Invasion of Ukraine, and support for the Ukrainian people -Vigil in Lubbock

 On Friday evening March 4, 2022, at 7:15 there will be a candlelight vigil at the Monument of Courage, 84^th and Nashville, Lubbock, Texas.   VFW Post 2466, the Purple Heart Chapter 0900, American Legion Post 575, Friends of the Monument of Courage and others will gather there.

Anyone in the community who is concerned about the Ukrainian invasion by Russia is encouraged to attend.  I have it on good authority that KCBD is investigating appropriate agencies who can help the Ukrainian refugees. I have explored several sights on the internet, but I am not sure I am savvy enough to know which ones are able to provide the needed services using donations in a responsible and appropriate way.,

If you can open your heart, please consider what you can do to help the Ukrainian citizens, either seeking refuge in other countries, or resisting being overtaken by the Russians.

Marriage License? vs Criminal Record?

I have been following the struggle of Kentucky Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis and her refusal to issue marriage licenses to gay couples http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-peron/stupidity-not-religion-pu_b_8086824.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063.  For me, this article is a good description of what she has done.

Her mother was county clerk before her, and she knew the duties of the job when she was elected http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015/09/03/judge-clerk-in-marriage-case-dealt-with-nepotism-charges.  Frankly, if I was a voter in Rowan County, I would be calling for her impeachment.  As a voter, I would have elected her to do her job, and spending time in jail,  and preventing her staff from doing their jobs is not the reason she was elected. If she is earning wages while she is not doing her job, frankly, that is theft from the State of Kentucky, and the taxpayers of Kentucky. 

I know that it is said that for every quote we recite from the Bible, in favor of our perspective, someone else will find a verse that supports their perspective. But I think Jesus was pretty clear in  Mark 12:17 when he said "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's."  To me, this is a directive from the Bible to Ms. Davis that if she is the County Clerk of Rowan County, she has an obligation to comply with the laws that Rowan County are compelled to follow, even if and especially if, handed down from the Supreme Court of the United States. If she wants to serve God, then she should go to work for her church. Or, at the very least, she should not take money from an entity that has tenets and values that differ from her religion, saying she is working for the entity, when she is not.  That is very deceitful!  And very unchristian.

I understand that very religious people are often called upon to reconcile their religious beliefs with laws and government.  I applaud someone who maintains the courage of their convictions, and does the right thing.  In this case, the right thing for Ms. Davis is to acknowledge that her religious beliefs are in conflict with the instructions of her employer, and she should not in good conscience continue to be employed by that employer, and take money for a job she cannot fulfill.  This then frees her up to campaign against same sex marriage freely, on her own time, and on her own dime, not that of the taxpayer.

Indeed, ultimately by fighting this law as a government employee, she has shattered the separation between church and state that our forefathers guaranteed us http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html in the Bill of Rights, or the First Ten Amendments to the United States Constitution http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html. Because, as a government employee, she is forcing her religious beliefs upon others in Rowan County, and the first amendment basically says the government cannot do that.

Well, I am not a religious scholar, a legal scholar, and most certainly, not a Constitutional scholar. This is my humble opinion.

Ignoring Annoying Things

Early in my life, if something was annoying or irritating, I addressed it head on, and sometimes, like a bull in a china shop.  That did not always get the resolution I wanted, and in fact, often made matters worse.

As I have matured and aged, (not mutually inclusive or exclusive), I have learned to ignore a lot of annoying things.  I no longer complain to a commercial establishment if things did not go well.  I no longer try to resolve a situation that really has no consequence for me.  I walk away from problems or confrontation more often than not. I do not complain. I just shrug and move on.

What has changed? Well, me. I have come to realize that not everything is an issue. And, of course, I have learned about "pick your battle."  But mostly, I have learned that the contention created is not worth it.  If it is truly important, the confrontation (We equate confrontation with conflict, which is not the same. Confrontation is facing the situation. Conflict is disagreeing about the situation.) can often be handled in a non-adversarial sort of way, which I did not realize 40 years ago.  We can be accommodating, conciliatory, generous, open-minded, and willing to listen and respect if not compromise.

I do my best to keep things low-key, mellow, non-confrontational, and even, sometimes, non-assertive.  I so want to low-key, back door, and slide by that I go out of my way to present that front.

Am I less passionate about issues. Yes, some.  Am I less concerned about issues, no. But not as fervent or passionate. I think bridge building, alliances and cooperation gets us a lot further along than confrontation, stand offs, power plays