Winning Words 4/23/10
"The events of life are mainly small events. They only seem large when we are close to them.” (Mark Twain) When you live long enough, you see the truth of Sam’s words. The reverse can be true also. Small events, in perspective, can turn out to be major ones. I wonder into which category The Great Recession will fall. Can you think of some examples of small events that have turned out to be large? ;-) Jack

FROM RI IN BOSTON: Would a cow kicking over a lantern while Mrs. O'Leary did the morning milking count as a small event escalating into something huge? FROM JACK: That's a good example. How about the short flight by the Wright brothers?

FROM SH IN MICHIGAN: Reading a book which tells about Kristallnacht, 1938. 17 year old Jewish youth assassinated a German diplomat and this led to Nazis' first major nationwide terror attack on German Jews, during which practically all synagogues were destroyed. Jewish shops and places of work were decimated. Terrible as the attack was on the Twin Towers, I think the awfulness of it all has been dwarfed by the repercussions of the Iraq War and the angers and hostilities festoring towards us in the Middle East and what has happened to our own economy due to paying for the war. FROM JACK: Small conflicts have a way of escalating, even in the home. In the small manner, small good deeds have a way of escalating, too. Earth Day started with an idea in one person's mind.

FROM LIZ IN ILLINOIS: The Tea Party. Started small, growing every minute. FROM JACK: Have you ever attended any of their rallies?

FROM MO IN ILLINOIS: Like "Don't sweat the small stuff: P.S. It's all small stuff!" remember that book? A good reminder.;;;But it proves true in life, that you usually have a choice at some point in life, between a good one and a bad one, and if you choose the bad one, then you only have a choice of two bad things...and people dig a hole for themselves, which is hard to recover from. I haven't put that very well, but hope you understand!
FROM JACK: If only we were able to discern the difference between "stuff." But God has given us a brain and a heart and a conscience. That should help.

FROM GOOD DEBT JON: Small event: The 17th Amendment, passed in 1913 and first in effect for the election of 1914, amends Article 1 Section 3 of the Constitution to provide for the direct election of Senators by the people of a state rather than their appointment by a state legislature. Result: Nationalized representation loss of states’ rights. It is why you see East Coast Senators raising money in L.A. This small event under the guise of “fairness” gave up states sovereignty. 1913 brought the Federal Reserve, IRS, and cleared the runway for Socialism. Small event tragic results still today. FROM JACK: Was the Civil War the result of a conflict over states rights over against the union of states? I suppose that there are differences of opinions on that. I'm going to ask a friend who is a Civil War "expert."