The intent of this blog is to promote human equality, human progress, human peace and justice, and optimism. To accomplish this, to encourage the discussion of ideas after identifying and discovering problems, and then creating positive solutions for "we the people," in order to provide for the "general welfare" and "domestic tranquility" of America now and its "posterity" into the future. To encourage an emphasis on separation of religion and state for all, no matter if this is for those "of faith" in a Maker / Creator (Deists, God-loving people, Christians, various people of spirituality) and atheists or agnostics.

Archive for the ‘Commentary’ Category

Selfishness

Here I go again!  Selfishness is one of my biggest pet peeves, so everyone can hear it again.

“I have a RIGHT to my opinion.”  As long as your RIGHT does not reflect your selfishness.  PERIOD.

We all need to take a stand for OURSELVES, defend OURSELVES, and protect OURSELVES.  There is no question.  But we have gone extreme.  Now we have “Stand your ground with guns.”  Extreme selfishness based on false fear, rather than reaching out to our neighbors as Jesus Christ said.  Jesus said, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”  Extreme selfishness and insisting on our individual rights to such EXTREMES has caused us to laugh when someone says, “Do unto others before they do unto you.”  What do you accept?  The first words emanating from Jesus Christ or the second words of bestial barbarism based on Ayn Rand’s stupid virtue of selfishness?

Most of my opinions are for the good of the overall society, not necessarily for MY individual good.  I am going to be rather presumptuous when I say, my opinions are worth more.  PERIOD.  Because they consider, “we the people,” not “me, myself, and I – and ONLY me, myself, and I.”  “Me, myself and I” is dead wrong and the case of Zimmerman and Treyvon Martin is proof.  Many are saying this, but the loudmouths who think ONLY of “me, myself, and I” drown out the reasonable, sensible, and rational ones, such as Charles Barkley.

George Bush and President Barack Obama continue to use the word, “democracy,” when dealing with other nations.  Where is the “democracy” in Iraq, Mr. Bush?  Will we see “democracy” in Egypt.  In both cases, the missing element is not democracy, but to establish a lack of selfishness and greed and recognizing secular governments.  Nice thing of Mr. Bush to tear apart a secular government, then leave a vacuum for selfish Muslims in several sects to fight – with SELFISHNESS AND GREED – for POWER AND CONTROL and attempting to negate any efforts of secularism.

In Egypt, the military government there is attempting to keep order with a secular government.

In each of these cases – Iraq and Egypt, were the secular governments really “democracies?”  NO.  They were made up of selfish men, but they were men who were able to keep the peace with some semblance of order – through secularism, which allows all religions to co-exist.

In the case of Iraq, one could argue this notion, due to the treatment of the Kurds.  I suppose everything under the Egyptian secular government was never perfect, either.  The same in America.  Look at how the white man has treated the black, brown, and red men.  Not good at times, for a “secular” government.  Men are not perfect, that’s all I can say.  But to impose theocracies based on one religion is insane.  And that is what the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt had intended to do.  Yes, Muslims are in the majority there.  So all the more reason for these people to grasp President Obama’s notions about “democracy,” right?  That big bad government which wishes to silence selfishness and greed which comes with a majority of the people.  The government is good.  This time around, the protestors are greedy pigs wishing to impose THEIR religion on everyone else in Egypt.  And if the Muslim brotherhood intends to use martyrdom to prove their case, well, they do it to themselves, rather than working to produce a secular government.

The so-called “christian” right-wing nut fascist community in the USA and Western Europe is just as bad.  The inevitability of creating fascist christian theocracies and Muslim theocracies is nothing but insane and leading to the “Armageddon” and “doomsday” these christian jerks keep thrusting upon us, rather than attempting to coexist.

I believe GOD is disgusted with all such people, not with the ones these jerks keep claiming are abrasive to GOD.

“Do not covet [pride, jealousy, envy, materialism].”  “No adultery [broader concept – DECEPTION].”  “No graven image before GOD [worship of money].”  These are what is important, not the greed and selfishness perpetuated by Ayn Rand, the atheist.  She does a great job in dividing the world and bringing on a “doomsday,” does she not?  No where in the Bible does it say human beings should create the environment for a “doomsday,” you nut jerks in both christian and muslim communities.

Even efforts to divide this USA with selfishness within the races, cultures, and ethnic groups of America are doing damage.  Should I stand up and demand a WASP heritage month?  All cultures have their foibles and their honors.  But the point is, this is ONE America with a secular government which has worked for several centuries.  The U.S. Constitution was set up with secularism and balance in mind.  The U.S. Constitution begins with the words, “We the people…”  It does NOT begin with, we the corporate oligarchy… or we the Anglo Americans … or we the Hispanic Americans … or we the African Americans……..   or we the … whatever group…

Let me say it again, plus MORE: “WE THE PEOPLE of the United States of America, in order to form a more PERFECT UNION…”

Shed this world of selfishness, rather than one another, and just see how much better things could be.  But don’t listen to those of us who suggest this and just continue to say, “I have a right to my opinion!”  And watch how bad things will become.

Continue with the more costly law-and-order approach – once guilty always guilty and never implement the words of forgiveness as suggested by Jesus Christ – and we continue on a downward slope which ends in fascism, tyranny and genocide, as with Hitler who forced the morality of a church upon a population.  Love of money drives the people running the jails.  Love of money drives those hardline criminal justice people who lack any sense of humanity.  Therefore the costs to our society are high – in terms of finances, resources, and people.  And I don’t advocate, as many liberals do, to put people in jail with cushy materialistic surroundings, either.  I advocate a FIRM and FAIR rehabilitation system which admonishes those who cling to law-and-order subversive devices of NON-FORGIVENESS which causes recidivism.  Selfishness and greed on the part of law-and-order advocates who sabotage rehabilitation, in the name of power, greed, selfishness – and the loudmouths which cause fear and intimidation in the process, is a lousy sleezey, scumbag way to proceed.  The hardline approach is wrong, just as the selfish ruling class in Haiti and other insane corrupt and selfish countries are wrong.

Coexist is one of the best bumper stickers I have seen because it means we need to shed our selfishness and greed.  When do we begin?

Douglas W. Cornwell

Tioga Herald

False Judgments

Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:  1 – 17; Deuteronomy 5: 4 – 21

  1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
  2. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image.
  3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD the GOD in vain.
  4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
  5. Honour thy father and thy mother.
  6. Thou shall not kill.
  7. Thou shall not commit adultery.
  8. Thou shall not steal.
  9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
  10. Thou shalt not covet.

My colleagues and I who are professionals in education have been rendered with “false witness against thy neighbor.”  By whom?  Rick Scott and many who proclaim they “have Jesus!”  Plus others who don’t.

My grandmother said, “judge not lest you be judged.”  So, Nanna, when false judgments are hurled at me and my professional colleagues, am I to remain stalwart in following what you advised me to do?

I COULD make some judgments here, after having false judgments passed on me.  I did not pass judgment on Rick Scott at the beginning, just made certain I got my butte to the voting booth, recognizing, unlike many who did not and are now complaining, the importance of voting.  But later, when I listened to Rick Scott’s friends lambast faculty at Palm Beach State College, I could not resist in joining the crowds who insist Rick Scott has also thumbed his nose at Commandment number 8.  Has he?  As with the lawyers of Jesus Christ’s days, we face manipulation of the truth.  I suppose Jesus Christ had no basis for calling these people “hypocrites?”  I guess I should say no more and plead the fifth!

Hypocrites and deception fall under, when you remove the sex part, Commandment number 7.  Adultery IS deception.  Our sex-crazed world gets too tied up with the sex part and cannot recognize the deception part.  Rick Scott does not measure up well with Commandment number 7, either – with regard to DECEPTION and NOT speaking about sex.

We hope the man did not commit an offense contrary to Commandment number 6.

OK.  Sometimes I am not so good with Commandment number 3, even when I think I am getting away with something when I say, OMG!  Or GD – the worse!  Then again, is GD like saying, “Gee whiz” or “golly gee!”  or “darn it all?”  I know nothing about how Rick Scott handles this commandment.

Commandment number 2.  Society does too much of this one and Rick Scott is no exception.  The same can be said of number 10.  Materialism and “keeping up with the Joneses!”  Envy, jealousy, pride.  1 Timothy emphasizes the “love of money” as the “root” of “evil” or “all kinds of injurious things.”  Is this not like making a “graven image?”  Worship of money rather than GOD?  I think so.  Where does Rick Scott, the man who BOUGHT his election, stand on this one?

Also Commandment 1.  “No other gods.”  Rick Scott and his tea party “gods” of the Koch brothers and others.  Fleshly “gods” are more important to Rick Scott than the true God.  More important than the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Whoops!  There I go… making a judgment.  Sorry Nanna!

Douglas Cornwell

Tioga Herald

A Church’s Negative Role Model

The Roman Catholic Church stood complacently by as Adolph Hitler took countless lives and plunged Europe into a war.  Let me remind folks that the opposite of love is complacency, not hatred.  Hatred was what the masses of people had to contain as it raged inside them, particularly the European Jews, among other groups.

The Roman Catholic Church never excommunicated Hitler or Mussolini, either.

As a Protestant, I don’t believe in excommunication because it’s done by a bunch of men who believe they are gods in the flesh.  My grandmother, the daughter of a Methodist pastor, always reminded me of this when she said, “judge not lest you be judged.”

Like the Methodist Church (unfortunately), the Roman Catholic Church remains steadfast in insisting that being gay is a sin and turning to look the other way at promiscuous sex in the heterosexual community.  Ironically, these churches endorse promiscuous homosexual sex, too, as many in the gay community attempt to reduce promiscuity by encouraging monogamous marriages.  Makes sense, right?

The kicker in all of this is the Roman Catholic practice of excommunication.  It encourages the hatred which can fester and grow in homophobic men (and perhaps women) who are uncomfortable with their own sexuality.  How?  Because Hitler avoided excommunication while gay pastors and men do not.  The message from this heretical church is this.  You can murder and steal (and do other things), therefore breaking the 10 Commandments.  The church does not care.  But be a homosexual (like there is some kind of choice – NOT!), and we will go after you.  Then the people who witness this idiocy within the church feel they can be nasty to their fellow human beings who are gay.

Peace be with you.

Douglas Cornwell

Tioga Herald

ObamaCare and False Rumors

False:  With ObamaCare, all corporations will cancel insurance programs.  Not true, but if corporations do these, it’s for one of two reasons:  ObamaCare is less expensive or they are attempting to sabotage ObamaCare.

 

If ObamaCare is allowed to operate as intended, insurance premiums could go down.  Anti-Obama people who sabotage ObamaCare are traitors to America and the American people.

 

Douglas Cornwell

Tioga Herald

Cutthroat Kitchen

Sad to say, Food Network and Alton Brown have just stooped to low levels of the sewer with the announcement of a program, Cutthroat Kitchen.   This glorifies sabotage and all the other barbaric brainless and shallow libertarian practices which drive society to anarchy and an uncivilized world.  Many of us attempt to keep our society on a trajectory towards a civilized world instead.

Shame on you, Alton Brown, for agreeing to such a scumbag program.  Of course, i suppose such scum will sell well.  So all we are concerned with today is making and worshiping money.  Scum and the dregs of society.  We need to make money, but not do it with such extremes of greed and selfishness.  Go screw, Ayn Rand and all her followers.  Your virtues are lousy and you destroy civilized life on this planet.

Douglas Cornwell

Tioga Herald

Insurance

This past week, Mr. Atwater began a process to determine why consumers in Florida are being screwed by big insurance.  He did not say it in this manner, but to educated consumers who have had to deal with big insurance and the huge rate increases (while home values have declined), this is important.

One can only hope something positive for supply and demand regulated capitalism comes about.  CEOs of big corporations have become lazy and take, rather than earn.  They need to be stopped because we need true capitalism, not the gr eedy and selfish money-worshiping capitalism, learned in disgusting Monopoly games by youths,  that takes us back to 17th-century feudalism.

Douglas Cornwell

Tioga Herald

The Hour of Power episode this morning (Aug. 11, 2013), broadcast the last service in the Crystal Cathedral.  It was touching and positive as Rev. Robert Schuller (II) gave the message.  More on that.

In reviewing this situation I ran into an article about the sale and wish to offer my comments, as I did on the Christian Post.

I am disappointed that the Crystal Cathedral was sold to the Roman Catholic diocese in Orange County, CA, especially after reading the article published in the Christian Post ( Luiza Oleszczuk, “Robert Schuller trusts Catholic Church with Crystal Cathedral,” Christian Post, Dec. 21, 2011, http://global.christianpost.com/news/robert-schuller-trusts-catholic-church-with-crystal-cathedral-65365/), explaining that the RC bid was NOT the highest bid. This article does not explain why, but many of us would like to know.

On the other side of the coin, the Roman Catholic Church would never take a second-level bid.  Why do these Protestants do this?

I have watched the Hour of Power many times off and on, since its inception in 1980.  Most of the time it has been sitting with my dad in Melbourne, FL.  I recall the message around 1982:  “When times get tough, the tough get going.”

It is not a televangelist movement, but a teaching religious experience, touching on many issues which we face in life.  It is based on God’s love, not on the fear and intimidation imposed by judgmental religions like the Roman Catholic faith and many conservative Protestant faiths.  So it is very sad to see the church being sold to a church which remained silent towards the atrocities of Adolph Hitler, never excommunicating the man, yet today excommunicating people who have NEVER murdered, let alone performed genocide.

When people should have spoken up, they did not.  Only a Lutheran pastor named Dietrich Bonnhoffer did.  It was not the fleas which got to him, either.

Douglas Cornwell, Tioga Herald

Stupid Shallow Unappreciative Americans

Secede, huh?  Unappreciative, greedy, selfish, scumbag redneck Americans who lack appreciation for what this country has given them.  Perhaps such dimwits should go live the life of a third world nation.
Scum in Papa Johns and other corporations who complain about Obamacare, rather than work with it.  I have had to work with many things which, at first blush, did not appear appealing to me.  Sometimes it actually works out for the better.  To the head of Papa Johns, Dominoes, and Chick-fil-a too:  you greedy selfish pigs and SOBs.  Get a life and let Americans live, rather than die from lack of healthcare and/or the freedoms you wish to remove from us.  You bastards.  I have nothing nice to say about such lazy CEOs who are lousy rebels for Americans.  Such people do not encourage or motivate a work ethic, but rather de-motivate by creating an atmosphere or conformity to slavery.
Allen West.  You spend our tax dollars needlessly on an election you lost.  Concede already, you greedy nasty selfish vicious pig.

Rick Scott, you always seem to find money from the state coffers for your cronies and other pet pojects, but seem to have a problem finding it for education and those who work in education on the front lines.  Silly me, but maybe if you gave less to your cronies you might find the money!  Maybe I am just a lousy stupid teacher who gets paid no where near what lawyers get paid, so I just might be missing something?  I notice, Rick Scott, you don’t go after the high-priced lawyers, but go after low-priced public workers and other low-priced workers.  You want slaves?  How about if we make the governor a slave – for the people?  At least Bob Graham got out of the governor’s mansion and went and worked with a shovel, broom, chalkboard in a classroom, and other implements, so he knew  what it was like to be outside the ivory tower and what REAL people do for a job, not lazy CEOs who destroy competition and take from others, rather than getting money the old fashioned way – they EARN it.  As teachers and other hard working people know how to do.

 

 

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Nobody Listened When Democrats have been harassed

Nobody listened when Democratic Party Murphy voters were harassed by Allen West supporters.  Nobody listened, so now we are supposed to feel sorry for Allen West?  Nothing went wrong in St. Lucie County, except the fact that Allen West is a sore loser – and a mean and vicious person who claims to be a Christian.  The people spoke, Mr. West.  Listen to the people, not to the rednecks and violent people who love to hear your emotional outbursts.  People don’t listen to my emotional outbursts, so why should anyone listen to yours?

Broadcast Media

Rupert Murdock once pronounced free broadcast television and radio as being as good as “dead,” due to cable television.  Did anyone notice the smile on his face?  After all, Murdock makes tons of money from cable television.  That’s money that you and I pay in expensive cable television bills and no choice for lower-cost subsets of cable television channels which would exclude Murdock’s channels and be more palatable to us.  And people complain about the small amounts of tax dollars (in comparison to what I probably pay Murdock) used for PBS and NPR?  Give me a break.

Murdock might as well have been explicit and said, “I intend to destroy free local broadcast television.”  For this is his intent – destroy his competition, as are the secret missions of Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, and other big box retailers.  Don’t compete, but destroy – like a Roman warrior and the Mafia which identifies with the Roman Empire.

So someone says to me, “you have a choice if you don’t like cable television, you can cancel it!”  Oh, I can, can I?  So, my choice is like black and white.  Receive everything or nothing?  I am abrasive to that thought that “I have a choice.”  I don’t have a choice.  And the one choice I do have, the big guys like Murdock wish to eliminate that choice, too!

I don’t have a choice.  Sure, I can turn the channels I don’t enjoy off.  I can even set up my remote to bypass such channels and only move to channels I enjoy.  But I still pay more for the bundled packages than I would if offered a package with a more delightful menu – and paid less.  It is not right for my dollars to go to something I don’t agree – particularly for politics and religion for which I disagree.  I also don’t figure I should pay for the bundling of sports into my packages either.  Give me the ones I DON’T want to receive as “pay as you go.”  I attended Syracuse University football games in Syracuse.  It was pay as you go.  I had a choice to purchase a bundle for season’s tickets or pay as you go.  Even the bundled season’s tickets were “pay as you go” – for one team only.

Sports have become far too commercialized, due to this boondogle called cable television.  And while on this subject, consider how much more of my tax dollars have paid for stadiums than for public broadcasting!  Yet millions of us never watch sports!  Where is the justice in this?  Where are the supposed “choices?”  There are none.

And now Rupert Murdock, with the finger prints of paranoid Tricky Dickey on his actions, wishes to eliminate free local broadcasting.  Better to control the “herds” of animal slaves, don’t you know?  When will we the people stop this jerk and others like him?  We won’t, as long as we continue to dismiss what I say with, “you DO have choices” and brush my main point aside.  I do not have choices when I am precluded from purchasing what is acceptable to me.  That is elimination of a choice.  Preclude me and make me out to be troublemaker and you are all working for big business, not for the people.

Imagine the creation of “family-friendly” cable television packages – just for James Dobson and his looney tune worshipers.  It’s a win-win situation for right and left wing – as well as spreading the wealth, rather than concentrating it in the hands of a few people like Rupert Murdock.  Imagine what I could do with the extra money NOT wasted on cable television shit which I don’t wish to view!  The only ones who lose are greedy selfish monopolists – and I don’t give a damn if they lose.