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June 10, 2010 Opinions |
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—Editorial—
Stealing From The Dead
Memorial Day is a time to pay tribute to those who have gone before us, a time to honor veterans who gave their lives for our freedoms and a time to relax with family and friends. But for some, it apparently is a time to get free flowers, vases and plants. Stealing, of course, is wrong in any form, but stealing from the dead and their grieving families is just plain icky.
Yet every year we hear reports of missing items from grave sites — flags are gone from a veteran’s grave, small tokens or other items of endearment are missing from children’s headstones, or some items are just moved from one grave to another.
Seriously? Someone is too lazy to pick or too cheap to buy their own flowers to decorate a grave so they rob flowers from one grave to place them on another? Yes, it happens — you can almost feel the love there!
Unfortunately, outside of locking up the cemetery, or policing the area 24-7, there is not much that can be done to prevent this from happening. Fortunately, for the most part, people are respectful of grave sites and the families who visit them on Memorial Day. But for the one’s who aren’t we have to remember, they can steal the cross, they can steal the vase, they can even steal the flowers, but they can’t take away our memories or our heartfelt sentiments.
—Guest Opinion—
Congressional Seating
By Mark Bogart
The United States Congress is a mess. The polarization and rancor seen during the health care debate provided clear evidence, if any was needed, that Congress is dysfunctional. As a result, our government is losing the support of the American people and the confidence of other nations around the world.
Approval ratings for Congress have been dismal, and many Americans are looking for an alternative to the two-party system.
With this as a backdrop, a recent article in the AARP Bulletin caught my attention. We’ve all heard the expression that “sometimes little things mean a lot,” and this little thing may be a good example.
The article’s title, “Break Up the Parties,” may sound revolutionary, but the proposal is quite simple. The author, Joe Reeder focuses on a system known as Miles’ Law: “Where you stand depends on where you sit.”
As we can plainly see in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, our lawmakers sit together by party with an aisle dividing them. In the past, “reaching across the aisle” was often seen as a good faith attempt to work together for the good of the country. Now it’s more often portrayed as a betrayal of the one’s values and those of his or her constituents. Scott Brown, the Republican who filled the Senate seat left vacant by the death of Edward Kennedy, is a perfect illustration. He was seen as a hero by his party after defeating his Democratic opponent in liberal Massachusetts and standing against the health care reform bill. Then he was called a traitor when he supported a financial reform proposal favored by many Democrats.
What would happen if Congressional seating were done alphabetically by name, or using some other system unaffected by party affiliation?
School teachers have used seating charts throughout known history to reduce misbehavior and inattention. Maybe it’s time for Congress to give it a try. Teachers know that negative energy can build when it’s concentrated in one area, whether in the classroom, on the playground or elsewhere.
Throw in an emotional topic, and mob-type behavior can ignite. As we’ve seen protests turn violent throughout our history, three elements are always present: a large number of people, a controversial issue, and an opponent, real or imagined. What starts out as a quiet simmer can turn quickly to a full boil.
Here’s another example that may be more familiar. You’re at a basketball game between two rival teams, and a trip to the playoffs is at stake. Normally civil and intelligent people will scream furiously at referees, coaches and even players. With red faces and clinched fists, they respond vehemently each time a foul is called, always believing their team to be innocent.
If they were not packed tightly together surrounded by their allies, would their behavior be the same? Sports are structured to build tension, but should the legislative process follow the same principle?
In addition to the emotional impact of partisan seating, there is an intellectual restriction as well. When lawmakers spend much of their time surrounded by one point of view, they miss the opportunity to fully understand other views. Their energy goes into defending a position rather than understanding all of its implications.
Starting with Reeder’s application of school-house strategy, it isn’t hard to come up with other ideas that might reduce the bickering and narrow-mindedness.
If a teacher could determine the seating arrangement, we could also hire a principal to take away recess for misbehaving Congressmen. Or a coach could give a pep talk and make Senator’s run when they fail to display teamwork. A school psychologist might be assigned to help some work on anger management. And if that doesn’t work, the cook might help them get more fiber in their diet.
Since this is such a persistent problem, school staff may need more help. So if all else fails, we should hire a panel of reality show judges (one with a British accent, of course) to critique legislators’ performance. Then we need to set up a fan call-in system and send one Representative and one Senator home each week.
—Letters To The Editor—
Ungodly Idiots Want To Remove God From Pledge Of Allegiance
To The Record-Courier:
First I want to correct a statement made in my last letter to the editor on home grown idiots. It should have read the Mayor of New York was sad or sorry the suv bomber wasn’t a T party member. Looks like our Government, especially the Obama emendation can’t decide who’s side they are on, the illegal’s, the Mexican President or the American people. Maybe if Mexico was a better country to its people they wouldn’t be running for the border plus clean up their Country.
Obama is a little silent on the oil spill also. BP seems to be giving the orders all the way around. Refusing any outside help while our beach fronts and inner water way are being overrun with oil because of their mistakes. Me think there’s more to this than meets the eye.
Back to this country. Do you know that there’s still the ungodly idiots who want to remove God from the pledge of allegiance to this country? Makes me wonder what country and what god their allegiance is to? There’s still a fight in Congress over the federal government and its system and it mandates high levels of taxpayers funding for abortion, and yes you can be fined if you don’t buy into it. There are pro-life pharmacists who risk losing their jobs because they refuse to facilitate abortions. Do you know that even lawyers are being threatened in Muslim countries if they agree to help any Christian converts. So much for any kind of religious liberties. Also the so-called “Fairness” Doctrine, which is nothing more than a cover up to censor Christians and conservatives in broadcasting, promoted by Speaker Pelosi and the Obama administration hiding under the guise of “localism” and diversity.
The ACLU is still suing courtrooms displays of the “Ten Commandments.” Seems God and His Word bother these people a lot. They don’t understand it was God Himself who sent these words, not man. It also seems that Obama and his administration are trying to divide Jerusalem. It is very crucial that America stand with Israel, or global terrorism could score an enormous victory. God’s own Word, the Bible made a stern warning about the state of Israel, which includes all of Jerusalem. He said, He would bless those who bless her and curse those who curse her. Mr. Obama, you had better read your Bible, better yet believe it, because this includes you and the United States. Last but not least, parents find out what your kids are being taught in school. Many teaching are undermining this great country and our freedom.
Richard Fox
Baker City, Ore.
Clean Up B.S. Along With Oil Spill
To The Record-Courier:
I see on TV the president wants that oil problem fixed pronto, if not sooner. Isn’t he the guy with a Harvard degree and the Nobel Peace Prize? So why doesn’t he go down and show the boys how to fix this leak or maybe he could send the world renown scientist Al Gore down to fix the problem. I guess they are both too busy so he sent a bunch of Congressmen down to Louisiana without any tools or work clothes on the taxpayer’s dime and they didn’t know what to do so they made a bunch of speeches and now we have the problem of cleaning up all that B.S. on top of the oil mess.
Grover Mann
Lincoln City, Ore.
Memorial Day Decorations Missing
To The Record-Courier:
Going up to the cemetery on Memorial Day recently and enjoying all the beautiful flags etc.., and flowers displayed for our loved ones was an awesome sight to behold. We have, as most do, several family members resting peacefully in at the cemetery.
In our most gruesome discovery as my husband went to place a flag by his dad’s grave, we discovered that a vase belonging to a family member, and that he had left there for his dad, was missing. Yes, I mean missing/stolen in lieu of our celebration.....for the meaning of it, etc. It would be more meaningful and there would be no questions asked if someone were to return the vase. Knowing full well if this happened to you, and whoever it may be, you would feel robbed of the individual resting peacefully, without raising the dead to fight what is rightfully theirs to be laid to rest, etc.
It seems to me, that if this is taking place, maybe hidden cameras should be installed to catch the thieves and put this to rest at that. Why do people do this even when there is little value involved? Not being able to decorate the graves in the future or display our flags in all their glory would leave a much undesirable cemetery to look and awe over. So I do hope for all the readers of this paper that if anything is of value, a vase, etc., it might be best to leave it at home and have something else set up as a memorial for that loved one.
Rest assured I do hope they catch the thieves doing what they are doing. We had a few things stolen from us as well that had special memories etc., and not that they were worth anything, it is the memories that count. So please return without any questions asked! We are holding off in reporting this to the police as a crime in hopes that you will do what we are asking you. Thank You!
Coffee Anyone!
The Rod Dickison Family
c/o Brenda Dickison
Baker City, Ore.
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