Spreading Misery and Terror

   It is an amusing paradox to me that so many people have no ability to rise above their fears and the latest fear-mongering from the main stream media to consider the larger picture. So many people have no capacity for thinking about anything beyond today’s news. 

    Schools don’t teach real history any more in deference to political correctness and multi-culturalism. 
     It is difficult for me to understand how so many people are so brain-washed that they believe the hype about how it is compassionate to allow thousands of would-be terrorists into our country. 
     The reason these people need to escape from their countries like Syria is because they have allowed these places to be turned into hell holes of terrorism and hatred. 
     To my way of thinking accepting these so-called refugees will only spread terrorism and hatred wherever they go, because that’s all they understand. 
     But maybe that will appease the people that believe we all need to be equal. Equality in this case seems to mean that we all need to be as angry and miserable as the most unhappy, incapable human beings on the planet. It’s just not fair that some of us have been able to rise above poverty, anger and difficult circumstances through our own hard work and self-determination while others have not figured it out. Instead of nurturing and promoting the accomplishments of the hard-working and capable and encouraging them to help train, educate, and encourage those who are less fortunate, we find it necessary to condemn hard work and initiative, because it is just not fair that some people are willing and able to achieve while so many others choose to fail and wallow in misery.

Oregon Campus Shooting And Gun Control

   Another mass shooting on a college campus.  Before the blood is dry on the floor in Snyder Hall on the  Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore where the shooting took place, the gun control nuts are shouting for more gun control.

   People!  Sheeple!  People!  
     When are you going to get it through your thick skulls?  People who decide to do these kinds of things don’t care about laws and rules.
  Places like New York City, Connecticut, Colorado, Chicago and Baltimore have some of the highest rates of gun-related violence -- yet they have the most restrictive gun laws.  

    Stupid, evil, angry, emotionally unstable people will find a way to get weapons and use them.  Gun control laws only serve to limit people's freedom to protect themselves in these kinds of situations.  Gun control laws strip away the defenses of decent, law-abiding people who might be able to come to the aid in a situation like this before the police can arrive. What would have happened if the campus security guard carried a weapon?  Is it possible that he could have been on the scene and taken down or distracted the shooter before he killed nine people and injured another 20? 
   There was a hero story about an army veteran who took several bullets as he kept charging at the gunman.  What would have happened if the veteran had a gun?

   Think about it.  

   Consider – what are the possibilities that a would-be perp might be dissuaded if he had reason to believe that somebody had the means to stop him from carrying out his sick mission?

   Case in point – the infamous crazy Colorado movie theater shooter.  He didn’t go to the theater closest to his home.  He sought a theater where it was posted that people were not permitted to have guns.

   If I were in charge, I would post signs letting it be known that gun owners were welcome and encouraged in parks, buildings and other properties, to discourage crooks and crazies from believing that they could get away with trying to come in and shoot up the place.
   I know that violence and death are hard things to think about.  It is unpleasant to realize that there are evil people in the world.  But I firmly believe that the best thing for society and the perps themselves might be to take them out before they can harm or kill innocent people. 
   If your spouse, your child, your parents or your best friends were caught in this kind of fire fight and you knew you had a chance to save them by having a weapon and knowing how to use it, would you wait for the police or would you take up your weapon and open fire to take down a sick, evil maniac and try to prevent as many deaths or injuries to the innocent as possible?  
   Think about it.  

       

Pride Of Authorship

  When I was a young journalism student, my copy-editing instructor exhorted us to restrain our urges and not change copy just because it was not the way we would have written it.

   “Your job is to correct minor grammar, spelling and style errors.  If you find yourself doing wholesale re-writes or if you detect major factual errors, kick it back to the writer.  As the copy editor, it is not your job to write or re-write articles.”

    He repeated this mantra several times during the ten-week editing class. 

    I have always been a very detail-oriented, obsessive person.  I was quite skilled in detecting spelling, grammar and style errors.  Unfortunately, I was also judgmental, controlling and narrow-minded. I could not resist re-writing prose that didn’t meet my standards for the way things ought to be, which is probably why I only achieved a “C” for the class. 

   After college and upon completing the military’s ten-week public affairs course, the Army Reserve promoted me to staff sergeant and I became editor of an Army Reserve division’s quarterly magazine.   Our coverage area included about one hundred military units scattered across Ohio and Kentucky.  I worked from the headquarters in Columbus.  We had stringers in various units who wrote and took photos for us. 

    “Why did you change what I wrote,” one of my young stringers demanded when he discovered I had re-written his article. 

    “Because it seemed disrespectful.”

   “In what way?”

   “There is a certain cynicism about it.”

   “This is a story about guys like me who joined the Reserve to avoid the draft.  We make up over two-thirds of the Army Reserve which is most of the readership for this crummy magazine. We are tired of reading the commanding general’s latest phony philosophy about the importance of our mission.”

   I out-ranked him, so my re-write to tone down the cynicism prevailed.  A month later that young stringer transferred to a supply unit where he could be among peers who would not question his attitude.  I felt sad because the kid really was a pretty good writer.

    Within two years we lost three other stringers, and Terri who had dropped out of college after two years and worked as receptionist, replaced me as the editor.  Terri had difficulty with complex sentences. In other words, she wrote like a sixth grader.  She had gotten a promotion and a job in our unit because she was sleeping with the commander.

   Terri’s editorial judgments of my writing reflected her simplistic literary skills. 

     A year later loudmouth Bill replaced her. He got the job because of his National Guard acquaintanceship with our new commander and because he took good pictures.  At the time our little magazine suffered from a dearth of photos.  Though he was good with a camera, Bill had difficulty with the English language – speaking and writing it.  Fortunately he left the writing to Terri and me while he busied himself taking pictures, working in the dark room and telling the commander and the division public affairs officer what they wanted to hear.  Bill hardly ever delivered anything that he promised.  He lasted about six months as the editor before they put Terri back in charge and left me as her assistant.

   I transferred to become an administrative assistant in the Inspector General’s office.  The job came with a promotion to sergeant first class.  At about the same time I took a full-time civilian public affairs position for Army Recruiting and ended up editing another military magazine while working for an emotionally troubled supervisor who hated the Army and only pretended to have a bachelor’s degree in journalism.  Harry took an immediate dislike to me, because I used my superior understanding of journalism and respect for Army protocols to point out his many errors. 

   “That headline won’t fit”, I told him.

   “It will fit.”

   “How do you know?  Did you count it?”

    “It’ll fit because I say so.  Leave it.”

   Of course I had to change it when the blue line came back from the printer with half the headline cut off. (This was in 1989 before computers and desk-top publishing had come of age.)  

   Harry changed my stories to embellish the truth while adding a couple sensational headlines intended to embarrass the chain-of-command.  He made several attempts to destroy me, resulting in my having to hire a lawyer to preserve my job and my career. I got transferred to another position, and Harry got fired.  I managed to avoid writing and editing positions for the rest of my military and Federal Civil Service career.

   Upon retirement, I took an interest doing simple newsletters for a couple volunteer groups.  My efforts won high praise because these people were not used to having current, relevant information cobbled together and presented in an interesting way.   

  The first position lasted for four months.  One day the president of the organization wrote her own newsletter and insisted that I send it out to the membership exactly as she had prepared it.  I replied with a thoughtful, carefully written email tendering my resignation, effective immediately.  I have retained my membership with this group, but they have not had a regular newsletter since I stopped doing it.

   I stuck with the second group as newsletter editor for about four years.  Most of the members elected to receive the newsletter as an email attachment.  The person who transmitted it wrote her own folksy introductions.  Her narratives were long, rambling run-on sentences filled with bad grammar, little punctuation and poor spelling, including the misspelling of people’s names. 

    It felt as though she was undermining my efforts to publish a professional newsletter.  What was the point of investing my time and energy to check facts, verify dates, look up correct spellings, write and re-write, proof-read and re-edit to insure proper grammar and punctuation, if she was going to do this simplistic, poorly written paraphrasing of my copy.

   When I questioned this practice, this nice woman pouted.

   “I was just trying to be helpful and supportive,” she whined. “Several people have told me they like what I write.  You are the only one who has ever complained.”

  “Well then why don’t you just take over the newsletter?” I snarled.  

    I ceased editing that newsletter last year and will probably terminate my affiliation with the group. 

   As I reflect on these episodes from my life, I wonder if all these frustrations and bad experiences were a result of karma and life’s attempts to teach me a lesson about respecting other people’s writing.

    I keep remembering my journalism professor’s admonition, “Don’t change something just because it isn’t the way you would have written it.”   

Debate Review

  I find myself avoiding Facebook more and more these days as Presidential campaigns heat up. Facebook is and will continue to be all blown up with people on all sides of the issues who just want to be angry and lash out at anybody who disagrees with their point of view.  I confess that is my normal pattern and tendency as well, which is part of the reason to avoid the Facebook discussions of highly-charged political and social issues. 

   I personally thought the Fox news moderators were less inclined to grind personal pet points of view in last week’s debates than CNN, CBS, MSNBC news people have been in past debates. 

      Megyn Kelly’s swipe at Governor Kasich’s religious views was a bit snarky, but it did not bother me because I agreed with her.  
   I like Governor Kasich.  I was proud to have voted for him twice and even contributed a little money toward his first gubernatorial campaign.  He has turned Ohio around after the previous democrat regime and its cronies put Ohio in debt and all but destroyed Ohio. But Kasich’s religious inclinations are a little bit too emotional for my taste. What he considers divine inspiration looks like an over-heated fantasy wish-life to me.   

  I liked what Dr. Carson had to say in his closing statement about the fact that we are in the midst of a cultural war and we must fight to win the minds and hearts of our young people whose understanding of life and their role in life has been diminished because of the failures of education which has tried to brainwash them by telling them what they should think instead of teaching them how to think.

    It’s obvious that the media does not like Trump and they will do anything to try to discredit him because he does not play their games.   Trump is a threat to all media – liberal and conservative.   That is why he is so popular among the people.  The people are sick and tired of the same old games that have caused the downward spiral of our country and the world culture in general. 

    Though I don't like Trump, I would vote for him before I would vote for somebody like Christy who talks about crossing the aisle and getting along with the opposition.  That attitude is what gave us so many of the problems that are part of our cultural and political rot.  
   I would prefer Trump over Jeb Bush.  Jeb is a really nice guy, as are all members of the Bush family.  But he is too quick to apologize and kowtow when he thinks he may have offended somebody.  We've had too much of that as well.   
      I think Trump is an arrogant, self-centered, self-important jerk.  He proved that in the debate and in his responses and comments about Megyn Kelly afterwards. 
    I agree with my husband when he describes Trump as something of a bully.  But Trump may be just what America needs right now. 

Paradoxes

 There are so many paradoxes and crossroads informing reflections in my life today: 

  ---The joy, love and wonder my family is experiencing at the birth of twin boys – my grand nephews.  This is augmented with further FB reflections wishing that parents and grandparents who have passed over could be physically present to share the joy of welcoming these two beautiful lives to the physical world.   --- (I know that they are with us in spirit and rejoicing with us, though we cannot see them or touch them in the physical plane. ) 

     This joy at new life is juxtaposed in my thoughts with all the news and video about what is going on with planned parenthood.  

     The news about the lion who was killed is juxtaposed to cute cat photos and video posted all over FB.  I think about this and reflect on  the affection I have for my two cats -- my joy at their constant companionship.

     In the midst of these momentous events, I am reading a compelling theatre script about a Jewish lawyer forced to defend a skinhead who has perpetrated a brutal, senseless murder against an innocent Jewish man.  

    My heart is full.  My mind is racing.  And I am grateful for opportunities to learn, grow and improve my awareness and understanding. 

Who Is In Control

   How much of the anger and frustration you often feel might be due to your inability to force people and situations to be and do as you would have them? This includes, but is not limited to, your spouse, closest and dearest friends, neighbors or children.

   Has your anger, constant nagging and other attempts at manipulation brought about the changes you desired or has it merely perpetuated your anger and frustration in addition to distancing people from you?

   Go ahead – rant, rave, cuss, and righteously condemn everything and everybody that does not agree with your point of view. See how much good that will do.

  After you have worn yourself out with your failed efforts to manipulate people and events outside your control consider: What would it mean to look at these kinds of things from a more “universal” perspective?

   I recommend detachment – trying to understand that the world will unfold according to God’s plan – not the one that you and I keep trying to manipulate and control.

  With that in mind, go to sleep and have sweet dreams, knowing that the universe is in God’s hands—not yours, not your spouses’, your parents, your friends; not the politicians, government or the media.

   When you wake, vow to be the best that you can be -- with joy and optimism. Do your work. Love your family and friends -- without being angry, worrying or suffering over the fact that you cannot control anybody but yourself.

   God’s universe is an orderly place. God has set aside several billion years for the unfoldment of God’s universe. We can try to understand and play our part cheerfully. Or we can worry, doubt, be angry -- and suffer.

  I recommend trying to understand and cooperate with continued respect and appreciation for the relationships  gifts, skills, talents and opportunities that God has given us.

--A Betty Peters Late Night Reflection on Facebook from October, 2013

The Saint Ignatius Examen is an effective way to figure out what is important.  I recommend it as a daily meditative exercise for focusing your life in a more positive, detached way:  http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen  

The Daily Examen is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us.  The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience.

The method presented here is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. St. Ignatius thought that the Examen was a gift that came directly from God, and that God wanted it to be shared as widely as possible. One of the few rules of prayer that Ignatius made for the Jesuit order was the requirement that Jesuits practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It’s a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day.

How to Make the Examen Part of Your Day
Variations on the Examen
Reflections on Praying the Examen
Handouts on the Examen

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.

1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude. 
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.

- See more at: http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen#sthash.IZ9L9pN5.dpuf