Mother always told us it's not nice to hate
She'd been practicing that golden rule for years
If we'd only treat each other how we want to be ourselves
God will love us
God will love us
When I first met you I was quite impressed
So much more than pretty face among the crowd
And it didn't happen overnight but the curtain slowly fell
And the colors of your rainbow were revealed
You are the tribis hippocriticus
You are the tribis hippocriticus
You are the tribis hippocriticus
We don't like you
Just trying to be honest
From your position of authority
You looked down and not across our great divide
With a smile upon your face and hands placed firm on the controls
You're so artistic
You're so artistic
Expertise portrayed for all appearances
Pure professional facade to face the crowd
But just beneath that thick veneer reside reality
The truth is evident and there for
You are the tribis hippocriticus
You are the tribis hippocriticus
You are the tribis hippocriticus
We don't like you
Just trying to be honest
'Cause that's the way we all should be
We're not islands
We're not stones
And just what will it take
To make you see this truth
Let me make it crystal clear how strongly that I feel
'Bout the way you take advantage for yourself
If you took the power devoted to your cold conniving ways
And you turned it
And you turned it totally around
Direct it to another place
Try to do what you have done unto yourself
Just a little understanding there are others here with you
This revolving's not designed for only you
You are the tribis hippocriticus
You are the tribis hippocriticus
You are the tribis hippocriticus
We don't like you
Just trying to be honest
(from http://mentalfloss.com/article/30140/acdc-tesla%E2%80%93edison-feud#ixzz2cKrbbFpN)
". . . Edison’s least favorite of Tesla’s “impractical” ideas was the concept of using alternating current (AC) technology to bring electricity to the people. Edison insisted that his own direct current (DC) system was superior, in that it maintained a lower voltage from power station to consumer, and was, therefore, safer. But AC technology, which allows the flow of energy to periodically change direction, is more practical for transmitting massive quantities of energy, as is required by a large city, or hub of industry, say. At the time, DC technology only allowed for a power grid with a one-mile radius from the power source. The conflict between the two methods and their masters came to be known as the War of Currents, forever immortalized by the band AC/DC.
Tesla insisted that he could increase the efficiency of Edison’s prototypical dynamos, and eventually wore down Edison enough to let him try. Edison, Tesla later claimed, even promised him $50,000 if he succeeded. Tesla worked around the clock for several months and made a great deal of progress. When he demanded his reward, Edison claimed the offer was a joke, saying, “When you become a full-fledged American, you will appreciate an American joke.” Edison offered a $10/week raise, instead. Ever prideful, Tesla quit, and spent the next few months picking up odd jobs across New York City. Nikola Tesla: ditch digger. . . "
Whether you love that song or despise it, Peter, Paul and Mary were much, much more than that!
(from wikipedia.com)
". . .Manager Albert Grossman created Peter, Paul and Mary in 1961, after auditioning several singers in the New York folk scene. After rehearsing them out of town in Boston and Miami, Grossman booked them into The Bitter End, a coffee house, nightclub and popular folk music venue in New York City's Greenwich Village.
They recorded their first self-titled debut album, Peter, Paul and Mary, the following year. It included "Lemon Tree", "500 Miles", and the Pete Seeger hit tunes "If I Had a Hammer" (subtitled "The Hammer Song") and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?". The album was listed in the Billboard Magazine Top Ten for 10 months, including seven weeks in the #1 position. It remained a main catalog-seller for decades to come, eventually selling over two million copies, earning Double Platinum certification from the RIAA in the United States alone.
In 1963 the group also released "Puff, the Magic Dragon", with music by Yarrow and words based on a poem that had been written by a fellow student at Cornell, Leonard Lipton. Despite urban myths that insist the song is filled with drug references, it is actually about the lost innocence of
childhood. . .
The trio canceled several dates of their summer 2007 tour, as Mary took longer than expected to recover from back surgery and later had to undergo a second surgery, further postponing the tour.
Travers was unable to perform on the trio's tour in mid-2009 because of her leukemia, but Peter and Paul performed the scheduled dates as a duo, calling the show "Peter & Paul Celebrate Mary and 5 Decades of Friendship."
The Peter, Paul and Mary trio came to an end on September 16, 2009, when Mary Travers died at age 72 of complications from chemotherapy, following treatment for leukemia. It was the same year (2009) they were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
In 2010, Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey, the surviving members of Peter, Paul and Mary, requested that the National Organization for Marriage stop using their recording of "This Land is Your Land" at their rallies, stating in a letter that the organization's philosophy was "directly contrary to the advocacy position" held by the group. . ."
So I've got to say that I certainly hear both sides of the debate (see Pianogonzology August 14th & 15th) and empathize with each. Our society is all too quick to vilify and then we seek revenge. (See Mel Gibson movies-Any)
While Anthony Weiner, Bob Filner and Eliot Spitzer have all done despicable deeds, some with more hubris than others, as Howard Bess says, dwelling on these things will only make us miserable human beings.
I certainly have no desire to bring additional or excessive misery upon myself. First, and I'm sure Howard would agree, any illegal activity must not go unpunished. And I most certainly believe Howard is spot-on that we must forgive and move on. Based upon sincere remorse and a willingness to make amends (and restitution, if applicable) everyone deserves another chance.
What I have difficulty with, and I'm sure Howard is a much better man than I, is re-electing someone to the same position (or higher) when deficient remorse has been exhibited and excessive lack of scruples demonstrated.
". . .And now it comes out that the married Weiner (a/k/a Carlos Danger) engaged in even more and even dirtier stuff with even more women, since his resignation. (Alas, Spitzer may now seem almost clean by comparison.)
I never liked any of them. Spitzer and Weiner were both “progressive” blowhards. Spitzer was acclaimed as the “Sheriff of Wall Street;” I thought him a bully who abused his position and the law to curry popular favor shaking down unpopular targets. His governorship was a disaster even before the sex thing because he foolishly continued to act the bully. Weiner was no legislator, just a self-promoting publicity hound. . ."
(from Howard Bess)
"Vic Kohring lives in Wasilla, Alaska, the city made famous by Sarah Palin. He served seven terms in the Alaska State House of Representatives. He was convicted of accepting illegal gifts. He served his sentence in prison and has completed his parole/probation without violations of any kind. All his rights as a citizen have been restored. He now wants to run for a seat on the Wasilla City Council.
Bob Filner is the mayor of San Diego, California. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives. He served with distinction, but chose to leave Congress to run for the office of Mayor of San Diego. It has come to light that he has been a habitual sexual harasser of women with whom he worked. The charges are credible and there has been a loud cry for him to resign from his office of mayor. He has apologized for his behavior and has no intention to resign. He wants to be mayor of San Diego.
Anthony Weiner was elected to the U.S. House of Representative seven times. When he was charged with inappropriate sexting on the internet, he resigned from Congress and returned to New York City. When Weiner returned to New York City he continued his sexting activities under a different name. He has decided that he wants to be mayor of New York City.
He has apologized for his sexting activities and promises never to do such things gain. People are calling for his dropping out of the mayoral race. To date Weiner refuses to be a drop out.
I do not approve of Vic Kohring accepting illegal gifts. I do not approve of Bob Filner’s sexual behavior. I do not approve of Anthony Weiner’s sexting. However, if I dwell on the things that upset me, I will be a miserable human being. The Israelite/Christian tradition makes it abundantly clear that all human being are flawed and fall short of the potential of their lives.
Some well-intentioned human beings are hung up on cleaning up everyone’s flaws except his/her own. I am very skeptical about “clean up the mess” politicians and am even more concerned about “clean up the mess” religious leaders. I love the list of the fruits of the Spirit that Paul enumerates in his Galatians letter. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. I find no reference to judging and whistleblowing. Judging and whistleblowing do have a spirit behind them, but it is clearly not the one that Paul calls the “Holy Spirit.”
What to do about what is wrong in the world is a major topic in the Bible literature. There is disagreement about what should be done. There were devout people who thought their God advocated killing or seriously penalizing the wrong doer. Several of the Old Testament prophets disagreed, and for Jesus, the rabbi from Nazareth, punishment was counterproductive. He was much more interested in restoring, reclaiming, and making the flawed persons whole.
Of all the stories that Jesus told, the one of first importance is the parable of the Good Samaritan. I would place the parable of the wayward son in the second spot. The son blew family money on riotous living and made a fool of himself with women. When he came to his senses, he went home where his father welcomed him and restored him to the family. To accomplish this, the father had to extend an abundance of grace. The extension of grace to the unworthy is an essential part of the Christian tradition.
Kohring, Weiner and Filner made fools of themselves, but that does not mean that their value as human beings has been discarded. It may be that Vic Kohring will be a good city council member. Weiner may make an excellent mayor of New York City and Filner may do a good job as the head of the government in San Diego. Is there a place for grace in American public life?
The United States is a nation of law. However, it does not mean that we cannot be gracious within the framework of law. Right now the mood of America is not to extend grace to anyone. We have taken discretion from our judges and substituted mandatory sentences and absurd laws such as “three strikes and you’re out.”
One of the great hypocrisies of Christians and their churches is their finger pointing and judging. The foundation of the Christian Faith is not being right and pure but being gracious. Our Faith calls us to be witnesses about a different way to live. That way of life is gracious and restores the fallen.
If grace is good for any of us, it has to be good for all of us. All of us must include Kohring, Weiner and Filner."
(The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives In Palmer, Alaska. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net)
