What ever happened to the Baby Boomers?  Where are the youthful idealism and the rebellious adversity directed at the restrictive and oppressive tactics of “The Man”?  How did we lose our perspective regarding the virtues of peace, love and ecology?  Who would have thought that the generation that came of age in the 60’s and 70’s would have become such pathetic sellouts to the convictions of their youth?  The sad response to those questions is typically answered with a condescending and flippant, “We grew up.”   The thing is if you look really closely at the respondent of those questions you will see the eyes dart about while their spine stiffens and a combative look of discomfort washes across their brow from the subconscious conviction that is tearing at their soul. 

            I believe we can attribute road rage, political divisiveness, and the escalating intolerance we see in America today to be the result of a cognitive dissonance with which we have become and whom we dreamed we would be.  To be sure, when we baby boomers were espousing our idealism and discontent the world knew not of AIDS, leather seated SUV’s with Dolby Stereo or the un-uniformed militias that make up the terrorist threat of today.  That being said, I still do not see justification for devolving from a society that embraced peaceful negotiation to conflict resolution and attentiveness to the very life giving attributes of our planet to a society that values wealth accumulation above all other considerations. 

            You can not tell me that a majority of the biggest problems we have today are not the result of blind ambition for the accumulation of wealth and power.  How else would you explain the discord that exists in the world today if you do not understand that the root of all those problems have personal greed at their very core.  You can try to explain that there are more virtuous motivations for the conflicts and tribulations that exist in the world today but in each example you will find somebody or some group of somebody’s that stand to gain financially from the strife that is occurring at the expense of a weaker antagonist.  We should all be ashamed of ourselves.  The Baby Boomers held so much potential in the days of my youth.  We have squandered our potential to pay for the big home in our homogenous planned developments, a couple of late model cars, plasma TVs and designer fashion.  We should have done better.

            Nearly every discussion I have with those who would support the GOP platform as it exists today never takes very long for the questions to be asked, “Who will pay for that?’ or “Why should we pay for that?”  It is as if they see the only solution to the problems that confront us as having monetary solutions.  Conservatives seem to not comprehend the principles of volunteerism, cooperation or compromise.  Why should we seek peaceful resolution to terrorist or military threats?  Why should we feed the hungry and shelter the homeless?  You would think the biggest proponents of the Conservative point of view, the religious right, would understand first and foremost.  Because it is commanded in the Bible is why we should seek peace, feed the hungry and shelter the homeless.   Jesus never said “Do these things for the least of your brothers if it is convenient and if you are materially comfortable enough to be burdened to help.”        

            It is time for the conservatives to ask themselves a lot more “What would Jesus do?”  If they would just do that I think they would have a lot more in common with liberals than they ever thought they had.  What do you think?

 

 

            It was a busy night for the Wilcox clan last night.  Daughter Courtney performed in opening night of her high schools production of the Laramie Project.  Her twin brother Clayton had a gig at Penguins Comedy Club in downtown Cedar Rapids.  If ever there were a night to clone oneself tonight would have been my night.  Whilst all of this was going on at the home front “She Who Must Be Obeyed” was back in Washington DC loading her car for the move home tomorrow.  We don’t expect to see her until sometime Saturday so I have a little time to sandblast the floors and power wash the walls before she arrives.  Wish me luck with that. 

            The Laramie Project is the true story of an American town in the wake of the murder of Matthew Shepard.  The Laramie Project will be produced at two high schools in Iowa this fall and one has caused its share of controversy.  Des Moines Valley High School has been targeted for a demonstration by Fred Phelps and his whacko Westboro Baptist Congregation from Topeka.  Forgive me but a church that has a URL for their website of www.godhatesfags.com is in everyway out of touch with any biblical principles that I am aware of. In addition to the attention drawn to the Valley production by Rev. Phelps many parents of the Des Moines School protested the production on the basis of profanity in the script and the sensitive issue of homosexuality.   

            Opening night of The Laramie Project in Cedar Rapids was performed to a standing room only audience.  Do I wish that the production in Des Moines could proceed with out incident as a learning event exposing the hatred and intolerant viewpoints of some of our neighbors?  Absolutely.  Do I believe that the murder of Matthew Shepard was in any way understandable or acceptable?  Absolutely not!  Do I believe that the behavior of those who would oppose a production telling the story of Matthew Shepard is iniquitous?  No.  While I certainly do not share the opinions of those opposed to the production it would make me hypocritical to be intolerant of another’s right to express their intolerance.  That sure sounded like a slippery slope.  I just think we should let those who choose to attend the production, see it and take their interpretation of what they witnessed home with them.  The story of a boy being beaten and left tied to a fence and eventually dying because he was gay is an ugly representation of the worst behavior of man. 

            It would be my hope that any controversy around this production would start or continue a dialogue where we all agree it is reprehensible when people are victimized for being different or thinking differently.  How do you reconcile the polar opposite opinions that surround an issue as heated as gay rights?  You have to begin by recognizing that individual preferences exist in this world.  To live in a society that truly embraces the concept of freedom you need to allow both sides of a controversy to strive for some middle ground.  During the process of finding that middle ground you do not demean your dissenters by denying their right to voice their opinion and you certainly to not beat them and leave them alone for dead on the outskirts of town.

            I won’t be able to see my daughter perform in The Laramie Project until this evening.  Last night I attended the one night stand of my son at the comedy club.  Clayton did a pretty good job and we have preordered a video of the event.  His debut performance at a comedy club in Washington DC is viewable here.  I will have last nights performance posted on the site in two weeks.  It truly was a busy night for the Wilcox clan last evening.  On one side of town my daughter was participating in a performance that maybe made people reflect on some core issues of their humanity and on the other side of town my son was helping people forget some of their troubles through laughter.  A dad can’t really hope for more from his kids than that.

 

 

            Despite projections from nearly any and all polls on the planet the President said today that there are all kinds of people measuring for curtains in Washington DC and they shouldn’t do that because he knows that the Republicans are not going to lose control of the House or the Senate in the midterm elections.  The President made those comments with an eerie confidence that caused my mind to race back to the 2000 Election and the dangling chad fiasco and then the 2004 polling congestion at largely Democratic districts in Ohio.  To make matters worse, later in the day I learned ·the Election Reform Information Project (ERIP), a non-partisan election reform group, funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, says electronic voting, voter ID laws and databases of eligible voters are all potential problems in the upcoming midterm elections.  According to the report from the ERIP The midterm vote on Nov. 7 promises the "possibility, if not certainty, of problems at polls nationwide,"  Other factors, says Doug Chapin, the group's Web site director, include the security of new voting machines against tampering and hacking, in addition to how well poll-workers are trained in the systems.  

            All I can say is hope for the best and expect the worst with the midterm elections.  Would it surprise me to find out months after a midterm election that saw democratic challengers fall by the way side that election tampering had ensured a GOP victory?  No.  Would it surprise me that had that occurred nothing, other than some minimal ranting in the commercial press, would be done about it?  Nope.  Am I becoming cynical and jaded as a result of watching what is happening to this country under the current administration?  Maybe just a little but I have to tell you that overall I am supremely hopeful of some meaningful change resulting from the November 7^th election.  You are going to vote, aren’t you?  Yes?  Good.  Then we have nothing to worry about.  My twins turned 18 this year and I absolutely will not tell them how to vote and have encouraged them to learn as much as they can about the candidates on our local ballot.  I have confidence they will cast their votes for America’s future and vote Democrat, after all they are good kids and they are bright!

            In my post yesterday I was very angry about the news that income from wages and salaries were made up the lowest percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in history while corporate income racked up the largest percentage of GDP since 1950.  Let me explain a real life example of how that impacts some people that I care very much about.  Certain floors of the building where I work were sold recently and the owners of the restaurant on our skywalk met their new landlords last night.  The restaurant is a mom and pop family business that has provided a fair living for the owners for many years.  The new landlord has announced that their rent will be raised an exponential amount because he envisions a food court in their space.  He hopes to attract a Subway and a Starbucks as the anchors to his little entrepreneurial vision. 

            The owners of the diner are at an age where they are unable to start again and the realities of the daily receipts in their business do not allow them to remain in their space at the higher rents.  The result is that yet another family business, the touted type of business that is frequently described as the backbone of the American economy is going to fall victim to corporate franchises.  I understand that these events are just good old American capitalism wielding its darwinistic hammer but somehow it just doesn’t seem right.  A month ago the couple that owns the business, their family members who work there and the special needs people they hire to help in the kitchen were living the American dream.  Now they will all be looking for work.  A month ago our city was choking on franchise restaurants and their homogenous menu options and now we are looking to add more of them.  The money that used to flow into a local families budget will now become an income statement line on a cold and distant corporate sales report. 

            I dream of an America that values honest labor and not asset accumulation, an America that is loyal to people and not corporations.  I long for an America that values individual constituents over lobby organizations and special interest groups, an America that protects little guys against giants with accumulated wealth.  I pray that one day we will again value individual dignity and perseverance over glitter, beauty and material possessions.  I hope for a day when I can lay down to sleep at night and not have my mind reeling of injustice, intolerance and indifference.  Am I asking for too much?

 

 

            An 80-year-old man goes for a physical. All of his tests come back with normal results.  The doctor says, "Roger, everything looks great. How are you doing mentally and emotionally?  Are you at peace with God?"  Roger replies, "God and I are tight. He knows I have poor eyesight, so he's fixed it so when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom; poof.... the light goes on. When I'm done, poof....the light goes off."  "Wow, that's incredible," the doctor says.

            A little later in the day, the doctor calls Roger's wife.  "Ruth," he says, "Roger is doing fine! But I had to call you because I'm in awe of his relationship with God.  Is it true that he gets up during the night and poof.... the light goes on in the bathroom, and when he's done, poof....the light goes off?"  "Oh my God!" Ruth exclaims. "He's peeing in the refrigerator again!"

            The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported October 6^th that wages and salaries made up the smallest share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ever.  For as long as we have been keeping track, for the entire statistical history of tracking how much of the pie Joe Worker is earning,  in my entire life time and beyond the workers of America have never received less compensation as a percentage of total income in the United States.  But according to George W. Bush and his good ol’ boy buddies of the executive suite the American economy is robust!  The economy is doing great!  If you don’t believe them they have statistics to prove it.  I guess it is all true because the same report claims that the percentage of income going to corporate profit is at the highest level in 56 years.  Yep, that is a government that is looking out for me.  I should thank them for providing all the wonderful opportunities that they have.  If only I will sell my soul to ambition, back stabbing and workoholism I too can partake royally of the Bush Economy.

            What this tells me is that the rank and file Republicans of this world are a bunch of sheep who just keep lining up for the slaughter.  I have to laugh at the ignorance of any American who earns less than a half a million bucks a year and supports Bush’s economic policies.  Of course with the track record of George W on worker safety, the environment, education, national security, civil rights and international relations I can not imagine that there is anybody with the slightest amount of real intellect who would still believe George W has been good for America.  Really, if you still support the little big oil man from Texas you have a serious character flaw and I guess I might feel safer if you were put away somewhere. 

            Did you hear that with the $310,000,000,000 we have spent on the war in Iraq so far we could have provided 16 million four year full ride scholarships to Americans wanting an education?  Let me think, what will we have to show for our investment in Iraq?  Um, nothing. Which may have been a better investment in the future of America?  Gee Dubya is finally talking about changing his strategy in Iraq and to be honest, I think I thought he had more integrity when he was squealing his “stay the course” crap.  I had no respect for that policy and hope beyond all hope that he will change course but the fact that he is only now, in light of the very real possibility that his party will lose control of maybe both the House and the Senate, finding it politically advantageous to consider the merits of his strategy.  The bull crap he and his henchmen spewed upon us liberal cut and runners only to now entertain the idea that we were right seems all too whorish to me.  The GOP will do anything and everything to retain power and that scares the living bejesus out of me. 

            Bush, Cheney and Rummy are pissing in the refrigerator and a huge voting block of the Christian right believe it is because they are at peace with God.  Heaven help us!  Only 13 days left until Election Day.  Make plans now to vote.  Tell em, the Red Hog sent ya!

 

 

            Two years ago it was my younger brother Carter’s first visit to Walt Disney World. My father had equated the trip to a non-religious version of the first pilgrimage to Mecca. My twin brother and I set out to find an acceptable ride. We wanted to ensure that Carter’s prosthetic leg wouldn’t become an issue.

The little one was immediately attracted to a gargantuan machine with tentacle-like beams, from which green plastic swings dangled. Waiting in line gave me time to become anxious. Carter eventually sat behind a beautiful little girl. Before taking off, Carter gave a thumbs-up to the crowd. He then tightened his grip on the bar at his waist. My hands imitated this posture as I wrapped my fingers around the metal fence in front of me.

            The woman next to me called in a strained voice, “Lilly! ¿Tienes miedo?” The girl in front of Carter shook her head from side to side ferociously.

             “Hold on tight, CJ!” I yelled through cupped hands. The ride started its spinning. The Spanish-speaking couple to my right was waving at their daughter. Despite my two years of Spanish class, I couldn’t understand their conversation. I felt deflated. I had always hoped that I’d have a particular knack for deciphering the language, as my Grandmother is a first generation American. One’s heritage does not guarantee her the gift of gab, though; I would have to continue my coursework and supplement it with an occasional tamale at Grandma’s house. 

            “¡Aye, dios mio!” These words shook me to the core. Had I not known the Spanish expression for “Oh my God,” the woman’s mere intonation would have told me something had gone terribly wrong. The ride was still spinning. Everyone waiting in line had gone silent. When Carter came back around, he was one leg too short. His prosthesis had dropped directly beneath the swings.

            “No se preocupe,” I said in my broken Spanish, “La pierna es…” I knocked on the railing in front of us as I tried to dream up the translated word for “fake,” or “rubber,” or even “detachable.” I might as well have been a five-year-old, for I certainly employed a child’s vocabulary. My mind settled itself upon, “La pierna no es real.”

            “Yes, it’s plastic.” The woman said understandingly.

            “Yes, exactomundo!” I said, relieved. I cringed. This phrase had probably seemed like one last sad attempt to humor my Mexican-wannabe impulses. Carter, as he swung his newly freed amputation wildly, made super hero impersonations. Unfortunately, the flustered ride operator stopped the fun relatively quickly. While the kids were lowered from their swings my brother and I managed to extinguish the limitations of the language barrier, and joke with the Spanish couple.

            It’s often been said that “People are people no matter where you go.” Life gives rise to overarching circumstances that connect us all. I’ve realized that the opportunity to laugh is a chance to communicate, regardless of one’s nationality.

 

 

            So now we are not going to stay the course in Iraq, we never had a stay the course strategy in Iraq.  During an interview Sunday on ABC’s This Week George Stephanopoulos asked about James Baker’s plan to develop a strategy for Iraq that is “between ’stay the course’ and ‘cut and run.’”   Bush responded, ‘We’ve never been stay the course, George!’  Uh-huh.  Sadham Hussein has weapons of mass destruction; he was behind the attack of the World Trade Center. "I think the United States must be humble," Bush said during a televised presidential debate in October 2001. "We must be proud and confident of our values, but humble in how we treat nations that are figuring out how to chart their own course."  During a debate with then-Vice President Al Gore on Oct. 11, 2000, in Winston-Salem, N.C., Bush said: "I don't think our troops ought to be used for what's called nation-building…”  Is there anybody on the face of a planet that takes this guy seriously anymore?

 

 

            If you have never read Mitch Albom’s book, The Five People You Meet In Heaven consider this a Red Hog recommendation of the "two thumbs up" variety.  Having read and enjoyed the book, the kids and I rented the made for TV Movie starring Jon Voight and Ellen Burstyn and watched it this evening.  The story is of a man, Eddie, who goes to heaven after leading a disappointing life and learns through the five people he meets in heaven how all of the pieces of his life fit together.  The story is uplifting and offers the central theme that each person you effect in life effects another and is a good lesson for all of us.  The timing of this movie could not have come at a better time in my home.  My Daughter spent the last four days at the World Food Prize Symposium in Des Moines and came home inspired by the events. 

            Few things in my life have given me the pride that I feel for my daughters association with such a noble endeavor as the World Food Prize.  The fact that the organization is headed by a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Dr. Norman E Borlaug, and it is attended and supported by some of the greatest humanitarian minds on the planet is testimony to the honor an dignity of their mission; recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.  So much of what I am passionate about here in this blog space pales in comparison to the fundamental issue of world hunger.  Civil liberties, affordable alternative energy, unencumbered internet access and even misguided provocations for war would seem luxurious concerns for the parent of a starving child. 

            At times it is difficult to reconcile the bountiful life we lead when we consider the suffering that exists in places where it is days between a morsel of food or where genocide is occurring in the example of Darfur.  It seems so obvious that the right thing to do would be to apply all of our resources to resolving the atrocities (graphic picture warning) and suffering that exist in this world.  Yet for some reason the world does not work in a way that we would reach out help our fellow man.  When I contemplate that I have done little on behalf of the people who suffer so greatly I become very uncomfortable.  Immediately the rational side of me reminds me that one person can do little to help so many.  There are thousands of people more qualified and more able to help than I.  That rationalization then begins to feel like escapism and hypocritical. 

            The TV news magazine 60 Minutes had a story about Darfur Sunday evening.  They suggested that one of the reasons the United States has not taken an active role to stop the genocide there is because the government of Sudan is providing us with terrorist intelligence.  The accusation that our government would enable the genocide of an entire population shocked me.  President Bush has been discussing the conditions that exist in Darfur recently and one can only hope that we would join with other nations and put a stop to the crimes occurring to humanity in that troubled land.  We invaded Iraq and ousted Sadham Hussein, supposedly for humanitarian reasons after we found no weapons of mass destruction and no correlation to the attack against the World Trade Center.  Every single supporter of the war in Iraq should be demanding that we intervene in the Darfur region of Sudan immediately. 

            We should all learn the lesson that Eddie, the protagonist of The Five People You Meet In Heaven learned only after his death.  Every person we affect will affect another.  Dr. Borlaug and the people associated with the World Food Prize understand what it means to be compassionate human beings.  My eighteen year old daughter is gaining a sense of what she can do to make this world a better place.  A Dad can learn a lot from his kids if he takes time to listen. 

 

 

            I know a guy who typically goes to bed between the hours of 1:00 and 2:00 AM and sets his alarm for 5:45 every day.  That probably isn’t enough sleep but he’s able to function on that amount of sleep so it works for him.  The snooze alarm is the greatest invention of modern man for this guy and he typically takes advantage of that feature several times every morning.  Thank God for the snooze alarm.  Alright, that guy is me.  My snooze alarm affords a seven minute reprieve from the stark and cold reality that is morning and I have a personal record of hitting that baby 11 times before rolling my big and beautiful bootem out of the sack. 

            Saturday night an extraordinary week of projects and new developments at work finally caught up with me.  I actually went to bed at 9:30 PM.  I boldly pulled the sheets over my chest and deliberately refused my "nightie-night" routine of setting that infernal alarm clock.  I know, I’m a rebel sometimes, that’s just how I roll.  As if my refusal to set an alarm clock weren’t outrageous enough, I awoke at my usual 5:45, cursed by some damned internal biological clock and slowly shuffled my way to the biff to take my customary morning leak.  Okay, hold on to your seats now cuz what happens next is where this all gets crazy!  After shaking twice (three times would be playing with it!) I left the bathroom.  Rather than heading downstairs to snag my prerequisite 24 ounce cup of coffee I returned to bed and remained there until 9:00 AM! 

            Yeah, I know.  Great blog material huh?  Blogging about how long I slept is not much different from the blogs I am critical of that reference the experiences of soccer mom’s waiting in long lines at grocery stores.  I never want to be compared to the blogs that offer daily descriptions of the cute and nifty things that somebodies kitten did last night or other such ilk.  This post is reminiscent of the new Sonic commercial that shows a man explaining how delicious his new Sonic smoothie is and how anxious he is to share his experience with his blog readers.  The wife rolls her eyes and says, “Your readers?  You mean your mother?”   The blogger visibly deflates.  Her words have cut deeply into his very soul and he weakly rebounds to explain that his mother has promised to tell her neighbor about his blog.  The claim seems to do little heal his damaged psyche.  My kids love that commercial.  In fact when I think about it perhaps they enjoy that commercial entirely too much.  I guess I can’t blame them.  There are many nights when I am needful of some immediate feedback for the work I do here.  I continually interrupt their conversations, their viewing of favorite TV shows or even their attempts to complete homework to have them listen to what I have written. 

            The interruptions of my kids evening routines to hear my readings are tolerated graciously.  Deep down I know that they are long-suffering in meeting my requests.  It has to be difficult to live with a blogger who is passionate about his craft.  “She Who Must Be Obeyed” has finished 51 weeks of her 52 week deployment on a one year job detail in Washington DC.  It will be interesting to see how she bears the burden of amalgamation with a blogger upon her return next Saturday.  Currently there are few things that can cause dead air on the other end of a phone connection than me bringing up my blog.  I choose to believe that the cause of her silence is her awe at the depth, perceptiveness and enlightened nature of my work.  Thinking back to the Sonic commercial, however, it has crossed my mind that as soon as I utter the word blog my wife’s eyes are rolling to the back of her head 1,000 miles away.  I wonder if she is remorseful in the understanding that her time away is running out?  Honey, you still love me and aren’t loathing your move home are you?