March 17, 2006
The Wearing of the Red~ 2006
The Far Valley near Garfield AR
This is a beautiful land, and as the trees are leafing out, the Ozark valleys and mountains are as green as the Emerald Isle. But like Ireland this has been a troubled land as well. The local Native Americans were driven out, and those on the infamous "Trail of Tears" passed through here... The French sent missionary Jesuit brothers, who abandoned the work here in favor of the descendents of Englishmen who settled this area with hardscrabble farms and ranches who worshiped as Methodists and Baptists and those Catholics that remained were set upon and oppressed.
Then came the Great Unpleasantness, the War Between the States that divided families and killed off a generation of young men. The Union gave land to Northern sympathizers, furthering the division between neighbors. Then Jim Crow, and the few African Americans that lived here as free men found themselves in worse straights than ever, and more division and strife. Our generation can remember those High School steps in Little Rock and the forced de-segregation. Today, The prosperous region here in the northwest part of the state, with its wealthy mega companies, and mansions rising out of the subdivided family farms, its growing diverse population with pockets full of cash from selling out in high cost markets as well as minds filled with innovative new ideas are changing the rural face of this area and pushing out the former rural inhabitants...
But... That isn't what I wanted to write about. I am re running this post that I have run for the last two years on this day. It was widely commented on then and now that I have a number of new readers I would say this same thing again, with an added paragraph for an update. ... Its so important, on this day when the worst of people tends to come out...Poor St Patrick a rolling over in his grave...
The Wearing of the RedToday is St. Patrick's Day. I admire Patrick. The legend is that Patrick was a young Roman aristocrat that was captured by the wild Irish tribes and hauled away as a slave. He escaped a few years later, and returned to his family. Some time later he converted to Christianity. Burdened for his fellow captives and his captors he returned to Ireland and preached, and was well received. So well that the island was converted to Christianity in a generation. His work may have well saved Western Civilization as the monasteries that were established there were central in the preservation of learning and history in the early part of the Middle Ages.
But I am not wearing Green today. Not because Im not Irish, I likely am. One has only to look at my fair green eyed Mother, or my family tree of Southerners, cotton growing, share cropping, hard scrabble farmers all. Likely Scots Irish Ulstermen that came to this country in the early 1800s for a better life...
And not because Im not Catholic. Im not wearing Protestant Orange, nor do I follow in that mindset. I feel that England abused the Irish, just as we have abused the Hawaiians and stolen their lands, but there is no turning back the clock. Its done now. Fighting, bombing and other violence wont change the hearts hardened by hatred.
Im not wearing green today because it has become the background color of secular progressivism. Secular Progressivism is a scourge upon our land.
By using "green" and the reasoning of "saving the earth", the worst acts of internal aggression have been attempted or actually perpetrated against the people of this nation. "The world is over populated and women should "have a choice..." So abortion rules the land, and over 40,000,000 children have been murdered... We have a Press that is so blatantly biased against people of faith and traditional values that they feel no threat as they drag people through the mud, and distort the truth... We have a segment of the political machine that, in the name of "Green" and the environment, have oppressed communities, stripped people of their property and livelihood, and distorted eviromental issues to meet their agenda instead of telling the truth so that the real issues can be addressed. The enviroment is important, but people are more important.
I am not wearing green today because it has become the color of fanatic religious fundamentalism. It is the color of the flags of the militant islamists that would destroy the very Nation that I love and the freedoms that give purpose and meaning.. Human dignity and worth... That are the God given birthright of every man woman and child on this earth.
Im wearing Red today. Red for the blood of martyrs. Those that died for what they believed in. Those that were murdered for what they believed in. Solders that die in service for their country right or wrong the cause... Duty and sacrifice are always noble.
Red... The color of the blood of Heros...
Im wearing Red today for the innocents...Children killed before they draw breath, Children killed by adults, children killed in war as bystanders and as solders themselves... Bystanders caught up in events that were not of their making... On trains, on planes, in office buildings, sleeping in barracks, Olympic compounds and cruise ships. People in their homes and in the market. Young people in night clubs and riding on buses... Misguided children with bombs strapped to their bodies, thinking this is a sure way to god, to fame, out of poverty and shame....
Im Wearing Red today... For the Underground Church, for the Women living under Islam, for every child that goes to bed sick and hungry in a world that is so full of food and stuff that should we ever put or differences aside we could all be fed and healthy.
Im Wearing Red today, because it is the color of the Blood of The One, the only one that has the power to set to rights the evils of human affairs and make this world the place it was meant to be....
