Hi.  My name is Michael Heath and I'm 59 years old. I am an ordained minister and a state licensed and nationally
certified psychotherapist who has spent most of his life swimming against the current.  I was too conservative around
really liberal folks in the 60's and '70's and way too liberal for the conservative times of the 80's and 90's. Since
2000 and especially after 9/11, I have focussed my energy to refute and confront the fear-based hysteria of the
religious right and conservative talk radio.

People say I don't talk or act like a minister and yet they also say they love my  sermons and the articles I write as
well as the programs I give.  A friend of mine, John, suggested that I create a web page and make some of my stuff
available to a larger audience.  So ... with his help, I did. That was eleven years ago in 1997. Since then, every
month, I have  posted  articles, and comments as well as stories that have tickled me.

The topics vary. Although I am trained in theology and psychology,  I love politics, television and movies, sex in
culture kinds of issues, and technology - along with all Chicago sports.  Along  with my stuff, I also want to hear what
you think and develop conversations.  Oh, one other technical thing, this page is best  viewed at the 1024x768, or
better, setting of your display options.

The media bombshell over Barack Obama’s minister, Jeremiah Wright,
has generated more smoke than light.  The knee jerk reaction of
 many news organizations has been to immediately condemn the
eminent United Church of Christ (UCC) clergyman and scholar
 as an anti-American hate monger without taking the time to look
 at the larger picture. Perhaps if we can all just calm down a little,
we can sort this out.

It is important to know that the UCC goes back to Plymouth rock,
Yale University and the founding of this country.  Theologically,
we have been called liberal. Although that is not a name I am ashamed
of, it would be more accurate to say that, we have been ahead of the
sociological curve. For example, we ordained women in 1860 and
gays in 1972.  

Trinity Church is, in addition to being UCC, also a black church,
 i.e., it is a sanctuary for those who face the stress of racism daily. 
There seems to be a lingering myth prevalent in our culture that
somehow racism ended with the civil rights movement and Dr. King. 
For some, especially since 9/11, it’s impossible to both vigorously
criticize and love. This is bizarre logic.  Does this mean that parents
hate the children they reprimand for misbehaving?  Did the Old
Testament prophets, who chastised Israel, hate her? All hysteria
aside, a simple examination of Dr. Wright’s accomplishments
(which includes serving in the Marine Corps) will erase any doubt
that he is not only a great pastor but a great American.  His major
problem seems to be that he is angry.  

As a white psychotherapist, I think the Wright videos are
disturbing because they strike a raw nerve.  The image of an angry
 black man is scary. One reason Obama’s candidacy has been
 successful is that whites do not see him as angry and they have a
fantasy that somehow he transcends race. The ultimate political
 fantasy is that we can elect a black president and completely avoid
 the race issue.  Wright’s sermons puncture this fantasy and thus a
lot of people are upset. 

When Brooklyn’s Branch Rickey brought Jackie Robinson to the
majors as the first black player, he made him swear to be silent
no matter what he encountered. He was convinced that if baseball
was to be successfully integrated, angry responses to racist attacks
 must be avoided. Many believe that one of the contributing factors
 to Jackie’s emotional depression and shortened life was that he
agreed to this deal. Although we may want Barack to be just like
Jackie, this is not 1947.  

Perhaps Obama can show us a third way: neither emotionally
suppressed nor rage-filled but thoughtful and honest. He can do
this because, as he explained in his statement regarding  the videos,
he comes from a different era than Dr. Wright. He comes from a
generation which is significantly removed from the immediate
emotional shock of some of the more extreme artifacts of racism
such as lynching and segregation.   This distance affords a
reasonableness which can, both, denounce Wright’s extreme
expressions of anger without condemning the whole man or his
 work. 

Talking about race relations is difficult but we must not shoot the
messenger of back news.  Indeed the most profound gift of
Obama’s candidacy is that he brings to our nation – a new
perspective to deal with , not only our own racial issues,
but also complex international  tensions as well. 

Rev. Michael Heath   Fayetteville NY  3 16 2008

Rev. Heath is a, licensed psychotherapist, UCC minister and social
commentator whose articles may be seen at www.dreamscape.com/mheath

7thinningstretch@cubs.com

Congratulations! 

You have been selected as a
semi-finalist in the Ultimate
7th Inning Stretch Competition. 
Out of more than 2,700
registrants, only fifty were
chosen to advance to the next
round.  The next step is to
get your friends and family
to vote!  Five different videos
will be posted to www.cubs.com
each weekday between Monday,
August 6th and Friday, August
17th.  Check the schedule
below to find out which day
your video will be online
and then start the campaigning! 
One of the five videos will be
chosen each day to advance as
a finalist.  Good luck!

__._,_.___

Understanding the Imus Slurs: The Psychology of Bigotry
 

Much of the media storm over Don Imus’ “nappy headed hos” comment
misses the point.  Most of the outcry has been that his racist comment
went “too far”. By doing so, it has largely overlooked both the remark's
misogyny as well as the larger and hugely lucrative phenomenon of
shock media. I believe that knowing the psychology of this kind of
outburst corrects the false notions that this slur was simply a mistake
or an isolated instance. 

 I suggest that Don Imus’ remarks are the essence of his show,
i.e. to express the unacceptable, the raw, the straight from the id.
Not only  were his comments not  mistakes but that his show is
simply one  of many programs that express the deep seated fears
of our  society.  Like Imus, Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh,
Bill O’Reilly and Ann Coulter, to name but a few, are paid millions
for the garbage they spew  … and some of us love it.

 If we are really going to clean up the media, it is not enough
to punish one perpetrator.   We must first understand where
this vile stuff comes from. Psychology can help us to understand
not only the particulars of Imus’ remarks but also bigotry and the
complex issues of racism and misogyny in our culture. 

Anger and fear are the basis of racial and misogynist humor.
These emotions are triggered when we encounter people who
are different or who do not fit into our standard, pre determined
stereo-types. We fear what we don’t understand and our hurtful
humor, a verbalized sublimation of our aggression, tries to cut
the objects of our concern down to a size we can tolerate.
 
The object in this case was a group of strong, competitive
women.  The Rutgers basketball team didn’t fit the media mold
of womanhood. These weren’t girly cheer leaders.  These were
powerful warriors.  Psychologically, in order for some men to feel
safe, it is necessary to “cut” the women down by demeaning them.

The Imus problem is not simply about one big mouthed shock
jock,  It is also about how fear and rage are articulated in our
society. The same dynamic which explains the Don Imus routine
is also apparent in much of the anti-feminist commentary in our
culture and is seen particularly in intense hatred of Hilary Clinton
and all those jokes about her pant suits. Debasing others who
make us feel uncomfortable is an ugly characteristic of the human
species and we need  to be more aware of it if we are to reduce
 its occurrence.

Perhaps the moral of the Imus story is a sober lesson about
ourselves and our easily threatened nature.  We can’t stop
shock media, (that would be the cultural equivalent of stopping
swearing) but maybe we can learn from it and use it as an
indicator of where we, as a culture, need to increase public
understanding concerning such complex and difficult topics
as bigotry, racism and misogyny.

Rev. Michael  Heath      Fayetteville NY                   4 11 07
 

Rev. Heath  is a licensed psychotherapist, an ordained UCC minister
and a social commentator: www.dreamscape.com/mheath   

Also, Seymour Hersh’s article in the New Yorker is very disturbing.
it asserts that Bush pressured Israel to attack Hezbolllah in order to
soften up the region for a Iranian attack down the road, or at least
to keep the assault option open. 

Even though Rice and all the generals (except from the Air Force) are
against any bombing of  Iran  ( because we have no ground forces
that would be necessary for follow up) Cheney and the neo-cons
seem to have Bush’s ear again .

Hersh has been writing for a long time about Bush’s desire to
attack Iran,  to eliminate a nuclear threat and increase American
influence in the oil market.To date, however, the reality of our
over extension in Iraq coupled with moderatevoices such as
Rice have overridden the Cheney wing.  My worry is that Bush is
drinking again and may slide back to the neo- con position which is
spelled out in the PNAC declaration: (www.newamericancentury.org).                                                                             

Peace,

Michael

 ______________________________________________________

Three cheers for First Lady Laura Bush who has refused to endorse the gay baiting
tactics of presidential advisor Karl Rove. She recently told Fox News she hoped
Republicans would not exploit the gay marriage issue in the fall elections. Showing 
again that she is a different sort of person than the rest of the Bush team, she urged
that this sensitive issue not be hyped for political gain.  It will be interesting to see if 
anyone listens to her advice.

Her comments came in the wake of reports that Republicans will introduce
another constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. This calculated move is
designed to  play upon the homosexual fears of conservatives and to rev up
enthusiasm for a listless political base. In addition to gay marriage, a variety of
anti-gay adoption referenda  will be on the ballot in states where Republicans are
in trouble.

Playing on fears about homosexuality was a  tactic which was  used successfully
in the 2004 presidential election.  Michelle Goldberg described in her book,
Kingdom Coming: the Rise of Christian Nationalism, how in Ohio Republican
operatives worked evangelical Christians, especially in the African American
neighborhoods, into a frenzy over the threat of gay marriage.  As it turned out,
twice as many blacks voted for Bush as they had in 2000 and thus Bush was
able to win Ohio and narrowly eke out a victory in the electoral college.

While Rove’s strategy is a powerful tactic, it is not invincible.  Attitudes toward
gay marriage are changing and even those who do not support gay marriage
may find these blatant manipulations reprehensible.

 The key to defusing this diversionary scheme is to expose it well in advance
of the election. By raising the issue now and engaging in the debate, people
will have time to think through the ads rather than simply react to them. For
example, even most reasonable would agree that homosexual issues are neither
on a par with nor pose the immediate danger that the Iraq war,  terrorism or
even high gas prices do.  I believe a majority of Americans will recognize the
political maneuver for the red herring it is.  Given sufficient time, on the whole,
voters will not be fooled .  Given a chance to think, most of the people who
follow the teachings of
Jesus will reject the extremist intolerance to which this campaign will pander. 

Defeating the Republican ploy will not be easy.  It will require courage and
leadership.  Ministers are going to have to stand up and support tolerance.
Crass political manipulation must be denounced.  Good people must speak
out and it is not too soon to begin. Talk to your friends, speak up in church
and let your representatives know that you prefer the judgment of our First
Lady over that of Karl Rove.

The 2006 elections are more than an opportunity for Democrats to win
back power.  They will be a test of the American character.  In the fall
voters will have the chance affirm our core values of tolerance and to reject
the “genius” of Karl Rove and his fear based politics.

Later,

Michael

As a United Church of Christ minister and a long and loyal listener to
NPR and Liane Hansen but I am absolutely livid at Week End Edition
Sunday for running such a biased story as it did today (12 5 04).
The lead in to Allyson Jones’ piece began by citing the incident in
which the three major TV networks refused to air a United Church
of Christ commercial which gave the message that Jesus was
accepting of the differences among people didn’t turn folks away.
In that same spirit gays are welcome in the UCC.

At first I thought the report was going to chastise the networks
for restricting freedom of speech or point out how the president’s
religious views had cowed that media.  What followed, in fact,
was essentially an attack dressed up as a news story on the
“liberal” United Church of Christ. It quoted a disaffected minister
 who said that the UCC’s attitude toward homosexuals was
contrary to scripture. The report went on to say that the UCC
position on gays had split the church and forced some churches
to leave the denomination and created financial problems for
the Southern Conference.  Then, Jones went on to suggest that
it wasn’t just the UCC’s stand on gays but its overall attitude
toward black clergy which is the problem in North Carolina.
Jone’s account left the distinct impression that the UCC has
unfairly kept African Americans out of the ministry.  While
 there is a fracas in North Carolina, it is far more complicated
than the reporter explained.  The problem was not objectively
examined. The explanation was lopsided and offered,
unchallenged, the complaints of one antagonistic black minister 

If this were an isolated incident I wouldn’t be so concerned
but over the past six months a radical change has been underfoot
to push NPR’s news coverage to the right.  It first became
obvious when NPR fired radio legend Bob Edwards and said
they wanted to go in a “new” direction. Its afternoon talk and
news programs were reworked and right-wing commentators
began popping up. Now one hears comments that NPR is
“more balanced”.  We all know what that means. Actually, I think
the term is “fair and balanced.”  One has wonder why NPR would
air a story attacking the United Church of Christ on the heels of
 the UCC’s courageous action.  Given our political climate, it
makes one suspicious that public radio is trying to curry favor
by presenting those groups who are accepting of gays in a bad
light. It is frightening to think that NPR would stoop so low. Is
this the beginning of “swift boat” journalism ?

For people who do not bow down to the extremist ideology
of the far right, the prospect of not being able to trust NPR to
be a reliable source for news is disturbing.  I challenge NPR to
 explain what is going on and abandon its “balancing” act.  95 %
of talk radio is right-wing . Where do the rest of us have to go ?

Rev. Michael Heath   Fayetteville New York

Rev. Heath is a certified psychotherapist, ordained minister in
the United Church of Christ and a social commentator whose
articles may be viewed at www.dreamscape.com/mheath

Recently, when asked why he used false reports about
the Iraqi uranium deal in his State of the Union address,
George W. Bush refused to answer saying that he was
“absolutely confident ” in his decision about Iraq. 
“And there's no doubt in my mind … the facts will
show the world the truth."  What ?  When it comes
to making decisions about war I would prefer someone
who consulted the facts before making up his mind. 
Ex-CIA official Greg Thielmann has characterized
this  approach to foreign intelligence as “faith based.”
(Nightline 7/9/03)

Mr. Thielmann’s allegation is not an isolated one.
A few weeks ago, a number of stories surfaced in
the media which concluded that: The White House,
using reports it knew to be bogus, created a
false sense of urgency for the American people
to gain support for the Iraq war.  CIA officials
have broken their silence and confirmed rumors of
the conflict between  Rumsfeld and the intelligence
community. The defense department, which favored
“preemptive attacks”, was frustrated with the CIA
data which did not justify first strike interventions.
Lacking legitimate evidence,  the White House: 
1. Changed ambiguous reports to eliminate doubts,
questions or contravening evidence concerning
Iraq’s level of threat and the presence of weapons
of mass destruction (WMD)  2. Ignored legitimate
reports and credible witnesses who were  not
supportive of Bush’s view. 3. Used discredited
reports and sources, which were known to be
false but which were supportive of the administration
position, and cited them  as proof of Hussein’s
threat and the presence of WMD. 4. Pressured  
agents to “reinterpret” their conclusions when results
were not in line with the President’s view.

At first, public reaction to these reports was so
muted it seemed as though no one cared if the
President lied. A poll  showed that people didn’t
care if Iraq had weapons of mass destruction 
and 30% erroneously believed that WMD  had
been found. But then, an old story, Bush’s remark
in the State of the Union message that Hussein had
 tried to buy uranium from an African country  
resurfaced with renewed vigor.  At first, White House
officials denied knowing the African uranium  report
was false. As more evidence surfaced, showing that
the administration leaders did know,  a presidential
spokesman  finally fessed up. This time the reaction
to the deception is not ho-hum. Congressional leaders
are upset and want to hold hearings to find out, exactly,
who knew what and when.  Further they want an
explanation of why the President would be untruthful to
the American people during such an important occasion
as the State of the Union address.

Apparently as long as we are told that war will make us safer
we will accept almost anything a “war‑time” president does. Until recently it seems that no matter what Bush did, he was a hit. He spend an extra million dollars to do a Roger Ramjet  impersonation  for a photo op on an aircraft carrier – no problem. He taunted Iraqi resistance with a drunken  college student remark, “Bring ‘em on”- only a  slight problem.  But now things may be different.  Perhaps it is because W. is supposed to be the president with good moral character. 

Ironically, like his predecessors Nixon and Clinton, Bush is getting into trouble for not being able to admit that he made a mistake.  Everyone, including the great ones, make mistakes. If the president would simply admit that he exaggerated and let his personal beliefs color intelligence analysis, much of the controversy would end.

President Bush’s responses thus far, however, have been quite different.  He has blamed the media for creating a feeding frenzy.  He has denied that the CIA  told him the reports he cited were false.  Since the intelligence scandal broke, the president has changed his tune. Until recently,  Bush has claimed defiantly that America faced a serious and imminent threat from Iraq. He said this conclusion was based on indisputable evidence. Now he says we went to war because he believed there were WMD and that it was the right thing to do.  Amazingly, he has accused those who have raised concerns about the over-selling of the Iraq war of doing “revisionist history”.   I suggest that it is only the careful scrutiny of government actions (revisionist history) which distinguishes historical knowledge from partisan propaganda.

Bush’s obstinacy is a sad and great failing on his part. While many are grateful to President Bush for his strong leadership during America’s darkest hours, this accomplishment does not excuse him from accountability for misrepresenting the truth.  I have faith in our country and I have faith in our system of government. From time to time events like 9/11 may cause our nation to lose it. Over the long haul, however, the center will hold, the truth will emerge and  reason will guide us. I have no doubts that we will heal from 9/11and realize that government deception on this scale can not be tolerated..  Holding open and comprehensive hearings regarding the entire intelligence manipulation scandal would be a good start.            

Later,

Michael

******************************************************

3/ 6/03

PNAC, NOT IMMINENT THREAT, 
PUSHES US TOWARDS WAR 

Have you ever heard of the “Project for the New
American Century” (PNAC) ?  Me neither until
last night. Thank God for Nightline.  If it weren’t
for this program, I wouldn’t know what millions
of Europeans know : PNAC and the  plan behind
the Bush rhetoric for going to war with Iraq. 
Although stories about PNAC have been reported
in the world press for months, they have been
given little attention here at home.  Up until now, I
have wondered why most of Europe has been so
suspicious of American objectives in Iraq.  After
seeing Nightline’s report, the European reluctance
makes sense. 

PNAC started in the mid 90's when a group of 
out-of-power ultra-conservative Republicans got
together to think about foreign policy.  These are
people you know: Vice President Dick Cheney,
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Assistant
Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, Richard
Pearl and journalist William Crystal.  It is no
surprise that, in fact, ten of the original forty
members now have high level positions in the
Bush foreign policy administration. The plan,
which was adopted and has been promoted
through speeches, articles and letter campaigns,
was to have America embark on a 20 year process
to democratize the Middle East. The first step was
to change regimes in Iraq and to institute an
American backed government. Successive steps
would move on to Iran and other hostile non-
democratic countries.  The use of force was
specifically recommended as the preferred mode of
operation.  Though widely circulated among
Republicans, this plan was seen as an extremist
fantasy until 9/11.  Within thirty hours of the
attacks, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld leaped on
what he saw to be a golden opportunity.  He
redefined and expanded the notion of fighting
terrorism to include attacking Iraq. 

I know all of this sounds just like another  wild
conspiracy theory but, unlike others, the people
who concocted this strategy are proud to talk
about it. Speaking with Ted Koppel on Nightline, 
William Crystal crowed like a rooster at having
convinced the president to adopt PNAC’s
plan. 

While it is disturbing to learn that our
president is influenced by such imperialistic
ideas, at least it helps to explain why we are
headed for war. For those who the oppose war
with Iraq it provides a useful outline of
questions that may be asked.  Even for those
who have not made up their about the minds
about the war, this story raises serious
questions regarding the true motives behind
the White House’s desire to go to war. 

It seems reasonable for Congress to conduct
hearings to look into the influence that PNAC
has had on the president. It also seems
reasonable, given the extraordinary cost and
sacrifice that a war demands, that the
American people have a right to know all of
the factors which are behind America’s foreign
policy.  The policy which has placed us at odds
with the rest of the free world and now
threatens the lives of thousands. 
 

Later ------
 

********************************************

2 26 03

-- My heart is very sad. In their infinite wisdom - er stupidity - the Veterans committtee of Baseball's Hall of Fame voted  and Ron Santo came up short.  I don't know what they were thinking. Ron 
was and is the epitome of American baseballl. His 9 All Star appearances and 4 Golden Glove  awards along with all of his other
statistics are right up there with other members.  His personal  impact upon the Cub organization and its fans is immeasurabe.  As an announcer he has unified  Cub fans like myself all over the country.
And he did all of this while having to fight a severe diabetic condition througout his entire career. Recently, having had both amputated he has continued to inspire Cub fans as he reamains behind the microphone as the "color man" with his partner  Pat Hughes. 

I can't believe how shallow the Veterans Committee was. Shame on them. The only thing bad you  could say about  was that he had the misfortuen to play for the the Chicago Cubs - by far the worst major league baseball  team of the 2nd half of the 20th century.   When Ron played, however, they were exciting.  He and the other Hall of Famers : Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ferguson Jenkins were great just not great enough. At one point of the 1969 All Star game, every player on the field for the national league was a Cub. That majical year taught me a lot about life, sucess, and disappointment. In mid August of '69 they were in first place by 9 games. For reasons that still torment me, they lost 28 of their remaining 32 ballgames.  In stead of winning the National League pennant or a  a World Series they finished 2nd, 8 games back of the Mets. 

To some folks if you don't win in major league sports you're a loser.  But not to me.  Ron Santo is a winner to everyone who knows him and who enjoys the game of baseball.  He is and always will be enshrined in my personal the Hall of Fame and in the hearts of all Cubs fans.  I guess that is what really counts. We don't  need Cooperstown to tell us what we already know.   Ron, you are a Hall of Famer  and don't let anyone tell you other wise.

Later ... 
 

_______________________________________________________
 

2  25 03 

– Sorry its been so long.  I’m just back from Negril Jamaica and the experience has  restored my emotional equilibrium. 

-- Bush's belligerence continues to be the topic which bugs me the most.  It is so hard to accept that I live in a country which elected him president.  ( Oh .... wait a minute we didn’t elect him president. Gore got a 1/2 a million more votes.) 

He is so isolated . He doesn’t understand why the rest of the world sees him, not Saddam Hussein, as the biggest threat to peace.  My hope is that we, as a nation, will stand up to this man and reject his war plans.  I witnessed a great president, Lyndon Johnson, go down over a bad war and I think it is clear to everyone that W is no LBJ.  There is still time.

Anyway, there are some very positive signs: Bush’s popularity numbers are dropping. Pro Peace turnouts through out the world and here at home have been outstanding, and even Time Magazine’s cover this week lampooned Bush in an Uncle Sam costume, asking, “Do you want this war ?  Our job is clear. We need to speak up, protest, write our representatives and say NO to Bush’s war. 

– Oh oh ... before I forget. This is really big.  As a treat I bought the entire X-File series on DVD. Monica and I are watching it episode by episode to finally  figure out the alien myth plot ( as well as to just enjoy David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson ) . Anyway, one of the extras you get on the DVDs is the deleted scenes from the pilot.  When we checked them out they were really interesting. One scene revealed that Scully had a boyfriend.   In it she went to his office to tell him she had to go to Oregon to check out an X File.  In the 2nd deleted scene, when Muldur calls  Scully late at night, she is in bed with her boyfriend, Ethan Minette, who was played by Tim Ransom.   All of this got me to wonder how much better the series would have been if they had kept him.  For five years we watched a sexless Scully. The only time she ever came close to passion was with Eddy Blunt ( who she thought was Mulder).  Oh well, what might have been ! 

– As we move into March, the Syracuse University basketball team is playing very well.  This is a very young team but I think there will be some real excitement come tournament time in the Big East and the NCAA’s. 

– Spring training has begun and it is the most wonderful time for Cub fans.  We have hope. We have a new and great manager in Dusty Baker and we have some great players.  Maybe Kerry Wood will win twenty this year and Mark Prior will shine.  Sammy is back and all is well. Let's hope the kids, Patterson, Hill and Choi will come into their own. To complete the picture Moises just has to have a better year than last year's injury ridden one.  Being a Cub fan for 45 years
is like nothing else. So much promise so much anticipation, so little pay off. 

–  Finally, tomorrow the Hall of Fame Veterans' Committee will vote and God willing, Ron Santo will be elected in to the Hall of Fame.  I look forward to being there in Cooperstown in July to see him receive this long over due recognition. 

Later ....
 
 

 ____________________________________________________
 
 
 
 
 

12 18 02  – Lott’s in the news . He’s gone.  The only question is whether he can swallow the humiliation of being deposed as the Republican leader in the senate and go back to being just a plain old racist senator from the South or if he will leave congress the way Newt did before him. 

- Cardinal (above the) Law is gone as Archbishop of Boston and his next stop may be jail. What is amazing is that he is still a cardinal. It makes one wonder: What does a Cardinal have to do to 
actually be fired?    This situation all came down once church documents came to the light of  public attention and 58 local   priests came together and voted to oppose their boss Bernie.  What 
will be interesting to watch is whether other priests across the country and around the world will follow suit.  If they do it may be the biggest house cleaning since the Reformation.  The priests may hold the key to the whole problem of  papal obstinacy.  The Pope’s refusal to include lay participation in dealing with clergy abuse or to address the issue of Bishop misconduct  has discouraged many who hope for meaningful reforms .  Priests organizing however may be a 
development that offers real hope. 

- We still are not at war and public opposition to going to war  is growing.  It is not too late to stop this President’s insanity. 

-I was sad to hear Al Gore say he wasn’t running for prez  in 2004, but maybe it is for the best. It is ironic too because he was so funny on SNL.  Some folks just can’t grab public popularity no matter what. The guy won the popular vote by over a million votes and yet people see him as a loser.  Maybe it is John Kerry’s turn.  As for Lieberman, I think he should convert – to being a Republican. 

Later ... 
 

10 26 02- Just before I prepared this I heard the terrible news about Senator Paul Wellstone. He was a great man. He had clear vision and was not ashamed of his liberal and peace loving point 
of view.  We will miss his voice and leadership. We pray that his passing may wake up other Democrats to take up the work which now needs to be done in his absence. 

10 25 02   - It has been a while. September was a terrific month that I took off for the most part spending two wonderful weeks in Paris and having more fun than a person should be allowed to 
have. It was really touching to be in Paris on 9/11. We had planned to be in Paris on 9/11 last year but the attacks caused us to let the planned trip go.  We went to a memorial service, part of 
which was in English, at the Church of the Madeline. It was very moving.  The French folks were  very kind and the media was very supportive of Americans.  They also thought that Bush was an 
idiot who was playing cowboy with Hussein for oil.. I got to tell you I agree. 

Since returning I have been flustered and not clear about what to write . Iraq is the issue but deciding how to approach it was very difficult for me. I couldn’t believe that the “debate” regarding the war powers resolution was rushed through before the break for elections.  I was so horrified at the Democrats’ lack of backbone and courage that I was speechless.  I was ashamed an my own Senators, Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer for bending over for the prez. I can not explain what the democrats are thinking.    I’m serious. I think that congress made a horrible mistake and the Democrats could have stopped it .  There was no imminent threat and everybody 
knows it.  All that talk about needing to appear unified  before the world is such a crock.  Anyway it is not too late. No bombs have dropped and no troops have landed yet. There is still time to avoid this catastrophe. We need to speak up and oppose the president and his party. We need to speak out for peace. 

On a lighter note, Monarch of the Glenn is back, (Direct TV channel 264 Wednesday’s at 8:00 pm and it is wonderful. If you haven’t caught this BBC import you are really missing great TV. 

...Later, 

Michael 
 
 
 

8 29 02 

Labor day is also soon upon us and as long as we are doing a review of the year, I wanted to talk about another issue besides terrorism: Corporate Criminality 

In addition to terrorism, the other great shock of the past twelve 
months has been the revelation of the wide spread criminality of 
corporate American.  It is fitting that as we celebrate Labor Day, 
we consider the implications these scandals have for our very 
economic system and especially the workers of America.  The 
debacles at  Enron, ImClone, World Com, Merrill Lynch, 
Adelphia and Arthur Anderson et al have exposed a virulent 
sickness which exists in the very fiber of our financial body.  They also provides clues for how it needs can be healed. 

For a long time people have believed, to quote from Al Capp’s 
musical comedy  Lil’ Abner, that “what's good for General 
Bullmoose is good for the U.S.A".  In deed it is naive to think that 
whatever is good for business is good for our overall economy or 
way of life.  What is discouraging  is the fact that the many 
scandals are not the result of a few bad apples or even a few 
accounting loopholes.  The root of the problem lies in the very 
structure of modern corporate systems.  Kevin Phillips’ book 
Wealth and Democracy is truly prophetic in this respect as he 
demonstrates how pervasive and severe the crisis is.  He cites 
meticulous data of how today's corporate execs make the 
infamous robber barons of the 19 th century look like nickel and 
dime hacks. With a historian's attention to detail, Mr. Phillips 
shows how the rich and powerful have worked together to rig our 
national economic system for their own private benefit. Ironically,
the ultimate effect of this unethical and  illegal collusion has been
catastrophic not only for American labor but also to investors,
 the corporations and eventually the national economy itself. 
The collapse of large companies, the loss of worker pensions
and the huge drop in the stock market are but a few examples
of how vulnerable our economic system is to corporate
malfeasance.  At the beginning of the 20th century, tough
anti-trust legislation was enacted to put a stop to runaway
economic excess.  Today, a new wave of corporate
crackdowns must begin. 

Corporate capitalism can be reformed without ruining our
great  economic system but something has to give.  Jerry Cohen 
(formerly of Ben and Jerry’s) is a good  example of how 
entrepreneurs can be both rich and fair to their employees. 
Sweat X, for example, is the only clothing company in America
which  makes a profit and  does not use foreign, sweat shop labor. 
As a  society we have to face some hard questions. Do you want to
be  rich and fair to labor or simply super, filthy, stinking,
what-could-you-possibly-do-with-all-that-money, rich? 
As a society we will have to chose what is more important:
allowing unlimited wealth or demanding economic justice
for our workers. 

Later ... 
 
 

******************************************** 

7/25/02 

Oops -- I need to make a correction. 

NPR's All Things Considered reported tonight that 
Vocie of the Faithful has raised $10,000 and not
$10,000,000 as they had originally reported. 

Sorry. 

Later 
 

7/24/02 

Wow ! Two Great trips in the last month. Went to
Washington DC for the 4th and had a great time. Saw
the fireworks from a great boat on the Potomac, laughed
my butt off with the Capitol Steps and ate at one the the
best restaurants ever, The Prime Rib on K street. The
block style crab cakes bring tears to your eyes. 

Celebrated my sweethearts birthday in Toronto and
really relaxed. Discovered a great restaurant, The
Commedore right next to my favorite place for a
LaBatts on the harbour, Pier 4 . The Commedore
had a great view and a great outdoor patio for cigars
 afterward.   Oh well - back to real life. 

Later, 

*****************************************

7/2/02 

It's  been a while but three things are on my mind as Monica and I 
prepare for a 4th of July holiday:  Colonoscopies, the Dallas enclave and Bill Maher. 

I never thought that George W and I would ever have anything in common but we do. Both of us had unremarkable endoscopic examinations last week and it was no big deal. I am talking about this to everyone I know because if you have a family history of colon cancer or are 50 or over, you need to get one. 

There was disappointment in Dallas after the Bishops conference  closed.  The issue of Bishop malfeasance was not even talked about. 
A Dallas Morning News report  indicated that 70% of America's Bishops had engaged in some kind of cover up activity regarding cleric sexual abuse situations.  They still don't get it.  I'll have more about this later. 

Last Friday, 6/28, was Bill Maher's, Politically Incorrect,    last show on ABC.  I am really going to miss him and his show.  I think I learned more from his guests than on any other program except maybe Nightline. He will be back. In the mean time - stay suspicious. 

Later.... 

5/14/02 

For those who wanted to see some of the photos from the 
Without Sanctuary exhibit here is the website: 

http://www.journale.com/withoutsanctuary/intro_body_main.html
 

Michael 
 

5/12 /02 

Here is a moment from the lighter side.  Recently Dawn Wells, Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island, was at Wrigley Field in Chicago to sing     " Take me out to the ballgame" for the 7th inning stretch. She was being interviewed by Skip Caray, ( Harry Caray's grandson ) the play by play man for Cubs TV.  Skip is a good announcer and but very conservative and republican. During the interview he casually asks  what brings Dawn, who lives in Los Angeles, to Chicago. She replies that she is in town to star in the Vagina Monologues and invites Skip and his partner, Joe Carter, to come out and see the play. His reaction was priceless.  To his credit he was able to gather himself later in the interview and remind folks to go out and see Dawn in the play. He was actually able to say the word vagina .  Oh to have seen Harry do that interview..... 

Michael 

4/27/02 

Living Wage Opponents Lose Cool, Resort to Name Calling

Have you heard about this?  The Syracuse Chamber of Commerce has lost its cool.  In an effort to sway its membership against the upcoming Common Council vote on the Living Wage proposal, it has sent out a nasty e-mail.  The letter mocked the economic justice ideal of a living wage and called it a socialist scheme driven by a national union conspiracy. 

Ironically, responses coming from several prominent members were not exactly what the chamber expected.  Some were outraged and have sent back their own e-mails. Personally, I think their reactions are encouraging. In an age where negative ads have become the standard by which American politics is practiced, it is refreshing to see people say, “enough, already”.  One of the members wrote back a response saying that, while he hadn’t made up his mind on the actual issue, he was so disgusted by the “inflammatory rhetoric” that he had decided to take down the Chamber of Commerce logo from his business site and give up his membership. Another, who was also uncertain about his opinion on the issue, stated that the “florid diatribe” caused to rethink his position. 

Understanding that major change is an occasion for anxiety the tone of the debate needs to improve. This e-mail is not the first time opponents of the living wage have been less than respectful toward its proponents.  Several weeks ago the Post Standard ran an editorial which was also offensive and condescending towards supporters of the plan. It categorized them as “lilies of the field” do gooders. 

A living wage plan is not a panacea.  It won’t fix everything and there will be problems, but that is true any time things change. Opposing a bold step simply because it will involve transitional problems exposes small mindedness. What Syracuse needs is a great vision.  A living wage is something that is worth taking a chance on as we, as citizens, pursue the great vision of improving the living conditions and level of economic justice in our community. 

Later... 

Michael 
 
 

3/24/02 

I hate to go on and on about the Catholic scandal but, as you have seen, new reports  come  every day and will likely continue for some time. To hear Barbara Bradley's report in toto you can go to www.npr.com/morningedition . 

In other news Monica and I made new arrangements to go back to Paris for a couple weeks. This feels weird since the last time we were going to go was 9/11. 

Have a meaningful Holy Week and a  Happy Easter. 

Later, 

Michael 

2/27/02 

A personal word about my commentary. 

I have some reluctance in posting this essay for fear that       it will be misunderstood or misinterpreted. Therefore I wish to make an explanatory comment . 

 I have assisted my own denomination in conducting disciplinary hearings for ministers who were guilty of sexual misconduct. I have worked among the horrified members of devastated churches. I have counseled the victims. 

I do not see pedophilia as a Catholic problem. It is an illness that infects all religion. I have no desire to bash the Roman Catholic Church and take no joy in my criticism. Nonetheless, I believe it is time for people to speak up and keep speaking until this problem is vanquished from the Church . My only goal is to increase thought and discussion  about this difficult subject.

Michael
 
 

1/31/02 

Hello again. I want to mention a terrific writer that you may not have heard of - Jack Miles.   His first book, God - An Autobiography , won a Pulitzer prize and his second book, Christ - A Crisis in the Life of God represents some of the best and most original theology I have read in 30 years.  Jack says he is not a theologian. He says he is a literary critic and  a textual analyst but it works for me . 

The zinger in Christ is his take on the old theological notion of justification. He turns it on its head. Traditionally, humanity has needed to be justified, the debt of human sin needs to be paid,  before mankind could receive eternal life. 

Miles shows that it is not humanity but God who needed to make restitution  for  "his " crimes against humanity. Having demonstrated the God of the Old Testament was narcissistic and given to fits of overactive rage, (e.g. condemning Adam and Even to death for one violation ; the mass slaughter of the Egyptians et. al.) he paints the image of remorseful God who through Christ suffers and gives up his life to make  make up for his past brutality . He then offers himself as divine food, in the sacrament of Communion,  to restore the immortality given to humanity at creation.  This is such an obvious conclusion yet  Christian theology has avoided saying it for two Millennia. 

I am struck by this having worked with many abused children and adults. Kids always blame themselves for the outrageous treatment they have received. Christianity has always blamed the child ( humanity) for the outrageous evil in the world and called it deserved punishment. It takes a lot of emotional  healing for one to be able  to confront one's  abuser and move on.  Perhaps Christianity can heal and move beyond much of  its self negativity and self hatred. 

Later ... 

Michael 
 

_______________________________________________ 

12/31 /01 

HAPPY NEW YEAR !
 

I want to tell you about a great time I had today with some old vinyl record albums .  I somehow got on to a Beatles thing and was looking over my CDs.  I realized that I hadn't replaced all of my records and so I went to Amazon.com to order  the missing ones.  I found Rubber Soul and Sgt. Pepper but was amazed to discover that one of my favorites, The Beatles "Yesterday " and Today, was not available on CD !  So I decided to dig out the original, circa  1965-66, and see if I could copy it onto a cassette tape. (From there I could transfer it to a computer and put it on my own CD.)

To my amazement and surprise, everything worked beautifully.  It was remarkable to play records for the first time in over thirty years and have them sound fantastic. (I haven't used my old Dennon turntable in over twenty five years.)  What also occurred to me was that all the pains I took cleaning and storing my albums, caring for the cartridge etc. really paid off.  It was amazing to listen to songs I grew up on as a young teen. Wow, the songs Dr. Robert, Day Tripper and the like brought back so many memories and feelings.  My appetite whetted, I got out their first album, Meet the Beatles, Beatles 2nd, and Beatles Something New Something New. It was a terrific afternoon and a great way to finish up the year. 

On a more serious note, just a few thoughts to close out 2001.  This has been a tough year. Our political system was rocked by voter fraud in Florida,  a Supreme Court decision that will disgrace  the judicial branch of government forever, and the selection of a President who lost the election.

Our economy took a serious nose dive and to complete the tri-fecta, on  September 11th, 19  Muslim terrorists attacked America. This was  the worst carnage our nation has experienced on her own shores since the Civil War.

And yet, not everything was bad news. 

--Senator James Jeffords proved that one man's vote could still make a difference and he took the courageous step to disassociate from the Republican Party and give the Democrats control in the Senate. 
--Science made important steps is the Human Genome and stem cell research. 
--The rescue workers responded with remarkable heroism and our nation, although shaken, pulled together.
--Our military forces sprang into action and did a hell of a job driving the Taliban vermin from their holes.
--Ironically, our President  grew into his position and has been a good leader for a nation in crisis.   It is not that I agree with his approach but we need to give credit where credit is due. I think conservatives do a better job where the use of force is required. They are more decisive and  they worry less about the consequences of excess. Sometimes it is very good to have a J ( judgmental) personality  type in charge. 

As we look to the new year, the thing that concerns me most is that we stay alert.  I don't mean high alert as in suspicious or nervous but as in careful and critical in our assessing the stuff our politicians tell us. I am  worried that, out of  fear, we will accede to authority rather than to exercise our  responsibility as citizens to think and express our opinions in sincere debate.   It is  important that we not use slogans such as "united we stand" as an excuse to become drones or sheep. And it is very important that we not confuse honest dissent with disloyalty. 

We need to continue to call into question the hypocrisy and inconsistency of the Bush administration which,  on the one hand, in the name of fighting terrorism, detains and suspends the the liberties of thousands without explanation. Unbelievably, on the other hand, it refuses to allow law enforcement officials to have access to the federal gun purchase data base for fear it would upset the NRA. 
It is amazing that, even after 9/11, John Ashcroft is still more afraid of the Federal government than terrorists .

A final thought. We need to be aware of our hysterical tendencies.   In the midst of the war against terrorism a small Massachusetts bio-tech firm published results from a revolutionary experiment in organ synthesis/replication.  Unfortunately, the term cloning  was used and a  truly important story was totally misunderstood. 

The president and congressional and religious leaders all condemned the project.  In fact they did not take the time to actually study the reports nor did they have a clue as to its real significance. In case you missed this, the cloning experiment demonstrated a revolutionary medical breakthrough for organ replacement.  This approach totally leap frogged over the whole embryonic stem cell dilemma.  By hollowing out an ovum and inserting a patient's DNA, it is believed that, eventually, a technique will be developed to grow organs or tissue to replace diseased ones. 

The point that is missed is that the protoplasm is not an embryo or fetus.  It is not a fertilized egg and it could never become a "human life."   By the way, a related and accepted  technology has already been "cloning " organs for over ten years.  In fact, synthetic skin ( which is an organ) was used to help burn victims from the World Trade Center disaster.

I am not worried that the religious right will ever be able to stop this amazing medical advancement. I am stunned by  how stupid our leaders are  and how unprofessional the media has been in not making these critical distinctions.   Oh well, time to get ready to party. A Macanudo and some fine cognac await. Cheers,

Michael

****************************************************

12/20/01 - 

Happy Holidays and New Year to Everyone! 

I hope to get a year in review comment in soon. 

Michael 
 
 

11/15/01- 

Hello again. I have been in a fog since my last posting. 
Monica and I did get to Toronto for our anniversary and we had some great food. Harbor Sixty Steak House is really fine dinning and Verona's on Queen Street is a charming Italian delight. 

The big hit, besides the Grey Goose martinis, was the Lion King and it was too incredible for  words. The opening number is by far the most amazing and innovative and moving spectacle I have ever seen. No wonder the wait for tickets in New York is so long.  Toronto however is just as magnificent, about half  the price and not too long a wait for tickets. Do what you gotta do but see it as soon as you can. 

Legislative Alert !!!

Write, E-mail , and or call  your congressperson and tell them how you feel about the Republican economic stimulus package.  You will simply not believe this abomination of corporate welfare.   Here are some facts to think over. The Gop wants to give back all the corporate taxes paid since 1985 -- 140 billion. this money can be used to relocate operations in foreign countries - and here is the beauty part - be put  into tax shelters to avoid paying further taxes. Michael Moore has called this the most obscene proposal ever to have come to the house floor. By comparison, 1.4 billion is proposed for unemployment insurance for the folks who lost their jobs following 9/11. Ten dollars for business to o