Rant today: CONGRESS

Dear Congress:

Americans, for the most part, think that you are the lowest of the low. Each and every one of you is petty, pandering, self-motivated and -serving. If you were not wealthy when you entered Washington, you will be when you leave; it's just a given. You feel that the laws don't apply to you, your constituents are merely the means to your end, and that your work/pay/benefits are above whatever needs the "common" people have.

Let me tell you, the FIRST thing to go during a government shutdown should be your pay and benefits. The FIRST thing. You can't reach a compromise? That's fine. We won't pay you. After all, when is the last time I was paid for not doing my job? Doesn't happen in the real world.

And it's high time you too-big-for-your-britches reentered the real world. Here is what I suggest:

1. Term Limits - you can have two terms, just like the president. Better get busy, instead of comfortable.
2. Salary - There is no salary. You are at the pleasure of the people, so keep your day job and make serving your country an act of love, patriotism, duty, or whatever else you want to call it. If the founding fathers could do it, I think you can, too. You may want to have your trophy wife get a job. Most everyone else in America is a two-income family.
3. In case of government shutdown - You are the first to feel the pinch. You will work until an agreement is reached, however long that takes.
4. Benefits - A healthy "thank you". No planes, cars, drivers, etc. You can have an office and a secretarial pool. And maybe business cards. Your day job should provide your income and benefits.
5. Hours - You will put in the hours necessary to get the job done. It's just that simple. Just like the rest of us.
6. Contingency of employment - If you don't get the job done, or we think you are doing a bad job, you will be fired. It will take 2/3 vote from your constituents. Voting will be done by electronic ballot at county courthouses, under the control of each state's attorney general. (Specifics to be worked out separately.) The person who ran against you will then be sworn into office, to serve the remainder of your term.

It's really a "shape up or ship out" scenario. Scared? You should be. You need to be rocked to the core of your red/white/blue skivvies. You need to get your head out of your rump, your nose out of other's rumps, your thumb out of your ... well, you get my drift. Get back on track, and we can, quite possibly, get America back on track. Roll up the sleeves on your $300 custom-made-monogrammed-french-cuff shirts and get to business.

Signed,
Pissed off in Arab, Alabama

Not a King James fan

This is King James I. He sponsored the translation of the Bible into English. It was the third translation to get the seal of approval from the English church authorities, and was completed in 1611.

It seems to be the translation-of-choice for Southern Baptists everywhere. And I have a problem with that.

First of all, it is my opinion that it was used extensively years and years ago because of the Old English verbiage used. I think it made scholars and theologians feel more educated and official with all of the "thees" and "thous". As language changed, the theological grip on this translation seems to have tightened. "It just sounds so beautiful." I disagree. I think it just sounds confusing and overly formal, in a 17th century way.

While King James meant well (his intention was to translate original text word-for-word and provide one correct copy of the Bible for everyone), it turns out that it was not the most literal translation. For that, you would need the New American Standard Bible (NASB). Scholars worldwide agree that this is the most literal translation of the original text, and my Bible of choice.

So why don't preachers everywhere use it? I am not sure. I think it's because they were raised on the KJV, and hold fast to tradition and sentimentality. It's full of what I would call "Biblespeak" and immediately alienates any non Christian visitors who may be listening. Not good. Remember, Jesus spoke in parables so the common people could understand his lessons. Do you remember that the scholars were the ones who didn't know what Jesus was talking about, but the poor and rejected understood immediately?

Secondly, I think that Christians honestly believe that this is the most accurate translation, simply because it has been around for so long. Again, I sigh. Ignorance is NOT bliss.

Evangelical Christians are becoming more and more "exclusive" rather than "inclusive", and I think the use of KJV is the foundation and physical proof of that. It makes us seem more like Pharisees than disciples of Jesus. They sought to reach everyone, where they stood. They met the people where they were. They didn't demand that the people come to them. That was what the priests and scholars that we so widely eschew in Sunday School class did. And we are becoming just like them.

Hmmm. Foodest for thoughtest for thou.

Homecoming Ain't What It Used to Be.

When I was in high school, (granted that was many, many years ago) the homecoming dance was just another dance on a Friday night, after the game. There were no dresses, schedules for pics beforehand, or dinner. You went to the football game, and then you went to the dance. In your jeans and tennis shoes. And danced. And had a GREAT time. If you had on a dress, you were probably a member of the homecoming court, and you changed right after halftime.

There were, however, flowers. On the Friday of the game, members of a club that sold the mums (like the Interact Club, Spirit Club, or some such) delivered the mums during school. It was always a big deal to get one, because they were bought for the girls by their boyfriends. As the day went on, more and more girls walked the halls wearing the mums. Looking back, I guess if you didn't get one, you were a bit of a pariah. Did the girls wear the mums to the dance? Of course! With their jeans and, if it was cool enough outside, monogrammed sweaters. The mums were a jumbled mess by the end of the night.

These days, however, the homecoming dance has morphed into quite the event. It is held on the Saturday following the game, so there is plenty of time for a hair and nail appointment (let's say $50). There are flowers to be ordered, and I don't mean the mums of yesteryear. I am talking prom-worthy flowers. Wrist corsages and tussie-mussies are popular today. About $45-$60 from a florist.

Bur first, weeks before, my son tells me that he is going with a group of friends to the mall to shop for homecoming. The conversation:

Me: I didn't know you could buy a homecoming at the mall. Retail sure has changed.
Them: Mom, seriously, we need a tie for homecoming to match blah, blah's dress.
Me: Really? Out of the 500 ties and bowties currently residing in upstairs closets, you have nothing?
Them: She is taking her dress so I can match it perfectly.
Me: We have a bowtie that exact color.
Them: I don't want to wear a bowtie. I want to wear a tie.
Me: Okay, here is some money.
Them: comes back with a bowtie

And dresses. My good Nancy, the dresses. A new purchase is always preferable to wearing a dress from another event, or borrowing from someone who has already graduated. Popular now is a short, A-line dress with flounces. They are very cute and flattering to just about everyone. After a quick online search, I see that you can get these dresses for as little as $100, or as much as $350 (that is from a bridal or specialty shop). And don't forget shoes, earrings, and bracelet (let's say $50, and that is very conservative).

Dinner. Many of the couples went out to dinner. Some had parents who cooked for them, and that seems to me to be preferable and much more relaxing. However, if you have to tack on dinner at a restaurant, I'd add another $50. And of course a drive to Huntsville, because nothing in Arab is suitable.

When I asked my boys (have I thanked God yet in this article that I have boys?) what time they were leaving, they told me 4ish. The conversation:

Me: 4ish? Da heck! the dance is at 7pm!
Them: Mom, we have to get pictures made, then we have to eat, then we go to the dance.
Me: Where are you getting pics made?
Them: At blah, blah, blah's aunt's grandmother's best friend's house with a beautiful yard. The girl works that out. She just told me to pick her up at 4.
Me: eye roll

So, the homecoming dance happens. Everyone posts pics on facebook, which are fun to browse. Memories are made. What used to be $20 (for the mum) is now in the over-a-hundred-dollars per couple.

What do I remember about my homecoming? Absolutely nothing. Not one thing. Not one memory. I can even look back at photos and think, "I don't even remember that." I'm not saying that it's not worth it. I'm just saying that homecoming ain't what is used to be.

Thank you, Ariel Castro: Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish

Ariel Castro was convicted of kidnapping three women ... well, here's a summary for you:

Castro's captives — Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight — disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20. They were rescued from Castro's run-down house May 6 when Berry broke through a screen door.

Elation over the women's rescue turned to shock as details emerged about their captivity. Castro fathered a child with Berry while she was being held. The girl was 6 when she was freed.
Investigators said the women were bound, repeatedly raped and deprived of food and bathroom facilities.

He had been sentenced Aug. 1 to life in prison plus 1,000 years after pleading guilty to 937 counts, including kidnapping and rape, in a deal to avoid the death penalty. "I'm not a monster. I'm sick," he told the judge at sentencing.

A better and more accurate statement would have been, "I am a sick monster." He was one month into his sentence when he hanged himself with his bedsheet.

Thank you, Ariel. You saved the Ohio taxpapers an untold amount of money by taking your life, and was probably the least selfish thing you'd done in your entire existence.

There is currently an investigation on whether or not he received the appropriate mental health treatment in prison and to find out why he was taken off suicide watch.

In Carmenland, suicide watch would be less for the monster's protection and more like an invitation for people to watch him commit suicide. They should call it "suicide prevention" because "suicide watch" is more descriptive for what I have in mind.

Now, the kidnapped women were bound with chains, repeatedly raped and deprived of food and even bathroom facilities, according to court documents and presentations in court. One of the women told investigators she was beaten and starved repeatedly and forced to miscarry the pregnancy that resulted from the rapes.

And Castro's family wants a full investigation as to why he was allowed to harm himself while institutionalized. I have the answer without investigating: it's what he wanted. Or if you want to be more philosophical, it was serendipity, kismet, karma, fate, justice.

Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say. Bedsheets for everyone!

Brother? Nope.

What I am wondering today is this: Why do evangelical Christians call men "Brother So-and So"? I never hear them refer to women as "Sister". Why the disparity?

Brother Randy is going to lead the music.

That's Debbie's class.

Brother Matt is in charge of that.

Call Donna about that issue.

See what I mean? It's just unnatural sounding to say, "You need to go to Sister Debbie's class". As a matter of fact, it sounds creepy. Like it's a cult or something.

So, what's up with the "brother" crap?

Catholics are different because they have been doing it for ages. Plus, they call their nuns "mother" and "sister". They are consistent and equal.

For Baptists to do it is kind of pious and pretentious.

"Well, we are all  brothers and sisters in Christ." "We are all adopted heirs of the king".

Then start calling me "Sister Carmen," please.

30 Days for RAPE?

See this man? This is District Judge G. Todd Baugh of Montana. He just sentenced a former teacher to 31 days in jail for raping a 14-year old student, getting credit for one day served.

When he sentenced this rapist, he said that the victim appeared "older than her chronological age" and has as much control over the situation as the man.

I am going to pause here to let that sink in.

That should be long enough.

Is it just me, or did this "judge" just say that the girl looked older, so it was her fault? He may as well have said, "Did you see her? She was hot! I would have doinked her, too."

That girl is going to need some serious counseling. Oh, wait. She committed suicide after the rape, while the case was pending.

Yellowstone County attorney Scott Twito previously said he disagreed with the judge's ruling but would not appeal it. "The judge's reasons are his reasons and his reasons alone. He has broad authority under state law, given the proper criteria," Twito said Tuesday. Twito said Wednesday that his office will review the sentence. However, his office reviews ALL sentences, as a matter of course. That means nothing.

To make things even more disgusting: Although Rambold was ordered to complete a sex-offender treatment program to have charges dismissed in 2008 after pleading guilty to rape, he was terminated from the program for missing meetings. Judge Baugh said the ex-teacher's termination from the program did not warrant a lengthy imprisonment. Why did he "miss meetings"? Prosecutors learned the rapist, 54, was kicked out of the program for having unsupervised visits with minors who were family members and not telling counselors he was having a sexual relationship with a woman.

On a side note, a man in Wyoming was sentenced 151 months (that's over 12 years) for wind farm fraud.

Needless to say, District Judge G. Todd Baugh of Montana has got to go. Call his office at (406) 256-2922 and tell him that it's time to step down. Or email his assistant (who will probably delete your email) at mconsidine@mt.gov.

50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's famous speech

Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most important men ever to grace this earth. And we had the benefit of having him here, in the United States. King was filled with hope, determination, courage, compassion and love. Because of these, he was able to change our nation. Today is the 50th anniversary of his famous speech in Washington DC, known as the "I Have a Dream" speech. To honor him, I include it here.

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!