Happy Veteran's Day

Because a younger friend asked me to tell what it was like growing up in the time period of the late 60s/early 70s, I thought I should write it in a blog.  There are probably a lot of people who see the footage of Woodstock and think the period was about nothing but sex, drugs, and rock and roll.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

I was in 6th grade in 1968.  I had just gone through a major kidney surgery, so I wasn't as exposed to many of the things the other students were.  I spent long hours watching television, watching the news, the protests, and all the other events that were going on.

The Viet Nam police action (it wasn't declared a war until relatively recently) was televised and you could see people being shot and killed every night on the news.  Young men were groomed back then to believe that the only right thing to do is to die for your country, so most of us watched these things carefully.  Many started to question WHY we were in the war and what purpose it served.  They started protesting "The Establishment."  Those who did were scorned and called un-American for having the audacity to question authority.  Still, many young people got together, dug through the facts, and decided that the war was wrong and only served the arms dealers.  Protests were breaking out in colleges across the country.  At Kent State, some of the college students were killed for protesting.

The protests and killings brought recognition to the peace protesters.  The drug use was overstated in many cases to discredit them. 

One group of people came up with the idea to have a concert for three days of peace and love.  That was Woodstock. 

The idea was to have every person who was against the war to gather in one place to show the leaders that the war was not supported by the majority of those who were being sent to die.  Yes, there were drugs.  There was sex.  There was certainly rock and roll.  They were young people.  They knew that if something wasn't done, they'd be sent off to die in a foreign country soon for the glory of Capitalism.  Young people everywhere were shouting things like, "Sex, drugs, and rock and roll," "Peace... love... tranquility..." (many of the ones talking about peace, love, and tranquility were tripping out on LSD while they were saying it as the TV cameras were rolling).  Hollywood had a field day with the hippy movement.  So did the media.  There were many phrases, but the underlying cause of the whole movement WAS peace and love.  Of course, being young, most took it as sex rather than love for your fellow man as it should have been.  Me?  I was a Jesus freak. 

I missed out on all the drugs.  I was doing my best to live as Christ taught us and had to secretly support the "hippy" movement in my heart because to my grandparents and mother with whom I lived thought all the hippies should be shot.  Openly, I had to agree with my gracious grandparents who had saved us from the horrors of living with my ex-Marine dad, but I secretly longed to take a puff from one of those funny cigarettes many of my friends would puff on behind the band hall.

To me, the words of Christ and supporting the war were in direct conflict.  As the years came closer to my having to go into the service, I had decided to enter as a conscientious objector.  I had decided that it was the only way I could be true to Christ.  I was lucky, though.  Nixon had ended the draft, and though I still had to go in for my physical, I didn't have to go into the service.  Most of my friends, being full of youthful desire to go kill someone, enlisted into the service even though they didn't have to.  Those who came back spoke out loudly against it.  Some of them got together with me and we'd go to the beaches and sing peace songs and war protest songs.  We didn't want the government changing its mind about the draft and sending more people to die needless deaths in wars where we weren't truly defending our country, but profiteers.

I was the only Christian in my group of friends.  The others were either Wiccan, atheist, or agnostic.  We had many conversations about religion, beliefs, personal liberty, defending our country, peace, and love.  I didn't smoke a joint with them until after I was 21 and married.  I did, though, hold my best friend's head many a night while he barfed up the alcohol he drank to try to kill the memory of something that happened in Viet Nam.  When I finally DID smoke with them, the conversations became deeper and more interesting.  They were never afraid that I would "narc" on them.  They just didn't think I'd understand.

As the years passed, I watched my best friend crawl deeper and deeper into the bottle.  He couldn't hold a steady job after he came back from the Navy where he had worked on nuclear weapons as an electronics tech.  Since I had a good job, I would take him and his girlfriend, a full blooded Cherokee, to concerts.  I knew he couldn't afford it.  Eventually, he was down to working here and there at electrical supply companies for a couple months at a time.  Toward the end, he couldn't work at all.  He died in 2001.  I visit his grave every Memorial Day if I can possibly get there.

Copyright © 2010 Cal Jennings

Whatisit?

Whatisit?
Originally uploaded by Cal-el

I found this in a box in the spare bedroom when I was cleaning it out. I know what the main part is, but I'm not sure what the part attached by the cord is for.

Rising Tensions between the Left and the Right

Rising Tensions between the Left and the Right

It seems that everyone is trigger-happy these days. With the Christian Right arming itself to the teeth to “kill for Jesus,” even members of the Left are arming themselves in preparation for a battle. Those of us who are Centrists, who are walking the straight and narrow, or walking the razor's edge, are finding the razor getting thinner and thinner.

As a Christian myself, I do have weapons to defend my home, but I have no intention of attacking someone who does not attack me first. Unlike the masses who CALL themselves Christians, I try to live as Christ lived to the best of my ability. These other people who profess to “know Christ,” though, are going as far as carrying their guns to church. This preacher even had a church raffle to give away a handgun. A group called “Vision America” makes this statement:

Christian involvement in civil government is not optional. It is an essential part of our calling from God to be salt and light in a dying culture. God’s people in Christ must address the great moral issues now before the nation. The church has been entrusted by Almighty God with the tools necessary to reverse America’s moral decline and effect lasting change if only she will engage in this momentous struggle before it is too late!

Vision America exists to mobilize God’s pastors throughout this land to stand together as His faithful spokesmen once again.

There was a time when Christian preachers spoke out against direct involvement in politics and spoke out against greed. These days, though, they seem to be a part of the corporate mindset pushing hate, fear, and greed in the name of Jesus. The only thing they seem to address about morality and integrity is this:

Personal Decency and Moral Integrity

We believe God established human sexuality for the physical expression of love and commitment between a man and a woman in holy marriage. Apart from that divine intent, sexual activity becomes nothing more or less than the selfish manipulation of another human being for personal satisfaction or financial gain.

I guess as long as the greed doesn't involve sex, they consider it ok. Another group called Eagle Forum is pushing hatred of women and hatred of immigrants and other forms of bigotry thinly disguised as a pro-Constitutional group touting messages of God and a bible verse:

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31.

The “Tea Party” movement seems to have joined in with these pro-Republican groups and seem to think that Sarah Palin would be a great candidate for President of the United States. All of the aforementioned groups are against things like health care, immigration, and public education. They're playing right into the hands of the corporations who don't want any of their profits to go toward any of those things. It's all to do with greed and has nothing to do with the good of “The People.”

With the Supreme Court ruling that corporations can donate as much as they want, being considered “people” under the Constitution, there is no more “The People.” It's all “The Corporations.” Live for the corporations, die for the corporations, and maybe soon be jailed for speaking out against corporations or corporate products. After all, corporations will be able to buy the politicians who make whatever laws they want passed. Perhaps they will have prayer in schools for the almighty dollar. “In Money We Trust” or, especially with the Tea Party movement, “In Gold We Trust” should be their logo.

In stark contrast to these “Christian” ideas are the words of someone you think they would listen to. Who would that be? Christ.

Matthew 6:24 (New International Version)

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Luke 18:18-22 (New International Version)

The Rich Ruler

A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'" 

"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

When it comes to how you treat foreigners, and the health care issue, Christians should consider the parable of the Good Samaritan:

Luke 10:25-37 (New International Version)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

 He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" 

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."

Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

In these people purporting to be Christians, I see nothing of Christ. I can't really consider them brothers and sisters in Christ because they seem to go completely against all that Christ stood for. If they forced me to take up arms against them, I might, because as much as I'd like to think that sticking a flower in the barrel of their guns would change their hearts, they've already shown evidence that they have no hearts. People like Pat Robertson, Rush Limbaugh, and others who have spoken against a poor people who were devastated by an earthquake or people like Andre' Bauer, a member of Union United Methodist Church, speaking out against the poor saying things likening the poor to animals and saying not to feed them because, “they'll breed,” (I'm not making this up:)

are leading people astray as Christian representatives. If one of these so called Christians came to my door armed, I fear I would have to answer the door armed myself. These people aren't right and they surely aren't Christians. I would not entrust the safety of my family to them. You're being foolish if you do.

I don't see everything that Obama does as being right, but I certainly see him trying to do more good than anyone from the Republican side that I've seen in recent years. They are NOT the Republicans I used to admire in my youth. These are greedy, hateful, bigoted, power hungry zealots who are trying to pass themselves off as Christians in order to gain support from those who relate to Christianity because of their affiliation with particular churches or who admire the preachers on TV who spout that Jesus will make you rich. These people are no better than the Muslim extremists who carry out bombings in the name of God. These people are wanting to wipe out whole peoples in the name of God using Jesus as an excuse. They've even gone as far as putting scripture verses on the weapons to kill the Muslims. They are trying to start a “Holy War” that is anything BUT holy. If people don't wake up soon, the razor's edge is going to get much thinner and even the best of us might slip off.

Copyright © 2010 Cal Jennings

Christians Saying, "I'm Sorry"

We, as Christians, can't always be shining examples of Jesus in every aspect of our lives. At times we are going to face problems with which we don't know how to deal or cope. At times we may have an illness that causes us to become overly bitter. We might even just have a bad day from time to time. At these times, we may make a choice or say something that we normally wouldn't.

If we lie about it and try to deny that we did or said such a thing, we're not only creating another wrong, but are making ourselves appear hypocritical. It is better to be honest about the situation, about our feelings, or whatever the circumstance and admit our mistake.

Jesus was about truth and God knows that we're going to make mistakes. We are already forgiven, but it doesn't hurt us to ask His forgiveness. We should also ask the forgiveness of those whom we offended or did wrong, even if they're not receptive.

Some people feel it is wrong to admit their mistakes if they are in a position of power because it "shows a weakness." What it really does is show strength. You will gain the respect and admiration of your subordinates if you are honest rather than whitewashing your wrongdoings.

Yes, sometimes there is a price to pay for the wrong we've committed, but it is better to deal with them honestly and quickly than to let them go on until they've built into something huge and overwhelming. When we keep trying to hide what we've done, "interest" on the wrong builds and compounds, sometimes more quickly and more disdainfully than we might think possible. The quicker we can get things out in the open, the quicker we can put things behind us.

Sorry may be the hardest word, but sometimes it's the most necessary word in the human vocabulary. Don't say it unless you mean it, though.

Copyright © 2009 Cal Jennings