Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 14, 2012

15

OPINION

 Mountain Views News Saturday July 14, 2012 

STUART Tolchin..........On LIFE

HAIL Hamilton My Turn

Mountain 
Views

News

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR

Susan Henderson

CITY EDITOR

Dean Lee 

EAST VALLEY EDITOR

Joan Schmidt

SALES

Patricia Colonello

626-355-2737 

626-818-2698

PRODUCTION 

Richard Garcia

PHOTOGRAPHY

Lina Johnson

WEBMASTER

John Aveny 

CONTRIBUTORS

Jeff Brown

Pat Birdsall

Chris Leclerc

Bob Eklund

Howard Hays

Paul Carpenter

Stuart Tolchin

Kim Clymer-Kelley

Christopher Nyerges

Peter Dills 

Hail Hamilton 

Rich Johnson

Chris Bertrand

Ron Carter

Rev. James Snyder

Bobby Eldridge

Mary Carney

La Quetta Shamblee

Katie Hopkins

Deanne Davis

Despina Arouzman

Greg Wellborn

Dr. John Talevich

Meaghan Allen

Sean Kayden


THE PIECES ALL FIT TOGETHER

 

 This weekend my family and I paid the outrageous price required 
in Old Town to view a movie starring a six-year old girl. Really, 
it was nice to see a film that actually had people in it who were 
not dressed up in space-suits or shooting rockets at one another. 
Of course there were some computer-generated (at least I hope 
they were computer-generated) prehistoric horned giant-pig like 
creatures, “aurochs”. They are sort of imaginary creatures that 
clarify our hopes and fears and act as a kind of guide as we go through life.

 Anyway this six year old girl, Hushpuppy, lives a pretty tough life in the backwaters 
of the Southern Deltas. She wonders if in a hundred or two hundred years anyone 
will remember that there once lived a little girl named Hushpuppy living with her 
daddy in this kind of forgotten place called the Bathtub. She imagines that if any one 
remembers her, they will probably wonder how things got the way they got to be. 
She explains to these future people that everything is connected and all the pieces fit 
together and are caused by, and cause, all the other pieces.

 This perspective, which is popularly called the “butterfly effect”, popped into my 
head as I wondered what people a hundred or two hundred years from now would 
think about our current generation. I mean, assuming there still are people existing 
on this planet a couple of future centuries from now, won’t they wonder how we all 
could be so stupid and short-sighted? For a pretty long while now, I continue to worry 
about the state of this planet and its semi-sentient human inhabitants. Everyone talks 
about economic hardship but all responsible economic statistics show that this is a 
time of unmatched corporate wealth. Our biggest corporations are just stuffed with 
money, but they are just sitting on these piles of wealth and doing nothing to create 
jobs that might benefit the rest of us.

 The most profitable corporations are the oil companies of the world, which continue 
to benefit from ever-increasing global addiction to fossil fuels that blow carbon into 
the atmosphere. The current heat wave makes it easier for all of us to believe in the 
horror of global warming, or climate change depending on your political preference. 
No matter what you call it, our planet’s habitability will end unless there is some 
sort of global mobilization to radically change our carbon consumption along with a 
whole lot of other necessary adjustments.

 It’s not just the destruction of our entire civilization that disturbs me; it’s that 
most people are just too busy to care very much about it. Really that’s what people 
say when I try and talk about the terrifying predictions of the future that inhabit my 
dreams and waking life as well. “What has the future ever done for me?” “It’s just 
survival of the fittest.” “I’m too busy to think about that and anyway it depresses me.” 
“Anyway, what can one person do?”

 Well, to understand we need only follow little Hushpuppy’s advice. Remember? 
All the pieces fit together, but all these pieces are subject to certain laws. I actually was 
exposed to a couple of these laws or processes in College Political Science class. Every 
organization is subject to the “Iron Law of Oligopoly” which inevitably results in the 
creation and perpetuation within an organization of an elite class which rules. This 
small leadership group has interests very different from the rest of the membership 
of the organization and continually works to maintain and increase its power. No 
matter the original ideals of the group, there occurs a manipulation by the elite of 
everyone else for their own benefit. All else is a façade.

 How do the elite fool everyone into acting against their self interest and for the 
benefit of the leadership? Recently, I have read a little about the father of Public 
Relations, Edward Bernays. This man, Sigmund Freud’s nephew no less, taught the 
use of psychological manipulation - propaganda is probably a better term - for the 
purpose of governing minds, forming tastes, and suggesting ideas such that a small 
elite could prosper to the detriment of everyone else. Stalin and Hitler and Richard 
Nixon were diligent practitioners of Bernays’ methods, as are the present leaders of 
the corporate world. The rest of us are the victims.

 So, Hushpuppy, maybe it’s all inevitable. Our corporate rulers have made our lives 
so busy and diverted us with concerns about money, our local sports teams, baldness 
and wrinkles, sexual prowess and the need for narcotic or alcoholic escape - that 
we’re incapable of doing much to save ourselves. Pretty soon the 1% might notice 
that it is in their own elitist interest to save the planet and our specie. Watching Mitt 
Romney’s ever-changing positions over the past year, it’s difficult to believe that he 
cares about anything but the gain of increased power. Well, as the late Kurt Vonnegut 
wrote, “So it goes!” 

AN EPIPHANY

.....................a moment of clarity

 Recently I had an epiphany, or what I prefer to call a moment 
of Clarity. A moment of clarity is when you suddenly get a 
deep understanding of some truth that’s been out of reach for 
you. When your vision becomes unclouded and focused by a 
mad rush of what has been called an epiphany or revelation. 
People suffering from addictions use this phrase to refer to a moment when they 
are not being effected by their substance and can “see” or understand clearly the 
nature of their problem and finally realize the need to stop and get help. 

 My moment of clarity had nothing to do substance abuse, or any other kind of 
negative behavior. My epiphany was about my perspective on life and the priorities 
I had been setting for those things most dear to me, especially my family. Those 
of you who know me personally know that I am the father of three children, two 
teenage sons and an older step-daughter (she calls me “dad” so I claim her as my 
own) who is about to make me a grandfather. I have a beautiful wife who, besides 
being my best friend and soul-mate, is a wonderful mother. 

 I mention all this because about 5 weeks ago I learned I had a serious health 
condition that, if it had continued to have gone on undetected, could very well 
have cost me my life. I was having severe weakness and pain in my left leg and 
knee. This had been going on for nearly four years with no end in sight. I could 
no longer run or surf. The worst thing was nobody could tell me what was causing 
the problem. Well, finally, my doctor ordered an MRI of my lower back to see if 
a slipped or crushed disk could be pinching a nerve to my leg. The MRI clearly 
showed some serious age-related spine misalignment and disk damage. But it 
showed something more.

 

 The MRI showed that I had a huge agate-sized kidney stone in my right kidney. 
To make matters worse my kidney had swollen to three times its normal size. 
Surprisingly, I had no warning symptoms whatsoever about the seriousness of 
my condition -- no lower back pain, no fever, no painful urination. It was just 
dumb luck that the stone was discovered at all. My doctor said had it not been 
discovered, my very enlarged kidney could have burst. The consequences of which 
could have been catastrophic. It still makes me shudder to think of what could 
have happened.

 Now here’s where the moment of clarity -- or epiphany -- comes in. Five 
weeks later and on the mend I have been forced to rethink my life and what really 
is important. The thought of never seeing my two boys grow up, get married 
and have families of their own is beyond my meager mental abilities to grasp. 
The thought of having missed the birth of my grandchild and seeing the pride 
and joy in the faces of my daughter and her husband is too heart-wrenching to 
contemplate. But most of all, dying without being able to tell my wife one last time 
how much I love her brings tears to my eyes as I write this. 

 My dad once told me, after I and three high school friends walked away unscathed 
from a terrible auto accident: “Someone up there is watching your back, Hail... 
You must have a guardian angel looking out for you.” Sometimes when I consider 
the things I’ve survived during my lifetime I wonder if my dad hadn’t been on 
to something. Call it dumb luck, fate, whatever... but the fact is, I’m still alive. 
However, this last brush with death has made me realize how truly blessed my 
life has been. It has given me new meaning to the age-old riddle that has plagued 
humankind since man first stood upright and gazed up at the stars: “Where do I 
come from, where am I going, and most importantly, how long do I have?”

Mountain Views News 
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RICH Johnson

ARMENIAN IDENTITY 
FESTIVAL 2010

If you find yourself at Pasadena’s Victory Park on Sunday, 
July 22nd, you’ll be in the perfect spot, particularly if you 
are there from 11:00 to 7:00 pm. 

Why? You will be there celebrating the 5th Annual 
Armenian Identity Festival. 

No, you don’t have to prove Armenian identity to get in. Being a member of 
the Western (or Eastern) Hemisphere qualifies you for free entrance AND 
free parking.

I have personally had the pleasure of good Armenian friends since I was a 
wee lad of 19. And I can tell you that Armenian’s have a rich heritage and 
culture. And they would love to share that culture with us.

There will be music, activities, art, dancing, food and much more. A special 
word on the cuisine: Corfu Restaurant of Sierra Madre will be offering 
delicious chicken kebab meals and gyros sandwiches. That’s Mediterranean 
cuisine at it’s best.

For the younger generation there will be crafts, games, fire safety, and even 
a petting zoo. For the less than younger generation there will be live music, 
vendor booths and yes, a raffle with two great prizes: One lucky raffler will 
win a beautiful gold necklace and another raffler will leave with 4 great 
tickets to the 2013 Rose Bowl.

This festival is also celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the first printed 
Armenian Book. That’s right, in 1512 the first Armenian book was published 
in Venice, Italy. This began a rich heritage of Armenian books. Showcased 
will be five to ten of these priceless printed classics on display at the Festival. 
The oldest book is from the 1600s. 

The event is sponsored by the Armenian Community Coalition of Pasadena, 
and the Armenian Identity Harvest. Come celebrate as our Armenian 
community partners with Pasadena to make this festival meaningful to the 
community. Sunday, July 22, 2012 from 12:

Shameless Plug #37: The band I have the pleasure of performing with, 
JJJukebox, is playing in August in Memorial Park (next to City Hall). Please 
put Sunday evening, August 12th on your calendars. From 6:00 to 8:00 pm 
yours truly will be performing with a very talented group of musicians. We 
will be sharing fun classic rock and roll songs from the 1960s and 1970s. In 
addition to John, Paul, George…I mean Barry, Steve, Mike and Rich, we 
have invited three wonderfully vivacious gals (and great singers) to help 
class us up. Amy Kafkaloff will be performing a couple vintage Jefferson 
Airplane songs, Lisa Bowman will wow us with “These Boots Are Made For 
Walking” and one other “secret” 1960s girls group song. And local singer/
songwriter Jane Fuller will mix in a classic rock song or two with an original 
song or two. 

Kiwanis and the Friends of the Sierra Madre Library are the wonderful 
sponsors of this concert. So please join us, Sunday, August 12th, from 6-8pm.


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO OLDFASHIONED 
SPANKINGS?

Sometimes watching the news on television gets rather disparaging. 
Now that we have 24/7 news, not only can we see the 
news any time we want to, but we can see it over and over and 
over again. It is particularly disheartening when there is a "slow" news day. I think all 
of us can remember O.J. Simpson's mad race down a Los Angeles highway.

 I can remember the good old days when Uncle Walter brought us up to speed on the 
day's news inside of a 30-minute program. Oh, for those good old days.

 Never has an American generation been exposed to so much and knows so little for 
so short a time.

 This all came to me recently when the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I were 
watching the news after our evening repast. I think it was the 9,999 time this particular 
news story had been played. Of course, we do not watch television that often and 
so we may only have seen a very short portion. The short portion that we saw was just 
about enough and my wife said so.

 It was the news story, if you remember, of the bus lady who was bullied by children.

 "I think those children," my wife said and then paused while she grit her teeth violently, 
"need a good old-fashioned spanking." And with that, she crossed her arms 
and set her face in a defiant manner. Luckily, I was not one of those children or I 
would have received the intentions of her mind at that point.

 Her comment got me to thinking. There was a time, back in "the day," when spankings 
were rather normal. Someone once said that if you saw a young boy on the street 
you should stop what you're doing and give him a good spanking because he was either 
coming from trouble or headed for trouble. Raising children then was a community 
affair. I am not sure that ever took place, but it does have an authentic ring to it.

 I semi-fondly remember when I was a youngster I had the heebie-jeebies whaled out 
of me by my father on a regular basis. And I can testify that I have not missed those 
heebie-jeebies. My life is better for not having them.

 Watching the video about the kids bullying that bus lady, I could not help but think 
that they were a rather spoiled bunch of little brats. Pardon my French. I think I 
would have taken it one step further than my wife. Not only do those youngsters 
need a good old-fashioned spanking but I think their parents do as well. Kids today 
are only a mirror of what they see and hear at home.

 When I was young, the only spoiled brats around were the children of the rich folk. 
They could afford to be spoiled brats because their parents with their money bought 
their way into society. The only thing those kids ever earned was a bad reputation 
and distain from the rest of us. The rest of us, having gone through the spanking rituals, 
could not afford to be spoiled brats. Good parents made sure of that.

 I think of what my father use to say. "Son, I'm going to take this Board of Education 
and apply it to the seat of your learning." I can testify that he was very enthusiastic 
about his job. With all that education, I have had multiple degrees on my posterior. 
Even to this day, every time I sit down I am reminded of that education.

 This "Board of Education" that my father was superintendent of, always hung by the 
door. Being the religious person that my father was, he had printed on this "Board 
of Education" the phrase from a favorite hymn, "I Need Thee Every Hour." It was a 
motto he lived up to all the years of my boyhood.

 I often prayed my father would get weary of exercising that "Board," but I must 
confess that my naughtiness wearied long before he did. Looking back, I am grateful.

 I will not go as far as to say that I am a good person, only that I am not a spoiled 
brat. I have learned through the years, thanks to the energy of my father, to extend 
courtesy to everybody around me and be respectful.

 Respecting other people is not something that comes naturally. Everybody needs to 
be taught that everybody deserves respect. Some people have earned more respect 
than others, I grant you. However, nobody deserves deliberate disrespect like those 
kids gave that bus lady.

 With all the studies are being done through our governmental grant programs, I 
wonder why nobody has ever, at least to my knowledge, done a study on the importance 
of discipline in the home.

 It is at this point I must agree most heartily with the scriptural injunction on this 
subject. Solomon, the wisest man in the world, had much to say about disciplining 
children. And if anybody should know about disciplining children, it was Solomon.

 "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it 
far from him" (Proverbs 22:15 KJV).

 "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes" 
(Proverbs 13:24 KJV).

 Disciplining children to ensure they grow up to be proper adults demands a whole 
lot of energy especially from parents. Love sometimes carries a large stick.

Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, PO Box 831313, Ocala, 
FL 34483. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. His web site is www.
jamessnyderministries.com


Mountain Views News

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