Thursday, December 13, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Gain the world...
The late Bob Marley sang, “Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold...” Is that not what the American Empire has just done?
Exercise the soul
We go to school to exercise the brain, we go to the gym to excercise our muscles, but what do we do for our poor soul -- nothing.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
The approaching storm
When a storm is approaching always turn your bow into the waves and sail through it. Never try to out run it, you can't. Your boat might fill up with a lot of water and you may almost sink, but if you continue forward the storm will pass forever and you can bail out your boat with new found strength.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Presidents and brides
Presidential elections are like weddings the main job is to make sure the bride looks beautiful and doesn't cry.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Melting like Butter
The summer's setting sun melted away like a stick of butter in a red-hot iron skillet.
Out of the ashes of a nervous breakdown has grown some pretty flowers.
Out of the ashes of a nervous breakdown has grown some pretty flowers.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Success and failure
Finding happiness and my talent to write didn’t come from a collection of successes in life unless that’s just another name for failure.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Capitalism and Christianity
Capitalism and Christianity share at least thing in common neither seems to have a conscience.
-Ted B.
-Ted B.
Beware Old Habits
(Published in Lagniappe as a letter to the editor on August 14, 2007.)
Beware Old Habits
Dear Editor:
I think the redevelopment of downtown Mobile is a worthy endeavor. However, I see one glaring, fatal and overshadowing flaw with all the community excitement. This construction activity is like taking an old inhabited building, gutting it, and then renovating it, giving it a new façade only to then allow the former residents with their old chronic ways and old attitudes to move back in. At the end of the day, has anything really changed?
The real community leaders should acknowledge and address this long overdue, underlying and rotting condition about Mobile, now or watch this town surely go-bust once more after this current economic wave comes to a crashing end. Look no further than to our last major boom during the Second World War, the build up in this port city with Brookley Air Base and then its untimely closing, while serving as the city’s largest employer, in the early sixties, etc.
The base closing left profound psychological scars on this town and its people for many decades.
"It is all fun and games, until somebody gets hurt."
Ted Burnett
Daphne, AL
Beware Old Habits
Dear Editor:
I think the redevelopment of downtown Mobile is a worthy endeavor. However, I see one glaring, fatal and overshadowing flaw with all the community excitement. This construction activity is like taking an old inhabited building, gutting it, and then renovating it, giving it a new façade only to then allow the former residents with their old chronic ways and old attitudes to move back in. At the end of the day, has anything really changed?
The real community leaders should acknowledge and address this long overdue, underlying and rotting condition about Mobile, now or watch this town surely go-bust once more after this current economic wave comes to a crashing end. Look no further than to our last major boom during the Second World War, the build up in this port city with Brookley Air Base and then its untimely closing, while serving as the city’s largest employer, in the early sixties, etc.
The base closing left profound psychological scars on this town and its people for many decades.
"It is all fun and games, until somebody gets hurt."
Ted Burnett
Daphne, AL
An emerging group deserves acceptance.
(Published in the Mobile Press-Register as a letter to the editor on March 30, 2007)
March 21, 2007
An emerging group deserves acceptance.
By
Ted Burnett
As an American living in 2007, I find the Christian Evangelical position on gay rights to be a sad commentary on our nation’s capacity to love, understand and accept one another and our diversity. To witness how an emerging group of Americans are now seeking their rights to same sex marriage and other basic legal rights and how the issue of ordaining gay ministers and bishops is tearing the fabric of Jesus’ ministry and the negative reaction by those claiming to carry out his work is a troubling trend.
This country was founded on the principles written by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. This letter, sent to the King of England declaring independence for the colonies, is one of the single greatest spiritual documents in history.
“All men are created equal…” and “…endowed by our Creator of certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
These words describe a universal truth that we have a direct relationship with God with no intermediary, and we are free to live our life as we see fit. No one or organization, Christian or otherwise, has the right to infringe on an individual’s liberties. They are God given! While I believe this document is not specifically Christian in nature, I do believe it is complimentary to Jesus’ teachings of love, understanding and acceptance of one another.
In Alcoholics Anonymous, an American contribution to spirituality, there is a phrase regularly uttered in meeting rooms all over this country, “More will be revealed later.”
The idea is that while we may not understand or even like why God has circumstances the way He has them in our world today, if we continue down life’s journey, we will see more, better understand and gain wisdom. The message here is we are all on God’s timeframe, not ours. Either He is everything or nothing!
What started out on July 4, 1776, implying “all white men are created equal” has evolved into including black men, women’s rights, civil rights for all races and sexes and now sexual orientation. While some people have immigrated over here in the last two hundred years and acquired their rights sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, others have always been here and are now just emerging in our social conscience. They now want theirs!
March 21, 2007
An emerging group deserves acceptance.
By
Ted Burnett
As an American living in 2007, I find the Christian Evangelical position on gay rights to be a sad commentary on our nation’s capacity to love, understand and accept one another and our diversity. To witness how an emerging group of Americans are now seeking their rights to same sex marriage and other basic legal rights and how the issue of ordaining gay ministers and bishops is tearing the fabric of Jesus’ ministry and the negative reaction by those claiming to carry out his work is a troubling trend.
This country was founded on the principles written by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. This letter, sent to the King of England declaring independence for the colonies, is one of the single greatest spiritual documents in history.
“All men are created equal…” and “…endowed by our Creator of certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
These words describe a universal truth that we have a direct relationship with God with no intermediary, and we are free to live our life as we see fit. No one or organization, Christian or otherwise, has the right to infringe on an individual’s liberties. They are God given! While I believe this document is not specifically Christian in nature, I do believe it is complimentary to Jesus’ teachings of love, understanding and acceptance of one another.
In Alcoholics Anonymous, an American contribution to spirituality, there is a phrase regularly uttered in meeting rooms all over this country, “More will be revealed later.”
The idea is that while we may not understand or even like why God has circumstances the way He has them in our world today, if we continue down life’s journey, we will see more, better understand and gain wisdom. The message here is we are all on God’s timeframe, not ours. Either He is everything or nothing!
What started out on July 4, 1776, implying “all white men are created equal” has evolved into including black men, women’s rights, civil rights for all races and sexes and now sexual orientation. While some people have immigrated over here in the last two hundred years and acquired their rights sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, others have always been here and are now just emerging in our social conscience. They now want theirs!
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