More Than Our Profiles Need Changing

Sorry, but you will not find my Facebook profile decked out in the colors of the French flag to show my support for them following last week's brazen attacks by ISIS. To me, this merely trivializes the magnitude of what ISIS has pulled off and only encourages them to push on with more attacks in other major cities across Europe. It is going to take more than changing our profiles to show our support over ridding the world of these animals. Just how far are we willing to go remains to be seen.

You do not have to look very far to find people, some prominent, others just common every day citizens, who believe it is time to do something. The problem is, what is “something?”

For some, it means rounding up all Muslims in the country and sending them packing. This is a great idea if you want to add to the problem, but does nothing good in the long run. It only shows the level of individual ignorance toward a religion that shares much in common in terms of values found and preached in Christian churches across the nation. It shows how easy it is to fear what we do not understand, and in the United States, Americans pale in their understanding of world religions much like we do in other subject areas. We fail to see the correlation between the actions of extreme violent radicals acting in the name of Allah with those who claim to be acting in the name of God. Violence and hate in any form should be intolerable and never justified for religious reasons.

Where do we send Muslims packing is another issue to consider. Again, our ignorance comes into play here. Because our nation has shoved a curriculum heavy on math and science, we have ignored the teaching of history to the point many see history as everything that has happened since 1990. Few truly understand events like World War II, the Crusades, or ancient Greece and Rome.

Why is this a big deal? When our political leaders fail to grasp history as much as the average citizen fails to, we begin to hear solutions like rounding up law abiding people and taking away their rights just as we did to Japanese Americans in World War II. Rounding up and placing people into “internment camps” (a nice way of say prison camps), was every bit as wrong as our reliance on slave labor. To take away a person's home, business, and freedom simply because of their race or religion is wrong in any form and yet, we are beginning to hear this idea tossed around as a solution to our war against ISIS.

“Okay,” you say. “This is not such a good idea.” However, what about those who we hear touting the plan of closing down all the Mosques in the nation? The level of contradiction I hear justified by people who will fight to the death over any changes to the second amendment but are in favor of denying others their freedom of religion makes me wonder how some people can be so blind to their level of contradiction. If it is okay to take away a law abiding citizen's right to worship after an act of terror, why isn't okay to take a way a law abiding citizen's guns after one?

So back to those colorful profiles you have flooded Facebook with. If this is the average person's idea of showing support for a cause or group of people, we are screwed as a nation. The attacks of 9/11 saw a flood of young men and women volunteering for military service. Meanwhile, the rest of the nation went on with business as usual. The economy crashed, jobs were lost, college debts increase, homelessness increases, the jobless rate drops in large part because millions of Americans have stopped looking for work all together, and those with jobs are over worked and under paid. The new America does not look nearly as rosy as some would have you think and now we rate ISIS as the number one threat this nation faces. Okay, you are willing to change your profile, but just how much more are you willing to sacrifice if this is what is most important to the nation?

If you are under the age of 30, are you willing to sacrifice your current goals and dreams and go serve the country knowing that those who served most recently have not exactly been treated all that well when it comes to finding work, receiving medical care, or dealing with horrific mental, emotional, and physical challenges? In case you missed it, war is not pretty.

If you are a tax payer, are you willing to have more money taken out to pay for the added cost of not just defeating this enemy, but keeping in place a system of security that makes future enemy acts of terrorism impossible to experience? Much of the nation already questions where the money will come to pay for many of the great social programs democrats are offering up. You might also want to ask yourself, of the current social programs in place, which ones are you willing to do away with to help pay for an on going and never ending war against terrorism? Oh, and lets not forget the NSA. Are you okay with every phone call, every credit card purchase, and every web site you visit being known and logged by your government?

There is also the loss of life, not just American, but life in general, to consider. How many innocent refugees are you willing to let die rather than taking them in knowing some might be terrorists in disguise? How many innocents do you mind seeing being killed by U.S. or coalition bombs while the bad guys hide behind human shields inside of schools and hospitals? What about the loss of environmental life? Are you okay seeing an entire region of the world devastated by bombs aimed at oil refineries, dams, industrial centers, hillsides, caves, and anything else? If so, ask yourself if this is in line with your thinking toward things like the Keystone Pipeline, fracking, and off shore drilling at home. Are you okay with being a living contradiction? Is preserving the environment more important than preserving your freedoms?

Then there is this little matter called an election. Who is best equipped to lead this war on terror? Yes, Hillary Clinton has an amazing portfolio she offers up, but she is also linked to the current administration which has taken the approach that ISIS is the JV squad, or more recently being well contained. Do you want our next leader to be someone who was a vital part of the current state of our intelligence community which has made more than its share of major blunders in recent years? Then again, is there a republican candidate out there that can offer up more than chest thumping rhetoric designed to tap into your current anger, but fails to really address a long term solution to a problem, terrorism, that we will have to live with quite possibly for decades to come?

It's easy to change your Facebook profile and show support for the French. However, you may want to do some much deeper thinking and ask yourself just how much are you willing to change, give up, or do to defeat a very real and very scary enemy? For many, this is not a “fun” thing to do, but failing to think about these things now may well lead you into going along with some decisions you will live to regret down the road.

Seven Things I Am Pondering

The Taliban:  Word is the Taliban is now fighting among themselves over who will control the terrorist group.  I guess they finally decided to adopt the American system of politics after all.

Missouri Football:  The University of Missouri football team has gone on strike.  Apparently they are part of a much larger group of students on campus demanding the president of the university step down or be fired over the state of racial unfairness.  Let's see, these "student athletes" receive a free education, are afforded free tutoring services not available to non athletes, are given special breaks over when they take exams or have assignments due, receive special treatment when they break the law, and they have an issue with the university president.  With the treatment they receive, they should be expected to go undefeated every year or lose their scholarships.

Sex Scandal:  So a sex scandal is uncovered at a Colorado high school in which students were found to have sent explicit photos of one another engaged in teens favorite behavior.  Why are people shocked over this?  Yes, their parents should be embarrassed their children were caught, but this stuff goes on in every high school across the nation.  And for those who think otherwise, I suggest you think back to what kind of nonsense went on when you were in high school that you were able to keep from your parents or community from knowing about.  That behavior would not be any different today in a world centered around social media.

Greg Hardy Photos:  It took a while, but Dallas Cowboy Greg Hardy actually managed to fire off an apologetic tweet about the photos made public of the damage he inflicted when he beat, slammed, choked, dragged, and threaten to kill a woman.  Is he sorry for his actions or just for the photos being released?  He's had almost two years to express remorse for what he did, but instead chose to pay off the victim rather than face justice.  As tough as he is on the field or when he is raging against a woman half his size, I guess he is not tough enough to handle himself in prison which is where he should be.

Bromance on Roids:  And then there is Jerry Jones, Hardy's boss, who still stands by his man in what has become the sickest bromance ever.  I wonder what it will take for Cowboy fans, their cheer leaders, and even their players to go on strike against Jones.  Maybe when Jerry awards Hardy with that long term contract he wants to sign him to the rest of Cowboy nation will wake up and see what has become of America's Team.

Bond Voyage:  So this will be the final time Daniel Craig plays the part of James Bond in a movie. It's hard to get excited about a film where the star says he'd rather slit his wrists than play James Bond again.  I wonder how many unemployed college grads or laid off workers would be happy to play make believe while being paid millions of dollars.  Craig has no reason to complain, but his doing so has given me reason to never see the film.  I am on strike until a new Bond is hired.

NFL (Now Financing Lawyers):  NFL player Reggie Bush has announced he intends to sue the city of St. Louis over an injury he suffered recently.  St. Louis will sue the NFL if it loses its Rams to the city of Los Angeles.  The Rams will sue the NFL if they are not allowed to leave for the more lucrative L.A. market.  Los Angeles will sue the NFL if they are denied one of the three existing teams that want to move into a not yet built stadium.  Los Angeles residents will sue if they have to pay a tax to help finance the construction of a new stadium.  Am I the only one who thinks lawyers are the ones getting rich off the NFL while fans are getting screwed?

Loretta Sanchez: Career Hypocrite

So U.S. Representative and California Senate hopeful Loretta Sanchez has an issue with Donald Trump hosting SNL.  She claims having him host is no different than yelling "fire" in a movie theater and puts lives at risk.  Sanchez is another example of how liberals want it both ways.

As a representative in the 46th district, Sanchez is pretty much lock stock and barrel in line with the most liberal oriented agenda.  She sees nothing wrong with allowing 11 million people who are here illegally being granted citizenship, or receiving perks like health care, drivers licenses, and free education in the mean time.  As a Hispanic, she is all about handing our nation over to people who came here illegally and sees nothing wrong with them having done so.

However, allowing NBC and the staff of SNL to have the controversial Trump host a show is going too far.  She and her constituents do not like Trump's desire to deport all 11 million illegals or to build a wall and make it more difficult for them to enter here illegally.  She feels this is encouraging racist behavior toward Mexicans regardless of the fact many Americans, maybe even a majority, support tighter immigration control.

What is more racist, wanting to control our border and keep people from entering illegally or using a disparaging gesture to describe Native Americans, something Sanchez was blasted for doing shortly after declaring her intent to run for Barbara Boxers senate seat.

Sanchez, and others who are to the far left really believe it is okay to censure anyone and everyone who goes against their ideals of political correctness.  They have no problem with the first amendment as long as they agree with what the person has to say.  However, as soon as a candidate like Trump comes along and espouses views counter to theirs, they instantly label them as racists and threaten others with the same label if they give him a public forum.  It's also why anyone who comes out and opposes the Black Lives Matter movement or supports the actions of white police officers are labeled the same but when a group of color riots, loots, and burns a city, it is strictly because of the injustices done to them and is never racially motivated.

Have I been offended by some of the things Trump has said?  Yes, but he has a right to say them, just as I believe people like Loretta Sanchez has a right to respond.  The problem I have is how both of these people are only interested in a divide and conquer mentality which only further leads to the stalemate that exists in Washington DC.

The American voter needs to wake up and look at candidates more based on their character and less on their politics.  Is the person you intend to vote for likely to sit down and work with people who see things differently than they do or are they the type to label, trash, and instill fear?  We need more politicians who are less concerned about being re elected and more concerned with getting things accomplished.  While we need to allow people like Loretta Sanchez to voice her hypocrisy and people like Trump to voice his empty promises, we also need to tune these people out and look more closely at the people who are most likely to work with those on the other side of the isle.

What's The World Coming To?

Caitlyn Jenner:  Woman of the year?  Seriously?  How is she even eligible for such an award?  And of all the groups to hand out this award, it is from Glamour Magazine.  What's happening?  Do companies really believe they are on the cutting edge of society when they do this sort of thing? First, Jenner is recognized by ESPN for a courage award as an athlete even though Caitlyn has never competed in an athletic event.  Now Jenner is "woman of the Year" even though it has been less than a year since her transformation.  And just exactly how does changing one's gender make a person worthy of any award when we now have three women who graduated from Army Ranger school for the first time?  There are two woman running for president and countless others doing great work in the fields of medicine, science, and even athletics.

Halloween Costumes:  How is it okay to award Jenner "Woman of the Year" but not okay to dress up as her for Halloween?  It is just a matter of time Halloween costumes are regulated by a liberal run and politically correct driven government.  Americans have the right to be as rude, crass, and vulgar with their costume selections as they have to be that way the other 364 days of the year.  Seriously, just look at how people dress when they go to church.
No New Taxes, My Ass:  In the 1992 presidential election, President Bush was hammered because he broke his pledge in 1988 when he said, "Read my lips, no new taxes."  The lesson, only make such promises during your second term because you have no worries of running for re election.  Case in point, President Obama.  How many times did he promise America there would not be any American boots on the ground in Syria?  Well, he lied.  Worse, he figured by making it official with a Friday announcement before Halloween weekend, the media and republicans would let it slide.  Well, they shouldn't let him off the hook.  Just remember, U.S. involvement in Vietnam began when Kennedy sent a few "advisers" before we ended up in an ugly war.  Mark my words, there may only be a few dozen soldiers going over now, but it won't be long before we are sending troops over by divisions.

The View Less:  Does anyone watch the View or is it one of those shows where people who watch it are just too embarrassed to admit it after the fact?  Four women on one set, none of whom are qualified to talk about any current events, is guaranteed to be a train wreck and yet ABC continues with it.  So now I read where there is a petition to get former Cosby kid Raven Symone booted from the show because of her controversial comments.  If no one admits they watch the show, how does anyone know if she made any comments?  It's like the tree in the forest?  What would happen if the entire show were pulled from the air?  Would anyone notice?

Mother of the Year:  If Glamour Magazine has a "Mother of the Year" award, I am betting it goes to Rosie "STFU" O'Donnell for the quiet and dignified manner in which she has dealt with her adoptive daughter this year.  First she runs away from home and Rosie announces to the world the girl is mentally ill.  As soon as she is returned, she leaves again for good because she turned 18. Rather than keeping quiet, Rosie continued making her feelings public.  Now she goes to Twitter to respond to an interview in which her daughter Chelsea claims not to love Rosie.  An adopted girl who is raised by a lesbian couple, one of whom, Rosie, has suffered from mental illness and hosted The View, wants to go live with her birth mother and Rosie thinks Chelsea is the crazy one.  I think Rosie needs to find someone new to settle down with and adopt another child with.  I wonder if she has Caitlyn Jenner's phone number.

Thoughts On Football

Now that we have so much medical and scientific evidence over the dangers of repeated head trauma found in people who play football, I do not see how youth tackle football leagues are allowed to continue.  Flag football, when coached properly, will teach our youth all the skills they need before they play tackle football at the high school level.  Throwing, catching, foot work, and even tackling skills are teachable without having to risk head injuries at an early age.

I only saw a replay of "The Play" so I have to put this weekend's finish of the Michigan/Michigan State game as the greatest finish to a football game I ever saw.  There is no describing the incredible luck Michigan State  had on that final botched punt.  How happy were Michigan State players to have pulled out the win and remain undefeated?  Jalen Watts-Jackson, the defensive back who scored the winning touchdown, was mobbed by such enthusiastic team mates, they ended up dislocating his his hip, forcing him to have emergency surgery.

Here is the difference between organizations that expect to win and those who hope to win.  Denver is still undefeated at 6-0 while Cleveland is struggling at 2-4.  However, Denver, with a weal armed and immobile Peyton Manning quarterbacking them, could easily be 3 and 3.  Instead, they keep finding ways to win, including this weekend against the Browns.  Cleveland should have won this game, but found another way to deserve their nickname, The Mistake by the Lake.  In fact, if Cleveland were a team use to winning like Denver is, they could easily be 4 and 2 and in the hunt for the playoffs.

Hard to believe the 49ers and Ravens squared off in a thrilling Super Bowl just a few years ago. While many predicted a rough year for San Francisco, no one could have called a 1-5 start for the Ravens and been taken seriously.

We are half way through the college football season and so far all we know is there is no way of knowing which four teams make the college playoff this year.  I would not count out Alabama despite having one loss.  Nick Saban knows how to prepare his teams better than anyone on a week to week basis.  If they do not make the playoffs, it will only be because they lose once more to a more talented team.

Meanwhile, Ohio State will have to beat Michigan State and Michigan just to earn a spot in their conference championship game. Those are three big games to win before even thinking about the playoffs.

As for USC, their problems go beyond Steve Sarkisian being fired.  AD Pat Haden shoulders as much of the blame for the fiasco known as Trojan football and he may need to go as well.  Whoever their next coach is, he has to be someone with no connection to the Pete Carroll era.  They need a guy who needs to restore a sense of toughness and discipline that has been lacking now for a long time.  It would help if he was someone who also sees himself staying with USC for the long haul and not looking to use the job as a stepping stone to the NFL.

Debate Thoughts

Two and a half hours of pretty much what was expected.  If you watched the democratic debate and you are a fan of Hillary Clinton, she did nothing to change your support.  However, if you did not like her before the debate, you probably do not like her any more.

One thing that stood out was there was no mention of reforming our welfare system and plenty of support for increasing the taxes on the wealthy.  Now, voters have to decide who is serious about it. Who is really going to tackle Wall Street?  Who has a proven track record and who seems able to work in a bipartisan manner to pass legislation that will improve the lives of Americans.

Hillary made numerous references to women and to her being a woman which I believe was specifically designed to create a gender war.  Democrats need to decide if they want a female in the White House or if she is the most qualified democrat to lead the nation.

Martin O'Malley made the most of his opportunity to present his views and came across as a solid alternative to Clinton.  However, his only real chance is if Clinton's campaign implodes due to controversy.  Lincoln Chafee and Jim Webb did not fair nearly as well and came across as stiff and unprepared.

What really remains to be seen is whether or not Bernie Sanders improved his position with the American public and if Joe Biden saw anything that indicated he should jump in the race.

While this debate was more civil than the two republican debates, it remains to be seen what happens as the field of candidates begins to narrow.

It's Our Right To Die

Brittany Maynard died last November 1^st by her choosing and not the government's or medical profession's. She was just 29 years old but was given a death sentence when she was diagnosed with brain cancer. After living and enjoying as much life as she could, Brittany decided to take the lethal prescription Oregon doctors prescribed to her and quietly passed away in her bedroom while listening to her favorite music with her husband next to her.

However, Brittany had to move from her home in California to Oregon because California, like 44 other states, does not have a Right To Die law. Thanks to Brittany, that may change.

There is no sound argument to be made against preventing the terminally ill from choosing when to die. No outside entity, whether it be the state or medical profession, has the right to tell us when we can die and they certainly have no right to put the terminally ill through added pain and suffering they may not want to experience.

“Who are we to play God,” you ask? We play God all the time. Whether we end a life via an abortion or the death penalty, it can be argued our society plays God. We play God by providing emergency life saving services whether it be in the form of an ER or life saving organ transplant. God is not the issue when it comes to the right to die.

“What about the Hippocratic Oath doctors take?” Sorry, but as the son of a doctor, I see this as more of a hypocritical oath. Doctors won't prescribe a drug that will end the life of a terminally ill patient but continue to prescribe them to keep a terminal patient alive, often times leaving them to feel more pain while merely existing rather than living. Loved ones are left to suffer that much more as well as they are powerless to do much more than watch a body fade away. This is not medical care nearly as much as it is inflicting undue pain and suffering, two things that run counter to the medical profession.

“But what if the Right to Die drugs fall into the wrong person's hands?” Again, this is ridiculous. Think about how many teenagers have access to mom and dad's Oxycontin or other powerful meds? These are the same kids who find a way to raid the liquor cabinet or know where the loaded hand gun is. We are not exactly doing much as a society to combat these ills which far out weigh the number of terminally ill who might opt for Right to Die meds.

“Ah, but doctors make mistakes.” Yes, they do but we are not talking about a doctor telling a patient they have a few months to live and then handing them a bottle of pills to swallow. Before Right to Die medicine can be prescribed, a patient needs to have at least two doctors make the same diagnosis and the patient may not have more than six months left to live. I don't know about you, but if my doctor tells me I have six months to live, I am going to make damn sure I get a second, and probably third, opinion before the reality of the diagnosis sets in. Then I am going to take a little time before I go asking for a prescription that will end it all for me and even once I have that prescription, I am going to tie up a few loose ends in my life before saying my good-bye to the world.

“But there is always hope.” Hope is what the New England Patriots had in the final minute of the Super Bowl when Seattle had the ball on the one yard line. Hope is what Harry Truman had when newspapers were calling his defeat in the 1948 election before the results were in. Hope is what you have when you are lost in the wilderness and on your second day without any food to eat. However, for some terminally ill, hope is not as important as their dignity and for them, they should have something more powerful than hope; they should have freedom.

Nothing prevents us from our inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But sometimes these pursuits conflict with one another and when one's life is terminally ill, the ultimate freedom we can afford that person is their happiness. For some, that may mean using all means possible to extend their life. However, for others, avoiding those final days, weeks, or months and being allowed to pass on their own terms is the only happiness we can provide.

Right to Die laws do nothing to prevent those who want to live as long as medically possible from doing so. They do not interfere with their beliefs or sense of hope and allow all means to be used to maintain life. They also afford those who oppose such measures to avoid the inevitable and gives them the opportunity to die on their terms and not on those determined by the state.

Brittany Maynard did not make a selfish decision, as some claim, by choosing to die on her terms. She was brave enough to live for what she believed in and thoughtful enough to do so in a way that will allow her to live on in the work done by others. Her videos to the public and our state legislature depict a young woman speaking out on behalf of many others who have, and who will, face terminal illness. She wants for us all to have the choice to decide for ourselves how we leave this world. After all, who is better equipped to make that choice, the state or the individual?