Choosing Sides

Driving on a main artery through North Texas the other day, I saw a stater on the opposite side, clocking the speed of vehicles with a radar gun, as they came over a hill. Once over the hill myself, I noticed the vehicle behind me flashing his headlights at the oncoming cars, warning them of the "trap" they were about to enter.

This caused me to wonder how many of my friends participate in this rite. So I asked the question on my Facebook page.

The responses I received, weren't really a surprise, but rather a confirmation of what I suspected: That we feel like it's right and good to warn other motorists when a police officer may catch them breaking the law. I find this more than a little disturbing, because of the implications. That the majority of those who responded are Christians is even more distressing.

What I have concluded in this scenario is that there is an "us vs. them" conflict in play, and we are choosing to side with the lawbreakers.

Many will accuse me, with this statement, of blowing things out of proportion. After all, while speeding is "technically" against that law, it's a very minor offense, and one widely practiced. It's not a big deal. In addition, the officers employ deceitful tactics, and set traps to catch offenders with the purpose of raising revenue, not making the roadways safer.

What's in italics in the previous paragraph might serve as a summary of the justifications I have heard for speeding. Some of you, however, are honest enough to admit you have a "need for speed", and are willing to accept the consequences should you get caught.

The bottom line is: Exceeding the speed limit IS against the law, and the authorities have a right (indeed an obligation) to enforce it. Also, when a driver operates his vehicle at a speed different than the general flow of traffic, he poses a danger to himself and those around him. The greater the difference in speed the greater the danger, and excessive speed is reckless.

One responder indicated that flashing your lights at oncoming vehicles does serve the purpose of causing them to slow down, thereby improving safety, but I don't believe this will make a lasting impression. In fact, I might argue that by helping him achieve a "victory" over his "enemy", you could increase the likelihood that he will do it again. No, speaking with experience, what makes you really change your habits is a 90 day probation during which, if you receive another ticket, you will be punished for both offenses.

As for the other excuses listed above, what happens when you apply them to a different crime, such as shoplifting. Department store detectives use deceit (disguise and cameras) to help catch shoplifters. If you happened to see someone put an item in a purse, and knew that the act was caught on camera or by a detective posing as another shopper, would you warn that person so they wouldn't be caught? Would you feel like you were reducing crime by doing so?

Also, the so called "sin tax" is a widely accepted practice. I have no problem having those who speed pay the "tax"that the government collects instead of raising my taxes, the same as smokers paying the tax on cigarettes.

Finally, while I believe there are some corrupt law enforcers (just as there are in the rest of society), I do not believe this is the norm. Most of them choose this field because they have a sense of duty to uphold what is right, and to correct what is wrong. I have great respect for the men and women who daily put their lives in danger in order to keep me safe. Why, then, would I want to work against them?

"Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." (Romans 13:2)

Lowering Expectations

I wasn't going to write today, because I have a rather long todo list. However, a topic came up at our house that really has me steamed.

It's raining here today (as it did yesterday), and so my son and I are not "working" again today. The way my son put it was, "When we work, I work hard, and when I come home I'm too tired to do anything with my brothers. So I'm in 'rest' mode today." The irony of this revelation was that, it seems to me, very little is expected of today's youth, but they feel like they are working too hard.

There is a company called Despair, Inc. (http://www.despair.com) that sells "demotivation" posters. Their motto is "Increasing Success by Lowering Expectations". Their purpose, of course, is to mock the ubiquitous motivational posters found in America's corporate offices. For this I applaud them. However, has their motto been secretly adopted by us in order to accept the time-wasting practices of today's teens?

Bidden by us, my sons took a seat at the end of our bed while my wife and I launched into a dissertation on how long our school day was as compared to theirs, and how hard we worked (my wife on the farm, and me delivering papers and slinging tacos) once school was let out. And then there was homework!

My purpose is not to be too hard on my children, because it is true that they work harder than most their age. They are extraordinary! What I'm pointing out is that "extraordinary" doesn't mean what it used to. A person doesn't have to put forth as much effort today to be extraordinary as he did in my day, and, to me, that's no laughing matter.

Can I get an AMEN?

Suddenly, I can hear the voice of my mother, laughing at me and asking, "Don't you have work to do?" I'm going back to my todo list now.

A Word Fitly Kept to Yourself

Proverbs 25:11 says, "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver."

However, I came across a quote yesterday which addresses another part of apt speech, namely, NOT speaking. The quote, by Dorothy Nevill, goes, "The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place, but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."

While pondering that thought, I learned of an instance where someone, who should have held his tongue, didn't, and hurt those he was speaking about, and also himself.

Why are we so afraid to pass up an opportunity to "set someone straight" in lieu of a more appropriate time? Likely it's the fear that we may never be given another opportunity. And, of course, what we have to say MUST be said! How true it is that, "No man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil full of deadly poison."

This inability to control our tongues is what causes husband or wife to exploit the intimate secrets they learn about their spouse in order to inflict the sharpest pain to the one they claim to love.

It's what causes a father to wound an unruly child when he takes the child's testing of his authority personally.

It's what causes a man to shout a racial epithet at a neighbor who can't seem to contain his dog.

It's what causes one person to belittle another because he views the others beliefs as a threat to his own.

And, finally, it's what "corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

Sometimes, even when your whole being is bursting with something that you feel must be said, if the time is wrong, or if you can't find words that edify, it's better just to keep it to yourself. Bide your time and look for the right words and the right time. If they never come, at least you've done no harm.

Stomper or Coaster?

There are 2 types of drivers, Stompers and Coasters. Which are you?

Before you answer that question, be aware that I am a "dyed-in-the-wool" coaster, and believe that stompers are the scourge of the morning and afternoon commutes. Also, you should understand that my purpose in writing this is to convert stompers, or at least make them pause to consider their evil ways.

How do you know if you're a stomper or a coaster? Well, if you rapidly accelerate and decelerate, tailgate, switch lanes constantly to gain an advantage, close the opening if someone signals they want to move into your lane, and such like...you're a stomper. If, on the other hand, You slowly accelerate and decelerate, practice the "2 second rule", tend to pick a lane and stick with it, move with traffic, make room for people changing lanes in front of you, etc...you're a coaster.

Feel free to read on regardless of which kind of driver you are, but the rest of this article is primarily aimed at the stompers.

I could give you a personal "harangue" on the senselessness of stomper driving, but I'll just stick with a few facts:

1. According to fueleconomy.gov, aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.
2. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 66 percent of all annual traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving actions.
3. Redford Williams, M.D. (Duke University) says that people with the "hostile personality type" found in most aggressive drivers "are four to seven times more likely to die of other health problems by age 50 than are even-tempered people."

Still not convinced? Here's a couple of simple, relevant math problems:

• Let's say your normal commute is 60 miles, and usually takes 60 minutes. That's an average of 60 MPH. However, what if an accident, or road construction slows you down to an average of 30 MPH the first 30 miles? How fast do you need to drive the final 30 miles to make it to work on time?

If you answered 90, you need to figure it again. The only answer to this problem is to allow for such possibilities, or be late.

Next problem:

• In a ten mile stretch of rush-hour traffic with an average speed of 40 MPH, you manage (by your deft maneuvering and intimidation of other drivers) to gain 30 car lengths on me (because I'm coasting), how much sooner will you arrive at the exit we are both going to take?

Well, assuming everyone else is keeping a 2-second distance (and they're not), you will arrive at the exit about 67 seconds ahead of me. Well done!

What I'm trying to impress upon you is that you're just not gaining enough to be worth the increased risk of accident, added stress, and wear and tear on your vehicle. It's not a race. You don't win a prize if you get there first. Leave 10 minutes earlier, relax, enjoy the drive, and experience the rush of joy you feel when you receive the friendly wave from another driver because you made room for him. Even if he's a stomper!

I don't want to see your butt!

Driving down Hwy 67 the other day, I looked over at the mini-van beside me and saw a woman sitting in the driver's seat, completely enshrouded in the smoke from her cigarette, despite the fact her window was open just a crack. Just before I could wonder how someone could survive in an environment like that, she finished her cigarette and pushed the butt out the crack onto the roadway. And suddenly I was transported back to October of 1975.

October 11, 1975 is perhaps the best, at least most important, days of my life, because it's the day my wife and I were married. We had spent the week before that preparing for our wedding, and though those days were a blur, they too are a joyful memory. However, before that blissful week, I spent one of the worst weeks I can remember. And it was that week, the awful one, that I was transported back to.

I had just completed basic training in the Air Force, and Leslie had attended the graduation ceremonies. We had planned to get married after I finished my technical training in Mississippi, but after I arrived at Keesler AFB, I found that I had been bumped out of my class, and would have to wait three weeks until the next class began. And so, to keep me occupied, I was placed on Roads and Grounds duty. This duty consisted of walking all over the base, picking up trash. This duty was bad enough for me, because I had been raised to make the effort to deposit my trash in a trash can, rather than just throw it on the ground. However, what made this job horrifying to me was that 90 percent of the trash was cigarette butts.

Now, honestly, I find cigarette smoking to be a filthy habit, and foolish, too, given all the proof of the damage it does to your body. However, if someone wants to exercise their right to pollute themselves, I won't stand in the way. But to tell me, then, that I have to clean up their butts after them, this I find reprehensible.

Maybe a person justifies throwing a butt on the ground a slight injustice, because one is barely noticeable. Or, on the other hand, maybe she thinks, like an infant, once it's out of sight, it doesn't exist any more. Well, I'm here to tell you, it still DOES exist, and when enough people have the attitude that it doesn't matter, it IS noticeable, and someone DOES have to pick it up!

So, what I'm saying is, if you insist on living your life in a cloud of smoke, that's your prerogative. Just don't make someone else take care of your butt when you're finished with it.

You need a swift kick in the pants!

Some days I feel just like Calvin...everyone I know needs a swift kick in the pants, but nobody is buying. Why can't you realize that if you would just give my product a try, you would find your life suddenly transformed, and everything would become so clear. Arrrg! It's so frustrating to be a fountain of wisdom, but have no one come drink of your waters.