Humbleness and Humility

There are 2 traits that I think are in high demand now-a-days, and seemingly low in quantity. The Christmas season is winding down, and those 2 traits tend to be apparent during the holidays. Humbleness and humility: ergo the title of this blog. It’s amazing to people watch during this time of year. I guess I’m going to step out of the political atmosphere for this one, so, I hope you enjoy what little I have to say about the things that follow, and I hope you can take it to heart.
This year was not unique to any other year, as the toys everyone wanted for their children flooded the shelves just in time for Christmas. I will tell you right now, I was standing in line a month ago for 8 hours waiting for my chance at a Nintendo Wii. Now, do I think that is ridiculous? Of course. 8 hours in line for a game system which will probably be ½ the price I paid for it in 6 months... yes, ridiculous, I know. Honestly, it was more for the fun aspect and social aspect then it was trying to be one of the rare Wii owners. I was able to meet some really cool people, and got to hang out with friends for 8 hours, and I had a blast (despite the 35 degree weather). But, I’m sure to the thousands of people that came in and out of Wal-Mart that day and saw the 18 people in line bundled up in coats and blankets, waiting for a game-system, they were probably thinking “you insane people!” That is consumerism at its best I suppose. And that’s all great. If you want to be like I was, crazy for about 8 to 10 hours, then go for it. It was fun.
Now, the fact that people want to stand in line for hours for a gaming system is not what amazes me. I think we should all be over the amazement factor of people doing crazy things to be apart of something big or buy something big. We see it every year. When certain movies come out, people stand in line, dressed full in costume for hours upon end to be the first ones to see the show. When a huge sporting event hits your city, people stand in line for hours upon end to be first in line to get a ticket. And when Christmas time is here and the newest, most technologically advanced gaming system is being released, people will stand in line for hours on end to try and make their child’s/sibling’s/friend’s Christmas even more special. But this is where it breaks down. It isn’t about making Christmas special anymore. It isn’t about doing nice things for people anymore. Christmas is becoming synonymous with the term consumerism. Same with Valentines Day, same with Halloween…pretty much every Holiday has a strong touch of consumerism to it. And honestly, that’s fine. That is America. We work for our money, and we should be able to spend our money as we want, and if that is on holidays for friends and family, that is great! But again, a break down occurs, and that is what this blog is about.
Imagine yourself in the following situation. You go to get in line at a store 10 hours before the release of the newest, hottest gaming system on the market. You want to make your son or daughter’s Christmas amazing this year, so you are going to splurge and are willing to spend the 600 bucks required to be a rare owner of this new gaming system. So, you get in line, and begin the long, drawn out wait. You brave the cold, you grab some hot chocolate, you make some new friends and chat about your families together. Eventually, the time draws near, and you begin to feel your toes again, as everyone is getting up and getting ready to enter the store. Suddenly, someone approaches the line from a car out in the parking lot, and walks up to a few people in front of you. Then, chaos ensues, as the new participant in the situation has pulled a gun and shot someone for their spot in line. Absolutely crazy right? Well, it happened, and more than once this year. Now, granted, the people who should be reading this probably aren’t and probably never will, but let’s bring it down a notch. As I stood in line this year at Mervyns, I got behind a couple, and as they began to process their transaction with the employee of Mervyns, something with the credit card machine began to confuse the woman who was purchasing some clothes. And oh yeah, she was lacking in her proficiency of English skills, which also became obvious after a few seconds. The employee was trying to show the woman she needed to re-swipe her credit card and resign the credit card screen. Honest mistake, right? Well, I could feel the awkwardness of the situation, but, it was an honest mistake. Now, did I want to stand in line for another 60 seconds while they figured out the problem? No, who does. But, it was a mistake, and the situation happened, and we had to deal with it. But, with the woman standing in line behind me, you could tell it was not okay. She began to mumble under her breath and her body language suggested a lack of patience for anything that was going to be annoying to her. After about a minute, they figured out the problem and the issue was resolved. I began to watch people as they interacted during the next few days, and it became apparent that there is a patience problem in America. Anything that stops us from hurrying up and moving on, we seem to be quick to anger.
Okay, so I just gave you one situation that no one would want to deal with, and most people would get irritated with, although I’m not sure why. It happened, and you deal with the situations you are put in every day. It’s called social interaction, and you deal with it. But it is apart of something else. That situation I described is part of something bigger that is very, very wrong in America. Call it lack of patience, call it whatever you like, but it is a prevailing attitude in our country, and for what? I’m talking about the American Dream (and I hate cliché terms, but they are used for a reason). Hurry up and wait. That seems to be the underlying theme for millions of Christmas shoppers. Where is the patience? Where is the gratitude? Where is the humbleness…the humility? Its becoming all about how much you can buy everyone, how much you got, how many stores you were able to get to in 1 day. You know what I think I hear more than anything around this time of year? Complaints about lines at stores, and traffic. Have we NOT learned that EVERY SINGLE YEAR, this WILL happen? Cars will try to make the red-light and get stuck in the intersection, blocking you from your green light. People will crowd and push to try to get the last item on the shelf and then crowd and push to try to get ahead of one more person in line. Airports will be delayed because of the surge in travelers and bad weather during, hello, WINTER. But just stop! Why are we so impatient with everything?
The American Dream sounds wonderful. If we really truly bought it and lived it. Why has rudeness and impatience and consumerism permeated every aspect of our lives? It’s great that so many people give to charities this time of year…but what about the other 11 months when the same people in need get forgotten? It’s wonderful family time is so important to so many people in December and around holidays, but how about the days in between? Maybe I just feel more aware during December and around the holidays, but it seems like we have become a culture of meanness, a culture of no patience, a culture of spite, a culture of us us us, we we we, me me me, and I I I. Maybe this is all a bit scattered, but hopefully my point is being made. There needs to be an awareness that arises, and soon. I want to see a nation of people that are kind to each other, that don’t cuss each other out when driving to the store and the traffic is bad, and that lets the mom with the 2 screaming kids cut in line, and that doesn’t have to be about what new car the family has, and that doesn’t care about the latest break up in Hollywood and what famous person is saying about the other famous person. I would like to see the American Dream that is nice and fluffy and what should be stood for and the American Dream that includes morals that includes patience, that includes kindness…an American Dream that exemplifies humbleness and humility, instead of the American Dream that will fall and if something isn’t changed, will be replaced with what seems to be all anyone is concerned with anymore: $$$. - AJW

This Just In: You Can't Understand a Language You Don't Speak

There is a lot of non-understanding going on lately: here in the USA, in the U.N., in the Middle East…pretty much everywhere you look, people are screaming, yelling, “talking”, discussing and deliberating. As I sat down to try to write this blog, I had some ideas of what I wanted to write/talk about, but not sure which would prevail. I guess to a certain extent, I still don’t know which direction I am going to go, but I guess we’ll see where each sentence takes me.
Now, as I mentioned, you can’t understand a language you don’t speak. Try it sometime. Turn your television to a Spanish channel, and see how much you understand. Difficult, right? Well, let’s look at this in a different light. You see, there is a sentiment that is creeping up in a lot of places, and that sentiment is one that would have us sit down and talk over tea and bread with say, um, Iran. You know…that little country over across the ocean that has a president that doesn’t think there was a Holocaust and who takes advice about the Holocaust from former KKK leaders and French professors? You know…with that president who publicly has stated he wants to see Israel, “wiped off the face of the map.” Gee, where have we heard that before, regarding the extinction of Jews? I’m trying to remember, can anyone help me out? Oh that’s right, a guy named Hitler, who every child, person and adult knows of if they’ve ever heard of that one war about 60 years ago…you know…World War II? Yeah, that’s the president of Iran. So, if you ask me do I think we should sit down and have “talks” with him, no. He is obviously not speaking the same language, so he won’t understand our “talk”. Now don’t be jumping up and down and screaming and telling me I’m one of the GOP-people who are trigger happy and willing to go to war if someone looks at us wrong. I’m not saying let’s jump into a war with Iran, not one bit. But, unlike the rest of the world who hates the United States, I see the overall objective of the United States, and realize it is actually for the betterment of our world, not to oppress foreign governments and pry into the average daily American’s life, (no, they really don’t care about your phone call to your spouse to pick up milk on the way home from work.) I’m going to try here to get you to see, in as simple terms as possible, the situation so you can understand. There is an organization whose leader has recently come out and more or less, bashed the Bush Administration for its policies and handling of the situation is Iraq, (No, I’m not talking about Howard Dean, although it fits). This is about Kofi Annan, the “leader” (and I use that term lightly, because the word leader implies actual decent leading), of the United Nations. The fact that he is and has been on the Anti-Bush bandwagon for years is not where I’m going. If I wanted to write about that, I’d just go talk to Brian Williams or Keith Olberman (if you don’t know who Olberman is, it’s not really a surprise, he doesn’t get a significant amount of viewers on MSNBC). You see, Mr. Annan is the head of an organization that ultimately, is good in theory. “United Nations”…it even has a nice ring to it. Country’s coming together for the good of mankind, which ultimately and principally, is a good thing. Enter politics. With an outgoing speech Annan eluded to the world taking up for each other. That is to say, countries helping other countries and people helping other people in time of crisis and need. I think that’s the exact definition of the United States over the last 50 years. However, Annan (along with a certain now-majority party) would have you believe the US in the last few years has not done that. It was interesting to read something Annan said in his speech on the 11th.
“Although increasingly independent, our world continues to be divided – not only by economic differences, but also by religion and culture. That is not in itself a problem. Throughout history human life has been enriched by diversity, and different communities have learnt from each other. But if our different communities are to live together in peace we must stress also what unites us: our common humanity, and our shared belief that human dignity and rights should be protected.” Annan goes on in his speech about basic lessons and principles that he hopes to see acted out in the future and that need to happen. Great. We need to be a good world. Glad he recognizes that. Re-enter Iran and their “leader” Mahmoud Ahmandinejad. Enter players such as Osama Bin-laden, Sudaam Hussein, and every terrorist under his rule. You see, it’s all great and nice that we should stress to these people that what unites us is our “common humanity” and our “shared belief that human dignity and rights should be protected”. What would be even greater is if they spoke the same language (literally, and metaphorically). But they don’t. We can’t sit down and talk with them, because no matter how much we try to get them to understand, their radical, fascist ideals and beliefs won’t allow them to. They don’t believe in human dignity or rights being protected. They brainwash their children from the time they are born to learn to respond when reporters ask them who the Jews and Americans are, with “They are pigs”, and “they are infidels”. You see, they want one thing: to see the USA and Israel destroyed, for good. They won’t “talk” with us about it and they won’t deliberate or try to go about it diplomatically. Here is what they will do: bomb our buildings, fly our planes into skyscrapers, shoot our citizens, and God forbid, sneak a chemical or biological bomb into our country…and detonate it. That is what they will do. And the fact that Ahmandinejad wears a tie and tells people he has best intentions at heart is somehow, I don’t know…not too reassuring to me. Let me move on.
The United States is good. There are organizations, far left-outlets and various outspoken people who get a voice now and then that will try with everything in their heart to get you to believe that it is not, and that the United States’ policies are the reasons for the terrorism, mainly in Iraq. Forget those guys walking up to US troops with bombs strapped to their chests and pressing the button. Forget those guys that have the guns and rocket launchers pointed at our troops and pulling the triggers. No, why blame them? I mean, we are just trying to save the people they are putting in danger. However, I truly believe that most people, democrat and republican, believe that the United States stands for what is good: that they do the right thing. The last couple years has seen that view diminish a bit, because you have the people that don’t believe America is good getting the voice, because they have aligned themselves with a Secular Progressive agenda that uses outlets like the media, and that is literally dangerous to America. It is an agenda that is not speaking the same language. You see, when you try to talk to people who inherently believe the USA is not doing enough for the world, who believe the USA is causing terrorism, who believe the USA is Satan…communication can not happen. Therefore, the deeds the USA does for the world get overlooked. The fact that the USA gives out more money to other countries than any other 20 countries combined gets overlooked. The fact that the USA took out a dictator who had murdered thousands and thousands of people and would have done it again gets overlooked. The fact that the USA has liberated literally millions of people during its tenure as world-power gets overlooked. What gets reported and spoken of are the few that would detract from the overall decent, good image that the United States has. A few troops that would torture prisoners, a few senators that would do wrong with their power in congress to harm children, and so on and so forth. The media will show you the horrific images coming out of Iraq, but not the schools being built left and right and the millions of Iraqi’s that show support and love for America. No. Instead, those that don’t speak the language of good, which is typically synonymous with the USA, can’t understand the overall picture. They have bought into a sick and twisted agenda which seeks to change America, and not for the good. They want to legalize people who broke the law to get here, they want to protect and stand up for people who would hurt children and harm YOU. They want to stand up for people who would detonate a bomb that would kill thousands, maybe millions of people in America…and THAT is a language that I can’t understand. No, in fact, it is a language I WONT understand. - AJW

This Wont Be Politically Correct

I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving was great; I apologize for no blog last week! Needless to say the news didn’t stop, and over the last 2 weeks, there has been so much news that I can’t even begin where to think. I didn’t really know how to address the last 2 weeks and keep this blog concise, so I will look at 1 absolutely tragic event that happened this last week in the social/news world.
The New York Police Department shooting on November the 26th is what I want to focus on here. Before anyone says anything, I am not going to attack anyone. I am trying to create questions and conversation about America, about where we are and why this happened. My heart and prayers absolutely go out to the family of the man, Sean Bell, who was to be married on the 27th. My heart and prayers also go out to the officers who were put in this predicament and now find their careers and entire character on the line. I want to take this step-by-step so you know where I am coming from and so we can make this as easy as it can be when talking about it. First, there has to be an investigation, and I completely agree with an investigation. Anytime you have a police shooting, the circumstances for which that shooting occurred should be looked at in detail, as they are with this shooting. Details are already coming out that are entailing what went on and the conditions surrounding how this all played out. The whole story seemed very dramatic and it all happened within a matter of minutes, only complicating the choices the officers would ultimately have to make to pull their weapons and fire upon the car that Sean Bell was in. Now, let’s look at something that I haven’t heard the media or anyone look at in depth. Almost every single time something like this happens, almost every single time, there seems to be 1 or 2 constants. These stories come out every now and then, and of course everyone looks into racism, everyone looks into excessive police force, just about every possible scenario and circumstance is looked at. However, those 1 or 2 constants seem to get lost in the shuffle. What are those 2 constants? Almost EVERY TIME, there is some sort of club/strip-club involved, alcohol, and some sort of illegal use or smuggling of a weapon into those very clubs. Then, when things go awry, everyone is just shocked and amazed that something like this happens. I ask you why? Why are we so surprised that excessive alcohol drinking and drug use leads to poor decisions? Why are we so surprised that this always happens at strip-clubs? Stop and think! When you put alcohol, many times illegal-prostitution and sex, drugs and firearms together, that is an absolute recipe for disaster, and I can’t emphasize that enough. So, as the various people involved in this shooting came out of the club, the shooting ensued. Now why exactly did that shooting ensue? Well, that is what the details of the investigation will reveal, but so far, it sounds as if the car was being used as a weapon. Whether that is true or not is beside the point I am going to make here: I want to look at another aspect of this. Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City, came out with this quote about the situation:
“It is not the policy of the police department where a police officer can shoot at a car when the car is being used as a weapon, so at least in that case, it would appear that the policies of police department were broken, but we don't even know that because there were allegations of a gun”.
Regardless of the entire situation that played out here, Bloomberg said something that caused my jaw to just about hit the floor, “It is not the policy of the police department where a police officer can shoot at a car when the car is being used as a weapon.” Is this really, truly the policy of the NYPD? Here’s a question. What happens if a van is driving 50 miles per hour towards one of the sky-scrappers in downtown New York, and it isn’t slowing down. What if inside that van is enough explosives to decimate any building that stands. I would think that would be being used as a weapon yes? Are the police officers not allowed to shoot to kill the driver because it “isn’t the policy of the police department” to shoot at a vehicle being used as a weapon? I know that’s an extreme case, but where does it end? The reports are that the vehicle Mr. Bell was in was being used as a weapon, that he floored it towards the officer, who had yelled to the occupants of the vehicle that he was in fact a police officer. If that policy is truly a policy of the NYPD, then we have a very, very serious situation here. When police officers, who are trained and who put their lives on the line every single day, are not allowed to take matters into their own hands when a vehicle is being driven at them as a weapon, then I tell you this: YOU ARE NOT SAFE. The police can not protect you with the abilities they should be able to, and it is because of political correctness taking over. You may have heard some of the Conservative talk-show hosts say it, and they are 100% right. Political correctness is becoming more and more dangerous to America, and if the police not being able to shoot at a driver who is barreling down at them in a vehicle, or your choice as a parent being taken away to know and have a say in what your children hear in the classroom is where America is headed, then something has to be done. (And yes, I AM going there again if you know right now where I am headed.) The SP agenda is a driving force behind this, along with a certain group that would stand up for the very people who would drive a van into a building to kill you, but were shot by police in order to stop them and would then be criticized and perhaps taken to court because “it isn’t the policy of the police department” to shoot at a vehicle being used as a weapon. Where does it end? Honestly, I want you to ask yourself that, where does it end? Does it end? How far does political correctness go?
There is a bigger theme here. One that is outside of a police shooting, or parents having the right to have a say in what their children learn in school (refer to last blog, Open Minds and a Good Education). It is the anti-Judeo Christian value society that is emerging as more than just a few far-left liberals spouting their Science-is-God views. It is becoming very main stream. Unfortunately, it is becoming “cool” to be a liberal who stands against values that conservatives do. It isn’t even as if the people who stand for this far-left agenda believe in it, but more just to go along with an anti-Bush media and agenda that is seen, heard and read in nearly every media outlet in America. It is this seemingly “intellectualism” view that it’s a good thing to bash on Bush because of his perceived “lack of ability to speak”, and his every-day common language that he uses as a president. It’s becoming cool to not believe in the foundations of which this country was founded on: God. The judicial system, every-day society and just about everywhere you look, there is a literal culture war going on, and it has to be stopped, and soon. Or else, the headline of the future will read as follows:
OFFICERS SUED FOR STOPPING TERROR ATTEMPT: Police went outside of “policy” in saving thousands of Americans.
Sorry if I am not being politically correct…actually, no I’m not. - AJW