Gaza in America

Friday, December 19, 2014

I suppose it is my background, but I have long been troubled by the things that seem to keep us apart.  Race is obviously one of the things that separate us.  Religion is another.  In my professional life, I have observed that training and education are the keys to addressing the race issue. And, in the 33 years of my professional career, I have also observed that the need for training and education never ends.  Based on my professional experiences, I would love to see ethnic studies be incorporated into the curriculum of every school at every level.  Likewise, in recognition of the growing religious diversity in this country, it probably would be a good idea to begin a comparative religion regimen as well.  Being a realist, I know that my academic desires are not likely to ever be met. Today, I am told that there is not any room for a high school civics classes, let alone a class on ethnic studies or comparative religions.  

But, on the other hand, if there is no effort made to understand each other, how can we really peacefully co-exist?  Today, there is a Ferguson, Missouri.  Will there be a Gaza in America tomorrow?

Peace.

Hanukkah, Simon Schama and the Myths (Mysteries) of Faith

Monday, December 15, 2014

Tomorrow is the beginning of Hanukkah, the eight day Jewish festival of lights that normally occurs during the month of December.  You can read about Hanukkah at

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/What-Is-Hanukkah.htm

and at 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

Central to the celebration of Hanukkah, at least in my understanding, is its association with a miracle.  As the chabad.org article notes,  

"More than twenty-one centuries ago, the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who sought to forcefully Hellenize the people of Israel. Against all odds, a small band of faithful Jews defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of G-d.

When they sought to light the Temple's menorah (the seven branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.

To commemorate and publicize these miracles, the sages instituted the festival of Chanukah. At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah (candelabrum) lighting: a single flame on the first night, two on the second evening, and so on till the eighth night of Chanukah, when all eight lights are kindled."

Now for the the past forty years, for my entire adult life, I have always accepted this as being true.   Indeed, I have always looked forward to the Hanukkah celebration not so much because of the Jews triumph against the Seleucids but because of the celebration's association with the miracle of the lights -- the divine conquest of darkness by the light.  But then on Friday, I listened to NPR and I heard the highly esteemed Simon Schama say what he says in the following:

http://www.npr.org/2014/12/12/370394985/hanukkahs-real-and-imagined-history

Now, in one of the "coincidences" that seem to happen in this life, I happened to have watched part of The Story of the Jews when it was shown on PBS a few months ago.  The program seemed to me to be the best portrayal of Jewish history since Abba Eban's Heritage: Civilization and the Jews, a book (which I read) and a PBS series (which I watched) from the mid-1980s.  Since it was pledge afternoon, I called my local PBS station to make my pledge in the amount requested to receive both a DVD of the series and a copy of the book.  So this past weekend, I looked up Hanukkah in Simon Schama's book and, lo and behold, I found this

"Though they are radically dissimilar, the Maccabees 1 and 2 together constitute the liberty-epic of the Jews, in their way every bit as stupendous, fantasy-filled and thrilling as the foundation story of the Mosaic exodus.  The miracle of the oil for the rededicated Temple lamp, sufficient for one day yet burning for eight, is not among those wonders recorded by either book.  That legend, understood by all modern Jews to be the central meaning of Hanukkah, is a purely rabbinic invention, added at least three centuries later." The Story of the Jews, page 115.

I suppose it is part of my Amherst education, but in my scholarly exploration over the years, I have read many such disputations of miracles.

At this point, I am quite intellectually persuaded that just as with the miracle associated with Hanukkah, Moses did not part the Red Sea, Jesus was not born on December 25, Jesus did not walk on water, Muhammad was not teleported from Mecca to Jerusalem on the Night Journey, Joseph Smith did not find the Golden Plates, and L. Ron Hubbard's Xenu did not ever exist.

And yet having said this, over the next few days, I fully expect to watch a Hanukkah lighting ceremony with reverence and joy.  I am quite likely to go and see the movie Exodus: Gods and Kings that dominated the movie theaters this past weekend.  I am also likely to celebrate Christmas by watching Jesus of Nazareth, the Franco Zeffirelli mini-series masterpiece from 1977, for the thirtieth time, and I most definitely will continue to write about the historical personalities and events that make Islam such a remarkable religion.  As for Joseph Smith,  well, I did visit his birthplace in Sharon, Vermont, after the Amherst Black Alumni Reunion in 2011 and found the story of Mormonism to be amazing.  Finally, as for L. Ron Hubbard, well it may be that I simply have not reached the "level" of understanding to comprehend.

Ultimately, my point is that perhaps we should not expect our faiths to be filled with historical accuracy or to match scientific reality.  Perhaps it is best just to appreciate the positives of what our religious experiences provide us -- the belief in something greater than ourselves that calls us to be better than what we are. 

Peace.

Fields of Gold

Friday, December 12, 2014

As this year comes to end, it suddenly dawned on me that 2014 was an Olympic year.  The Sochi Olympics was a big deal, and yet now only 10 months later, they seem so far away.  Indeed, the Sochi Olympics seem so far away, that I can hardly recall any of the performances.  I am certain that there were many memorable performances, but none seem to come to mind.  Oddly enough, the one great Winter Olympic performance that does come to my mind was not from Sochi, but from 12 years ago at Salt Lake City.   You can view it yourself at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wazOhkRuySI

What made the performance so memorable for me is that it was not about winning a medal, it was about winning at life.  And with the haunting rendition of Fields of Gold by Eva Cassidy, it was truly one of the most beautiful and memorable performances I have seen.

For all of you, may you too be able to glide through life's troubles with grace.

Peace.

Torture and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Thursday, December 11, 2014

I noticed today that the current and past directors of the CIA have gone full court press asserting that enhanced interrogation techniques -- aka torture -- did indeed lead to the termination of Bin Laden.  There appears to be growing concern that somewhere soon, or in the future, an international tribunal may be convened to look into the American use of such enhanced interrogation techniques, and that those who participated or authorized such activities will be subject to apprehension whenever they travel internationally and then tried for human rights violations.  I wonder, should those who did use such techniques be subject to prosecution?  And if they are, and if they are found guilty, what should their punishment be? 

What about those who actually killed Bin Laden?  Based on what the movie Zero Dark Thirty depicted and from what I have heard reported about the raid, it appears that Bin Laden was unarmed when the raid occurred.  Was it necessary to have summarily killed him?  Would the capture and subsequent trial of Bin Laden been a more preferable outcome?  Why?  

Similarly, since 2009, more than 2400 people have been reported killed under the Obama drone campaign. Most of those killed have not had a trial but have nevertheless been summarily killed based upon information I assume was provided by the CIA.  Have their human rights been violated?  Should those responsible for their summary executions be held accountable for violating their human rights?  

http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2014/01/23/more-than-2400-dead-as-obamas-drone-campaign-marks-five-years/

Does the absence of ethics with regards to torture also apply to the absence of ethics with regards to the summary termination of a human life?

One of my other duties with the City of Richmond has involved the creation of the Human Rights and Human Relations Commission,  In that role, I have become extremely aware of and sensitive to the violation of human rights in so many places in the world.  Indeed, in another of those coincidences that happen in this life, it was yesterday December 10 that marked the 66th anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights

http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

I am sure those in power here in the United States are aware of the tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Unfortunately, although the United States voted in favor of the Declaration, its actions in recent years and today do not appear to abide by the Declaration the United States approved.  Somewhere, in the intervening 66 years, the United States seems to have lost its way, or may be we just no longer care.  I do not know. Maybe others can tell us. 

Nevertheless, it seems that there really is no debate to be had on the ethics of torture. Based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, torture is unethical and a violation of human rights. But ultimately, the discussion will need to be broadened. The discussion should also look at the ethical foundation for the ongoing War on Terror and wonder how history will judge it.

As always,

Peace.

A Partial Antidote to Ferguson

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

I am taking some time today to provide some insights as to what can be done about the perceived use of excessive force by police.  The following is a link to a thirty year old news article.  It is indicative of a time when violence was quite pervasive in the City of Richmond and when the police response to the pervasive violence was deemed to be inappropriate.  In response to the in custody deaths of a number of African American males, a couple of multi-million dollar federal lawsuit judgments against the City, and the 60 Minutes expose mentioned in the article, the City created a Police Commission comprised of local citizens, and appointed an independent Investigative Officer, to receive complaints about police officers.  Additionally, internally, efforts were made to monitor the actions of officers to make sure that the actions of officers were not excessive.   As the attorney assigned to produce police officer personnel records for twenty years (1983-2003), I was always cognizant of what had happened in 1983 and I was always determined that 1983 not be repeated.  To the best of my knowledge, during that time, it never was.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2002&dat=19840315&id=SlsuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZNoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4394,2687453

For me, two of the keys to minimizing in custody deaths is vigilant civilian oversight of the police complaint process and a vigilant administrative commitment to making sure such actions are not repeated.  

Peace.

P. S.  As a post-script to the post above, please see the following

http://www.contracostatimes.com/west-county-times/ci_27102218/richmond-police-chief-prominent-participant-local-protest-against

The Ethics of Torture

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

In one of the many coincidences that occurs in this life, on Monday, I was home with some terrible cold bug. While being confined to the family room couch, my mind decided that it wanted to be entertained.  Being blessed with Xfinity on Demand, I was able to access the Starz Movie roster.  Scrolling down to the very end, I found a movie that I had been meaning to see but never had.  The movie was entitled Zero Dark Thirty and it was about the hunt for Usama Bin Laden.  In the movie, there are graphic depictions of what the CIA terms "enhanced interrogation techniques" and, as portrayed in the movie, the enhanced interrogation techniques proved to be a valuable tool that directly led to the discovery of Bin Laden's courier and ultimately to the discovery of Bin Laden himself.  

As fate would have it, the next day, California's Senator, Dianne Feinstein, gave an hour long presentation on the immorality and ineffectiveness of the enhanced interrogation techniques that had been displayed in the movie Zero Dark Thirty and which had actually been utilized by the CIA.  The Senate's Majority Report openly criticized and condemned the use of the "enhanced interrogation techniques" as torture and clearly aired the CIA's "dirty linen" as being something that runs counter to the values of America. 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/249657125/Summary-of-U-S-Senate-Torture-Report

And yet, while listening to Senator Feinstein's remarks, I could not relinquish the images from the movie Zero Dark Thirty.  Those images led me today to take a look at the Senate Minority Report which appears to support the images from the movie Zero Dark Thirty and the notion that the use of enhance interrogation techniques -- the use of torture -- did in fact lead to the discovery, and elimination, of Usama Bin Laden.

http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/study2014/sscistudy3.pdf

Perhaps, I am being misled.  But by whom?  

Peace.

Mutaz Barshim

Friday, December 5, 2014

For most folks, for most non-track and field fans, the high jump is an obscure field event that receives relatively little attention compared to such sprints as the Usain Bolt dominated 100 and 200 meters.  There is something about the title, "The World's Fastest Man" that gets all the notoriety.  However, for the track and field fan (and former high jumper) such as myself, the high jump is a beautiful event where for a brief moment a human being using only the power of his legs and the will of his heart defies gravity and literally flies.  This past year 2014 was a particularly good year for the high jump.  In this year, five different men achieved heights that placed them in the top ten of all time.  To be placed in the top ten meant jumping 2.40 meters or about 7' 10.5".  That is an astounding height.  However, this year, in one single competition two of the competitors actually cleared 2.42 meters or about 7' 11.25".  To have two individuals clear that height in the same meet was fantastic.  However, topping off this greatest year in the history of the high jump was the clearance of 2.43 meters or about 7' 11.75" by an African Arab from Qatar by the name of Mutaz Barshim.  You can hear the excitement caused by Barshim's leap at    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIrDPa7moec

and an English version can be found at 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC0tNAlHWSc

and a more condensed version can be found at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDsSuvnwt2U

In listening to these broadcasts, please do pay attention to the jump itself.  Barshim's jump is aesthetically a leap of great beauty.  It is as though his body floats over the incredibly high bar.  In watching this jump over and over again, for me, Barshim's jump reinforced the metaphor that can be applied when approaching life's barriers.  In the high jump, we were always taught that with the right preparation and the right frame of mind, no barrier could not be overcome.  We were instructed to visualize jumping higher than the bar itself and to visualize the clearance we would achieve.  Indeed, we were taught that by visualizing the dream, it could become reality.  

Thus, for me and perhaps for others, Barshim's remarkable leap served to reinforce the heights that the human spirit can achieve.  It seems that in approaching life's barriers, whether they be professional or personal, with the right preparation and the right attitude there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome.  Indeed, if we are truly blessed, we can all learn to fly over life's barriers like Mutaz Barshim.

Have a great weekend.

Peace.

Travel Photos and Bora Bora

Monday, December 1, 2014

Someone  asked me to share photos of my trip.  I think my girlfriend and I must have taken a thousand snapshots on our cellphones during our trip.  I am currently in discussion with my IT Department (aka my kids) as to how best to transfer the photos to the internet.  However, while the IT Department is taking this under consideration, I think the following will give some idea as to the beauty that we experienced at our first true destination.

http://search.aol.com/aol/image?q=bora+bora+photos

One of my favorite authors is James Michener and he quite aptly proclaimed Bora Bora to be the most beautiful island in the world.  It is also, in his book Hawaii, the land of origin for the native Hawaiians that exist today.  For me, going to Bora Bora was not simply to enjoy the beautiful scenery.  It was also to experience the land that served as motivation for the man who wrote not only Hawaii but also Tales of the South Pacific, Sayonara, and The Bridges at Toko-ri.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_A._Michener

Thus, an hour after arriving a Papeete, Tahiti, we boarded another plane to Bora Bora.  And after a few hours of rest at our bungalow, I arranged to have a local take us on a tour of Bora Bora.  I shall discuss the tour later, but for now I would like to point out one interesting aspect of the following Wikipedia article on Bora Bora. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bora_Bora

In the article, we learn:

In World War II the United States chose Bora Bora as a South Pacific military supply base, and an oil depot, airstrip, seaplane base, and defensive fortifications were constructed. Known as "Operation Bobcat", it maintained a supply force of nine ships, 20,000 tons of equipment and nearly 7,000 men. Seven artillery guns were set up at strategic points around the island to protect it against potential military attack.

However, the island saw no combat as the American presence on Bora Bora went uncontested over the course of the war. The base was officially closed on June 2, 1946. Only one former US serviceman, Fred Giles, returned to the island. The World War II airstrip, which was never able to accommodate large aircraft, was French Polynesia's only international airport until Faa'a International Airport was opened in Papeete, Tahiti, in 1960.

***

What struck me as being odd was the statement "Only one former US serviceman, Fred Giles, returned to the island." As I later learned, this is a sore point for many Bora Borans because, with 7,000 service men being the red blooded Americans that they were, there were relationships that arose with the Bora Boran women.  It is reported that over 150 babies were born during the World War II years that were attributable to the servicemen stationed on Bora Bora.  Of these 150 or so babies, a third of them died.   I am not certain as to all the circumstances behind such a large number of infant deaths, but it obviously made an impression on the Bora Borans and is certainly a dubious legacy for the American military.  Thus, the notation that "only one former US serviceman... returned to the island", if true, is one that I find to be sad.

Peace.

Happy Homecoming Day

Monday, December 1, 2014

In 1964, my family returned to our pink house in Victorville, California, after spending two years in El Paso, Texas, and another two years in Glasgow, Montana.  Soon after our return to Victorville, my Dad shipped out for a two year stay in Germany, leaving my Mom in Victorville with five kids.  That year back in Victorville was a particularly hard time.  Money was short and social adjustments were difficult.  This time of year, Christmastime, was particularly difficult. Mom was very stoic about all that was going on.  Aside from once threatening to move us all to Bakersfield to pick cotton, she managed to scrape enough money together to get us through.  However, what I remember so well from the time, was Mom playing Charles Brown's Christmas Album over and over again.  I especially remember this tune:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxpgWkqlUvk

Thinking back on the Christmastime of a half century ago, I can now surmise that Mom may not have been as composed as I may have thought.  I suppose, upon reflection, even our vaunted parents had their frailties ... just as today, we, as parents, have ours.

If any of you have a favorite Song of the Season, please feel free to share it with us and tell us why.  

Peace.

P. S. Happy Homecoming Day, Mom.

    

The Mutiny on the Bounty and the Myth of the Hero

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

On the red eye flight to Tahiti, I did indeed watch parts of The Wolf of  Wall Street, but I did not finish it.  It was, after all, the red eye, and I fell asleep.  When I awoke from my slumber the movie was over.  Being unable to resume my sleep, I then cast my attention to some of the informational videos about Tahiti itself.  As chance would have it, one of the videos was about the Mutiny on the Bounty and I proceeded to watch it.  

For those who do not recall the details about the Mutiny on the Bounty, please see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutiny_on_the_Bounty

In reading the Wikipedia article, one will find the following two sentences:  

"Meanwhile, the mutineers sailed for the island of Tubuai, where they tried to settle. After three months of being attacked by the island's natives, they returned to Tahiti."

The part of the informational video that was shown on the plane actually focused on these two sentences.   However, the perspective presented was from the Tahitian perspective and was not quite as straightforward as the second sentence implies.  As depicted in the informational video, the mutineers who sailed for the island of Tubuai were a rowdy, lazy, and undisciplined bunch.  They were overly aggressive in pursuing the Tahitian women for sexual favors; they were ignorant of and insensitive to Tahitian customs; and they lacked integrity in their words and deeds.  These failings in the character of the mutineers led to a tumultuous existence on Tubuai.  Blood was spilled and a long term existence on the island was destined for continued hostility and ultimate failure.

Also as depicted in the movie, Fletcher Christian, the leader of the mutineers is a weak and compromised leader.  His desire to return to England to present the case against Bligh ran counter to the belief held by the other mutineers that a return to England meant only certain imprisonment and possible death.  So slowly, but surely, the authority assumed by Christian began to be undermined.

Being on the red eye, I again fell asleep before the video ended.  However, by the time I did fall asleep, the notion that Fletcher Christian was a hero had begun to wane.  In the end, it seemed that by leading the mutiny, Christian had lost legitimacy.  And, in later reading about the fate of the Bounty on Pitcairn Island, it seemed to me that Fletcher Christian not only lost his ship, his country, and his life but, to a certain extent, he also lost his soul.

I suppose the moral for me in learning this latest bit about the Bounty is that we can never be fully certain about those we consider to be our heroes.  There is often a hidden history and a hidden persona that does not make the history books and is not publicly portrayed.  Ultimately, the safest route is not to idolize others as our heroes but rather to make ourselves our own heroes and to our selves -- to our own inner heroes -- be true.

Peace.

Bad Behavior Glorified, Part Two

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

On the red eye flight to Tahiti, I saw parts of a movie entitled The Wolf of Wall Street.  I suppose it was a cautionary tale about the perils of being a corrupt Wall Street broker, but as portrayed in the movie the lifestyle afforded to a bad behaving broker seemed pretty appealing.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wolf_of_Wall_Street_(2013_film)

On my last night in New Zealand, one of the few available television stations played a documentary late at night.  It was the 2010 Academy Award winning movie Inside Job which details the financial shenanigans that led to the 2008 financial meltdown.  Depressingly, as the movie showed, it seems that the bad behavior depicted in the movie The Wolf of Wall Street was not fiction but rather all too common in our financial services industry.  And the most tragic part of it all, is that, unlike what happened in the Wolf of Wall Street, no one has really been held accountable for their bad behavior -- bad behavior that almost destroyed this country and did destroy many common folks lives.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Job_(2010_film)

Contributing to this notion of not being held accountable for bad behavior, this morning, while driving into work, the local public radio profiled the prevalence of rape in college fraternities.  One of the speakers, Caitlin Flanagan spoke about the power of fraternities and how that power has enabled countless young men to begin their adult years by getting away with the crime of rape.

http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/02/the-dark-power-of-fraternities/357580/

Later, I see that Ms. Flanagan recently weighed in on the Bill Cosby matter, noting the similarity of the patterns that have been seen historically when discussing the issue of rape.

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/caitlin-flanagan-article-1.2019677

On top of all this, while in New Zealand, in conjunction with reporting on the G-20 summit, the latest big news from America appeared to be the latest display of Kim Kardashian's "assets".

http://perezhilton.com/2014-11-24-kim-kardashian-paper-inspired-memes#.VHYa0DHF-VY

And on my first day back in the States, I caught the "tail-end" of the American Music Awards show with Jennifer Lopez beginning her dance routine with a pose that left little to the imagination.

http://www.billboard.com/articles/events/amas-2014/6327569/jennifer-lopez-iggy-azalea-booty-amas-2014-video-live
Sorry, but after experiencing the beauty of French Polynesia and New Zealand, and marveling at all the blessings that God has bestowed upon this planet and its inhabitants, I have found it disconcerting to be once again thrust into the muck and the mire that exists.  But hey, I just got back.  Give me a week or two to become re-acclimated to the way we do things here, and I will be fine.

Peace.

Bad Behavior Glorified, Part One

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

I returned to this country only to be met with some of the most disturbing news.  Topping the list is what is occurring in Ferguson, Missouri. While I partially understand the anger, I am still wondering just how many times the town of Ferguson must be destroyed to ease the pain of the angered few. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/26/us/ferguson-missouri-violence.html

Just on the heals of the Stephen Collins sexual indiscretion "therapy confession" comes now the lurid sexual assault allegations about Bill Cosby

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/bill-cosbys-legacy-recast-accusers-speak-in-detail-about-sexual-assault-allegations/2014/11/22/d7074938-718e-11e4-8808-afaa1e3a33ef_story.html

And while such allegations now make me cringe, I am even more amazed that so many continue to support Bill Cosby despite the evidence that continues to grow

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/earl-ofari-hutchinson/we-love-you-bill-cosby_b_6204616.html?flv=1

And as a corollary to it all, is the just reported death of Marion Barry, the former Mayor of Washington, D. C. whose use of cocaine did not disqualify him from office.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/us/politics/marion-s-barry-jr-former-mayor-of-washington-dies-at-78.html

President Obama has thankfully condemned the violence in Ferguson.  But where, oh where, are the religious and political leaders who can speak out against the tendency to glorify the bad behavior that seems so prevalent in our society and our country today?  Have we become too tolerant or have we just lost our own moral compass?

Peace.

The Dreams of Our Youth

Monday, November 3, 2014

Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana is now the small community of Saint Marie.  The run-down Air Force Base ceased to be a vital military operation sometime in the mid-1970s and, in the 1990s, it was opened up for public residential purposes.  Apparently, it is much cheaper and more strategic to have a multitude of missile silos sprinkled throughout the land rather than archaic military bases. So when I returned to Glasgow Air Force Base in September, it was nothing but a worn out shell of what it once was even though there are now a smattering of units that have since been reoccupied.  I suppose that the lesson I garnered from visiting the ruins is that single purpose communes whether they be military, racial, religious, or sexist are likely to cease to exist over time if they are not able to expand into the outside world and to adapt their missions to the social fabric of an evolving world.  

What I also learned from the trip is that it is not so much the place but the ideas, the ideals and the dreams that stay with us forever.  In my own particular case, Glasgow is where I first spent a great deal of time dreaming. In the winter, when the snow was high and the temperature frigid, and before the Youth Center was built, I spent a great deal of time reading and dreaming about the life ahead. I spent many an hour sitting on the steps inside our unit just dreaming about the military campaigns I would one day wage, or the space flights I would take or the the athletic accomplishments that I would achieve. For the most part, not much became of those dreams came true.  Somewhere along the way, I became conflicted about waging war.  Going to space became a not so desirable goal when one develops a fear of heights and a deep aversion to water.  And as for athletic accomplishments, well, maybe I just have not found the right sport ... yet.

However, there was one dream that began in Glasgow that never died.  For some reason, during the winter of 1962-63, my Mom took me to the Base Theater.  I think it was an outing for both our family and another airman's family.  The other airman was a black G.I. with a Japanese wife and the star of the movie showing that evening had made a movie a few years previously that may have resonated with them.  In any event, in that movie, a ground breaking production for its time, I got my first panoramic glimpse of a world far, far away and entirely different from my own.  Having previously lived (at least in my memory) in the not so scenic towns of Victorville, California; El Paso, Texas; and now Glasgow Air Force Base, Montana, up to that time the landscape of life had been bleak.  But there, up on the screen, was a place of paradise.

The movie we saw was Mutiny on the Bounty starring Marlon Brando.  And after seeing it, my daydreams became more vivid and visiting such a locale became one of those dreams to pursue.  

It has taken some 52 years, but tonight I board a plane, to fulfill that dream.

Thus, ultimately, the lesson from Glasgow and the lesson for the road ahead is never stop pursuing your dreams.  Many may not come true. But some will, and if not, your life will be enriched by the pursuit itself.

For, as the proverb goes, "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars."

Peace.

Sankofa and the B-52s

In my last email about my return trip to Glasgow, Montana, I stated the following:
"I found the best way to frame my feelings about my return to Glasgow was most recently enunciated my that suddenly profound actor Matthew McConaughey and what has become a rather talked (and ridiculed) commercial. You can find the commercial at In response to this last comment, one of my college mates mentioned Sankofa as being the term most applicable to what I was describing. While I may be a student of African history, I had never heard of Sankofa so I looked it up at 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankofa

What struck me most about this concept was the associated proverb

 "It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten."

In the context of my return to Glasgow, that is largely what happened to me.  Yes, there were fond remembrances of learning to play baseball for the first time at the Air Base baseball field and the summer when I caught 18 frogs at a nearby water filled ditch and put them all in an empty milk carton.  There was also memories of enjoying school so much that I woke up early one morning and walked a mile to school in the bitter cold only to find out that I was an hour early. There was so much associated with Glasgow Air Force Base that I certainly enjoyed revisiting.  Fondest memories were of the on-base Youth Center where I first learned how to play chess, the game of Risk, bumper pool and shuffleboard games and where, for the first time in 1964, I heard music from a band from England that was dominating all the record player time.  It was a group called the Beatles and by the time I left Glasgow in the summer of 1964, I knew all the words to "I Want to Hold Your Hand".  Yes, indeed those were transformative times for me... but in "going back" I had to reflect on whether those times were really good times.  And sadly, the answer was "No".

You see, we arrived in Glasgow at the end of the summer of 1962 just in time to begin school.  Soon afterwards, the base went on a military alert and became a very busy place with a steady stream of planes (the B-52s) flying in and out.  In school, -- my nice new, integrated school -- a sudden emphasis was placed on learning how to duck and cover, not for protection from an earthquake as my California raised children have learned, but rather from the very real possibility of a nuclear attack.  You see unbeknownst to me at the time, there was a crisis going on involving an island nation in the Caribbean which brought this country seemingly very close to nuclear war. Even with all the spectre of ISIS, Al Qaeda, and Ebola, there is nothing quite as terrifying as the very real prospect of a full fledged nuclear war.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_missile_crisis

I was only eight when we arrived in Glasgow and was only nine in 1963.  In those days, playing out in the field catching frogs was far more satisfying than being at home watching the news.  Heck, you could not get me to watch the news when I was nine years old and there was sunlight.  So I missed seeing what happened in Birmingham with the  dogs mauling some black folks that looked like me and I missed hearing Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.  But I do remember fully hearing the principal speak over the intercom one November day to inform the class that the President - that nice looking Kennedy man -- had been assassinated in Dallas.  I remember watching my first televised news show that day and, in retrospect, my age of innocence seemed to forever disappear.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_John_F._Kennedy

In my return to Glasgow and seeing the now weed invested  baseball field where I once developed a taste for the game, it did not escape my attention that at the same time that I was learning how to catch a baseball and play first base (and learning so pitifully how hard it can be to hit a ball when you are afraid of it), in other fields elsewhere in this land people were literally laying down their lives in order to provide me with the rights and opportunities that I now enjoy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Summer

So yes, returning to Glasgow brought back some fond memories of youth but it also brought into play some historical perspectives which made me realize that the Good Ol' Days are really the days of today -- the moments of the right now -- and that even these days will one day pale in comparison to the Good Ol' Days of tomorrow.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Peace.

Eid-al-Adha and Yom Kippur: Sacrifice and Atonement

Friday, October 3, 2014

Today, October 3, 2014, is one of the rarest of days.  Today, at sundown, two significant religious events begin, the Muslim Eid-al-Adha and the Jewish Yom Kippur.  You can read about these two religious events at 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/03/eid-al-adha-2014_n_5927040.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/02/yom-kippur-2014_n_5920678.html?flv=1

Whatever your religious persuasion (or non-persuasion) may be, I suggest that it would be a beneficial act of humanity to reflect on the meaning of these religious traditions and, perhaps, consider what it would mean if we could all share in these traditions together in love, peace, and harmony.

Take care my friends and have a blessed weekend.

Peace.

Wahhabism, Saudi Arabia, and ISIS

Thursday, October 2, 2014

On September 11, 2001, 19 hijackers executed an assault on the United States that has led to the deaths of thousands of Americans and an untold hundreds of thousands of Afghanis, Pakistanis, Iraqis and Syrians.  However, oddly enough not one of the hijackers who participated in the assault on the United States was an Afghani, or a Pakistani, or an Iraqi, or a Syrian.  No, most (15) of the hijackers were from the country that is perceived to be a friend of the United States, Saudi Arabia.  Please see   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijackers_in_the_September_11_attacks

In the aftermath of the 911 attacks, an effort was made to distance the hijackers from their Saudi origin by disavowing their actions. However, others began to question those disavowals by pointing to the State religion of Saudi Arabia -- Wahhabism -- as being a contributing factor to the mindset of the hijackers.  Indeed, after the 911 attacks great concern was expressed about the Saudi support for the spread of Wahhabism throughout the world.  Please see

http://www.pewforum.org/2005/05/03/the-global-spread-of-wahhabi-islam-how-great-a-threat/

It is now thirteen years after 911, but the concern about the spread of Wahhabism seems to have been placed on a back burner ... until now. The abduction of over 200 school girls in Nigeria by Boko Haram and the "sudden" appearance of ISIS has brought to the fore, once again, the problem with the spread of Wahhabism.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boko_Haram

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant

Indeed, last year during the height of the Syrian crisis at least one Syrian official issued a clarion call with regards to the real threat posed by the Saudi sponsored spread of Wahhabism

http://en.alalam.ir/news/1545075

Now, America is once again preparing to place American soldiers in harm's way to fight a war on terror again in Iraq, and possibly Syria. The problem is that it would appear that the true enemy may not be in Iraq, nor in Syria.  The true enemy may be our friend.

Peace.

Miss Israel, Dimona and the Black Hebrews

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

One of my favorite pastimes is chronicling the African diaspora.  In that regard, I have long known about the Ethiopian Jews and their return to Israel.  You can acquaint yourselves with their story at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Jews_in_Israel

And last year, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that an Ethiopian Jew was named Miss Israel for 2013.  So pleased was I that I actually watched the Miss Universe contest last November to catch a glimpse (fleeting as it was) of her.  But you can see more of her at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi-mYq-ZC1k

and read about her at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yityish_Titi_Aynaw

For me, reading stories such as the one about Yityish Titi Aynaw brings about an immense sense of hope that maybe, just maybe, this World can be made whole.

Sadly, I then come across videos such as the one prepared by David Sheen that was referenced earlier this week.  Such reports do sadden me.  However, even within the dire news that is reported therein, there was still a ray of hope. Those who watch David Sheen's video will discover that he resides in the town of Dimona, Israel.  Dimona is the name of a biblical city but today it is best known as being the home of the Black Hebrews.  The Black Hebrews are largely African American emigres to Israel who have founded their own community in the Holy Land.

Before this week I had never heard of the Black Hebrews and reading about them for the first time this week and of their lives in Israel has sparked a new interest in Israel for me.  Perhaps, by reading the following, you too will find an interest in Israel as well. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimona

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Hebrew_Israelites_of_Jerusalem

Peace.

The Jerusalem Post, the UN Report, and David Sheen

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

I have never been to Israel and do not profess to be an expert on its social and cultural dynamics.  Thus, I find myself most grateful when someone provides me with an informed insight as to what may be happening there that may not be fully known.  In that regard, yesterday, in response to yesterday's posts regarding Israel's War on Africans, I was most appreciative of receiving the following note:

"This is an interesting article on racism  in Israel from  the Jerusalem Post. Its value is that it contains polls. It appears to reflect the general feeling that  it is a problem that should be addressed. Also it indicates that there is agreement that the current government does not do enough to stop it."    

http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Survey-Who-suffers-from-racism-in-Israel-345603

This recent (March 2014) survey in the Jerusalem Post appears to reflect the concern of Israelis themselves about the climate for tolerance within Israel.  This concern was echoed in the 2012 UN Report that was influenced by David Sheen, the Canadian journalist whose video is referenced in yesterday's post.  The UN Report can be found at

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cerd/docs/CERD.C.ISR.CO.14-16.pdf

and the bio for David Sheen can be found at

http://www.davidsheen.com/bio.htm

For those who have an interest in Israel, these articles and reports should be of interest ... and concern.

Peace.

Israel's War on Africans

Monday, September 29, 2014

The following link is to a lecture by a Canadian Jew about the plight of African refugees in Israel in 2014.  I commend this video to you all and encourage your thoughtful reflection on what it says ... and about how you feel about what it says.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9Y5dcaCyv4

Peace.