Duck Season, Sheep Season

The character of Doctor Sheldon Cooper on the CBS program The Big Bang Theory is what The Coyote from the Bugs Bunny cartoons would call a "super-genius", someone not only very intelligent, but so intelligent that they are actually stupid about things most people take for granted; social interactions, interpersonal communication, sarcasm…but it was during one episode of the series when his Mother, Mary, played by the wonderful Laurie Metcalf, tries to explain that sometimes being smart and letting everyone know how smart a person is may not be the best way to proceed, when Dr. Cooper inquires why, she replies quite loudly, "Because people don't like it," and it is a shame that I find myself in that position again, having to explain something, at least the way I see it, that it is obvious they do not see and they are going to be pissed or discount what I have to say because it goes against their beliefs, the lies they've told themselves.

It's quite simply this one statement that will make me either a pariah or a kook, but in reality should be able to stand on its own.  The whole Phil Robertson of Duck Commander fame and A&E Network fall-out, backlash, and reinstatement was nothing but a ploy, masterfully calculated and implemented by someone at the network, probably with full knowledge and participation by the Robertson family or at least their agents or representatives.  It was designed to do what it was intended to do, it got people talking about the show, and it got placated the irate fans, guaranteeing that the network and everyone with a finger in the pie of this latest "reality" show craze will reap the benefits…including the family members who are so religiously above all the nonsense.  Yes, I am positive they are a "religious" family, in their way.  I've discussed here and elsewhere the family history.  This has actually nothing to do with the Robertson family, their beliefs, their faith or anything else other than avarice, greed, and manipulation. 

The network probably arranged for the QG interviewer to be conveniently left alone with Phil to make certain embarrassing quotes would be given that would be inflammatory to many different diverse societal divisions.  The network executives probably read the interview before it went to press.  The resulting backlash not only from the LGBT community but also the NAACP was expected and anticipated.  A&E appears to make concessions, suspending Phil Robertson from filming.  Were they filming when they suspended him?  So, for the six or seven days of his suspension, which was over the Christmas build-up days and post-days, he wasn't being filmed, but the rest of the family was?  They, as Christians wanted to have camera people, staffs of individuals working instead of being with their families so they could make another episode and get paid another paycheck?  Sounds Christian.  Anyway, back to the point.

A&E appears to appease the outraged societal concerns.  Social media, long identified as a useful marketing and manipulation tool by the Corporations, sounds off and backs the movement to "Support Phil"…the network is vilified as the enemy of Free Speech and Free Expression and is appearing to concede to public opinion and reinstate Phil Robertson.  And the play goes on.  For another year the money making Gold Calf of Duck Dynasty will reign supreme on the shopping lists of Americans, and The Sheep will continue to praise, celebrate and purchase whatever the Puppet Masters at the Corporation tell them to. 

See what I mean by my intro?  People will be mad; they will see me as attacking the Robertsons, because true fans of the series believe they honestly know these people.  But these people are not like you and me.  They are Salt of the Earth people, even though they share some of the same values, habits, traditions, and feelings that you do, they are not like you; they are actors in a "reality" show.  That is tantamount to believing that the professional wrestlers fighting each other on your television screen are really angry with each other, it is "entertainment"…it is not real.  If this were Ancient Greece you would be going to see the Christians fed to the Lions, but it is not, this is the mindless entertainment that is provided for you by The Corporation to satisfied and satiate you until it no longer is effective, then they will change the Game and give you another Golden Calf to praise. 

"Beware the Trappings of Fame."  Fame changes everyone.  The most innocent little girl, hired for a television commercial will easily turn into a nightmare of demands and hysterical fits when their smallest whim is not met.  Imagine what a full-grown person would do?  Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.  The Corporation is that innocent little girl, born to create something to pacify the people, to make a Man feel good when he returns home from his daily toil.  At first it was Radio programs, The Adventures of Boston Blackie, Amos & Andy, and The Jack Benny Show but it was replaced by Television, The One-Eyed Monster that captures our attention in our youth.  Many alive today grew up with Television as our Baby-Sitters, raised on cartoons, Sesame Street, The Electric Company, Saturday Morning Cartoons…and that is when The Corporation had us.  They would show us Commercials, tell us what Christmas and Birthday gifts we wanted, and our Parents would buy them, to Satisfy us, to Satiate us.  It told us what to drink, what to eat, what clothes to wear, the list goes on and on. 

Today we are Sheep, well….not all of us, but most of us.  We respond like the mindless Puppets we can be.  But there is an answer.  Unplug.  Turn Off the Corporation.  If you believe in the morals, the ethics, the religious overtones that the Robertson family claims to represent, then the best way to strike back at the ones that would not let him have his Freedom of Speech, the best way to strike back at those that returned him to the screens is to stop watching all together.  But you'll never see a Boycott Duck Dynasty Facebook group.  You'll see no Hashtag flood with #DownwithDuckDynasty.  Because the Sheep need to eat, so if you are still reading this to the end, I know you are not necessarily one of the Sheep but the Sheep, if they even clicked to the whole article or not, probably did not read to the end, so could care less…it's time to Feed The Sheep and soon it will be time to Shear Them.  Good Night and Have a Pleasant Tomorrow.  

The Master Deceivers

We are the masters of deception; we deceive ourselves, we deceive others, we build lies of varying degrees from white to, well, to be honest I've never learned the other color levels of lies...I guess "red" should be the worst level of lie. At this time of year, the winter holidays as I write this, it seems we lie even more; we lie about our plans, our purchases, our traditions. Yes, I'm not dense, I know why we do it, that does not mean it is not a lie, or bearing false witness, to use a popular religious term. Let me say I am a religious, faith-filled believer in the teachings of Jesus Christ, taught from a young age and having continued my religious education ever since, and it continues and hopefully always will, but I am also an intelligent person with a scientific mind that accepts empirical archeological, biological, astronomical, and historical evidence to know that organized religion is the product of humanity. See, told you we lie to ourselves. Is that the "red" lie? Is that the worst lie we tell ourselves? I am continuously torn; I believe in the God of my father, my grandmother, my great-grandfather and beyond, but I also know that the Gods of the Egyptians did not exist, there was no Inubus or Ra...I know Zeus did not exist, neither did Jupiter, Hera, Neptune, Odin, or any of those "pagan" Gods...see the problem, continuously torn between faith and logic, religion and science.

A wise man recently told me, "I don't need the Bible to tell me not to kill my neighbor," actually I'm paraphrasing the conversation, so in essence I deceived with my use of quotes, in this Digital Age the use of quotes is another deception, another lie we use, we tell ourselves and we proliferate with our social media posts, tweets, comments, likes and shares. I've long pushed, via my own social media presence, for researching quotes before sharing, but that is another blog post. Our focus is on the Master Deceiver, a term used for Lucifer, or Satan...the Devil, but if we accept all the facts of our history, and if we have intelligence we must, then isn't the Devil us?

Hold up, you say, dear reader, fellow traveller....first you tell us we all lie, then you claim to be religious and a believer, then you contradict that with science, you criticize our sharing incorrect quotes, then accuse us of being Satan? Well, yes.

We create discord. We deceive others. We deceive ourselves. We deceive to gain. We deceive to achieve. We are the Masters of Deception. We are The Beast. From the first hominid that killed it's neighbor to have it's mate, it's possessions, we became The Beast. We continue in this tradition today. Wrong, you scream, I am civilized, I own a Bentley, I have an iPhone and Rolex or I have a BMW, an iPad and I don't know another fancy watch company name at the moment. Every human being is only 24 hours or so away from the snarling, sister raping, jungle beasts from which we sprang with the proper, or rather improper, harsh treatment and circumstances; take everything away from someone, ruin the entire life, strip them bare to the bones, then see the true face of humanity. Pretty dark stuff for Christmas Eve Eve, huh? Welcome to the jungle, baby.

The recent headlines about A&E network celebrity Phil Robertson, the inventor, former stand-out college football player, and genius behind Duck Commander, his highly successful duck call business, who made comments to GQ magazine, comments that enraged members of the black community and the LGBT community, are part of why i started this blog entry. Now, I must point out that not everyone that is black or gay was upset, however the leading lobbying groups with the loudest voices complained to A&E, which quickly announced that Phil would be taken off the air for an indeterminate period of time. The fans of Phil's family's "reality" show, Duck Dynasty, took to the Digital Age version of the town square, social media; petitions were begun, support groups were formed, thousands upon thousands have rallies behind him and his beliefs. But what if it is all deception? What if A&E knew about Phil's tendency to spew his version of Christianity, to be very vocal about his prejudice against those unlike himself? It seems most fans of the show agree the network knew how Phil Robertson felt about his faith and his beliefs. Now, a fan of the show would try to attack me and say "Phil ain't prejudiced," but as I understand the definition, judging someone based on one or two observations, interactions, or just based on a learned education at home or in their community which leads to opinions about an entire race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender, political affiliation or a myriad of other divisions we create to separate ourselves from some but align ourselves with others. Am I right? Then if so, Big Phil Robertson claiming blacks in the South in pre-Civil Rights time were happier, that all homosexuals are going to hell along with drunks, adulterers, and others on list he pulled from First Corinthians, is prejudiced, wrong and really not as intelligent as he claims. Just because he has a college degree (big deal...a four-year degree is impressive, but have you seem what his degree was in? Google it yourself) does not make him, or anyone intelligent. Let's begin by firstly saying the King James Version of The Holy Bible was translated in 1602, and a pretty inaccurate translation of the original text. Secondly the First Letter to the Corinthians was a letter by Paul to the people if Corinth, explaining that since they had went Christian, Paul had been hearing some rough stories of un-Christ like behavior going on, hence the list. A more accurate translation of the passage makes no reference to homosexuality but rather the practice in Corinth of older, powerful (financially, politically, religiously) men taking advantage of younger, softer boys, sound familiar?

But what right does Phil have to stand aloft on his high horse judging blacks, homosexuals, drunks and others? I thought according to The Holy Bible he professes to follow that we were taught to love everyone and to judge not, lest thee be judged. But, see again we get derailed by our deceptions; I began this blog with Big Phil in mind, but what if A&E knew Phil would do this? His assigned public relations person, the buffer between the press and the real Robertsons (not the scrubbed television reality folks) conveniently was left behind while the reporter and Big Phil went off on ATVs, where the reporter let Phil be Phil. They knew the interview would be inflammatory. They probably approved the copy before it went to press. It begins a firestorm. Everyone gets upset. Fans rally. Ratings for the new season will go through the roof. Everyone gets richer. Merchandise continues tingly off Wal-Mart shelves. The family gets paid. The network executives get paid. Everyone has a great holiday. Everyone except the fan who is upset, angry, manipulated unknowingly, deceived without their knowledge or recognition of the deception.

No matter your faith. No matter your sexual orientation. No matter your race. Each individual is an important part of our shared humanity, they deserve respect. You do not have to like it. You don't have to like them. They don't have to like you. I don't like many people, and I know many don't like Me, I am okay with that and if they are not, well screw them anyway. It is the way of humanity. We will never always get along, we are The Beast, we will always compete, war, argue, complain and deceive, at least be honest about it.


Sent from the Beaches along The Mighty Flat River.

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Thank The Comedy

6.)  Comedy.  Yesterday I was inspired to write a very long [well, not that long, come on, really is our attention span that short we cannot take time to read maybe fifteen minutes worth of text?  Bet if it had a cute picture of a cat, you might.] thankful message about Music, ranking it #5 in my November Month of Thankfulness, my friend had written about the effects of comedy and music in her life…citing George Carlin for inspiration.  Comedy has always played a role in my life as well, and this friend, she inspired me to not only examine music's role in the soundtrack of my life but the effects comedy had on my life.  So, long story short, it's Comedy…Number Six for 2013 is Comedy for me, I am Thankful for Comedy [you can stop here and shuffle on to the next status post about kittens, pandas, dolphins or whales…historical memes, funny pictures, or yard sale post, but if you want to take a chance…follow along, but it's not for the feint of hearts].

 

The first comedian who's adult humor first came to my attention was not George Carlin, like my friend, but Redd Foxx.  Yes, Fred G. Sanford from the popular sitcom Sanford & Son was one of my first, true comedy heroes.  His character on the sitcom was gruff, sarcastic, bombastic, a true junk yard showman without the stage, although surprisingly look back over the seasons, they sure figured many a ways to highlight Foxx's stage talents; singing, dancing, clowning.  But it was not Foxx's work on Sanford & Son that inspired me, it was an old 8-track tape my Father had, Redd Foxx in a Nutshell.  The 8-track was black with a red cover, it had an image of the man himself on it. 

My Father owned his own businesses; a produce market, a donut shop, a restaurant, and several thrift stores and he would drive his own truck; panel trucks, small delivery trucks, 18-wheeler big rigs, anything to save himself money on picking up inventory.  While he was gone on one of his many travels to Florida, Arkansas, Indiana…we kids would snoop.  We found the 8-track and when I say "we" it was my older brothers Joe and Harold, along with little brother Jeffery.  The words coming out of the speakers transformed me.  It was not the clean, top rated American sitcom humor, it was the back alley, dark lit raunchy comedy of the street, and I was immediately hooked. 

From Redd Foxx it wasn't far to stroll to Richard Pryor, from Pryor to Eddie Murphy to Carrot Top.  Yeah, I'm not pleased with that last one either.  Damon Wayans, Dave Chappelle.  George Carlin, George Burns.  Jerry Lewis, Jerry Seinfeld.  Comedy reigned supreme in my life.  A good joke could get you out of a tight situation.  It allowed people to feel more comfortable around you.  I was often the "new kid" at schools, as our family moved, gypsy-like…like roaming carnival folk, and it was difficult to make new friends by being myself, I didn't know who, what I was.  But comedy, that would break the ice. 

Jimmy Carter.  I began doing impersonations of Jimmy Carter on the playground in Elementary School.  It got laughs.  It was gold.  Later it was darker comedy.  But Comedy was there.  I was an avid, and still am, avid student of comedy.  Abbott and Costello.  Burns and Allen.  Hope and Crosby.  The Marx Brothers.  Fatty Arbuckle.  Charles Chaplin.  My education was immense.  Martin and Lewis.  The Smothers Brothers.  Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau.  Lenny Bruce, although to be honest I have never heard a Lenny Bruce act, I respected for what he stood for; that sometimes the best comedy comes from those awkward, nasty, dirty, filthy aspects of life that everyone experiences, to one extent or another across all of the world.  In Living Color.  Mad Magazine.  Cracked Magazine.  Animal House.  National Lampoon.  Pauley Shore [again, not happy about it but will still watch Encinco Man or The Son-in-Law anytime it's on]. 

Ronald Reagan.  Now, I know what you are thinking, how was Reagan funny?  Well, remember the Genesis video?  The puppets?  Kills me everytime.  So, on this the Sixth Day of November…I want to recognize how thankful I am for Comedy.  It would ease my pain.  When stuff wasn't going right in my life, when times were dark…when I thought my world would end [usually over some woman, that's how it is when you are a young romantic], I could throw in a Road Movie or Duck Soup and I would end up laughing. 

I still prefer Comedies over Dramas.  Comedies over Science Fiction even.  Give me a Comedic Science Fiction Sitcom…whoa Baby I am there.  So, today, dear Reader…take a moment and think of the comedians and the comedy that has played in your life.  I once saw Emo Phillips in concert at a Funny Bone, I also once met the Russian Female Comedian Ivana Humpalot.  [Not really, just hope you got the joke.]

Thank The Music

Music.  Plain and simply, I am thankful for music.  Music has played a very significant role in my life, and I believe in the lives of most.  I was raised on Elvis Presley and Bobby Darrin, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra all from my mother, my father contributed 1970s country and western music (when I type those words "country and western", I cannot help but think of the way the lady bartender in The Blues Brothers says it when questioned on what kind of music usually plays at Bob's Country Bunker…"we have both kinds; country AND western", see this is my point, which I will inevitably make somewhere); the works of Freddy Fender, Hank Williams, Tanya Tucker and Razzy Bailey and Mel Tillis…this was the music of my youth.  I remember listening around the family stereo; the record player/8-track/AM-FM stereo where Mom would play her Elvis records.  I would sing along, and then I began to perform.  I would pretend to be Elvis, lip syncing before it was cool. 

Eventually, it came the time in a young man's life and I bought my first album, well, actually my younger brother and I combined our savings and we, together, bought our first album…Michael Jackson's Thriller, heaven forgive me, but no, I will not feel bad about it.  It was 1983, we had just moved to a new town and Motown was celebrating an anniversary and the Jacksons performed, and Michael introduced the Moonwalk.  Jeffery and I took our change, rode our bicycles to the local music store and we purchased the album.  We used the family stereo, now moved from the Elvis lip syncing (strange MJ and the King's little Princess Lisa Marie [my childhood crush, and fantasy Sugar Momma] would later marry) days of our Breese, Illinois home to our new place across from the abandoned hat factory, the music of Motown was flowing into our home.  My father wasn't happy about it; raised by a bigoted father and grandparents, Pops wasn't a fan of the music, nor it's affect on our culture, he believed, Archie Bunker-style, to stick to the classics. 

It wasn't too many years and I got my next significant album, from one of my best friends, a cassette of the Ghostbusters soundtrack.  The saying "soundtrack" of my life is so true; we each have our own soundtrack, unique to us.  Music gives us that.  I worked, if you could call it that, as a disc jokey a few times, working parties in German-Greek neighborhood bars and American Sports Bars, and I learned from my mentor, a crazy mad man in his own right, that music touches on deep emotions.  A song, just the hint of it, the first few notes, can transport you back to a place in your life, you see that moment, that time frame, almost like through a crystal ball, the clouds of years having hid it from daily use.  We get entrapped with our lives we forget the music of our youth.  My children, thank them so much and bless their hearts, have introduced me to newer music, but of course, by me liking the songs it ruins it for them.  Robin Thicke is cool until Dad wants to sing the song.  That Korean lepruchan was cool until Mom and Dad start doing the Gamora Dance, or whatever it was called.  From the Macarena and the Electric Slide to the Cotton-Eyed Joe, the dances and the music have only changed the performers and the beats, but the music lives in; from the plastic bands, the pre-fabricated industry controlled Uzbekistan's Got Music Challenges to the garage musicians, teenagers trying to make a break for themselves.  Music moves our lives. 

I went to many concerts; The Monkees (my first, with my Home Economics teacher), U2 the year the Cardinals had won a World Series and Bono came onstage in a red, Cardinals jacket, there was Nazareth and Kansas in a German School Gymnasium, .38 Special in a bar called (no kidding) The Flaming Mug, Night Ranger, Steve Miller Band, Waylon Jennings, Dwight Yoakum, but the greatest concert experience was The Rolling Stones.  Again, music drove my life, my German girlfriend was a fan, bought tickets to the show at the Munich Olympic Stadium.  I listened to every album the Stones had recorded; I found gems I had never heard of, I was well versed in every song they had produced.  The concert was insane.  The performance inspired.  I will never forget, well…maybe should say, I hope to never forget.  Today, having drifted away from my love of music of late…hearing the strains of Honky Tonk Woman will make me want to belt out in song.  I've done karaoke in my younger days, I've performed on stage with musicians…I cannot carry a note in a bucket with a handle, but the fire is in me.  The music is in me.  The music is in all of us.  We carry it, inside, the song of our people, the song of our lives, the song of our journey. 

So, very long post extremely overdone, I am most thankful for Music…and the role it has always played in my life.  

Thunder Thursday (#406 - Photograph Series)

One of my 7-Days portion of the Photograph series of works.  

#402 - "Sunday Knight" (2013) - Final Stages

Here is the almost complete, two images to add and then sign and finished.

"Sunday Knight (2013)" - Stage 2 (Outer Layer)

Here we go, should have done this Kerouac-style, like "Friday Night (2013)" but this one was began very late on a Sunday and required reexamining Monday.  Still unfinished, but close. 

"Friday Night (2013)"

This is #401 in the "Photograph Art" series of works.  Inspired by Shelly and with attempting a new Kerouac-Style to my work, this one was conceived and executed to finish in less than two hours, although it was very tense, tiring two hours with many second-guesses, but ultimately as pleased as I can be with the finished product.  

Hex (Close to Finished)

This is #94 in the Collage Series, close to finished.  Only a couple more items that are to be added.  Should be done by end of month.  

New Project: Life is a Clown

Number 45 in the Collage Series, this is "Life is a Clown"; a play on the "life is a circus" axiom and employing the classic look of the clowns throughout our recent history.  There is a partner painting to this one, yet unnamed, which shows the darker side of clowns, those painted demons.  This painting, however, focuses on the light-hearted nature of clowns, albeit the original Ronald McDonald was really creepy.  Way to cause nightmares Willard Scott.  

New Project: "Hex"

Number 94 in the Collage Series, a tribute to the art, story, and American West icon, the scarred bounty hunter from DC Comic fame and Josh Brolin/Megan Fox movie, which despite what the critics said (and overlooking the whole "talking to the dead" thing) wasn't half bad.  This is the opening stages of the painting.  

""Family Style (2010-2013)"

(#103 - Self-Portrait Series)

Unfinished

"Wacky Oscar (2010-2013)" - ALMOST Complete

Collage Series #005 - Final Stages

"Life's A Circus (2010-2013)"

Collage Series - #045

Wacky Hollywood (Collage Series #5)

here

Great American Hero #105 - A step Closer

Almost finished...some late Sunday work on this one, had to take a week off to head to the woods of Knob Lick, Missouri and S-Bar-F Scout Ranch.  Should be done by 4th of July.  

#105 - Great American Hero (2012-13) - Middle Stage

Here we are close to the middle; work will be suspended due to the fact I will be leading a group of Boy Scouts & Adult Volunteers into the woods for Summer Camp.  Work will resume and reach completion the following week and into July.

Great American Hero (2012-13) - #105 (Self-Portrait Series)

This is the first stages of the proposed final piece

Space Family (#110) [incomplete]

Latest project....

Boy Scout Policy Change

 

I want to begin this entry by stating that I will probably lose friends over it, and although I hope I do not, such is life.  As I write, this very day, the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America is voting on the issue of homosexuality in their organization.  Pressures from big money donors are forcing the Board to consider allowing homosexuals in the organization.  Whereas I, personally, have never had a problem with someone's sexuality, I believe this is not a decision that should be made or even considered.  Although many others have made arguments on both sides of this issue (many of which are more eloquent than myself), I feel that maybe it is time to take a stance myself on the subject. 

The Boy Scouts of America was founded in 1910.  The group had its origins with Lord Robert Baden-Powell in England and was brought to the United States by William Boyce, a Chicago publisher.  The Boy Scouts of America did not have a written policy for or against homosexuals in their membership until late in the 20^th Century.  The written policy was forced due to openly homosexual youth and adults wanting to cement their membership in the organization.  Pressure from large contributors to the non-profit organization has forced them to consider allowing openly homosexuals in their ranks.  At first, the policy change would have allowed Chartered Organizations to make the decisions to allow or exclude homosexuals from their individual units.  For those not familiar with the organizational structure of the Boy Scouts of America should know that each unit; each Cub Scout Pack, Boy Scout Troop, Venturing Crew, or Explorer Post is an extension of the National Organization but is independent, owned and operated essentially by a Chartered Organization, many times a church, civic organization or group.  The National Board, after surveying youth members, adult members and the public at large, have made the choice to place the following change to their policy before their voting members:

"Youth membership in the Boy Scouts of America is open to all youth who meet the specific membership requirements to join the Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, Sea Scout, and Venturing programs. Membership in any program of the Boy Scouts of America requires the youth member to (a) subscribe to and abide by the values expressed in the Scout Oath and Scout Law, (b) subscribe to and abide by the precepts of the Declaration of Religious Principle (duty to God), and (c) demonstrate behavior that exemplifies the highest level of good conduct and respect for others and is consistent at all times with the values expressed in the Scout Oath and Scout Law. No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone."

Scout leaders, according to this proposed policy change, would still be restricted to heterosexuals; however this will most probably change as well in the near future, if this policy change goes through.  Actor George Takei, most famous for playing Sulu on the original Star Trek television program in the 1960s and also for his homosexual life-style, made a comment on his Facebook page this morning that this was the first step.  Many in the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) population believe the same way.  They are intent on opening the Boy Scouts of America up to everyone.  It seems like a natural progression of acceptance and inclusion by most that seem to be vocal about the subject.  Natural, except to those that believe the change in policy, and in fact in the way of thinking for America and the world, is anything but natural. 

Many supporters of the LGBT way of life claim it is not a choice but "how they were born" will be outraged by the stance I take, and others take, on this subject.  For some, I truly believe it is "how they were born" but for so many others, I believe it is a choice.  They choose to live an "alternate" lifestyle.  Forcing this change on the Boy Scouts of America is wrong, and I believe it is wrong to hold them hostage by withholding donations.  Worse yet, I believe the Boy Scouts of America is wrong to allow themselves to be manipulated. 

Scouting has always been about integrity, in my opinion.  The Boy Scouts of America subscribes to the Boy Scout Oath and the Twelve Points of the Scout Law.  It seems that this vote, that this decision, changes those morals.  It changes those points of the Scout Law and show that any of them are up for grabs, for a price. 

There have been landmark cases all the way up to the Supreme Court of the United States protecting the Boy Scouts of America for their membership policies.  Atheists are not allowed in the Boy Scouts.  A Boy Scout is Reverent.  For those of you that do not know what the word "reverent" means then check your dictionary.  If the Boy Scouts are forced to change their policy towards homosexuals, how long before the change is made to allow atheists?  The four largest chartered organizations in the country are the Mormon Church, the Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, and the Baptist Church.  Each of those has bent their attitude toward the homosexuality issue; each has made statements stating that they would continue to charter Boy Scout groups no matter the outcome of today's vote.  I wonder if their attitude will change when the Scouts are forced to allow atheists in their ranks.

Homosexuality has come a long way.  In the 1930s it was illegal in many states for someone to be homosexual; this is part of the reason that the Boy Scouts of America did not have a written policy on the issue.  Why have policies against illegal behavior?  In March of 1977, the ABC television network premiered Three's Company, a situation comedy about a young man living with two young ladies.  In order for the man, Jack Tripper (played by the late John Ritter), to continue to live there, the trio tells the landlord that Jack is gay.  Great stuff for television comedy, but it also began to usher in a change in the mentality of America.  Six months later, in September of 1977, the first actual homosexual character was introduced to America.  Jack Tripper was pretending to be homosexual, but Jodie Dallas (played by Billy Crystal) was actually homosexual.  Again, ABC was the network and the television sitcom was Soap, an ensemble comedy revolving around the families of two sisters which parodied the soap operas of daytime television.  Over the course of the four seasons that Soap ran, the character of Jodie was seduced by a woman, became a father and later, due to a failed hypnotherapy session, believed he was an elderly Jewish man. 

Homosexuality was funny.  We saw the awkward situations.  We laughed at Billy Crystal and John Ritter.  Later, we as a nation accepted Ellen DeGeneres when her sitcom character came out of the closet in the show Ellen, which ran from 1994 to 1998 (incidentally also on ABC).  The NBC network got into the mix in 1998 when it introduced the series Will & Grace which brought more homosexual characters to the comedy mix.  Today there are many shows with homosexual characters including Glee and Modern Family, the way of thinking of America has changed forever and many people believe that the Boy Scouts of America should change as well. 

I still do not believe they should.  Yes, I will laugh at the antics of Jack Tripper or chuckle at Cameron's flamboyant mannerisms on Modern Family.  Perhaps I am the problem.  I have had many friends that are homosexual.  Their sexuality has never bothered me.  It still does not.  However, I believe that the Boy Scouts of America has thrived for 103 years because of what it teaches.  The Boy Scouts of America not only teaches outdoor skills; camping, fire building, plant and animal identification, knot tying, orienteering, and others, but it also teaches conservation, citizenship, and reverence to God.  It does not dictate which God a Scout believes in, but it does teach that through adherence to a particular faith a person learns what is morally right and wrong and learns to make the right decisions in life. 

Yes, most religions teach acceptance of others, especially those with different opinions and those that make different choices.  "Hate the Sin, Not the Sinner," is the adage I hear time and again from some of these religions.  However, one look at nature will teach us how it was intended to be.  I use the phrase, "Insert Tab A into Slot B", a bit gauche perhaps, but true.  Males and females are designed, by nature, to go together.  Conception, the continuation of life, is only achieved naturally through a male and female.  I understand that is no longer the case, with modern medicine a homosexual couple (be they male or female) can have a child together, either through surrogate, sperm donor, or adoption.  Bless them for that.  If a couple is in a loving, monogamous relationship then more power to them.  If a homosexual couple wants a family, then that is also fine.  Again, I have no problem with homosexuals or their lifestyle; however I still do have a problem with the Boy Scouts of America being forced to allow those that are openly homosexual in their ranks. 

I believe that homosexuals have been involved in Scouting since the beginning.  Some writers have argued that Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts, was homosexual.  He did not marry until he was 55 years old and his wife was 32 years his junior.  Powell and his wife, Olave, did have three children together, however soon after their marriage, he began experiencing persistent headaches (which his doctor thought were psychosomatic in origin) that subsided when he moved to a makeshift bedroom on the balcony, only sharing his marriage bed to produce offspring.  Other Scouting leaders, and youth members, over the years have probably been homosexual.  George Takei, whom I mentioned earlier, was a Boy Scout.  I do not know if he was homosexual at the time, I'm certain he will argue that he was "born that way", but that is neither here nor there.  Homosexuals have been in Scouting all along.  So, you may ask, why the big deal?  Why be upset that the Boy Scouts of America is considering a policy change?  The main reason, if you have not been paying attention, is because I disagree with the organization being forced to change their policy by financial donors.  Two of the biggest contributors to the Boy Scouts of America have threatened to pull their financing if homosexuals are not allowed in. 

I am disappointed in the Boy Scouts of America for letting special interest groups make policy change.  I will continue to be a Scout leader, despite any policy change, although for how long I cannot say.  I became involved with the Boy Scouts when my son returned from first grade one day with a flyer announcing a Cub Scout recruitment drive and he wanted to join.  Soon, I found myself in the position of being his Cub Scout Den Leader, eventually becoming Cub Master and now Scoutmaster.  My son and I both live the Scout Oath.  We adhere to the Scout Law.  I spoke to him recently about the proposed change and asked him how he felt about it.  He was confused and a little apprehensive about it.  Although he does not try to discriminate against others, the thought of sharing a tent, a shower room, with a homosexual makes him nervous.  It scares him.  When the Boy Scouts makes the change, and if the vote fails today I am certain another round of policy change proposals will be forthcoming, it will create an environment that may bring about the end of the Boy Scouts.  Or at least, the end of the Boy Scouts of America as it has been known for 103 years.  

Working

Working

If you ever get a chance to read other works I've done, I write television reviews, movie reviews, everything geekdom and entertainment, some political, some local and national news; no matter what I do, I contribute to the collective consciousness. I volunteer as a local youth leader, providing countless, unpaid, hours leading, teaching, mentoring young men and women in scouting skills, public speaking, local history. I remain in the community my family has lived in for six generations on both my side and three generations on my wife's side. My wife has been taking college classes during my six year period of traditional unemployment, completing an aborted associates degree, getting her bachelor's degree and two semesters into her master's program. I have sought traditional employment locally but no one has even been interested in a late-30s broken individual. I've not always wore a grey beard, that's a new addition to my face, it has been beneficial to my youth volunteering image. I typically apply for positions through electronic means; e-mail or online applications and I cannot get an interview. Over 200 applications on the light average, and no one is interested in an applicant with at least 10 years managerial experience, accounting, typing at 90 words per minute, proficient in Microsoft software packages, Adobe Professional, Photoshop, video editing experience, dictation, security, bartending, cooking, retail clerk, fast food, roofer, minor home repairs, substance and group counseling, and English Literature and History instructor.

People can blame my appearance, my attitude, my community, the government, the VA, the war, the military, and the Economy. I blame no one. I make money the old fashioned way, I earn it. I list my job as free-lance writer and artist. Last year I made less than $23 with my writing and art. I've only ever sold one painting. I have never received one commission for a painting. I've painted over 85 pieces in the last 6 years. I've written, originally for Associated Content and today, for Yahoo Contributor's Voices, dozens and dozens of articles, look me up, check out some of my work. I share images of my paintings and links to my articles from time to time.

I earn normally $0.03 for about every 100 people that click on one of my articles, not very lucrative is it? But my youngest children are entering high school, my wife is finishing her Master's Degree. I will never find local employment unless some advertises for a broken, jack of all trades guy paying minimum wage, and I'd be happy for it.

Some suggest I get disability, but the government does not agree. I receive a 20% disability from the VA. I have applied twice for further disability classification due to VA psychologist diagnosis of PTSD and have been told by the Social Security people that I am damaged but not damaged enough and by the VA that despite what their doctors say I cannot prove the culpability of the military in the psychological damage I claimed to have encountered, according to their correspondence with me.

What amazes me most, is how upset, how vocal complete strangers are when I answered an assignment. The assignment asked if you are a veteran that has been out of work and having problems finding employment then submit a photograph of yourself with information on your job hunt along with 150-200 words about who you are, where and when you served, how long you have sought employment along with how many jobs, interviews and more. In 200 words, try it. Write 200 words describing anything to be published. It's short. Not a lot of room to explain but the assignment paid $5.00. Just think it only takes about 20 assignments like this one to make $100, which takes a month to get in payment and 15 minutes to spend at the grocery store to feed a wife and three teenaged children. So before you judge take a walk in someone else's combat boots.

Doctor Daddio #109

Painting number 109 (Self-Portrait Series) [2012-13] Not Finished

My Shell

Another work in progress...my tribute to my loving wife, Michelle

Doctor Daddio (2012-13) - Test Possible Stage 05

A work in progress, this will not even be close to the final project, just messing around and testing something different....

Pintrest

Hi, Gene! Looking good! You are ready to return to the verification page and complete the process. Go To Pinterest Happy pinning! ©2012 Pinterest, Inc. | All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions

Adventure Camp

My newest work, a colored pencil rendered collage of some Cub Scout camp memories, called, appropriately enough "Adventure Camp (2013), #91 in the Collage Series.  Not quite finished piece, but close enough to unveil.  

Sitting Around

Another day at home.  Second load of laundry finishing it's Tom's Twister dry cycle in the cold, cob-webbed, leaky basement.  Dishes done, twice already and once or twice more before bed.  Cigarettes smoked, cups of coffee drank; so much so had to brew another kettle full twice this day.  Squeak of the door as the bathroom opens and wifey heads back to work station, college books open on desk; chill of my own feet, stocking against the cold carpet, my own second-, or third-handchair squeaking as I shift, from hip to hip trying to ease the pain old Army injuries left behind for eternity.  Telephone rings, like old-time movie, at critical moment of time, phone still corded, connected to wall, connected to community from days before the ephemeral connection of Wi-Fi, space connections being shared today.  Old Scout leader calling, confirming ride to meeting, mentor and family, a mensch and a friend.  Back pains, legs cold, coffee colder still...new cup on the horizon, aspirin for the headaches, another note on the calendar, then maybe a little bed rest...big night lie on the horizon; being the clown, being the educator, being the observer, being the helper, being the friend...fulfilling the commitment, fulfilling the dreams, fulfilling the promise.  

What did the President Do and What Did He Not Do

The first thing to realize is that the President of the United States, Barack Obama, did not take anyone's guns away.  The private citizen still has a right to own a firearm.  So all the pro-gun people can calm down, if you are of legal age, and have not been convicted of a violent felony or have other restrictions, you can still buy a handgun or rifle.  What exactly did the President do then, you may ask.  Here is a list of 23 proposals that the President made on January 16, 2013:

1. "Issue a presidential memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system." 

2. "Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system."

3. "Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system."

4. "Direct the attorney general to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks."

5. "Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun."

6. "Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers."

7. "Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign."

8. "Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission)."

9. "Issue a presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations."

10. "Release a Department of Justice report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement."

11. "Nominate an ATF director."

12. "Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations."

13. "Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime."

14. "Issue a presidential memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence."

15. "Direct the attorney general to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies."

16. "Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes."

17. "Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities."

18. "Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers."

19. "Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education."

20. "Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover."

21. "Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges."

22. "Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations."

23. "Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health."

The list nowhere mentions taking away any guns from private citizens.  The President did ask Congress to pass laws, including ones that would:

a)       require universal background checks (background checks on anyone who would buy a gun,  whether in stores or at auctions and conventions)

b)      restore a ban on "military-style assault weapons" (the ban expired in 2004)

c)      ban gun magazines with capacities of more than 10 rounds

d)     tougher penalties on people who sell guns to people who aren't allowed to have guns

Now, the pro-gun people will say that the President is trying to take their guns away.  He is not.  What he is trying to do, in an effort to curb gun violence, which has become an increasing problem in the face of several high-profile incidents where guns were used to kill large amounts of people, including children, is to restore the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.  This included the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which passed both the House of Representatives and Senate in 1993 and was signed into law in 1994by President Bill Clinton.  The thing to remember about this law, which was designed to have a lifespan of 10 years, is that it received support from former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan.  Yes, even Ronald Reagan, the man that many Republicans try to point to during the build up to President Obama's recommendations as the man who had his life threatened by an attempted assassination and who never tried to take guns away was in support of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. 

In fact, even though Ronald Regan left the Presidency in January 1989, when the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act was struggling for support in Congress, Reagan came to its defense.  The Act, known as the Brady Bill, was named for James Brady, the former Reagan press secretary that was wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan's life.  In a 1991 opinion-editorial for the New York Times, former President Reagan voiced his support for the legislation that would create a national background check and mandatory waiting period for handgun purchases citing statistics suggesting 9200 murders being committed each year using handguns in the U.S.  Reagan said, "This level of violence must be stopped.  Sarah and Jim Brady are working hard to do that, and I say more power to them".  Reagan also joined Gerald Ford & Jimmy Carter in a letter published in the Boston Globe that called for Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons (the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994).  In a letter to Rep. Scott Klug, a Wisconsin Republican, Reagan said the limitations proposed by the Assault Weapon Ban "are abolutely necessary" and that it "must be passed".  Klug would vote in favor of the ban.  The assault weapon ban passed by a vote of 216-214, in addition to Klug voting for it after Reagan's last-minute plea, Rep. Dick Swett, D-N.H. also credited Reagan's support of the bill for hleping him decide to cast a favorable vote.

Reagan also signed into law in 1986 the Firearm Owners Protection Act, which was hailed by gun rights advocates because it included numerous protections for gun owners, it also banned, however, ownership of any fully automatic rifles not already registered on the day the law was signed. When Ronald Reagan was Governor of California, had signed into law legislation requiring a 15-day cooling-off period for gun ownership, and he stated that prohibitions on sales to felons, drug addicts and the mentally ill had "no enforcement mechanism" and that "a uniform standard across the country" was necessary.  Even the great Republican himself saw that the obligation of the government was plain and that laws should be put into place to prevent gun violence. 

Today, President Obama gave his proposals to try to stop gun violence.  These same proposals were made by previous Presidents.  They were also supported by still other Presidents not in office at the time.  There have been plenty of statements from the National Rifle Association and law enforcement officials across the country, along with every Tom, Dick, and Harry out there about how the Federal Government will not take their guns.  The regulations the government is proposing are no different than those instilled in 1994 and are no different from the recommendations made by plenty of other politicians.  Today, however, everyone cries out against President Obama, reducing their arguments to name calling like "King Obama" or "Heil Obama", instead of agreeing that the decisions are being proposed in the best interest of the people, especially the children, who have often been the victims in mass shootings.