Trayvon and the Rebirth of Racism

I’m not mad that George Zimmerman was acquitted.  I wouldn’t have been mad if he was found guilty.  To be honest I was very surprised that the jury found him not guilty, especially with how sensitive a case this is.

I wasn’t mad when OJ Simpson was found not guilty, though even now everyone knows that verdict was a farce.

What I am mad about is how both sides of the verdict are acting.  I am mad that this case has caused closeted racists to enter the stage and spew their hate.  Blacks, Whites, Hispanics and people of all races are acting foolish.  Trayvon’s own family asked for peace from all sides of this, HIS OWN FAMILY.  Yet we as a nation feel as if we must play a role in this case.

I’m not a sports fan, I have a favorite team only because they are from where I hail.  I have never understood when people who have a team will sit and argue for their team regarding such menial things as what the team eats or where they spend their free time.  These people are not on the team, they don’t manage the team and they have nothing to do with the team, yet they are die hard about the team. 

I expected the jury would find Zimmerman guilty.  It only made sense to save face against a society chomping at the bit for their personal opinion of justice.  Activists were (and still are) in an uproar creating a racial propaganda from the beginning of this case.  The media fudged some very important details, promoted specific pictures and left other pictures out to influence the mind of the easily swayed general public.

George Zimmerman went to court guilty until proven innocent in the eyes of most Americans.  The task was not on the prosecution to prove his guilt, as it should have been.  The task was for the defense to prove his innocence.  It was skewed from the outset.

Many people will say that because I am white I cannot understand this issue.  They will say that I was born with white-privilege, that the world is my oyster because of my skin color.  I don’t know if this is true, I certainly never received a card carrying license for this “white privilege” that I supposedly have.

People of all colors have said they want peace and to live in Harmony.  I honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and the sacrifice he made for Blacks and Whites to live un-segregated.  I work and live with people of all types of ethnic backgrounds.  I get along with all sorts of people, and I also dislike all sorts of people, but not because of their skin color, because of their character.

I have seen Blacks making death threats, claiming that they should commit violence.  Calling other blacks to go to Florida and bring their guns with them.  I have read Black preachers calling this verdict a tragedy, uniting other blacks and giving them reasons to hate non-blacks.  I have watch celebrities stand on soap boxes and speak on things that are not their business.  Instead of being angry at racism, they are angry at a race.  Is that not racism?

I have seen whites throwing around the “N” word and praising the fact that Trayvon is dead.  Is this what our country is all about?

When there is a fire on my ship, do I look to see if the man next to me is white or black?  When there is an awards board, do I check to see the skin color of the Sailor before I decide if he deserves an award? The answer is no! Not even the slightest thought crosses my mind.

Millions of American men and women have not died to make free only the white or only the black people of America.  What makes our nation great is that when faced with adversity we stand together.

The media and these so called “activists” have driven a stake through the heart of America, dividing us once again.  We had come so far up to this point, and have now taken a journey back.

In order to move forward, we need to stop talking about race and start talking about peace.  Start talking about how we can make our country a better place, invent things, support one another and stop living with an attitude of being owed anything.  Our own selfishness will continue to pull us apart at the seams.  We do not need another civil war, we need unity on the home front so that all our children black, white etc…will live in a country that see’s no color.

James and the Giant Tongue

James 3:2 states “if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, also able to bridle his body.

James 1:26 says “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.”

The Greek derivative of the word “bridle” is chalinagogon which means, to keep a tight rein on, to guide, to hold in check.

            The process of bridling a horse in order to ride it with some point of control is a rather simple process for those with experience in doing so.  A bit is placed into the horses mouth which when pulled on by the rider causes the horses head to face in the direction the rider wants it to go, essentially controlling the movement of the horse.  Not every horse will take the bridle on the first try, but with discipline and practice the horse will eventually come to accept the bridle and the direction the rider gives it.

            What is essential in understanding what James is saying regarding the bridling of the tongue is that without it, the person is unable to control himself.  C.S. Lewis in a BBC recording said it this way.  “Though natural likings should normally be encouraged, it would be quite wrong to think that the way to become charitable is to sit trying to manufacture affectionate feelings….The rule for all of us is perfectly simple.  Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbor; act as if you did.  As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets.  When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love [them].  If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking [them] more.”

            Have you ever noticed yourself being around someone who is always talking negatively?  It’s quite natural for us in that instance to become negative in accord with that person.  When one begins to think or speak negatively about a person or situation, feelings begin to grow and develop into further negative feelings, and then resentment begins to set in.  People with a negative outlook on situations are less likely to succeed or to overcome an obstacle, and may continue further down a road of negativity where the end result of every situation is grim.

            Police Officers are taught in situations that involve a great deal of stress to use positive self-talk to enhance their ability to think clearly and make precise decisions.  Instances where peril lies about in a circumstance, those who tell themselves “I can do this” are more likely to be successful than those with the mindset of “this is too hard, or impossible”.

            The mystery of what James is saying is that the key to self-control and discipline starts with the mouth and what you say.  You cannot begin with disciplines of the body and expect them to result in disciplines of the tongue.  It’s quite opposite.  We as Christians must learn that in order to set the tone for our self-discipline, it must start with controlling what comes out of the mouth.  Matthew 15:11 says “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person”.

            We must start with what we say, not what we do.  In order to perfect ourselves we must begin, even without feeling, to be disciplined.  If we want to learn to love, we must speak love first, and feelings will follow suit.  If we want to live without strife, we must learn to speak peace first.  If we want to learn to forgive, speaking forgiveness will cause our hearts to forgive. 

            Begin by approaching someone you have enmity with, speak words of peace and encouragement to them and find your heart begin to change.  On the contrary, if you approach someone to whom you do not like, put them down or cause them hurt and you will continue to despise that person.

            If you want to become a “perfect” person, in the sense that James refers to perfection, you must start with control of your tongue, you must begin to speak love, peace, patience.  You must not continue to put down, talk ill of or demote those around you with your words or you will never be able to truly walk in the ways of Christ.

My Dad, Your Dad or Someone's Dad

I recently attended a short seminar called "Great Dads".  It's purpose was to reach out to fathers or soon to be fathers and show them the importance of their role in their child's life.
We were asked at the very beginning to give a brief synopsis of the role our own fathers played in our lives.  25 men were in attendance and of those 25, 20 of them either didn't have a father or had one that was not a part of their life.  Now understanding that unfortunate circumstances take place, some men had lost their dad early in life to death, some to divorce and others just didn't have him around.
The pain in the room, though subtle, was thick.  I am not sure if it was just me experiencing it, but it was almost overwhelming.
I have my own set of "daddy issues" stemming from very early on in life.  Before my parents divorced at age 8 I don't have many memories of my father.  He was always at work, when he came home usually it was very late and I was already in bed or getting ready for bed.  Even though this was the case, the day that my Mother drove us away from our home I remember crying hard looking at pictures of my brother, myself and my dad.  8 years old and this memory is as vivid to me now as it was when it happened.  I don't blame my Mom or Dad for anything, I understand a little about the status of their relationship and how things became unlivable for the both of them but the haunting memory I have of us driving off the driveway of our home, clutching our photo resonates.
Before the divorce as I said I don't have very vivid memories, I am sure they are there but I have somehow repressed them.  When the divorce process had been initiated my Dad did make it a point to spend the weekends with my brother and I.  Every Sunday we had brunch and then he would take us to an arcade called the "Power House" and we'd play games together.  I don't know how long of a time this went on but in my memories it feels like a year.  Those were fond memories for sure.
I remember my Dad coming to visit us after we had moved.  We would spend the weekend with him at a hotel room, going out to eat and again visiting more arcades.  He would buy us some toys, have them on the beds in the room for when we entered we would run to the bed and see what he bought us.  I remember the first few times he came to visit I would cry hard as he left.  It got easier as time went by.
During the summer we would go to stay at his house, we'd eat pizza and watch movies.  My brother and I would play video games.  Dad still worked but not as long as he did before.  He'd pay us to scratch his back as we'd watch TV.  He would play hide and seek with us and a game that we called "monster" which I now play with my boys, renamed "zombie".  We'd be wrestling and he'd fake that he died.  We'd try to wake him up and he'd roar at us and chase us around the house.  Then he'd disappear and we'd have to find him.  This went on and on until we got tired.
Mom and Dad both remarried other people.  We weren't initially big fans of our step mother but over time she has become part of our family.  My step father became our idol, he was a tough-guy-corn-fed country boy who showed us the out doors and taught us things.  He also had a temper and we knew to steer clear when he was upset.  He died 3 years after my Mom married him of a massive heart attack.  We were staying at my fathers house when we got the news.  It was tragic and I can only imagine what my own father thought as he saw us weeping over our step father.
Life went on, we got older and Dad was in and out.  Kind of like an uncle, when we spent time together it was fun but as we got older we had our own plans and friends.  Our concern was spending time with them and not our parents.  Dad was there when I got into trouble at school, that was about it. I don't know what was on his mind when all those things were happening.  By this time, he was my Dad but not really. I had already grown up and grown away from him.
Now as a father of 3 boys myself, my Dad is there, he is a fantastic grandfather, but still not much of a Dad.  I think he knows this now, I think he tries to make up for the lost time in our youth, but sometimes I think we both know it's too late.  He has become an acquaintance, I still love him dearly, but his time as my Dad has passed.
What's unfortunate is that I will never know what it was like to have a Dad as a kid.  I don't know sometimes how to be appropriate with my kids.  Television dads raised me and I draw a lot of my knowledge from how I would have wanted to be treated.
My story is not unique, in fact it's more common than most men like to admit.  My generation and several after me have been raised by our mothers and male role models.  Our dads either weren't there or were pursuing lives that didn't involve us.  Some became so enveloped in climbing the ladder to success that when they looked down they saw that their families weren't with them.  As is my story.
My promise to my sons is that they won't have the same story to tell about me, I am sure they will have some stories to tell both good and bad but what I honestly desire is for them to say "I am who I am because my Dad is this way". 

A Sad Little Gangster and a Man's Role Today

So I got sad today when I realized that I didn't have a name adequate enough for a old-timey Gangster.  I tried but with with a name like Drew Aaron I just don't have anything to go with it.

Then I realize that if I lived in the early 1900's I probably wouldn't have been Gangster, I would have probably gone off to war and returned to the states and became a cop.  I think I would have been a good cop, not one easily bought by the local gangster.  Policing had a lot less rules back then.  It seems like you were almost expected to rough up the bad guys, and you had to be able to rumble.

Crime hasn't changed much in the elapsed time.  I think that with the moral compass of our society crime has almost become an accepted part of big business, it's just done at a level now that most people don't pay attention.  Or in some cases people are more distracted by threats of terrorism to be concerned about money laundering and book keeping rings.

What I do envy about the years gone by is the role that a man played in society.  This isn't a riff at women's rights or anything.  Just that a man was a mans man ya know?  Like the kind that served his country, worked his fingers to the bone to provide a good life for his wife and kids.  The man knew his role, he was macho, had a sense of charisma about him, like he knew his purpose.

Why do you think action movies with a strong male role are so popular?  The hero of the story that will fight through hell and high water to save someone.  I think the male role has been muddied by this idea that men should be more like women and women more like men.  The gender lines are blurring more each generation.  Women want a man who is sensitive, caring, in touch with his feelings.  While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, guys have taken it to the other end of the spectrum.  The last breed of these original manly men have been deemed "rednecks" or "hicks".  Guys that like hunting and gutting animals.  Drinking beer and camp fires.

Men today are distracted in keeping up with sports teams, idolizing the guys playing a game for money.  Or we've become recluses, spending hours in front of a tv screen or computer/gaming console.  Living our our heroic pursuits in a virtual reality.  Our wives are left to do all the things that the men should be doing like fixing thing, leading the family spiritually etc...

Media tells us that men are stupid.  Watch a TV show in the last 10 years and find the husband defeated, over worked and run down by his wife.  Married With Children is a great example, or The Simpsons.  The male role is a primate while the wife is the center of balance.  Watch a man make a joke about a woman causing an uproar in women's rights.  Reverse it and watch a woman get praise for her joke about men.  It's unfair and unbalanced.

Men need to take back our identity and if done properly it will only bolster the confidence of women, not tear them down.  We can love our wives and kids and still enjoy embracing our bravado.

Father from Farther

Many interesting things this week have gone through my mind or happened to confirm what I think God is teaching me.  I've been reading Straight Talk by James Dobson which addresses the role of a man.  I read an interesting article in which some research was conducted that showed children who were raised in homosexual homes were not as well off as children raised in heterosexual homes.  In the midst of my reading, and naturally missing my boys, Rachel tells me the boys have received my video I recorded for them.  About a month ago I made a video of me reading some kids books and sent it to them in the mail.  They finally got it.  The boys sat around the computer attentively watching me read to them.  It was endearing.

What did I learn?  Well that my kids haven't forgotten about me.  (I know it's a silly thing to believe but your mind can play tricks on you out here), and that I have not been embracing my role and duty as a father to this kids as well as I should have been.  It seems ironic that I learn all of the stuff about father when I am away from my kids but it makes sense.  When there is less distraction and the natural frustration that parents have when things aren't going perfectly you can see much clearer.

I'm also torn about something.  I wish my boys would send me more emails because the way I think about it is that they are thinking about me, so that makes me feel good.  On the other hand though, I don't want them to miss me and have to go through some tragic experience.  So if they are distracted enough where they aren't moping around all day missing me then I am glad.

I feel like I've been face to face with my mortality lately.  I keep thinking about how recently my grandfather passed away.  I then think about my own father and wonder how long God will keep him around, I know that our lives are just a vapor and any one could go at any moment because none of us know when the time is come for us to carry on.  With the thinking of my mortality I have been thinking about how my kids will remember me.  What will they think at the time of my death.  Will they be sad?  Will they feel so-so about it.  God forbid they rejoice.

One thing I tell the guys that I work with is wherever you go, leave behind a legacy that you will be remembered by when you transfer.  I want to leave a legacy that my own sons appreciate and respect, and pass on to their own kids.  I hear time and time again that life just goes by so fast, my little 10, 6 and 3 year olds will soon be 18, 15 and 12 and then it just keeps going.  I want my kids to know they are loved.

I want my kids to know how to be a man, how to stand up for their women, their families.  To fight for what is right, to work with their hands, to be good at many things but great at their families.  I want them to be that way because they have learned it from me.

Bioshock: Infinite and a World With a False God

I finished my playthrough of Bioshock: Infinite.  For those not familiar with the Bioshock franchise the best way to summarize what they are about is to say that each is very uniquely created fantasy world in an environment that is just as fantastic.  I don't have the time right now to explain in depth the intricacies of each world to do them justice.  However with Infinite the game takes place primarily in a city built in the clouds.

You begin playing as a character who has been told to "bring us the girl and erase your debt".  The initial assumption is that you are to do just that, find this girl in the city, bring her to someone and wipe away whatever debt you are responsible for.  The time frame in which this game takes place is in the early 1900's where racism is very much alive.  This fact is first discovered when you hear a stage announcer say something to the effect of "isn't she just the prettiest little white girl you have ever seen".  That struck a chord with me as soon as I heard it, then I was prompted to choose to throw a baseball at a bi-racial couple who was tied up (apparently caught being in a relationship) or to throw the ball at the announcer prompting me to choose.  Naturally I chose to throw it at the announcer, my conscious would not allow me to choose the couple even though I knew it was a game.  This begins your opposition within the game.  You are discovered to be a "false prophet" and shooting ensues. 

The game doesn't glorify racism, in fact through out your play through you will notice the negative effects of racism spread through out the world you are playing in.  The creative team did a great job displaying what our world once looked like with segregation as part of daily life.  This hit home for me that it wasn't too long ago that our country embraced this train of thought.  Coupled with the studies I have been doing with a series called "The Truth Project" I have been seeing how the effects of a Darwinistic worldview are absolutely detrimental to it's people.

See, natural selection has taught us that the struggle for survival of our species is dependent upon a race being superior to the others.  Hitler embraced this thought with his idea of a super race destroying all other races to enable a furthering of evolution.  If survival of the fittest is true, then the stronger person will destroy the weaker and eventually the weaker will die off and this cycle will basically repeat itself with each dominant race destroying those who came before.  If one cannot clearly see how wrong this is, I fear for sake of our society as a whole.

The rest of the story of Infinite continues with a man known as the "Prophet of Columbia" who is the founder of the city in the clouds.  He is praised as being the all knowing savior of the people, carrying them out of Eden into Columbia.  Like Moses freeing the Jews from slavery delivering them into the promised land.  This prophet also is referred to as their "lord" and "savior".  The parallels of Jesus and many of the biblical prophets is strong and very reminiscent of even today's society.

Most people whether religious or not are in constant search for a "savior".  This "savior" could be a political one or a religious one it doesn't really matter.  As Americans we are looking for someone to save our society or country from economic or financial ruin.  There are religious groups searching for a savior from the hardships or "sin" of this world.  The point is relevant no matter your worldview.

We see groups of people from time to time embracing the teachings and leadership of a man or woman who appears for all intents and purposes to have the answers to the questions of life.  Many times these groups fade away with the death of their prophets.  Some groups continue today even, though easily considered to be part of a cult.  There are also cults that have survived through the centuries and blossomed into a world religion.  The point to take from that is, no matter how much we try to avoid a "religious" world, the draw to someone who has all the answers is strong.  People are easily persuaded when their itching ears are scratched.  Many of today's liberals would deem these people as weak minded sheep who cannot think for themselves, but the amount of people who fall victim to these ideals are staggering, and it hasn't stopped.

The game is great all in all, there is much more to share in many little ways but I shall save that for another day.

A Fine Line Between a Preacher and a Con Man

A man was given a gift.  He could understand things about the people around him.  He was able to see their intentions, the processes of their thoughts.  He was neither a mind reader nor a psychic, just a man.  One could say something to him and he could interpret the true meaning behind the words.  He saw hurt, pain and frustration in every "I'm fine".  He could make suggestions to people that they would follow.  People trusted him but never fully understood why.  The would confide in him, he knew their darkest secrets.  He could predict their patterns, he knew what would happen should they choose a particular path.  He was given a special discernment that many did not have or understand.  A man was given a gift.

Was he a preacher or a con man?

The truth is in the intentions.