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What do we say to the dead?

5/30/2022

What do we say to the dead?

In the United States this day is set aside to honor our ancestors. Originally it was a day set aside to remember and honor those who had died in the military service of the United States. By the time I was a young child it was a day to gather at the local Cemetery to honor and visit with the many ancestors, some of whom may have served in the military and many who had perhaps kept the home fires burning. I do not remember that one group was honored more than the others, but certainly one might have been reminded that so and so suffered from shell shock or died in a far-off place.

On this Memorial Day of 2022, many of us might listen for the ethereal voices of those 19 4th graders, the two adults and all the others who have been killed in mass shootings in the United States; those who have now joined the wind which carries the eternal truths; the essence which remains of all those dying in Ukraine and the many other countries where the gods of addictive power and weak egos reign.

While many argue about the ethics of the manufacture and sale of assault rifles and enough guns to ensure that all in the United States could have more than one weapon; the ethics of ignoring the underlying fear that one is not a valuable member of the body politic; the millions finding that they are short of the number of fingers needed to point and blame others; the ethics of fine dining while many starve; the fear that even being one of the 1% is not yet enough to give value to one and a myriad of other issues build on the artificial constructs of race, gender, power and intellect we might listen to all the elders including and, especially, those 4th graders who died this week.

At the Sunrise Cemetery near Bristol, Oklahoma the spirit of Grandma Fanny, the longtime matriarch can be heard calling all to bring their offerings to a common table. It is not surprising that she has studied at the feet of such teachers as Jesus. The supply of food and drink was always enough to feed the multitudes. All who showed up were welcomed and none went home hungry or feeling alone. It is true that there may have been those who did not show up because they did not share that cemetery or that acknowledged family tribe. Still the hues of the rainbow were represented in the descendants of those whose treaties are still being ignored. Interesting that all those relatives do not, according to those who examine my DNA, show up.

All the voices of the ancestors at Sunrise; all the 4th grade ancestors; all the fearful gun firing, lonely who search for their identity in that which is temporary and formed by the winds of nature in particular places; all those whose cries will form the nightmares of those who are left to listen and teach; all the ones who build fortresses to protect their 1%; all those who are in need of reassurance that one is enough are welcomed at the blanket where the endless supply of substance awaits.

What words will the winds carry? “Welcome. Killing is stupid. Non-violence is the only way to peace. We are all the same. Come join us. Thanks to the chickens, Mother Earth, and the enveloping breath of those who we remember and honor on this Memorial Day.”

Written May 30, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org

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Ethics, morality and decision making

5/29/2022

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Ethics, morality, and decision making

Most conscientious people are very intentional about attempting to lead a moral or ethical life. Some think of morality as something which is personal or based on religious doctrine whereas ethics may be the standard of good and bad in a certain community or social settings with or without a reference to a divine being.

I had the good fortune to spend 4 years of undergraduate school and 3 years at a theological seminary to study the works of thinkers on theology and philosophy. Now I depend on individuals such as Cornell West, professor at Union Seminary, Daryl Davis, Maya Angelou, Sonia Sotomayor, Van Jones and other philosophers and theologians to challenge my thinking about what it means to a moral or ethical member of the body politic; a responsible person who attempts to pay respect to the fact that every action and inaction affects, at some level, the entire universe.

Although I read a great deal, I also depend on such individuals as Sean Iling, Van Jones, Kristina Tippett and others who host podcasts.

Some very profound thinkers suggest that pragmatism should form the base for ethical decisions.

Some, writing on the web page of plato.Stanford.edu, suggests that the core of pragmatism as Pierce originally conceived it was the Pragmatic maxim, a rule for clarifying the meaning of hypotheses by tracing their ‘practical consequences’ - their implications for experience in specific situations.”

There are many other schools of thought or philosophies regarding moral or ethical actions. Zeno of Citium may be the most well-known of the stoics who posited that virtue, the highest good, is based on knowledge of the divine reason. As is obvious, one is confronted with the terms knowledge and the phase divine reason, the meanings of which are open to diverse and even opposing interpretations. Even if one posits that divine reason is that which exists in harmony with the natural order or nature, one has to deal with the fact we humans have already deeply altered the so-called natural order.

Basing one’s decisions on the practical consequences of decisions poses at least two major challenges. First is the challenge of “truth” or what I will refer to as shared reality. It is always the case that there are many different versions of reality as are experienced by all the historical and physical parts of a particular brain in a particular moment. In the age of the internet and the wider availability of printed matter, radio and television it is possible to share one’s particular reality with a significant number of people. Some messages or posts go viral, ensuring a particular reality is shared with millions of people.

‘There are also many different opinions about the existence of what is divine reason and, thus, what actions may be moral or immoral. If I cared to spend the time and energy I could access many opinions about what various posited divine beings supposedly say about the morality or ethics of abortion, the death penalty, same sex behavior, decriminalization of recreational drugs, military assistance by the United States to Taiwan should the Chinese government decide to use military force to take full control of the government of Taiwan, what history is taught, tax on food and many other subjects. Many opinions of what is moral or ethical are based on the religious beliefs developed before many scientific “truths” were evident. These beliefs may have very little to do with practical consequences.

Jeremy Bentham proposed that one make ethical decisions based on the greatest good for the greatest number. One might, using this guide, see the decision to use nuclear bombs in WWII as ethical or moral. Yet, unleashing the power of nuclear weapons has had long term consequences as many nations now have the potential of using nuclear weapons. Some would argue that in recent history mandating vaccinations with some medical exemptions, while opposed on the basis of freedom, offered the best opportunity to gain control of the spread of the pandemic. Others argue that it is too soon to know the long-term consequences of the vaccinations.

Obviously, it is not within the parameters of a blog to critically review all philosophies or theologies.. Neither is it within the scope of a blog to pen a definitive proposal for arriving at a shared reality for the majority of the population.

Yet, just because these complex issues are often imbued with the passion of religious beliefs and vested interests, does not lessen our responsibility as elders to guide our children in articulating a framework for approximating decisions which are moral and/or ethical. Perhaps there are some basic principles or guidelines which might serve us in this endeavor. These might include striving to determine:

o   if one is being as honest as one can regarding motives for a particular action.

o   the short- and long-term consequences of one’s decision, who and what is potentially affected in positive and negative ways.

o   if one is treating all life as sacred allowing for the possibility that there may be a difference of opinion about when life begins or ends. Is one talking merely about human life? When does human life begin?

o   if one is treating one’s wants or needs as more important than the wants or needs of others.

o   if there is a way to avoid making decisions which honor some core values while violating others.

o   if a decision values quantity over quality (another vague and often disputed terms).

o   if a majority or consensus decision making model works best? This question begs the question of the meaning of best. Best for whom?

o   if one has the luxury of waiting to make a decision. For example, if a house is on fire and one can rescue only one person within a three-minute time period one has to make an instant decision knowing there are no right or wrong answers.

o   if one is valuing objects over the life of a person or even animal.

Perhaps most importantly it is important to accept that our attempts, at best, will be imperfect; that there may not be an absolute rights or wrongs; that all of us can make a sincere effort to consider the above as we stumble thorough this brief human journey.

Written May 29, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org

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Violence will not win

5/26/2022

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Violence will not win

More mass shootings this month and daily use of guns and other weapons in response to some disagreement result in many loving responses. There are even some calls for gun reform while many others insist that guns do not kill, people do. The latest mass shooting in a 4th grade class left two adults and 19 children dead in addition to others who are still being treated.

The temptation is to call for change by erecting more metal detectors, stronger punishment of so called “evil people”, more effective diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, convincing ourselves that despite the frequency of the use of guns to kill we need more guns for people, including teachers, to protect themselves and students or we need to restrict the sale of certain guns and access to all guns

As a nation, many states continue to use the death penalty, law enforcement personnel continue to be trained and equipped to use lethal force, the military budget continues to increase, and we continue to respond to international violence with more violence or threats of more violence.

It seems we humans in the United States and other countries continue to believe that the only response to violence is more violence. Many of us also continue to believe that the violent person or nation is someone other than us; that we only resort to violence as a response to violence. If we label the violent person as evil, we reassure ourselves that he or she is different than we are; that although we may commit hurtful acts, we are not capable of an act as horrific as the 18-year-old son and grandson who killed his grandmother and then opened fire in a 4th grade classroom.

Many will also hurl insults at those legislators who call for gun and gun manufacturing reform while others will hurl insults at those who cry second amendment rights, who believe that even more guns will make most of us safer.

In this so-called Christian nation, which is in actuality a very religiously pluralistic nation, we honor the teacher Jesus who taught to love one’s enemy and celebrate the life and work of the man, Martin Luther King who demonstrated the power of non-violence.

I am fascinated with the fact that we have come to accept that mental illness is a health issue; that dementia causes the thought process to often drastically change; that the use of medication for mental illness is a major part of our health care system, that more than 100,000 people died of drug addiction in the United States last year, while, at the same time, we are shocked that he thought process of so many people is capable of ignoring the sacredness of others; of committing murder. The use of the term mental illness is probably not helpful. There is a myriad of factors which affect the thought process of all of us – diet, environment, other medical issues such as tumors, and other differences which prevent a shared reality. There are also those who are very vulnerable to the local and national example of using lethal violence to respond to violence.

Unless and until we, as a nation, take the fragility of the human brain and, thus, the thought process seriously and unless and until we decide that it is not only ” them” who are capable of lethal violence and unless and until we commit to finding non-lethal, compassionate, civil ways of dealing with those with whom we disagree and unless and until we quit mass producing weapons to ensure there are enough guns to arm everyone x 2 in the United States we will continue to see the incidence of violence increase in the United States.

Just for today what happens if we decide that compassionate non-violence is more powerful than violence?

Written May 26, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org

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Sunday Musings - May 22, 2022

5/22/2022

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Sunday Musings - May 22, 2022

This past week I drove from Wheeling, WV to Tulsa, Oklahoma, a distance of nearly 1000 miles. During the drive I had the luxury of listening to a lot of talk radio.   As is frequently my habit, I attempted to listen with an open mind and heart to those whose opinions are often an anathema to me which includes those who manage to align their religious beliefs (often Christian in the United States) with the far right, conspiracy theorists who seem to neatly divide the world into us and them. I listen because I know that I need, if possible, to discern the underlying fears and dreams of those who are often responsible for what seem to me to be newly minted laws or dusted off laws designed to limit the rights of “them”.   The “them” seems to be anyone who thinks, looks or act differently. More specifically the “them” are those whose color, sexual orientation, views on when a fetus becomes human, knowledge of history, mental health or power status falls outside certain parameters.

I also listened to discussions about so called police reform, the homeless situation in the United States, CEO salaries, the profit margins of oil and gas companies in 2022, the shortage of available baby formula in the United States, the fear of teaching racial history, and concerns of young children about gender and sexual identity.

Many of those to whom I listened were very articulate and presented arguments to those who are fearful of losing their comfortable identify as white, heterosexual, God fearing, middle class, and who want to make America great again for their number.

I arrived in Tulsa with more questions than answers. These questions include:

o   Does anyone win if history is denied or if one teaches only slices of history?

o   How can one learn from history if it is not taught?

o   What do we expect from police?   What is the job of police? To serve and protect? To identify and arrest those who break minor laws and to ignore those who find ways to use the law to acutely traumatize and otherwise abuse others.

o   Why is the person who steals to support an addiction a criminal and the CEO of Abbott laboratories who makes over $22, 000,000.00 a year while charging nearly or over $40.00 per can of baby formula not a criminal?   Could we ask the same about the profit margin of pharmaceutical companies or the increase of the profit margin of oil companies in 2022 when gas prices at the pump are helping to strangle the budget of the average person in the US.

o   Why are so many homeless in the United States? Why do some want to criminalize sleeping or lying on sidewalks? (9th circuit court has decided one cannot criminalize people resting when there is a shortage of shelters.)

o   How is it possible that pornography is such a profitable business?

o   How is it possible that child pornography is so profitable? Should communities criminalize the use of such material or explore why so many are attracted to it?

o   Do we want to redefine the role of police in the community and the training we give them? Is their job to get citizens the help they need or create the illusion that they are protecting by criminalizing mental illness and hopelessness?

o   If we say we believe all life is sacred, should we provide the means for the health of parents and children?

o   Should the death penalty be outlawed?

o   Are both the political right and the left, the progressives and the conservatives, the democrats and the republicans guilty of creating us and them divisions?

o   What is so frightening about same sex behavior?

o   How much courage does it take to face and deal with one’s gender identity issues?

The answers to these and related questions will determine what is being taught, what the students learn and whether we in the United States sincerely make progress in creating a country which walks the talk in becoming a country which strives toward freedom and justice for all; a country where we are humble and brave enough to face the positive and negative parts of our history, embrace all our citizens, keep religion out of the body politic, treat the mentally ill, and take each other’s fears, joys, heartaches, hopes and dreams seriously.

Written May 22, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org

(fiance.yahoo.com;www1.salary.com;oxford dictionary)

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Sunday Musings - May 15, 2022

5/15/2022

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Sunday Musings - May 15, 2022
Intelligence

This morning I found myself unwilling to refer to a person who understands religious texts as literal, who does not believe that religious truths are in the process of evolving or being revealed at ever deepening level as an being intelligent or having a keen intellect.

Later I reviewed how Merriam-Webster defines intelligence. “The power of knowing as distinguished from the power to feel and to will; the capacity for knowledge; the capacity for rational and intelligent thought especially when highly developed.”

It was asserted that this same person has an amazing talent for memorizing “facts” or at least information which others have posited as facts.

Once again, I found myself asking how one measures intelligence?   I do know the ability to memorize information does not necessarily correlate with problem solving abilities.

What then is being measured when one attempts to measure intelligence?   Is it:

·      The ability to solve complicated mathematical or engineering problems- think conceptually?

·      The ability to face life on life’s terms?

·      The ability to think in terms of relationships?

·      The ability to think creativity - to see what is not apparent or what is not yet there?

·      The ability to impose what is often referred to as common sense on one’s life dance?

·      The ability to not take oneself or life too seriously?

·      The ability to be empathetic?

·      The ability to simultaneously be the participant and the observer?

Perhaps it would be more useful to think in terms of types of intelligence such as:

o   Emotional intelligence- to be in the world but not of it or the ability to be empathetically present without losing oneself or losing the ability to embrace life as it is.

o   Spiritual intelligence - the ability to see oneself as a necessary but not sufficient part of the whole - a being whose actions or inactions affects the entire universe.

o   Academic intelligence - the ability to take tests, memorize information, determine what the test maker or giver wants and deliver accordingly without analyzing the material.

o   Genetic or instinctual intelligence. Birds can fly thousands of miles, breed, take care of their young and then let go, breathe while flying, build a home, gather food and feed themselves `and their family. Are these behaviors indicators of intelligence?

o   Robotic intelligence - the ability to stay focused, solve problem and not become emotionally involved or attached to the facts or the outcome -situation + desired outcome + plus available resources.

o   Concrete intelligence - the ability to accept surface facts and not analyze or question beneath the surface.

Perhaps the reader can think of some other types of intelligence or at least other ways of living one’s life dance,

In the United States as well as other countries, certain universities or professional schools are considered ideal for educating leaders and/or making the connections one might need to gain a foothold or maintain a foothold on the ladder to a leadership positions. It would seem a number of our politicians, CEO’s and other top leadership positions are filled by those who have gone to the right schools and made the right connections. If we look at their ability to problem solve in a way which benefits the breath of the community, would one consider them intelligent?

One might also ask, “What is the difference between intelligence and talent?”   If one thinks of child prodigies, it can seem as if some children are born with an innate talent; perhaps a talent developed in a previous life journey. Whether the talent is the ability to understand and apply math theories, write a symphony, or to perform some physical feats, it seems clear that some are born with these abilities.    Would one say that child is intelligent?

I recently had lunch with a man who, without a formal post high school education, has an acute, seemingly innate sense that what is important is how well we humans take care of each other. He is a man who seems to have very little need to have his ego massaged by being told he is right. He is also a good problem solver. Could one say that this man has spiritual, emotional and academic intelligence.

Perhaps intelligence is gifted to we humans in many different forms. Perhaps we need to ensure that all forms of intelligences are honored and rewarded with an equal share of the resources of this universe.

Written May 15, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org

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Sunday Musings - May 8, 2022

5/8/2022

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Sunday Musings, May 8, 2022

Freedom

On this day on which in the United States and a few other countries such as Australia, honors the role of mothers let us consider whether we want to raise our children to live in community or to live as individuals whose freedom to act may often be at the expense of others.

My teachers have often challenged me to address the issue of freedom as both the freedom from and the freedom to. As I think of the freedom to and the freedom from the following questions continue to tickle my brain:

o   What exists when the human sperm and egg have their first tentative meeting? Should one be free to end the first date by taking the morning after pill? Should one be free from pregnancy and childbirth for which they are not financially and emotionally prepared?
o   When does a fetus become viable; have individual rights and the freedom to live?
o   Should one have the freedom to protect material property with lethal violence? Should the person desperate enough to attempt theft have the freedom from potential lethal violence?
o   Should all have the freedom to share in the wealth of the community regardless of particular talents and skills; the freedom from life-sucking poverty?
o   Shared reality -If one is unable to have a shared reality because of mental illness, including addiction, should others have the freedom to end the freedom of the mentally ill person to keep breathing; to be treated with compassion and respect?
o   Should one have the freedom to potentially infect others or to become a carrier of an illness because they believe they should have the freedom to decide not to take precautions to minimize the spreading of potentially fatal illness? What about non-fatal illness? Should all have the freedom from the willful sharing of potentially fatal illness?
o   Should one have the freedom to carry and potentially use a lethal weapon when one disagrees with another or feels slighted or insulted by another? Should one have the freedom from harm if one disagrees with another?
o   If no one is harmed by sexual expression of affection or even the sharing of mutual physical need, should one have the freedom to do so without fear of harm? Should one have the freedom to engage in sexual expression if doing so infects another with serious illness? Should one have the freedom to engage in unprotected sexual expression if a sperm and an egg might meet and eventually result in another human being formed? Should one have the freedom from the judgement of others regarding one expression of affection as long as one is not being abusive or lying to one’s partner?
o   Should teenagers be free from the conflicting messages about when one becomes an adult? Should they be free from the tyranny of being tried and convicted as an adult when not old enough to purchase alcohol, vote or have other rights?
o   Should one have the freedom to hide history or other truths from children by banning books, instructional material, and discussions of certain material when all research shows that children will tell adults when they are “ready” to hear and learn certain material? Should our children be free from the tyranny of adults deciding what truths and what lies they are told?

I could continue with questions regarding freedom for many pages, but I am sure the reader is beginning to open his or her mind to the complexity of the subject of freedom .   It is obvious that every freedom to engage in certain behavior or to not be restricted has a corresponding freedom from.

Jesus and other spiritual teachers were not shocked that we are all human and all need to support each other in this life journey.   Although theologians and religious leaders have been free to condemn the sinner, all soon discover that the person without sin - without humanness - should throw the first stone. When we humans talk about freedom it makes no sense to talk as if we are isolated beings whose behavior does not affect others.

If we consider Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Mother Theresa and other wise teachers we have to accept they did not talk about individualism. They talked in terms of being each other’s neighbor; of being “our brother’s keeper”, of accepting that our human brains and the rest of our bodies are subject to illness/misfiring/inability to share reality. They talked in terms of sharing the bounty of the earth,

My understanding is that I have the freedom to act with humility, compassion, and as a member of a community.   My understanding is that I should be free from the illusion that I am an individual who needs are more important than those of my neighbors; that I need to be free from the illusion that excess belong to me and not to the community; from the illusion that I own anything or anybody.

Written May 8, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org

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Sunday Musings - May 1, 2022

5/1/2022

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Chance, fate, the gods, or the God of one’s understanding

I recently read of a man who is being tried for manslaughter because some people were killed when he ran a red light.   He may also have been speeding. Not that long ago I also ran a red light. Although I was not speeding and I was not distracting myself by looking at my phone, tuning the radio, attempting to pick up something I had dropped or doing anything else other than attending to driving I somehow misread the light or was unaware of looking at something else other than the light. I have no idea what happened. My carelessness was responsible for someone hitting me; a crash which could easily have resulted in the death of myself, the driver of the other car or his passenger.   The person I read about and the persons who were in the car which hit his car were not so lucky. People died and the person who ran the red light could now potentially spend time in jail, lose a professional license and live with all the consequences of his carelessness. Except for possibly speeding he is no different than I. Is this pure chance, luck, fate, the action of the gods or the God of one’s understanding? I strongly suspect it is luck or chance.   One morning this week I was stopped at a red light and a car sped right through the light. No car was coming from the green light direction and, thus, there was no harm. Another day I was stopped at another red light and a car ran through it only to discover a police car behind him or her.   The driver no doubt got a ticket but there were no injuries or deaths because no other car was going through the green light. Four cases and three different outcomes

Obviously, I am not the first person to notice or remark on this phenomenon or to remark on the fact that so much of our so-called justice system assigns blame based on the outcome and not whether a person is more or less a risk of causing injury or more or less a “bad” person. There are different levels of homicides recognized by the so-called justice system: murder, manslaughter, justifiable homicide, assassination, killing in war (following laws of war or a war crime), euthanasia and capital punishment. A great many factors, including the laws in a state, region or country, will affect how a homicide is treated.   Where or not a person is charged and convicted of a crime will also depend on how the event is labeled, the beliefs and histories of the jurors, the judge and the attorneys involved.   Although not always the case. money can determine the number and skill of the defense legal team. Local politics, skill, and other factors can affect the number of and action of the prosecution team. Personal history, including the history on a particular day, can affect the mood and the action of the judge.

Adults having a romantic or sexual relationship with someone underage (age of consent variable depending on state or country) may or may not be charged with a crime. Many parents I know have chosen not to press charges. Some have. What role does luck or chance play in how parents respond?

Laws change over time. Laws for use and possession of alcohol and marijuana have changed over time. Laws regarding inter-racial marriages have changed.   Abortion laws are currently undergoing major changes in the United States. What role does chance, fate, religious beliefs, and/pr politics play in when and what laws are changed?

Many who believe that the God or gods of their understanding directly intervenes in the life of individuals, would claim:

·      There is a purpose to every event.
·      God never gives you more than you can handle
·      One always gets what one needs to grow spiritually.
·      The God of one’s understanding will punish one even if the judicial system does not.
·      The god of one’s understanding accepts that one is human and makes mistakes; sometimes mistakes with grave and/or tragic results.

Many believe punishment will reduce or stop careless or irresponsible behavior.

How could the recognition and acknowledgment of the role of fate, chance or luck change the system of justice in the United States and or other countries? How could the recognition and acknowledgement of the role of fate, chance or luck affect the inquiry into ethical and moral behavior?

If, in fact, the role of luck, fate or chance were taken into account, how would that change the process of grief for the family whose loved one was injured or killed because of the combination of carelessness, fate and chance?

Perhaps it is time to let go of whatever brief solace some of us humans get from the current belief that justice is achieved by ignoring the role of fate or chance; from the illusion that our current system of justice is just, cost effective and ensures a safer community.

Written May 1, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org

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What do we say to the dead?

Ethics, morality and decision making

Violence will not win

Sunday Musings - May 22, 2022

Sunday Musings - May 15, 2022

Sunday Musings - May 8, 2022

Sunday Musings - May 1, 2022

Jimmy Pickett is a life student who happens to be a licensed counselor and an addiction counselor. He is a student of Buddhism with a background of Christianity and a Native American heritage.

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