Jack’s Winning Words 12/8/14
“To like an individual because he’s black is just as insulting as to dislike him because he isn’t white.”  (e.e. cummings)  Reverse black and white in the quote.  Does it make a difference?  Substitute LGBT and Straight for black and white.  Does it make a difference?  Many of the problems around us these days seem to have root in the fact that we do not see people as people.  You can’t legislate love.  Unless it comes from the heart, the problems will continue.    ;-)  Jack

FROM SUSAN IN TEXAS:  Beautifully stated!  I don't reply to you often enough, but you help me get my days off to a good start. I particularly liked this one. I wish that we could get more people to sit at the table to really discuss our issues. You hit the nail on the head.  Thank you as always, for your insight and generosity of spirit. Wishing you a peace filled day.====JACK:  Face to face discussions are much better than cyber-net rants back and forth.

 FROM SBP IN FLORIDA:  the statement by e.e.cummins is worthy of multicultural discussions. I had to check him out on Google because I thought of him as an older poet...circa late 19th century and wondered how and why he'd come up with such a contemporary observation. But, he was alive until 1962 Thus...====JACK:  He was an individualist, too...insisting on eliminating captital letters in his name.  We all have our quirks...or, are you exempt?====SBP:  Well, I’m making a list and checkin it twice.....chuckling, as I discover it’s amazing length. One or two....Not caring about my mistakes and deliberate “ creative punctuation”.Well, almost always deliberate.  Another, I only use green ink...except for “legal” signatures. ....And, also , among them, a compulsion to read WW in the morning.....and sometimes needing to keep my possible responses off the keyboard.......And, I’ll spare you the evergrowing list of “quirks”.Et vous?=====JACK:  One quirk...to change punctuation and spelling errors that I notice in responses (without telling the sender).  I just do it to satisfy myself, without coming off as a pedant.====SBP:  A quirk that produces RAKs.  Thank you.====JACK:  A friend from Moline started a FastFood chain called, RAX.

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  Whenever I am asked to fill out a form indicating race, I write in human race and have been doing this for over 50 years.====JACK:  I laughed at that one.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  I once read a true story in a readers digest. It was about two little girls growing up together.  One girl moved far away from the other and they didn't meet up again for 20 or more years (I don't remember that part of the story).  Anyway, years later when they finally met one girl was white and one was black.  When growing up together they never knew they were different color.  We should all live color blind!====JACK:  As long as we have sight, we're bound to judge by what we see.  "Seeing is believing."  But, even eye-witnesses have been known to make mistakes. 

FROM HONEST JOHN:  If you grow up where certain prejudices are acceptable, I think you can not "unlearn" them...but you can gain control over them.     So, I only partially agree with the statement. ====JACK:  I agree....The prejudices of our growing up years were acceptable at that time.  In wonder what prejudices of today will be unacceptable in future times?

FROM TARMART REV:  Catholic/Protestant, Liturgical/Pentecostal, "I'm of Paul-I'm of Peter", "the present homosexual and adulterer/the restored fallen pastor and divorced/remarried deacon" . . . "the adulterous and murderer King David/the psalmist and repentant David, and "The wheat and the chaff" . . . Who will separate the righteous and the unrighteous? "Not I!" said the fat boy for Kansas!! ====JACK:  Sometimes we follow the trend.  I remember being somewhat wary of MLK Jr when he began his marches.  Later I came to embrace his thinking.  From time to time, we need to reconsider our thinking on certain issues and see if we need to make a change.  We're not infallible!

FROM PASTIE PAT:  A resounding "Amen" from Palestine!====JACK:  I forgot to include Jew and Palestinian.

FROM MICHIZONA RAY:  Very sad and very true. And you're exactly right to say that love can't be legislated....but our past and current legislatures keep trying.====JACK:  The truly sad thing is that many legislators are trying to satisfy their constituent base.

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  al sharpton, louis f, eric holder, barack obama, et al, are seeing that perhaps we are post race after all, given the outcry of all demographics over eric garner's death. ====JACK:  It's not just one-sided.  Both sides play the "race game," laying down the particular card that they think will help them win the game.  I'm not good at cards...maybe Old Maid.

FROM HUNGRY HOWIE:  Thank you for addressing this, we can’t say this enough. I appreciate you speaking up for all people as people.====JACK:  My goal is not to write something that will win an argument, but to get people to think.  It's a challenge.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I have a black grandson-in-law, (who has his Master's Degree, and is a paid intern with the St. Louis Rams) but "out on the streets" he is just another "black guy", and sometimes that reality is brought to his attention in a negative way. And bi-racial couples are still not warmly accepted, either, tho they have a great circle of college and high school friends, and very supportive family.  I also have two bi-racial granddaughters, one in high school, and one a 2nd grader, so wish all people could really get to  know those of different race and culture, which is the only way you  get to see people as people! When we served the Dixon church, (Back in Martin Luther King days) we partnered with the black church in town, with couples from both churches meeting in homes for dinner and games, and discussions, etc. and life-long friendships were formed. Those churches and people  are still close! We also hosted a black congregation in our Springfield  church for five years, working closely with the youth, and although they have moved on, warm friendships remain, and some youth have stayed with our congregation.  Good quote, and "variations" today!!====JACK:  Times are-a-changing!  Who could have imagined in our growing-up years, the acceptance of bi-racial relationships, the acceptance of living together before marriage, the acceptance of LGBT relationships, the acceptance of sperm-donated babies and on and on?

FROM TRIHARDER:  There used to be that sign-off commercial on the 3 channels where grampa and the little boy are fishing and the boy talks about his "Jewish friend, Joey".  Grampa gently chides him asking, "Do you refer to your other friends as your Christian friends?"  It may have been a Latter Day Saints commercial. ====JACK:  Isn't it interesting...with the changing of the times, we use terms other than race to describe people: religion, gender, sexual orientation, job etc.

FROM PEPPERMINT MARY:  christian, jew, muslim, atheist?  the list goes on.  you are right.  we can't legislate love or acceptance.  we have to start the practice of open-heartedness.  we have to spread the word and teach by example.====JACK:  Sociologists know that what is learned in the home affects what is expressed in school and in social groups.  One of my favorite Winning Words... "Virtue is learned at mother's knee.  Vice is learned at other joints."