5 Thoughts on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Joshua Merris, MD, MOH

It’s early for me on a Saturday morning (the day I usually look forward to all week to finally sleep in) and I am wide awake with no prospect of returning to rest.  The reason – my observations of how many are treating the coronavirus crisis, and the incessant danger of so many popular points as well as their counterpoints to our society as a whole.  So without further ado, and with the disclaimer that if you feel a little uncomfortable reading I likely accomplished my mission, here are my current thoughts on coronavirus:

1.  Politicization of coronavirus is wrong and nonproductive.
Let’s talk about the Elephants …  and Donkeys that are in the room.  I’m bound to upset a lot of people with this idea as I think there are marked problems with arguments being made on BOTH sides of the aisle.  I’m pretty sure the Trump Administration doesn’t want this virus to spread or impact Americans anymore than his most vicious critics do.  Overall, I feel their approach and strategies to be harmonious with this aim.  Limitations and mistakes have and will inevitably occur as this process unfolds, as they have historically in comparable situations, and as they do now in every other country affected.  Hindsight is always 20/20.  President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will evolve in their understanding and approach to this issue, just like any American, as our understanding of what is happening grows.  Our leaders need our support, and we would all be more united and benefit by asking not what our country can do for us, but what we can do for our country.
With that said, I am perhaps more deeply concerned by a growing trend to marginalize or diminish the gravity of this issue in the name of political defense.  I am noticing a growing trend of conservative commentators and individuals who seek to demean the severity of this situation because they think this is somehow a ploy by Democrats to make Donald Trump look bad, or even worse, some devious conspiracy.  This is reckless and wrong.  Many are going about in cavalier ways with a general disregard of advised precautions because they feel this crisis is somehow imagined more than real, or insignificant compared to a host of other problems.  Rush Limbaugh has declared that the coronavirus is “the common cold” and is “being weaponized” against Donald Trump.  This is dangerous rhetoric – first, because it contributes to a cavalier and careless approach that will foster spread of the disease, and second, because Rush Limbaugh, a 69 year old man undergoing treatment for cancer, is ironically a person who is empirically at increased risk of becoming severely affected by it. 

This virus is no respecter of persons and does not discriminate on the basis of Republican, Democrat, or Independent affiliation.  We would all be best advised, and most united, in keeping politics out of it altogether. 

2.  Not all “medical professionals” are created equal.
First, I want to readily and transparently recognize my own credentials and limitations as I make this point.  I am an occupational medicine physician and participate in the treatment of individual injured or ill workers, as well as advising the health, safety, and surveillance of worker populations.  I have a bachelor's degree in public health, an MD, and a master’s degree in occupational health which is in the context of my medical specialty, a more focused equivalent of an MPH degree (most occupational medicine residencies still pursue the traditional MPH).  What that means is that I work in a preventive medicine specialty with training in public health, with significant emphasis upon epidemiology, epidemiological research, and biostatistics.   It also means I am not an expert in infectious disease or on the front lines of epidemiological efforts specifically devoted to the spread of infectious disease.  But what it perhaps most importantly means, is that I am very keenly aware of how little formal training a typical physician receives during traditional medical education regarding epidemiology and biostatistics.  There are many physicians and other healthcare professionals making claims and assertions in the news, and on social media, regarding coronavirus that likely have little more expertise on the topic than the average American.  For example, I initially found solace in, and almost even shared, a video where Dr. Drew Pinksy becomes infuriated as he provides his expert medical opinion that the media is way out of line in sensationalizing the threat of the coronavirus.  The problem is, Dr. Drew works in addiction medicine (which he is by all means very good at), and I know of no compelling reason his training, expertise, or experience is relatable to the issue at hand.  You wouldn’t go to a dermatologist to have your knee replaced, or an orthopedic surgeon to have a suspicious mole evaluated.  Be careful and cautious in the stock you place in the opinions and commentary of medical professionals.  I’ve seen some very influential statements and articles come from physicians and healthcare professionals that upon further review, are likely out of their element.  I personally have sought to limit my statements to be reflective only of empirical data  and potential projections I have reviewed, as well as opinions of medical professionals with demonstrable, relevant expertise.

3.  Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security by comparing coronavirus to the flu.  Coronavirus will be impactful not because it is highly virulent, but because it is not. 

The common refrain has become to dismiss the seriousness of coronavirus by comparing it to the impact of the flu.  This is problematic for a multitude of reasons.  First, the flu is vaccine preventable and has more concrete, established post-exposure treatment.  Second, highlighting the proclivity of coronavirus to only significantly affect elderly or immunocompromised individuals, as some kind of indication to dismiss concern is itself, deeply concerning.  Almost one out of seven individuals in the United States are elderly.  And consider for a moment how many people you know and care about who are diabetic, have cardiovascular disease, hypertensive, or are being treated for cancer – all of which are empirical risk factors for increased mortality based upon our data from China.  Those of us who are less likely to be impacted should be more, not less cautious, in an effort to not become careless vessels in spreading the disease to those we care about and those others care about too.  The blasé notion that we just ought not to be bothered by all of this is a disservice to so many.  Some reputable epidemiologists predict 40-80% of Americans becoming infected by the novel coronavirus within the next year, and anywhere from 0.1 to 3% mortality, with this risk significantly increasing in elderly or immunocompromised individuals.  Do the math with even the most conservative estimates, and the potential impact of the novel coronavirus becomes inevitably serious.  Third, maybe all of these comparisons and considerations ought to be reason not to take coronavirus less seriously, but to take the influenza virus MORE seriously.  There were over 34,000 deaths from influenza last flu season (2018-2019) in the United States.  A healthy 17 year old kid just died after presenting to an urgent care I recently took my son to.  We’re still only vaccinating about half of the population, and the never ending nonsensical anti-vaxxer movement shows no signs of slowing. 

4.  Be wary of conjecture – there is simply a lot we don’t know right now.

There is currently a lack of information and an abundance of misinformation circulating on this topic at an alarming rate.  The reality, and I believe most honest answer – we don’t really have a clear picture of what is going on.  Mortality rate estimates range from .1 to over 3%.  The percentage of Americans likely to become infected ranges wildly as well.  The general conjecture, which is reassuring, is that as more subclinical cases become uncovered, the fatality rate will go down.  The problem is, to date, we have not generally had the capacity or means to test beyond those who are severely ill or those who have serious symptoms.  Cruise ship data might be reassuring, but also might not be representative of the population at large.  This is an evolving picture that becomes clearer by the day.  For now, I would recommend being guarded and cautious of the data.  There is simply a lot we don’t know right now.  I will say, that when the forecast calls for 10 inches of snow the following day, I’m not terribly surprised to find 5 or 15 inches on the ground the next morning but generally don't expect no snow to fall or to experience a blizzard.  Hopefully, this all turns into a dusting, but no one would reasonably argue that there is little harm and better security in preparing for the off chance of a blizzard than for no snow at all.

5.   Stigma and hysteria can be more impactful than the virus itself.
I’m really bothered by this.  I have already heard reports of Asian Americans being harassed or stereotyped based upon some uneducated and misinformed notion that they are more likely to carry or somehow responsible for the disease which has spread from distant China.  How despicable and shameful.  There is simply no room for such idiocy and shameful racism and ethnocentrism in America.  Furthermore, the hysteria associated with this crisis has already highlighted some of the worst traits of humanity, with hysteria itself posing a threat to our health and welfare in multiple, meaningful ways.  I hope we can rise above it.  The scars of stigma in more remote crises, such as the HIV/AIDs epidemic, are still tender to the touch.  Let’s not add to them.  Let’s unite in both caution and concern for one another, and the ultimate resolution that as in all else, united we stand and divided we fall.

The One Time God Did Not Help

The One Time God Did Not Help

In the wake of recent tragedies and circumstances, it seems that more individuals than ever have questioned how an omniscient and benevolent God could somehow be the Supreme Governor of such a wicked and failing world.  Particularly during this Christmas season, it seems increasingly difficult for the world to accept the existence of a Prince of Peace, when “peace” increasingly seems like an unreachable utopian ideal – marred by wars and “rumors of war”.  Indeed, the choruses of today seem to echo those of yesterdays, in singing the old familiar words, “… hate is strong and mocks the song, of peace on earth and good will to men.”  It is in this world of withering hope that hopelessness has taken root, springing forth into the puzzled and sometimes emphatic questions – “Where was God when _______ happened?” or “Why didn’t  God help?” 

I don’t think it is appropriate for these questions to not be seriously considered, when the circumstances of so many who ask them are serious and have driven them to honestly contemplate their relation to the cosmos.  In considering these many events, it is my personal testimony that God is always there and though sometimes not immediately realized by us, He is always helpful.  Sometimes that help takes the form of immediate providential intervention, but more often, it seems to take the more subtle form of divine guidance and inspiration, of comforting reassurance, or of perhaps consciously allowing us to grow and experience the chisels of mortality, which shape us into something better than we knew we were capable of becoming.  However, to be fair to the critics, there was indeed one time when God stayed his omnipotent hand, and did not help someone desperately in need.

A recent personal experience illustrated poignantly to me personally something about that one moment in time.  Our little Jonathan is now just more than a year and a half old.  He has brought immense joy and light to our lives, and I am particularly convinced that he possesses attributes and characteristics which I did not teach him as his father, but were instilled in him by the Father of us all.  He is especially slow to anger but quick to forgive and forget.  Jonny is an especially peaceful and compassionate child, and there is not a day which passes that I do not feel exceedingly blessed not only for my relationship with Jonny, but for the simple yet significant lessons he so often teaches me.

Recently, my wife Anisa and I traveled to our local pediatrician, knowing that this visit would culminate in Jonny receiving several immunizations.  Jonny was the perfect little patient, and cooperated with everything the physician asked him to do perfectly.  We were such proud parents as we watched our little Jonny boy not only behave ideally, but also show off all of the impressive things he had learned.  However, I personally was not as happy as my son, as I was pained by my understanding of the pain he would soon feel but was completely oblivious to.  When the time came to receive his four shots, my wife and I helped to hold Jonny’s little arms and legs as the nurse quickly administered the painful pricks.  Jonny’s lips quivered as he screamed in terror.  Tears welled up in my own eyes as he seemed to look at us questioningly, wondering what he had done to somehow deserve such unexpected pain. 

There is not a time I have had this experience that I am not reminded of another Father and Son, who together undertook the sacred and supreme act known as the Atonement.  Unlike the rest of us, the babe born in Bethlehem never lost his innocence, but was, as the scripture teaches “a lamb without blemish or fault of any kind.”  His great sacrifice for mankind began long before his Earthly appearance.  Christ, the Jehovah of the Old Testament, would become the Messiah of the New, inaugurating his atoning mission with the selfless and sacrificial words, “Here am I.  Send me.”  Can any parent who has experienced the anxiety and emotional turmoil of their child leaving home, imagine the tears or emotions Heavenly Father must have felt as He would send His Only Begotten Son into the world?  Certainly He who knows the end from the beginning must have known what it would mean for His precious and chosen Son to tread the winepress alone.  Nevertheless, Jehovah the Son of Elohim, condescended to become Jesus, the son of a Carpenter.

On earth He walked the streets of Palestine, healing the sick, raising the dead, and causing the blind to see.  He went about doing good, yet was despised for it.  These acts would foreshadow the healing power which would be made available to all mankind as a result of the single supernal act we call the Atonement. 

                In Gethsemane, Jesus Christ entered a grove of olive trees called Gethsemane, which in Hebrew literally means “oil press”.  It was here, where olives had been bruised and beaten for their oil, that Christ, the greatest of all, would lay prostrate upon the ground, His body wrenching in unspeakable pain and agony.  It was here that He, even God the greatest of all, trembled because of pain and would that He might not partake of the bitter cup and shrink – but nevertheless He did partake.  While his Earthly counterparts lay sleeping, an angel did appear, strengthening Him.  Here, Jesus took upon Himself all of the pains, sicknesses, and infirmities of the world, the crushing blow of which caused Him to bleed from every pore.  His unique parentage allowed Him to feel as a man would feel, but endure as only a God could do.  Though this pain and suffering is incomprehensible to the mind of man, the Father did give His son needed help through the suffering.  Thus, Christ’s great atoning sacrifice began with the Father and Son making it through the night – together.

                Jesus would then arise from drinking the dregs of the bitter cup, only to be betrayed by one of his few Earthly friends.  Others would then mock Him, scorn Him, and spit upon Him.  Their foul saliva would run down His beautiful face – a face which was in the express image of the Father who had sent Him.  He was then beaten – beaten with forty stripes save one, the maximum legal punishment inflicted by the Romans.  Yet Christ, the great lawgiver, was without sin, and was led away as a common criminal according to their foul and adulterated interpretation of the very law He was author of.  Despised and rejected of men, He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter.  As Christ was literally bruised for our iniquities and wounded for our transgressions, He did not so much as utter a word of complaint or retribution.  He literally followed His own admonition to turn the other cheek.  Jesus, who had stilled the might tempests with three words, surely had power to destroy his oppressors, but as a lamb before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.  Surely God wept to witness such wickedness as His Son who had done no wrong was treated so grossly and wrongfully by the people He sought to save.  However, we have no reason to believe that the Father was not with His sinless Son even in these moments, for the time had not yet arrived in which the Savior would face His great and final challenge in mortality.

                Christ would struggle to uphold the weighty implement of His own death as He ascended Golgotha, the place of a skull, to be crucified.  He who had not where to lay His head, found a place between two criminals, and even in this moment of great torment, continued to minister as He assured one of those criminals that He would find a place with Him in paradise.  And then it happened.  Jesus the Christ again felt the crushing pain He had felt in Gethsemane, but this time, there was no angel to strengthen Him.  God did not help, for He could not.  This reality was vocalized by the words of the Son himself, who cried, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”  The only being who had never sinned, would now know what it was like for even the most distant sinner to experience the pains and anguish of iniquity, for no man could ever say they had somehow gone too far to escape the scope of the Savior’s understanding.  His empathy was earned, and He would know how to succor His people even when they had distanced themselves from the rescuing help of His Father, so as to be able to incessantly ensure all men “my hand is stretched out still.”  Jesus suffered alone so that we would never have to. 

                This is the one time God did not help.  At least He did not help His Only Begotten Son, who had volunteered himself before the foundations of the world to be the final sacrificial lamb.  Surely legions of angels awaited the command to rescue the suffering Son of God, but the Father and Son knew that even they could not save us.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ was a one man mission. 

I cannot claim to comprehend the complete majesty and significance of this great supernal act.  However, as a father looking into the eyes of his trembling, suffering son, I believe I have grown to understand it just a little better.  I believe I have grown to have greater appreciation for the pain and anguish our Great Heavenly Parent must have felt as He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.  Because of this great truth, God is always with us – ready to help.  Surely as He calls us to come unto Him and follow Him, he is running to meet us and lift us.  I know these things to be true through the gift and power of the Holy Ghost.  And it is because of my witness of the reality of this event, that at this Christmas season, I declare with words of soberness and sincerity, “God is not dead, nor doth he sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Eternity in Her Eyes

By
Joshua C. Merris

Here I stand amidst a spacious field ensnared by hate and lies
Encumbered by the hopelessness of its broken hearted cries
So many lost, so many losing, some going and almost gone
Mists of darkness pierce the souls of men, few steadfast remain strong
The Light of Lights still calls to them, though in pride they do not see
Their gaze is fixed on mocking cries, their backs are to the Tree

And so here I stand amidst the crowds, upon a path my feet still trod
So narrow, so fixed, I feel my way, firmly holding to the rod
Sometimes my clenched fists felt so weak, when I felt I was alone
But another has come to walk with me, now together we journey home
We hear the voice of Him who calls, though by the world we are despised
Together before Him our knees will bow, I see Eternity in her eyes

My Thoughts on Christ at Christmas Time

This Christmas Season, I am reminded of a powerful and poignant story shared by a fellow college student just a year ago during one of our church meetings. I should hope that I never forget it. He told of the following:
It was Christmas time and his father was the manager of a prominent sporting goods store. An error which seemed to be deliberate occurred in the accounting practices of the store in which it appeared that someone had pilfered money as a sizeable portion of the store's revenue could not be accounted for. My college friend's father, who had no involvement in the fallacious accounting practices or pilfering was given an ultimatum. He could choose to deny any involvement and be fired for not accepting responsibility for the error, or he could falsely admit to being the author of the inauspicious plot, and face a mere reprimand and reproof from his superiors in the store's corporate leadership. To his son, this faithful man expressed, "I will not admit to something I did not do. I would rather my son know that he has an honest father than to have money for presents at Christmas time." He then expressed his undeviating confidence in the Lord, and told his son that he knew all would be well.
I share this story this Christmas season, because it so clearly illustrates a lesson so oft forgotten and so seldom remembered by so many each year as December approaches us. It begs the question, 'What is most important at Christmas time - the presents that mark our trees and fill our stockings, or the integrity that marks our name and the love which fills our hearts?'
I believe that we have become all too concerned with money at Christmas time. We need only remember that first Christmas, when there was no room in the inn, and the little Lord Jesus lay down in the hay. As was His birth, so was His life. The birds of the air had nests, the foxes had holes, but the Son of Man had not where to lay His head. He surely had power to amass more riches than any mortal man has known, yet was content with a few loaves and fishes, of which He always gave greatly more than He received.
And then in those final hours, Christ was scorned and persecuted by the world He would save. To the layman and commoner, Christ's mortal mission must have seemed an utter failure, a good man whose purported status as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, found no more than a deriding crown of thorns, and a burdensome cross for his throne. What seemed an utter failure by worldly standards was the greatest and most triumphant victory which the world has ever known and will yet know. Can any fully comprehend the loving restraint which was necessary for the greatest of all to be spit upon and suffer it, to be scourged and to suffer it, to be smitten and to suffer it? As a lamb before its sheares is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. Amidst the most unspeakable suffering ever endured by any of God's children, Jesus did not so much as open his mouth in rebuke or protest. He who had power with three words to still the might tempest did not seek to still the hatred and bitter venom of the crowds that would crucify Him. He drank the bitter cup without becoming bitter. Legions of angels stood waiting to rescue Him, but he knew that even they, in all of their glory were powerless to rescue us. The Atonement of Jesus Christ was a one man mission, inaugurated by the selfless, sacrificial words of the Savior, "Here am I, send me." May we remember at Christmas time, that what the world esteemed as naught or failure, was a triumph more glorious than any mortal mind is capable of conceiving.
I believe that each of us who truly come to know the Master must sooner or later pass through the Garden's gate of Gethsemane and then approach the Golgothas of our lives. The moment will surely come when every knee shall bend and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. All will come to more fully appreciate the words of that great hymn, as we will be compelled to fall on our knees, and to hear the angels' voices. Perhaps then, we will either rejoice or lament the stirring admonition of the Savior, that "he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." The triumph can only come from the confidence we have that we have fought a good fight, that we have finished our course, and that we have kept the faith. Perhaps we think too little of this, and too much of money at Christmas time.

My Joy in A Journey

I have recently been boldly reminded of the words of Elder Russel M. Nelson who once declared, "Real joy awaits each of us - on the other side of sorrow." Indeed, my best friend Dane and I traveled through several experiences this past week which may well qualify as the ideal genesis of sorrow, but I feel inclined to speak of the "brightness of hope" and the reality of the joy that can be experienced as we look to the Lord who will not fail in guiding us through any vale of tears.
Rather than detailing the full import of the difficulties we faced during a greatly anticipated camping trip to the Southwest Uintas, I will briefly outline a few of the challenges which encompassed us. After both getting around 3 hours of sleep the night before embarking on our trip, Dane and I found ourselves stranded 5 miles up a steep and narrow mountain road, less than a mile below our final destination, the Grandview Trailhead. We were soon rescued by a group of middle aged guys who, in noticing our BYU hats were quick to let us know that they were University of Utah grads and fans. However, they were even quicker to help, and helped push and guide our car into a safe area by the side of the road. Though no one else could, I was able to get cell phone reception by some miracle and called my mother as well as the local ranger station. In doing so, I made the decision to continue but shorten our trip and return to the car the next day.
After an incredible day of fishing, I retired to our tent exhausted but struggled to fall asleep until 2 am as the hard and consistent rain beat upon our tent. I realized amidst my worrying that I had left the moon roof to the car open. Only a few weeks ago, I had left it open during a thunderstorm and returned to find a decent amount of water inside the car - and that was after about an hour. So as each pounding drop seemed to grow in frequency and intensity, so grew the intensity and frequency of my pleading with the Lord to provide a way that Dane and I, as well as my car could find a way safely to Provo the following day.
I awoke at 5:15 am after 3 hours of sleep, to the feeling of cold rainwater which had leaked and accumulated in a corner of the tent, soaking my feet. Dane was also awake and we decided to hike out of the Grandaddy Basin as quickly as possible. The rain miraculously stopped as we returned about 5 miles to the car. I was immediately reminded that I had left the moon roof open, but was surprised to discover that the interior of the car had miraculously remained dry. I then struggled to gain reception as I had found before. I paused to offer a silent prayer, and nearly immediately gained reception after multiple attempts. The first bit of news that I received came by text message from my mother informing me of Michael Jackson's death. I won't write a lot about that here, but that touched me more deeply than the state of my car. After talking to both my mother and father and struggling to find consistent reception, Dane and I decided to hike 5 more miles down the trail to a small camping area called Defa's Ranch, marked by its saloon and old western mentality. During this time, Dane realized that he had lost a very expensive pair of sunglasses during our journey. Toward the end of our descent, we also realized that we had just hiked about 20 miles in 24 hours.
We were distraught to discover in calling the few local towing companies that it would likely cost between $ 500 and $ 1000 to get our stranded car back to Provo. During our search for help, the workers at the Ranch were more hospitable and willing to help than perhaps any group of people I have yet known. Eventually, we met a cowboy, ruffian named Shay, who's language was consistently speckled with profanity and foulness. However, I have never met a man who was so willing to help while demanding nothing in return. Shay drove all the way up the mountain in his pick up truck, checked out our car, pulled it out of its ill fated spot, filled the leaking car with transmission fluid, and helped us to push and pull the car until it was possible to coast down the mountain to Defa's Ranch. Then, he offered to tow our car to Provo this coming Monday for merely the price of gas. But he didn't stop there. He personally arranged a ride for us from Defa's to Heber and then from Heber to Provo that evening. We received a ride from a group of kids our age who we later discovered were all high school dropouts. They smoked often during our trip, and the car was littered with beer cans, but they were among the kindest human beings that I have ever associated with. They were quick to allow us to use their phones, to give us drinks, and to help us feel comfortable. When we reached Heber, we were given a ride to Provo by a boy who recently graduated high school. He would later profess his sexual orientation as homosexual as he drove us to each of our apartments.
As I entered my apartment, my body was utterly wrecked and torn, but my faith and hope in humanity was elevated and bolstered as my heart was changed. I contemplated the many "Good Samaritans", mere strangers who had aided me amidst a sorrowful journey. Their fortuitous presence seemed more than a result of fortune. It was a miracle of God. I was reminded of the love that I have developed for others as I have sought to recognize the child of God deep inside each of us. I realized that behind every face, and behind every word or gesture, is a heart. And I renewed an invigorating hope and belief that people are indeed good at heart. Amidst the struggles which plague the world today, I am convinced that our greatest hope is not found in the intellect of our minds, but the love of our hearts. The world is so in need of love and the wings of hope upon which it flies. The good Samaritans who helped me home, by the view of the world, ranged from a few church going guys from a rival school, to a cursing cowboy, to a few high school dropouts, to a self proclaimed homosexual. Despite their various stations and behaviors in life, none rested or neglected the arduous task of getting me home without weariness. It has caused me to reflect on the central purpose of life - what it is really all about. We sometimes get caught up in a lot of the little things, and I am in no way suggesting that little things are not of value or not important, but I am not sure that my new cowboy friend Shay understands the Gospel of Jesus Christ less than a man who abides by all of the little things, but would pass a distraught wanderer. It seems to me that what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is really all about is becoming more like Jesus Christ, who's central mission and purpose revolved in doing that which we could not do for ourselves. God's work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. When all is said and done, I do not think that our Savior, the King of Kings and our final judge will reveal to us the number of times that we smoked a cigarette or said a curse word, but how many times we passed by a desperate hopeless wanderer, both in body and in spirit.
I bear my witness that Jesus Christ really lived and yet lives as being a perfect love whose life was one of unparalleled service to which we may look to as a beacon of happiness, regardless of our present sorrow. I further testify that as we strive to recognize the reality of His hand in all things, we will certainly do all that we can to act as his hands in guiding without weariness even the most distraught wanderers of life. In so doing, our hearts will learn to match our actions and we will find joy in our journey. I thank God for the blessing of a broken down car on the side of a mountain. The cost of the transmission which was shot cannot compare to the valuable lessons which I learned from a trying journey. As I struggled to find my way safely home, I found renewed faith in the Master whom I will seek to serve by serving others forevermore.

Torture and Agression: The New American Way

As President Obama is now fighting to keep detainee abuse photographs from being released, I have been alarmed by the widespread “American” support of both a lack of transparency in Government, and even the inhumane practices of torture and abuse of detainees. Some have sought to justify their position by referencing the atrocities of Iraqi insurgents, seemingly supporting the irrational conclusion that two wrongs may somehow make a right. Equally disturbing is the frequent defense of such disgusting displays of humanity as somehow “American.” Many cry that it is in the interest of our national security to cover our nation's sins, while I contend that every American has a right and even need to know of the atrocities which have been allowed and even condoned by our elected officials, both past and present. Perhaps through such actions, the American people may be awakened to the evils which we collectively have allowed and often times condoned. Preemptive war and torture of war criminals, though descriptive of the erroneous “New American Way”, are not in harmony with the philosophy of our nation's founders, nor the humanitarian principles once embodied by our great nation – a nation whose people once honored the rule of law of the land, namely the Constitution of the United States.
Some have mistakenly quoted the words of the Preamble of the Constitution as justification for our interventionist actions in Iraq and the undisclosed torture of Iraqi detainees. The words are familiar to all, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence ...”1 It is the term “common defense” that seems to be most frequently erroneously applied to justification of our nation's actions which are in opposition to the very Constitution which the Preamble introduces. I'd like to submit that the inspired men who penned those words would abhor torture of war criminals, and furthermore would view our presence in Iraq as a great detriment to our national security. Allow me to reference a few of their sentiments concerning the subject, and clearly explicate that our success in winning the Revolutionary War was bolstered by our principled, anti-torture philosophy.
In the year of 1776, the inception our nation's birth, American leaders believed that it was not enough to merely win the war fought on battlefields, but also the war which raged in the hearts and minds of men. Thus, they were deeply concerned with winning the war in such a way that was consistent with the ideals for which the young nation stood, principles which they believed had power to change the world in which they lived. Perhaps one of their greatest, yet largely unknown achievements was to successfully win the war while maintaining the humanitarian ideals for which their countrymen had been fighting. It is for this reason that they were wholly opposed to torture of war prisoners. This was more than fanciful idealism. It was the official policy of both the Continental Congress and the Continental Army.2
Despite the inhumane treatment of the British regulars and German mercenaries toward captured American soldiers, Washington refused to abrogate the ideals for which he was fighting. After capturing 1,000 Hessians in the Battle of Trenton, he ordered his men to treat their prisoners with the same decency and recognition of rights granted to the people living in the country for which they were fighting. In an order concerning prisoners which were taken during the Battle of Princeton, Washington wrote: "Treat them with humanity, and let them have no reason to Complain of our copying the brutal example of the British Army in their treatment of our unfortunate brethren…. Provide everything necessary for them on the road."2
John Adams believed that the humane treatment of prisoners was not only vitally consistent with the ideals of the American Revolution, but also of vital strategic value to winning the war as well. In a 1777 letter to his wife, Adams wrote: "I know of no policy, God is my witness, but this — Piety, Humanity and Honesty are the best Policy. Blasphemy, Cruelty and Villainy have prevailed and may again. But they won't prevail against America, in this Contest, because I find the more of them are employed, the less they succeed."2
British military leaders conversely recognized the counterproductive nature of their violent and inhumane treatment of American prisoners and felt that such atrocities stifled their military success. A 1778 letter from Col. Charles Stuart to his father, the Earl of Bute, reveals this sentiment,"Wherever our armies have marched, wherever they have encamped, every species of barbarity has been executed. We planted an irrevocable hatred wherever we went, which neither time nor measure will be able to eradicate."2
Furthermore, many modern Americans would be surprised to learn that the first code of conduct for the ethical and humane treatment of prisoners of war was created by President Abraham Lincoln, a personal hero of mine, in the year of 1863 and forbade any form of torture and cruelty. This official American code of conduct eventually became the model for the 1929 Geneva Convention.2
I do not believe in the current actions of our nation, but believe in the principles upon which it was founded. I do not believe in Bush or Obama, but in the principles of the Constitution they have sworn to uphold, yet wholly disreagard. The "war" in Iraq is wholly unconsitutional - it was never declared by Congress. It was also pre-emptive, violating the non-interventionist policy and wisdom of our founders (try looking up their thoughts on foreign involvement and you may be surprised at how much we have strayed). I have yet to understand how firing a few bullets into a hornets nest somehow increases our nation security. I have yet to understand from a logical perspective how bombing the cities of a nation who performed no acts of aggression toward our people prior to invasion will somehow cause them to like us. What would you do if China was bombing your city out of mere suspicion?
We don't increase our national security by stationing and delocalizing our soldiers internationally in needless wars which have conveniently changed their meaning and justification. Terrorism membership has risen at an alarming rate, and so has our federal deficit. We are spending a trillion dollars a year to finance our oversees interventionist empire, and yet we wonder why the value of the dollar is depreciating and our economy is collapsing.
I pray for our soldiers - I pray that they will come home as quickly as possible. I pray that we might be transparent in our efforts to stand for liberty by encouraging freedom by example rather than campaigning a paradoxical effort to force others to be free. I pray that we might be awakened to the erosion of our civil liberties as we fight a war supposedly aimed at granting such liberties to others. We find ourselves in a dangerous time and must hold to just and holy principles. If we bend for everything, in the end we will stand for nothing.
So if you are going to reference the words "We the people", you ought to familiarize yourself with the principles and ideals of those inspired men who wrote them. I believe if we hold these just and holy principles inviolate, we can become the kind of people they envisioned when they wrote those sacred words.
I think another important aspect of the words found in the Preamble of the Constitution is the word "defense." Preemptive action and interventionism does not constitute defense, but offense. The war in Iraq is aggressive, not defensive. They never struck until we did. Therefore, I feel it is imperative to recognize that the founders were dedicated to maintaining domestic strength rather than a strong foreign presence. I'd much rather adhere to the founders' foreign policy of building our strength at home so that no nation would dare attack us, rather than spreading our troops in 700 bases across the world in interference of the sovereignty of others, at times through blatant nation building. Meanwhile, as we struggle to build our own bridges in America, we are blowing them up in Iraq, and using taxpayer money to build them again. No nation can continue to spend a trillion dollars a year in “national defense” while simultaneously expecting to remain prosperous and impervious to the constraints of reality. Iraq did not willingly choose to be our enemy in this conflict, we made them our enemy through preemptive attacks. How long will we point to our self created enemies until we recognize the enemy within? We are engaged in very real self destruction, a destruction which is being fueled by pride, arrogance, and ignorance.
Imagine how much stronger we could be at home in building our national defense if we were to eradicate our exorbitant overseas presence in nations that grow in hatred toward us as we grow in numbers in their countries. Substantial evidence points to the fact that extremist terrorist groups do not fuel their fire out of hatred toward democracy or American wealth. They hate us because we are meddling in their domestic affairs with no sovereign right or elected jurisdiction. Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that the Government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed. Therefore, we can't expect to have respect or power to govern a people that never gave us their consent. They have a right to retaliate. I am not a supporter of terrorism nor do I sympathize with evil of any form, but I wonder why we are so quick to disregard the illogical and unjust nature of our presence in Iraq. We are torturing individuals who are retaliating for their people being tortured. That isn't defense.
1.“Preamble to the United States Constitution.” Wikipedia.org.
2.Kennedy, Robert F. Jr. “America's Anti-Torture Tradition.” LA Times. December 17, 2005.

True Beauty

I recently had a simple, yet life altering experience. It has caused me to carefully consider and reflect upon my perspective of others and of myself. As a result of it, I have pondered many times what constitutes true beauty, and the gross misunderstanding and vain perception wrought by society concerning this topic.
As I was entering a laundry room to simply move my clothes from the washer to the dryer, I just happened to notice from behind a well dressed girl, whose hair looked beautiful. Guys my age are always scoping out territory. It is what we do. haha. Anyhow, as the girl suddenly turned to look at me as I entered the room, it quickly became evident that she was a burn victim, and the side of her face was disfigured.
Suddenly, a thought entered my mind. It came subtly, yet powerfully. 'How pathetic, ridiculous, and horrible is it that this girl, whose smile is so warm and demeanor is so kind, is not viewed as beautiful by society? How despicable is it that because of an accident that likely happened in her childhood, 99 out of 100 guys would not even think of asking her on a date?' These thoughts have not left me, but have left me re-evaluating myself. I have realized how greatly society and the world's version of "true beauty" has affected my own perception and perspective.
I do not wish to imply that I do not value or respect those who dress well, and desire to take good care of themselves. However, it is of my opinion that we ought to value less as a society what is largely an accident of birth, and focus on the significance of beauty which one acquires, a beauty which is not found at the end of a scalpel or at the end of a clothing aisle at Abercrombie and Fitch.
It is not wrong to be beautiful, but it is not a requirement to healing the wrongs of the world. As I think of some of my greatest heros who have made the greatest difference in this world, they have largely done so through the greatness of their lives rather than the style of their clothing, or the features of their face. In fact, one of my greatest heroes is President Abraham Lincoln, who once declared himself "If I were two faced, would I be wearing this one?" He was considered by many contemporaries to be a homely man. However, he is a man who is remembered with feelings of holiness by those of his homeland.
I have sometimes wondered how different we would be if for just one day we could view the world through the eyes of God. How would we view others? How might we view ourselves? It seems to me that His view of beauty is quite different than the view of the world.
This life is a time to learn what true beauty is.