How terrible is the existence of women

That's certainly the impression you get from the modern Left and its embrace of transgender activism as a main column of attack against the Western Tradition.  Think on it.  Have you ever noticed that almost all terms and phrases that spin around the post-binary gender lexicon seem to tear away at the unique characteristics of women and womanhood?  Non-menstruating people. Non-Birthing bodies.  Non-lactating.  And of course the converse is true for describing those people formerly known as women.  Notice the dearth of terms like non-testicular people or, well, you get the point.  

It seems aimed at women far more aggressively than men.  Likewise, I know some feminists have chafed at the whole drag queen culture.  From those I've heard complain, they compare it to a misogynic version of black face.  Men dressed as, and presenting themselves as, a sexist caricature of the worst stereotypes of a woman.  

This doesn't include the horrifying things said to such prominent opponents of transgender activism as JK Rowling or Riley Gaines, that never seem aimed at men who oppose transgender activism in the same way.  Have you seen the things written about them?  Woof.  I know it's the age of the Internet and almost anyone can be threatened or attacked online.  But what was stunning was the silence of those on the Left, including the global press that once so adored at least Rowling and her liberal ideals back in the day. There was nothing, or stories about how she was merely receiving pushback over her 'transphobic comments.'  

Now it looks like the Global Government has stepped in and smacked down a center Rowling funded that helps women who are victims of rape.  Apparently, this is because she funded an organization to help women through the trauma of rape and sexual assault and similar violence.  The problem with that?  It's for women.  Because it's set up to help women.  Which made Amnesty International initially condemn the organization as 'anti-rights'.  Which is a euphemism for non-leftist.  Rowling being Rowling apparently fired back, and now Amnesty International is walking back the report, insisting it didn't go through proper protocol. 

But think on it.  Am I the only one who can't help but think it's women, and overwhelmingly women, who are in the crosshairs of the transgender revolution?  But then, it seems women have been in the crosshairs for quite a while.  After generations of being elevated as THE demographic group that could pretty much demand anything and get it, there has been some qualifying there of late.  Remember when I wrote, here, about that trend a few years ago of saying white women can't be raped.  That is, they can be sexually assaulted, and it's bad let me tell you.  But rape is about power, and no matter where she is under a black man violently raping her, she has the power.  There was a kerfuffle here in the Buckeye State when some local professor shared a post in 2020 saying the same thing about a local case of a young white girl named Reagan Tokes who was kidnapped, raped and murdered.  Though that does seem to have passed its sell-by date.  Nonetheless, you do have to wonder.  

Perhaps that's why more women voted for Trump in 2024 than had before.  Much to the chagrin of anti-Trumpers who can't believe they would vote for someone with a reputation with women like Trump.  How?  How could they vote for him when the Democrats are there with open arms? 

Then look at all this.  I mean, it's really hard to believe you give two swinging damns or a hell about women when such horrifying attacks are made against them as you say nothing about it.  Or when wanting to focus on the needs and safety of women is attacked for suggesting there is such a thing as women in the first place.  

Where Peter Is and a great big lie

We all heard Pope Leo a few weeks back say he's not going to obsess about some minor issue like sexual sins because there are bigger fish to fry in the world.  That's like standing in Europe in 1944 and saying armed conflicts are not the big issue right now.  The death and suffering toll of the sexual revolution almost boggles the mind, if one is willing to step back and honestly assess what we've seen.  More than that, Pope Leo's statement seems in reaction to a popular narrative - a false caricature - that Christians ever and only care about sins below the waistline and not much else. 

One of my professors said that he was having dinner with Dr. Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  During their talk, Dr. Mohler expressed frustration that the only time CNN or other news outlets wanted to talk to him was about sexual issues like the Lewinski scandal or homosexual marriage.  As a brilliant theologian and scholar in his own right, Dr. Mohler happily would have spoken to other, larger issues.  But no, not for the press.  They wanted sex or move on to someone else.  

Which is why I always chafe at the mendacity of so much modern progressive activism and its media talking points.  Who is it that only wants to talk about sex?  It's an age old pop culture stereotype that it's only those fundamentalist Christian puritan types obsessed with sex.  Which is laughable, as one need only look at pop culture to see who obsesses about sex above almost anything else including food and oxygen.  

Nonetheless, it's standard liberal tactics 101.  For example, kick down doors, leap through windows, shove gay everything in our faces, demand conformity, plaster gay everywhere, make every social function an outlet for advancing gay anything, and the second someone says 'But I sort of disagree', the liberal activist feigns indignation over the individual obsessing about homosexuality. 

So when I see a Where Peter Is headline that sexuality is not the only moral issue, I have to agree and happily report that no Christian I've met in the three major traditions - Protestant, Catholic or Orthodox - would disagree.  They never say that. Ever.  Oh, it might be a constant point of discussion, but only because of the 24/7 saturation of the topic in our modern world. 

Nonetheless, what this misrepresentation does is twofold.  For the secular, godless Sodom and Gomorrah era activists, it's a way of shutting down opposition by shaming people into thinking the real problem is thinking about sex when the only thing we're told to think about is sex (unless it's racism).  

The other boon of this falsehood is that it allows an out for those Christians who don't want to get within a mile of calling out our modern secular leftwing orgy of debauchery and narcissism (ahem, Pope Leo).  You see, all people ever want to do is talk about sex, so I'm boldly going to go a different direction that won't put me in the crosshairs of modernity.  And this isn't some assumption of malice or ulterior motives on my part. It comes from watching and listening these last many decades of my Christian experience. 

Oh, and just one more thing.  Before people say that sexual sin, as catastrophic as it can be, is still rooted in deeper, spiritual problems and eternal considerations, let me say I fully agree. The problem is, those who rush out and say 'it's about more than sex' almost never go there either.  Instead, it's off to this or that socio-political problem or policy issue that aligns strangely enough with the side that has used sex to entice followers for generations to begin with. Irony alert. 

Approaching America's 250th Birthday

Now that July 4th of our nation's 250th has come and gone, I thought about what I saw, didn't see, what I heard, didn't hear, and where it all came from.  I know that all was not unified happiness in 1976, but it's impossible not to see that things were wildly different this time around.  For the purpose of space and time, I'd say there were about five different trends I noticed when it came to people and our big semiquincentennial (I think that's the right word).     

Conservative commentators, bloggers, and various outlets   

Overall positive, but not afraid of looking  at things like Jefferson's words and his slaves.  Not through the lens of Presentism of course, but to understand the human condition and, to be honest, to use it to look at ourselves.  This included not just non-religious conservatives, but Christian, Catholic, even non-Christian religious.  Which, in the end, shouldn't be surprising.  

Businesses large and small

Two approaches.  Either overwhelmingly positive hurray for the Red, White and Blue, or just didn't mention it.  The majority gave shout outs however.  Especially as Independence Day approached.  That included various outlets or companies I follow in other parts of the world, giving shout outs to their 'American Fans' or 'American Customers.'  Again, I saw none that mentioned the day or celebration doing so in a negative light.  I'll assume those that mentioned nothing were smart enough to follow the Thumper Rule.  Though I'll also add that those businesses whose products aim at a younger, more postmodern and progressive audiences and services also tended to be rather quiet about the whole ordeal, or at least based on what I saw.  I should mention the same goes for educational outlets. I realize that in most cases, schools are out. But still, it didn't keep them for chiming in over George Floyd that summer. 

MSM Press Outlets

A mixed bag. Generally as the holiday approached, it became more of 'positive things and gatherings and a time to celebrate.'  Earlier on they treated us to the potpourri approach of 'America but its sins!' Especially America and Trump, Trump, Trump and his finagling here, there and everywhere.  Closer to the holiday, most contented themselves with the positives.  On our local stations there have been series of stories about the 250th and our history, which I'd say have been about 40/60.  That is, 40% of the stories have been something in the past positive or at least neutral (one recent story about the Wright Bothers and American invention).  But about 60% are either focused on the sins of the past, or wrap up the accomplishments with those sins.  Just like my sons said the schools did when they were in public school. 

Leftwing outlets and organizations and such.

These would be outlets like the New Yorker or SPLC or other leftwing venues and sites.  Easy. Almost 100% negative, focused on the sins, condemning the vile sinners of the past in this 400 year old racist Nazi state.  The odd nod to something good about America, but wrapped almost exclusively in the bad. And usually only if the good involved some liberal ideal or 'minority' group or something similar. And even then, that was the radical exception to the rule of simply 'Evil America - Never Forget'.  Clearly in these cases the mantra was 'not God bless America, but God d**m America!'.  

Leftwing Christians.

I actually spent time going around to various leftwing believers - Catholic and otherwise - I've known over the years.  I wasn't able to track some down.  Some I haven't bothered with for a long time.  But I tried.  Some outlets, like Where Peter Is, I took as a whole and didn't follow each contributor.  With others individuals I looked to see what they said.  Oddly, the bulk said nothing at all.  As if it was just a Saturday in the park with no mention of the 4th of July.  One focused on the Feast of St. Thomas.  Others just generic posts about nothing.  Some nothing at all, the entire weekend going by with nothing written.  Which I found interesting.  No trashing and hashing like the leftwing orgs.  Just nothing but blanks and silence.  And some of them I know full well would once have posted glowing praises for the US, or are not adverse to remembering the anniversary of something like Selma, or are inclined the send shoutouts to Juneteenth.  Yet silence here. 

And that was that.  It's noteworthy that while Corporate America seems to have split from the leftwing juggernaut of a few years ago, most of the traditional leftwing outlets are still that.  So even if the bulk of Americans were waving flags and singing God Bless America, unlike Columbus's Red, White and Boom this year, the key industries of information and cultural molding in our country still appear to have the country in the crosshairs.  

It was a happy 250th Celebration

As I said, fast on the heels of our third son's birthday came this year's 250th Independence Day celebrations.  Because we've been hit was some pretty hefty medical bills over the years, and the various boys have their expenses and lives and all, we were going to cut back on the fireworks that have become a thing ever since they were legalized here in the Buckeye State. But then we decided it just wasn't right, to cut out doing our own fireworks on none other than our 250th birthday as a nation. No way!  So my oldest found a buy 1, get 2 free deal and we jumped on it.   

Don't worry, we practice safe fireworks.  We don't get the monstrous kind.  Usually the type that make pretty lights displays.  We divided the whole celebration over two days.  On July 4th proper we went out while our town was setting off their own alternate fireworks display.  Even toned down, it was a pretty good show.  Better than some of the televised ones I'm sad to say.  And leaps better than the trash heap that has become Columbus's vaunted Red, White and Boom over the years (including this one). 

The next day, we had a grand multi-family cookout with my son's in-laws. That's the parents and one, two, three and four of their sons.  That's right.  The gremlins have six uncles. I'm not worried for their  well being in the upcoming years.  

It was a great time.  One of those weekends where everything seemed to work.  We even let the kiddos see some of the fireworks early on, particularly the quiet ones.  Their reactions are still being analyzed.  Otherwise, a fine time.  Because of schedules and folks going their own ways, we didn't have the usual 'patriotic viewing' of old.  But through July we'll try to catch up on a few things.  

One other odd note.  Some years it was customary for us to visit our big local cemetery and go around to the veterans, much like Memorial and Veterans Day.  Even if it would have been only our youngest with us.  But they had the cemetery closed on July 4th. I've not seen that before.  Strange. I can't help but wonder why.  But otherwise, a July 4th in our own humble way to be worthy of this country we've inherited on its 250th birthday. 

And now the pictures!

Impromptu baby cleaning with a couple of the uncles from the other family -
six in all, and not an aunt between them

Washing baby bucket is what happens
when babies eat July 4th picnics

My new official favorite pic of her

Dueling with giant sparklers - don't try this at home people

Looking more like a Victorian mystery than 4th of July

Our three oldest introduce our daughter-in-law to the
more dangerous ways to handle a sparkler

Our youngest tries to get fancy

Bad photo from dim lighting, but I like the effect

A Griffey family tradition: Build sculptures of sparklers and then burn away, 
trying to compete with the sun if we can

Another new tradition is run before the fireworks explode

A shot of our little finale for the year - a fine time

Though I seldom post any home videos, I figured it would be apropos to post this, the last of the fireworks we set off in our own humble display.  Happy 250th Birthday!

 

A shout out to our third oldest

It's that time of year again!  Our half of the year.  Though that has expanded to include May, due to our daughter-in-law and our granddaughter, with the storms of Pride/Juneteenth being a period where we have to hold our breaths from Memorial Day to our third son's birthday. And then it begins!

It's tough to separate our third oldest and his birthday from Independence Day that is always right around the corner.  Nonetheless, we managed to have a nice little gathering for him.  He's at once difficult and easy to buy for.  Easy because, with very few exceptions over the years, he loves whatever he gets.  Difficult, because on the whole he says he's basically happy and doesn't need much.  Plus his schedule, full time work, going to school, keeps him more than busy.  

Once he planned on going into law enforcement.  Then he was badly injured and had to miss part of a year of police training, and it was during that time that 2020 happened.  As he said, someday he might reconsider the police force once the country has decided to agree that it's always bad to kill police, rather than today where it's obviously up for grabs.

Instead, after waiting a few, he decided to pick up the baton that my oldest had to drop and go into the culinary world.  For whatever reason, all of our boys - the three oldest at least - have always done well in the kitchen.  While none of them match our oldest and his natural gift for mouth watering fare, they each have their areas of talent and expertise.  After working in restaurants to raise money for college, he concluded he already knows his way around that business model anyway, had already received promotions, and why not make it official.

He did hesitate for a time.  He felt bad going where our oldest now cannot go.  But I told him it's his life, and he can't not go somewhere just because his brother can't.  Once he announced his intentions, his brother was, for the record, happy and supportive.

Of course it being our third son, much of what he has is from sheer brute strength of will.  He managed to finagle a job at one of the premier restaurants in central Ohio.  It works along with the Cadillac of assisted living centers in these parts.  One of those centers whose family gatherings feel like a WEF meeting.  The head chef is one of the best in the area, and it is one of the locations that culinary students are sent to be tutored in the profession.  As my son says about his own situation, he gets paid for what others have to pay to get.

But being him, he doesn't hold back.  At one point he felt he wasn't where he needed to be.  That he was valuable enough to the company that he should be farther on.  So he went to the top and said they had best step up to the plate or he's out of there.  And they did, giving him more than he was wanting.  I joked with one of his brothers that they should try that in their jobs.  One said he could do the same thing, but they would know he didn't mean it. But that's our third son.  Of the four, the big, boisterous AAA personality.  Not one to hesitate, he tends to plow forth.  So here's to him on his latest birthday, may many blessings come his way over the upcoming year. Happy Birthday! 

Holding his first nephew

UPDATE:  As if to drive home the point of his big personality and can do attitude, even the gremlins concede the initiative to him!:

Happy 250th Birthday America

I was in third grade when our Bicentennial came along.  It was quite a show.  Half of our year starting January was taken up in a vast, lavish production our school put on.  Each grade did something different.  Our third grade did a combination skit of settlers traveling into the West (including what had to be a guffaw inducing attempt at the Virginia Reel) with a nod toward the 1812 era as well.  My best friend was Uncle Sam. I was the narrator.  We saw videos, read books, and it seemed the Spirit of 76 was everywhere.  It wasn't so much by the time I entered 4th Grade later that year.  In fact, I remember little about the Bicentennial being dwelt upon by then.  I suppose July 4th had come and gone and that was that.

That was a different time of course.  I hear there were divisions then, as I'm sure there were.  I do recall some talk about America's best days being behind us.  But that's about all.  Otherwise, when it was mentioned in my earshot, it seemed to be talked about rather enthusiastically.  And though that was the first time I remember learning about things like Indian Wars and slavery, the overall package was one of positive praise and thankfulness for our country and those who came before: 

The president on the dollar

That Yankee Doodle dollar

The president on the dollar

George Washington's his name

I still remember that song we sang at the time.  And it was just one of many.  Again, by then we were being given a kiddy portion of 'they weren't all saints and angels'.  But the overall focus was on the good. At least from a kid's perspective.  A focus that, at least officially, remained until well into my college days. 

Looking back at the pop culture output through my adults eyes, however, I'm amazed at how counterculture such an upbeat and patriotic celebration really was.  Certainly most things we were celebrating were, by then, held up to derision or mockery by our emerging post-Western social standards, if they were mentioned at all.  As Mark Shea once said, back then if you wanted to know who the patriots were in popular entertainment, well there was Archie Bunker.  He was a patriot.  Frank Burnes on the TV show MASH was a patriot.  

Other ideals like honor, duty, loyalty were as often as not punchlines, not life principles.  People wrapping themselves up in the flag and singing God Bless America must have been seen as freaks or losers or, well, how our popular media culture and progressive society today see those who want to make America great again.

Back then, however, I have a feeling there was still the benefit of a majority witness for those who wanted the bands and bunting and Kate Smith renditions of patriotic songs.  We weren't quite finished yet, and the arrival of Ronald Reagan in 1980 would make patriotism cool again.  It would also force a shift in the Left's anti-patriotism to a new manifestation of patriotism. That is, you declare your patriotic love of America, but insist that love is only valid when you focus on the evils and failures and horrors of its past and present. It's still patriotism, just patriotism done right.

Nonetheless, in 1976, to my third grade mind in a small Midwestern farming town, patriotism wasn't that bad.  And not only because the big celebrations got us out of the usual school doldrums.  Not that it wasn't lost on us. But I remember feeling genuinely good about being in America.  And even today, after everything for so many decades, and so many attempts to get me to think otherwise, somehow I'm able to feel good about it again.  So raise a cold one, thank - not curse, thank - those who came before who made this possible, and say happy birthday #250 USA.  I still think it's not a bad way to spend a fourth. 

Did I mention the Spirit of 76 seemed to be everywhere?

We do have a good bishop

I haven't agreed with all of his stances, though they typically align with the American Bishops as a whole.  But as I said, I try not to be a 'my side or the highway type.' Likewise, he has never called out any pope since he became bishop, though he has given viewpoints that were clearly not in line with Pope Francis all of the time.  

When he was made bishop of the diocese, it stands to reason that the MSM jumped on it - because of his ethnicity.  But well beyond what he was born looking like, he has brought a bit of a revival to the struggling diocese.  The boom in those entering the Church, and the priesthood, since he came can't be missed.  

A big reason? Long and short, he actually treats the Faith like it is real.  He trained as an exorcist, which I think it especially awesome.  Because he comes from a family of doctors and scientists, it shows by living it out that the two are not opposed to each other.  He's also pretty traditional in his views.  Sometimes he goes so far as to celebrate the customs and practices of our Eastern Orthodox brethren.  Probably due to the presence of Orthodoxy in India. 

He is also about the most energetic bishop I've seen. To quote a  character in the miniseries Jesus of Nazareth, go into a town, cross a street, go into the market and there he is.  Once a few year ago my sons and I were walking down a sidewalk in Columbus and lo and behold, here came Bishop Fernandes walking toward us. No doubt by the end of the day he had been at about a dozen different places and events.  

He also values the past.  More than once he has spoken glowingly of things gone by, including here in the US.  As well as more traditional Catholicism it's worth mentioning.  Which is why this video is hardly surprising, but put against the modern Francis Era Church as a whole, it's a delight.  It's him reading the Declaration of Independence.  Just because and our 250th birthday and all. Which I think, to quote the cricket, is just swell:

It's worth noting that initially he was asked to read a portion of the Declaration, but decided himself to read the entire thing.  Which is a very Bishop Fernandes thing to do.