Sunday morning, August 9, 2015 I was,  as is my habit, listening to “On Being” with Krista Tippett interviewing John O’Donohue, the now deceased Irish poet and philosopher. 

Besides the sheer beauty of the music of his Irish voice which seem to come from some eternal place within him, he, with his words, reminded me and others listening of something Meister Eckhart, a 14th-century mystic said.  “There is a place in the soul — there is a place in the soul that neither time, nor space, nor no created thing can touch."  Mr. O’Donohue went on to say, “…that your identity is not equivalent to your biography. And that there is a place in you where you have never been wounded, where there's still a sureness in you, where there's a seamlessness in you, and where there is a confidence and tranquility in you.”

It occurred to me that this is exactly what it means to be healed.  As a counselor/therapist I have long maintained that what I do is to sit with a person while they become quiet enough to discover that confident, peaceful, wise place which we all have within us.

Often I tell stories to illustrate what we are looking for.  Frequently these are stories of people I have known- of the experience of others who have found this place  within themselves. I am reminded of the belief by some Native American tribes that we are our stories although the question might arise, “Which story?”   I tell myself many stories about myself.  My memory is shaped and molded each new day – with the myriad of impressions, experiences, and emotions which have come to visit on any particular day. My memory may also be affected by what I want to believe.   If I tell myself a story often enough I may come to believe it.  Then I have to ask myself what is true.  Sometimes I have no idea of  “the facts” but if quiet enough I will know “the essential truth” which is always related to the purpose of the story.  When a Native American tells his or her story, it is frequently an analogy or a metaphor intended to convey some essential truth about the purpose and meaning of this life journey.

Mr. O’Donohue reminds us that we are always more than the story we tell ourselves.  We are a story which cannot be conveyed with words.  I would hope that all of us have had the experience of meeting someone for the first time and knowing that we have known them forever – that they can be trusted completely with who we are which is not our costume, or roles, our education, or our abilities.   It is that person with whom we have a connection which is eternal – a connection which reminds us that there is no us or them.  We jointly just are.

It is the job of the shaman, healer, parent, friend, mentor, sponsor to support us in being present with ourselves without all the shields, judgment, or fears.  The goal is to just notice or be present with who I am which is this strong, connected, loving person.

We are always changing into becoming that which is not changed.  What I mean is that I think that often we are at our wisest and most accepting of new truths when we are very young.  Soon, however, we learn that we are not enough in some way or even worse, that we are defected or simply something to be used or the object of abuse.  We begin to lose confidence and fear takes over.  Our sense of who we are and our ability to be present has changed.  Mr. O’Donahue says:

“I mean I always think that that is the secret of change. That there are huge gestations and fermentations going on in us that we’re not even aware of. And then sometimes when we come to a threshold, crossing over in which we need to become different, that we’ll be able to be different because secret work has been done in us of which we’ve had no inkling.”   In other words we get impatient and/or lose hope.  Sometimes a person comes to see a therapist or shaman and it seems that nothing is happening. The  person in pain or who is there gets impatient and may end the relationship. It is “normal” for someone to come and see me for one or two times and then quit coming.  That person may not have experienced the miracles of becoming themselves or coming in to themselves for a very long time. They have no sense of  how or who they are beneath the fears and the lies.  Sometimes the person who masquerades as a healer tells the person that they have to stop coming because they have not done their homework or are not working hard enough or are not “motivated.”     If I begin to feel inpatient with the process I need to remind myself  that this is my issue and not the fault of the so called client/patient/seeker.  There could be, as Mr. O’Donohue suggest  huge “gestations and fermentations” which are not evident. Sometimes there is some undiagnosed medical/physical issue which needs attention.    A number of times I have had a person referred to me because  a doctor has decided that the presenting symptoms are “all in the person’s head.”    Now it may sometimes be the case that the physical symptoms are being aggravated by something emotional but this does not preclude a physical problem/condition.   If I am listening carefully I will “intuit” this and will trust that intuition.

The healer/physician/shaman/therapist also has to be present to the huge “gestations and fermentations” which are going on within them.  When we are worried about being on the clock, we cannot hear the client/patient/hurting person.   When I see my doctor who works in a very busy setting and who is frequently overbooked, one would think that he has nothing better to do for the next eight hours than “be with me.”  He is almost always totally present to listen to me and to himself.

Who are we?  We are that wise, beautiful, kind, loving person who is perfectly aligned with the universe.  We merely have to trust that truth.    We are as Kevin Costner’s character discovers  in the film by the same name, “Dancing With the Wolves.”

I was sad, although not that surprised, to hear one of the United States presidential candidates suggest that we need to show the terrorists  that we are not backing down – that we will find them and kill them.   In fact, it seems as if most of the candidates are convinced that the response to the terrible violence of ISIS and other individuals and groups  is more violence. I thought to myself, “What does this person not understand about the fact that many so-called terrorists or extremists do not mind being killed. In fact, many believe that they will be rewarded in the next life for showing that they have the courage to be a martyr in this life.  In fact, we  in the United States basically tell our own soldiers the very same thing.  We basically tell them that it is good thing to put yourself in the position of possibly being killed in the service of one’s country.  Dying is not punishment if one is convinced that one is doing it to serve God, country, or  some other “noble” cause.  Although Senator and presidential candidate Senator Marco Rubio might be alone in advocating  that we “emulate Liam Neeson’s charger” in “Taken.”

He added, “When people ask ‘what should our strategy be on global jihadists and terrorists?’ I refer them to the movie ‘Taken.’ Have you seen the movie ‘Taken’ starring Liam Neeson? He has a line and this is what our strategy should be, “We will look for you, we will find you, and we will kill you.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett  (quoted by Mr. Hanchett from a speech Mr. Robio gave in May, 2015 in South Carolina.)

Mr. Rubio is not alone in thinking that we should respond to violence with more violence.  Some do recommend a more coordinated effort but all seem to think that we must increase the violent response and show who is more powerful, the biggest bully, or has the biggest guns.

Really?  Do we honestly think that this is going to work?  Do we not have any idea of the power of believing that one is doing a religious or spiritual duty however misguided others may think that one is? That sort of attitude has certainly guided this nation for a long time and has not led to us becoming more humble, more spiritual, or less arrogant. 

The safe street program that is being practiced in Baltimore does offer an alternative model for dealing with violence. This program was initiated by Dr. Gary Slutkin  after observing that the pattern of violence in cities follows the same pattern as that of an infectious disease.

The fact that the program is not currently working as well in Baltimore as it did is because of some very practical issues which are being identified under the leadership of Dr, Leonna Wen, Baltimore Health Commissioner.  One of the problems being identified is that some of the ex-felons who are do so well as interrupters/mediators are being pressured to pay a lot of back child support – perhaps as much as $50,000.00  - on a salary of $29,000.00 in a city such as Baltimore where even a modest apartment or place to live is going to cost around $1445.00 (one  bedroom inner city apartment  -Numbeo.com). Even if one had the entire gross income to spend that would leave approximately $1000.00 a month for food, transportation, insurance, child care, clothes and  related living expense. Do the math. That does not leave money to pay even a small amount of back child support.  Folks will resort to whatever means they know to survive; means which will likely be substance abuse or  some  criminal behavior. 

Fortunately, this is a problem which theoretically could be easily solved. Take the money which it would cost to incarcerate someone and pay that back child support and then provide assistance for child care when needed. Everyone wins.   Of course I know that the chances of such a simple solution being applied is not likely  just because it is logical and cost effective. It is more likely that the average tax payer who has not faced such  challenges will insist that folks take care of their responsibilities no matter how impracticable that may be.  I am sure that there are those who will continue to advocate that the interrupters who cannot honor their responsibilities are bad people – are individuals who should have paid their child support and are just dead beat parents (mostly dads).  The attitude is likely to be punish, punish, punish as if one is living on a high paying job in some luxurious  Anne Arundel County suburb where the most recent US. Census reports show that the median income is $87,000.00 and the population is 76% white.

My point is that the model Dr. Wen is pursuing in Baltimore to diagnose and treat the violence which has recently increased is the same model which we have to apply  to violence  whether it is on the local, state, national, or international level.

There is a reason why many young folks are being attracted to extremist groups where they are given  not only a sense of purpose but a sense of spiritual purpose – a legacy of which they can be proud. This is the very same thing that Hitler offered many in Germany after their WWI defeat and mistreatment by the allies. This, ironically, is the same thing which drives the United States – a promise to be more moral than – better than – more righteous- more pleasing to God – a chance to feel important – to count for something.

Are there easy ways to do this?  Will such an approach give immediate reward or gratification?  No to both questions.   Yet, any scientist, physician, or business person knows that if you want to solve a problem the most important first step is an accurate diagnosis.  Although if we listen to advertisements we might be tempted to believe that it is sufficient to treat the symptom (eat anything you want and then take our pill – lose weight without exercise or changing your diet) the truth we all know is that we need to diagnose and treat the cause of the symptoms.  Obviously many years of killing off people, putting people in jail, killing so-called insurgents or the axis of evil have has made local communities or the world a safer place.  Attempting to control others so that they do not have the same weapons we have or supplying weapons to the ally de jour has not put a long lasting dent in so-called terrorist activity or created new, trusting international friendships. Spying on friends and enemies has not created a safer universe.  Building more effective and more dangerous weapons and means of delivering weapons had not resulted in others beating their sword into plowshares.  More weapons, more troops, more prisons, and more funerals have not made communities safer.  Neither has pretending that we can embrace people such as the interrupters in Baltimore and other cities while threatening and punishing them at the same time. 

It is time for a new, more realistic approach. It is time to appoint and elect leaders such as Dr. Wen who will listen, diagnose the “dis ease,”  and give them the power and means to treat the illness and not just the symptoms.

Hats to our neighbors such as Dr. Slutkin and Dr. Wen.

I was saying to a friend yesterday that I am very grateful that I have never earned a high salary. Having said that I recognize and am grateful for the fact that I have and am living better than most of the world’s population.  When I say that I have not earned much I mean that as long as worked for community mental health centers, even with two master degrees I never made much over $30,000.00.   In private practice some years my net income was slightly more.   The reason why I am grateful for not making more is that I was not tempted for that amount of money to compromise my values.  Of course I would like to believe that I would not compromise my values for any amount of money but it is always difficult to be sure of that if one has never been in that position.  It is certainly easy to think that I would not compromise my values for a significant income.  It would be wonderful to be in a position to help my son and some particularly creative friends spend full time on their creative efforts or to allow some other friends and relatives to have an easier or more enjoyable life.  In fact I have often said that I would like to be a rich socialist with a clear conscience. Of course, that has not happened and is not likely to happen.   But the question is always what I would do to have that sort of money?

Please do not misunderstand what I am saying. I am not suggesting that everyone who makes a relatively high income or who has money from other sources compromises their values in order to obtain or to hang on to that money. I am really just talking about the fact that it seems easy for many of we humans to live a life of “dis ease” because we have convinced ourselves that our only choice is to do whatever we have to do to hold on to a particular job, marriage or other satiation.

I was reminded of this fact yesterday when talking to a friend whose was saying that this very nice woman she knows will not speak up to her superiors because apparently she is fearful of losing her relatively low paying job.   This woman is a liaison in the trust department of a major bank.  She seems sympathetic to the fact that the people in charge of the trust at the bank are clearly acting in a way, which insures the most money for the bank, rather than being true to the obvious intent of the deceased mother who set up the trust for her son.   I know enough about bank salaries to know that a person in her position is not making a huge salary. Yet, she, the people managing the trust, and the attorney who originally wrote the will setting up the trust are seemingly caught in the trap of putting and keeping themselves in positions which are very stressful.   How do I know that these people are likely feeling very stressed?  I can make a very educated guess because in my practice as a licensed counselor, in my early role as a minister or in my role as a friend I have talked to many people who go to work every day hating and feeling very stressed about their jobs.  It I true that some has limited options.  Others do not “see” any other choices open to them.   I was one of the fortunate ones, who as a young man found himself, unable to afford to quit work and go to college, but able to initially take one class at a time. Eventually, by working, getting some help for a time from the GI education bill, getting some help from my then wife who was working outside the home, and the fact that even prestigious universities were then relatively inexpensive I was able to complete the education I needed to pursue my chosen career.  When that did not turn out to be what I wanted to do long term I was able to go back to graduate school while continuing to work full time. The fact that I was physically healthy enough to be able to do this was a blessing for which I can take very little credit. I could easily have had a chronic illness or condition, which prevented me from having enough energy to do that.

Still, my experience is that the circumstances in which we find ourselves does not seem to matter as much as our attitude or our ability to trust that putting one step in front of the other will eventually help us reach our goal.   My friend Becky who has written extensively (see her book, Facing the Sunshine and Avoiding the Shadows and her weekly blog, “authorbeckyjohnen.wordpress.com”) about how to change our attitude no matter what obstacles life throws in our way.  In fact I just chatted via email with Dr. Johnen, who, even as I type, was working off some frustration about an unfair situation by taking charge of some projects over which she does control.  In this instance, she is organizing files, organizing some areas in the garage and doing laundry. By the time she finishes she will able to focus enough to write.   All the recommendations she writes in her blog or in the book are evidence based!  She daily practices what she advocates for others. This is one of the reasons she is such a trusted and competent teacher.

Last week I had dinner with some friends from West Virginia to celebrate the fact that the man now has five years clean from drug addiction.  He is working at a job helping troubled teenagers and on his way to attending seminary and being ordained a Methodist minister.  How has he done this?  He would tell you that he has done it one-step or one day at a time.  At first he had to rely on the faith and experience of others.  Now he has can rely on his own faith and experience as well as the ongoing support of others and listening to what he advices teenagers and others.

Sounds pretty simple, but, as I have previously stated we still need to take the advice of Soren Kierkengaard’s to take that “leap of faith”.  It is that very first step which is often the most difficult for all of us.

I have talked to individuals who sincerely believe that they “need” a minimum of $400,000.00 a year to live a decent life.  I know of others who are convinced that they need even more. I know folks who have young children and feel stuck in a minimum wage job because they do not have the time, energy or money to do what they need to do to get more education or find another job.   On the other hand I know individuals who have and will do whatever they have to do to piece together an income or create a business.  There are millions of stories such as the Blenko Glass Factory story.   The family, which started this business in 1893, put together enough money on several occasions (4 if I am remembering correctly) to travel as a poor family from England to the United States to begin a new venture.  Three times they failed and had to return to England. Finally in 1921 they tried one more time The traveled to Milton, West Virginia, borrowed $500.00 and opened the business where their heirs continue to operate their hand blown glass factory today.  How was this possible? Some to us cannot seem to find the resources to move across town much less from one continent to another.  

Often I ask clients who feel stuck what they would advice a child of theirs to do in a similar situation.  Very often, this person who sees no way out of their current “trap” has wonderful, practical advice for how to proceed.   I firmly believe that, baring acute mental illness or other brain dysfunction. we all have these other wise voices available to us.  We also already have the strength and courage that we need.

I often suggest that clients watch or again watch “The Wizard of Oz” because it is a reminder that we have the courage, intelligence, ability and the heart to take that leap of faith. Clicking our heals may be a simple as picking up the phone and making an appointment with a counselor at school or going to the library to read stories of others who have found themselves in a similar situation or asking others for advice.

We are not trapped.  We do not have to settle for a job or situation, which seeks to steal our values – our soul.

This was the question that my six year old friend, Sam, asked the other day. As readers of this blog know six-year old Sam has a habit of visiting “Uncle Jim” who lives next door  with questions that parents like to refer to “Uncle Jim” when  another parent is not available.  We all know the “Ask your father.” or “Ask your mother.” avoidance response of our parents!

Sam’s questions frequently arise over something the teacher or the priest has said in her school. Sometimes the question arises out of her habit of reading the newspaper over her mom’s shoulder.    She is quite proud of her ability to read The Tampa Tribune.   She is especially intrigued with any story about Pope Francis.  She thinks he and his pope mobile is just too cute.   She also knows that pope has quickly become a favorite of Uncle Jim’s.

So it was that Thursday morning, the  70th anniversary of Hiroshima she picked up on something that James Hitchcock, author of “Catholicism and Modernity: Confrontation or Capitulation”  and who is “opposed to any change in church practice on the issue (the requirement for annulments)” said  of Pope Francis, “He is not a systematic thinker. I don’t think he sits down and works this all out. I think he follows his heart.  I think he says things in a way he thinks will be inspirational or helpful, and then we can work that all out later…” (Tampa Tribune, August 7, 2015, page 1, Associated Press article by Francis D’Emilio entitled “Pope ‘opens door’s ‘ on divorce policy.”)   Pope Francis was addressing the issue that “Catholic who divorce after a church marriage but don’t remarry can receive communion.”   Francis is concerned about the fact that “…Children especially will be damaged if they see their parents kept at a distance from the church…”

Sam’s question was not about annulments.  Thank goodness I did not have to review and explain the extensive articles of cannon law on the subject of marriage, divorce and annulment.   Sam’s merely wanted to know  why it was bad to  “follow one’s heart” and if God is going to be angry at Pope Francis.

Sam:  Uncle Jim.  The guy in the newspaper seems to be saying that following one’s heart is bad.  Is it bad? Will God be angry?

Me:  (I had just read the article and noticed the same article.)  Sometimes that is difficult to decide Sam.

Sam:  You always tell me to pray and pay attention to my heart.  The other day I asked you if I had to share my lunch with Susie when she forgot her lunch.  You told me to think about what it would be like to be hungry and not have any lunch. Then you asked what my heart said.

Me:  That is a good example. What did you decide Sam?

Sam: Well.  I decided that it did not feel good to be hungry and I shared my lunch with Susie.   The next day she had her lunch and an extra cupcake just for me.

Me: That was very sweet of her. I am proud of you for sharing your lunch and  impressed that Susie was grateful.

Sam:  yet, the other day when the teacher was a mean witch  and I wanted to tell her you told me I should not do that.

Me: Remind me of why you were angry at the teacher.

Sam:  She would not let Tommy go to the bathroom and he wet his pants.  He was very upset.

Me: Oh yes. Now I remember.  I was proud of you for caring about Tommy but did not think being mean to the teacher was good.

Sam: Why not?

Me:  Well, Sam I do not think that your heart was telling you to be mean to the teacher.  The teacher made a mistake but you do not like it if the teacher is mean to you when you make a mistake.

Sam: Well no, but she was a mean witch!

Me:  I know it seemed like that  and obviously she made a mistake but I do not think she was trying to be mean.

Sam: I guess not. She was upset because 10 people had already asked to go to the bathroom just before Tommy!

Me:  yes, she probably thought, incorrectly, that Tommy  and some of the other kids were just trying to get out of class because they had not done  their homework.

Sam: Yes. That is what she said!

Me:  We have talked a lot about Pope Francis.  Do you think he thinks with his heart?

Sam:  Does thinking with your heart means that one loves people?

Me:  I think so Sam.

Sam:  Well, it seems as if he really loves people and most people love him but some  other men in the church seem to get angry at him a lot.

Me: That is true. We have talked about the fact that some people think that he does not care enough for the rules of the church.

Sam:  Yeah! We talked about Jesus not liking rules very much!

Me: That is true. Often the disciples – you remember we talked about the disciples being students of Jesus – thought he was breaking rules such as talking to the wrong persons or forgiving people like Judas.  Remember we also talked about Jesus telling Peter we should forgive people 70 x 7 times. We counted out 490 crayons just to see how many that was.

Sam: That was a lot of crayons.

Me: Some rules are helpful. For example in your family you say a prayer before you eat, but the other day just as your mom was getting ready to say the prayer, your brother got sick and she stopped the prayer to take care of him.   Helping him was more important than finishing the prayer right then.  In that case your mother was thinking with her heart.  In your family and at my house  people are always more important than the rules. Sometimes a rule such as not playing with matches or the thing your parents use to light the charcoal, is because some person could get hurt.   If, on the other hand, you want your parents to help you learn how the lighter works for science class then  they would help you explore.

Sam: Well. Can we talk about something else?  My brain hurts!

Me:  Sure.  Do you still want to go to the library to get some new books to read?

Sam: Can we stop for ice cream too?

August 6, 2015 was the 70th anniversary of the day that the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan resulting in an estimated 140,000 deaths.  Three days later on August 9, 2015 the United States dropped a bomb on Nagasaki killing another 60,000 to 80,000 people. A third bomb was planned for August 17th or 18th but Japan surrendered on August 15th.

It is not my intent in this brief blog to review this history of the world leading up to this animosity between Japan and the United States or to review all the arguments for and against the use of the atomic bomb.

It is my intent to invite all of us to have more of a historic conscience and to quit acting as if historical events happened in a vacuum. Obviously, no one in Japan woke up one morning and said, “Goodness, it is a boring day. Let’s bomb Pearl Harbor.”  That was also not how the decision of the League of Nations action against Japan or the decision for the full embargo of Japan by the United States was made. 

The average person killed in any war is not the leader making decisions. It is our neighbors and the sons and daughters of our neighbors. Whether we are talking about the approximate 407, 000 United States soldiers killed during WWII or the total of 60 to 80 million killed, the numbers are staggering. If we think about the fact that each one of those killed as well as the wounded and those who suffered in many other ways because of the war, the toll is unimaginable.  I think of babies held by mothers and fathers stretching as far as I can see from the top of the tallest building in New York City or from 20,000 feet plus on top of Mount McKinley. These are those who were killed, maimed, and suffered during WWII and the events leading up to that war. How can we not take a moment to grieve?  How can we now wonder how it is some 70 years later that we humans on this planet continue to kill, maim, and otherwise mistreat each other? Instead of learning that gross unequal sharing of the world’s resource leads to insane, violent action of we humans, the disparity between the haves and the have not’s continues to increase.  In an age when CEOs, many sports figures, and others are paid more money than anyone could possibly need or even spend, we continue to believe that our main purpose is to protect our overfilled larder instead of finding ways to share. When we do share it is often because we think that it will be politically expedient to “our interest.”  

On August 6, 2015 I search the Tampa Tribune for some mention of the anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb – of the killing of 140,000 sons and daughters – neighbors - in one city alone.   The only mention I found was a very brief, small print mention in the “Today in History” insert on page 6. Neither did I find any mention of the 407,000 sons and daughters of the United States killed during World War II or the 60 to 80 million people killed during that war. (To be fair on August 7, 2015 there was a copy of an AP article entitled “Japan marks 70th anniversary of Hiroshima bombing”.  NPR had extensive coverage and discussion of the historic events.)

Perhaps it would be worth our time and energy to stop to remember that all of our actions of today will have consequences today, tomorrow, and 70 years from now.  Perhaps it behooves us not to beat our breast with pride over the dropping of the atomic bomb or to retreat into shame but to ask what we can do to invite others to share our loaf of bread.  Perhaps it is important to share our loaf of bread not because we deem that they deserve it or because we want to rack up some points for good behavior. Perhaps it is enough to know that reacting to violence with more violence – physical, emotional, and financial – does not, in the long run bring about a more just and loving world. Perhaps the 60 to 80 million sons and daughters do not need our  expressions of regret and  apology.   Perhaps we need to acknowledge that we need the hand of our neighbor whether they are across the street or across the ocean.  Perhaps, with humility. we need to admit that we are “one of the least of these” emotionally and spiritually.  Perhaps it is time we let go of our arrogance and false pride and ask to share the table with our neighbor.  All of us want to believe that we have something important to share.  Sometimes  it is in accepting that we give the most and get the most.  It seems easy to criticize each other  We humans are together capable of learning to divide the loaf into 80 million bites.

On Wednesday, August 5, 2015 the Tampa Tribune (page 2 of the Metro section) carried an article by Elaine Silverstrini entitled “Man to plead guilty to luring boy to Tampa”.  This article details the story of a sexual relationship between a 46-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy.  According to the author the adult man, Stephen Underwood, and the young man lied about their age. The two became acquainted through a dating or meeting site called Kik.  The boy claimed to be 16, living in Missouri and being bullied at school because of being gay. The man claimed to be 31. He told the young man that he would be in Missouri for a funeral and offered to bring the boy back to Tampa with him.   Mr. Underwood will plead guilty to the federal charge of “transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.”  

In March a Minnesota man was sentenced on a similar charge to more than 31 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to traveling to Tampa to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex.

According to current figures on the federalregister.com the current cost for incarcerating someone in federal prison is $26,163.00 per year. At that rate, the cost for 31 years is $811, 053.   The latest figures I could find through an Internet search were that there are approximately 11,699 individuals in federal prisons and who are listed as sex offenders.  This does not count those in county, city and state prisons or those who have been released and are being monitored.  Just counting the 11, 699 inmates who are 6.1 per cent of the federal inmate population we taxpayers are spending approximately $306,080,937.00 per annum just to imprison those individuals. One can only imagine the total amount being spent on monitoring, arresting, housing and prosecuting all those who are currently listed as sexual offenders.

Why are we doing this?  Who are these people? Certainly some of them are dangerous individuals who have brutally raped individuals.  On criminalfindlaw.com was the following list of those charges, which might result in someone being labeled as a sexual offender:

Examples of sex offenses include:

•   Sexual conduct with a minor
•   Sexual assault
•   Sexual assault of spouse
•   Molestation of a child
•   Continuous sexual abuse of a child
•   Infamous crimes against nature
•   Lewd and lascivious acts
•   Indecent exposure and public sexual indecency
•   Taking a child for the purpose of prostitution
•   Sexual exploitation of a minor
•   Incest
•   Kidnapping, aggravated assault, murder, unlawful imprisonment, and burglary (when the offense includes evidence of sexual motivation)
•   Failure to register as a sex offender
•   Violation of Sex Offender Registration statutes

Not included on this list is having child pornography on one’s computer whether or not one intentionally downloaded it. It is also important to note that if one has sex with an underage prostitute who lies about their age one can also be charged as a sexual offender, often under the charge of statutory rape. The age of consent varies in each state and in each country. Not long ago in the United States one could still be jailed for any homosexual acts. This is still true in a number of countries.  There are also those who are charged with inappropriate touching of a child in divorce hearings. That charge is often very difficult, if not impossible, to disprove. I have seen a number of clients who convicted who I was convinced were innocent.

The age of consent and/or the legal permissible difference in ages varies from state to state and country to country.  The mirror.co.uk had the following on the age of consent:

“But is Britain unusual in maintaining the age of consent at 16, and how does we compare to the rest of the world?

In Europe, countries who have the age of consent set at 16 include Cyprus, Finland, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland.

For Austria, Germany, Portugal and Italy it is 14, and in France, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and Greece it is 15.

Spain did have one of the lowest ages of consent on the continent at just 13, but recently agreed to raise this to 16.

Throughout the rest of the world, there are big variations.

In Bahrain, it is set at 21 for women who want to marry without their father's consent, while in nearby Saudi Arabia, all sex outside of marriage is illegal but there are no laws limiting the age at which you can get married.

In China, the age of consent is 14, in Iraq it is 18, while in Japan it is five years lower at 13.

The likes of Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador and Colombia all have it set at 14.

And in some countries - such as Chile - the minimum age of consent is 14, but there are legal restrictions on sexual activities up to the age of 18, and homosexual sex is illegal before that age.

Australia's age of consent varies between 16 and 17 depending on which territory you are in, and the same goes for America where it ranges from 16 to 18 between different states.”

There are many other issues related to not only the age of consent but also when consent is consent.   In her recent book, Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget, Sarah Hoepola raised the question of how to hold someone accountable who has sex with someone who is experiencing a blackout. In an alcoholic blackout it is not usually obvious that a person is having a blackout or even if one is drunk.

Obviously we humans are very confused about when it is okay to have sex, with whom and at what age.  In the United States, despite the fact that we use the suggestion of sex to sell many everyday products, dress up six year old dance students as miniature harlots, and permit very sexual teenagers to dress in provocative clothes, we are uncomfortable with the idea that sexual beings have sex at various ages with various individuals.

We may not like the fact that our teenagers are sexual but we seem unable to prevent them from being so despite various warnings, threats, religious rules and passionate warnings.

We also seem conflicted about whether or not being a Cougar is funny, acceptable or an act to laud (a cougar is an older woman who has a younger lover), or whether an older man has a trophy wife 40 years or more his junior. As long as she is of legal age at the time of the mating is he to be admired or criticized.  The sight of someone exposing him or herself offends us but we allow increasing nudity on the television screen.  Family nudist camps are legal in many states as our nude beaches but exposing oneself, even to relieve oneself when there is no public bathroom available, may be criminal. 

Depending on the state and whether one crosses a state line to engage in sexual activity, the attitude of parents or guardians and whether law enforcement officers find out an adult is having sex with a minor is tolerated or not tolerated.  Running away from home is illegal in many states, no matter what the conditions of one’s home or how much one is bullied in the current system.  Again, depending on who finds out and the attitude of parents and others one might be convicted of breaking the law or not.

Computer experts agree that it is possible for someone to download something on one’s computer without one’s permission and yet we send people to prison for having child pornography on their computer even where there is no proof that they intentionally downloaded it It  seems to depends on one’s attorney and the judge involved in the particular case.

Behavior, which offends our personal values and sensibilities often, result in someone being incarcerated.  We are apparently, as taxpayers willing to spend a lot of money to money to satisfy our delusion that we are going to prevent or deter future behavior.

To be sure there are a few public voices that have suggested that we need to distinguish between who is truly dangerous and those who may personally disgust us and who may be the subject of our angry judgment.

As a father of a son I certainly did not want to see my son sexually active at 15 or 16 or 17. I was frightened that if he were sexually active he would be impulsive and perhaps contact a sexually transmitted disease such as syphilis or HIV.  I was also worried that he might help to conceive a child, which would have become my responsibility until he was old enough to care for it.   Personally, as a parent whose son is now 44, I prefer not to think of him as sexually active although, at the same time, I want him to have a loving relationship.   Obviously, I am well aware that he is a human and probably sexually active. We do not discuss that part of his life.

If I had known that he was sexually active with someone over 18 when he was 15 or 16 would I have called the police?  Certainly not.  Obviously, if I felt that he was being forcibly raped I would have called the police.   If he had run away from home at 15 would I have wanted him to be living in the street or with an older person, male or female, with whom he was having a sexual relationship. Certainly not. Would I have called the police?  If I did not know that he was safe I might have?  I am not sure but I do not think that I would have.  Would I have hated that he felt he needed to leave home and live on his own?  Yes.  If he had cited all the famous people who have left home at 15 would I have felt better?  No!  If he had pointed out to me that even today many people in countries at war are helping their young teenagers to leave home would I have felt better?  No.

My point is that there are many behaviors, which I personally do not think, are good or healthy for a teenager or an adult. On the other hand, I am not convinced that criminalizing so many common behaviors, some of which are sexual, is making the community safer or more desirable. 

I do not know the 15 year old who was having a consensual sexual relationship with Mr. Underwood.  I doubt very much that he was damaged as a result of having a sexual relationship with Mr. Underwood. Apparently the young man is very clear that he is gay.  I hope and pray that he let his parents know he was okay. I hope and pray that they cared enough to want to know.

I have no idea what has happened to this young man or how his parents have responded to him since he was discovered living with Mr. Underwood, Of course I hope and pray that he was welcome home with love. I hope that they do not tell him he is a poor victim.  I hope that he wants to continue his education and that he in a school, which embraces diversity.

I will also pray for Mr. Underwood. If he somehow contacted me and needed a friendly person to write him while he was in jail, I would do so. I also write to two former clients who are in jail as sexual offenders.   If the young man needed a kind, listening, professional ear I would do all I could to make myself available.  If I can play a role in changing the law so that we quit prosecuting and incarcerating those who are not dangerous, I will do so.  I would also do away with the public sexual offender list, which is often used to frighten and harass people on the list as well as unduly frighten his or her neighbors.

For many years I lived in Washington, DC. It was there that the woman who would become my wife and the mother of our son Jamie first introduced me to the world of art, classical music and theater.   I met her at The National Presbyterian Church where I became an active member. It is also the church where we were married a week before Christmas in 1965. Eventually the Presbyterian Church as a teaching elder would ordain me, a minister.   Washington DC is also home to another, more famous Presbyterian Church, The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. Some of my readers may be old enough to remember a movie about its most famous pastor Peter Marshall.   The movie is “A Man Called Peter” based on the book written by his wife Catherine.  Catherine Marshall also edited and caused to be published a book of his prayers, particularly those prayers he wrote and prayed as Chaplain of the Senate.    I was reminded of Peter Marshall this morning when one of the morning inspirational quotes, which appeared in my email box, was one of by Peter Marshall.

“When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.”

I did not have the pleasure of knowing of Peter Marshall who died at the very young age of 49 in 1949.   I did see the movie sometimes early in my adult life.  It was released in 1955 when I was 15. I must have seen it some years later. 

One of my favorite Peter Marshall prayers, which he prayed in his role as Chaplain of the Senate, was:

“America Confesses”

Our Father, bring to the remembrance of Thy people Thine ancient time-honored promise: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

We – this company of Thy people assembled – would begin now to meet the conditions that will enable Thee to fulfill Thy promise.

May all of America come to understand that right-living alone exalteth a nation, that only in Thy will can peace and joy be found. But, Lord, this land cannot be righteous unless her people are righteous, and we, here gathered, are part of America. We know that the world cannot be changed until the hearts of man are changed. Our hearts need to be changed.

We therefore confess to Thee that:

Wrong ideals and sinful living have cut us off from Thee.

We have been greedy.

We have sought to hide behind barricades of selfishness; shackles have imprisoned the great heart of America.

We have tried to isolate ourselves from the bleeding wounds of a blundering world.

In our self-sufficiency we have sought not Thy help.

We have held conferences and ignored Thee completely.

We have disguised selfishness as patriotism; our arrogance has masqueraded as pride.

We have fritted away time and opportunities while the world bled.

Our ambitions have blinded us to opportunities.

We have bickered in factory and business, and sought to solve our differences only through self-interest.

Lord God of Hosts, forgive us! O God, by Thy guidance and Thy power may our beloved land once again become God’s one country, a nation contrite in heart, confessing her sins; a nation keenly sensitive to all the unresolved injustice and wrong still in our midst.

Hear this our prayer and grant that we may confidently expect to see it answered in our time, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The minister and his wife who followed Peter Catherine Marshall at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church were George MacPherson Docherty and his wife Mary.  

I met George and Mary sometime in the late sixties when I was active in the effort to halt the involvement of the United States military in Vietnam.   It happened that New York Avenue was one of the churches which managed to hold on to some the more established and wealthy members of the community and to the variety of people who believed that it was the responsibility of the congregants to be actively involved in creating a world in which the love which Jesus lived and preached guided one’s actions.  It was because of this commitment that New York Avenue church became an important gathering place for those of us who were lobbying members of congress or participating in the prayer vigil, which was being held in Lafayette Park.  Lafayette Park is a park directly across the street from the White House and often the site of prayer vigils and other attempts to bring concerns to the President of the United States.

Often those participating in this silent, peaceful prayer vigil were arrested when they refused to disburse. 

So it was that many of us would not only gather at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church but also at the manse or home of George and Mary.  The manse became a place where one might find like-minded people sharing a meal or floor space where they put their sleeping bag for the night.

This is what I knew and remembered about George Docherty and his wife Mary. He is, however, best known for preaching a sermon calling for the addition of “under god” to the Pledge of Allegiance when President Dwight Eisenhower was in attendance for Lincoln Sunday, February 7, 1954.  “As a result of the sermon, the next day President Eisenhower and his friends in Congress began to set the wheels in motion to amend the Pledge of Allegiance to include the phase.”   No, that was not what drew me to Pastor Docherty.  In fact, I was and am not particularly supportive of any tradition, which assumes that one needs to be religious to be a valued and honored citizen of The United States of America.

What impressed me about George and Mary was that in the tradition of Peter Marshall, they continued to lead New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in being a place where all were challenged to live out our faith – a place where we were challenged to go outside of our comfort zone.   One of the images, which are etched in my mind, is that of Mary Docherty.  I, along with a host of others, was in the office of George Docherty   discussing our anti-war plans to lobby or join the prayer vigil.  Mary Docherty, who perhaps was in her mid to late fifties dressed as befitted an old Scottish wife married to an esteemed minister in her practical shoes and plain dress which came well below her knees and, if I recall correctly, her pill box hat and carrying a large, practical purse came into the room. She excused herself to ask George, “And would you be going to join the prayer vigil today George.”  He responded, “ Yes Mary, but a little later.”  She then asked, “And would you have your bail money today.”  (Of course she knew that they might again be arrested for refusing to disperse and leaving the park.)  George replied, “Yes Mary I do.” Mary patted her purse and said, “George I have enough for the both of us.”  She then bid us all farewell and was off to pray and probably be arrested.

Now, whether one supported or did not support the anti-war efforts and the warm welcome the same people would give returning veterans, the fact was that one was welcomed at New York Avenue with the same warm embrace.   The core of the belief and the prayer was the same as that of Peter Marshall:

Lord God of Hosts, forgive us! O God, by Thy guidance and Thy power may our beloved land once again become God’s one country, a nation contrite in heart, confessing her sins; a nation keenly sensitive to all the unresolved injustice and wrong still in our midst.

Although many of us might disagree about the phase in this prayer “once again become God’s one country” the part that I heard that we needed to continue to look inward – to live out the belief that we are all equally sinful and equally needing acceptance of our own humanness.

It is folks like Mary and George who continue to support and guide me in my quest to discern a life, which is lived with more honesty and courage – a life of sharing one’s bail money. A life of he prayer, “When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.

Serious news – Adieux to Jon Stewart

Although I am not a person who watches television even I have been acutely aware of the phenomenon of Jon Stewart who 16 years ago began to host a nightly show the stated purpose of which was to “lampoon the newscasts and the newsmakers they enabled.” (AP article by Franzier Moore)   Since Mr. Stewart is leaving that show I was thinking about the history of communicating news between individuals, families, and communities. 

We humans have been sharing information about ourselves, each other, and events in the world since we first used hieroglyphics in caves, but it was not until the invention of newspapers, then radio eventually television and finally the internet that more frequent reporting of so called news was made possible.

Although it is generally accepted that all life forms share information at a certain level, as far as we know humans are the only species to feel the need to share information in the form of 24 hours news stations. 

We moved from simple drawings to rudimentary language to use of “written” language as totem poles to the alphabet and eventually the evolution of the written and spoken form of language as we now know it. 

Eventually, the printing press had to be invented. Wikipedia states,

 “The printing press was invented in the Holy Roman Empire by Johannes Gutenberg, around 1440. Gutenberg, a goldsmith by profession, devised a hand mold to create metal movable type, and adapted screw presses and other existing technologies, to create a printing system. The mechanization of bookmaking led to the first mass production of books in Europe. ‪[3] A single Renaissance printing press could produce 3,600 pages per workday, ‪[4] compared to about 2,000 by typographic block-printing prevalent in East Asia, ‪[5] and a few by hand-copying.‪[6] Books of bestselling authors like Luther or Erasmus were sold by the hundreds of thousands in their lifetime.‪[7]

Not surprisingly, the genre of news as we know it today is closely associated with the newspaper, which originated in China as a court bulletin and spread, with paper and printing press, to Europe. The development of the electric telegraph in the mid-19th century revolutionized news by enabling nearly instantaneous transmissions, and by empowering a cartel of news agencies, which consolidated the world news system. In the 20th century, the style of news and its impact on national populations expanded considerably with constant live broadcasting of radio and television, and finally, with the popularization of the internet. (Wikipedia).

The first reference to privately published news sheets in China is in 1582 in Beijing, during the late Ming dynasty; ‪[3] China Monthly Magazine, which published from 1815 to 1821, marked the beginning of Chinese journalism. It was managed by Robert Morrison, and was printed in Malacca using traditional woodblock printing. It was primarily a Christian missionary organ, although it did include some news.

Letter writing was also a frequent way of sharing news. Although this form of communication has not become extinct email, instant messaging and social media reports have replaced letter writing for many people.   One can only imagine the effort which would have been required had one attempted to use the smoke signal to communicate the minususa of detail which some communicate via social media such as Twitter or Facebook.

It was probably with the advent of the radio newscasts that newscasters begun to take on the aura of movie starts or other celebrities. 

It is easy to understand the temptation to lampoon both the so-called news and the news broadcasters. On the other hand, after one does this for 16 years, how many more ways can one report on how ridiculous we humans are in terms of how we interact with each other, the environment and ourselves.  Think about it.   We are born, learn that we are not enough (not good enough, big enough, smart enough, culturally attractive enough), try to augment our importance with events, events, things and temporary attributes (i. e. muscles), work to gather more things, continue to puff up by creatively learning to kill each other, get old, deflate and eventually return to dust.  How we accomplish all of this becomes the news.  

Throughout the ages we humans have invented mirrors and, if lucky, learned that we needed to open our eyes and be honest about who we saw.  Sometimes there are spiritual leaders who try to help us see ourselves, but being the creative people that we are, we can use even those “reports” as an excuse to seriously lament our behavior. 

Often the true seers are the comedians; those who lovingly help us laugh at ourselves.  If not careful, however, we make fun of each other and do not see the mirrors. We laugh at the “others’ and not at ourselves.

How long can a Jon Stewart help us to laugh at ourselves and not become one of the news items?  “Jon Stewart signing off fake newscast for real.” (St. Petersburg Tribune, August 3, 2015, page 2).   Jon Stewart has been secretly meeting with President Obama.  Jon Stewart is.  Fill in the blanks. Perhaps when the lampooner becomes the news it is time for a new lampooner who can lampoon the lampooner!

Really.  Let’s take Mr. Stewart seriously.   Mr. Stewart is retiring. What will Mr. Stewart do now? What does Mr. Stewart eat for breakfast?  The breakfast of champions?  Boxers or briefs?  Does he step into his trousers with his right leg first or his left leg?  What is the first thing is says to his family in the morning?    Does Mr. Stewart invest his money in …?

How long before we take Trevor Noah seriously.  I fear that we already are.  Perhaps Marshall Mcluhan was right when he said many years ago “The Medium is the Message”.  Perhaps television cannot long  serve the purpose of a mirror.

I smiled when I found in the Oxford dictionary entry for news a list of words, which rhyme, with news.  They list:

abuse, accuse, adieux, amuse, bemuse, billets-doux, blues, booze, bruise, choose, Clews, confuse, contuse, cruise, cruse, Cruz, diffuse, do's, Druze, effuse, enthuse, excuse, fuse (US fuze), Hughes, incuse, interfuse, lose, Mahfouz, mews, misuse, muse, ooze, Ouse, perfuse, peruse, rhythm-and-blues, ruse, schmooze, snooze, suffuse, Toulouse, transfuse, trews, use, Vaduz, Veracruz, who's, whose, youse

One could have much fun with this list.   Youse can abuse the muse while amusing with ooze. The news is blues. Better pursue the booze. The news is a ruse to smooze the muse.  Adieux to Jon  who will no longer bemuse the news.

I am writing on Sunday morning following my usual Sunday morning routine of listening to On Being with Krista Tippett.  Sunday, August 2, 2015 her guest was Dr. Rachel Yehuda, a neuro-scientist who was one of the first students of psychology to be given the choice to get her PhD in neuro-science or psychology.  Her particular field of study is epigenetics. Early on in her research, while still working on her doctorate degree, she began to study how the behavior of genes are affected by changes in the environment and behavior.  She has specifically focused on the affects of experiencing traumas such as the Holocaust, 9/11, and combat.  There are many aspects of the work she and other neuro-scientists have done which has significant implications for how we humans define and learn to cope with trauma.

As a person who was raised in an observant Jewish family in Cleveland where there were a number of holocaust survivors living, she was particularly interested in such traumas a the holocaust and what changes trauma might have on the functioning of the person who experienced the trauma and the children of that person(s)  One of the early findings was trauma survivors could have lower cortisol levels.  Cortisol level is important for a number of reasons. 

“Blood levels of cortisol vary dramatically, but generally are high in the morning when we wake up, and then fall throughout the day. This is called a diurnal rhythm. In people that work at night, this pattern is reversed, so the timing of cortisol release is clearly linked to daily activity patterns. In addition, in response to stress, extra cortisol is released to help the body to respond appropriately.

The secretion of cortisol is mainly controlled by three inter-communicating regions of the body, the hypothalamus in the brain, the pituitary gland and the adrenal gland. This is called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. When cortisol levels in the blood are low, a group of cells in a region of the brain called the hypothalamus release corticotrophin-releasing hormone which causes the pituitary gland to secrete another hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, into the bloodstream. High levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone are detected in the adrenal glands and stimulate the secretion of cortisol, causing blood levels of cortisol to rise. As the cortisol levels rise, they start to block the release of corticotrophin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus and adrenocorticotropic hormone from the pituitary. As a result the adrenocorticotropic hormone levels start to drop which then leads to a drop in cortisol levels. This is called a negative feedback loop.”

Yourhormones.info

As with all pars of the human system balance or homostasis is very important. Too much or too little cortisol can have adverse affect on how the body functions.

Not only had Dr. Yehuda and her colleagues discovered that the genes can be turned off and off in survivors of trauma but also children of survivors can have long term or permanent changes in both the genes themselves and in the switches of the genes. It is possible that the fetus of those women who are pregnant while experiencing a significant trauma, I.e. pregnant women who experienced 9/11, could be affected genetically (I think that I have this information correct.)

In recent years mental health professionals have been increasingly aware that it is important to ask new clients/patients about their trauma history.  A trauma history can includes such obviously significant events as 9/11 or combat experience as well as acute, permanent injury, rape or other life changing events.  How one experience an event may determine the severity of the affect on the genetic functioning of we humans. 

In the seventies I began to work with clients who had experienced what came to be labeled as post traumatic stress. Although this condition was not new, the label was not included in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder until 1980. 

Since that time the label of PTSD has been more widely applied to the symptoms experienced by people who have experienced a variety of traumas.  Not all people who experience a significant, negative event have symptoms of PTSD.  The question of how the body processes events and how the symptoms of that processing can be treated is of ongoing interest to many clinicians.  It has long been noticed that some people seem to experience very traumatic events without having long term, negative, debilitating symptoms.  This is not to say that they do not have scars but they are able to move forward with a relatively enjoyable life.   Gloria Emerson was one of the authors who began to interview and examine individuals who experienced significant loss and stress in combat situations in the Vietnam War and still function well.  As I recall she discovered that those who did not report long-term significant symptoms of PTSD had the following characteristics:

·      Without the use of alcohol or other drugs which put them in an even more dangerous position, when they had a break they could enjoy a sunset, a conversation with a friend, a letter from home, good food or some other positive event. That is, they did not just focus on negatives.
·      They had an active support system.
·      They had a sense of purpose or career goal when they returned from the combat experience.

Dr. Yehuda also talks about some of the positive affects of Jewish rituals, which remember or honor past events. Past tragedies or triumphs are not forgotten or put in the closet.  Not only do such rituals honor the past event but also they set a particular time to do so. It is not ongoing.

More recent treatment of PTSD by mental health professionals has focused on treatment techniques such as Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure Therapy. There is more appreciation for the fact that running from, not talking about or not allowing the body to re-experience the trauma has a very negative affect on one’s health.  On the other hand, one is not encouraged to think of oneself as a victim who is so damaged for life they cannot function.

Dr. Yehuda briefly mentioned the fact that some believe that both the books of Lamentations and Song of Songs in the Jewish and Christian Bible were written by the same author.  I could not find any evidence of that, but I appreciate the reminder of what I have long believed. It is important to both express the pain and the grief of the trauma and it is important to allow ourselves to experience the positives, which are still possible. It is not either the negatives or the positives of life. It is the ability to allow one to experience both.

The experience of trauma is very individual.   Whether we use that word or another, it would seem that we need to learn from our religious traditions that it is important to name and honor the trauma without defining oneself by the trauma. Whether one is a respiratory therapist, a mental health counselor, a physical therapist or a general physician we need to be more intentional about encouraging patients and clients to talk about their trauma without defining themselves as the trauma.

The 12 step program used by many to recover from various addictions clearly recognizes in steps four and five the importance of acknowledging one’s past, sharing it and moving on.

We also need to recognize that the human body is itself an interactional system and it operates within a larger interactional system.  The more we discover about the human body the more awed we are by the extent to which even genetics and genetic switches are affected by and affect the functioning of the human body.

The killing of Cecil the lion by Walter Palmer for sport has engendered a lot of passionate reaction from such groups as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and individuals such as Betty White.    According to an article in the Washington Post and several other sources officials at PETA have “called for Palmer to be charged, tried and if found guilty “preferably hanged.”

Betty White is reputed to have said, “You do not want to hear some of the things that I want to do to that man. (Associated press as reported in St. Petersburg Tribune on Saturday, August 1, 2015, page 2).

Zimbabwe had called for his extradition so that he could be tried on the charge that he killed the lion after he was lured out of a private property.  According to authorities Mr. Palmer first shot Cecil with a bow and arrow wounding him and 40 hours later, after hunting it down, shot and killed it. Mr. Palmer maintains that the guides to whom he paid a large sum of money assured him that all was legal.

Even the United Nations General Assembly “unanimously adopted a resolution Thursday aiming at combating illegal wildlife trafficking and poaching, the culmination of a two-year campaign led by Gabon and Germany.”(Associated press article entitled “Cecil the lion was lured from park before being killed” by Farai Mutsaka published in St. Petersburg Tribune on August 1, 2015 on page 9).

Such esteemed philosophers as Jeremy Benthan, Jean Jacque Rosseau, John Locke, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas and many others have long debated the question of the rights of animals.    In 1635 Ireland because the first country to enact an animal protection law. It outlawed the “pulling of wool off of sheep”.   

Many Native American tribes believe animals deserve respect. They are hunted, but only for food, and the hunter must first ask permission of the animal’s spirit. They must also  thanks given to the animal.   When I lived in Southeast Alaska the Tlingit and Haida Indians were appalled when hunters would come to kill animals for sports, often leaving them lying where they were killed.

My friends range from Vegans to those who enjoy eating fish and meat.  None of my friends condone the killing of animals for sport.  All would say that Mr. Palmer and all those he paid to assist him need to be accountable for their disrespectful and probably illegal behavior.    Certainly if Mr. Palmer had an extra $55,000.0 there is much good he could have done with that money. Hunting for sport is not something, which I believe, is ever an okay activity.

At the same time I am not convinced that Mr. Palmer is a terrible, evil person deserving to be treated with less than respect.  What he did was unkind, immoral and stupid.  He clearly does not or did not have any belief, which honored the sacredness of all life including plants and animals.   And yes, I think he needs to   be invited to explore a different relationship with animals.  I also think that he needs to find a way to make amends to both animals and the people of Zimbabwe.   I do not think that he is a less sacred person than those good people who are involved in animal rights organizations. 

I personally get very confused when it seems as if some people have more concern for animals than they do other humans. To call for him to be hanged is no different in my mind that suggesting that if a lion such as Cecil destroys another animals he deserves to be killed. 

In other words, my belief is that we humans, no matter what our intelligence quotient on the charts, often are very stupid when it comes to recognizing that all of life is interdependent. In fact not only all of life, but all of creation, including minerals and other so-called non-living substances are necessary for the continued existence of all life forms.  Are we humans to be hung every time we act as humans?  Are lions and other animals to be killed when they act as the animal they were created to be?   Certainly I am not going to put a child in an open area with a lion or other animal, which might hurt the child. The life of the child is sacred. On the other hand I am not going to expect the lion to lie down with the lamb just yet!

Personally I like and appreciate the practices of many Native American Tribes of only killing for food and only then when we do so with gratitude and in a way, which does not cause undue suffering.  I also can understand and respect those who do not believe it is ethical or moral to eat any living being – fish or meat.

It seems to be that when we humans begin to so sure that our way of thinking is “the right way” that we are in danger of negating the very sacredness of all life forms.   Of course, it is possible that someone has developed a very logical approach to deciding which of our “sins”/ways of hurting each other make us less then.   My personal belief is that I must daily work to be as intentional as humanly possible to live with loving respect and appreciation for all which enriches and sustains me in this brief life journey.  I have not yet figured out a system for deciding that I am better or less then any other human or animal!