Sugar Creek Publishing

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray

# 190

July 4, 2014

“Red, White and Blue”

A recent poll astonished me, until I thought about the demographics involved. Scantly over a third of the polled Americans claimed they were “patriotic”. If you heard the statistic, you probably were a bit surprised, too — especially if you are over the age of fifty.

Children born after 1970 have never experienced a conflict that drew upon the allegiance of all Americans. The only information they have on World War I and World War II is from scant data among highly edited textbooks.

War exacts a terrible toll on any population. However, when a war draws upon one country to come to the aid of one or a group of other countries finding themselves endangered, losses incurred by the helper nation leave a deep impression.

To a person, Americans supported their soldiers in those costly conflicts. Tracing one’s heritage back even one generation found family members with strong ties to Europe. That sense of family translated into unwavering support for the soldiers and the cause for which they fought: freedom.

It is sad to see that many do not feel that pride we were taught as children. Some of the first songs we sang at school were the “service hymns.” Today, you would be lucky to find a child who knew any one of them.

Let’s set all that aside today and remember that we are the most fortunate people on the face of the earth and belong to a national family that has, with blood and treasure, given untold numbers of people around the globe that precious opportunity to live and breathe free.

God bless America. (You shouldn’t have to think about that at all.)

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray

# 189

June 20, 2014

“Marine One”

Isn’t it odd that a person who depends upon one particular branch of the U.S. Armed Services ignores the fact that one of them — a veteran of two tours in the Middle East — suffers mightily in a Mexican prison after a wrong turn at the California border.

It is irrefutable that the Marine Corps boasts some of the most talented and heroic fighters among all our troops, and that is not to take away from those who serve among the other branches.

Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi made a mistake. He had walked into Mexico and returned to get his car to return to California where he was undergoing treatment for PTSD. The turn back to the United States was very poorly marked. Instead of allowing him to turn around, authorities arrested him.

When Mexicans — even armed ones — make the same mistake and end up in the US by accident, we simply turn them around and send them back home. But what did the Mexicans do in this case? They throw Tahmooressi into prison, give him barely enough food to survive, beat him and treat him as if he were a prisoner of war in a third world country.

Today we learned that our president actually spoke to the president of Mexico. Sadly, the synopsis of subjects released to the press did not have among the topics the immediate release of our Marine. I wonder if he would have even made the call at all without the outcry of people across this nation about the thousands of minor children coming into the country.

After all, it was the policy of this president to take in children, wasn’t it? He is more than willing to lay another burden on taxpayers and ignore the gargantuan benefits of the Keystone Pipeline. Oh, yes, he will think about it. Well, he has had six years to think about it and what good has that done?

Everyone who reads this column should email or call the White House to demand that the sergeant be brought home immediately. Flood their switchboards and their servers. Make noise, folks. It is up to us to do something. Evidently, nobody in government at the highest levels seems to be doing a thing.

Unless there is a “hot potato” on his plate, the president is much more interested in fund raising than “hell raising.” I can’t imagine John Kennedy (a decorated WWII Naval officer) or Ronald Reagan (the patriot in chief for eight years) would have wasted a New York minute to do something.

What kind of advisors work at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue today? Evidently, they are more in tune with inviting high profile entertainers to the White House than attending to an international scene. At every turn, the old modicum of common sense is not only rare, it is completely lacking.

To put this in perspective, the president and his minions now move against the owner of the Washington Redskins to take away his team’s name but do nothing about an American soldier held against his will in awful conditions. Yes, readers, now the federal government is going to try to force a business to change its name — all that even though the Redskins’ name roots with its first coach, Lone Star Dietz, a man who claimed to have been born on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Note, too, that Dietz often posed in profile with full feather headdress, mirroring the team logo today.

How sad. It is more important for our president and his cronies to impose the views of a slight percentage of a minority group and force a business to lose millions of dollars than to ask Mexico to release one of our own. Remember, too, that Mexico not only consistently flaunts our laws, but it also looks the other way as cartels and thugs prowl its states and openly fire on our border patrols. Consider all that, plus the incessant movement of illegal drugs and who knows what kinds of terrorists across our southern border.

Demand that Tahmooressi come home. It is time to act. It’s about time that Marine One not only describes the helicopter that routinely lands on the White House lawn. It’s time that Marine One is Job One for President Obama. Call the White House. Flood its switchboard with emails. Let the White House know you are listening. If not you, who? Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray

# 189

June 20, 2014

“Marine One”

Isn’t it odd that a person who depends upon one particular branch of the U.S. Armed Services ignores the fact that one of them — a veteran of two tours in the Middle East — suffers mightily in a Mexican prison after a wrong turn at the California border.

It is irrefutable that the Marine Corps boasts some of the most talented and heroic fighters among all our troops, and that is not to take away from those who serve among the other branches.

Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi made a mistake. He had walked into Mexico and returned to get his car to return to California where he was undergoing treatment for PTSD. The turn back to the United States was very poorly marked. Instead of allowing him to turn around, authorities arrested him.

When Mexicans — even armed ones — make the same mistake and end up in the US by accident, we simply turn them around and send them back home. But what did the Mexicans do in this case? They throw Tahmooressi into prison, give him barely enough food to survive, beat him and treat him as if he were a prisoner of war in a third world country.

Today we learned that our president actually spoke to the president of Mexico. Sadly, the synopsis of subjects released to the press did not have among the topics the immediate release of our Marine. I wonder if he would have even made the call at all without the outcry of people across this nation about the thousands of minor children coming into the country.

After all, it was the policy of this president to take in children, wasn’t it? He is more than willing to lay another burden on taxpayers and ignore the gargantuan benefits of the Keystone Pipeline. Oh, yes, he will think about it. Well, he has had six years to think about it and what good has that done?

Everyone who reads this column should email or call the White House to demand that the sergeant be brought home immediately. Flood their switchboards and their servers. Make noise, folks. It is up to us to do something. Evidently, nobody in government at the highest levels seems to be doing a thing.

Unless there is a “hot potato” on his plate, the president is much more interested in fund raising than “hell raising.” I can’t imagine John Kennedy (a decorated WWII Naval officer) or Ronald Reagan (the patriot in chief for eight years) would have wasted a New York minute to do something.

What kind of advisors work at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue today? Evidently, they are more in tune with inviting high profile entertainers to the White House than attending to an international scene. At every turn, the old modicum of common sense is not only rare, it is completely lacking.

To put this in perspective, the president and his minions now move against the owner of the Washington Redskins to take away his team’s name but do nothing about an American soldier held against his will in awful conditions. Yes, readers, now the federal government is going to try to force a business to change its name — all that even though the Redskins’ name roots with its first coach, Lone Star Dietz, a man who claimed to have been born on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Note, too, that Dietz often posed in profile with full feather headdress, mirroring the team logo today.

How sad. It is more important for our president and his cronies to impose the views of a slight percentage of a minority group and force a business to lose millions of dollars than to ask Mexico to release one of our own. Remember, too, that Mexico not only consistently flaunts our laws, but it also looks the other way as cartels and thugs prowl its states and openly fire on our border patrols. Consider all that, plus the incessant movement of illegal drugs and who knows what kinds of terrorists across our southern border.

Demand that Tahmooressi come home. It is time to act. It’s about time that Marine One not only describes the helicopter that routinely lands on the White House lawn. It’s time that Marine One is Job One for President Obama. Call the White House. Flood its switchboard with emails. Let the White House know you are listening. If not you, who? Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray

# 188

“Why not?”

June 10, 2014

Just when I believe that I have “heard it all,” again the hammer falls and another crucial portion of our human experience teeters on the edge of oblivion.

First it was the “new math” that my children barely escaped before actual thinking people saw its futility and trashed it. Then home economics and shop trades slipped over the edge. Hundreds of thousands of pieces of shop equipment made it to the auction block in Indiana alone.

And the result? Countless young people missed out on basic skills that hold any householder in good stead as they go about their daily lives. Still other students missed out on the opportunity to discover a possible interest in the trades. Exposure, you see, is everything.

Today, computers and “tablets” rule — and not the blue-lined paper tablets of recent memory, either. Oh, no. These tablets are small computers. An interesting side note from sources doing research on major book sites like Amazon tells us that retention is far less with tablets than case bound books. That is, children who read actual books retained far more information than those who simply scrolled a tablet or computer screen.

Oh, goody! Not only are our children wired to these gadgets, they do not retain a good portion of what they “read” on them.

Not so long ago, movement began to seed to eradicate cursive writing from the school curricula. Now, does that make sense? What will one use to sign a contract, an “X”? Talk about going in reverse. Are we to emulate illiterate people unable to write? How did we go from beautiful hand script of the 1700s and 1800s to emails rife with abbreviations and acronyms? The answer is really pitiful. Instead of moving forward, we go backward. Oh, wonderful….

I see a dangerous pattern here. With a Master’s in history, I note that current textbooks not only skip over large, important parts of both U.S. and world history; but, they also grossly edit them — leaving out important facts. Minus really solid information, America’s young people could grow up with a flawed view of whom we are, our origins and the wars that kept up and a good portion of this planet free.

For decades, many major authors have warned us of “dumbing down” our population. The only way such a practice makes sense is to consider it a tool with which to control the people. History in and of itself gives us a line of warning signs. It’s not just an old saying that “history repeats itself.” It does. However, if people know their history and recognize the warning signs, they will be able to change course and avoid disaster.

I remember when a “cell phone” would have been in a jail or a prison. Now, children from very young ages march around with cell phones — often oblivious to anyone or anything around them.

What’s more, this penchant is not relegated to the young. How many times have you seen adults in a public place constantly punching away at a phone? How many times has your meal been interrupted by a wild ring or a bizarre sound effect? From time to time when eating out, my husband and I have seen entire families — Mom, Dad, and kids — texting at the table and never talking to one another at all. Have you seen this, too? I’d guess you have, and more times that you can count.

You ask how a cell phone links to my title, “Why not?” Well, it hooks up quite nicely, and herein lurks a disturbing pattern.

One by one, systematically, basic skills wane. First, the thought process for mathematics with a pen and paper was abandoned in favor of a calculator. History surfaced, edited to the point where textbooks totally misled students. Next, trade classes disappeared. Then actual “books in hand” were on the chopping block.

How do I connect all these to the cell phone craze? Here’s how: Once, young people met and formed relationships one on one. School hallways echoed with exuberant voices getting in that last bit of chatter before the bell rang and another class began. Dating posed challenges in conversation and action. A shy young man had to overcome his reticence and actually talk to the girl of interest. Oh, notes passed among boys and girls, but a conversation was inevitable. Today, I see more and more young people text back and forth — literally within a few feet of one another. They don’t talk. They text.

How, I ask, can they possibly develop a persona that will hold them in good stead in the workplace? How will they perform a job interview if they cannot carry on an intelligent, adult conversation? Once, a job was the goal for a young person. He or she did not arrive dressed in sloppy or suggestive clothing — cell phone in hand — grab a job application and saunter out the door oblivious to the employer who stood slack jawed by the office door shocked at the lack of any degree of professional appearance. It’s almost as if the young person thinks the employer “owes” him or her the job. But that subject would take up another column….

Decades ago, when I was looking for a job, things were far different. The interview was paramount to the willing, prospective employee. Dress or trousers and shirt pressed, hands clean, hair combed, teeth brushed, the candidate arrived for the interview determined to make a good impression. Moreover, a well-written thank you note to the employer went a long way in the “good impression” department.

Minus the ability to converse well, how can a new employee express goals and mesh well with others in the workplace? It is easy to see that someone with poor speaking and writing ability is at a terrible disadvantage.

My solution? Instill the love of reading books. Infuse good writing habits in your child, including a pride in good penmanship. Your own child’s signature should not be a mystery to you. You should be able to read it easiliy.

Unless texting to “911”, remove texting ability from phones — especially for those under 18. Considering the highway deaths attributed to texting while driving, that small adjustment to the cell phone program would save lives.

Make it impossible to chat back and forth electronically. Infuse the importance of being a well-spoken individual. We are at risk of losing our ability to talk to one another. How sad.

Alas, first textbooks surfaced with basic facts purged from their content, next “page in hand”, case bound books began to disappear in favor of computers and tablets. Now, children risk losing the ability to carry on a simple conversation.

Do parents have the courage to remove texting from their children’s cell phones? Should texting work in a moving car? It is a shame that such a convenience has become an excuse for disconnecting with our peers.

Would you do it? Would you make sure that your child only used his or her phone when absolutely necessary? Most of us over 60 grew up with a shared party line and only a single phone in the entire house, so the thought of giving cell phones to children is a practice too easily abused.

We need thinking, articulate people to lead this country. Are we rearing them? Really…. Are we?

Limit cell phone use and remove texting ability except for calls to parents and 911? Why not? Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray

# 187

June 1, 2014

“A Retrospective”

Seldom do I allow Memorial Day to slip by without filing a column, but this year I decided to submit it to my readers a week later. To put in bluntly, all of us should remember our Veterans each day and not merely the day set aside as a day of national honor.

We would have no holidays were it not for those who step forward, volunteer, and put their very lives on the line so we can enjoy peaceful existence here at home.

As we traveled the Memorial Day weekend, I made it a point to stop to thank any veteran wearing any version of that all too familiar ball cap bearing military service markings. Over a restaurant breakfast, I greeted Air Force, Army, and Navy veterans. To a man, they were well into their 80th decade. No doubt, they view the current world scene far more seriously than most of our young people.

For at least two generations, Americans have not endured the homeland hardships true of World War II. During those years, our government rationed commodities. Folks put aside thoughts of leisure or vacation in an effort to make sure the troops were well supplied. Children picked up tin cans and flattened them. Metals collected as scrap were quickly picked up for war manufacturing. Nobody complained about not having some particular food item either. There was a greater concern. We were at war and everyone needed to do his or her part.

Leaping forward in time to today, I shudder at what is a dangerous complacency. Sacrifice for a lot of young people is not getting fries with sandwich special. Service is what someone else does. More disturbing is the high level of ignorance about world affairs. After all, the younger ones quip, what difference does it make?

Well, difference may well be life or death. Encroaching upon the solid morals and values on which America was founded is an ever-growing number of splinter groups that have no problem crushing established mores in favor of what they want.

We see it in the push for gay and lesbian rights, abortion on demand (often without parental notification), and a total disregard for America’s energy sector.

If the folks a the EPA get heir way, then you will pay more than attention. You will pay through the nose! Taking coal-fired power plants yields a nasty result. Remember the quip, “utility bills will skyrocket.” Hmmmm. Maybe you forgot.

When your electric bill quadruples, you will question why only America cripples its industries. China puts another coal-fired plant on line each week. Remember, too, that many Chinese wear surgical masks to get their breath due to the pollution. Chinese plants are not “clean burning coal plants.” Prevailing winds are west to east, so guess what part of the world will be greeted with their pollution? Yep. Us.

Every people yearns to be free, and for centuries America has been the defender of freedom, the exporter of free enterprise and the goal of immigrants from the far corners of the world. The last true instance of this was World War II.

We fight for freedom, yet so many live under the heavy yoke of harsh leaders. War without victory is war lost. To put it simply and in terms of sports, one team doesn’t telegraph its strategy to the opponent.

Yet, once again, the current administration assigns a date by which troops will leave a conflict area. How convenient for the opposition. All they need to do is wait. All those bodies mangled and broken, all those lives lost, all those families damaged forever.

Once the bastion of everything good and decent, we have morphed into a pitiful shadow a once proud and strong international mover and shaker. Every man or woman who donned a uniform knows that a chain of command is only as good as the person at the top.

After all, any military is only as good as its components: sound objectives, experienced leaders, and outcomes equal to the sacrifice and treasure put forth to achieve them. In short, victory has no substitute.

We have reason to thank veterans. Yet, sadly, our military personnel work for an administration that does not lead. In a garden of people, it has hired the weeds. Instead of leadership, we have “weedership.”

Those who serve need our support more than ever. They are hobbled in their mission to spread freedom worldwide. Once, this nation pledged never to negotiate with terrorists. Never is a term not to be used lightly.

This past week, despite the fact that we achieved the release of the last held POW in Afghanistan, we did so by negotiating with the Taliban. Coupled with announcing our departure date, we guarantee that this heinous group will take control of the nation once again — depriving women and girls of freedom and any education and relegating their populace to societal mores that date to before the Middle Ages.

So much for all those soldiers who came home mentally and physically maimed…. And so much for those who died….

We went into Afghanistan determined to exact a high price for the carnage of 9/11 and, through spirited leadership, spread freedom. After all, Afghanistan was the hotbed of terrorism at that time. Now, we will leave having spread something, but not freedom. We will have spread the word far afield to peoples yearning for help to live free lives that America — once again — mocks the sacrifice of her soldiers, young and old, and leaves without achieving a complete victory.

It must be disheartening for military personnel with long careers to see this happen. We must all work toward a big change in 2016. It’s not only the domestic scene that begs for a change. Not only is the foreign policy realm is at risk, but we are also at risk here at home. Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray

#186

May 19, 2014

“Limits”

As a country music fan, I have enjoyed the series “Austin City Limits” over the years. Good music with a great “beat” and clean lyrics is more than fun for me — it is refreshing. When taking a close look at major network programming these days, I recoil and take heart that I am not monitoring the content for children. I would not want that job.

Egad! Current “sit com” plots are base in nature and feature more sexual content than I ever saw as a young married person, let alone a teenager or a child. Racy then is considered mundane now. It’s as if each producer tries to outdo the competition. Whether the programs feature human actors or were presented as cartoons, the content is more than I would have wanted for my sons when they were children.

Consider the boy or girl with little or no supervision in the home. What of the child living in a home sans a father? If there is no limit to what a child can witness, there is no limit to the damage done to his or her psyche. After all, if the old saying, “Monkey see, monkey do” holds, the risk is more than clear. It is absolutely chilling.

In my opinion, people of my parents’ generation are rolling over in their graves when it comes to the content put out by today’s studios. It is pure discontent that fuels my anger.

When I was a little girl, male actors exuded images of strength, courage, and sensitivity. They were role models for boys and daydreams of future husbands for girls. (Yes, little girls once dreamed of growing up and getting married!) In the 1940s and 1950s here was no gratuitous violence splashed across the big screen. Oh, yes, the bad guys bit the dust, but moviegoers did not see the blood and gore. Good won out over evil. More importantly, evil was not glamorized. Punishment was swift and sure. Deeds had consequences. Oh, if that only held true in real life today — let alone film.

Before children begin school, many have seen so many deaths on television and in the movies that they have a stilted view of the value of life. To devalue life in such a way is unwise. However, such a desensitizing of the youngest of us is beyond unwise, it is dangerous. To impressionable minds, characters don’t die. They just reappear in another movie role.

Sadly, the only children who know violence for what it truly is live in neighborhoods riddled with drive-by shootings and gangs. For some families, there is no choice to move. The long-term damage to children who witness death and fear their neighborhoods is incalculable.

And then we have the video games….

How many of us can forget that the Columbine shooters honed their marksmanship on video games? Game titles are enough to stop you in your tracks — that is, you have the stomach to read them. Slow down at a store and take a look. Images will deepen your disgust.

Oh, the kids love these games, but the raw and graphic content arouses suspicion and fear in clear-thinking adults. It’s entirely too easy to plop a kid in front of a television set or a computer and go about household duties with no conscience as to what they may we watching.

Again, it’s my age that kindles this animus. To most young folks, we of the sixty-plus set are out of the loop and do not understand. I worry that we understand all too well. After all, the risks of exposing children to violent images and prurient lyrics are proven daily on the streets and in the juvenile courts across America. Every freedom includes a responsibility. So, where is the responsibility of those who grow rich selling such products? Absent.

Today’s music is loud. So was ours. The music of the 1950s and 1960s, with few exceptions, included lyrics you could sing and not end up grounded or choking on a mouth full of soap. Nobody sang about killing policemen or brutalizing women. Some songs recounted car wrecks, like one by the Everly Brothers. But most song lyrics simply tugged at our emotions, describing first loves and broken hearts.

I realize that we cannot return to the days of the “Golden Oldies,” but sometimes I just wish my grandchildren could have a bird’s eye view of the fun we all had when we were growing up. In truth, I lament that America did not carry forward the morals of those days. Maybe, as a generation, we were sheltered; but we were allowed to grow up slowly.

We seldom witnessed any kind of violence as little ones. Our lives centered about school and church. So much is the pity we cannot say that for many of the kids today. Sadly, youth athletic activities are scheduled on Sunday, further diminishing the impetus for parents to take their children to worship services.

Our generation had limits, but limits balanced with love. Our parents cared about us. For me, what stands out most is the support for the widows of World War II and Korean veterans. These wives and mothers had to take on rearing a family alone. It was a common thing to see churches and school organizations pull together to help these women and to guide the children.

Unwed mothers were not only rare in my day, but the whole situation branded the girl with an identity that stuck for a lifetime. “Love and marriage, love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage” were more than words to a song; they were the order of the day.

We certainly cannot say that for many young people today. Single parenthood is so rampant that it seems to be normal. Consider all the ads featuring a woman and children. It’s as if the theme should be “The Missing Man.” Today’s kids expect thrilling entertainment no matter the venue. Imagination is something for others to showcase, not for kids to use. Clearly, there doesn’t seem to be any limit to what today’s children can see or hear.

In truth, this lack of supervision does not apply to all children. There are parents are out there who do care. They monitor what their children experience. However, considering the increasing crime and disappointing graduation rates, something needs to be to encourage parents to value and push the merits of getting a good education. But that’s fodder for yet another column!

Where is the balance for many children today? I fear it is absent. Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray

# 184-A

May 9, 2014

“Once a mother…”

May 11th touts mothers, natural ones, adoptive ones and stand-in ones — those women who look out for children ahead of themselves and move heaven and earth to protect them.

Today, when mother around the world writhe in agony over suffering children, hungry children, and threatened children, we must not forget those mothers in Nigeria whose daughters were kidnapped by the fanatic militant Muslim group Boko Haram. Muslim society is well known for mistreating women and relegating them to low status. Among their practices are forced female circumcision (without benefit of anesthesia), burying to their necks in sand and stoning to death women simply accused of adultery, honor killings of young women by family members — often by their own fathers

I have one question. Where are the feminists in this fight? Although I often disagree with some of the women in Congress for extreme views, I must agree with those who come forward demanding that something be done about Boko Haram.

It is interesting to read that former Secretary of State Clinton did not designate this group as a terrorist group. Just what kind of depravity must a group engage in to warrant her condemnation? Maybe someone should ask.

I must refer to a comment by a Purdue military history professor. There is no such thing as partial victory. You either achieve complete victory or no victory at all. Again and again, the world community witnesses a repeat of prior horrific deeds.

Apply Boko Haram’s military strategy to it. Eliminate it with no mercy. Remember, it also makes it a practice to gun down Christians and murder innocents by the hundreds. Simply droning a leader does no good. Followers label the dead leader a martyr and another quickly steps into his place.

This Sunday when you, or any of the women in your life, enjoy a child’s hand made card, open a gift, or sniff a wonderful bouquet of flowers, please take a moment to remember those mothers across the world lacking basic respect and freedom to rear their children in safety.

Some claim that, worldwide, people are the same. I counter with a clear comparison. Consider the cry “Women and children first!” In the Western world, that cry is to save women and children first. But, in the Muslim world — especially among militant Muslim groups — men place women and children directly in the line of fire. Oh, these men put the women and children first, but first to die.

Pray for the world to come together to find these kidnapped young girls, return them to their mothers, and — most importantly —destroy the evil afoot in Nigeria. The world community must set an example for any other group that would plan such evil acts. Militants only understand force. The world must exert a crushing defeat to their evil ways.

There are differences among cultures. What’s more, there are differences in the way women are treated. Every day should be the Mother’s Day we know. Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray

# 183

April 17, 2014

“The Greatest Gift”

Who doesn’t like to receive a gift? Nobody I know. However, the gift of which I speak doesn’t come with ribbons and brightly colored paper. It comes with the deepest message of all, the love of a God whose boundless affection for the human condition forgives even the most hideous sin.

When sitting in a church service, I try to find something in the message that challenges me to be a better person the next week. Unable to shoulder all the burdens that life can throw at me, I must turn to a power that envelops not only one’s body but also one’s soul.

There is nothing wrong about being vulnerable. We all are in some way or another. Yet, vulnerability can be a true asset. In a world where success holds out as paramount and upward mobility takes a toll on even the most capable person, nothing is more valuable than faith.

In a world where individual power eclipses all other achievements, true worth finds itself threatened. Over the past few decades, America has witnessed unparalleled attacks on our Judeo-Christian heritage. In the name of what some call tolerance, we find ourselves at the foot of a tree losing a bit of bark every day. Chipping away at its trunk are those who seek to destroy faith because they recognize its power and fear it.

There is nothing wrong with fearing God. God represents both rules and love. Without rules, life lacks structure; and without structure, society dissolves.
America melts and most of us stand back and say nothing.
Whether Christian or Jew, the Lord has given us His Love. Whether we believe in Jesus Christ or await another Messiah, the Lord’s love does not fail. It does not end. It is, for each of us, the Greatest Gift.

We would do well not to fear acting out against our fellows but to fear not acting in the name of God. Will we stand by and see our faith assailed and removed from the public square? Will we cede tiny percentage of our population the power to mock our God and chip away at our religious freedom? It took a lot of bravery for the people of Biblical times to stand up for their values. Are we less brave than they? Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray

# 182

April 10, 2014

“Spring Memories”

When the fleeting brisk winds calm and crocus peep through wisps of green grass, my memories harken back to childhood and a special pair who were instrumental in my love of the outdoors. Perhaps more than even my parents, these two remarkable people instilled in me a passion for nature and animals that only increases as I age.

William Thoms was a unique among the adults who steered my life. He and his wife Adeline lived close to Morristown and kept a cabin along Nameless Creek. My parents rented the cabin on weekends when I was a little girl. It seemed a world away from town. In truth, it was.

Snuggled among trees just south of an old iron bridge, the cabin welcomed us with that special aroma endemic to old log structures that sit unattended during the winter. The pump at the sink in the kitchen had a sound that echoed throughout the cabin, and I admit that I perfected the timing it took to properly raise and lower the handle.

There is something so special about well water drawn from a hand pump. Maybe it is because the reward of crisp, cool water comes from the effort expended to receive it.

Wending our way up the stairs to the cozy bedroom, I recall falling off to sleep with a book in my hands. Unlike the current generation, I was not glued to an electronic device that impairs individual thought and stifles imagination in favor of empty entertainment.

Snug in a bed beneath a vintage quilt, I traveled around the world and broke the boundaries of time and space to live amidst the likes of Pharaoh Ramses and Queen Victoria… Thomas Edison and King Arthur… Winston Churchill and Marie Curie…. My mind was not limited to the present and classics that Mama introduced into my reading material only fueled my enthusiasm for the future. Many of her books line my library yet today.

Thoms was my Godfather. Known as “Tubby” to all who knew him, his Indianapolis Star Column “Out in the Open” spanned many decades. His knowledge of Hoosier woodlands and meadows more than met the expectations of his readers. Animals frolicked within the stories, but not all of them were of the wild variety.

Adeline and Tubby made me feel like a member of their family. Perhaps they were drawn to children — in this case my brother and me — because they had no children of their own. No matter the genesis of their love, I basked in it and many of the lessons learned from them enriched my adult life.

Over the past twenty years, I have often wondered if some of Tubby’s writing talent actually rubbed off on me. If it did, I could not have had a better example.

He and my father inspired a love for hunting in my brother and taught us both to respect firearms. Cleaning game isn’t for the faint of heart, but it does teach one to understand the food chain.

Fishing teaches patience. The stillness along the stream allows the mind to pause and reflect. In a world so rife with noise, it seems to me that a little more fishing would be a welcome retreat to a great many people.

Hunting, on the other hand, imparts different messages. Oh, it involves patience; but, just as importantly, it forces one to fathom the intricacies of strategy. If a hunter cannot outsmart his or her quarry, the result is dismal and ends with nothing to show for all the effort.

When I see young people sitting across the table from one another and texting, I worry that the most basic form of communication — the conversation — is more than at risk, it is disappearing. Well beyond that, all the gadgets afoot in the culture rob our children of using their imaginations.

I thank Tubby and Adeline for more than I can describe in one article. Without them, I never would have appreciated country life. I was a city girl who learned at the feet of two of the most loving, talented people I have ever known. Adeline was more than a country cook, and she taught me how to see food as a gift from the kitchen. She also instilled in me the beauty of a table well set and resplendent with candles alit and napkins neatly folded. I follow that pattern when I entertain guests yet today. As far as cooking is concerned, I credit her and both of my beloved grandmothers for any culinary talent I possess.

Tubby loved animals, wild and domesticated — or nearly so. Roxie, his Beagle accompanied him everywhere but the office. Thinking back, I cannot affirm that she never went to the office. She might have. She certainly was well behaved enough to sit at her master’s side. A consummate hunting dog, her exploits peppered more than a few columns.

My husband and I camp and revel in it. You meet wonderful people at campgrounds. Linked in a love for the outdoors, folks from every economic strata and ethnic background gather around campfires and simply enjoy one another’s company. Children ride tricycles and bicycles safely on the grounds. Freedom expands among the nation’s campgrounds and worries of the city all but expire. Camping is sylvan for parents as well as children.

And so, once again, as spring comes to our fields and alongside streams close to our home, my memories fly to days along Nameless Creek and the two warm individuals who wrapped me in their love and left impressions deep within my soul.

Next to my fireplace sits a framed picture of Tubby and Roxie. If you could see it, those of you with dogs will agree that they’re both smiling.

Take a moment to savor the outdoors this year. Let spring prod you to venture into the land of our forebears. Take in our state parks. Wander along Hoosier waterways. Go buy licenses. Grab a fishing pole. Use the time on the bank or in a boat to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Look forward to fall and hunting season. Teach children and grandchildren the meaning of fending for one’s self and living off the land. Food didn’t always come from the grocery store. It came from the timeless connection between man and animal.

Many campgrounds offer Sunday services for campers, and we have witnessed more than one remarkable sermon given among the trees while sitting at picnic tables or perched in lawn chairs.

Spring is a renewal of life and of faith. For Christians, it reminds us of our own mortality — a mortality that fuels our need for someone greater than ourselves, God. Bask in spring. Ponder its value. Take in its power and its beauty.

Take time to “smell the roses.” Don’t bypass any opportunity to extend a kindness. Love. Share. Care. Live each day as if it were your last. After all, isn’t that what God asks us to do? Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray

#181

April 5, 2014

“Coming soon”

In deference to many who opt out of their favorite activities in the midst of a medical situation, I choose to write the next two months’ columns ahead of time. A badly deteriorating shoulder initiates a rather ugly process that will require wearing a cast on my right arm (naturally, I’m right handed!) for a number of weeks. Therefore, I will stray a bit from current events and write on topics that transcend ongoing topics. I hope these editions will appeal to all ages among my readership.

If a very serious situation develops that requires immediate comment, then I will take the time to type one-handed and get a column out in a timely fashion.

Nothing is ever convenient when it comes to physical maladies, but I am lucky in that the doctor can repair the damage to my shoulder. With patience and diligent therapy, I can be back at the old Mac and in front of my sewing machine enjoying both hobbies to the hilt.

Thanks for all the replies to my columns. I receive them in high numbers, so I have not made it a habit to reply to each individually. That said, I do appreciate the support and enthusiasm.

I often quip that I am “out of warranty,” and that certainly holds true for someone approaching the seventh decade of life. In essence, every year is a gift and one that I am not about to waste.

Have a nice week. You’ll be hearing from me. Hmmmm….. I wonder if some of you hear that as a threat or a promise. Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray

# 180 – “The Thumb”

March 18, 2014

In lieu of giving a plethora of facts about Mother Russia, let me offer a few details about its government before 1917. As far back as the 16th century, tsars ruled Russia.

What about this term? What is its genesis? Like so many terms of the modern world, its derivation is from the Latin — specifically, Caesar. Caesar means emperor.

Glimpses into the five tsars that preceded the Bolshevik Revolution will give you more than a general sense of how the Russians have ruled their people.

Ivan the Terrible ruled from 1533-1584. He fought the Tatars and was the first to be named Tsar of all Russia. His legends paint a picture of a figure that was both authoritarian and fierce. Ivan commissioned St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square with its brightly colored Russo-Byzantine onion domes. St. Basil’s was built between 1554 and 1560 to honor Russia’s victory over the Tatars at Kazan. It is said that Ivan the Terrible had the architects blinded so that they could never again design a building so beautiful. Quite the colorful character, Ivan was barred from entering the Annunciation Cathedral after married his fourth wife, so he had builders add a special porch so he could get into the church.

Boris Godunov, not a nobleman, earned his reputation through his own ambition and ability to lead. He ruled as regent after Ivan’s death and later named Tsar after Ivan’s son died. He launched serfdom in Russia. This work arrangement virtually shaped Russia for hundreds of years. His architectural mark on the Kremlin’s Ivan the Great Bell Tower. Research affirms that he ordered its height increased and decreed that no other Moscow building was taller.

Peter the Great looked to the west for inspiration. He is known for his reforms and objectives and sought to emulate the” West”. He wanted to modernize Russia. He built St. Petersburg out of a swamp and created ranks for civil servants. He changed the Russian calendar, established the first Russian Navy and expanded the landmass of Russia. His legacy lives in the beautiful city he built and the Peterhof, one of the most beautiful palaces in the world. Impressive and luxurious, it attracts great numbers of visitors every summer.

Catherine the Great holds her position as one of the most famous Russian rulers. Not Russian, Catherine was a Prussian (for lack of more specifics, German). She married into Russian royalty and overthrew her husband to take control of Russia. She ruled from 1762-1796, expanding her empire’s lands. She wanted Russia to be modern and viewed as a major European power. Known for her dalliances, she went through many men in her private life and this reputation has outlived her. Much the opposite of a “sugar daddy”, Catherine compensated the men in her company. Many of these men gained stature and fame solely because of their association with her.

Catherine’s artistic legacy is the bronze statue of Peter the Great on horseback. Many literary buffs recognize the statue from Pushkin’s poem.

Nicholas II was Russia’s last tsar. He headed the Romanov family but was forced from the throne by the Bolsheviks who spearheaded the infamous revolution of 1917. He never wanted the throne and the Russian people did not like him. His wife Alexandra, a German princess, was granddaughter of England’s Queen Victoria. The people did not trust her and thought she was a German spy. She sought help from the mystic Rasputin to help her son, Alexis, who suffered from hemophilia. His close relationship with the tsar’s family was not received well by the people.

The Bolsheviks took Nicholas, Alexandra, and all their children to Ekaterinburg in Siberia. Authors and filmmakers have taken license with the story of Anastasia, who was thought to have survived the carnage. But that is a whole other story!

The Russian monarchy ended when Tsar Nicholas II was murdered. The new leadership banished all Russian farmers to Siberia, took over businesses, closed all churches, and killed any incentive that might have existed. Millions died under Stalin. The glue of the nation that survived was language and culture. Only those elements survived the government.

The Crimean people vote to remain with Russia instead of embracing Ukraine and joining the European Union begs a bit of reflection. Please remember how these people have lived their lives for their entire lives.

Under the tsars, the Communists, and the Russian Mafia in the wake of the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russian people have never known real freedom. Oh, some yearn for it, pray for it, covet, it, but even they have no real control over their own lives. For three generations, they have been pawns. Their only link to the past is Russian, both in essence and in tradition.

Their world has been one where the individual had little or no value and independent thinking and entrepreneurship were virtually unknown. They are, and have been for many centuries, under the thumb their rulers. All that said, there is a bottom line here. It is hard to value something you have never had. The government of the Ukraine recognizes the value of private enterprise and freedom. Pray that Ukraine can keep it.

Pray that Ukraine joins the E.U. If Putin is determined to recreate the former Soviet Union, the successful takeover of Crimea is a bell-weather for what lies around the corner. Pray for Ukraine. Pray for all Eastern Europe. Its freedom may be the world’s last best hope for peace. The threat to reduce the United States to nuclear ashes is not laughable, as the current presidential press secretary believes. Russia has always been centered on military might, conquest and control. It’s a big thumb and one we don’t need exerted on us. Think about it.