Random Ramblings #18: Occupy Wall Street, Gay Activists, Hulk Hogan, Mormonism, Seal Beach Shooting

Every Friday we’ll take a break from topical posts and will post some random personal thoughts.

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A Cuppa Joe – Random Ramblings from a Fellow Struggler

A minor in Fullerton, CA took his mother’s car for a joy ride. That’s not news. The kid is 4 years old. OK, now I’m listening. Evidently Mom was making a call from a pay phone when Junior, all of 4, climbed out of his child’s seat in the back, plopped down in front of the steering wheel, put the car in gear and took off, eventually sideswiping another vehicle, rolling the car, and colliding with a tree. Minor injuries sustained, no one seriously hurt. This is why you should never say now I’ve heard everything, because you haven’t.

Nor have you heard why thousands of other kids plopped themselves down on Wall Street and other locations world-wide. That’s because no one seems to know, but protesting draws a crowd. No coherent reason for the protest is being given apart from generalities like corporate greed (did all these people really just catch on that corporations are greedy?) and, unless I’m really missing something, no solutions of any practical value are being offered. But hey, it’s a protest. Mustn’t nit-pick about rationale.

Very much reminds me of a protest we got at a Focus on the Family Love Won Out conference over ten years ago. These are always demonstrated against; we’re thoroughly used to that. But never had we seen such diversity in protesters, nor such ambiguity in complaint.

Gay activists showed up; no surprise there, and at least their reasons were clear: They were angry because of our position that homosexuality falls short of God’s will, hence we were too bigoted. Then Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist cult showed up as well with their God Hates Fags signs. They were angry because of our position that God loves homosexuals, hence we weren’t bigoted enough. Fred and his boys found a place to protest across the parking lot from the gay activists. Then some Quakers made their way in, angry about – I still dunno. Yet there they were, peaceful looking next to crazy Phelps and gay activists. But wait, there’s more. A small contingent of the local American Nazi Party appeared, swastika flags and all, saying they were there to take a stand against homosexuality and offer us their support. We refused, noting that the gay activists were rapidly looking more and more normal. Finally a local pro-life group strode into the area. We asked them why they would protest us, since we were solidly pro-life. Their leader said, “Well, we saw there was a protest so we decided to show.” Uh-huh. I’m beginning to suspect the same mindset plays into much of what we’re seeing on the nightly news.

But if I don’t get it, maybe Hulk Hogan does. The wrestling icon recanted his support for Obama on Fox News this week, insisted that he, The Hulk, would be a suitable replacement. With customary eloquence he explained:

“Wow, yeah well he’s (Obama) not a real American like I am. . . . I’ve been around, people know me, they know everything about me, they know I’m for real, they know I know nothing about politics. I’ll just make decisions on what’s right or wrong.”

Did I mention that the gay activists are looking more and more normal?

Mixing theology and politics then getting it wrong, is pretty normal too, though never good. Much is being made of Mitt Romney’s Mormonism, especially by journalists interviewing other Republican candidates, hoping they’ll take the bait and say “Romney’s part of a cult, thereby he’s disqualified from the Presidency.” I’m glad the other candidates have, to my knowledge, refused to bite. If I’m not a Romney supporter, and I’m not, it’s not because he’s Latter Day Saints. Come 2012 we’ll be voting for a President, not a Pastor, hence I’m more concerned with the policies and values of a candidate, and less concerned with his theology. Of course, I’m happy when all three are in place within the same package, and Mormon beliefs by no means square with mine. But values and policies are another matter, and I hope in 2012 we can keep that straight.

I also hope never again to pick up the paper and read a story like the one that’s been dominating Southern California the past three days. On Tuesday my oldest son, who lives in Seal Beach, called to say there’d been a shooting in his neighborhood, though he had no details. The next morning the details were in: An unbalanced man charged into a hair salon and shot his ex-wife, who he was in a custody battle with, and seven others. Eight people killed; the worst shooting rampage Orange County California has ever seen. I know we’ll all be remembering their families this weekend while we thank God for our lives and safety.

Hope your weekend is just that – alive and safe, and blessed. Take good care. Thanks for being here.