a college professor of child-welfare, if the people of China were card-carrying communists. She explained to me that the people were just that… people. It is the government that was communist, but that most of the people were just trying to make a living and very few are what the Western world calls card-carrying communists.
In my little world, it would appear that it is the governments of the world that cause these wars. Individuals who rise to power and start believing their own self-perception of grandeur. Their quest for power, or a twisted interpretation of religion, political ideology, or desire to have more. And all the while, the people of the country are merely trying to hold their families together, to pay the bills, to buy a home, or ensure that their children are safe and well educated. Perhaps this is a too, simplistic analysis of the world and does not merit serious consideration, but it is frustrating to think that Roger went to war for an ideology spoon fed to us by the politicians of the time.
History seems to share a reoccurring theme when a war or conflict is studied years after its occurrence. It would appear that lies and half-truths were evident in order to justify a plan of action. In 1969, I constantly heard of the Domino Theory. In theory, if South Vietnam should fall into the hands of communist North Vietnam, than the neighboring countries would fall to communism like the chips in a domino game. As history has revealed, the Domino Theory never occurred.
April 1st has an entirely different meaning for the McInerny family. I do not begrudge people for enjoying the pranks, jokes and good-natured humor that comes with the day. I just wish I could have heard Roger and his kids, and perhaps now his grandkids, enjoying the laughter and frivolity of the day. I am convinced that conflicts and wars are inevitable as long as there are individuals with insatiable egos or convictions that the ends justify the means. To that end, there will always be a Roger James McInerny, Jr. for too many families on both sides of the conflict. The surviving family members will have their special date in history, just as my parents and brothers and sisters. Indulge us then, as we remember Roger James McInerny, Jr., killed in action in the Republic of Vietnam, April 1, 1970 at age 19.
by Paul D. McInerny
To paraphrase President Roosevelt: April 1st…a day that will live in infamy with Roger and Lue McInerny. On April 1st, 1970, Roger McInerny, Jr. was serving with the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam. He would sacrifice his life that day, for ideals and beliefs that were near and dear to him.
As I sat at the kitchen table thinking of Roger, I was enveloped with a wave of emotion. It started as a chill of sorts; goose bumps starting at my feet and quickly moving upward toward the top of my scalp. It was a feeling of overwhelming sadness and reflection for a brother long gone in one of thousands of wars of past history. As tears slipped from my eyes and onto my cheeks, I spoke to Rog and talked of the passing of time and his death. I wished he could have met my children and grandchildren. Then, a stark realization of a thought that had never crossed my mind; I wished I could have met his children and grandchildren.
War has a way of altering families forever, especially when the warrior returns with emotional or physical injuries, or simply does not return. Roger was a first born and named after his father. He was the good and studious son who probably could have become anything he wished. He was obedient, focused and never gave my parents the kind of trouble I did. His decision to enlist in the army in 1969 was based, in part, by the opinion of an anti-war speaker who told Roger that only poor, black males were being sent to Vietnam to fight. Roger believed that statement and thought it was grossly unfair and felt compelled to do his part. He was in Vietnam for approximately two weeks when he was killed during a fierce battle at Firebase Illingworth.
I had the opportunity to travel to Beijing, China with Ling. China…a communist country, that for most of my life, I have been told is an enemy or potential threat to the United States. While I was in Beijing, I saw only people living and working much the same as they do in the United States. Taxi drivers negotiating the pedestrians and other vehicles that share the roadway, storeowners selling their wares, sales people working in the department stores, and restaurants serving the public. I asked a college professor of child-welfare, if the people of China were card-carrying communists. She explained to me that the people were just that… people. It is the government that was communist, but that most of the people were just trying to make a living and very few are what the Western world calls card-carrying communists.
In my little world, it would appear that it is the governments of the world that cause these wars. Individuals who rise to power and start believing their own self-perception of grandeur. Their quest for power, or a twisted interpretation of religion, political ideology, or desire to have more. And all the while, the people of the country are merely trying to hold their families together, to pay the bills, to buy a home, or ensure that their children are safe and well educated. Perhaps this is a too, simplistic analysis of the world and does not merit serious consideration, but it is frustrating to think that Roger went to war for an ideology spoon fed to us by the politicians of the time.
History seems to share a reoccurring theme when a war or conflict is studied years after its occurrence. It would appear that lies and half-truths were evident in order to justify a plan of action. In 1969, I constantly heard of the Domino Theory. In theory, if South Vietnam should fall into the hands of communist North Vietnam, than the neighboring countries would fall to communism like the chips in a domino game. As history has revealed, the Domino Theory never occurred.
April 1st has an entirely different meaning for the McInerny family. I do not begrudge people for enjoying the pranks, jokes and good-natured humor that comes with the day. I just wish I could have heard Roger and his kids, and perhaps now his grandkids, enjoying the laughter and frivolity of the day. I am convinced that conflicts and wars are inevitable as long as there are individuals with insatiable egos or convictions that the ends justify the means. To that end, there will always be a Roger James McInerny, Jr. for too many families on both sides of the conflict. The surviving family members will have their special date in history, just as my parents and brothers and sisters. Indulge us then, as we remember Roger James McInerny, Jr., killed in action in the Republic of Vietnam, April 1, 1970 at age 19.
Monday, March 29, 2010
What Then, Is Poetry?
I read, today
the words of a young poet
A tapestry of thoughts
manipulated
and then expressed
as words
They thought her gifted
I thought her talented
It occurred to me
the poet of any age
of any gift or talent
may write thoughts
meant only for the author
What, then, is poetry
but the shared soul
of another
I thought of my own writings
my adolescent journey
Personal discussion
with my demons
to find my peace
I wrote for her
Or me?
My prose was to vanquish
intolerable pain
to pay homage to my
weakness
I could not
cannot
manipulate thoughts to words
that would give me rise
above the pain
when tears thundered from my eyes
took to my cheeks like eroded earth
and trampled victoriously over me
It occurred to me
we are all poets
when love is kind
or brutally malicious
all the while
we seek comfort from within
by looking out
Paul D. McInerny
I read, today
the words of a young poet
A tapestry of thoughts
manipulated
and then expressed
as words
They thought her gifted
I thought her talented
It occurred to me
the poet of any age
of any gift or talent
may write thoughts
meant only for the author
What, then, is poetry
but the shared soul
of another
I thought of my own writings
my adolescent journey
Personal discussion
with my demons
to find my peace
I wrote for her
Or me?
My prose was to vanquish
intolerable pain
to pay homage to my
weakness
I could not
cannot
manipulate thoughts to words
that would give me rise
above the pain
when tears thundered from my eyes
took to my cheeks like eroded earth
and trampled victoriously over me
It occurred to me
we are all poets
when love is kind
or brutally malicious
all the while
we seek comfort from within
by looking out
Paul D. McInerny
Opinion on Advice
I am of the most humble opinion that those who are unwilling to follow the path of their own sacred and unarguable advice should not be dispensing it as gospel to others.
Paul D. McInerny
4/12/2007
Paul D. McInerny
4/12/2007
Retirement Day
Prelude
Recently, I celebrated 3 years of retirement. It almost seems a life time ago that I carried a badge. I was feeling a bit nostalgic today and decided to share my personal observations of the day I stopped working for the city.
Are you one of the fortunate souls to still be employed? Whether you are at the beginning of your career, in the middle or nearing retirement, you have probably given some thought as to what you will do when the day arrives when you no longer punch a clock or get up every morning to go to work. Before my day arrived, I heard the folks who went before me talking about their plans for traveling, fishing, hunting, moving out of state or starting a second job. But what about the actual day; the very last day of work?
My retirement day occurred on a Friday during Christmas break, which meant most everyone was home enjoying the holidays. For me, there would be no fanfare or saying goodbye to friends and colleagues. No cakes or ice cream while sitting around sharing stories and reminiscing of past exploits or "war stories." I sat at my desk in quiet solitude and recorded my thoughts. Here is a portion of what I wrote, December 29, 2006.
_____________________________________________________
My Last Day at Work
Friday, December 29, 2006
Retirement Day
I woke up this morning at approximately 5:15 am to the alarm clocks greeting. I worked my legs over the side of the bed and sat up with the stark realization that this was my last day at work as a sergeant with the Garden Grove Police Department. It seems like a different lifetime ago that I was scurrying to get to the reserve academy at the Huntington Beach Police Department. Being yelled and screamed at during inspections and trying to stay awake during the drone voice of the instructor teaching criminal law.
I shuffled to the main house and shaved, showered and brushed my teeth and went back to my room behind the garage to get dressed. I lifted some weights to get the blood pumping and then sat down in front of the computer to play a game of Spider Solitaire or two while my hair dried. When it was time, I walked to the closet to decide what to wear on this final day. Instead of the traditional dress pants, shirt and tie, I opted for blue jeans, sweatshirt and tennis shoes.
My daughter, Meghan knocked on the door and said she had to leave for work. I had parked my car behind her in the driveway and so she was waiting for me to move my car. At 6:45 am, I walked out into the cool morning air and started the engine, backed out of the driveway and headed to work. Even though work was a mere two or three blocks away, I drove to work because I used my car to do my errands or assignments. There was one car in the office to share among four sergeants. Although two sergeants were on vacation, I guess I just got into the habit of driving. The forecast was for a beautiful, California winter day with a high of 72 degrees. A far cry from the temperature in Minnesota where my parents lived. For them, it was cloudy with a high of 35 degrees, but because of wind chill factor it would feel as if it were 29 degrees
I arrived at work and Lieutenants Paul Prince and Steve Sanders and Sergeant Bill Eriksen informed me that we were all going out to breakfast. We drove to Yabba Jabba on Main Street and Paul, ever the gracious host, bought my coffee and scone. We talked of old times and future times. Paul asked what my plans were for next week and after a silent pause of thought, I replied, “I have no plans.” I was going to take it easy and let it all soak in. Ling had projects around her house that she wanted me to work on and that seemed like a good start to stay busy. After a time together, we headed back to the department.
I grabbed the Orange County Register from the Lieutenants desk to see what was occurring today. President Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States passed away Tuesday, December 26th, 2006 at age 93. The first portion of his burial ceremony will take place in Palm Desert, CA. The paper had an article on the rehearsal of this solemn event.
There was a follow up article on the shooting of a suspect who shot and wounded two Long Beach Police officers. They found the suspect in Santa Ana at a strip mall on Warner Avenue. When the suspect saw the uniformed cops, he shot at them at which time they returned fire and killed him. An appropriate ending. I thought of Mink, the man convicted of the death of Garden Grove Officer Don Reed at the Cripple Creek Bar (1980). He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1982 and still sits on Death Row at San Quentin. He will likely outlive the parents of Don Reed. Shame.
It is quiet as I sit in my cubicle and type this entry. Most of the administrators are off for the holidays. The second floor has detectives and a skeleton crew of cadets staffing the phones for the secretaries. Two sergeants, Bob Bowers and Jim Fischer, are enjoying the Christmas break with their families, but Paul Prince, Steve Sanders, Bill Eriksen and Chuck Boyd are here. I was alone in my thoughts.
My thoughts drifted to yesterday, December 28, 2006, when at approximately 9:30 am, Scott Jordan, Chief of Police for Tustin, California came by to say goodbye and gave me a retirement card. He wrote a very touching note and I was moved that he thought enough of me to drive all the way over just to shake my hand and say goodbye. Such a wonderful gesture. Scott and I attended the academy together.
Captain Bruce Prince came in from his Christmas break to take a group of us out to lunch. Usually, when one retires, we throw a big, formal roast. Friends, family, and foes are invited and the retiree is presented with gifts and accolades. I opted to have none of that. I came here very quietly and chose to leave in the same manner. Life does indeed go on.
Steve LaFond – Steve LaFond was a gentleman and an irreplaceable component of the annual police memorial. He developed cancer of the tongue and had radical surgery to remove the tumors. He recovered and after a mere two weeks, returned to work to spread his joy and cheerful personality. Sunday, December 17, 2006, he collapsed while at home and died. His funeral was Thursday, December 21 and was the largest non-police funeral I have seen in a very long time. It was a testament to his influence and how much he touched the lives of so many people. God Bless you, Steve.
Back to retirement day. Today, for lunch, Paul Prince went to Costco and bought 3 large pizzas for the office. It was nice to sit around with Bill, Steve, Chuck and Paul and just talk. In about five hours I will no longer be a police officer or Sergeant McInerny. I will simply be Paul McInerny. A transition, so they say, but still…after nearly 30-years it seems more than just a simple transition. Our existence is spent working toward goals or attempting to achieve something. Go from 1st grade to second to graduate from high school to graduate from college. Go to job interviews and pursue the dream. Work toward job knowledge, competency, excellence, and expertise. Promote and rise through the ranks. Eventually work toward retirement, but what then? What is the goal except to keep busy and healthy? It is more than a transition. It is a metamorphosis of thought, purpose and existence. It will have its own challenges, but the pursuit or goal has changed if not deleted all together. Others have gone before me and others will follow, so I will not make too much of this metamorphosis.
The day was spent watching the clock and sending a department wide e-mail that said goodbye. I included a copy of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” as a means of expressing, somewhat, how I felt. A few people responded; Ron Doscher from P/E, Joni from Records, John Reynolds from Patrol and Courtney from Communications. Some people were shocked that today was actually the final day. I came quietly and I will leave quietly.
I downloaded some personal files onto a flash drive and closed out my “H” drive at the department. I made idle chat with Paul Prince. Usually, another sergeant would approve my timesheet, but today for the final one, I asked Paul to sign it. He asked me to sign his; another unusual occurrence. I made a copy of my timesheet to keep for prosperity and turned the original into Records. What now?.
Finally, at about 4:00-4:15 pm (I forgot to look) Paul called to me from his cubicle and told me I was finished and to go home. I stood up and walked over to Paul, Steve and Bill and shook their hands. I gave Paul and Steve a hug and with that, I headed to the hallway.
As I stepped into the hallway, I looked to the east and saw it was completely empty. The hallway runs the entire length of the building and the various offices are off to either side. Because this was Christmas break, the Command Staff upstairs, with the exception of Paul, was on vacation. Department secretaries were either staffed by cadets or CSO’s or simply closed during the Christmas break. I began my walk down the hallway. Bill and Paul stood outside the door and I walked in between them and began the final journey. I walked somewhat quickly and with purpose, yet felt like a condemned man. I was tempted to turn around and look to see if Paul and Bill were still standing in the hallway. Maybe give a final salute or wave goodbye. I kept walking.
I reached the end of the hallway and turned left and down the stairs. I walked to the rear lot to see the patrol cars one last time. I made my way to the east lot to my car and felt my eyes fill with tears. I unlocked the car, got in, started the engine and then drove out of the lot. As I drove past the police memorial, I said a silent goodbye and thanked God for allowing me to live my dream and survive to retire. And just like that…I was gone and my career was over.
Recently, I celebrated 3 years of retirement. It almost seems a life time ago that I carried a badge. I was feeling a bit nostalgic today and decided to share my personal observations of the day I stopped working for the city.
Are you one of the fortunate souls to still be employed? Whether you are at the beginning of your career, in the middle or nearing retirement, you have probably given some thought as to what you will do when the day arrives when you no longer punch a clock or get up every morning to go to work. Before my day arrived, I heard the folks who went before me talking about their plans for traveling, fishing, hunting, moving out of state or starting a second job. But what about the actual day; the very last day of work?
My retirement day occurred on a Friday during Christmas break, which meant most everyone was home enjoying the holidays. For me, there would be no fanfare or saying goodbye to friends and colleagues. No cakes or ice cream while sitting around sharing stories and reminiscing of past exploits or "war stories." I sat at my desk in quiet solitude and recorded my thoughts. Here is a portion of what I wrote, December 29, 2006.
_____________________________________________________
My Last Day at Work
Friday, December 29, 2006
Retirement Day
I woke up this morning at approximately 5:15 am to the alarm clocks greeting. I worked my legs over the side of the bed and sat up with the stark realization that this was my last day at work as a sergeant with the Garden Grove Police Department. It seems like a different lifetime ago that I was scurrying to get to the reserve academy at the Huntington Beach Police Department. Being yelled and screamed at during inspections and trying to stay awake during the drone voice of the instructor teaching criminal law.
I shuffled to the main house and shaved, showered and brushed my teeth and went back to my room behind the garage to get dressed. I lifted some weights to get the blood pumping and then sat down in front of the computer to play a game of Spider Solitaire or two while my hair dried. When it was time, I walked to the closet to decide what to wear on this final day. Instead of the traditional dress pants, shirt and tie, I opted for blue jeans, sweatshirt and tennis shoes.
My daughter, Meghan knocked on the door and said she had to leave for work. I had parked my car behind her in the driveway and so she was waiting for me to move my car. At 6:45 am, I walked out into the cool morning air and started the engine, backed out of the driveway and headed to work. Even though work was a mere two or three blocks away, I drove to work because I used my car to do my errands or assignments. There was one car in the office to share among four sergeants. Although two sergeants were on vacation, I guess I just got into the habit of driving. The forecast was for a beautiful, California winter day with a high of 72 degrees. A far cry from the temperature in Minnesota where my parents lived. For them, it was cloudy with a high of 35 degrees, but because of wind chill factor it would feel as if it were 29 degrees
I arrived at work and Lieutenants Paul Prince and Steve Sanders and Sergeant Bill Eriksen informed me that we were all going out to breakfast. We drove to Yabba Jabba on Main Street and Paul, ever the gracious host, bought my coffee and scone. We talked of old times and future times. Paul asked what my plans were for next week and after a silent pause of thought, I replied, “I have no plans.” I was going to take it easy and let it all soak in. Ling had projects around her house that she wanted me to work on and that seemed like a good start to stay busy. After a time together, we headed back to the department.
I grabbed the Orange County Register from the Lieutenants desk to see what was occurring today. President Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States passed away Tuesday, December 26th, 2006 at age 93. The first portion of his burial ceremony will take place in Palm Desert, CA. The paper had an article on the rehearsal of this solemn event.
There was a follow up article on the shooting of a suspect who shot and wounded two Long Beach Police officers. They found the suspect in Santa Ana at a strip mall on Warner Avenue. When the suspect saw the uniformed cops, he shot at them at which time they returned fire and killed him. An appropriate ending. I thought of Mink, the man convicted of the death of Garden Grove Officer Don Reed at the Cripple Creek Bar (1980). He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1982 and still sits on Death Row at San Quentin. He will likely outlive the parents of Don Reed. Shame.
It is quiet as I sit in my cubicle and type this entry. Most of the administrators are off for the holidays. The second floor has detectives and a skeleton crew of cadets staffing the phones for the secretaries. Two sergeants, Bob Bowers and Jim Fischer, are enjoying the Christmas break with their families, but Paul Prince, Steve Sanders, Bill Eriksen and Chuck Boyd are here. I was alone in my thoughts.
My thoughts drifted to yesterday, December 28, 2006, when at approximately 9:30 am, Scott Jordan, Chief of Police for Tustin, California came by to say goodbye and gave me a retirement card. He wrote a very touching note and I was moved that he thought enough of me to drive all the way over just to shake my hand and say goodbye. Such a wonderful gesture. Scott and I attended the academy together.
Captain Bruce Prince came in from his Christmas break to take a group of us out to lunch. Usually, when one retires, we throw a big, formal roast. Friends, family, and foes are invited and the retiree is presented with gifts and accolades. I opted to have none of that. I came here very quietly and chose to leave in the same manner. Life does indeed go on.
Steve LaFond – Steve LaFond was a gentleman and an irreplaceable component of the annual police memorial. He developed cancer of the tongue and had radical surgery to remove the tumors. He recovered and after a mere two weeks, returned to work to spread his joy and cheerful personality. Sunday, December 17, 2006, he collapsed while at home and died. His funeral was Thursday, December 21 and was the largest non-police funeral I have seen in a very long time. It was a testament to his influence and how much he touched the lives of so many people. God Bless you, Steve.
Back to retirement day. Today, for lunch, Paul Prince went to Costco and bought 3 large pizzas for the office. It was nice to sit around with Bill, Steve, Chuck and Paul and just talk. In about five hours I will no longer be a police officer or Sergeant McInerny. I will simply be Paul McInerny. A transition, so they say, but still…after nearly 30-years it seems more than just a simple transition. Our existence is spent working toward goals or attempting to achieve something. Go from 1st grade to second to graduate from high school to graduate from college. Go to job interviews and pursue the dream. Work toward job knowledge, competency, excellence, and expertise. Promote and rise through the ranks. Eventually work toward retirement, but what then? What is the goal except to keep busy and healthy? It is more than a transition. It is a metamorphosis of thought, purpose and existence. It will have its own challenges, but the pursuit or goal has changed if not deleted all together. Others have gone before me and others will follow, so I will not make too much of this metamorphosis.
The day was spent watching the clock and sending a department wide e-mail that said goodbye. I included a copy of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” as a means of expressing, somewhat, how I felt. A few people responded; Ron Doscher from P/E, Joni from Records, John Reynolds from Patrol and Courtney from Communications. Some people were shocked that today was actually the final day. I came quietly and I will leave quietly.
I downloaded some personal files onto a flash drive and closed out my “H” drive at the department. I made idle chat with Paul Prince. Usually, another sergeant would approve my timesheet, but today for the final one, I asked Paul to sign it. He asked me to sign his; another unusual occurrence. I made a copy of my timesheet to keep for prosperity and turned the original into Records. What now?.
Finally, at about 4:00-4:15 pm (I forgot to look) Paul called to me from his cubicle and told me I was finished and to go home. I stood up and walked over to Paul, Steve and Bill and shook their hands. I gave Paul and Steve a hug and with that, I headed to the hallway.
As I stepped into the hallway, I looked to the east and saw it was completely empty. The hallway runs the entire length of the building and the various offices are off to either side. Because this was Christmas break, the Command Staff upstairs, with the exception of Paul, was on vacation. Department secretaries were either staffed by cadets or CSO’s or simply closed during the Christmas break. I began my walk down the hallway. Bill and Paul stood outside the door and I walked in between them and began the final journey. I walked somewhat quickly and with purpose, yet felt like a condemned man. I was tempted to turn around and look to see if Paul and Bill were still standing in the hallway. Maybe give a final salute or wave goodbye. I kept walking.
I reached the end of the hallway and turned left and down the stairs. I walked to the rear lot to see the patrol cars one last time. I made my way to the east lot to my car and felt my eyes fill with tears. I unlocked the car, got in, started the engine and then drove out of the lot. As I drove past the police memorial, I said a silent goodbye and thanked God for allowing me to live my dream and survive to retire. And just like that…I was gone and my career was over.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
My Guitar 
Yesterday, I removed the strings from my Gibson ES-335TD and decided to give it a good work over. I removed the control knobs and polished the pick-ups and other chrome pieces. I found some oak oil polish and started the process of getting the wood to look like it did when I first bought it back in 1972-73. It is still in pretty good shape considering its age and use in a 50's band. This is the instrument that I used to record songs that I wrote.
I remember working with Chris Castenada at his studio over by Lake Nakomis. I believe it was called the Half Moon Studio, but don't quote me on that. I would walk from my parents house, in the snow with my guitar, to the studio to record my songs. After it had been out in the cold Minnesota winter and before we could begin recording, I had to open the case and let the instrument slowly acclimate to room temperature.
A few years ago, I actually took it to a shop to have it worked on: straighten the neck, new strings, the usual tune up for an old instrument. The older the guitar gets, the less I trust it to a stranger. If anyone knows of a connoisseur of Gibson guitars that really knows how to check them over, I would love to hear from you.
Well, back to another session of polishing.
Yesterday, I removed the strings from my Gibson ES-335TD and decided to give it a good work over. I removed the control knobs and polished the pick-ups and other chrome pieces. I found some oak oil polish and started the process of getting the wood to look like it did when I first bought it back in 1972-73. It is still in pretty good shape considering its age and use in a 50's band. This is the instrument that I used to record songs that I wrote.
I remember working with Chris Castenada at his studio over by Lake Nakomis. I believe it was called the Half Moon Studio, but don't quote me on that. I would walk from my parents house, in the snow with my guitar, to the studio to record my songs. After it had been out in the cold Minnesota winter and before we could begin recording, I had to open the case and let the instrument slowly acclimate to room temperature.
A few years ago, I actually took it to a shop to have it worked on: straighten the neck, new strings, the usual tune up for an old instrument. The older the guitar gets, the less I trust it to a stranger. If anyone knows of a connoisseur of Gibson guitars that really knows how to check them over, I would love to hear from you.
Well, back to another session of polishing.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Intimate Thoughts
Autumn leaves
displayed their paintings
then gently set the canvas to earth
The curious picked them up
as if critics dissecting
natures rendition
The energy of colors
the world of the canvas
alive and exciting
Winters announcement chilled the air
dull and white colors
for the canvas
He could feel the change
His heart, once open
now dispirit
his mood most foul
his feelings, bland
with no substance
his world without love
displayed their paintings
then gently set the canvas to earth
The curious picked them up
as if critics dissecting
natures rendition
The energy of colors
the world of the canvas
alive and exciting
Winters announcement chilled the air
dull and white colors
for the canvas
He could feel the change
His heart, once open
now dispirit
his mood most foul
his feelings, bland
with no substance
his world without love
Fictional Fact
by Paul D. McInerny
It begins as a whisper, a rumor, a bit of gossip repeated in passing or out of maliciousness that if repeated often enough, takes on a life of its own. Similar to the game of Post Office, as the rumor is repeated, the contents of the original statement are changed or modified each time it is passed on. It can grow in proportion and soon be unrecognizable to its original form. Oblivious to substantiation, it gains legitimacy by mere repetition. Others with no personal knowledge will hear it and accept if for a truism. Although it maybe partially or completely fictional in content, it is accepted and believed as fact. Fictional Fact.
Impact on the Organization: No one should underestimate the influence or impact fictional fact can have on an organization. For example, rumors can run rampant during contract negotiations, prompting stories of a potential impasse and inaccurate information about what took place at the negotiation table. Morale can plummet as rumors circulate and employees become disgruntled, confused and angry. The public enjoys the concept of fictional fact when forming an opinion of an agency or its employees. Movies and television perpetuate fictional fact and the public’s belief and opinion about law enforcement, the medical field and attorneys.
Impact on the Individual: A consequence to fictional fact is the maiming of an individual’s reputation. In the work place, fictional fact replaces reality. The rumor of one sleeping their way to the top (or just with the common folk) often is accepted as a truth because it is more interesting than truth, more convenient to repeat than confirm, and justifies and reinforces ones negative preconceived notion of an individual. Fictional fact, like pollen, can also transcend and find its way outside the organization and that can have disastrous affects on the individual’s life outside of the work force. Fictional fact can leave an employee embarrassed and betrayed. One’s character is literally destroyed.
A Strong Resistance to Evidence: Another dilemma with fictional fact is that there is a strong resistance to any evidence to dispute the rumor (Michelson, 2000). Despite its lack of credibility, if repeated often enough it becomes believable. Employees fill in the unknown with their assumptions, and those assumptions become fictional fact. The introduction of evidence to dispute the rumor may be accepted, but the deliciousness and aftertaste of the rumor remain. After all, why let the truth stand in the way of a good story?
According to Samuel Greengard, “certain companies are more prone to gossip than others. Organizations that foster a chummy, cliquey environment--particularly where some employees feel like outsiders--can undermine relationships and productivity.“ Organizations where management and the unionized workforce have a bitter, adversarial relationship can find rumors and gossip flourishing. People tend to say nasty, despicable things behind each other’s back.
The prevention of Fictional Fact is everyone’s responsibility. Traditionally, everyone points the finger at someone else and justifies the repeating of a rumor as “I was only repeating what I was told.” If not addressed, the fictional fact not only results in personal pain but can also lead to employee turnover, conflict, low morale and lawsuits.
Botero says that organizations should deal with rumors promptly. The leadership should be direct but tactful. They should talk to the employees involved individually and in a group, listen to both sides of the issue, set up one-on-one meetings between the injured party and anyone involved in spreading the rumor, and schedule follow-up meetings for everyone involved. At smaller firms, she says it's wise to schedule a once-a-month employee meeting that allows everyone to talk about their concerns in the office. Larger companies should set up a hotline to allow employees to ask about or clarify rumors as soon as they hear them.
Greengard suggests the following as a means of reducing problems associated with office gossip:
• Keep employees informed. Employees must be kept apprised of goals and objectives of the organization and of their performance. Performance can be documented formally through the use of annual or bi-annual evaluations
• Help build a culture that's supportive rather than overly competitive. The worst gossip and mobbing problems often occur at organizations where the climb to the top is ruthless. HR can aid workers by instituting support systems, including counseling for those who instigate or wind up as the target of gossip. It's also important to educate senior management about the problem.
• Let workers and managers know that malicious personal gossip is not acceptable. Attacking other employees--whether out of boredom or dislike for an individual, or for political gain--can create severe tension, animosity, and organizational problems. It's also not fair to the victim. Employees should know how damaging it is to partake in gossip and mobbing.
• Deal with rumors immediately. Left unchecked, a rumor can quickly spiral out of control. It can quickly sap energy and productivity as workers spend time speculating about things rather than getting work done. When a problem arises, talk to employees individually and, if necessary, set up a meeting between the victim and those spreading the rumor.
• Confront chronic offenders. Those who spend an inordinate amount of time gossiping should know that the behavior is not acceptable. One way to deal with the issue is to address a perceived problem during an employee evaluation. However, it might also be necessary to sit an offender down and discuss the problem when it occurs.
Greengard, S. (2001). Workforce. Gossip Poisons Business. HR Can Stop It. Volume 80, Issue 7
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