A Pastoral Message

A Pastoral Message

In what is perhaps the most significant example to date of how Christian faith in America has degraded into a pseudo-faith evinced mainly by a civil type of religion that is more known for its political views are some of the remarks made concerning Pope Francis' messages in the United States. This Pope has brought a new level of compassion and humility to the Catholic Church that has long been absent and maybe never present. Other than his accessibility to the least of these he spoke in the halls of power of servanthood and fealty to the plight of our fellow travelers. In some cases he was accused of bringing a political message by those who seem to be more familiar with the civil form of religion than the faith form.

Some thought that he should have taken a more vocal stance against abortion. This Pope certainly is not going to come out as Pro-Choice but neither is he going to completely write of a person who, in his eyes, has committed a grave sin. His teaching is that after confession that person should be allowed to take the sacrament which seems to be what The Master taught. This brought a great hue and cry from those who, in the practice of their civil religion, want government to legislate what a sinner and God can do. This is not to say that government may not legislate but it suggests that the matter is best left up to the sinner and God and that forgiveness is far more important than we realize.

He spoke on climate change and seemed to indicate that he believes that is happening largely as a result of human actions. His point was that as stewards of God's creation we have a certain obligation to use it for the common good of His people. He suggested that from those to whom much has been given, much is expected in dealing with the impending crisis. Many who disdain the science and unilateral action complained that he should stick to religious matters that fit comfortably into the practice of civil religion.

I listened to many commentators who struggled to get their heads wrapped around his messages because they just did not have a grasp of what a spiritual message is. I wanted to yell at them to go to church, a church that preaches and teaches love, forgiveness and compassion rather than one that organizes political rallies to show candidates how many votes are there. It is the lack of understanding of the basic message of faith that indicates the civil religion that places faith on a par with government.

His message about migration was that we should stretch out our arms to those who are fleeing privation. A message totally at odds with what we hear and see from those seeking political power. They claim that is just not workable or practical which is the same thing I once heard an old deacon say about public confession. It is workable and practical if we are willing to, in his words, humble ourselves and share what we have. Still, I expect that his message will fall on selfish and deaf ears. Oh, some will heed and I am convinced that hearing that message was at least partially responsible for the opening of Speaker Boehner's eyes and his subsequent resignation.

Then the Pope blew off a fancy dinner with V.I.P.s and went to eat with the homeless. He went to visit prisoners. Things just unheard of in our status conscious lives and it made the rest of us look like dirty rags.

What I am trying to say is that to one who is in tune with his faith these were mere pastoral messages but to those who practice the civil religion it sounds like blasphemy.

And then he was off to Rome but his message will resonate. Some lives will be changed but most will return to their familiar. But, it is not an alien message. It is preached every day somewhere.

I am not Catholic and never have been. I do, however, profess Christianity but it was not necessary to be a believer to access the wealth in these messages. It should, however, give one a leg up.

My Take is that as a commentator on public affairs I try to steer clear of religious topics for obvious reasons, not the least of which is my profound belief of the propriety of separation of church and state. I violated that rule in this case because of the message of how we are to relate to our compatriots. A lesson for the ages.

The Great Migrations

The great migrations have accelerated their pace. The influx of people from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan (Afghanistan? Really?) are overwhelming the nations of Europe and those nations are not universally welcoming those refugees. Hungary for instance is acting like one of the old Soviet bloc nations which is, of course, what it is. On the positive side, notice that there is no great migration into Russia which should at least show that the democratic nations are more desirable and the Russian holds no attraction to those trying to escape their desperate straits.

Over the weeks they have kept coming. Desperate people who packed up their lives and families with what they could carry and risked great peril crossing from Asia into Europe with many dying in the sea, victims of its whims and their rickety crafts. One has to wonder what would motivate them to risk such danger and loss of life. Why would they pack their children onto boats and float off to somewhere they have never been and have no way of knowing? Did they do so with the expectation that all they had heard of the prosperous West would await them? Have their hopes and dreams been dashed against the ground where they have been rejected?

And what about those nations, small European nations, that have been inundated with the refugees who have brought nothing with them with which to sustain themselves? How can they be expected to meet the crushing demand of the hordes from their limited resources? What of the fear they hold of Islamic people gushing into their lands with enmity for the West in their hearts? How are they to react?

News reports are that it is approximately 120,000 people. Not a million, not ten million. A mere 120,000 but it presages the times to come. By contrast the United States in 2012 had about 40 million inhabitants who were not born here. A little more than half had been naturalized and about 11 million are here illegally. Europe has a population of about 750 million people and the U.S. has about 350 million.

The point is that these are not just immigrants looking for a better life and deciding to give it a go in the Western nations. This is a migration of people fleeing poverty, famine, war, death and destruction and the certain death that awaits them if they do not move. Here in the United States we have forgotten what that is like even though it was just that mindset that led to the great migrations of the Irish, Germans and Eastern European populations. All we can think of is trying to hold onto what we've got and building fences, like Hungary, to keep hungry people out. Or the tongue in cheek (or is it) idea of constructing a moat on the border with Mexico and filling it with alligators. So much of our effort is focused on keeping people out that we can't get a clear view of what the possibilities can be of accepting them and allowing them to revitalize our own society. When I look at the refugees in Europe and the way they are being treated with violence and deprivation I can't help but wonder what kind of impression that will leave on their experience in their new homes. Will they be good citizens or will they be dissidents who will attempt to recreate their homeland in their new home?

Migrations have occurred many times over the millennia. They are no more able to be stopped than the great migrations of Africa or the bison and caribou of North America. They simply are and our sights should be set on how we deal with it and use it to our advantage. The migrants from the Middle East will continue to come as long as the living conditions where they come from prevent the basics of civilized living. The migrants from Mexico and Central and South America will continue until opportunity where they come from is enough to give them a chance to stay home. Migrations have always brought turmoil because they upset the status quo and people don't like that. However, out of that turmoil a new status is created and it is vibrant with possibility where the old one has gone stale. Inevitably there is a cultural change and we do love to hang onto our cultures but it is not the end of the world. We should redouble our efforts to instill in our migrants the values that we hold dear so they can learn them and value them as we do. Should we meet them with gun and club that is the way that we will be met and that is the value system they will learn and peace and prosperity will be denied. It is the same way in Europe and the concentration of migrants is destabilizing but it demands that governments stretch themselves to bring order out of the chaos.

 

When we listen to our politicians speak of what to do about the migration the focus seems to be on how we can stop it and how we can get rid of those intruders who are upsetting the apple cart. In the United States the migrants are meeting a need for labor that is needed, especially in the agricultural industries. If they are legal they pay taxes and support our economic system, if they are illegal it is likely they do not. For now, our migration in the United States has leveled off. It is nowhere near what those who live by fear would have us believe. Now our task is to assimilate them into our great experiment. That is the task facing Europe also.

It should be noted that the world the migrants are moving to is one where democracy prevails. That should tell us something about the people and give strength to the notion that all people want is the freedom to live and the necessities to provide a life for their families. Some day when democracy is the law in their lands of origin there will be no need to migrate.

My take is this. The warring we see in the Middle East and other areas is just an expression of the deeper desire for freedom. It is the rejection of the existing totalitarian governments that has given rise to religious fanaticism. It is a war that we cannot win by imposing domination because the human spirit is indomitable and yearns for freedom. Now, after 100 years of imposing domination, there are no good or easy solutions.

The Currency of Government

I have made no secret of my approval of the progress of the City of Somerset under the Girdler administration but just because I am excited to see the city make strides into the future does not mean that everything that is done is done properly. Here in Somerset-Pulaski County progress has had to come kicking and screaming in small doses. I was talking the other day with some friends who have long since abandoned living here and we agree that there are things going on that we never thought we would see in our lifetimes. Legal liquor sales, nascent entertainment venues, a budding arts environment and other activities that have made our area a destination. But, as I said, these have not come without some humps and bumps along the way that may not have been the best way to do things.

Somerset, being hog-tied from lack of annexation opportunities, has not grown a lot in population but it is still the driving force for development in Pulaski County. Without the presence of a plentiful energy source and sewage facilities the industries located outside of the city limits could not have happened. Pulaski County has an opportunity to play some catch up with a new administration that seems to be open to change. But both have had some run-ins with some citizens who feel that proper practices were overlooked in order to achieve the purposes. They may be right.

Of course, the big news right now is the Kentucky Auditor's report that was just completed covering the city of Somerset. I have not finished reading the entire thing but I am pretty far into it and as far as I can see there are no indications of illegality. There are allegations of impropriety and some steps should be taken to correct the opportunities for those things to reoccur. Mr. Edelen, the Auditor, has interviewed about 30 people and has made some recommendations that the city could take to create a more transparent and less hostile operating environment. With some negotiation these items can be addressed to the satisfaction of reasonable people. With so many instances of illegality in government these days it is good to note that it doesn't appear that anyone in government should go to jail.

Somerset has experienced rapid growth with its venture into sales of natural gas and that has provided necessary revenue for growth that has not come at the taxpayer expense. It is only through the use of this revenue that Somerset has been able to continue its attractiveness and growth without increased revenue from annexation. The downside of this rapid growth is that management practices have not kept pace. What worked when Somerset was a less progressive city is now not up to the task of running a vibrant city with a business enterprise like the natural gas service.

It seems clear that the city should undertake a massive reorganization of its governmental structure that would spread responsibility to other officials, especially elected ones, and which would also establish clear lines of authority in the chain of command. There should be an ethics watchdog that would help prevent problems before they become too large. Perhaps that office could also have a function to assure compliance with ordinances and regulations. Procurement and human resources policies should be established with the purpose of eliminating the perception of favoritism or reprisal.

The city is not alone here. While the auditor only examined the practices of the City of Somerset he could just as well have examined Pulaski County for the same things. The auditor has legislative authority to audit counties but there exists no clear authority for the examination of cities and that has been a bone of contention between the Mayor and the Auditor. Without clear legal authority it is hard to see how the city can be forced to pay for the audit. However, this is a bone best left unchewed for the legislature to take care of.

The government of Pulaski County can also be accused of a lack of transparency and failure to follow best practices as well. The ludicrous nature of the annexation of Pulaski County Park by Burnside, a city miles away, is a point in fact. By annexing only the property owned by the Corps of Engineers, Burnside and the proponents of the annexation fostered the illusion that the annexation met the contiguous property provision of state law. That is patent nonsense and everyone knows it. For that matter it was nonsense to allow the annexation of Lake Cumberland shoreline up to Lee's Ford and it would never have been done without political influence all of which was done out of sight and by people who are not elected representatives of the people of Pulaski County.

I have been supportive in this space of legalizing alcohol sales as a means to create opportunity for progress but I have also been critical of this method of annexation. At the end of the day the will of the people must be done.

My Take is that if we are to have progress then let leaders lead and let the people speak. Any attempt to bypass the people will only breed distrust and trust is the currency of government.

Texas police shooting: Video captures Bexar County death - CNN.com

Texas police shooting: Video captures Bexar County death - CNN.com



at 1:01 the hands go up.  By 1:05 he is on the ground.  He is shirtless with very little clothing on and is not likely to have presented a threat.