Earlier this week, we had a wonderful overnight snowstorm, that went well into the early morning.  As is my custom, I was working late into the evening and found myself wandering outside to get some fresh air and a break. And I was taken aback by the stillness.  I looked out upon our empty street, amidst the slowly falling snow, and noticed how quiet things were. There was a stillness, which was magical.  As I walked down the driveway, I felt and heard the snow underneath my feet.  I heard an owl way off in the distance, and the distant siren of a plow truck.  I felt more connected to the scene that I had most scenes.  It’s almost like my awareness rose because I finally slowed down enough to feel it.  

Working for a church, I often hear how God speaks in a whisper, and the only way to hear it is when we slow down.  And while not everyone believes in God, most of us can agree that there’s a certain harmony to the universe which is beyond our comprehension.  If you consider all the circumstances that have aligned for our universe to exist, and even for our planet to sustain life while others in the solar system do not (or so far as we know), is just too perfect to be coincidence.  And we as the creation are part of the perfection, and maybe that’s why some details of the creation of the universe may always be beyond our understanding.  After all the creation is not always meant to understand the creator. Or the nature of the creation.  But I think once we slow down, and really listen, quietly, we can hear the universe humming around us.  And be more in tune with it. 

One of my favorite things about growing up in New England was the winters, and specifically there was something about the night.  And one night when I was walking around at night during the New England winter, I was taken aback by the beauty of the stillness and wrote it down in the form of a poem.  May it remind us all to slow down and enjoy the beauty and gifts of creation that are around us. 

In Evening’s Stillness

I set out on a stroll 

Called by the calm crisp evening 

I walked coatless by intention 

To feel the New England air 

Cool my soul

Down by the icy pond 

the rustle of leaves quickly replaced

By rushing waters

Unhindered by icy barriers

Runs over the waterfall

With determined nature 

I sit on the edge 

Dangling shoes above 

The rushing water 

Glistening with fleeting light

Running on the edge 

As the cold sets in my core

I make for home

Feeling refreshment through decreased internal temperature 

Such a beautiful place 

Back several months ago, it was in the news that certain books written by the legendary children’s author, Dr. Seuss, were no longer going to be published due to their overtly racist overtones.  Books such as “Mulberry Street” and “If I Ran the Zoo” held images of minorities being portrayed in ways that supported certain racist stereotypes, and furthermore, these characters were portrayed with a certain level of ridicule and outlandishness that would only support the notion that these characters were different than others in the stories.  In this case, difference was portrayed as something negative, not positive.  

A little historical context.  Theodor Geissel (the actual name of Dr. Seuss), had long held a certain disdain for Asian Americans (particularly those with Japanese descent) because of the anti-Asian racist wave that swept parts of the country during and in the immediate aftermath of World War II.  At that time, disdain for the Japanese wasn’t uncommon, because we were at war with the Japanese, but as often happens, the racism was somewhat more generalized to all Asian Americans, which was no doubt reinforced with the conflicts that followed WWII in Korea, Vietnam and other countries in East Asia.  This was not necessarily confined to Asian Americans; there was anti German and Anti-Italian sentiment as well, but in the case of Asian Americans, the US took things one step further as to imprison many Japanese-Americans in internment camps during WWII.  The government would say that this incarceration was for their own safety, but the undertones were not easily missed.  While Hitler’s Nazi concentration camps would take the gold for their famous notoriety and particularly awful cruel and unusual treatment of human beings and obvious attempts at religious genocide, any time you incarcerate a group of people based upon race, it makes people wonder about any similarities and then throw in the timing and boom. The very idea of segregating based upon fear, misunderstanding, stereotyping, and racial profiling, still has pinnings rooted in the same place.  

But this commentary is not just about analyzing history.  Because Dr. Seuss’s books are clearly influenced so much by the history and times, we can almost refer to them easily as historical literature.  It’s no different than reading a book from Victorian England, or even something American like Huckleberry Finn.  Some of those books are core parts of the English curriculum in schools across America and that is because they are taught with the historical context they come from in mind.  So you might wonder why we can’t do that with Dr. Seuss?

Well to answer that we have to look at the broader picture of what’s going on in terms of how history is handled and portrayed in this country right now.  There is no doubt that there are painful parts of our national history.  This country has so much blood on its hands with regards to how its handled human rights, particularly with things like slavery and racism in its past.  It’s a country that purports to be where all people are created equal, but in nearly 250 years we still haven’t made that a true reality for all people.  It’s not that our country was founded on a lie, its more that we haven’t brought the idea to full fruition. One of the things that possibly keeps the cycle of racism still spinning is if we continue to see it in cultural norms like reading books it’s keeping idea alive. That’s one of the central arguments here. 

The most common things heard in history classes all over the country is that “if we do not pay attention to history, we will be doomed to repeat it.”  While we may not like parts of our history, we can’t ignore it simply because its distasteful, or inconvenient.  Those parts of our history should be an impetus to learn and grow which is something that’s a perpetual process.  The pursuit of liberty and justice for all is one that doesn’t stop, because there’s always a way to make our perfect union more perfect (and there is MUCH still to do). So I would see an opportunity for education, because education is always the best method towards social change.  Perhaps instead of demolishing the statue of General Robert E. Lee, we instead analyze the statue as a monument to a quashed rebellion that advocated for social stagnation and for slavery.  We look at it as a means of remembering where we come from so we don’t end up there again.  And we push back against those who celebrate the rebellion, and wave the confederate flag as a possible battle cry to another one.  

But returning to the idea of people as consumers of entertainment, in which books is one area, how do we interpret the value of historical things and does keeping these things in play mean we’re continuing a cycle of discrimination? 

How many reading this post have read Huckleberry Finn, and saw references to black people using an old and unacceptable slur by today’s standards? How about watching movies about the early United States in the South when slavery was more openly acceptable? What is the line between appreciating historical fiction for its own merits, and for its times, and for the story and less for the underpinnings of racist propaganda and recognizing that by consuming such things we are purporting those standards and the only way to truly grow as a society is to cut ourselves off from such things all together?

A couple things before I answer those questions.  First, every person might answer these questions differently.  If you are a member of a minority group who’s been subjected to discrimination, you might be inclined to answer that racism is racism, and it should not be perpetuated whether its from the past or not.  That’s what’s kept the cycle from being broken.  Because we keep consuming things that reinforce it.  However, another person might want to see a bigger picture, that humanity has the capacity to grow and change and they can handle analyzing the past as a mechanism for growth.  So the answers may be highly individualized.  You are going to get my opinion and answer.  No one else’s.  

The second point is this.  Regardless of what was considered acceptable at any given time, discrimination in any form (any “ism” sexism, racism, stereotyping etc.) is wholly and incontrovertibly unacceptable.  It was not acceptable then, is not acceptable now and it shall never be acceptable.  Diversity should be celebrated everywhere because what makes us different is just as important as what makes us the same.  And we are more alike than we are different; skin color, race, creed, gender, identity, none of that has any bearing on our value as humans. It never should’ve had any, and it should never again be used to determine value.  As long as there is red blood pumping through your veins; your humanity is on the same level as mine.  Period.  

Now to consider the questions.  Theres no doubt that racism, like poverty and other things, is a cyclical process.  There’s an old West Wing quote: “Now that we’ve eliminated racism in our laws, we must eliminate it in our hearts and minds.”  Unfortunately, to claim we’ve eliminated it from our laws and our systems is folly.  We still have systems that are inherently skewed against certain populations, whether its the mandatory minimums in drug sentencing, or a judicial system that is sometimes at the mercy of the common person (or people in the case of a jury), and they are at the mercy of their biases.  Racism is as much an economic thing as it is a social inequality and we have systems that keep poor people poor and rich people rich.  

But more insidious than our laws, is the fact that we still have much racism in our hearts.  It seeps into our systems, because we as humans have influence.  Take the law enforcement system that’s sometimes tainted with biases so bad that if you of a particularly skin color, its not even guaranteed that you might even survive a simple traffic stop for speeding.  (I will also say that those instances shouldn’t overshadow the numerous examples of good law enforcement too; a future post will address the mainstream media and how we’re more likely to hear about the bad than the good in our world). 

The racism in our hearts is present even for the best amongst us.   In order to change our system, and make for a better America and a better world, we have to acknowledge and deal with some pretty nasty truths.  Do we truly view everyone as equal? Is being a member of the human race enough, or do we see further division?  And then there’s the cyclical nature of nurture.  Whereas racism is passed down from generation to generation, children are taught it, and like the good traditions, family traditions of holding racist truths weave their way down, until its not even clear why they are racist, they just are.  Returning to my other question above, this type of cyclical generational racism can be stoked by holding onto the past.  Perhaps a book like Seuss’s Mulberry St might give off an unflattering view of Asian-Americans, that that could spiral especially in the wake of anti-Asian sentiment already being levied because of the heaping amounts of false blame levied at them because of the pandemic.  Perhaps a book like “At the Zoo” might give an unflattering view of African-Americans, portraying them as crazy monsters that should be locked up, and then before you know it, you are seeing those monsters everywhere, instead of the human beings they really are.  Or what about all the symbols of the quelled rebellion in the South?  It’s baffling that we are the only country on the planet, where, after a deadly Civil War, the losers of that conflict, the vanquished, and quelled rebellion is still celebrated.  How many times have you seen the old confederate flag waving, an obelisk celebrating slavery, racism, and progress running backwards?  And like a spark in a fire, it can take off, and the cycle rears its ugly head again.  

And it’s a two-way street.  How often, especially in the wake of the MeToo movement, and the most recent displays of protest against the treatment of minorities, have white people been generalized as racist and privileged? And on a topic like Affirmative Action, which was meant to level the playing field, it’s also shifted things as well.  Instead of being built on a system that is strictly meritocracy, it’s skewed towards whether your skin is one they need more of in their organization to improve their image.  Now, one can make the argument that a skewed system is what minorities have dealt with all along, and this is finally making it even, and you’d have a fair point.  It’s the classic case of responding to someone who says “Black lives Matter”, that “well shouldn’t all lives matter?” While the intention can be completely genuine, with a look at tackling the larger problem (equality as a whole), it can be a form of suppression.  Black lives are already well behind the starting line, and in order to make things even we have to help them catch up.  Therefore, Black lives Matter because they are the ones in trouble at this moment.  

So there would seem to be a couple of courses of action.  We could eliminate all things from the past that wouldn’t be socially acceptable now, to avoid the possibility of those ideas perpetuating into a repeat of history now.  We can use education to implant new ideas, because if children haven’t heard of racism they might not be racist.  

But I have a different idea.  I think humans have the capacity to see the forest from the trees, if its educated with proper context and open discussion.  Perhaps in a classroom studying Seuss, we might ask youth the question “do you see how the picture is portrayed? Is that the way someone should be portrayed?”  That can lead to a discussion about how we treat people, and about things they hear in the world, specifically politically divisive rhetoric by certain figures in the news, then that leads to talking about propoganda and misinformation because the digital age has made spreading information disturbingly pervasive and some groups of people are especially vulnerable to good and well-targeted propaganda.  And over time, as a teacher I am cultivating a generation of tolerance, understanding, appreciation for the positive and negatives of the past, and the capacity to lead our country forward.  It all starts with education (and unlike Trix education isn’t just for children. It’s for everyone.). That’s how we change the narrative.  That’s how we eliminate racism from our hearts and minds.  That’s how we get an America that is truly free and where all people are created equal. It’s just like one fish, two fish, they’re a fish and we’re all fish.  

There is little that saddens and angers me more than reading articles like I did this morning about the predicted uptick in pandemic pet return to animal shelters.  What this means is that there are great deal of dogs and cats, that were adopted during the pandemic when people had more time, only to figure out what when their post-pandemic lives hit, they no longer had the time or interest in caring for these animals.  Animals that likely brought them a great deal of joy and comfort during the darkest days of the pandemic, and for their kindness and love, they are cast aside because of a lack of human foresight.  

I should say before I really wind up here, that there are instances where taking a pet to a shelter is considered humane.  Sometimes lives change unexpectedly and the shelter where they can be cared for, even in the somewhat less than perfect conditions, is far better than releasing them in a park, or full on abandoning them.  So we should all do our part to make sure animals are cared for; and to make sure that we are fully supporting our local animal shelters through donations and with supplies.  Together, we can take better care of animals as a community, even when some in the community cannot.  

But back to the increasing problem.  People just do not have the foresight to see what adopting an animal really means.  They lack the responsibility skills, or worse, fail to care enough beyond their own selfish desires to do so, the consequences of the actions, and how it affects other living beings.  They do not see how adopting an animal can bring joy to an animal that only wants to be loved and cared for; and will then give back that love ten-fold.  And then to be abandoned again, the sheer emotional trauma (and yes dogs and cats do experience emotional trauma), of being abandoned again.  My neighbors volunteer at the Wallingford Animal Shelter, and they have told me heart-breaking stories about the emotional trauma faced by dogs and cats in an endless cycle of animal shelters, where despite the best efforts of volunteers, donations, and local community support, its still not “home.”

We take having a home like that for granted every day…even the best of us. We take for granted that we have a support system of friends and family…all the time.  We are largely a very selfish race; driven by our own individual desire to care for ourselves, and not having a good enough sense of outward awareness for other people.  And that needs to change.  Now.  

These animals are defenseless, and at our mercy.  Human atrocities are heart-breaking, but animal atrocities are gut-wrenching.  These animals only want to be loved and cared for, and they will love, defend and protect those who show them that love.  

My wife and I waited a long time to get a dog because our chaotic work lives took up too much of our time.  We couldn’t be home (you can’t work be out of the house 10-12 hours a day during the week and care for a dog), and couldn’t spend time with a dog like we would want to, and even though that meant not getting one, we knew we had to wait until we could.  Luckily for us, the pandemic changed our lives, and through a series of permanent changes (and I emphasize permanent changes), we can now begin to transition to new normal life with our dog cemented in the center of it.  

I do not tell that story to make you think that we are saints.  I do not tell you that story to make you think that we think we’re saints.  But we have tried, and we took care to be ready.  So I encourage everyone to adopt a dog or a cat. And to love them, spend time with them, and make them a part of your home.  But make sure before you do, you are ready to do so.  Make changes in your work and life schedules so you can be present for them.  And show responsibility; because that responsibility has very real consequences.  You can change a life, or destroy one.  And their lives matter too. 

So sports ball is an internet term used to describe all of sports at once, usually for someone who’s not avid sports enthusiast.  I’m choosing to use it to describe the fact that I’m about to unload on my three teams:  New York Yankees, Green Bay Packers and New York Rangers, as well as the NHL, MLB and NFL, all at once.  There’s been a lot going on for all my teams, and most of it not good, so there’s a lot to unpack.  

New York Rangers and the National Hockey League

Let’s start with the team that began the ire.  The Rangers just haven’t been able to field a championship caliber team since 2015, and the hockey year began with Henrik Lundqvist being bought out and signing with the rival Washington Capitals.  Lundqvist was a legend at MSG, the King of New York, and the reason I became a Rangers fan in the first place.  It was a shame that he never won the a Stanley Cup, especially in that Cup Final in 2015 against those damned Los Angeles Kings.  As he aged, he lost playing time, and the team did not age well around him.  The management sold off the veterans to free agency, and most of them ended up in Tampa Bay so they could win a championship there (as an update its now two championships, which only pisses me off more).  So after many, many years of management issues, and coaching woes, this year shaped up to be very much the same as years past; ineptitude for the first half of the season, and then an exciting charge up the standings, but ultimately fall short.  This year was no different. And to be honest I have no problem with the Capitals (Ovi and Chara are studs, and the team is always a favorite, except when they meet with the playoffs.  

But there was more than just a deafening silence with the game that ultimately cost us the playoffs.  The Rangers played the Capitals in early April before the playoffs began, and in the game that eventually eliminated them, noted Capitals enforcer Tom Wilson, someone who’s been suspended countless times for being too aggressive and for causing injuries, crashed the Ranger net, and after a scrum, took forward Artemi Panarin, flipped him like a rag doll and threw him on the ice. In doing so, Panarin  suffered a massive back injury, and was out for what was remaining in the season. It was a vicious and brutal hit, from a player who has a history of doing so.  It was bad for the Capitals who were gearing up for the playoffs facing a possible suspension to Wilson who is otherwise a good player except for his aggressiveness and tendency for hurting people. And the National Hockey League has dealt with it harshly in the past, but this time, the NHL dropped the ball, and he was not severely punished (I believe he got a fine, that was the equivalent for someone not a millionaire athlete as like $20).  And because the NHL failed to punish him, the Rangers took matters into their own hands, and fought the Capitals in the next game 6 times in two periods, and the Rangers wrote a strong statement condemning the Department of Player Safety for dropping the ball.  Which then got them handed a fine, but I like how the Rangers weren’t gonna take it.  Then they shuffled the whole front-office management team, and coaching staff.  No telling if it’ll have a discernible effect but that’s for next season. 

The League should be ashamed for how it handled Tom Wilson, and its time for him to be kicked out of the league.  Guys like him, and Brad Marchand of the Bruins, do not carry such a value beyond their scrappy play and sheer luck, and they are reckless.  It’s palpable that the great superstars of these teams, like Ovechkin, Chara (on either team), Bergeron, and others just roll their eyes when they put them behind the ball in the penalty box.  And then they have to face the ire of a pissed off opponent.  Plus, the NHL is wildly inconsistent.  Buchnevich, received a harsher penalty for retaliation with less bodily damage than Wilson.  I also enjoy the part where the League lacked a plan for Canadian and American teams playing in the playoffs and having to cross the border, and only a matter of days before the third round began, did a plan for crossing emerge along with permission from the Canadian government.  And it’s not like the third round took them by surprise; it was pretty obvious on the calendar when this would happen and when the Western and Canadian North divisions would have to play each other.  Nice pre-planning NHL; hopefully they do better going forward.  Or replace Bettman with someone who can do the job. 

And finally, Gerard Gallant..not sure about that choice, although David Quinn was clearly no winner.  And Vegas just shouldn’t have sports teams.  Period. It’s a city with more tourists than home fans.  Also, way to rip off the mascot of the Clarkson Golden Knights…my dad’s alma mater. 

As an update from when I first started writing this; sad to see Buchnevich go, but Blais should be a good addition.  We’re far from a championship team though; more things need to happen.  

And, I’m intrigued with the Seattle Kraken. Anytime an expansion team starts (as long as it isn’t in Vegas…because well Vegas….),its exciting and it looks like it poached some good players from across the League, and it’s a town that’s ripe for hockey.  Interesting that they now get to literally stare the Canucks down across the border, but maybe it makes the Pacific division all the more interesting. 

New York Yankees, Brian Cashman, and Major League Baseball

Ah, with the halfway point just past us, there’s so much to thrown down about the vaunted team from the Bronx.  And with so much that’s been pfaffed up, and so much that’s just flat out gone wrong. And the most insidious thing is that so much of this Yankees team was and is preventable.  Put another way, when you build a rickety house of cards, you can’t be surprised when things begins to fall down.  Or to make another game reference, think about the game of jenga.  Even if you make all the right moves for awhile, one wrong move topples the whole thing.  Now imagine making all the wrong moves, or mostly wrong moves.  Unlike golf, its not always better to be lucky than good in this type of business. 

The Yankees have been an underperforming team for most of the last 12 years.  In fact, since 2001, we’ve been pretty rickety especially in the post season.  We made a magic run in 2009, but for most other years (minus 2003, 2017 and 2019), we’ve always been just south of where we need to be, especially in the postseason.  In fact, since 2003, the Yankees have made just one trip….one trip….to the World Series (it was 2009 when we won).  I blame a good deal of this on Brian Cashman.  As the general manager, its his job to build the team, and if he builds a bad team, its like trying to build a house on a weak foundation.  No matter how well you build the house, the strength of the foundation makes or breaks the long-run.  That’s also how a baseball team (or really any sports team) can fall apart or be less effective (see my comments on the Packers below).  Brian Cashman has made some epically bad trades, deals, extensions, and more throughout the years.  He’s dismissed effective players, he’s caused managers to leave before their time was really up, he’s made questionable hires, and most importantly, since his 1998-2001 run, which was arguably a team build by his predecessor Bob Watson, he’s only taken the greatest franchise in North American sports history, the winningist championship team in all of sports history, to TWO world series appearances (and only one victory).  This is beyond unacceptable for this franchise (we’re not the Cubs).  And aside from the 2003 campaign where we ran into a Marlins buzzsaw in the WS, 2004 which was the Red Sox magic, 2017 and 2019 where Houston was cheating off their garbage can asses, most have been early exits caused by our team’s construction.  

Now let’s focus on this year.  Let’s start with Domingo German, the wife beater that we allowed to pitch for us even though MLB suspended him for a season and there was a criminal investigation.  How can the New York Yankees or any team, or anyone anywhere, condone a second chance for something so heinous?  I was close to completely boycotting them all year, because this is inhuman, but I decided to keep an eye on things and I have the Nationals and Giants (dear God the Giants, where did they come from?), but this was not a good start.  Then throughout the off-season, Cashman dragged his feet resigning DJ LeMahieu, the guy who almost won the batting title two years in a row, and watched candidate after candidate go by.  And he recommitted to these players that have underperformed, most notably, Stanton and Sanchez.  And we’ve had our worst offensive year in a long time, we’re the most inconsistent, we always swing for the fences or bust, we can’t play small ball.  And we have no cohesion in the clubhouse.  

So the Yankees are in bad shape, but there’s more to gripe about around the league.  Let’s talk about Robert Manfred, MLB commissioner.  The man who buried his head in the sand, and failed to do anything….anything remotely disciplinary about the Houston Astros cheating scandal.  No player was punished.  The team might’ve been fined, but it wasn’t anything that was consequential to them (kinda like Tom Wilson’s fine…for a millionaire athlete it was like dropping $20).  Yet, he finds it necessary to meddle with the size of the baseball (makes it lighter in fact), and then he’s baffled because the hitting has gotten a bit worse.  It’s simple physics; a lighter projectile is more sensitive to being cut, sunk, the breaking balls are dancing.  And then he goes after the pitchers.  For a commissioner who blew all his credibility on the Astros debacle, and calling his own trophy, just a piece of metal, he has no credibility anymore.  And I’ll bet you money, the Astros are cheating again.

Also the Cleveland guardians? I mean other than the iconic bridge what the hell is going on there? I get that the Indians had unfortunately racist tendencies (although as long as the Atlanta Braves are still playing it will never be the worst), but you couldn’t do better than the Guardians?  Come on now.  

And as an update.  The Yankees continue to tank, and our best hope is to squeeze into the WC game now. But Boone continues to make dumb decisions, and hopefully by the trade deadline, we land somebody big, like Gallo.  

Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers

And we come to the third piece of the trifectum. The ongoing spat between Rodgers and the packers. Coming off of two disappointing nfc championship defeats especially last year at the hands of Brady and his missing MCL, and years of management issues, clearly Rodgers has had enough. And if what I’ve heard from things I’ve read he’s got plenty to gripe about. But it’s getting ridiculous. Figure out what’s happening. The packers actually finally drafted smart. They for a few offensive weapons (a year late) and with the best wideout and running back tandems in the league this team could actually get back to the Super Bowl. And we have a hard hard schedule this year. Nfc west (best division in football) afc north (which is pretty damned good especially since Cleveland isn’t a joke anymore) and we have to go to Kansas City. Yikes. Even with Rodgers we’re only winning 10 games max. And that’ll be a stretch. 

Also, I hate it when star athletes hemorrhage money like it’s nothing. He gave up like 550k when he didn’t show up for mini camp. Can I have it? If there’s millions of dollars laying around I’ll take it and put it to good use. I kinda hate all the money in sports in general. Notice all those star athlete heroes we’re nowhere during the pandemic. Just sitting at home comfortable knowing they’d be fine financially and wait for the season to restart. While the average person had much more to worry about. And then the real heroes during the pandemic were the front-line workers.  

So an update, as Rodgers has now said he will join the team for one more year, and the team seems to be heeding more of his influence, bringing Randall Cobb back too.  In the press conference, Rodgers explained that it wasn’t ever about the money (he reportedly turned down an extension which would’ve made him the richest quarterback in the game), but it was targeted at the front office, namely Brian Gutekunst (GM) and Mark Murphy (President).  According to things I’ve read, they’ve really treated him poorly, especially given he’s the franchise face, and he’s the signal caller.  During his press conference today, its clear he was sending a message to them, but it was never about screwing over his teammates, coaches, or the franchise.  And he thinks the world of the fans.  It was about sending a message to the management that how they do business, and who they have on the team matters, and how that might just be the difference between going home two weeks early in January and being the last team standing in Vegas.  And don’t be surprised if Rodgers announces his retirement in Vegas (should the Packers get that far, which is far from a guarantee); only some 600 miles from his hometown of Chico, California, where things all began for him.  If you can’t read between the lines, I’m praying for a Cinderella finish.  

And…most importantly…I can wear the jersey I bought two weeks before the Super Bowl last year.  So Huzzah!

On this Memorial Day, it felt right to take a hike up East Rock and view the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.  It’s important to remember that Memorial Day is about something far more important than sneaking in the first summer BBQ of the season; its about paying homage and remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, defending America and everything it is and everything it stands for.  

But this particular date, May 31, is the centennial for something else…something that is a dark malevolent stain upon an America that is still continuing to form a more perfect union.  A century ago, a section of Tulsa, OK that had been dubbed “Black Wall St.” was set ablaze in one of the most violent acts of racist-inspired terrorism in American history.  And probably most insidious of all is that this event was kept quiet and hidden, such that a vasty majority of people were unaware that it had even happened until 5-10 years ago.  It was one of the most violent in a long line of racist, hatred-filled, acts by one group of one skin color against another, believing some ridiculous notion that skin color determines a hierarchy amongst human beings.  And while it might be easy to think that that type of inhumane, and anti-human acts ended at the least with the Emancipation Proclamation, and at the best with the Civil Rights legislation of the 1950s and 1960s, as well as all the things that have come since, we still suffer from deeply rooted racism, sexism, and other forms of divisive discrimination that are held deep within our society, and our societal infrastructural norms.  

As I stared at the monument today, I asked myself the question: Is America in 2021 an America that is worthy of the sacrifice of those we remember on Memorial Day?  The answer is complicated.  America has made impressive strides to live up to its founding promises; and furthering those promises beyond the limits of what was prescribed in 1776…equality for all people as an example.  It was no mistake that the Declaration of Independence states very clearly “all men are created equal” and that America has gone further, working towards equality for all people with no exceptions or exclusions. There is a great deal of what America has become that is worth the sacrifice of those whom we remember this Memorial Day.  

But in the preamble to the Constitution, the most important document of our governance, and arguably the most important document to our Americanism, there exists the following line:  “to create a more perfect union.”  That statement in itself implies that the process is exponential, with no clear definition of the end goal, but more of an homage to the journey with which we will take to achieve that goal. Perfection in itself is not something that is really achieved; its more something that is sought after for a long period of time.  America is an on-going experiment and we have not accomplished true equality for all……yet.  There is still much work to be done.  But the on-going, imperfect experiment is also worth defending.  Because America is defined by that very on-going experiment.  

So the answer to the question is yes, but there is a caveat.  The thing that would be equal parts indefensible and a slap in the face of those we honor today, would be to sit back and think that the America we have is good enough and we can stop trying to be better.  We must continue to build an America that is an America for everyone.  And as long as it’s not good enough for everyone, there is still work to be done.  

We all recently learned of the death of James Levine, long-time conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in NYC and Boston Symphony…and one “giant” who’s legacy has been tainted by substantiated allegations of various forms of abuse.  A good friend of mine, and my former conducting professor from my grad school days, recently came under fire for what appears to be an expression of awe for Levine’s musical career (I did not see the original post, so I’m only speculating based upon the most recent post in which he was under fire, and had apologized for his previous post).  He seemed to be trying to reconcile something that we’ve all had to reconcile lately, on more than just legendary music conductors.  How can an absolute monster be so great?

First off, I want the reader to know that I hold a great respect my former professor, and I believe that his intentions were good in his original post even though I didn’t get to read it.  Having studied many musical scores with him, listened to recordings with him in class, and having watched conductors and discussed drawing inspiration from them in grad seminars, I can tell you that his admiration for music is is genuine, and it lacks hyperbole.  He is simply grappling with the question above, and that is the inspiration behind writing this post. 

So how can a monster be great?  Well, let’s clear up a simple vernacular mis-characterization.  “Great” is often associated with a positive connotation, when it really carries neither a negative or positive connotation in its meaning.  All it means is that something is characterized as above average, or beyond what is considered normal.  Or that it is immense, considerably above the norm.  To put it another way, both Mother Teresa and Adolf Hitler can be characterized as doing “great” things. Obviously, Teresa was a positively great woman, with her work with the poor and marginalized and her positive impact on the wider world.  But one can also assert that Hitler was a negatively great man, and his works of evil, crimes against humanity were immense beyond what the world had experienced at that point, and his impact was felt all over the world too; albeit in a negative way. It is as one fictional Brit one put it:  “I think we can expect great things from you.  For even he did great things…terrible, but great.”   

Without sounding like I’m praising Hitler (because I promise I’m not), the point is that greatness isn’t defined by one’s good or evil intentions and therefore being a musical genius and a good person can be mutually exclusive.  So if we buy into losing that positive connotation on the word “great”, James Levine makes a little more sense, at least logically. That’s how one can be a musical genius and a monster. 

Levine isn’t the only fallen legend these days.  In the music world, I can point to David Haas and James David Christie as some of the most recent legends in their fields who recently have had they darker angels revealed.  And even without abuse allegations, there have been countless times in history where legendary musicians (and conductors) have had a nasty side to go along with their greatness.  For example, George Szell was known to be a brutal dictator during his time in Cleveland; Herbert von Karajan had ties to the Nazis, and even outside of the conducting world, musicians throughout history have had ties to drugs, tumultuous lives, and even dark activities.  Remind me to tell you about Berlioz and his opioid addiction sometime. And for all those, we also have musical legends who have possessed both musical greatness and been a good human too.  Ricardo Muti in Chicago springs to mind as a recent example of this; and believe me there are countless others. 

So can you separate the musical genius from the monster?  Well, that’s really a personal preference, but to describe my stance, I would want to invoke another area where tainted legends have played a large role; that of professional sports; how we look at baseball’s steroids era, or football’s proclivity to spawn violent thugs, or basketball’s capacity to…well have everything from drugs to rock and roll.  And hockey and soccer are by no means errorless either.  Just recently, a member of the Yankees, a team that I have passionately rooted for, for decades, was suspended for domestic violence (and the episode was really ugly), and he has recently returned and is vying for a spot on the roster.  I was one to call on the team to cut this player during his suspension, because a moral code always outranks the baseball one, no matter who it is.  Domestic violence, and other crimes against humanity, have no place anywhere, but especially not in millionaire athletes being paid to play a child’s game.  And with so many decent, honest, morally filled players just waiting for their chance….to entertain this player on the team is an absolute insult to those who continue to wait and worse, those who never make it to this level.  There are some things that are unforgivable, and that should have permanent consequences.  

Such is how I view the legacy of any legend who is tainted like this.  What Levine, and Haas and Christie are accused of are far worse than merely cheating (which in itself is a crime against the sport); they are accused of sexual misconduct, and abusing their positions of power.  They possessed great influence over the next generation, especially those up and coming youth, and their evil actions have forever tainted these people (and without revealing a dear friend’s personal story, know that this is closer to home than you might realize).  Crimes against humanity, and absolute evil, simply cannot hold up against even the most artistic of musical achievements; just as achievements on the baseball field can’t be parsed in the light of cheating and scandals (Yes, Barry Bonds, you therefore will never be my home run king).  

Having been a music director for a good long while now, I can say, unequivocally that directing music is not, and should never be about the person waving the stick on the podium.  It is about the 70 players in front of them, whom they are bringing together to make music. I work with volunteers, so I know that their experience must gravitate more towards overt positivity to ensure they return for the next experience, and that sometimes the cause of progress must be slowed for this; but eventually we all can read the same place.  Paid professionals can be pushed a little more, but a truly great conductor has the ability to unite and build up these musicians to be great.  Again, I reference Ricardo Muti, heading towards the coda of his career in Chicago.  And in the process let’s not forget the musicians themselves; they are the ones making the music.  Without them, the conductor is simply somebody standing on a podium waving a stick to an empty room.  

So, if you want to burn all the recordings of James Levine’s orchestras, I can certainly understand that you want to separate yourself from Levine’s evil side, but I would encourage you to remember the musicians in the orchestra too.  For it is the flutist who makes Afternoon of a Faun; brass section who makes the Tannhauser Overture; the English Horn that makes the Pines of the Appian Way, the violin that makes Scheherezade and Danse Macabre, the timpani that takes us to the Scaffold in Fantastique, it is the double bass that makes you think Frere Jacques isn’t such a cheery tune in Mahler 1, and they all come together to tell the story of Peter and the Wolf and the Carnival of the Animals.  The legacy of these recordings is far, far more than the conductor; its the greatest musicians in the world coming together to do (positively) great things.  Listening to recordings can be more about the musicians making the music, and that would be enough for me to separate from the evil man with the stick.  

I think it comes down to personal preference, but I think there’s validity in either approach here.  You can avoid these recordings, so as to not partake of an evil man’s makings, and instead partake of recordings made of good, decent, and honest people.  And these people are great both in musicality and in humanity (and I think the recordings rival Levine’s in many ways).  You can invest in the notion that everyone is replaceable; that like minor league baseball, there’s always another great player waiting in the wings, waiting for their turn.  But, it is also possible for one to separate the evil maestro from the great recordings, and listen for the musicians in the orchestra. 

As a youth, who understood less of the world than I do today, I used to think the once a year honorary holidays went something like this: 

“Hey its MLK day, its the one day a year we try not to be racist.”  

“Hey It’s Mothers Day, its that day in May we remember Mom and get her gifts not on her birthday or Christmas!”  

“Hey It’s Father’s Day (wait a second didn’t we just do this?) its the day in June we remember Dad and get him gifts not on his birthday or Christmas.” (and I experience that weird French thing I can never pronounce).  

“Hey Its Valentine’s Day (and shit, I’m like several months late), its the one day you remember your significant other and get him or her, or whomever, gifts not on their birthday or Christmas.  But luckily for me, I’m a nerd with no love prospects, so I dodged a bullet there.” (remember this was “youth” me.  My romantic situation has greatly improved later in life). 

Ok, so I know that’s an overly simplistic and narrow-minded view of these holidays, but let’s try to remember that I might’ve been 8 at the time.  But unfortunately, there are grown-ass adults who have this view about these holidays.  And I believe its a plague on our society.  And it greatly diminishes the special power of these days, spiraling them right down into either miserable obligation or experiencing them for what they are not (hey, MLK is that day off in January after the real holidays). 

 I think it comes down to being a less ego-centric society.  As a general whole, regardless of those who exist on the fringe of such a spectrum, we are a fairly selfish society.  We think of ourselves largely before others, and because our society has a propensity towards con-artistry (which is another form of selfishness…and a particularly evil one at that), we are far less trusting of our fellow human being the we used to be.  And that’s not necessarily a bad approach since the world is full of thugs and cronies and its easy to get ripped off.  We also have a tendency to demonize someone who is kind-hearted and chooses to see the good in people, as pathetically naive and headed for a life of being manipulated.  

But its more than that.  We don’t value relationships as much as we should, because so much is automatic.  Let’s face it, there are some parents out there who absolutely….well suck.  And don’t deserve a day that is dedicated to good parentage.  And while Christmas and birthdays may be more of an obligation, maybe parentage day shouldn’t be for those who don’t deserve it.  Also, kids shouldn’t necessarily get to make the call on that until they are parents themselves, or who have taught for long enough.  But worse than that, we shouldn’t STOP thinking about people because we get this one automatic day for them.  We shouldn’t stop thinking about our spouse because its not Valentine’s Day.  

More insidiously, we shouldn’t lessen the impact of something like MLK Day because we think that racism has improved to an acceptable standard.  And right now I’m going to place a big disclaimer in the rest of this post, that I am not commenting on MLK in terms of Martin Luther King, himself.  Separately, we should honor this great man.  But I’m going to comment on the racism awareness aspect of this holiday.  Racism has not improved to an acceptable standard.  Because there IS no acceptable standard.  The acceptable standard of racism, sexism, homophobia, classicism, and really any ism, is eradication…ism.  And until that happens, we’ll never be as free and as open to all people as we claim to be.  MLK should remind us that every day, we should be fighting for a better America.  

So, while I’m not calling for an abolishment of the “honorary” holidays, I am calling for us to change our daily actions, awareness, and mindset to make them obsolete.  And I’ll say again, that MLK should never become obsolete in terms of honoring Martin Luther King.  But let’s fight for an America that makes racism obsolete, so that the day can celebrate our progress to a great society.  Let’s make a better effort to celebrate our parents, so that Mother’s and Father’s Day might become just another day in May and June because of our actions.  And let’s make a better effort to appreciate our spouses, so that every day, can be Valentine’s Day.  

By becoming better people, we will have more fulfilling relationships, and be a better America. 

The words of Auld Lang Syne hit me the other day as I searched for some music for my church’s weekly Tuesday Music Meditation.  The song, usually sung near the New Year, stands for establishing understanding between people, employing a clean slate at the start of a new year, and building stronger bonds of community and peace.  In a very old Scottish way, “auld acquaintance” generally refers to animosity, or past grudges, and the song calls for them to be forgot and never brought up again.  The poem “Auld Lang Syne” is written by the Scottish poet Robert Burns, who also wrote the poetry that was the basis for Of Mice and Men, about how plans can sometimes go awry.  The title itself, Auld Lang Syne, refers to time long past.  

Words and music often have a profound effect on how we feel.  They can evoke strong feelings, and they can alter our perceptions of things.  Emotions and feelings are often tied to the less rational side of our brains, which makes us susceptible to things that our rational brain might not be so inclined to believe.  Our words can have an influence on those who are younger than us who see us as role models, words can calm tensions, and they can incite insurrection.  A well-written speech can be the life-blood of a politician’s life, and inspire the masses to greatness, or a poor speech can make then the laughing stock.  A preacher’s interpretative expose of a two-thousand year old manuscript, and their ability to make an old text be meaningful and relevant to today’s society can be the difference in feeding their flock and helping grow in their faith, or contribute to boredom in the middle of the worship service.  The words of a coach can inspire a team to greatness, or leave them dazed and confused fighting with each other on the field. 

Legendary speakers and texts leave us with memories of quotations.  The Bible says, “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last” amongst many good nuggets of wisdom.  FDR had the “nothing to fear but fear itself” speech and JFK asked “not what your country can do for you, but what you can for your country.”  MLK had I Have A Dream, Malcolm X had “You can’t separate peace from freedom” quote.  Even the most terrible dictators like Hitler, can be remembered for such negatively inspiring words like “ if you tell a lie big enough and often enough, you will be believed.” (that one rings a little too close at the twilight of the Trump administration). 

But it isn’t just legendary speakers and ancient texts that have the ability to inspire and move us.  In the age of the internet, and social media, we all have a valuable voice in the discourse.  We have influence over people, to inspire greatness, or sow seeds of discord.  We can build people up with powerful words, or to incite violence with hateful rhetoric.  This is not anything new; mentors have long had influence over the younger generation; adults over children, and children over adults.  In truth, whenever we engage in honest, open dialogue, with listening ears instead of biased mouths, we wield influences over anyone we come into contact with.  And with influence, comes responsibility.  

The First Amendment confirms that every citizen of the United States is afford the freedom of speech, meaning that, in theory, we are free to express ourselves through speech in whatever means we wish to.  We might post on social media, write prose on a popular blog, even speak aloud our opinions on any number of subjects.  In some ways this is a power that we have, because in many places in the world that power is not extended to its citizens (i.e China and Russia).  It’s that and many other freedoms that make this country unique, and why we are the greatest nation on Earth.  

But there has always been another side of that amendment, that so often and easily gets ignored.  It’s not always made palpable, but it does exist.  On top of slander laws, and how free trade allows employers to dictate how their companies are projected by their employees, we all hold a responsibility to pick our words with care.  Personally (and professionally), I choose my words with care all the time because I know they can have an effect on other people.  I also have learned through bitter experience to never have an argument with an implacable foe.  

A classic counterargument that’s used is that words are like guns:  guns don’t kill people, people kill people.  Words are just words, its the interpretation that makes all the difference.  That point of view isn’t without some validity; our point of views shouldn’t be dictated by someone else.  I believe they call that a cult.  The same responsibility should exist for the words we choose, as our actions; we have a responsibility to them. 

The truth has taken quite a beating over the years.  We have confused opinions and facts for so long that its hard sometimes to tell the difference.  The thing to remember is that the truth isn’t something that is debatable; the truth is just the truth.  Opinions are what can be debated.  And we have the right to our opinions, but not to represent them as facts.  We should seek to speak with the truth whenever we can.  It shouldn’t be, as Hitler put it, that if you lie big enough and convincingly that eventually people will believe you.  That’s not how lies should work.  Truth should always be paramount.  And we all should start bearing a bigger responsibility for it and for not bearing false witness, as the Christian Bible might put it.  

So to recap so far: 1). Pick our words with care and responsibility and 2). be more acceptable to the truth.  

While I seek no to put myself up as some sort of pedestal example, I do want to be what I speak of.  I always choose my words carefully, especially in public.  I reserve the most evil words, for the most evil circumstances, because sometimes they are just that descriptive.  But I also know my audience, and I always seek to inspire, rather than foment negativity.   Because only through positive thinking and truly open dialogue in which all parties understand their responsibility to their words, and to the truth, can our country move forward.  Only then can our moral credibility be repaired in the world, and can we build an America we can all be proud of, and that will truly live up to the ideals, both the ones in spirit and the ones literally enumerated in our most prized documents: The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and all of our sacred doctrines.  

I call on us all, to rebuild the damage by building a new way.  And understanding that our words do indeed matter. 

Disclaimer: I didn’t think I’d posted the original Peace on Us post yet, so I revised it, and then realized that there is a Peace on us post already.  So you get two Peaces on Us.  Lucky you.

Peace on Us. 

That is an episode title of one of the most moving episodes of MASH for me.  In the episode, Hawkeye (portrayed by the immortal, Alan Alda), goes ballistic when he finds out that with the Korean conflict trudging on, the Army changes the rules on the number of points required for a soldier to get rotated home.  And it hits him hardest because he’s been there longest of anyone: Potter, Winchester and Hunnicutt show up 3 or 4 seasons in.  Burns gets sent home via season tickets to Section 8, and Blake gets killed.  The only other two characters that have been on since the beginning is Father Mulcahy, but as a man of God, he’s not taken by acts of physical violence (his words), and Margaret Houlihan, who’s less of a hot-head than Pierce (and who’s completely overtaken by another crisis; her impending divorce).  

So after downing a martini and tearing out of the Swamp, playing gas can soccer with Margaret, Hawkeye jumps into a jeep and goes right up to the peace talks to give them a “peace” of his mind.  In the encounter at Panmunjom, where the Korean Peace talks take place, Hawkeye instructs them (in his boiling anger, somewhat abrasive manner) to find common ground, because there’s too much at stake for them to keep stalling.  I felt like this episode was especially poignant this day in age, for a number of reasons.  

There’s no doubt that we’re all tired of the brokenness of our world and our society.  No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, we are weary of the negativity coming out of Washington, wafting through out our local communities, up and down our Facebook feeds, and just about everywhere else.  There’s bigotry, insensitivity, ignorance, narrow-vision, disrespect, hatred, fear, confusion, ego-centrism, and lots of ideas, and opinions and hot air.  There seems to be a palpable lack of kindness, understanding, listening, conversing, honest dialogue, and agreeing to disagree amicably.  And it seems that common ground is all but gone, because we’ve stopped trying to establish it, or are just wearily ignorant of the common ground that is right in front of our noses.  Or, perhaps, we’re tired of trying to establish common ground with those who do not share that ideal.

And this decline of morality and decency comes at a time when we face a trifecta of catastrophic crises: 1). the worst pandemic in 100 years, and in which there are imperfect plans that are seriously lacking in substance, and to which there seem to be no end in sight. 2). The biggest call for social justice reform since the 1970s and 3). The greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression.  This has also created a fourth crisis: in which this country is more polarized and divided, with an ever widening chasm between Republican and Democratic, conservative and liberal, and scores of other issues that divide us.  

If you want to see my perceptions for how and why our country has been and still is racist in some incredibly fundamental ways, see my previous post: Why is America Still Racist?.  Racism isn’t anything new; its been a fundamental part of our country’s identity for our entire existence.  Our country was founded on the principles of white men holding all power and substance, and it’s taken us most of our country’s existence to make changes to that policy.  But make no mistake; the war for equality is far from won.  Battles have been won…significant battles..and large steps have been taken. But the journey towards achieving a society where all people are created equal, both in the law and in our hearts, is far from over.  There are those who live in privilege, who claim that things have come far enough, but they are blinded by their privilege.  This is not necessarily their fault; we’re all victims of the limits of our perspective, and imagination.  They don’t perceive a problem, because its not their problem.  They can’t imagine what it’s like to live in a society where you appear to have the same rights as anyone else, yet the color of your skin makes you a second-class citizen.  Or depending on where you go on vacation, the color of your skin makes you have to reconsider how late you walk home at night.  I’ve lived that; it’s not a fun feeling.  And we all saw it on display on January 6th; the efforts of law enforcement and protections afforded a white supremacist mob, versus what we’ve seen for BLM protests.  We all know that if that mob had been a different skin color, the outcome would’ve been nothing short of a massacre.  

Our country’s discriminatory issues have been like a bad bout of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, whereas a slow progressive degradation of the whole, can be masked by with certain short-term solutions that never truly address the underlying cause.  Because of this, and an unwillingness to really address the underlying cause, meaningfully, the issue keeps coming up because we haven’t solved it.  There are systemic discriminatory issues all throughout our society.  And they must be addressed. 

Violence for any reason is abhorrent.  Society cannot be changed through violence.  That’s how authoritarian dictatorships are created, and dictators ascend to power.  There is a lot of anger, and there’s been a lot of anger for a long time.  Nobody likes inaction, and bureaucracy of any kind is famous for inaction.  Societies don’t change overnight.  But things do happen.  Elections move societies forward.  Elections like we saw in the state of Georgia and Pennsylvania, where the voice of the people was truly heard.  Where a record number of people voted in the 2020 election, and patriots, like Stacey Abrams, took it upon herself to register people to vote, offering franchisement to so many.  

Violence against violence reminds me of one of my favorite of King’s many wonderful quotations:  “Violence for violence darkens a night that is already devoid of stars.”  Which means we need to resume peaceful dialogue.  Or dialogue of any kind.  Where everyone honestly listens, analyzes, and assesses.  Where we are no longer concerned with our own position but the position of someone else.  Because America can be the land of the free and the home of the brave.  Put another way, we can be the country where we can have our cake and eat it too.  We can honor veterans, while calling for changes to our society to make things better for everyone.  We can acknowledge (even albeit reluctantly) that our country isn’t perfect, and its degree of perfection has nothing to do with the number of brave soldiers who have given their lives to defend it.  But that the idea of the country, is worth defending even in its imperfection, as we seek to create a “more perfect union.”  If we can create a society where everyone wins, then everyone wins.  And if everyone wins, America wins.  We are stronger if there are more people prospering.  We are a better, more humane country, when everyone has a fair shake.  And we can accomplish it, if we think outside of the box enough and examine both sides of the extreme views of stakeholders in this fight.  

We cannot continue the cycle of hate.  We need to start caring about each other again, even those who disagree with us.  Not caring about each other is also why we’re still in this pandemic.  The rest of the world has had more success in dealing with this thing, yet some US states are continuing to have daily infections rival the number of infections in some other countries.  If we all cared about each other (and we didn’t had a government that lacked so much dysfunction that it chokes its own productivity, something that should be remedied in the coming days), masks would’ve been a necessary mild inconvenience to save another human being.  We must be less selfish.  There are countless studies that if we’d been more unified as a society in beating this, we might be in much better shape than we are now.  

Rules have always been, somewhat quietly, predicated on the notion that we cannot trust every citizen to do the right thing.  Sometimes it is because the right and wrong thing isn’t always clear.  Sometimes its because evil exists in the world and seeks to do wrong anyway.  We need to make rules about pandemic gatherings because some people won’t take it seriously.  We need to censor social media because it incites violence and we need to protect our people and our democracy because there is great evil that seeks to destroy it.  People have died.  And as Hawkeye says in the episode, we cannot wait anymore, because people are dying.  We can’t wait anymore. 

The most ideal society is made up of those who have talents and experience in various areas who work together for the greater good without bias.  Who trust each other to make the decisions based upon their expertise and good intentions.  Unfortunately, there’s so much corruption these days (and its everywhere) that its hard to trust anyone to be able to do the right thing.  Can we trust the police to fairly uphold law and order, and to use extreme force only when absolutely necessary?  Can we trust politicians to pass laws and make decisions that are truly in our best interests?  Can we trust ministers and priests to lead us to the promised land?  Can we trust teachers to take care of, and educate adequately, our children and the future of our society?

The answer is often placated upon the stipulation that everyone must be good, and that everyone does what they are supposed to do, and evil and human error are non-existent.  I would content that the answer is yes despite there being evil and human error in play.  We can hold each other accountable and instill a sense of restorative justice, that rewards growth and learning, above perfection, while still trusting each other’s intentions.  The minute we lose faith in each other is when the evil wins.  Because evil will always find a way to punch holes in our paradigms, no matter the extreme measures that we take to stop it.  Because in order to beat them, we have to become them, and the price of losing ourselves, our souls, the soul of goodness, is too high a price to pay.  But there’s an old saying that goes “the only thing that is necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to stay silent.”  We can’t stay silent, but we can hold each other accountable without losing the inherent trust and by establishing a means of learning and growth.  

So let’s push for a new America.  The America we deserve, the America we need, and the America so many have fought and died for.  Let’s talk about it, let’s demand it, let’s get it done.  Because we can’t wait anymore. 

This past week, we saw a major league baseball hitter receive vitriol because they swung at a 3-0 pitch when the team was already up by about 11 runs.  Thus was violating the unwritten, “mercy rule” where teams are supposed to stop trying so hard to pound the other when the run differential is high enough.  Put simply, I think mercy rules (especially in professional sports) is utter garbage.  

In professional sports, we’re always talking about grown-up adults who are usually making an obscene amount of money.  In order to make it to the Major leagues in baseball, you have to play at the minor league level (usually 3-4 levels), so you should be adequately prepared, or you shouldn’t be elevated.  If you are in the major leagues, you should take your beating.  Plus.  Getting your ass handed to you once in awhile is sometimes the most valuable lesson.  And if you are pounding the other team, you should continue doing your best.  Hit homers on any pitch that’s juicy enough (because home runs don’t grow on trees).  Steal bases.  Play hard. All the time.  Like a professional.  You are there to win and do your best, not to tap the other team, who is also full of professionals, on the back.  Come back and be better next time.  

You want a mercy rule in little league, or pee-wee?  Okay, I can bite on that one.  Kids need to learn the maturity to handle failure, and sometimes that means filtering the experience in manageable doses.  But make no mistake, the participation trophy mentality does little good to build both athletes and humans who can withstand hardship in life.  We should be using failure as the learning experience that is can most richly be (even in school, but that’s a rant for later, or perhaps further down).  Coaches and mentor their players through failure, talking about how to react appropriately to it, and how to overcome it.  They shouldn’t be placating kids with overblown notions that life is fair, or that the kids are better than they are.  Again, this must be appropriately filtered for the level and the emotional maturity (or lack thereof) of the group in question, but the goal of growth and learning should never be abandoned.  

We all benefit from getting our butts handed to us once in awhile.  But the skill of dealing with that is developed over time.  One does not come with the ability to channel failure in a positive way.  To decide how much of it you take with you, and how to not let it completely consume you.  This must be mentored and fostered.  Overcoming failure is sometimes even more rewarding than sheer triumph.  Because once you have experience with it, you know how to work through it again and again, and eventually you have less of them happen.  And that growth is sometimes the most merciful thing that one can teach another.