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.