Happy Easter

Just caught wind of this video happening.
People catching a train station by surprise, singing and dancing.
Warmed my heart.

http://video.yahoo.com/network/100000089?v=4816051&l=100022574

Embarrassed to be in auto management

When I see ads touting 35 or 40 miles per gallon, I have to wonder who would say proudly, head held high, "I'm in upper management of a car company, and we've just increased fuel efficiency by five miles per gallon!" Do they seriously think that is exciting, note worthy, something to write home about?

Give me 100 miles per gallon. Then I'll cheer. Give me 100 miles per gallon at $20,000 and I'll buy a car today. I think you'd see a stampede. Even at $30,000 you'd be doing well. You probably wouldn't keep up with demand. But make it $20,000 and 100 miles per gallon and you'll turn the industry on its head.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-Transportation/2008-08-01/MAX-100-MPG-Car.aspx

Gay Rights

There's a beautiful slide show of people who care deeply about each other. They all happen to be gay.

http://www.couragecampaign.org/Divorce

Last November Californians (with the deep financial help of some wealthy Utahians) passed Proposition 8, which restricts the marriage rights of gay people. Discrimination based on sexual orientation is no different than discrimination based on racial identity. Both stink and we should be raising the rafters to eliminate them.

A majority of people recognize that racial discrimination is morally wrong, even if they are not comfortable with people outside their own race. We need to get to that point with sexual discrimination.

Homophobic behavior is morally wrong. It's a moral issue. People are born homosexual. Discriminating against them is no different than discriminating against someone with yellow skin or green eyes or a low IQ or a wide forehead. Discriminating against people because they are different from us is so plainly wrong one wonders why it needs to be said.

Homophobia is stupid at best and evil at worst. And it's a feeling. I have homophobic friends and I simply feel sorry for them because they limit their circle of friends with this short sightedness. I don't debate the issue much with them. I don't try to convert them. People can have pretty much any feelings they want. We're frequently prisoners of our feelings.

But legislated homophobic behavior is discrimination. We must raise the rafters and stop it.

Clean up the tax code

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/06/AR2009020602845.html

Holy Rings Hollow

For a Christian nation we can sound pretty selfish. I tuned into some talk show on that liberal NPR station and heard a comment to this effect:

Host: "You can't expect us to return to those years when the rich were getting dollars over a certain amount taxed at those outrageous rates. No one would expect that, would they!"

I didn't hear anyone call him on that comment. Amazing.

We have created the safest society in the world to make money. Lots of money. Our institutions protect business from physical theft and intellectual theft. It's a privilege to be able to build a business in this environment. With the privilege comes a little price tag. We don't dictate how much the boss has to share with the employees beyond a minimum wage. But we do assert that it costs money to create this ideal business environment. So we ask folks who make a lot of money to pay more supporting the government and this ideal business environment than folks who make a little money. It's awfully hard to argue with the rationale that those who have profited most from our society should pay more to support it than those less well off.

It is a different question entirely what government programs we should support and how much government we should have. But the question of who pays how much to support whatever government we have seems pretty straight forward to me. And I'm barely Christian at all.

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.