Fighting Men

There lies within each culture elements of ancient warriors. Vestiges of more barbaric times, when disagreements were settled by bloodletting. The drive that impassioned persons have shown to defend their way of life, or to absorb more pacifist persons, remains alive in the ethos, passed on by heritage.

The courage of our ancestors to overcome danger and disaster, foe and famine, has driven us to a place where we must seek peace in order to preserve the advances gained as a society. We fought with weapons of metal and stone to protect that which we created with paper and paint. Our courage to find this delicate balance propels the civilization to new levels, opening portals to the future of man.

What could be more necessary?

It has been said that we find ourselves in a crisis of leadership-a place where there is little courage to address the pressing issues of the day- to define the new realities of the new age. The discipline to find these new solutions is found absent and wanting by those most in need. Our problems seem to outweigh the seeming solutions of each quizzical moment. How have we found ourselves in such a place?

Within us lies the heart of warriors of a different time and place. The heart of survivors and those slain kept alive in ceremony and spirit. It is a reservoir of untapped potential that awaits our summons, a well of strength to which we are shared heirs. The time-honored task that comes with harnessing this resource is laden with diligence and duty. The duty to confront issues with vigor and with vigilance; with vitality and with vision. We must prepare ourselves for the battles ahead.

The war we must win is the war within ourselves; that dissonant symphony being playing in the concert hall too full of distracting noises, drowning out the clear melody of progress. We must hear the trumpet again, the clarion call to action, ringing with the overtones of our progressive nature. We must be fighting men; over comers of fear and doubt, grappling with the dangers of our existence and the challenges of our day. To preserve our progress and our peace, we must engage our passions and persistence. Adaptation requires the willingness to change and sacrifice, but it a variant on a theme and not a new melody. A constant rhythm drives us to the skirmish line, readying us for the assault on our passivity, as our forefathers hand down the direct order-progress so that we may yet live.

The call of ancient valor still resounds within us, will there be an answer to the call?

Speak to My Heart

The Fall Classic has taken shape. Not the college football bowl season-that wonderful vestige of frontier wars and backyard brawls that have defined much of the character of our states. Instead, I refer to the 2008 presidential election, which is finally down to two candidates.



Yes, this has been the most exciting primary season in a long time, with passions running high on the Democratic side. The internecine war between Clinton and Obama, even had conservatives mesmerized and taking sides. Dinner tables were split, barbershops were fractioned, and even individual minds experienced cognitive dissonance over this protracted primary. What a show, a really big show. We also can't forget the other candidates, who represented the long term policy establishment, the growing Latin American communities of the U.S., the downscale Democrats of rural America, the anti-war activists and the blue collar voter in Blue states.



The Republican primary (remember that?) also started with a fire, with an upset in Iowa. The GOP flirted with different leading men- the polished Northern governor in Mitt Romney, the charming Southern preacher in Mike Huckabee, the Hollywood star turned politician in Fred Thompson, and the pre-coronation of America's Mayor in Rudy Guliani. Campaigning almost through the Christmas Holiday season, the people from the party of Lincoln found themselves succeeding in pulling only small clusters of voters. The resurrection of John McCain, who had been labeled as a ship dead in the water, or at best limping to port while listing to starboard, became the comeback story of the hour.



But the McCain victory, while a feel good story for a war hero and proven maverick from the George Bush (I & II) policies, seemed more of a lesser of evils victory verses a consensus choice. In fact, after being declared the presumptive nominee, John McCain lost several primaries and competitors on the supposed fringe (read Ron Paul) still pulled percentages in the 20's. The selection of John McCain became a watershed event in the strictest sense, where the run off allowed for the collection of rain that fell on loose soil. McCain is found holding the earth vessels filled collected precipitation, hoping to quench the thirst of a parched nation.



The challenge for John McCain is not his stance on the war, as a combat veteran his stance against the Bush administration was admirable in the face of friendly fire. Nor it is his tepid grasp on the economic landscape; his advisers could steer him there; and its not his age- he has a vitality that comes across the screen- if you didn't know his age, you are not drawn to it by his mannerisms.



McCain's problem is that he is not touching the sentiments of the American people. For all the talk of Iraq and Afghanistan, the people of these United States are not so moved by the sacrifice of the soldiers as they are by the instability of their families. The foreclosure of homes; the lack of good paying jobs; the erosion of educational institutions- our nation is concerned about matters of the heart-food, family, and the fuel to provide for them. He speaks to America's pride in country.



Conversely, Obama and the Democrats have honed a message that is speaking to people at the emotional level, one that is inspiring all areas of the Democrat Party. No matter what subgroup, the party of Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Clinton is fully engaged in a message of change and hope. This compelling message is taking root and has become saturated in the skins of many Americans.



America is not crying for the Straight Talk Express to speak to its heart, Obama is currently doing that quite well.



In the fall, our nation will be once again gripped with its passions- football, family, food- and this year- politics. The states of the union are imbued with time honored passions that make for wonderful football rivalries; will McCain find an issue to reach the heart of America?

Summer Storms

Once past Memorial Day, the weather usually breaks in the midwest, so that sunny skies are prevalent. Tossing off the white of winter, the world begins to adorn itself with colors of beryl and bice, giving light to things anew. The skies open up, producing sun rays and showers alike, a cathartic mix of water and warm winds that produces in the person a calming sensation.

It is the time of vacations and long weekends; family gatherings and great escapes; early departures and late arrivals, signaling a change of seasons. The great malaise of summer encroaches on the sensibilities of daily decisions.

It is these annual doldrums of the summer solstice that worry veteran election candidates and give emerging hopes to new aspriants for office. The low voter turn out in the primaries of summer often put incumbents into caution mode and allow challengers to see opportuinties for upset victories.

The faithful voter usually makes sure that they do their civic duty, and they usually encourage other to do the same. There is a sense of regularity for these voters: I must cast my ballot; my pilgrammage is not passive- it is an expression of my idenity.

There are those who never pay attention to the primary. Why bother? I vote when it really matters, for the big elections; its vacation time or time to be out doors. See you in the fall.

In the center are the well-meaning voters who fall prey to temporal matters, those who fail to plan out the time to make it to the polls and consequently, may or may not vote. They are not always successful in casting ballots for tactical or logistical reasons: the line is too long, it will take too much time, they have moved my polling place, I would get there too late.

These things are not evident to them as their day starts, but it comes upon them like severe summer storm; sudden and unexpected; filled with instant fury to blow them off course; derailing them by diverting their attention to exigent issues.

Summer storms have been known to overturn trees and apple carts alike, and knocking out power to those accustomed to it.

The fear of the incumbent is that these particular voters will fail to cast their ballots, giving the challengers the advantage. Power losses occur often in the summertime and not just in power companies.

Just like planning for inclement weather; one must plan for the unexpected in voting and be prepared to exercise great patience and flexibility. While it is not conceiveable to prepare for every emergency, it is possible to give your self options- absentee ballots, voting at the clerk's office instead of your precinct, voting early as possible in case problems occur. Taking your voter registration card and other proper ID, and lastly getting educated days ahead of time. Without these steps, your candidate may not be successful.

Beware of the summer storm that comes unawares. Power loss may be imminent.

Churches before Homes

There was a time when having a house was apart of the American dream. For most people, having a home was the penultimate honor...to be a property owner. After all, the bulk of the 19th century saw land ownership in the hands of the landed gentry, with the common people renting space or occupying small tracts of land that supported basic shelter.



The migration to the urban area saw more accumulation of people in homes, and the changing of the policies to allow for more home ownership. The growth of the ex-urbia created for the downscale American the opportunity to own a new home, some thing to call their own.



The irony of the housing crisis is that it eroding home ownership at at time when it is most critical for some, as a new middle class begins to assert itself in American society.



Black Americans are the exception to the homeownership story. I mean that through the years of slavery, and subsequently through the sharecropping and Jim Crow eras, Blacks had a place they slept, but it wasnt their own home to control.



It was a place where belongings were kept, but final decisions were reserved for the owners.

The only home that these issues didnt encroach on was the Black Church. It was the one place where the rights invested in the constitution were somewhat protect. The right to religous expression was generally respected by land owners, albeit for reasons of control.

African American were founding churches before homes. Keeping it in order of establishment, it poses an interesting paradox for today indeed.

The paradox is that as America, not just Black America, loses control of its homes through the mortgage crisis, it is also turning away from its churches. Church attendance is down across all denominations, and houses of worship are closing, consolidating, or merging.

The secular society is growing away from "In God we Trust", even as the dollar gets weaker.

Will the majority of America find its itself in position of serfdom as home forelosures rise? Or are the seeds of another Great Awakening being planted as economic conditions continue o look bleak?

America may yet find an example in the Black American story, as the establishment of homes came after the spiritual movements that brought freedom to Black citizens, and a reaffirmation of E Pluribus Unum-Out of Many, we are One.

Flip Flops are Comfortable Shoes

In the modern era of political discourse, a new and heavily covered aspect of the American political theater is the notion of the change of perspective of political figures. Flip-Flopping is a new buzz word, indicating more than a change in positions. It implies, somehow, a weakness of the mind- an inconsistency in the political will of a person. To flip-flop is to not have conviction, to exhibit a lack of fortitude, a tentative heart- qualities not wanted in leadership in these states, united.

Flip-flopping, or at least the accusation of it, gives to the voter a sense of a weakness in a candidate. A portrait of double-mindedness, where the weighty decisions of the elected official are squandered, due to an inherent character flaw in the candidate.

Straight talk is what is wanted, no “waffle-ing”, plain talk, a common sense approach.

The Great Communicator, embodied by President Ronald Reagan, was revered for his ability to take complex issues and boil it down to its critical elements: Freedom, Family, Fortitude.

So now people seeking office are somewhat skeptical of the changing of minds; being seen as a political chameleon, a person with a shifting perspective. Woe to the politician that changes their position!

The emergence of the 24 hour news cycle and the constant stream of information has made it challenging to have the complete set of facts, so that a confidence level can be established quickly. Yet this same force makes it challenging to wait for the facts, as people want a responsive government,one that is better at problem solving than in years past.
Thus the dilemma- is there really change that is not a symptomatic of feeble mind?
Leadership is a funny business, as it people are evaluated by two overriding standards: Did they get it right? And did they get it right in the right way?

Sound decisions require time, and profound policy changes require time and space. These fundamental truths are pillars of the American political process and have been for some time. The rush to judgement mentality that fills the air time on cable news diminishes the movement for good public policy. It is entirely possible to deal with a set of facts one day, and get contradictory information the next.

We should reward our aspriants for political office for their preparedness, their ability to rationalize and sort through the facts, and propose solutions. And when appropriate, we should also reward them for a change in position, especially if it ultimately benefits the people of our nation. Course correction has saved this union more than once.

If the heart is in the right place, a change of mind does not equal a change of heart; lets not confuse the two in our daily banterings on the state of the nation. Flip Flops are comfortable shoes for the summer; changes in perspective in policy matters are another thing altogether.

Perched for Delivery

Today the drama ensues over the young ladies from Gloucouster, MA, who decided to all find a way to give birth to children, all within months of each other. These 17 sophomore girls who created a "pregnancy pact", have garnered international attention, turning the home of the frozen food industry into a media rich feeding ground. The new found fame of these youthful mothers-to-be has stumped the professionals in the psychology field: Why did they do it? What are the motives of these teenagers? Was it for the undying love of a child? Was it for the companionship and camaradire of expectant mothers? Was it because of a lack of morals, or better yet, an erosion of societal values that used to stigmatize teen pregnancy? Is it the trickle-down effect of celebrities that now have made out-of wedlock births common place and suddenly chic? Or is it just the non-chalance of parents who are out of sync with the adolecent mind?



The events in this fishing town have spawned a new debate over American family values. Is there a more interesting time to discuss the new American teenager?



Evolving in the midst of telecommunication technological revolution, the teenage person is now impacted by the new social networking tools: Facebook, Beebo, and a plethora of others that connect kids alot differently than the malt shop of the '50's. The more isolated physical world is now replaced by an ever expanding virtual one, where the imagination can lead to the surreal decisonmaking of youthful exuberence. Parents are more careful to be restrictive of a teenagers movements, with so many children being reported missing. While technology, namely cellphones are used to try to keep up with teens, they have also given rise to a world where thoughts and words are sequesterd from actions. Ideas, separated from realities, are now the fancy of keystrokes-dandies of the mind.



While it isn't proven that these soon-to-be-mothers communicated in such a manner, it is likely that they communicated at some point through texting or email. It is also likely that the coolness of this idea of peer pregnancy, was tactitly supported by film, tv, or some other electronic medium. Shrinking from the innate beauty and the intricate complexities of daily life, teens are becoming more stimulated from fanciful thoughts in abstract realities.



Whether the experts eventualy agree about the causality of the pregnancy pact, the truth remains that the natural world is falling victim to a virtual one- where the tempered thought practically placed wanes before the uncharted possibility and the untested hope of an isolated mind. The new group think is now here: to personally be different, with your friends.

Words Walking Without Masters

Welcome to Words Walking Without Masters, a general commentary on the social and political happenings of our times. Look forward to things focused on the cutting edge of thought and societal inquiry in the days ahead.