#2---- THE TIPPEN FAMILY TREE

 #2----- THE TIPPEN FAMILY TREE 

    The center of gravity for the Tippen family is in the Southern state of Louisiana.  Therefore, southern culture has played an important role in developing the “mindset” for most family members.   It is not my desire neither is it my position to chastise family members whose opinions differ from mine.  However, when that mindset moves into a regressive direction a challenge becomes necessary. A challenge generally creates controversy, but regardless of that, this challenge is necessary in order to protect the mindset of the young generations and the generations yet to be born. 

    Traditions are great. However, when traditions are proven to be wrong the traditions must change.   It is evident that the restrictions placed upon human civil rights by the so-called Southern Christian Churches must change.  Social integration, gay rights, and equal rights for women, are the progressive rights of the future. The acceptance of diversity must become a vital part of the American lifestyle and particularly the lifestyle of southern USA.   If these changes are not accepted the world will leave the South behind facing tremendous problems of social conflicts.   

    There is no denying that the policies of the old Southern Confederacy are things of the past. Parents who hold on to these narrow-minded policies are doing their children an injustice. A government that legalized the institution of slavery was wrong, and it will always be wrong and nothing you can say or do will ever make it right. 

    Today there are several young family members who realize the need for change but do not have the courage to rock the boat.  However, others within the family are, for the first time, shaking THIS family tree.  I have no doubt that within the future generations of Tippens there will be those who will provide the necessary leadership to bring about the much needed social changes.

   I realize that the direct approach of telling adults they are wrong has little chance of achieving the desired results. Therefore, I am using this method to provide the courage for young generations to develop an acceptable social status within the southern United States.  There is no reason for southern youngsters to grow up in an environment of prejudices, social injustices, and hatreds, other than to justify the wrongs of the forefathers.  

(A message to those yet to be born)

     Chances are you will be born into a country of a ONE MAN ONE PARTY rule. This happened because your mothers, fathers, and grandparents, allowed a political party to gain control of their minds. Your parents became unable to think for themselves and therefore were brainwashed to the point that they were unable to distinguish between a political party that was working for them and one that was working against them.

    You will be a smarter generation and you will have inquiring minds and you will learn that your parents supported a political party that decreased funding for programs that supplied food for hungry children. Your parents supported a political party that refused to increase minimum pay raises for working class Americans, and supported a program that attempted to deny 28 million Americans health benefits.

   Your parents lost sight of the fact they were the Middle Class Americans and were brainwashed to allow a small group of wealthy Americans to control their thinking process.  Therefore, the democratic process of a free America that at one time was controlled by the majority was forever lost.  

THE TIPPEN FAMILY TREE

THE TIPPEN FAMILY TREE

    George McDuff Tippen was one of the hardest working men in the Tippen family. In the mid eighteen hundreds he homesteaded a large plot of land in the southern state of Louisiana, and took on the monumental task of clearing the land for farming.  He designated a plot of land for a cemetery and planted a tree in the center of the cemetery. He named the tree the Tippen Family Tree.   Grandpa McDuff was a devout Christian and there was something significant in his choosing the dogwood tree to be the family tree.  That particular tree grew to be over one hundred years old and became known as one of the oldest and largest dogwoods ever to be recorded.   

    Amy and Dennis Tippen raised a large family and even though they were elementary educated they were intelligent parents. They taught their children respect, to have respect for themselves and to have respect for others. They believed children should provide the labor for subsistence farming, and as a result, the children grew up knowing the value of hard work. There was never a Southern man who had more respect for women than Dennis Tippen, and he would have punched any man in the nose who made disrespectable remarks to ladies.

    Amy Tippen was a lady with a big heart.  Not only did she feed a large family on a low income budget but she found ways to feed other hungry children in the neighborhood.  She instilled in all her children the importance of caring for the needy. Therefore, I have concerns about individuals who support a political party whose main objective is to cut funds from all social programs, particular the programs that provide food for hungry children. For those who support this kind of governing you need someone to show you that you are brainwashed in the same manner as the poor Confederate soldiers who gave their lives for the unjust cause of slavery. I am sure if we could speak to any Confederate soldier who died in the Civil War he would tell us that he greatly regrets allowing a government to brainwash him into sacrificing his life for such an unworthy cause as a plantation owner becoming richer at the expense of slave labor.

      It is important for future generations to know that there are several within the Tippen family who disagree with every aspect of the Confederacy.  We do not support any government that mistreats people based on skin color, sexual orientation, or ethnic origin.  We know that many of you, yet to be born, will be gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual, and you need to know that long before you were born there were some within the Tippen family who supported your rights to exist. Even though you will encounter a hostile environment you will be able to speak with a louder and a more authoritative voice than any Southerners have ever heard. You will speak out against all forms of prejudice, discrimination, and bigotry.  You will look your grandfathers and grandmothers directly in the face and say to them, “YOU ARE WRONG; gay children have the same rights to exist as any others.”  You will stand firm for gay rights and many of you will be elected to public offices and one day one of you may become the president of the United States.

   All of this has happened because one man planted one tree. And that tree grew to be a strong tree with many limbs. And those limbs produced branches with leaves of many shapes, sizes, and colors.  Today the Tippen Family Tree is not a Southern Tree and is not a Northern Tree but a Universal Tree. The voices from that tree are now heard in many countries around the world and this is only the beginning.

  

BEING DIFFERENT

BEING DIFFERENT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

     Millions of people all over the world are realizing that no man is an island.  If the planet earth is to survive the one lesson humans must learn is how to get along with each other. There is decency in recognizing all humans as equals. Acceptance is easy, interesting, and educational. Appreciating diversity is the key to human happiness and happiness is the main ingredient in the recipe for successful living.

     The ability to look at the world and realize that present conditions are not working should be an easy realization. Still many individuals hold on to the traditions that have made the world a miserable place to live. There comes a time in any society when citizens must stand up and say NO to church leaders and politicians who are advocating policies that are detrimental to successful living.

    The United States has lost ALL respect for human dignity. Police continue to kill innocent victims with little or no outcry from most citizens. Airlines continue to drag innocent paying customers off flights and citizens merely look on. Political leaders pass laws that deny millions health benefits and brainwash citizens to think that this is the right thing to do. It has become the norm for politicians to lie to their constituents, and their constituents continue to reelect them to leadership positions.  And it is most amazing that thousands of Americans citizens stand up and cheer while politicians lie, cheat, and steal.  It is hard to believe that Americans are applauding while politicians are denying them health insurance that could possibility cost them their own lives.

     American preachers are advocating that parents kill gay children. Many other Christian ministers are teaching parents to abandon gay and lesbian off-springs. My way or the highway is not the American way. It is a miserable father who puts his son or daughter on the streets because he or she is gay, lesbian, transgender, or bisexual.  Love has never been greater than when a father puts his arms around his gay son and says, “I LOVE YOU.” When a father loves unconditionally it is the greatest “pleasure cruise” he will ever be on.  It may not be a “bed of roses” from the local preacher or from the guys in the neighborhood, but it will be the greatest relationship he has ever had because it will be a relationship built on love. Loving someone does not produce a criminal because in love no crime is committed. Love is the greatest example of human kindness found in the universe and how many times did Jesus have to tell us that it’s all about love?

     If Jesus walked on the earth today he would love African children as much as he would love any others. He would wrap his arms around all the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender teenagers who have been made homeless by parents who have listened to wrong Christian teachers. He would stamp out the money-changers in all the places of worship, and he would rebuke millionaire preachers who live in luxury while thousands of hungry and homeless people live in cardboard boxes.   

   

I DON'T THINK SO!

I DON’T THINK SO!

   Today every American is being tested. What kind of an American do you want to be? Questions are being asked, but answers are falling short of the goal post. Are we going to allow the greatest nation on the planet to be destroyed by an administration of the biggest number of liars ever assembled in a president’s cabinet? Are we going to allow American children to grow up in a divided society dominated by hate?  Are we going to allow children to be taught hate in all-white public schools, and allow hate to be the number one topic taught in the Sunday morning church services? Are we going to allow America to return to the days of Jim Crow laws being enforced by the KKK? Are we going to allow the Christian Church to be identified around the world as the symbol of hate? Are we going to allow young Americans to be brainwashed by white Supremacists and denied the existence of diversity as the peacemaker of American society? I don’t think so! Somewhere in this great nation patriotism is going to kick in and the majority of Americans are going to realize this is not the America we want to live in.

   We know there was a time when the world looked to America as the symbol of freedom. There is no doubt that at one time America was the leader of the free world, but things have changed. The only way to continue to be that leader is through a progressive agenda. No matter how many dissenting voices are heard, progress is what made America great. It is important that America continue to be a part of the globalization process. American products must continue to be competitive on the world’s market, and there is no other way to economic success.  To attempt to build walls around America and adopt policies of economic protectionism will be the death of America’s economic system.  

   It is unbelievable that intelligent Americans are going to allow this administration to move America into a regressive direction. To deny the existence of climate change and attempt to move America backwards in support of fossils fuels is to declare the destruction of the planet. Solar and wind power have already created millions of jobs and millions more are in the process.

   It is plain and simple, Americans have been lied to and even though millions now recognize it, thousands more must accept it. As an American citizen I can only hope that there are enough stable men and women in leadership positions in all branches of American military to prevent an inexperienced military novice from entering America into a Third World War.  But one thing we know, one certain person knows that neither he nor any of his children will ever be the boots in the trenches where old men create situations for young men to die in war.

THE UNTOUCHABLE

THE UNTOUCHABLE

   One of the most uncomfortable places to be is standing in front of a urinal in a men’s restroom in America. You must focus your eyes directly on the cold, grey wall in front of you.  You dare not allow your eyes to look at the man to your left or your right, and above all else you must never allow your eyes to venture below the waist of any man. An American who looks another man directly in the eyes and then looks below his waist is immediately given the title of a queer. Being a queer in a Christian society is an awful thing to be. The number is endless of young boys who have suffered physicals attacks because they allowed their eyes to wander below the waist of other boys in an American High School locker room.  Yet to the American male size is important.  Even Christian men place emphasis upon size as a sign of masculinity. Many Christian males use the bulge to attract people of the opposite sex although sometimes it attracts others. Even preachers sometimes step outside the pulpit to show the imprint of a manly bulge.

   Christianity has developed into one of the most restrictive religions of all lifestyles. The religion that has imposed the most rules against sex has become the religion dominated with sex. Somewhere in the golden era of the scriptures in the gospel according to Saint Luke, Jesus said, “Therefore I say unto you, the size of a man’s penis determines the manliest among you,” or is this a miss-quote? At one time this was in the canon of the scriptures, but it was deliberately eliminated because King James #1 was secretly known as the king with small hands among the English monarchs.  Nevertheless, it is evident that Jesus enjoyed the company of men. Peter, the rough and tough fisherman, was the manliest of the disciples. Then there was sweet, lovable, John, and not far behind him was dear, little, timid, Timothy. There was a mixture of men among the disciples but Jesus loved them all.

   The one thing that the Christian Church has done and done well is to teach people how to be hypocrites. Christianity is the only religion that teaches a young boy that it is a deadly sin to touch a certain part of his body. This is like placing a beautiful decorated cake in front of kindergarten children and telling them not to touch the icing on the cake until the teacher returns.

   The well-developed human body is a magnificent work of art designed by a genius. With females it is beautiful and with males it is handsome. It is an enjoyable experience to visit an African tribe where little emphasis is placed upon clothes. The unclothed human body is even a greater work of art.  I am privileged to live in Thailand where young men and women consider it an honor to display beautiful and handsome bodies in full nudity. It is a great delight to gaze upon young unclothed performers without being riddled with guilt, knowing that some of the most intelligent men of the universe were fascinated by nude bodies of both men and women.  

   

BEING HUMAN

BEING HUMAN

    The human body is a sophisticated machine consisting of thousands of   working parts designed by a genius. But of all of the working parts, visible to the eye, there are thousands of non-working parts that are important in the make-up of being human.  Being human means being capable of expressing emotions of happiness, but also being able to express grief at the lost of a loved one.  When we were given the capability to express joy and pain we were not promised that life would be a continual bed of roses, but we were provided with the ability to live with the thorns.  Somewhere along life’s journey I hope I have learned to be a human.    

    To my friends who sent condolences at the loss of a very special friend in my life, I thank you, and it has been those words that provided me with the strength to get through the last few days.

    An empty heart is one that is hard to be refilled with meaningful love.   Nevertheless for those of us who have had our hearts broken, but have managed to put the pieces back together again, even with scars, we have learned to live by the motto of “Keep on Trucking.”

     

12:01

12:01

At 12:01 P.M. on January 20, 2017 an authoritarian ruler was sworn in as the President of the United States. David Duke and the members of the KKK rejoiced, White Supremacists celebrated, and NRA members fired rounds of bullets into the air. They believe that America has finally returned to the days of “white’s only” drinking fountains, African Americans in the back of the bus, gay men castrated and nailed to fence posts, and lesbian women raped. Shot glasses in the Wild West were filled with a concoction of white lightening. This was to assure that white only corn silks floated in the powerful white man’s brew. Then shouts of jubilation were heard across America’s South-land.

However, there were other noticeable events that received little or no attention from the mainstream media. A seismic activity shook the Lincoln Memorial and forms of condensed moisture rolled down the Washington Monument like teardrops. The words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. echoed across America, but Americans were too busy to listen.

 “We will not be satisfied until ‘justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.’” The words of Dr. King continued, “We cannot turn back,” which in present political terminology means we will not allow Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and a cabinet filled with bigots, to turn back the pages of American history.

Other important events occurred but were not noticed by the media. From the clay hills of Alabama, Jeff Sessions’ white drummers in the “Heart of Dixie” were not allowed to march across the Selma Alabama Bridge. The crossroads of Indiana were jammed with buses filled with gay boys and lesbian girls escaping the institutions of Conversion Therapy. Suburban Texans shouted at Ted Cruz quoting an unforgotten text from his holy book, “When the blind lead the blind, they all fall in the ditch together.”

At 12:01 I silenced the TV because I could watch the moment when America’s democracy was raped, and “they who know not what they do,” cheered. I sat at my desk and reread;

Neal Gabler’s “Farewell America.”

*********

         “Surrounded by darkness,

the only sound

was

      the beating of my heart.”

*********

Then I lay bleeding on the floor,

With Poe’s Raven quoting,

“NEVERMORE!”