Bird Droppings February 22, 2024
Wandering about while I am waiting

I was sitting listening to Crosby, Stills, and Nash acoustic while writing today. I have been sitting on the back porch taking photos of birds. I will be ready for spring. There are so many possibilities with various flowers blooming and baby ducks and geese soon at local lakes and ponds. I have been enjoying using a camera again after a few years of only using a phone.  

Back to my writing, I recall a paper I had been working on that frustrated me and yet was very interesting: how did the denominalization in the antebellum period in the history of the United States affect higher education? After writing about faith and religion a few days back, this thought returned to me. I had been pouring through books for nearly a week and knew what I wanted to say, but it was a research paper, and I had to cite sources and use others’ views, not my own. Jefferson’s quote might fit with the new cabinet members pushing religion and a new word, deconstruction, being thrown out in terms of the education department.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” First amendment to the Constitution, Thomas Jefferson

Several weeks back, a student used this amendment to justify mandatory school-led prayer in public schools. As is, for me, a violation, as are so many of the efforts to teach Christianity or any religion in public school. Yesterday, in a blog discussion, various views on the afterlife and or no afterlife went in numerous directions. They even challenged George Washington’s faith, which I had mentioned in previous writing. As I read and thought back in the day, the first six presidents were college graduates, and then a trend toward doers and not education started with Andrew Jackson. As higher education progressed in the United States, there was a period just before the Civil War where churches were splitting and forming new denominations daily. In doing so, to justify their existence, colleges started to educate their clergy and members.

This is not a history lesson, but as I read and looked through the hell blog, it became apparent how many different believers and how many different things they believe. All are going back to our first amendment. We can believe what we want. Interestingly, belief is based on traditions and innuendos and less on facts, not to push science versus faith, but not that long ago, people were burned at a stake for saying the world is round and not flat, as advocated by the church. I wonder sometimes, and well, it has been said that ignorance is bliss, and maybe that is why people are so gosh darn happy—a terrifying thought in the news a few years back. A powerful representative is stepping down for improprieties and is publicly saying he will be more powerful out of the house than in. That is a scary thought. In other words, he will be doing what he is being punished for lobbying votes for various entities. One of his friends has just been found guilty of multiple illegal issues dealing with lobbying, and we still elect these guys.

It is so amazing how we do find these people electable. It started back in the 1820s when intelligent people were not as important as what you could do for me became the trend. A significant effort of Andrew Jackson was displacing eastern Native Americans to Oklahoma and giving their lands to his friends. Isn’t it wonderful how this system works? But quickly back to faith and belief, it should be a personal thing, something in your heart and soul if you consider the soul an entity.

“Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance, and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun. Care for those around you. Look past your differences. Their dreams are no less than yours, and their choices are no more easily made. And give, give in any way you can, of whatever you possess. To give is to love. To withhold is to wither. Care less for your harvest than for how it is shared, and your life will have meaning, and your heart will have peace.” Kent Nerburn

As I close, I thought of something this morning: reading a note from a single mother. For children from broken homes, we always tend to believe divorce equals a broken home, but in reality, a broken home is one “needin fixin” that could be many reasons other than divorce and can often be kids with both parents. Sometimes, I wish Elmer’s glue made an adhesive for broken homes, a simple fix for a complex problem, so as always, please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and your hearts and always give thanks namaste.

My family and friends, I do not say this lightly,

Mitakuye Oyasin

(We are all related)

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