Respect for the Individual

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As people cry out about what isn't fair and what they think is fair, they frequently forget that in imposing their will, they're not concerned with everyone. In an attempt to fix things for some people they view as victims, they literally propose making other people victims in order to fix that for the first group of victims. Under no morality of which I am aware is it right to create victims in order to help others.

Individuals must be respected. However, our government looks at us, not as agents, but as objects. The reason I am not a libertarian is because civilized society depends on morality. In order for a community to exist and persist, it must agree on rules of acceptable behavior, which, if maintained, hold the community together. You cannot do whatever you wish without threatening the community. The reason I am not a Monarchist is because I believe in individual sovereignty. I have never seen anyone make permanent something they did not choose to do of their own accord. However, the Monarchist promises and premises his promises on the idea of a complete civil utopia. He will try to make on earth, which is fallen, the utopia which heaven alone can sustain. Society is a balance between absolute rights and civility. It is never that you can do whatever you like, it is that you can do whatever you like within the confines of the laws of that society. You have an obligation to uphold the society that allows you to act for yourself and to respect other people's right to choose.

Attacks on 'the rich' betray the lie of the Monarchist. He thinks that rich people ought to or must choose to be philanthropic while he ignores that some fraction of the population freeloads off the rest. Often, even the friends of the Monarchist are not 'paying their fair share' whatever the devil that means. People who cannot pay for an item but who rob a store are required to make restitution. People who walk away from their mortgages have their assets seized and if possible their wages garnished. However, these Monarchists want to interfere with people who mind their business and do pay for the society that upholds them, telling them they must pay for people who refuse to take responsibility.

It is no respect for the individual to require extra behavior of some people and extend to the rest a special pass. There are standards, rules, and laws, and they are set with respect for decency. It is not ok for the state or for a Monarchist to treat the citizens of a state as if they are objects, as if they are children, and force their hand to push some kind of asinine utopian agenda. You cannot stem the tide of immorality by forcing people around and telling them what they must do. They must choose to be choice if they are to remain individuals, be able to grow, and make that utopia permanent.

There will always be an argument for fairness and equality. Jesus told his disciples that they would always have the poor among them. Do you know why? It's so that we can always have the opportunity on an individual basis that we mean it when we claim to be Christians. If there are no poor, how else do we prove that we will care for them? It's easy to say how you know you will behave until the time comes when you must prove your worth with a leap from the lion's head.

The great thing about America and about the American way of life is options. We are free to choose. Here we decide, at least in part, our own adventure. You're measured, not by where you are born, who your father was, or even if you finished college, but rather by what you do and more to point by what you become. Here, rather than be known by your melanin content you can be known by the content of your character. That's because the Founding Fathers set up a system of government that regards the people not as objects but as agents. In a letter to PS Dupont de Nemours, Thomas Jefferson said, “We both consider the people as our children and love them with paternal affection, but you love them as infants whom you are afraid to trust without nurses and I as adults whom I freely leave to self government”. Whereas Nemours believed in a government system that propped up the previous generation as better than the latter one and looked down on the people with condescension, Jefferson understood respect for the individual, to choose, to be an agent, to choose his own adventure, and to rise to adulthood.

You are free to choose, to win or lose. You are the agent of your own choices. Nobody can make you mad or good or generous without your consent. As the same people who live by the morality of "you only live once so live it up" require of you that you abide by the morality of "you only live once so live well", remember that they choose something other than the choice they require of you. Choose to be choice, and choice things will come to you. After all, people generally associate with those in whose company they feel the most comfortable, and so if you live a choice life, even if your associations are few, they will be with the choicest of people you encounter.

Why Beagles?

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Saturday after I finally got home, I returned my grandfather's phone call. While doing so, my beagle hungrily munched away at his dinner (he really likes the new food on which I started him this week), and so my grandfather asked what the noise was. After finding out, he made some interesting comments, and they inspired in part this article.

One of the best things my ex-wife did for me was force me to own a beagle. She already had one when we got married, and in an effort to create synergy with her, I acquiesced to her plan to breed them. Some of my coworkers have noticed that my background image on my work computer is that of a beagle, and some people know about my dogs even if they have never met them. They have several traits I venerate.

Vigilant:

When I take my beagle over to my parents' house, he's a primary instigator of any action against putative threats on the property. He will chase people along the wall. Although he cannot see them or smell them, he knows they are there, and he makes sure they know he is too. Even Sunday afternoon, while sniffing the coffee grounds I have stacked out back with which to counter the alkali soil of Nevada, he noticed me watching him. His ears are always alert. Despite being almost nine years old, he will jump up at a moment and take off like a flash. He is always on guard against the putative dangers.

When he was a puppy, my beagle may have saved my life. I was walking him and an older male up in the hills behind the house where the kennel was when we came upon a pack of coyotes. Although I had taken to carrying something for protection, my baseball bat wasn't going to cut the mustard, but I also had two beagles with me who love me. Without hesitation, they took off towards the coyotes and tore into them. A few minutes later, the coyotes withdrew, two of their number bloodied and dying. My little boy still has scars from that event, but he was so pleased with himself and his performance without even having reached the age of one.

Obedient:

Beagles are not known for being the most obedient of dogs. When they were young, i spoke to them in German, partially so that only I could command them. Even when I know they resist my commands, I see him sometimes torn between his instincts to explore and pursue and his desire to please me. He will circle sometimes when he's fighting, but most of the time, he obeys my commands. Even a few of the puppies I have sold have, when I visited them, obeyed MY commands over that of their owners. You see, when they first open their eyes, I am the first face they see, and I think some of them regard me as their de facto father, if not at least the alpha male of the pack. I have pictures of puppies climbing on my back and pulling at my ear, and I was part of the pack at all times, but always in charge.

The beagle takes a powerful stance. They are highly social and highly instinctual. The one I have at present is among the most obedient and cooperative that I have owned, far more obedient than most beagles tend to be. You see, Obedience is partially learned. If you put little into training, any dog can be mischievous, but he knows what's acceptable, and he will stop when he hits carpet because he's not allowed there and he knows it.

Loyal:

The first time my current roommate escaped, he headed for the chicken coop at the neighbor's house. It was far enough away and vague enough of a destination to me, that I jumped in my car and drove after him across the desert. When I caught up, I opened the door, whistled, and watched in awe as he jumped into the car, looked at me as if to ask "where are we going?" and then sat happily on the seat looking ahead. He knows where he belongs, to whom he belongs. It used to really annoy my ex-wife that the beagles liked me more than her. It's very simple. When I showed up, it was associated with something positive- attention, food, etc., and so they looked to me with the hopes that I had something special for them. As I already mentioned, when my life was threatened, they were willing to defend me to the death.

Beagles have long been a symbol for loyalty. They are companions, social, and less of an allergic irritant than other species and hence enjoy closer companionship with humans. I like bringing other folks by because the way my beagles react to them is a fair gauge of how well I can expect to get along with those I meet. My beagle knows who I am, what I'm like, and what I like, and he has never embraced someone who betrayed me or avoided someone who ended up being a great blessing to me. Beyond that, he's always defending the yard. I pity the teenager who finally decides to risk jumping the fence and runs afoul of my dog. He's killed a coyote.

Charity:

One of the best things about my beagles is that no matter what, they are always happy to see me. After long days when I return home, my beagle will jump in the air and spin in circles for joy to see me and discover that I have not abandoned him. Even when I accidentally hurt him or do something that will eventually help but hurts up front, he seems to almost immediately frankly forgive me. When I ignore him, underfeed him, or just don't have enough time for him, he is still obedient, excited to see me when I'm ready, and happy to be here. I have learned so much about forgiveness and love from having these dogs, and I wish I'd been able to keep more of those I bought, raised, and loved.

The other truth of this beagle is, I think, that he knows that I have twice redeemed him from death. His original breeder intended to terminate him because he didn't think he would ever be a good hunter. Ok, so he's probably not that great of a hunter, but because I was willing then to purchase the puppy, I spared his life. After I was divorced, I redeemed him again from my ex wife who intended to abandon the dogs to some other fate. My beagle knows that I care about him and went to great cost to have him, and he returns that love almost every day.

My beagle is my family. He is the only child I have ever known from the time he was old enough to fly in a crate until the present day that isn't a blood relative. He is my only conversational partner and confident betimes. He is the only person who knows all my flaws and loves me anyway.

Just like people, beagles have their shortcomings. However, they are so much better at the things they do well than I am that they inspire me to do better, to be better, and to love better as they love me.

Resistance and Submissiveness

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When I was younger, everyone at Church knew the story of Balaam. They knew it, not because of the principle it taught, but because they could talk about how "Balaam saddled his ass" and not get their mouths washed out with tabasco. Balaam is an archetype for many of us. He was a prophet in the land now called Israel, but he did not arrive there with Moses and his troupe. A rival tribal leader, having heard of how Moses defeated Egypt, called for Balaam to curse Israel and bless his people. Balaam went to that leader. His ass saved his life thrice enroute. When Balaam arrived, Balaam actually blessed Israel even though he had taken the bribe. You see, Balaam realized that life is about more than him or Israel. It's about discovering God's will and doing it whole-heartedly.

This is a common theme in the Old Testament. In addition to Balaam, for their strict faithfulness to their God over that of an idol we see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego thrown alive into a fiery furnace. Daniel is cast into a lion's den for his piety. Three unknown virgins are killed by fire. Then there's Balaam, who in addition to the leaders of Midian, was killed by the Children of Israel according to the commandment of the Lord. Sometimes we forget that the prophets were people, but we would do well to remember that the prophets were men of action. The Prophets are men whose names we know because they articulated and actuated God's will. Some of them became great men. Some of them died ignominious deaths. They didn't care about what was best for them; they actually did what was best in God's eye, because they understood that God's perspective goes far beyond our mortal probation.

Like Balaam, we resist God. Even as He tries to bless us, we insist that we know better, that we can do better, and that we don't need His help. We act like children and consequently come into dangerous circumstances. Sometimes, our ass saves us. Some of us die for our resistance. God allows this to happen because our disposition is decided, not based on what we do in life, but rather on what we have become.

I regularly meet people who tell me to keep my peace and make this blog private. I told one Wednesday night, "I don't care if people know what I think. I only care if they try to prevent me from living as I choose." Some of my close friends advise me against telling people what I know or think or learn on the premise that people might not be ready to hear it. In a way they are correct. I have realized that most people are not looking for truth. They secretly hope that the truth will happen to corroborate what they already happen to believe. I hope by doing this to get things to cross your mind so that you will think and reason and do your own homework with the intent that you will learn to be better because of my musings than I.

The fact of the matter that it isn't about you or about me. It isn't even really about politics; it's about principles, which is why over the last few months you may have noticed this blog take on a different tone. You see, I have realized that too many of these ordinary people in positions of responsibility talk as if they had power to exalt us when they can't even save themselves. None of them have walked on water, turned water to wine, healed the sick, raised the dead, or made the blind to see. None of them have paid for my sins; most of them don't even pay for their own. They want to distract us from the things that matter most, from the truth, and make themselves the be all and end all of our lives when they are actually completely irrelevant. Every one of them will die, and when they are dead, people will little note nor long remember them, no matter how many statues or bridges they name after themselves.

When I was 15 years old, a man named Blaine Yorgason taught me the true way to live life. Although it took me many years to understand, embrace, and decide to act upon this concept, I have come to believe in and act upon it, particularly in the last few years. You see, Blaine taught me the importance of submissiveness to the will of God. I no longer want to want what I want anymore; I desire to be what God knows I can be, and I invite Him to direct my life. In his remarks at that youth conference, Blaine explained that although we may not understand what happens in our lives, God knows and loves us, and He will not allow anything to happen to us that is not somehow calculated for our best eternal benefit. The longer we resist, the harder it is for us to fulfill our greatest potential as people. The people who don't believe in God are in the worst shape, and I feel sorry for them, because if there is no life after this one, everything they do is absolutely irrelevant. They are the people who call up Balaam and ask him to curse all of us who have Faith in Christ and believe His words. They resist God and consequently miss out on all He would offer them if they would be submissive.

It takes a great deal of faith to go out from Egypt, cross the Sinai, wage war, and build a civilization. It takes just as much in our day to act according to God's inspiration, especially when we are not sure we're doing what is right or if we heard the message correctly. That is noble faith, pressing forward into the darkness one step at a time only to find the pathway lit a few more feet before us. We cannot see the way until we begin to make our way. There's a reason why prophets are rare. It is difficult to trust. It is difficult to pack up your belongings, leave behind all you know, move out into the wilderness, build buildings, hunt for food, kill other people, and trust that you're not just following some lunatic with a stick into the wilderness. The bonus Moses's people had were that many of them had SEEN the MIRACLES he did before Pharaoh. How much greater is the faith of someone who has only cause to believe who still obeys! However, the message of the scriptures always has been: trust in God, and He will lead you to a land of promise.

Basically, what I am in my life, on my blog, in my classes, and in my free time is the best approximation of which I am capable to that which I believe God would have me be. Sometimes, like Balaam, I am shoved into the wall, stopped in my progress, or injured. Sometimes, I strike out at that on which I am conveyed through life because I cannot see. However, the events through which I was led in 2011 showed me more vividly than anything I have ever before experienced that if I trust in God, even if I set sail when the seas are tumbling rough and the gathering clouds dim my light, He will lead me to that land of promise, and I will be better off as I learn submissiveness to His will, His timing, and His commandments for me. I testify that if you will trust in God and become a little more tomorrow what He desires you to be than you are today that you will see His hand in your life and be able some day as I am to look back and see how He has brought you to your land of promise. I challenge you to practice submissiveness to His will, and I promise you that as you do, He will help you see the progress He has made and make you better off as a consequence than anything of which you might be capable on your own. That is the promise of His Plan of Happiness. This I know.

If Someone Says it, Is it True?

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This morning, I have been battling people who think that things they heard on the internet are true. Over a year ago, I started discussing with folks the notion that the prominence of something on the internet is inversely proportional to its actual value. I will go so far as to say today that the more sensational a thing is, especially in the age of the internet where things go viral like lightning, the less likely it is that there is any truth at all to it or that what is alleged is the truth.

Take for example two recent news stories.

First, we have the son of a NYC police commissioner accused of rape. Before I take any stance on this, I remember the Duke LaCrosse players accused of rape. Eventually in that case, the accuser recounted and admitted she made it all up.

Second, we have this image going around on twitter and facebook that claims McDonalds charges extra ees to folks based on their melanin content. Has anyone actually called the number or looked into the image? I don't frequent McDonalds, but nothing in the picture besides the image printed on the paper can be associated with McDonalds. For all we know, this was hung in the window of a Subway or T-mobile franchise or laundromat. The number is the contact number for KFC (yes, I called it). The zoom level on the photo leads me to believe it's a scam, and Snopes agrees.

Just because someone says it or posts it to the internet does not make it true. Most people don't seek truth. Most people only acknowledge and pass on the bits of information that support what they already believe. The people who are passing this on, I suspect, either believe the stories or are afraid or hope that they are true. They want this to be true, and they don't care if it hurts innocent people along the way.

I sometimes wonder how fast I could get a rumor to spread around the world. I have never attempted it because the amount of coverage correcting a story is never even remotely sufficient to compensate for the transgressive level at which they promote the original. You see, to fix a rumor, one must admit that one is wrong, and that's a big hit to one's ego. Even after the error is 'corrected', people are still branded.

The story is told of a salesman who arrived in a distant town. The villagers were not very receptive to his wares. One day, a villager observed the salesman stoop down and pick up a piece of bright string off the stones of the square. When some valuable jewels were stolen a few days later, the villager pointed to the salesman and accused him of the crime. The salesman protested; he had just picked up a piece of string. Eventually the real thief was caught, and the salesman set free. However, in order to do any business, he had to leave town, because all anyone remembered was that he had once picked up some string. We judge too quickly, like in this video:

My favorite is the hospital scene.

As the internet connects us with people we have never met and who know only about us what they read, the opportunity to start over elsewhere diminishes. Although I am not taking a side on the following issues, consider the Casey Anthony case (which was decided as 'not guilty'), the Duke LaCrosse case (which was dropped after the accuser recounted her story), the Hermann Cain affair accusation (which still has yet to be corroborated), Newt Gingrich's 'open marriage' (which has yet to be corroborated by anyone other than the offended ex-wife), etc. Like the salesman in the above story, if these people are eventually exonerated, what restitution can and will be offerred? We can't change some people's minds about them, and Cain and Gingrich, if this costs them the presidency, will not be awarded it by way of apology. We trash people, and then brand them with a scarlet letter in both directions of time and all eternity for a single moment, EVEN IF THAT MOMENT IS A HOAX. They say that it's only a crime if you get caught, but nobody ever talks about what it is if you are accused of a crime and yet are innocent.

Stories abound of the wrongfully accused. Giving them money doesn't give them back their life or their reputation or their character. I try very hard not to mention people by name here who are not public figures. When you become a public figure, you in essence admit you are willing to face that scrutiny, and so I don't consider them immune. Be careful what you put out there. Some day you may eat your words, and some of the people about whom you speak may have to eat them too.

Communication is Everything

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After a student went on Wikipedia Monday night using their iPad to look up something I asked in class, I gave them an impromptu lecture. While I appreciate the fact that they know where to look for answers, wikipedia is a source of dubious credibility, and smartphones and that industry quickly threaten us with a generation that doesn't know how to actually talk to other people. Last night, I saw a young lady furiously texting in line in front of me but never heard her say a word, and a friend of mine reports he was dumped by a girl a month or so back via text message. Communication is everything.

However, the older I get, the more I realize that most people are hardly fluent even in their own native tongue. They make up words like "groovy" or "boss" or "sick" to define something they consider agreeable when there are plenty of words already extant with which to communicate a high degree of favorability. The thing that is most threatened in our world is not some desert tortoise, exotic bug or bird of prey; it is the tongue in our head that we quickly forget to use and use well.

People use words. Most people in positions of power use words that convey a different meaning to you than to them. They purposely pick particular phrases to create an impression in you because they know how you understand them. Then a few of them betray their condescension for you by speaking to you as if you were in junior high school still. You see, most people who consider themselves smarter and better than you don't use complicated verbage. They use simple words because they consider you simple minded.

I know I do this too. Sometimes I use small words so that I'm sure people understand. Also, despite the fact that my beagle is nine and probably doesn't speak English, I talk to him sometimes like he's a baby. I don't know why people do this. What I do know is that everyone likes to be talked to as if they were an equal. Even children, I suspect, prefer to be addressed with the same tone and respect with which you converse with other adults. I have noticed that they respond better when I talk to them on the level and like they are on mine.

Most true conversation seems to be impromptu. Every speech I hear seems either orchestrated to go over my head or as if they think I can't handle more complex vocabulary. Sometimes I plan out and practice what I will say or think about things I would like to include, but if I adhere to it too tightly, it feels more like a recitation, and I feel resistance from the other participants. People don't like to respond when they respond to something calculated.

People are not numbers, they are people. If we speak to them as objects, we cheapen them and they will object. If we treat them as a dream, we make them unreal, and they will feel like we cheapen ourselves. When we treat them as agents with the proper respect and dignity we hope to have in return, we allow both parties to be true to themselves and whatever agenda they have. Treating people as objects or dreams invites us to earn and deserve ultimate failure. Only in the latter case will any exchange of words lead to true communication.

Lord Looketh On the Heart

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A lot of things have been racing through my mind over the last few days about this theme. The fact of the matter is that we're all born at the bottom in common circumstances. We're all naked, hungry, cold, and angry at having been ripped sometimes unceremoniously from the safety of the womb. Nobody knows at that point what we might become. Every great person who was ever born started exactly where you did. What made the difference for them? They were given a chance, and they followed their hearts.

Some day, you may stand and tell people your dream to laughter. If you stick with what you know, perhaps some day you can stand while they applaud. The fact of the matter is that we rely far too much on our eyes rather than our hearts. I would embed this, but they won't let me, so, I encourage you to watch this clip and listen to your heart afterwards:

http://youtu.be/VSrAJsWvEIc

Too often, we act exactly like the members of the audience shown. We see someone who looks fat or old or frumpy or just odd compared to that to which we have become accustomed. However, that's not really WHO we are; it is how we appear to others.

Perhaps this is why the Lord is not fooled by what we do. He knows that we are capable of something truly amazing. Some famous performers rely on tricks, lip sync, or use equipment to compensate for shortcomings. They really are not that good at what they do. God knows the truth about us, and He invites us through a partnership with Him, to discover for ourselves that same truth.

When we were young, we were taught that it's what's on the inside that counts. In today's challenging world, we see people judged by what's on the outside. Every time we do this, we miss out on a chance to see what God sees when He looks at us- something truly remarkable.

Accepting the Atonement

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Newt Gingrich's marital history has brought back into the spotlight the question of forgiveness and change. People are very reticent to treat him as a person who actually has reformed. Whether he has changed or not it not the point of this post. Rather, I wish to discuss whether or not we are willing to accept the atoning power of Christ in our own lives or in the lives of other people we encounter.

It is true that past behavior can be a predictor of future behavior. Once you have a flat tire, it's easier to recognize when that happens again. If you hold a knife by the blade, you know you might get cut. After you get stuck in deep snow, you either learn to use snow chains or drive a larger vehicle. You begin to know the nature of a thing. However, in finance, they are quick to warn us that just because a mutual fund has generated 13% return for the past ten years does not guarantee similar returns from here on out, if they are positive at all! If past behavior always was a good predictor, then good cars or good houses would always be good, exhausted gold mines in Nevada would still be good places to get rich, and those leftovers you had two weeks ago would not only still be fresh but also safe. The fact is that things do change.

Now, I have never seen some things change. As far as I know, cheaters always cheat, Boardwalk has always been adjacent to 'Go', and Abraham Lincoln has always been dead. When I look back into journals from my teenage years, I see the same political and philosophical points of view (because they are based on principles) as I hold now. More importantly, through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, assuming of course they choose to. Fortunately for our hopes and efforts to change, His love and His offer are constant in our lives.

Most people I know do not choose to change because they do not believe they can. As we move through life, people are quick to apply labels: that nerdy guy, that air-headed teenager, that disruptive student, or that lazy coworker. If every girl who dumps you does so because you once did drugs, once got a DUI, once got a tatoo, etc., then you start to believe that those things define you. However, I have maintained for a long time that we are not what happens to us- we are what we make happen. The fact that other people divorce you, accuse you, fire you, etc., does not make you a bad person. Everyone makes mistakes. The trick is to not let your mistakes make you. Other people manufacture labels to describe us quickly without having to get to know us. Each man is far too complicated in his facets to be so accurately distilled.

When it serves their purpose, people like to look with a long memory at your sins while they turn a blind eye to their own. They forget that we're all human, and that by definition we will all make mistakes. Mine may require a shorter path of reformation and fewer pains to make proper restitution, but everything I do that is contrary to the will of God estranges me from Him and separates me from His presence. Every man needs the Atonement, "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God".

When I was divorced, I saw this treatment firsthand. Perhaps that's why I am less hasty to assume without proof in the form of sworn testimony or multiple dispassionate witnesses that Hermann Cain had an affair, that Newt Gingrich's ex-wife is completely truthful, or that the Duke LaCrosse players actually raped the stripper at the party. People assume that the accused is guilty until they prove otherwise, which is backwards. Perhaps this is because so many people secretly hope other people are also miserable so that they'll feel less bad about their own circumstances. However, the fact of the matter for me has been that some girls will have nothing to do with me because I 'am divorced'. I was divorced. They are two different things. We are human beings. We are not products, events, or actions, and we are certainly not entries in a dictionary. We are not defined by what happens to us; we are defined by how we respond to those things. Many evil men want us to integrate them continually based on what is now regardless of what has ever been, but if you ever do anything, they hang that millstone about your neck and sew a scarlet letter to your vest and bang their drums in the streets, branding you forever in both directions of time for a single moment.

I am somewhat disturbed by the responses I see of late. Some people are hasty to jump on this person or that person for some fault, perceived, imagined or otherwise. If they have resolved it and become better, they have become a new person. Our fascination and fixation on mistakes made by mortals in the past and unwillingness to forgive and forget those with whom we disagree or who have hurt us shows just how little we actually believe in the Atonement. If you cannot be allowed to leave a resolved issue in the past, how can you ever actually be a better person? That is inconsistent with everything we have been taught about Forgiveness which we extend to every man who confesses and forsakes his sins. If "I the Lord remember them no more" works for God, it should be enough for us.

Interestingly enough, the people who cry the loudest about these imagined offenses are usually the biggest hypocrites. They have usually made public apology at best but done nothing to rectify the situation or provide appropriate restitution. If I forgive them, that does not change things; forgiveness is about MY heart, MY ability to move forward, MY state of Grace with my Creator. However, these miscreants take our forgiveness as license to repeat the offense and take our Christian attitude as permission to make that the new norm. We do not forgive them because it's ok; we forgive them because that's part of how we become ok with ourselves and with our Maker.

God has told us that He remembers no more the sins of the truly repentant. Truly repentant people experience a change of heart, a change of mind, and a change of being. They become new people. By this you may know if a man has repented of his sins- behold he will confess them and forsake them. If they really have, what right do we have to drudge up old offenses and cause a new rent with fragments of an old argument? If we really believe in the Atonement, we will accept the apologies of people we do not like when they are genuine. Every time we remember the resolved issues of other men, we invite not only other men but also God Himself to review our own shortcomings. Be careful while trying to point out the mote in someone else's eye that you don't gouge something out with the beam that is in your own.

Consider the Lillies

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During a conversation last night with a friend in Louisiana, a random question came up. She asked me if we have ferns in Nevada. I suppose it might be counterintuitive for some to realize that we do have ferns here in a state that everyone thinks is completely desert. Although most of the state is sparesely vegetated, we have great mountains and small streams, and Vegas even has a ski resort. Yes, we have ferns here; I have counted four different species so far as well as wild strawberries, pinion pines, moss, foxes, etc. The desert teems with life.

The valley in which Las Vegas sits is not that pretty. Most of the native plants, where you can still see native plants, are scraggly, bedraggled, and a shadow of their possible potential. You see, salt collects in the valleys, which are basically large bowls by virtue of caliche, rock, and mud, that prevent penetration of soil by either plant roots or water. Most of our vegetation grows near the many natural springs in the desert because the water stirs up the soil.

Since we've had a rather mild winter thus far even by desert standards like the rest of the valley, my friend and I have noticed new life in the mountains. Last weekend while hiking, we noticed that the mosses (yes, we have those too) were flowering. We found dragonfly eggs. Pines were readying pollen for disbursal. There are flowers on the wild strawberries. The willows are ready to open. Etc, etc, etc. Most people think the desert is ugly. It is about 30 miles from where I live to Red Rock NCA, but it is well worth the drive.

One of the things that troubles me is how man regards the desert. We have noticed over the past few weeks evidence of man's encroachment on nature. We always pick up litter; it seems like there's more to gather. We try to avoid disturbing any plants, including ferns and mosses, but others have not been so considerate, and they are wearing trails through lush bunches of wild grass, chopping off limbs of bushes, etc. Most of them probably don't notice the small flowers, the delicate ferns, or the so far successful moss colonies. We even do have desert lillies in some places, and they almost ready to bloom. They do not consider the lillies. They come for the view or for the accomplishment of making it to the peak.

Consider the lillies. Look for them. Appreciate them. Leave them there. For centuries, they have eeked out a meager existence in very small microclimes, protected by the hand of God against dearth, omnivores, disease, fires, etc. It's rare and wonderful to see these plants, and I like to show people the places. I realize that perhaps I need to ask them to respect the sites so that maybe others can consider just how cool it is that ferns and strawberries grow in the desert.

In the deserts of our lives, we are like the lillies of the field. Sometimes we hang on delicately to what we have and withstand difficult pressures, vegetable, animal and mineral, in order to survive and thrive. Like them, we depend mostly on the hand of God to preserve us, protect us, and provide for us. As Jesus taught during his sermon on the mount, the followers of Christ are beautiful and wonderful, just as we are, particularly in a dirty, thirsty, and hardened world. To be a decent person has become a rarity as selfish people crawl from the woodwork to assault our sensibilities and slake their lusts at our expense. They would pocket us to our destruction. They tred on us. They leave litter in our lives. Yet, God looks after us still.

I think the great principle in the Parable of the Lillies is submissiveness. As we recognize our dependence on a Savior and trust in His redeeming grace, overarching wisdom, and eternal plan for our happiness and turn our lives over to Him, we will find like the lillies not only that we are preserved but that we prosper and multiply. One of the best lessons I have learned since moving to Vegas was a few years back when a clergyman I respect told me that he handles all the burdens laid upon him when he counsels folks by discussing them with and leaving them to the Lord. As I have done likewise, I have found more happiness and peace. Take no thought for things you cannot control; after all, we are always in His hands.

Ordinary Men Making Judgments

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We're all just a bunch of regular people with opinions about the comparative value of people relative to ourselves. The problem with our judgments is that we begin with an incomplete set of facts. Also, it is presumed by each of us that we know what ought to be and that our opinions are superior. This allows us to pass judgments on others and either uplift them or condemn them. This really isn't something in which we have any business. Most of us are just folks.

It is assumed that politicians care about you and that corporations are evil. Nobody ever forces them to prove it or measures them against their actual accomplishments. You can be attacked for attempting to do right and inadvertently harming people as an entrepreneur while you gather praise for good intentions as a politician. The fact of the matter is that politicians don't care any more about you on average than any entrepreneur on average. To care about someone, you have to like them, and to like them, you really do have to actually know them. On Facebook today I came across a list of 19 'facts' about Wal-mart for which the poster didn't cite their source, and so I refuse to reproduce the list here. If you want to learn the 'facts' about Wal-mart, you should do your own homework. That's always good advice.

It might come as a shock to some people to learn that I was a Wal-mart associate for a year. It had its ups and downs, some of which I will discuss in a book I am writing on the corporation, but like most of our experiences, it really matters more how we look at it than anything else. Unlike my other employer at the time, I don't cringe when I see Wal-mart symbols or flinch against entering their stores. Also in the interest of disclosure, I sold all of my stock in October 2011 to buy a house, divesting myself of all further direct financial interest in the company.

However, it annoys me when people attack Wal-mart. I think mostly because they do so without much if any first-hand knowledge. Sure, there were some low points, but I have some really cool stories too. I learned a lot working there, about life, about other people, and about myself. I grew as a consequence, and I consider it a great privilege and blessing to have that insight into another type of employ. Not everyone, particularly college professors and scientists like me, have the perspective I have on how a major company works or a first-hand knowledge of the things that prevent it from being even better. Most of what we know is theoretical, but I actually have that as well as other private enterprise experience, which I think gives me an advantage.

Truth is, it's every bit as much your Wal-mart as it is that of the employees who work there. You have neighbors, friends, or family who either shop there or work in an industry that does a great deal of business with Wal-mart if they do not work for the company itself. If you have a pension fund, IRA, 401K, or mutual fund, it's VERY likely that you have a partial ownership in Wal-mart. So, when you attack Wal-mart, you attack people you know and love, including yourself.

Consider some of the other facts about Wal-mart. Wal-mart makes available large quantities of items at low prices to people who would under other circumstances not likely be able to either afford or locate them. Wal-mart employs more people than any other corporation, and most, although not all, Wal-mart leaders were once hourly associates. Wal-mart pays taxes on all that 'evil profit' every year, making possible much of that which we take for granted from our localities and national funding. There are other 'facts' about Wal-mart than those this poster desired that I should know.

These 'evil corporations' are made of people who consider themselves to be good. How is that possible? Although Wal-mart is a far cry from the organization founded by Sam, it is not evil in itself. Any organization, whether a grocer, a government, or an independent autopart dealer, is only as good as the people of whom it is comprised. Just as any person who does not decry evil and shun it is coconspirator with it, any good person there who is trying to change it for the better is an agent for goodness. A diamond is not made less brilliant if surrounded by anthracite coal; after all, diamonds are just coal made brilliant under pressure. The employees at Wal-mart that you see are not looking to rob you; in fact, they are doing the best they can under what might be stressful circumstances to keep you happy because they would like to keep their jobs. For most of them, they work at Wal-mart because they can more than because they choose to. It's tough out there for everyone, and some of those people at whom you yell and whom you villify in such posts are ordinary people like you just being responsible adults.

I could go through this in more detail. I see, having read this list of 'facts' provided on Facebook, that it is about an agenda. They have ignored anything and everything Wal-mart does that is positive in an effort to evoke an emotional response hoping to convince you to agree with their personal feelings that Wal-mart is evil. There are worse evils out there than Wal-mart; the US Government employs more people (even in America if you exclude soldiers) than Wal-mart. Most people, after all, don't really consider you important enough to think up ways to screw you over; they are really just looking out for themselves, and there isn't necessarily anything nefarious about it.

I know some people intimately who have lost their jobs because Wal-mart came in. I also happen to know that they didn't work nearly as hard at their jobs as the cashiers, stock people, etc. at Wal-mart. It's a VERY difficult job. I worked in a warehouse on 12 hour shifts driving forklifts, assembling pallets, and loading trailers. It was a high-paced, high-energy, and highly demanding environment that burnt a lot of people out. Working at Wal-mart showed us all the stuff of which we were actually made.

Always consider the source, which is something not provided in the original post. Nothing comprised of humans is either all evil or all good. It is imperfect by definition. The best way to make something better is not to boycott it; that hurts the normal people who work there. The best way to make something better is to gather good people together, go in, and make it better. You never make anything better by dragging it down, but destroying something is easier than building something better, and most people are too lazy. It's easier to complain than to fix it, because fixing it takes work.

The bottom line is that any organization made up of humans is only as good as the people of whom it is comprised. Change the nature of the employees, and the organization will change.

Like I told my students last night, most people are not really interested in truth. They all secretly hope that what they already believe will be proven to be true. What they present may seem perfectly logical to some, but the problem with logical arguments is that everyone's idea of a logical approach is different. For this reason, logical arguments can be countered by other logical arguments. What really colors you is how you see people. Thomas Jefferson said, “We both consider the people as our children and love them with paternal affection, but you love them as infants whom you are afraid to trust without nurses and I as adults whom I freely leave to self government” (Letter to P.S. Dupont de Nemours, April 24, 1816).

As agents, we are free to choose for ourselves what we will choose. We are free to list to wards damnation and death by following the devil or immortality and eternal life through Christ. Most people are trying to save themselves, and that's why they attack corporations. Our weaknesses, our failures, and our shortcomings, like I told my class last night, show us first of all where we can stand to improve. It also helps us realize just how much we depend on a Savior. A partnership with Him is the only perfect incorporation, not because of anything we do or are or add, but because He is perfect, all-knowing, and all-possessing, and He makes it a success. Only as we surrender our pride and admit that, as humans, everything we do has flaws and turn to Truth will anything we do ever truly be Good.

As the only person who ever lived a perfect life on earth, only Christ is qualified to pass judgments. The rest of us are just men hoping one day to be made perfect.

Why Blog at All?

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Among the blogs I read and follow, there is a consistent theme for which most of them blog. Most of them fall into two groups. The first group consists of people who use their blogs to update their friends and family as to their lives, a newsletter of sorts. The second group does it for the money. Now, if I were paid to blog, I would accept it, but I haven't earned a red cent to my knowledge from any of the links, recommendations, or those asinine advertisements in the margin, which I may remove soon since I know I can. If you have read this for any length of time, you know it's far from a journal of my daily doings or for family. My family reads it, but it's not for that either.

Why blog at all? I think it boils down for me to one simple thing- that when I learn something or experience something that helps me, I am excited to share it with other people. You don't even have to let me know you read it. You don't even have to give me credit, unless SOPA passes and is signed into law by the president.

Blogging is about more than passing on the minutia of mortality or promoting the exchange of specie. It's about exchange of ideas. You see, if it crosses your screen, it might cross your mind, and if I get you to think, then I have accomplished my mission. I seek to get people engaged in the things that transform life and make lives out of existence.

You see, two people can look at the exact same thing and see completely different things. Sometimes, what they see is a complete opposite. Most of what I read and see and hear out there is the complete antithesis of what I think and believe and feel, and if you're at all like me, maybe you feel alone and adrift in a sea of information. As you read editorials masquerading as news, perhaps you feel that you're out of touch, alone in your opinions, or out of your mind completely. The fact of the matter is, you're probably far more normal than you think.

Most of the vocal people are the people who are in the minority or those who are not sure of their positions. They will preach the philosophies of men, that which is pleasing to the carnal mind, and as they have success, they end up converting themselves (like Ron Paul). As they experience more success, earn more money, and have more hits/viewers/subscribers/etc., they use that as a sign that they're right. All it means is that they share opinions with people who are willing to say so. Most of the people who disagree say nothing at all.

Facts are stubborn things, Ronald Reagan once said. They don't really care about the prevailing opinion or polling data or individual preference. Physical laws, natural laws, and constitutional laws are extant regardless of how we feel about them. The only ones we can change are the latter, no matter how many people vote to repeal gravity.

I am a different kind of person. I actually believe in people. I believe that it is uncommon for the majority of people to believe in, choose, or endorse that which is contrary to happiness. So, if you think everyone thinks you're nuts, remember that I'm on your side and that I think most of the people are silent and that most of them share more in common with you than with the shrill shriekers of the vocal minority. You see, graciousness and decorum are virtues, and people who believe in the virtues you and I espouse will practice them and hold their peace.

This blog exists because I don't actually know anyone else who writes one like it. It's not a recipe, like some other people have, as much as it's an illustration of experiences, knowledge, and perspectives that guide my own pursuit of happiness. Sometimes it looks like a journal or newsletter; some time I would like to get paid to write. However, if I was FORCED to write for my livelihood, I doubt very much I would post 15+ articles per month with links and commentary etc. I do this because I feel like I ought to and because I enjoy it. It's a fine and glorious tradition after the manner of Paul Revere.

Let the others blog for power or for money or because a boss or spouse compels them or simply because they like writing. Meanwhile, I write this blog so that you may learn to be wiser than I as you pursue your own happiness. You get to see what I do and why so that you can see how it turns out and see if the result is the one for which you hope. Smart people learn from their mistakes, but wise people learn from the mistakes of others, and that's partly why I write this blog.

Nothing Good Gets Away

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Last night, I went to my library in search of something useful to tell to a friend. She has been wondering, as I have in the past and as perhaps you may have as well, if the 'love' upon which she thought she could rely in the representations of a young man she liked was ever real. I came upon an old book given to me a few years back by a dear friend and found something I didn't expect to find.

Over the last few weeks, I have been studying Aristotle's Ethics in conjunction with some of the books I'm writing. Aristotle warns of the kind of adolescent affinity which captures youth. Being primarily driven by emotions and a desire for pleasure, it could be said of them as Sabatini's Moreau says of himself that they "fall in love constantly, indiscriminately" and that "the effect is the same as if [they] never fell in love at all". You see, their 'love' is really driven by a desire for self-satisfaction, because they view, as I have addressed in a previous post, the other person as an object.

In this particular volume, John Steinbeck was responding to a letter from his eldest son. On the occassion of this letter, his son Thom found himself for the first time I imagine taken by a woman, and he wrote to inform and inquire of his father. John makes two salient points. First of all, he differentiates between the debilitating selfish love (which is lustful) that makes us weak as opposed to the deep truer love that elevates our natures and inspires us to elevate others. Secondly, he points out that good things are things upon which one can rely. IN response to his son's worries about his prospects, Steinbeck writes "And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens — The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away." Good things happen in their own time if we are wisely patient and persistent.

While serving as a missionary in Austria over a decade ago, I went through a particularly troubling time. After a very frustrating day where the hearts and words of the people we encountered rivaled the weather to see which was colder, Elder Young sat down with me to await a bus to make a rendezvous with other missionaries. As I sat there and told him how I felt, he told me an interesting thing. He told me that God knows what He wants done, and usually no matter how hard we try, we cannot mess it up.

I have wondered over the last few years as I face frustration after frustration in the field of romantic relationships, family prospects, and the like, if I have done something wrong somewhere. A wise Bishop told me that "although you should be ready to act on the opportunity of a lifetime during the lifetime of the opportunity, the lifetime of the opportunity will not be so short that you cannot make a rational and prayerful decision." If it is wisdom in God and passes rapidly by, it is to make our attention ready to either catch the same circumstance when it round trips or to be looking and prepared for a similar one when it arrives.

Good things like good people are constant. No matter what minor mistakes you might make, people who are good people and who are good for you will stay. Perhaps for this reason, I hear so many people tell me that I'm a good friend- for no other reason other than that I am still there despite our arguments or falling out moments.  Good people are patient and persistent, not just waiting, but actively engaged in that which eventually will bring us to what and to be what we truly desire.

Several years ago, when something for which I really hoped did not transpire as I liked, I came to this conclusion. It has ruled my life when I am coherant, and I summarize my experiences simply by saying that "What should be will be when the time is right." Too often, particularly with people, we try to impose both our will and our timing over the agency of others. However, if something is really good and virtuous and good for us, it will still be good and good for us even if we are not good or go contrary to its power to better us. Not that we actively campaign to prove it or run contrary to it, but that inasmuch as our inadequacies are brought to light in the course of our living, good things and good people will be constant sufficient so that the right things will happen without being forced.

Anyone who believes in a loving God does well to remember that God desires to give His children good gifts. If it leads to growth, development, a better way, and a better life, then it is something He desires for us to have. When it involves the agency of another person, He will invite and inspire them, if they seek His counsel, to reason together with you and join you for the duration and scope of that association. As we endeavor to trust in God and look to Him for inspiration, making those rational and prayerful decisions, He will lead us to good things, to a goodly land, and to a good life. Nothing good gets away if we partner with the Source of All Goodness and trust both His wisdom and timing.

Auto Correct and Rhetoric

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An old high school friend passed on a link today about smartphone autocorrects. Rightly so, he asks the question about why this happens so frequently on Apple products when they at the company have the means and opportunity to correct it. What he has not possibly considered is what this indicates about our rhetoric and the character of civilized cultures.

If you have not already seen the list of these, don't go looking for it. At least 90% of them are suggestive and/or vulgar. What it indicates to me is what these people largely discuss via smartphone: things of a suggestive nature, or in the case of the other 10% that the phone guesses randomly because it has no idea quite frankly what some of these gross spelling errors ought to be. Apparently, they believe that anonymity of their phones protects them to say whatever they like. They are incorrect.

Especially with smart phones, the phones remember everything you type. Moreover, the government monitors all electronic communication, so all anyone really needs to do to embarass you is obtain a transcript of your texts. I know this can be done because I know a few parents who monitor their children's text messaging this way. Your cell provider is required by law to keep them, and if you are a minor, your parents can access your texts if you're under their plan. Bazinga! I used to not actually buy new phones, partially because I hate extending my contract into perpetuity, but when I received one from a friend that guessed words I would never text let alone say, I realized I needed my own phone so that it would not have learned bad behavior. Your phone, after all, guesses in part based on your prior syntax.

Assuming of course that any of these are real, it indicates a problem with the English tongue. I am not sure how you arrive at some of them since the intended word is nowhere near the spelling of the guessed word. Perhaps it is an indication that nobody knows how to spell. My worst score was always in spelling (71% compared to ~95% in other subjects), but some of these errors are not ones I could see myself making let alone ones that would be common enough to lead to such eggregious auto correct faux pas.

Most of what we know about famous people is what has been written about them. If what you have written about yourself is vulgar or illiterate, what kind of a message does that leave for your posterity? What kind of example? Back when I first saw My Fair Lady, I was offended at the notion that English almost entirely disappears in America because we do not use it, but the writer is correct- we don't. We bastardize our own tongue and confuse people with what we mean and then laugh when our errors are corrected by our phones into vulgarity.

If we elevated our speech, these kinds of errors would be few if any. If we elevated our characters, not only would the errors disappear, but anyone perpetuating them would be fit for scorn. While we worry about the stock market and the housing market and the elections, the thing about which we ought to worry most is our character. Wrote the Baron von Montesquieu that when virtue ceases the Republic will die. It is probably only due to the virtuous among us that America hasn't already been torn asunder by the wolfish nations that eagerly await our ultimate demise.

Whatever you decide to do about your own conversation, I exhort you to not pass on these posts at least. At best, do not laugh at them; condemn them. They are errors, not only in rhetoric, but also in character. Flippancy is not humor; it is the least like real laughter because it brings no joy. It makes light of things that are precious where they ought to be defended and tended by those of us in a position to speak out for and endorse what is good and brave and true. What we discuss tells us much about the nature of our civilized society, and until we change it, perhaps the barbarians are right. They sacked Rome when she grew lascivious, because Rome was more barbarous than the Vandals. Think about that for a minute, and then rethink what you type. It will be around for a long time.

Objects or Agents

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Almost all of the problems in society come from a problem with our perception of our fellow men. No matter the arena of interest, our problems arise when we view other people as objects rather than agents. You see, objects are inanimate, and when we look at people as objects, we view them only as things upon which to act. As soon as we look at people as agents, we view them as things to act for themselves. Sure, looking at people as agents is riskier, because they might make a mistake, but the return is usually tied to the risk, and if we really desire that others should grow and really be happy more than just experience some happiness, we must treat them as agents.

Now, as we learn and grow, it is common and acceptable to treat children as objects. They do not have the tools sufficient or knowledge requisite to use them effectively. They require extra guidance, not because they will not some day be capable, but because their perspective is not yet right. The problem comes when we elect to treat adults as children and hence objects and consequently deny them the opportunity to choose for themselves.

Most of the relationships I know and see are codependent because at least one member of the 'romance' views the other as an object rather than an agent. They say they love another or 'make love', but they do not respect one another. So much of the romantic parlance literally objectifies the other partner; we treat them and think of them as objects when they are not a prize to be won or an objective to conquer. We hear all these songs about how, no matter what the other person wants, the singer will continue to pursue the relationship because they just know they're destined to be together and that the other will learn to love them. This is not respect for the individual, to attempt to impose your will. I know lots of girls really like "The Notebook", but it's FICTION and it's unhealthy. It involves the story of a boy and girl who defy everyone else in pursuit of their own selfish desires.

Now, some of my friends criticize me for my claims, because I don't fight to keep a girl or because I am slow to show any signs of physical affection. It is not that I do not care that I do these things but rather because I do care that I do them. I respect you to choose for yourself. I once dated a girl who was surprised when I asked her if I could kiss her. She told me nobody ever had; they had taken something which was hers to give. I told her that I will not take something that is not mine to take even if it is offered to me. A few months later when she broke up with me and broke my heart, my friends told me to pursue her. I elected against their counsel. You see, I regarded her, without thinking of this topic, as an agent, and because I really do desire what's best for her, I let her make her own choices, even if they hurt me. I hope that women will extend to me the same courtesy. If I really am best for her, she will return.

Many of my students are surprised at the way I teach. You see, in education we also regard the students as objects rather than agents. We prop them up with 'extra credit' and "No Child Left Behind" and prevent them from failing. Every one of them is 'special', not for what they are or do, but for the fact that they exist. During class, most people lecture rather than teach, throwing information at students that they are expected to swallow, and digest and then regurgitate for the test.

The old Socratic method is the only one I know that treats students as agents. Rather than tell them what to know, how to study, and what to be, Socrates allowed his students to choose their own adventure and decide where they wanted to emphasise their efforts. The Prussian Model, which is the one currently in use, is more efficient, but it robs people of their own voice, their own agency, and their ability to participate. Perhaps that's why so few members of the civilized western world actually participate in their own governance. It has been educated out of them. Compare Gruwell's method with the Freedom Writers to that employed by the district in which she taught. Why should they show up to learn when we refuse to show up to actually teach them? Gruwell treated her students as agents, and as such they have thrived where others from similar circumstances have done otherwise.

As much as I like capitalism, people in business treat their people as objects as well. Despite slogans about how "our customer is the next inspector" or "our people make the difference", too many business practices boil down to the bottom line. Managers regard their "human resources" as exactly that- an expendable resource. They enforce quotas, pay people the same so long as they meet a certain minimum, and give affirmative action to certain groups for no accounting of their contribution or capabilities. When you uphold people who do not take care of business or the other people in your business, you in essense tell the rest that they do not matter. When you do not defend the people who get the job done and upon whom you can rely, you in essence betray them.

At my previous job, I was written up exactly once. For many months, I had been assisting, against company policy but for the benefit of my coworkers, with the activities and responsibilities of my superiors. When they passed me over for promotion the second time and a supervisor continued to make the same mistakes, I called him on the carpet and told him to act like a supervisor. Management told me they were not going to fire me because they needed me; yeah, I made a major contribution to making the team successful. When I quit, the general manager came to ask me what he could do to make me change my mind. I told him, "You should have been doing that for the last six months" because their behavior towards me had shown that "you need me more than I need you". By that time it was non-negotiable. If you treat people like objects who are smart enough to be agents, eventually they will leave.

The strongest and most visible fashion in which people treat us like objects rather than agents is in politics. They think we are stupid. They set up all sorts of central planning because they are afraid we might fail, or at least because they ostensibly care about that. When useful to them, they use our stories, but they never name names of the people who are representatives of the causes they endorse. If you really cared about autistic kids, people with muscular dystrophy, and people dying because they can’t get the medications they need, you would be able to name a few. I can.

Evidence abounds that they do not trust us to choose or act or even think for ourselves. They are in our homes and in our heads and haven't the right. They meddle in everything from the toilets we use to our lightbulbs to whether we can use cell phones while driving. They donate money to causes they choose to uphold even if those things are morally reprehensible to the people from whom they extort tax monies. When was the last time your elected officials, or a bureaucrat at the DMV, actually cared what you thought? They establish bureaucracies and czars and agencies to direct our lives, to fit us all into neat little lines and streamline things. It's not about making our lives better; it's about control. If they really viewed you as agents, they would let you choose your own adventure so long as you accept the concomittant consequence. I really find it duplicitous that we can vote for our elected representatives but not choose our own healthcare.

People who seek power over you do not treat you as an agent. They treat you as an object. They do not want you to think or choose or act for yourself. They seek power over you, and as such their goal is to tell you how and what to be. They are those who reduce your options and tell you what is best. They think and choose for you.

The great thing about America is that we have options. If a business doesn't offer us the value or the service we prefer, we are free to go elsewhere. We can study or work at what we like. We can go where we like when we feel like it, even sometimes when we can't or shouldn't afford it, but that's the beauty- we are free to choose, to win or lose. Then we are free to get up and try again.

God, and those who established His Country, treat us like agents. They allow us to do most of the thinking and choosing for ourselves, knowing that if we become reliant on them we will soon become unable to act for ourselves. God is not interested in a herd of cattle, or he would have chosen some other species as His chosen ones. We are the only animals on the planet who can think, reason, read, and choose. If we do not use this agency, the honus is on us. For the power is in us, and we are agents unto ourselves to choose captivity and death according to the power of the devil or eternal life and joy according to the power of the Savior. The choice is up to you.

They tell us that people learn from their mistakes. What do people learn and in what ways do they grow if we establish a society designed to prevent mistakes and failure? Wisdom comes from experience, from how we use the knowledge we have, but if we are not allowed to experiment and learn from our choices, few of us will ever get wise. Most of us will be otherwise- other than wise, other than free, other than happy.

Elitists speak of utopia and happily ever after without being able to point to true successes. They must speak of visions because they have no accomplishments on record. Of course they deny that anything is wrong in their relationships because they are egomaniacs. In order to make the decisions for us, they must be better than we are. How can they know that? Do they like us? Do they even know us? You don't really care about the welfare of your fellow men unless you fight for it when it involves strangers and people you don't like. The first step of an abusive person is to deligitimize him as an equal. As soon as we treat others as objects, we exalt ourselves above them. If elitists admit they are human too, they lose their standing as our betters, our leaders. They will offer us promises and predictions and pretend that it's knowledge, science and reason when it's really "deception disguised as hope".

The people in our world who truly achieve lasting success are those who are allowed to exercise their agency and learn to use it well. Most of the people who treat you as objects, although they will tell you they care about you and even 'love' you, are about their own advancement, even if it comes at your expense. They will talk of self sacrifice but never compromise on their narrow vision. You are however agents unto yourselves, possessed of individual sovereignty, able to choose your own adventure if you like. Anyone, whether it's a romantic partner, a family member, a business partner, a clergyman or a politician, who says they can decide better what's right for you (unless you actually are a child) is a liar. One would actually need to know more and be better in order for that to even enter the realm of possibility. Most of our 'superiors' are not possessed of superior knowledge and experience, and few if any actually possess superior virtue.

We rely on God for greater wisdom and direction and correction in our lives because of His greater virtue. He knows better because He actually is better. Any time we trust in man, who is fallen, to establish the utopia that heaven alone can sustain, we face a losing proposition. If you really desire to be better, you must seek the help of someone who actually is better, not just someone who purports superiority. Notice that God never treats His children as objects, only to be acted upon. He always treats us as agents and allows us to choose for ourselves whom we will serve.

The true way to happiness is choice. Choose to be choice and choose the choicest men you can find to serve in positions of responsibility. Remember, you may choose for yourself. Choose wisely.