The World Is Upside Down

A coworker asked me the other day about my thoughts on the tragedy at VT. How could someone do something so terrible? My question is: How is it that it doesn't happen more often? For generations we have told children that there is no God. That there is no higher moral authority then themselves. That they evolved from animals, and therefore are no better or worse then animals.

This generation is the most self absorbed, egotistical, and shortsighted group that has ever lived. they have been told since birth that they are always right. If little Johnnie says the 2+2=5 well don't tell him he is wrong, it might hurt is self esteem. We don't want to hurt his little feelings. Don't keep score in Soccer or Baseball, you might hurt the losers' feelings.

We have a culture of death, If the baby you are pregnant with will be inconvenient, just go down to the corner clinic and in an hour or 2 the inconvenience will be eradicated. We see more murders on TV in 1 month than happen in an average city in a year.

With the privacy laws in place, if there is a problem nobody has to know about, so even if I am a danger to myself or others, If I haven't done anything yet, I don't get on the list of people who shouldn't be allowed to buy a gun. My teachers can't tell anyone that I am writing strange Sadistic things in my creative writing class, because I may sue you for invading my privacy.

We have set ourselves up, and when something like VT happens we wring our hands, trot out the various "experts" on everything from Grief to gun control. It is on the Cable news channels 24 hours a day for a week, or until a fresher news story grabs our attention. Nothing gets solved, and it all becomes a memory.

It has even happened with 9/11, we have lost our resolve, we have become restless many have forgotten how they felt on 9/12. the fight isn't over, but the American people have lost patience we want to move on to the next thing.

So, what's the latest about Paris H.?

I'm BAAACK!!!!

Well it has been a long time. I have several reasons for that, but one of the main reasons is I have been so fed up with what is going on on both sides of the Political fence. The Republicans and Democrats have both pissed me off, where is the leadership? They are all acting like children we have a a war going on, and Congress is playing games with funding. In order to get the votes they needed to pass an emergency funding bill, that they know Bush will veto, they had to offer so much pork I could eat bacon for breakfast ever day for the rest of my life.

Then I see America's strongest Ally in the world been over backwards when their Sailors are taken hostage, yes I used the word, they are so afraid of what the world might think, that Blair won't stand up to a short dictator with a Napoleon complex. What is the West going to do when Iran does succeed in making Nuclear weapons? Right now we could take out their Navy in one day. All it would take to bring them to their knees is to bomb the one Oil Refinery they have in their country. And here we are laying in the fetal position sucking our thumbs.

Well I will be writing again, and trying not to get to angry.

16 Years

As of Yesterday I have been paralyzed 16 years, and for the first time in 15 years I didn’t even remember the day, until someone asked me today about my wheelchair. I knew this was the week, but it did not depress me as it has most years, and I could not remember the exact date. I had to look it up on a calendar.

My life has become so much more then the wheelchair over the years, I struggled for so long trying to be an “activist” it was my way of coping, trying to make the world conform to my needs.

I went back to college after my accident to finish my Degree - on the State’s dime. While there I was “Super Handicapped Guy”. I became President of “Horizons” a club for the disabled on Campus.

The timing was great, the Americans With Disabilities Act had been signed just months after my accident, so when I enrolled at University Of Central Oklahoma, in September ’91, they were ripe for a student who was just pushy enough to get himself noticed. In December of that year, I pulled my first stunt – I invited the Head of Maintenance, and one of the School’s VP’s to spend a typical School day with me, in chairs. I told the Head Therapist at O’Donahue Rehab Center, (where I had spent 6 weeks learning how to live in a chair) what I was planning. I remember the Evil Smile that only Denise could smile, as she chose the loaner chairs for my “victims”. These had to be the most rickety wheelchairs in the whole storage room.

Denise was a leggy redhead, with the mischievous attitude stereotypically attributed to redheads. She wanted these guys to have the roughest possible time. That attitude was also necessary for her job as Head Physical therapist. She wanted them to really understand, as much as a non-disabled person can what a disabled person goes through.

Well the day came. My first class – Biology for Non-Science Majors, (that meant we weren’t required to do labs), a trek across campus that normally took 8 or 10 minutes. I was met at the door of the dorm by the my victims, along with a reporter from the University newspaper, one from the University TV station, The Edmond Sun, The Daily Oklahoman, and Channel 9 News. Quite an entourage. We had started early, had breakfast, then off to Biology.

The route required going through the University Center, entering on the 2nd floor, down an elevator and out then out through the first floor. There were two elevators, but by coincidence one was down for repair. Only one of us could fit on the elevator at a time, we had agreed that the one rule in this game was no getting out of the chair, If I couldn’t neither could they. So I went down first, sent the elevator to the 2nd floor, apparently someone had called it to a higher floor, then it was full so the next wheelchair could not get on.

It turned into a 30 minute trip, but we had planned extra time and just made it to Biology. Several students from the class recognized the VP, and had lots of questions for him. The rest of the morning was like that. After my second morning class, we took a break in the UC. One of them went to the restroom, when he came out he said, “Scott, how would you like to see yourself in the mirror?” The mirrors were very high in the restroom, and all I could see was the top of my head, there would have been no way to make him truly understand it except for my little stunt. Well to make a long story short, they lasted till lunch, at which time I let them off the hook.

The next week I was asked to join the ADA implementation Committee. Ironically, I was the only disabled person on the committee.

Well I probably would not do something like that today, but then I am older and wiser, and as I said earlier, I have become more then the wheelchair.

Mr Gore Get Off Your High Horse!

Al Gore has some nerve, criticizing the President for wiretapping terrorists. It was not very long ago he was criticizing the Administration for not doing enough to combat terrorism. Mr Gore You can’t have it both ways. Now I realize this is an Election year, and the Democrats need all the help they can get in the Midterm elections, but coming just short of calling for the impeachment of the President when he is doing what is necessary to protect this country from more terrorism, is beyond reason.

We do not yet know all the details of what the President authorized. There will be an investigation and we will find out.. We need to remember that this is a time of war, which means that it is sometimes necessary to use extreme methods to defeat the enemy. My understanding, so far, is that the wiretaps were on people getting phone calls from persons overseas who were known or suspected of being connected with Al Qaeda. This is a far cry from what Gore calls “pervasive spying” on US citizens. There are some questions as to whether he should have gotten warrants from the court. He did consult Congress, which is required in this situation.

Do not forget that the Administration that Gore was a part of obtained FBI files of those they considered political enemies. That was not during wartime, and there was no danger to national security. Ol’ Al still can’t get over the fact that he lost the 2000 election. I shutter to think what this country would now be if he had been in charge when we were hit on 9-11.

Fresh Video from BlogTelevision.net (Source)

Don't usually post video but this was just to good not to share. When it loads you need to restart it.

Global Warming... The Jury is still out

Well, I had planned to write a very different Blog today. But because of my discussion in the comments in an earlier Blog, on Global Warming, I decided to do some research on it. I am just in the beginning of this, but the major point I have seen so far is how hard it really is to obtain accurate world wide temperature averages because of the time it takes and the number of points needed to gather an accurate sampling. It gets even more difficult over time. Going back in history to find temperature trends is tough; most of the methods used have major questions.

The thermometer was invented in the early 18th Century, which is late in human history, let alone Natural History, in addition the thermometer was not widely available, even in Europe until late in the 18th Century. Therefore other methods must be used to find temperatures over the whole earth and throughout history. Tree rings is one way that this has been done. Light and dark rings form each year of a tree’s growth, the thickness of individual rings is dependant upon how fast the tree grows, which in turn is dependant on many factors, one of which is temperature. But other things affect tree growth as well, soil conditions, drought, carbon dioxide levels, so determining temperature trends by this method is by no means universally accepted even among the Global Warming Crowd.

Another thing I have discovered in my initial research is that the Kyoto Protocol (Treaty established to try and curb Global Warming) leaves out 2 of the worlds biggest contributors of greenhouse gasses, China, and India. Also the cost is so high that it could devastate the economies of most of the major countries in the world.

Now don’t get me wrong, I believe in conservation, as a Christian I believe that we should be good stewards of what God has given us. In fact my next car will most likely be a hybrid. But I also see that the jury is still out on how human activity is impacting the Environment. Much of what is publicly believed is fear mongering, and fear is never a good basis for decision making. Public policy should be made on the basis of sound science, not on the disaster de jour.

More on this later. I want to do more research.


Links:

http://www.junkscience.com/MSU_Temps/Warming_Look.htm

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blthermometer.htm

Goodwill Toward Men???

When FOX News began having stories about the so called “War on Christmas” I almost bought in completely. I was mad at Wal-Mart, and Sears, not mad enough to boycott mind you, but in my usually slightly over the top way, I was indignant and let those around me know it. Then the other night I saw a report, again on FOX, about a group of Parents who were suing a school district because the school was “Removing” the religious words from “Silent Night”. Then as the news story went on, it turned out the song was part of a skit, and the tune just happened to be “Silent Night”.

Now, I have accused many of my Politically Correct friends of looking for stuff to be offended about. But it appears to me that in this case this group of parents was being way too over-sensitive. Now, I know that there is a real Culture War going on out there, and there are groups that are trying to remove Christianity from public life. But does it serve the purpose of those of us who want to preserve the history and importance of Religion in this country to be getting upset about a clerk in a Wal-Mart saying “Happy Holidays”, instead of “Merry Christmas”.

I think that it undermines our credibility when we try to fight for the more important things, like our Freedom of Speech in the workplace, at school, and anywhere in public. When we become this contentious we disobey Paul’s admonition to live a peace with all men:

Heb 12:14-15

14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
NIV

When we become contentious about these little things we are injuring the image of the Christ we claim to represent. We should try to live lives that attract people to us, so that they will see the Joy, and Contentment we have that they may be missing. Think about your witness when you complain to a store manager that that the clerk said, “Happy Holiday”. He is going to think, “There goes one of those crazy Evangelicals”.

Remember that the reason for Christmas is the Christ. The Angels said “Peace on Earth, and goodwill towards men”, when they announced His birth. If his Disciples don’t live that out, especially at this time of year, then how are we to give Hope to those who do not know him?

No Global Warming in OKC

OK it was 15 degrees today, coldest it has been since the 1980’s here in OKC. Ya’ll can stop worrying about Global Warming now. (My shortest Blog so far LOL.)

Please - Stop Acting Like Children

I have been so disgusted with the whole political scene lately the Dems attacking Bush on Prewar statements, and whether or not he lied. Then closing down the Senate to “Force the Republicans” to have an investigation that has already been going on. The House Republicans staging a vote on if the US should immediately pull out of Iraq, when they know no sane person is advocating that, Cindy Sheehan not withstanding. I listened to Rep. John Murtha’s comments about leaving Iraq, and he was not advocating an immediate pull out, but a gradual and measured drawing down of the troupes and staying in the area if the Iraqi’s need our help. This is far from a “cut-and-run policy. I am not sure it will work, but I digress.

I think the debate has become way too political with each side looking at how their public statement will play with the people in their state, not at what is best for the country. At this point I am not sure what is best for the Country, but I do know that many of us are very confused and concerned.

As Senator John McCane said in an interview the other day, When We pulled out of Vietnam, they were not coming here if we pull out of Iraq early, they will. I am not sure why we went to Iraq; I am not sure If my President lied, or if the Intelligence was just faulty. But what I do know is that our people are fighting over there and we need to stay until the job is done, and done successfully.

This requires that both sides in this country stop acting like fourth graders who are having a dispute on the playground, that politicians stop worrying about vote counts, and start worrying about how we correct this thing. I think we can disagree in this country, and still realize that we are Americans first, not Republicrats or Democans. Party shouldn’t matter in this case, it is too important. I hope and pray that by next Christmas most of our men and women in Iraq are home with their families as they should be.

9/11 - Four Years later

It was a bright clear Tuesday morning. I was running late for work, again. I had just turned onto the street out side my subdivision. I am a news Junkie, I was listening to local talk radio station KTOK. The host was talking about some local issue; I don’t remember what it was. It was a little before 8:00 local time the local news segment would normally just be starting, when they broke in and announced that a passenger jet had just hit one of the WTC towers. I remember thinking something about a drunken pilot. I have such a dark and sarcastic sense of humor, of course that is where my mind went first. How could a plane hit a skyscraper in New York? For just a few minutes even the radio announcer was speculating that it was an accident.

Then – the unthinkable – just as my mind was getting a handle on a passenger plane hitting a building, the announcer said that a plane had hit the other tower. Now everyone who heard that knew that it was some kind of attack. No more jokes in my mind, just a mixture of horror, anger, disbelief, and sadness. Living in Oklahoma City, my mind leapt back to April 19, 1995. I could not believe something like this had happened again. I knew at that moment, my life, and everybody else’s would never again be the same.

When I arrived at work, every one in the office was standing watching the TV in our lobby in disbelief, as they announced that the Pentagon had been hit by yet another plane. I thought “When is the horror going to stop?” The days that followed are a blur. I don’t think much work got done in our office that week. We were all stunned and angry.

The feeling I had 9/11/01 has never gone away, though it has been pushed to the back of my mind most of the time. Four years later, as I watched the Memorial Service while getting ready for church this morning, I had to fight back the tears. Fox news showed pictures from that day, and it still seems surreal. Then as the names of the victims were being read, even though I did not know anyone killed personally, I felt as if I had lost family members.

The anger and sadness welled up inside me, breaking through the barrier I had built against it. I wondered why, 4 years later, we still have not brought bin Laden to justice, why the most powerful country in the world does not go into Pakistan, where we all know he is being harbored, and bring him out. I don’t care what the Foreign Policy ramifications are. We have the right as free people to capture, try and execute the man responsible for the largest terrorist attack on US, or any other soil. We can sort out the political consequences later.

During the Fox coverage of the Memorial service, there was an interview with one of the family members of a victim, he was talking about the plans for a permanent memorial at ground zero – how the “blame America first” crowd wants hijack the sacred site and put in an exhibit displaying all of the “atrocities” committed by the US throughout its history. America has made its mistakes, we have grown from those mistakes, we must remember those mistakes, so as not to commit them again, however the hollowed ground on which nearly 3,000 innocent people died is not the place to do it. It should be a place to contemplate, and remember those who have given their lives defeating terrorism.