if you can't say something nice...

...don't say anything at all.  One of the sagest pieces of advice my wisdom-filled mother taught me.  And I'd like to say that I always, always abide by it.  But I don't.  But I try.  Most of the time.

This is not one of those times when restraint will win out.

In just over a year all card-carrying voters will be heading to the polls to elect a new president.  Already the rhetoric, mudslinging and hyperbole is being vomited out of a million mouths, most of it reprehensible, inflammatory, inaccurate and completely not necessary.

I'm doing my best to ignore it, but my Facebook page is blowing up with articles about what a terrible president we currently have and there's a billionaire who's giving Sarah Palin a run for her money for saying the most ridiculous things I've heard in a long time.  LISTEN UP REPUBLICANS...if you want to have a decent chance next year, get this guy off the mic and turn your attention to some folks who have some serious political chops.  At this point, the only Donald I'd even consider casting a vote for is Donald Duck.  And he doesn't even wear pants.

Okay, rant over.  But probably not for long.  I'll try to keep it in my head and heed my mom's advice.

In other news...

I walk most days and my current favorite song is "Seventeen" by Ratatat.  I guess you could call it rap, although there aren't any words (excepting the intro Mr. Ratatat gives stating that he doesn't write any music anymore, he just kicks it from his head...).  Basically it's got a central beat and then it's just three or four chord progressions, each about a minute and a half long.  I play it about five time in a row just to keep me moving during the first part of my walk.

I like to listen to my music loud.  Probably too loud and in a few years I'll be staring blankly at people when they speak to me.  However, when I approach other walkers or lawn mowing people, I always turn it off, lest they think I've gone 'round the bend.  Once I pass them, though, it's all about the bass, baby.

I think I'm so hip.  I'm sure my kids would replace "hip" with "pathetic."

I don't really give a rip.

Lastly, I have this weird reaction whenever I see a lone shoe or sock or child's toy on the sidewalk or on the road.  I immediately think, "abduction."  Part of me wants to pick it up with a stick, bag it and tag it and take it to my local CSI station.  Because you never know...

what's wrong with us

As time goes by I begin to understand why the world at large has such a dim view of Americans.  We are loud-mouthed, opinionated, sometimes ignorant people who feel compelled to force our beliefs on others.  And it's not just a recent phenomena.  

I've been watching Stephen Ives' film, "The West" on Netflix and find that Americans' quest for more, more, more is not a 21st century problem.  It's been with us from our inception.  After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, a whole vast frontier was opened up and we wasted no time in pushing through and usurping territory that had already been previously inhabited for hundreds of years.

There were some folks who simply wanted a better life, but with the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in California, the fever caught and the rush was on and the masses came with high hopes of striking it rich quickly.  Most didn't and lots of men died trying.  

I could go on for days and days with stories and statistics...suffice it to say that Americans behaved abominably towards Native Americans, making promises with little or no intention of honoring them.  One Native American spokesperson in the series did dispel the myth that everything was perfect with the lives of Native Americans before the White invasion.  They had many of the same problems any group of people have.  They were just tremendously exacerbated by the white man's insistence that these heathen people be subjugated and corralled.  Their treatment, and the institution of slavery, are the two biggest stains on our nation.  

And no amount of bleach or pre-treatment product is going to remove them.

I think these days we tend to push aside these failures in our humanity to pretend that they didn't exist...or don't still exist.  The whole conflagration with the Confederate flag should have been put to rest in 1865, with the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Courthouse.  At that moment, the South was no longer a separate nation.  It was part of the United States and all of those flags should have been replaced with the American flag.  

I don't want to hear about the Confederate Flag's cultural relevance or how it's part of their heritage.  It might well be part of their heritage, but, seriously...that heritage involved slavery, kidnapping, lynching, church burnings and countless other acts of hatred and racism.  

Removing the flag from public places is not the whole answer, but it's a start.  It's a statement that says we will no longer cling to the stereotype that is so, so hurtful and racially abhorrent to a large segment of the American people.  It says Jim Crow has moved on.

Now...about gay marriage.  You'll not be surprised that I was astounded (in a good way) when I got the text from Kate.  For me, it's never been about the religious view on homosexuality.  It's always been about the rights of ALL people to legally stand up before their families, friends and God and make a commitment to love, honor and cherish one another.

I cannot believe the indignation of some Christians are expressing about this.  Hypocritical doesn't even begin to cover it.  I watched a video this morning that suggested that we first remove the log from our own eyes before we can see the speck in the eye of our neighbor.  A good and sobering reminder that none of us is free from sin.  

I "shared" a blog post on my timeline written by Adam Hamilton, the senior pastor at Church of the Resurrection here in Overland Park.  It is a thoughtful, eye-opening look this issue.  I would encourage you to read it.  It points out that we cannot really opt for the "cafeteria" scripture plan...there are dozens of passages that call for us to act in ways that today we would think reprehensible...women being raped having to marry their rapists, rebellious children were required to be stoned to death, priests who daughters were prostitutes were burned alive  Here's a link to his blog...

http://www.adamhamilton.org/blog/view/196/the-bible-and-the-supreme-court-on-same-sex-marriage#.VZQFEPlVikp

We can do better.  We HAVE to do better.  Take some time to open your heart, your mind, your soul.  Ask God to speak to you.  Ask for forgiveness.  Ask for guidance.  Ask for God to render you color/gender/preconceived notion blind if need be.  Ask to be able to love your neighbor, maybe not as your love yourself, but better.