Priority #1: Marriage and the Family

I have a theory that I call, "The Middle Toe Theory".   Apologies in advance... I am working on a better name.  Essentially my theory is that none of us gives conscious thought to the existence of our middle toe.  Give it a try right now:  think about it down there at the other end of your body... can you identify it in isolation from your foot, independent of your other toes?  Try to wiggle it and it alone.  How did that work for you?  See, it is very much a forgotten appendage.  Most likely you have not thought about it for many years... AND YET, if it were to be severed in some sort of freak accident you would certainly be aware of its absense.  The pain of its injury or its removal would affect your walk, your posture, your entire body's mobility.  It would have a signficant impact on your life. 
Our middle toe is not unlike many of the things we have taken for granted or assumed in life.  We live in a world that is challenging many of those beliefs and values.  The importance of an intact, "traditional" family is one of them.  This includes the importance of marriage and the definition of marriage.  In the political realm it includes the idea of American exceptionalism, of limited government and of individual rights endowed by a soverign Creator (i.e. God).  Now, I am all for questioning the world around us just as I am for considering the reality, function, limitation, evolution and feminist perspective of my middle toe.   BUT I am very pensive and hesitant to lop off my middle toe -a convention that has been around for a very long time- in the name of 'change'.  My point is, certain conditions and values have been extremely positive in the long march of human history and research (as well as common sense) continues to show their essential contribution. 
The vitality of a functional family unit -the ideal of which is a man and a wife bound by a socially and spirituall recognized committment- is essential to the continuity of the human race and to civil society.  Don't agree?  The evidence is overwhelming.  Subscribe to whichever source of truth you will, this evidence comes from science, from common sense, from God, from history.  Here is a document establishing the necessity of marriage and the family from a scientific perspective (click here to read entire report):

Wacky Wednesday: Some political fun

Time for a little meaningless levity.  In a world where every decision seems to be politcally charged it is good to devote two seconds to a debate that has very little true consequence.  I think it is safe to say that our republic will not rise or fall based on the stance you take:

Government Run Healthcare: One man's view

I taught a sociology course at the local community college and assigned my students a project where they could interview someone on a variety of topics.  One young lady wanted to explore ageing so she interviewed a neighbor of hers who as 65+ years old.  In the course of their interview she asked about the contemporary healthcare issue.  Here is the transcript of his answer:As far as national healthcare...  what have I ever seen in my 69 years on this ball of mud that the government has gotten involved in that they didn't screw up?  You know what my answer to that is: nothing!

... just one man's humble observation stated with resolution and clarity.

America the Exceptional

Is America exceptional?  By this I mean, different from the rest of the world... better than the rest of the world.  Is it?  Our ability to answer this question may be the most telling indication of the future viability of the United States of America.  My answer is "yes", without reservation or hesitation.  Now let me be clear.  It is not that we are better people than those who live in other countries.  There are many Americans who are dispicable and MANY good and amazing people in other countries.  In fact I wish American's as a whole had many of the qualities exhibited by those living in countries with far fewer freedoms, wealth and opportunty than we do.  America is great because of the values it maintains:  freedom, individual responsibility, equality, committment to the rule of law, no kings or aristocracy.  In short because of three great principles: 
1.  an ingenius political heritage that is largely founded on these words, "we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."
2.  principles of capitalism including private ownership or property, limited government involvement in the commercial sphere, and the promise that bad ideas, inferior products and malicious companies will die because the public will not support them.
3.  the Judeo-Christian value system (which includes specific cultural concepts like the Protestant work ethic, etc.).

The US became the leading world power  -defending this planet multiple times from tyrants and oppressive systems- BECAUSE of these principles.  This is why America is exceptional, better than any other country on the face of the planet.  Is America perfect?  No.  Have there been blemishes in her past?  Yes.  But practices and beliefs like slavery, racism, poverty and isolated travesties (like the WWII Japanese camps, like the Trail of Tears, like Jim Crow, like the Extermination Order... yes, I recognize that these took place while our great country went through some growing pains) do not negate that exceptionalism.  The fact that these wrongs have largely been righted (and yes, we are still a work in progress) is a testament that this country is exceptional.

There is, however, a concerted effort to say we are no different than anyone else.  There is also a concurrent effort to transform us into a country following a European or global citizen model.  In this effort we are to abandon things American and adopt other foundations including financial, legal and cultural systems from other countries.  Global legal theory are challenging Constitutional principles.  A large government welfare state is being posited as an attractive alternative to personal responsibility and local decision making.  Many of these changes are promoted in the name of "good intentions" or "inclusivity and tolerance".  Entire books exist that illustrate this transformation much better than I can.  Here, however, is a link to a speech that is well worth the time and consideration of anyone who thinks the United States should be, is or was exceptional:
Click Here

Something I wish I did not have to share...

The conincidence of this entry and my previous blog  -both dealing with death, human frailty and the precarious condition of mortality- may leave some wondering about my emotional state.  I am just fine.  I am not fixated on these matters, it is just a strange coincidence to have happened upon these two accounts within days of each other.  This second blog entry is, however, much more disturbing than the first.  Death is one of two universal experiences for all humans.  Birth is the first, the inevitability of death is the second.  Rich or poor, male or female, King George or George from Milwaukee... we will all pass through this portal.  Having established these givens regarding death, suffering is a feature we do not need to promote, allow or tolerate.  Kindness and concern should be constants in our lives as is the breath that enters and exits our lungs.  Far too often it is not.  I'm sorry to bring this account to you.  It happended over a year ago.  It seems to have made big news but I did not hear about it and so I'm assuming that some of you also might have missed it.  It is essential, however sad, that we learn of such things in order that we may never allow them to happen in our own sphere of influence.  Here is the story:
This clip of surveillance-camera footage is very much worth avoiding. Trust me on the grisly essentials: a two-year-old is toddling across a market street in the southern Chinese city of Foshan when she is hit by a white minivan. The driver pauses, assesses the situation, and moves on, running over the girl again with the back right tire. In the minutes that follow, she lies on the pavement, is hit by another driver, and is ignored by more than a dozen passersby, including a woman walking with a child. Eventually, a garbage collector stops and pulls the child to safety.

Synopsis: October 13th afternoon around 5:30, a car accident occurred at the Guangfo Hardware Market in Huangqi of Foshan. A van hit a 2-year-old little girl and then fled. No passersby reached out to help and then another car ran over her. Over the span of 7 minutes, a total of 17 people passing by failed to extend a hand or call the police, up until the 19th person, a garbage scavenger ayi [older woman], who lifted her up after discovering her but the little girl in her arms was like a noodle, immediately collapsing back onto the ground. The trash scavenger ayi called for help, and the little girl’s mother, who was in the vicinity, immediately rushed over and rushed her to the hospital.

Death in America 2012

Most people have a list of books they want to read.  I have a list of books I want to write.  I'm at that disturbing age in life when I recognize the impossibility of accomplishing this task.  I have even started to consider a program where I might conscript the writing abilities of others in a sort of joint venture.  Hence, my standing offer: commissioned writers wanted!
One of these books is a fun but also serious look at death.  I call it "Ten Ways to Die".  I won't reveal more at this point other than sharing a very interesting article (from CNN) about what is killing us in 2012.  What kills us and what does not kill us (on a macro or societal level) is telling.  Enjoy:

15 top killers of Americans

The leading killers of Americans continue to be non-infectious diseases like heart disease, strokes and lung diseases.

But one of the perpetual causes of death fell off the top 15 list this year: Homicides.
“Most of the changes were positive,” said Sherry Murphy, a statistician at the National Center of Health Statistics and one of the authors of the annual mortality report. “Homicides fell from among the 15 leading causes for the first time since 1965.”

The rest of the common killers remained fairly consistent compared with 2009, according to the report released Wednesday. The death rate in the United States dropped slightly from 749.6 deaths per 100,000 in 2009 to 746.2 deaths per 100,000.
The life expectancy in the United States inched up a tiny bit from 78.6 years in 2009 to 78.7 years in 2010.
The leading causes of death in 2010 remained nearly the same as in 2009 – kidney diseases became the 8^th leading cause of death –- it had been 9^th in the previous year. It swapped spots with flu and pneumonia.
The 15^th leading killer is pneumonitis due to solids and liquids, an illness more likely to strike the elderly. This is inflammation of the lungs due to inhaling substance inside the lung such as dust, mold or inhalants.
Here are the top 15 killers:
1. Diseases of heart
2. Malignant neoplasms (cancer)
3. Chronic lower respiratory diseases (such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma)
4. Cerebrovascular diseases (stroke)
5. Accidents (any injuries that are unintentional)
6. Alzheimer’s disease
7. Diabetes mellitus
8. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis (kidney disease)
9. Influenza and pneumonia
10. Intentional self-harm (suicide)
11. Septicemia
12. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
13. Essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease
14. Parkinson’s disease
15. Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids

Live long and prosper (and be good to your heart)!

Why values trump theology and a Mormon, Catholic, Jew, Baptist, JW or agnostic could be a great president!

I happen to be a Mormon but this excellent discussion by Dennis Prager has much wider application.  Well said Mr. Prager!

And by the way, yes, we are perfectly aware that many people think we are weird and disagree with our theology.  Many of us spend two years as full-time missionaries speaking with people who are not shy about telling us how "wrong" we are -they often use much more colorful language.  How much does it bother us?  Very little.  Some people, especially those who have given up their faith in the doctrines and practices we hold, have a marvelous way of misrepresenting, exaggerating or overstating our beliefs.  Want to judge us?  Then judge us by how we live, how we treat others, how we care for one another (not my standard, this is what Jesus encouraged). 

Oh, and do you want the core, fundamental element of our theology?  Here it is:  Jesus Christ is the Savior.  He was the promised Messiah spoken of in the Old Testament.  He lives.  Because of His atonement for our sins, mistakes and transgressions we can be redeemed.  His atonement -which he performed during his earthly, mortal ministry- is infinite.  It covers all mankind.  Yes, there are doctrines, commandments, covenants, sacraments, and responsibilities that grow from this foundation but this is the heart of "Mormonism".  If you want to understand more just ask one of us.  We even send our young men and young women to the "four corners" of the earth in order to teach of these things.  Clearly we would like to share our theology, our values and our witness with anyone who has an interest.