deception - a path we choose

The story about Richard Henne and the colossal hoax he and his wife concocted with their home made helium balloon in order to achieve their proverbial 15 minutes of fame has really crawled under my skin.

The focus of the media at this point appears to be the deception played on us, the public, and the impending charges that are apparently forth coming because of their stunt.

Where the real focus should be is that a mother and a father quite skillfully taught these three young boys to lie and deceive. These boys are all very young, all three in those formative years where morals and values are seeding themselves for future life choices. These boys are learning by their parents actions to navigate their way through life with deception, to forget the effect their actions will have on others as long as they, themselves, come out looking good in the end.

Unfortunately these three boys are in a way poster children of the values taught to many, many children, the only difference is the majority don't pick up their skills of deceit in the public eye like these three. Probably the deceptions aren't as grand as a "missing" child in a helium balloon floating over miles of countryside with the military, police and community at large in hot pursuit.

But a deception, either tiny or huge is still a deception at the end of the day. It's wrong. Period.

We make choices every day that lead us down a path. A path to calling in sick....or loosing a job. A path to financial gain....or ruin. A path to harmless flirting.....or an affair. A path to a night of drinking....or a vehicular homicide. What we think is a simple every day choice is actually the seed planted that grows to a life catastrophe. We set that in motion without even meaning to.

When we become parents, the decisions and choices we make for ourselves become even more important because they affect our children now as well. All of the paths we take, the choices we make educate our kids in the "school of values".

I don't know what motivated the Hennes' to do what they did. It appears they were seeking fame and probably fortune. By choosing this path, they taught their children that fame by way of deception is more important than integrity and the truth. I hope this whole fiasco teaches a tough life lesson for both the parents and kids. Fortunately the little boy, Falcon, in his child like innocence told the truth, I hope someone told him they were proud of him for doing so.

may i use your bathroom?

Here's an article with a topic I didn't expect to read about. An interracial couple in Louisianna went to get their marriage license and were denied one by Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish.

Seems Mr. Bardwell feels that most interracial marriages don't last all that long and the children spawned from these marriages aren't accepted by either the black community or the white community.

He also goes on to say that he isn't racist, it's just his opinion about interracial marriages. He claims to have "piles and piles" of black friends who come to his house and even use his bathroom.

Really. He said that.

You can verify that by reading the entire article.

While you are doing that, I think I will load up our interracial, biracial happy family, take a road trip and stop in Tangipahoa Parrish and see if we can use the bathroom.

take a stand

Rush Limbaugh has built a career on breeding fear and hate within the minds of conservative folks. Often he capitalizes on this fear with racist views and comments, publicly without a care of who he disrespects.

Here is a sampling of a few racially related comments he has made over the years:

"The NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it."

"I mean, let's face it, we didn't have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I'm not saying we should bring it back; I'm just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark."

"You know who deserves a posthumous Medal of Honor? James Earl Ray [the confessed assassin of Martin Luther King]. We miss you, James. Godspeed."

"They’re 12 percent of the population. Who the hell cares?"

I'm bringing the ugliness of Mr. Limbaugh here because of his apparent preliminary plans to purchase the St. Louis Rams with a group of investors.

And the huge firestorm of opposition to his intentions. I hope this storm continues to build to catastrophic proportions, unrelenting until Mr. Limbaugh's intentions are leveled and never surface again.

Why should he reap the fruits that are a product of the labors of those who he defiles, hates and fears?

What in the world would possess someone like him to want to own a business that's rewards are gained in a large part from a race he arrogantly considers to be less than himself?

I hope and pray this never happens. I hope those who would be owned by him will take a stand for what they believe in.

Let's teach Mr. Limbaugh exactly what his past efforts will reward him: no entry to a business and profession that has been built upon diversity in part by the race that he so profoundly professes to hate.



Source: News One