My Son Changed My Mind

My son changed my mind. And woke me up.

I have two sons. I love them both dearly and I think, at least, I have a good relationship with them both. One thinks like I do on most things, and we have a very similar worldview. The other is diametrically opposed to my worldview, and we often clash as we do not see eye-to-eye on how things ought to be. Neither of them have any fear opposing me when we disagree on something. Interestingly, the opposition came from the one who usually agrees with me.

Well, not opposition. Rather, a different perspective.

Yesterday, I wrote a post saying that while I was not abandoning the only social media platform I use, I was no longer going to make political posts there. I was moving to the newly popular, ever-growing site, Parler. I have created an account there, and do intend to use it.

Facebook has become a monster. Twitter has been a sewage dump for years now. It's putrid and nasty and filled with people who can barely pronounce their own name, let alone come up with a cohesive and coherent thought. I hate everything about it. Hashtags come really close to summing up all that is wrong with the world. It's dumbed-down approach has been co-opted by the mainstream media as actual news reporting. It's repulsive.

But Facebook, really up until the last year, had remained relatively benign. Sure, it became inundated with ads, incessant "suggestions," and still housed many of the same trolls who blather around on Twitter. But the platform allowed for more rational thought, and allowed for more thorough and coherent back and forth between its users.

But in the last year, solely for the purposes of influencing the election, it not only seriously ramped up its spying on its users, but began censoring the free speech it had once championed to serve it's own bias and political views. It has employed "fact checkers," which are nothing of the sort, but rather Liberal media hordes who believe and pretend they know everything better than we do and cannot allow opposing thought. In essence, it has basically become state-run media, following the whim of the liberal ideology, censoring and axing anything they don't agree with. Liberalism, at its core, does not in any way tolerate opposing thought, despite their claims otherwise, and they've hi-jacked the most popular social media platforms and turned them into little else than the traditional mainstream media trash we see and read everyday.

Clear enough, yet?

As such, Conservatives are staging a mass exodus from Facebook and Twitter to some new, up and coming platforms, including Parler, that promise true freedom of speech. Parler has been so inundated with new members it keeps crashing their system. YouTube is beginning to see the same exodus as it too is beginning to censor the videos of Conservatives. Conservatives are fed up, as they should be, and are seeking outlets where they can truly exercise their right to free speech.

You can read my FB post here if you wish, but my son, who is a Conservative, commented that he disagreed with my decision, and then wrote this...

"The left will do whatever they have to to silence conservatives, and if they can just lock them over on their own platform, then that solves their problem. Force them to lie and cheat, and hopefully that will enlighten some people. If all conservatives leave, then FB can claim to be 100% for freedom of speech on their platform. Don’t let them off the hook, make them fact check truth... I’ll make FB kick me off before I post exclusively on Parler. Now I can enjoy myself a little more over there, having some more fun at the left's expense, but if I hide there, the left wins."

He's absolutely right.

Many years ago in the early 2000's, the Mrs. and I were trying to decide if we wanted to remove our children from public school and place them in a private, Christian school. We sought the advice of many friends, professionals, and others whose advice we valued. My pastor at the time had school-aged children and they were still enrolled in public school. I asked him one day why he hadn't sent his children to Christian school. His response has stuck with me to this day:

{Paraphrasing} "I'm not ready to give up on public school yet. In fact, I would say that part of the problem with public school now is that too many Christians have bailed on it."

It was a sobering and thought-provoking response. He was dead-on accurate. We decided to go ahead and remove our kids from public school anyway. And while I don't fully regret that decision, looking back I see that my pastor was right. And public school is just one example.

It has been the habit of Conservatives in general, and Christians in particular, to simply walk-away when the morals and standards of something erode beyond our own scruples. I'm guilty of it. Instead of staying and fighting for what we know to be right and good, we create our own little rooms and spaces where we can all join together and gripe about how bad things have become outside.

In essence, we have become the very snowflakes we so derisively chide in the Liberal crowds. It's easy for us to post a meme about some liberal whacko whiner who can't handle things in the real world, but then, what are we really DOING about it?

We don't break the law. Which is to say we don't riot and loot when we don't get our way, or when the government strips away yet another God-given and Constitution-promised right, or when the media tells us we should be outraged at some false narrative. That's a good thing, the right thing. But what do we do otherwise? Do we stand and fight? Do we demand more of our elected representatives, and demand they hold to their campaign promises? Do we stand up to tyranny and refuse to allow evil to take over?

Not usually. Instead of holding others accountable for their putrid behavior, we do the "Christian" thing, where we blame ourselves for not "loving" everybody enough, and we accuse each other of being too judgmental and then we just walk away. We create a new space where our like-minded brothers and sisters can reside while bashing those who think differently than us and lament that they've taken away our freedoms. As the old Petra song says, we sit inside our "rose colored, stained glass windows, never allowing the world to come in."

Meanwhile, society is crumbling around us. And we sit by and watch it all happen.

Lately, I have suffered some personal and professional blowback because of my political postings. While I have never once logged a complaint about a colleague with their employer, complained to a pastor about a brother or sister, or cut off a friendship because of someone's political beliefs, unfortunately, I have recently not been afforded the same courtesies. My character been questioned. My professional ethics have been questioned. And my faith has been questioned. All because I believe in Conservative ideals and am not afraid to speak my mind.

Please understand, I'm not crying full-on persecution. But the blowback has recently caused me to pull back. Taking a moment to really think and analyze what you want to say is a good thing. Taking care to word things in such a way as the message will be heard rather than rejected is a good thing. Being cautious not to offend if it can be avoided is wise. But staying silent goes against every fiber of my being. And I have recently resisted speaking out at times for fear of more blowback when I might otherwise have spoken.

I allowed my dissenters to convince me that I shouldn't be so public about my beliefs. I allowed them to scare me away from the platform. It has eaten at me now for a couple months.

My son commented further in my post yesterday in response to another's comment: "...don’t abandon the fight. You’ll never win any arguments or change any minds if you don’t have the fights where people who don’t agree with you (can) see them. And what’s really the point? To change minds or just to get people to agree with you?"

Whoa... that's heavy. Am I hoping to change minds and hearts, or just have talking heads nod yes to me?

Thanks son, for setting me straight. I'm not gonna run away. I'm going to stay in the fight.

Facebook is just one little battle in the war. But it's an important battle because it has millions of eyes upon it. I'm still going to migrate to Parler and use the platform. There's value in having the space to speak freely and galvanize like minds. I intend to use it.

But stand with me, will you? Stay and fight with me. Together, we might just change some minds.

Like mine was, yesterday.

Life to the Fullest!

I was gonna write a new political post today. I still will, but probably not today.

Instead, I have more important things on my mind this morning. In the past several days, there has been two significant events take place in my close family, and, as these things usually do, they put things back into perspective a bit.

Every now and then, we have to get bopped on the head and reminded that some things in life are vitally important. And other things -- eh, not so much.

First, my wife and I welcome the arrival of our first Grand Baby. Miss Victoria Uhls. She is tiny, and beautiful, and even though we are nearly 600 miles away, we are already in love. Congratulations to my son, Cody, and his beautiful wife, Alana, and their first child. We are so proud of them.

I haven't gotten to hold little Vic in my arms yet, but I remember holding my children for the first time. And breaking down in tears at the realization of how much love I actually had to give. I suspect the same thing will happen with Vic. And the next... And the next...

Interestingly, Miss Victoria has two middle names: Kenlyn... which is a hybrid of the names of two of Mommy's best friends. And Bryce, to honor our dear friend and brother, Bryce Mansfield, who we lost way too soon some years back, and to whom Daddy was super close. Kinda cool, yeah?

Sometime soon, I will get to hold Baby Vic myself. But what I'm looking forward to even more is watching GiGi get to hold her for the first time. Ginger's eyes sparkle in a way like no other when she holds babies. She loves them -- has a special connection, like, the Baby Whisperer or something. Watching her hold our boys was something magical. I can't wait to see how they shine when she holds her first grandchild.

And in that moment, I will be reminded of all that is good about our world. Love and compassion and joy and adoration. In that moment I will not be thinking about politics, or any of the other ugliness that is so readily available to our eyes and ears and minds every day. I will be totally wrapped up in Baby Vic and all the love that will be surrounding her in that moment.

I'm looking forward to it.

Also this week, a tragic accident befell some dear, close family members of mine. As of now, while they have some healing to do, it looks as though everything will be OK in the end. "OK in the end," is relative, of course, as we all have more pain and hurt and tragedy lined up for us some time in the future. It's unavoidable. Not "if" but "when." The question is how we deal with that tragedy when it comes.

This accident could have been far worse. And we are all thankful it was not. My heart is breaking and I have shed tears trying to imagine -- and yet utterly failing to do so -- what their pain and hurt must feel like. This event would break weaker people. It won't break them. They are strong, loving, caring, God-fearing people. They will survive.

But it serves as a reminder of how delicate life hangs in the balance. Things can change in an instant. And we have very little control over it. More often than not, it's through no fault of our own. And yet, we are left with the idea that we can only control what WE do, and how WE live.

Ginger and I moved to the ocean almost four years ago now because we wanted to enjoy life in the moment. We have learned that life is not promised tomorrow, and so we want to live today and enjoy it while we can. We realized that we'd been talking about moving to the ocean for nearly 25 years, and if we weren't careful, we'd be sitting around another 10 or 20 years still talking about the same thing -- if we lived that long.

You see, the Bible tells us that Satan prowls around in the night like a lion seeking whom he can devour. Scripture says that it is Satan who comes to steal and kill and destroy. But, Praise God!... The Bible says Jesus came to overcome the world, and to give life fuller, more abundantly!

I want some of that! Life more abundantly!

Satan tried to kill my family member the other night, and God swooped in and saved them. For what reason? I don't know, and frankly, I don't care. God's decision is good enough for me. God's will was that they had more time, and a story to tell. Someday soon, my family will have a rocking testimony about God's saving grace. They'll be able to tell the world about how thousands of people within hours rallied to pray for them, and that God heard those prayers.

But you know what? Sometimes God doesn't swoop in, and often we don't know why. Sometimes, Satan's attack proves fatal. That's what happens in war. Sometimes, the good guys die. And so what do we do then?

First, we realize God saves. He saves no matter our sins and weaknesses, and usually saves in spite of them. And that salvation comes with a forgiveness that is true and thorough and eternal. No strings, no conditions. "I forgive you." Done, and over with. And we don't have to perform like circus monkeys to get it.

Second, we understand God's will is often beyond our understanding. Often, we can do little else but rest in the assurance that God is sovereign, and that His plan is bigger and better and stronger than our own. And we rest in that assurance that all things work out for the good of those who love him, even if we don't understand what's going on at the time.

And in that assurance we owe it to our Creator and to ourselves to live life to the fullest. Each and every day. Tell our friends and family how much we love them before the chance passes us by. Walk that beach or climb that mountain or enjoy that sunset and sunrise hand-in-hand. And mostly, to share the Good News of God's saving forgiveness.

Satan attacks us all in different ways every day. Even when you live by the ocean! But we choose to accept life more abundantly. And every blessing, and every accident, teaches us more about what that really means. Today, I'm thankful. For both the blessing of a new grandchild, and the accident that will bring me and my family closer to each other, and closer to God.

And I will be thankful again tomorrow, regardless of whether a blessing or a tragedy comes my way. 

If it Doesn't Make Sense, it Probably isn't True.

My favorite television show of all time is Judge Judy. Hey, don't judge. I am who I am.

When litigating cases, Judge Judy says something fairly often; "If it doesn't make sense, it probably isn't true." Now, I'm not saying Judge Judy is the end-all, be-all authority, but now in my 50+ years of this merry-go-round of life, I've found this to be pretty accurate. I would suspect most of you have as well.

So, I ask you these questions:

Does it make sense that a record number of people -- over 70 million -- would vote for one of the least popular, and least productive candidates the Democrat party has every put forth?

Does it make sense that 70 million people would vote for a man who is at least accused of, and at worst, actually guilty of, many of the same things they claim to hate Donald Trump for?

Does it make sense that 70 million people would vote for a man whose actual nickname is "Creepy Joe."

Does it make sense that 70 million people voted for a man who could barely get 100 people to show up at his rallies?

Does it make sense that 70 million people voted for a man who promised to raise their taxes?

Does it make sense that 70 million Americans voted for a man who claims to have Socialist desires, and is backed by openly Socialist people?

Does it make sense that 70 million people voted for a man who -- on video -- said he was withholding financial aid to a foreign country in lieu of political favors, when they just tried to impeach a President for allegedly doing the same thing (with no evidence, to boot.)

Does it make sense that 70 million people would vote for a man they already rejected no less than three different times as a Presidential candidate before?

Does it make sense that 70 million people voted for a man who was forced to drop out of a previous Presidential race because of corruption?

Does it make sense that 70 million Americans love politicians that much that they would vote for a nearly 50-year career politician?

Does it make sense that at 3:00 am the morning after the election, one candidate was solidly leading in two different states that he would go on to lose not 12 hours later?

Does it make sense that voting procedures -- including absentee and mail-in voting -- were changed in numerous cities and states on-the-fly, as it were, in the past several months and yet there could be no mistakes in the systems, let alone fraud?

Does it make sense that fraud didn't occur under such circumstances?

Does it make sense that an incumbent would be defeated in such a robust economy when that has never happened before in the history of our country?

Does it make sense that 70 million people would vote for a man whose family is so corrupt they literally have to go into hiding?

Does it make sense that 70 million people would vote for a man who used his political office to procure illegal jobs in foreign countries for his alcoholic son? Jobs that paid millions of dollars in salary to someone who had no previous experience in the industry?

Does it make sense that 70 million people would vote for a man where proof exists he lied about taking illegal kickbacks from a foreign country?

Does it make sense that 70 million people voted for the previous Vice-President of a failed administration that was wrought with scandal?

Does it make sense that 70 million people would vote for a man who openly supported rioting and looting in the streets?

Does it make sense that 70 million Americans would vote for a man who supported disrespect for our military, supports policies that weaken our military, and served in an administration who allowed foreign enemies to subvert our military?

Does it make sense that 70 million people would vote for a man who so clearly has elderly medical issues and has no chance of serving a 2nd term?

Does it make sense that 70 million people would vote for the prospect of having Kamela Harris take over as President rather than Mike Pence?

Does it make sense that 70 million people would vote for a man who loves to inappropriately touch and nuzzle little kids?

Does it make sense that 70 million people would vote for a man who promised to end the oil industry as we know it -- in places like Pennsylvania, no less?

Does it make sense that 70 million people would vote for a man who promised to shut down the country again and force everyone to wear masks all the time?

Does it make sense that election result trends have completely reversed this year?

Does it make sense that a global pandemic hit during an election year causing a defeated political party to radically change the voting rules on the spot?

Does it make any sense that millions of ballots continue to be found and counted now days after the election and they all just happen to favor Joe Biden by over a 75% margin?

I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. Does anyone with half a brain, Democrat or Republican really believe that Joe Biden got an all-time record 70 million votes legally?

It makes absolutely no sense. And if it doesn't make sense, it probably isn't true.

I'm Just Tired of it All.

Like many of you, I'm ready for this year's election to be over. Mostly, I'm just tired of it all.

I'm tired of all the lies. From BOTH sides of the aisle.

I'm tired of being told that because I'm passionate about my politics that I don't love Jesus enough.

I'm tired of people's absolute refusal to see the truth for what it is.

I'm tired of defending a man to my Christian friends whose political policies in the past 4 years have done nothing but favor the Christian community, including the monumental moving of our US embassy back to Jerusalem and the equally monumental appointing of three conservative judges to the Supreme Court.

I'm tired of being told that speaking out against the evils of killing babies is not "inclusive" or "tolerant" or "loving."

I'm tired of watching millions of people believe a man who has been a member of the Washington establishment for into 5 DECADES, and as such is a source of most of the problems our country now faces, will now miraculously create the solutions to all those problems if elected President.

I'm tired of wearing masks.

I'm tired of being told "just wear the damn mask," when there is no definitive data whatsoever that they achieve the desired effect.

I'm tired of people believing our President had anything to do with this virus.

I'm tired of people thinking they could have done anything different than the President did to contain it.

I'm tired of people believing the virus is as bad as so-called "experts" say it is.

I'm tired of being labeled a bigot, racist, and a homophobe when there is literally no evidence to suggest I am.

I'm tired of my President being labeled a bigot, a racist, and a homophobe when there is literally no evidence to suggest he is.

I'm tired of people distorting the definitions of "bigot" and "racist" and "homophobe" to fit their own agendas.

I'm tired of violent, criminal behavior being excused in the name of social justice.

I'm tired of being labeled "insensitive" and "un-loving" when I demand that violent, criminal behavior be dealt with in the appropriate manner.

I'm tired of our frontline heroes being berated, beat, fired, and killed for doing their jobs in the line of duty.

I'm tired of people completely ignoring evidence every time someone suffers the consequences of their criminal behavior at the hands of law enforcement.

I'm tired of being accused of not thinking black lives matter if I don't support Black Lives Matter.

I'm tired of people being so possessive of their creed when in truth, ALL lives really do matter.

I'm tired of people believing that every shooting of a black criminal is immediately racially motivated.

I'm tired of minorities having to face discrimination from anyone simply because they're a minority.

I'm tired of being made to feel bad because I'm white.

I'm tired of certain individuals and organizations trying to label us all as "haters" instead of holding accountable the few who truly are for their own stupidity.

I'm tired of Democrat leaders in Washington getting away with illegal behavior time and again.

I'm tired of everyone getting so easily offended, usually for no reason.

I'm tired of being told you can vote for someone, yet not support their policies.

I'm tired of being told Jesus didn't care about politics, and didn't participate in them.

I'm tired of Democrat politicians' willingness to completely ruin people's lives just because they don't get their way.

I'm tired of Christians who preach forgiveness being unwilling to allow our President to move on from his past.

I'm tired of apologizing for Donald Trump. He is who he is and he has never pretended to be something he's not. I respect that.

I'm tired of being told my support for our President means I don't love Jesus.

I'm tired of explaining to people I'm not voting for a Pastor, I'm voting for a President.

I'm tired of being told by people who preach the value in the separation of church and state that I shouldn't vote for a President if he isn't a Pastor.

I'm tired of Christians ignoring the truth that in the historical record of the Bible, God routinely used un-Godly people to accomplish Godly goals.

I'm tired of all the political ads.

I'm tired of people choosing to ignore simple economics.

I'm tired of the Cowboys sucking so bad.

I'm tired of people trying to convince us that America isn't great, and never was.

I'm tired of people trying to convince me that since we are not God's "chosen people," that we are not a Christian nation founded on Biblical principles.

I'm tired of people conveniently forgetting that we are a country that was founded by men who were believers in the God of the Bible.

I'm tired of Democrats' lies that claim Republicans want to take away healthcare and get rid of social security.

I'm tired of people not understanding the concept of "legal" immigration.

I'm tired of people disrespecting our flag and the men and women who died for our freedom, and then trying to convince us they're not doing so.

I'm tired of people believing that social media is somehow inherently evil. Social media didn't create anything. It simply provides a platform.

I'm tired of the complete ignorance in the desire to vote for someone who is promising to raise your taxes.

I'm tired of people believing in the same "polls" that lied to us in 2016.

I'm tired of people not realizing that today's media is nothing but reality television who's goal it is to influence us to believe a certain way.

I'm tired of people believing Jim Acosta is an actual journalist.

I'm tired of the phrase "War on Women." There is no such thing and nobody can define what it means anyway.

I'm tired of being told I shouldn't worry because Jesus is in control and is the ultimate victor. I know that, and believe it. But I'd just as soon my kids and grandkids not have to suffer because of stupid political ideology when I have the ability to influence it with a wise vote.

I'm tired of people ignoring the accomplishments of a man simply because they hate him so much.

I'm tired of people hating him so much.

Mostly, I'm just tired of it all.

Cowboys Win and Lose Prescott: Journal Entry 2020-10-10

To start, I should give a brief summary of our arrival into Dallas on Saturday.

The flight was fine. Uneventful, inasmuch as I do not like the process of flying. Love getting to my destination quickly, but it messes with my head.

We reserved a rental vehicle with Budget a few weeks ago. At DFW airport, one has to exit the terminal, walk to a location where a Rental Car Shuttle will pick you up and transport you to the Rental Car station some 7-8 minutes away. We waited on the Shuttle for about 20 minutes, only to see two shuttles pass us by because they were full up, and all the while listening to an emergency siren mind-numbingly beeping away at our location -- apparently for no reason -- the entire time we stood there.

Arrived at the Rental Car Station and walked to the big, giant Budget counter, only to find it completely closed on a Saturday at about 1:00. Completely shut down. Sign out front read, "If it is after hours, please visit the Avis counter." So even though it was clearly not after hours, we went to the Avis counter, only to find the line snaking almost out the door. So we waited in line... for over an hour. Avis has a giant counter -- bigger than the Budget counter -- with about 10 stations. There were only 2 agents manning the counter. At one of the nation's largest airports... on a Saturday afternoon.

Got our car (pick up truck) got the lay of the land, checked into our AirBNB. On to Sunday.

So, aside from the gruesome ankle injury, things went pretty well today!

The football gods, in their infinite wisdom, decided I deserved to see my team win in person, at least once, but couldn't leave well enough alone, and so exacted the price of taking down our franchise quarterback in front of my very eyes. And not just a pulled hammy. A full on, soul-chilling, stomach-turning, dislodged, break-thru-the-skin ankle injury. If Dak Prescott never plays another down, I'll get to explain to my grandkids someday that yeah, I was there in 2020 to see my Cowboys turn their season around while watching a young man's career go down the drain.

Maybe that's a little melodramatic. By all appearances, and thanks to the miracles of modern medicine, there's no reason to believe Dak won't recover and come back better than before, even as this season might go down in flames.

So while I was thrilled to see the 'Boys pull one out, there wasn't a lot of celebrating as everyone left. We were all happy and sad at the same time, which, as I think about it, is exactly why I vowed to never see another Cowboys game in person until I could do it in Dallas. We were all in it together, which is exactly where I wanted to be in case they lost again. Today, we both won and lost.

Outside of that, it was a durn near perfect day. My thoughts on the experience:

1) AT&T Stadium is freaking awesome! It is as advertised, and the pictures and video you see on TV does not do it justice. Years ago, when Lucas Oil Stadium was being built in downtown Indy, next door to the original Hoosier Dome, a casual drive into downtown clearly showed how much the new stadium dwarfed the original dome, which at one time seemed big itself.

I'm fairly certain Lucas Oil would fit inside AT&T Stadium. It is massive, and spectacular. Leaps and bounds the coolest sports venue I've ever been in. Given it is already 10 years old, perhaps newer stadiums in Atlanta and Vegas might surpass it's majesty. I don't know, but I have to believe it'd be tough.

2) Even with limited fans, one can almost hear the money machine churning out bills for Jerry Jones at nearly every step.

3) There is a Wal-Mart Supercenter literally right next door to the stadium. Literally. Like, right across the street. Go figure. Lady behind the ticket counter told me they call it "Jerry's Wal-Mart" even though, according to her, it has been there for, like, 25 years. Turns out, Jerry poached Wal-Mart turf to build his palace.

4) In said Wal-Mart, they have a Cowboys merchandise section that rivals the Cowboys' own Pro Shop. It's literally bigger than the Cincinnati Reds Pro Shop. In a Wal-Mart. I'm going back on Tuesday to buy some things.

5) Speaking of Tuesday, the wife and I are going back to AT&T to do a Stadium Tour. Can't wait. Going to Wal-Mart after that.

6) They confiscated my knife at security. I carry a tiny little Swiss Army knife everywhere I go, primarily for the toothpick. I usually remember to leave it behind at such events, or stuff it in the checked bag when I'm flying somewhere. In addition to having to discard it once at an airport, and the few other times I've literally forgotten I had it and I made it through security anyway, this is perhaps the 5th time or so I've had one taken from me at a sporting event. One time, my magician son was able to "palm" it and get it through security for me, but otherwise, they usually find it and take it from me. Luckily, they're only about $10, so I'm buying a new one at Wal-Mart on Tuesday.

7) The new Texas Rangers stadium, Globe Life Field, is also virtually next door. Though from certain angles it looks like a big barn, it is also massive. Clearly the biggest MLB stadium I've seen. (Check out the attached pics.) I wanted to take a tour, but we can't because they are hosting this year's National League Championship Series beginning tomorrow night. It is also next door to the still-standing, previous home of the Texas Rangers, Arlington Ballpark, which is itself only about 25 years old, and so looks refreshingly new. I don't know what the long term plans for it are, but I'm told they're hosting high school football games there presently.

8) The sound was impressively loud and clear, unlike the sound in most big stadiums.

9) COVID limited the fans to 20,000. As much as I have disdained everything about COVID, including the nonsense shutdowns and limitations, I have to admit it was nice being there on a day that wasn't inundated with the normal 90k fans or so that can fit into that stadium. I've been at the Reds Great American Ballpark when it has been at capacity around 45,000, and I've been to Lucas Oil a few times at capacity around 70,000. And I've also been to the Indy 500 with a sellout crowd of about 400,000. Enormous crowds where you feel like everyone is sitting on top of each other. Today, the wife and I had virtually our entire row to ourselves, as tickets were sold so that every little group would be spread out from one another. Aside from wearing that ridiculous, cumbersome mask, it was nice not being clobbered by an additional 70,000 fans today for my first time there. Was able to move about pretty freely and check things out. Didn't sit for 6 hours after trying to get away either. And it was impossible NOT to social distance with only 20,000 fans in a 90k box.

10) After the game, there was a huge, gorgeous sunset visible out of the windows of the place that was breathtaking. The pictures I took do not do it justice.

11) I cried as I watched Dak cry as he was being carted off the field.

12) Every single staff person we encountered was stunningly nice and polite and helpful, from the Pro Shop to the concession stands. In fact, the fans themselves were cordial in a way I'm not used to hometown fans being, even in Indy. Only in the parking lot on the way out did we encounter some Dallas and New York fans jawing back and forth at each other using some unfortunate language. It was refreshing.

13) I lamented to my wife on the way in that it would be nice to have my boys with me today. They would have enjoyed the experience. And while the wife and I really dig hanging out, just the two of us, we sometimes miss the memories we made at ballgames with our kids. A Cowboys game together would be nice. We'll have to make that happen.

14) After the clock ticked 0:00, I just sat there for awhile, taking it all in. I don't know when I'll get to come back. Didn't want the moment to end.

Tomorrow, it's another adventure. Stay tuned.

Trump vs. Biden: Round 1

 So my thoughts on the first Trump/Biden debate are these:

I don't think either candidate did themselves any favors last night. It didn't appear either of them really had a debate strategy, but rather were content to enter the ring and slug it out come what may.

Fortunately, the election, much like the election in 2016, is less about the candidate and more about the ideology. Which, in my opinion, should be the case for most elections. Biden has been a face in the Democratic party for decades, but he really hasn't done anything meaningful that has shifted the party platform, and he wouldn't as President. He's a figurehead at best. A yes man, if you give him the benefit of the doubt that he's not a complete moron and sadly really losing his faculties with age.

As for Trump, he has most certainly shifted the Republican Party probably more than any President since Lincoln, but even then, still espouses mostly what the party stands for, even if he doesn't do it with much tact. The campaign promises he has kept from 2016 should make any Republican (and Christian) proud: Appoint Conservative judges to the courts -- especially the Supreme Court, which was worth his election in and of itself -- lower taxes, lower unemployment, boost the economy, defeat ISIS, defend gun rights, defend freedom of religion, and prop up Israel. Those accomplishments alone should make Republicans vote for him again, and they will.

But even a man as powerful as Donald Trump is still speaking for a greater movement at large. We're not voting for Donald Trump: We're voting for what Trump promised, and so far, he's delivered.

As such, I doubt last night's performance swayed any voters one way or the other, and I suspect the subsequent debates won't do so either. If you're a Biden fan, you probably thought he did well, and stood up well to the Trump bully. Showed a little hutzpah even, gettin' a little down and dirty. If you're a Trump fan, you probably thought he did well, which is to say, he did what he's done all along, which is be bombastic and fight. All in all, it really went about how I thought it would go.

Clearly, Biden lost his way a few times. His opening salvo on the Supreme Court issue that devolved into a relatively incoherent rambling about healthcare literally made me look at my wife and say, "Wow, that didn't take long." He's clearly a man that is too advanced in years to do the job, but otherwise he held up OK I suppose. I think anybody who watched him last night has to know he's starting to lose his capacities. To what extent at this point is hard to say, but does anybody really believe he can hold it together for four more years?

As for Trump, there's no question that the constant, daily barrage from the media and the Left has jaded him. He's fed up with it, and it shows. He should be, by the way, as he's taken a beating in the job the likes of which we've never seen in our history. His detractors might say, well, you know, it's a tough job and it comes with the territory. But not this. This is unprecedented and unfair, period, no matter how you feel about the man personally. I mean, he's been nominated for 3 Nobel Peace Prizes so far, but our American press portrays him as the Devil himself.

Which is why most of the country doesn't trust the media anymore. We see through the nonsense and the lies. And I can't blame Trump for lashing out the way he did last night. He's tired, for instance, of the media totally ignoring the absurdity of the Hunter Biden mess. There's clearly some shady stuff that went on there, with millions of dollars being passed around, and the media is literally ignoring it. They have to. Because they know if they cover any of it, even if any of it ultimately proves to be untrue, the mere mention of it will sink Biden. So Trump is tired of that kind of hypocrisy, and he should be. I know I am.

I could go on and speak on the various points, but I don't think it's necessary. Neither candidate said anything last night that was earth shattering to their base -- outside of Biden claiming he doesn't support the Green New Deal. That's going to hurt him with his base. Otherwise, we didn't learn anything last night we didn't already know.

So I'd say things remain as they were. Through everything in the past four years, the only people the Left has alarmed with their incessant attacks on Trump are their own constituents who already hate him. They haven't swayed nary an iota of Trump voters away. Mostly, they've emboldened them. And if anything, some of the nastiness has swayed away some minority voters. They're tired of being used as pawns, and are smart enough to see through the muck. Plus, Trump has done more economically and job-wise for minorities so far in his term than Dems have done in well over 50 years. If just a few percentage points of minority voters move to Trump -- and that's highly likely -- its curtains for the Democrats.

Speaking as a Trump voter, he's done, so far, exactly what I elected him to do. So I'm good, and so is the vast majority of his base.

So my prediction remains: Don't believe the polls. They're all lies, just as they were in 2016. (Remember, the polls still showed Hillary winning the day of the election.) It'll be Trump in a landslide in November.

P.S. We'll talk about the ramifications of mail-in voting and the complete chaos it's going to create in this election in another upcoming blog.

Liberalism: Stop Getting So Offended

Over the years, I have often referred to the "Left" or to "Liberals" in posts and blogs I've written. When I do, I often get messages and replies complaining about me "labeling" people in such a manner. More often than not, those replies usually fall into one of two categories:

1) Either they consider themselves a Liberal but don't like being lumped into the kind of lunacy the Left often engages in, or...

2) They pretend they AREN'T a Liberal, but still believe in most of the Liberal ideology.

In either case, they REALLY don't like being labeled. I like to joke that nobody hates being called a Liberal more than a Liberal.

That being said, I want to clarify what I mean when I mention the "Left" or "Liberals."

First of all, let me be clear about a couple things:

1) I understand that referencing a particular group, good or bad, does not encompass the thoughts of every single person in that group. While that should go without saying, it is fascinating how quickly left-leaning thinkers will message me to point out that I shouldn't lump everybody in to one big group. I completely understand that many people can lean one way or the other and not espouse to believe every single tenet of a particular ideology. But boy, the left doesn't like that mentality at all. I don't get messages from Conservatives when I say something about conservative ideals, or thoughts, or behaviors. If I say something like, "Conservatives sure did love Ronald Reagan and his economic programs," I don't get nasty messages from Conservatives, screaming, "HEY, not ALL Conservatives loved Reagan!" But if I say, "Boy, Liberals sure do love Obama and his health care program," I get messages within minutes from my Liberal friends who say, "HEY, not ALL Liberals love Obama." It's really kinda fascinating.

2) "Progressive" is a made up term to make Liberals feel better about themselves. There is nothing at all progressive about Leftist ideology, especially in today's culture. Leftist ideology is as old and outdated as covered wagons. I mean, socialism (and it's failures) has been around much longer than democracy, so pretending that trending that direction is somehow progressive is nothing more than wishful-thinking. Somehow, they've conjured the idea that "Progressive" is a good thing and "Liberal" is bad. Don't fall for it. I refuse to refer to anything as "Progressive" that isn't.

3) I have absolutely no problem whatsoever being labeled a "Conservative." Lump me into that all you want. I believe in that ideology, will promote it unapologetically, and will stand by it until I die. I'm not the least bit bothered by "labels" -- so long as they're accurate. I'm a proud Conservative.

So with that said, let me get to the heart of the matter. When I mention the "Left" or "Liberals," or when I mention the "Right" or "Conservatives," I'm not talking about a person individually. I'm talking about an "ideology."

It's an important distinction. Because the idea of political "Left" or "Right" is just that: An idea. It's an ideology. It's a way of thinking that is driven by a certain set of beliefs on how things should generally operate, and how people should generally be governed. The lines between those ideas can get blurry at times, but they're still pretty defined. And that ideology gets defined further when they get applied to a political party. Because political parties usually arise and form as a group of like-minded individuals bound together to espouse a certain set of ideals. And they want people governing them who believe in those same set of ideals. You can look up the Democrat and the Republican platform on their websites, and it will outline their ideals pretty clearly. A set of belief guidelines that outlines the overall ideology of the Party.

Some time ago, I made a post on my social media account that stated the following:

"Biden’s supporters go out and riot and loot and burn down cities. They beat up and kill innocent bystanders. They ruin people’s lives. They tear down statues, and try to change history. Trump’s supporters go boating."

Now, notwithstanding the clear tongue-in-cheek vibe of the post which I would have hoped would have been obvious, you'll notice I did not specifically label Liberals or Conservatives. However, this post highlights my point. Within a few days, I had heard from several Liberal friends claiming to be offended who essentially said to me, "I support Biden, but I didn't go out and riot and loot," or, "I'm a Biden supporter, but I don't support the violence."

OK. I get that, but that doesn't make my statement any less true. When I said Biden supporters, obviously I don't mean ALL Biden supporters, as if that even needs to be said. But it is also true that those who are out rioting and looting and causing the violence in our city streets are most likely Joe Biden -- i.e., Liberal -- supporters. And while I understand they may not ALL be Biden supporters, they clearly ain't Trump supporters.

And even THEN, I understand that Trump supporters have been increasingly making their way into the streets to oppose the violence, and do themselves sometimes ending up engaging in violent activity, albeit in opposition to those who started the whole mess in the first place.

So while I clearly am not referencing ALL Biden supporters, my statement is true nevertheless, whether that offends you or not.

And that's the point. First and foremost, people need to stop getting butt-hurt so quickly. If you don't like being labeled a Liberal, stop supporting Liberal activity, or those who support Liberal activity. If you are that put out with the criminals who are currently burning our cities down, then why not switch sides? Otherwise, we have little left to believe other than you support those who engage in such activity. If you don't outright denounce it, what do you want me to believe? Regardless, I understand that not ALL Biden supporters ascribe to the type of lunacy we're seeing on TV every night.

Understand this: I know many people, and are friends with several, who identify as either a Liberal, or a Democrat, or both, and I know for a fact they don't support many of the actions of radical leftists. And while I still question why they continue to identify with such organizations, most of them know I'm not referencing them when I make a comment about Liberals, or Democrats, or even "Biden supporters."

More often than not, I'm referencing the Democrat leaders, in Washington, but also across the country. And make no mistake: I believe many of the Democrat leaders, especially in D.C., to be absolute evil snakes who will stop at nothing to destroy America for their own personal gain. While there might be some decent Dems in office, they are the ones who put the likes of Pelosi, Schumer, Nadler, etc., at the head of their table. They're the ones who refuse to denounce the violence. They're the ones who've propped up and supported the likes of the Squad and that wretched AOC. Joe Biden is worthless. Hillary was worse. And for most of those boneheads, Liberals and Democrats at large do hold a responsibility for voting them into, and keeping them in, office. But even I know it is unrealistic to believe that every voter agrees with every single tenet and principle put forth by a representative. I mean, c'mon, I've disagreed with many things Donald Trump has done.

So the moral of the story is this: Leftism is an ideology. Democrats mostly ascribe to an ideology. If you vote for a Democrat, you are essentially voting for leftist ideology. It's just that simple. But understand that when I make a reference to Liberals, or Democrats, I'm talking more about the ideology and less about the individual. If I think you're dumb, or misguided, or should be ashamed of supporting such things, I'll say so. But otherwise, you shouldn't feel as though it's some personal attack.

There are times, I think, when we should all just grow up a little bit and stop being so touchy.

I realize none of this, as an explanation, is going to appease some of those who get regularly offended by my posts. Not much I can do about that. That's their hangup, not mine. While I continue to try to be sure my message goes out in a way that is positive so it will be heard, I am not going to be silenced into speaking what I believe to be the truth just because some people can't figure out why they shouldn't be personally offended.

By the way, after the aforementioned post, I have not had one single Trump supporter message me and say, "I'm offended. I'm a Trump supporter and I don't like boating."

2020 Continued... the Supreme Court Nominee.

You know, it is irrelevant what the Senate did or didn't do in 2016, and irrelevant what they will or won't do now. Constitutionally, the President has the responsibility to put forth a nominee for the Supreme Court. If you can't get past that, you have serious problems. Obama put forth a candidate in 2016, and Trump has a responsibility to do so now. Just because it is an election year has absolutely no bearing on it whatsoever. It's just that simple.

The Senate, on the other hand, has Constitutional authority to basically do what they wish with that nominee. They can refuse to accept it and force the President to put forth another. They can hold hearings, or not, and they can vote, or not. They are not "bound" to do anything. And again, an election year has nothing to do with it.

If you -- you -- believed the Senate was wrong to refuse to accept President Obama's nominee in 2016, but believe they should now refuse Trump's nominee, then you are a hypocrite, plain and simple. If you believed they were right in 2016, but believe they should hold hearings now, then you are a hypocrite, plain and simple. You may not like what the President and the Senate does, but you cannot have it both ways, in either scenario.

If you must know, I believe the two situations are different. The Senate's "reasoning" for not holding hearings in 2016 was logical -- Obama was a lame duck President. There was going to be a new President that year no matter what. It was reasonable to allow the vote to take place so the new administration could make the nominee. This election does not involve a lame duck president. In fact, there's every likelihood Trump will be reelected. Therefore, the same "reasoning" does not necessarily exist. Trump's election WAS the people speaking. And they expect him -- and the Senate -- to do their jobs. He's not a lame duck.

While the logic was reasonable, I still believed the Senate should have held hearings on Merrick Garland in 2016, and held a vote. He was not going to be confirmed, but they should have at least done their jobs. I did NOT believe they were right in refusing to hear the nominee, even if he had no chance of being confirmed.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg herself commented on the situation in 2016. Of the President and the Senate, she said, "That's their job. There's nothing in the Constitution that says the president stops being president in his last year."

I wholeheartedly agree. President Trump and the Senate should do their jobs. If the nominee Trump puts forth doesn't pass muster and isn't confirmed, so be it. That's how the process plays out. He -- or whoever wins in November -- can then put forth another candidate. And I'll abide by the process.

If you want anything else, then you do not wish to abide by the Constitution. And that is really sad.

John Myers: Truly, A Good Man.

Over the last several years of my life, I've lost several people who were -- and still are -- very close and dear to my heart. Those losses, while tragic and deeply heartbreaking, also in many ways spurned Ginger and I on to live better lives. To enjoy every day a little more, to try to love others a little more, to not miss moments while we're in them, to not miss chances to tell others we love them, and to chase our dreams a little harder. In the end, each of those people made our lives a better while they were alive, and their passing taught us that life is precious and we should try to live every day to the fullest.

I lost another friend last week. He was not a friend I saw or spoke to with any regularity. In the last several years, hardly at all. He was a man I met many years ago, formed an incredible bond with, and then we moved on with our lives. Our paths crossed often over the years, though not often enough. But as with many great friendships, a great deal of time could pass between meetings, but the meetings themselves would feel as though no time had passed at all.

But this man had an impact on my life I can never accurately describe -- one of those life-altering impacts with lessons I carry with me to this very day. I hold a respect for him that cannot be measured. And my heart hurts deeply that he's gone.

John Myers was a hero in every sense of the word. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend. And those aren't just words. In the years I knew him, our paths crossed most often at a sporting event for his kids or grandkids. Heck, he'd even show up to watch me play softball, or my own kids play ball. In fact, as I look back over the years, I can rarely recall a time we got together that DIDN'T involve some sporting event involving our kids or friends.

John Myers was a Vietnam Veteran. A war hero. A man willing to put his life on the line for others. There are thousands like him, and yet so very few among us everyday. It's not often one gets to interact with a real-life superhero. Shame on us we don't cherish it more when we do.

The truth is that in the latter years of my father's life, John was my Dad's best friend. That's how I came to know him. And subsequently, I met his wife, and his children, and I became good friends with them. His daughter, Amber, is still someone I have a severe crush on to this day (Don't worry... Ginger knows all about it!) Amber grew up to marry another great friend of mine -- a man, who at 15 years old, stood beside me as a groomsman in my wedding.

John's son, Johnny, has grown up to be a man of integrity himself, putting his life on the line everyday for the rest of us as a state policeman. Johnny is a dear friend of mine. We've shared many battles together on the softball field over the years. When he married his beautiful wife, Wendy, they honored me by asking me to serve as the DJ for their reception. That very day, I traveled five hours back to Indiana from Nashville, TN, and arrived late for the reception wearing only jean shorts and an Hawaiian shirt. But I was not going to miss that wedding. And they were not fazed by my attire at all.

Over the years, I've become friends with several of my parents' and step-parents' and in-laws' friends. I'm close with many of them.

But John Myers was different. And it all comes down to a single moment on a very stressful day.

The details of that moment belong only to me and John. The moment is for me. I've shared the details with only a select few, including my wife. But mostly, I keep it to myself. It's deeply personal. I'm sure to John, it was just another moment of John just being John. But for me, it was life-changing.

I'll just say this: In that moment, John pulled me aside and spoke healing words to me. He spoke moving words that were personal, and honest, and helpful, and impactful, at exactly the right moment, during one of the most stressful times of my life. He didn't have to. He was hurting too. It made no difference in his own life, and his own family. But he did it simply because it was the right thing to do. He saw a moment where something he could say or do could help someone else, and he did it. Just that simple.

And it changed my life. And created in me a respect for him that cannot be described. And it gave me a lesson I've tried to live by ever since. A sense of responsibility, maybe. To desperately try to do or say the right thing, at the right time, whenever the opportunity might present itself.

We all hope to be considered by others to be a "good man." Integrity and honor is something we pursue our whole lives. Whether or not we achieve any of that is up to others to decide. Sometimes, those verdicts aren't reached or even recognized until after someone passes.

But on those rare occasions, we can make that assessment about someone while they're still living amongst us. I pegged John Myers nearly 28 years ago. A good man. A man of integrity and honor. Because in a moment no one else noticed, when he had no real skin in the game, he did the right thing.

And he changed my life for the better. I will be forever grateful.

Coronavirus Part 3: Craziness Like Never Before.

I am as conflicted about how I should feel these days as perhaps I have ever been in my life. A mixture of pride, joy, a sense of goodwill, relaxation, fear, frustration, anger, disgust, amazement, and shock are all permeating through me at the same time. Not to sound boastful, but I don't get rattled too often. By that I mean, I'm usually pretty headstrong in whatever I might be feeling at any moment, with a strong sense of what I believe and the path I'm on at the time. But this whole Coronavirus thing has knocked us all for a loop. Nobody really knows how to feel. Hysteria and Panic have permeated our society in such a way as I've never seen, certainly in my lifetime. Nobody is thinking for themselves. Everyone is just sorta wondering around in a daze like sheep waiting to be told what to do next. And I've never found myself so unsure about how I'm supposed to approach each day.

Most of what we see on the news, in the media outlets, and on social media is pretty grim. It's statistic after chart after curve about how bad things are, and how bad they have yet to be, and how many people are dying every day. At the same time, one can find several examples of heroic behavior, happy moments in the simplest things, heartwarming acts of kindness and giving, the situation bringing out the best in people and the inherent goodness of humanity all over the world. But there's no pattern. The good and the bad is all mixed together on a daily basis.

Half the country believes our political leaders haven't done enough to curb this virus, and the other half thinks the government has far overreached their boundaries in prohibiting freedom and liberty of the general populace. And for every doctor who goes on TV and tells us the world is coming to an end, gazillions of people are going to die, and our entire healthcare system is going to be overrun, I can, at the same time, find an equal number of videos and stories of any number of healthcare officials who say the panic is way overblown, and that simple, basic precautions should be taken.

Personally, I've been accused of not being sensitive enough because people are dying, and also been praised for putting on my little Friday night concerts to provide a little relief from the craziness. Sometimes both by the same people!

It's madness. All of it. It really is. And I can't find any toilet paper.

Here's one thing I know: The numbers, and the data, have never been there to support the response we've put in place. Not ever. They've not come even close to matching a single projection -- both before the lockdowns, and during. The pro-quarantine crowd is going to claim victory. They're going to say it was because of the measures we put in place that kept the numbers from ballooning to such grim proportions. Some of them are going to claim the victory while at the very same time blaming our President for not doing enough -- which is, of course, absurd and downright moronic. Regardless, the data simply has never matched up. The projections have gone from mind-numbing proportions to now barely above the common flu, and the numbers have never caught up to it. The curve we were supposed to flatten never materialized. Sure, there were a couple of hotspots -- New York being the most prominent -- but otherwise, it doesn't exist, and never did. Hospitals weren't overrun. The triage field hospitals never got used and were torn down. Here in our own county, the hospitals are laying off workers as we speak because there simply is nothing for them to do. Along this whole trajectory, the numbers simply haven't reached the levels that warranted the response we gave it.

Here's something else I know: Killing off Americans and destroying lives by plunging them into financial ruin -- which is already happening -- to save others from dying from a foreign virus is not a net gain. People are dying and will continue to die on both sides of the issue. Choosing one over the other is not a win, and it's certainly not noble. Worse, taking a self-righteous position on one side or the other and condemning those on the other side for their views is not only wrong, its the worst kind of degenerate behavior. I've seen a lot of heartlessness in people's compassion the last few weeks and it's been very disconcerting.

I know people who have the virus. Some who are still really struggling with it. I also know people who are going to lose not only their jobs, but their businesses, and they may never recover from it. So whose side should I be on?

If I support those who are beginning to protest the lockdowns, then I'm an insensitive prick who doesn't care to watch people die. But I find a great deal of those who are against the protesters are people who still have to go to work every day and are still getting paid.

Let me be CLEAR: I wholly support and appreciate the first responder and healthcare workers. They are indeed true heroes. They chose this career path, to put themselves in harm's way on the front lines to help save the rest of us. They deserve every accolade they get, and they certainly deserve our deepest thanks, appreciation, and respect.

But this is where it gets dicey, and I'm sure to catch some flak: They work in the middle of this everyday. They are surrounded by sickness and death 24/7. It's all they see and experience. And being singularly focused on one particular issue can tend to blind one to what's going on in the outside world.

AND, they still get to go to their job everyday -- even if they would prefer not to -- and get a paycheck. In some instances, they're getting not only overtime, but hazardous pay as well.

So inasmuch as I cannot fathom what they must endure in their jobs on a daily basis, they cannot relate to the business owner that is watching his business go bankrupt and his life savings being flushed down the drain. They can't see the young family who are all now jobless and probably won't be able to buy groceries this week, let alone pay the rent or the mortgage. They don't know what it's like for the retiree who is watching his life savings and the only income they will have in the future being drained out of the stock market, with no hope of ever recouping those funds. They may not understand that while, yes, thousands are tragically dying from the virus, still millions more are at this very moment wondering how they're going to be able to feed their kids tomorrow.

I have dear friends who are nurses and doctors and emergency workers. If, God forbid, I should ever find myself in some form of danger, or sick with an illness, give me one them to stand by my side and take care of me. I will be forever grateful.

But I also have dear friends whose entire lives are slowing dripping away as we speak. They are at the brink of financial ruin and only God knows how they will be able to survive when we all emerge out the other side of this.

Try telling someone who has lost a loved one to this monster that they should be more concerned about the business around the corner. Then try telling that business owner who will be bankrupt by Monday and doesn't know how he's going to be able to take care of his family that he should be more sensitive to someone else who is sick.

Death by this virus is not the end-all-be-all determining factor here. I'm sorry, it's just not. Not because every single life isn't precious, but because as a society, we have never, ever, treated it as such. We still drive cars every day, even though tens of thousands die every year in car accidents. We have always packed ourselves tightly into public arenas and stadiums even though the flu contagion kills tens of thousands of people every year. We still stuff ourselves full of sugar and fat, even though hundreds of thousands die of heart disease and diabetes every year. We still allow abortion to be legal, even though it kills millions of babies every year.

And all that is just in the United States. Every year.

So it seems a bit disingenuous that so many have suddenly become the keeper of humanity now with Covid-19 when the harsh truth is, they simply never cared about their brother before all this.

But then, if we're desperately honest with ourselves, it's not our brother we're really concerned about, is it? Could it be we're only really concerned for ourselves? It makes us feel better about ourselves when we say we're protecting our elderly and the less healthy amongst us but not passing the virus along to them. But is that our real concern? Is it possible our real concern is we don't want to catch it and die ourselves? That's just human nature. But we don't like to admit such things because it makes us look and feel bad, so we have to cloak it in some sort of righteous dignity.

I believe people's general concern for others is genuine, I do. And we all want to support causes that benefit the greater good. But there is no way we would put up with allowing our government to arbitrarily strip us of our rights if we didn't think we were saving our own butts in the process.

Cynical? Perhaps. But if you're being honest -- truly honest -- I would defy you to tell me I'm wrong.

Look, I don't have all the answers. I wouldn't begin to pretend I do. Most of this is just my rant amidst all the craziness. But I do know that most of this craziness is craziness we've created ourselves. Whether you agree with the mitigation or not, what the government has done in shutting everything down is not, at it's core level, anywhere near legal. And we've allowed them to strip us of rights without so much as even questioning all the reasons. People have died as a result of our going about our everyday lives since the beginning of mankind, and that certainly isn't going to stop now even after this virus is over.

Instead of dealing with this thing the way we've dealt with virtually every other health crisis in our history, we've allowed our way of life to be taken away and it has created more fear and chaos -- and ultimately, death -- than the virus alone could ever have hoped to.

Things got back to "normal" after H1N1. Things got back to "normal" after MERS, and ZEKA, and SARS. Heck, things even got back to "normal" after the Spanish Flu 100 years ago. You can guarantee that things will never get back to "normal" after this. Because we've fundamentally "changed" what normal is now. We allowed it to be changed without any input from us. To our detriment, most likely.

But we have an election coming up in November. And we can change out our elected officials to ones who will be more attuned to what we want.

If only we have the guts to do so. After watching how people were so willingly led around like sheep during this pandemic, I question whether or not we do.

The Next Coronavirus: Part 2

So here's the question no one seems to be addressing: What are we going to do next time?

Oh yes. There will be a next time. As I stated in my previous blog, if there's one thing we're certain of, it's that we've seen a new virus or strain of the flu that freaks out the CDC every year or two at least for the past few decades.

You see, everybody is on board with the idea that this is going to pass and we'll all get back to normal at some point. "We'll survive this!" seems to be everyone's mantra. But what happens when the next virus hits?

We've set the bar awfully high now, haven't we? Can we reasonably ignore 30,000 flu deaths anymore? I mean, in the past, when he CDC issued warnings, they were bilaterally ignored. But not now.

You can bet there will be something new coming down the pike in the next year or two. What will we do then? Will we again cancel school for months, and shut down all concerts and sports games, and ban all travel every time a new strain of the flu comes out, or the "horse-virus" or "Budweiser-virus" hits?

I think it will be reasonable to ask, "Why did everyone freak out so bad over the Coronavirus, which turned out to be such a dud, and yet nobody seems to care when my best friend dies from the flu?"

We've set a dangerous precedent here I don't see anybody considering. Not only have we set the bar that we should bring all life in the United States to a screeching halt every time some dude in the back woods of China gets a cold, but we've also now placed the burden on those of us who are relatively healthy to ensure those of us who aren't don't further compromise their shaky immune systems.

In a large number of people's way of thinking, we've shifted the responsibility to keep everyone healthy away from those who are actually sick to the shoulders of those who aren't. We've said, "Yeah, you're tough enough to muscle through, but because others might not be, you should quarantine yourself as well."

For years, I've heard parents and school officials alike say, "If your kids are sick, keep them home, so they don't get other people sick." That's pretty good advice that most everyone seemed to accept.

But not now. Yes, we're placing those who get the virus in quarantine, but at the same time punishing everyone else who isn't sick because they might carry the virus to someone who isn't healthy enough to fight it off. At least that's what the shamers on social media are saying. "Stop being a tool. You might be healthy, but others aren't and that's why we have to make you stay at home."

There's nobility in that, for sure, and I'm not saying it's completely wrong. I'm saying we've set the bar to that level now. Which would be fine, but most are not willing to do that in all other aspects of their everyday lives.

The general populace isn't willing to stop driving cars, even though tens of thousands of Americans die every year in car accidents. The government doesn't say, "We must clear all roads and interstates so as to stop people from crashing into each other."

We're not going to clear the roads for drunk drivers. We're not going to say, "Well, there's likely people out there driving drunk, so let's clear all the roads so they can't hurt anybody." It's absurd.

Heart disease and cancer are the top two killers in the US each year, knocking off roughly half a million people each -- every year. But aside from saying, "Hey you need to eat a few more vegetables, knock off the sweets, and exercise more," we're not really doing anything to prevent the deaths. We've reasonable said, "Look, people have a right to live their lives the way they want. If they want to live a lifestyle that kills them, that's up to them." The government hasn't stepped in and made everybody stop eating Ding Dongs and sign up for a gym membership.

I know there's always some who will say those are bad comparisons. But the principle is legit. After every tragedy or disaster, there are laws either proposed or enacted that essentially punish law-abiding citizens far worse than those who choose to commit crimes. Now we're doing it with healthcare. We're telling perfectly healthy people it is now their responsibility to make sure others don't get more sick.

We all have a moral obligation to look after those who are less fortunate. It's Scriptural, its heart-felt, and just plain right. We should be doing that anyway. But I think it's a slippery slope to start laying out blanket guidelines enforced by the government that in the end will only be enacted and followed when it's convenient, or worse, politically prudent.

Some might say, "You dolt! The measure are in place to ensure your safety as well." OK, but to what end? I'm being forced by the government to shut down my life -- which, to some, is no kind of life at all -- just because I might get sick?

It's true what they're saying. This is dangerously close to what socialism looks like. And it happened in a matter of weeks.

In the end, you can bet that there will be far more people plunged into financial ruin by all of this than will actually die from the virus. Right now, the more self-righteous among us simply do not care. To them, having someone's life completely ruined is a better alternative.

There's been one death in South Carolina from this virus so far. One. But the measures that are being put in place to prevent even one more have the potential to ruin the lives of thousands of others. Employees, retirees, and business owners alike. Is that worth it? You tell me.

Fear. Panic. Hysteria. Mania. Financial ruin. With very little data and mostly speculation and forecasting to back it all up. All in the hopes of preventing more deaths.

So what will we do next time?

The Insanity of the Coronavirus

My best friend died from the flu a few years ago. So I'm not insensitive to the fact that people die from viral-related illnesses. When he contracted the illness, he had a myriad of other underlying health issues that rendered his body incapable of being able to fight off the virus, and he succumbed to it.

I only mention this because as I proceed, I don't want anybody to accuse me of being insensitive, callous, selfish, uncaring, unloving, or any combination thereof. Of course I want people to be safe, and I'm all for doing whatever we can to ensure that people protect themselves from unwanted illnesses.

But I have some questions. And some of those questions pose further questions I'm not sure everybody is thinking of down the road. So here we go.

Where did the sudden concern for humanity come from? By that I mean, why have we, as a society, virtually ignored every single pandemic, virus, and flu-related illness that's come down the pike in the last 100 years or so, with nary batting an eyelash, but all the sudden, at the mere mention of the word "Coronavirus," the entire country has virtually been shut down?

Somebody please explain that to me.

According the Centers for Disease Control (the CDC) the flu alone has killed well over 30,000 people, including my best friend, each year since 2010, and that's just the past 10 years.

And here's the stats I found on H1N1, the "swine flu" that was all the rage back in 2009 and 2010. Direct from the CDC website: "From April 12, 2009 to April 10, 2010, CDC estimated there were 60.8 million cases (range: 43.3-89.3 million), 274,304 hospitalizations (range: 195,086-402,719), and 12,469 deaths (range: 8868-18,306) in the United States due to the (H1N1)pdm09 virus.

Over 300,000 flu-deaths in the last 10 years, and nearly 12.5 thousand deaths from H1N1 alone in one year, and not a single shutdown. Not a single sports contest cancelled. Not a single travel ban. Not a single school closure. Not a single concern that doctors and hospitals would be overwhelmed.

None. Why now?

Please don't throw speculation at me. It's not as though there has never been global health crises before that affected other countries dramatically and yet had very little impact here in the US. It's happened plenty of times. The data so far on this one doesn't back up a single shred of the panic we've seen. China's #'s alone for the Coronavirus, (albeit, likely under-reported from their Communist regime) don't warrant the kind of panic we've seen, let alone the absolute minuscule numbers we've seen here in the US so far. I can't speak for Italy, or Iran, or South Korea. God only knows how truly prepared any other country is, or how much their governments remotely care about their people. I only know that so far, here in the US, even until we started seriously social-distancing from everyone, everything cancelled, and all overseas travel was banned, the total amount of cases in general, let alone the deaths, were barely worse than a bad weekend in Chicago. As of this writing, there are a total number of 68 deaths nation-wide, and roughly 60% of those cases are in one nursing home in Washington State. That's 20-30 deaths otherwise in the US. More people have been killed in crimes in Indianapolis so far this year.

Look, if in the past, in a response to H1N1, or SARS, or Ebola, or the ZEKA virus, or the common flu, we'd seen even a remote attempt at stopping the spread -- a mild travel ban, the cancellation of a few games, the closing of a school for a week or so -- anything at all, then one could remotely justify the panic we're seeing now.

But nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero.

Until now.

So why?

Look, I get it. One death is one too many. I understand that. And I'm not saying precautions shouldn't be taken. I'm not even saying I think we shouldn't be doing what we're doing or that what we're doing is wrong... well... sort.

What I AM saying is that the panicked response to this, given the data, and in the absence of literally anything for the virus-related illnesses of the last decade simply makes no rational sense.

If anyone can give a rational answer to that, I'm all ears. Otherwise, we are left to speculate.

In general, I believe in the overall good of people. I believe people don't want ill to befall other people. There's a moral vapidness that is gradually overtaking our society, but otherwise, I like to believe the general populace wishes well-being on their fellow man.

But I've seen several social media posts in the past several days that basically read like this: "Sure, you might be able to go out in public right now and survive the virus, but you might carry the virus to some other poor schlub who isn't as healthy as you, and they might not survive. And that's the problem." I've seen that post in several variations over the past few days, and they all follow that same vein.

And while that scenario might actually be true, my question is simple: Where has this concern for others been over the past decade or so? Why have we not given a lickety-spit as over 30,000 people were dying from the flu each year, and all the sudden we're shaming people for stepping outside their house?

Why? It literally makes no sense. Did everyone suddenly gain a conscious? Did everyone suddenly find some heretofore unearthed love for the fellow man they hadn't noticed before? Do the heads of state suddenly have access to health information they've never had before?

I'm sorry, but while the optimist in me wants to believe in the good of people, the skeptic in me doesn't buy it for a minute. Because a great deal of the posts I've seen like that have been posted by people who I know would dance a jig tomorrow if our President were assassinated.

We've gone from literally ignoring every virus of this kind we've ever seen in modern society to losing our collective minds and shutting down the entire country over a death count that so far is barely greater than a bad bus accident Albuquerque. (Shouldn't a taken that wrong toin!)

It. Makes. No. Sense.

Could the "conspiracy theorists" be right? Could this be a media-driven false panic? Worse, could it be yet another insane hail-mary to bring down our President? Could it be a purposeful bio-attack from China in retaliation for losing the trade war?

I have my suspicions, but I'm not gonna come right out and say it. I'll just say this: I've racked my brain and I can't come up with any rational answer. And worse, I can't get anybody else to give me one either. There is but one variable that's changed from this pandemic vs. all the others: Donald Trump wasn't President during those others.

And here's how we'll know whether my suspicions are right or not: What are we going to do next time?

(Spoiler alert: I'm saving that topic for my next blog.)

There will be a next time. That much is for sure. If we've learned anything from the past few decades, it's that every year or two there's a new virus or a new strain of the flu that's going to ruin the world. Will we flip out as we have on this one, or will we completely ignore it as we have done with every one before? There will be some very reasonable questions raised depending on our response, whatever it is. And it will be interesting to see who the President is and which side of the aisle he is from.

Fear. Panic. Hysteria. Mania. With very little data and mostly speculation and forecasting to back it up. Complete lunacy. Pure insanity.

If you've got a rational reason for all this, please, by all means....

Kim Ward

I lost one of my best friends today.

Her name was Kim. And while I didn't share with her golf, or baseball or any of the other hundreds of things guys can bond over, I was as close to her as I was any guy throughout my lifetime.

I loved her. Not the way I love my wife, and not the way I love my sister. Ours was different. I've tried to figure some way to describe it, but that's the best way I can describe it.

Different.

We didn't fight the way brothers and sisters do. It was an altogether different kind of respect. And things almost turned romantic once. But somehow we both knew that wouldn't be right either. And so we just continued on, being there for each other regardless of whatever situation we found ourselves in at the moment.

Some of the fondest memories I have of my childhood involve her. Her parents and my parents were best friends. So we spent a lot of time over there. She was too young to be close to my older brother and sister, so we spent our time together. At her house, at my house, camping, wherever. I looked forward to being with Kim.

As teenagers, we leaned on each other. She made the turbulent times of adolescence survivable, because I was always able to go to her and talk to her when I needed a shoulder or an ear. And I did. And she did the same, confiding in me about life and sharing her hopes, dreams, hurts and fears. It didn't matter that she was a girl and I was a boy. There wasn't anything she and I couldn't and didn't talk about.

She asked me to her prom once, knowing, of course, that it would be a night out on the town for a couple of friends. I declined, because of some other commitment. I regretted it, and, you know, now it’s kind of funny, because, now, I remember the invite, but I don’t remember what I did instead of going to her prom with her.

I remember going to her high school graduation party. I was heavily sedated after having all four of my wisdom teeth cut out of my face a couple of days earlier. Even though I was sick all the day previous, I didn’t want to miss this special time for her. Feeling better, and wanting to see Kim, I got up, dressed up, and went to the party. Upon my arrival, my nausea returned and I spent practically the whole party sleeping in her bed. She wasn’t upset at all. Just happy that I was there.

When I began dating my wife, I made sure she met Kim and that I had her stamp of approval. I'm not sure what I would have done if Kim had been disappointed by my choice, but I would have been torn, you can bet on that. She introduced me to her husband to be. I’m not sure she was presenting him to me for my approval, but I’ve always believed she would have been torn as well. How could I not approve? Greg saw in her what I’d seen for years. And he was no dummy.

As the years went by, we spent less and less time together. Occasionally, we would meet for lunch. Once, my wife’s aunt, who just happened to work in the same building as Kim, saw me pick her up for lunch, drop her off, and give her a kiss goodbye. She told my wife. When the Mrs. found out who it was, she had to inform the aunt that there was no problem. She smiled and said, “It’s just Kim.”

We met more frequently at first, and then diminishing with time. We had our own families, you know? Kids to raise, places to be, work to be done. When you live over 50 miles apart, you might as well live on separate coasts. Over the past several years, it’s just been the occasional family get-togethers (although her family and mine are not really related. Who knew?)

A couple of months ago, I saw her at a family wedding. We caught up a bit, and I told her I missed having lunch with her. I would call soon, I promised, to have lunch again.

It was the last time I saw her.

She loved Jesus, which comforts me. And she is, as they say, in a much better place now. But then, that’s where Kim always was – a much better place than the rest of us. You see, her Mama and Papa raised her right. She was always a little happier, a little bubblier, and, despite her chronic arthritic pain, always felt a little better than the rest of us. I lost touch over the years, but there’s no doubt in my mind she was the same girl I was proud to call my friend for nearly 40 years. If you look closely, you will see it now, I’m sure, in the love of her husband and the eyes of her two beautiful children.

I have lots of memories of Kim. But they’re mine, and I really don’t want to share them with anybody else. I’m going to be selfish, and right now, my heart hurts pretty bad. But I look forward to the day we can have lunch again. I will pick her up, kiss her goodbye, and be sure not to let so much time go before we meet again.

I look forward to it a lot.

Singing (or Trying to) with John Andretti

So John Andretti died today. Very sad. I have a John Andretti story that spans 20 years...

Many years ago during the month of May in Indiana… in my karaoke DJ years in the 1990’s, my best DJ buddy and I were hired by a local radio station to run karaoke for a 500 driver’s signing party being held at an Indy car dealership. As it was, they set up our stage right next to the table where John Andretti was sitting to sign autographs for the patrons. There were a dozen or so drivers there that night — some heavyweights with the names of Foyt, Bettenhausen, Unser, and of course, Andretti.

We tried like crazy all night to get any driver to get up and sing a song and were unsuccessful except for Raul Boesel, who, despite a very thick Brazillian accent while speaking, sang the Beatles Yellow Submarine with almost perfect English dialect. It was weird, but I digress.

We were particularly ruthless and annoying in our pursuit of John Andretti, who put up with our relentless attack like a champ, mostly because he had no choice, being right next to our stage and all. My friend and I were renown for stopping at virtually nothing to coax someone into singing a song, and we really let John have it all night long. Afterward we thanked John for being such a sport and we all went our way.

Flash forward to over a year later. At the time, I also owned and operated a karaoke/recording shop in Union Station in downtown Indy. One afternoon, a local news station was doing a live broadcast from the entertainment stage in the food court. My shop was located in the food court, and I was working the shop that day. Just so happened that John Andretti was one of the featured guests on the news broadcast. I decided to mosey on over and see if I could tease John — if he even remembered me — into coming into the shop and recording a song. After the broadcast, he was talking with another person and I walked up and waited my turn beside them as they finished their conversation. They finished up, John turned and looked at me, and before I could say a word, he exclaimed, “I’M NOT SINGING A SONG!”

I laughed and said, “You remembered!” And we both shared a chuckle and chatted for a few moments and that was that. He wouldn’t come and record a song, needless to say.

Flash forward many years to 2011. I was asked by a friend to volunteer at a charity event downtown at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse that featured race drivers from all different genres racing against each other in go-karts. There were Indy Car guys and Nascar guys and Truck Series guys and Dirt Track guys all battling out against each other. Again, names like Tony Stewart, Austin Dillon, Josef Newgarden, and Ed Carpenter, and yes, John Andretti battled it out with Stewart winning the event.

I had the fortune of working in the driver’s hospitality room, meeting the guys and escorting them back and forth from that room to the pit area. Several years had gone by and I was fairly certain John wouldn’t recognize me. He was putting on his driver’s suit when I said, “you may not remember this, but I ran a karaoke stage many years ago next to you at a driver’s event.” He looked at me and said, “I’m still not singing a song!”

Again we laughed. He admitted he didn’t recognize me, but said he clearly remembered that night and how much a “pain in the ass” we’d been. I again thanked him for being such a sport, and he kindly chatted with me each time we had a chance the rest of the day.

John didn’t get the press his cousin and uncle did, but he was every bit the gentlemen, race driver, fierce competitor, and ambassador for the sport they are, and just an all around heck of a nice guy. Every time I hear his name, or see him on TV, I’m reminded of the fond memories.

I’m bummed he’s no longer with us.

Save the Whales! (Or the Possums.) EDITED!

Back when I was in high school, I had the fortune of attending a Christian youth event at which the featured speaker of the week was a gentleman named Dave Busby.

Listening to him speak changed my life.

Actually, I should clarify a bit and say that a dear friend of mine had attended an event some months before at which Busby spoke, purchased cassette recordings of those talks, and let me listen to them. I'd never heard of Dave Busby to that point, and hearing those tapes inspired me to attend the event at which I could hear him speak in person.

Dave Busby, God bless him, passed away many years ago. If you know who he was, then you know the life force for God he was. If you never had the honor of hearing him speak, simply put, you missed out. Fortunately, his family and friends have a website in his honor, where you can learn about Dave's life, and still hear his dynamic messages. Run -- don't walk -- there now and check him out.

Busby had polio as a child, and a myriad of other diseases as he grew older. Doctors had predicted he wouldn't live much past his adolescent years. Despite the daily struggle of his health issues, he lived into his 40's.

I only tell you this because the words I heard him speak all those years ago still resonate with me today. He challenged me with Godly principles I still try to live by even now. During that weeklong event, not only did I get to hear him speak multiple times, but one afternoon, I got to have lunch with him and talk to him, one on one. For an 18-year old boy still trying to find my way in life, it was an experience that will last with me a lifetime.

One particular topic Dave touched on during those talks 30 years ago was in a story he shared. He mentioned he had been following a car one day while he was out driving and happened to notice a bumper sticker on that car in front of him. It read, "Save the Whales."

Dave mentioned that while he in no way condoned the senseless killing of innocent animals, he nevertheless had this to say, and I remember it verbatim. He exclaimed, "I don't give a rip about whales! I hope that when I die, they put something more important on my tombstone than, 'He saved whales.'"

That has stuck with me for 30 years. The concept that we should be focusing our lives and energies and passions on things that actually matter. Things that have Kingdom consequences. Things that positively make peoples lives better.

Again, understanding that we're not for killing off whales just for the sake of killing off whales, saving whales is way down on my list of causes to support when I think of the literally thousands of things more important than that in our everyday lives.

I'm reminded of that because of something that's happened here in Hilton Head over the past couple weeks. Some golfers on some golf course here locally encountered a small possum on the golf course some days ago. Unfortunately, they chose to bash it with a golf club, and rather than killing it, they rendered it severely injured and blind. Now, I'm not sure at all how that story made it's way into the news, but it did, and now the whole island is up in arms about it.

They're calling for the golfers to be prosecuted, if anyone can identify who they are. Some are calling for the course itself to be held responsible. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with the possum's vet bills, even though it appears the bills have already been taken care of. The whole vibe of the island has been shifted off it's axis.

For a possum.

A possum.

A teenage boy was murdered in his car in the parking lot of a church here in Bluffton a few days before Christmas. While it certainly made the news, I can say without equivocation that I've seen almost 10 times the amount of social media posts concerning the possum than the murdered teenager.

I looked for a GoFundMe account for the murdered teenager this morning. I didn't find one. If there's a memorial fund set up for him, I'm not aware of it.

Last night, a post was made on our local Ask and Answer Facebook page of a Change.org campaign that's been set up, where one can sign a petition that the responsible parties be prosecuted for the crime.

For the possum.

For animal cruelty, to be precise. Golfers, in the middle of the day, beat what they likely suspected was a rabid, wild possum with a golf club, and there's a Change.org petition you can sign to support animal cruelty charges against them. As if a Change.org petition has any legal weight at all.

I've seen no Change.org petition set up for the killers of the young, local teenager. Nothing.

I commented on the Ask and Answer post last night. Here was my comment:

"I’m not at all for hurting animals senselessly, but I hope that when I die, I will be known for more important things than signing petitions to save possums."

For that, I was called both a DB (which I assume means "douchebag") multiple times, and a Putz. Here's a couple of the other responses, verbatim, (I fixed no grammar, punctuation, or spelling) just so you can see for yourselves the well thought out, reasonable, educated responses:

Paul Uhls maybe you Conan be known for being kind:)

Paul Uhls hey you senseless person. It’s about the abuse the cruelty the beating what these horrible beings did to a animal which by the way was created by god. And your sick if you had to post this
Leave this group. We don’t want You posting

I know, of course, what they're trying to say, even if in their anger they haven't quite grasped the nuances of writing a coherent sentence. They're passionate about animals. I'm OK with that.

I'm not trying to embarrass anyone. I'm also not begrudging anyone their love of animals and nature. Anyone who knows me knows my love for animals. I'm the proud owner of two small dogs, and have been a pet lover and owner my whole life. I'm not a hunter. Not my thing.

I also desperately hope that when I die, I'm known for something bigger, better, greater, more important, and more life-changing than saving possums, or whales, or dolphins, or dogs, or gorillas, or any other animal you can think of. (Sloths, maybe.)

For every person who thinks I'm a DB (their words) for not caring about a wild possum, I hope another family knows that I cared about their murdered child, their drug-addled teen, or their aborted baby, or their lost loved-one.

I hope I'm known for telling people about Jesus, and how He can change their lives if they'll only let Him. I hope I'm known for not being afraid to stand up for what I believe in, and that those causes for which I do stand actually make a difference in people's lives. Things like speaking out against those who support killing babies, and trying to encourage others to vote for people who feel the same, elected officials who actually have the power to stop the murders.

Not for signing meaningless petitions to save a possum.

Three months from now, no one -- no one -- will be talking about this little possum. A year from now no one will remember the story.

I want to be known for caring about things that will last for eternity. For putting my time, energy, and passion into things that make a difference in people's lives forever. For caring about causes people will be talking about centuries from now.

If that makes me a Putz, then I'm a Putz.

P.S. Evidence is still coming out that many of the details in this story as it has been reported are pure speculation. There's no hard evidence at this point that the possum was even found at a golf course, let alone that golfers were responsible for the beating. Don't believe everything the media feeds ya, kiddos.