It takes more than Faith.

"The Navy Chaplain Corps comprises more than 800 Navy Chaplains from more than 100 different faith groups, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and many others. Each Chaplain is also a Navy Officer – meaning each holds an important leadership role.

Chaplains offer everything from faith leadership to personal advice to much-needed solace. All while living up to the guiding principles of the Chaplain Mission:

• Providing religious ministry and support to those of your own faith
• Facilitating the religious requirements of those from all faiths
• Caring for all service members and their families, including those subscribing to no specific faith
• Advising the command in ensuring the free exercise of religion"

(From Navy.com)

Recently, there was a news item which asked opinion as to wether a U.S. Navy Chaplain who was being processed for discharge after 19 years of service should in fact be separated from the service. 

I read with interest, this story. Many Navy Chaplains are friends of mine. Anyone who knows me will tell you that if I see a Navy Chaplain, I will stop an say hello. During my time in the Navy and since retirement, the Chaplain was always a friendly face and a source of advice and comfort. So, any story of a Chaplain being forced to leave the Navy peeks my interest.

I will get into the story in a moment and my opinion will become clear. But first, a little background about Chaplains. If you have read the above excerpt from Navy.com, you will see that no place does it say that Chaplains are to recruit members to their Faith.  Further, it specifically states that the Chaplain is to care for ALL service members of all Faiths and of NO faith. In other words, don't try to sell your beliefs or moral judgements onto those you are there to help. You are there for EVERYONE.

Now, on to the Chaplain in question. It seems that he had a problem with some of the Navy's policies regarding women and homosexuals. (Just the description of his problem was hard for me to type)

He didn't like women because they would get pregnant and pregnancy without the benefit of marriage is against HIS faith. He would counsel young, unmarried women that they were bad people and that they would be punished by the Lord for engaging in pre-marital intercourse. Worse, their child was an abomination, a bastard. I thought these attitudes went away sometime in the last 50 years. Certainly, I do not understand how remarks along these lines could be considered counseling and for the betterment of the service member, Command or military community at large.

Next we move on to the issue of this Chaplain's stand on gay rights. Very simply, he believed that it was appropriate to inform service members who identified as homosexual that they and their life style were an abomination, forbidden by the written word of the Bible. He went on to counsel what the proper use of the human sexual organs were, in his (and presumably the Lord's) view.

Upon hearing the complaints of members of this Chaplains command, an investigation ensued. The results of which recommended that the officer in question be separated from the service. 

The news article which reported all of this asked readers to comment as to wether they agreed with the Chaplain or the Command. My comment was simple. 2 words: Discharge Him!

Here is my reasoning.

1. The Chaplain in question stated that he was just acting in accordance with his Faith. There is a problem with this defense. All Chaplains serve in the Military with the permission of their home Church. This permission is in the form of a written authorization to the Military Department in which they wish to serve. So, the Chaplain, if he feels that he can no longer carry out his duties in accord with the teachings of his Church; all he need do is request that his Church revoke his permission to serve in the Navy. He would be processed for discharge.

2. Chaplains, as noted from the Navy's own web page, are required to serve all hands, regardless of faith. The counselor's faith has not one thing to do with how he is expected to counsel service members in the secular world. If he can not make the switch from the spiritual to the secular world when dealing with his charges, he can not perform his duties and he should request discharge.

3. Finally. In the story comments, many people applauded this particular Chaplain for standing on his Faith. Somehow, they saw him as a David standing on the plain, facing a Goliath. His slingshot in hand, as the weapon to protect HIS FAITH from the non-believers. I beg to disagree in the strongest possible terms! Military Chaplains are required to minister to their "flocks" in accordance with directives and instructions from higher authority. That is higher EARTHLY authority. In this case, the Chaplain knew what the Department of the Navy policy was and he chose to ignore it in favor of a policy of his own making. That is a dereliction of duty and a violation of trust. He violated the oath he took when he was commissioned. He violated the trust the Navy placed in him. Worse, he violated the trust of those people who sought him out for help.  

Faith had nothing to do with this issue. The Chaplain in question was in it for himself. The Navy determined that he was "Intolerant". That is putting it mildly. If anyone else had acted in this way, there would have been no question as to the disposition of their service.

The questions this officer raised are just plain silly. Pre-marital sex has been around since the institution of marriage. Homosexuality has been around longer than that. Who cares?

You have to do what is right for you. I've said this time and time again. We need to get out of each other's bedrooms and embrace the things that we all have in common. I have friends who are gay, straight and as crooked as they come. I honestly do not care what they do in their private life. Live and let live.

Oh, to the Chaplain, if you think people are going to stop having sex because they are not married, you might need more than a discharge. You may need to become a solitary monk.

I hope I've made my position clear. This story had been bothering me since I first read it last week. Thaks for putting up with me.

As always...

The Fall of America...

It is said that the cause of the fall of the Roman Empire was the continued dilution of the Roman culture by the so called "Barbarians"; those peoples from the conquered lands.

It started with language and moved on to permeate all areas of the culture until, with a loss of identity, the Empire fell.

We can draw many parallels to this phenomenon today. I'd like to start with the use of language.

The primary language spoken in the United States of America is English. Now, I grant you; the British people may argue that we speak a dialect of English and should call our language "American." I can go along with this label.

There are usually three forms of a language spoken. Formal, conversational and casual. Formal English would be that which you see in the written word. Grammar and spelling are checked and every effort is made to ensure the final product is as close to accepted formal language as possible. This would also be true for the spoken word in formal circumstances (formal social gatherings, lectures, interviews etc.).

Conversational language is that form of the language which is used in (surprise!) conversation. It is less formal than the above and minor slips in grammar are acceptable. Further, the use of local "idiom" is acceptable in conversational language.

Finally, we come to the least structured and often times, the most confusing form of language. Casual.  Casual language is that speech that you might use at a family gathering or the breakfast table with just one or 2 people present. Those people would usually be close friends or family members where the slide into less strict grammar is forgiven. The use of casual language is very tricky. When I was growing up, I could use casual english with my older brother but never in the presence of my parents or my sister. Many times I was admonished that "You are not attending private school to speak public school english!" Casual language is often used in industrial situations and in situations where brevity is required.

All this being said, I do not want to give anyone the impression that completely made up words and grammar is ever acceptable. If you will continue with me, I would like to give a few examples.

The great offender to my ear is the word "DISRESPECT". The word; until a few years ago was a noun. It means to act or show a lack of respect. It is NOT a verb. Well, of course; in the name of mediocrity, it appears in the dictionary as a verb (informal). I'm sorry. You will never hear me say that I was disrespected. "Someone spoke in a disrespectful manner. " "He was disrespectful to my sister." That's how we speak in all but the street. When did the language of the street become acceptable? I have heard "talking heads" on National News programs use the word disrespect as a verb. Do these people not have editors?

CONVERSATE: This is not a word, people. If you hear someone say they are "conversating" with their friend, run for the hills! The correct usage would be: "They are having a conversation with a friend." You can converse and therefore are carrying on a conversation. But, NEVER conversate. I enjoy watching Judge Judy Sheindlin. When someone comes in her court room and uses that word, she corrects them and tells them that CONVERSATE is NOT a word.

The proper response to "Thank You" is "You're Welcome." not "No prob." or a grunt. While we are on the subject of manners, may I also mention that it is not acceptable to use profanity in the presence of you mother or any other woman.  I know of no culture where profanity and gutter language is acceptable in the presence of women. Most of my friends are women and I can assure you that I do not routinely use unacceptable language when dealing with them.

Some will say that I am letting my conservative side show. Well, maybe I am but, I am not talking about "Family Values" in the way politicians do. I am saying that it takes an entire family to raise children. I am saying that it is not the responsibility of just the schools to keep kids out of trouble and ensure that they grow to be productive members of society. Parents must lead their children.

One of the police shooters in New York City had a father who did an interview with the news. This father blamed "the streets" and the United States Marine Corps for the issues his son had and thus, the shooting. Pardon me Sir. Look in the mirror. The responsibility rests squarely on your shoulders and those of your son.

Fewer children would fall to the "streets" if their parents had ensured that they were busy and belonged to a real family while they grew up. Gang members routinely say that they joined the gang to gain a sense of belonging and "family." If more parents raised their children and ensured that they were busy with productive pursuits like Scouting maybe there would be less need to feel like belong to a family and more of actually belonging to their family.

I realize that my solutions seem simplistic and perhaps they are but, it's my blog and I can sound off if I want to.  Let's reinstate the draft, just  for Recruit training. Everyone gets to go to Paris Island for 12 week or how ever long it takes to graduate. I promise that everyone will feel like they are part of a family after that training and part of something much bigger then themselves.

I could have written about more grammar errors but, my fingers were rebelling and I was getting a headache. My old English teacher was spinning in his grave as I typed.

Two Police Officers Killed in NYC....

Saturday December 20, 2014 National Public Radio reported the following:

Two New York police officers were ambushed and fatally shot while sitting in their patrol car in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood Saturday. The suspected gunman has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

In a press conference, New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton said the officers, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, were killed with "no warning, no provocation."...

While "Social Media" was abuzz with this terrifying news and support began to pour out for the families of the slain officers, "Rev." Al Sharpton released a statement decrying the linking of this senseless act to the recent unrest in New York City and Ferguson, MO. He stated that he is "outraged" that anyone would try and link this incident to those. In his statement, there was no message of sympathy for the families of the slain police officers. There was no call to action. The outrage was not that two officers who were doing nothing but sitting in their patrol vehicle were gunned down without warning or provocation of any kind. The good "Reverend" made a political statement.

What is going on in our Country? Has the world turned on it's side? I feel like we have gone back in time 50 years to a time where a person's skin color defines them and their role in society. I don't like this at all.

I have friends of all colors, faiths, orientations, genders. You name it, I've probably got a friend who is in that group. You see, we are not supposed to label people. I thought we were supposed to take people as individuals and receive them as they come to us. 

I was moved to write this piece today because I have a friend who comes from an immigrant family (as I do), who was so upset by the events of last evening that she posted that she wanted to take her husband and children and go back to the Dominican Republic! Her family came here for security and opportunity and now she feels that she would be safer in the "DR"? 

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to be free..."

I guess that's just a pie in the sky idea now. Have we degraded to a point that we must wear body armor at all times and walk about in the cities heavily armed? Is that freedom? I think not.

Realizing that the shooter of our two brave Police Officers killed himself after his dastardly act, it may take some time before the investigation into his life and motivations is complete. Hopefully, at that time we will learn what motivated this person to act as he did. We may never know.

But, knowledge of the killer's motivation will not bring the Officers back from the dead. It will not bring them home to their families, wives, children. That knowledge will never bring them home to their Mothers and Fathers. 

You see, the New York City Police Department were not the only ones to lose two selfless Officers yesterday.  The City, State and in fact the entire Country lost two examples of what makes this Country great. 

Selfless service is what these two officers were performing when they died. They died needlessly at the hands of a crazed person.

For New York City Police Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos: End of Tour: 12/20/2014. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten.


As always...

Who wins after the riot?

This is a scene from Ferguson, MO. The Grand Jury has spoken and in a decision which surprised no one, voted to not indict Officer Wilson of Murder!

The eye witness testimony was contradictory at best. It was proven that at least two of the witnesses at the scene lied to police. Finally, the autopsy of Mr. Brown left little doubt as to the facts of the case.

Do we need to look at the facts of the case again? I think not. The social implications of this incident are clear but it seem that the people of Ferguson seem to miss the point. Yes, the death of an 18 year old is sad. To his family, it is a personal tragedy. In a larger sense, any death of a young person is a tragedy.

But, Let's look at what we know. We now know that the police officer was responding to a call. We also know that the young man attacked the police officer. Should officer Wilson have let himself be killed? I don't think he signed up for that.

Mothers always believe that their children are Angels from God. That is the way life is. Mr. Brown's mother has, in her grief been shouting from the rooftops that her son was innocent of any crime and was gunned down without cause. I can understand that. She is a mother.

What I don't understand is outsiders coming in to town as the carpetbaggers of old and bringing the people up to a frenzy. I don't understand when the President of the United States allows his Attorney General to go to Ferguson and convict officer Wilson with his words before the investigation is completed.

Now, the Grand Jury has spoken. STATE charges will not be brought. But, the Justice Department is looking into the possibility of bringing Federal charges against officer Wilson. Would this have happened if the roles were reversed? Would any of this happened if the roles were reversed?

I do not believe we would be talking about this incident at all if  the skin color of the "players" were reversed. I hate even writing that. I do not judge people by the color of their skin. I do not like using skin color as a descriptor. But, maybe I am not sophisticated enough for the nuance of today's society. I'm just a simple sailor.

In the past few months, there has been a lot of talk about Dr. King. Dr. King is rolling over in his grave as he sees that we, as a society have not evolved one bit since the 1950s and '60s. This senseless rioting and looting. The wanton destruction hurts no one except the residents of the communities in which it takes place.

The grand jury decision was easy to predict and so was the reaction of the people in poor communities who are being manipulated by opportunistic publicity seekers with their own agendas. Certainly, these outside forces do not in any way have the welfare of the good people of Ferguson, MO at the heart of their motivation.

I remember the 1967 riots in Newark, New Jersey. It was a horrible sight. The city of Newark is still trying to recover from that hot summer. How long will it take for the Country to recover from this event?

One thing is proven. Racism is alive and well in America and it's not just for Minorities any more.

A sad state of affairs.

As always...

Veteran's Day and what it means to me.

Today is the day that Veteran's Day will be observed but, traditionally, the observance is marked on the 11th day of November. This stems from the end of World War I. The hostilities were to end at the 11th hour on the 11 day of the 11th month. Armistice day was "born."

The name remained until 1954 when in October of that year, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a Presidential Proclamation changing the name to Veteran's Day. The Federal Government always observes holidays on a Monday with few exceptions and so, this year, Banks will be closed and there will be no mail delivery even though the actual holiday is tomorrow; 11 November.

To my mind, every day should be Veteran's day. I say this not because I am a Veteran but, because we, as a people owe so much to the Veterans who have willingly given so much to this country and our way of life. Without those who were willing to serve and those who still serve today, who knows what our country and in fact; the world we live in would be like.

There are still Veterans of the Second World War surviving, although their numbers dwindle daily. Many of my generation have family members who served in the Korean War (I can't call it a conflict. Read the history. it was a war.) Of course, there are tens of thousands of Veterans of Vietnam and later wars.

The amazing thing about all the Veterans is that most did not need to be drafted and all after 1975 have volunteered. Most of you know that the United States has an "all volunteer" military but, unless you have served, do you know what the promise those men and women make in order to serve?

I'm sure few of you know the specifics. Many civilians think of the military as just a "Government Job." Sure there might be some danger involved but, on the whole, people who serve in the military are just to lazy or uneducated to get a "real" job.

These statements have been made to me in the past and I have even seen them in print as recently as this past summer, during the congressional campaigns. Those statements are made by uninformed, ignorant people who really have no business talking about anything they know nothing about.

Beyond the intelligence required to complete modern military training, I'd like to just mention the one thing that separates once and for all, military from civilian work.

Members of the United States Military promise to give their life for their country. I know no stock broker or news reporter or op-ed writer who is required to make that promise as a condition of employment.

There is a document which all members of the U. S. Armed Forces must sign. It's call the "Code of Conduct" for members of the Armed Forces of the United States.

I've mentioned this before but, it bears mentioning again:

Article 1.

I am a member of the Armed Forces of the United States of America.
I serve in the forces that guard our country and our way of life.
I am prepared to give my life in their defense.

Each and every member of the service since after the Korean War has had to make that same promise, in writing. The code goes on and talks about conduct in combat, in command and if captured. But, for the purposes of this blog the relevant portion is quoted (From Memory).

We, as a Nation owe all our Veteran's a debt which can never be repaid. Many Veterans suffer invisible injuries which they carry with them for the rest of their lives. As they bore their service, they bare the burden of their injuries in silence, with dignity and grace. So, today; please remember all of our Veterans. Thank them for their service and the unbelievable sacrifice each has made to secure the freedom of our Nation.

To all my family who are Veterans and all my friends who proudly can use the term: Veteran, I thank each of you for your service, sacrifice and dedication to duty and all of us.

I pledge Allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one nation under God, indivisible,
with Liberty and Justice for all.

As always...

The poet said it best..."To thy own self be true."

If you are a friend mine, especially on my Facebook page; you have heard me say that everything is a "training opportunity." By that, I mean that we should learn from everything that happens round us, especially mistakes we, ourselves make.

I'm not saying we should complain about our lot in life or even the mistakes we make. I'm saying we need to occasionally look deep in the mirror of our lives and find where we could have made a better decision or choice and if possible live by that new choice.

Here's an example for you. My relationship with my father was "problematic" at best. I'm not complaining. He's long gone and you can't fix the past. But, as a teenager, I made choices in an attempt to gain my father's attention. My plan didn't work So, I wound up joining the Navy after High School rather than going on to further education.

I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had worked for my own satisfaction rather than the attention of someone who was never going to acknowledge anything I did or did not accomplish. Of course, this is all academic at this point since, we can't change the past. But, we can learn from it and change the future!

The lesson I learned from this experience was simple: Never let anyone else determine your self-worth! You do NOT need some man or woman in your life to validate your existence or choices.

One interesting thing about the Military and I will use the Navy again as my example: The Navy recognizes the accomplishments of it's people both good and bad. You definitely get all the attention you might need. So, it turned out that if I was indeed looking for some sort of validation, the Navy was a good place to get it. Well, it worked for me.

I was lucky, I found something that I enjoyed doing and a group of people whom I looked up to and I chose to become one of them. Eventually, I found out who I was and how I fit into the whole scheme of this thing we call life. Unfortunately, it was not until I was 33 and my father died that I realized that he was never going to recognize any of my accomplishments.

I spent 33 years trying to please someone else. Now, looking at that in writing, doesn't it seem like a waste of time and energy? To thy own self be true!

We do not need to waste our lives searching for validation and approval from places where they will never come. I can tell you from experience, it's destructive behavior. It's not only destructive to those around you but to yourself.

As hard as it may seem to be at the time, if you are rejected in some way, move along! Learn from the experience and let it go. There are millions of people out there that need to be loved and one of them is for you.

I was very shy growing up. I did not know what to say to girls, now women. My family laughs at me now because, I'm comfortable with everyone. It's because I stopped looking for approval. Once you do that, you can spend time being yourself. Trust me, those who really love you will still love you. You don't have to live up to anyone's expectations but your own. Guess what? You can change your mind and your goals. No one will think any less of you. It happens all the time.

Many years ago, this Chief was trying to be Mr. Psychological with me. He asked me who the most important person in my life was. I responded quickly: "Myself" I said.

He replied that my answer was rather self-centered.

As I laughed I told the Chief: "With all due respect; you have no clue. I am the most important person to ME because, if I am healthy physically and emotionally, I am then in a position to help others."

The Chief looked confused. I gave another example: "If you are my neighbor and need a half a cup of sugar and I only have a quarter of a cup, I can't help you. If I pay attention to my home, I make sure I have 5 lbs of sugar in the house so that if a neighbor needs a cup or 2, I can help."

I don't know if the Chief got the point but I'm sure you all do. Take care of yourselves first. Do not worry about those who have done you wrong or hurt you. Do not allow them to "rent space" in your head. Purge them because they do not determine your worth. Only you do. If you feel worthwhile, you will be in a good position to live a happy life, no matter what anyone else thinks or says about you.

As always...

The answer is always right before your eyes...

We live in a world where everyone is constantly wishing you a "Blessed" day. This just drives me to distraction. If you have an understanding of any faith, you would realize that there are several issues with the over use of this phrase which cause problems.

I'm not saying you can't wish people a "Blessed" day. If that is what you feel you must do to mark yourself as a good person, go right ahead. Just don't expect  me to gush with gratitude at your automatic and most likely thoughtless remark.  I always appreciate someone's good wishes but, I happen to know that you wishing me a "Blessed" day means nothing for one simple reason. I am alive and therefore I am enjoying the Blessings of my Faith.

You see, our lives are the greatest Blessing we can have. Look around you. Life is amazing! Amid all the ugliness in the world, you can always find some beauty. It may be the sunrise over a field or a child's smile. It may be the smell of a meal, lovingly prepared by someone who cares more about you than themselves. Two dogs romping in the back yard or playing with your children. All examples of Blessings.

For me, two of the most wonderful blessings I ever received were the return of my two Marine Corps children, safe and sound upon completion of their service obligation.

If you are lucky enough to have Grandchildren, you don't need to hear a word about Blessings or being Blessed. You already know that you are. You are reminded each and every time you look into your grandchild's eyes.

Let's move on to more practical matters. This month marks 2 years since doctors at the Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, VA cut open my heart and repaired it. I am alive today because of the skill of those amazing doctors. I can never thank them enough for what they have done for me.

Some will say that it was God who gave those doctors the skills to save my life. That may indeed be so but, I'm not here to discuss my personal Faith. The bottom line is, I am alive today, that is the blessing.

2 years ago, I was in some grave condition. I am not in that condition any longer. I am alive and in relatively good health. Sure, I take a handful of medications each morning. I take a smaller handful in the afternoon and even fewer at bed time but, that is a small price to pay to be alive.

My point is, as long as you are alive, you have a fighting chance. All problems are transient. They will be solved with careful thought and some effort.

Be humble. You don't have to take credit for everything. Let the other guy shine if that is what they must do. It's their ego, not yours. I'm talking about everyday situations, not the corporate world. The corporate world is a whole other post that I don't even want to touch.

Enjoy the world around you and appreciate what you have. Trust me, there is always someone who is having a worse day than you. Be glad for your friendships and know who your friends and acquaintances are. Know the difference.

If you can live life on life's own terms; accepting the good and the not so good, you are far ahead of the game and you will find that you will be much happier. Some may even say Blessed.

So, wish me a "Blessed" day if you must. I won't give you a lecture, I'll just smile but, know that I already understand the blessings in my life. It's standing right in front of you.

As always...