Trump Went Too Far This Time

We. as individuals and within our various groups, need to self police. We need to examine what we say and do and to explain, expand upon, and apologize as necessary for our words and deeds. And we cannot be afraid to censure our friends when they cross a line. Perhaps especially so then. President Trump merits censure by tweeting he was glad Robert Mueller had died. 

We should never, ever, under any circumstances revel in a person's death. What they need at that time are prayers, charity, consideration for their souls, and concern for the suffering of their families left behind. Stating we're glad they're dead is never justifiable. 

I don't care that our opponents have acted similarly. The defense that it's just Trump being Trump is a dodge. It does not matter that our adversaries will, and they will, use our necessary self reflection against us. We are called to love everyone. That means wanting the good for them. That means prayers and charity upon death. Even before that, quite frankly, but particularly then. Full stop.

The President saying that he's happy a fellow human being has died is disgusting, reprehensible, and indefensible. We must say it. Out loud. And no matter what. 

Baby Don't Hurt Me

As I walk around the neighborhood nearly every morning I see the identical sign on several lawns. It is a litany of brief slogans, such as 'Science is real' and 'Love is Love'. How quaint.

Certainly, science is real. But I have a hard time believing that the sign folks accept that a unique human being comes into existence immediately at conception or that male is male and female, female. Ah well. Man proposes.

Certainly, too, love is love. All right, but what is love? The first person who sings baby don't hurt me is going to get Gibbs slapped.

Mindless humor aside, let's return to the point. What is love? If it is merely whatever the, I'll say modern, individual claims it is (and there's little doubt that's the point of the signage) then we're talking nonsense. We would be staring at potentially billions of definitions of love and each with their own their own self serving justification. The sign may as well say carrot is carrot, except that that assertion has real value: we all know what a carrot is. As such, the statement reflects the neatly obvious truth about a vegetable which is independently, and dare I say scientifically, verifiable. Yet your own opinion on what love is, left entirely to itself with merely your own expertise as foundation, quite frankly lacks value and verifiability.

I, for one, am unwilling to offer blanket support for such an indeterminate phrase. The world would benefit if more people would express a like skepticism.