Back to the Future - Way Back!

One of the few advantages of becoming a senior citizen in the State of Arkansas, and perhaps other states as well, is that achieving that status allows one to take classes free of charge at any one of several state universities. The beauty of that privilege is that one can take classes in any discipline just for the pure pleasure of learning. Additionally, there is the option to audit classes and be free from taking tests, writing research papers and making oral reports. In my case I chose to audit classes in the Art History tract, as I had become interested in art several years ago but knew nothing about what I was looking at when visiting galleries and museums. Having completed both Art History Survey I and II, my enlightenment continued this past semester in Greek Art & Myth.

As is the case in all levels of education, the teacher is key, and in my experiences at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock I have been blessed to have been taught by highly qualified professors who all welcomed the presence of an old guy taking up space in their classrooms. But in the back of my mind I knew that studying about mythological Greek gods that dated back to 700 BCE was going to require a very special person to make it interesting and stimulating. Luckily, I struck gold in the person of Dr. Jane H. Brown, Ph.D who not only possessed a wealth of information on this complex subject but had that unique gift to impart that knowledge to our class in a logical and understandable way as to hold one’s complete attention. In addition to the required textbooks on the subject, Dr. Brown provided an extensive collection of written outlines, graphics and documents in support of her lectures. And, finally, there were the oral presentations by the true undergraduates in my class, two of which will be referenced later. In fact I was so impressed with my entire experience I decided to write about it. However, the challenge for me was to sift through that mountain of information on a very complicated subject and extract just enough key points to construct a summary interesting enough for others to read.

One of the first things you need to know is that these gods and goddesses were no ordinary deity. Instead, they were created by Greek mortals in their own human image as opposed to the other way around as told in the Genesis creation story. As such, they often times would go back and forth between their divine image and their human form, or in some instances the form of some animal if it served their purpose . In fact Nietsche referred to them as “all too human” and a religion where “gods justify human life by living it”. However, true mortals were encouraged never to compete with these gods because as humans they could never win, and the gods were capable of doing some pretty nasty things even if they did. Also, one never knew if someone in the human form was a true god or goddess, so the message to mortals was to be wary of strangers coming to your door. Consequently, it is no surprise that Greek mythology is filled with examples of all the same hubris, emotions and frailties that humans experience including but not limited to love, lust, sex, deceit, betrayal, incest, murder, torture, mutilation, rape, treachery and hunger for power. To better understand how this worked, there are three stories I would like to briefly summarize as illustrations of these powers.

“The Judgement of Paris” - Unlike other periods of history, very little was codified about Greek mythology in book form, but Homer’s epic poems the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey” about the famous Trojan War and its aftermath are the best known. Not only do they describe the events before, during and after that conflict, they introduce us to some principal Greek gods (e.g. Zeus, Athena, Hera and Poseidon who supported the Greeks; Aphrodite, Apollo and Artemis who supported Troy), as well as some other major players involved (e.g. Achilles, Agamemnon, Menelaos, Ajax and Odysseus, Calchas and Nestor for the Greeks; Hector and his cousins and brother, Paris and Priam for Troy). In short, this is a tale of love, jealousy and betrayal brought about by an argument between three vain goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite over who was the fairest among them and deserved to receive the golden apple offered by Eris, the goddess of Discord, as a confirmation of that title. Since Zeus knew better than to make that choice himself because it would create such resentment from the two losers, he instructed Hermes, the messenger god, to take all three of them to the Trojan prince Paris to make the selection. After being offered bribes by all three contenders, Paris chooses Aphrodite who had promised him possession of the most beautiful woman in the world as her bribe. Aphrodite then designates Helen just that, the most beautiful woman in the world. Naturally, Paris is smitten and ultimately selects Helen, a passive participant in all of this, to take back to Troy. The problem is, she is already married to Menelaos, so Aphrodite has to further persuade Helen to go with Paris. She is successful in this effort, even though Euripides contends in his tragedy “Helen” that she may never have actually gone to Troy but, rather, stopped in Egypt intead. Regardless, Menelaos is going to exact revenge for the taking of his wife and gathers up an army to bring her back, and the rest is history so they say.

While there may be other slightly different versions of this story, which is one of the real nuances of Greek mythology, we are compelled to rely on the existence of artifacts from that period to give us a better explanation of what really happened. In that regard there exists a multitude of art forms including wall paintings, vases, sculpture and coins, not to mention songs, plays and poems like the Iliad and the Odyssey that tell the story of not only the Trojan War but of other historical happenings. The trick is to accurately interpret those artifacts into meaningful messages. Besides Dr. Brown, others have done that for us, one being Susan Woodford in her book “The Trojan War in Ancient Art”, which is an easy to read account of many Greek myths which are displayed on a variety of items. Examples of two of the best known artifacts from this Archaic period are the Francois Vase circa 570BCE because it depicts so many different myths important too Greek mythology (to see click here ) and Dinos by Sophilos circa 580-570BCE because of its vivid and detailed portrayal of the prominent wedding procession of Peleus and Thetis (to see click here ). Just as interesting to me, though, is the identity of the artisans who created these fabulous works of art and who or what inspired them. Sadly, very little is known on this subject, but it is thought that many may have relied on muses, as well the same stories, plays and songs of the time to fulfill that purpose.

The two other examples of these deities behaving at their worst were given in oral reports by the talented fellow classmates mentioned earlier. The first was entitled “Aphrodite: Friend or Foe” by Catherine McGibbony, and the other was entitled “Contest between Apollo and Marsyas” by Adrian Quintanar. Both graciously granted me permission to quote from my class notes on their respective presentations in my own words with some added commentary. Hopefully, these are fair representations of what they said.

“Aphrodite: Friend or Foe” - While this daughter of Zeus and Dione, one of his six wives, was commonly known as the goddess of love, sexuality and beauty, she had another persona of being selfish, deceitful, manipulative and vindictive. In the words of Edith Hamilton in her 1940 book “MYTHOLOGY”, she “used her power chiefly to ensnare and betray”. Perhaps her bad attitude was a result of the origins of her birth based on the vengeful act of castration of her lover, Adonis. Regardless, we already know the havoc she reeked on Troy by persuading Helen to go there with Paris. If that were not enough she then goes and has sex with a mortal being, Anchises, who she warned not to boast about the liaison. But he did and paid the price of being struck by a thunderbolt from Zeus. And, finally, she plays a role in trying to get Phaedra to seduce a celibate Hippolytus who refuses her advances and they both die as a result. The lesson to be learned about Aphrodite is that even though she had many lovers, both gods and mortals, she is a much different version from Linda in Woody Allen’s “Mighty Aphrodite” and is not to be messed with, as she always destroys those who oppose her.

“Contest Between Apollo and Marsyas” - As noted above, mortals were advised never to compete with the gods because even if they won the contest, the losing god would exact his revenge. This story is a prime example of that admonition. One of Apollo’s identities, besides being the son of Zeus, was that of being the patron god of music and poetry which included the lyre. This happened to be an instrument that Marsyas claimed he could play better than Apollo, with the loser of the competition paying a price to be determined by the winner. However the contest came about, Marsyas was declared the winner of the first round in which his talent was judged to be basically equal to that of Appolo’s. However, in order to give himself a competitive advantage in the second round, Apollo played his flute turned upside down, a feat Marsyas could not begin to match. As agreed to in advance, Apollo could do whatever he wanted to with Marsysas, so he had him tied to a tree and splayed alive, thus reinforcing the lesson for mortals to stay away from these gods.

So, what have I gleaned from my experience with Greek Art and Myth? First, in addition to the vast array of spectacular art, sculpture and architecture that the ancient Greeks gave us, there are countless contributions they made to creating a more civilized society through language, philosophy (which deserves its own discussion), democracy, the Hippocratic Oath and the Olympic Games to name just a few. Even though none of these were mentioned here in the interest of time and space, they definitely should not be forgotten, particularly the Oracle on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi that advances the concept of moderation and self-restraint summed up simply as “know thyself”. Second, if gods and goddesses are formed in the same image as human beings with all of our flaws and imperfections, there are potentially very severe consequences in dealing with them. So, beware! And, finally, the author of Ecclesiastes, thought to have been the wisest of all biblical kings, King Solomon, may have had it right when he wrote “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun”, because much of what transpired 2,700 years ago between those gods and goddesses, as well as their interactions with mortals, is no different than what we read or hear about today. Then the question is, why do these myths matter? Jeanette Winterson got the answer to that very question during her interview with Bill Moyers on his PBS series “On Faith and Reason” first broadcast on July 7, 2006. In essence Mr. Moyers contended they matter because being familiar with these ancient myths help perpetuate great stories relating to both good and evil, as well as rationalizing these two extremes. In other words we should learn from history or be doomed to it, which seems to have been our pattern over these centuries. Accordingly, it is mankind’s challenge to ACTUALLY LEARN from these ancient myths and maybe fool old King Solomon after all. With that said, I now look forward to exploring the City of Florence pre-Renaissance with Dr. Brown this semester, soak up a little bit more culture and further enrich my soul in the process.

"In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, love"

It all began with a fairly simple question from an old and dear friend who had inquired as to what my family linage was.  Yes, I had a vague notion that my father's ancestors for sure came from Germany and England, and that my mother's ancestors also came from England and perhaps Germany, but beyond that I had very little knowledge.  However, my lame ability to adequately respond to that question lit a spark in me to find out more about where I came from, which led me to digging into boxes of old family files and pictures that had lain dormant for years to find the answer.  Little did I know when I started this journey that a totally disconnected study of three books of the Old Testament would interject itself into this process, but more about that later.

One of the first surprises to come to my attention was the fact that the English ancestors from both my paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather's families came to America from England in the early 1600's.  Sure, I had seen the same old family photographs now in my possession of all great-grandparents taken at various times during the 19th century, but I had just assumed that for practical purposes that was where my history began.  To learn that there was traceable evidence that confirmed the existence of ancestors on our shores 200 years earlier was a huge revelation to me.  Unfortunately, I was not so fortunate with my paternal grandfather and maternal grandmother's families, as the early 1800's were as far back as I could find any written record in my files of their existence on this continent.  However, in the case of my paternal grandfather, the records were much more comprehensive and detailed, thanks to the writing prowess of an elderly great aunt, thus giving me greater insight into my father's history.  Consequently, in the interest of time and space, I will concentrate solely on my paternal heritage up to the beginning of the 20th century for this first of what may become many chapters to answer that simple question posed above.

It all began in Friedelsheim, Bavaria, Germany where my great-grandfather, Jacob Lichty, one of eight children was born on May 6, 1826, to John, a watchmaker, and Elizabeth, a homemaker.  Like most immigrants coming to our shores in the 1800's seeking more freedom, the entire family made it to America in 1833, traveling up the Hudson River to Albany, New York, thence through the Erie Canal, completed just eight years earlier, to Buffalo, New York and finally across Lake Erie to Cleveland, Ohio, home of several family friends from Germany who had previously settled there.  Unfortunately, John fell ill early on and died shortly after making it to Ohio at the age of 42.  But like most immigrant families at the time, the surviving family began farming which eventually led my great-grandfather, Jacob, to purchase some rich bottom land in Gnadenhutten, the second oldest city in Ohio.  But also like many individuals of that era, Jacob's life was not without tragedy, losing two of his seven children to diphtheria and later his young wife, Christena at age 36 to unknown causes.  But as was also common back then, he soon remarried and he and his second wife, another Elizabeth, interestingly Christena's sister, had five more children, among whom was my grandfather, Ernest, and his sister, Bertha, who was the author mentioned above of this history.

By Bertha's account, Jacob was a kind and thoughtful person, always remembering the birthdays of all ten children, comforting them through their many illnesses and ferrying them when necessary to and from school during those many cold and snowy Ohio winters in either a large farm wagon or bob sled pulled by a double team of horses.  It was also during these cold wintry days that he would "grease the shoes" of his children who often made that two mile walk to school to make the shoes softer and more pliable, as well as to make them last longer.  To accomplish this task he had the village tin maker fabricate him a small copper can with a spout in which he would warm a mixture of grease and tallow with which he covered the shoes.  Then they would be placed near the coal stove at night to make them even more comfortable for the children the next day.  As a side note, years ago my father gave me that very can, which I treasure to this day.  But all of this love and affection for his family could not spare him further tragedy in almost losing my grandfather, Ernest, to inflammatory rheumatism.  In fact it was Ernest's deteriorating health that eventually led the Lichty family to Arkansas in the early 1900's to seek relief in the warm baths of Hot Springs.  And then there was, Anna, his and Elizabeth's first-born daughter who moved to Alaska as a religious missionary, a long distance separation that brought much sorrow to them both with, in their own words, "the distance being so great and the traveling so uncertain".   

While not a highly educated man in the formal sense, Jacob was a self-taught man who prided himself on conversation and never lacked for expressive words and sentences when visiting with the educated clergymen who would come to the village to take charge of the Moravian church which he faithfully attended.  As a deeply religious man he would conduct family worship twice a day, always saying the prayers in his native German regardless of who might be visiting in his home at the time.  He died on January 26, 1909, as he had lived, "easily and gently".  To quote from his obituary, "Mr. Lichty was a good citizen and neighbor, an honor to his community and, in so far as mortals may be, to his God.  To a rare degree he was genial, kind and helpful.  His virtues were positive, unmarred by glaring faults.  He weighed his words as if each were a precious jewel.   He was a modest man never seeking to push himself into the public eye.  He lived a quiet life.  Nevertheless, he lived as if conscious that the scrutiny of the World was upon him, reminding one of him who prayed for grace to do all the good he could do without knowing it."       


Now, just what does all of this have to do with the Old Testament, with particular emphasis on Ecclesiastes, as well as the title of this blog?   While the exact authorship of Ecclesiastes is not known, it is thought by many to have been at the very least influenced by King Solomon, the wisest of all ancient biblical kings.  And like many books of scripture, it is open to various interpretations, one of which is that our time on earth is much like mist or vapor, very temporary and not very meaningful.   As such, our beginning and our end have no great significance in the larger scheme of things, so one should not be consumed by them.  Rather, we should just eat, drink and be merry and enjoy the life which we have been given whatever its length.  I've always thought that to be a fairly limited and  hedonistic interpretation, filled with risk and danger not only to one's existence on earth but to one's soul if there is any rationale for an afterlife.  But the thought did occur to me as I began this genealogical journey of why bother investing all of this time and energy exploring history and heredity if in the end our existence does not matter.  Ultimately, I decided it does matter, and it matters a lot.  For one thing, an exploration of our past forces us to understand and appreciate the many sacrifices our forefathers paid to get us where we are today.  In so doing it also goes a long way to explain why we are who we are.  And, finally, it might just give us insight into some principles which we all could apply to today's living and experiences.  A clear example of the latter for me was the life of my great-grandfather, Jacob, and how his deep faith in the Moravian Church played such an important part in his enduring the many, many heartbreaks and challenges of life in the 19th century.  In fact his church's motto, "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, love" would seem to serve as an excellent guide for our national leaders to follow as they struggle to build a consensus to address the many problems facing our country in this 21st century.      
 



       




   

Do We Want a President, or Do We Want a Boss?

Having weathered these past few months of presidential campaign rhetoric from both sides to the point of numbness, I, like most Americans, can hardly wait until the results of November 6th become history and we can then focus our attention on the many other important issues facing our country.  However, one thing that this particular campaign has caused me to focus on is a question I have pondered for many years and that is "do businessmen really make great political leaders"?

My first experience with this even being an issue was in 1966 when Raymond Rebsamen, a much respected business leader in our state ran for governor of Arkansas.  I vividly remember being impressed with his campaign vision of "Reach with Rebsamen" which projected him as one who had been very successful in the business world and wanted to bring that same talent and acumen to state government and make it more efficient.  As a young man trying to develop my own business career, his message had great resonance with me so I voted for him.  He ultimately lost to another well known and successful businessman, Winthrop Rockefeller, a Republican, who Mr. Rebsamen, a Democrat, himself described as someone who "served our state well", and he did.  Subsequently, we have had a series of businessmen who have sought that same office with a mixed bag of successes and failures.

But throughout these many election cycles both at the state and national level, I cannot recall when there has been as much emphasis placed on business experience being such a dominant qualifier as in the current presidential election.  It's as if one's personal net worth is the only thing that counts.  The main thing wrong with that criterion is that there is another side to businessmen that does not always render them as being the best qualified to serve in public office.  For starters, many seem to share the same linear mindset of maximizing profits at all cost, as well as possessing the singular power to make whatever decisions are necessary to achieve that end, with little or no responsibility to answer for their actions other than to their boards of directors, all of whom have been chosen by them.  If labor costs can be reduced in another country, go there.  If an employee's production quota goes down, fire him.  If a plant is not profitable, close it.  There is no public debate about these decisions or their impact on communities, society or national loyalty.  They are just simply coldly calculated business decisions based on one's sole desire to increase the bottom line.  Seemingly built into the DNA of these same corporate executives is a tendency to bark an order and expect immediate compliance by all underlings, no questions asked.  The problem with applying these same business executive attributes to government is that a whole slew of other considerations have to be factored into the decision making process because the end result is a broad public policy that applies to all citizens and not just a single corporate enterprise.

For one, there is a vast body of laws, rules and regulations that have been established by congress over the past 250 years, not to mention the Constitution, that must be respected and adhered to in making such decisions.  What's good for the bottom line does not always translate into what's best for the public at large.  Just witness the $16 trillion debt that has accrued over two administrations for a variety of complex reasons not to be explained here, but clearly resulted in funding many things important to the fabric of America, including stabilizing the economy and supporting social programs for those in need, both significant and valid roles of government.  To address these many needs of a nation requires formulating sound and reasonable public policy issues, getting the support of the American people and then persuading a wildly divergent group of other elected officials to approve these initiatives.  In other words, it requires political tact to form a consensus, artful skills not necessarily developed in corporate America.  Just think of it this way, if America were a corporation run by a business executive, we would have been declared bankrupt, shut down and sold off in pieces to the highest bidder long ago.  Consequently, just running government operations in the most efficient manner financially, particularly in stressful economic times like we have experienced these past four years, is not the primary role of government, as there are way too many other responsibilities which have to be met that may not always pass the cost/benefit test often times used in the business world. 

The contrast between these two approaches to the decision making process could not have been more clearly demonstrated than during the last two presidential debates where aggression appears to have been the measure by which effective leadership was being judged.  Debate rules to which both candidates had agreed, including not invading each others' space, no pointing fingers at your rival and refraining from asking each other questions, were blindly ignored, principally by the one participant who keeps touting his business credentials.  Hopefully, our nation will be spared such rude bullyism in next Tuesday's final debate and we will be allowed to gauge the true, meaningful and relevant qualifications of the two candidates in a calm and rational environment.  As James Lipton, Dean Emeritus of the Actors Studio in New York, most notably concluded this week on MSNBC's October 17th, HARDBALL program, "Do we want a president, or do we want a boss?"

The Role of Government

With fewer than 90 days now left before this nation can finally put our latest presidential election behind us, it might be useful to examine the central question that is at the heart of all the vitriol which has spewed from both sides over these past few months - i.e. just what is the role of government in our lives?  On the right you have the popular position that was advanced by Ronald Reagan in the 1980's that government is the problem and needs to get out of the way of private enterprise.  That spawned "Starve the Beast", "Trickle Down" and "Compassionate Conservatism" policies which I think have been abject failures.  On the left you have the position that government is the solution to our many problems and needs to be even more active in framing policies that improve our well being.  "The New Deal", The New Frontier" and "The Great Society" come to mind, but they came with great financial costs.  While this basic divide is not new, as even the framers of our constitution bickered over the same issue, what is different now is the total polarization of both sides that has created absolute gridlock and inaction at the very time we need our congress to be addressing full time the many profound issues that currently face our nation.  Instead they decide to take a five week recess. 

While I do not pretend to have the ultimate answer to what the role of government should be, some very qualified individuals have provided us with a prism through which we might at least begin to rationally examine this question.   In this regard perhaps the best place to start is with David Wessel's July 31st interview on NPR's Fresh Air program discussing his new book Red Ink about the federal budget debate.  Go to http://www.npr.org/2012/07/31/157610155/facing-the-fiscal-cliff-congress-next-showdown and listen to the entire discussion, but his main thesis is that unless something is done before December 31st of this year we face a "fiscal cliff" of higher taxes and draconian spending cuts that he likens to pulling the trigger on a loaded gun.  Furthermore, he blames this potential crisis on the fundamental impasse on the role of government emphasized by the central question posed in this blog - one side wants less government, one side wants more.  While we all are aware of the recent events that have led us to this precipice (e.g. two unfunded wars, reduced taxes, prescription benefits not paid for and a horrible economic crisis unlike any since the 1930's), some either do not understand or do not care about the true consequences of the political paralysis which has gripped our national legislative process due in large measure to a new wave of congressmen who are willing to risk everything just to advance their ideology.  And now that one of those ideologues, Paul Ryan, has been chosen as Mitt Romney's running mate, this divide is now going to be made even more prominent because, in effect, Mr. Romney has now made Mr. Ryan's proposed Path to Prosperity budget his.  As such, it becomes the centerpiece of Mr. Romney's agenda and, therefore, his vision for the role of government.

For those who may not know, Mr. Ryan wants to essentially gut Medicare as we know it, transfer Medicaid to the states; severely cut spending on programs that help the poor; do away with subsidies to agriculture, education, transportation and scientific research; revise the tax code to benefit the rich; and abolish many other programs that make this country great, including earmarks he once used to great advantage to resurrect the economy around his  own hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin.  Included in that government aid, which he seems to so despise, was a water treatment plant, funds for a technical college to retrain GM workers, improvements for a bus system, expansion of I-90 and creation of the Janesville Innovation Center to provide space from which entrepreneurs could launch their business innovations, facts well documented in an article by Ryan Lizza in the August 6th edition of The New Yorker magazine.  All of these government benefits illustrate precisely the point President Obama made on July 13th when he proclaimed in part that "If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help" and that "Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive.  Somebody invested in roads and bridges".   What Mr. Ryan ultimately plans to do about Social Security is a little more murky, but he was the main architect of the privatization plan that George Bush abandoned in 2005, even though Mr. Ryan himself apparently survived on those benefits after the sudden death of his father (per article in the August 12th edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette).  So how disingenuous is it for someone to ridicule and want to dismantle the very government programs from which he so personally and politically benefited over the years?  In short, some of his ideas, which came from his ardent attachment to the writings of Ayn Rand, Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman, are so severe that even Newt Gingrich labeled them "right-wing social engineering" during the Republican primaries.  Read even more about Mr. Ryan's thinking from a New Republic article dated August 11, 2012 at  http://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/106029/ryan-romney-vp-budget-cuts-medicare-medicaid-voucher-tax-cut. 

So, what exactly is the proper role of government?  Frankly, I think the answer to that question lies somewhere between the two extremes alluded to above, but government policies that further enrich the rich and only increase funding for the military but ignore the needs of the poor, elderly, infirm and disadvantaged are totally misguided, wrong-headed and bad for this country as a whole in my view.  Surely, we Americans deserve better than that.     





     

Emma Dilemma

She came into our lives 14 years ago this coming November as the result of a pledge I had made to my wife that she could get a dog if I got elected to the City Board.  I did, she did and our lives were never the same thereafter.  Even though we had experienced dog ownership before, none had ever come close to Emma in emotional attachment because we had never had a dog grow old on us.  Consequently, she became an integral and very important part of our family during her equivalent 98 years of human life.

To understand Emma you must first know that she was a Boston Terrier, an all-American breed we had owned before, but with her own unique independence, spirit and personality as captured perfectly in the occasional appearance of Cagney in John Deering and John Newcombe's comic strip Zack Hill published daily in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.  From the moment she demonstrated those traits by negotiating the steps up our then outside deck as just a small little black and white ball of puppy fuzz, we knew there was something very special about this one.  Of course there was the chewing phase during which she had a great time with socks, toys and chair legs, but why she chose to attack a couple of treasured stereo speakers, which put her in the figurative dog house with me, I will never understand.  But as all dog owners know, such misbehavior is soon forgotten and quickly replaced when those warm eyes look up at you and say "please give me a pat on the head or rub on the tummy (or a treat in Emma's case)".   And it sure did not hurt that her appeal came from a cocked head with a distinctive diamond on top of that classic black and white tuxedo body.  See for yourself.

As the years passed by, and with a totally empty nest, Emma became our child which we closely nurtured through all known phases of her development and care.  Sure there were the regular trips to the vet for checkups, shots, shampoo and nail clipping.  But as luck would have it, Emma fell victim to several afflictions, many of which were unique to her breed, not the least of which was loud snoring while sleeping.  But she had hardly been in our home a month when she developed a hernia that we were told was qualification enough to return her to the breeder.  However, my wife declared "no way", as the family bonds were already beginning to be formed.  Fortunately, we were able to have the hernia fixed at the same time we had her spade.  This duel surgery was followed the next year by a diagnosis of luxating patellae (back knees) that eventually required not one but two surgeries to fix, which meant two separate operations with both legs being wrapped in hot pink casts for several weeks.  How she was able to get around during those many weeks of recuperation and also negotiate her crate which she loved to sleep in, is still a mystery, but no doubt it had to be part of that indomitable spirit built into her DNA first noticed upon her arrival as a young pup.  And, finally, there were the eye problems which were initially diagnosed as glaucoma, resulting in her being scheduled to have one of those big black eyes that had turned cloudy at this point, removed.  Literally on the day before that surgery we decided to get another opinion from an out of town canine ophthalmologist who immediately diagnosed her condition as Endothelial Cell Dystrophy, a condition again unique to Boston Terriers.  He performed corrective surgery on the spot on one of her eyes, even though he had given us the option to have them both fixed at the same time.  That recuperation involved antibiotic pills, eye drops several times a day and that dreaded dog collar to prevent further damage to her eye.  Again, she never skipped a beat.  Then several months later we repeated this same grueling process all over again on the second eye.  It was during this period in her life that one of our beloved vet staff gave her the tag "Emma Dilemma".    

While my wife and I accepted the fact that Emma was totally dependent upon us for every aspect of her life (i.e. love, affection, food, water, safe housing, recreation, etc.), I don't think either of us realized how much our attachment to her was slowly growing ever stronger day by day through those many years, even as she slowed down due to blindness, congestive heart failure and deafness in the last two years of her life, but through it all still showing that same spunk and spirit which had so endeared us to her from the beginning.  I know I didn't, as her deteriorating condition including frequent incontinence in the last few months actually became very stressful to me.  Like most pets, though, during that last month even she recognized her condition was worsening, as she began eating less and less until finally on Wednesday, June 13th, she quit eating anything, including her beloved treats.  However, none of those signs prepared us for the end which began around 7:00pm that night when her little heart began to fail and she started gasping for breath.  Both my wife and I had vowed we would never let her suffer, so thanks to a most compassionate and caring vet who had cared for Emma her entire life, she agreed to immediately meet us at her office and bring an end to Emma's life with grace and dignity, for which my wife and I shall always be grateful.  Although our now empty and silent house has become almost unbearable, we both agree that Emma will most likely be our last dog, as the pain of loss is simply too great to endure again at this late stage in our lives.  We'll just let our fond memories of her fill that void.

"No Good Deed Goes Unpunished" - Sometimes

No doubt we are all familiar with Clare Boothe Luce's famous quote "No good deed goes unpunished" which is often used to describe good and noble acts or service which sometimes result in unintended negative consequences for the persons committing these acts or rendering those services.  When that happens, it makes one wonder why even try to do good, as it tends to suck all positive energy from one's soul.  But as I resume this blog after a three month hiatus, I am happy to report that good deeds do not always get punished.  Just on an institutional level there are numerous charitable organizations which constantly do wonderful things that make a huge and measurable impact on people's lives and well-being.  However, the one in which I have recently become involved and would like to promote is Habitat for Humanity, and more specifically Habitat for Humanity of Pulaski County.

For those who may not know, Habitat for Humanity is an international nonprofit with over 2,000 affiliates world wide which "seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action".  Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 150,000 houses in over 3,000 communities around the world, providing 750,000 people with "safe, decent and affordable shelter".  The cost of these dwellings range from a low of a few thousand dollars to an average of $53,309 in the United States which is achieved often times by donated material but always with volunteer, cost free labor.  However, these are not give away houses.  Each house is sold to qualified low income family with a non-interest bearing 30-year mortgage loan who is expected to contribute some of their own sweat equity into the project.

On a local basis, since 1987 Habitat for Humanity of Pulaski County has provided more than 100 families with affordable housing, and looks to expand that performance in the future by engaging other organizations (e.g. churches, businesses, civic groups and foundations) and individuals to partner with them by contributing either money or time through active volunteerism.  In addition we also have two area retail stores offering a wide selection of donated items at very reasonable prices, one at 2657 Pike Avenue in North Little Rock and a newer one at 6700 South University in Little Rock which will be celebrating a Grand Opening next Thursday, June 14th starting at 11:00am.  In fact one of the main purposes of this blog is to extend to you all the following cordial invitation to attend this Grand Opening:

And, finally, there is so much more you can learn about this wonderful organization that does many good deeds every day that go unpunished at http://www.habitatpulaski.org/ , so please go look and see for yourself.  I think you will be greatly rewarded by that experience.
         

A City Comes to Its Senses, For Now

Every now and then people in power whether at the federal, state or city level get reminded that one of their primary roles as elected "public servants" is to make life more reasonable and understandable for their constituents rather than difficult and complicated.  There are many ways in which they can accomplish this noble end, but none is more profound than city officials adopting suitable zoning ordinances to regulate the orderly growth and development of their municipalities.  Some cities take a more open and permissive view of how they want things to happen and, therefore, have fairly un-restrictive ordinances.  By contrast, other cities want to control everything from where buildings are built, how they are built and what they look like to what services can be performed in those buildings, what hours they can operate and who can be served.  Since people often times choose where they are going to invest capital, work and/or live based on what end of this spectrum they find most appealing, there is an expectation that the established rules of the game should be somewhat static and not be whimsically changed.

Just recently, however, the City of Little Rock, decided it would revise an ordinance dealing with uses normally permitted by right to require that a Conditional Use Permit be obtained at certain businesses throughout the city.  Ostensibly, the intent as reported by our local newspaper was to clean up some on-going nuisance problems with various commercial operations like "convenience stores, pawnshops, group homes and treatment centers".   However, this effort came to light almost on the very day the local Veterans Administration office announced that they had entered into a contract to purchase and renovate a property on Main Street where they could consolidate and improve many services now offered to homeless veterans in separate locations in the city.  Given the fact that Little Rock's past history in dealing with the homeless population is less than stellar, even being tagged the "meanest city in America" several years ago when they proposed to close down some homeless encampments, the timing of this initiative obviously became highly suspect.  But to be fair, the City recently did enter into a partnership with another homeless service provider to create a day resource center for the general homeless population, even though it is far removed from the downtown area where many other support services like public transportation and feeding centers exist.  For those unfamiliar with Little Rock, Main Street is a major commercial business thoroughfare in downtown along which there are many buildings and storefronts that have been vacant for years, so it is still unclear just how this proposed new VA center would adversely affect the area.  The City's contention is that the timing was just a coincidence, but the proposed ordinance had an emergency clause which would have made its mandate effective immediately upon being passed, so you be the judge.  

In any event thanks to some apparently very persuasive and cogent arguments made during a three hour Board of Directors meeting this past Tuesday night, the matter was thankfully tabled for further study and consideration.  Whether this is the end, who knows, as city governments always have the power to bring something they do not like to a screeching halt.   Regardless, when our public servants get to the point where they feel that enacting less than subtle, retro-active zoning changes is a good idea, then it's time to get some new faces on our governing board.  Some members are up for election this year, others are up in 2014.   

Topical Tapas

With the smorgasbord of news items that have accumulated since the first of the year, what better way to nibble away at this cornucopia of juicy current events than to offer them up as tidbits for instant absorption, rather than feasting on an entree which would require greater mental digestion.  So, bon appetit!
1.  Mr. President, You Are Welcome Anytime - Contrary to recent comments by certain Republican operatives in Arkansas that President Obama has never come to our state because he would be snubbed by Democrats, I believe he would be welcomed with open arms.  After all, there is a strong history of presidents visiting our state going back to both Roosevelts, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, both Bushes, Nixon, Carter and others, so why would the first African American elected to that high office want to avoid the state which in 1957 was the face of strident racism, but has overcome that stigma and begun to move progressively forward?  Then, there is the obvious fact that fellow Democrat Bill Clinton, the only Arkansan ever elected president, has his Presidential Library and School of Public Service located right here in Little Rock, both wonderful venues, along with Little Rock Central High School, for public appearances.  Finally, we have one of only three elected Democrat governors among the thirteen "deep south" states, so come on down, Mr. President.   I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the hospitable and supportive reception you would receive here.     
2.  Welcome to Little Rock, Veterans -  Once again our city leaders have found it in their hearts to dissuade the establishment of a downtown facility for the homeless.  Only in this case it is one that would provide needed services to those who risked their lives in battle to ensure our freedoms.  Instead of accepting their congregating at the corner of Markham and Cross each day, as I again witnessed just last week, the Veterans Administration has opted to convert an old automotive dealership building on Main Street which has been vacant for years into a day resource center to minister to their needs.  And what was City Hall's response?  Of course, it was the same as several years ago when they stopped a homeless shelter from being established at 900 West Capitol.  When will they learn?
3.  Mitt Romney Meet Win Rockefeller - While Mitt Romney continues to plod away at seeking the Republican Party's nomination for president, he would be well advised to take a page from the history of one of our former governors of Arkansas, Winthrop Rockefeller, also a Republican, whose 100th birthday was posthumously celebrated this past Thursday evening at the Governor's Mansion here in Little Rock.   Unlike the stiff and reticent Mr. Romney, "Win" never shunned coming from a very wealthy family and wore that fact well, but he also knew how to connect with the common man and do many good deeds to their benefit in the process.  As highlighted in The Governor's Proclamation dated December 22, 2011, he created a viable two-party political system; made government more efficient; led the efforts to improve health care, education, race relations and cultural offerings; and set the example for Arkansans to look beyond themselves through philanthropy.  In short, he was the primary force in setting our state on course for the progressive prosperity we enjoy today.
4.  And the Killing Rolls Right Along - There have been five violent deaths in Little Rock in just the first three weeks of 2012, a year in which we could establish another record at this rate.  What more is there to say?
5.  The Other Side of General Lee - I was struck by the dedication of the entire Editorial Page of the January 19th edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette to Gen. Robert E. Lee in recognition of his 206th birthday on January 19, 1807.  As President Lincoln's first choice to lead the Union Army, which he declined out of devotion to his beloved Virginia, he championed morality on the battlefields of that awful civil war which ripped our country apart for four long years.  Unlike his ruthless counterpart, Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, whose famous march to the sea destroyed everything and everyone in his path, Gen. Lee fully recognized the difference between civilian and military targets and so commanded his troops to avoid "wanton destruction of private property", to "make war only upon armed men" and "not take vengeance for the wrongs our people have suffered".  Too bad he is more often cast as an icon of the more deplorable faction of southern sentiment at the time. 
6.  That Keystone XL Pipeline is Just That, Nothing More - While many supporters of this project are railing against President Obama for not approving the construction of this pipeline, as they feel it would create jobs and lessen our dependency on foreign oil, Cornell University issued an independent assessment of this project last fall which, basically, refutes those arguments.  First, that report concludes that it will create far fewer jobs in the U.S. than its proponents claim due to flawed data provided by the oil industry, and that, in fact, it may even "destroy more jobs than it creates".   And, more importantly, this pipeline is just a means to transport toxic tar sand oil 1,700 miles from Alberta, Canada through the heartland of America to the ports of Houston and Port Arthur, Texas for refining.  From there most of it will then be exported to foreign countries, rather than being consumed domestically, so there is no real energy benefit to America.  Read it for yourself at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/01/20/the-truth-about-keystone-xl-few-jobs-no-energy-security-60041.     
7.  Gee Thanks, Boeing -  When the Boeing company sought help from the State of Kansas to secure a $3.5 billion government contract to build 18 tankers for the Air Force at their Wichita facility, of course the economic development machine in that state revved up to answer the call.  After all, they were promised that not only would the 2,100 jobs be preserved but an additional 7,500 jobs would be created.  Who could say no to that?  But a funny thing happened after Boeing was awarded that contract last February.  In November Boeing decided that production costs were too high there and that they would parcel out the work among their other plants in the U.S.   So, having enjoyed over $650 million in tax breaks from various government entities in Kansas over the past thirty years, they break their promise and say adios to Wichita.  There is a profound lesson to be learned here by other states, counties and cities all across this nation who go out of their way to give away millions of tax dollars in hopes of attracting jobs, but get short-changed in the process.  Be careful what you wish for!  

Thumbs Up!

With the holidays firmly behind us, we can all focus on the new year with our respective obligatory resolutions to do a variety of things to improve our lives (e.g. eat right, drink water, exercise more, lose weight, help someone, attend church, etc.), most of which will be either discarded or forgotten by the end of this month, if not sooner.  But one endeavor we cannot escape will be the ever increasing drumbeat to promote a select group of movies that are up for an Oscar this year.  You know some of the contenders - The Artist, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Descendents, Hugo, The Help, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, Margin Call, Shame, Tree of Life, Bridesmaids, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and War Horse, just to name a few.  However, there is one movie that is strangely absent from any best movie list for reasons that totally escape me - Another Happy Day, which I would like to plug.  It certainly beats dwelling on the crazy scenes in Iowa and New Hampshire of the past few weeks.

To begin with, it has an outstanding cast which includes Ellen Barkin (one of its producers), Ellen Burstyn, Demi Moore, Thomas Haden Church, Kate Bosworth, George Kennedy and Ezra Miller.  Yes, it centers around a totally dysfunctional family that makes one of my all-time favorite movies Parenthood, the prototype for the most popular series on TV by the same name, seem like Bambi, but it is beautifully written by Sam Levinson, as recognized by the Sundance Film Festival, and superbly acted.  In reality it could have been more accurately titled Another Unhappy Day, but that would probably have driven even more viewers away than have seen it to date.  In all honesty, my wife and I saw it only out of default because there was no other movie playing at the time which we were interested in seeing, and we were two of only three people in the theater at the time it showed.  

While some critics have tried to frame it as a failed comparison to Rachel Getting Married just because a family gathering for a wedding is the setting, I never even gave that link a thought while watching this movie.  From the opening scene to the final fade away, I was captivated by this family's history and dynamic.  It all begins with Lynn's (Barkin) road trip to her parents Joe (Kennedy) and Doris' (Burstyn) home with two of her sons, Elliott (Miller) and Ben (played by Daniel Yelsky) to attend the wedding of her oldest son, Dylan (played by Michael Nardelli).   Along the way young Ben can't help but record the event with a camcorder while his older brother Elliot, just out of drug rehab, continues to prod his mother with cutting and hurtful remarks.  As expected, that ribbing culminates in an emotional reaction that exposes the torment Lynn feels about her life which stays with her pretty much throughout the movie.  Naturally, her ex-husband Paul (Church) and his new wife Patty (Moore) will be there to add to her angst, but unknown is whether Lynn and Paul's daughter Alice (Bosworth) will even show up, as she has her own issues from the past with her abusive father.  Add to the mix Lynn's absent-minded and ailing father and a mother who has also reached her breaking point in dealing with all of this family trauma, and you know this is not going to be a Father Knows Best experience for her.  When Alice does finally appear, tension begins to rise, and you really begin to feel Lynn's pain.  It is an adult movie with raw, powerful and poignant emotion true to probably more real life situations than most of us care to admit, which alone sets it way above most of the movies coming out of Hollywood today.   For that reason, coupled with a wonderful screenplay, great cinematography and superb acting, it gets my nod for one of the best movies of 2011.  But for the lousy distribution, Another Happy Day would have been more widely available in mainstream theaters, thus allowing a greater audience the opportunity to see it, in which case this movie might have earned the higher degree of respect from the critics it deserves.   Thumbs way up for me! 

Was It Worth It?

As the military withdrawal from Iraq proceeds on schedule with the official end of the war declared in a ceremony today in Bagdad, no doubt we all can savor a collective sigh of relief that the major part of that conflict is now over.  But, obviously, it remains to be seen if the government of Iraq will be able to provide a safe and flourishing environment for all of its people and thwart any outside intervention and interference from Iran or other neighbors in the region.  Time will tell.  However, the main question that is probably on the minds of most Americans is "Was it worth it"?    
As we ponder that question, perhaps just a few of the known facts to date about the nine year war in Iraq might be helpful in framing an answer, so please consider the following and decide for yourself.
1.  American soldiers killed - 4,485.
2.  American soldiers seriously injured 32,219.
3.  Tax dollars spent through 2011 - $1 trillion.
4.  Funds lost or unaccounted for funds - $9 billion.
5.  Funds lost and reported stolen - $6.6 billion.
6.  Lost or unaccounted for guns - 190,000.
7.  Missing material provided to Iraqi security forces - $1 billion.  
8.  Funds mismanaged and wasted funds - $10 billion through just 2006.
9.  Portion of $20 billion paid to KBR deemed "questionable" by Pentagon - $3.2 billion. 
10.  Cost of deploying one American soldier - $390,000.
11.  Iraqi police and soldiers killed - 10,125.
12.  Iraqi civilians killed - somewhere between 100,000 and 600,000.
13.  Iraqis displaced inside Iraq - 2,225,000.
14.  Percent of Iraqi professionals who have left Iraq - 40%.
15.  Average daily hours Iraqi homes have electricity - 1 to 2.
16.  Iraqis without access to adequate water - 70%.
So, it is not as if the population of Iraq has not suffered great loss, too.  What is not known is the cost to America's prestige, credibility and moral leadership in that part of the world at the very time we need them the most in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.  And then there is still Afghanistan to worry about.  Yes, a malevolent dictator is gone, but many others still remain around the world.  And even though an elementary form of democracy may exist, strong sectarian and tribal passions still boil underneath that seemingly calm surface which could erupt with a vengeance at the slightest of provocations.  Consequently, it would be very interesting to know if the majority of Iraqis feel that they are better off today than they were nine years ago. 
In any event, with Christmas just around the corner I think we all can at least share the joy of the thousands of American families who for the first time in almost a decade will be able to enjoy this holiday season together with the return of their military members from Iraq.  It is in that spirit that I extend my very best wishes to all for a Merry, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Also, please note that future blogs will be suspended until after the first of the year.

The Other One Percent

With all of the recent publicity about the 1% of wealthy Americans who own 40% of the nation's total wealth but who pay a proportionately lesser personal income tax than the remaining 99%, there is another 1% of our population on whom we need to focus.  They are the 1% who constitute our all voluntary military who are now fighting two concurrent wars in the Middle East, as well as defending our other interests all around the globe.  In the process they are constantly separated from their families for extraordinarily long periods of time which Colin Powell contends even eclipses that experienced by our military during WWII.  Furthermore, they are experiencing more life altering injuries to their brains and extremities due to the preponderance of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), land mines, armor-piercing rockets and suicide bombers.  And, finally, they  often times return home to find their domestic and financial situations in a total state of turmoil, compounded by such difficulty in finding a job that Vice-President Biden felt it necessary to make a public appeal just last week for employers to give special consideration in hiring our veterans. 
By contrast, service in the U.S. military has historically been an involuntary part of our national fabric dating back to 1778 when the Continental Congress first recommended states draft men from their militias to fight in the Revolutionary War.  However, that early draft was not very successful so, subsequently, an attempt was again made to institute conscription during the War of 1812, but it, too, failed.  It was not until the Civil War that there was any success with mandatory drafts when both the Confederate and Union forces employed them in 1862.  But it was President Woodrow Wilson's Selective Service Act of 1917 that corrected most of the flaws of previous legislation by mandating military service for all male citizens for WWI.  After that draft effort ended, another attempt was made by the Army in 1926 to develop an even more workable conscription program.  That initiative became the basis for the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 which created the first peacetime draft in the United States when signed by President Franklin Roosevelt on September 16, 1940.  In fact it became the cornerstone of manpower recruitment following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 which continued throughout WWII, and with some later modifications in 1948, 1951 and 1955 formed the basis for the current Selective Service System.  Oddly, the very existence of a draft prompted an estimated 11 million men to volunteer for military service either through active or reserve enlistments from January 1954 to April 1975.              
However, for most male Americans born after 1973 service in the military became a non issue, as that was the year the mandatory draft ended and the United States went to our existing all voluntary military.  That brings us back to that nagging "Other One Percent%" and whether it may be time to reinstate involuntary military service in America.   Will that ever happen?  Probably not, but there might be a rationale for requiring some form of mandatory service to this country whether in a military capacity or otherwise.  First, it would definitely spread the sacrifices of war among the remaining 99%.  That alone might just cause those in power who make such decisions, and may have never served one day in the military themselves, to think twice about sending our fathers, mothers, sons and daughters into harm's way.  Just last week Mark Weisbrot of McClatchy-Tribune News Service opined in our local newspaper that a majority of Americans now want our troops out of Afghanistan and two thirds think we should have never invaded Iraq in the first place.  I wonder if it would have taken ten years to come to these same conclusions if a broader cross section of America's young men and women had been over there fighting those battles since 2001.  Another plus would be to instill in our youth a deeper sense of responsibility about serving their country and not just take their secure and safe worlds for granted.  There are many other viewpoints on this issue, but please go to http://debatepedia.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:_Mandatory_military_service and decide for yourself. 
In just two days we will once again honor that Day of Infamy on December 7, 1941, which, as a direct result of the draft, was met with a huge mobilization of men and material to fight and win WWII.   If nothing else, that terrible four year conflict should have at least taught us the value of not having just 1% of our population fight the battle for the remaining 99%. 
              

Where Have All the Centrists Gone?

Was anyone really surprised with the recent failure of the "Super Committee" to find consensus on a debt reduction/increased income/tax reform package and move this country forward given the utter gridlock that has taken over and paralyzed the legislative process for months?  With built-in automatic budget cuts of $1.2 trillion scheduled to kick in January 2013, no doubt we will see further jockeying to either postpone, reshuffle or eliminate them entirely.  It makes one wonder what has happened to the elected representative model of legislative compromise that has been the bedrock of our democratic system for almost a quarter century.  Ironically, even in 1776 our founding fathers sought common ground on issues including the very composition of Congress that has evolved into the stagnated body we endure today, which Ben Stein compared on CBS's Sunday Morning show this morning to a group of zombies.



According to a study of voting practices in the Senate over the past thirty years conducted by CBS News and the National Journal, moderates have been disappearing at drastic rates ever since 1982, as reflected by the table below which categorizes liberals as BLUE, moderates as YELLOW and conservatives as RED.
YEAR       BLUE       YELLOW       RED
1982             10                 60                 30
1994             29                 36                 35
2002             45                   9                 46
2010             45                   0                 55

Not only does this study confirm the total absence of any centrists in the Senate today, it also reveals a marked trend toward conservatism during this period which has been obvious to anyone who follows the news.  But even during Ronald Reagan's presidency there was at least a spirit of cooperation and compromise because of the existence of conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans who actually enjoyed socializing on a personal level with their counterparts.  Although they may have fought heated battles in the chamber over policy issues, when push came to shove they recognized the absolute imperative of achieving legislative progress to avoid the very stalemates that have been the norm for the past several months.  However, in today's world such interaction with one another seems to be taboo, and personal assaults seem to be the order of the day.  But the over-riding question is why does this poisoned atmosphere exist?  Matt Cooper, Editor of the National Journal believes it may be a result of:

1.  Redistricting along more partisan divides.
2.  Special interest groups which "pound" Senators to vote a particular party line even if they may represent a more moderate district.  
3.  Influence of highly partisan media which "stovepipe" their message to the exclusion of other views.
Let me add a fourth, MONEY, either through direct campaign contributions, unlimited funding of tax exempt organizations with set political agendas or personal gifts.  So, is it any wonder that the Super Committee was destined for failure from the very beginning?



What is interesting about this poisonous divide is the fact that the fastest growing group of voters today is independents, who tend to be more moderate and centrist in their political views.  Also, I find it interesting that you now hear rumblings about the formation of a Third Party and even a newer effort known as Americans Elect whose purpose, as reported by Krissah Thompson in The Washington Post, is to hold a political convention via the Internet to place a third presidential candidate on every state ballot in 2012.  Could this approach possibly tap into that huge reservoir of centrist voters and break the current gridlock in Washington?  I have no idea, but you can learn more about their effort at http://americanselect.org.  In addition a host of really drastic measures may be necessary to mend the current sad state of affairs and restore a sense of true public service for the common good among our elected officials, including:
1.  Forbid lobbying on Capitol Hill altogether.  Elected representatives with the help of their paid staffs should be able to figure out for themselves what legislation is best for America. *
2.  Outlaw paid staff members from ever becoming lobbyists. *
3.  Outlaw gifts of any kind to elected officials.  Simply put, the ethics law can be written in two words:  "ACCEPT NOTHING"!
4.  Encourage legislators to quit signing silly pledges.
5.  Establish term limits for all members of Congress. 
6.  Shorten campaign periods.
7.  Fund campaigns with tax dollars.
8.  Eliminate the Electoral College. 
9.  Somehow temper the partisan media. 
10. Enforce the laws against tax exempt organizations funding political activities, or write new ones.
* Even Jack Abramoff, the former king of lobbying, agrees something has to be done in these areas (re: his fascinating November 6th interview on CBS's "60 Minutes" at http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57319075/jack-abramoff-the-lobbyists-playbook/).


In short, until major reforms, whether those listed above or others, are established to create a more level playing field for all who desire to run for office the opportunity to do so, nothing will probably ever change to break the current gridlock and allow for the return of the centrists to help balance the political extremes that exist today.

Success with Honor

Two weeks ago I had the occasion to discuss with friends the relative merits of various athletic programs around the nation which provided me the perfect opportunity to praise one of my long time heroes and programs, Joe Paterno and Penn State University.  My argument was how could you not laud a man who had spent almost a half century of his life as head coach at the same university compiling a winning record unmatched in college football totally free of scandal and sanctions, all while achieving a 90% graduation rate among his players.  In fact I had planned to make that remarkable graduation rate the subject of a separate blog.  However, all of that well deserved record of achievement came crashing down with the subsequent revelations this past week about alleged child sexual abuse by a member of his coaching staff over a period of several years dating back to at least the late 1990's.  If ever there was a living example of the adage that it takes a lifetime to build a reputation, but only one mistake to destroy it, this tragedy certainly qualifies.

While there probably will be many further revelations about this situation before it is over, at least the powers that be at Penn State have taken immediate and decisive action to remove all of those individuals connected with these horrendous acts, including even those who committed sins of omission by not contacting the proper authorities at the time they supposedly occurred.  No doubt everyone involved in this particular incident will eventually pay a heavy price for the misdeeds that have revealed a darker side of major college sports which Susan Page of USA Today terms a "conspiracy of silence".   In fact "Buzz" Bisinger, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Friday Night Lights and columnist for the The Daily Beast, minces no words in his opinion of this "closing of ranks around their own", going so far as to call it the "evil" within college sports and comparing it to the Mafia's code of "omerta".  You can read his column and the various responses which followed at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/10/joe-paterno-and-penn-state-s-code-of-omerta-in-the-sex-abuse-scandal.html.  He also has proposed a total separation of sports from academics in which collegiate athletics would be licensed to schools that would pay a set fee for teams playing under their banner.  Under this arrangement players could even be paid for their services, something I have heard others suggest.  Frankly, I do not know how all of this would work, but if nothing else comes out of this mess, maybe there will be a re-evaluation of all major college sports and the potentially corrupting influence of the hundreds of millions of dollars that flow into these programs each year.

One thing that should be remembered in all of this is that Penn State University has a long history of following the motto of Success With Honor.  Adherence to that motto was never more proudly displayed than last night's student prayer vigil on campus for the victims of this past abuse, and continued through today's difficult, emotional and heartbreaking 17 to 14 loss against Nebraska.  The game began and ended with a huge outpouring of support from 100,000+ students and fans for their home team and coaching staff, even including a gathering at midfield of both teams and staffs before the game to pray together instead of apart.  Coming back from a 17 to 0 deficit, the Nittany Lions fought back and actually had a chance to either tie or win the game, but time simply ran out.  So, in the end, this sordid affair is not about one person or even a group of people, as they all can and will be replaced.  Rather, it is about a storied institution, its history, heritage, traditions and the manner in which they plan to move forward.  From what I observed today watching that game which ended about a hour ago, that healing process has already begun and Penn State will emerge much stronger as a result, further achieving that Success with Honor.    

   

Thank God for Mississippi

Growing up in Arkansas in the 40's, 50's and 60's, it was not uncommon to hear the declaration "Thank God for Mississippi", as it was always made in defense of our state for at least not being the very last in per capita wealth or education.  In that context it was not a very complimentary expression.  With the advent several years ago of casino gambling to that state in places like Tunica and Gulfport, hundreds of millions of dollars flowed into Mississippi's state coffers that brought about major infrastructure improvements, new factories, increased jobs and improvement in education, all of which pretty much made that expression fade away.


Now, all of a sudden, a new draconian legislative initiative comes along that makes one wonder what has happened to all of that progressive thinking and notable achievement.  Specifically, it is Amendment 26 - The Mississippi Personhood Amendment which, if approved, would amend Article III of their state constitution to define a person or persons to "include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof".  In short, every fertilized egg would become a person with all of the rights, privileges and protections now afforded all of the other living, breathing and functioning humans in Mississippi, including criminal  prosecution of anyone who destroys that egg whether intentional or not.  As reported on ABC News on November 4th, this definition "....goes beyond what most anti-abortion politicians and groups advocate, which is to define life at conception and limit abortion only to cases of rape, incest or when the mother's life is in danger", so it is very clear what the true intent of this initiative is and where it's headed.  In fact their own website at http://personhoodmississippi.com/amendment-26/what-it-says.aspx admits that if this amendment is approved then "...abortion will be outlawed in our state; cloning and other forms of medical cannibalism will be effectively stopped; and a challenge will be set up to Roe v Wade".  In a more drastic practical application of this ill-conceived law, if a couple engages in sex and then use a morning after pill as a form of now legal birth control, they could be prosecuted for murder.  More problematic is what happens in cases of in vitro fertilization procedures when unused eggs are destroyed after a successful pregnancy is achieved.  So much for a legal lifeline that medical science has created for otherwise childless couples.           

This issue was discussed at great length during the Diane Rehm Show this past Monday, October 31st, so go to http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-10-31/consequences-granting-legal-status-fertilized-human-egg listen to the entire discussion.  And you thought the spooks and goblins of Halloween were scary?  It would almost be funny if the implications weren't so serious.  Some of the more interesting reactions to this topic have ranged from wanting to claim such eggs as dependents for tax purposes, to wanting to know if a mother dies during childbirth could the egg be charged with manslaughter, to why there is not as much concern for the living children of Mississippi now unwanted and living in foster homes, to wanting to know if a mother who miscarries can be charged with murder, to personal injury attorneys having a field day with the accidental death of that fertilized egg.  Ever heard of unintended consequences?  Well, this initiated act is chocked full of them, not the least of which is an absolute assault on the rights of women to make their own determination concerning family planning.  Furthermore, forget about innovative medical procedures being developed in Mississippi to aide women in that planning, which is one of the reasons why almost every medical group in that state is against this measure.  I had held out some anticipation that Governor Haley Barbour might bring some reason to this ballot question, but I noticed in an AP article yesterday that he has already voted for it, so I can only hope that the good people of Mississippi will come to their senses and vote this bad boy down next Tuesday.  If not, then "Thank God for Mississippi.  

Cheer Them in the Middle East, Arrest Them in America

All of the recent publicity and rhetoric about the Occupy Wall Street movement just begs a comparison with the Arab Spring protests of several months ago when most western democracies including ours were cheering the courage and bold action of thousands of citizens in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Syria and Libya.  Besides risking beatings, imprisonment and torture they were also placing their very lives in jeopardy to achieve the same democratic liberties we enjoy here in America, among them the freedom of peaceful assembly and expression which Occupy Wall Street exemplifies.  Setting aside for the moment whether you agree with the OWS message, do you not find the police reaction of forced removal and arrests in some cities (most notably Oakland, Denver and Nashville) to be similar to the police conduct in the Middle East?  It's as if we are becoming them instead of the other way around.  I thought riot gear, tear gas and over-whelming police force were part of our past, not our present.  And for Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain to label the demonstrators as "un-American," "anti-capitalism" and "anti-free market" just shows a total ignorance of history, as well as what this initiative is all about.      

So, exactly what is driving this Occupy Wall Street movement?  Well, you can start with the huge income and wealth disparity between the top one percent of our population which has grown by 275% over the past generation while the remaining ninety-nine percent has grown only 18% during that same period.  One of the reasons cited for this disparity by the Congressional Budget Office is the lack of college degrees among our young people who, in this climate of ever-changing globalization, are simply unable to compete with the more educated Chinese and Indians who will work for much less.  Compounding the problem of those diminished job opportunities for our youth, which robs them of their dreams for the future, is the mountain of student loan debt incurred by those who do seek to achieve that very college education that is being sold as the key to one's economic success. Then there is the loss of existing jobs which has caused financial devastation among millions of adult Americans who are unable to pay the mortgages on their homes, as well as just meet day-to-day living expenses for their families.  And, finally, there are the ethical lapses and criminal activities within the financial community that almost brought down the major economies of the industrialized world which have gone largely unpunished.  Conversely, our masters of the universe seem to have gone right back to the same questionable practices and exorbitant personal enrichment of the past that are further widening that income gap and creating an elite economic imbalance which Alexander Stille of the New York Times calls "....one of the most unequal democracies in the world".  Frame all of these concerns within the context of a feckless and paralyzed congress that seems either unable or unwilling to address these systemic problems in a bold and meaningful way and you've got yourself the platform for all of the dissatisfaction, frustration and anger now being expressed by Occupy Wall Street.  

One of the main criticisms being leveled at this movement is its lack of common theme or central voice.  Those of us old enough to have lived through the Vietnam War and the anti-war demonstrations that raged across America in the late 60's and early 70's will recall a somewhat similar critique in the early stages of that initiative, but it did not take very long for those disparate anti-war actions to meld into the central message of  "End that war".  We all know what happened as a result - it ended.  The same thing happened with civil rights abuses.  It's all about raising the national consciousness and public debate to the point where corrective action is forced on our policy makers.  I suspect that as the Occupy Wall Street movement spreads and gains support, both moral and financial, we will see a more effective organization that may well play a significant role in the 2012 elections not unlike that of the Tea Party in 2010.  In fact, Elizabeth Warren's senatorial race in Massachusetts may well be the bell-weather test of this possibility, as evidenced by the outpouring of support from OWS sympathizers at one of her recent rallies.  Surely, these impassioned citizens will at least be allowed to exercise their lawful right to peaceful protest and expression without fear of intimidation and arrest at these legal assemblies, if not public parks and spaces.     

Pedaling Across America

Yesterday's New York Times Travel section featured a wonderful article by Bruce Weber as he completes his second 4,000 mile cross-country bicycle trip which began this time from Astoria, Oregon on July 20th and is scheduled to end on the Isle of Manhattan, New York soon, if it hasn't already.  What grabbed my attention to his journey was not only the sheer physical accomplishment of the feat at age 57 versus eighteen years ago when he first made the trip at age 39, but the almost de Tocqueville quality of his observations of Americana along the way made from a middle-aged perspective of not being in a hurry.  Also, it was relevant to a couple of personal cycling experiences, which I will get to in a minute.   
Contrary to his first trip as a younger man, he admits that his current trans-continental trip has a much more contemplative quality, as this time one's mortality factors into the equation.  Gone is the drive to ride at break-neck speed from sun-up to sun-down with a fearless determination to cover as many miles as possible in the shortest period of time.  Also, there is now a deep appreciation of the risks involved in such an adventure in terms of traffic and road conditions that has triggered much more caution and awareness.  But the trade-off is a heightened consciousness and appreciation of this nation, generally the kindness of its people, which he terms "the default temperament of decency" and the spectacular beauty of the countryside.  From the River Gorge of Oregon, over the majestic Rockies, across the plains of Montana and North Dakota, to the headwaters of the Mississippi in Minnesota, through the heartland of Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio to the Great Allegheny Passage in Pennsylvania, 300 miles short of his final destination when his chronicle was written, one just cannot be anything but awed.  In his words "This was an American journey by a New Yorker who became more American as he went along". 
While he also confesses that the physical demands of this trip almost took its toll, his defining moment was on August 13th, the day he crossed the Continental Divide.  After seriously considering taking a lesser route to avoid a grueling 11-mile climb to the top, he was persuaded by a stranger in Whitefish, Montana that it would be "awfully silly to be so close to one of the justly celebrated rides in America and not taking advantage of it".  And I just loved his equating the exhilaration of the moment with that when as a 17-year old boy he got kissed by his 17-year old girlfriend - "It was exactly like that".  His journey is unquestionably a metaphor for life that can be summed up by his own conclusion to live in the present.  To learn more about it and see images from this amazing trip, go to http://nytimes.com/travel. 
Now, let me share those personal experiences.  On April 2, 2010, a friend and I were at the Toltec Mounds Museum between Scott and Keo, Arkansas when we crossed paths with a man from California who was in the seventh year of an on-going bicycle journey across America.  It happened to be his 64th birthday, so I persuaded him to let me take his picture and e-mail it to his wife just to let her know he was alive and well.  I filed that encounter away and had almost forgotten about it when out of the clear blue last December 14th I received an e-mail from Joel thanking me for that picture, and letting me know he made it to Memphis OK, but flew back to California.  However, he had resumed his trek last September riding from Rapid City, South Dakota to Sioux City, Iowa, thus completing the final leg of his "across-America" ride which he admitted his wife only allowed him to do in "little pieces each year".  Just like Bruce Weber's journey summarized above, what started out as just riding a bike soon morphed into weaving a quilt of personal encounters that became his main focus of interest, and just by happenstance my friend and I had become a part of that fabric, for which he again thanked me.  And then, once again out of the blue Joel e-mailed me on May 16th of this year voicing his concern about the recent storms and flooding that had occurred across the south last spring and wondering if we were OK.  I greatly appreciated and thanked him for his inquiry and concern, as our house had been a victim of a fallen tree the prior month.   Obviously, that "default temperament of decency" cuts both ways.
And, finally, within the past ten days it has been my true pleasure to take two mini bike rides, the first through the vineyards of Napa Valley, California with my wife, children and their respective spouses, and the latest this past Saturday, which was an individual ride through Two Rivers Park here in Little Rock, a place about which I first wrote on August 14, 2011.  While both were leisurely and soulful rides through pristine and beautiful places with little physical agony, I can only imagine what strength and commitment it must take to pedal across America, particularly during middle age, whether all at once like Mr. Weber or piecemeal like my new found friend, Joel.  Gentlemen, I applaud you both!   
      

History Comes Full Circle

Almost one year ago to the day, I included in my October 24th blog POTPOURRI III mention of meeting one of America's foremost artists, Will Barnet, at a screening of a documentary film on his life in New York the previous week.  That opportunity was a direct result of going to Maine two months prior and reconnecting with a dear high school friend who lives there (re: my RECONNECTIONS blog of August 29, 2010) and who, along with her husband, was involved with the production of that film.  Unbeknownst to me at the time, those two events helped plant the seeds for what has now blossomed into the current spectacular showing of a collection of Will Barnet's drawings at the Arkansas Arts Center which are on exhibit from now until January 15, 2012.   

For those like me who until last year were unfamiliar with Will Barnet, allow me to briefly acquaint you with this most remarkable man.  Born 100 years ago in Beverly, Massachusetts on May 25, 1911, where he began painting self-portraits in the basement of his parents' home, he then progressed to formally studying art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in his teens during which time he added seascapes and family cats to his portfolio.  In 1931 he left for New York and began his 50 year association with the very Art Students League where I was privileged to see the documentary film mentioned above, as well as meet his lovely wife of 59 years, Elena.  As revealed in Robin Finn's article in the New York Times last October, the city became his muse where he began "sketching the forlorn and angry faces he saw on every corner" developing his style of "stark, brooding social realism".  At the same time he focused on and mastered print techniques at the Art Students League where he taught Mark Rothko in that process.  In addition he has taught at Cornell University, Cooper Union, Yale University, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and Montclair State University in New Jersey where he was a visiting art professor from 1940 to 1945, and where his son, Peter, has taught art for forty years.  His body of work has been featured over the years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the National Gallery in Washington D.C., the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Whitney Museum of American Art, so the Arkansas Arts Center is in very good company. 

Over the last eight decades he has constantly elected to travel the road less traveled artistically by opting to pursue that which was neither popular nor easy.  As noted in Finn's NYT article, his work "morphed from social realism to a nuanced abstraction that used flat planes of color to convey emotion and depth".   A clear example of this unusual technique is demonstrated in the lithograph "WAITING" depicting a group of women forlornly awaiting the return of their husbands from the sea, a recurring theme of Mr. Barnet's, which you can see at the Arts Center alongside his prototype pencil drawing of that very scene.  In fact color is so important to him in his paintings that he has been known to experiment for months if not years trying to blend the precise shade and hue of a particular color to achieve those artistic dimensions.  He also prides himself in saying that "I love moving on and finding fresh ways to use color and form.  That's been my excitement".  

Even though as a centenarian he still continues to engage in his passion of art by spending three to four hours a day creating it, albeit from a wheelchair, he is not oblivious to his mortality, as related in a story he told for the same NYT article about his grandfather's impending death at the age of 96.   At the age of six, Will was taken to say goodbye to his grandfather who said to him at that time:  "Do you think it's easy to die at the age of 96?"  Consequently, we in Central Arkansas are truly blessed to have this marvelous 85-piece collection of Will Barnet drawings at our doorstep which are beautifully arranged chronologically from 1928 to 1990 to show the evolution of the style and content of a truly amazing artisan who refuses to quit.  To get a glimpse of his remarkable range and talent please visit the Arkansas Arts Center between now and January 15, 2012.  You will not be disappointed.

As a late PS, there is a featured article on Will Barnet in the Arts and Leisure section of today's New York Times, so our exhibition here in Little Rock is very timely.

"Let Them Eat Cake"

Recent news stories and studies about the plight of the young, poor and hungry in America caused me to reflect on the French Revolution (1789-1799) which, essentially, was prompted by a growing disparity between the rich aristocracy and the peasantry who sought equality and rights as a result of a shortage of their main food staple, bread.  Whether you believe the famous quote of "let them eat cake" actually came from Marie Antoinette is irrelevant because it generally reflected the selfish attitude of the French upper class at the time, of which she was a most prominent member.  What is important to remember is that things did not turn out very well for her or the aristocracy in general, a historical lesson that may well apply today.
Fast forward two hundred years and we see alarming trends in our society which seem to mirror 18th century France.  Let's start with the growing inequality between the rich and poor in America and how it is infecting our national soul and purpose.  As reported last May in VANITY FAIR in an article by Joseph Stiglitz entitled Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%, the top one percent of Americans now earn 25% of all income and control 40% of all wealth, a situation he compares with Russia and Iran, as well as some countries in the Middle East where less than 1% of the population controls the majority of wealth.  He further contends that such income and wealth inequality shrinks opportunity, undermines efficiency and lessens investment in infrastructure, research and education out of reluctance of the wealthy "to spend money on the common needs" of society.  As the rich become richer, they lose their sensibilities toward government helping the less fortunate with things like parks, education, medical care and security because they (the rich) are able to pay for all those things themselves.  It's just the classic mindset of "I've got mine, now you get yours".  The main goals of many wealthy people always seem to be to lower taxes and reduce regulation.  But perhaps the greatest cost to our society in Mr. Stiglitz's view is "the erosion of our sense of identity, in which fair play, equality of opportunity, and a sense of community are so important".  In fact he notes that Alexis de Tocqueville even observed these qualities as being part of the American fabric and called them "self-interest properly understood".  However, in this context "properly understood" are the key words, as they refer to the self-interest of others, or the common welfare, which is a precondition for one's own ultimate well-being.  Put another way by the author, even though the rich can afford the best of everything, they do not seem to understand that "their fate is bound up with how the other 99 percent live".
Framing this message in current terms, consider the following facts as a confirmation of "shrunken opportunity":
1.  In 2010 the poverty rate of 15.1% (46.2 million people) was the highest since 1933.
2.  In 2010 the rate of those without health care insurance was 16.3% (49.9 million people).
3.  5.9 million (14.2%) young adults between age 25-34 now live back home with their parents in what could be termed "re-filling the empty nest".
4.  Over 14 million Americans (9.1%) are still unemployed.
5.  Only 55.3% of young adults between 16-29, which some now refer to as the "lost generation", are currently employed, the lowest level since WWII.
6.  The poverty level among those under 25 years of age is 37%.
7.  Anywhere between 700,000 and 2 million people are homeless in America on any given night, 36% of whom are families with children. 
Without laying blame for the dismal condition of our national economy, as there is plenty to go around, the question of what to do now looms large over the political horizon.  Currently, the administration's proposed American Jobs Act seems to address a wide spectrum of concerns on both sides of that landscape including tax relief for wage earners and small businesses, increased revenue from the rich, closed tax loopholes for large corporations and "spending money on the common needs" mentioned above (i.e. infrastructure, education and research).  As such, it would seem to be in the best interest of America to learn from history, pass this legislation and hopefully avoid the fate of the rich French and their disconnect with the poor as evidenced by their shouting "Let them eat cake"!