Daily Archives: March 31, 2021

On Tuesday, March 16, a 21-year-old gunman shot and killed eight people, six of whom were of Asian descent, at various massage spas across Atlanta, Ga. The shooter claimed he was simultaneously a devout Christian and a sex addict and that he aimed to rid his environment of temptation a vile claim. Indeed, his own church condemned his actions in the name of Christianity. But religious beliefs have been used many times to justify various crimes.

In a recent political example, there have been multiple instances of wedding providers discriminating against LGBTQ+ couples in the name of religion, many of which have been considered justified, as people are entitled to their beliefs. If religion can be used to justify some actions but not others, where is the line? Which actions are appropriate if they are justified by religious beliefs but not if they are justified by individual beliefs, and why?

In accordance with the tenets in most major religions that call for equality and peace, no action directly harmful to others can be justified by religious beliefs.

The major world religions have many differences, yes, but one of the tenets they all share is some form of the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. This general principle can be found in religious texts, including those Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism, among others. My understanding is that most of us would prefer not to be harmed, so, if one subscribes to a major religion, they should, accordingly, aim not to harm others. In belonging to a religion with the overarching commandment to treat others the way you want to be treated, one cannot use their religious beliefs to rationalize directly hurting others.

Sometimes, though, religious texts are perceived to command followers to not live their lives in certain ways. In the case of discrimination against LGBTQ+ couples, Christian wedding providers have justified discriminatory actions because of their religious beliefs, claiming the Christian Bible names homosexuality as a sin. However, as followers of our individual religions, it is not our job to impose those commandments on others. All we can do is follow the guidelines of our respective religious texts to the best of our abilities; we cannot control others actions, only our own.

Harming another on the basis of them not obeying a commandment is not justified by most religions because, in doing so, you fail to abide by the Golden Rule, while also enforcing your own rules in a situation in which they may not apply. The best thing for religious individuals to do is to follow the rules they, personally, can follow, while others must make that decision for themselves. Obeying the Golden Rule ourselves has to supersede imposing guidelines on others, causing harm in the process.

If religion is never a justifiable excuse for harmful actions, why, at the present, can it be used to justify some actions and not others? Where is the line between discrimination in an economic setting and murder?

I think the difference between which actions are and are not historically justifiable by religious beliefs lies in what kinds of harm we think of as acceptable. Societally, it seems as though we find physical harm more unjustifiable than emotional or psychological harm, as physical harm is more visually apparent. For example, a violent physical act creates corporeal harm with material consequences. We can identify with the physical pain and feel empathy, so we find it harder to justify. Conversely, an act like refusing someone service does not directly cause physical harm. We cannot see the pain such an act causes as clearly, and we may not be able to empathize, so we find it more easily justifiable.

Harm, though, is harm, regardless of its tangibility. I wouldnt want someone to punch me in the face, and I also wouldnt want someone to call me an offensive name or deny me a service on religious grounds, so why would I find it appropriate to do either to someone else? To treat others the way you want to be treated, with kindness and empathy, is to be a good follower of religion.

To hurt others in the name of your religion, though, is to contradict the very rules you claim to follow. No direct harm to another can be ethically rationalized with religious beliefs, for religion cannot become a breeding ground for hate.

Ilana Mermelstein is an Opinion Columnist and can be reached at imerm@umich.edu.

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What can religion justify? - The Michigan Daily

Bill Fox

By Bill Fox/Columnist

About 25 years ago, my wife and I had an opportunity to join a group visiting the Holy Land.The idea that we would ever visit Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem, and The Sea of Galilee was beyond our wildest dreams.But it did happen!The three places that most impressed me were The Sea of Galilee, the Mount of the Beatitudes, and the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus retreated just before his crucifixion. These three sites were mostly untouched and it was easy to imagine them, even today, as places where Jesus spent time. Most of the other historical sites had changed and developed over the centuries.

One could not help but realize thatthe baffling growth of early Christianity, despite opposition and Roman persecution, was due to the fact that Jesus of Nazareth really did rise from the dead.If the crucifixion was about everything that is bad about the world, Easter is about how we can be free from everything bad.For Christians, Easter commemorates the fact that the resurrection of Jesus changed something fundamental about the world and about humanity.In the end, the meaning of Easter is as simple as it seems: it says that life triumphs over death.

I always find it amazing, maybe more so at this time of the year that Jesus preached, among other things, a simple message that is a part of most major world religions, even those that predated Christianity.So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12.We are more familiar with hearing this as The Golden Rule.

With a little research I found versions of the same rule in other major religions as outlined below:

From theBahaiFaith:Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbour that which thou choosest for thyself.

FromBrahmanism:This is the sum of Dharma [duty]: Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.

From Buddhism: One should seek for others the happiness one desires for oneself.

A state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another?

InConfucianism:Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence.

From Hinduism: This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what which would cause pain if done to you.

In Islam:None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.

From Jainism: A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated.

In the Jewish Faith: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. And also, What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man. This is the law: all the rest is commentary.

From our North American Native Spirituality: Respect for all life is the foundation.- From the Great Law of Peace.

Also attributed to Black Elk: All things are our relatives and what we do to everything, we do to ourselves.All is really one.

It is unfortunate sometimes that society is pushed to dwell on our differences. While the cultures we came from may be quite different.Our culture may include our customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements that may be quite unique.

However, regardless of all our cultural differences, here we are at Easter, maybe realizing that we have much more in common with our fellow man, than perhaps we realized, seeing as in one way or another, The Golden Rule is part of all of our heritages.

May this Easter and the rest of this year be a time when we all aspire to follow the Golden Rule in all our affairs.

Im at bdfox@rogers.com if you wish to comment.

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Easter and our trip to the Holy Land - Oshawa Express

On Haaretzs front page on March 30 as a news analysis, not an opinion piece Jack Khoury analyzed the election results among Israeli Arabs. At the end of his analysis in Hebrew, Khoury arrived at the following insight: Theres the ideal and theres the reality, and for now, the Arabs have chosen the reality.

Its been a long time since Ive seen a slogan so at odds with human dignity. After all, MKs Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir are also the reality. Should we hook up with them this time, as per the old defeatist Arab adage kiss the hand you cannot break?

And if so, why shouldnt this golden rule also guide our brothers and sisters demonstrating outside the prime ministers residence, who, for almost a whole year, have taken the trouble to come from all over the country to topple Benjamin Netanyahu? And in general, how is it possible to effect change if you choose the reality? After all, its the nature of reality to remain as it is, whereas the human impulse is to strive for the ideal.

Sorry, but this isnt the way of the Arab community, which marked the 45th anniversary of Land Day on Monday. On that day in 1976, six of our best sons were shot and killed by the security forces when they went out to protect their land. But they thereby broke the siege the government had been imposing on them for many years. By fighting rather than acquiescing to the reality, they prevented the expropriation of tens of thousands of dunams.

This reality that the Arabs ostensibly chose also includes incitement by the United Arab List and its supporters against the rival Joint List. They demonized Joint List MKs Aida Touma-Sliman and Ayman Odeh because they supported a law banning conversion therapy which, to be clear, is a law to ban the torture of members of the LGBTQ community. And they wrapped it all up in religious packaging.

Yet despite this unbridled incitement, the majority didnt buy the UALs propaganda. Take a look at most Arab towns, Khoury, and youll see that the Joint List won a clear majority.

The UAL is going back to the days of the Arab satellite parties that supported David Ben-Gurion and his Mapai party. On the other hand, its the way of governments to sow divisions among the oppressed: This one is good, so it will get a carrot; that one is bad, so it will get the stick.

In the meantime, even the good one is getting the stick. Our supervisor of Jewish racial purity, Smotrich, and his Kahanist friend Ben-Gvir have brutally rejected UAL chairman Mansour Abbas. As the Arabs say, We agreed to the bitter, but the bitter rejected us.

Khoury finishes by venting his anger at what is called the left. This is understandable, even though the left is virtually nonexistent, given that parts of it behaved shamefully after the last election, before Netanyahu formed a government with Kahol Lavan chairman Benny Gantz.

Nevertheless, Netanyahus opponents together with the Joint List almost thwarted passage of the nation-state law, of which Netanyahuwas the spiritual and biological father. That alone is grounds for rejecting this, the ultimate reality in the form of Netanyahu, who will stand trial on Monday on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Today, were telling our children that their grandfathers and grandmothers, even when they were under military government, raised the banner of the battle for the refugees return. I, for instance, tell my children that when I was still in my mothers womb, my late Uncle Said was fleeing from the police because he and his friends had prevented a grand party that was supposed to take place in Nazareth to mark the tenth anniversary of the states establishment.

Purely by chance, that day was also when thousands of people were deported over the border. And the next day, more than 500 demonstrators were arrested in Nazareth, Umm al-Fahm and many other places for protesting against the military government.

When the day comes in another 20 or 30 years, what will we tell our children? Will we tell them that in 2021, we took a sharp turn, sought out the reality and chose it? The beating heart inside us says no.

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Israel election results: Arabs will not bend their principles to fit a twisted 'reality' - Haaretz

Discoveries of new overarching rules or laws in nature are very rare.

Surprisingly, my colleagues and I have found a new rule of biological growth that explains unexpected similarities in sharp structures found across the tree of life in teeth, horns, claws, beaks, animal shells, and even the thorns and prickles of plants.

The discovery could help us look forward in evolution to predict how animals, including humans, and their many parts are likely to evolve. Our findings are publishedin the open-access journal BMC Biology.

Some patterns are very common in nature, such as logarithmic spirals that follow the golden ratio. These patterns appear because of the very simple processes that generate them. For example, a logarithmic spiral is produced when a spiral grows faster on one side than the other.

We can describe such patterns as following rules of growth. These rules help us understand why animals and plants are the shapes they are.

In my research Im fascinated by patterns in nature. And for many years Ive searched for a pattern in how teeth grow. By looking at hundreds of teeth and measuring how they get wider as they get longer, my team and I identified a simple mathematical formula that underpins tooth shape.

This is a power law, in which theres a straight-line relationship between a tooths width and length when you take a logarithm of these measurements. Power laws are also found in the sizes of earthquakes, extinction rates of animals, and movements of the stock market.

Read more: The Golden Mean: a great discovery or natural phenomenon?

We named the new power law the power cascade, as it describes how the surface of a tooth cascades down while following a specific pattern. We looked at teeth from hugesharks, Tyrannosaurus rex, mammoths, and humans, and saw the power cascade pattern in all of them.

Amazingly, the rule also works for claws, hooves, horns, spider fangs, snail shells, antlers, and the beaks of mammals, birds and dinosaurs. We even observed it in the horns of a Triceratops skeleton to be displayed at Melbourne Museum.

Perhaps these structures have a common shape because many of them carry out the same job. For instance, a sharp dinosaur tooth is useful for puncturing the flesh of prey, as is a sharp claw.

Nonetheless, we still find the power cascade pattern in physical traits that arent for piercing and have different shapes overall, such as shells and backward-facing horns.

While I first noticed the power cascade about 10 years ago using a technique Id developed to measure 3D shapes, the long road to its discovery began much earlier.

The pattern builds on an idea first put forward in 1659 by Sir Christopher Wren, a polymath anatomist, physicist, mathematician, and the architect of St Pauls Cathedral in London.

Wren considered a snail shell may be a cone twisted around a logarithmic spiral. We now know shells and other shapes such as teeth and horns follow the power cascade shape, called a power cone.

The power cascade, then, seems to be the missing piece of a 350-year-old puzzle of how animals grow. But despite how common it is, can we really deem it a law of nature?

It was reasonably common for previous generations of biologists to refer to strong patterns (including the logarithmic spiral) as biological laws.

Biologists these days are very hesitant to use this term, as it implies an unbreakable rule, such as the law of gravity. However, we can show there are very simple processes of growth that produce the power cascade pattern.

Therefore, when animals and plants grow in this way they will inevitably produce the power cascade shape, just as is the case with logarithmic spirals.

Certainly this rule can be bent, as seen by grooved snake fangs. But given the immense variety of animal parts it works for, and the many shapes it makes, theres a strong case to be made for classifying it as a power law of nature.

Future research will be able to confirm this.

What can we do with this newly discovered rule? Well, to start, it can help us think about the likely course of evolution.

The evolution of animals is usually thought to include a lot of random factors. This makes it difficult to know exactly what animals will end up looking like many millennia from now.

That said, the power cascade is perhaps the simplest way for a pointed structure to form when an animal is growing as an embryo or juvenile. Thus, wed expect this shape to be very common both now and in the future and we know the former to be true.

We can even apply the power cascade to imagine what shapes the teeth, horns and claws of mythical creatures might look like if they followed rules in nature. In other words, we can now design dragons in Game of Thrones and fantastic beasts in Harry Potter to look as realistic as possible.

Moreover, many structures such as horns have evolved independently in different animals. So each time this happens in the future, it will probably follow the power cascade shape. Humans with horns remain may an unlikely reality, but at least well know what this would look like.

Read more: How animals got their spots and stripes according to maths

This article originally appeared on The Conversation.

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A new rule that explains why animals' pointy parts grow the way they do Monash lens - Monash Lens

WEST GOSHEN Like the other two dozen men in the room, I bowed down facing Mecca and said a silent prayer to God.

We had all removed our shoes, and most everyone else knelt on a mat on the carpeted floor.

As a reporter, I attended the Friday mandatory congregation prayer meeting of the Islamic Society of Chester County.

All over the world, millions of Muslims pray five times per day. A digital board at the local Mosque posted the following prayer times: 6:00 (Dawn, open eyes); 12:20 (Noon); 3:00 (Afternoon Tea Time); 5:45 (Dinner time); and 7:30 (Dusk, Close Eyes).

Bushra Qurshi is president of the Islamic Society and president of the Interfaith Committee. She said that Muslims receive exercise for the body and soul, while focusing on God, when bowing.

We are not just going through the motions, your soul, everything should be attuned to God, she said.

Much of the service was spoken in Arabic.

We are reciting verses of the Koran, Abdul Mughees Chaudhri, vice president of the ISCCPA board said, as was taught by Prophet Mohammed.

Peace be upon him.

Ejaz A. Sabir gave the sermon during the 20-minute service.

Faith alone is not enough, Sabir said. He then listed four things needed for a Muslims success: faith; action; struggle; and perseverance. He reminded us to be patient and to avoid complaining because you dont realize how many blessings you have.

God, why me? he asked, How do we deal with other people?

The killing of 51 at mosques in New Zealand led this local house of prayer to change its ways. Now, the ISCCPA pays local West Goshen police for security on Fridays.

Mughees Chaudhri talked about having to take precautions due to Islamophobia.

Its strange times we are living in when we have to hire protection for outside a mosque, a synagogue or a church, Mughees Chaudhri said.

In college, I took a Religious Studies course, ironically it was held in a church and a minister was the professor. We studied and read the Bible, Koran, the works of Confucius, and those of several other religions.

If there was one take-away (and there were many) it was that most all religions teach the Golden Rule. Its so simple.

So why all the hate directed at Muslims? I learned at the service that Muslims preach peace and harmony. And I didnt expect to hear any differently.

Its obviously not a religion itself that leads a very small minority to hurt. At the Mosque, I witnessed a strong, beneficial faith and brotherhood in action.

For 10 years the West Goshen Mosque has planned for growth. The current building likely was advertised in a Sears catalogue.

The campus for 300 worshippers sits on a seven acre site and the worship space is bursting at the seams. The number of worshippers is limited due to COVID.

With a new building, the goal is to bring youth together to work, play, collaborate and pray. Plans call for a full size basketball court, gym, ping-pong table, coffee lounge and places to do homework and hang out.

It will be geared for youth to come and be connected at the Islamic Centernot just praying, Mughees Chaudhri said.

At an expanded kitchen, food will be prepared to feed the needy. The upstairs will be set aside for prayer.

Its nice to know that Chester County is diverse. Theres room for people of several faiths. Good luck with the building. Keep the faith.

For more, go to http://www.isccpa.org where you can find a phone number, PO Box address and more information.

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Peace will be the message at new West Goshen Mosque - Daily Local News

Last time, I shared the first of two simple tools to help us avoid gossip.

First, we must guard our ears. You can typically stop gossip with one question: Why are you telling me this?

That question generates some healthy self-evaluation. The softer approach to this question might be to ask, Have you had a chance to talk to the person about this?

Even though guarding our ears is a great tool to put an end to gossip, sometimes, people still go on with their gossip. In those cases, you may have to distance yourself from the relationship or maybe sever the relationship altogether.

This is consistent with a Biblical principle found in Proverbs 20:19: A gossip goes around telling secrets, so dont hang around with chatterers.

That is very simple, very clear instruction from the book of Proverbs. If you want to avoid gossip, guard your ears.

A second effective tool to end all gossip is to close our mouth. That sounds so simple. It is certainly effective. Unfortunately, it is not always easy. Proverbs 21:23 says, Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.

Here is a great guiding principle: Just ask yourself, Would I want someone sharing this about me if I was not around? Again, were just applying another principle that Jesus taught: Do to others as you would like them to do to you. That is the Golden Rule.

It is easy to see how following this principle could help us put an end to gossip. It really is as simple as guarding our ears and closing our mouths.

Over the past few weeks, we have talked about some of the ways our mouths get us in trouble. Maybe the problem isnt just with our mouth. Perhaps the problem is with our heart. We are broken people.

Jesus said, The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

When God gets ahold of my heart, he also gets ahold of my mouth. That is when I can move away from complaining, criticizing, lying and gossiping to speaking truth and speaking life.

That is when my words can begin to emulate those of my savior. And in that transformation, our mouths, our marriages, our families and our lives will be transformed, too.

Steve Greene is the lead pastor of The Point in Seymour. Read his blog at pastorgreene.wordpress.com or email him at steve@gotothepoint.com. Send comments to awoods@tribtown.com.

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Column: Want to avoid gossip? Guard ears and close mouth - Seymour Tribune

PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spring is a time of reawakening, and that includes spring fashion at JCPenney, which features exciting new merchandise offerings across all categories. From three new swim brands, new apparel and activewear for the whole family, and expanded home furnishings, JCPenney has everything you need to celebrate all the moments of spring.

There is a constant drive to refresh our brands to keep up with the changing needs of our customers, said Michelle Wlazlo, executive vice president and chief merchant. Whether it be preparing their home for special celebrations, getting ready for a long-anticipated vacation, or safely reconnecting with family and friends, JCPenney has everything to help our customers stylishly return to their favorite activities this season.

JCPenney is splashing into the warmer months with three new womens swimwear brands Mynah, Decree, and Sonnet Shores with each collection providing quality and functional comfort in styles that will allow customers to hit the backyard, beach, or pool with total confidence. In a celebration of body positivity and inclusivity, JCPenneys new swimwear options range from classic to trendy and are not intended for specific ages or body sizes, but rather customers individual styles.

For customers looking to spring into a new routine, JCPenney has a variety of activewear apparel for the whole family. Find the right gear to get moving with new selections from leading national brands Champion and Puma. As temperatures rise, stay cool during the toughest workouts with selections from JCPenneys exclusive Xersion brand featuring innovative EVERAIR fabrication that combines breathable technology and Quick-Dri wicking for optimal air flow.

Easter is right around the corner, and JCPenney has offerings for every kind of celebration from casual to a bit more dressed up. With a variety of St. Johns Bay casual apparel, its never been easier to put together new spring looks for men and women. For customers looking to get back to dressing up, Worthington and Stafford collections offer classic dress essentials like sheath dresses, lightweight jackets, and crisp tops and bottoms. The recently revamped Liz Claiborne collection sold exclusively at JCPenney since 2009 has undeniable quality and mix-and-match options like fresh silhouettes, tailored knits, and flowing dresses with bold, new prints and hues, to meet all of springs moments with a sense of ease.

Spring is also a time to refresh home spaces, both indoors and out. JCPenneys exclusive Liz Claiborne home assortment offers an expanded selection of functional dcor with timeless designs. The Linden Street collection offers artisan style soft towels, comfortable sheets, natural cotton drapes, and now dcor, including dinnerware, serveware, and table linens. On the heels of JCPenneys recent Fieldcrest launch, the Company is continuing to strengthen its home merchandise assortment, including a new modern home brand coming next month.

JCPenney is excited to continue investing in its private and national brand portfolio to offer compelling and inspiring merchandise to its customers. Check out the JCPenney flagship store, jcp.com, to shop these products now and new offerings all spring long. To download images and videos, please visit the JCPenney Newsroom.

JCPenney Corporate Communications:jcpnews@jcp.com

About JCPenney

JCPenney proudly serves customers at more than 650 stores across the United States and Puerto Rico, and at the Companys flagship store, jcp.com. JCPenney is one of the nations largest retailers of apparel, home, jewelry, and beauty merchandise with a growing portfolio of private and national brands. Guided by the Golden Rule, JCPenney employs more than 60,000 associates worldwide and has served customers for over 119 years, playing a vital role in the communities it serves. For additional information, please visit jcp.com and follow JCPenney on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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JCPenney Gets Spring Refresh with Newness Across All Categories - Business Wire

Sticks in the mud. Overly cautious. Obstacles to progress.

Thats how Ive tended to view political moderates especially those in my own party. As a 30-something state legislator (1999-2005) deeply committed to individual liberty, limited government and personal responsibility, I often grew frustrated with moderate Republicans who always seemed to move too slowly toward those goals.

I remember telling Republican activists: The most significant legislation often passes by the narrowest margin and nobody is motivated by moderation.

Today, as progressive Democrats, and some Republicans, say many of those same things to drive moderates to the sideline, my exasperation with centrist lawmakers has evolved into grudging admiration at least for those willing to stand strong for their beliefs. When emboldened, centrists in both parties serve an important function that benefits the vast majority of citizens who arent died-in-the-wool Republicans or Democrats: they slow the pace of change.

In a country as evenly and fiercely divided as ours has been for at least 20 years, the public shouldnt be subjected to political whiplash when a few thousand votes in a handful of states narrowly shift power from one party to the other.

Convincing a skeptical centrist to support legislation can be like reasoning with that relative or neighbor who picks apart every one of your ideas but ultimately makes them work better. Accommodating centrists can be the difference between governing by executive order which may last only until the next election and actually passing legislation into law.

In Colorado where Democrats control the executive and legislative branches, some new legislation and ballot initiatives are so odious and disrespectful to small business and rural voters that local governments responsible for enforcement have simply decided to ignore the law taking a cue from Democrats who govern sanctuary cities and refuse to enforce immigration laws.

The governing majority could help restore civility if it simply practiced what it once preached about respecting the rights of the minority and refrained from making every progressive policy into a statewide mandate. Although the bulk of Colorados population clusters along the Front Range, those who live in the other 90 percent of the states land mass deserve deference.

Is it so unreasonable to craft compromises that are mutually beneficial so the majority rules but minority concerns are accommodated? Some will call this selling out. But its the same horse trading that routinely results in win-win agreements in our personal and professional lives, making America different from countries where majority rule is absolute and minority views are crushed.

For example, large majorities of Americans favor both secure borders and legal citizenship for those who came here illegally but have lived in the U.S. productively for many years. Republicans generally oppose the citizenship component, while Democrats oppose an impervious border. Today, we have the worst of both a border disaster in every sense.

Likewise, voters overwhelmingly want our elections to be both convenient and secure. Republicans are slowly accepting early or mail-in voting with proper safeguards. However, Democratic politicians protest that requiring voter identification will result in vote suppression though it hasnt suppressed legitimate sales of beer, tobacco or legal drugs.

In each case, its extreme partisanship that prevents government from giving most voters what they want.

Statesmanship is what we once called the art of understanding whats important to others and helping them achieve those ends without violating our own principles.

It is even possible for people including politicians from opposing parties to build genuine friendships yet remain true to their beliefs. President Ronald Reagan and Democratic Speaker Tip ONeill famously regarded each other as friends despite political disagreements. Finding true friends in the opposing party makes it easier to apply the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated.

That doesnt need to change what we believe about important issues, but it should deter a scorched-earth, win-at-all-costs thirst for political power which only leads to more bitterness, resentment and deepening divisions.

Mark Hillman, a Burlington Republican, served as Senate majority leader and Senate minority leader in Colorado's legislature. To read more or comment, go to http://www.MarkHillman.com.

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Grudging admiration for the role of centrists | Opinion | coloradopolitics.com - coloradopolitics.com

Its been a year since the stock market took its Covid-19 tumble. From Feb. 19 to March 20, 2020a span of 22 trading daysthe S&P 500 fell 30%, the fastest decline ever.

Its hard to overstate how dramatic this market moment was, or how much panic was in the air. The horror of more than 700 people dying every day in New York City alone was still in the future, with nurses and doctors wearing trash bags instead of medical personal protective equipment (PPE).

For markets, March 20 was the decisive turning point: The S&P 500 hit an intra-day low of 2,191 the following trading day, and since then its barely looked back. It took five months to retrace the early Covid-19 losses and start hitting new all-time highs. By mid-March 2021, the S&P 500 was getting very close to 4,000, not very far from a 100% gain off the Covid-19 lows.

The year 2020 was the ultimate playbook of investment lessons, says financial planner Desmond Henry of Topeka, Kan. You could write a whole book about it.

Theres a lot to learn from the events of the past 12 months. Here are seven investing lessons you can learn from the pandemic.

The Covid-19 crisis was the ultimate affirmation of what Henry calls the golden rule of investing, buy and hold. Your aim as an investor should be to find high-quality companies and hold onto them for as long as possible.

If you arent willing to own a stock for 10 years, dont even think about owning it for 10 minutes, wrote legendary investor Warren Buffett in his famous 1996 letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders. This entails seeing a company through rough times in the short term with your eye on the long term.

Buy and hold couldnt have been more true than this past year, Henry says. Sometimes the best strategy is to do nothing.

If you had sold at the bottom of the recent bear market, youd have been cashing out at 2016 S&P 500 levels and then have been faced with the difficult task of determining when to reenter the market. Youd probably have missed out on at least some of the recovery gains in the process. If youd stayed steady, though, youd have effortlessly benefited from all of the return.

If you sold in March you would have gotten hammered. Doing nothing really does work, Henry says.

When it comes to stock market analysis, it can seem like talking heads are always expecting this time to be different.

People think, This is the next thing thats going to be the end of the world. Every four years you hear that during elections, If my candidate doesnt win the presidency, the world will endYou could have easily said that back in March. This is the big one; were never going to come out of that, Henry says.

This fear manifested in a really interesting way during the early days of the pandemic, Paul Miller, a New York City-based certified public accountant (CPA), notes. The initial result is that most were paralyzed and sold investments incorrectly, and then went into cash and stayed paralyzed, he says. Those who did that, of course, ended up locking in losses and missed out on a lot of that nearly 100% gain since last March. Overall, the thing I would take away is that if you do everything steadily, incrementally, every time you will prevail. But a lot of people panicked. You can even say Warren Buffet panicked. He sold all his airline stocks. He regrets that move now.

With all the noise of market volatility, It can be tempting to try to wait out for a best time when the market has steadied and is on a consistent upward trajectory. Though it might not seem like it, that inertia can be a mistake in and of itself.

Dont wait, Henry says. The best time to start investing is always now.

People are often waiting on somethingIll invest when the dust settlesIll invest when the vaccine gets here. Well, for people waiting, that boat has already sailed, he says.

While the big example of that is obviously the almost doubling of an investment that took place from March 2020 to March 2021, almost each month you delayed starting investing would have cost you in the past 12 months. In the past year, you would have seen gains being invested from just one month to the next 66% of the time, and outside of March 2020, the largest month-over-month decrease was just 4%.

During normal years, those percentages are even more compelling: Between 1928 and 2021, the S&P 500 saw month-over-month gains 75% of the time on average, and its average decrease was no more than 1%, according to data compiled by Yardeni research.

In short, stop playing that game, being so pessimistic, Henry says. Or, in other words, the stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient, as Warren Buffett says. Just getting your money into the market can be most of the battle to seeing positive returns.

There was a very short window, maybe 60 days, when people were stressed out of their minds, Miller says. The markets first Covid-19-related dips date back only to about Feb. 1, 2020. So the financial pain, while acute, was short-lived.

That might have helped prevent people from overreacting, Henry says. There wasnt really time.

The fact that the sell off happened so quickly was actually a positive, he says. He was steeled for some tough, talk-them-back-from-the-cliff conversations, but instead, most of his clients were well-behaved.

His theory: By the time clients saw the impact in their March monthly statements, the market had already started to rebound. When people see that slow bleeding for a longer period, that mentally messes with (investors) more than getting hammered quickly, he says.

This well-behaved phenomenon wasnt limited to Henrys clients. Vanguard released a study last year showing its investors largely rode out the Covid-19 bear market.

Less than 1% of households abandoned equities completely during the downturn in the first half of 2020, the report found. The net result of the portfolio and market changes was a modest reduction in the average household equity allocation, from 63% to 62%.

The falling-elevator quality to the Covid bear market stands in contrast to the recessions that hit after the dot-com and housing bubbles burst. After those two events, the markets languished for years. It can be harder to keep hope that the market will recover when its gradually slipping for a longer amount of time and struggling to recover.

Are there sector-specific lessons to be learned from Covid-19? Heres one: Technology really is driving the future, and most investors would be wise to bet on it. In 2020, the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 outpaced the S&P 500 by about 30 percentage points (+48.9%, vs +18.4%).

And even when you might think its too late to invest in a tech darling, it might not be. Consider this: If you were lucky or smart and bought $1,000 worth of Zoom stock on January 31, 2020, at about $76 per share, youd have about $4,200 today (it sits at around $330 per share). Thats a great return.

But say you waited until the end March, at which time it seemed everyone you know was suddenly using Zoom for several hours per day. Too late? Hardly. Zoom had only risen to about $150 per share by then, so youd have about $2,150 by now. Not too shabby.

Im not much into sector rotation. Its another form of timing the market, Henry says. But I am still bullish on tech stocks.And if you want to position yourself to benefit from any broad economic recovery without picking individual stocks, look to an index or exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the performance of the whole economy or a particular sector, like tech.

If nothing else, Covid-19 proved the importance of having an emergency fund.

Studies show roughly half of Americans dont have enough savings to pay for a surprise $1,000 expense without borrowing money. People in that half had a much rougher time during the pandemics early days. The savers? Many of them took their government stimulus checks and invested them.

Across all income levels, Envestnet Yodlee, a financial data analysis and aggregation company, noted that stock purchasing increased by anywhere from 50% to 90%, with lower incomes showing greater increases. Even as trading volume grew, many Americans still doubled down on their emergency savings, with 14% squirreling money safely away, according to a Forbes Advisor survey in May 2020.

This dual-pronged approach to saving is in line with a favorite piece of advice of Henrys.

I cant take credit for this; I heard someone else say it once: You have to save like a pessimist and invest like an optimist! he says. This way, youre prepared if rough times come in the short term and when you need money later in life.To get started building your own emergency fund or investing, check out Forbes Advisors guides.

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Covid-19 Crisis: Investing Lessons From The Pandemic - Forbes

Beverly Theil| Columnist

The news of Asian Americans being targeted for attack, both fatal and non-fatal, by their fellow citizens, has filled the media. Our children see these reports and attacks and are confused.

A man in his 80s is beaten. A woman in her 90s is pushed to the ground. A man going to work is slashed with a box cutter. These are senseless crimes. These victims are doing nothing wrong. Why were they attacked? Because they are the other. They dont look like us.

More: Denouncing hate: Holmes County vigil decries attacks on Asians

This leads me to the following story.

Her name was Margaret. She was a registered nurse married to a doctor she had met at work. They had three elementary-aged children and lived in a major metropolitan area.

Walking home from shopping one day she and her children were surrounded by three men and a woman who cursed them and spit on them,accused them of being killers, told Margaret to take her children back where they came from.

Margaret, a Caucasian, had married a Filipino of Chinese ancestry. The people who spit on them believed they were Japanese. The year was 1942. Margaret was my mothers cousin. Now it is 2021, but it appears some things have not changed.

Anti-Asian racism is still active in these United States. The COVID-19 virus has been erroneously called the Chinese virus. Coronaviruses of various types have been present in humans and animal throughout the world for decades if not centuries. Why then the attacks on Asians?

More: Northeast Ohio's message to Biden and Harris: More bipartisanship, no new taxes and equal rights for all

Because their physical appearance is different from ours, therefore they are easy to pick out. They dont look like Caucasians or African Americans or Hispanics. This is why during World War II we didnt put those of German ancestry into internment camps like we did those of Japanese ancestry. We couldnt tell by looking that they were German.

Bias and prejudice, even if unacknowledged, against those we dont know is always present to some degree. Basically, it comes down to fear of the unknown.

Explain to your children the racist attacks that are going on with Asian Americans are no less wrong than the racism directed at African Americans. Talk to your children about other races and cultures.

There are books for every age level about life in other cultures. If looking into Asian culture dont get caught up in the movies about the culture. Just as not everyone in the United States is a survivalist, not everyone in Asian is a Kung Fu practitioner.

Talk about the similarities in families, how Asian and non-Asian families eat meals together, take family vacations together, go to parks, etc. Look into Asian religions. Buddhism has two major branches and many minor branches, not unlike Christianity with its many branches. Look at pictures of traditional Asian clothing. The various countries have very different styles. Then compare the different styles of clothing in the United States.

Again, we are alike in our very differences. When talking to your child stress people should be judged by their character and behaviors, not how they look. Are they kind? Caring? Do they help others in ways small and large? Do they protect those they come in contact with? Do they follow the Golden Rule and treat others as they would want to be treated?

These are the important things to judge people by, not their looks, or wealth, or ethnic or racial ancestry. Teach your children what is truly important.

Beverly Theil is a child advocate in Wayne and Holmes counties. She can be contacted at BeverlyVT@aol.com.

Excerpt from:

ABOUT CHILDREN: Have honest conversations with kids about racism, 'the other' people - Wooster Daily Record