Patriotism and Freedom of Speech

I am a strong proponent of patriotism, but I also strongly support freedom of speech. When persons angrily advocate for the expulsion from the country of individuals who refuse to salute the United States flag or who refuse to stand at attention for the pledge of allegiance, they are overreacting.

What about Native American Indians? After all their ancestors went through, I think they can be excused from respecting the flag. How would their feelings be much different from the animosity toward the Confederate flag that many opponents of slavery show?

Also, Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to salute the flag. I am not a Jehovah’s Witness, but I know several of them who are devout, hard-working persons who seek to obey God. I respect their right to stand for their principles. And that includes not saluting the U.S. flag or any other flag.

In Nazi Germany when many Christians were supporting Hitler, serving in his military, and saluting the government’s flag, the Jehovah’s Witnesses courageously passed out literature opposing unfair policies. And these Jehovah’s Witnesses refused to salute the Nazi flag, considering doing so idol worship.

Personally, I respect the United States flag. I consider it a symbol of many fabulous achievements that this nation has attained through the grace and guidance of the highest righteous authority, which I call God.

But even I think it is unnecessary to pledge allegiance to the flag itself, which is a piece of cloth. Instead, let’s pledge allegiance to the high ideals that the flag at its best symbolizes.

I took this photo of a flag near the courthouses in Lexington, Kentucky on October 23, 2016.

Last year I wrote a Blogger post about creating a new pledge of allegiance. I still think that’s a great idea.

Here is a reprint of my suggested pledge: "I pledge allegiance to seek to always do right, to seek to always be obedient to the highest righteous authority, to seek to always be truthful in a loving way, to seek appropriate liberty and justice for all, and to help make myself, my family, my friends, my neighborhood, my country, and my world better by improving my own behavior."

Folks, blind allegiance to a flag is not true patriotism. Patriotism means standing up for our country when it is right and seeking to change it for the better when it is wrong. And if freedom of speech is to be a main principle of our nation, we need to allow persons the freedom not to salute our flag, the freedom not to say the pledge of allegiance, and the freedom not to stand at attention for the pledge.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I support children (and adults) learning respect. But, if children learn basic human values from parents, teachers, community leaders, religious leaders, etc., then proper respect for authority will come.

NOTE: This piece was last revised on June 5, 2017.

The United States Civil War Could Have Been Avoided

Yes, the United States Civil War could have been avoided if things had been handled differently. Many nations around the world ended slavery without wars, and our nation could have, too. The U.S. could have done some things differently.

In an interview scheduled to air today, Monday, May 1, 2017, United States President Donald Trump states that the Civil War could have been avoided, as noted in a CNN piece and others. He is right. Though I disagree with Trump on many things, and even the specifics on this issue, I strongly feel that the Civil War was avoidable.

A Few of the Many Ways the War Could Have Been Avoided
Perhaps the simplest solution would have been to outlaw slavery from the beginning. But Thomas Jefferson's words criticizing slavery were edited out of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The United States did take a step in the right direction in 1807. President Jefferson signed a law in March 1807 banning the importation of slaves into the United States. The law became effective January 1, 1808, and is discussed in a 2008 NPR piece that featured Columbia University history professor Eric Foner.

Even some southern Congressmen voted in favor of that law, probably partially due to the fact that it allowed existing slaves and their future descendants to remain in slavery. If that law had been followed by laws requiring slaves to be taught skills to be self sufficient and then later by laws freeing the slaves after a certain period of time, maybe slavery would have ended peacefully before the Civil War.

Making gradual changes would have been easier to do peacefully than totally abolishing all slavery instantly. And, even before the Civil War, there were many free African-Americans in the southern states, in addition to the slaves. A significant minority of slaves had received freedom for various reasons.

But, even many of those in the early 1800s who opposed all slavery felt that typical slaves could not survive on their own. As they saw it, slaves often lacked the education, training, etc., needed to be self sufficient. Passing laws requiring all slaves to be taught basic skills and to be treated humanely, accompanied by enforcement of such laws, would have been a major step in the right direction.

Indeed, after the Civil War ended in 1865, many slaves who moved north still experienced major problems due to lack of basic skills, etc. Unfortunately, due to their limited education and opportunities, they often ended up in slums. Some of their descendants remain in slums in 2017.

Though they had their freedom, these former slaves who traveled north after the war were in many respects worse off than the best treated slaves. The best treated slaves (who possessed more education, nicer homes, better food, and higher quality clothing compared to typical slaves) often remained in the south, working for wages for their former owners.

Would it have been better to have a gradual emancipation that included quality training and education, teaching these slaves and former slaves how to be self sufficient? Maybe. It definitely would have been better to provide more support for the former slaves after their freedom.

The Civil War
Unfortunately, some states committed to withdraw from the country if Abraham Lincoln won the Presidential election of 1860. They followed through on that decision. Lincoln, committed to keeping the United States together even if necessary by military force, followed through on that decision as well. War came.

Electing a different President in 1860 could have prevented the war. A President more acceptable to the south might still have taken steps to improve conditions for slaves and for their future freedom.

This, sadly, would have delayed the end of slavery. But, even President Lincoln was willing to delay the end of slavery to preserve the union. Lincoln, in speeches before he became President, apparently stated this. In his first Presidential inaugural address on March 4, 1861 he quoted from one of his earlier speeches, stating "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists."

Many southerners perhaps questioned the sincerity of his statement about allowing slavery to continue where it existed. The Republican Party Platform included strong language on slavery. But, if the southerners had believed him to be sincere and he was sincere, maybe secession and war would have been avoided.

Even during his Presidency when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation effective on January 1, 1863, Lincoln's proclamation only promised freedom for slaves in areas that were part of the Confederacy. It did not offer freedom for slaves in states that did not secede (Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri). It did not even offer freedom for slaves in parts of Confederate states that were under Union control.

Concluding Thoughts
The Civil War created deep divisions within the United States that still have not completely healed, over 150 years since the war ended.

Avoiding the Civil War likely would have delayed the end of slavery in the United States. But, it also could have prevented hundreds of thousands of deaths, a huge number of injuries, and an enormous amount of property damage. Finally, even the slaves and their descendants could have been better off with a better emancipation plan produced during peacetime.

NOTE: This article was last revised on May 1, 2017.

Freedom of Speech: Even for KKK and Black Lives Matter

Freedom of speech is one of the basic rights we claim to possess in the United States. If it exists, it needs to apply to white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan and to groups for African-Americans like Black Lives Matter.

Two Different Speeches

Some years ago, in Lexington, Kentucky where I live, I heard the Reverend Jesse Jackson speak on the campus of Transylvania University. I considered some of his speech propaganda, but I felt he made some excellent points, too.

On another occasion, also some years ago here in Lexington, Kentucky, I heard a speaker from a white supremacist group speak outside the old courthouse. I considered some of his speech propaganda, but I felt he made some excellent points, too.

Two speakers with far different viewpoints, but both spoke some words worth listening to, as I saw it. Both speeches were delivered peacefully, too.

Saturday, April 29, 2017 in Pikeville, Kentucky

The main reason I wrote this article at this time is that on Saturday, April 29, 2017, in Pikeville, Kentucky a group called the National Socialist Movement was scheduled to assemble at the Pike County Courthouse Plaza according to a public notice from the city of Pikeville. The notice stated that other organizations and counterprotesters were expected.

A Kentucky.com article written after the event, as well as other news articles, discussed how the event went. Based on the news reports, it seemed to proceed reasonably peacefully, thanks to preparations that included the presence of many law enforcement personnel. I was in Lexington and did not attend the event, so my opinion is based on these news reports.

Listening With an Open Mind, Memorable Quote

Ideally, we would all seek to listen with an open mind to everyone, seek to understand each individual’s point of view, and seek a fair solution to all conflicts without resorting to arguments and violence. We may not reach this ideal anytime soon, but I think we can come much closer to it.

Let’s seek to preserve freedom of speech. Better yet, let’s seek to use this freedom wisely to learn from one another and to make this wonderful nation better.

Too often, speakers use hyperbole (which I consider a fancy word for lying) or bald-faced lies in sensationalistic speeches, seeking to attract an audience and media attention. As I see it, popular media personalities such as Rush Limbaugh (conservative) and Rachel Maddow (liberal) are guilty of this. Their audiences consists largely of their fervent supporters, in my opinion.

Limbaugh and Maddow both make some good points. But I can only listen to them in small doses. I prefer a different approach.

I prefer hearing the truth, the facts, presented in a caring, compassionate way. As one who enjoys attending seminars, lectures, and discussions that offer various viewpoints, I’ve enjoyed hearing many persons speak over the years. But, perhaps the most memorable speech for me is one from my childhood that I did not hear in person. Below I quote a marvelous passage from the speech.

 “. . . .I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. . . . I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream. . . ."

Those memorable words from the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, August 28, 1963 speech in Washington, D.C. are often quoted today. He accomplished a great deal during his lifetime. And he did it through nonviolent protests.

I remember as a child seeing on television his peaceful protesters being attacked and not resisting, wondering why this occurred. As millions of persons watched those scenes, questions were raised, and changes followed. Gradually maybe. Not always for the best. But many positive changes came.

And if we judge not on the basis of skin color, etc., maybe both affirmative action and discrimination can end, at least as they are often practiced today.  

Current Groups and Affirmative Action Programs

Currently, groups focused on African-American rights (like Black Lives Matter) and white supremacist groups (like the Ku Klux Klan) continue to seek what they call fairness. Both types of groups can partially justify their complaints.

Hard-working, honest African-Americans stereotyped and targeted for the color of their skin deserve their complaints to be addressed in some way. Hard-working, honest Caucasians denied jobs or school admissions due to affirmative action programs that admit arguably less qualified minority candidates also deserve to have their complaints addressed in some way.

Furthermore, historically, some affirmative action programs at companies sought to satisfy requirements to hire more African-Americans and more women by hiring African-American females. This arguably made it even harder for African-American males to find jobs. Therefore, African-American males may have an even more legitimate gripe about some affirmative action programs than whites do.

Closing Thoughts
We need more love for others.

My article oversimplifies the complexities of this situation. But I hope that I at least convinced readers to try to listen to and consider the views of those who look differently than they do. I think that one thing (there are others) that separates the United States from countries mired in civil wars is the fact that our nation allows more freedoms, including freedom of speech and freedom of religion. 

Let’s seek to listen and learn. Let’s seek to make ourselves, our nation, and our world better.

NOTE: This piece was last revised on April 30, 2017.

Can Christians, Muslims, and Jews Get Along? Yes!

Yes. Christians, Muslims, and Jews can get along with one another--despite what some media sources desire us to believe.

Two Meetings
Followers of the three faiths demonstrated this in two meetings last week in Lexington, Kentucky.

On Sunday, March 26, 2017, a group of persons met at a Jewish synagogue for a "Trialogue of Faith." Three religious leaders shared about their faith:

• Lexington's Episcopal Diocese bishop,
• a Muslim professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Kentucky,
• and a Lexington Jewish rabbi.

Then, these speakers responded to questions and comments from the audience.

On Monday, March 27, 2017, a group of persons met at a Catholic church. There, three different religious leaders spoke:

• Lexington's Catholic bishop,
• a Muslim leader,
• and another Lexington Jewish rabbi.

These three shared their views about dealing with a refugee crisis, answering questions from a moderator. Then, the trio of religious leaders answered questions from a group of students.

Do the Christians, Muslims, Jews, and others who came together at those two meetings typify the majority of the followers of the three major monotheistic faiths? Maybe not. But, I am confident that they practice those three monotheistic faiths better than the radicals that seem to me to make more headlines in the news.

Were any major problems solved? No, probably not. But the dialogues demonstrate progress in the right direction. As we learn from one another, and seek to work together to help one another and others, we progress toward making ourselves and our world better.

The first of those two meetings was a regular meeting of an organized group. For several years a group of persons known as the Christian Muslim Dialogue of Lexington, KY have assembled regularly here in Lexington, Kentucky to discuss issues. For years the group met at a Presbyterian Church. Then, they began rotating their meetings between that church and a mosque. The March 26th meeting at a synagogue mentioned above was this group's first meeting in a synagogue. However, the group hosted another "trialogue" for the three faiths some time ago in the Presbyterian church.

Though I've attended a few of the group's meetings over the years, I am just an occasional attendee, not an active leader in the group. I enjoy the discussions though. This group meets once a month almost every month, except for during the summer. Christian-Muslim Dialogue meetings are free and open to the public. The organization's website is linked to in the previous paragraph.

I feel blessed to live in a city where Christians, Muslims, Jews, and followers of other faiths or of no faith can all practice their religion. Maybe that will be true everywhere someday.  

A Vision for the Future
Maybe someday followers of various religions will unite to help achieve a just and lasting world peace. Then bells worldwide might toll to celebrate attaining this peace, including the huge 66,000 pound World Peace Bell in Newport, Kentucky, pictured below. Maybe someday followers of various faiths can work together to solve various humanitarian crises, including the ongoing refugee crisis in parts of the world. 

World Peace Bell in Newport, Kentucky, photo taken November 2016 by James E. Gibson

  

Let's seek to listen with open minds and seek to learn from those who come from different backgrounds. And, maybe someday we can attain unity about what it truly means to obey the highest righteous authority, God. Perhaps, then, we will live happier, healthier, longer, more fruitful lives. And, we can leave a better world for future generations than the one we inherited from our ancestors.

NOTE: This piece was last revised on April 5, 2017.

Three Keys to Success in Life

We all want to succeed in life. I am confident we all can if we follow three keys to success.

Many have written about each of the three keys in various ways over the thousands of years since the written word came into being. But my approach is a bit different than that of earlier writers. Furthermore, the three keys are definitely worth repeating.

Key #1: Seek to Be a Good Person
The specific definition of what it is to be a good person varies between different cultures and even different individuals. But there are several general characteristics that we (civilized folks) feel a good person has. We are happier ourselves when we have them, and we enjoy being around others who possess them.

These characteristics include compassion, discipline, honesty, integrity, love, and truthfulness. A good person doesn't make a practice of cheating, gossiping, killing, lying, stealing, etc.

Key #2: Seek to Do Good
If you are seeking to be a good person, doing good will follow. Doing good puts being good into practice by doing things to help others. Taking time to find needs and to meet them is what doing good is all about. This can include donating time and money to charities, picking up litter, visiting the sick and elderly, babysitting children, and working in a job that benefits others. Sometimes just listening to someone who needs to be heard is a key aspect of doing good.

Lots of opportunities exist to do good. These opportunities may be in your family, school, workplace, neighborhood, city, county, state, country, or somewhere else in the world.

Acquiring a quality education and using it in a career that benefits others is part of doing good, too. The better we develop and use our skills the more we can help others and ourselves.

Key #3: Seek to Have Fun
Having fun is an important part of a balanced life. If you seek to be a good person and to do good for others, often you will have fun as part of that. Indeed, taking time to fellowship with others is part of being good and doing good. Enjoy life.

To truly succeed, you have to enjoy life. Too many persons who seek to be good persons and to do good burn themselves out by trying to do too much. That is not truly being good and doing good. Such persons typically do both themselves and others harm over the long term.

A balanced life includes time for rest, fellowship, leisure, and exercise. Having fun is part of a successful life. Ideally, you will have fun while being a good person and doing good. It is a blessing to be doing service that you enjoy that benefits others. If you enjoy your job and have fun doing it, then that is a true blessing, and in a sense your job is not work.

Concluding Thoughts
Part of being good, doing good, and having fun is helping others to do these things, too. As we all work together to help one another, we better ourselves and the world. Furthermore, thanks to this team effort, no individual must do extremely hard labor or work extremely long hours.

The three keys to success that I listed above (being good, doing good, and having fun), can be simplified by replacing them with one single statement: Put God first and your life will improve.

This photo is of a plaque I purchased for $2 at a Family Dollar store. I think it nicely states the key to success. Disclosure: I work part-time as a store clerk for a Family Dollar store.

If we put God (the highest righteous authority) first, and always seek to do the right thing:
(1) we will naturally come closer toward being a good person,
(2) we will do more good for others,
(3) and we will take time for fellowship + recreation + rest. We will have fun.

Indeed, we will have fun being good and doing good as long as we do it God's way by following the leading of the highest righteous authority (God). This is my personal view, but the basic concepts I am writing about are not new.

Many centuries ago, Buddha urged persons to "be good and do good" according to some English translations of words credited to him. This is good advice.

Jesus took it a step further when he instructed his followers to love even their enemies according to the New Testament gospels. As I see it, demonstrating love for God, others, and ourselves is basically what Jesus, Buddha, and many other spiritual leaders taught.

By being good, doing good, and having fun we practice this love. We humans will never perfectly practice this love, but the closer we come to it the better for us and for our world.

NOTE: This article was last revised on March 1, 2017.

Social Drinking Alcoholic Beverages: Risks Outweigh Benefits

Social drinking of alcoholic beverages is common in the United States (and in many other countries). But is it wise? I think not. Please read on.

Some Reasons Not to Drink Alcoholic Beverages
One reason not to drink beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages socially is that even one drink has health risks. Please click on the link to a Centers for Disease Control Fact Sheet that cites some risks of moderate drinking, including some from consuming one drink or less.

Does a blood alcohol content (BAC) of only 0.01 percent seem very small? "Some skills are impaired at 0.01 percent" blood alcohol content according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Alcohol Alert No. 52 April 2001. Consuming less than one typical alcoholic beverage would lead to a larger BAC than that.

Also, almost everyone I talk to who claims to only drink socially has been legally drunk at least once. That means their BAC was 0.08 percent or more. Many drinkers become binge drinkers and/or alcoholics.

Alcohol consumption is a significant factor in many automobile  accidents, diseases, and other negative health effects. It is a factor in a large number of deaths. A study published in 2009 in the British medical journal The Lancet indicated that approximately "one in 25 deaths worldwide are attributable to alcohol," as quoted from a webpage of The Lancet.

Is Consuming Alcoholic Beverages in Moderation Beneficial?
Some claim that drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation has benefits that outweigh the risks. But an American Heart Association webpage "cautions persons NOT to start drinking . . . if they do not already drink alcohol." The same webpage states "Pregnant women shouldn't drink alcohol in any form."

And many, including some scientists, question whether alcohol really is beneficial in moderation. One of the sources that discuss this in more detail is a June 16, 2009 New York Times piece on the NYT website, titled "Alcohol's Good for You? Some Scientists Doubt It."

This photo is of a poster I made that mentions some of alcohol's harmful effects.

Concluding Thoughts
Consuming alcoholic beverages has caused a lot of problems for a huge number of people. Given this, do you still want to consume them just for socializing? I hope you will agree with me that the risks of social drinking outweigh the benefits.

Note: This blog entry was last revised on May 29, 2019. It  is adapted from other articles I have written on the subject and from a chapter in my book True Christianity: It May Not Be What You Think (2014, second edition 2015, third edition 2017).

Overturning Roe vs. Wade Isn't Enough to End Abortion

Overturning Roe vs. Wade (and returning the issue to the states) is not the same as making abortion illegal nationwide. The way the Supreme Court decides a case (or cases) that come before it will be key.

Abortion was legal in some states before the 1973 United States Supreme Court decision in Roe vs. Wade. This was probably a contributing factor in the Supreme Court decision in the case.

The number of abortions each year in the U.S. escalated back in the early 1970s after abortion was legalized in New York and some other states, according to data on JohnsonArchives.net. This was before Roe vs. Wade.

Ways to Make Abortion Illegal in the United States 
Three ways abortion could be made illegal in the United States are:

1. The Supreme Court could make a pro-life decision, rather than either returning the issue to the states or being pro-choice.
2. Congress could pass a law outlawing abortion and then the President sign it into law (or Congress could override a Presidential veto). However, this law would probably be challenged in court, and the Supreme Court would ultimately make the final decision.
3. Pass an amendment to the United States Constitution. But few amendments have succeeded in getting the votes to become law.

Abortion Rate Has Been Declining in the U.S. 
Even without reversing Roe vs. Wade, the number of abortions per child-bearing woman per year in the United States has declined for decades according to a recent study linked to in a January 17, 2017 Guttmacher Institute news release and discussed in numerous news reports. The Guttmacher piece states that the abortion rate in 2014 (the most recent year studied) was the lowest since Roe vs. Wade passed in 1973.

Making Abortion Illegal in the United States Won't End It
Even if abortion becomes illegal in the United States:

• some persons will likely go to other countries where it is legal;
• others may have illegal abortions done somewhere by someone;
• many people may seek to perform their own abortions.

Emphasizing Sexual Abstinence Before Marriage and Contraceptive Use for Couples Desiring No Children
We can virtually eliminate abortion if parents, teachers, community leaders, and religious leaders properly educate children about the importance of sexual abstinence before marriage, the risks of premarital sex, and the proper way to use contraceptives. Also, to the extent reasonably possible, limit the time boys and girls spend alone together in the formative years (ages 10-18) when their bodies are physically ready, but their child rearing ability, judgment, job skills, etc., may be years away from being at a level that qualifies them to be parents or to comprehend the numerous risks from premarital sex and sexual promiscuity.

This is a photo of a poster I made that summarizes my views about premarital sex.

Furthermore, married couples who desire no children might do well to use contraceptives consistently and properly. For example, using two birth control methods simultaneously, birth control pills and condoms, can virtually eliminate unwanted pregnancies. Unfortunately, many who desire no children, but lack the discipline to practice abstinence, also fail to always use contraceptives--and use them correctly. Practicing abstinence or using very effective contraceptives can virtually eliminate unwanted pregnancies and thus the demand for abortions.

Final Thoughts
I will conclude by stating that virtually eliminating abortion is a worthy goal  to strive for. However, attaining it will require much more than overturning Roe vs. Wade.

NOTE: This article was last revised on January 20, 2017.