So you're on the Fence? Take a Leap!

A year ago come Thanksgiving I was in a newstand, getting ready for some surgery, and browsed through the first chapter of Barack Obama's book on Audacity. I laughed out loud as he described how Michelle kept him in his place, keeps him honest, probably keeps him humble. I had remembered his speech a few years earlier at the democratic convention, remembered being stunned. So I took that book into the hospital with me, took it home a day later and mentioned to my wife, I'm doing it again...taking another leap. The last leap was for Ralph Nader. This time, Barack Obama. I thought Hillary was great. What a shame to have both of them in the same decade. He focused more on inclusion than anyone I'd heard. And he came from the poor side of the tracks. And he's so damn smart. I have worries, of course. Will he be able to work with Congress? Will he forget the folks on the poor side of the tracks? Will he be smart in encouraging businesses to grow despite throwing them higher taxes. He might. He might be a Great Communicator. He might know how to use humor and seriousness to inspire a nation. He might point us in the direction of an economy that is capitalistic without the breaks for Big Crooks....oops....Business. We'll not thrive without hugely successful businesses, but can we do it without the corruption that simply tears the heart out of you when you get wind of the graft? He might challenge us all, the rich and the poor, the faithless and the faithful, all colors of us, to rise above ourselves. He might lead us all in one magnificent leap.

Religion and the Wonder of Life

I've always been a bit surprised at the replusion towards homosexuality by so many fervently religious people. Of all people,I figured religious people would be in awe of life's beauty, and so much of life's beauty lies in its diversity. It's hardly a streach of the imagination to dream of a Creator brilliant enough to endow both heterosexual and homosexual beings with the breath of the Holy Spirit. In fact, with some reflection it seems laughable that She wouldn't go there, just as a joke.

My granddaughter and the Taliban

I have a granddaughter, and, blessed as I am, my daughter agreed to live so near that I see my granddaughter almost every day. In fact we have dinner together almost every night.

My cup runneth over.

So what do I say when I hear that women and children were killed in Afghanistan by us as we attacked a key Taliban leader? I hate the Taliban. Believe me, I hate them as much as they hate us. My wife tells me I'm too vehement. She thinks I should have compassion for tyrants, even for murderers. She doesn't like them, but she thinks I should have compassion for them. I think she's crazy. But I would never see my granddaughter if it weren't for the grace and thoughtfulness of my wife. And the grace and understanding of my daughter. The women and children. They are absolutely the raison d'etre. So when we disappoint them, when we make them cry, when we kill them, why do we bother living. We must weep as we kill a Taliban leader and with him, women and children. And we must wonder if the deaths were worth it. For our own humanity, we must wonder if the childrens' deaths were worth killing the bad guys.