Category Archives: Golden Rule

As if we lawyers needed one more word to be spoken or written about civility among us, the Association of Business Trial Lawyers-Los Angeles devoted its entire summer 2019 issue to, what else, civility or the lack thereof. The very fact that ABTL-LA decided that it needed to take on the issue and devote an entire issue means that civility is still a long way away, at least in ABTL-LAs perception, and that is a perception shared by many.

It seems that the problem is not so much in court, where lawyers, fearing judicial wrath, can and do stifle themselves to be civil, its the out-of-court shenanigans that create the most problems. No one likes to tattle on others. Well, maybe some do, but the vast majority of lawyers prefer to solve problems without resorting to nasty, intemperate tactics. Raise your hand if youre like me and weary of what seems to be constant yammering about the lack of civility. Didnt anyone learn the Golden Rule all the years ago? I guess not, or if so, its been lost in the fog of war, so to speak.

Exhibit A for an example of the most reprehensible incivility comes, I am embarrassed to say, from California, in fact, from SoCal, in fact from the Westside. If I hadnt read the post and then the court filings, I wouldnt have believed it, but there it all is in black and white.

Read Staci Zaretskys post and tell me at what point plaintiffs counsel may have crossed the line, which he admitted in his response to defense counsels ex parte application. Crossed the line? Please. The attorney also says that the remarks were in the context of confidential settlement negotiations. He also claims that he may have used some inappropriate language out of frustration and anger. I dont think that there is anything confidential in such language, nor should there be, and I cant imagine what situation would ever justify some inappropriate language as that set forth in the defendants ex parte application.

So, although plaintiffs counsel has apologized, I wonder whether the apology was really that, or rather an apology because he was caught using such language. Remember the admonition that every smart lawyer takes to heart: write every email as if it could wind up on the front page of a newspaper, a website, whatever. This series of emails did wind up in the courts record. The Twitterverse has also weighed in.

Does anyone think that a mandatory ethics course on civility would be the way to go? Maybe, but again, You can lead a horse to water .

And that leads me back to the ABTL-LA summer issue on civility. Most of the articles are preaching to the choir, that its not this membership that needs a refresher course in civility. However, one article gave me pause as I had not thought about gender equality as part of the civility issue. Silly me.

Two female judges, Justice Lee Edmon, Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division 3 and Judge Samantha Jessner, Supervising Judge of the Civil Division of the Los Angeles Superior Court, posit that, in the context of civility, gender discrimination is not its own separate animal. The authors see it as a subsection of the broader civility issue. Im not sure I agree.

In dinosaur days, I dont recall that incivility was as rampant as it is today. Yes, you had the big-mouth jerks and those know-it-alls, who really didnt know it all, but I thought there was at least a veneer of politeness and respect. It may have been a particularly thin veneer, but at least there was a veneer between civilization and primal darkness. (Anyone who has read Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness will understand the reference.) It may have been my obliviousness as a young lawyer practicing in a small lawyer community where everybody knew everyones name. However, sex discrimination existed.

It wasnt until 2014 that the State Bar of California found it necessary to add language about civility to the attorneys oath. If the State Bar had thought that was an issue years ago, I think that the civility language in the oath would have been added years ago.

The legal community was much smaller years ago, and so word got around about lawyer jerks. We didnt need social media to learn about reputations, and that was true for lawyers and judges. The authors conclude that sexism is alive and well in our profession (no argument there) and that sexism finds its expression in incivility.

How do we promote civility in a culture these days that seems to worship at the altar of incivility? What examples can we use to lead by example, rather than by excrement? We can talk up civility all we want, but until there are some consequences to incivility, I dont think anything will change. Its all well and good to talk about the need and desire for civility, but, right now, there arent a lot of role models to point to.

I think the heavy hammer of sanctions is one tool to start impressing upon errant lawyers that there are monetary consequences, and not just financial wrist-slaps, for being a jerk (or whatever other noun you choose). But judges have to be willing to do that. Are they?

Plaintiffs counsel, Christopher Hook, was admitted to the California Bar in 2008. With more than a decade of practice, he should have known better. Practicing law is definitely not a bowl of cherries, but it certainly isnt simply a bowl of dicks.

Jill Switzer has been an active member of the State Bar of California for over 40 years. She remembers practicing law in a kinder, gentler time. Shes had a diverse legal career, including stints as a deputy district attorney, a solo practice, and several senior in-house gigs. She now mediates full-time, which gives her the opportunity to see dinosaurs, millennials, and those in-between interact its not always civil. You can reach her by email at oldladylawyer@gmail.com.

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And What Will You Eat In Settlement Negotiations? - Above the Law

The Prime Minister spoke on pension reform on Wednesday (December 11), clarifying some details on the governments plan to consolidate the current 42-plan system into one single, universal plan.

Mr Philippe confirmed that the new system would go ahead, with people born in 2004 - and turning 18 in 2022 - becoming the first workers to enter directly into the new points-based plan. He also confirmed that the plans would only apply to workers born after 1975.

The PM said that the minimum age of retirement would remain at 62, but there would be financial incentives for those who continue to work longer, gradually increasing with each extra year worked, with the full amount per month available from age 64. The police will continue to be allowed to leave from age 52.

The minimum pension amount for those drawing their full pension was confirmed at 1,000 from 2022 onwards, compared to the 980 amount currently offered.

The new system will use points, collected per year worked, to calculate final pension amounts, with the point values fixed according to a golden rule, based on a system of average salaries, Mr Philippe said.

Anyone living in poverty will benefit from extra points, the PM said, without adding further specific details yet. This will mean affected people will benefit from three extra years of part-time work, paid full-time. This will apply particularly to nurses and carers, and similar professions that take on night shifts, with up to 20-30% of nurses expected to qualify for this extra, the PM said.

Mr Philippe has said that he remains firm, but not closed ("ferme, mais pas ferm") to further debate and discussion, even as he continues to push through most of the controversial reforms.

Yet, some unions have said that they are not satisfied with Mr Philippes response, with train workers from the CGT-Cheminots saying that there will be no truce [break] over Christmas as long as the stalemate remains.

Laurent Brun, from the CGT-Cheminots, said: "No break for Christmas, except if the government discovers its reason before then."

Yves Veyrier, from Force Ouvrire, said today that there will be no "stoppage" for Christmas, and Sud-Rail federal secretary Fabien Dumas said that it was even planning "a larger strike movement" to force pension reform.

Mr Veyrier said: "The right to strike is fundamental."

However, some unions said they would support a break over Christmas, including Unsa, and CFDT; the latter of which saying they want to "talk" as much as possible, and "leave people free to move around as they wish" while also "seeking all possible ways to make ourselves heard".

Former transport minister (and current ecology minister) Elisabeth Borne said: Announcing that you want to ruin the holiday season for the French public is irresponsible. Public service should firstly help users, and especially those who want to go on holiday for Christmas.

More than three quarters of SNCF and RATP workers will not be affected by the reforms. I urge them to understand the difficulties of the public.

Yet, Laurent Berger, secretary general of union CFDT, called the plans useless and unfair, while Philippe Pivet, retirement secretary at the Force Ouvrire (FO) union said: Theyre hypocritical because yes, we are keeping the legal retirement age at 62, but while still saying that its better not to leave at this age because youll lose points.

Dress it up however you like, but it still comes down to a rise in [retirement] age of two years.

Other unions including UNSA, have said that they are unhappy with the extent of the provision for people living in poverty, and said that Mr Philippes announcement had not been clear enough.

And even though the government has clarified that the plans will only apply to those born after 1975 and not the initially-planned 1963, and after 1985 for public sector workers - in a move that has been called the grandfather clause- some unions say this does not go far enough.

Didier Mathis, general secretary at the UNSA railway union, said: This still applies to 40% of our staff, especially SNCF and RATP drivers, meaning 52,000 people who are losing calculations on their pensions over the past six months.

Some unions are arguing that the grandfather clause should mean that the new system would only apply to individuals entering the workplace market from now on, and would never be applied to existing workers.

The police have called off their strike action after they were granted an audience on Thursday, December 12 with the minister for the interior Christophe Castaner, his junior minister Laurent Nuez, and the pensions high commissioner, Jean-Paul Delevoye.

They agreed that their minimum retirement age should stay at 52, for those whose career has seen them work a number of years in dangerous roles and situations.

Almost two thirds (70%) of French people remain unconvinced by the Prime Ministers speech on pensions, a new poll by Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting for news source FranceInfo and newspaperLe Figaro has found.

A similar number (67%) say that he has not made significant concessions, and 60% say that they do not believe that the reforms will usher in a fair or sustainable pension system.

Almost two thirds (68%) say that strike action against the reforms is still justified, a percentage that has not dropped since a similar poll a week ago.

Unsurprisingly, support for the PM is highest among supporters of the ruling party LREM (82% said they were convinced by his words), and much lower among opposition parties (59% of LR supporters said they were not convinced, along with 61% of PS, 68% of EELV, 82% of Insoumis, and 83% of RN).

The poll was undertaken online on December 11-12 2019, over a representative sample of 1,002 French people aged 18 and over.

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Unions: Strike may continue in France over Christmas Strikes are continuing in France today - The Connexion

Right.

Our resolve not to mention our acting ability will be tested once again this holiday season, when we receive a gift at a family gathering or office Secret Santa exchange.

We'll have a grin and a gush ready as we tear off the wrapping, open the box and look inside even if it's a home taxidermy kit or a 2,000-piece jigsaw puzzle of Beyonce's dentist.

Many charities face the same dilemma during the giving season. They get a lot of stuff including a lot that can't be used. But many charities may be reluctant to speak up, lest they appear ungrateful.

"We don't want our donors to think we're complaining," said Amy Sutton, associate director of Hastings Family Service. "We need people to keep bringing their things."

Most nonprofits have websites that list what they can and cannot use. But too often, people don't check. That means charities have to spend extra time and money disposing of them.

Goodwill probably is too nice to tell you that it doesn't want refrigerators, microwaves or dehumidifiers. So it has a website that tells you.

"Nonprofits like us incur disposal costs for these items that ultimately take funds away from our job training and placement programs," said Melissa Becker, marketing and communication director for Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota. "We help connect four people to jobs every day with proceeds from our 51 retail locations."

This holiday season, here are some things charities wish you would stop doing.

Looking to get rid of that old couch, baby crib or mattress? Don't bring them to Stone Soup Thrift Store in St. Paul Park.

Or worse, dump them on their loading dock after dark.

Stone Soup and its nonprofit parent, Basic Needs Inc., have served thousands of struggling families and budget-conscious shoppers over the years. They've given away tons of gently-used furniture, clothing and bedding to the less fortunate. But it can't resell child car seats. And nobody wants a moldy old chair.

Board President Vickie Snyder said that it costs them at least $400 a month to have such trash picked up and hauled away. That's money that could be going to help the poor or homeless.

"They give us electronics that are broken, clothes that are filthy dirty," she said. "Don't give us your broken stuff. We don't have the resources to fix them. Vacuum cleaners and kitchen appliances, we have to recycle them through the Environmental Center and that costs us money."

Unacceptable items are listed on their website. But even if the items are on the acceptable list, such as clothing or quilts, they're often too old or soiled to be passed on. And then the staff at Stone Soup has to politely refuse them.

"I can't tell you how many people we offend," Snyder said. "People will say 'gently used' and it has a grease spot and the arms are filthy."

You aren't doing your local food shelf any favors if you give them that can of kidney beans that has been in the back of your pantry since the Clinton administration.

"It's important that (it) hasn't expired," said Michelle Rageth, director of Friends in Need Food Shelf, in St. Paul Park. "We've actually gotten canned armadillo."

New personal care items such as soap, shampoo or toothpaste are always welcome, she said.

"My first suggestion is to contact the charity and find out what they really need," she said. "Because things change. Sometimes things you think the charities think they need are not the things they actually do need."

Something else folks might not know: most food shelves, Friends in Need included, get most of its food for the hungry by buying it in bulk. They can stretch that $10 much further than the average consumer. Thus, cash is the preferred gift.

"If you gave us that same $10, we can stretch that to a hundred dollars worth of a food," Rageth said.

Sutton said Hastings Family Service can always use food, clothing or household items. But don't put it all in one big, herniating box. If you have trouble lifting it, volunteers will too.

"They think they're doing a good thing by getting these great big yard bags." Sutton said. "If the bags and boxes are too heavy, it's difficult for our volunteers, and most of our volunteers are elderly."

Also, don't leave food donations at their door overnight. They'll go straight into the dumpster.

"We can't risk having critters," Sutton said.

"If a charity is unable to take your things, there is a good reason," she added. "There are some times we have to say no. That might be because we know we can't resell it or we already have 15 of those in the back."

Sometimes it seems that tots get all the toys. Teens may no longer believe in Santa Claus, but that doesn't mean they don't want presents under the tree.

"Santa Tina" Altman is president of A Place of Hope Minnesota, which runs Toys for Tots and Teens. Based out of Hope Church in Oakdale, they help families in need living in Washington, Ramsey, Chisago and Dakota counties.

Unlike most Toys for Tots distributors, they also provide gifts for teens aged 15-18. Beginning in November, they take toy orders from nearly 800 registered local families. About 60% of those toys are provided by the Marines. They handed out the gifts Dec. 14 and 15.

However, the Marines only provide toys for teens up to age 14, Altman said, so they often struggle to find gifts for their older brothers or sisters.

Boys and girls 15-18 could use a hoodie, athletic apparel, a handheld electronic game, skateboard or sled.

Ashley Post is communications director at non-profit watchdog Charity Navigator. When giving, people should observe the golden rule, she said.

If you aren't going to wear or eat something, why would you expect someone else to?

"We want people to kind of embrace that spirit of goodwill and generosity but consider that on the other side of your donation is a person just like you," Post said. "Just because someone is a little less fortunate doesn't mean they don't want to eat nutritious food."

Woodbury mom Cheryl Jogger helped to create the anti-hunger group SoWashCoCARES. They work with members of the District 833 Community Education Department to deliver clothing and food packs to students who may suffer food insecurity during spring and winter breaks from school.

"(W)hen we ask for 'gently used' items, sometimes the items we get are 'heavily used,'" she said. "This doesn't happen very often but before donating a used item, we ask people to consider whether they would give that item to their own children, before donating it to those in need."

Brian Molohon is executive director of development at the Salvation Army Northern Division, which encompasses Minnesota and North Dakota. Donations are always welcome, he said, but helping people on a more personal level can be inspirational.

"If it's a cause that means something to you, get involved," he said. "Come take a tour. Come get proximate to the people that the organization is servicing. You will know intimately what the real needs are. It's always more than just, 'Hey can I get rid of this and give it to somebody?' It can start there. But come and get to know the people you are trying to help."

Many charities who have to turn away volunteers during the holiday season struggle to find them the rest of the year.

"Thanksgiving Day is a really big day people want to come and serve meals," Molohon said. "I love that, but there are 364 other days that the need still exists."

Jogger said hunger doesn't take a holiday.

"We are so grateful for all the generous support we receive for our students, especially at this time of year," she said. "But year-round donations are so helpful, as our needs are spread out throughout the school year and even in the summer."

Continued here:

Things charities wish you would stop doing | RiverTowns - RiverTowns

Provided by The Motley Fool How Does Your Credit Score Compare to the Average?

Credit scores affect your ability to borrow, your cost of borrowing, and all kinds of transactions with any company that checks your credit.

Since these scores are so important, it's important to know what yours is. It can also be helpful to know where you stand relative to your peers.

Fortunately, new research from The Ascent is packed with information about credit scores in the United States. You can check out how you compare to the average American, as well as people in your age group and your state. And if your score is below average, we also have some tips to help improve it so you can excel when it comes to credit.

According to The Ascent's data, the average FICO Score in the United States hit 704 in 2018. This is a four point increase from 2017 and a 14 point increase from the average score a decade before. It's also considered to be a good score that would qualify the average American for loans at reasonable rates from most lenders.

We also looked at the average FICO Score by age. Those who are 60 and over have the highest average of 747, while pre-retirees aged 50 to 59 have an average score of 713. Both of these scores are considered good to excellent.

Younger Americans tend to have lower average scores than their older counterparts, though. Young adults aged 18 to 29 average a score of 659, while adults age 30 to 39 have an average score of 677. Americans between the ages of 40 and 49 have an average score of 690.

The Ascent's research also revealed that the average VantageScore was 694 as of the first quarter of 2018. VantageScores are an alternative to FICO Scores. FICO Scores are determined using a formula created by the Fair Isaac Corporation, while VantageScore's formula was developed in 2006 by Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

If your score is below average, you may have more trouble getting approved for financing and you may have to pay above average rates for credit cards, personal loans, or other types of financing.

But you don't have to just accept a lower score. You can be proactive and take steps to try to increase it. To do this, you need to understand that your score is based on a number of factors: your payment record, how much of your available credit you use, the age of your credit history, the types of credit you have, and how many inquiries are on your credit report (inquiries go on your report when you apply for new credit).

If you can improve your payment history by making payments on time and paying down debt, you can hopefully earn a score that's at least as good as the average Americans -- or perhaps even better.

Knowing how your score compares can help you to determine where you stand when it comes to your credit -- and whether there's room for improvement. Hopefully, your score is above average or at least equal to it. But if not, responsible behavior can boost it over time and put you on par with your peers. Then you'll be able to qualify for competitive financing from a lender of your choice.

The Motley Fool owns and recommends MasterCard and Visa, and recommends American Express. Were firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team. SPONSORED:

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How Does Your Credit Score Compare to the Average? - msnNOW

By Michelle KeyPublisher

Mayor Gary Fuller and the Opelika City Council recognized Lamar Baker as the Opelika Police Officer of the 4th Quarter during last weeks city council meeting. Also during the meeting, Opelika firefighter Chuck Riddle was named Firefighter of the Year. Fuller also read a proclamation honoring the community clean-up efforts in Ward 2. Councilwoman Tiffany Gibson-Pitts and Golden Rule Lodge #11 members Darryl Mitchel, Derric Baker and Demarcie Whatley were present to accept the proclamation on the communitys behalf.Michael King was also recognized in the proclamation, posthumously for his service to Ward 2. Michael was kind, loyal and committed to make sure that Ward 2 was clean, Fuller read. King passed away in November 2018. Also during the meeting, the council: approved a request 2019 Victorian Front Porch Tour for street closures during the event approved a request from Mama Mocha Coffee for a street closure for the Longest Table Event denied a revised request from Opelika Main Street for Christmas in a Railroad Town pertaining to the times of the road closure for 8th Street approved the Tru Blu Sports Bar request for a lounge retail liquor class I and an on-premise beer license held public hearings and subsequently voted to approve the weed abatements on the following properties:

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Opelika City Council recognizes Lamar Baker as 'Officer of the Quarter', issues a proclamation thanking community members for cleanup efforts in Ward...

Here are all the new Legendary items confirmed in the upcoming Borderlands 3 DLC, Moxxi's Heist Of The Handsome Jackpot.

Weve already got a bit of a sneak peek with FL4Ks Legendary class mod, St4ckbot, which looks like it will single-handedly rejuvenate their critical hit build. Now thanks to Reddit, we have a list of all the new Legendary Class Mods, as well as some returning Legendaries from previous Borderlands games.

But first, a big thanks to Reddit user CREmACquesOM for compiling this image of all the new items. Now lets jump into the Class Mods!

Zane gets some love thanks to the Dastardly Cheap Shot Seein' Dead (which will likely be just Seein Dead with the rest being prefixes). This Class Mod is all about kill skills, boosting Donnybrook, Playing Dirty, and Violent Violence to increase dun damage, fire rate, health regen, and have a chance at firing twice per trigger pull. On top of that, the Class Mod's special ability now makes it possible to activate kill skills on merely damaging an enemy (with a 25% bonus too), making him way more viable in boss fights.

Amara, on the other hand, gets even tankier with the help of the Aware Golden Rule. Laid Bare, Mindfulness, and Helping Hands all get a boost, which provides movement speed, shield regen, and increases damage after using her action skill. The unique ability increases her action skill cooldown whenever she's damaged, which just helps all those skills even more.

RELATED:Borderlands 3: Moxxi's Heist Of The Handsome Jackpot DLC Adds OP FL4K Class Mod

And finally, Moze just does more of what she loves: shooting things. The Investing Blistering Green Monster increases Scorching RPMs, Click Click, and The Iron Bank, which all just make her shoot longer and harder. The mod also gives bonus corrosive damage the longer she holds down the trigger. Can't go wrong with that.

We also have a whole list of returning Legendary weapons from Borderlands 2, including the Nukem, Creamer, Heart Breaker, Slow Hand, Aim, and Boomer. Several of these weapons were Moxxi weapons in the previous game, which means they might also heal the user whenever theyre used to deal damage.

The new weapons are Scoville, Craps, Lucky 7, ION LASER, and Cheap Tips, which all fit into the casino theme. We dont know what they do, but theyre sure to be epic.

Moxxi's Heist Of The Handsome Jackpot arrives on December 19th.

Source: Reddit

NEXT: Borderlands 3: Everything You Need To Know About The New Patch

Laura Bailey Left The Game Awards Early To Play In Critical Role

Actually a collective of 6 hamsters piloting a human-shaped robot, Sean hails from Toronto, Canada. Passionate about gaming from a young age, those hamsters would probably have taken over the world by now if they didn't vastly prefer playing and writing about video games instead.The hamsters are so far into their long-con that they've managed to acquire a bachelor's degree from the University of Waterloo and used that to convince the fine editors at TheGamer that they can write "gud werds," when in reality they just have a very sophisticated spellchecker program installed in the robot's central processing unit.

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Check Out All The New Legendaries Coming In The First Borderlands 3 DLC - TheGamer

Despite enduring more trials and tribulations than most of us will experience in our entire lifetime, Texas youngster Jonah insists on being relentlessly optimistic.

The spirited 12-year-old made quite the impression on local Dallas TV station WFAA-TV when he appeared their Wednesdays Child segment in a full three-piece suit. The networks short features aim to highlight the stories of foster children who are seeking after an adoptive home.

I am a person who likes to uplift people, Jonah told the station. The golden rule is treat somebody the way you would like to be treated.'

Mature beyond his years, the inspiring young man said he desired to have knowledge and wisdom, and opened up about how his faith in God has helped him get through the suffering of his past.

Hes brought me through many, many things. As far as abuse before I came into CPS.. hes brought me through a lot, overall, he said.

As for how he has coped with four years in foster care, Jonah said he adopts a ruthlessly positive mindset that is rooted in his Christian faith.

Waking me up this morning, you know what I mean? Starting me on my way, Im in my right mind, I know what Im doing, I know who I am, and Im proud of the person that I am, he said.

And hes no slouch in the classroom, either. I am an honor roll student, Jonah explained. When Im in school, I focus. I got an award last year for being a multi-tasker.

As for finding a forever home, the astonishingly poised young man is assured that the right family is just around the corner.

The reason why I want to be adopted is because I know theres a family out there that fits me in the best possible way that they can, he said.

Closing out the segment, the reporter commended Jonah to prospective families and wished him well for the future.

No, you dont meet a kid like this every day, she narrated, which is why the parents who adopt him will be one lucky family.

Jonah, may they be your fiercest protectors and your never-ending source of strength.

For more information on Jonah, WFAA urged people to send all approved home studies to La Queena Warren at [emailprotected], if youre already licensed.

What a guy!

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Hopeful 12-Year-Old Foster Child Trusting God to Find Him a Forever Home: 'I Know There's a Family Out There' - Faithwire

The word conservative is doing a lot of unspoken work in this story. It serves, among other things, as both an accusation and a defiant confession.

North Dakota county may become USs 1st to bar new refugees

If they vote to bar refugees, as expected, Burleigh County home to about 95,000 people and the capital city of Bismarck could become the first local government to do so since President Donald Trumpissued an executive ordermaking it possible.

Trumps executive order this fall came as he had already proposed cutting the number of refugees next year to the lowest level since Congress passed the Refugee Act of 1980. He declared that refugees should be resettled only in places where the state and local governments counties gave consent. Since then, many governors and counties around the country have declared that they would continue taking refugees.

Republican Gov. Doug Burgum said last month that North Dakotawould continue accepting refugeeswhere local jurisdictions agreed, and his spokesman said the governor saw it as a local decision. Soon after, Cass and Grand Forks counties, which are home to the states largest city, Fargo, and third-largest city, Grand Forks, respectively, declared they would continue taking refugees. Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney said refugees were needed to boost the citys economy, and that 90% were fully employed within three months of resettling in his city.

But the idea was quickly opposed in more conservative Burleigh County. Among the opponents was Republican state Rep. Rick Becker, of Bismarck, an ultraconservative who took to social media to criticize the program as unrestrained and a possible drain on social service programs, schools and law enforcement.

Burleigh County is likely to bar refugees because Burleigh County is conservative. The most outspoken opponent to permitting refuge for those fleeing violence and persecution is a local Republican state representative who is ultraconservative.

We are presented with an identity: conservative equals inhospitable to outsiders and those in need. Rick Becker is opposed to accepting refugees because he is a conservative. Rick Becker is conservative because he opposes accepting refugees.

AP reporter James MacPherson attempts to employ the word conservative as a dispassionate, disinterested descriptor a label that strives for accuracy, not for evaluation. This is in part because the article is discussing Republicans, and the generally agreed-upon consensus view is that Republicans are the conservative party in America. This is, in fact, how the Burleigh County Republicans describe themselves, so MacPhersons use of conservative is also deferential allowing those he discusses to describe themselves as they see fit.

But despite all of that despite the fact that this use of conservative here is customary, chosen, and embraced by the subjects of the article it describes here the use of the term here is still likely to be regarded by some as judgmental, pejorative, or biased. Thats due to the unavoidable substance of the article, which reports the facts of the matter, namely that in Burleigh County, North Dakota, conservatives seek to deny refuge to those in need.

Thats simply a blandly accurate description of what is happening. That this will strike many readers including many self-identified conservatives as pejorative or judgmental has nothing to do with MacPhersons or my predisposition toward these self-declared conservatives. Nor does it have anything to do with MacPhersons or my evaluation of their behavior.

I will happily add my opinion and evaluation to that simple description: Conservatives in Burleigh County seek to deny refuge to those in need and in my opinion that is a shitty, sinful, blasphemously evil thing to do.

But it doesnt matter whether or not I add that, or even whether or not I think that. What matters is that everyone thinks that including the ultra-conservative Rep. Rick Becker, his fellow anti-refugee Republicans in Burleigh County, and all of their fellow anti-refugee Republicans across America. I dont have to tell you or them that I think this because it is what everyone recognizes to be the case. Banning refugees is just shitty behavior an ignorant, selfish, dishonest, indecent violation of the Golden Rule.

This creates an uncomfortable situation for poor Rick Becker. He is defiantly proud of his self-chosen identity as a conservative. And he is adamant that being a conservative entails denying refuge to people in need. If you were to accuse him of going soft on his proposed refugee ban, he would vehemently deny that was the case, insisting that no one takes a harder line against providing refuge to refugees than he does. He will not abide the suggestion that anyone could possibly be to the right of him on this point, or that anyone else might be more conservative than he is when it comes to the conservative belief that refugees should be turned away.

And yet, at the same time, he is inescapably aware that his position is utterly gross and shameful. This is what leads him to defend that position as unwaveringly conservative rather than attempting the impossible task of defending it as good or as wise or truthful or beautiful.

Perhaps Im overstating the matter when I say that even Rick Becker and the rest of the anti-refugee Republicans of Burleigh County agree that banning refugees is shameful, sinful, ugly and evil. Maybe they dont agree with that at all. Maybe they think its good and right and just to ban refugees.

But I dont buy that, because look what happens even if we follow MacPhersons example and attempt to be as neutral as possible, stating only the stark facts of the matter and refraining from any evaluation or judgment of those facts. We could say:

1. People who describe and identify themselves as conservatives seek to ban refugees in Burleigh County, North Dakota; and

2. These same self-described conservatives insist that banning refugees from Burleigh County is the conservative thing to do.

3. Banning refugees is a shitty thing to do.

Folks like Rick Becker will try to distance and insulate themselves from that recognition by attributing that third fact to the mere opinion of specific others. Points 1 and 2 are an attack on conservatives, they will say, because most liberals think that banning refugees is a shitty thing to do.

And thats not wrong. Most liberals do think that. Because most liberals are humans and most humans think that.Most conservatives are also humans, and so most conservatives think that too.

We humans all of us, liberal, conservative, whatever tell stories about this very thing. In some of these human stories people offer refuge to others who are fleeing violence, disaster, or destruction. In other of these human stories, people refuse to offer such refuge. We humans can tell either version of that story. But what we cannot and do not ever do is tell a story in which those who refuse to offer refuge are the Good Guys.

It is impossible to tell such a story, or to hear it, or to imagine it. By definition because that is what the Good Guys means.

Rick Becker knows this. Thats why hes so defensive about proudly defending the indefensible.

Becker is quite aware that the policy hes proposing looks really bad:

This isnt about skin color, said Becker, a plastic surgeon and former gubernatorial candidate. In the past, nobody had any say whatsoever. Now we have something that should have been in place decades ago.

Now, if they want to accept them, they can, and if they dont want to they shouldnt.

So this isnt about skin color, Becker says, as everyone seems to say when theyre doing something explicitly about skin color. Becker says, rather, this is about states rights. The past isnt dead. It isnt even etc.

Im still unclear as to what it would even mean for Burleigh County to withhold its official consent for the resettlement of refugees there. Trumps executive order dreamed up by his white supremacist senior legislative aide, Stephen Miller seems illegal or unenforceable or, at best, simply beside the point. When the conservative fundamentalist Baptist church I grew up in signed up to resettle a refugee family of Boat People back in the early 1980s, we didnt seek or require the consent of Union County, N.J. We were just a group of citizens acting as such. The county government had no role, no jurisdiction, no say, and no involvement in any of that.

In providing refuge for that family, we were also a local church acting as such. Had our local county government imagined they had any legal right to muck about with our doing that, wed have taken them to court and every lawyer they tried to hire against us wouldve advised them to back off, drop the matter, and apologize to avoid losing a slam-dunk First Amendment case.

I note that Burleigh County, North Dakota, is home to many local churches that belong to traditions with a long history of welcoming refugees as an intrinsic expression and requirement of their faith. There are dozens of Lutheran congregations there that have long supported the work of Church World Service. There are local Catholic parishes that have long contributed to support refugee resettlement through the UCCB and Catholic Charities. There are scads of nondenominational white evangelical congregations that have, up until recently at least, wholeheartedly supported the refugee resettlement work of World Relief. And thats just the Christians there are also at least three synagogues in Bismarck, and Americas Jewish congregations have always way outperformed us American Christians when it comes to offering refuge to those in need.

I dont know, specifically, if any of these many many religious congregations in Burleigh County are directly involved in helping to resettle refugees in their community, but the odds are that at least some of them are or plan to be. Does the Burleigh County government imagine it has the authority to stop them by denying them its consent? Does the Republican-controlled Burleigh County government imagine that it has any hope of defending itself against the lawsuit that these congregations are likely to bring?

Yes, I realize Trump has had three years to cram hundreds of Federalist Society ideologues onto the courts, and that those bozos do not recognize religious liberty as a constitutional right, only as a political slogan having to do with letting bakeries refuse to sell baked goods or allowing pharmacists to refuse to sell Monistat because they pretend to believe its abortion cream. But even so, theres no legal basis for a county government barring local congregations from practicing their faith in the way that American congregations have done for more than a century.

The idea of a local government withholding its consent for refugee resettlement just seems confused. This is not an activity that has ever required that governments consent.

But now, according to Trumps strange executive order, were told that government consent will be required even for activities in which that government has no role or involvement. Religious groups who seek to continue doing that which religious groups have been doing will first need to seek and secure the governments permission.

There are many words that might be used to describe that state of affairs, but conservative really shouldnt be one of them.

The rest is here:

North Dakota conservatives seek to deny refuge to those in need - Patheos

OK boomer, you got me.

Though I decry the scorn that often accompanies this meme, I do not deny the generation gap. As an early boomer, Im not up on popular culture. I rarely recognize the names that appear in the news items on the entertainment page and I have a hard time navigating the various TV remote controls. (Just get me HGTV, for heavens sake!)

Then there is another difference Ive noticed as the years have gone by. When I was in my 20s, I was very sure of most things how I felt about people, how I looked at politics, how I thought children should be raised. Then I grew up. I realized that all those absolutes I counted as guideposts for my life were not so absolute. There were variables, shades of gray that could make decisions and choices just a bit harder.

That could be unsettling at times. I remember the first hiring decision I was called upon to make. I scoured resumes, interviewed way too many people and made a chart (that was when we did that by hand) so that I could compare qualifications. That helped, but did not leave me with a clear choice, and I did not want to make a mistake.

It was my luck to have received some sound advice: Go with your gut. That hire, incidentally, went on to distinguish himself in various media positions.

Through the past five decades, there have been many more times when the decisions have been tough, but when its crunch time I like to think I can tell right from wrong, regardless of the consequences, and act accordingly.

As I watch my daughters raising their own children, I am heartened to see how committed they are to instilling in their offspring the basic rules of life, of honesty, of following through on commitments and of treating all people with respect. The children are still learning, and sometimes they stumble, but thankfully there are loving adults on hand to remind them that there is a difference between right and wrong.

In light of the actions of leaders on the national and local level, it could be easy to become cynical, to decide that looking out for oneself and to heck with the rest is the best plan. But as we learned as children, two wrongs do not make a right.

With good reason, all the worlds major religions subscribe to some form of the Golden Rule. Christians look to the biblical admonition from Matthew 7:12, So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

The Jewish leader Hillel in the first century, B.C., is credited as saying, That which is hateful to you do not do to another; that is the entire Torah, and the rest is its interpretation.

And the Prophet Muhammad said, None of you has faith until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.

So how does all that relate to the divisive climate so prevalent today? It seems to be rooted in a fear of what might befall us if we are honest with ourselves and others. If it is revealed that behavior was clearly wrong, that actions taken were based on self-preservation and not the common good, what will be the result?

In some cases, the consequences could mean the loss of a job, the end of a career, the derailing of plans long in the works, even the alienation of family and friends.

Still, the only appropriate answer is to do the right thing in the beginning. Most of us know what is right and what is not. The hard part comes in not allowing ourselves to be taken in by greed and the chance for self-aggrandizement. Those can be powerful incentives.

When life is good, when things seem to be going our way, it can be easy to look the other way when we see wrong in the world. And yet that choice contributes to the breakdown of society.

Maybe younger generations are looking to us, the boomers, and saying we have not done our part in this regard and maybe, just maybe, they are right.

Still, that does not absolve anyone, regardless of age, of the responsibilities to make a difference, to stand up for what is right and good even when the choice can be difficult. Mixed messages coming from all sides these days creates yet another challenge.

But that cannot be an excuse for doing nothing. All the generations coming after us deserve only our best.

Kathy Silverberg is former publisher of the Herald-Tribunes southern editions. She can be reached at kathy.silverberg@comcast.net or followed on Twitter @kdsilver.

Read the rest here:

This boomer is OK with pursuing the right thing - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Long before God called me to pastoral ministry, I considered a career in mathematics. The current hullabaloo over the Rev. Robert Moreys refusal to serve Joe Biden at a Roman Catholic Communion table in South Carolina is delicious: public opinion is interested in the Communion table! The mathematics puzzle me, though, and I write to break down the interaction into understandable fragments.

I was not there (neither were you, admit it) but am willing to assume that Joe Biden acted in good faith and sincerity to attend worship and approach the table. I assume that Rev. Morey acted in good faith and sincerity to deny the sacrament to Mr. Biden. I assume that my United Methodist colleague, the Rev. Violet Johnicker wrote of the affair in good faith and sincerity, stumping for our doctrinal position on the open table. And I assume that Rick Hinshaw wrote in good faith and sincerity his representation of the Catholic doctrine of the real presence and the consequent restriction of the table, and his injunction against (United) Methodist pastors presuming to tell Catholic priests what to believe and practice. So I wont.

I would assume that theres nothing to see here and nobody cares except that Fox News reported the matter and Fox News only reports stories that people care about very much. Or they convince us to care by telling us its a big deal for people like us. Thus I am suspicious that we are being manipulated by sensationalist media. On the other hand, this is a rare occasion when the American public is interested in the Christian Sacraments, so Im inclined to take full advantage.

On one extreme, there are folks who think that anyone and everyone is entitled to receive Communion just for asking. Dietrich Bonhoeffer did the Church a service by exposing this theology of cheap grace. This would be an opportune time for us to consider what sin we might have fallen into in assuming that God or the Church owes us more in relationship than we owe in return. Jesus had a catchy principle we call the Golden Rule.

The Rev. Johnicker rightly points out that, as we read in the United Methodist Book of Worship, We have no tradition of refusing any who present themselves desiring to receive. This does not mean that we dispense cheap grace, but that we find other pastoral ways of instructing, counseling and examining those who come to our table regularly. (Joe B. if youre looking for an open table. ...)

On the other extreme are folks who disqualify faithful sincere Christians from Communion for wrong reasons, sectarian differences or prejudices of unworthy motive. It seems that the folks at Fox are stirring the pot that would boil at such behavior. Whether I agree or not, the Rev. Morey expressed clear reasons backed by Canon Law for his decision. Unless hes found to be lying about his reasons, I suggest that the pot simmer down. Jesus had a catchy principle we call the Golden Rule.

While I admire the Rev. Johnickers well-researched and articulate defense of our doctrine, I apologize for her treatment of the Rev. Morey. She negates Moreys statement that he had to refuse Holy Communion to Biden, saying that Morey made a choice and declaring that all clergy exercise choice in carrying out our role.

If enough of you like this article, Ill write another to tell you where clergy choices to circumvent church law are leading the United Methodists. The Rev. Johnicker also implies that Morey and other clergy who limit the sacraments refuse people whom Jesus would have served. Fox correspondent Lauren Green closed her article reminding us that Jesus is silent on who should or should not receive it (Communion). As I recall, he never served anyone Communion, although there is a picture floating around showing him serving 12 Jewish men something that looks like Communion. ...

The Rev. Jim Bell is the senior pastor of Belvidere's First United Methodist Church.

Here is the original post:

Adding up the opinions about Communion - Opinion - Rockford Register Star