Painting With Light

“Worker” © R.L. Herron

I was going to post my thoughts yesterday on what I had hoped to hear in President Obama’s State of the Union Address.

However, daily life intervened and ensured I would not have time to write anything as unnecessary as my blog. As I come back to it today, I cannot help thinking we are all, like the little critter in the picture, really working toward a larger purpose.

The efforts of small societal segments, even individuals, contribute to the greater good, and I had hoped our President was going to tell us (and by “us” I mean the population in general, as well as Congressional naysayers and Wall Street) that disagreement in the course of intelligent discourse is healthy.

But there comes a time when each and every one of us must simply step up and do what’s right.

He didn’t disappoint me.

Now, I can only hope we all respond positively to his message and stop the relentless nitpicking, and senseless campaign-like rhetoric, that prevents any real progress from taking place.

Given the enmity that obviously exists between factions in our governing body, I’m not overly optimistic on that score.  I think it very likely that some of our elected leaders truly care more about their careers than the country they were asked to govern.

But perhaps, as our President said, we really can do “something worthy to be remembered.”  I hope so.

Time will tell.

“Shoreline” © R.L. Herron

We, as a society, talk a lot about setting goals. Goals for our education, goals for our marriage, goals for our children, goals for our jobs and our careers, goals for retirement. Lots of goals. Some as simple as reaching the end of the shoreline in the distance.

Our goals often suffer setbacks as we pursue them. Some setbacks can’t be helped. Others, when you examine what brought them on, should never have happened, because they do not conform to conduct consistent with principles of personal and social ethics.

Perhaps that violation of ethics is what irked me so much about what happened to the goals of teenager Lauren McClusky.

Perhaps you read about her.

If not, you should have. This young lady recently found herself at the center of a dispute over the name she chose for charity concerts she’s produced for the past three years.

The name: McFest.

What’s so bad about that? Good question. They were music festivals she chaired for charity. She chose the name because her surname happened to have a “Mc” prefix as part of it (as did the young lady who was her co-chairman). It seemed a natural.

In 2007 and 2008 her festivals raised $30,000 for the Chicago chapter of Special Olympics. All good things, wonderful things, particularly coming from one so young.

Since her concerts were being so well received, she tried to have the name McFest protected. That’s when her problems began.

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“Lake Sixteen Shoreline” © R.L. Herron

I find the picture above to be soothing, and soothing is something I needed this past week.

My heart goes out to the poor people of Haiti, struggling to survive after a devastating earthquake, the worst in 200 years, in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.

Somehow, as satisfying as it has been to hear the outpouring of worldwide concern, my mind keeps going back to one moment.

I found it appalling to hear the comments from the small-minded evangelical bigot who claimed the destruction was somehow deserved, because Haitian people had made a pact with the devil.

I won’t give him, or those who actually listen to this fool, the satisfaction of repeating his name here. He’s not worth it.

This was the same sorry excuse for a human being who claimed Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was heavenly retribution for a sinful New Orleans. It’s also the same asshole (I’m sorry, there is no other word I can use for him) who claimed similar reasons for the 9/11 attacks in New York City.

What Pure Bull****
He would do well to remember the “good book” he professes to follow that says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39).

In his deluded view of caring for his fellow man, he seems to have forgotten this admonition.

I hope everyone, regardless of their faith system, will remember that verse, and allow their empathy and concern for their fellow man to reach out with an offer of support.

Don’t let any such morally corrupt person sway your concern for men, women and children in dire need.

When you do send support, beware of the scammers who prey on concerned people at times like this. Use only legitimate groups you trust, such as the American Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services, or Doctors Without Borders.