Bankruptcy of Trust

I diverge from my usual drivel relating to nonsensical news. The trivial of celebrity trials, the thumbscrews of the FCC, even the antics of the bishop of St. Louis are not worthy of pursuit. My mind is in a stranglehold of what can be termed as irrational fear. Paranoia rears its ugly head. Solace from self-doubt is found in a darkened room starring at a rather large white kitchen appliance. The logic of it all or maybe better, the illogic, is wrapped in circuitous argument with the self. "This" presupposes "that" which leads to accusations and denials. Questions, once uttered, can never truly be withdrawn. Even though the claims may be erroneous, there was a pattern of thought. No matter that the most reasoned analysis based upon feelings experienced in the past and proved true, retraction is impossible. Emotions are a worthless attribute. Love and happiness are no more permanent than writings on a chalkboard to be wiped clean in one feld swope by an eraser.

The Truth Is.... I have nothing more to write here.

Trust Diminished

Say it ain't so, Magee. The trustworthy troops of the B.S.A.-Boy Scouts of America- being investigated for fraud? It stinks of the days when the Daley machine in Chicago counted on the votes of the dead, family pets and double dipping to sway election results in its favor. It seems that some Boy Scout Councils have inflated their membership via the age old political practice of padding the registration rolls with names that go without faces. While the paper drives are are great for public relations, the scout groups are primarily financed through business and charitable contributions , along with government funding , based on membership. I think we worry too much about Social Security supporting us in our old age. Our thoughts should turn on are there actually a sufficient number of scouts to help little old ladies cross the street or assist us in finding an address in a city "shrouded by a pea soup thick fog" ?

In a related matter, a blind man in Edinburgh, Scotland was arrested for biting his guide dog in the head after the dog refused to help him cross the street. Perhaps the blind man did not see the impending danger as did the dog. It is definitely becoming more difficult to cross the street without the Boy Scouts and those damn reluctant dogs.

In a somewhat unrelated matter. elephants are being used to clear debris in Banda Aceh, Indonesia devastated by the recent the tsunami. Animal rights activists claim that the elephants are subjected to harsh conditions and threat of severe injuries. Proponents of the use of the animals in lieu of scarce heavy machinery state that the elephants actually enjoy the work and receive the best of medical care including tetanus shots. Sounds similar to the arguments placed at a Worker's Compensation hearing. Paid with coconut palms, bananas, sugar and rice, they return to the government run forest camps for an R&R only to be leased out for an appearance in a local parade. Might be a good deal. If only we could ask the elephants, but they seem to be a rather apathetic group not willing to protest their plight.

I never have really placed much trust in elephants. Now I have my doubts about the Boy Scouts and guide dogs.

The Weaker Sex?

It's time to give recognition where it is due, tip our hats and pay tribute to those individuals who are the true champions of the American way of life. Armed with more courage and fortitude than a company of battle hardened Marines, they plough on to accomplish feats which require superhuman strength. Their chariots are not the Hummer or Bradley Fighting Vehicle, but SUV's, minivans or compact cars. From Maine to Florida; California to Washington State; zigging and zagging through traffic putting our favorite NASCAR hero to shame. They can run a grocery cart through the obstacles at a supermarket with ease. A vacuum cleaner poses no problem. A washer and dryer are a snap. Dusting and windows? A breeze.

After all this where do they find the time to haul the kids to their activities? Ballet to hockey to soccer to basketball to karate to gymnastics to cheerleading to school events, I want some of whatever they are taking to stay supercharged. And while they might not fully comprehend the nuances of the rules of an NFL, NBA or even the late NHL game, they know when to yell "Kill the ump or ref or whoever else is officiating".

That's because they are moms. SuperMoms, soccerMoms, schoolMoms or whatever kind of Mom. I applaud their efforts. The single moms working and raising one child or maybe more. The Moms who keep on going because the spousal unit won't or can't. The married Moms who work and still keep the house and run the kids. From what I have seen, for the most part the moms of today have raised one helluva good bunch of kids.

We probably should insert a few more Mother's Days into the calendar.

No News Is Still News

Even the most profound writer's mind turns to mush from time to time. Writer's block. Unless of course you are of the Tom Clancy ilk and have the ability to burn up the keyboard with a book a week. My hunt and peck, two finger technique, are no match for the 107 w.p.m. club. Besides, inspiration is another necessity. Nothing new is going on in the world. All is redundantly repetitive

The devil hasn't paid me a visit offering to exchange the winning Power Ball combination for the deed to my soul. That is about as unlikely as the Harshbishop of the St. Louis Archdiocese calling the little Polish parish and confessing that it was all a joke and he didn't rally want their megabucks parcel of dirt anyway. St. Stan's is at the end of its Rosary and just might be on the verge of canceling its subscription to the St. Louis Review. Fighting Canon Law is far more difficult than one can imagine. In the mean time, his Bishopship continues to court the media with his Irish brogue and a semblance of the good ole compassionate Fr. O'Malley routine. I expect anytime to hear his PR stooge break into a rendition of one of Bing Crosby's greatest hits.

I applaud the Bush Administration's latest feat in streamlining the Class Action Lawsuit fiasco. Maybe this will add some legitimacy to the legal system. Nevertheless, George, I am far from ready to turn in my " Kiss My Democratic Ass" button despite your valiant efforts.

Speaking of Mr. Pres, we find that he is of the same human flesh and blood as some of our previous leaders. He admits to a bout or two with weed, but could not admit to it for fear of being an inferior role model. Admirable. Clinton didn't inhale nor did he believe that a tryst with a woman who inhaled was tantamount to adultery. Did Carter's lust in the heart ever result in a bypass?

Criminal trials of the rich and famous. Legal soap operas at their very worse. They go on and on far outlasting the little Energizer Bunny. Celebrity money and notoriety buy time. Peterson went on forever. Blake is just now going to the jury. Jackson's trial will last for three more CD's and two world tours before a verdict is rendered. But we got those scumbag guards at Abu Gharib prison via swift, sweet and sure military justice. No drama there.

Is anyone in Tinsel Town actually married or do they just loan out each other to each other for a predetermined period of a day, week or month?

The FCC still intrudes in our lives to save us from ourselves. They even scared the human excrement out of the PBS who feared a recent showing of a documentary depicting what a day in the life of a soldier in Iraq was like. No fear of possibly showing death and destruction, but fear that a cuss word might not be bleeped and a huge fine would result. How insane. A newsworthy program for all practical purposes censored because of content. I can remember when the military of my generation, myself included, cried foul because we couldn't legally drink or vote, but we could kill or be killed in a war. Now you just have to protest your right to address a most distressing predicament with an expletive.

Bill Cosby won't be charged with sexually abusing a female, but Koko the gorilla might be a co-defendant in a sexual harassment lawsuit? I can trust Bill Cosby, but the gorilla? And yet another female teacher accused of allegedly giving her A++ to a prize student.

Imagine an All-Star team of baseball players on steroids.

A pessimist offered, 'Things could not get any worse". The optimist offered, "Oh yes it can".

A Devilish Blog

We've all heard it, "The devil made me do it". He is in the title of songs and movies or is the topic of the content. He is known by many names. Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, the Anti-Christ. We know he is synonymous with evil, but does he really exist? After all, people do worship him.

The Catholic Church faced with the alarming prospect that the youth of the world are turning to the occult has instituted a sort of Satanism 101 at one of its most prestigious universities. The course taught by the leading "exorcist" of the church will focus on when to recognize demonic possession and how to deal with it. I think this a rather simplistic approach to a long standing problem with in the church

First, the need for a formal exorcism is rare. An actual exorcism is a formal ritual performed by a member of the clergy with the permission of a bishop to free a person possessed by the demonic spirit. This so called possession conjures up the vision of the movie "The Exorcist" where the star's head rotates, she speaks in a guttural profanity ridden voice and spews green split pea soup throughout the room. I would admit that this is a case for a formal declaration of war and to hit the subject with all the holy water available. But then again, this is the exception and not the rule. Most of the head bangers listening to the sounds and extolling the kewlness of the devil or even involved in the ritualistic occult sacrifices of animals and such have not yet achieved the status of the possessed.

Having been in involved in some healing ministries in the church, I think the term deliverance is more appropriate in grasping the gist of the matter. In deliverance an individual is freed of oppression by an evil spirit through prayer. A remarkable distinction, this possession v. oppression, because I think that all religious denominations would agree that oppression is more prevalent than possesion. The strange thing about this deliverance thing is that the formality of a certain prayer and the execution of such by the clergy is not a necessity. Mere mortals employing their faith have worked wonders in this field.

I found a number of websites where so called "exorcists" are hawking their wares. You can even bid on e-bay for help. Are the seekers of help truly possessed by demons or are they oppressed and searching for an answer to actual psychological problems that shrinks dismiss as hallucinations? Are the so called exorcists truly driving out the evil in the formal sense as we have come to know exorcism?

My cynical mind broaches another theory. The instances in which actual formal exorcisms are rare. The instances in which deliverance would be beneficial are numerous and daily in occurrence. The praying for those oppressed does not require the formality of the presence of the clergy. The church has known this for quite some time in that Pope Leo XII published a prayer for both the priests and laity concerning exorcism, both formal and non formal, in the 1820's. Has the recent scandal of sexual abuse perpetrated by the clergy caused the church to insinuate that the accused were possessed? After all, listening to heavy metal lyrics might be considered in the same vein. Are they now raising a red herring? I once read in a book by Francis MacNutt, former priest and a noted faith healer, "Who will exorcise the exorcist?". Think about it.

Attorneys: A Joke?

Having worked both sides of the fence as a police officer and then a lawyer, I often found myself as the butt of many jokes at family and social gatherings. Having a thick skin and armed with jokes of my own, I survived. I rationalized that most people couldn't walk in the shoes of a cop. They wouldn't walk the streets and alleys that cops do during the day much less the dark of night. They wouldn't do it for a million dollars and certainly not for the much less that we were actually paid. So the donut jokes were funny and like rubber tipped toy arrows, they never pierced my skin.

But lawyer jokes were different because the sarcastic humor directed at lawyers were more often deserved than not. I'm not down on all lawyers for they are like apples: both good and bad. They ensure that even the most vile individual receives representation in a court of law. They work endlessly to right the wrongs inflicted by the judicial system. They provide their services for free or at a reduced rate to assist individuals challenged by their societal status. Eventually these lawyers are placed in a strangle hold by the system. Smaller firms grappling with larger firms soon find themselves inundated with requests to produce documents and other forms of evidence so miniscule and so irrelevant that the smaller firm finds it fiscally impossible to continue without buckling under to a quick and less than responsible settlement. A less than scrupulous lawyer will fire off a string of frivilous motions designed to wear the opposition down.

The system measures success on the trappings and furnishing of an office and the wealth accumulated by an attorney; not always the track record. Of course the two could be directly proportional, but that is not always the case. Some very good attorneys, don't make a lot of money because they constantly fight windmills or in other words - no money cases. Some bad attorneys collect large fees, but actually are apathetic to the case at hand. They just go through the motions.

Large judgments handed down by sympathetic juries and the astronomical fees collected by the attorneys are often the basis for the contempt fired at attorneys. Groups lobby the federal and state governments to place limits on the amount a victim of medical malpractice or product liability can receive in judgment of a case. I don't think that an attorney should be faulted because a jury decided that it was proved that a doctor or a company negligently caused injury. I don't think that an attorney should be the object contempt for collecting a large fee in these cases for he/she did their job. What I do find as contemptible is the "frivolous" lawsuit, one filed without merit. But the rules of most courts allow for these lawsuits on the premise that there just might be something there or if not maybe this is a well placed belief in the extension of existing law.

Here are a few examples to think about. The recent tsunami disaster will undoubtly result in a variety of lawsuits not unlike the one now being bantered around. A group of Austrian and German citizens are contemplating the novel approach of suing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for failing to properly predict the earthquake and the resultant tsunami and thereby failing to warn of the disaster and as such responsible for death, injury and property damage. A boy alleged to have killed two police officers and a dispatcher after his arrest for stealing an auto has placed the blame on the manufacturer of a popular video game and is suing the manufacturer and the stores that sold him the video. This is incredulous and ludicrous


Attorneys filing a civil lawsuit attempt to find a venue that will be favorable to them. Venue is determined by the location where the lawsuit is being brought having some connection with the defendant in the case. There is a supposed sense of fairness in doing this so that the defendant is not facing a trial in a hostile arena. However, some venues are pro plaintiff no matter what. So if for say you are suing a railroad, an attorney will look for a venue where the train has tracks. The tracks are there and so then the defendant does business there even though the incident related to the lawsuit may have occurred a thousand miles away. One might say that all is fair in love, war,or lawsuits, but it really isn't fair when the judges in this venue have a certain relationship with these attorneys and the same attorneys keeping appearing before the same court with the same type of case only a different cast.

A class action lawsuit involves a lawsuit being brought normally against a business which has supposedly wronged a great number of individuals, more so than can fit into a courtroom, and either one or two plaintiffs are named to represent the whole class of individuals who have been injured. They usually end in a settlement where the business claims no wrong doing, but that a settlement of the issues would benefit all involved. So you might receive a coupon for $5 off on your next tire purchase, a month of free phone cell use(limits apply) or just an apology so to speak for the behavior of the defendant. Attorneys fees frequently exceed $1.5 million. Who wins?

Like I said, there are good and bad. Don't think of all when you read or see news reports of silly antics in the courtroom. Some make their living on the publicity and relish the exposure. But some make their living by giving something back to the community because they believe they have a debt to pay for becoming an officer of the court.

More Indecency

I have a dislike for rehashing past news. Once a position is stated, one should move forward to the next windmill lest you be accused of trying to capitalize on the redundant. But the other night, my best friend and I perused a stack of vinyl albums I had acquired back in the '60's and '70's and a little bit later on. We also discovered that an ancient piece of electronic equipment in my possession, a record player, was still functional. So we whiled the night away with the likes of Dave Brubeck, the Ramsey Lewis Trio, early Bob Seger and even an album by Laura Brannigan. Sometimes the past can bring a semblance of calm to ones life.

It occurred to me after reading a news article concerning a vote in the House of Representatives that maybe old news is still newsworthy. I blogged an article the other day about the Federal Communication Commission's mandate from the high an almighty above to save us from ourselves from the darkness of indecency in broadcasting. Remember how the government forbids outright censorship, but regales in the more subtle means.

The House, in its infinite wisdom and as a protector of freedom, overwhelmingly voted to give the FCC the authority jump the fines for "indecent" broadcasting from $32,500 to $500,00 for a company and from $11,000 to $500,000 for an individual. Talk about a disincentive to air nothing but old Shirley Temple movies.

Parade Magazine, one of the inserts in your local Sunday newspaper, recently posted its annual article naming the top 10 infamous and notorious dictators of the world. Five are cited for their extreme form of censorship of aspects of the media. While it is abundantly clear that the U.S. has not plunged into the abyss by curtailing all of the free speech afforded us by the Bill of Rights, the government has instituted a shrewd plan to remove certain freedoms allowing for a federal agency to hold the sole and exclusive power to dictate in an arbitrary and capricious manner.

Hopefully, somewhere along the way this nonsense can be stopped and maybe a definitive position of what is and isn't indecency can be advanced. For now, I'm going back to my victro

Sexual Edumacation

The marriage of Mary Kay Letoureneau, 43, and Vili Fualaau, 22 was announced today by the department store holding the wedding registry. You remember Mary, the convicted pedophile, who first introduced the groom to be to a hands on sex education course when he was a mere 12 years of age. The term "teacher's pet" took on a whole new meaning.

Mary Kay was beaming after the announcement. "When I first saw him at recess, I just knew he was my soul mate for life", she giggled. "He constantly received an A+ in the independent study course", she shyly stated.

In between chocolate milk and grilled cheese sandwiches, the couple begat two children. Mary Kay had to do some time away from the family because the love affair was misconstrued as having something to with statutory rape.

Vili was ecstatic when Mary Kay popped the question. "Only in America can the boyhood fantasy of boffing the teacher become a reality", he gushed. "It was difficult when she was away. The kids and I played a lot of X-Box and watched cartoons together, but we knew that the day would come when "mummy" would come home. We had to once again fight the legal system, but that was really no problemo."

Again a double standard rears its ugly head. Male teachers convicted of the same offense have fared much worse. Not that we should be sympathetic to them by any means, for their acts were despicable, but society really does not look on a female v. male act as evil as a male v. female act even though both acts may have been consensual. Yet, this act committed by an individual held in the public trust, a supposed educator of our youth, is viewed as nothing more than twenty midget clowns exiting a VW at a circus.

Since the Mary Kay case, other female teachers have been accused of the same deplorable acts. There should be no distinction between these cases and those widely disseminated in the media concerning pedophile priests. Evil holds no gray area.

But let us not rain on the wedding plans. Why not circumvent the gift registry and everyone send the happy couple a $6.95 toaster and a box of Pop Tarts. No hard feelings, Mary.

The Living Bible...or Not

The Archbishop of St. Louis, Raymond Burke,(hereinafter Goliath) and the Board of Directors of the little Polish parish on the near north side of St. Louis, St. Stanislaus, (hereinafter David) have been embroiled in a bitter dispute for sometime now. The crux of the matter involves the assets of the parish, valued at $9+ million, and who actually has legitimate claim to the property in question. The Board relates that rights to the property deeded to a corporation, namely David, date back many years to when a Cardinal of the Church by the name of Kendrick decided it was just and proper to do so. Throughout the years the little Polish parish was slighted and rebuffed when it came to seeking funds from the Archdiocese in order to rehabilitate their facilities. So they went out on their own and journeyed the desert and unfertile land along the way giving their hearts and souls to their Lord, God Almighty. The Lord was pleased with their faith and shone down upon them many benefactors who reaped upon them a multitude of riches from which they could care for one another.

For years the congregation lived in peace and tranquility singing praises of thanks. Then came the roar of the uncongenial Goliath. He demanded that the assets be surrendered onto him in the name of the church. Noncompliance would result in the removal of the resident priests. The parish church would become nothing more than a meeting place. No mass. No sacraments. No funerals. Not even a bingo ball.

But David was not intimidated by the girth of Goliath. The beautiful celebration of Christmas Eve buckled the knees of the most hardened. Goliath despaired for a moment and then growled a demonish growl. The honchos at the Vatican were apprised of the rebellion and an invocation of condemnation was spirited upon the congregation and the Board. A wannabe Public Relation guru was deputized. The Laws of the Canon were consulted. Patience with the rabble had officially grown thin. Interdict, the mini ex-communication, of the Board would be levied. The punishment is now in place. Willful disobedience the charge. The situation appears hopeless at the present time. Hopefully, David's slingshot will be filled with a more volatile charge.

By the way, Ray. Kendrick was a Cardinal. Doesn't that outrank an Archbishop?

Is Free Speech Free?

The cornerstone of a free and democratic society is the guarantee of the freedom to express one's self without fear of governmental intrusion or reprisal. So basic is this belief, the Framers of our Constitution made it crystal clear, via the First Amendment, that the freedoms of speech, religion, the press and association were not to be compromised by governmental intervention or legislation. Or so they thought. The clarity they intended has evolved into a murky swamp beset with lawsuits and court decisions which confuse any attempt at reasoned analysis of the issue.

An absolutist would contend that all speech should be protected to preserve the right of the citizenry to project their ideas and opinions into the arena of debate. While the thought of censoring pure speech-political speech-is despicable, not all speech should share the same protection and certain limits on speech are necessary to preserve order in society. Three forms of speech are not protected by the First Amendment. Obscenity, deals with expression that appeal to the prurient interests and has no social or redeeming value. The "fighting words" or those words that arouse a passion in an individual where imminent danger or violence is at hand. And defamation, where an individual is libeled or slandered. But agreement on the elements that constitute each of these is not set in stone.

One of the least protected areas of free speech is that which involves public broadcasting. While federal statutes prohibit any form of censorship in television and radio programming prior to a broadcast, Congress and the courts have awarded the Federal Communications Commission the authority to determine what is "indecent" as broadcast and effectively suppressed expression. Once placed on notice that a broadcast is deemed "indecent", the broadcaster faces fines or a notation in their file that may weigh heavily on their attempt to renew their license. A subtle form of censorship so expressly forbidden under the law?

But what constitutes the moniker of "indecent"? The Supreme Court held that the term applies to the "nonconformance to the accepted standards of morality". In this day and age, what is the accepted standards of morality? The present administration has set its own standard on everything from abortion to gay marriages. Even children's shows such as Barney and SpongeBob Squarepants have taken hits from the moral right who attempts to save us from ourselves. For a governmental agency to have such power as to subjectively conclude what is decent or not flies in the face of what freedom of expression actually means.

A Supreme Court decision, FCC v. Pacifica Foundation, 438 U.S. 726 (1978) upheld the superfluous powers of the FCC. A monologue by George Carlin, a famous and talented satirist and comedian, entitled "Dirty Words" ("7 Dirty Words") was aired on a radio station out of New York in the early afternoon hours. A man driving in his car with his son heard the broadcast and complained to the FCC that this was not the kind of programming that he and his son should not be subjected to this type of indecency. The FCC sent a letter of complaint to the station and though not sanctioning the station advised that further complaints would be taken under advisement once renewal of the license of the station was at hand.

A brief summation: Obscenity not at issue. Indecency at issue. Children involved. Afternoon when children are present. FCC can determine what you can or can not hear. No censorship. Captive audience. This was the opinion of the majority. You read the dissenting opinions and you decide who has the most reasoned analysis. Note while you do, that the monologue is only 12 minutes long and that the adult driving the car presumably had the capacity to hit another button. As an aside, the complaint by the dad in the Carlin case was the only complaint received.

Each morning on my way to work, I listen to a radio program, The Bob and Tom Show. Very entertaining, contemporary and at times promote debate on current issues through their satirical offerings. Not really for the timid or weak of heart. When my children were younger, we listened to the program while in the car together. Many times we laughed until we cried. If there was a question concerning what was said, I never shied away from an explanation. When I participated in the carpool and the backseat was filled with giggly little high school girls, I controlled the on/off switch. There was no captive audience who after listening to something for five minutes, then makes a moral decision to use their finger to find another channel.

But station owners have become hesitant to air programming that may run afoul of the FCC guidelines, whether real or imagined censure would be forthcoming. While we can't call FCC actions truly censorship, the words of a Supreme Court Justice ring in my ears. "I know it, when I see it"

Papalbility

The leader of the Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II, was rushed to a hospital today suffering from what Vatican sources termed "a breathing crisis" caused by a recent bout with the flu. No stranger to medical adversity, the Pope's health has been on the decline recently. Then again a Vatican spokesman gave the Pope only "days or months" to live back in October, 2003. Despite all this and two assassination attempts, the Pope has been the leader of the church for over 26 years.

But suppose the recent affliction proves too much for a man his age. What does this mean to the members of the Catholic church? A new shepherd must be found. Slight problem, sheep. You have no input in naming a successor. Secret vote is cast to determine a winner. The group known as The College of Cardinals, leaders of the church appointed by the Pope himself, have the exclusive authority to elect their leader. Talk about politics. No voting by the populous allowed. No campaign speeches or promises. No town hall meetings or debates. You have a better chance at naming the Heisman Trophy winner.

Church pundits are at odds over who has the inside advantage. Contrasting opinions are the norm. The pros of a candidate on one list become the cons on another. European conservative moral theologians are the front runners. Liberals , blacks and the young are considered longshots as are candidates from Third World countries and the U.S. Those with close ties to the Pope are granted no favoritism. Do we want someone with the nickname "the Panzer Cardinal"?

In light of the scandals brought to light, the Church and its people could benefit with a changing direction. Its highly unlikely, but maybe a prayer heavenly intervention might help.