Wednesday, October 24, 2012


1934 MERCY OR JUDGMENT?

Let’s talk a little.

First- I found it interesting that the last few days the stock market took a hit.

In the beginning of the year I thought the Dow should/would be somewhere in the 12,000 range by the end of the year.


I heard some financial guys talk about it maybe going to 17,000- others had lower estimates.

But none had my estimate.


Why did I have a bearish view?

Because all [most] of the data showed that we were in a global slowdown.

The Asian markets/economy was doing worse than expected.


Many were counting on China to pull the rest of the world out- instead the rest of the world [the E.U. crisis- U.S.] pulled them down.

Now- the jobs numbers were not good- and the last few days the data showed this.


This is [should not be] a surprise.

But to many it was.

Why?

Because many financial folk- good people- simply did not want to believe the bad report.


Even though the ‘bad’ report- the stats I just gave- were more than likely going to pull the market down- yet many felt if they just keep talking up the market- things will do better.


Sorry- a positive confession does not work when the stats are bad.


So- as we near the end of the year- it looks like we might make it into the 12,000’s once again.



Okay- I also wanted to mention a few more things about my Jersey trip.

I want to give a prime example of what ‘too much government’ looks like.


Now- I love my old state- the Garden state [you ask- why garden? Because as a kid I remember the paintings of gardens on some old truck road down the block!]

While I was staying at my mom’s house- my mom and sister have multiple health problems- my dear mom is getting up in years- and to be honest- they have a hard time simply dealing with day to day chores.

But- I was shocked at the fact that one of the major chores of their week was having to move their cars- by ‘law’ 2 times a week.

Yes- that Old Street Sweeper just keeps on coming!

 The city [for those who don’t live in N.J.] has a street sweeper that comes by on Mondays and Wednesdays- between 1 and 3 p.m. - and basically pushes the dirt around.

I have lived my entire adult life with no street sweeper- and the streets look the same- the rain does the job for free.


But- in my old town- with all the political connections- you would never be able to get rid of the dept.


So- my mom plans her week around having to move 2 cars [hers and my sisters] 2 times a week.

Problem?

Everybody else is also moving their cars- at the same time- to the opposite side of the street.

So- every so often- my mom drives a couple of blocks to find a spot.

She also has to jump start my sisters car- twice a week- to move it.


Sometimes if you can’t find a spot- you simply drive around from 1-3.

To be honest- this is what you call ‘a police state- or city’.


I told my dear mom- if this were in Texas [or any other Democracy] you would have some guy [gal] run for mayor on a platform of ‘the first thing I will do is abolish the street sweeper- I will then rebate all these fine citizens of this town all the wasted money on the thing’.

And the guy would win.



But- the politicos have connections- the unions support guys who keep them in their jobs- and the fine citizens of North Bergen will continue to move their cars- twice a week- so the guys can keep their 70,000 dollar a year jobs.


One last note from the journey.


On the way back to Texas I listened to news/talk radio.

One of the big stories I caught while driving thru Dallas was the case of a 22 year old single mom who glued her daughter’s hands to the wall.


Yes- a very sad case indeed.


The reason it lit up the talk shows was the night I was driving in- the judge sentenced her to 99 years in prison.


The show I was hearing played the audio in the courtroom- many were in shock.


The talk show guy was siding with the judge- you had various people call in with their opinions.

This sentence was harsher than that given to people who have actually have killed their kids [Deena Shlosser being one].


When you make child abuse- which is a very bad crime- a higher punishment then actually murdering the child- then what do you think the results might be?

Sure- some say ‘well- that way people will know not to do it’.

But you might also have some unstable moms who have already abused their kids- who might now think ‘gee- if they ever tell- I will be punished with a harsher sentence then if I killed them’.

That’s something we don’t want either- see?

I cut out the news article of the girl- Elizabeth- and she will forever be on my prayer wall- with hundreds of other cases that I have collected over the years.


As I heard the sentencing judge- of course he had his reasons- the prosecutor was only asking for 45 years- yet the defendant chose a non jury trial- and in Texas the judges are elected.


Your main election benefit of being ‘tough on crime’.

And that was that.


We had a local judge run over a highway worker a few years ago.

He was a very famous ‘tough on crime’ judge- he and his wife were big Democrats- involved in all the politics of the area- many connections.


When I read the story- the judge was driving 70-75 on a turn that was posted at 20-25 MPH.


I have gone to many car wrecks over the years- as a firefighter- and when we had people doing stuff like this- you got arrested- and had some type of price to pay.


But- as the story went on- the local paper explained that the 20 MPH sign was just a ‘suggested’ speed- that the turn is still part of the highway- so 75 MPH was the actual speed.

Huh?


Also- even though he flipped the guy off the bridge/overpass- and nearly killed him- yet- somehow the judge did no wrong.

When all was said and done- he got the equivalence a parking ticket.

[ I also read an article in the paper about this time- it was a ‘warning’ to drivers- the story interviewed some local officials- and they explained that if your driving 55- in a 55- you could be cited for reckless driving- because if its raining- then the cop makes the call. It went on to say if you slow down to much in the rain- that too is reckless. And- of course- if you’re going to fast- well we can’t have that. So the article stated that if your going under the speed limit- doing the speed limit- or driving over the speed limit- watch out! That’s of course if you’re not connected in some way].


Sad.


I’m sure when the case worked its way thru ‘the system’ that at each turn the people who knew him felt justified ‘after all- this is so and so- he has a family for heaven’s sake!’.

And they empathized with him because they knew him.


Yet- when meeting out judgments on others- they seem to be able to see only justice- without mercy.


I will pray for Elizabeth- to be honest- the rest of my life.


Maybe I will write her as time goes by.


But the bible says ‘mercy rejoices against judgment’ I choose mercy.

Note- Do me a favor, those who read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on. Thanks- John. Don’t forget to scroll down on the timeline [Facebook] - I have posted lots.







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