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Only in America can someone be pro-gun, pro-war, pro-death penalty and be considered pro-life.

I heard that in a speech from Shane Claiborne.

Being pro-life is more than just protecting fetuses.

On Facebook last week I saw a lot of pro-life posts. None of them mentioned adoption or foster care. None of them mentioned help for women who find themselves in a difficult spot.

So I posted a nice little Facebook post...

"If you are looking for ways to live out an ethic of protecting life in the DFW area I encourage you to consider volunteering your time or resources to this great agency that helps place foster kids in homes. They also facilitate adoptions as well. DM me if you have any questions. Check out their website if interested. They do an amazing work. I'm sure your local area has similar agencies desperate for donations, volunteers etc."

Then I put a link to the website of a great foster and adoption placement agency. One that my wife and I work with.

You know how many "likes" I got for that post? Ten.

Ten measly likes.

You know how many DM's I got? None.

Know how many encouraging comments I got in support? None. 

If I had made a post about the evils of abortion I would have received three times as many "likes." I would have gotten all kinds of comments in support. Guaranteed.

But once again, my point has been made. Most pro-lifers I know aren't interested in complicated solutions. Most are willing to wail and complain about "abortion is murder," yet do nothing. They think voting for "pro-life" candidates is enough. They think posting on social media is enough.

They'll support a cause as long as it's easy. Fostering isn't easy. Adoption isn't easy. Loving the lost can be challenging. Not all are called to open up their homes to difficult situations or to provide respite care for foster children. I know first hand how stressful the CPS bureaucracy and foster licensing process can be. 

But at least give some cash to the cause...and not to some DC lobbying group that already gets millions from wealthy donors. Give cash to a foster placement agency. Better yet, donate toys for Christmas toy drives. Donate food for foster kid parties. Donate clothing. Even better, donate your time to help.

I mean, if being pro-life is that important to you, that it is the major factor in your voting decisions...then step it up and help provide alternatives to abortion. I know of several agencies right now in desperate need for even minimal support.

My guess is that for most it's only important in the abstract. It's easy to have a bogey man to rage against. But when face to face with a troubled child or a troubled young woman in need...it's a lot easier to be silent.

cold!

It is chilly in Dallas, Texas today. I'm wearing a jacket. But it is literally 100 degrees warmer here than where some of my friends live up north. I have friends in Minnesota and Michigan where the windchill will be -60 below zero today!

The Old Stuff

Number 6 is mad

I haven't been watching a lot of first run TV lately. There's just not been much on that has caught my attention and kept it. A lot of what's on seems derivative. I don't get cable or sat so I don't get to watch some of the shows a lot of my friends rave about. I do have Netflix and Amazon Prime. So I've found myself watching some old classics instead of the new stuff. Here's what I've been watching the past few months...

The Prisoner on Amazon Prime. This show ran for one season (1967-68) in Britain. It was designed for just seventeen episodes. It is brilliantly weird. I first heard about it when watching LOST years ago. The LOST producers credited The Prisoner with being a major influence on them. The show is very philosophical and abstract and I'm not sure how they ever got it produced for mass television. I'm only on episode 11 of 17. I find it a fascinating watch. My 12 year old son watches with me and surprisingly likes it as well. The show trusted that the audience did not need every little thing explained to them. 

Peter Gunn on Amazon Prime. Another old show (1958-1960), most famous for its classic theme song. I had played this song numerous times both in jazz band and marching band in high school and college. But I had never seen the show. I love the show! I'm a big fan of film noir and each episode seems like a little film noir movie. The jazz music is great. Lots of style. Great escapism.

The Avengers (1961-1969) on syndication. Another weird Brit show. I particularly like the seasons with Diana Riggs. British shows in the 1960's seem so flamboyantly strange and that makes them great. They didn't care about the detachment from reality of their plots. That surreality is a major draw for me. 

The Saint (1962-1969) on Amazon Prime. Roger Moore learning how to become James Bond. Great little self-contained dramatic stories in each episode. Lots of style and quirky British sensibilities. More escapist television that helps me through the current presidential madness.

My son and I also try to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine (on Netflix) when we have the time...which is rare. My wife and I like watching The Office on Netflix on the weekends when the kids have gone to bed. I also like to watch House (on Amazon Prime) and CHIPs (also on Prime) when time permits. I guess the theme is escapism. I guess that's what I need right now!

So, until a new show catches my attention, I'm just going to watch the old stuff for awhile.

Life

I must admit, the recently passed abortion law in New York sickens me. And whether or not you are pro-choice or pro-life no one should ever celebrate abortion, as the state of New York did when they lit up buildings in pink after passing the law. Those morons just made Trump's chances of getting re-elected in 2020 much greater. Many pro-lifers who were on the fence may have just jumped back into the GOP fold after seeing such an extreme law put into the books and the resulting celebrations. Evangelical's worst fears about the left were just reinforced.

I must also admit that when someone identifies as pro-life, I am usually very skeptical.

For instance, most of the "pro-lifers" I know are in favor of capital punishment. This is a philosophical paradox and ruins the credibility of the pro-life movement. Most pro-lifers claim abortion is murder and that only God has the authority to take a life. Yet they favor the death penalty. This makes no sense, especially since many of them believe in the concept of original sin.

Most of the "pro-lifers" I know seem to want to protect the fetus but don't give a crap once the child is actually born. They don't care about protecting immigrant children. They never consider supporting adoption initiatives. Most don't give a dime or their time to adoption agencies. Most evangelical churches remain silent when it comes to adoption.

I am proud of the few churches that I have come into contact with who have made adoption a priority. I know of a few local churches that have foster/adoption support groups. I have been to an adoption expo at another church. But for the most part, growing up in the church, these types of initiatives were outliers. Fostering or adoption still doesn't seem to come up a whole lot when talking about the problem of abortion within "pro-life" circles.

So, show me you're more than words. If you are ardently pro-life then your words don't mean much if you are not donating time or money or your lives to foster/adoption initiatives.

See, my suspicion is that claiming to be pro-life is a cop-out. It allows someone to feel that they've taken a moral stand about something they see as pretty clear cut. This makes them feel good about themselves. It also helps them come up with a simple tool for deciding for whom to vote. They stop their research as soon as the person checks off that pro-life box. They don't have to do any more research into the candidates. It simplifies things for them. Unfortunately we live in a complicated world. Their monolithic approach to politics allows for the greater evil of Trump's policies to come to fruition...as long as he's pro-life the "pro-lifers" are good. Forget the racism, the blatant corruption, misogyny, bigotry, treason and general incompetence...as long as he's pro-life...he's okay with the "pro-life" crowd.

You say you're pro-life? Prove it and not just by voting for so called "pro-life" candidates. Do something real that  helps provide dignity to the life of a child born in difficult circumstances. Otherwise, you're all talk.

Desert Stories

I'm a sucker for National Geographic or BBC documentaries that tackle historical subjects in remote areas of the world. The Lost Libraries of Timbuktu by the BBC is one of my favorites. This one above is a Nat Geo film about the Great Wall of China.

I like watching archeologists and historians rummaging around the desert in fedoras and driving 4runners to places once grand in scope. Experts in Columbia hiking boots wearing North Face backpacks as they visit remote areas of history. As a world history teacher I live vicariously through these films. If I had the cash, I'd be walking along the Great Wall right now. My son and I have plans to make that trip for his graduation present in six years. We also want to hike Machu Picchu.

The Teal Album

What a happy surprise this morning! Weezer drops a previously unannounced album into the universe! The Teal Album is a record of 1980's covers. So great. The album was released at midnight with no warning. Guess it will carry Weezer fans through until the release of the Black Album in March. After the surprise success of their cover of Africa they decided to go to the well again. Plus, it just looks like they had great fun making it.

I forced my family to listen to it on our morning commute. Really good stuff with some great tracks.

Weezer (The Teal Album) Tracklist:
 
01. Africa (Toto)
02. Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Tears for Fears)
03. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) (The Eurythmics)
04. Take On Me (a-ha)
05. Happy Together (The Turtles)
06. Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
07. Mr. Blue Sky (Electric Light Orchestra)
08. No Scrubs (TLC)
09. Billie Jean (Michael Jackson)
10. Stand By Me (Ben E. King)

Yep

Chefs

Chiefs!

My Dad gave me this pin in 1986. I love this pin. I used to wear it whenever the Chiefs played. But I quickly noticed that whenever I wore it the Chiefs would lose. So I leave it on my desk but I do not wear it on game days. I will not be wearing it the Sunday!

Bears

Yeah. We saw bears during the holidays at a refuge center in Indiana. We are standing on the other side of the fence. The bears are more dangerous than they look. This photo was taken by their caretaker. They've got acres and acres to roam and very nice facilities to live in. What a life!

The Birthday

He's TWELVE?!?

Back to it.

Yesterday my Dad would have been 68. Can't believe it's been four years. Miss him every day. I went to his grave yesterday and shared a Mexican Coke with him.