252. Thoughts on police escorts and HS hierarchies

Congratulations to the Amherst softball team on a very successful season. Reaching the state semifinals in Division I is a notable achievement.

I noticed on the Amherst News-Times Facebook page that a video was posted highlighting a police escort for the softball team. Having read thousands of social media comments, I knew there were going to be at least two complaints. One was going to be that the escort was a waste of taxpayer dollars. The other was going to be about another team or school organization that did not receive similar treatment.

I wasn’t disappointed, but I was pleasantly surprised to read that most comments were positive and supportive. The taxpayer money complaint is a tired argument; there is value in the police supporting the community. However, the equal treatment argument is worth considering.

Unfortunately, as unfair as it is, there is a hierarchy of public support — especially in sports and other organizations. The more people care about something, the more attention and support they receive. The chess club or bowling team is just not going to get the same support as the softball team. And the softball team is not going to get the same support as the football team. Could you imagine the amount of support the football team would receive if it reached the state playoffs? The city would have gone nuts!

We’ve all experienced this at some point in our lives — the feeling our achievements have been slighted in comparison to others. For me, it was my senior baseball season at Midview High School. One of only four seniors, we had a surprisingly successful season, winning the conference and a couple of tournament games. In every other season, and every school I have been a part of, the season concludes with a nice spring banquet where the season is remembered, seniors wished well, statistics compiled, and awards are handed out.

That season my coach at Midview was named the new football coach. He quickly lost his focus on baseball and the end of the baseball season sort of faded away. Then about halfway through the summer, I got a call that I should go to pick up my award at one of the players’ mom’s house. What award, I wondered?

It turns out that I was named Player of the Year, which still remains one of proudest moments. And while I was happy and surprised, I was disappointed that the traditional awards banquet did not take place. I just thought how proud my mom and dad, who supported me all those years — taking me to practice, buying me equipment, watching me play — might have been to see me win the award.

So I understand the feeling. Students are good at different things and I am sure it can be frustrating when a parent’s child is good at something that attracts less attention than more popular activities. The flutist in the band may work just as hard and make as much of a sacrifice as the high school quarterback, but most won’t remember his or her name.

There is also the issue of precedent, which can be troubling and paralyzing. Too often these days, things don’t happen because people worry, “If we do it for them, we have to do it for everybody.” Of course, I am a consistent advocate for fairness and equality but it is an impossible proposition for every sport, team, or organization — there is just not enough time, money, or interest. And people would complain anyway.

I think communities need to support each other more. There is too much self-absorption in society these days. There are too many people ready to complain about acts of kindness or support out of spite or jealously. And while I think talented students should receive the same public accolades as sports stars (or even more), it’s nice when a community comes together to promote each other, whatever the endeavor.

We could argue about perspective, and there are lots of very good arguments to be weighed and considered, but those are larger societal questions. Locally, I thought the police escort was pretty cool.

251. Farm work made me tougher

In one of my favorite movies, “The Natural,” New York Knights manager Pop Fisher and aging comeback star Roy Hobbs, played by Robert Redford, have an exchange about farming. Pop talks about what he would do if he had won a championship: “I’d have walked away from baseball and I’d have bought a farm.”

Hobbs replies, “Nothing like a farm. Nothing like being around animals, fixing things. There’s nothing like being in the field with the corn and the winter wheat. The greenest stuff you ever saw.”

Growing up on a small farm and loving baseball, I’ve seen that movie several times. There is a lot in that movie about life, comebacks, passion, greatness, mistakes, and greed. It’s an examination of how fast life can change.

Our farm was small and not necessarily commercial. It really only lasted six or seven years. We had chickens, ducks, rabbits, cows, pigs,and occasionally a horse. The 11 acres also had a barn, vegetable gardens, pasture, and tractors. My father was a city kid and I am still not sure what really inspired his attraction to farming. As a child, it was often a hindrance — creating a list of chores that delayed playing with friends.

However, I now look back at our time on the farm with great affection. For me, our farm offered more than just tomatoes or eggs; it provided an insight into life and nature. As a kid, so much was imprinted on me, from what cucumber leaves look like to the difficult realities of the lives and deaths of farm animals. I did a lot of things I wouldn’t do now, such as shoot a rabbit or kill a chicken. At the time they seemed like rites of passage.

Farms are a lot of work. There is not only the daily feeding and watering of the animals, there is work in the garden, maintenance, and other miscellaneous duties such as ordering supplies and feed. Animals need to be taken care of every day of the year—and that means in the freezing cold of winter and days we were going to Cedar Point. Some days were miserable. Others it was just an annoying chore. In between, it was learning about life — and is probably why I majored in biology. I spent time with the animals, worked with them, looked them in the eyes, played with them, and learned their personalities. I also cried when they died or it was time to send them to slaughter. It was certainly a family endeavor and some of our lasting family moments come from the farm, such as the time the horse got stuck on the frozen pond or the time the cows got out. There was nothing better than a home-cooked dinner after a long day of work.

With the advent of large corporate farms, genetic modifications, and modern science medicine, I think we have lost an important aspect of what it means to live on and off this planet. More than that, I think children have lost the opportunity to learn about nature, hard work, and responsibility. I don’t want to stereotype because there are still many farms but increasingly society is moving away from the viability of small farms and the families that work on them.

Living in the suburbs and cutting the grass once a week, walking through the metro parks on Saturday mornings, or attending farm camp once a summer is not a substitute for the experience of the daily responsibility of farm life — just as my experience was not nearly as difficult as those that lived in previous generations. When watching shows about life in colonial times or visiting historic sites and seeing what they endured, I am left in admiration.

If we want to make America great again, I think America needs to get tougher. Of course, I don’t mean gangster tough, I mean grind it out, down-and-dirty tough. We need teach the value of hard work and the appreciation of life to the next generation. It should be the personal work ethic that leads to future success — doing what it takes through adversity to get ahead.

A little farm work might just be the answer. There is nothing like it.

250. Explaining the right-left presidential election split

With Donald Trump securely now the Republican nominee for president, and Hillary Clinton the presumptive Democratic nominee thanks in large part to the ridiculous notion of superdelegates, Americans will likely choose between the two in November.

Trump survived more than a dozen Republican candidates in an entertaining primary. Though many candidates were seriously flawed, which convoluted support, the voters bought the notion of a “non-establishment” candidate despite his lack of professionalism and pervasive schoolyard name-calling. On the Democratic side, Clinton appears to have survived an unexpectedly strong challenge from socialist Bernie Sanders.

The match-up is ironic in that while winning their primaries, both candidates are widely unpopular. Their unpopularity ratings are above 50 percent, which suggests the general election may be decided by voting for the lesser of two evils. Trump has had difficulty unifying a Republican party that hasn’t been able to fathom the fact that he is their nominee. Likewise, the Clinton and Sanders’ battle has become so contentious that Clinton now faces the challenge of winning over Sanders’ voters even in the general election.

The support for Sanders has not only been a passionate plea for a new type of social equality, but also politics — particularity how political campaigns are financed. Sanders enthusiasts, who feel (rightly so) that the Democratic primary has been a highly prejudicial affair want big money, particularly corporate money, out of politics. In this respect, Clinton upsets a fundamental philosophy with Sanders supporters and to them represents everything that is wrong with politics.

Despite being highly qualified for the presidency, Clinton supporters lack the passion of the other candidates. Currently Clinton and Trump are running neck and neck, which is implausible considering that Trump is unpopular even among Republicans, Clinton has the chance to be the first woman president, and the Democrats should be united and highly motivated about the chance to elect another Democrat. I’ve personally heard from many Republicans who said they will vote for Clinton over Trump.

So why does this race appear to be so close?

The problem is those Sanders voters who reportedly won’t vote for Clinton. Polls indicate that up to 20 percent won’t support her in the general election. Some say they will vote for Trump, many indicate indifference or are holding out hope that Sanders will still somehow win the Democratic nomination or run as an Independent. Whether it is the superdelegates, perceived Democratic party favoritism toward Clinton, or Clinton herself, Sanders supporters are having a hard time warming up to her.

I suspect after the convention when Democratic voters are forced to deal with the reality that it will be either Clinton or Trump in the White House, more Sanders supporters will fall in line. If the Republicans had nominated someone a little more reasonable, Democrats — particularly Sanders supporters — would maybe have had a more difficult decision. But with Trump, it’s hard to see any progressive or liberal wanting that.

In addition, a looming issue in the November election is the Supreme Court vacancy. If Senate Republicans refuse to act and confirm a new Supreme Court Justice, the task will be left to the new president to do so. This important addition to the court might draw voters back to the party alliances. For example, my wife, who like myself is a staunch Sanders supporter, said she will not vote for Clinton unless a new Supreme Court Justice has not yet been confirmed. Thus, the abhorrent defiance of Republican senators might actually harm Trump in November.

Obama has nominated Chief Judge Merrick Garland, who seems to be quite fair and moderate by many standards. However, I’ve said, in line with my wife’s position, that if he is not confirmed by November, I will vote for Clinton and, if she wins, I hope she nominates the youngest, most liberal potential supreme court justice available. Swift justice for irresponsible and obstructive Republican senators.

The Presidential election will be not only historic and important, but also entertaining for political junkies. Clinton vs. Trump will certainly provide some amusing debates, but also has the potential to be one of the ugliest elections in recent history. Both are parts of political machines that are willing to win at all costs.

249. Prince’s passing and problematic priorities

Although I enjoy music and can find it inspiring, emotional, or motivational, I rarely attend concerts.

It’s not that I don’t appreciate them, it was just usually a measure of time and money. I am not much for crowds and have never been the “partier” type.

However, one of the concerts I did attend was Prince, thanks to a friend of mine who was a passionate fan. He shared with me awesome seats, something like 15 rows center. What I remember most about the concert was one of the first things Prince said: If you came to hear songs from “Purple Rain,” you were in the wrong place. He played a lot of his new music, much I did not recognize, but I greatly enjoyed it nonetheless. He was an amazing talent.

“Purple Rain” was one of the few albums I associate with a specific time in my life and one of the few I listened to over and over. Others include Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” of course, as well as the Bee Gees’ “Saturday Night Fever,” Eminem’s “The Eminem Show,” Beastie Boys’ “Licensed to Ill,” and Boyz II Men’s “II.” There are a few others across a wide variety of genres, which would include Garth Brooks, Def Leppard, and Shania Twain. What they all have in common is when I hear their music, I am taken back in time. In high school, it was Prince. In college it was the Beastie Boys. And when I fell in love with my wife, it was Boyz II Men.

I did not pay much attention to Prince’s personal life, I only knew that he was socially active and a vegan — the latter of which of course touches my heart. A PETA blog after his death noted, “A committed vegan who never shied away from speaking the truth, Prince laid out the reasons why animals are not ours to eat in these stirring lyrics from his song “Animal Kingdom”: “No member of the animal kingdom nurses past maturity, no member of the animal kingdom ever did a thing to me. It’s why I don’t eat red meat or white fish, don’t give me no blue cheese. We’re all members of the animal kingdom, leave your brothers and sisters in the sea.”

Through his music, activism, and compassion, Prince impacted many lives across the globe. Artists, especially once-in-a-generation artist, have the ability to do that.

Yet Prince had his detractors, as all socially-active artists do, and while Facebook and Twitter were largely filled with sadness and a recognition of his talents and achievements, there were a few of the typical posts that basically ask why we mourn more about his death than that of American soldiers. After all, they risk their lives to protect our freedoms, while earning a comparatively paltry salary.

Although the timing is callous, it is not an unfair question. It is, however, a slippery slope and if you are bold enough to go there then you better be ready to call everything into question.

I often write in this regard and could fill many pages in a book asking such questions as:

• Why do many CEOs make more than the president?
• Why do athletes and actors make so much more than doctors and nurses?
• Why do we care more about our steak than the dreadful life of factory-farmed cows?
• Why do people care more about a football game than who is running for judge?

In fact, each day I open up my Internet browser and there are probably 100 different headlines. As I scour them, many are met with a roll of my eyes. Why do people care at all about Kate Middleton, let alone Kim Kardashian? Who cares if Michael Strahan quit “Live! with Kelly and Michael” and Kelly Ripa is upset about it. And the fuss people make over what other people say — Charles Barkley said this and Curt Shilling’s wife said that — followed by comments about the comments about what Barkley and Shilling’s wife said. Why do more than 100,000 people gather to watch a horse race, and many more care whether Tiger Woods wins a golf tournament?

Just today there is an article that asks, “Katy Perry Drinks Apple Cider Vinegar; Should You?” Another notes that Prince Harry has massive paranoia about love life. Oh, and the Canadians are upset that Dwayne Wade might have disrespected their national anthem. Why do we care about any of this stuff? It is so trivial and unimportant in our lives. Why do some people, as fans, seem to care more about celebrities than they do their own families?

The point is, I suppose, a matter of perspective and it’s often frustrating for anyone passionate about a good cause, justice, or fair economic and political systems. Sometimes it seems like everything else is a waste of time, money, and resources. In modern times, we are afforded the time and ability to care about things that don’t really matter except our own interests or pleasures.

Whether it matters or not, Prince did impact my life and I am sad about his early passing. His music will always trigger an emotional response.

But it doesn’t mean that I don’t care, appreciate, and admire those who serve our country, or others that truly act to make this world a better place.