Law Letters

My Thoughts On the Missouri Rodeo Clown

If you haven’t already heard, a Missouri rodeo clown is in deep doo-doo over his poor choice of words in the rodeo arena last Saturday. But that’s really what it was, a poor choice of words, because everything else had been done before.  That’s right, this wasn’t the first time a mask of an American president was put on a dummy in a rodeo arena.  Initially this wasn’t about race, or politics, even though it could be made to be so by the media.  Which they did, of course.

That’s right, it wasn’t about race until a few locals and the media attention dug into the sensitivities that already exist over President Obama being black. It’s not about him being a Democrat, or a liberal, or that Missouri is predominantly a Red State. To prove my point, put a mask of President Bill Clinton on a rodeo dummy and do the same act, and you’ll see most people, including the media, shrug it off.  Oh yes, it’s been done before, so the point is easily proven.

So why was it a poor choice of words?  Because this “sensitivity” is well-known in America today.  It is also well-known that among Red State Conservatives, President Obama is disliked more than any other President than I’ve ever heard about.  I know this because I am a native Missourian, I live in Missouri now, and have for most of my adult life. I hear it first-hand, from people I know and don’t know, who are very vocal about their dire dislike and distrust of President Obama. Sadly, I’ve heard them reference his race in their disdain for his policies and politics. This was low hanging fruit for the liberal media (who know of these references) to take this situation and further spread their influence over political correctness.

Was the rodeo routine done in bad taste? Probably so, but ask yourself the same question when it’s done with any other President.  That’s the point I want to make. This is where “race” is made an issue, and it now becomes “politics” and they don’t care who they hurt. Because when it’s all said and done, who is going to win in this deal?  Was President Obama hurt in this situation?  Well, I guess you’d have to ask him.  I’d like to hear his response. I’d like to hear him say, “I’m no more offended by this than Bill Clinton was or would be, or Ronald Regan, or Jimmy Carter, or George H. or George W. Bush would have been when the joke was on them.”  But will he say that?  I doubt he will, because he is first and foremost a politician. It's probably just another one of those moments for "calm reflection".

My thought is that it was in bad taste when it was done with any or every American President, now or in the past.  My thought is that it is also offensive that anyone involved in that rodeo, besides the rodeo clown or whoever was in charge of scripting that entertainment segment, face any sort of serious sanction, such as the loss of their jobs because of their association with the rodeo company, simply because of the elevated sensitivity of the race of our current American President.  And I am not just talking about rodeo jobs, I am talking about the rodeo announcer, who is also a school superintendent, and may have lost that job because of his close association with the event.

Oh yes... the Secret Service also got involved, too.

But, this happening will be used to make an example out of these folks, and I would say that because of the “sensitivities” involved here, that it will never happen again, with any President, Senator, or high ranking official, in any American rodeo arena in any state.

Now we can score one for Political Correctness, and the continued ability for the media to use race as an issue.  Score another one for lessons in sensitivity, not just to those rodeo folks, but to an overly sensitive segment of our American culture.  Now slap the hands of those who need to find better ways to entertain their audiences, and for not recognizing the trouble that could get them into.  Right or wrong, they could have avoided that.  I don’t think anyone involved in crafting that act intended to martyr themselves or the welfare of their family, they were just trying to be funny. Well, that certainly came back to slap them in the Presidential mask, because now I don’t hear of anyone laughing.

At the Speed Of “Like”

Deep into this “communication revolution,” we are not always prepared to react to just how quickly information is shared. There was a time when our opinions on matters, whether they be political, religious, social, or about anything, really, were mostly between ourselves and our closest family or friends, but now all you have to do is click “like” and the whole world knows how you feel.

If there is anything slower than a snail’s pace, that’s the speed at which my dear-old-dad made his entrance into the world of Facebook. A few weeks ago he was taken aback when he was scanning the newsfeed, noticed a comment that tickled him a bit, pressed “like” and before he knew it, he was being chastised, tarred and feathered, and “unfriended” because he appeared to side with something that these people obviously opposed.

That’s what the world has come to, in this time of rapid communication. Ever since CNN started broadcasting 24-hour news, this country has entered into a social tail spin, reacting to whatever it is that they want to plant into your head. Sure, when something newsworthy happens, I want to be informed. But to me it’s disgusting when news reporters go “live to the scene,” and boast about it, selling us on the idea that what we all need is to hear the same thing over and over and over again.

Now on CNN you get Erin Burnett’s reporting on an incident, Anderson Cooper’s take, and then Pier’s Morgan’s. And in case you missed it, three hours of repeat. Three hours of wasted life that could be spent on many more productive things, when the basic information they are offering could be absorbed in less than ten minutes. The same goes for the other 24-hour news channels. I don’t care what anyone says, they are all the same, and are engaged in a form of modern brainwashing.

There is a common belief, and one that I share, that our country is now more divided than it has been since the Civil War. Gee, I wonder why? Social media sites, specifically Facebook, are just as responsible as the TV news media. The rapid spread of information, true or not, believable or not, has indoctrinated our society to a point where our associations have become more one-sided, and our reactions to various ideologies more hair-trigger. Now some care less about fact, and care more about what news feeds their personal dogma.

For example, I remember not long ago someone posted an altered image of President Obama’s ID card from Columbia University, carrying the name Barry Soetoro, and a band across the bottom that read “foreign student.” This was, of course, an image that was altered by a “birther” in their attempt to convince people that Obama was not born in this country and therefore not qualified to be President. And people believed it. But that’s NOT the point. The point IS, that someone posted that to Facebook, which hundreds of thousands of people shared, commented, and “liked,” and if you hadn’t seen it cross your newsfeed, then you probably hadn’t logged on to Facebook within the last five minutes.

I remember about twenty years ago when my grandmother decided to give email a chance. We were hoping that this would be a good way for her to see photos of her grand children and great grandchildren, or if anything just keep in touch on a more regular basis. But, once Grandma started getting spam email, she knew that her understanding of the world, and being a part of it, had passed away. She came from an age when a man’s word was all you needed, and for someone to send her an email, addressed to her personally, and telling her there was $20 million dollars waiting for her in a bank in Nigeria, was completely beyond her comprehension.

Of course it was something she had to follow up on, because since Ed McMahon never did show up at her door with that check from the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes, maybe this was her destiny. I don’t think grandma ever understood what was really happening, that her identity and bank accounts were at risk of being compromised if she followed up on these things, but she took the path of least resistance and decided to abandon the use of email altogether. The same would have happened with a PhotoShop altered image—an ability to alter an image with such ease was beyond her understanding, therefore how can it not be true? Though she has since passed on, there are millions of her generation still alive and on the Internet.

I am truly bothered by the fact that, nowadays, very few in this country can share their beliefs about anything without being classified, cornered, and condemned. I am bothered greatly by the arrogance of someone believing they are “right” just because they believe it to be so. What I am not bothered by is a different “right,” and that is their right to believe what they want, and express their feelings freely. Doesn’t mean, however, without social or political repercussion, so exercising the right, thereof, should be done thoughtfully and with much care.

The news media, regardless of their political or social platform, is indeed responsible for the mass confusion that is taking place in our hearts and minds. Not long ago, when the Sandy Hook school shooting took place, Pier’s Morgan took a stand against high capacity magazines and brought guests on his show to demonstrate this stand. Problem is, he brought on, as guests of the “opposition,” propagandists from the outer fringes that represented NOBODY but themselves.

I only wish that more folks would question the motives of people and their programs or postings, rather than jumping on board and absorbing the information as “fact.” Piers Morgan is no more of an expert on anything gun-related than my seven-year-old son, but they both certainly have motives to get you to believe what they want you to believe. Piers, he wants his ratings to soar so he can remain on the air and make the big bucks. My son, he just wants to con you into buying that new Lego set.

Not long ago I noticed a post on Facebook that was highly controversial, and someone I knew very well clicked “like” and I was perplexed that they would do so, when in fact the posting was the opposite of what I knew they believed. When I asked them about it, they said, “I ‘liked’ it because I ‘like’ to see them publically make fools of themselves.” I see a lot of that these days—people making fools of themselves. I see it online, on TV, in public, and, unfortunately, at family gatherings.

What we need is to slow down and chew our food for proper digestion. We also need to avoid conflict instead of instigating it. Because in all reality we are on a collision course, and at a speed that no doubt can only result in disaster unless we pull the plug completely. To some that means staying out of the fray, either by not pressing “like” or not logging on at all. And that’s too bad. Because it’s really just a matter of good judgment, which the opposite is easily noticed simply by logging on, or tuning in.

Steven Law is the author of THE BITTER ROAD (Goldminds, 2013) and EL PASO WAY (Berkley, 2013). Visit his website at www.stevenlaw.com.

Let’s Start By Securing Our Schools

I will begin by telling you a story about my sweet aunt, who once taught home economics at a small town Missouri high school.  I loved her dearly, and before Lupus disease consumed and eventually took her life, she was a vibrant, caring woman who was never short of smiles and words of wisdom.  But after all of those wonderful qualities, I could never have seen her carrying a gun on her person.  The dear woman could barely carry a drink in a glass without spilling it, and she would have been the first to tell you that she probably couldn’t shoot an elephant with a shotgun at point blank range. No… I am not encouraging the shooting of elephants, it’s just an example of her lack of coordination to handle a firearm in a peaceful situation, let a lone a hostile one.

Regardless of her talents, she wouldn’t have wanted to carry one anyway. It was not her job to police the schools, but to teach.  I can think of a lot of teachers just like her that would feel the same way.  I spent a few years in education, some in the inner city schools in Kansas City, and only those who have taught and been a teacher can understand how challenging their job truly is.  So, this talk about arming teachers, or that they somehow could carry a firearm into a school facility truly is a radical, unrealistic solution.

But at least security at our school is the right discussion.  We can talk about gun regulation and mental illness all we want, but that still doesn't stop mentally ill people from walking into schools with illegal guns. Not all mentally ill people get help, and not all of them will be kept from getting their hands on guns. So, let's do something we can control, which is secure our schools, and keep the gunners out. I doubt there would be as much disagreement that we need to protect our children, first and foremost.

I posted the prior paragraph on Facebook and received all sorts of responses, the greater being the suggestion that teachers carry guns.  I am assuming that none of those people have ever been teachers, but even if they have, I would wager all the money in my wallet (which is not much) that they are a minority.  The precarious situations that would create make it a truly unreasonable solution.  There are several issues that need to be discussed, but the first and most attainable in the short term is securing our schools.

I saw on the news this morning that President Obama calls for a discussion on gun violence.  That is great, that discussion does need to take place, but we all know that is more political than anything else.  The first calls need to be to school superintendents, chiefs of police, and country sheriffs, to talk about an immediate, mandatory protection of our schools and children.  If the past has taught us anything, schools are a key target for this type of behavior.  Obama said this has to stop… well, let’s minimize the possibility by increasing security first.

With my experience in inner city schools, I can tell you that an armed gunmen like the ones that caused these tragedies in the past few years would have unlikely ever entered those schools.  There is only one entrance to the school and all students have to pass through metal detectors.  The security professionals are trained to recognize threats, and we need to spare our teachers with that kind of burden.

Securing our schools does not mean turning them into armed fortresses, with razor wire and fatigued soldiers carrying AR-15s. Some security officers I have seen at schools wear polo shirts and khaki slacks.  There is indeed a need for the understanding of child psychology and not making them think that people are trying to get in the school and cause them harm.  It’s kind of like the President’s secret service, we know they are there and what they are for, but they don’t stand out like a sore thumb. 

Regardless of gun control debates, I don’t even want to engage in the dialogue about the issues with mentally ill people, people with learning disabilities, disorders, or whatever ails them to the point of where they plan horrific acts of violence.  There might be some truth to their inspiration being violent TV shows, movies, musical lyrics, or video games, but initiating censorship violates another one of our constitutional rights, and creates a debate even more controversial than gun control.  The key point is that it solves nothing NOW.

The fastest, most immediate solution to these threats is to increase security at our schools.  It’s a dialogue that does not require any action from our President, but the local authorities who are fully empowered to make the appropriate decisions.  There can be an interim solution to protect our children NOW, and then a carefully planned, long-term solution, by creating secured locations, installing monitoring and detecting systems, and specialized training to recognize these threats, just as our police are trained to recognize illegal activity on the streets of our city.

Before we go off on tangents and our own personal, anger driven and subjective fantasies, let’s think first and foremost about what is truly important here, and that’s the safety of our children.  I want them protected NOW, as well as in the future, and ongoing debates about gun violence, mental illness, Aspergers, mental retardation, or IQ levels does nothing to initiate an immediate, interim solution.  For anyone to suggest that I am discriminating against any of the former mentioned, is just ludicrous.  This is not a time for political correctness. I don't care if they're white, black, Hispanic, Asian, mentally ill, or have a PhD, I just don't want them hurting our children.  And for the life of me, I cannot understand how anyone can let their personal egos and political agendas overshadow the lives of innocent children.

I don’t always agree with President Obama, but I do agree that “we can’t tolerate this anymore.”  Let’s think about the kids without debate. We don’t have time for it.

Steven Law is the author of Yuma Gold (Berkley, 2011) and The True Father (Goldminds, 2008). Visit his website at www.stevenlaw.com.

What Has Happened to the Season of Giving?

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE AUTHOR READ THIS BLOG ON VIDEO

I have many fond memories of Christmas.  Growing up on an Iowa farm, the spirit was brought on by that first snow, which could happen any time in the month of November.  After Thanksgiving mom would get out the Christmas decorations, and we would go to the grocery store where they sold real trees—probably a Douglas fir or Scotch pine—and their scent still lingers in my mind to this day.  The big, colorful light bulbs we used on the trees then had a much different appeal than the needle thin tips of flicker we use today.

I suppose it’s the same for most children, regardless of the times we live in.  The excitement of Christmas still brews in their minds, up and to the joy of “receiving.”  That’s what I remember most about the teachings of my family, and I suppose the church, that it was the season of “giving,” which was the true spirit of Christmas.  It’s normal for children to focus on the opposite, but if giving is taught, and practiced, it comes as second nature when they mature.

I’ve worked hard at instilling that into my own son.  He is only seven, but since he was able to talk I have taken him shopping for his mother and half brothers.  He has grown to truly love “giving” and looks on with anticipation as the receivers unwrap the gifts he bought them.  So, I guess I am doing my part to spread the true meaning of Christmas on to him, but I am sorry to say that so many today simply don’t get it.

I recall the days before I became a father, and that period of my adult life where the commercialized, secular portion of Christmas truly disgusted me.  I would watch other people’s children unwrap present after present—tear the paper off then shove it quickly aside and move on to the next one, never taking time to truly acknowledge or appreciate what they just “received.”  After about ten or more presents, they look around and raise their hands and say, “Is that all I got?”  But that’s not the half of it.  The new stuff often gets pushed aside, and they are on to the video game they were playing before Santa arrived.

When my son came into this world, I had a talk with my mom and my sister.  I held up my index finger. “One present,” I said. “READ MY LIPS: ONE PRESENT.”

Luckily they respected my wishes.  I am happy to say that after Santa comes, my son dumps out his stocking, which has a lot of little goodies that I know he will enjoy, then unwraps that one very nice present that usually costs under $100.  And when we go to my family Christmas, he opens the two gifts he received from my sister and my parents.  He takes time to acknowledge those gifts and is eager to play with them.

I know that not everyone will agree with me, but this is my way of raising my son not to be over indulged and miss the true meaning of Christmas.  Children are easily programmed, but very difficult to de-program.  I believe in tough love, and I believe it through showing it, and using it.  So far it has worked on him.  But I can’t say as much for other children, or those big kids on Black Friday.  Talk about not getting the true meaning?

I know some people who LOVE getting out on Black Friday.  Personally, I’d rather have a double root canal, a rectal scope with no anesthesia, and my fingernails ripped off with fencing pliers.  Are you kidding me?  And I thought grown men on a summer softball field were bad.  One of the news stations played a Black Friday segment of people getting trampled at WalMart for a $10 Croc Pot.  If one of those people are seeing this vlog post, then I am not apologizing when I say, you are a moron.

My mom, madam eBay queen, mentioned that the Black Friday electronics rush is for eBay sellers, so it’s part of their business.  I suppose that’s fine, if that’s what they want to do to make an extra buck or two.  When it comes to business I guess I’m just a different kind of competitor, and would rather use my brains than brawn, and can’t see myself wrestling some old lady for a $99 tablet.

To top it off, amidst all of my bah-humbug feelings, I have to tolerate my favorite radio station’s switch to exclusive Christmas tunes from mid November to Christmas Day. Makes my skin crawl, and I have to block it out.  I do like Neil Diamond’s version of Little Drummer Boy, or Nat King Cole’s version of The Christmas Song, or my favorite, Do You Hear What I Hear? But anymore, I don’t hear the real spirit of Christmas as it was meant to be.

The other day I set up a book table at a holiday open house at one of our local schools.  Across from me were two ladies selling decorative Santas.  They had thirty feet of table space, with three different stair levels for the white bearded icons, dressed in everything from the traditional red and white to fishing and hunting garb.  The ladies themselves were all festive with Christmas sweaters, too, and it was the hottest spot in the building.

So I sat their, popping Tums in my mouth and battling my gag reflex, as women flipped out their hard earned cash to adopt one of these Made in China ornaments.  I guess it’s one of those women things that men don’t understand.  But I’m glad they had a good day.

All in all, I try to stay positive during this season, if not for my own attitude, for the benefit of my son. I want him to have pleasant Christmas memories as I had.  He won’t know what a real Christmas tree smells like, or the site of a glowing light bulb the size of your thumb, but he will have his own fond associations.  When he’s not looking, however, I’ll remain the holiday’s greatest cynic. So, to spread more of my anti-cheer, and in memory of the great Andy Williams, who left us this year, here is his most famous Christmas song, with a twist.

Steven Law is the author of Yuma Gold (Berkley, 2011) and The True Father (Goldminds, 2008). Visit his website at www.stevenlaw.com.

Once Again, The Problem Is Not the ‘Gun'

I am proud of my fellow Americans today.  Though I do realize it’s just a poll, I was very pleased that nearly eighty percent disagreed with Bob Costas and Jason Whitlock in their assessment of the Kansas City Chief’s player, Jovan Belcher, and his weapon of choice in a murder/suicide. When I originally heard about what Costas said, and that he was quoting Whitlock, I had this immediate insecurity that way too many people would agree with him, and I was so glad that I was wrong.

Though I would like to go into a rant similar to what many other fellow Americans are doing, I will refrain, because I think they are doing a good enough job with it (it has gone seriously viral), and since Costas has had a chance to respond, the controversy has taken a different turn.  Yes, I do think Bob Costas and Jason Whitlock should both be fired.  My opinion has nothing to do with free speech, this is about using their powerful positions as “SPORTS COMMENTATOR” and “SPORTS COLUMNIST” to exploit personal propaganda. They interjected their personal feelings into a situation that was inappropriate. That is despite the fact that they had no idea what they were talking about, and anyone who agrees with them are as ignorant to the facts as they are.

Costas followed up with a comment that he regretted using the forum that he did, and that people misunderstood him.  So, he regrets the forum, because he knows that was wrong, but as for people misunderstanding him, I don’t think nearly eighty percent of viewers/listeners misunderstood him. On the contrary, we heard him loud and clear. Then comes the follow-up by TV news reporters, who in some cases have defended him, citing that he was referring to changes needed in the “gun culture.”

As I see it, there are two gun cultures: lawful and unlawful. We don’t ever hear about the lawful culture, because they are not doing anything wrong.  But when someone busts a brain cell or two and goes off on a shooting rampage, the lawful take the heat.

What certain urbanites and news pundits do not realize is that there are law abiding citizens who own guns. There are generations of men and women who have learned to respect firearms, their purpose, and their dangers, and they do not take them for granted.  The ignorant don’t realize that people can own guns without evil thoughts in their minds… that they don’t pack a Glock 9 mm with the sole purpose of popping a cap in someone’s a**.  No, most people I know who have guns own them legally and use them lawfully and respectfully.

I remember when I was a boy how strict my father was when it came to learning how to handle a firearm.  Holding it, carrying it, using the safety button, and to make careful decisions before shooting.  We had to be conscious of what was within range anywhere near where we were shooting.  We never shot toward a house or structure.  There were also laws that dictated how much ammunition a gun could hold, such as a shotgun, which had a plug, etc.  These are things we respected and abided by, and the culture that Costas and Whitlock, and twenty-two percent of the poll, obviously know nothing about.

What concerns me most about these controversial comments is how badly it has distracted people from the real issue. Jovan Belcher (allegedly) murdered his girlfriend, then killed himself, because he was mentally ill.  How do I know?  Well, I will go out on a limb on this one and say that I imagine that most doctors, psychologists, and law enforcement officers would agree with me.  What would possess someone to do something like that?  It’s the epitome of narcissism and control, the latter of which he didn’t have, so he gained it by using violence. Violence, in this case, which involved a firearm, so naturally people who don’t know anything about guns want to blame the gun.

This is a terrible distraction, because we all know (at least seventy-eight percent of us know) the gun didn’t cause this problem.  The tragedy here is that two people lost their lives.  Regardless of how hard someone tried to reach Jovan Belcher and help him through his ordeal, no one was there to protect his girlfriend. Remember, Whitlock said, “If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.”  Would it have been so wrong if she would have been armed so that she could have protected herself?  Because if she had, with proper training, then it is possible that one less person would be dead right now.  Doesn’t that make more sense than what Whitlock said?

Let’s just say that Belcher didn’t have a gun, and that he grabbed a butcher knife.  Then his girlfriend pulls her .38 and says, “Put the knife down, Jovan.”  If he’s not too far gone in the head, then he puts the knife down and two lives are saved.  If he charges her with the knife, then there’s a chance she can protect herself.  Does the gun exacerbate the situation? No, it minimizes the risk, especially if the victim has proper training in using the gun and defending herself.

We could go on and on with different scenarios, but I’m sure you get my point.  The best thing to do at this point is to forget about what is not the problem, and go back further to what is the problem, which was Belcher’s mental state.  Professionals in this field like to talk about “tracing the problem.”  This is not like doing math, it’s more about evaluation of people, their history, and their lifestyle, and trying to understand where this behavior comes from.  I am not about to judge Belcher or his life because I don’t know anything about it (something Costas and Whitlock should consider before opening their mouths).  What I do know is that something(s) in his life led him to the point where he made the decision that he did. 

It could be a number of things, and there is no perfect solution. But what could anyone have done?  We are all guilty of being too busy, too preoccupied, with whatever it is in our lives that consumes us.  Work, commuting to and fro, kid’s activities, our activities.  Too much of what we do is about “me” and not about others.  We say we don’t have time for it, but I can assure you if quite a few Kansas City Chiefs players had a crystal ball and knew what was going to happen before it happened, they would have made time for it. 

Well, now is the time to prepare, because it’s going to happen again.  Next time it may not be someone you know, then again it might.  But just remember, people problems are not gun problems, and football is not the problem either. Guys like Bob Costas and Jason Whitlock … they are an entirely different problem.  They, and people like them, should use a personal forum to spout off their ignorance, and not the veins of mass media that empowers them, or was entrusted to them.

Steven Law is the author of Yuma Gold (Berkley, 2011) and The True Father (Goldminds, 2008). Visit his website at www.stevenlaw.com.

Divided We Fall

I normally don’t like writing about politics, and I have good reasons.  For the most part, as divided as our country is right now, debating anything is a waste of good energy.  It’s about as divisive as discussing religion, if not worse, and I for one respect everyone’s right to believe what they want in any arena. What I don’t like are the rolling eyes, the snippy, hateful comments… the “I’m so smart and you’re so dumb” arrogance.  And as bad, the angry, misguided, propaganda based ignorance.  Anymore I feel like a parent who needs to gather all of their children in the same room and knock their heads together.  Yes, literally.

So bear with me now as I tread dangerous ground, and before you respond, I would prefer you take at least one breath, maybe take a walk down the road or around the block, or possibly even sleep on it a night or two.  And after those calming steps, wouldn’t hurt to check your blood pressure first, your oxygen levels, and make sure your underwear isn’t too tight.

Okay, here goes…

Though I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, I’ve been somewhat taken aback by the White House petitions to secede.  I haven’t taken the time to make a list, but I am hearing reports that there is one for each state.  In some cases there is more than one for each state, because, I presume, someone was too lazy to read down the list of petitions to see if their state already had one.  Or, maybe the petition itself didn’t state what they wanted.  All I do know is that it’s a disturbing proposition no matter how you look at it.

At first I wonder if it’s not the same temperament as a man or woman going up to their spouse and saying, “I want a divorce.”  Maybe they’re serious, maybe they’re not.  Maybe they’re just trying to get the other’s attention.  Then I see a few of the news interviews and realize, yes, these people are serious.  What I also notice is that they are ignoring one very important fact, and that’s the election itself.  I’m not talking about who voted for who, I’m talking about who didn’t vote.

According to the Associated Press election figures, there were over 9 million (9,177,555 to be exact) less people that turned out to vote in this year’s election than 2008.  1.4 million less Republicans, and 7.7 million less Democrats.  Since it’s fairly safe to say that the petitions are likely from angry Republicans, or Libertarians, then the petition went to the wrong place. They need to be petitioning their fellow party members for not getting out and voting.

The people who voted spoke and Obama was re-elected.  Now, if you want to cite some World View conspiracy, left wing voter fraud, or whatever idea you want to share with the radical shockwaves and propaganda email chains, then I suggest you go out there and gather the intelligence data for such accusations and PROVE IT.  Because, my fellow Americans, the petitions you are making should be to the ones who DIDN’T VOTE, and not to the White House.  As far as I can tell, they won fair and square.

I know what you’re thinking.  Yeah, you’re thinking that since Steven Anderson, AKA Steven Law, is siding with the election results, that he drank the Liberal Kool-Aid.  He’s a writer, a man of the arts, and we all know what those people think! Yeah, they are Communist, feminist, Marxist, tree hugging, baby killers who want nothing more than to take our guns away!

Well, my fellow Americans, let me enlighten you.  I have rarely, ever in my life told anyone who I voted for, because it truly is my personal business, but I will make an exception this time because I do believe it’s important to back up what I’m saying.  In 2008 I voted for John McCain.  In this recent election I voted for Mitt Romney.  That’s the extent of my exposure, because the reason I picked those candidates was because of my own careful analysis of what I thought this country needed.  They certainly were not decisions based on the embarrassing influx of right or left wing propaganda that jams my email inbox, or from Rush Limbaugh, Rachel Maddow, Sean Hannity, Chris Matthews, Mark Levin, Bill Maher, or, God help us, the pulpit.  No, I base my decisions on nothing I hear from a biased media commentary.  I read, I research, and I study the qualifications of the candidates as to their ability to deliver the goods.  And you know what, that doesn’t make me right, it just allows me to exercise my right.

So when I see the election results, and the amount of angry people out there who want to blame everyone but the people who didn’t exercise their constitutional right to vote, I want to round them up and give them a history lesson.  I am quite confident that someone in their family, during the course of American history, either died or risked their life for the right for them to walk into that poll on Election Day and cast their vote.  The blood in our domestic and foreign soil, not just from the Red States, but from sea to shining sea, was the price paid for that right.  So if they don’t exercise it, then what right do they have to complain? 

There are a lot of things that we can work towards, but the idea of secession is just unbelievably juvenile.  Pick up your toys and go home….not playing anymore.  Is that how it is?  So you don’t like the President’s policies.  You know what… I don’t like most of them either.  But I voted for a different President, and I lost.  Now we have the President we have, and we have to hope and pray for the best.  We have to work hard, listen, learn, communicate, and for God’s sake be civil!

I truly don’t believe that any one of the people who drafted or signed those petitions have the slightest inkling of what it would cause if it were to come true.  First of all, the Supreme Court determined that secession is illegal, and the only way it can truly happen is if the state, or states, secede by force.  What are the chances of that happening?  Anyway, I could go on and on about the more practical reasons why secession would never work, but all one has to do is go down the list of things that we all have that would vanish if we were no longer united, and they’d soon get the picture.  Or at least I hope they would.

What bothers me most, however, is that I live in this Red State of Missouri so I can be close to my family.  Just across town, I can go visit my very liberal family members, and their three adorable children.  We have a wonderful time if we can avoid talking about politics.  But the point is, they have lived here nearly twenty years and have tolerated many issues that go against their personal values, and though we may not agree on everything, the last thing I would ever want is to have to visit them in a foreign country.  We live in a country where we have the right to believe what we want to believe and express that freely as well.  They have been surrounded by people of very different values for a very long time and I don’t hear them talking about secession.

If there is anyone in this great country of ours that wants to shut out their family, friends, or neighbors, simply because they believe something different, then I am truly ashamed of you, and you should be ashamed of yourselves.  And if you think that just because you’re a Red State, that this utopian idea that all of the liberals would be gone, and that you still wouldn’t have major disagreements, then oh boy, you are naïve.  For example, I wonder how many Conservative Christians would side with the man who wrote the secession petition for Alabama?  He is a Libertarian, and the primary reason he wrote the petition was because he used to own and operate a topless car wash, and the local government shut him down citing indecency laws.  How about that, desiring secessionists?  Are you still game?

No, what I think the secession mongers need is a massage and a warm bath, a shot of brandy (or warm milk if they don’t drink alcohol—or hot apple cider if they’re lactose intolerant), and maybe a fishing or hunting trip, or some serious time away from the shock media and their email propaganda.  When you return, with a fresh, righteous mind, think about where on God’s green earth that you’d rather live than in these United States of America.  Because one thing is for certain, there were just over 120 million votes cast in the last election, and considering that there are over 200 million eligible voters, and an estimated 170 million citizens registered to vote, I’d rather spend my time petitioning those some 50-80 million people to get off their posteriors and vote.

I remember very clearly how upset Red State people were with two-term President Bill Clinton. It was mostly because of his similar liberal ideals, scandals, his foray with the White House intern, and the bald face lies to the American people.  But, he did balance the budget.  Regardless, I don’t remember anyone talking about secession then.  Do you think it might be because he is white?

If this is not what the secessionists want to hear, and they want to cite some other insidious reason—like the President is a Muslim, or not a U.S. citizen, or that he is part of a supreme, conspiring One World Order to bring us into a European Socialist type government, then I have to digress and wonder if they might not be doing the right thing.  It might be best that they risk all that we’ve fought and died for and go build a big wall, somewhere in the heart of Texas, and hide themselves from the rest of the world, because quite frankly, my friends, having access to truly good, competent information rather than extreme, spinning propaganda obviously does them no good.

Lastly, if you respond to this blog post citing things similar to items in the latter paragraph, then you have to back them up with facts. And no, an email or quote from Donald Trump doesn’t count. And neither does a note from your parents.  Otherwise, I truly pray that we all step back, listen, learn, and take a good look at what’s at stake here. A rash, extreme, grasshopper style jump into secession is not the answer.  What is the best answer?  To be calm, caring, and considerate… and to remain united.  I’m willing, are you?

God bless all of you. And God bless these UNITED States of America.

Steven Law is the author of Yuma Gold (Berkley, 2011) and The True Father (Goldminds, 2008). Visit his website at www.stevenlaw.com.

The Cost Of Selling On Craig's List

I have sold several things on Craig's List.  It's a proven, immediate system that is supposed to be free. Yes, the ads don't cost anything to run, but I have heard so many stories... scary stories, from women who have had some real shady characters show up at their door.  Though they may not buy anything, that doesn't stop them from calling later. Yeah, you know what I mean.

Last spring I sold my used John Deere riding lawn mower. I put fresh gas in it, changed the oil, and mowed the first mow of the year with it, and after making sure it worked okay, I cleaned it up and placed the add on Craig's List.  The number I put in the ad was my cell phone, and it amazes me how few people call you, but send a text message. "Do you still have the mower?" they ask. 

The first guy to come and look at it arrived with a trailer behind his pickup.  He came prepared. His wife was with him, and he said he was buying it for her. They have a large acreage, and thought if they each had a mower they could get it done quicker. They both drove the mower around my yard, engaged the mower, and she said she loved it. So, they gave me the cash, loaded it on their trailer, and headed down the road.

A week later the guy called me (didn't text) and was madder than a she-grizzly. He said that the mower started having problems, so he took it to the John Deere dealership and the cost to repair it was more than he gave me for it. At least that was his story. I felt bad and since I did all the maintenace myself on the mower I asked him what was wrong. After he explained the problem I told him that he could get that part much cheaper and put it on himself, but he didn't want to mess with that. What he wanted was his money back.

I grew up on a farm and we bought and sold a lot of used equipment. I also came from a part of the world where we worked on our own stuff, and rarely ever took anything to a repair shop. If we bought something used, it was "as is." If we sold it, we sold it "as is." That was almost taken for granted. But in the city things are much different. It's a service world now, and people are used to taking things to get them fixed. I am quite sure I could have fixed the mower myself if it were my problem, but, it wasn't my problem any more. And offering to fix it for him would have likely created a situation where he pestered me to death.

Well, it didn't matter. He sent me so many text messages and called me so many times that I got used to seeing his number. The last four digits are "5454" so it's pretty easy to remember.  I ignored all his calls and texts, and after a few days they'd stop. But every couple of weeks or so I'd get a text from his number that was blank.  Again, this was last spring. It is almost October and I got another one today... that's right, it's blank.

Pretty spooky, in a way. He wants to remind me every so often that he felt cheated, when truly what he got was a case of bad luck. It has happened to me before, more than once. Some things in life are a gamble, and buying used equipment is one of them. I remember several years ago I bought a used pickup, and the day after I bought it the rig blew a head gasket. Tough luck, for sure, but the last thing I did was harrass the guy that sold it to me.

I made a new pact with myself, which was to not list my cell phone number on Craig's List any more. I've got a pay-by-minute cell phone I'll use which doesn't have texting, and I'll mention that in the add. When I'm not using that phone, it sits in a drawer in my office desk, powered down, so at least I won't be haunted by some loser who never learned the art of swap and trade.

Steven Law is the author of Yuma Gold (Berkley, 2011) and The True Father (Goldminds, 2008). Visit his website at www.stevenlaw.com.

The Value of Silence and Compassion

Yes, it’s true, that the First Amendment does offer us freedom of speech. We can speak openly about pretty much whatever we want, with the exception of libel, without legal repercussion. Doesn’t matter if it’s about politics, religion, business, sex, etc., it’s all fair game. That doesn’t mean, however, that anyone will be immune to social repercussions.

This has been a big topic on the world stage lately after an amateur filmmaker, with Coptic Christian beliefs, released a film poking fun at the Islamic prophet, Mohamed. As we all know, and certainly the filmmaker knew, such rhetoric inside the Muslim community is punishable only by death. It doesn’t matter how extreme that may be, or how anyone else feels about it, it is a matter of how they feel, and they’re not American.  Step foot into their world, and I assure you the Bill of Rights won’t protect you.

Author Salman Rushdie has been facing the same kind of backlash for his book The Satanic Verses ever since its release in 1988. The result was an Islamic fatwā which ordered his death, and as of late, the bounty is now set at $3.3 million. The British, Indian author, now living on American soil in New York City, has been living under police protection ever since.

Though it was his right to write and publish the book, as it was the right of the filmmaker to make the controversial video, it was also their right to keep their mouths shut, and they are reaping the consequences for not doing so.  Rushdie is not taking the threat seriously, which surprises me, because all we have to do is look at what happened at the American Embassy in Egypt to know that the Islamic communities do take it seriously.

We don’t have to be on the world stage to realize consequences for what we say or create. From our first social experiences as children, to present day, we have all learned that at times it was probably better that we not ignite, or not respond. Yeah, maybe that girl is wearing an ugly dress, but is it important that all your friends know your feelings? Very few have the guts to tell anyone directly how they feel, they usually spread it via malicious gossip, which is a weak, cowardly approach.

We have all experienced incidents like this over our lifetime, regardless of what painful end we are on. It doesn’t matter whether you start it, or weather you’re on the receiving end, it is always painful to either party. I say this because when someone starts malicious talk, especially the kind that is somewhat slanted and magnified to make it worse than it really is, then I will revert to an old saying that I like to use: karma is a bitch.

As I got older, through college, and out into the business world, I experienced a lot of this type of behavior that was truly no better than when we were in junior high school. It doesn’t matter whether the person is at entry level, or a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, they all do it. I feel lucky to have had some good examples, even some good teaching from mentors, on how to handle these types of situations, and the best advice was not to participate in it, even if it’s about you.

After every experience I had like this the better I got at handling it. I’m not saying that it’s not hurtful, annoying, or that it doesn’t anger me, but experience has taught me that keeping silent is the best remedy of all. The most hurtful part is that we usually end up losing so-called friends. No, they weren’t our friends after all, but we may have thought there was something promising for the future.

I have read a lot of biographies of successful people, and quite often they will write about this very issue. Almost always they will be consistent with remaining calm, professional, and staying out of it. This is certainly true in personal situations. In business situations, sometimes there is a requirement to respond, and in doing so we are very careful to do so in a professional, non-threatening manner.

This reminds me of the numerous accounts in the arts where I have witnessed authors, musicians, actors, and the like, that were somewhat one-hit wonders because of the way they worked with people. Some like to call it “drama,” which in many cases the most successful people I know try to avoid. Making way into the world of the professional arts is not near as difficult as staying in it. Once they break that barrier there are even more obstacles to overcome, and if they are more emotional than professional then it’s unlikely their success will last.

Several years back, when Jay Leno took over the tonight show, there were things going on behind his back that he knew could destroy his chances at keeping the job.  Rather than engage in the drama, Jay went straight to the source, the one who had the answers and could make the decisions, and worked things out. The result? Well, after all those years he is still on the air.

There have been three situations in the last year where people have tried to destroy my career. For whatever reasons they felt the need to do so, all three of them could have saved a lot of heartache for themselves as well as me if they would have just called me first and expressed their concerns.  Instead, they made their judgment, based on hearsay, and went about spreading the rumors and creating a negative image about me and what I do. Again, they never, ever talked to me first.

When these rumors got around to the people that DO know me, and knew better, they called me. “Have you heard what so-and-so is saying? What’s that all about?” They cared enough to inquire about it before they responded or said anything, which goes to show that the person that starts things usually doesn’t care, and usually has self-serving reasons for doing so. The same with those who participate and take stock in the rumors, and have never heard my side of the story.

I am not surprised to know that all three cases are part of the same circle, just different ring leaders. Two of the three situations are over with, and I am standing just as tall, if not taller, than before. The third was even more damaging, and is yet to come to a close, but I assure you I will not be taken down by this. Everything I started in my career is going stronger than ever, and I credit it to keeping my nose to the grindstone and avoiding the senseless, pointless drama that can do nothing more than hold me back.

I have to make mention of the use of social media in these types of situations. Because of smart phones, tablets, or anything mobile that is connected to the Internet, we are in a communication revolution. What this means is that we communicate faster than ever before, and almost anything can become “live” in a nanosecond.  Because of this, a lot of what we say or do online can’t be undone, and if we don’t take time to think about things before we post or hit send, it can be quite harmful to others and ourselves.

Facebook can be useful, but in many cases it’s just as useless and counterproductive. People use Facebook for these social games they play with other people, and like any other medium of communication it’s something not to take part in. The most successful people I know are not on Facebook, or if they are, they are not on there very much. I limit my time on all social media to just a few minutes each day, and most of that is on my business page. I used it more while I was on tour, but much less while I’m at home. My books are not going to write themselves.

First and foremost, I think that we have to understand why people say the things they do to help us realize why we don’t do the same thing. The martyrs of our history, which go back more than two millennia, who lost their lives standing up for free speech, did so for the benefit of the human race. Some will argue the value of the Coptic filmmaker’s work, or Salman Rushdie’s book, but few will disagree that they didn’t do it for attention to themselves, or their own personal gain, instead of the greater good. 

It’s the same for all expressions that are hurtful in nature and handled inappropriately, they did it for attention.  They could have thought about the greater whole instead of themselves, and found themselves in a much better eye of those who chose not to take part or respond. That, my current and former friends, would have been exercising their freedom of silence, and a true ability to care about other people. That’s the path I choose, and I hope you will too.

Steven Law is the author of Yuma Gold (Berkley, 2011) and The True Father (Goldminds, 2008). Visit his website at www.stevenlaw.com.

 

If You Can’t Stand the Heat….

It may be old news, but I was really taken by the incident in Greece, New York, where a school bus monitor was “bullied” by four middle school boys, which the media sensationalized to the point that said school bus monitor got more than a fair remedy, and the middle school boys, and their families, pretty much had to go into hiding.

It is understood that anyone who watched the video clip of this incident would feel instant revulsion for what took place. I too felt sorry for the lady who came under fire by the vulgar, brazen tongue lashings of these kids.  She was no doubt emotionally stricken by what was said, but she herself understood that they were just kids, and felt it was unjust to press criminal charges, and that the school and parents should be responsible for taking action against them. And they rightfully did.

I have some experience with this type of situation. One, I used to be a middle school kid, and as some of my classmates will confirm, I was prone to putting teachers through quite a test. Two, I have been a middle school teacher, and had training on dealing with them. Those middle school years, for girls and boys, are the most difficult psychological, sociological, and physiological periods of their childhood. When they don’t fit in a certain social group, they look for another, and sometimes that means being nasty to get attention. In many cases they are not mature enough to handle the situations in which they land without someone to supervise them. A school bus is a cesspool of bad behavior because it is grossly unsupervised, and if you put middle school kids in a group, unsupervised, you’re going to get this sort of thing. It’s like my dad used to say, “Put a bunch of tom cats in a sack you’re gonna have a ruckus.”

We didn’t have school bus monitors when I was a kid, and I understand that today they are there for several reasons, but primarily to deal with issues so the bus driver can focus on driving. To me any job working in a school district, around kids of any age, one has to be prepared and able to deal with immaturity, meanness, cruelty, harassment, and sometimes downright terrorism. Remember, “Sticks and stones….” Yeah, yeah. You get the point. Working with kids takes certain stamina. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Okay, enough of the old sayings.

Yes, it was an appalling moment and like the lady who was harassed, I also felt bad for those kids’ parents. What we learn later was that those kids and their families—because of our age of technology and mass communication—received more than a fair share of harassing calls and even death threats. Our human character has an instinctive, but flawed reaction to hang people and not to get to the heart of what is really going on. Did those kids do something terrible? Yes, it was appalling. Are the authorities dealing with it? Yes, they are. Do those kids realize they did something very, very wrong? You bet they do. Do they deserve death threats? No, they don’t.

On the flip side of things I am trying to find the positive of all the “rewards” being presented to said school bus monitor. Yes, I felt sorry for her and what she had to endure. But, people have endured worse things and received no remedy. Now if they would have physically assaulted her, or beat her to a pulp, then that would have been a different issue. But these were just words. Harsh, yes, but still words. I would think the media attention and the emotional suffering brought back to the kids and their parents, in spades, was justice enough. But someone, in Canada if I remember correctly, thought it necessary to do a fund raiser to buy the school bus monitor a vacation…that after all that she endured she deserved one. Wait a minute…don’t most people who work in school districts get summer’s off?

The fundraiser was meant to raise $5,000 for her to take her and eight other family members on a trip somewhere fun, and Southwest Airlines came forward and gave her ten tickets to Orlando, Florida, and ten passes to Disney World. Are you kidding me?

You know what, I’d take a worse tongue lashing than that from an entire bus load of twelve year-olds for a McDonalds value meal! But let’s make it a chain restaurant so they can at least have the global publicity. Good grief!

But that’s not even a fraction of it. The fundraiser is now over half a million dollars, and it’s meant to go to the school bus monitor. She truly seemed like a nice lady, and I appreciated her forgiving nature and discouragement of criminal charges for the boys, but I am disappointed with her accepting the trip or any of the money. What she endured goes with the territory, and though she may have been in a rough verbal situation, she did endure it. I am waiting to see now where the half a million dollars raised goes. She says part of it is supposed to go to a research charity, but how much "part of it is" I have not heard. She even admitted she doesn't feel like she deserves it, that there are people with worse problems than her. But?

There’s a lot that can be learned from this. It’s okay to make an example out of what these kids did to try and prevent it from happening to others. This creates an awareness situation for parents and educators, and even a better one for the kids. If someone truly wants to come forward and help the situation, I’m all for Samuel L. Jackson stepping in to take the bus monitor’s place while she’s on her paid recovery. Yeah, he could read them a bed time story. That would do the trick.