Author: Captain Obvious

I seem to remember our nation’s sad history here when black slaves were not equal to whites. The United States Constitution’s infamous “Three-Fifths Clause” dictated that for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives African-American slaves were to be counted as less than full persons.

The recent hostage trades in the Middle East have made me wonder why nobody … and I mean nobody other than my wife … has pointed out the obvious disparity between the value of a prisoner of one side to the other. It kind of makes the racial value bias in our country seem trivial.

Go ahead and try to find out why one Hamas prisoner is worth about three of Israel’s in the news or in our national conversations even at universities?  Nada. Nothing. Worse yet, those in the Israeli jails are terrorists … not everyday citizens including children and the elderly. So, we are seeing trades at 3 to 1 of terrorists for innocent non-combatant civilians?

Yet look at the protests in the streets almost everywhere and you see the size of the protests are almost in the same proportion. Gee. It seems to me that the record shows Hamas attacked Israel and killed civilians en masse.

Yes, I know the situation is complex and there are so many underlying reasons for this mutual hatred and distrust. Yes, I know that radicals on both sides fail to appreciate the attempts of the larger centrist thinkers as they attempted to find a peaceful answer.

But, to me at least, the world is speaking with an even louder voice with their failure to see this hostage imbalance. It reeks of antisemitism in my opinion. There is no other way to explain it. Simply said, Jews are worth a lot less than others, especially their Arab neighbors.

Why the silence? Is this secretly some form of reparations? Why are college campuses aflame with rage when a Jewish professor tries to explain what is happening over there?  Yet this obvious imbalance is ignored.

Just askin … and I would like your opinion as well … if you even care.

According to Wikipedia, the Romans originally dedicated the first day of the new year to Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings for whom the first month of the year (January) is named.  Later, as a date in the Gregorian calendar of Christendom, New Year’s Day liturgically marked the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ, and is still observed as such in the Anglican and Lutheran Churches.  In present day, with most countries now using the Gregorian calendar, New Year’s Day is probably the world’s most celebrated public holiday, often observed with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new year begins in each time zone.​

It is the time we traditionally make promises of things we are going to do and things we are going to stop doing.  Exercising, getting fit, and losing weight always seem to top the list.  While these are certainly good ideas for most people, perhaps there is a more important central or “core” idea that might make these naturally “fall in line” if we got that one core idea right.  Perhaps this central problem is that we do not fully realize who we are in this life.  Maybe, if we knew how important we were, it might be easier to get our ducks in a row.

Covey said it well with his chapter, “Begin with the End in Mind” of his popular 7 Habits book.  If your aim is going through the motions, getting by, making it to retirement, the New Year is just a repeat of last.  You can be thankful you had one to live, but you didn’t really live it.  If on the other hand, your goals are loftier and center on truly making a difference in your profession, your community, to your family or yourself, the New Year sets the stage for not only doing things differently but also doing different things.

Gates, doors and beginnings.  That has an optimism to it I like.  Maybe we all need to see Janus as opportunities for new discovery.  Seems to me, for too many, the tendency now is to close the gate, lock the door, and seek the safe center of what I have done in the past.  Not much of a resolution.  More like a resignation that you are not going to make a difference in your life or anyone else’s.

Be a part of something.  Move.  Do something daring.  Open a gate, a door and begin something new!  That’s my wish for you this holiday.

Happy New Year!

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