Tag Archives: Republican

Chary

Chary: (adj) cautiously or suspiciously reluctant to do something

Just for the record (since there is a record) I will tell you that I had no idea what this word meant. I am not going to don the personna of the instructor, speaking to you students in need of education.

Matter of fact, I may never use this word again. There are many other words that replace it with greater clarity.

But we certainly live in chary times.

It is now fashionable to be over-protective, overwrought, over-thoughtful, over-medicated, over-meditated, and over the moon over things that just really don’t matter.

Yet, when something of quality, value and eternal consequence comes into our presence, it is thrust into a committee meeting where we consider its value, and usually end up believing we are over-extended or that “it’s not in the direction we’re going.”

Not only do I think that we couldn’t launch a rocket to the moon in this day and age, I also think there would be some lengthy conversation on whether there actually is a moon in the first place.

We have begun to equate “cantankerous” and “knowledgeable.”

We admire those who require great thought and consideration before leaping into new possibilities.

We have developed tiny themes which we call sacred and then force everything that truly does have heavenly possibilities to fit into the confines of these little boxes.

We are reluctant. We sneer. We look askance at all nuance. We are chary.

And we make it clear that we will not be sold, intimidated or even convinced to do something unless we are in the mood.

The end result is that we never pursue anything that does not have the whiff of what we’ve already done.

So Republicans do Republican things and Democrats do Democrat things.

After accomplishing their minimal efforts, they then take the bulk of their time to criticize the competition.

 

 

 

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By-line

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By-line: (n) a printed line of text accompanying a news story

During a season when I was writing some screenplays for small, independent films, I realized it was necessary to come up with a “crafty” title, which was then coyly explained through a by-line.

Without the by-line, the title might appear to be obtuse or inaccessible. Of course, the by-line doesn’t give away the plot, but it does let you know what adventures lie ahead.

Many parts of our society should have clever titles, but also an informative by-line. Without the by-line, the name of the company, the idea, the movie or the business can often be clumped with other unremarkable but similar endeavors.

Case in point–“hamburger joint” is not a name, but rather, a condescending attitude about the lack of originality in fast food. So McDonald’s not only offers a signature, but also tells you how many billions they have served. Burger King wants you to know you can ‘have it your way.” And Wendy’s advertises square burgers.

But think about it: since the words “liberal, conservative, Republican, Democrat, Christian” and even “American” do not immediately evoke a common understanding, it becomes necessary to introduce a by-line. For instance:

Liberal: we give a damn about people.

Conservative: we want to keep the government out of your everything.

Republican: we believe the people should have freedom–all of them.

Democrat: we believe it’s up to the people who have much to give much.

Christian: you know…Jesus.

American: I love my country as long as my country is loving.

We need a by-line.

Just the other day, somebody asked me if anyone ever calls me a fat person. I replied, “They sure do. But I always give them my by-line: Fat but still gettin’ around, not complaining and trying to make the world a better place.”

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Bubble

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Bubble: (n) used to refer to a fortunate situation that is isolated from reality or unlikely to last.

When my parents told me there was no Santa Claus, the revelation that the rumor had been greatly exaggerated did not totally deflate my young, eleven-year-old soul.

It’s not because I thought it was alright for them to mislead me, and it wasn’t because I found the Nordic purveyor of toys to be Dictionary Bpersonally distasteful.

It’s that nothing really changed.

I was getting toys–and I continued to get toys. The fact that they weren’t coming from the North Pole was somewhat insignificant.

Even if I wanted to be huffy about the “fake news” concerning Mr. Claus, it was difficult for me to make a major case, considering the fact that I still had the presents.

But when I was told that the government of the United States was “for the people, by the people and of the people,” and as an adult I discovered there is much misrepresentation to that assertion–well, it’s a different “checks and balances.”

It will also be much more disappointing if I find out that God was a Holy-Land-Hoax.

In both cases, I can’t live in a bubble or isolate myself and pretend I don’t know.

Because with no government or God, the toys quickly disappear.

The absence of a good government opens the door to all sorts of graft, corruption and scandal.

Likewise, to be minus a deity is a guarantee that my eternal home will be grave circumstances, with my dreams turning to dust.

This is serious stuff, folks.

I can live without Santa Claus.

I cannot prosper if our government is dishonest or if the two-party system is a one-lane road to dissension.

And I certainly don’t want to spend my Earthly life revering a supernatural being who ends up merely the figment of the imagination of Bedouin nomads.

Help.

What can I do to make sure that my leaders–Republican and Democrat–honor the premise of liberty?

And who should I have been if God ends up taking the Santa Claus nose dive?

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Both

Both: (pron) two identified together

There is only one natural enemy of humankind.Dictionary B

It is called apathy.

Whenever it arrives, good becomes a little less glistening, and bad is viewed as too normal.

So we need both:

  • We need both believer and atheist
  • Republican and Democrat
  • Business and consumer
  • Rich and poor
  • Freedom and oppression
  • Give and take
  • Male and female

And as we look at each one of these possibilities, it is contingent upon our intellect and awareness to realize that truth lies in the midst of the disarray.

It would be wonderful if virtue would light up so we could follow it, or if evil smelled like farts. But it’s not that simple, is it? No–it takes our full concentration, attention, passion and involvement to make sure that we are at least attempting to find the common good.

In doing so, we defeat apathy.

Because if we don’t, it will destroy us.

 

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Belie

Belie: (v) to fail to give a true notion or impression of something.Dictionary B

I have been accused of being either crazy or a glutton for punishment because I watch the political debates.

I, myself, am not political.

But I think it would be total foolishness to live in this day and age and wish for a different time, or else pretend, through self-righteousness, that I am above the fray. The Republicans and Democrats are my brothers and sisters whether they embarrass me or not.

On this particular evening of viewing, there was a lot of noise, banging and viciousness. I know it is popular to criticize these politicians who aspire to be the President of the United States, for their attacks and ferocity.

But I must tell you–they are not the culprits. In many ways, they are the victims.

Because as the debate ended and the camera swirled across the audience, it fell for a moment on the countenance of the moderator–the newsman–the journalist who had been in charge of the affair.

There was a tiny smirk on his face.

It angered me.

The smirk was not a smile of success, but rather, belied an agenda by a news organization to sensationalize an activity in order to gain ratings, with no real concern about the toll it was taking on the gentleness of the American people.

It was rotten.

And for that brief moment, I felt sorry for those gentlemen running for the Oval Office. They are being used. The American public is being refused a chance for a kinder way.

It belies us to believe that any goodness can come out of those who make the most profit off of reporting the evil.

 

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Baseless

Baseless: (adj) without foundation in fact.Dictionary B

Likewise, it is also without fact in foundation.

Probably one of the greater weaknesses of human beings is to draw a conclusion and then desperately try to make the facts fit it.

It doesn’t matter if it’s entertainment, religion or politics–each attempts to achieve baseless conclusions with no real evidence to support the case.

Recently there have been a number of terrorist acts in our world. The mistake we make in dealing with these atrocities is in trying to make everybody feel good.

We want the victims and their families to sense our compassion, but unfortunately, we also want to assure that the victimizers were isolated renegades, having nothing to do with the actual philosophy which they claim to support.

Here’s the truth:

Even though I am a Christian and would never say it out loud, I could stand on a street corner anywhere in America and scream at the top of my lungs, “Fuck Jesus!” without ever fearing I would be attacked, blown up or beheaded.

Even though there are many who apologize for the acts of the terrorists, they continue to insist that their hideous deeds have nothing to do with their belief system, but there are also very few members of that belief system who are willing to speak publicly against these deviants.

Why? Because the religion they represent gives a free reign to kill people who speak against Mohammed.

So we come up with baseless statements, like “the Muslim religion is a religion of peace.”

Here is a truthful statement:

The avid, unyielding propagation of any philosophy fails to create peace–whether it’s a militant Amish, a movie critic, a Democrat, Republican, fundamentalist Christian, gay activist or stamp collector–if any one of them is overly focused on their own goals, they will exclude hearing any other opinion.

The only hope is that those who are not quite as zealous will step in and take care of their crazies.

It is baseless to assume that the Muslim faith and the Muslim nations are guiltless for terrorism. Because if they are not willing to take care of their nut cases while apologizing to the world for letting them slip through the cracks … then they are the minority who is oppressed by the radical and hateful horde.

 

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Barnstorming

Barnstorming: (v) to make a rapid tour of an area, typically as part of a political campaign.Dictionary B

Many years ago, I was in the process of purchasing a house. I remember arriving at one prospective residence, stepping in the door, and immediately having my nostrils attacked by a ferocious amount of stinky.

I immediately knew there was a dead rat in the house. (Maybe it wasn’t actually a rat; maybe it was a cat or dog. But somewhere in that home was a dead creature that was decaying.)

I turned to the real estate agent and asked him if he smelled it, and fearing that he was about to lose a sale, he pretended to be oblivious to the nasal assault.

I just laughed at him.

I feel the same way when I tune into America today during our political season. Even though the barnstorming of rallies is filled with music, cheers, banners and funny-looking hats, I smell a rat.

It stinks.

I turn to people around me to see if they notice the same repellent odor and most of them are wearing the banners, hats and reciting the slogans, so they feel compelled to ignore the putrification.

I have no such loyalty.

I sniff rotting ideas being passed off as acceptable.

I don’t care if you’re Republican, Democrat or Independent–you can barnstorm away but I will be sniffing for the smell. Here are the four things that stink up American democracy:

1. “We have got to get rid of them because…”

If we’re a democracy, we can’t get rid of anybody. We can try to channel, adjust, expand, get creative with approaches or admit that we’re ignorant of what to do, but freedom is freedom.

2. “What they’re doing overseas is so bad that we…”

I don’t know why we’re in such a hurry to pick a fight. I guess it’s because we spent so much money on military toys that we feel like we should at least play with them.

Here’s a clue: the more we stay out of wars, the less people will die. Just a thought.

3. “It’s against the Law of God…”

Well, since God is not here to be His own attorney, we’re relying on your interpretation of His statutes. It’s called “hearsay.” That interpretation needs to be mingled with an understanding of Constitutional American law.

Yes, there is a Caesar we answer to and there is a God we answer to, and you can’t take what was meant for liberty and Caesar and question it by citing God.

4. “That Party doesn’t do anything right, but we…”

In my lifetime I have watched Republicans do stupid things and good things. Likewise, the Democrats have had their share, going both ways.

The difference between complete fiasco and partial fiasco is how cool-headed, practical and willing our leaders are.

  • A reactionary Republican or Democrat always do equal damage.
  • A peace-making Republican or Democrat are a glory to all of us.

Let the barnstorming begin.

I will be sniffing for rats.

When I smell them, I will tell you–and you can either pretend they don’t exist because they’re part of your house … or admit that you smell them, too.

 

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Awhile

Awhile: (adv) for a short time.dictionary with letter A

“It’s been awhile.”

Yes, it’s been awhile since:

  • People said please and thank-you without being threatened.
  • It was a foregone conclusion that we would let our neighbor into the flow of traffic.
  • A casserole was delivered to the sick friend instead of just a get-well card.
  • A compliment was provided without fear of losing one’s own status.

Yes, it’s been awhile since:

  • A Republican and a Democrat found that they were both American.
  • Church was a fueling station for our heart and soul instead of an exaggerated platform for spiritual superiority.

It’s been awhile since:

  • Men and women have counted the cost and realized how valuable they are to one another.
  • The death of a human being was considered the tragedy that God views it to be.

It’s been awhile since:

  • We’ve lifted our noses out of our electronics to find a human connection of equal power.
  • We’ve come together as a nation to believe that we are both blessed and needing to be more responsible.

It’s been awhile.

But the great hope in my heart is that what seems to have become outdated is often forgotten and later rediscovered, as if a new generation invented the idea.

 

 

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Arguable

dictionary with letter A

Arguable: (adj) able to be argued or asserted; open to disagreement

“I like to argue,” he said with a smile.

It was obvious that he found himself extraordinarily engaging. He believed that disagreement, even to the point of dissension, was often necessary in the human family, in order to bring about the compromise that pushes ideas forward.

It’s a very popular notion–matter of fact, we think we need Democrat and Republican Parties to create the tension that fosters our tenuous democracy.

Would we have television if we didn’t have arguments?

Many of these impasses are considered to be natural and healthy. For instance, the notion that men and women can understand one another and come to any mutual tendency seems absurd to the masses.

We have relented to a discourse which favors disagreeability.

  • I am uncomfortable with it.
  • I have lost the passion for my own opinion.
  • I am no longer enamored with the mere sound of my voice.
  • I do not feel strong by making others weak simply by overcoming them with my sentiments.

I think somewhere along the line those who argue need to understand that there are truths that exist, which must play out and be honored. Otherwise, merely winning the day in debate is a victory with little meaning.

Simply because someone can form the words to disprove my assertion does not make them right. It’s also not honorable when I over-think some issue and develop a presentation which counters good reason just for the sake of proving my prowess.

I think some folks would be happy with disaster as long as it was their idea.

Not me.

Sometimes I just like to shut up and see if there’s a still, small voice in the universe … that’s whispering wisdom.

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Arbitrary

dictionary with letter A

Arbitrary: (adj) based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.

When everything is considered important, nothing truly has value.

Half the time I don’t know whether to burst out laughing or cry as I watch the entanglement of emotions in our society, giving place to things, feelings and problems that really just don’t matter.

I am going to give you a list of those things which I find to be arbitrary, and therefore annoying and useless, generating a traffic jams in our human flow:

1. I don’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat. Pass a damn law.

2. I do not care that Kim Kardashian has a large butt. Perhaps some of it should be transferred to her cranium.

3. I do not care, on The Voice, if you have a family, children, a mother with cancer or are going through a financial hard time. I thought you wanted to be a singer, not a hard case. Shut up and sing.

4. I do not care about church doctrine. I want you to tell me better ways to “love my neighbor as myself.”

5. I certainly am appalled at the views some folks have of women, using religion to punish them, which creates a self-defeating environment where you soon will have nobody to romance.

6. I do not care to hear about every time a celebrity is in a bad mood. After all, since they have financial security, they should probably pursue a traditional form of gratitude to rectify their surly nature.

7. I don’t care if you’re black, white, red, yellow, brown, tan, rose, pink or any particular hue. I would just like you to be nicer.

8. I would like people who are caught in hypocrisy to admit that they were hit by a dumb stick instead of hitting me with a stick and acting like I am dumb for challenging them.

9. I would like to live in a world where truth is still honored and lying is considered to be a negative thing instead of a “natural” thing.

10. I would like the 24-hour news cycle to at least take a daily nap so they don’t have to embellish every little stupid thing that comes along.

And even though I am supposed to end at #10, I will do an 11th, which is:

11. I am tired of the spiritual, political and social correctness which promises the right of free speech, but only as long as you agree with the majority.

If we remain determined to make everything a story … there will soon be no true stories to tell.

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