براءة المسلمين

هي هجمات في مصر اشتباك الثقافة؟

هذا الأسبوع كانت هناك هجمات مروعة على سفارتنا في القاهرة والقنصلية في ليبيا. وكانت هذه الهجمات الوحشية والمشاغبين. لقد سبق لك جزء من مكافحة الشغب؟ عندما يحدث الشغب التي تبدأ من الاحتجاجات حول الظلم أو فضيلة متضاربة. ويبدأ من بعض محفز. في بنغازي كان ناري. يمكن عندما كنت في كيبيك هذا العام تحولت مظاهرة بسيطة في أعمال شغب عند واحد من المتظاهرين هرعت الشرطة في سطر، واحد من طلابي في انتظار مدخل صاح إهانة على الحشد. لحسن الحظ هذا لم يحدث. لكن دبلوماسيين كانت في بنغازي لم يكن محظوظا و. إذا كان كلا الطرفين استغرق نظرة فاحصة على عناصر الصراع الذي أنشأ احتجاج هناك دائما أمل أن الاحتجاج المتصاعدة وسوف تتوقف الاستقرار في التسريب.
من أجل هذا يجب أن يحدث كلا الجانبين لديهم فهم جيد للكل نقطة أخرى للعرض. في حالة الاحتجاج الطلابية في كيبيك كان الصراع حول ارتفاع رسوم التعليم الجامعي وصوت في الحكومة. الذي كان أكثر أهمية للطلاب؟ عندما البرلمان قضت الأشياء إضرابهم غير قانوني اشتدت بشكل كبير جدا، وطلابي وحصلت على الخروج من المدينة. أعتقد أن أحد الأشياء الدبلوماسيين تحتاج إلى معرفته هو متى تغادر البلدة. والأهم من ذلك يجب أن نسعى جاهدين لكلا الطرفين لديهم فهم أفضل لما هو في جذور الصراع. في حالة الفيديو المضادة للمسلم أن تسبب الكثير من جريمة يمكن تسوية بعض الأسئلة مفيدة ظلم بالإشارة إلى فضائل متضاربة. عندما كانت مصر في عام 2007 وكان لي شرف زيارة مدرسة خاصة. في حين كنا هناك أخذت من الوقت لاستخلاص واحدة من معلمي الدراسات الاجتماعية في مناهجها الدراسية. كان مستاء جدا انه عندما أظهر لي نسخا من الكتب المدرسية الجديدة كان لزاما عليه لاستخدامها من قبل الحكومة. كانت كتب التاريخ. بدأوا مع الأهرامات وفصم بسرعة إرسالها إلى عبد الناصر. وقال انه يتطلع في وجهي والدموع في عينيه وقال لي انه لم يعد تعليم عن التنوير. أنا أزعم أنه إذا لم يكن لديك طلاب الفرصة لدراسة التنوير بعد ذلك لن نفهم العقل الغربي. بدا أن نتفق مع لي. على الأقل في مصر لاحظت أنه توجد فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية من خلال ما هو المقصود من حرية التعبير وداخل خارج البلاد.
بينما كنت في مصر كما أتيحت لي فرصة لقاء مع النساء وهو مسيحي قبطي الذي كان يائسة لمغادرة البلاد. في وقت واحد والتعامل مع المسيحيين في مصر بشكل إيجابي للغاية، وشغل مناصب رئيسية في السلطة. تم وضع المسيحيين الأقباط في مصر تدهور مع مرور كل سنة. كان هذا ما زال حسني مبارك عندما كان لا يزال في السلطة. مع الربيع العربي أنا متأكد من أن موقفهم هو حتى أقل مواتاة. تذكر ما كان لها، والاستياء التي يجري اتخاذها من أنت لديه وسيلة لتتحول إلى الانتقام. ربما كان هناك ما يكفي من الانتقام في أن المثل العليا للأقباط كان مبررا الفيديو الهجوم. وشهدت أمريكا إنشاء الفيديو كتعبير عن حرية التعبير. شهد العالم مسلم الفيديو بأنه هجوم مباشر على إلههم. لأن الله يعطينا الحياة الأبدية، ثم أي إجراء له ما يبرره حتى الموت لتصحيح هذا الظلم. في نظر المسيحيين الأقباط يمكن أن يكون الانتقام. لأنها كانت لدينا القوة، والآن لم يعد يفعل، ثم اضطهدوا وأود انتقاد لإلحاق الألم على الناس الذين اساء لهم.





هذا هو اشتباك الثقافة؟ وأعتقد أنه من أكثر من حوالي المصالح الخاصة حماية مصالحهم. وكان هذا الصراع ليس حول حرية التعبير. وكان نحو خطاب سوء فهم. ما هي العناصر المشتركة لجميع الأطراف؟ وأساء كل ما. وأساء أمريكا لانهم تعرضوا لهجوم غير عادل مع الضحايا. وأساء الإسلام لأنه هاجم نبيهم وجدف إلههم. الأقباط يسعون للانتقام من يتم تخفيض الطبقة العليا المصرية. يجب أن أمريكا تحاول المشي في حذاء من تلك الموجودة في العالم العربي. نفهم الانتقام. نحن نفهم عدم احترام والجريمة. لدينا فهم محدود حتى ما هو التجديف. إغراء للرد بدلا من الرد تصاعد الصراع مرة أخرى. بدلا من الصدام الثقافة ينبغي لنا أن نحاول الاستجابة لجوهر الصراع. إلى الشعب العربي يجب علينا الاستجابة لينظر من خلال إظهار الكفر رغبتنا في حماية التعبير الديني. طريقة واحدة للقيام بذلك هو اتخاذ إجراءات لتقييد وسائل الإعلام الخاصة بنا. لأن بلدنا يؤمن حرية التعبير لا يمكننا الذهاب بعد الناس وراء الفيديو. بدلا من ذلك يمكننا أن تظهر الطريقة التي تنظم التعبير من خلال اظهار الشعب العربي كيف يمكننا منع هذا التعبير في إعدادات معينة. ينبغي لنا أن نفعل كل ما في وسعنا لإنشاء جدول زمني دون جرم للحد من احتمال حدوث مزيد من العنف.


في نهاية اللعبة يجب أن يفهم الشعب العربي نظامنا قيمة ونحن نحاول أن نفهم لهم. يجب علينا أخذ زمام المبادرة لشرح هذا التعبير من خلال تنظيم بأنفسنا ومن ثم الوصول لشرح نظامنا قيمة إلى البقع العمياء في فهم العربية. يمكننا أن نفعل هذا بنفس الطريقة التي تم بالإهانة من قبل إرسالهم في أشرطة الفيديو التي تشرح العربية رغبتنا في حماية التعبير الديني المكفولة في التعديل الأول لدستورنا. جذر الصراع وسوء الفهم. يجب أن نسعى إلى أن يكون مفهوما.

The Vigilance of Sumer

The Vigilance of Sumer

The Sumerians are the next civilization that we will introduce. They play an important role in contrasting with the Egyptians. The people of ancient Sumer lived in a harsh environment. They were people living near unpredictable rivers which can be contrasted with the Nile. These rivers would flood and threaten their very existence. To protect themselves these people developed a series of canals and channels to regulate the flow of the rivers. Because of the ongoing threat of natural disaster they became innovative and resourceful. Had the people of the New Orleans flood demonstrated this resourcefulness and innovation the city may have been preserved? Perhaps now that they have had to face the hardship of a flood they may gain the virtue of vigilance.
The Sumerians lived in isolated city states much like Singapore today. It is interesting to see the benefits of isolationism and cooperation working together as they did here. It brought the cities success wealth and a quality of life that was an incubator for progress. Isolation can be defined as a fear of strangers. Cooperation can be defined as sharing ideas, effort and marketable items toward a common goal. Examples of the kind of goal that cooperation fostered in Sumer were the walls providing defense around the City States. Isolation and cooperation seem to be dialectic elements comprising the virtue of vigilance. Vigilance is the next vocabulary word to be added to the language of virtue. It is a verb because it commands us to ongoing action.

Tablet X of the Epic of Gilgimesh. Vigilance in the flood story.

Tear down the house and build a boat! Abandon wealth and seek living beings! Spurn possessions and keep alive living beings! Make all living beings go up into the boat. The boat which you are to build, its dimensions must measure equal to each other: its length must correspond to its width. Roof it over like the Apsu.I understood and spoke to my lord, Ea: 'My lord, thus is the command which you have uttered I will heed and will do it. But what shall I answer the city, the populace, and the

Elders!'Ea spoke, commanding me, his servant: 'You, well then, this is what you must say to them: "It appears that Enlil is rejecting me so I cannot reside in your city (?), nor set foot on Enlil's earth. I will go down to the Apsu to live with my lord, Ea, and upon you he will rain down abundance, a profusion of fowl, myriad(!) fishes. He will bring to you a harvest of wealth, in the morning he will let loaves of bread shower down, and in the evening a rain of wheat!"'Just as dawn began to glowthe land assembled around me-the carpenter carried his hatchet,the reed worker carried his (flattening) stone,... the men ...The child carried the pitch,the weak brought whatever else was needed.On the fifth day I laid out her exterior.It was a field in area,its walls were each 10 times 12 cubits in height,the sides of its top were of equal length, 10 times It cubits each.I laid out its (interior) structure and drew a picture of it (?).I provided it with six decks,thus dividing it into seven (levels).The inside of it I divided into nine (compartments).I drove plugs (to keep out) water in its middle part.I saw to the punting poles and laid in what was necessary.Three times 3,600 (units) of raw bitumen I poured into the bitumen kiln,three times 3,600 (units of) pitch ...into it,there were three times 3,600 porters of casks who carried (vege- table) oil,apart from the 3,600 (units of) oil which they consumed (!)and two times 3,600 (units of) oil which the boatman stored away.I butchered oxen for the meat(!),and day upon day I slaughtered sheep.I gave the workmen(?) ale, beer, oil, and wine, as if it were river water,so they could make a party like the New Year's Festival.... and I set my hand to the oiling(!).The boat was finished by sunset.The launching was very difficult.They had to keep carrying a runway of poles front to back,until two-thirds of it had gone into the water(?).Whatever I had I loaded on it:whatever silver I had I loaded on it,whatever gold I had I loaded on it.All the living beings that I had I loaded on it,I had all my kith and kin go up into the boat,all the beasts and animals of the field and the craftsmen I had go up.Shamash had set a stated time: 'In the morning I will let loaves of bread shower down, and in the evening a rain of wheat! Go inside the boat, seal the entry!'That stated time had arrived.In the morning he let loaves of bread shower down,and in the evening a rain of wheat.I watched the appearance of the weather--the weather was frightful to behold!I went into the boat and sealed the entry.For the caulking of the boat, to Puzuramurri, the boatman,I gave the palace together with its contents.Just as dawn began to glowthere arose from the horizon a black cloud.Adad rumbled inside of it,before him went Shullat and Hanish,heralds going over mountain and land.Erragal pulled out the mooring poles,forth went Ninurta and made the dikes overflow.The Anunnaki lifted up the torches,setting the land ablaze with their flare.Stunned shock over Adad's deeds overtook the heavens,and turned to blackness all that had been light.The... land shattered like a... pot.All day long the South Wind blew ...,blowing fast, submerging the mountain in water,overwhelming the people like an attack.No one could see his fellow,they could not recognize each other in the torrent.The gods were frightened by the Flood,and retreated, ascending to the heaven of Anu.The gods were cowering like dogs, crouching by the outer wall.Ishtar shrieked like a woman in childbirth,the sweet-voiced Mistress of the Gods wailed: 'The olden days have alas turned to clay, because I said evil things in the Assembly of the Gods! How could I say evil things in the Assembly of the Gods, ordering a catastrophe to destroy my people!! No sooner have I given birth to my dear people than they fill the sea like so many fish!'The gods--those of the Anunnaki--were weeping with her,the gods humbly sat weeping, sobbing with grief(?),their lips burning, parched with thirst.Six days and seven nightscame the wind and flood, the storm flattening the land.When the seventh day arrived, the storm was pounding,the flood was a war--struggling with itself like a woman writhing (in labor).The sea calmed, fell still, the whirlwind (and) flood stopped up.I looked around all day long--quiet had set inand all the human beings had turned to clay!The terrain was as flat as a roof.I opened a vent and fresh air (daylight!) fell upon the side of my nose.I fell to my knees and sat weeping,tears streaming down the side of my nose.

I looked around for coastlines in the expanse of the sea,and at twelve leagues there emerged a region (of land).On Mt. Nimush the boat lodged firm,Mt. Nimush held the boat, allowing no sway.One day and a second Mt. Nimush held the boat, allowing no sway.A third day, a fourth, Mt. Nimush held the boat, allowing no sway.A fifth day, a sixth, Mt. Nimush held the boat, allowing no sway.When a seventh day arrivedI sent forth a dove and released it.The dove went off, but came back to me;no perch was visible so it circled back to me.I sent forth a swallow and released it.The swallow went off, but came back to me;no perch was visible so it circled back to me.I sent forth a raven and released it.The raven went off, and saw the waters slither back.It eats, it scratches, it bobs, but does not circle back to me.Then I sent out everything in all directions and sacrificed (a sheep).I offered incense in front of the mountain-ziggurat.Seven and seven cult vessels I put in place,and (into the fire) underneath (or: into their bowls) I poured reeds, cedar, and myrtle.The gods smelled the savor,the gods smelled the sweet savor,and collected like flies over a (sheep) sacrifice.Just then Beletili arrived.She lifted up the large flies (beads) which Anu had made for his enjoyment(!): 'You gods, as surely as I shall not forget this lapis lazuli around my neck, may I be mindful of these days, and never forget them! The gods may come to the incense offering, but Enlil may not come to the incense offering, because without considering he brought about the Flood and consigned my people to annihilation.'

Reciprocity

Why did the United Nations fail?

When President Woodrow Wilson conceived of a League of Nations he did not anticipate a universal group of rogue Democracies. When democracy does not contain a foundation of shared values, then self interest is likely to prevail. Wilson’s vision was one of trading blocks who had a vested interest in sharing resources or protection. To widen that net to fledging democracies which are really extensions of economic conquest will not lead to world peace. Neither will it lead to non-predatory trading practices. Self interest proceeds from this kind of jury rigged nation building. This is because the origin of these nations can be found in the special interest of an imperialistic initiative. Despite the proclamation of liberty and equality the founding fathers of these fledgling countries ultimately follow the example and not the propaganda of their conquerors.
I do not say this because I feel that the United States is an imperialistic power to be hated. The ideals of the United States are universal in acceptance but only truly embraced when self sacrifice is chosen over selfish interest. A self determined government without sacrificial participation by the population will produce an apathetic citizenship. Recently I visited Tiananmen Square in Beijing China. On one side of the square stands the entrance to the Forbidden City bearing Mau’s famous portrait. To the left of The Square as you face Mau’s portrait there is the hall of the people. I really wanted to see the hall of the people, but our tour guide had very little interest in it. In the hall of the people the representatives from various Chinese provinces caucus every year to set in place five year central planning. He could not tell me the name of his provinces representative, nor did he want to find out who he was. The lack of participation in government and the sacrifices associated with self determination can disconnect people from interest. The foundation of American freedom has components of liberty balanced against equality. The two great minds of Adams and Jefferson were in conflict over this paradox most of their lives. Madison was able to balance these values with a synthesis of freedom. His constitution balanced powers of self interest as well as unequal populations comprised of both the strong and the weak.

The foundation of peace is to protect the weak and innocent from the strong and powerful. When a person takes a stand for someone weaker he has invested moral capital into action that is not in his own self interest. A person who can push a selfish agenda and participate in this kind of action is living in personal conflict. This is why the United Nations must work at much more foundational level to implement change. Only when leaders create structures for people to participate in selfless sacrifice can the freedoms of democracy be embraced.

So how do we create these structures? The failure of both the United States and The United Nations has been to rubber stamp the already complete structures of United States Government. It is in the process of creating these structures that selfish interest can be discarded for the intangible value of self sacrifice. Short cutting this process is destined to produce self interest on the part of special interests. Of Rudyard Kiplings six honest serving men perhaps the most appealing is; “When” can we cheat the process? When has the population embraced the process long enough that we can begin to short cut the sacrifices necessary to embrace democratic principals? This is the wrong question because this question is a testimony to the instant society that we currently live in. In the days of text messaging and fast food instant gratification there is little patience for slow solutions to problems.

This is not to say that the dynamics of change are absolute. Process is certainly a continuum. What are the stress points of conflict resolution? Peace can not be achieved with out participation in resolving conflict. When government invents structures to build this kind of participation it has backfired on them. The self interest of the people running the initiative can get in the way of the true democratic principals. When non-government organizations take these kinds of initiatives there have been more favorable results. When outside forces like the United States or United Nations support the weak to create non-government structures, then the process instills the kind of values that make the virtues of democracy consistent and permanent. So one stress point that has been successful to outside manipulation has been the creation of non-government organization by the weak or oppressed. An example could be the women in India who benefited from micro loans to start their own businesses. This has served to equalize two different populations that have been unequal. When women in India are empowered to become self sufficient, then they can exercise greater liberties of choice over traditional male dominance.

Another strategy that has been effective is to employ technology as a bridge of resolution. The process of exercising greater choice can come from a technological break thorough. For example a new optical breakthrough can give people with poor eyesight the ability to read. Technology could also be used to protect. For example a new burglar alarm system could be used to protect a senior citizen who could be exploited by a younger foe. In both of these cases technology has served people by bridging conflicts or increasing opportunity. When I was in China I attempted to purchase a new pair of reading glasses. Because my prescription is only 1.5 I could not find any. I have made the judgment that the Chinese believe that if my eyesight is that good, then I should not require glasses. This is not the case. I can assure you that I need glasses as I type this essay in the shadows of the Greater Philadelphia International Airport. My point is this. So far in China, technology has not been necessary for people like me to participate on an equal footing with others when it comes to reading. In the future when individuals like my self to choose to read or a labor need with reading ability increases, then a new optical technology can help to resolve the potential conflict.
Democracy is a word that means different things to different people. If this concept implies self determination, then it can be confounding to see that the values that some people selfishly cling to may be defined by some as an abuse of human rights. An example will help clarify my point. When I was in Panama I noticed that the government had given aid to indigenous people which did not produce its expected results. The indigenous chieftain used the aid for selfish purposes, like expensive automobiles and did not distribute the wealth in the way that they expected. The balance of liberty and equality with freedom is universally perceived as good as long as time and effort are applied to instill values. This effort will require indoctrination at young ages and the cycle may not be broken for two generations. So if we break apart the word liberty and equality there may be value in attempting to introduce change on more primitive levels. The foundation of liberty is choice and change. When change becomes too uncomfortable we look for equality to bring these forces back into equilibrium. Equality can also be broken down into primitive forces. Equality is a complex word, and for the purposes of this essay it can be defined as protection from disorder. It is this protection from change that makes the process of instilling democratic ideals such a resistant task. Everyone embraces choice but change happens unequally across diverse populations of people.

When sacrifice is introduced as in the sacrifices of the American Revolution, then the process of conflict can instill values more quickly. This is because in the midst of conflict the desire and need for protection from change is increased. Choice is more desirable when all of our basic needs are met and we look to meet needs that are higher up on Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy. These values are on a continuum. The greater the desire for change and choice the less there is need for protection and order. So sacrifice is a way to introduce equality into a country just as technology can introduce choice. Are sacrifice and technology the only processes that instill democratic values? These processes are located in Western thought. Eastern thought may have a different process to accomplish similar ends.

I have found emotion to expedite change in my recent visit to China. I visited Shijiazhuang, a moderate sized city by Chinese standards of ten million people. Our students stayed with Chinese residents in their homes. They had the rich experience of cultural and language immersion. I was able to get to know some of the parents that were housing our students. I witnessed one Chinese man break down into tears to get his way. He was manipulating his emotion to keep the current order of home stay he had with one of our students. I could only imagine how he might also do this in a board room of a business meeting that he attended. His emotion was a kind of self inflicted sacrifice that showed people that he was openly suffering. Whereas in the west sacrifice was used when protection was increased here choice was expanded by implementing this strategy. One man actually cried when we decided that the home stay was not working out. These emotional outbursts were choreographed to reach selfish ends. In the US this type of outburst would be thought of as effeminate and he would lose the respect of other men. In China this strategy was used with quite opposite effects. The dynamic process of increasing choice by self sacrifice was similar to sacrifice that increased order and protection in the West.

Cooperation is a trait that I have found prevalent in the indigenous American tribes. School teachers on reservations have found that typical competitive strategies to motivate students can have reverse outcomes when implemented with indigenous school children. The desire to cooperate was much higher than to compete against one another. For example a student would choose a lower grade rather than willingly make a fellow student lose face. When a population would place a strong value on the land and its creatures it is natural for them to imitate what they observe. The vast majority of dogs, wolves and horses are known to follow more than they choose to lead. To be a leader it takes strong competitive skills. To be a follower it takes superior cooperation skills. Does it make sense when so much emphasis is placed upon fitting in to their surroundings that indigenous children would also choose to fit in?

The strategy to increase collaborative skills among the school children of the West is an example of a practical way to groom cooperative values in competitive culture. Perhaps if the Native American and Chinese students place a stronger emphasis on individual achievement strategy in a competitive environment this will serve them well. The global connectivity of the world has produced a by product of shared diversity that can lead to better strategies in conflict resolution and education. It is my hope to take this diversity dividend and use it to learn new skills of conflict resolution.

This is all wonderful rhetoric, but a practical example could be helpful here. I currently serve as the adviser for the Student Government organization at our high school. The Council is an advisory body. They can only make school policy decisions when the administration of the school empowers them. When our organization was created I was careful to not spoon feed existing structures for the students to duplicate. What they did was invent an organization that is very similar to our country’s government through trial and error learning. This process of learning allowed our students to embrace self sacrifice in creating structures to regulate speech, create initiatives, and establish rules by which they made decisions. Many student councils are just popularity contests and not representative of the student body’s opinion. Many times the election process is dominated by popular student body cliques. I teach at a cyber school. Most of our students do not interact socially. For this reason we have had fewer problems with our students creating initiatives dominated by a special interest group’s private agenda. The individual emphasis of our students learning platform has contributed to apathy and also made it harder for one or two students to dominate the organizations election process. This apathy however is also the most destructive determent to student directed collaborative learning.

A keystone of self directed learning is for students to feel as if they are making a difference by applying the lessons that they have learned. Apathy can make a student feel like their input will not contribute to anything or make a difference. A more hybrid model of learning could also include project based learning and seasons of face to face interaction. This face to face interaction can minimize the damage of apathy. The leadership center at our school has introduced, individual and group projects retreats, international and domestic trips, and conferences to increase the face to face interaction with students. When education becomes experiential then it is very difficult for students to feel that what they have learned does not matter. Experience also includes those from diverse backgrounds because they work out the solution to project problems in a specific way that reflects their past experience.
A peace conference could be one exercise that could directly examine the issue discussed in this essay. The preparation, planning and implementation of this event present a wonderful opportunity of applied learning along the way. Even one teacher and their students can make a difference on a subject like world peace. The alternative may be to have our students read a critical thinking book like “Making Peace” and be tested on comprehension as well as some problem based scenarios. Can education be directly connected to the problems that it addresses? Why not?

The Language Of Virtue.

Virtue is a paradox between what we know and what we feel.

There are culminating virtues in every civilization and there is usually one virtue that sets them apart from other people groups. Language is the basis of all communication and words are the elements of language. Virtue represents a synthesis of mind and emotion that sets up the rules for self government. If there is such a thing as… heaven, utopia, or paradise then I suppose its language is composed of words of superlative virtue. My speculative mind would inquire if the tower of Babel’s demise or Aquinas’s revelation were following this track of wisdom. It is my desire as a World History teacher to identify and catalogue these virtues and then write a story combining them together as a recipe for moral law. This is not to say that I believe that man is naturally good. I am an optimist, however. It is easy to identify negative stereotypes in most civilizations. It seems to be more difficult to find positive traits. I will call this, “The search for a reverse stereotype” for lack of a better term. I have done my best to identify the strength in this weakness to separate people groups with a positive trait rather than a negative one. For example the modern British could easily be saddled with a cold and stodgy label, but if we consider the strength in this apparent weakness then a desire for clarity prevails. Certainly clarity and excellence in little things are admirable characteristics. When Inuit parents infantasize their children they are not doing something virtuous. They are following what Hobbes would call the evil nature of man. However, with a sharing of ideas we have come to realize and change core values in our civilizations. It is these changed virtues that I wish to concentrate on in this project. In some cases these virtues have not progressed; they have regressed and if we can remember, then we may profit from the wisdom of the past. This work is expected to produce a love for history and what we can learn from studying virtue throughout the ages. This BLOG is a work in progress. I request your help in adding or editing literary, artistic or scientific breakthroughs reflecting on the choice of each of these virtues in the civilization discussed. I invite your collaborative suggestions as I continue to write. Allow me to finish this prologue with a literary accomplishment that I am very fond of. Ecclesiastes 1: 9 – 11 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, “See this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of the former things, nor there any remembrance of the latter things yet to be among those who come after. These posts were first written in 2005. I have attempted to update them. One post will appear for every week of the school year starting this week. 

Philippians 4 : 8 Finally, brothers whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

What should happen at Penn State?

I agree that his statue should be taken down. We need to walk the "second mile" and observe evil, but we must also learn to discern the difference between weakness and evil. Here is BLOG post from Brent Peterson about this.

http://t.co/SKue9ZUe

Does the reference to the “second mile” in the bible challenge you to be vigilant about evil? This can be contrasted with bearing with our weaknesses which is another command in scripture. God exposes us to the weaknesses of other believers so we can bear their burdens and fulfill the law of Christ. In hindsight the Sandusky case looks like a very black and white difference between weakness and sin. Sometimes it can be tricky to discern the difference between weakness and evil. It may have appeared obvious to eye witnesses, but necessarily to Joe Paterno. 

In retrospect we should crush the showers, and suspend football for a year. However, the more important consideration is that we should teach how to better discern weakness from evil at Penn State, and all universities.