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U.S. a ‘Christian nation’? Hardly

Ron Reagan has fanned the flames of anger by recording a radio ad in which he proclaims himself to be an “unabashed atheist.”

He’s signed on to the Freedom From Religion Foundation and has declared his disgust with those who keep interjecting religion into public policy discussion.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/26/ronald-reagan-son_n_4344364.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000037

OK, here’s where I’ll make a couple of disclaimers.

One is that I am not an atheist. I was baptized a Christian as a baby and am now more of a believer in Jesus Christ than I’ve ever been.

The other is that I believe Reagan — the younger son of the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan — happens to be correct in asserting that the United States is a secular nation.

I’m not going to get into bashing others today; it’s a vow I made the other day about commenting on Thanksgiving. I intend to keep it positive — at least for the remainder of this day.

I merely want to refer to the U.S. Constitution, the document that establishes the framework for this nation’s greatness.

I believe the founders mentioned religion precisely twice in that document.

The first time is in Article VI. There, they said officeholders shall swear to uphold the Constitution, then they added: “but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”

The second time is when they got around to establishing the Bill of Rights. The very First Amendment in part says this: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof … ” The amendment goes on to give Americans the right to speak freely about the government, it allows for a free press, gives citizens the right to assemble “peaceably” and to “petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

You’ll notice that in the First Amendment, the founders laid out the religion part first. Why is that? I only can surmise that they did so because their forebears had come here to escape religious persecution. They did not want to told they had to worship a certain way. They wanted freedom from all of that, so they set sail for the New World, where they could be free to worship — or not worship — as they pleased.

I also believe the founders were guided by religious principles. They did refer to “the Creator” when they wrote the Declaration of Independence. I hasten to add, though, that the reference is to a universal deity — and not necessarily a Christian deity.

Ron Reagan’s declaration speaks to the trend in recent decades to keep insisting that the United States is a “Christian nation.” It isn’t. It’s a secular nation with no national religion. Our founders sought to separate the church from the state.

Moreover, to those who keep insisting that the words “church and state separation” do not appear in the Constitution, I only can refer them to the First Amendment. I know what it means. So do they.

And I give thanks for the founders’ wisdom in ensuring our government should be free from religious doctrine.

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Happy, sad places have common threads

Forbes Magazine has come up with a survey of the happiest and saddest countries on Earth.

Take a look at the list. You might discover something I noticed immediately after scanning the list and looking at the pictures associated with the link.

http://money.msn.com/investing/happiest-and-saddest-countries-2013-1

Happy places are prosperous and peaceful. Sad places are poverty stricken and ripped apart by war.

Look at the people in the pictures and you’ll notice something else. Close your eyes and think of the stereotypical Norwegian, who lives in the happiest country on the planet. Blond and blue-eyed, yes? The rest of the 10 happiest countries are populated by people with similar stereotypical features.

Now, look at the pictures of the 10 saddest countries. Chad is the No. 1 on the sad list. Where is Chad? In Africa. It is populated by people of color, as are virtually all the countries on the saddest places list.

I’m not sure what the Forbes study is meant to prove. To my eyes, the obvious conclusion I’m drawing is that worldwide peace and prosperity need to be distributed much more evenly.

Maybe someone will come up with a list of strategies to make that a reality.

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Giving thanks … without overeating

I’ve been chuckling for the past several days at friends, colleagues, acquaintances, folks I’ve met for the first time.

They’ve said more or less the same thing about Thanksgiving. They’ve been telling me how much they’re going to eat. It’s as if in order to give thanks for the bounty they enjoy, they have to partake in it in copious amounts.

We’re going to pass on all of that this year.

My wife, our older son and I are going to spend a quiet Thanksgiving day. We’re going to have lunch with my mother-in-law at the retirement community where she lives. We’re going to let someone else do the cooking. We’ll eat some turkey, perhaps have a little stuffing, some spuds, cranberry sauce, some veggies and we’ll top it off with a slice of pie.

It’s going to be, in effect, just another day for us.

I’ll spend some private time, though, giving plenty of thanks for all I have. It’s plenty.

I have a wonderful family. My wife is my treasure, as are our sons. One of our sons has been blessed with a beautiful family of his own. We are grateful for them and all they have brought into our family.

You’ve heard already about our new granddaughter; my pride in her is self-evident.

I’m grateful for my extended family, my sisters and their loved ones. I have several aunts, uncles, many cousins … and they all have family members who make me proud and for whom I am grateful.

I give thanks today for living in the greatest country on the planet. I cherish that the Almighty allowed me to be born here.

I was raised by two loving parents who’ve been gone for three decades. I still miss them.

I give thanks for the great professional life I was able to lead and for being able to meet the most amazing people, visit the most incredible places, to travel throughout the United States and abroad and to do some amazing things. I’ve covered great stories, been able to express myself and chronicled my world as I saw it. It doesn’t get any better than that.

For all that I give thanks. I’ll do so throughout the day without stuffing myself.

Life is good. I’m grateful for that, too.

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Clearing hurdles with new phone

I am going to suspend for a day or so any gripes, rants and raves and overall snarkiness about the state of politics and policy.

Hey, it’s Thanksgiving.

With that, I want to proclaim a minor victory today with operating my new smart phone.

I managed to send a blog item I had written for Panhandle PBS to my Twitter account. I tweeted it today — using my phone — to my network of friends and assorted contacts. And, because my Twitter account is linked electronically to my Facebook account, my 400-plus Facebook friends got to read it as well.

I had written about President Abraham Lincoln’s brief but poignant Gettysburg Address and noted how such a brief statement — it was just 269 words — wouldn’t be possible in the Internet/TV/Social Media Age. Today’s instantaneous communication makes it too tempting for pols to bloviate ad infinitum — not to mention ad nauseam. (OK, so I ranted just a little bit.)

The story for the day, though, is that I’m starting to get more comfortable with the myriad tasks this cellular telecommunications device can perform.

Do I have them all mastered yet? Pardon me while I laugh out loud.

Maybe I’ll become more proficient in all these tasks. I just hope that day arrives before one or both of my sons talks me into getting an upgrade. Then I’ll have to start over.

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U.S. primed to pick fight with China?

You have to hand it to the brass at the Pentagon, not to mention the commander in chief.

With foreign policy crises either erupting or about to erupt in places like Iran, Syria, Egypt, Libya, North Korea and sub-Saharan Africa, the folks at the Pentagon decide to provoke China by flying B-52 bombers into airspace the Chinese claim as their own.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/27/21641914-china-deploys-only-aircraft-carrier-after-us-sends-b-52s-over-disputed-islands?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=1

China has declared ownership of space over some mineral-rich islands near the coast of Japan. The Japanese also claim that territory. Who’s right is just about anyone’s guess.

Now comes the United States, with its immense military presence in the region. The Air Force launched a couple of B-52s over the disputed area. The Chinese responded by sending their only aircraft carrier into motion, along with a couple of guided-missile frigates.

Nothing happened. No shots were fired.

I’m betting the United States isn’t going to let China bully Japan — our key ally in East Asia. Heaven knows the Chinese have done a number on Taiwan for many years, claiming that the now-independent nation remains part of the mainland empire, given that Taiwan created a separate government after fleeing the mainland in 1949 after losing a bloody civil war with the communists who now run China.

I also should add that Vietnam, another ancient foe of China, is worried about Chinese aims on the region. Vietnam and China fought a fierce border war in the late 1970s after the United States withdrew its forces from Vietnam in 1975.

What are the Chinese up to remains anyone’s guess.

They do understand the showing of force, which is the United States did with the B-52 flyovers. Yes, the birds were unarmed — but there’s plenty of firepower nearby.

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Memo to Alec: Watch your foul mouth, young man

This has been a tough week for TV news personalities masquerading as broadcast journalists.

First, it was Lara Logan of CBS’s “60 Minutes” being forced to take “administrative leave” for a botched news segment on the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya; four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, died in the firefight. Logan and her producer trotted out a security analyst who told “60 Minutes” he was there when it happened, except that he really didn’t get there until the next day. His credibility came into question after the report that was highly critical of the State Department’s reaction to the tragic event.

See ya, Lara.

Now it’s MSNBC’s turn to wipe the egg off its face. It had hired actor/comedian Alec Baldwin to do an hour-long show every Friday night. Baldwin is known for a lot of things. Yes, he’s a talented actor. He’s also capable of doing some great comedy sketches.

Baldwin also is a loudmouth with a hair-trigger temper.

http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=841043

Seems that that Baldwin got into an altercation with a photographer recently and spit out some highly inflammatory names to the fellow. He let loose with an anti-gay slur, preceded by an extremely vulgar adjective.

Hey Alec. You should know that the world is listening to every word you say. Dude, you’re a star and as such, you are not immune from prying eyes and ears. Two words need mentioning here, man: social media.

MSNBC has pulled Baldwin’s show. He says a leading gay-rights organization, GLAAD, and Andrew Sullivan, a noted columnist and author — who happens to be gay — had a hand in “killing” his show.

So what if they did?

He behaved reprehensibly and, as a symbol of a network devoted to news and commentary, he becomes one of the faces of the network.

Alec Baldwin had to go.

One final word of advice, although it will be ignored: Keep your mouth shut, Alec.

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Babies skew one’s perspective

It’s been a very long time since we’ve had a baby in our immediate family.

By “immediate,” I mean a direct descendant of my wife and me. Our sons have been all grown up for many years. One of them got married in March 2012 and this past March, he and our daughter-in-law delivered us a 7 pound, 14 ounce angel named Emma Nicole.

So, we now have a baby in our immediate family.

I mention this because I’ve learned how babies change one’s perspective about time.

I’ve been fond for years of kidding other family members and our younger friends who would say something like this: “Oh, I cannot believe our baby is three months old already. Where in the world does the time go?”

I usually chuckle at that and come back with this: “Talk to me in about 20 or 30 years … when you’re still asking the question about where time has gone.”

Everyone has a chuckle and I might get a knowing nod and an “OK, I get it.”

I say that because I remember as if it was yesterday the moment both of our sons entered this world. The first one arrived nearly 41 years ago, the second one joined us 39 years ago. I remember how I felt when I held them for the first time. I remember my mother squealing with joy when the nurse uncovered our first son to reveal that her first grandson had just arrived. I remember the task of naming our second son when he was about 15 minutes old.

This all happened decades ago. The memories are as fresh now as they were then.

Now, though, I’ve become like a new parent. Our little granddaughter is growing in front of our eyes. She changes every time we see her, which isn’t nearly often enough. Our son and daughter-in-law live in Allen, which isn’t exactly across town.

What’s even more interesting is that I now find myself saying things like, “Emma? Oh, she’s eight months old, going on nine months. Where in the world does the time go?” I say all that without the slightest hint of irony or self-awareness of the kinds of responses I have given for years to others who say the very same thing.

I become aware of it only after the fact.

What am I going to do about all of it? Not a single thing.

I love sharing the joy of having this new life in our midst. I just wish time would slow down just a little bit.

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Logan takes ‘leave’ from ’60 Minutes’

That ticking sound you hear at the start of “60 Minutes” each Sunday has taken on a new symbolic meaning.

I’m guessing it now might symbolize that time is running out on of the formerly premier news show’s correspondents, Lara Logan, who has been ordered to take an undetermined leave of absence.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/26/lara-logan-60-minutes-leave_n_4344883.html

Logan and her producer have earned this kick in the backside.

“60 Minutes” recently broadcast a segment that depended heavily on reports from someone who told the news agency that he was present at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya on Sept. 11, 2012 when it came under attack from terrorists.

Well, it turned out that the source for the story, security officer Dylan Davies, told the FBI something quite different. He told the feds he didn’t arrive until after the shooting stopped.

The report had been highly critical of the State Department and the CIA response to the attack that killed four Americans, including Chris Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya. “60 Minutes,” though, based its reporting on a source who, it turned out, was not credible. He wasn’t there. He didn’t see anything.

Logan went on the air later to offer what she called a “correction.” She apologized for the report.

Now it seems that CBS News has taken the next step in ordering Logan to take a break, along with her producer, Max McClellan.

I wouldn’t bet on Logan’s return to “60 Minutes.” These types of high-profile “leaves of absence” usually result in termination.

The network’s next big task is to repair the damage done to its reputation and to a news program once considered to be the gold standard for broadcast journalism.

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Cornyn offers insulting tweet on Iran deal

I’ve long thought that U.S. Sen. John Cornyn was a serious man.

Then came this response to the deal brokered over the weekend involving Iran’s nuclear development program.

“Amazing what WH will do to distract attention from O-care”

http://blogs.star-telegram.com/politex/2013/11/sen-cornyns-iran-tweet-sparks-reaction-in-twitter-sphere.html

Huh? That was the response from the senior U.S. Republican senator from the great state of Texas?

So, in Cornyn’s mind an agreement that seeks to guide Iran toward a dismantling of its nuclear program, protect Israel — our nation’s most stalwart Middle East ally — and restore some semblance of stability in one of the world’s most explosive regions is a mere “distraction”?

Cornyn’s tweet drew some harsh response, some of which was equally unfair.

My larger point, though, is that Sen. Cornyn should know better than to suggest an intense negotiation involving the United States, Iran and several other great world powers is some kind of political feint to take interest away from an unrelated domestic policy dispute.

Ridiculous.

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George Zimmerman should have gone away quietly

I’ve been thinking for the past little while about George Zimmerman, the guy who was acquitted of murdering Florida teenager Trayvon Martin in that terrible case, which drew international attention.

My thoughts have been this: If I had been found not guilty of a crime that had drawn such intense scrutiny, I just might find a way to go quietly into the night, never to be heard from again.

Zimmerman has chosen quite a different path since his acquittal.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/26/21627985-george-zimmerman-had-five-guns-when-arrested-police?lite

He and his wife have separated and are headed for divorce.

And now we have this case involving his alleged threatening of his girlfriend with some kind of firearm, a shotgun, a high-powered rifle, a pistol … something.

The latest involving Zimmerman reveals that he possesses a number of weapons, including an AR-15 assault rifle. If you’ve never seen an AR-15, they look and operate very much like an M-16 — the kind of rifle soldiers were issued when they went to Vietnam way back when.

AR-15s, as well as M-16s, are extremely deadly weapons. They fire a bullet that is barely bigger than a .22-caliber round, but they inflict maximum damage with these high-velocity projectiles.

I guess it’s not illegal to own these kinds of weapons in Florida. A judge ordered him to surrender them after Zimmerman pleaded not guilty to the charges of endangerment leveled against him.

This matters to me only because of Zimmerman’s standing as someone who was in the news — a lot — because he was accused of killing that teenager in a confrontation that occurred on a dark street one night in Sanford, Fla. He became the poster boy for — depending on your point of view — for vigilante justice or for citizens’ rights to self-protection.

I would have thought Zimmerman had gone through enough public scrutiny. He avoided punishment for a high-profile crime. He should have left town, sneaking away without being detected.

Oh, but no. He’s back in the news once again.

And he’s still packing heat.

Hasn’t this guy had enough of the limelight? Apparently not.

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