Destroying Statues and Erasing History

So, here we go again. Vandalizing and defacing statues. It’s happened before, only a few years back it seems, this obsession with purging our country of all things offensive. It used to be Confederate flags and statues. Now it seems to be much more widespread. Sadly, the standard has slipped considerably.

Maybe it’s just me, but isn’t there quite a difference between a Confederate general (or former slave owner) and someone like Abraham Lincoln? And what about the Wisconsin statue of abolitionist Hans Christian Heg that was recently toppled? Why are we tearing down statues of these guys? https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2020/06/24/hans-christian-hegs-abolitionist-statue-toppled-madison-what-know/3248692001/

But it’s more than just statues. Now we’re pulling movies and books and all sorts of “offensive” products. Where does it end? I don’t really have a problem with removing (legally, of course) truly offensive and hateful public monuments, but again, where does it end? Or to put it another way, at what point are we destroying not just statues, but our history itself?

Maybe we should take a step back and recognize that all human beings are flawed. Can we not recognize the achievements of important historical figures because we are blinded by the failures of their personal lives? And do we have to completely erase them from the history books just because they don’t fit in with our current social mores? And when we’ve finished wiping the pages of history, what exactly have we accomplished?

Consider the well known quote from poet and philosopher George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” As individuals and a society (or country), we must learn from our past mistakes, not push them out of sight and pretend they never happened. And how are we supposed to learn when the information has been sanitized to avoid causing the slightest offense to any individual citizen on any given day?

Just my opinion, but when we get through removing everything – the heroes, the villains, and everyone in between, what do we do then? Wait a day and do it again? Read 1984 by George Orwell and see what society looks like when you decide to start changing history on a daily basis.

Here’s a poem I wrote a few years ago on the subject. You can find it (and a few more of my political thoughts) in “A Head Full of Random Thoughts.” www.books2read.com/randomthoughts

Civil Unrest

Tear down all the statues,

Rip away each hateful flag,

Take the Ten Commandments out,

Erase the past and start anew.

Throw out the constitution,

And of course, the Bible too,

Write a new, unfaithful tale

Out of the blue.

Is this what the world is coming to?

Lessons Learned From My Father

I wrote this several years ago and it seemed a good time to repost. I spent a lot of time this past weekend thinking about my Dad (as I'm sure many of you did as well). Here's to all those great fathers who made such lasting memories.

***

Cecil Wayne Perry was my father. He was not a famous man, but he was well-loved and well-remembered by all who knew him. He grew up on a farm in San Augustine, Texas. He once studied to be a minister. He served his country during World War II. He was a welder, then a roofer, and eventually formed his own roofing company that thrived in Waco for over three decades.

Along the way, he married and raised four sons and a daughter. Although it’s been more than twenty years since he passed, I think of him often and I have always credited him with shaping me into the man, and father I am today. Allow me to share a few of the lessons I learned from him.

Love your family and take care of them. I don’t recall ever seeing my parents have any serious arguments. I’m sure they had their share of disagreements, but they didn’t fight in front of the kids. At least not that I can remember. My father loved my mother. And he loved his children. And he worked hard all his life to provide for us the best he could.

Love God. By the time there were five kids in the family, my parents’ attendance at church had waned considerably. Still, they took us to Vacation Bible School and encouraged us to attend church as we got older. The first Bible I ever read was provided by my parents and I knew they were Christians. They attended Emmanuel Baptist Church and when I was seventeen years old that’s where I was baptized.

Take pride in your work. My father had a strong work ethic and he passed it along to his kids. We worked summers with him and we learned to do the work well and be proud of the job we had done. And when it was not done well? Tear it off and do it again. (Shingles, of course!) My father could point out to you every house he had ever worked on and he did so proudly, knowing that he had done his best on that job and every job he had completed.

Have fun and relax. My father loved to hunt and I although I never went, I loved to hear him tell the stories. When we were younger, he taught us to fish, to bowl, and to roller-skate. He knew how to let go of work and enjoy himself and he taught us to do the same. He also loved to read and he shared his collection of paperback westerns with his sons (as long as we were careful and put them back when we were finished).

Discipline and a sense of right and wrong. Growing up meant learning how to behave and when we didn’t, we were punished. No one enjoys getting disciplined, but I never doubted my father’s love and I always knew the correction was for my benefit. He was trying to teach us because he loved us and we loved him for caring enough to steer us in the right directions.

As a father myself, I’ve tried my best and hopefully, my kids will always know that I love them and I would do anything for them. And I hope I was as good a father to them as my father was to me. Love you, Dad! And Happy Father’s Day to all the men out there who have had the chance to experience the blessings of parenthood! It’s a tough job, but the rewards are priceless.

Return to Eastlake – Coming Soon!

I "finished" my novel Return to Eastlake in August of 2019. I keep asking myself why I haven't published it yet! It's a fair question and I suppose there is an obvious answer.

How to put it? Laziness? Procrastination? Perfectionism? Maybe all of the above? Almost ten months ago, I put aside the novel I am supposed to be writing, so that I could devote my time and energy toward editing, formatting, and publishing this one. So why haven't I finished yet?

Two problems.

First, editing (and revising) is hard! (And I hate it!) No matter how many times I read a section or chapter, I always manage to find something to "fix." Sometimes it is an actual typo or grammatical error and I am glad to have found and corrected it before seeing it in print. More often, I just keep finding different ways to say the same thing. Whether it is a word choice, a slightly different phrase or expression, an added or subtracted sentence, or a complete restructuring of a paragraph, I can't seem to stop tampering with the language.

The second problem is deciding when the book is actually finished. A sequel to my previous novel, the book is a collection of short stories connected by a common setting and a series of interrelated characters. After completing the book, I have written and added three additional stories! And I’m debating including one more! If I don't stop doing that, I will never finish!

Here's my thought. For the sake of accountability, I am setting a definite release date! I expect you to keep me honest. Especially those of you who read the first one and actually want to hear more about these characters. (And if you haven't read At the Drive-In, why haven't you?) So, here goes. By Thanksgiving, this book will be published! In the immortal words of Joe Namath, "I guarantee it!" 

Take Time to Learn

Last week, I encouraged everyone to pray. This week, allow me to suggest we should all seek to learn. As a former educator, I am a firm believer in overcoming ignorance through the pursuit of knowledge. And I believe that the first step in that pursuit is honestly acknowledging how much we don’t know. In these times when our passions are running so high, we especially need to take a deep breath and think before we speak or act.

In the past week or so, I have not watched the news much. Truthfully, it’s just painful. I’ve also spent much less time than usual on social media. Again, too painful. People are hurting and way too many are choosing to lash out at any and all who disagree with them and their opinions. Please don’t misunderstand me here. I’m not denying anyone the right to speak out. I’m only encouraging people to consider their words carefully and whenever possible be positive instead of negative. And check your facts.

On social media (particularly Twitter), I follow many people who see the world in a vastly different way than I do. I willingly admit that I am ignorant in regard to many things. My life experiences have shaped my views and I fully realize that many people have had a greatly different set of experiences of their own. And that’s fine! The world would be a very boring place indeed if everyone thought exactly as I do on every issue.

So, here’s my approach. I have rarely ever blocked anyone on social media for having a different opinion than myself. I have no problem letting those who disagree with me have their opportunity to change my mind. I enjoy a lively debate on any issue. As long as the person is willing to at least try to limit the profanity and the vulgarity, I’m perfectly okay with letting them rant. I may not read every word or follow every link they post, but I can actually consider the merits of things I don’t agree with and not be offended.

In the last week, I have read many articles and watched a number of videos, and frankly, I believe I have learned some things. I’ve read posts and articles by both Liberals and Conservatives of all races, ages, cultures, etc. and to the best of my ability, I have read and listened with an open mind. (I recommend you do the same.) Many of the things I've learned have pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to acknowledge some very ugly realities, but that’s okay. Education is a good thing. Knowledge is a good thing.

Here’s my encouragement for the week. Listen more than you speak. Be a little slower to react to things that upset you. Take the time to learn something new this week. And for God’s sake, be more positive than negative! Have a great week and let me know what you think.

Pray for America

I don’t have words. That’s odd for me as I tend to be fairly opinionated and vocal about most things. But today, I just don’t have the words to say how I feel. Or maybe, to be more precise, I just don’t know exactly how I feel about a lot of things.

I’m sad for our country. For all Americans. And I only know one solution.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

So, let’s pray for our country. Today and always.

Batman: The Caped Crusader Through the Years

I have always been a huge Batman fan! He is definitely my favorite Superhero (super-powered or not). I have fond memories of reading the comics as a kid. I even have (somewhat) fond memories of watching the corny, silly TV series from the sixties. Yes, I really am that old!

Despite the goofiness, watching Adam West slide down the Batpole and become Batman was always cool! And the Batmobile bursting out of the hidden cave entrance – way cool! I really loved the old sixties Batmobile with the subtle red trim.

Nevertheless, even though the comics themselves were a little campy by then, what I really wanted to see was the original Batman, the “Dark Knight” who chose to dress like a creature of the night and “strike terror” into the hearts of “superstitious and cowardly” criminals. Needless to say, I was thrilled with the Tim Burton/Michael Keaton films! Not so much with the Schumacher/Kilmer/Clooney movies which veered the character back to the tone of the old TV show, in my opinion.

Finally in 2005, Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale brought us the version many of us had been awaiting! All three were excellent movies, and after many viewings, I can honestly say, I still find them fantastic and very true to the vision of Batman from my childhood imaginings! (And of course, Heath Ledger as Joker? Nobody has done it better!)

And now for my (perhaps) controversial thoughts. My favorite portrayal of Batman onscreen is none other than Ben Affleck! I could go into all the reasons why I believe Affleck is such a truly underrated actor, but for this particular article, I’ll stick to the one role. Maybe it’s my age, but I honestly love the way he brings this character to life. Older, wiser, somewhat beaten down by the years of battling criminals and super-villains, this Batman is amazing.

I guess it all goes back to why I love Batman in the first place. He’s the superhero with no super powers, right? The regular guy who trains himself and goes out to fight crime and protect his city using his wealth to equip himself with the necessary tools and gadgets. The master detective following the clues and solving puzzles. The one who’s ready to fight Superman himself if he sees him as a threat. The one who knows when he needs help and rounds up a Justice League when needed. The hero who never loses his humanity. I love this version of the older Batman.

So, I was excited to see the next Batman movie with Affleck as the title character, and I was crushed when the whole project went bust. (Am I the only one who would still love to see Affleck’s Batman in “The Dark Knight Returns” by Frank Miller?) So, now instead, we get a new, young Batman played by shiny, glitter-boy vampire? Sorry, couldn’t resist!

Honestly, I’ve seen some of his other non-Twilight roles and I think (and hope) Robert Pattinson can pull it off! The early clips look promising. And of course, I’ll go see it as soon as it comes out, because I’m a huge Batman fan! If you haven’t seen it, here’s the official first look video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-GW7_e2aJA

And just for kicks, here’s my unofficial ranking of the best actors in the role:

1.       Ben Affleck (Suicide Squad, Batman v Superman, Justice League)

2.       Christian Bale (The Dark Knight Trilogy)

3.       Michael Keaton (Batman, Batman Returns)

4.       (Tie) Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Adam West, and those guys from the forties serials.

Drop a comment and let me know how you would rank the Batman portrayals!

Obamagate – Watergate on Steroids

In 1974, Richard Nixon became the first (and only) US President to ever resign from the office. Most Americans (of a certain age anyway) know why – Watergate. The scandal took down a President, but sadly, many people have no idea what actually happened.

Here’s the short version. Five men (later connected to the Committee for the Re-Election of the President) were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee Headquarters located in the Watergate Hotel.  Their purpose? To plant bugs in order to spy on the campaign of the Democratic nominee for President. It was a decidedly low tech operation. They used tape on the door locks and placed bugs in the office telephones. Actually, they were replacing one of the bugs planted previously that failed to work.

When they were discovered, the trail led all the way to the White House itself. The key questions that followed? What did the President know? And when did he know it?

Most Americans were shocked! To think that a sitting US President would attempt to spy on his political opponents? And then actively work to cover up his involvement when it all hit the fan? Outrageous! No one was very shocked when he eventually resigned.

Skip to 2016. Using (abusing) the FISA court, the FBI began a (legal?) process of wiretapping Trump aides and in effect, the nominee himself. A decidedly high tech version of the EXACT same thing Nixon and his campaign were trying to do in 1972. Just like the Watergate scandal, we would eventually learn that multiple federal intelligence agencies were actively involved.

So where is the outrage? Despite indications that President Barack Obama was fully aware of what was taking place, no one seems to care. Why isn’t anyone asking those same key questions? What did the President know and when did he know it? Did he authorize the actions? Did he work to cover them up after the fact?

Now, I know it is too late for impeachment of resignations or any real consequences at this point, but still, shouldn’t someone be held accountable? Or does a sitting President spying on political opponents just not shock us anymore?

Let me conclude with my personal thoughts. I don’t care if you loved Barack Obama or hated him. I don’t care if you love Donald Trump or hate him. If a sitting US President used the power of the federal government to spy on a political opponent, we should recognize it as the greatest scandal in American history. And if you think it’s no big deal for an outgoing President in his last days in office to sabotage (taking out the National Security Advisor and inventing the whole Russian Collusion Hoax) the newly elected incoming President and his administration, then YOU ARE AN IDIOT! Sorry to be so blunt, but seriously? Wake up!