SPIRITS OF THE FALLEN STARS

SPIRITS OF THE FALLEN STARS

      Spirits of the fallen stars come forth from the grave and speak to the living. Tell us, where did it all go wrong?  Where did money, fancy clothes, and shiny cars turn into the frowns that left scars?  We need to know what it is in super-stardom that tends to lead individuals down the path of self-destruction.  Did we hear but fail to listen when you spoke to us of being a prisoner in your own home?  Is it a fact that life at the top is so lonely that it is not worth living? 

Speak to the thousands of aspiring youths, whose dream is to follow in your footsteps, and caution them of the pitfalls.  Hold up a sign that says “beware” before another person takes the fatal step into the dungeon of stardom.

The list reads like the “Who’s Who of America”: Marilyn, Elvis, Janis, Kurt, Jimi, Anna Nicole, and Michael.  Are there any left?  Oh, dare I forget Jim! There was something about that “door” that once you entered you never wanted to leave.  Yes, I’m talking about the door of fame that opens into the living room of fortune.  Is it “grateful” being dead, or is there greatness in “staying alive?” 

Where is it “Mr. and Miss Grave Yard Socialite” that you go for the “Great Reunion in the Sky?”  Is it in the mist of clouds that whirl over the mansion in Memphis, or in the sparkling sunshine that leads the way to Never-Never-Land?   Is it your presence that is felt in the hum of the gentle winds that sweep across the sloping plains of Max Yasgur’s Farm?  I doubt we who are living will ever know, but one thing we do understand, you are not with us any more and we miss you.

We cannot help but wonder what it is that makes so many want to follow in your footsteps.  We hear our friends say, “If I had the looks of Marilyn” or “If I could sing like Elvis or dance like Michael” I would be happy.  Somewhere “Mr. Happy” got lost in the shuffle. 

As “Mr. and Mrs. Public”, we saw the talent, but we did not recognize the sorrow.  We saw a bosom of glamour, but we failed to see a heart. We saw a shield of emeralds, but we did not see a person.  What we saw was a puppet on a string used as a moneymaking machine.  Not just for yourself but for many others who surrounded you. 

“Mr. and Miss Entertainment,” you did not set a good example for those who desire to be like you.  If this is what fame and fortune brings, those of us from grassroots America should be proud.  The days, the hours, and the moments, all the time that we spend being happy is sufficient for our contentment. We wish that in some way we could have extended that happiness to you. 

If we failed you by looking at the glamour and not into your heart, we are truly sorry.  Even though our apology may be too late for you, maybe we can stop others from getting caught in the trap of “Fame and Fortune Addiction.”

       

BY SPECIAL REQUEST

HOMOSEXUALITY 101

   It was a typical classroom that seated about 40 college students.  The students’ desks were arranged in rows that faced a large chalkboard that hung unbalanced on the wall.  The room was drab, painted a dull, off-shade color of white with bare walls. A plain, wooden teacher’s desk sat in one corner, collecting dust from disuse.  A short, skinny sociology professor—a PHD—stood behind a lecture stand making the final remarks in a lecture entitled “The Characteristics of Primitive Man.” I was seated near the middle of that room surrounded by a group of strangers that otherwise were called students. With one semester already under my belt, I was bored and was considering dropping out.

   All of a sudden, an emotion, driven by an inquiring mind, forced my hand into the air.  The professor looked up, pushed the reading glasses up on his nose, raised his eyebrows in a gesture of surprise, looked back down and continued the lecture. I could not remember any time in my college experience that a student had actually asked a question.  So I waved my hand in a show of determination.

   Once again the professor looked up, removed his glasses, rested his elbows on the lecture stand, and spoke in a disgustingly monotone voice.

    “Yes, young man? Do you have something you want to say?”

    “Yes, sir. I want to know if there were any homosexuals in primitive societies.”

   A moment of silence occurred as a confused professor took a step backwards, cleared his throat, turned and started to write something on the board.  Then he suddenly turned again, faced the class, and pointed with his glasses. 

   “I don’t know, but I WILL find out.”

   Again he turned and wrote the word anthropology on the board.  He faced the students in an attempt to continue the lecture, but was saved by the bell.  The students quickly gathered their possessions, and keeping a safe distance from me, hurried off to their next class.

   It was Sociology 101 and the class would meet again on Friday. The Friday 10:00 o’clock hour came much too quick and the students were neatly arranged in their seats with pencils and paper in hand. The tardy bell rang, but the professor did not show.  The students were waiting patiently when all of a sudden the little man bounced through the door carrying an arm load of books. He pranced across the room and piled the books on the desk in the corner. He carefully selected a folder and briskly walked to the lecture stand.  He leaned forward, pulled the reading glasses under his eyes, and stared directly at the students.   In a voice that had not been heard before, he spoke firmly, “Yes sir, there were homosexuals in primitive societies. In fact, my research revealed that there have been homosexuals in almost all societies.”

   With those words he ran across the room and jumped upon the teacher’s desk.  He whirled around and pointed with his glasses. “Have you ever heard of Margaret Mead?” he asked. “She was one of the most renowned of all anthropologists. She wrote, and I quote, ‘in my studies of the primitive tribes of South Africa, I found many effeminate males assigned specific duties in tribal societies.’”

   He jumped from the desk and ran to the back of the room.  The students were shocked and sat motionless, being afraid to even turn and face the lecturer.

   “And above all that,” he continued, “in some primitive societies, effeminate males were held in high esteem.”

   “Wow!” was one response.

   “Oh, no!” murmured the sounds of another.

   “Yes, it is believed that some homosexuals had mystical powers, the ability to look into two separate realms of the spirit world.”

   “What?” Louder voices reverberated from across the room. 

  “Have you ever heard of the city of Babylon, the city of Athens or Rome – even Cairo, Egypt? I have it all right here in black and white.” He pointed to the books.  “In all those places homosexuality was once a popular lifestyle.”

  “Oh, no,” was heard again.

  “Not really?” Another spoke.

  “What did you say, man?”

  “I said homosexuality was a popular lifestyle until King James came along. It was after that when religious leaders started that distasteful approach to the gay lifestyle.”

   Pencils were dropped to the floor, but otherwise silence dominated.

   I, the guy who started it all, suffered from the emotion of guilt. I had asked this little, old man one question, and apparently it had driven him crazy.  With the remarks he had made, I was sure there would be an all-out student rebellion. Parents would withdraw their children from college, students would get up and march out of the classrooms, and this man would lose his job. What – had – I - done? I hung my head in shame, afraid to face the students.  But finally curiosity set in, and I had to raise my eyes. The professor was back at the lecture stand continuing a fireball lecture. It was a spiritual uplifting much like going to church on Sunday. The scene had changed and a feeling of success pounded at me. I raised my head high and puffed my chest. A miracle had occurred.  The classroom had been turned into an exciting place for learning.  Suddenly, students were jumping up from all over the room and asking questions.

    “Sir, are you talking about the King James version?”

   “Yes.”

   “Sir, what ever happened to Margaret Mead?”

   “I don’t know.”

  “But, sir, what about the red-letter edition?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  It was at that moment that I made an important decision, one of the best in my lifetime.  I would remain a student at the university.

 

      

I'M NOT BUYING IT

                           I’M NOT BUYING IT

    The passion to become a teacher started, for me, in early childhood. My playhouse consisted of a make-believe classroom where I taught make-believe students the things I learned in school. I graduated from high school, worked my way through college, and obtained the necessary degree to pursue a teaching profession.

    In early adolescence, I realized I had what society labeled as a problem. According to the voices from the pulpits of Southern Baptist churches, a gay man would never be allowed to teach in an American public school.  So I turned to religion to solve my problem. Religious instructors said if I prayed long enough, and if my faith was strong enough, God would transform me into a straight man, because it was not God’s will for anyone to be gay.  After putting up a personal fight and spending several years in dedicated studies of the Bible, it became evident that the transformation was not going to occur. Nevertheless, I spent years struggling with a guilt complex. Finally, I came to a conclusion: I did not fail religion—religion failed me. 

   The Christian religion has failed thousands of American citizens.  According to statistics, at least one-tenth of the population is born with a homosexual orientation. Therefore, it is a disgrace for a sick society to bring such severe condemnation upon this group that many will commit suicide. Each year hundreds of America’s smartest students take their own lives because they are gay.  

    I taught in America’s public schools for thirty-two years fearing that at any time I could be fired if it was discovered that I was gay.  In order to secure a stable financial future I had to develop a sideline profession in which no one had the authority to fire me. My solution was to own a business. After years of hard work, I retired from teaching and sold the business.  

    The moment of change in my life came when I took the opportunity to travel.  It was necessary to experience how other people worship and to learn how other societies deal with the so-called problem of homosexuality. So I traveled.  I ended up in Southeast Asia where alternative lifestyles are fully accepted. Every day I meet people who practice universal love and have no religious restraints on who they can love.  I have learned that restrictions on love diminish happiness.

   If I’m going to hell because I want to experience true love or because I want to live as a first class citizen, then hell, here I come. If I want my life to mean more than the Southern Bible Belt allows, the evils that befall that choice rest on my shoulders. You can preach all you want about the sins of a gay lifestyle, but I believe they are less significant than the evils of a pulpit that brainwashes people. They are taught that it is all right to hate and such hate is even approved in the eyes of God.  I’m not buying it.

WITHOUT A HOME

WITHOUT A HOME

      When I was a schoolteacher I had direct knowledge of situations where teenagers were forced out of their homes for reasons of sexual identity. It was hard to believe then, and it is even harder to believe now, that in a modern society a parent would deny a child the privilege   of living at home for some insignificant reason.  It is a serious matter when a child is forced to live on the streets when the foundation for that enforcement is based on a few words that some man wrote in a book several hundred years ago. It is an absolute outdated doctrine that serves no worthwhile purpose in a diverse society.

   When parents force a child to live on the streets they are basically signing the child’s death certificate.  It is impossible for a teenager to live homeless on the streets of any American city without being physically, sexually, and mentally abused.  As a result, many teenagers commit suicide. I have listened to the confessions of guilt from many parents and on some occasions supplied a shoulder for their tears after the death of their teenage gay child. Nevertheless, this is not a classic case of confusion, but a case of unadulterated ignorance based on false

information.    

    Contemporary Christian religion maintains a leadership position as being one of the major causes for confusion in American society. Something is bad wrong with the religion when it becomes the problem rather than the problem solver. According to a recent HUD report, nearly 50,000 teenagers live on the streets of US cities.  50% of them identify as LGBT and have been told by their parents to leave home because of their sexual orientation. One of the main purposes of any religion should be to strengthen family ties. Christian leadership is wrong to advise parents to put children on the streets for something as simple as sexual orientation. Many Americans already recognize this, and some outspoken religious leaders are saying that it is time for Christianity to get its act together. 

    The problem of sexual identify far exceeds the implications of morality. Scientific data proves that gender identification is established at conception. Therefore, when religion attempts to place immorality charges against a lifestyle in which the individual has no choice, the individual rebukes the religious doctrine.  

   Many parents listen to and depend upon religious leaders for guidance. However, it has been proven time and time again that many religious leaders make mistakes. They have been mistaken about their own sexuality and for decades have been mistaken concerning individuals of different sexual orientations.  Parents should never allow a religious leader to drive a wedge between them and their child. Parents should never have to live with years of guilt after something serious has happened to a child because of a misunderstanding about his or her sexuality.

   The proper approach for any society is to encourage the contributions of the LGBT individuals. Several governments around the world have   recognized these talents and good things are happening. Their economies are booming, tourism is on the rise, and good paying jobs are increasing.  But most of all—their people are HAPPY.   

SHUT UP----BUT----- (SOME SAY) KEEP ON TALKING

SHUT UP--- BUT--- KEEP TALKING

   I often wonder why I cannot remove the battery from my thinking cap and not say a word while my country goes to hell in a hand basket. I question why I can’t stop the grinder’s stone that grinds at my heart and wakes me in the middle of the night to say “you can’t keep silent about this.” I speculate why I did not acquire the talent of one who speaks with such an eloquent tongue that makes opposition nearly impossible. I don’t know how to answer many of these questions, but there are some things I----- do know.

                                               ------*------                                                   

    But ---- as to the past ---- I have read over a thousand documented testimonials concerning the benefits of medical marijuana, ---- but I have not found one positive testimonial concerning the benefits of tobacco.

   I taught in a high school where there was a designated area for male students to smoke cigarettes. I sat in the teacher’s lounge and heard teachers condemn long-haired hippies for smoking weed while they had a thick fog of tobacco smoke circling above their heads.   I said then---- as---- I say now---- there was something wrong with that picture.

   I know there are health problems related to smoking tobacco, and I have no difficulty believing sincere parents who have witnessed the benefits of medical marijuana for a child with epilepsy.

------*------

   ----But--- as to the present ----- I have heard Americans call President Obama all kinds of unscrupulous names. I have watched individuals look facts directly in the face and deny them ----- such as ---- the number of unemployed Americans has decreased ----- the American dollar is strong on the world’s market ----- the value of the American home has increased ---- the price of a gallon of gasoline has decreased. ---- But---- I am unable to identify the problem because I know that Americans are better off today than they were eight years ago.

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   I do not understand why some individuals believe that enforcement of Christian principals is not the same as forced Islamic doctrines. But, deep down, I know the policy is the same.

------*------

   I am horrified when an esteemed member of the community declares that all individuals of a different sexual orientation should be placed on an island and shot. ---- But ---- he is welcomed in the “amen” corner of the local church. ----- I know----- that both the church and the individuals are wrong in this assumption.  

------*------

   I find it impossible to remain silent when the Chicago Police Union, other adult men and women, and one major news outlet attempts to justify a policeman shooting a teenager sixteen times or when a policeman shoots and kills a twelve-year-old kid playing with a toy gun. There can be no justification for a cold-blooded murder. ----I know---- there are many ways to handle civil disobedience without the use of deadly force.

------*------

   But I’m certain of one thing ---- there should never be a power in heaven or on earth strong enough to silence a tongue from speaking the truth.   

A CREATION FUMBLE

A CREATION FUMBLE 

    If I was God, which I am not, if I had created the universe, which I did not, and if I had created man, which I did not, I would be greatly disappointed in my creation. After living on the planet for centuries humans have not learned how to get along with each other. There has never been a moment on earth when humans were not killing other humans.  

   There are no words in the English language to sufficiently describe the atrocities that humans will do to other humans. The human is the only creature on the face of the earth who will cause great harm to others, and to do it in the name of God.  Humans will enslave others and die in a war attempting to defend the institution of slavery. Humans will watch other humans starve to death and go home and eat from a table of plenty. Humans will use chemical warfare on women and children and go home and get a good night’s sleep. A human is the only creature who can control a life-saving drug, inflate the price five thousand percent, and smirk while his neighbor is dying for want of that drug.  A human can advocate that all gays be placed on an island and shot, walk inside the church, sit in the amen corner, and smile while the preacher is preaching. Only in the world of humans can an individual devote a lifetime in a leadership position discriminating against minorities, and in death receive praise from other humans. A soldier can throw a baby in the air and let it come down on a bayonet and walk away laughing. A human can push another human off the roof of a tall building and laugh before he hits the ground. It baffles the mind to think of the evil that can come from a human who has a heart of stone. Of all the creatures on earth, humans are the meanest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A SUPPOSITION TO OPPOSITION

A SUPPOSITION TO OPPOSITION

 

   Every American has the right to oppose. But it is a sad state of affairs when individuals knowingly use supposition for opposition.  Supposition is an uncertain belief that cannot be proven by facts and is commonly used in politics to misrepresent the truth. One of the biggest suppositions of modern times has been the false reporting of the accomplishments of the Obama administration.  It was publicly stated from the get-go that the opposition would find something wrong with every proposal made by President Obama even if the proposal was good for the American people. If opposition makes a strong person, President Obama should be Superman.

   The accomplishments of the Obama administration have been many. President Obama saved the United States and the world from a severe economic depression. Some of the methods might have been questionable, but nevertheless they worked.  He fought for and won the battle for universal health care for all Americans.  Even though the Affordable Care Act has some flaws the right thing to do is correct the flaws but not abandon the act.  In the beginning there were flaws in the Social Security Act of 1935 and the act was opposed by thousands. There are flaws in the Social Security Disabilities Act. There are recognizable flaws in welfare, food stamps, and immigration programs.  Also, there are major flaws in the way the IRS collects taxes from large corporations and the wealthy. So, when we speak of flaws, the door is wide open in most governmental operations. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that you throw the baby out with the bath water.

   The opposition has tried everything possible to find something wrong with the Iranian Nuclear Agreement. Nevertheless, the agreement is withstanding.  The world has not faced a nuclear war, and Iran does not have a nuclear bomb. Many in the media and most of the presidential candidates yelled loudly that the agreement was wrong because it did not include the release of the American hostages. When the hostages were released one of the biggest flip-flops in American history occurred.  Those same individuals yelled again, but this time they proclaimed it was a major mistake for President Obama to enter into an agreement with Iran for the release of hostages. This has been such a comedy of errors that it would make William Shakespeare turn over in his grave.

   President Obama is an intelligent man and an exceptional leader.  He has saved the lives of hundreds of young American men and women by using diplomacy instead of boots on the ground in the conflicts of the Middle East.  In addition, he has saved millions of taxpayer’s dollars by making careful decisions concerning America’s military involvement in the Middle East and other world conflicts.

   It is amazing how some Americans can look at facts and deny them. The fact is that the number of unemployed Americans has decreased to 5%.  No matter how you look at it or how many excuses are made, it is still better than the 7.3 % of unemployed in December of 2008. The real estate market is stable, and the value of American homes has increased. The American dollar is strong on the world’s market, and Americans have more money in their pockets today than eight years ago.  

    It is doubtful that some will ever admit that President Obama is a good president, and it is a shame and a disgrace that many Americans have judged a man based on the color of his skin rather than the content of his character.