
February 24, 2017 Lady
Liberty
We waited for hours
to board the ferry to Liberty Island. I had never seen the Statue of Liberty
up close so I was struck with awe as we neared the island and the colossal
size of the statue became apparent.
No wonder this man-made
edifice has been a political icon ever since it was conceived. If you
study its history, legends overlap fact and fiction. It is a symbol of
freedom, a welcoming arm to the immigrant, and a marvel of neoclassical
art mixed with the French structural engineering of Gustav Eifffel. Everyone
admires what it stands for yet different ideologies claim to be the true
follower of its message. It is a pure example of something universally
right yet confusing when it boils down to the details. It's like everyone
wanting a perfect meal but not everyone agreeing if it should be French,
Italian, Japanese, Chinese or even vegetarian. It rightly is the symbol
of the complex and dynamic America.

The politics of today
can raise your blood pressure when you hear comments and jeers from people
of opposing viewpoints. Seemingly innocent side comments or jokes can
be magnified insults. People are so sensitive about their party allegiance.
Everyone believes they have truth on their side and unless you agree with
them you are misinformed or just totally ignorant. Families are divided.
Friendships are shattered. But I suggest it need not be so, if we accept
a few observations.
- We are
not as smart as we would like to think. Better leave room for the possibility
that we may be wrong.
- There are very
intelligent people who are more knowledgeable and can defend their views
better than us ... and they are on the other side.
- We can never have
all the facts.
- If we do not listen
to opposing arguments, we will never know where others are coming from.
There will never be reconciliation.
- News items are
never purely objective.
- Even photographs
can be Photoshopped. Even unadulterated photos can influence
perceptions if taken seconds apart.
- Isolated incidents
are easily blown out of proportion when we compare it to the vast majority.
- Statistics and
polls can be manipulated by the pollsters. Take them with a grain of
salt.
- Just because a
person is not a polished speaker it does not mean his opinion is not
credible. He may have other strengths.
- When we start parroting
our favorite talking head, we are in danger of losing our own identity.
When he makes a mistake we will be defending him instead
of addressing the issues.
- The louder we shout
whose side we are on, the harder it is to admit we are wrong.
- We have to accept
that there are evil people (lobbyists) who are paid to promote an agenda
and they have substantial marketing budgets to do their deed. We need
to discern their propaganda and the mouthpieces that promote it.
- It's easy to be
a bully and lash out at everything that irritates you. It takes a lot
of maturity to be silent and respect other opinions.
It's good that people
are engaged in politics because for democracy to work, it needs an informed
majority. But let's engage in discussions more than personality attacks.
There were a lot of
trials in the building of the Statue of Liberty. Several times construction
came to a halt because of internal bickering and funding problems. And
yet this wild concept of a gigantic symbol of freedom back in 1875 has
turned into a modern marvel that droves of people, like me, would pay
$18 for the privilege of waiting in line for several hours.
When the dust of arguments
clear up. I am confident that the symbol of liberty and freedom will still
be standing to challenge us to new heights because in order to progress
there needs to be change. In order to change we need to listen to a multiplicity
of opinions. In order for opinions to be expressed, people need to have
the liberty to do so.
Whew! Sorry, I said
a mouthful, didn't I? See what the Statue of Liberty can do to you?
TGIF people!
50th
Anniversary Dinner Contributed by
Mike of New York
A husband and his
wife were celebrating 50 years together.
Their three kids,
all very successful, all agreed to a Sunday dinner in their honor.

"Happy
Anniversary Mom & Dad" gushed son number one, a surgeon, "Sorry
I'm running late. I had an emergency at the hospital with a patient, you
know how it is, and didn't have time to get you a gift."

"Not
to worry" said the father, "the important thing is that we're
all together today."
Son number
two, a lawyer, arrived and announced "You and Mom look great Dad.
I just flew in from Los Angeles between depositions and didn't have time
to shop for you."
"It's
nothing," said the father. "We're glad you were able to come."

Then the daughter,a
marketing executive, said. "Happy Anniversary! I'm sorry but my boss
is sending me out of town and I was really busy packing, so I didn't have
time to get you anything."
After they finished
dessert, the father said, "There's something your mother and I have
wanted to tell you for a long time. You see, we were very poor. Despite
this, we were able to send each of you to college. Throughout the years
your mother and I knew we loved each other very much, but we just never
found the time to get married."
The three children
gasped and all said, "You mean we're bastards?"

"Yep,"
said the father, "and cheap ones too!"
TGIF Videos

Honest
Trailer: Oscars 2017 Sent by Josh of New York City
This honest
trailer does a fine job in showing the hype in Hollyweird.
It may be politically touchy for some.
|

A
Day in Pompeii Sent by Don of Kelowna, B.C.
If there was
a webcam on August 24, 79 AD., the eruption of Mt. Vesuvious could
have looked like this.
Do you realize that the apostle John was the only apostle left alive
when this happened? No wonder he was inspired to write Revelations.
|

Peacherine
Rag Sent by Tom of Pasadena, CA
Don't ask me
what the title means. I just know it's pretty entertaining.
|
ONE
MORE GAG FOR THE ROAD Thanks
to Tom of Pasadena, CA

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Comments
Anonymous
Sun, 03/19/2017 - 16:34
Permalink
Need to Listen
Thanks for your column today. Your thoughts are so good and so worthwhile. I like to think I'm right! but I might not be. And even if I am right, the other guy should be able to say what he thinks and I'd better listen. That's what grown-ups do.
Julie