Complicated Shadows

Soooo… last week it was about why bad things don’t go away.  Sometimes it is complicated. Tomorrow Michael Brown is buried.  Perennial hand puppet Al Sharpton will come in for a drive by eulogy expanding his brand on the death of another young black man.  We don’t know whether it will drive a new round of protests and possible trouble maker violence or whether a tired hot city just wants to “move on”.

And that road goes on and on into the sunset.

And my destiny is bound to move me on.

-Missouri

That was a bad song and a bad quote but it might resonate for people of a “certain age”.  Watching Lacey Clay on “Face The Nation” talking about militarization of our police.  Watching Jay Nixon on “Meet The Press” be quizzed on “his failures”.  It is all just a yawn now as we forget that there is a family that no longer has a son.  To be fair, at least three other families have lost a son this week.

Trevon Kirksey

Taron Selfie

Kajiemme Powell

All dead.  One also killed by a police officer but the death gruesomely filmed and his video death apparently passes muster.  The other two young men were just gunned down on the street and to be totally fair to our police, our government, our city, our Christian community and their neighborhoods, no one who was not a friend or relative gives a shit.

Who is lighting a candle for them?

Where is Al Sharpton for them?

Why is Antonio French not marching at midnight for youths actually murdered in the City of St. Louis?

Where is self promoter Maria Chappelle-Nadal and all her righteous indignation?

Who is lighting a candle for them?

What about Darrell Wilson?  No one seriously believes this cop came out looking to kill anyone that day.  At best he over reacted in a threatening situation… at worst… he really, really fucked up.  His life as he knew it is over.  But he is still alive.

Elvis Costello might have summed it up:

Well you know your time has come and you're sorry for what you've done

You should've never have been playing with a gun

In those Complicated Shadows

Well there's a line that you must toe

and it'll soon be time to go

but it's darker than you know in those Complicated Shadows

All you gangsters and rude clowns

Who were shooting up the town

When you should have found someone to put the blame on

Though the fury's hot and hard

I still see that cold graveyard

There's a solitary stone that's got your name on!

-Elvis Costello:  Complicated Shadows

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3n1VzT_yis

***

But we want to “move on”.  It is hot.  We are tired.  Ferguson needs to get back to business.  The kids need to go to school.  People need to “live their lives”.  Really?

A personal favorite of mine, Mike Doughty has a song called “Move On”.  I think he wrote it around the 2007.  

“Down in the mouth and not half right

But I can feel the changes comin' on

Bloom like flowers in bluest night

Bloom like the sunlight in my song

Dum dumb, dum dumb, dum

Dum dumb, bay, dumb, dumb

Move on, move on, dum dumb

Dum dumb, dum, dum dumb, bay

All of the words you can't say right

Burn my ass with anger to no end

I love my country so much man

Like an exasperating friend”

-Move On (Sunlight In My Song)

Tell it brother.  Speaking the truth with love.  Like an exasperating friend.  I am still trying to figure out what to do.  What my response should be.  How do I change me?  I live in a white, protected, privileged silo.  Physical violence, threat, confrontation, discrimination… they are not part of my life.

My Pastor is calling me out.  My wife is calling me out.  My life is calling me out.  Many people are talking and dialoguing.  That is good.

My wife is doing constructive and engaging things and I am proud of her, but what do I do?

I wanted to attend funeral services or memorial services for one of these young men killed this week that was not Mike Brown.  I couldn’t find the information.  Young men who are gunned down in the streets get a mention (normally one day) in the “Law and Order” section of the post.  There are no Obituaries for;

Trevon Kirksey

Taron Selfie

Kajiemme Powell

There are no funeral listings.  I don’t know what I would do at such a funeral.  Sit in back by myself.  See a families loss?  Pray with them?  Pray for them? Light a candle for them?  Remember for a minute that this man lived and died?  Remember that another one of God’s children has gone along to his reward in a way never contemplated by our creator?

So I am trying to figure it out.  What will I do?  Will I move on and look back and talk about the “tragedy of Ferguson” and pontificate.  Or I will I find a way to be part of a real change?  What are you going to do?

“Dum dumb, dum dumb, dum

Dum dumb, bay, dumb, dumb

Move on, move on, dum dumb

Dum dumb, dum, dum dumb, bay”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csVcI2v82KY

Sometimes it is complicated.  Indeed.

Strange Days... Mommy Make The Bad Things Go Away... and perhaps they should not.

file:Soooo…I often wonder why bad things won't just “go away”.   it has been a confusing week.  I woke up last Monday morning up in Michigan to news of “Ferguson” Missouri.  “A town near St. Louis” according to the New York Times and the BBC.  Evidently a young man had been killed on the street.  Evidently the young man was black and and the shooter was policeman who is white.  Michael Brown was the name of the now deceased.  The conditions of his shooting are at best suspicious and exhibiting of poor judgment by the officer and at worst look like an angry, brutal execution.

I was driving home on Tuesday and kind of thought this would all be “over” before I ever returned.  It is about a 9 hour drive home.  I have satellite radio and I realized that this was not going to “go away”.

Pictures of Michael Brown lying on the pavement...videos of michael Brown, lying on the pavement in what looked like a rain puddle but it hadn't rained.  Etched.  People giving accounts of a confrontation, a struggle, a shot, an attempt to flee, more shots, an attempt to surrender… more shots.  Etched.  And now it won’t go away.

Idiots on TV and radio.  Everyone personalizing the story to fit their narrative… at first.  Discrediting police accounts.  Discrediting bystander accounts.  Whatever you want to believe it was all there for you to spin out of the “facts”.

Police brutality

Black thugs

White flight

Profiling

Lawlessness

Execution

He had it coming

Racism

Entitlement

Resentment

Social Justice

Looters

Rioters

First Amendment

Stand Your Ground

“There is more to the story”

...whatever.  A man is dead.  Evidently killed by a cop who although alive, his life is forever changed by his actions and by the consequences.  Part of the community would take the law into its own hands and crucify him, or worse.  On the other end of the spectrum are the “innocent until proven guilty” crowd.  If there is any trip or trope more played out and more a picture of guilt and cluelessness than “innocent until proven guilty” I do not know what it is.  Yes… in the courtroom you have a presumption of innocence.  In the world… not so much.  In fact, not at all.  In a 24 hour media circus you are guilty until proven otherwise.

What is amazing is how clueless political leadership has been.  Of course it is not a party until the ass clowns like Al Sharpton arrive.  On the other hand when Dick Gregory shows up, reasonable people should pay attention.  But the local grandees failed pretty miserably.  The City of Ferguson, failed.  They couldn’t handle it.  They called the County and the county arrived with swat teams and riot gear...all dressed in the Hunger Games finery to point guns at unarmed citizens for the national press.  Mc Cullough stumbled and the black politicos piled on with Charlie Dooley relishing this and showing himself for the petty asshole he is by piling on and kicking Mc Cullough and the cops for their mistake.  Nixon waded in with calls to the President and the Missouri Highway Patrol and a charm offensive by Captain Ron Johnson.  That was smart.

One career has been made and that is City Alderman Antonio French.  

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/08/14/who-is-antonio-french-the-alderman-providing-updates-from-ferguson/

Pay attention!  He combined the ear, the apparent heart and articulated in a way that crossed all boundaries.  The same cannot be said Maria Chapelle Nadal.  She has grandstanded, and played to her base.  Very safe.  Very sad and even more important very dangerous.  She seems whiny.  French seems in touch and in tune.  Ferguson is in her district.  French is a City Alderman and he went out and stood on the line and Tweeted the whole experience and… a star is born.

His Twitter feed is worthy of following:

https://twitter.com/AntonioFrench

He is not going  to “Go Away”.  And I think that might be a good thing.  For the black community and for the white community, for the city and for the region.  We will see if he has the character to match his courage.  He looks like a mayor and if he wants, Congressman.  Once again, we will see but the point is that he is emblematic of my own change of heart about this tragedy.

Tonight we have a curfew. I do not know whether that is a bad thing or a good thing. The status quo was not acceptable because as far as bad they things...."They mostly come out at night...mostly".

White people and black people are marching together.  Everyone knows there is something badly wrong in a society that has resulted in every black man being a suspect every time he leaves his home.  Now we are having discussions that might be more nuanced.  Might be more reasonable.  Might be more interesting than the bullshit that has led us here with everyone clinging to their stereotypes and comfortable narratives.

The really hard line  conservatives and mouthpieces like Glenn beck have demonized the term “social justice”.  This is a classic Orwellian crime.  I do not think the Jesuits invented social justice but the idea that Christians have an obligation to work for justice for our fellow men, no matter what their class is a noble concept and I hope that this conversation continues.  I hear Glenn Beck quoting my personal hero Bonhoeffer the day…. confused, frightened and elated me.  I wanted to laugh, cry and puke but…  at least it is thoughtful.

Sometimes bad things.  Heartbreaking things.  Criminal things.  Sometimes they are not going to Go Away!  Sometimes God works through evil occurrence and sometimes when things do not Go Away… maybe they shouldn't and maybe we will be better for it. I think that is a prayer.

The M-22 Grilll: Onekema Michigan

Sooo...what in all the blathering has been missing from “The St. Louis Diner Review”?  Well aside from interesting writing or topics when thing suspiciously missing would be the reviews of Diners.  Specifically St. Louis Diners.  While I cannot make up immediately for the lack of St. Louis Diners I can do a long distance dedication for the M-22 Diner in Onekema Michigan.  

We go up to Arcadia Michigan which is on M-22.  Onekema is about 9 miles south of Arcadia and 9 miles north of the fabulous Manistee.  Onekama sits on Portage Lake which has an outlet to Lake Michigan.  It is...scenic.  The Diner has had a couple of different incarnations but this new one seems to be sticking.

It is hard to find a decent place to eat up here.  Hubble’s Bait Shop over in Bear Lake is an excellent choice and you have The Lighthouse in Elberta to the North and slightly north in Frankfort, The Bayview.  But they all have their faults and you want to find a “go to” place.

A couple of things.  M-22 is a road that runs from Manistee, generally following the coast up and around and down to Traverse City.  It is “a thing” up here and we all have stickers on our cars, hats, t-shirts and what not. To learn more:

http://www.m22.com/story/

Although the outside of the place might not seem like much (Landscaping Wise) the place is very well maintained and clean and the service is excellent.  They have kept some of the old fisherman’s place motif but it is a big, open restaurant with a view of Portage Lake.  If the weather is nice you can even sit out on their deck but I have found for solo dining and newspaper reading, being inside is the best.

On a recent visit there were 2 or three tables with several people in them.  Based on the conversation they were all locals or at least long time property owners and I do think there is much to be said for going where the locals go.  The discussion was of real estate, construction work, fishing and a recent car accident.  Between that reading the Traverse City Eagle I felt like the faux Michigander I am.

I have become an eggs over easy person.  This is after years of not eating eggs at all and then with the Celiac, no longer being able to experience the joy of toast, cream gravy or chicken fried steak, I needed to step out.  After a year long affair with the scrambled egg I have now moved on to “over medium”.  This is a big deal.  Anyway, as you can see above they do a nice job with:

1. Over medium eggs

2. Ham

3. Bacon (crisp)

4. The ever important “hash brown”, shredded and properly browned yet still useful for sopping up your runny egg.

This is a good breakfast place.  They pride themselves not on their regular breakfasts but on their pancakes.  This day it was peach pancakes and the reviews from the other tables were that they were “excellent”.  They also sport about a dozen high quality omelettes.

You can check out the entire menu here:

http://www.m-22grill.com/page9.php

The iced tea was average.  Nothing special but it was served in pint glasses and topped off twice.  The service is attentive without being annoying.  At no time was I wanting for anything and twice I was asked by the manager  and another waitresses if everything was OK and/or could they get anything for me.  I was impressed.

Whether you eat at the counter, or a booth or out back at one of the tables I strongly recommend the M-22 as a fine establishment.  Next summer the goal would be to get a team together and visit all the diners around us and provide a nice guide for those coming our beautiful little neck of the mitten.

Why Do We Insist On Being Lazy and Stupid?

Soooo…. why do we insist on simple answers for everything.

I know in my Christian Schooling it was taught to us that GOOD and EVIL were as clear and black and white, right and wrong, Goofus and Gallant.  But most of my teachers, all through High School were more nuanced.  Not all of them.  But most of them.  They taught me to question any absolute other than the overwhelming love that God has for us as evidenced by the life and death of his son.  That was a non negotiable and as absurd as it seems to my non believing  friends it remains a pretty solid non negotiable item for me.

But everything else is on the table.

Law school made this worse.  When I first heard the title “50 Shades of Gray” I assumed it was about the practice of law, rather than… shit, I don’t even really know what the book was about as I didn’t read it, but I don't think it was about the law.  Everything is gray.  Black and white are illusions, over simplified for the control of the masses by the few who rile them up with righteous indignation over…

1. Anything.

2. Our children and the safety of our children and the future of our children.

3. But if children are not available than in our case it is our AMERICAN values and our Constitution which someone (currently an evil black man in Washington) are trampling upon and ruining EVERYTHING for everyone.

A. Freedom

B. Abortion

C. Gun Rights

D. Same Sex Marriage

People, this shit is complicated.  It is complicated by millions (or at least several thousand for Biblical 7 Day Creationists) of years of history and baggage.  Hate and distrust of strangers (anyone who believes differently than we do) is nothing new.  

I know my Old Testament (by virtue of Lutheran School drilling and man named Fred Grundman, may his sharp witted, sometimes sarcastic and always brilliant soul rest in peace).  There is a lot of really good stuff there.  A lot of great life lessons for leading a valued, meaningful, worthwhile and happy life.  There is also a lot of stuff written by fearful men which was might (or might not) have helped the people they were writing for.  I believe scripture is inspired by God but, men wrote it.  I get how eating pork was forbidden and why.  It made a great deal of sense.  It no longer does.

Now I know many faith traditions still hold pork as tref but most of us have moved on in varying degrees.  Anyway, I digress only because so many people use the literal interpretation of certain verses of scripture (while ignoring Christ’s example in the Gospels) as an excuse for not thinking.  We as a country are doing the same thing with the Constitution.

Why do people get so apoplectic about our 2nd Amendment Rights?  I believe our framers meant for our Citizens to have a well organized militia.  At that time, the government could not afford to outfit troops so certainly every man having a weapon made sense.  Perhaps it still does today.  Did they envision the killing power that an individual has in their hands now?  NO.  Satan himself could not have seen that so much power for death could be in one mans hands.  I do not like guns particularly.  I know it is impossible to get shot if you're not in shooting distance of a gun.  I know I have never been threatened by a gun or by gun violence.  I dont want them in my house or around my children. I would prefer no one have them.  But at this point… it doesn't make any difference what I think.  310 Non-military guns in the US according to CNN.  So this is done.  Now we have to thrash around with it and watch the ease with which crazy people and children have access to guns.  There are too many of them.  But it is done.  Lets stop pretending like we are going to do anything about it and lets stop giving the NRA and Gun manufactures fodder for their asinine claims that Obama is going to take away their guns and ammo.  If he could get it done, he would of.  He knows he can’t.  I wish he could of.  No one can.  SHUT UP about it on both sides.  We have made our bed.  I don’t support that we should all have non hunting firearms but so what?  It is a meaningless yet divisive conversation.  Handguns?  I know you can target shoot with them but they are really for killing people.  But so what?

Immigration… again, why can’t we see this is complicated.  Why can't we admit that American Business has been blessed by (insisted upon) an open southern border to provide cheap, easily used up and thrown away labor forever or at least for my life.  So lets not pretend that we have not welcomed and benefitted from these immigrants for a long time.  At a cost!  Absolutely.  Not all of us?  Yes, all of us have benefitted through cheaper food and goods.  Think Tyson, WalMart and each piece of fruit you eat and then shut up about not being part of the problem.  There is also no question that we could seal and control the border.  It would have a huge expense but if you think we could not fence, mine and patrol 3000 miles, than you don't understand AMERICA.  In the meantime we have 50,000 children here from Central America who our own laws say we cannot send back without a hearing (stupid law but the law and since our congress is so dysfunctional it cannot presently be overturned).  So all of you law and order people on immigration need to pay attention to this one too.  Bottom line is that we are not as a nation going to send 50,000 kids back to hell.  As to the 11,000,000 (estimated) illegal immigrants, we literally do not have the:

1. Time

2. Resources

3. Desire (see Tyson foods above)

So “send them home”.  Our economy uses them and profits from them.  They use services.  there is a cost.  Saint Ronald made them all citizens but I guess that was his only mistake. We are not going to send 11 million people back.  So there are no EASY ANSWERS.  Although i think Illegal immigration through our southern border has been a great thing for the country I realize that is not a widely held opinion.  How about if we…

Spend the Money to secure the border, make a national investment like the race to the moon.  Announce that we are doing it and announce that when it is complete, everyone here will have six months to begin a process of becoming a citizen.  I know it sounds shitty but there are no easy answers!  SUGGEST SOMETHING BETTER!  I will listen.

Abortion.  Wow.  We had to get there.  I am against abortion.  I think (please focus on the word THINK) that it might be murder.  I really don’t know when life begins.  But it is not unreasonable to think it begins at conception.  I also believe that women who get abortions are often badly damaged by their actions in ways they cannot fully appreciate, in the moment.  On the other hand I KNOW:

1. There are many unwanted pregnancies

2. Some of these pregnancies will be terminated regardless of legislation

3. A women should have say over her body (I realize a fetus has rights too)

4. If we make it illegal, people with means will have safe abortions, people without means

will have to rely on “lesser” options.

5. You cannot legislate morality.

6. We are not taking care of the children who are born and “unwanted”.

7. There is a societal cost to the majority of unwanted children that society has proven

unwilling to bear.

8. The people who tell me every life is sacred have very little interest in stopping the government from murdering people on death row, despite the whole “every life is sacred” thing.

I have no answers to this one.  Life is sacred.  But so what?  Pray a lot.  keep an open heart for people who disagree with you.  Be deeply suspicious of anyone who provides simple answers.  Did I mention, pray a lot.

Same sex marriage.  I saved this one for last.  I have a vested interest in this one, having a gay son.  I understand the people who go to the Bible and pick verses (I believe out of context) to support their pathological hate for this and their support of the sanctity of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.  I know I am small minded on this one so i will be a little more of a prick.  I will try and be kind to you as our children have already made the decision.  This is a clear case of raising people whether intentionally or not, who are better people than us.  Maybe that is something we can be Thankful for.  

***

So, be smarter.  Be thoughtful.  Be reflective.  Be different people.  Fail at it.  Then try again.  I heard Glenn Beck quoting Deutrich Bonhoeffer.  His picture is the one on top. He was truly a great man.  If you don’t know anything about him be lazy and read this.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer

If you want a really good short read, this really improved my understanding of faith and life and purpose.  It is only 128 pages and is a great intro to a great man.

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Together-Classic-Exploration-Community/dp/0060608528

Glenn Beck quoting Bonhoeffer?!  I don’t know whether to he hopeful or horrified but, shit, let’s choose hope.

ELECTION TIME IN NORTHERN ARKANSAS!

Soooo...as the avid 7 readers of these pages know, I believe that the State of Missouri as led by our legislature (term limited, terminally corrupted by money and lobbyists), in a heartfelt, focused, jihadi like drive to allow or at least force Missouri to follow its stupid and somewhat mean spirited and inbred heart and become “Northern Arkansas”.  Although they probably would not allow annexation as it would deprive them possibly of their perks related to office, they will accomplish what they will not do politically spiritually.  

They do it through supporting and passing stupid legislation. “Stupid” is a very narrow minded, prejudicial term and I hesitate to use it loosely but from a group of people constantly worried about, in no particular order:

1. The imposition of Sharia law in Missouri,

2. “The immigration problem” (which I assume is concerned that travel from our southern border home to Arkansas might be somehow infringed).

3. Anything that might limit someone in Versailles from owning a tank (the vote to nullify and Federal law regulating firearms)

4. Obamacare!  We refuse to accept Federal money and provide more health services to our residents!

5. Taxes!  They are all bad unless they fall disproportionately and the poor and cost businesses and rich people either nothing or next to nothing.

6. Voting.  You must have a valid picture ID!  So your right to vote requires you to register. Your right to own a gun… not so much.

Recently they have decided to “Take These Things To The People” and with a ton of lobbying dollars behind the effort they can skirt around the obvious veto by Governor Nixon.  On Tuesday we will be able to officially enshrine in our State Constitution Several New things.  Several things that have no business in a Constitution.  5 Separate “Amendments” are offered.  Take a look at this site to be a responsible voter before you go in.  It is run by Jason Kander.  He is our Secretary of State.  He appears to be a very nice man and runs a good website:

http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2014ballot/

Since 1945 the Constitution has been Amended 80 times.  Now it appears our legislature wants to change the Constitution to keep from taking responsibility for silly laws.  Today I only really want to discuss one:

1. The Right To Farm:

Section 35. That agriculture which provides food, energy, health benefits, and security is the foundation and stabilizing force of Missouri's economy. To protect this vital sector of Missouri's economy, the right of farmers and ranchers to engage in farming and ranching practices shall be forever guaranteed in this state, subject to duly authorized powers, if any, conferred by article VI of the Constitution of Missouri.[5]

This will be the first one you face Tuesday.  Vote no.  This was engendered by the Humane Society People passing laws against animal cruelty.  They would dramatically potentially affect factory farms in our state and so AGRIbusiness got farmers all riled up and more importantly used the family farmers as a front for their bought and paid for legislature to provide them with a Constitutional Right to “farm” however they deem appropriate?

Really?  I mean, I am not high and mighty on this.  I love cheap meat.  I love cheap chicken.  If I ever witnessed the conditions we raise and kill these animals however I believe I would shit my pants in pure shame.  So I avoid that knowledge which i believe is my legal right but does not speak well for my almighty soul.  In any case, there is no God given right to “farm” without any definition of what that means, anymore than there is a “right” to be a lawyer. We confer to government the power to govern.  We want them to keep our food supply safe for example.  Lots of people will love this amendment:

1. Lawyers

2. Factory farmers

3. People who abuse child labor

4. Raw milk people

5. Marijuana Farms (it is a right to farm!)

We don’t need it.  It provides cover not for our family farmer but for the people who are putting them out of business. It is not the proper use of a Constitution.  It purports to confer special protections on farmers that the rest of us do not have. It is un American.

But in Missouri, our legislator under the guise of protecting our rights behaves as toadies for corporate interests and government haters.  I support your family farm.  You have a right to make living.  There is no “right” to farm and there is certainly no right to factory farm.

I am thinking of voting against all 5 amendments on Tuesday.  Why do we have to amend our constitution with “stupid”?