Saturday, April 21, 2007

Little Johnny

Heard what was a really good Sermon last Sunday. I was particularly taken with its start: “One time in Sunday School a teacher asked her Class to explain Easter. Little Johnny (you know, of Little Johnny fame) raised his hand and with some degree of trepidation the teacher called on him. He then explained Easter by saying that: ‘Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey where He was praised by the people, He had a Dinner with these guys who always followed Him around and then went and prayed. But, one of the guys who followed Him turned Him in to the cops who arrested Him. They took Him to jail where the beat Him and then put Him on a Cross where they crucified Him. After He was dead they took Him down and buried Him.’ The teacher said: ‘Very good.’, and feeling on somewhat safer ground then asked what happened next? To which Johnny replied: ‘Then each Easter Sunday we roll the boulder in front of His tomb aside and if Jesus sees His shadow, we have 6 more weeks of Easter’.” The sermon then took a different path from where my thoughts were. And since I’m writing this blog let’s follow my thought.

I was focused upon the part where he said: “Then each Easter Sunday we roll the boulder in front of His tomb aside…” How often do we celebrate Easter, only once a year and for the 6 weeks thereafter? Or, as we truly are called to do, each and every day, 365 days a year? There it would seem is where we fall woefully short, focusing all to frequently on ephemera. I see our faith strictly as one of Easter and resurrection. Everything else is icing on the cake. God came down from Heaven and became man to redeem His creation and all within it. “He gave His only begotten Son” for your salvation, for my salvation, for the salvation of everyone; and that’s the deal, period, end of statement. We are only left to accept His gift.


Isn't Grace grand?

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Duh

According to this morning's ELO Newsletter (see link: http://www.episcopalchurch.org:80/81803_85093_ENG_HTM.htm)
the Standing Committee of the Diocese of South Carolina has announced its intention to re-elect Mark Lawrence to the position of Diocesan Bishop.

DUH!!!

Friday, April 13, 2007

WORD!!!

Words are very interesting things, “mightier than the sword”, verdad?

I’m very, very careful with the words I use and that’s probably one reason I don’t have more up on my “blog”, it takes too much time and thought. Don Imus on the other hand, wasn’t so careful. So, he got the “boot”. No excuse can be offered for the words he used or the pain they caused. As far as his job goes, that’s up to the people that write his checks. If he’s not making money for them he should be out the door. And with his advertisers all canceling, he ain’t making them money.

BUT, what about all the other people out there who use the same words and get a pass. The few times I’ve heard any Rap Music it seemed obscene and devoid of any redeeming social value. In certain areas we see peoples of unique ethnic backgrounds calling each other all sorts of names and that’s OK because they are all of the same ethnicity. Appears there’s a double standard at work here. Also what of people of one minority ethnic background “slurring” people of another ethnicitiy but not really being called on the carpet for their words? “Hymie” Town comes particularly to mind. And that was OK because …?

If we are going to chastise one person in the public eye for using derogatory comments lets go after everyone and if we’re going to take one person off the air for saying “nappy headed” or “ho” lets remove all references of that ilk and not be selective, no matter who gets caught, even the prominent people in the liberal, activist or entertainment columns.


I guess I think one could almost say Imus is the scapegoat of selective racism.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

A Lacrosse Victory - NOT

News of the day is that all charges against the three Duke University Lacrosse players are dropped. According to the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office there was no basis for the indictment and their report called the Durham D.A. a “rogue” prosecutor. So, after countless months of turmoil and untold dollars of legal fees, the three young men are off the hook; or are they? Will their names, reputations and lives ever return to normal? I think not. And will they have any recourse towards the complainant or Nifong for wrongful prosecution, for the disruptions of their education, the millions of expenses they have incurred, the media “circus” that surrounded the false accusations and the stigma of the entire matter that will follow them the rest of their lives? Again I think not.

Durham County D.A. Mike Nifong used the false accusations of a black stripper to win a closely contested election. And afterwards was so arrogant that he refused to admit error and let the matter drop when evidence pointing to their innocence became obvious to all. But, he did win his precious election. I hope there is some form of judicial punishment that will cause him to truly atone for his misdeeds. And the system stood up for a poor black girl against three young white men of assumed privilege; even though the complainant had a history of wrongly accusing men, three at a time coincidently, of rape. I had hoped she likewise would be prosecuted to the fullest extent for her filing of a false accusation, but such is not to be. And I wish with all my being that there was some way the media and the elitists could be punished for their convicting the innocent players before any substantiation was brought forward, and its continuing conviction of them; evidence to the contrary not withstanding. All done in the name of “political correctness.” Because, you see, none of this was about rape, but rather that surely if some young white men attending Duke University were said to have done “the crime”, they must be guilty; else why would the accusations be made?

Was the stripper demeaned at the party? Most probably, though somehow it seems to go with the territory. One who takes off their clothes off in front of a bunch of drunken men, should not expect to be treated like a lady. Was she high? Evidence indicates so. Had she engaged in sex that evening? Also, evidence indicates so, just not with any of the Lacrosse team.

My assumptions are that the stripper felt disrespected or else woke up drunk in a parking lot and was looking to excuse her behavior. And what better way to do so than by crying rape. Then Nifong jumped on the bandwagon, seeing this as a way to garner enough of the black vote to win his hotly contested election. And the media, well they were just looking for any story that validates a preconceived notion of all that’s wrong with society being able to be laid at the feet of the white middle and upper classes. Yet today, after all the evidence that has been presented, it seems there are still folks who believe money and power “bought off” the incident and that the young men are still guilty.

Racism does still exist and will continue to do so as long as various communities encourage it (in ALL its forms) and the mainstream media, under the guise of political correctness, supports its agenda. Only by both the black and white communities working together instead of being at cross purposes, can a level of trust develop. As long as either side chooses to further their ends through entitlement or by charges of racism, we will not move forward. The elimination of racism will not be achieved by legislation but rather only by a mutual understanding of each other, for “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”