SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
May 19, 2022
Sullivan’s Salvos 5/24/22
In this edition:
*Faith Without Works
*Truth Hurts!
*Inflation
*Straight White Male Saviors
*Statehouse Endorsements
*I Feel Fine
*What Do You Think?
*Did You Know?
*Faith Without Works
A while ago, one of our Pastors read from James 2:17 - “Faith without works is dead.”
What does this mean? It basically warns Christians of the hypocrisy of talking a good game, then failing to act in a Christian manner.
The surrounding passages describe feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, and tending to those who are ill.
So – how will Christians accomplish these works? By tax breaks for billionaires? By tax loopholes for multinational corporations? By cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security? By cutting preschool? By reducing the estate tax?
Look, I do not believe the US government is required to follow Christian doctrine. I think it is clear that the founding fathers intended for a separation of church and state. Our government should not favor any one religion. But if you are going to make the case that we are a Christian nation, at least back it up with deeds!
Jesus speaks about helping the poor, the hungry, the homeless, and those who are ill. This dominates the things we hear from him. It is the most common subject he talks about. He also states many times – very clearly – that too much wealth is a sin.
Christians – faith without works is dead. Knowing that, how do you feel about where our country is headed?
*Truth Hurts!
Randy Evans absolutely *NAILS* it with this piece in Bleeding Heartland:
Governor Reynolds put out a flyer that says, “Fact: For nearly 20 years, math and reading scores for Iowa students have been decreasing.”
What she conveniently ignores is that for 12 of those 20 years, Reynolds has been either lieutenant governor or governor. And since 2017, Republicans have controlled both the Iowa House and Senate.
*Inflation
This appeared in Salvos in March, but remains true today.
There is no question that inflation has become a problem. We’ve all heard about how the pandemic has led to supply chain issues, etc. The right-wing media is doing all they can to pin this on President Biden.
But here’s the thing: Big corporations are using this as an excuse to gouge the rest of us! Corporations are seeing record profits. CEOs earn more than ever. And these record profits come on the backs of consumers.
It is not the President’s fault. Hell, give him a couple more votes in the US Senate and watch what can be done when corporations get held accountable!
But think about it: prices are rising. Who is raising them? That is where you need to focus your anger!
*Straight White Male Saviors
Personally, I am getting a little sick of Iowa Democrats playing pundit. The common thinking is, “She can’t win because she’s black,” or “She can’t win because she’s a woman,” or “They can’t win because of their gender identity.”
Obviously, if you subscribe to this logic, only straight, white, men can ever be the Democratic nominee. And that is plain stupid. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
It reminds me of when Bernie Sanders ran for President in 2016. Reporters would ask Bernie if he can win, and he would respond with some version of the following:
“If everyone who is worried about whether we can win would put their energy into getting us elected, we will win.” That is a message that Iowa Democrats need to hear.
Did Abby Finkenaur lose her last campaign? Yes. To another woman. Those same people seem to forget that Mike Franken lost *HIS* last campaign! To a woman! Remember, too, that Finkenauer was not supposed to have a chance to beat Rod Blum.
Look, I am not against straight, white men. It just so happens that I am a straight, white man. I’ll gladly vote for a straight, white man *IF* I believe he is clearly the superior candidate.
But Iowa Democrats need to stop pretending that being a straight, white man automatically makes you a better candidate. It does not!
*Statehouse Endorsements
Early voting has begun! As you go to cast your ballot, I hope you will consider my endorsements for the Statehouse: Tony Currin in HD89, Adam Zabner in HD90; and Janice Weiner in SD45. All 3 candidates are online if you want to learn more.
*I Feel Fine
One of the things Melissa and I bonded over many years ago was a shared love of the Beatles. Interestingly, with so many of us feeling so much despair over the past few years, the Beatles have definitely helped!
Sure, there is the music. That’s a given. Pick the right songs, and they will really cheer you up. But let me suggest a couple additional things:
1. Watch The Beatles: Get Back on Disney+. While this is not as uplifting or fast-moving as my next two suggestions, this gives us all a rare opportunity to see a true genius (Paul McCartney) doing genius things. That piece, for me, was like watching someone touched by God. It made the 10-hour documentary worth it!
2. Watch Carpool Karaoke with James Cordon and Paul McCartney on YouTube. While this came out in the fall of 2018, it made us feel good through the whole pandemic. This is one of the most heartwarming 23 minutes you will ever experience.
3. Watch Yesterday (2019). The idea behind this charming movie is that a struggling young musician wakes up one day, and he is in an alternate universe where the Beatles never existed. He is the only person on Earth who knows the music. It was absolutely delightful!
As the Fab Four themselves might say, “I hope you get by with a little help from your friends!”
*What Do You Think?
I was part of an interesting scenario a couple years ago. I have mentioned it to several people since, including someone just the other day. I tend to get very different responses, so I am curious as to what Salvos readers think.
A couple of summers ago, right after the murder of George Floyd, there were local marches/protests. I attended several. At the second one – I am pretty certain it was the second one, anyway – I was standing near the back before the marching started.
I saw two young white men (I’m guessing they weren’t even 20) dressed head to toe in black, each with several cans of spray paint. I watched as they spray painted on the Biology Building.
I went over to them and asked them to stop. They replied with, “F you!” I said, “You know who you are hurting right now? It is Bruce Teague and Mazahir Salih.” They once again hit me with an “F you!”
I thought about doing more, but decided to leave it at that. Right or wrong? I don’t know. But this is where it gets interesting. I later told my daughter about this, and while we were discussing it, I said, “I wouldn’t have said anything to the two young men if they were black.” She asked me why, and I said they would have had righteous indignation, and it wouldn’t be my place as a white man to correct them. It led to us having a good conversation. She agreed with me.
Over the years, however, I have received a lot of different responses. Some people say I should have called the cops over to the two white boys. Others say the color of their skin shouldn’t matter in deciding how to react. Others feel I handled it correctly.
So – what are your thoughts?
*DID YOU KNOW? Over 89% of Johnson County residents have some type of broadband internet subscription.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 11:43 AM
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