Readin', Writin', and Really Wishin' School Was Out

Have y'all noticed that over the past few months, my writing has become more sloppy and less focused? It seems that I have trouble writing more than a few sentences at a time, and the thoughts contained in those sentences aren't very good.

I was just looking over some of my previous blog posts from last summer, and I must say--at the risk of sounding conceited--I am impressed with what I read. However, I am also perplexed. It seems that when school started last fall, my writing skills began to go downhill. My mind began to lose its ability to think deeply about one topic for a long period of time. I'm moving from topic to topic, thinking only superficially about each one. Now, I hope this is simply because I haven't had adequate time to devote to thinking and writing. I fear, however, that my students' bad habits are starting to rub off on me. Maybe this problem will correct itself when school ends. (Only five more weeks!!!!!)

In an effort make the rest of the semester a little more interesting, and more importantly, to foster deeper thinking and understanding in my students, I have given them a new assignment for their last paper, which happens to be a long research paper. Their task is to research a topic that they don't know much about, one that they would like to be able to form an opinion about. They have to deal with topics from the following areas: a controversial issue for which they don't already hold a strong opinion; an event in history (like the Kent State riots or the Ruby Ridge incident); a belief system or belief-related practices (such as any religion or political philosophy, or practices such as polygamy or Veganism); or a culture/group/society (such as a gang, an ethnic group, or any other type of social/activist/interest group). The goal of the research is to learn about the subject and gain insights about the subject. My students don't have to come to an agreement with the beliefs being discussed, but they have to come to an understanding of why the people involved believe the way that they do. The paper the students will write will discuss the insights and understanding they have gained and show the reader how they came to these insights.

My students are actually quite excited about the research because they now have the chance to write about topics that normally would not be conducive to an English class or other college classes for that matter. They are choosing very interesing topics as well: With all the controversy around South Park and Tom Cruise lately, some are choosing to research Scientology. Others want to learn more about Islam. I also seem to have a lot of conspiracy theorists in my classes because some of the other topics include the Knights Templar, the Illuminati, the Skull and Bones Society, and the idea of the moon landing being a hoax. I hope that these papers will be fun to read.

What do you think?

What a Great Day!

Today I am wearing pants that I haven't been able to zip up in about two years! And they feel comfortable!!

Things That Make You Go "Hmmm."

I was talking with some colleagues about illegal immigration and got to wondering about something. The poem on the Statue of Liberty reads as follows:

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

I wonder, how many tired, poor, huddled, wretched, tempest-tossed people have the time it takes to go through the proper channels to come here legally?

UPDATE: I've been thinking some more about this. It seems that the poem on the Statue of Liberty does not express the genuine sentiment of most people in this country. We don't want poor, tired, wretched, homeless people. We don't want the refuse that other countries toss aside. We want rich, vibrant, educated people who will work hard to increase our economy.

Jesus must be so proud of us.

Do Unto Others Before They Can Do It Unto You

I haven't had much time to blog this week, but I heard this and had to say something.

From our president:

The United States has long maintained the option of preemptive actions to counter a sufficient threat to our national security. The greater the threat, the greater is the risk of inaction -- and the more compelling the case for taking anticipatory action to defend ourselves, even if uncertainty remains as to the time and place of the enemy's attack. To forestall or prevent such hostile acts by our adversaries, the United States will, if necessary, act preemptively.

This is like me saying that if I think someone who doesn't like me is planning to do me some harm--even if it's just a rumor, I can go over to his house and take him out before he can hurt me.

Yesterday afternoon I heard part of an interview on NPR in which a Catholic priest, a person who calls himself a Christian, advocated this doctrine. I was sickened by what I heard. You can listen to the entire interview here.

How long will it be before the government uses this doctrine against its own citizens?

If You Own a Horse (Or Cow, Or Goat, Or Chicken. . .), The Government Wants to Know

Before you buy your little girl that horse she’s been wanting, consider the paperwork that will soon be involved. Actually, the government wants to keep track of all farm-type animals—horses, cows, chickens, pigs, llamas, etc.—regardless of whether you own several or only one. The United States Department of Agriculture's National Animal Identification System will soon (by Jan. 2008) require that anyone who owns any type of farm animal register his or her premises (or home) as a place where farm animals are kept (you will have to submit GPS coordinates for the place that the animal lives), and owners will then be required to register each animal and have it implanted with an RFID chip. Any time that the animal is moved to another location—selling it, taking it on a trail ride, taking it to a 4-H show, taking it to the slaughterhouse to kill it for food, etc.—the owner will have to file the necessary paperwork with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

From the USDA-NAIS website:

In April 2004, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the framework for implementing the NAIS—an animal identification and tracking system that will be used in all States and that will operate under national standards. When fully operational, the system will be capable of tracing a sick animal or group of animals back to the herd or premises that is the most likely source of infection. It will also be able to trace potentially exposed animals that were moved out from that herd or premises. The sooner animal health officials can identify infected and exposed animals and premises, the sooner they can contain the disease and stop its spread.

[ . . . ]

The first step in implementing the NAIS is identifying and registering premises that house animals. Such premises would include locations where livestock and poultry are managed, marketed, or exhibited. Knowing where animals are located is the key to efficient, accurate, and cost–effective epidemiologic investigations and disease–control efforts.

[ . . . ]

As premises are registered, another component of the NAIS—animal identification—will be integrated into the system. Unique animal identification numbers (AINs) will be issued to individually identified premises. In the case of animals that move in groups through the production chain—such as swine and poultry—the group will be identified through a group/lot identification number (Group/Lot IDs) [emphasis mine].

For every animal owned, the owner would have to register (for a fee) that animal and obtain a unique ID number for each. However, “[a]nimals that move in groups through the production chain” could be registered together with only one number, creating a substantial savings to the owner. These particular animals would be those born and raised on corporate farms (i.e. ConAgra, Tyson, etc.) and which remain grouped together from birth on the farm to death in the slaughterhouse. Obviously, small farms such as those operated by people who wish to raise their own beef or eggs will be exposed to a huge financial burden to the gain of the large corporate farms. And even if you are raising animals just for pleasure rather than food—such as owning a horse for occasional riding—you will be strapped with the extra burden of providing paperwork for every time that you take that horse on a ride off of your property.

This program has deep implications. Obviously, the large corporations will be in favor of any program that makes the consumer more dependent on them. If you are a person who likes to raise your own organic beef or who prefers eggs from the free range chickens that your neighbor raises, you will pay for that privilege. Big Brother is becoming much too big.

Not Chugging Beer at the Beach

This week is Spring Break, and today I'll finish grading a set of essays, and then later this week, I'll do my taxes. But at least I'm not at work for a week.

It's Time for a Book Burning

No, I'm not talking about censorship--I need some heat!

It is 63 degrees in my office. I know this because I brought a thermometer with me to find out just exactly how cold it is. 63 degrees doesn't sound so bad, and it wouldn't be if I were outside. However, right now I am in my office trying to type handouts and grade essays. I am running a space heater (that's the only reason it's 63 degrees in here), and I'm wearing a quilted down throw over my lap. I am refraining from putting my coat back on until I just can't stand it any longer. I would put on gloves to keep my fingers nimble (typing and writing is quite the challenge), but then it would be impossible to write or type.

I'm sure you are thinking that this is a temporary problem that will be better tomorrow; however, that is not the case. It is always cold in here. In fact, it stays so cold that I run the space heater even in August. To complain does no good. The pipes in this building are old; heat will never reach the cold dungeon deep in the bowels of Old Main.

I guess I should look on the bright side. I can leave a tuna sandwich out on my desk all day without any fear of it spoiling, and I'll have a refuge when global warming gets really bad.

Bloggers, News Informers, and Enemies

On 7 Feb. 2006 in a U.S. Senate Judiciary hearing on wartime executive power, Senator Lindsey Graham made these statements to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales:

The FISA statute, in a time of war, is a check and balance. But here's where I think I'm your biggest fan. During the time of war, the administration has the inherent power, in my opinion, to surveil the enemy and to map the battlefield electronically -- not just physical, but to electronically map what the enemy is up to by seizing information and putting that puzzle together.

And the administration has not only the right, but the duty, in my opinion, to pursue fifth column movements.

And let me tell folks who are watching what a fifth column movement is. It is a movement known to every war where American citizens will sympathize with the enemy and collaborate with the enemy. And it's happened in every war.

And President Roosevelt talked about, "We need to know about fifth column movements."

So my friends on the other side, I stand by this president's ability, inherent to being commander in chief, to find out about fifth column movements, and I don't think you need a warrant to do that.

Graham went on to say, however, that when such information seems to implicate individual citizens, the administration must not be allowed to persue investigations independently without judicial oversight.

What constitutes, for Mr. Graham and those who think along the same lines, a “fifth column” movement? When the War on Terror (now being referred to by the Pentagon as “The Long War”) began, the President said that “You’re either for us, or you’re against us.” The attitude of the war supporters has been that those who speak against the war are undermining the mission and placing our troops in danger. Does a “fifth column” include only those who, as Graham said, “sympathize with the enemy and collaborate with the enemy,” or does that definition also include those who don’t sympathize with terrorists but genuinely oppose war or disagree with the President's policies?

Here are some highlights of a speech given 17 Feb. 2006 by Donald Rumsfeld at the Council on Foreign Relations in which he outlines the need for the military to engage in more effective communications within the various media:

Our federal government is really only beginning to adapt our operations to the 21st century. For the most part, the U.S. government still functions as a five and dime store in an eBay world. Today we’re engaged in the first war in history—unconventional and irregular as it may be—in an era of e-mails, blogs, Blackberrys, Instant Messaging, digital cameras, a global Internet with no inhibitions, cell phones, hand-held videocameras, talk radio, 24-hour news broadcasts, satellite television. There’s never been a war fought in this environment before.

[ . . . ]

The growing number of media outlets in many parts of the world still have relatively immature standards and practices that too often serve to inflame and distort, rather than to explain and inform. And while al Qaeda and extremist movements have utilized this forum for many years and have successfully further poisoned the Muslim’s public view of the West, we in the government have barely begun to compete in reaching their audiences.

[ . . . ]

What complicates the ability to respond quickly is that, unlike our enemies, which propagate lies with impunity with no penalty whatsoever, our government does not have the luxury of relying on other sources for information—anonymous or otherwise. Our government has to be the source, and we tell the truth.

[ . . . ]

We need to get better at engaging experts from both within and outside of government to help communicate, to rapidly deploying the best military communications capabilities to new theaters of operation, developing and executing multifaceted media campaigns—print, radio, television and Internet. But let there be no doubt: The longer it takes to put a strategic communication framework into place, the more we can be certain that the vacuum will be filled by the enemy and by news informers that most assuredly will not paint an accurate picture of what is actually taking place.

Does Donald Rumsfeld consider those bloggers who oppose the war and/or criticize the Bush administration's policies to be “news informers” who are not not telling the truth—unlike our government who always tells the truth? Are the people who vocally disagree with the President’s policies the same people that Bush said are “against us”? Does putting a “strategic communication framework into place” simply mean being louder than the enemy, or does it mean going so far as to silence all opposing views?

How long will it be before those who have the “wrong” opinions are considered enemy sympathizers who need to be silenced or even punished for their views?

Free Speech is Going to Become Costly

Today I'm back in class teaching my students about proper documentation of sources. I'm very meticulous about this, and those who don't follow instructions to give proper credit to borrowed material will not receive a good grade on their essays. During the last few class periods I have spent most of the time on technical aspects of writing essays. That's not nearly as fun as discussing controversial issues--something we do periodically to help with our argumentative strategies.

Lately, however, class discussions have not been fun for me. We had a discussion in one of my classes last week that resulted in one student having her feelings hurt, and in fact, this could have turned into a serious situation if she had decided to complain to the administration. I don't think I or any of my students did or said anything wrong, but the fact is that in this day and age, people who get their feelings hurt can cause problems for other people who meant no harm. I thank God that that didn't happen this time.

But the thought stays with me that one day it could happen. And that makes me very nervous. Because I allow students to voice their opinions--whether they are "good" opinions or not--I could be held responsible for the content of those opinions. The university was always known as a place where free speech is valued, but society today has made the free expression of ideas very difficult. If you know "what's good for you," you'll keep your mouth shut and your opinions to yourself when you're at a public university.

And it's only a matter of time before we start getting into trouble for expressing our opinions in our blogs.

Good Books but no Coffee

Today I am enjoying a quiet afternoon at the library. My classes are meeting here today and tomorrow so that I can help them with research, so I thought I'd just have my office hours over here too. I'm getting a lot of work done, but the Starbucks downstairs is calling my name begging me to come and buy an overpriced latte. I am trying very hard to resist. Knowing that I'll have to pack up my stuff and carry it with me to keep it from being stolen is a good incentive to stay put for a while. I sure wish we could have coffee in the main part of the library.

Sacrifice and Daily Bread

For the past few weeks in BSF we have been discussing Abraham and his faith in God. This week we looked at the famous incident in which God tested Abraham’s faith by telling Abraham to offer his son on the altar as a sacrifice. Abraham, in his faith, obeyed God, and God stopped Abraham before he was able to take the knife to his son. God then provided a ram for Abraham to offer on the altar in the place of his son. Abraham was overjoyed by the turn of events and gave God a new name, Jehovah-Jireh, God who provides.

God had made a promise to Abraham to make him the founder of a great nation, to make him famous, and to bless him so that Abraham would be a blessing to others. He had also promised to fulfill this promise through Abraham’s own offspring. Abraham had great confidence in God’s willingness to follow through on this promise even in the prospect of the death of his son, and he was willing to give up the only visible means of the fulfillment of the promise because God had proven himself faithful to Abraham before.

Jesus teaches us that we also can depend upon God to follow through with his promises for us. In Jesus’ sermon on the mount, he teaches his listeners about kingdom behavior and what it means to be a citizen of God’s kingdom. To Jesus, to obey God’s laws means more than a simple adherence to a set of statutes; it means more than simply not doing wrong to others; rather, it means cultivating a desire to go beyond treating others with civility to developing a real concern for the needs of others. It means showing a genuine love to all regardless of who they are. Jesus promises his listeners that those who obey these laws of God will find themselves to be great in God’s kingdom. In addition to this, to those who adhere to this teaching, Jesus promises rest from their weary and burdensome life. He tells us that we no longer need to worry about matters of everyday living such as where our next meal will come from or what we will wear. Jesus says that if we seek to be righteous by following God’s precepts, if we make God’s kingdom the main concern of our hearts and minds, God will meet these daily needs.

Most of us would readily admit that we do not have the type or intensity of faith that Abraham exhibited. Indeed, most of us have not cultivated the faith to take Jesus at his word about this promise from God. Sure we have faith that we will enjoy a better life when Jesus returns, but we don’t take Jesus at his word that we don’t have to have any worries about our future during this lifetime. Jesus said plainly that if we have God’s kingdom as our primary concern—if we go about practicing kingdom behavior now in this lifetime—we will have no need to worry about tomorrow. What does that really mean? I think it’s safe to say that as we go about our daily lives doing our regular work, if we make it our additional job each day to make the concerns of other people higher than our own concerns and if we take concrete steps to bring comfort to others (as the good Samaritan man did), God will see to it that we will have our daily needs met.

When God’s people wandered in the desert after fleeing slavery in Egypt, God provided bread for them daily, and he wouldn’t allow them to store more than what they needed for each day. God’s people learned to have faith that the bread would come every morning. Jesus taught his disciples to pray “Give us this day our daily bread,” not “Give us enough bread to last a year.” Don’t worry about tomorrow, Jesus says, because we have enough to be concerned about just dealing with today’s problems. God knows what you need, and if you practice kingdom behavior now, God will take care of those needs; you don’t need to worry about it.

Most of us are extremely concerned about our futures. If we were really honest, we would admit that providing for our own future security, and our children’s security, is the main factor that governs how we live our lives each day. As an example, we work extremely hard to ensure financial security for our future, making sure that our children’s college fund is fully established and fully funding our 401k’s. We call this being prudent, and certainly, the bible advocates the need to make preparations for future hardships such as storing up food from the harvest for the winter (taking a lesson from the ants: Proverbs 6.6-8) or as when Joseph stockpiled grain to get his people through the upcoming famine. We certainly should exercise the common sense that God gave us and prepare for the needs of the immediate future. And certainly, God doesn’t frown upon our saving for retirement. However, like Abraham, we should be prepared to offer as a sacrifice the visible means of our future comfort and security when we see that others are in need.

If we believe that God will provide for our needs, then it shouldn’t alarm us to give up the security that we sought to provide for ourselves. To sacrifice his son meant to Abraham that the future God had promised was in jeopardy, but he trusted God enough that he went ahead and made the sacrifice and believed that somehow God would replace what was lost. In the same manner, we should have enough faith to believe that God will replace what we sacrifice in an effort to bring aid and comfort to others. God will give us what we need for today, and he’ll give us what we need for tomorrow when tomorrow gets here.

Happy Birthday to Me

Today I am now closer to the age of 50 than to the age of 20. That's sort of scary to think about, but when I really consider it, I don't really feel completely like a grown-up. Does one ever feel completely grown up? In a way, I sort of hope not.

Response to ajmac

The following is a response to a comment by ajmac to my previous post, "Real Freedom." Ajmac said:

Your sarcasm is neither persuasive nor funny. What do Christians in other countries have to do with it?

I'm curious: Do you disagree that American Christians experience freedom in the temporal sense to a far greater degree than any Christians throughout history?

Thank you for visiting, ajmac. My post was not meant to be funny. I think I assume correctly when I say that the regular readers of my blog knew exactly what I was talking about.

As for your questions, Christians in other countries have everything to do with it. It seems that many American Christians equate the flag and the U.S. with Christian values. While I certainly don't disagree with being patriotic, I believe it is rather arrogant to assert that the values represented by the flag are equal to the values represented by the cross, which is what the window sticker I referenced seems to do.

In the church where I attend bible study, there was a display of the flag and the bible side by side with the words "I pledge allegiance" written above the display. How must that look to Christians from other countries who may happen to attend that church? That display and the sticker seem to send a distorted message about American Christians--that we place equal value on Christian values and the flag. Brotherhood with Christians from other nations takes a backseat to allegiance to the flag, it seems.

As for your second question, of course I don’t disagree that American Christians experience more temporal freedoms than other Christians. We American Christians are free to speak out against the church or the government when we believe them to be in the wrong. We are free to come and go as we please, and we enjoy tremendous economic freedom, much more so than people in other nations. Is this, however, the true freedom that Jesus spoke of? Jesus said that those who obey his teachings are the ones who are truly free.

It is obvious from Jesus’ teachings that he did not endorse the accumulation of material wealth, but this is a “freedom” that many Americans enjoy. However, how free are we really if we have lots of stuff but our credit cards are maxed out and we have to work overtime to pay for it? How are we truly free if what we are working so hard for can be destroyed in the next hurricane or fire or tornado? When we lose these things, we begin work all over again to get more of them. How is that true freedom? And for those whose economic situation will not allow them to accumulate things but everything in our society says that we don’t fit in if we don’t have all the latest gadgets, how is that true freedom?

Jesus said that his yoke is easy and his burden is light and that those who trust completely in God and make his kingdom their primary concern will not have to worry about having their temporal needs met, yet American Christians’ yoking of the flag with the cross indicates that we do not really trust in God and that many of us treasure the temporal more than the eternal.

Real Freedom

Yesterday I saw a car with a sticker on it that made me sort of angry. The sticker had an American flag on it, and superimposed on top of the flag was the cross. Underneath the flag in small letters, it said "God Bless America," and underneath that in large block letters were the words "REAL FREEDOM."

I thought that real freedom was found in obedience to Jesus. Jesus said that "if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." Who are we to add the American flag to the cross of Christ? I guess people who have found freedom in Jesus in other countries don't have real freedom.

Nothing New to Say Today

After one week into the semester, things are going nicely. I kind of like having five sections of the same course because I can do the same lessons with everyone, and I only have to do one website. When I finish thinking about Argumentative Writing, I don't have to remember to think about Literature.

My students really are getting into the discussion boards on my website. In fact, I didn't have to start the topics--they jumped right in and began discussing campus problems, the war, the fact that most of them hate Bush, etc. One of the discussions got so heated at one point that I had to jump in and remind them to watch their tone and not engage in namecalling.

Discussions in class aren't nearly that heated, but they're good. There is one guy in my 8:00 who is a die hard Bush supporter, and I have a very difficult time not expressing my extreme disdain for our President. He's outnumbered in class, so I feel I have to help in out some, but it's hard!

On another note, Husband is sick. I think he caught the flu at the doctor's office when he went to get a physical. He slept on the couch last night so I could sleep instead of hear him cough all night.

So that's about all that's going on. I'm working on a new article that I hope to post in the next week. I'm calling it "In Jesus' Name, Amen." There, now that I've told you about it, I have to finish and post it.

For now, I have to get to class.

Back to the Old Grind

Today I'm back at work after a month off. (Have I said I love being a teacher?!) Finding a parking space was not so bad--I decided not to even try parking really close to the building--but traffic was terrible, and it was raining hard. Campus has terrible drainage problems, so I knew to dress for the weather and not for fashion. My pants legs were soaked by the time I walked to my first class.

My first class went well. I had five students from last semester; seeing familiar faces really helps out on the first day. In fact, there should be lots more familiar faces in the rest of my classes. Several students asked questions about the course--I felt a little like the president fielding questions from the press corps.

I have three more classes today. Tuesdays and Thursdays are very full, and lunch comes at a weird time. The good thing about this semester, though, is that I get to teach argumentative writing, so in class we get to have great discussions about current issues. Today we talked about "Brangelina." (What's up with that?)

Well, my desk is still cluttered from last semster's junk, so I guess I should straighten up now.

Good Laugh!

If you like (or even if you don't like) blonde jokes, this one is a must see!

Illegal Immigrants and Our Comfort

This is not an opinion either way on illegal immigration, just an observation of an effect of it.

Many people say that immigrants take jobs such as construction, agriculture, etc. away from citizens by working at the same jobs for much less money. This is often true. Employers can sometimes get away with paying an immigrant (illegal or otherwise, I suppose) minimum wage or less with no benefits, when a citizen would demand twice the pay and benefits. How is it that when citizens seem to have so much trouble making ends meet, immigrants don't seem to complain about the low pay? They seem to have plenty to eat, and they come to work wearing clean clothes and looking like they've slept well. And we know that they also send money back home to their families in other countries because of the proliferation of so many Spanish-language money transfer establishments. Why, then, do we have such a problem working for so little?

Perhaps the answer lies with lifestyle. Many immigrants share housing costs by having numerous roommates. They don't seem to mind sharing close quarters with several friends or family. The sacrifice of privacy is apparently worth it to be able to save hundreds of dollars on rent each month. Lots of citizens complain about this mode of living that seems so foreign to us. Many of us wouldn't want to live next door to a three bedroom house that is occupied by ten grownups. We have grown accustomed to having our space and our privacy, and we mistrust those who don't conform to society's norms. (Oh sure, it's OK for college students to bunk up to save money; we expect it from them. But the time comes when they must grow up and conform. If they persist on bunking together after college, it must be because they are having drunken orgies and are manufacturing meth in the bathtub.)

We work hard and save our money to buy nicer cars and bigger houses. Many immigrants work hard and save their money to send home to mothers and fathers, grandparents, aunts and uncles who don't have the opportunity to work for a "decent" wage. These immigrants will sacrifice their own comfort so that their relatives back home can eat a good meal every day. When is the last time that we sacrificed our comfort for the good of someone else?

Jesus sacrificed his comfort for the good of those around him. Think about that.

Wisdom From Wally

On Leave it to Beaver last night:

Wally: You could buy it on the installment plan.
Beaver: What's that?
Wally: It's so that people who can't afford to buy something can buy it anyway.

Size Matters

I just saw a story on Inside Edition about Cosmo Girl magazine's use of a plus sized model in this month's issue. How nice, but she's a size 10. You male readers of this blog may not understand the significance of this. If your wife is a size 10, you will not be shopping in the plus size section of the store for her birthday this year.

If I keep feeling sick at my stomach, maybe I'll lose enough weight to qualify as a plus size rather than what ever I must be.


P.S. Weren't you intrigued by the title of this post? Get out of the gutter!