It Can’t Be All Negative? Can It?

I read that the president wants a total review of the Smithsonian Institute, with a focus on how decisions are made as to what is shown in its exhibits. According to several reports, the president has instructed attorneys to examine the museums that make up the institute, using the same process they used in examining colleges and universities. I for one hope that the Smithsonian Institute and any other museums that are investigated take this opportunity to instruct us all on what they do. But to be honest, I fear that they already are off to a bad start in their own defense.

In response I’ve heard a lot of talk about the need to remember our history along with the need to tell the whole story, both of which are true. I’ve also heard a lot about the need for museums to remain independent, a point on which I also agree. What I have not heard is talk about anything positive that our museums say about our country. Now, I admit that I have never been to any of the Smithsonian Museums and that I know little about what they have in their exhibits, but I just can’t believe that it is all negative. If in fact the presentation of our history is fair and balanced, then now is the time to state their case.

When they were examined by the administration, our colleges and universities did a terrible job at responding, providing soundbites that gave the impression that they were out of touch and perhaps even antisemitic. The Smithsonian Institute, along with the rest of our nation’s museums, should be able to avoid this kind of response. If, as they claim to do, our museums tell a fair and balanced story, they should endeavor to do so even under an examination that is pushing an agenda. Hopefully, they will take this opportunity to teach the administration, and the rest of our nation, the importance of knowing our history: both the good and the bad. This is a great PR opportunity, but I am afraid that, like a certain political party that shall go unnamed, our most treasured museum system is on the verge of blowing it.

Lines That Should Not Be Crossed

I used to post to a blog with a different name. Back then I spent way too much time focusing on my stats, riding a rollercoaster that climbed and dropped with my daily reader count. With each post I learned a bit more about my core audience, my stats telling me what they would read and what they would recommend to their followers. Armed with this knowledge I would dive into my next posts both on my blogs and on my other social media channels. Over time I found that I could, with the right set of words, draw attention from many people including some who were much more famous than I. But as my stats improved, I noticed something I didn’t like. I noticed that I was bending over backwards, compromising what I truly believed in order to make my audience happy.

One event in particular served as an eye opener that forced me to change course. My audience was abuzz about a teenager who ran away from home out of fear for her life. This young woman received Jesus as her Lord and Savior, a decision that put her at odds with her family. Forced to leave home for her own safety, she found a group of Christians in a different state who received her with open arms. But eventually, the authorities caught up with her and the courts ordered that she be returned to her family. With help from her new found brothers and sisters in Christ she was able to appeal this decision and I learned about her while she was waiting for her appeal to be heard.

Many in my online group spoke out against the court decision, encouraging the family hiding the young woman to defy the court order. I found myself wondering if in fact this was the right way to proceed. Yes, I understood why the young woman felt that her home was no longer safe but at the same time I feared the possibility of setting a precedent where children could be hidden from their families simply because of a difference in opinion over religious belief. I was torn between my belief that we all should do our best to follow the law and those online voices telling me that the law was wrong.

And so I started asking questions, hoping my audience would enlighten me. Instead I was treated as if I had lost my mind. My audience wondered how I could even begin to question other Christians who were simply trying to protect the life of a child. I pointed out that God could protect her whether or not she went home. To this I was challenged to read the pages of another religion’s book in order to understand the real danger this young woman was in. Back then, and still today, I wondered why I needed to read a book from another religion when my Bible told me all I needed to know.

There, on the pages of the Bible, I find God. The Bible tells me that God is more than up to the task of protecting His children. With no compromise, my Bible told me not to give into fear but instead to trust in God. This seemed to contradict my audience who seemed to fear the power of another religion and its followers. I knew at that point that I had to make a choice. Either I stood in confidence in what God could do, even if I lost my audience, or I could stand in fear with my audience knowing that my stats would continue to grow even if my relationship with the Almighty did not.

For the record, the young woman had a birthday while waiting for her appeal to be heard. At that point she was able to legally choose for herself where she wanted to live, disappearing from the headlines as she went on with her life. Wherever she is, I pray she continues with the Lord, standing as a witness of how He can and does protect His children. As for my old blog, well it became harder and harder to write knowing what I would have to do to hold onto my audience. Eventually I took a break from blogging. Then I decided to let that old blog disappear, starting fresh here with these posts.

I thought about that old blog following the events of January 6, 2021. I thought about the mob and the riot, wondering how many were pulled along in the river of emotion that welled up at that moment. I suspect the large majority are normally law abiding citizens but on that day they got caught up in all of the excitement. In the heat of the moment they committed crimes against the very nation they claim to love. They crossed a line that just should not be crossed as they tried to win favor with those around them and with the world leader they came to support.

I recognized when it was time to draw a line: time to walk away from my old blog and the audience that followed. It was time to stop bending over backwards at the expense of what I truly believed and so I moved on. I hope that those who took part in the riots on January 6 recognize that they crossed a line they shouldn’t while bending over backwards for their audience of one. I also hope that our former president learned that there are lines that should not be crossed, especially when doing so means attacking that which you are called to defend.

Random Thoughts January 15, 2019

We are in the middle of a record breaking government shutdown here in the United States. The sticking point is money ($5.7 billion at last check) requested by President Trump to build a wall between us and Mexico. Last week the president took his case to the public speaking from the Oval Office. In an unusual move Democratic leaders asked for time to respond with speeches of their own. Both sides gave their spin on the matter. Neither said what I wanted to hear.

President Trump started by speaking of the humanitarian crises playing out on our southern border where we have children being held. Meanwhile we try to solve the problem of how to handle what is going on. Both sides recognize the problem. The president's answer is money for immigration judges and equipment designed to help enforce our immigration laws. President Trump also wants His wall. What I didn't hear is why this wall is the most cost effective approach. And while Democrats label the wall as immoral and obsolete I hear little of their plan and why it is better than a good old fashioned wall. Both sides are speaking but neither is giving any real or new information.

Meanwhile thousands if government employees missed their paychecks last Friday. I have a tough time embracing the idea that a great country asks its civil servants to go without pay while politicians waste time trying to see who will blink first. Certainly I want a secure border but not at the expense of those hard working men and women whose paychecks are drawn from the U.S. Treasury. Give these families a break. Open the government. A great country does not use its own people as political pawns.

One sign that we are a nation of great people is how average citizens are reaching out to government employees. A number of restaurants are offering free food to government employees. I've heard of at least one situation where government employees were offered free rent and utilities. A guard at a federal prison was offered cash support when his story ran on the news. This is the spirit of America where we help our neighbors. This is one of the things that makes this nation great and it's found in our people not bestowed by our government.

At first I was concerned when I read about VW investing millions in China for development of electric cars. This left me wondering if the U. S. will fall behind when it comes to automotive technology. Automakers are investing in response to China's policy which is steering the country towards cars that use something other than internal combustion. A handful of other countries have similar policies. But then I read a couple of articles about U.S. automakers investing in electric cars in response to market forces. Hopefully we will see the U.S. take the lead in bringing us some really cool cars.

Taking A Knee, Losing The Message: Why the NFL Should Stop Kneeling

It started with Colin Kaepernick who lost his job while kneeling against social injustice. From there it
became an Oval Office issue with the President of the United States calling for more players to lose their jobs. Football players kneeling during our National Anthem has become one of the top sports and political news stories of the year. But now it is time for this form of protest to come to an end as, thanks to the White House, the message has been lost.

The goal of these protests is to give voice to the perception that blacks are not always treated equally under the law. Kaepernick's original protest came after a number of shootings where police and neighborhood watch members fired upon unarmed black men. In each case the debate over "justified" and "self defense" exposed the racial divide which has long been a defining characteristic of our nation. But with Kaepernick out of the league these somewhat sporadic displays had become less and less newsworthy. If not for President Trump, kneeling during the anthem would likely have remained a minor nuisance, spoken of occasionally when some sideline reporter had no other interesting angle to a game. Instead the president has put this issue back on the front page, dividing fans and a nation.

When President Trump shared his belief that kneeling football players should be fired, the protests took on new life and a new direction. The debate is no longer about the treatment of blacks at the hands of a small number of police officers. Now the debate is about disrespect for our country and disregard for our flag. The conversation now involves protesting against sponsors, using economic leverage to stifle freedom of expression. The president gave voice to a faction that had nothing to lose in the original debate: one that will gain little in winning our new nation wide shout down.

For the record, I will always stand for our National Anthem. I will also stand for my neighbor's right to not stand. That being said, I hope players and owners decide to move on, ending this floundering protest. The message has been lost, hijacked and discarded in order to score political points. I hope we can find a way back to the original focus and away from the negative connotation imposed upon those who wish to stand up (or kneel) for what's right. It is time for kneeling to go away so we can focus on what's really important. It's time to find a way to take back the message from the one who took it hostage.

Did We Elect A Moses or A Pharaoh?

Is President Trump ordained by God? Among his supporters are a number of Christians who believe, or at least claim to believe, that Trump is the man God wanted behind the Oval Office desk. And while we may debate the theological significance, the simple fact is Donald J. Trump did win the election. Personally I think the question of who God wants in office is not nearly as important as the question of, “Why?” Why is Trump sitting in the Oval Office?

I ask this thinking of two very different leaders introduced near the beginning of the Book of Exodus. First we have Moses. From his birth to his adoption by Pharaoh's daughter to his burning bush experience, we are left with no doubts as to the fact that Moses was destined to be a hero. Exodus tells us how he answered God’s call and lead the nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. Moses stood as a chosen leader, and intercessor between God and the people. No one doubts Moses’ role in Exodus but did Pharaoh serve an equal role in revealing God’s glory?

In his role as leader of Egypt Pharaoh was seen as being closer to the gods than any other man. He believed himself in a position where he did not have to listen to anyone (man or god). He refused Moses’ requests, questioning the authority of Moses’ God (Exodus 5:2). Pharaoh is the bad guy in Exodus, seemingly standing in the way of the will of God. And yet the Bible tells us that Pharaoh’s role was part of a bigger plan, appointed by God to serve a purpose as we learn in the ninth chapter.

In Exodus 9 God sends Moses to confront Pharaoh before the seventh plague. God declares that He raised up Pharaoh, putting him in a position of authority that he might serve to help demonstrate God’s power (Exodus 9:16). Each plague represented God’s power over areas thought to be under the control of one of Pharaoh’s idols. With each defeat God’s power was revealed. As a result the confrontation between Pharaoh and God resulted in the Lord’s name being declared in all the earth. This was the will of God and Pharaoh successfully played his role as evidenced when Israel reaches the wall of Jericho (Joshua 2:10).

Based on Romans 13:1 every world leader and every U.S. President was granted authority based on the will of God. This applies to President Trump as it did to President Obama before him. It was true of George W. Bush, William Blythe Clinton, and every president back to George Washington. All served God's purpose but not all were his children. The question in each case is, “What does God want to achieve?” Why is Donald Trump the current President of the United States? Is our current president serving a purpose similar to that of Moses or have we elected into office someone who will serve God in a similar fashion as did Pharaoh? Only time will tell. Either way the next four (or eight) years should be interesting.

What Happened? My Take on the 2016 Election

One campaign gave us a political slogan. The other sold us a brand.

Pictue from Seattle Municipal Archives from Seattle, WA - Voting machine, 1971, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36833119

My office companion is an old Panasonic Radio turned to our local public radio station. Over the last couple of months this companion has, for the most part, talked about the 2016 election. Each day the inner sanctum of my office was invaded by talking heads giving their analysis of the campaigns and predictions about the outcome. With each conversation came the results of one poll or another, each telling me about Clinton's lead. And then came the day after the election when my tabletop friend changed its tune. Instead of telling me that Clinton would win my daytime companion kept asking, "How did she lose?"

There are a number of explanations for the end result of the 2016 election. Most likely the real answer is a combination of factors, including the misreading of the electorate by both the Clinton campaign and the mainstream media. If I may add my two cents, I suspect one of the biggest reasons for the outcome is the fact that one campaign was just that, a campaign. The other was something very different, based on doing what the candidate does best: selling a brand.

"Make America Great Again"

The Trump campaign made a promise to the nation in the embodiment of their campaign slogan. "Make America Great Again," was a promise to do something positive, even though I doubt anyone can actually define what that promise really means. But with polls showing large numbers of voters expressing a feeling that the nation is on the wrong path, the promise to do something likely resonated with a large voting block. As it did so the Trump campaign turned that slogan into a national brand. They sold that brand, clobbering their opponents with it one insult at a time.

On the other side of the aisle we had "Together," and "I'm With Her!" One presented a positive message of inclusiveness. The other seemed to express a commitment to a candidate without a commitment to the country. Both were decent political slogans but neither matched the promise implied by #MAGA. The Clinton slogans did what they were designed to do but they never became a brand.

One campaign gave us a political slogan. The other sold us a brand. Implied in that brand was a promise but it’s the packaging that drew in the voters. Are you surprised? You should not be. After all Trump makes a good amount of money selling his brand. He ran his campaign his way, a master pitchman selling his services to America. And whereas a Trump Steak costs a good chunk of change, buying into the #MAGA brand costs only the time to go to the polls.

In the end the political machine was no match for the branding machine. As a result, come January Trump supporters (and detractors) get to take the packaging off of what we have just been sold. Trump pulled off a major upset. As he sits for the next four years as the most powerful man in the world, we will see if this steak is more than just sizzle.