Slater, Philip The Chrysalis Effect – The Metamorphosis of Global Culture, SUSSEX Academic Press, Brighton, U.K. and Portland, OR Copyright © 2009 by Philip Slater

Once again, sociologist Philip Slater provides us with a treatise on the metamorphosis of culture – this time – global culture. The book contains a number of little gems. This book is a diamond in the rough regarding perspectives on cultural evolution. Here are a few of my favorites.

Jared Diamond, in his study of failed cultures, observes that what usually decides whether a society survives or collapses seems to be a “willingness to reconsider core values.” P. 5

‘We’re an evolving species…The environment – even social and cultural contexts – can switch genes on and off. P. 12.

Every new culture retains parts of the one that preceded it. p. 27

A cultural system can make people believe the most bizarre ideas – even be willing to die for them, and to kill others for not sharing them. It can transform the most unpleasant kinds of behavior into cherished virtues. P. 29.

Innovation comes from outsiders. Those most deeply committed to, and successful in, an old system will be the last to notice a radically new idea, and will be most resistant to it. When change comes, it’s the outsiders – those uncommitted to the status quo –who are poised to catch the wave. P.53

This desire to cleanse the world of ‘evil’ has led to virtually all the great atrocities of history. P. 74

We’d also have an easier time living if we thought of ourselves as verbs rather than nouns – as events rather than as objects. P.  82

Participating in the evolving Integrative Culture means thinking of yourself as a process. It means thinking of everyone and everything around you as a process. It means becoming a verb. P.83.

Concentration of power equals abuse of power for the only way not to abuse power is to share it. Such concentrations are blood clots in the circulatory system of society. When an artery becomes clogged, blood doesn’t get to the brain or the heart and people have strokes and heart attacks. Concentrations of power and wealth have a similar effect on the body politic. The circulation of wealth, resources, and, especially, ideas, is blocked. In a healthy system, information flows are unimpeded by clots of power or the sclerosis of hierarchy. P.100.

In the old industrial economy workers were expected to be as robotic as possible, and rote training in school prepared them to function well on assembly lines. But in today’s economy the  emphasis is on information, services, invention demanding imagination, creativity, and social skills – diametrically opposite requirements. Adaptation to the future means retooling our schools to make them relevant to the world we live in. p.105.

There’s no way to insulate yourself from the bad things around you that doesn’t at the same time insulate you from the good things around you. A wall protects but it also imprisons. Every fortress is also a jail. p.117.

A lot of wasted energy is required to sustain artificial barriers.  p. 137.

Reading this book is NOT a waste of energy. Invest in yourself – read this book – and bust through some artificial barriers in the process. Like I said – this book is a diamond in the rough and tumble of perspectives on the evolution of cultural change – a perspective distinctly worthy of digestion.

A Savant’s  Perspective on the Present Entropy

In this riveting, insightful treatise, Michael J. Panzner takes the reader on an incredible adventure exploring the present entropy (‘Presentropy’) engulfing our globe.  The term ‘entropy’ is derived from the Greek and suggests a “turning towards” or confronting the degree of disorder in a system. As Panzner writes: “A look back in time indicates that when a true sea change is in the air, numerous warning signs are apparent beforehand, especially to those who are willing to open their eyes and asses the facts in the cold light of day” (p.182). Well, that’s exactly what Panzner accomplishes, it doesn’t stop there.

I am tired of books that simply shout at the prevailing winds of dissent and discord (including those that possess a clear partisan political ax to grind). “When Giants Fall – An Economic Roadmap For the End of the American Era” is uniquely not “one of those.” It addresses not only the present conundrum but boldly forecasts conditions, conflicts and challenges that we should all anticipate (not simply American citizens by the way – this book deserves a global audience, prompting and a constructive dialogue amongst all concerned).

This book distinctly demands broad audience appeal. It is extremely well written and superbly documented. The subject matter covered includes economic, socio-economic, geopolitical considerations, international relations, national and international security, demographics, energy, natural resources and — how a new reality is upon all of us; a reality whose form and substance have yet to be fully formed.

As Panzner points out, “Calculations depend, of course, on assumptions about the future” (p.128). After laying the groundwork for his prognostications, the author does a masterful job weaving reasonable, yet startling realities that emerge to paint a picture about a very different and perhaps, uniquely foreboding future. Panzner’s capability to characterize the conceptual framework that surrounds concepts, like pressure, equilibrium, and competition for influence all serve to enhance the reader’s appreciation for the legitimacy of the picture Panzner paints.

A phenomenal contribution!!! – A superb addition to your personal library. However, don’t leave it on a shelf when you’ve finished reading. I’m keeping mine handy as I reference Panzner’s prognostications against the new emerging reality that continues to unfold on a daily basis.

Buy one for a friend. They will be thankful to have the opportunity to devour this work.

Communicable Disease Center

34 Econo Drive

Washington, D.C. USA

January 16, 2009

Bulletin: ETD Epidemic Alert – Vertigonomics:

It’s spreading — fast.

Lobbies of banks, credit unions, mortgage companies, hedge funds, brokerage firms, law firms, physicians and the emergency rooms of hospitals throughout the U.S. have been inundated over the past week with American consumers afflicted with what is believed to be a highly contagious, life-as-you-knew-it threatening malady. At the time of this writing, public health officials remain somewhat baffled. Although current details are sketchy, the only common characteristic identified among the afflicted is that all claim to be suffering from Economically Transmitted Diseases. Based upon this fact, the following is hereby communicated to the public:

Infectious Disease Alert – CDC #2009-10-4 C:

The CDC confirms that an outbreak of Economically Transmitted Diseases has reached epidemic levels in the United States. According to CDC Director Dr. E. Conomy;  “We have confirmed that this uniquely contagious disease has now infected unprecedented numbers of American families, companies and the financial infrastructure of the United States. It is airborne. Presently referred to as Vertigonomics, officials at every level of both the public and private sector are working feverishly to develop a vaccine to stop the spread of this malady. Unfortunately, our collective attempts to halt the ongoing infection rate have not met with the results we had hoped for. However, we remain dedicated to developing and distribute the essential protocols required to address this national public health priority.”

Epidemiology:

Demographically, there are no identifiable persons, families, companies who have immunity.

Symptoms – Vertigonomics:

· Distinctly elevated levels of anxiety and insecurity.

· Persistent and unrelenting fears and worries about the current state of ones financial situation.

· An overwhelming sense of uncertainty about the future for yourself, your job, family, your employer, community, country, and the world around you.

· A deeply held gut feeling that these are unprecedented times.

· An almost complete loss of confidence that “government actions will get us out of this mess.”

· Rage and a horrifying feeling of exclusion when you hear terms like bailout, rescue plan, TARP, and stimulus.

· You feel that your life has become unbalanced and you suffer from a recurring sense of economic dizziness, unable to regain your previously held financial foothold.

· A cosmic sense that the sky is falling or that life’s rug has been ripped out from beneath you.

· The hopes, dreams and expectations that you held for you and yours have been somehow dismembered by forces outside your control.

· A distinct, paralyzing feeling of helplessness.

· You’ve heard yourself say or think incessantly, “This sucks!”

· You have spoken to a representative of your mortgage holder and have come to the realization that the help they say they are authorized to provide you and yours is woefully inadequate.

· You are seriously considering the cessation of payments to your mortgage holder(s) so you might qualify for federal homeowner foreclosure relief programs that are being debated.

· When you hear the term recession it confirms your own depression.

· When you see the most recent poll on declining consumer confidence in the U.S., you feel good about being included in something.

· Your world today seems upside-down.

Diagnosis – Vertigonomics:

· You do not have enough money to make ends meet.

· Your 401K has lost 30% + of its former value.

· You may have been laid off or legitimately fear the same.

· You have witnessed a distinct increase in the rate of business failures in your community.

· The value of your primary personal residence has declined below what you owe your mortgage holder(s).

· Your company is slashing expenses, has frozen new hires, and reduced employee benefits significantly for 2009.

· When you watch the evening news surf the net or read you daily newspaper, you say “Holy crap!” at least once.

· You read the foreclosure notice section of your newspaper on a daily basis just as you have read the obituary section routinely in the past. You’ve seen the names of people you know in there as well.

· You see ‘For Sale’ signs when you close your eyes in bed at night.

· Foreclosure notices seem to outnumber paid advertising placement in your local newspaper.

· You can’t remember what you spent the last federal stimulus check on that you received in 2008. You certainly didn’t purchase anything that is visible in your current living environment.

Status of Treatment/Immunization/Innoculation/Vaccination

Vertigonomics is a uniquely resistant strain of ETD. As stated by the CDC’s Dr. Fed: “We’ve never seen anything remotely close to this malady before. Our current efforts to contain this contagion have been – well, we’ll see.”

Laboratory trials of the “green jobs” vaccine indicate that this may be an essential and viable part of the treatment protocol. However, the healing realized may take several years. Capital injections into major money-center banks to spur both stabilization and an increase in liquidity in the U.S. financial system have yet to produce the desired results. The merit of continuing these injections is an ongoing debate. A transfusion of funds directed at shovel-ready public works infrastructure improvements is promising; again, as a component of the required formula. The effects of grafting federal funds into the body of the ailing auto industry is considered to be “too soon to tell.” However, common sense suggests that additional taxpayer dollars will be required.

Conclusion:

If you feel forgotten as a law abiding, tax-paying citizen of this country, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans are infected with the same malady that you’re currently suffering from. We realize that there is little, tangible solace in the fact that your misery has tons of company.

However, it is our hope that the American consumer, as an individual and familial unit, will receive what you require; the immediate, direct and deliberate injection of a form of relief that may stimulate and restore the balance and confidence that is fundamental to a return to stability, accompanied by a cessation of the staggering sense of dizziness that this affliction continues to perpetrate upon the innocent citizens of this country. The following are pertinent considerations:

• Cessation of Federal payroll taxes for two years. BOTH companies and employees will have additional cash flow.
• Extend unemployment benefits for 12 months beyond their current expiration.
• Fund shovel-ready public works projects designed to address legitimate infrastructure restoration and public education projects in the U.S.
• Provide residential home builders with tax incentives to design and build smaller, high density primary personal residences that are both affordable for the workforce.
• Provide tax incentives toencourage enrollment in higher education.
• Provide federal incentives to spur volunteerism in our society.
• Re-engineer the healthcare component of the conundrum.
• Federal Incentives to companies who create new jobs in the U.S.
• Tangible tax relief for small business and new start-ups.
• Use TARP funds allowing community banks to swap their impaired real-property related assets and boost their liquidity allowing them to return to lending to the citizens and businesses within which they reside.
• Stem the swelling tide of foreclosures and the ongoing spiral of residential real property valuations with tangible, systemic relief. Allow lenders to re-appraise residential properties and adjust mortgages down to current market value. Provide tax credits in an amount commensurate to the mortgage relief they provide, allowing them to shield future profits against this sum, while not requiring the loan loss reserves to further deplete their balance sheets and federally mandated capitalization ratios.

Honestly, what has been missing in all our recent attempts to develop a treatment modality for Vertigonomics is the courage to confront the entire spectrum of this malady with the boldness and courage required. As of the date of this writing, the CDC will boldly advocate for the essential political support to enact the measures described above.

We hope you will join us. Call your elected representatives and bring their attention to this bulletin. Perhaps, they might garner a deeper appreciation for the effects that Vertigonomics is having on Main Street vs. the attention they have been providing to Wall Street.

Yes, In God We Trust — the other part of this equation is that God expects us to do something constructive about the circumstances that confront us — together.

MexGen:

Profiling the Paradox

By Bill Dahl

Dehydration is a Process

Water is something we all take for granted. It’s all over the place. Approximately two thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered with water. If you fail to consume water within a 48-hour period, your body begins to deteriorate. You can die from thirst. Drought threatens human survival.

Water flows downhill. We rely upon the fact that winter snows in the mountains will become spring flows of life sustaining water. It takes time to transform a snowflake in the mountains into a drop of water in your kitchen. If this process is interrupted, we’re all in deep, deep trouble. Wells and reservoirs run dry if the sources and flow of life giving water are not nurtured.

There is no segment in American society where the threat of drought is more apparent than within the Hispanic community. The essential flow of emerging, capable and educated leaders to the reservoirs and wells that sustain the mainstream Hispanic community is being obstructed and diverted. This disruption in the flow of vital Hispanic generational leadership ( hereinafter “MexGen”) is intentional, unconscionable and will serve to impair the effectiveness of the Hispanic contribution to American society for decades to come, if this situation continues unabated.

James P. Smith, Chairman for labor markets and demographic studies at Rand Corp. recently led a panel for the National Academy of Sciences on the economic and tax effects of immigration. He writes, “The successes of previous immigrant generations happened in large part because schools worked for both immigrant children and their native-born classmates. If schools don’t similarly work for today’s immigrants — and there are ample reasons for concern — the success of future generations will be imperiled.”[i] This poignant perspective provides the basis of this article: Profiling the Paradox of MexGen.

Like my mom always told me, “If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Dehydration is a process, not an event” Let me explain.

Parched Throats:

MexGen is under siege in mainstream U.S.A. Media reporting would lead us to believe that the combatants in the U.S. culture wars are the left and the right. This may be valid, but the casualties are piling up and they are distinctly MexGen!

The Hispanic population in the U.S. is estimated to be around 40 million people, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Numerous studies have talked about the difficulty of determining the extent to which the undocumented immigrant is, or is not, included in this total. The 2000 U.S. Census figures have been characterized as “are widely recognized as incomplete.”[ii] Recently, Bear-Stearns suggested, “this figure may be as high as 20 million people.”[iii] For the sake of counting those who have probably not been counted in the 2000 Census, let’s say the Latino population in the U.S. in 2005 is approximately 50 million people, or 17% of the total U.S. population. The majority of U.S. Latinos come from Mexico. More than 35% of all Hispanics are under 18 years of age[iv] (although this number may be distinctly higher if figures for undocumented immigrant students were available). Thus, MexGen is in school, preparing to become the next generation of leaders for an increasingly important segment of American society.

There are twenty some Latino Congressmen, no senators, no Supreme Court justices and one governor. As Jorge Ramos writes, “We are numerous but we lack political representation commensurate with our numbers.”[v]

Becoming thirstier?

Generational Brain Drain

A study completed by the Rand Corporation revealed that, “Our results show that many immigrants and their offspring, especially Hispanics, are losing ground in educational attainment to other immigrant groups and to natives. Immigrants from most places of origin enroll in California’s primary, middle, and high schools at the same rates as natives and are as likely as natives to graduate from high school. This is not true of Mexican and Central American immigrant children, however. Their enrollment rates begin to drop off in middle school and fall progressively further behind during the high school years. By age 20, only 45 percent of Hispanic immigrants have graduated from high school, compared to 90 percent of non-Hispanic immigrants and 88 percent of natives. It appears that instead of dropping out of the school system in the traditional sense, many Hispanic immigrant adolescents never attend school at all—they have come north to find work, not to attend school.”[vi]

In March 2005, the L.A. Times reported the current state of graduation rates in the LAUSD. “The results of a “Harvard University study released this month showed that just 39% of Latinos and 47% of African American students in the district who should have graduated in 2002 managed to do so. Overall, the district’s graduation rate was 45.3%, the report found.”[vii] Only 15% of Latinos and 21% of African Americans who began their freshman year in 1999 graduated with enough of the courses to attend a four-year California university in 2003.[viii]

The results of a study by Pew Hispanic Center released in May 2005 states that “The concentration of Latinos in relatively low-skill occupations contributed to reduced earnings for them for the second year in a row. No other major group of workers has suffered a two-year decline in wages. The vast majority of new jobs for Hispanic workers were in relatively low-skill occupations calling for little other than a high school education. In contrast, non-Hispanic workers secured large increases in employment in higher-skill occupations requiring at least some college education. This polarization contributed to a growing gap in earnings between Hispanic and non-Hispanic workers. The fall in wages for Latinos was greatest among immigrants who arrived in the United States in the past five years. Thus, the new immigrants who are enjoying significant growth in employment are doing so at the expense of lower wages. This trend is, no doubt, exacerbated by their concentration in occupations calling for minimal skills and education. Despite strong demand for immigrant workers, their growing supply and concentration in certain occupations suggests that the newest arrivals are competing with each other in the labor market to their own detriment.”[ix]

If, in reading the above, you get the distinct feeling that “brain drain” has a trickle-down effect on the impact the 18 and under Hispanic generation (MexGen) may or may not be able to make in American society, you’re right. You don’t have to possess a PhD in generational sociology to figure this one out.

I agree with the author Dr. Charles Handy when he writes, “We grow more food than we need but cannot feed the starving. We can unravel the mysteries of the galaxies but not of our own families. To call it a paradox, however, is only to label it, not to deal with it. We have to find ways to make sense of the paradoxes, to use them to shape a better destiny.”[x]

It’s time to travel the route of the current trickle and determine what is causing this brain drain. I firmly believe that we must stop the daunting prospects of the forecast for a Hispanic generational leadership drought at the source. It’s time to heed the words of Rand’s James P. Smith when he writes, “Special efforts should be undertaken to encourage high school graduation and college attendance within the Hispanic community and to discover ways to enhance the educational achievement of Hispanics.”

What must be done now, to “shape a better destiny?”

The MexGen Profile

Yvette and Maria (not their real names although this is a real story) live in the same community in Santa Ana, CA with their families. Their families don’t own homes. They rent apartments. The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government published a report in August 2004 entitled “An Update on Urban Hardship.” Santa Ana, CA was ranked as the #1 big city in America where it is toughest to make ends meet.[xi] Yvette has 7 sisters and one brother. Maria has two brothers and three sisters. They’re both 17, attractive, bright, hard working and fun loving. They work part-time jobs in a fast-food restaurant together. They help others in their community doing volunteer work.

They have received the entirety of their public education in the Santa Ana School District. Later this month, they will both graduate from a local high school with honors. This is an amazing feat when you appreciate the fact that almost 6 out of 10 adults in Santa Ana, CA over the age of 25 have less than a high school education.[xii] Both Yvette and Maria will graduate in the top 4% of their graduating class (in the top 20 students out of a graduating class of nearly 400). Both have earned college credits while in high school. They have each received numerous academic awards. Neither has ever received any sort of formal disciplinary action inside or outside of school. They are, in every sense of the term, model citizens.

Maria has worked very hard to earn acceptance to UC-Davis where she will begin her college studies in the fall of 2005. She intends to become a veterinarian. She’s ecstatic. Yvette has been accepted to UC-Irvine. She loves math and intends to apply her aptitude in a career that requires the same. These two young women represent the best of the best that MexGen has to offer. All together, each of these young women have pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America over 2,000 times.

That’s where the similarities end.

Taking Our Foot Off the Hose

A journey to the bottleneck of the trickle is not unlike any other, one step at a time. However, before we dash off, we should probably take a look at our present posture. If you’re wondering why MexGen is not blossoming in the U.S. at a pace that other groups of NextGen young adults are, we should probably begin the inquiry by examining the hose in our hand. If there is a trickle coming out and the water valve is wide-open, let’s examine the most immediate cause: Perhaps, we’re standing on the hose.

Maria was born in the U.S. Yvette was born in Mexico and was carried across the border in the arms of her mother when she was five years old. She had no idea where she was going. She didn’t possess the ability to argue, understand, discuss or stay behind in Mexico. Like any child, she followed the lead of her parents.

Yes, she has a phony social security card that allows her to work part-time at a fast food restaurant. She drives the family car without a license. She has no medical or auto insurance. Her three younger sisters were all born in the U.S.

She bought into what every generation in America has been told, “work hard in school, excel, get good grades, stay out of trouble, become involved in serving your community and everything will work out just fine for you.” At present, she does not qualify for federal financial aid for college due to her undocumented status. There’s no way her family can afford even in-state tuition at UC-Irvine.

Yvette is now considering postponing her entrance into college. Her father does not work due to the debilitating effects of a stroke. Her mom sews in a sweatshop. Mom and dad are not bilingual. The family is seriously considering moving to Washington State where it is cheaper to live. Her older, undocumented brother lives and works there now. Whether they move to Washington or stay in Santa Ana, Yvette feels that she needs to be there for her three younger sisters who are excelling in school, and bolster the family’s income by continuing to work at minimum wage.

The flow of hope in her life has become a trickle. Who’s standing on the hose?

Summary:

With tears in her eyes, a trembling voice, and a facial expression reflecting deep, disillusioned, torment, Yvette says, “Even though I have done everything I can to demonstrate that I am a person of character, ready and willing to contribute to the future of America, I now feel like I’m on the outside looking in. How can this be happening? It’s not fair.” It is a life-changing experience to sit with a victim whose soul has been raped of hope. As I sat there, I realized that I was being provided with a glimpse of the soul of MexGen.

As we have throughout the history of the United States, we are presently confronted with a tremendous opportunity captured in the question, “What must be done now, to shape a better destiny?” It’s time to confront the truth. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “To be honest is to confront the truth. However unpleasant and inconvenient the truth may be, I believe we must expose and face it if we are to achieve a better quality of American life.”[xiii] The soul of this nation is at stake here. Every demographic projection out there indicates that the Hispanic community will become the majority in this nation over the next 50 plus years. As author Leo R. Chavez points out, “Until the larger society imagines undocumented immigrants as part of the community, they will continue to live as outsiders inside American society.”[xiv]

The words of Dr. King uttered some 40 years ago are particularly appropriate in 2005: “There is a certain bitter irony in the picture of his country championing freedom in foreign lands and failing to ensure that freedom to twenty million of its own.”[xv] It is time to confront the truth that current misguided patriotic fervor has infected our discussion of U.S. immigration policy reform to the detriment of this nation’s soul, and our future. The character of the future of this nation is being formed today. It’s time to make amends. It’s time to take the first step in the right direction. Come on Congress! Pass some legislation that provides a path to citizenship for the millions of Yvette’s in MexGen.

We hold the hose of hope in our own hands. My prayer is that we will take our foot off the hose and water the MexGen garden of this nation. We must trust that God shall create a bountiful harvest, which will contribute to the nourishment of the soul of this country for generations to come. Do we trust Him America?

It’s about us America, not them.

NOTES:

---

[i] http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-op-borderschizo1may01,1,3039177.story

[ii]http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:iH7cshuGZU0J:www.steinreport.com/BearStearnsStudy.pdf+%22bear+stearns%22+%22immigration%22&hl=en&start=3

or http://www.steinreport.com/BearStearnsStudy.pdf.

[iii] www.bearstearns.com/bscportal/pdfs/underground.pdf.

[iv] U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census 2000, Washington D.C.

[v] Ramos, Jorge The Latino Wave, HarperCollinsPublishers, NY,NY Copyright © 2004 by Jorge Ramos p.240

[vi] Rand Corp.- Kevin F. McCarthy and Georges Vernez, Immigration in a Changing Economy: California’s Experience. Source:http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR854.1/MR854.1.chap9.pdf.

[vii] http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dropout26mar26,1,4643939.story

[viii] http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-courses26apr26,1,7990870.story

[ix] http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=45

[x] Handy, Charles The Age of Paradox, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA Copyright © 1994 by Harvard Business School Press, pp. x-xi

[xi] Montiel, Nathan & Wright – An Update on Urban Hardship, Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government – Public Policy Research Arm of SUNY. August 2004. http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:eVPVaFU9tDAJ:www.rockinst.org/publications/urban_studies/UrbanHardshipUpdate.pdf+%22hardship+index%22&hl=en&start=1

[xii] Montiel, Nathan & Wright – An Update on Urban Hardship, Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government – Public Policy Research Arm of SUNY. August 2004. http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:eVPVaFU9tDAJ:www.rockinst.org/publications/urban_studies/UrbanHardshipUpdate.pdf+%22hardship+index%22&hl=en&start=1

[xiii] Scott-King, Coretta The Words of Martin Luther King Jr. NewMarket Press, NY,NY Copyright © 1964by the Nobel Foundation and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. p.89

[xiv] Chavez, Leo R. Shadowed Lives – Undocumented Immigrants in American Society, Copyright © 1992, 1998 by Thomson Learning, Inc. p. 188

[xv] Hoskins, Loette I Have a Dream – The Quotations of Martin Luther King, Jr. Gossett & Dunlap Publishers, Copyright © 1968 by Droke House Publishers, Inc. p.3

The Kerik Conundrum

Bernard Kerik’s decision to withdraw his name as President Bush’s nominee to replace Tom Ridge as Director of Homeland Security, brings up several questions that deserve further consideration:

1. Perhaps we should apply the same standard to Kerik ( and all the rest of us ) who employ the services of an undocumented immigrant in our daily lives. Maybe Mr. Kerik should be detained until a deportation hearing can be convened to determine where Mr. Kerik should be deported? Such is the fate of undocumented immigrants. The standard should be reciprocal, shouldn’t it?

2. Employing the services of an undocumented immigrant without performing the essential “background investigation” and paying the essential withholding taxes, is irresponsible and corrupt ( particularly when this heinous act was committed by one of the most visible faces in our nation’s law enforcement community, and one who is touted as leading the charge on the U.S. “war on terror.”). Kerik profited by this act, just like Martha Stewart did. Shouldn’t a grand jury be convened to make an example out of Mr. Kerik in this case, just as we did with Martha?

3. Kerik described the undocumented immigrant that he employed as “someone employed by me in my house, a very nice woman, a very good woman, someone who loves my children and they love her.” This is clearly not the characterization of the “terrorists” that the proponents of immigration reform tell us they are saving us from. Where did Kerik find this woman? Do you think that there are more like her “out there among us,” or that this is just a fluke?

4. Now what? I want to know what Kerik decided to do with this woman. Did he fire her? Has he retained legal counsel to represent the woman to begin the process of obtaining citizenship? What is this woman’s story? It’s probably a lot more interesting that what I’ve read about Bernard Kerik. The character of Kerik is at stake here. How he handles this situation will tell us a lot about that character of our country.

In summary, the standards that we apply to the benefactors of undocumented immigrant labor must be held to a standard that is commensurate with the treatment and fate of the undocumented immigrant laborer, in the event of “official” recognition.

Our Kerik Conundrum options are self-evident:

a. String him up and make a national example out of him, just like we did with Martha.

b. Track down, detain and deport the woman and make a national example out of her.

c. Pass federal legislation that provides “amnesty” to the rich in this country who benefit from upon the services of undocumented immigrant labor. We have plenty of time to have the IRS print the new forms and distribute them before the April 15th 2005 income tax filing deadline. We could use the proceeds to make our border with Mexico more secure, so terrorists like this woman cannot infiltrate our country!

d. Have the FBI conduct a nationwide “round-up” of all the U.S. citizens and businesses who, like Kerik, presently employ these subversives. After all, aren’t they really supporting potential terrorist infiltrators?

e. Have Kerik be the first to register under the “Undocumented Immigrant Laborer Offender Program.” This national database will be used to track immigration law offenders like Mr. Kerik, provide treatment and counseling, serve to warn neighbors upon their re-entry back into the community, and serve as a deterrent to recidivism.

Maybe after you have considered all of the above, you get this sick feeling in your gut that “f,” None Of The Above, is where you end up in all this. If that’s the case, perhaps we must face the fact that this particular situation possesses all of the contradictions and double-standards that epitomize the untreated cancer that continues to ravage the soul of this nation.

I want to be the business agent for this woman! Can you imagine how many American families are looking for “someone employed by me in my house, a very nice woman, a very good woman, someone who loves my children and they love her?” Perhaps we need more people like this in our communities. Maybe they’re already “among us.” Let’s find em!

Wake up America! Let’s do the right thing here. Amnesty for Kerik and citizenship for the housekeeper!

Immythgration

or

Myths Mashed in the Midst of the U.S. Immigration Policy Reform Debate

The First Batch:

Everybody has at least one opportunity in life to sample the first batch of cookies your little sister, brother, nephew, niece or neighbor kid cooks up. I can distinctly remember the day my little sister proudly presented me with three cookies that she had created. They were awful! I mean terrible. I could have choked to death if she hadn’t brought me a glass of milk with those darn things.

However, my reaction was probably like yours. I didn’t make a face, scream “YUCK!” or spit the mouthful out in my hand. I smiled politely, made “Yummy” sounds, chewed, swallowed and devoured all three of those damn things. Why? Because I didn’t want the little cook to feel bad.

Little cooks seem to grow up into adult chefs charged with cooking up socio-economic policy in this country. As it relates to the current U.S. immigration policy reform debate, the fare being served up from the state and federal test kitchens all over this country continues to be filled with artificial ingredients that make the entrée distasteful. Let me explain.

Following Instructions:

Why do we have recipes? My grandma had her recipes memorized, until my dad asked her to write them down on paper. My mom had recipe books all over the kitchen. My wife has hers filed away in the cupboard above the refrigerator…she gets most of her recipes on-line today.

We have recipes so someone other than the original person who created the dish is able to replicate the form, flavor and taste. My wife can follow the recipe that my grandma had for chocolate chip cookies with walnuts and produce the same, exact cookie. If my wife alters that recipe in any way, I can tell…immediately. Every once in a while, my wife will alter my mom or grandma’s recipes when she is out of a particular ingredient, decides to alter the proportions of required ingredients, or succumbs to the overwhelming urge to be creative.

Original recipe means original recipe. The only way to replicate original is to follow the original instructions. It is a myth to think that one can alter the original recipe in any way and produce a tasteful, current day replica. The recipe for cooking up present day original recipe U.S. immigration policy is no different. However, what we are presently sampling in this debate is fast-food fare that is filled with myths that alter the flavor of the enduring truths that have formed and sustained the soul of this nation.

Myth # 1 – Everything has changed since 9/11: Bull! My grandma didn’t change her recipe for chocolate chip cookies when Pearl Harbor, World War II, The Korean War, Vietnam, or Woodstock occurred. (She didn’t alter it when we landed a man on the moon). All this nonsense about everything changing since 9/11 is only political fodder to legitimize the fear and outrage agenda of those who want to capture an opportunity in our nation’s history to further preserve what they already have. This is done by redirecting their self-righteous revenge, veiled beneath a misguided sense of patriotic fervor. It is then served up as a new form of truth. This is not truth. It is myth, fabricated for the purposes of changing the original recipe. It is a lie. A quote from Princeton University’s Professor of Philosophy Emeritus Henry G. Frankfurt, captures the essence of this matter in the following: “The liar is inescapably concerned with truth-values. In order to invent a lie at all, he must think he knows what is true. And in order to invent an effective lie, he must design his falsehood under the guidance of that truth.”[i]

The truth about this myth is that there were the same number of undocumented Latino immigrants piloting those hijacked airplanes on 9/11 as the number of weapons of mass destruction the U.S. military uncovered after invading Iraq…Nada. Zero.

The truth of the matter is that when one begins to alter the original recipe of truth, the results are distasteful for all concerned.

Missing Ingredients:

I can remember the day I was helping my grandma bake cookies. They didn’t have timers in those days so grandma always kept a keen eye on the kitchen clock. This particular day, grandma got distracted and forgot when we had placed the batch in the oven. She grabbed her mitten and pulled the tray out of the oven. “Not yet Billy. They’re half baked,” she said.

Myth # 2 – Control the Border and Solve the Problem. Proponents of immigration reform who focus solely on controlling the border with Mexico as the solution to this matter, are serving up solutions that are at best, half-baked. These people would lead us to believe that we should devour their half-baked fare because “it looks like a cookie.” The point is that we need to put this sort of thinking back in the oven to allow the other ingredients in the recipe to fully integrate with each other. There’s nothing worse than a half-baked cookie, no matter how hungry you are for a solution. You don’t take a batch of chocolate chip-walnut cookies out of the oven just because the chocolate chips on the exterior of the cookies look good. Proper baking is an essential ingredient to every successful recipe.

One day, my wife decided to use pecans instead of walnuts in a batch of grandma’s cookies. Her thought was that I would never know the difference. Wrong!

Myth # 3 – Guest Worker Programs Are a Proper Substitute for a Path to Citizenship. Yeah, right! This is akin to substituting pecans for walnuts. The assumption is that undocumented immigrants come to the U.S. solely for the purpose of getting a job. Furthermore, if we provide a way for them to register, we will be better able to control the flow and keep track of their whereabouts. The fact of history is that the hopeless migrate to that land that is hopeful. Undocumented immigrants desire far more than just a job. They want to be participants in this society and enhance the hope for a brighter future for their families. By the way, the federal government wants you to believe that a guest worker program (pecan) is a proper substitute for a path to citizenship (walnut). However, when this fare gets served up in this country, we’re all going to recognize the fact that there’s something essential missing here.

Proper Proportions:

One day, Grandma made a mistake. After the first batch had cooled and she had poured two glasses of milk for us, we smiled at one another and grandma nodded, giving me the green light to grab the first warm cookie. She did the same. It took grandma all of ten seconds to figure out that there was something wrong. The vanilla was stale. She looked at me and said, “Well Billy, it’s back to square one.” With that, she tossed the first batch of cookies on the sheet and the entire bowl of cookie dough in the garbage. The vanilla we had used had been in grandma’s cupboard far too long. She gave me the empty chip package and a few bucks to go to the store and get a new bottle.

Myth # 4 – They will go back – I am amused at the recipes for U.S. immigration reform that suggest the undocumented immigrants presently in the U.S. will simply return to their country of origin, as long as we create policy here that maintains their existence as less flavorful than it can be. There is absolutely no factual basis for such a claim. There’s no way that you can pluck the vanilla out that is already baked in the recipe. The vast majority of undocumented immigrants who reside in the U.S. are here to stay. Face it. Perhaps we should focus on the truth that our responsibility is to create a more fruitful nation by virtue of their addition to our national recipe. Their addition should be viewed as refreshing, essential ingredient rather than an element that makes the whole batch bad. That’s how the U.S. treated my grandma when she came here via Ellis Island. Maybe we should stick with the original recipe?

Myth # 5 – Ignore Them and They’ll Go Away – Grandma taught me that if you make a less than satisfactory batch of cookies, the best thing to do is start over rather than cook up the whole batch and hope enough people stomach the bad batch to make your effort worthwhile. Recipes for U.S. immigration policy reform must be mindful of the same. Bad, piecemeal policy does not contribute to a palatable solution for all concerned. Besides, it damages the reputation of the cook. Ignoring the need for a comprehensive solution is the only recipe for a tasteful, enduring solution.

Myth # 6 – Round em up and send em back – This is a position taken by the neo-con Center for Immigration Studies in a May 2005 report.[ii] Imagine me and my grandma attempting to extract the vanilla in the dough and bring it back to the store for a refund. It’s ridiculous. There’s no way you can do this. Particularly when you’re talking about human beings and a moral approach to this matter. The recipe for the soul of this nation is comprised of a multiplicity of ingredients that have been passed down from generation to generation. There are shameful periods of history in this country when we have attempted to discard certain ingredients; the Japanese-American internment camps in WWII, segregation, the right to vote and dissent during Vietnam and Watergate. Let’s not repeat the same, historical, shameful mistakes of this country that many would like to forget. Let’s step up to our responsibility that we have left this essential ingredient in the cupboard far too long. It’s not the vanilla’s fault.

The Presentation:

Grandma was always proud when she would bring out her neatly arranged platter of cookies after we had finished our family’s Sunday supper together. She always whispered to me, “No matter how you package it, it’s what’s inside that counts Billy.”

Myth # 7– Package it Properly and It Will Sell – Come on America! Haven’t we tired of this myth yet? Let’s make sure that the fare we serve up in the U.S. immigration policy reform effort is one that is based upon tasteful substance, rather than a palatable appearance.

Summary

My grandma’s cookies warmed more hearts and put more smiles on faces in this nation than anything I can think of. Other than our family members, she usually brought them to folks who had been hit by some sort of trauma in life. Oftentimes, the people who enjoyed her fare didn’t even know her. Grandma didn’t know them either.

Grandma cooked up stuff because it was the right thing to do. Every batch was made with the same portions of loving care. Let’s follow grandma’s recipe shall we?

NOTES:

Immi-doption or Immi-bortion

or

Within the Womb of The U.S. Immigration Policy Reform Debate

We’re pregnant America!

“Adoption NOT Abortion” screamed the intensely illuminated red billboard against the black darkness of a Colorado night. Who says you can’t be startled out of a profound state of travel exhaustion while seated in the back of an empty shuttle bus on the way to your hotel?

The shock of it all sent my mind whirling through the relationship between the arguments supporting the right to life v. right to choose debate, and the current national dialogue concerning U.S. immigration policy reform. Yeah, I know. I don’t understand why my brain works like that either. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

Divine creation: Illegal immigrants and any human fetus are Divinely created. The left might disagree with the right on this.

Equal value: Both the fetus and the illegal immigrant are of equal value in the eyes of our Creator. I guess the left and the right may have some trouble with this one.

Legality: Illegal acts create human fetuses and illegal immigrants alike. Some fetuses are created by a criminal act (rape, incest and statutory rape). Undocumented immigrants residing in the U.S. have either crossed our borders illegally, or have illegally extended their stay here beyond the date of their visa expiration. There appears to be a unanimous consensus on this point.

Right to Choose: The question about whether a human being has the right to choose to abort a Divinely created human being, no matter how it was created (legally, or otherwise) is a central issue. The political right would say that there is no choice…the fetus must be treated as a Divinely created child of God. The left takes the position that the womb within which the fetus resides is the party empowered to choose. As it relates to the choice of dealing with the illegal immigrant, it appears the left and right have reversed their respective right to choose positions on this one.

Consent: Pregnancy can occur with, or without consent. Consensual or otherwise, the political right says: “There is no choice. We must embrace the Divinely created.” Those on the left maintain that the owner of the womb possesses the choice. We can all agree illegal immigration is not consensual between the parties. Yet, once again, it appears the left and right have swapped positions again on the consent issue when you substitute an illegal immigrant for a fetus.

The “choice” becomes one of abortion (exterminating the Divinely created), or embracing the pregnant reality with the only choice of compassion that our Creator expects (adoption). Whether the pregnancy is accidental, unplanned, unwanted, inconvenient, costly or burdensome is immaterial to the position supported by the political right. Whether one has been impregnated by a lover, acquaintance or a stranger is also irrelevant for those on the right.

Here’s how it all shakes out in a tabular presentation:

Abortion Immigration

It is a tragedy that the principles that under gird the position of the right and the left on the abortion v. adoption issue are somehow reversed when those same principles are illuminated against the backdrop of the ongoing U.S. immigration policy reform dialogue. We seem to have “flip-flopped.” The present state of the immigration policy reform debate is focused on birth control; preventing any unwanted future pregnancies from occurring. For some reason, the elements that comprise the present policy pill have lost their effectiveness (It really hasn’t worked for years. Don’t tell anybody. Neither party in the U.S. Congress is courageous or dumb enough to take the responsibility for this failure. At this time, I’m not sure we’re currently willing to risk the cost of creating a legitimate solution either). The condom policies we have relied upon for protection are porous.

Birth control issues aside, how long will we continue to be in a state of denial, flip-flopping over the right to life issue for those illegal immigrants residing within our nation’s bulging belly?

We’re pregnant America! It’s too late for chastity belt considerations. The outcome of the present immigration policy reform debate in The U.S. is an opportunity to demonstrate the character of this nation to the world family. Is it the children of the present reality or the parent-nation who must reform? Will we embrace them through adoption or abort them?

How shall we choose?

From a purely historical standpoint, the plight of undocumented Hispanic immigrants residing in the U.S. can be accurately characterized by the term Hispurgatory: A moment in U.S. history when the resident, undocumented Latino immigrant population is caught in a state of legal limbo. Their standard of living is typically well below the official poverty level. Their daily existence is one of endurance and survival. They are motivated by the hope that their service to this country as upstanding, creative, contributing, law abiding residents will be rewarded someday with legitimate, official acceptance by the government of the Promised Land.

For these Latinos, the hope for citizenship in the U.S. is heaven. Visions of better jobs, education, healthcare, housing, protections against discrimination, racism, the ability to be all one can be, to contribute to the United States economy and culture on an equal footing…these are the elements of their hope. The country they departed was, at least, economically oppressive. If the prospects for a better life for their families in their country of origin was without hope, then, that is hell.  Hope led them here. Hope keeps them here. They hope that we will awaken from our self-righteous indignation and accept them formally into this, the Promised Land. Until then, they remain among us, their lives suspended precariously between heaven and hell, in a state of Hispurgatory.

Getting In

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wanted to speak to somebody who has actually lived in either heaven or hell. I haven’t met either yet (although I’ve met people in both categories that, in my opinion, belong in one or the other). However, I have met a vast number of people who presently reside in Hispurgatory. Let me tell you about one.

Juan (not his real name) lives in Santa Ana, CA. He came to the U.S. when he was 8 years old along with his 3 year old sister in 1991. He can remember the squalor they lived in the Saravia Michoacan region of Mexico, some two hours inland from Guadalajara. The family inhabited a one-room shack. The windows were just uncovered holes in the wall. The room had a dirt floor. There was no plumbing. Juan’s mom stayed home to care for the 5 children. Dad worked from sun up to sundown. The family would wait for dad to get home at night so they could eat dinner together. Most nights, dinner consisted of one tortilla each. Juan recalls the nights, too numerous to count, that his father gave his tortilla to his baby sister who crawled onto dad’s lap at suppertime.

Juan’s mother and father have been married for 30 years. His father entered the U.S. 28 years ago, living with his older brother in Santa Ana, working as a landscaper. Dad sent money to the family in Mexico every month from the U.S. Mom would visit dad in the U.S. once a year or so and shortly thereafter, would give birth to a new child in Mexico.

The first time Juan met his father in-person, he was 8 years old. Mom and dad decided that they wanted their children to have a better future by obtaining an education in the U.S. Dad had returned to Mexico with U.S. birth certificates from Juan’s uncle’s two children that matched the ages for Juan and his 3 year old sister.  Juan distinctly recalls the horrific screams and crying from his other brothers and sisters when they realized they would have to remain with mom in Mexico, rather than accompanying dad, Juan and his baby sister back to the U.S. Dad and mom promised the family that they would all be together in the U.S. within two years. It took four. The coyotes had raised their prices to U.S. $1,500.00 per person and it took the family two extra years to save the ransom.

Today, Juan is 22 years old. He remembers holding his father’s hand as they walked through U.S. customs in Tijuana when he was 8. He recalls his mother carrying his three-year old sister in her arms in front of him. This sister is 17 now. Nobody ever asked Juan or his sister to consent to this action. They were too young to argue with mom or dad. Juan lives with his parents and three sisters in an apartment in Santa Ana. Their rent is $950 per month. Mom continues to care for the children. His dad still works in landscaping where he brings home $320 per week (weather permitting…do the math). They have moved only once within Santa Ana since arriving in the U.S. The motivation to move occurred when Juan’s brother was shot four times while standing on the balcony of their apartment, in a random, drive-by shooting. Juan’s father missed filing for citizenship prior to the 1986 cut-off. Dad has a work-permit today, sponsored by his employer. They don’t have any medical insurance. Juan’s 5-year old sister has suffered from heart problems requiring 2 major surgeries. She needs another one but they just don’t have the money.

The Awakening – Liberty and Justice For All

Juan completed all his education in the Santa Ana school district. He is the first person in his family ever to graduate from high school. During high school, Juan received numerous academic awards as the top student in his class in Spanish, Planning and Compter Graphic Design and an award for perfect high school attendance. (Noteworthy as the drop-out rate for Latinos in Santa Ana high schools is about 50%).  He graduated from high school with honors. He graduated early.

He has never been arrested and doesn’t have a fake Driver’s license, social security card or birth certificate. He takes the bus everywhere he needs to go. He has never driven a car. He has made money distributing flyers, doing odd jobs and babysitting for neighbors and doing some filing a few hours a week at a law office.

It was reciting the pledge of allegiance one morning for the umpteenth time in high school that Juan realized that something was wrong. “When I said, ‘with liberty and justice for all,’ it dawned on me; all my efforts in school might be for nothing if something doesn’t happen to change my situation. I became confused, angry and depressed. Liberty and justice were for some.” Shortly after this awakening, Juan was unable to join his classmates on a field trip to Ensenada. He couldn’t join a friend and his family on a vacation trip to another state by airplane. He couldn’t take the test to get a permit to drive. He couldn’t get a real job like many of his high school classmates. He was in Hispurgatory.

This spring, Juan will receive his Bachelor’s degree from a four-year university in southern California. Most of the financial support he received for college was donated by a local church, as he does not qualify for federally funded student financial aid programs. Once again, he is graduating with honors. Juan wants to be an elementary school teacher. He completed his student teaching with first graders in a local elementary school. “It’s what I was created to do,” he says. He recently tried to sign-up to take the California teachers exam. They wouldn’t let him. He doesn’t have a social security number.

Now What?

“I want my younger sisters to continue to see me as a role-model.” Juan’s 17 year-old sister has a 3.8 GPA and is ready to graduate from high school. She faces the same challenges as Juan. “I need to be here for her; to encourage her to press on in the face of the hopelessness and confusion of it all. My biggest fears are that I won’t be able to teach here in the U.S., I won’t get the opportunity for citizenship here and that I will be deported. The U.S. Government should allow people like me and my sister to become citizens. We’ve earned. They should allow us to serve in the U.S. military too. I wish Latino celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Arte Moreno (owner of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim major league baseball team), Ricki Martin, Dahlia and Alex Rodriguez (New York Yankees) would get together and advocate for the resolution of all this. I would, if I were in their position. This is my country.”

Juan is considering the continuing his education, obtaining his Master’s degree. He doesn’t know who would help him out financially. His life, his future are suspended in a state of legal limbo. This is Hispurgatory.

So What?

There are millions of Juan’s in the United States today. As I read my Bible, it is the plight of the Juan’s of the world where the rubber of good news of the Gospel must meet the road.    As theologian Thomas Merton wrote, “We must never overlook the fact that the message of the Bible is above all a message preached to the poor, the burdened, the oppressed, the underprivileged.“(1)

For those living in Hispurgatory in the United States today, they are people occupying space where there seems to be no room. As Merton says: “Into this world, this demented inn, in which there is absolutely no room for Him at all, Christ has come uninvited.  But because He cannot be at home in it, because He is out of place in it, and yet He must be in it. His place is with those others for whom there is no room. His place is with those who do not belong, who are rejected by power because they are regarded as weak, those who are discredited, who are denied the status of persons, tortured, or exterminated.  With those for whom there is no room, Christ is present in this world.” (3)

Yes, we do have a moral crisis in the United States today. Part of this crisis is caused and perpetuated by those who claim the name of Christ, sit on the sidelines, and shout at the Juan’s in this country. “The moral crisis that we are facing in this country is crying out for spiritual leadership.  It offers evangelicals the opportunity to put our faith to work-to roll up our sleeves and become players instead of sitting on the sidelines.”  (3)

“It is time that we demand more of ourselves as Christians.  We are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, and if the world is going to see, feel, and touch him, it will have to be through us.”(4)  It’s time that the Christian community repents, takes the leadership role and opens the door to the cell of those imprisoned within Hispurgatory in the United States.

Let them in America! It’s God’s grace we are shutting out.

Bibliography & Notes

1  Merton, Thomas.  Seeds, SHAMBHALA, Boston © Copyright 2002 by Robert Inchauti p. 111.

2  Merton, Thomas.  Seeds, SHAMBHALA, Boston © Copyright 2002 by Robert Inchauti p. 137.

3  Perkins, John M.  Restoring At-Risk Communities – Doing It Together & Doing It Right, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan © Copyright 1995 by John M. Perkins p. 10

4  Perkins, John M.  Restoring At-Risk Communities – Doing It Together & Doing It Right, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan © Copyright 1995 by John M. Perkins p. 12

Lurking covertly,
Within the shadows of a doubt.
Dubiously suspicious,
If we will ever work this out.

Befuddled and betrayed,
Thrashing amidst waves of confusion.
Is U.S. immigration reform a mirage?
Have we succumbed to Immillusion?

Perhaps, I’m simply naïve;
A citizen who believes we must solve this thing.
I believe in liberty and justice for all.
The day we let freedom ring!

Streets filled with joy and laughter.
Our nation’s heart reflected on our face.
Celebrating citizenship for the others among us,
Surrendered to the extension of God’s grace.

Millions enduring unnecessary oppression,
Counting on us for their release.
We hold the keys to their cells,
Unlocking citizenship will be our peace.

A nation suffering from cardiovascular disease,
Well known as hardness of the heart.
We espouse freedom and democracy abroad,
As immillusion continues tearing us apart.

Counterintuitive as it may seem,
The notions I ponder as I pray.
Perhaps it’s not what we must keep,
But what we shall decide to give away.

The malady of immillusion,
Clogs the arteries of our Nation’s heart.
The cure may require a dietary change,
Giving thanks may be a start.

Vision is a must.
Solutions begin as a mirage.
It’s time for innovation
Not park it in a garage.

Ten to twenty million,
Nobody has a solid number.
His creations are in our midst!
God, awaken us from our self-righteous slumber.

Unforgettable lessons,
Voices from our Nation’s past.
Once again, I yearn to hear the voice that cries,
“Thank God Almighty, We are free at last.”

He is here. He is among us.
Weeping over our confusion.
God Almighty please forgive us!
Lead us out of the land of Immillusion.