Precious Moments

I’ve started walking in the mornings recently. Just another attempt to fight the never ending battle of the bulge (but that topic is for another time). I live on one of the busiest streets in Champaign; it runs east to west through both Champaign and Urbana and is a constant bevy of activity. However, take a right off of my street and you enter what seems to be another world. This is where my walks take me. Down streets that time has left (for the most part) alone. Old homes and cobblestone walkways make up this world. And the people who I encounter along my way are picture windows into lives that fascinate me.

This morning I saw a man, hunched over by age, take his dog out for what appeared to be a morning ritual. (Obviously not the man and dog picutred today, but I don't tend to take a camera with me when I walk, you get the basic idea though, I am sure.) The dog, a little black pug who I am sure is named Bud or something equally appropriate, came bounding out the front door of a single level red brick home, down the ramp - which I can only assume is for another resident of the home who is wheelchair bound - and into the front yard. “Bud” was yipping and running around and around in circles, so excited to be in the fresh air and morning sunlight. Following the dog, at a much slower pace, was his owner. One of those grandfather types who you can be sure keeps candy in his pocket and loves old country and western music. As the dog ran round and round him, the old man bent over and tapped the ground, in an instant the dog laid down, rolled over and was rewarded with a pat on the tummy. After that they both returned to the house. Nothing spectacular or earth shattering, but a glimpse into what appeared to this onlooker to be a beautiful friendship.

I love those little opportunities we get from time to time. It is so easy to get bogged down in the day to day grind of our lives, but, when we least expect it, we are given a gift like I had this morning. We get the chance to see the simplicity that makes life so wonderful.

The only point to today’s entry is to simply encourage all of us to look for those moments and enjoy them when they come into our lives.

I'm Confused

"I'm coming back to Crawford for my son. As long as the president, who sent him to die in a senseless war, is in Crawford, that is where I belong. I came here two and a half weeks ago for one reason, to try and see the president and get an answer to a very simple question: What is the noble cause that he says my son died for?" This is the first paragraph of the most recent statement on Cindy Sheehan's Blog. I have to admit to being confused by several things about this entire spectacle.

First, the President isn't in Crawford right now - he's traveling around the country addressing the very questions that Ms. Sheehan has posed. Of course, Ms. Sheehan wants to see the president to discuss this. She wants a face to face meeting.

Join the club, Cindy! I wanted to meet him too - when I WORKED for him. But you know what? I never got the opportunity, never, zip, nada, zero, NEVER! Can you believe that? But wait, Ms. Sheehan DID meet with the President, so really she's up on about 99% of America (including ME!) who haven't had the chance for face time with POTUS (POTUS = President of the United States - in case you wanted to know). Call me crazy, but if I had questions for the Prez, that would have been the time to ask them.

But answers to questions aren't really the goal here. Attention to a cause is the goal. Now, if you really want attention, Cindy, I suggest heading east! Washington, DC is the place you gotta be. In DC, you have almost guaranteed video and print news coverage all day, every day AND the added bonus of having "sympathetic" Senators and Congressmen clamoring to meet with you. Given that these two groups are responsible for the funding of this "senseless war" perhaps they can give you the answer as to what cause your son (who volunteered to serve his country, followed the directive of his Commander in Chief, and joined his brothers and sisters in arms in their fight for freedom) died for.

Second, I did a little research, I was a little afraid that perhaps my memory was slipping as I approach another decade birthday, so I did a search for Presidential addresses regarding the war in 2005. I found 7 speeches and radio addresses since March of this year that dealt specifically with why we are in Iraq. I have to admit not going back farther than this year, so I'm sure I missed several speeches in the last 2 years outlining the why, how, what and where of our action in Iraq. Not to mention that I only concentrated on things the President said, I didn't take into account the Secretaries of State and Defense or the National Security Advisor, all of whom speak for the President and his policies. After ALL of this, if someone doesn't know the reason we are in this war, they must be living in one of those spider holes that Saddam was in when we captured him, or they just don't like the reasons they were given. Somehow I think it's the latter.

At this point in my rant, I feel the need to give the disclaimer that all people discussing this topic have felt the need to give. I feel sorrow for Ms. Sheehan's loss. No mother should have to cope with the death of a child.

That being said, I would implore her to not cheapen her or her son's sacrifice by insisting that he died in vain. This is America and we have a firm right to disagree with decisions and directions taken by our elected officials. There are ways and means to show our displeasure through voting, speaking and writing. It is not necessary to drag the memories of the over 2000 dead soldiers through the mud in your search for vindication. Such a move smacks of blatant opportunism and does not do anything to further your cause, but simply degrades your son and others like him.

There are several other things about this situation that confuse me, but for the sake of time and space, I will save them for another time. Suffice it to say I have never understood publicity for publicity's sake, and that is what I view this stunt in Texas as. Enough is enough.

Jump The Shark

As a child of the 80s, I have a long and abiding love for all things pop culture. I came of age in the time of Mowhawks, jelly bracelets and sticker collecting. And I was alive for the birth of Nick at Night. Thanks to this ingenious addition to our television lexicon, I was able to experience the legend that was Happy Days, even though the show began before my birth and ended when I was but a child of 8. In September of 1977, a now famous episode of Happy Days aired. It featured The Fonz water skiing in a leather jacket and swimming trunks and jumping over a shark in a tank. A few years ago, a man by the name of Jon Hein coined the phrase “Jumping the Shark” as a term to describe a moment when something that was once great has reached a point where it will now decline in quality and popularity. Kind of the beginning of the end.

In the years that have followed, many have found other uses for this phrase. It has been applied to not only television shows, but to movies, music and yes, even politics. And today, I think we can add another public figure to the illustrious “Jumped the Shark” club.

Pat Robertson of the 700 Club and Christian Coalition fame, called for the assassination of President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela today. His argument being that getting rid of this dictator would be “cheaper than war and wouldn’t interrupt oil shipments”. Ok, I know that Chavez is an evil person and that the world probably would be better off without him, but come on Pat, do you really think a man known for his pro-life stance and for encouraging people to have a personal relationship with God should be calling for the assassination of anyone? In this world of instant media and 24 hour news cycles, where the least controversial statement gets blown completely out of proportion, to hand the world a statement such as this, is clearly not well thought out. Mr. Robertson has a following that listens and takes what he says to heart. Telling people that anyone’s life is any more valuable than anyone else’s is clearly not biblically based and a dangerous idea to put into the public square. Do we take that attitude with any person of questionable morality or leadership? Should we just wipe out those who offend us or cause us hardship? Should the list begin with President Chirac or France? He clearly thinks the US is wrong and has not supported us in many things? Perhaps President Putin of Russia should be next? He talks out of both sides of his mouth and has known KGB ties, so can he really be trusted? Or on a more personal level, do we advocate the “rubbing out” of someone who has hurt or offended someone we love? No, that is why we have police and courts of law, because a civilized society that condones vigilante justice will not remain civilized for long.

There are reasons the US doesn’t support a policy of assassination. They are simple. There is no end to the candidates once you start down that road. Not to mention the retaliation that would come the United States’ direction should we begin taking out world leaders. I am not naïve enough to believe that my government has never had an undesirable person killed through less than “acceptable” means. However, I do not think that such a thing should be declared as a viable option by a man who is a representative of God and His church. I sincerely hope that this stance of Mr. Robertson has not caused “a decline in quality and popularity” for many of his messages and ministries; however, I fear that it has lessened any call for mercy and peace he may ever give again.

Hello

It seems that everyone has a blog these days, but me...so I'm going to start one. There really isn't much of a theme to this blog other than my thoughts and feelings about what's going on in the world. I have a large interest in public policy and politics, so I have a feeling most of my postings will have elements of those things in them. So, I hope you will enjoy what is going on in my brain. Thanks for reading!

April Hohimer