Confederate Flag - A Different Angle

Controversy over the Confederate flag rises up from time to time.  The latest uproar came as the governor of South Carolina started action to stop displaying the flag on state-owned property, in response to the church shooting in Charleston.  Several companies followed her lead and stopped selling Confederate flags, or merchandise that includes images of the flag.  In reaction to this, many on social media and elsewhere began to openly defend the flag.

Opponents of the flag say it is a symbol of hate, racism, and slavery.  Some defenders of the flag say it doesn't represent those things, that it is just a part of history, and it represents the soldiers who fought for a cause they believed was just.  I will come back and touch on those points, but before I go into my view of the Confederate flag, I want to say some things about rights.

You, as an individual living in the United States, have the right to display the flag on your property.  I will support and defend your right to do so.

But, just because you can, that doesn't always mean you should.

I've never been comfortable with the Confederate flag.  For a long time, I wasn't sure why, but several years ago, I came to see why that flag bothers me.

It represents a rejection of American unity.

Two hundred thirty nine years ago today, representatives of 13 British colonies signed a document declaring they were no longer colonies and subjects of the British monarchy, but free and independent states.  After fighting a war securing our freedom and independence, and experimenting with a loose confederation of the states, some of those same representatives and others produced another document outlining a new plan for our government; one that would form "a more perfect union."

The states were united in their quest for independence, and in their desire to hold the new country together.

Along the way, a compromised had to be incorporated in this new document, one that accommodated slavery in the South.  They knew this issue would have to be addressed later, as the first document explicitly stated the self-evident truth of "all men being created equal, and endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights."

The country did remain united through a second war with Britain, and another with Mexico.  But during the 1850's, opposition to slavery grew.  Some opposed slavery on moral grounds.  Others opposed it as economically unfeasible for the future prosperity of the nation.

Then Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States, and the Republican Party also won a majority in both houses of Congress.  Before Lincoln's inauguration, and even before the seating of the new Congress, southern states started seceding from the Union.  They formed a new government for themselves, and drew up their own constitution.  For those whose say the Civil War wasn't about slavery, well, I guess they never heard of the "Cornerstone Speech" made by the Confederacy's Vice President.

At the time the Confederacy formed, neither Lincoln nor Congress had taken any steps to abolish slavery in the South.  In fact, Lincoln at that time was a moderate on the issue, opposing both abolitionism and expansion of slavery in the new territories.

Slavery didn't officially become an issue for the Union until the Emancipation Proclamation, which became effective on January 1, 1863.  Even then, freeing the slaves was primarily a military strategy.

Lincoln didn't even mention slavery in the Gettysburg Address.  Instead his focus was on preserving the Union, " a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

Now, I'm not going to go into great detail here about the issues of slavery, states' rights, racism and so on.  My focus is on American unity.

I think the actions of the Secessionist states show they rejected the principle of equality, and thus rejected American unity.  The slave states knew what the Declaration of Independence said.  If they didn't agree with its principles, they should have formed their own nation after the Revolution.  But by joining the Union, they were committed to both the Declaration and the Constitution.  They could have sought separation from the Union through constitutional means.  But, they acted out of fear and thus initiated a war.

 One other item I would like to throw in here for consideration before I wrap this up, and this has to do with symbolism and history.  The 45th Infantry Division distinguished itself in combat in both world wars.  It became known as the Thunderbird Division, after the insignia it wore in WW2 and Korea.  Today's successor to the Division is the 45th Infantry Brigade and it still uses the Thunderbird.  But before the 1930's, its insignia was the swastika.  They changed to the Thunderbird after Hitler's rise to power.  You can still see uniforms of the 45th with swastikas on display in museums.

To me, that's where the Confederate flag belongs - in museums or similar historical displays.

My final thought about the flag:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the UNITED States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands; ONE NATION, under God, INDIVISIBLE, with liberty and justice for all!

ONE NATION, ONE FLAG!

A STRANGE OCCURANCE ONE CHRISTMAS

Operator: 911.  What is the nature of your emergency?
Caller: Someone just broke into my house!
Operator: OK, sir, I’ll send the police, but I first have to confirm your address.  The systems shows you at 4321 Maple.  Is that correct?
Caller: Yes it is!  Please hurry, the burglar is still here!
Operator: Are you okay?  Has he hurt anyone?
Caller:  I’m okay.  I don’t think anyone is hurt.
Operator:  Can you see him?  What is he doing?
Caller:  I’ve been watching him, but I can’t make out what he’s been doing.  He moves so fast!  He’s doing something by the Christmas tree.  He has a large bag, so he may be stealing presents!
Operator:  Can you describe him?
Caller:  I guess he’s about average height, heavy set, with a long white beard and long white hair.  He’s wearing a strange red suit and black boots.
Operator:  Is the suit like a jump suit?
Caller:  No, it’s two pieces.  The jacket has white fur around the hood, the bottom hem, and the cuffs of the sleeves.  Oh, I hear the sirens now!
Operator:  OK, sir, I’ll let you go.  Wait for the police and they’ll handle everything from here on out.


When the police arrived, the caller was standing in his front yard looking up at the sky.  He informed the officers the burglar was gone.  Here’s how the police interview went:

Officer:  Sir, why are you looking up at the sky?
Caller:  It’s the strangest thing….  After I got off the phone with the 911 operator, the burglar moved over to the fireplace and disappeared.  Then I saw a red glow outside like maybe the roof was on fire.  I came outside to check, thinking, “That’s just what I need!  A fire on top of a burglary!”  Maybe the guy’s an arsonist, too, trying to cover his tracks!  But, as you can see the roof is fine.  I did see a red glowing spot circling around overhead, and it appeared to be followed by some kind of vehicle, but I couldn’t make out what it was.  I was trying to track it when you guys pulled up.  It didn’t look like any aircraft that I’m familiar with, but it might be some kind of drone.  You know how popular those things have gotten lately.
Officer:  OK, sir.  Let’s go inside to see if anything was taken.
Caller:  Yes, of course….   Strange thing about that drone or whatever it was… it didn’t sound like one of those remote controlled planes or helicopters.
Officer:  What did it sound like?
Caller:  Bells, but not church bells, phone bells, doorbells, or cowbells.  It was more… jingly.
Officer:  Like sleigh bells, sir?
Caller:  Yes!  Like sleigh bells!  But I don’t think there’s a sleigh or sleigh bells within a hundred miles of here!
Officer:  Well, sir, does it appear that any presents are missing?
Caller:  Uhm, let me look for a minute….  No, nothing’s missing.  As a matter of fact, I see several packages that weren’t here earlier!
Officer:  Don’t touch anything, sir!  You need to evacuate your family from the house right now!  I’m calling in the bomb squad and a crime scene crew.  These new packages might contain explosives!


The bomb squad brought in a bomb-sniffing dog that didn’t find any explosives.  The Caller mentioned that the burglar wore gloves, so the crime scene people didn’t bother to check for fingerprints.  The only other evidence they found was a trail of soot particles between the fireplace and the Christmas tree, plus a long white whisker.  DNA tests produced no matches on the whisker, but it did come from a Scandinavian male.
While the bomb squad and the crime scene crew conducted their investigations, a robbery detective continued to interview the Caller at a safe place nearby.

Detective:  Do you know how the burglar got in?
Caller:  All my windows and doors are wired in to my alarm system, but the alarm didn’t sound.  I just had the system checked a few days ago so I know he didn’t come in through a window or door.  The only other opening between indoors and outdoors that isn’t on the alarm system is the chimney.
Detective:  Didn’t you say the burglar was heavyset?  How could he fit in the chimney?
Caller:  I don’t know, but I don’t see how else he could have gotten in!
Detective:  Very well, we’ll deal with this issue later, hopefully when we catch the guy!  If the alarm didn’t sound, how did you become aware that a burglar was in your house?
Caller:   The sound of someone calling out some names woke me up.  I think the burglar might have several accomplices, and he might even be part of a gang involved in prostitution!
Detective:  What makes you say that, sir?
Caller:  I heard him call out seven or eight names.  I couldn’t make out all the names, but the ones I could make out sound like gangster nicknames, like Dancer, Prancer, and Blitzin’.  He also said the word ‘ho’ a lot.
Detective:  Hmm, okay, I see what you mean about the gang affiliation and the prostitution angle.  Is that all you heard?
Caller:  No.  When I first heard the names being called out, I thought it was from a movie or TV show.  I do have a neighbor who watches movies late at night a lot, and sometimes the sound carries very well at night.  But I remembered he went out of town for the holidays.  Then I heard a strange sound that made me get up to go investigate.  I heard a sound like hooves on wood coming from directly overhead, like ponies or deer trampling on my roof!  I grabbed my cordless phone to go outside to check the roof.  Before I got all the way down the stairs, I saw the burglar and immediately called 911!


The local police never could solve this case, so they asked the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI for a profile  The profiler assigned to the case is now on medical leave for psychiatric treatment.  However, the detective is still determined to find the culprit, even if he has to go all the way to the North Pole!

Becoming A Better Communicator

A while back, I was thinking on a practice that some churches have, and I saw something that hams could adapt for our own purposes.   Don't worry, I'm not going to get religious on you here.

Some churches, from time to time, will have testimony meetings.  In these meetings, rank and file members of the congregation will speak about recent experiences that had spiritual significance, or they will relate their conversion experiences.

While reflecting on this, I realized that I have a ham radio testimony, that is, a story about how I became a ham radio operator.  Every ham has a ham radio testimony.

Why should we concern ourselves with this?

Consider this question: What makes ham radio, ham radio?  What makes ham radio different?  Is it the radios?  The science, the technology?  No, because other people have radios and all radios work on the same basic principles.  So, what does make the difference?

We do.  Hams make ham radio what it is.  We make ham radio what it is by what we do with our radios.

This has implications, not just for recruiting, but for public relations in general.

Think about your own experience.  Most likely, someone or a group of people influenced you in some way to become a ham.  Maybe a friend, relative, teacher, co-worker was a ham and they impressed you with their station, QSL cards, awards, etc.  One ham in Tulsa was part of an organization that puts on a big bicycling event, and he decided to become a ham when he had seen the job that hams did supporting that event its first year.

As scary as this thought might sound, a living, breathing ham is a better advertisement for ham radio than any brochure.  I'm not putting down brochures, for they can present information about ham radio is an attractive manner.  But, no brochure can tell someone how much fun it is to talk to someone in another country with out a huge long distance charge on their phone bill, or the satisfaction felt from calling for help when a runner or bike rider goes down.

Several times I have heard a local ham say that everyone needs to be a ham.  I've never agreed with that because I know some people that don't belong on ham radio, and I can think of at least one ham that I wish wasn't a ham.  So, ham radio is not for everybody, but I will say that everybody should be for ham radio.  They need to know what ham radio is and respect it for what we do with our radios.

A ham's testimony can be a valuable tool for letting the public know about ham radio.

But I have another reason for talking about ham radio testimonies.

I have been a ham since March of 1997.  Since then, I have tried to be as active in the clubs as I can be, so I have been to plenty of club meetings.  One thing that you can count on to happen at a club meeting from time to time, is that the newsletter editor will BEG for articles.

Several times, when that has happened, I'll hear someone off to the side say, "I can't write!"

What wrong with that picture?

Ham radio is a form of communications.  Essentially, it is talking on radio.

Writing is also a form of communications.  It is talking on paper, or nowdays, through a word processor.

If you are a ham, that means you can write!

A common misperception is that writing requires talent.  Of course, some writers are talented at creating clever phrases and vivid descriptions, but writing is a skill that anyone can develop.  Sure, developing that skill takes time and effort.

Another common excuse is, "I don't have anything to write about."  Well, I just gave you something to write about - your ham radio testimony!

Even if you don't submit your testimony as an article for your club's newsletter, I challenge you to write it out anyway.  Do it for yourself.  See as an exercise that will help you become a better communicator.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and challenge you to do something I haven't done myself.  Not only that, I will offer you some help if you have no idea how to get started on writing.

I have written my ham radio testimony and uploaded it to an online file storage and sharing website.  Here is the download link, if you wish to see it:    

http://www.mediafire.com/?k9bjjlr4fc4vn9z

I have also created a simple writing plan I call the 3-6-3 Writing Plan.  It's available here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?irnl2hrssf9l0s2

Beyond the 3-6-3 Writing Plan, I will offer additional help.  Once you have written your testimony, and if you want someone to take a look at it to see if it needs improvement, you can send it to me via email in a text file, or in a Word, Open Office, or PDF file.  I won't make any changes, but I will tell you what changes need to be made.  My email is:

kc5zqm@cox.net

The last thing I want to say about ham radio testimonies is this:  Don't just tell the story of how you became a ham.  Include a summary of what you have done as a ham radio operator, and tell about the parts of ham radio that appeal to you the most.

Finally, I will relate a story that I hope motivates you to follow up on this.

Years ago, a famous novelist was asked to give a lecture about creative writing at a college campus.  When he came out on stage, his clothes were a bit disheveled, his hair uncombed and his eyes a bit bleary as if he were hung over.  After he reaches the podium, he looks over the audience for a moment and then says, "I assume that everyone here wishes to be a writer."

Everyone nods in agreement to that statement.

Then he said, "What are you doing here, instead of sitting at your desks writing something?" before he turns and leaves the stage.

Why Vote?

Anyone who has not been living under a rock in the USA knows, we have an election coming up.  By this time, many people are reaching their saturation point for political advertisements and discussions.  One of my Facebook friends has gone so far as to say that continued political posts showing up on his newsfeed could affect the poster's friendship status with him.  I feel his pain (annoyance, actually, but for some people it could be approaching their pain threshold).

Even though I have not contributed much to the political discussion this cycle, I do intend to vote.  I believe in the value of voting.

Now, I can hear some of the common objections, and I'd like to answer them.

"My vote doesn't count!"  Really?  If you vote doesn't count, then why do politicians and political parties spend so much money to get your vote?  Even for those running a low budget campaign, they have to get out to knock on doors, or go to places where people gather, such as malls, parks, concerts, fairs, etc.  They put in time, effort and money to get your vote, so it must mean something to them.

"All politicians are crooks!"  That's the best reason to vote!  Here in America, you get to choose your crook!
Let's say you have to cross a bridge, but you can go on either side of the bridge, left or right.  On the right side is a crook who wants to take $500 from you, and on the left, one who wants to take $500,000.  Now let's say you are part of a group of 11 people, and you have to cross the bridge together all at the same time.  Five want to go on the right, even though the crook on that side is ugly and appears threatening.  The other five want to go on the other side because that crook is handsome and charming.  Which crook would you choose?  Would you leave that choice up to other people?  That's what you do when you don't vote.

You want more reasons to vote?  Get out your wallet or pocketbook and make a list of everything in it.  Now go over that list and put a checkmark by every item that comes from a government agency (money, driver's license, etc.).  Do the same for every item that represents something regulated by the government.  Each checkmark is a reason to vote.

Why Amateur Radio?

This is an excerpt from the TRO Signal Bulletin for 02 SEP 12:

As ham radio leaders are fond of reminding us, amateur radio is a hobby.  Most people that become hams do so because they enjoy doing things with radios.  Ham radio offers many opportunities to have fun, as well as chances for education, personal development, and fellowship.  But why should the government continue to allow ham radio to exist?

Much of what we do can be, and is, done by professional technicians and engineers.  If anyone wants to work with radios, they can go to school to get the training or education they need.  

Most of the professionals design, build, and maintain the communications systems used by the military, law enforcement, fire service, emergency medical, emergency management and other government agencies, as well as the broadcast industries that keep the general public informed.  Don't forget those that work to keep both the landline and cellular phone systems going. These systems do work most of the time, and nowdays, we see more and more interoperability incorporated into these systems.  In light of how well these system perform most of the time, someone might question the need for amateur radio.

But what often happens to these systems in major emergencies and disasters?  They fail, due to damage to the equipment, loss of power, or they become overloaded by the amount of traffic they have to handle immediately.

When this happens, the professionals concentrate their efforts on restoring and repairing these systems.  But vital messages still need to be passed.  The professionals don't have the time to handle this traffic.  What is obviously needed is a backup system already in place or easily deployable.  Amateur radio is that system.  That's why, "When All Else Fails...."

Craig Fugate, FEMA Administrator, recognized this at a recent conference, where he said, "But when you need Amateur Radio, you really need them."

For more about this conference and Fugate's remarks, go to this website:

http://nyc-arecs.org/last_line.html

The TRO Signal Bulletin is a text-only publication that I produce on behalf of the Tulsa Repeater Organization, and I send it out over the club's WA5LVT Yahoogroup.  It focuses on ham radio events and activities in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area.  To receive the Bulletin, you can sign up at the WA5LVT Yahoogroup here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WA5LVT/

Abortion: A Different Viewpoint

 The anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision is coming up.  Because this is an election year, the abortion issue will be on people's minds again, at least for a while.   The debate will flare up again, with both sides putting forth the same old arguments.  Very few minds will be changed.

I gave considerable thought to this issue before I made up my mind.  I also did something that few people have done - I have read the Roe v. Wade decision for myself, to see what it actually said..

As a result of this effort,  I have developed a view of abortion that I have not heard anyone else espouse.  I don't think that Roe v. Wade needs to be overturned.  I believe that Roe needs to  be ANSWERED.

I say this because the Roe decision applied directly to only one law in one state, Texas.  Because most abortions laws had the same basis, the states with similar laws considered them invalid and unenforceable.

What was the basis of the Texas law?  The health of the mother.

The Texas law was written in the 1830's, before it joined the Union.  Most of the states that had anti-abortion laws wrote them around the same time, and for the same reason.

Abortion was a dangerous procedure back then.  Many women died, if not from the procedure itself, then from complications.

By the middle of the 20th Century, medical practices improved enough that abortion could be performed without threatening the life or health of the mother.   So, the basis of the law was no longer valid.  We do not need laws without a sound foundation.

Now, you might be thinking that I have just made the case for abortion rights.  However, the Roe decision did say something that makes me say it needs to be answered.

The Roe decision did say that the state (that is, the government) had an interest in protecting life.  It stopped short of recognizing an unborn child as a person covered by the Constitution.  That leaves us the issue of personhood.

How can we establish personhood for an unborn child?  The answer is simple.  Establish identity and you establish personhood.  The only way to establish identity for the unborn is through DNA.

Whenever an egg is fertilized, the DNA of both the male and the female combine to form a new DNA pattern.  Because the new DNA contains parts of both parents' DNA, it can be matched to both.  But it cannot not be matched to only one.  Therefore, the argument that the fetus is part of the mother's body is invalid.  If it were, it would have her DNA and only her DNA.

It is this property of DNA that allows law enforcement to identify murder victims and murderers, rapists and other criminals.  DNA is often used to settle paternity disputes as well.

In light of this, the best way to end abortion would be for some state legislator in a pro-life state to write a law recognizing the unborn as persons with the right to life under the Constitution.  Once such a law is passed, signed, and tested in the Supreme Court, then other states will begin to enact their own laws.  When enough states have passed such laws, then a movement could be made to pass a Right To Life Amendment.

I could say more, but that explains the core of my perspective on this issue.

Sept. 11th Memories

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks.  Many have shared their memories of that day.  Here's mine:

I was sleeping in.  Mom was in the front room, but she didn't have the TV on.  She was probably reading.  The phone rang, and that's what woke me up.

The call was from one of Mom's friends.  Most of the times when this particular friend called, Mom would talk to her for a long time.  But Mom soon hung up and turned on the TV.  A few moments later, she came to my room to tell me that I needed to see what was on TV.

At that time, only the first plane had struck.  Most of the speculation then was that this was an accident.  But when the second plane hit, we all knew this was probably a deliberate act.

The collapse of the towers stunned me.  I'm not sure what I felt at that time, but I do remember thinking about all the live that would be lost.  I knew it would be in the thousands.

We watched the coverage for several hours.  I believe after a couple of hours the government confirmed that this was a terrorist attack.

That afternoon, when I went to the post office to get the mail, traffic was unusually heavy for the small town I live in.  The gas pumps at both convenience stores were busy.  Police were also quite visible.

When I heard that terrorists were behind the attack, I immediately thought of Saddam Hussein.  Being that he was a dictator, and had control of not only the Iraqi Air Force, but also Iraqi airlines, I thought he would have the knowledge to think up the plan for this attack.  As it turns out, Al Qaeda was behind the attack.

In all that has happened since then, I know that mistakes were made in our efforts to combat terrorism, but we must be doing something right, because we have not had another attack on that same scale.