PEACE VIGIL
NEWTON FALLS, OH
Friday, July 29, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Route 534
Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, July 29, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Route 534, Newton Falls, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!
This week:
Last week I had a bit of a scare for a couple of hours Thursday morning when our youngest fur-baby, Barack Obama Cat Jordan, exhibited signs of possible heart problems. Since my car’s AC is on the fritz (sorry, Barb), I had to wait till Jim got home from work that afternoon so we could take Obama to the vet together. By that time he’d settled down and napped peacefully for most of the day, and he was in great shape. After carefully examining him, the doctor assured us our precious little one had probably got overheated when he’d been out stalking the birds that come for the seed I spread in the backyard.
Even at 6:00 in the morning at this time of year, the southern Arizona temperature is in the mid-80s and the humidity in the teens and 20s. It doesn’t make sense for any creature, on two legs or four, to do anything but quietly watch the birds then come in to enjoy the air conditioning. Now, a week later, Obama seems to have learned his lesson, and he’s staying inside just about all day every day. Meanwhile, our family owes a great debt to the caring doctors and staff of Small Animal Clinic in Casa Grande. Whether it’s a regular checkup or a scary event like this one, for over a decade they’ve provided the greatest love and professional care for all our precious kittie babies!
Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Friday Peace Vigil, Girard, OH, and surrounding area:
PEACE VIGIL
GIRARD, OH
Friday, July 22, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Route 422 (State St.) and E. Liberty St.
Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, July 22, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Route 422 (State St.) and E. Liberty St., Girard, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!
This week:
After posting a couple of articles this week, I’ve been taking care of some personal things, including seeing to our possibly sick cat. Today I realized our youngest, the little black-and-white tuxedo cat, Barack Obama, who appeared at our door at 10:00 p.m. on November 4, 2008 (which explains his name), might have a chronic problem, so we’re taking him to see the “baby” doctor--also known as the veterinarian--this afternoon. We hope for the best, as he’s such a happy, loving, and good-natured kitty-cat. In our family, our little furry Obama is truly known as “the peacemaker”!
Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!
GIRARD, OH
Friday, July 22, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Route 422 (State St.) and E. Liberty St.
Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, July 22, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Route 422 (State St.) and E. Liberty St., Girard, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!
This week:
After posting a couple of articles this week, I’ve been taking care of some personal things, including seeing to our possibly sick cat. Today I realized our youngest, the little black-and-white tuxedo cat, Barack Obama, who appeared at our door at 10:00 p.m. on November 4, 2008 (which explains his name), might have a chronic problem, so we’re taking him to see the “baby” doctor--also known as the veterinarian--this afternoon. We hope for the best, as he’s such a happy, loving, and good-natured kitty-cat. In our family, our little furry Obama is truly known as “the peacemaker”!
Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Polygamy pros and cons: Getting to the heart of the conflict
In the late 1980s, I wrote Lion’s Pride, an historical mystery about Mormons who practiced polygamy years after Latter-Day Saints banned it. Though my writing was praised, the premise was considered fantastic.
When Warren Jeffs’ iron rule in Colorado City, AZ, and Hildale, UT, hit the headlines, I published the book myself. Now readers know what I understood as a curious nine-year-old reading about federal arrests in the high-desert haven of Short Creek.
Polygamy is a complicated arrangement that’s been practiced throughout history. Most people believe it’s a religious practice, but it was usually done for pragmatic reasons. In sparsely populated areas with more females than males, men married multiple women to produce many children. Soon small groups generated large tribes and, eventually, great nations. While polygamy was practiced for that reason in biblical times, it was merely tolerated among Jews, not required by religious law.
Requiring polygamy for religious reasons began with Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon religion. Since his teachings attracted more female than male converts, it was a practical arrangement after Smith’s death and the Mormons’ removal to Utah under Brigham Young’s leadership.
Tens of thousands of their descendants still practice religious polygamy. Sadly, laws outlawing their lifestyle provide cover while men like Warren Jeffs take advantage of their followers. Among known abuses are:
Crimes committed by Jeffs and his followers dominated headlines for a decade, but recently, Kody Brown and his wives, Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn, show a different side of polygamy in their TLC reality series, “Sister Wives.” Among the rules they follow are:
The Browns are open about both the problems and benefits of their lifestyle. They agree polygamy isn’t for everyone. One situation demonstrates they don’t take unfair advantage of government benefits. When he started working for his employer, Kody listed one wife and her children on his medical insurance plan. Then a daughter by another wife needed an appendectomy, but she wasn’t covered.
Instead of claiming the girl’s mother was a single mother, they set up a payment plan. Then Kody bared his soul to his employer and arranged for his family to be covered. The fact that they’re still paying for that surgery proves the Browns are nothing like members of Jeffs’ clan, who call their illegal abuse of the welfare system “bleeding the beast.”
The Browns are doing the show to lift the veil and remove the fear that overwhelms polygamists who are otherwise exemplary citizens. As a result of their public declarations, authorities began looking for a reason to interfere with their peaceful family life.
Knowing Kody could be arrested, the Browns moved to Las Vegas. Now Jonathan Turley, George Washington University Law School professor, has filed suit on their behalf against the State of Utah. Since Kody only legally married Meri and the others are spiritual, not legal, wives, they’re breaking no other law besides polygamy.
Now the haters are coming out of the woodwork. These activists rightly exposed abuses of the Jeffs cult, but they mistakenly paint the Browns with the same tarred brush. They claim that since some polygamists commit crimes, all polygamists must be criminals. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The fact that some priests abuse children doesn’t make all priests guilty. On the other hand, it’s legal for a man to marry one woman and have a secret affair with another (adultery), but it’s still a crime for a man to marry one woman and support another with the full knowledge and approval from the first (polygamy). Where is the logic?
It would be wiser to repeal statutes against polygamy and remove the veil that protects abusers like Warren Jeffs. Then the law could go after real criminals and leave people like Kody Brown and his clan to enjoy their rich family life together in peace.
When Warren Jeffs’ iron rule in Colorado City, AZ, and Hildale, UT, hit the headlines, I published the book myself. Now readers know what I understood as a curious nine-year-old reading about federal arrests in the high-desert haven of Short Creek.
Polygamy is a complicated arrangement that’s been practiced throughout history. Most people believe it’s a religious practice, but it was usually done for pragmatic reasons. In sparsely populated areas with more females than males, men married multiple women to produce many children. Soon small groups generated large tribes and, eventually, great nations. While polygamy was practiced for that reason in biblical times, it was merely tolerated among Jews, not required by religious law.
Requiring polygamy for religious reasons began with Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon religion. Since his teachings attracted more female than male converts, it was a practical arrangement after Smith’s death and the Mormons’ removal to Utah under Brigham Young’s leadership.
Tens of thousands of their descendants still practice religious polygamy. Sadly, laws outlawing their lifestyle provide cover while men like Warren Jeffs take advantage of their followers. Among known abuses are:
- Girls are forced to marry older men, while boys are expelled so leaders can have girls for themselves.
- Mothers, considered single by law, collect state benefits and give them to the leaders.
- Members must give their income to the leaders.
- The church owns all property, so anyone can be evicted without notice.
- Anyone who questions the leaders can lose homes, jobs, and families.
Crimes committed by Jeffs and his followers dominated headlines for a decade, but recently, Kody Brown and his wives, Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn, show a different side of polygamy in their TLC reality series, “Sister Wives.” Among the rules they follow are:
- Only consenting adults can enter a polygamous relationship.
- Men need approval from current wives before they take new wives.
- Girls and boys are encouraged to get an education.
- Children choose whether they want to be polygamists as adults.
The Browns are open about both the problems and benefits of their lifestyle. They agree polygamy isn’t for everyone. One situation demonstrates they don’t take unfair advantage of government benefits. When he started working for his employer, Kody listed one wife and her children on his medical insurance plan. Then a daughter by another wife needed an appendectomy, but she wasn’t covered.
Instead of claiming the girl’s mother was a single mother, they set up a payment plan. Then Kody bared his soul to his employer and arranged for his family to be covered. The fact that they’re still paying for that surgery proves the Browns are nothing like members of Jeffs’ clan, who call their illegal abuse of the welfare system “bleeding the beast.”
The Browns are doing the show to lift the veil and remove the fear that overwhelms polygamists who are otherwise exemplary citizens. As a result of their public declarations, authorities began looking for a reason to interfere with their peaceful family life.
Knowing Kody could be arrested, the Browns moved to Las Vegas. Now Jonathan Turley, George Washington University Law School professor, has filed suit on their behalf against the State of Utah. Since Kody only legally married Meri and the others are spiritual, not legal, wives, they’re breaking no other law besides polygamy.
Now the haters are coming out of the woodwork. These activists rightly exposed abuses of the Jeffs cult, but they mistakenly paint the Browns with the same tarred brush. They claim that since some polygamists commit crimes, all polygamists must be criminals. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The fact that some priests abuse children doesn’t make all priests guilty. On the other hand, it’s legal for a man to marry one woman and have a secret affair with another (adultery), but it’s still a crime for a man to marry one woman and support another with the full knowledge and approval from the first (polygamy). Where is the logic?
It would be wiser to repeal statutes against polygamy and remove the veil that protects abusers like Warren Jeffs. Then the law could go after real criminals and leave people like Kody Brown and his clan to enjoy their rich family life together in peace.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Finding money: Social Security and the Economic Crisis
When people require extra money, both the reasons for the need and the method used to fill the coffers depends on the economic status of the individual.
Many in the middle classes live paycheck-to-paycheck. A missed payday, medical emergency, or car repair triggers a scramble for cash. People at this level might look for extra work, either overtime at their regular job or part-time at a second job. Many use credit cards, accumulating debt they might not be able to pay later.
In the depths of poverty, life is hand-to-mouth. People barely survive the negative gap between income and outgo and often lack money for food or rent. A few might find extra work, but many seek help from government agencies or charities.
In the rarefied air of the upper classes, need disappears and greed is the norm. Unusual expenses arise when Buffy demands a soiree to outshine the party hosted by her private-school rival, Missy, or Dexter IV expects a luxury vehicle when he attends Dexter III’s alma mater instead of the sports car he used during his prep-school years.
A few hundred thousands to cover these expenses is no problem. Dexter III just convinces his board of directors to boost his annual bonus. Then he gifts his trophy wife with a private Caribbean retreat for those long winter vacations.
When government finds itself short of ready cash for such essentials as military pay and seniors’ retirement, where does Congress look? To the Dexters who can spare a luxury or two and help the rest of us? Or to people at the middle and lower levels, where any unexpected expense could push them onto the road to ruin?
Most conservatives propose the latter. They make frequent reference to the sacrifices people must make, but they balk at any suggestion that the super-blessed be affected by any imagined “hardship.” Instead of raising taxes on the super-rich, they propose raising Social Security taxes and cutting retirement and medical benefits to the lower classes.
Social Security is a tax on the poor and middle class. The wealthy pay nothing more into that fund on earnings above $106,800.00, a pittance for people in the highest brackets. Social Security is a lifeline for the poor, but since benefits are based on previous earnings, the lifelong poor rarely enjoy a decent existence in retirement.
Since Social Security is paid by and most useful to people in the lower classes, the only people who should decide how to design and administer the service should be people who make less than $110,00.00 per year. The same goes for Medicare and Medicaid, which are vital to poor people and irrelevant to the wealthy.
Conservatives argue that concentrating wealth with the few ensures a strong economy, but this philosophy is upside-down. History shows that every era in which hard-working lower classes generate great wealth for the privileged leads to a period in which members of the poor and middle classes lose the benefits and capital they struggled to amass during boom times.
When wealth flows upward, people below suffer, and squeezing the common people eventually destroys the economy. That’s because companies depend less on investment than on income from the goods and services they produce. Without customers, a company will eventually fail and be forced to close its doors. Those customers are the millions of lower-class members who spend most of the money they earn or receive in various benefits to purchase products and services from the companies many of them also work for.
And that labor is another vital piece of the economic puzzle. Nobody generates a million dollars or more through their efforts alone. It takes the hard work of dozens of people just to provide the labor required to support the payment of a million dollars to anyone. If one million goes out to one person, then all the others in the equation must also receive a few thousand for their efforts. The highest earner directs the operation of lower-paid team members, many of whom could likely do their jobs without much direction in the first place.
The conclusion must be that we should worry less about the rich and begin to bolster the status of people in the lower and middle classes. Only then will we start to solve the serious economic problems now threatening the world economy.
Many in the middle classes live paycheck-to-paycheck. A missed payday, medical emergency, or car repair triggers a scramble for cash. People at this level might look for extra work, either overtime at their regular job or part-time at a second job. Many use credit cards, accumulating debt they might not be able to pay later.
In the depths of poverty, life is hand-to-mouth. People barely survive the negative gap between income and outgo and often lack money for food or rent. A few might find extra work, but many seek help from government agencies or charities.
In the rarefied air of the upper classes, need disappears and greed is the norm. Unusual expenses arise when Buffy demands a soiree to outshine the party hosted by her private-school rival, Missy, or Dexter IV expects a luxury vehicle when he attends Dexter III’s alma mater instead of the sports car he used during his prep-school years.
A few hundred thousands to cover these expenses is no problem. Dexter III just convinces his board of directors to boost his annual bonus. Then he gifts his trophy wife with a private Caribbean retreat for those long winter vacations.
When government finds itself short of ready cash for such essentials as military pay and seniors’ retirement, where does Congress look? To the Dexters who can spare a luxury or two and help the rest of us? Or to people at the middle and lower levels, where any unexpected expense could push them onto the road to ruin?
Most conservatives propose the latter. They make frequent reference to the sacrifices people must make, but they balk at any suggestion that the super-blessed be affected by any imagined “hardship.” Instead of raising taxes on the super-rich, they propose raising Social Security taxes and cutting retirement and medical benefits to the lower classes.
Social Security is a tax on the poor and middle class. The wealthy pay nothing more into that fund on earnings above $106,800.00, a pittance for people in the highest brackets. Social Security is a lifeline for the poor, but since benefits are based on previous earnings, the lifelong poor rarely enjoy a decent existence in retirement.
Since Social Security is paid by and most useful to people in the lower classes, the only people who should decide how to design and administer the service should be people who make less than $110,00.00 per year. The same goes for Medicare and Medicaid, which are vital to poor people and irrelevant to the wealthy.
Conservatives argue that concentrating wealth with the few ensures a strong economy, but this philosophy is upside-down. History shows that every era in which hard-working lower classes generate great wealth for the privileged leads to a period in which members of the poor and middle classes lose the benefits and capital they struggled to amass during boom times.
When wealth flows upward, people below suffer, and squeezing the common people eventually destroys the economy. That’s because companies depend less on investment than on income from the goods and services they produce. Without customers, a company will eventually fail and be forced to close its doors. Those customers are the millions of lower-class members who spend most of the money they earn or receive in various benefits to purchase products and services from the companies many of them also work for.
And that labor is another vital piece of the economic puzzle. Nobody generates a million dollars or more through their efforts alone. It takes the hard work of dozens of people just to provide the labor required to support the payment of a million dollars to anyone. If one million goes out to one person, then all the others in the equation must also receive a few thousand for their efforts. The highest earner directs the operation of lower-paid team members, many of whom could likely do their jobs without much direction in the first place.
The conclusion must be that we should worry less about the rich and begin to bolster the status of people in the lower and middle classes. Only then will we start to solve the serious economic problems now threatening the world economy.
Friday Peace Vigil, Hubbard, OH, and surrounding area:
PEACE VIGIL
HUBBARD, OH
Friday, July 15, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
S. Main St. and E. Liberty St.
Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, July 15, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at S. Main St. and E. Liberty St., Hubbard, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!
This week:
On a personal level, I’m getting a bit of writing done in between all the regular life stuff, including everything that needs to be taken care of before Jim retires in the fall. We’re really looking forward to that change. This will be the first time in almost 45 years that we could put each other first, instead of work, or those rare times when he had to find another job. And don’t worry about Jim developing “old retired dude syndrome.” That happens when a guy who’s been used to going off to work sits around the house all day and complains because he doesn’t have anything to keep him occupied. I’ve already been working on a preventive protocol. It’s called “train the husband school.” He knows what’s in store, and we’re both ready for it.
Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!
HUBBARD, OH
Friday, July 15, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
S. Main St. and E. Liberty St.
Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, July 15, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at S. Main St. and E. Liberty St., Hubbard, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!
This week:
On a personal level, I’m getting a bit of writing done in between all the regular life stuff, including everything that needs to be taken care of before Jim retires in the fall. We’re really looking forward to that change. This will be the first time in almost 45 years that we could put each other first, instead of work, or those rare times when he had to find another job. And don’t worry about Jim developing “old retired dude syndrome.” That happens when a guy who’s been used to going off to work sits around the house all day and complains because he doesn’t have anything to keep him occupied. I’ve already been working on a preventive protocol. It’s called “train the husband school.” He knows what’s in store, and we’re both ready for it.
Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Friday Peace Vigil, Columbiana, OH, and surrounding area:
PEACE VIGIL
COLUMBIANA, OH
Friday, July 8, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Routes 14 & 170
Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, July 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Routes 14 & 170, Columbiana, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!
This week:
I’m still working on little things around here, hoping to “catch up” so I can get back to more creative projects soon. That’s the trouble with life. It gets in the way of what I really want to do. Great hopes for great thoughts!
Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!
COLUMBIANA, OH
Friday, July 8, 2011
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Routes 14 & 170
Ray Nakley (330-506-1999) and Ron Dull (330-518-9881) will hold their weekly Peace Vigil this Friday, July 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Routes 14 & 170, Columbiana, OH. They invite anyone who is interested in showing their support for ending conflict in the world to join them. Hold out positive thoughts for that!
This week:
I’m still working on little things around here, hoping to “catch up” so I can get back to more creative projects soon. That’s the trouble with life. It gets in the way of what I really want to do. Great hopes for great thoughts!
Meanwhile, let’s all send out our most positive thoughts and, for those who are believers, prayers to support and benefit all those suffering in so many parts of the world!
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