Unalienable Rights

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Hiram

Yesterday a former student of mine posed a very simple question on Facebook, “Can anyone explain to me why I’m “supposed” to be supporting Israel?” In response she has had people run the spectrum from Israel being God’s chosen people and we should support them blindly to one response that finished with a flourish, “… Its sad, but its hard to trust anyone with the Muslim faith because they turn on everyone and will sacrifice even their children.” Can we please have a logical discussion?

Have we become this blind to our fellow humans who are suffering? Do we still stand for the rights we did in 1776?

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

The Declaration of Independence
July 4, 1776

When we rose against a government that failed to meet our needs our forebears rebelled and threw off the yoke of British oppression. How can we not see now that all people have the right to live in peace. The Palestinians should not live in fear of constant invasion, the Israelis have the right to live without the fear of a rocket attack and all people of faith around the world have the inalienable human right to worship however they like. These are our goals as Americans, we are heirs to greatness!

At Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Abraham Lincoln said, ” that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Yet our nation has for too long stood by while those seeking self-rule are held down by oppressive regimes and when they do rise, we too often support the dictator who does what we want instead of the Republic that would do the will of the people.

So, no I do not support Israel blindly, nor do I support the Palestinians, Ukranians or any other group blindly. Let us talk about issues and stay out of the business of blindly supporting any group. The way forward for America is to build Democracy and self-rule around the world without trying to control anything except ourselves. Give the people a voice. While we may not agree with what they say, they have the inalienable human right to say it none the less.

 

As a postlude, inalienable and unalienable are interchangable. The final draft of the Declaration uses unalienable, but other drafts had inalienable. Click here to read more.

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Hello, this is nature calling…

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Hiram
Scorpion on duty.

Scorpion on duty.

As the clouds billow up over the Capitans and the rains prepare to fall in the Pecos Valley I think of the eons of time before computers, cars and cell phones. When we were free to be human…one with our environment. Now we seem to be somehow distant from the coyote’s cry. If the first wolf had walked up to us today instead of millennia ago I wonder if we would be too busy with our technology to realize that man’s best friend was presenting himself to us. Is it possible that we wouldn’t have discovered that the small honey bee makes the best possible sugary treat. Could it be that all we need would have been missed and we would have long ago ceased to exist since Google might not have explained how to make a shelter out of a cave or start a fire with friction.

The kids of today Google everything, and aren’t I just as guilty? I check my bank account in the morning along with e-mail and Facebook. Then I go to work and e-mail, order, search and plan all day on the computer, making spreadsheets and writing letters…scheduling students into classes and showing them how to apply for college. After work I come home and spend some time with my family while we cook dinner, then more often than not we watch a movie. Incessant noise from devices of our own creation. They have become our shackles. We are no longer a free an independent people, but a people that rely on machines to do a variety of things for us. How do I post this to my blog if I don’t have a computer? How do I watch my favorite show without Netflix, the internet and on a 55 inch television. How do I go out to do work without Pandora to play music for me or Digital Audio to read me a book. I am waiting for the parent who tells me that they put their children to sleep using an audio book. I know it can’t be far now.

These tools are useful when controlled…but all too often they control us. We are numb to the world as it is, to the thunderhead rising over the mountains, the ants going about their lives in their subterranean hives, the beauty of a sunny day and the peace of a winter’s night. We go constantly and forget altogether the beautiful things of nature. When we are confronted with them they almost scare us until we realize that we have seen that before, that we remember a time before computers and cell phones, netflix and internet. What about the next generation? Will they know what to do outside or will they work to live their lives in a network of games and online social interactions? Will they see the natural world as it is, or as a unplanned, unclean mess that they must endure to be able to get from clean, air conditioned place to clean air conditioned place?

Put down the computer and pick up a book. Run and play with your dog. Pet the cat. Unplug…get in touch with nature and at the same time, get in touch with your soul. As the wind kicks up I know that the thunderhead of a few hours ago is growing in vengeance and anger…and its time to go meet the beast in its world and see the world as it is, not as my Avatar claims it to be.

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And there will come soft rains…

Posted on July 19, 2014 by Hiram

As I pause this evening to enjoy a light show from the heavens while I reflect on my week I see how the thunderstorm and life are similar. Soft rain falls everywhere, watering plants, animals and rivers alike. The hope is in my heart that the soft rains will continue through the night to soak everything with life bringing water. This shower is alive with the most amazing lightning and thunder. As I type these words, I have to squint my eyes as the lightning strikes. While beautiful, the lightening is dangerous with it comes fire, damage to infrastructure, sometimes death…all the while the rain softly falls.

In life we often overlook the many drops of goodness in view of the lightening bolts that fall on us. Now, those lightening bolts are totally out of our control and yet we worry and wait to see if one will hit us, when it hits someone close to us we offer condolences and help and are very glad it didn’t hit us. When after all the worrying it doesn’t hit us and the storm passes, we find a new worry and forget about the whole lightening issue…

Why is it necessary? The rain has fallen for eons upon eons and it will continue to fall when our nations have crumbled and our peoples are scattered. Life is much like the rain, you can chose to avoid it and hide from it…or you can go out and dance in it, find a puddle and jump in it! There are no guarantees of how big, how many or how long those raindrops will last, but today, I’m taking a walk in the rain.

 

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Love Completely

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Hiram

As anyone who cares to read my Blog knows, my favorite movie is ‘A River Runs Through It’. Every now and again I choose to re-watch this film and as I watch I find myself knowing what is coming and wishing it could end a bit differently. The person who needs our help does not want what we have to give or what we have to give is not what they need. We recognize the inevitability of the situation, that without change it is only a matter of time before disaster strikes, yet we are helpless to change the situation.

Is it necessary for us to make poor choices? Is it required by some celestial law that some of our companions fall early…and some to continue on the river of life without their good company? What good can come from the suffering that they endure? What can we learn from the experience?

I take a bit of solace in the sermon that Rev. McClain gives toward the end of the movie. It is set in a moment of time, but you can imagine that it has taken years for him to arrive at this belief. In a beautiful church on a nice sunny day he preaches, …”but we can still love them…we can love completely without complete understanding. ” It is okay to say, ‘I don’t understand your choices, but I love you completely none the less’. You see in a family there is no walking away. Even if you choose not to speak for a few decades, you are still family. What your family members do, DOES matter to you. As painful as the emotional pull may be, your family is your family.

The question is, can any of us reach full understanding of our family? I believe the answer is most likely ‘no’. Thus, loving completely without complete understanding becomes a prerequisite to loving anyone completely.

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The American Way Still Matters.

Posted on July 5, 2014 by Hiram

Over the past several months I have studied and learned about Epicureanism. You can Google that and read or listen to ‘The Swerve’ by Stephen Greenblatt to find out more. This search will lead you to an ancient Roman philosopher, Lucretius and ‘The Nature of Things’. It has been an amazing journey for anyone to take and I recommend it highly.

There are several aspects of Epicureanism. I have most enjoyed the ‘live for today’ attitude that I have worked to adopt. We have no idea what tomorrow holds, so seize the day! I had also worked to adopt an ‘I don’t care’ attitude toward politics. This second piece came into stark contrast for me last night as I was watching the Independence Day firework show while holding my sleeping four year old son. I was struck by the thought that each generation ‘sleeps’ through our youth while the previous generations work to ensure that the next generation’s future will be even brighter. For the first time in American history, it seems that current trends paint a bleak future for my four year old. He sleeps, relying on me for everything and I watch knowing that his future is not brighter. That is a bridge too far for me. While the government is working, I believe we should step back and let it work. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the two party system has ceased to be effective for American government. Both parties are so very similar in working to maintain their control by caring for their constituents more than nurturing our Republic.

So, no, I can’t sit idly by and let the work of my family’s roughly 350 years as Americans. While we are not rich, we have long been part of a vibrant middle class. It has long been understood in my family that it is my duty to ensure that my children are better off. As a family, that involves hard work. As an American, I refuse to sit idly by while both parties sacrifice this Republic just to remain in power.

I’m sorry Epicurus and Lucretius…this Independent is fed up with the status quo.

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Partial truths and a whole lie.

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Hiram
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.
Epicurus.
I have struggled for some months with a situation that many others have faced. The true colors of a clergyman come out and instead of being reminded of the love and truth Christ taught, the insatiable lust for power comes to the forefront. Isn’t it interesting that the church only really asks for one thing, your mind. Not your soul, that belongs to the Almighty. Not directly your possessions, family, friends, debt, those belong to you. The church wants your mind. To believe blindly, to follow faithfully and to trust fully…in the church. Now, most clergy would disagree with this statement and would argue that in reality it is Christ that wants these things. Now, for Christ I would go to the ends of the earth. For his leading, for the work of God and to show the love that should be inherent in this Universe if we presume it is created by a loving Creator. However, the church bastardizes Christianity into a series of rules. These are slightly different from church to church, but this one seems to be the same across the denominations:
1. You must give 10% because the old Testament sets that as the threshold. You
 can choose to give more as an offering, but 10% belongs to God.
10% of what? Pre-Tax, Post-Tax, take home or gross? In reality the 10% is on your increase. Thus, if you had 10 sheep and all of your lambs died, you were not required to give 10%. This is logical. You use the 10 sheep to feed your family and if the church were to continue in this manner everyone would be starving before long. It’s hard to collect 10% when your parishioners are dead, but I have seen clergymen try.  However, if the 9 ewes and 1 ram had 10 lambs, one of those would be sacrificed as 10% of the shepherds increase. This tradition comes from the Old Testament, thus following this train of thought we should also follow the other Old Testament laws, which does not happen in churches. We won’t give up bacon because we like it and Jesus died to fulfill the law, but apparently his sacrifice does not cover the parts of the Old Testament that are convenient for the church.
Now comes the real kicker, that you should give 10% of your income blindly to the local church. What if the church does  not use the money wisely? Should I continue to give money that should be spent on the poor, the homeless, the needy so that the church can buy new carpet, a new building or re-pave the parking lot? If the church is not using the money wisely do I not have the option to give in another way? Should we feel obligated to give at all?
Charity is a trait that is universally respected across religions. Being charitable is not unique to religious people. Many atheists give generously with no need for a mind…or a soul…in return. When we see our fellow humans in need, we should help them. When your neighbor might lose their house because of high medical bills, find a way to help. When you see the lady with all of the kids who you know just lost her husband, buy them food. Don’t give money to anyone, that only leads to a debt that can’t be paid and hard feelings. What is harder, but is necessary to live a good life is to find the needs of others and fill the gap. God would want it, Jesus preached it (“whatever you do for the least of these”) and ultimately being kind to one another is the only reward we receive in this life.
Do you have a local charity that does good work and has little overhead costs? Maybe they deserve your giving and your dollar can have a bigger impact on the world around us if you choose your giving wisely. Do you know someone who needs a hand up, not a hand out? Find the person who needs your help today. If you are broke and only have time, mow the widows lawn it helps just as much as a cash donation. When you see that lady with the screaming kids, ask if you can help…she may say ‘no’, and may not realize you mean it kindly…do it anyway. Find a way to make your world better today.
Yesterday is finished, tomorrow may never come for me or you, so all we have is today. Give generously, live vivaciously and make today the best it can be!!
Epilogue December 15, 2014: Today I was talking to my Grandmother about this topic. I offered to print this post out for her so we could have a dialogue on my premise. As I re-read this post I remembered that my Grandmother taught me about tithing on your increase. As you can see from this post, her words ring out at the moment in my life that I could understand the importance of the concept. It is truly a ‘God thing’ that at different points in life our own words repeated through our friends and family are poignant. I am ever grateful to my Grandparents for a variety of lessons that shape my life and certainly have helped form me into who I am today.
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As Good As it Gets…

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Hiram

Each day I think about my family…I worry about a variety of things.

1. Are my kids safe?

2. Is my wife safe?

3. Are my kids getting the best education we can provide?

4. Are we being good parents?

Sometimes in all of this (which is accompanied by various things at work, in organizations and in our extended family) comes the still quiet voice telling me it will be okay. And, if I’m honest, sometimes no such voice can be found. In those times I most realize the chaos that can invade my mind. Worries about everything from the quality of instruction at my kid’s school to the possibility that the American economy could collapse and the world as we know it could end within a few hours. In this chaos I find solace in the fact that no matter what there is always a brighter tomorrow. The Romans never imagined that the Roman world could end as it did. Even at the fall of Byzantium the last of the Roman Emperors led his troops into battle ,almost 1000 years after the last legion of the Eternal City itself had fallen, with the belief that there would be salvation at the end of the journey. And, in reality, was there not? Even in a temporal sense, the fall of Byzantium fueled the Ottoman Empire for almost 500 years.

There is a greater power in control and while I worry about little things, big things simply happen in history…with few ever recognizing they are even on their way. We can’t see the future. Tomorrow is but a dream. If I could know tomorrow, I would choose to remain in this day.

There is salvation at the end of every journey…but is their enough patience in each of us to find it?

 

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Family

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Hiram

Family is such an interesting word. It means many things to many people. To some it is simply those who they are genetically related to. For others, it means those that they have found to be like-minded and that they count close enough to be considered family. In almost every definition family are those who we care about and who care about us. Yet we so often change who we care about and who cares about us that it seems the term is somewhat disingenuous. Maybe, ‘circle of acquaintances’ would better define most ‘families’. You may be genetically related to a cousin you have never met, or an uncle who you don’t like. You may be friends with someone who is closer than a brother, but in the end they may discount and discard your love as so many of our genetically related ‘family’ members.

Family is a word that has also taken a nasty turn into politics. ‘Family values’ is a term used to describe a particular ideology of what is and can be family. Yet, so many times those who we most want to love and those that most want to love us are unbelievably destructive.

Does ‘family’ really mean anything at all? ‘So and so is just like family’…what do we mean by that? Does that mean that they are obligated to take care of you? Are the obligated to put up with your unpleasantness? Are they required by some unseen force of nature to love you?

Most of the time when we talk about family, we are really talking about our duties as we see them to be a part of a group. Robert E. Lee described it like this, “Duty is the most sublime word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less.” 

In many ways, this is what family is all about. Doing what is your duty and being able at the end to live your life without regret than you did less than your duty to help and support those you love…or those who should have shown you love, even if they did not do it at all or, more likely, in the way you expected.

Today, I hope to show love to those in my sphere of influence and to build stronger ties to my duties to them, regardless of their actions. Finding those whom I enjoy spending time with does not make them family. Discovering that someone I love did something they should not have done does not decrease my duty to them. In the end, all we can hope for is that we can find light in the day, joy in small things and true happiness in showing others love regardless of what they may show us of themselves.

If at the end of my days I have performed my duty and found even one person, family or not, to love and to be loved in return then I will count myself blessed. In the words of St. Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
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Everything Changes

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Hiram

It could have been fixed in the 1960s, or 70s or80s…maybe in the 90s.

A week ago I received a letter referencing the sale of the Scottish Rite Temple in Santa Fe. We have an issue of funding that we can’t fix in the short term and the final option is to sell the building. In 1912, the Scottish Rite Temple was completed. It is said that the founders dedicated the building on the same day that they signed the State Constitution.

Everything changes. Even the stones that are stacked on the Capitans near my home have moved over the centuries. Nothing remains of the ancient Masonic Temples that were built and we all know that the day will come when our temples will fall. It is intriguing to be an eyewitness. I won’t know what the future will say about this decision. I do have the advantage of hindsight to know that we should have dealt with this issue decades ago. Isn’t it intriguing to live in the moment? If we had the interest from donations of long ago built up over time, if we had raised dues decades earlier, if the City of Santa Fe was still renting the parking lot… Unfortunately we can’t live in the ‘if’, we have to live with the realities of our situation today.

We make history each day by our actions or our inaction. Either way, we help shape the future. Today’s question is will you stand for what is right today? Are you part of tomorrows problem or solution? I choose to be part of the solution to preserve the Scottish Rite in New Mexico. A building, however grand, is end the end a building.

Let us get our focus back on what is important, let us be Masons once again.

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The Basement of Time

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Hiram

“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.”

Norman Maclean, 1902-1990

The words ring out today to me as they did the first time I heard them years ago. Where does time begin? Where is its basement? Today many people talk about the end of the world as we know it. It has spread from those who follow a literal interpretation of the Bible to believers in a Mayan calendar that we scarcely understand. In my worldview, economics is the great destroyer and equalizer building and tearing apart Empires of all sorts as quickly as time will allow. While it seems so incredibly important to us, in reality time simply moves on. We are not important in the grand scheme. We are a minor blip and time marches on.

While we prepare for whatever happens to worry us we often fail to remember that in the beginning there was order brought from chaos, that some of the mountains we see and rocks we walk on were there in the beginning. They know the Creator and creation continues on as it has for millenia and we are the footnote. What matters is today. Will the world be better for you having lived today? Have you considered the words you leave behind under the rocks? If this is all that is to be left of our existence when we pass and all that will be remembered in the future, let us make them good words.

 

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