All Lives Don't Matter After All

KING: Had Muslim gunmen killed six white Christians, half the world would have Canadian flags as profile pictures

Whenever there was a Black Lives Matter protest going on, a bunch of people would retort with, "All Lives Matter."  But even now, we are seeing their hypocrisy as they don't have a problem with the Muslim and refugee ban Trump has put into play.  It just goes to show that they were just trying to belittle the BLM movement by talking about black on black crime, saying all lives matter, etc. without admitting that Blacks are still the victims of social and criminal injustice.

Refugees must undergo an extensive vetting process -- it typically takes more than two years to be admitted to the United States as a refugee.  The 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon and yet they're not on the ban list.  The Trump Organization does business in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.  His folks will say the conflicts of interest have nothing to do with the 7 selected countries, but they lie all the time.  For instance, Trump says he doesn't know Putin, yet there are several quotes from him where he says he knows him.  Next his people say they are using the same Obama execution action, but this was a rider on a spending bill (not a ban) - see http://www.snopes.com/trump-immigration-order-obama/ 
Besides, since when does Trump wanna do anything affiliated with the Obama Administration?  They just wanna blame Obama; and then get upset when Obama makes a statement about the ban.  How about you not try to pin this on him?

Americans don't need to worry about hate coming to us, we have plenty here already. These are all folks that affiliate themselves with Neo-Nazis or "Christian Identity."  Yes, we need to be careful about not letting terrorists come into the country; but more care needs to be given with the online extremist recruiting for all terrorists - not just for ISIS terrorists, but for the Alt-Right Neo-Nazi terrorists who are US citizens.  This alt-right group has just dressed itself up to be KKK in suits, and they're using platforms like Breitbart to spread their hate (with slick verbiage).  We even have one of Breitbart's leading "heroes" in Steve Bannon in the White House with Trump, and I think he's actually puppeteering Trump even more than Putin is.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

This is how the Bible begins.  He created the earth before he created humans, and we are to care for it. Creation is the first scripture because it is evidence of His greatness.

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,

    the world, and all who live in it;

2 for he founded it on the seas

    and established it on the waters.

Psalms 24:1-2

Whether or not you believe in Climate Change, Christians should want to care about our world and its resources, especially water. I stand with Standing Rock and against all pipelines.  As Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger said, we are going to run out of oil and coal, so we should be finding alternative sources of energy like wind and solar which are renewable  resources.  If America is great, then we should be able to create jobs in this area AND preserve our earth. This is something scientists and Christians should be able to agree on.

It's not a surprise to me that Trump wants the DAPL to continue. He does, after all, have financial interest in it. I'm also not surprised about his conflicts of interest, but that's a topic for another day. My concern is with American Christians who know that we are to care for this earth, yet they want to regress from the progress we've made towards renewable energy. It's no secret that there are wars fought over resources like oil, and I feel that America has the brains and creativity to move forward with renewable resources to end at least one cause of war. I can't say how much this frustrates me.  The electoral college elected a man who does not care about protecting God's first gift to us... And the original US citizens are getting screwed again.  Actually, we all are.  I pray that the rest of the world will continue to progress in this area since the US will not be leading.

The March and Living as an American Christian

As most of you know by now, I participated in the Women's March in Sacramento yesterday.  It was inspiring to march in solidarity with other folks across the nation and around the globe (Melbourne, London, New Zealand, Tel Aviv, Mexico City, Paris, Nairobi, Cape Town, Antarctica, Ghana, Malawi, Berlin, Barcelona, Brussels, Greece).  But now the work begins - political activism, social volunteerism, both?  It's not enough to march and be inspired - the millions of people who marched must now act.

 Obviously I marched with people who agreed with me on most issues, but I've heard it said that pro-life people were "banned" from the march.  From what I understand, they were told they would no longer be considered a "sponsor" of the march since it was in conflict with the Planned Parenthood crowd.  Obviously, you can't really ban anybody from an events this size.    There was an article about a pro-life group going with cameras to film anybody attacking them at the march. I haven't heard anything since about whether they were attacked or not, but I hear the marches were pretty peaceful for the most part.  This March for Life is next weekend, so at least folks can march in that if they didn't feel comfortable at the Women's March.

Some women took offense to it being called the Women's March because they're pro-life but still women.  It doesn't really matter to me what they call it because it did indeed include much more than women.  To be honest, it inspired many people who were marching for immigrants, LGBTQ, Black Lives Matter and other people that don't feel Trump is working on their behalf.  It was first organized by Women the day after Trump was elected, so the name "Women's March" just stuck.  Women were also the largest cross section and there were many who wore the pink pussyhats to demonstrate their displeasure with the new President.  I don't think he would've liked it any better if they called it "People Around the World Against Trump March."

My next steps are still to be determined and I will write about that as I continue that journey.  For now, I want to talk about the march and how I believe it impacts me as a Christian.  I don't have anything against people who are against abortion - I understand how they believe it is murder.  As you know, I believe making it illegal won't stop abortions from happening.  I want there to be fewer (no) abortions, but I think the best tact is to eliminate the reasons they have abortions.  Provide the support (emotional and financial) they need to get prenatal care and raise babies, counsel them so that they know single parenthood is a better option than abortion, go after the deadbeat dads for at least financial support, etc.  To me, this is the better way to prevent abortions.  

People say that gay marriage is against God's word.  That there is only one man and one woman... But throughout history, there have been marriages that don't fit this "mold" - Abraham and Isaac (among others in the Bible) had multiple wives and families.  The culture of the world changed a lot over time, and I believe that Christians have lived among non-believers and various cultural customs of their time.  In America, we're supposed to value diversity of race, religion, cultures, gender identity, etc.  If you're a Christian in America and don't feel certain practices are okay with you, then don't participate in those practices.  I am reading Exodus in the Bible right now, and God gives clear direction to the Jews who will provide a savior in Jesus and an example to the world.  THIS is what I believe I as a Christian am called to do.  Be an example of God's love and grace, not a judge.  I believe we as Christians are to hold each other accountable, and to stand up against injustices we see.

Boycotts and Protests and Marches Oh My!

There have been a lot of discussions in the news and social media about various boycotts and protests and marches.  What's okay and what's "over the line?"  I thought I'd share some of my thoughts more in-depth.  I've always said I'm okay with non-violent protests, but I'm NOT okay when it gets to the point of personal harrassment, destruction or violence.

Let's start with Colin Kaepernick.  He's taking a knee during the National Anthem. I understand how some think this is disrespectful, but it's ok with me since its non-violent.  I'm more disturbed (extremely disturbed) about how unarmed black people are being killed and how white criminals get lighter sentences than people of color (Brock Turner).  Folks say he's a football player and should just play football.  Well, he's not playing when the national anthem is playing, so it's not effecting his performance. It's a distraction to other players? That's their problem and I doubt that's really an issue to their performance. They are all human beings with personal problems (death in the family, sick family members, etc) and they still manage to play.

People complain about Meryl Streep giving her speech when accepting her award. It was short and didn't go long, so I had no problem with that. She's "just" an actress. Well, the new President is also an entertainer with no prior military or political background. If he can be President, she can voice her opinions especially since it is her right. Everybody has a power switch on their device and don't need to watch her.

Let's take Mike Pence as an example.  When the guy on the Hamilton cast spoke to him, I felt he did it respectfully after the show was over.  He calmly talked to him; there wasn't a whole mob yelling at him.  Nobody including Pence had to stay and listen, anybody could get up and leave and they still got to see the performance they paid for. I think Pence handled it properly because he understands freedom of speech. He didn't send out an angry tweet. Now let's take the example of people going to his home and protesting loudly there.  I'm not keen on that.  It may have been legal and within their rights, but it's also disturbing the peace of his poor neighbors.  He's a big boy and will have to get used to protests (just as Obama, Biden, Bush and Cheney did before him)... But residential neighborhoods should be off limits. By the same token, alt-right people have the right to have their meetings etc; but it is not okay to go to a person's home in KKK attire and torches.  To me, that behavior is too similar.

As far as boycotts go, I believe everybody has a right to boycott whatever they want; but I personally am not that big a fan of it.  One reason I'm not a fan is because it often has the opposite effect of what the boycotters want.  For instance, let's take this LL Bean lady as an example.  She donated to the Trump campaign, so a lot of people decided to boycott LL Bean.   This hit the media, and of course LL Bean is seen as the victim to the conservatives who are now buying LL Bean products whether they particular need it or not.  I'm betting that Ms Bean is actually making MORE money now because of the boycott.

Instead, I tend to support companies that do business in a manner I like.  Let's take Target for example.  It's like the flip side of LL Bean to me.  Some Conservatives boycotted Target because they have restrooms for Transgender people.  I, on the other hand, see no problem with this and support it.  I don't believe that Transgender people are going to molest people anymore than heterosexuals.  That's like saying, "All Catholics molest children because some priests have molested children."  I've gone ahead and ordered my "You can pee next to me" t-shirt.

There's also been a lot of hoopla made about who's performing at the Inauguration or not.  People are getting backlash if they perform for Trump.  I'm not a fan of Trump, as you know, but I don't really care if somebody performs for whatever reason - if they like him or if they just think it's their patriotic duty.  At the same time, I don't blame folks if they decline to perform for whatever reason - they don't like him, they don't have the time, whatever.  Honestly, I won't be watching cuz I can't stand the guy and there are tons of other things I can do instead.  The only inauguration I think I saw was Obama's first, and I think I only saw a little bit.  I'm not big into pomp and circumstance or whatever it's called anyway.  

While Obama (of course) and Hillary will be there, I hear a large number of Democatic leaders will not be.  I can't say I blame them if they feel they are representing their constituency and they sincerely believe the Russians interfered with our election.  I hear people complaining about Democrats like me who won't yet say Trump is "my" President.  They say we're doing the same thing we feared Trump would say if he lost the election... but I don't see it quite the same.  Hillary conceded the election; that's what we expected of him if he had lost.  The recounts were spurred on by Jill Stein and Clinton's representatives were there to just help oversee.  At this point, he needs to prove he can be the President for all people like he claims he will be. I was skeptical of Obama at first too; I'm even more so with Trump.  I would expect the Republican citizens to be the same if Clinton had won.  Like my step-cousin Tom Hanks, I'd be more than happy to eat my words in 4 years... but I am approaching the next four years kind of like I would prepare for an earthquake.  I hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

Now let's fast forward to the Woman's March tomorrow. I blogged already about the reasons why I am going to that.  In addition, I really miss my friend Nicolle and she's driving a bunch of us. It will give us some quality time together, and I believe it will help kickstart me into my next step towards volunteerism/activism.  When I first questioned my faith, I decided to find a church that does good things in my local community so that I knew that (if I found out I didn't really buy into the Jesus thing) I'd still be spending my time constructively.  Thankfully, New Life Church succeeded in both serving the community and helping me to build a relationship with Jesus.  Now I think I want to volunteer in an area of need which helps people regardless of political affiliation...  Maybe Mission Solano?  Food Bank?  Feel free to give me suggestions.  I'll keep you posted.

Poverty, Homelessness, Abortions

One of my best friends is a Trump supporter and posted a video about homeless people.  We are having great discussion and this is what I posted....

The biggest contributor to both homelessness and abortion is poverty.  If we can take care of poverty, we can take care of these issues and others.  Yes, I believe the government is there to help take care of everybody including the poor, the sick, the homeless, the veterans... basically all citizens.  And I believe that the top earners are not paying their fair share of taxes.  This needs to be fixed by both parties.  I don't believe in trickle down tax breaks (letting top earners get taxed less) because it sure didn't work during the Bush years.  The economy did well under Clinton (whether you liked his morals or not), and it tanked under Bush and we've yet to recover fully... Partly because of job losses, partly because of the housing bubble bursting, etc.  

You know I'd always been an Independent voter, and still am at heart.  But during the past eight years, I saw a GOP Congress obstruct Obama just for the sake of partisan politics.  Instead of working together to improve the ACA, they just complained about it.  In fact, the Republicans themselves couldn't all agree on how to best improve it.  Obiously, it's not perfect, but it's working in some states more than others (as far as rising costs, Arizona's the worst).  I was able to use it to cover my kids at work until they got their own coverage, my friends with pre-existing conditions were able to use it, and I was also able to refinance my home with the HARP for a better rate.  The auto industry was also saved.  In short, like you, I believe God gave us hearts and brains to use - but unfortunately both GOP and Democrats are failing to use both.  If they did, they'd work together to compromise and find solutions instead of blocking each other.  Now that there's a Republican in the White house and a majority in Congress, they have a chance to advance their platform.  While I want the Democrats to work with them, I don't want them to just let the GOP trample all the progress we've made on Climate Change, finding alternate sources of energy, equal pay for women, gay marriage, women's right to choose, etc.

Which brings me back around to your question about abortion.  I believe that God gave us free will.  Not every woman that walks into Planned Parenthood gets an abortion (the majority don't).  Abortions didn't just happen when PP was formed, and it won't stop if it becomes illegal.  There will always be women who choose to have their babies and there will be some who choose to abort whether it's legal or not.  If they choose to abort (for health reasons, for poverty reasons, whatever), I want them to have it done in sterile conditions and not put their health at risk. As I mentioned above, one of the biggest reasons women choose to abort is economics.  If we want women to have their babies, we need to provide them the support they need - whether it's the WIC program, letting them collect welfare, etc.  There are many Conservatives that are against abortion, yet complain about their tax dollars going to welfare families, etc.  In short, I believe the best way to prevent abortion is to ease poverty and provide the support prospective mothers need by making the top 5% earners pay their fair share in taxes.  We need to close the loopholes that Trump and others are likely taking.

As far as a Christian in the White House, Obama is a Christian too.  But I don't necessarily think God put him there.  The majority of American voters put him there, just as the electoral college put Trump in next.  God didn't put Hitler in power in Germany.  My main point is that God gave us hearts and brains and free will...  What we do with those leads to who we put in power.  God has blessed us with more wealth than most other countries in the world, and I am afraid we are squandering it.  Too many Christians are behaving as if money is theirs instead of God's.  If every American Christian tithed like we are called to do, many of the world problems (not just American problems) would be alleviated. From Relevant Magazine:

- Tithers make up only 10-25 percent of a normal congregation. 

- Only 5 percent of the U.S. tithes, with 80 percent of Americans only giving 2 percent of their income. 

- Christians are only giving at 2.5 percent per capita, while during the Great Depression they gave at a 3.3 percent rate. 

Numbers like that can invoke a lot of guilt, which isn’t really the point. The larger point is what would happen if believers were to increase their giving to a minimum of, let's say, 10 percent. There would be an additional $165 billion for churches to use and distribute. The global impact would be phenomenal. Here's just a few things the Church could do with the kind of money: 

- $25 billion could relieve global hunger, starvation and deaths from preventable diseases in five years.

- $12 billion could eliminate illiteracy in five years. 

- $15 billion could solve the world’s water and sanitation issues, specifically at places in the world where 1 billion people live on less than $1 per day. 

- $1 billion could fully fund all overseas mission work.

- $100 – $110 billion would still be left over for additional ministry expansion. 

Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/what-would-happen-if-church-tithed#jezhfDIKEEeBsFij.99

Martin Luther King Day 2017

It's a shame that MLK Day is getting drowned out by all the noise surrounding the incoming Presidency...  But then I guess it's fitting that, with all that going on, it gives us time to reflect on what King accomplished and how much more still needs to be accomplished as far as civil rights go.  I often wonder what Dr. King would think if he lived to see these days; and I wonder if we would've made more progress had he not been gunned down.  Did evil triumph that day and is it still winning in the United States?

I'm obviously not Black, but I do recognize the sacrifices African-Americans made (and continue to make) on the behalf of many people of color.  While Asian-Americans have been victims of prejudice, we've also been (wrongly) seen as the "Model Minority" and have often just sat in the background watching the evolution of race relations in America.  Too often, we've just stayed within our communities and kept our heads down.  Thankfully, I'm a 3rd or 4th generation Asian who grew up in the Richmond school district; and was raised by an administrator in the Berkeley school district.  My parents also always let me know that I would be treated the same as my brother (this isn't always the case with traditional Asian families), and that I had a voice.  In short, I was raised to speak up if I ever thought I was witnessing an injustice.

I see Colin Kaepernick getting pounded because he takes a knee during the national anthem.  I see people criticizing the Black Lives Matter because they speak out against the needless abuse and/or murder of unarmed Black citizens.  And I hear people complaining because there's a Women's March on Saturday, and people don't want "their" tax dollars to go towards policing the events.  Well, guess what - those are OUR tax dollars too.  Everybody has the right to free speech and peaceful protest - whether it's the athlete, movie star, working mom or dad, etc.  Of course it saddens and scares me when I see protests get violent or dangerous... but I can't let that deter me from speaking up or demonstrating when I feel it's right.

Free speech and the right to protest go both ways though.  So while I hear people complain about me demonstrating, I also recognize they have the right to complain (just as I'm sure they did during the Civil Rights Movement).  I'll just have to drown out that noise.

I Got Complacent

I majored in Journalism but never did anything with it.  One of my Republican friends (who I like and respect) posted about Meryl Streep's speech (he thought Emma Stone's was better) and I responded that I thought Meryl's was terrific (and I will YT Emma's later).  Meryl's speech was short, sweet, to the point - and done in a classy manner without calling Trump out by name.  I thought it was great that she reminded the press that they have a duty and I kind of wished I had followed up on my Journalism major.

During my last summer before graduation, I interned at an Asian American newspaper called East West in SF Chinatown.  After the summer was over, they asked if I'd be the editor, but I declined because I wanted to go into broadcast journalism.  I ended up working in a non-broadcast function for  KJAZ and KNBR Radio, had a family and ended up working with United Way and now AT&T... but I'm still a news junky.  I watch/read CNN, some Fox (Chris Wallace and Bill O'Reilly, but not Hannity), Washington Post, New York Times, BBC, The Guardian, WSJ, AP, Reuters, etc (NOT BREITBART).

Over the last couple weeks, I've been reflecting on Obama's performance (good and bad), and how I (and probably many other citizens) got complacent over the years.  Up until this election, I was registered as an Independent like my father.  I voted for Gore, but accepted W when he won by a chad.  He and Laura seemed like decent people, and I thought he handled the day of 9/11 fairly well.  When they voted to go to war because of WMD, I trusted Colin Powell and thought the vote was sound.  I don't think I voted at all for the second term (can't honestly remember) - Kerry didn't impress me and I figured that if Bush got a second term, he should "clean up his mess."

In 2008, I wanted Hillary to win the primary because I thought she brought more experience to the position than Obama had.  If it was a straight contest between John McCain and Barack Obama, I probably would've voted for McCain because we were at war and I valued his experience.  However, he brought Sarah Palin onto the ticket and it wasn't long for me to turn that page.  I don't think I actually voted that time either because I live in California and the electoral college system basically puts the Democrat as the winner for the state anyway.

I voted for Obama's second term because I thought the Republicans (led by Mitch McConnell) were obstructing progress.  It was as if they were just going to be against anything Democrats or Obama wanted, particularly health care reform, whether it was going to help people or not.  I still feel that way.  Instead of complaining about the ACA, they should've been putting forth real solutions.  If they think they can repeal and replace quickly, that means they should've been able to work together to do it during the past 8 years.

When I saw what the Republicans were putting forth for the 2016 election, I switched my ballot from Independent to Democrat.  There were a bunch of them cancelling each other out; and I had a suspicion that Trump would win because of it.  I knew I'd take Bernie or Hillary over Trump any day - just could not stand the guy (still can't).  People have gotten complacent over the past 8 years under Obama, especially the young ones who haven't really had a President other than Obama during their adult lives.

I took Obama and his quiet leadership for granted.  In many ways, I think he may have a great post-presidential career like Jimmy Carter.  Of course Obama wasn't perfect (watch Bill O'Reilly's segment), but he was able to handle the position with class and thoughtfulness.  He had a lot to deal with - struggling economy, health care,  automakers, Bin Laden, Syria, ISIS, etc...  All while dealing with GOP obstruction, people making ridiculous birther comments, calling his wife an ape, questioning his faith, etc.  Not once did I think he'd tweet something juvenile in response, not once did I fear that he'd be part of some scandal.  I knew all the ridiculous stories were just drummed up by some right wing propaganda.

That is not the case with Trump.  Now I have to think, "What is the US President going to tweet in response?  Why isn't it hard for me to believe that the Russians are blackmailing him?"  Never in my life did I think the US President might be complicit in such activities.  Mind you, I am NOT saying that he IS guilty of it because it's still under investigation.  It's just that even the intelligence agencies think he might be culpable.  That makes even his Twitters seem like small change compared to treason, and I'm not even surprised.  We have all gotten complacent enough to where Trump's behavior is becoming normalized.

I've never been that active politically, thinking that "Hey, this is California where it's usually a Democratic nominee anyway (with the exception of Arnold and Ronald).  Why bother?"  I will now be looking for opportunities in which I can help.  Being a Christian also means looking after my brothers and sisters who may not share my faith. 

Why I'm Marching on 1/21

I am marching because I want to remind myself that I'm not alone; and I want others to know they are not either.  I know Trump supporters will think I'm just a sore loser, but that's not really it.  I was disappointed that W beat Gore by a sliver, but I didn't begrudge him a modicum of respect that goes with the Presidency.  He had served in various capacities in Texas and I figured he at least had the advice of his father to help guide him.

In contrast, there is now Donald Trump who ran on a platform of racism, misogyny, etc... and thinks he knows everything (certainly more than the military Generals and the Intelligence Agencies).  The more obnoxious he became, the more followers he got (especially neo-Nazis and KKK type).  People now think it's okay to be hateful because they no longer have to be "politically correct" anymore.  They can just say whatever racist, chauvinistic, etc thing they want because the President Elect of the United States does.  They can brag about how they're not rioting after a white kid got tortured by some black kids; and ignore the fact that white guys like Brock Turner (who raped a girl) and Tyler Giugni (one of 3 white kids who beat a homeless black man in my hometown) walk free.  They don't understand that Black Lives Matter wants justice for all regardless of race, gender, etc. (more of my thoughts on BLM are in a previous post) and conduct non-violent protests.

I'm marching to remind myself that 3 million more voters were against Trump than for him (counting Clinton's plus the third party candidates).  He was elected by about 25% of the people in the country, and I need to remember that it wasn't really the majority of the country that elected him.  It stinks that my vote doesn't really count as much as somebody's in the Rust Belt, but that's the rule (for now).  It stinks that 81% of white Evangelicals voted for him because it makes me fear that American Christians are becoming the Pharisees.  They are holding this guy up as a great Christian man, and saying that he won because God wanted it to be so (Franklin Graham).  I'm thinking Trump may be God's punishment for America.  But again, I don't pretend to KNOW any of this unlike Trump and many of his supporters.  Pride comes before the fall, and I'm afraid we will all be falling with him (he certainly has a lot of pride, misplaced as it is).

I'm also marching to remind myself that I still have a voice and can try to use it to show non-believers that not all Christians back Trump and his agenda.  Some of us respect and love people of all backgrounds. I'll continue to pray for all world leaders (which does include Trump), but I will not claim him as MY President.  He may become THE President, but he doesn't represent MY beliefs... at least not yet.  If anybody can work a miracle with Trump, it would be God... so I continue to pray.

Hate Crimes

Four Black kids are being charged with hate crimes, rightfully so, for beating up a disabled white kid.  I hope they throw the book at them, I really do.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/05/508331652/4-people-in-custody-in-chicago-over-beating-live-streamed-on-facebook

I despise all hate crimes, whether it be black on white, white on black, white on white, black on black, etc. (you get the point).  When I heard about this, I immediately remembered a case when three white kids beat up a black homeless guy here in Fairfield in 2005... to the point where he was permanently disabled.  You can read more about that here:
http://www.thereporter.com/article/ZZ/20090328/NEWS/903289831

The similarities are ironic, minus the Trump remarks.

Unfortunately, I think the punishment will NOT be similar.  I say this because I already know the three white kids are walking free already.  My hubby was an alternate juror on that case, and he looked up what's going on with them.  Basically, the worst offender was sentenced to life in prison (this was not his first offense), but got out early on some sort of technicality (and he was NOT a minor when the crime happened).  I don't know if it's considered a hate crime because I don't know if the beating was racially motivated.  In my mind, those kinds of beatings are all hate crimes.

I saw a friend of a Facebook friend posted this latest incident and said that things like this is why he/she voted for Trump.  This really saddens me to know that people really think Trump is the answer.  Or is it that they really think people of color are entitled and ruining our nation?  This type of thinking is behind the whole "Black Lives Matter caused this act of violence, etc" philosophy.

Black Lives Matter is not saying ONLY Black Lives Matter.  BLM is saying Black Lives Matter TOO.  While I want these latest perpetrators to pay for their crimes, I'm also upset that those three white kids didn't have to truly pay for their crimes.  I could go on and on about this, but I think Shaun King covers it best here:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/king-don-chicago-white-assault-case-blm-movement-article-1.2935825

What's Wrong With Gun Control?

Let me start by saying I'm not trying to take any guns away from responsible owners.  To me, gun control is simply taking steps to keep them out of the hands of folks that shouldn't have them - toddlers, angsty teens, the mentally unstable, terrorists, etc.

I don't have any, but I do have friends and family that have them; and I don't begrudge them their arms... Whether it's for self-defense in a lousy area, hunting for a meal in the wilderness, or just target shooting at the range - these are all fine with me.  Yes, folks have the right to bear arms...  But I'm pretty sure the founding fathers didn't foresee the kind of automatic weaponry that's available now.

My brother-in-law and one of his best friends were both shot at the San Francisco Golden Dragon Massacre in 1977.  It was a gang shooting, but only the innocent were shot.  Our friend died, and my brother-in-law was in the hospital for months due to the gunshot wounds.  It was a horrific event that has admittedly colored my stance on gun control.  Yes, I realize that bad guys will usually get them if they really want them; but I see no reason to make it easy for them.  And if gun control can save even one life, isn't it worth it?  How do you put a price on a life?

It can be so easy to glorify guns - I'll admit that I enjoy mafia movies, some westerns, etc.  But going to an 18-year-old friend's funeral and visiting my brother-in-law in the hospital made an impression... and that event comes to mind anytime I hear about toddler shootings, school shootings, nightclub shootings, etc.  Just so many senseless deaths...

There is obviously another deeper issue with the amount of shootings that are happening.  Some people think having more "good guys" with guns is the answer; but the problem is really with our society and the number of people who feel shooting others is okay.  Only God can change these dark hearts, and I know one day He'll make everything right.  Until then, I really don't see a problem with gun control.  It may cost a little more time and/or money to have your guns and ammo, but I think it's worth it if you really want it.  After all, I just paid $40 to register my dog and she's not nearly as dangerous as a gun ;)

New Year Reflections

I keep hearing, "2016 was awful, I hope 2017 is better" or "I'm sure 2017 will be better, it can't be worse."

Me?  I think it'll probably be worse, and a continuation of the lousy parts of 2016. I don't have confidence in the Trump administration.  When he was running, I thought he was the Republican's punishment for obstructing Obama for 8 years.  Turns out we're all getting punished.  Hate crimes are up, his cabinet is filled with anti-global, anti LGBT and racist individuals.  Worst of all, there are Evangelical Christians holding him up as a man of God.  It is definitely not looking good for American Christianity if THAT is what is being held up as a great man.

The flip side is that the majority of voters did NOT vote for him.  Not only did Clinton get more votes, but if you add in the votes that the third party candidates got and the low voter turnout... turns out he probably got elected by only 25% of the country's eligible voters.  Perhaps having such an odious President will give the people a wake-up call and unite to ensure he and his administration don't screw everybody over "bigly."

I read that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), MoveOn.Org and other progressive activist organizations are getting donations to mobilize and keep Trump and his cronies in check.  The fact that I'm skeptical about 2017 being a good year led me to start recurring donations to the ACLU.  At one time, I thought, "Give the President Elect a chance, he deserves a smooth transition, etc.". But as he built his cabinet and continued to tweet his love for Putin and disdain for Obama and our intelligence agencies, I decided that he was already blowing his "chance" in my eyes.  Besides, providing financial support to the ACLU to ensure liberties aren't trounced isn't disrespectful.  It's acknowledging how dangerous Trump and his values are to the country's progress.

I was once an Independent voter, but watching Mitch McConnell and his GOP cronies obstruct any chance of movement for the Obama administration pushed me to the Democratic platform.  Obama had a fairly high favorability rating and the GOP-led Congress had a low rating.  Why, then, did the country elect this clown on the GOP ticket?  For change, at whatever the cost.  Just like Hitler.  My 82-year-old friend (aka "Cowboy") called it months ago - said he's just another Hitler.  I hope he's wrong, but I will be praying that the good people of this country can keep him and his administration in check.  People fuss about the gun laws, weed laws, etc.  The biggest threat will be in the White House.