The Wounds Are Still Open

While I was driving to work, I heard Maria of NPR's "Latino USA" comment that the wounds of September 11 are still open. She went on to interview several Muslims who are trying to champion the cause of peace and to take back their religion that has "been hijacked by extremists".

I think there are two reasons why these wounds are still open. The first is controversial -- we keep talking about it. I am not saying that the lives lost are no longer of value or that we should forget this national tragedy, but we need to stop using the events of that day as some kind of crutch -- everything wrong is NOT a direct result of the twin towers being attacked.

That's crazy talk. Would we be mired in a war in the desert if the attacks hadn't happened? Actually, we might. The genesis might have been different, but the result may have been the same. Would the economy have crumbled if the World Trade Center had not collapsed? It probably would have. The nation was living on borrowed money and borrowed time. The stock market was insanely inflated, the housing market was worse, and the Prophet of God specifically warned the people to get out of debt some five years earlier. Would Congress and the Presidency be so incredibly factioned if America had not been attacked on its own soil? Be reasonable -- Congress has been growing more factioned every year -- this is just the natural, although regrettable, progression of politics. The pendulum will swing back. And it will swing back not because of any outside influence or attack or achievement. It will swing back because that is what pendulums do.

So shut up already about September 11 and the attacks that occurred. And, yes, I am wearing a fire proof suit in preparation for the flaming that such a statement will produce. But hear me out -- the events of that day were absolutely awful and terrible (and, yes, I meant to use both words for their dissimilar meanings). But we have to move on. We cannot let the insanity rule our lives, or, more apt to my point, become the catalyst or whipping boy for all of our decisions. We are big boys and girls. Maybe even a little more mature since those events occurred. But stop blaming them for all of your problems. Even those who lost family members on that day (or in the subsequent days of battle) must move on with their lives. Otherwise, their grief and pain will consume them and they will waste the precious gift that life really is. They will waste the sacrifices of our soldiers and fire fighters and police and so many others. It is time to stop being consumed by the horrors. Honor the dead, say a prayer of thanksgiving, lay a plaque and set up a scholarship fund for the fire fighter's children? Absolutely. But stop using September 11 as the scapegoat for every other bad day that follows.

The second reason is even more controversial -- we cannot heal the wounds until we forgive those we feel are guilty (and that may include ourselves). As a nation we have turned to hatred as opposed to forgiveness. The sentiment on September 12 was "let's nuke that desert nation into glass". Now we have those who wish to burn the Qu'ran and those who wish to build a Mosque at Ground Zero (or at least nearby) and those who scream "you are insensitive" and others who scream "you are to blame" and many others who scream just to be heard.

The wounds will never close while we continue to poke at them. Every article calling Muslims "evil" and every story about suicide bombers rams another pitchfork into those wounds and twists. Not all Christians want to burn the texts sacred to Islam. Not all Muslims want to kill you in an attempt to acquire 71 vestal virgins (or crystal clear raisins, depending on your translation skills). And even those who do hate and do wish another person or group dead are still worthy of our forgiveness.

I call on the nation and the people of the whole world (many of whom unfortunately do not read this blog) to put aside your hatred and forgive each other. Genuinely forgive those misguided men who drove airplanes into the buildings of NY or the field in PA. Forgive those leaders who sent their militaries to battle each other. Give up the hatred you feel for even those who live in caves and reportedly wish you dead. Be smart and do not trust them with your life, but forgive them and trust that God and the Universe will reward all according to their intentions and their actions.

It has been nine years. For many, that is only yesterday. For some, they have never known a world in which those events had not been part of our history. It is like those of us born after 1941 -- the attack on Pearl Harbor has always been a reality. We have never known a time when that had not happened. So it is with those who are just coming to understand the world around them -- September 11, 2001 has always been a reality.

And maybe it will take until our generation is long gone that we as a people will give up the hatred. Maybe the only cure to these festering wounds is death.

I hope that doesn't have to be the case. I pray that we can be at peace again. I would like to hope for a better future than the one staring at us through the smoke. I would like to leave this world knowing that my son and his cousins and friends will be able to enjoy life and not be harrowed up by the sins of their fathers.

But I know that will not happen as long as we don't let the wounds heal. Put the bandage over it and leave it alone. Eventually, there will be only a scar left -- a quiet reminder of what we should not forget, but for which we have no lingering reason to brag or curse.

Unemployment and Education

I found out today that another sibling's household income has been significantly reduced -- her husband lost his job. Given his experience in his field of choice (delivery services), he should be able to bounce back. But it brought back to my mind an old argument I've had with friends and college roommates.

Is an education necessary for employment and happiness? I will table the happiness discussion for another posting as I have more to say than can be said quickly today (I once started to write a book on happiness -- I didn't get very far, but the concept for such a book is still in the back of my head).

It is true that not all jobs require advanced degrees -- some don't require any education at all. And all of those jobs can be careers -- even be turned into relatively lucrative careers, given the right circumstances, choices, etc. And it is also true that an advanced degree does not guarantee one a job, especially lately.

But even with the current economics raging in our ears, I still believe that the more education one receives, the better are his chances of success in this life and its associated rat race.

So are all degrees and specialties created equal? Sadly, the answer is no. The tax accountant has a better chance of employment than the actor. This is not to say that any one profession or any one degree is better than another. But the sad truth is that in the halls of commerce, finance, and economics, an education dealing with the harder sciences will most likely yield more opportunities for monetary stability than an education in the arts or soft sciences.

While this world is run on a market system (free or otherwise), an education dealing with some aspect of that system puts a person in line to make money. It is the ultimate in "if you can't beat them, join them." When we switch to a different system, new rules will need to be applied (although an education will fare well in most systems known).

My brother-in-law should be fine, though, given that his skill set is in an area dealing with the transportation of goods -- which is essential to the marketplace. Another brother-in-law had to change his skill set. He was an artist. Now he is trained as a paralegal. And while at the moment he is still unemployed (again, the economy not picking up the pieces yet), his prospects are better today than they were when he was a starving artist.

Is it better to be a starving paralegal than a starving artist? Both men are still hungry! And yet, how many operas can you name where the paralegal starved to death? Dying artists abound. Dying lawyers -- not so many, unless they were murdered (it's an occupational hazard).

And lastly, does anything I say hold any weight at all, given that my chosen profession is mandated by the government? Well, yes, because I CHOSE to be an accountant. I could have spent my university years in the pursuit of an arts degree or a political science degree -- I had great aspirations in both areas. But I am a pragmatist. There were more trumpet players looking for jobs than there were jobs available. The halls of Washington were strewn with poli-sci grads looking to clerk for this congressman or another, only to be out of a job the following November. I decided to leave such uncertainty to my younger and more idealistic associates. I decided to follow a more conservative path to wealth.

Does that make me a coward? A sellout? One who sacrificed his dreams at the alter of commerce? I don't know. Maybe it does. But, believe it or not, I am happy with the decisions I've made, and not just because I have a good job.

Invariably when this conversation is raised, there will be those who point to examples of wealthy businessmen who did not graduate at all, let alone get an advanced degree. I will humbly acknowledge that such examples exist and will glibly point out that most of those individuals are either geniuses or very lucky or both. Often they are both. If the time ever comes that I am blessed with great amounts of wealth, it will be because I was in the right place at the right time and able to take advantage of the right opportunity. And for every Microsoft or Google uneducated genius there are thousands, if not millions, of geniuses who will never be known as their companies just didn't make it.

Here's the point of this rambling -- if you are at the beginning of the decision making process (i.e. just about to graduate from high school or just entered college), think seriously about where your dreams will lead. It may not now be the most important thing to you to make gobs of money -- but do not make a decision about your future lightly. And do not get me wrong -- I love the arts and have had some training in them. The world would be an empty place without them. And there are those who do succeed financially as artists. Maybe you will be one of those. But if you have talents in the sciences or mathematics, do not be too swift to lay those aside for the glory of the limelights. And even if you do decide to become an artist, take an accounting class, just so you will be able to count the millions you will make.

Then again, you can always just call me.

Last Post Deleted

To those of you who saw my last post entitled "What to do when Mom gets old" I want you to know that after venting here I realized that my post was not truly indicative of how I felt about my mother, her age, my age, my role in life, etc.

So I deleted it to hopefully avoid any misunderstandings.

Judging from the number of comments attached to that post (none), it may be that either no one saw it or everyone was embarrassed about it. Regardless, it is now gone and can be forgotten.

My true feelings about my mother are much more tender than what I wrote. I must say that of late I have been feeling rather foul. Maybe it's a mid-life crisis. Maybe I need a vacation. Maybe I need a hug. Maybe I just need my father to gently tell me to "snap out of it".

I really miss him. He would have been 72 today. Happy Birthday Dad.

I Hate SPAM

In this case, we are talking about electronic SPAM. The ham-like product enjoyed so much in Hawaii is fine with me and I consumed my fair share as a Boy Scout, usually chopped into Mac & Cheese.

But I'm tired of being asked if I want any of my anatomy enhanced. And I find it extremely disturbing that I'll get both male and female anatomy enhancement offers on the same day.

Until recently, my blog seemed to be immune from SPAM, but there were two comments left recently that linked to what appeared to be disreputable sites. I deleted the comments and have included a word verification requirement when leaving comments. I apologize for the inconvenience, but it would appear to be a necessary evil.

More to post later -- sorry for not writing for so long -- very busy year for too many wrong reasons.

I Must Be Old Now

When the pop idols of your youth are dead have you crossed over into old age? Granted, both Michael and Farrah were killed by disease and not old age, but I still felt a twinge of ancient history as I explained to my much younger associates yesterday about the years of Farrah being the hottest pin-up of the 70s and Michael once being black, good looking, and talented (not that his talent ever really wained, but he was more infamous than famous of late).

I do wish their families condolences. There are children and loved ones left behind and that is always sad, regardless of what you felt about the individual. I'm sure that there will stories and too much rehashing of these two idols' lives over the next few weeks and months. That seems to be what grieving people do -- either venerate or destroy the memories of the dead.

For me, I'm just feeling old and tired. Maybe I should put on my Thriller album (yes, I said "album", not CD), have my wife put on a blond wig, and dance like it is 1983.

Or maybe not.

Happy 1984 Day

Today is the 60th anniversary of the publication of George Orwell's "1984". It is also the 200th anniversary of the death of Thomas Paine, the 18th century philosopher whose writings greatly influenced George Orwell and his dark vision of the possible future.

NPR's "Talk of the Nation" did a piece about both events today, which I enjoyed. But it reminded me of when I read "1984" and Orwell's other masterpiece "Animal Farm". I made sure that I read "1984" before the year passed -- a strange goal, but one I set and met. I read "Animal Farm" much earlier -- it is an easier book to read and understand, but lacks nothing in its commentary on social systems and governments. I saw an animated version of it as a young teenager before I had ready the book (it was while my family was vacationing in Hawaii and I saw it with my siblings on the hotel TV). The ending was changed so that the animals rise up against the pigs after seeing them through the farm house window "change" into humans. Whether this was an attempt to make the movie more palatable or was intended as a further commentary on the future of communism, I do not know, but that is not how Orwell ends his book (the book stops with the animals looking through the window and seeing the pigs change -- no reaction, just revelation left to the reader -- powerful, but haunting, ending).

The comments on today's NPR program focused on how we did not become the world of "1984", with the exception of North Korea (some interesting points were made about that). That in fact, our world was drifting more to the vision of Orwell's friend and teacher, Aldous Huxley, and his novel "Brave New World". Oddly enough, I read this one either just before or just after "1984".

I do not agree that the world is headed towards either eventuality. It has become more evil, or at least we are more aware of the evil. But the destiny of this earth is not so bleak as an overarching or all powerful government predestining our lives and attitudes. Free agency continues to exist and we still have the ability to use our will to choose. The actions of others, individuals, governments and corporations, cannot take that will away from us. We can give it up but it cannot be taken.

Yesterday in our High Priest's Group meeting, we discussed obedience and agency. One point that was very interesting was the idea that agency can be expanded by our actions and obedience. For example, if the Bishop asks me to play the organ in Sacrament Meeting, I do not have the agency to say yes -- I can't play the organ and thus my only response can be no. But if the Bishop asks my mother, because of the choices she has made and her obedience to certain rules and laws (i.e. learning to play the organ and practicing it), she has more agency -- she can either say yes or no, depending on whether she wishes to do so or not.

The bleak visions of these satirists could only come to pass if all individuals voluntarily give up their ability to choose.

So choose wisely and make a better future.

Time To Vote Again

The media is saying that tomorrow's CA Special Election voter turnout will be at historic lows. This may be true for the physical go-down-to-the-polls-and-punch-the-screen group, but many of us have already turned in our "absentee" ballots.

Whatever category you find yourself, please vote by tomorrow.

As to how to vote, that is another issue all together. It may be that voter sentiment is off because they are tired (I know that I am) of all of this foolishness. We spent millions of dollars electing officials who cannot get along and come to any kind of compromise or meaningful idea for improvements and thus we have a HUGE mess that they are asking the voters to fix by voting on propositions that are so convoluted and confusing that most voters are throwing up their hands in disgust and yelling, "I'd move to Nevada if I could sell my house!"

In my most humble opinion and based on my understanding of law and finances, this is how I suggest that you vote -- NO. That's right, the whole mess is trying to be fixed by robbing Peter to pay Paul. The mess that Sacramento is in today has a lot to do with debt and being able to finance that debt. So instead of raising taxes and fees (which they are doing as well), they are asking to be able to borrow from future gambling revenues (and just who are they borrowing this from?) and to redirect monies fixed by the voters for certain purposes to go to the General Fund to just be thrown at more waste. Yes, they will kill school programs in the end. But the propositions will do that too, so there is no difference. These propositions fix nothing, but only shove more money down the hole.

My question, and the one everyone should be asking, is this: if CA has one of the largest GDPs in the world, where is the money going? I know that a great deal of it is going towards the debts that were incurred in the past (the piper WILL be paid), but that doesn't count for everything. Is it just a bunch of little things adding up or are there places where savings can be made? I know of a few crazy tax credits that CA has on the books that maybe could produce some income, but then I'm not in the rice straw business, so I naturally think that credit is crazy (a rice straw farmer would probably disagree with me). And don't tell me that this is the fault of people not paying their taxes. Yes, there are some who owe the government and some of them could owe significant amounts, but the fault is not the revenue side (again, one of the largest GDPs). The fault must lie in the spending.

They call it a budget and yet they constantly overspend. If I overspend on my budget I have to make up the difference by either cutting back somewhere or getting another job. The same thing applies here. But instead of cutting back on wasteful spending, I see essential services being cut and taxes being raised.

Maybe we need a real cut-throat accountant in Sacramento to sort this mess out. No one would like him. No one would invite him to parties. He would have to be independent of everyone -- corporations, politicians, voters alike. And then have him cut to ribbons the CA budget, killing programs that do not produce results and raising taxes when all else fails.

But too much power in one man's hands is too dangerous. So we have committees and sub-committees and politicians and statesmen and lobbyists and unions, etc., etc., etc.

I guess the only true answer is an omnipotent, omniscient King. And He isn't saying when He will return to claim His throne.

Thus, in the meantime, study the issues, think carefully, pray, and then vote. It is the best we can do for today.