Rex M Rogers - Discerning What Is Best

Discerning What Is Best
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Details: Written by Rex M. Rogers; Published: 06 September 2010

Politics and character make uncomfortable suite mates these days. It seems like the days of gentlemen (or women) politicians—people who could debate like political warriors during the day and then enjoy a dinner together in the evening—are long gone. Many politicians today have failed to understand the difference between disagreement and dislike, or worse, loathing. Now it’s not enough to critique someone’s point of view on the merits. One must attack the other person’s character, motives, and person. Political adversaries are now enemies. Partnership has given way to partisanship; principle has given way to power.

The passing of President Gerald R. Ford this past week gives us occasion to think about politics and character, for he represented the best of both. Or rather, he was a man who lived out his well grounded character in his politics. He didn’t become something or someone else to curry political favor, and he didn’t check opinion polls or focus groups to figure out what his point of view should be. He was, in a word, a man of integrity. Now he’s being fondly—and accurately and fairly—remembered not just for what he did but even more for the way he did it.

President Ronald Reagan and Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill were in some measure men of the old school too. They represented different sides of “the aisle” and opposite ends of the political spectrum, but at the end of the day, they were American leaders who liked one-upping each other telling Irish American jokes. Can you imagine President George W. Bush and Speaker Nancy Pelosi enjoying each others’ company at day’s end? Even more, can you imagine Republicans and Democrats on the Hill doing anything together other than perhaps paying respects to President Ford lying in state in the Capitol?

I’m not suggesting no political leaders in Washington, D.C. demonstrate appropriate character. Far from it. There are men and women on both sides of the aisle who are American patriots doing their best with the talent and understanding given to them. But the overall tone, tenor, or culture of Washington, D.C. politics today is something else again. Principled cooperation isn’t much in evidence.

I’ve said before, “God give us more Jerry Fords.” We need men and women, both Republican and Democrat, who are willing to move to the center, give some in order to get some, go along to get along, build a team, and above all, work together in the best interests of the American people. That’s easier said than done, but I think the American people are listening and looking for the next Gerald R. Ford, someone with political courage grounded in character who stands tall without skeletons in the closet.

Politicians without character are a menace to society. Politics without character demeans society. Politics and character are well worth pondering. Our children’s future depends upon it.

*This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Dr. Rogers or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/rexmrogers.

Details: Written by Rex M. Rogers; Published: 06 September 2010

President Gerald R. Ford’s funeral took place at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids yesterday afternoon. My wife, Sarah, and I were among about 400 individuals who were privileged to attend the service, one I consider both an historic and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

We arrived at a nearby gated and guarded church parking lot about forty-five minutes before the first shuttle bus to Grace Episcopal was schedule at 11:30 am. Eventually we were taken along with other passengers in the first bus to travel to the church, where we walked to a downstairs room used as a staging area for funeral service attendees. With other guests we enjoyed coffee, tea, or water, and assorted cookies in what amounted to a two hour reception before we were directed upstairs to our seats.

Michigan Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, former Michigan Governor John Engler and incumbent Governor Jennifer Granholm and their spouses, Michigan Secretary of State Terri Land and her husband, and many other political, civic, and corporate leaders were among the guests awaiting seating. Through the church basement windows we glimpsed military personnel forming an honor guard and a military band.

The staging area proved to be a very well-considered part of the plan, for it allowed people to pass the time in conversation, to sit, stand, or walk about, to access nearby restrooms, or to enjoy refreshments. None of this would have been possible if guests had been seated immediately upon arrival for what turned out to be a long wait and a late service start.

The Grace Episcopal Church auditorium is graced with a pipe organ behind the pulpit area in the front of the church and several beautiful stained glass windows illustrating various Christian symbols and biblical stories. The funeral service was administered by the Rector from St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church and School, Palm Desert, California, The Reverend Dr. Robert G. Certain, along with former Grace Episcopal Rector and current Rector, Christ Church, Staten Island, NY, The Reverend Charles H. Howell, Interim Rector at Grace Episcopal, The Reverend Dr. J. Nixon McMillan, and Deacon, Grace Episcopal, The Reverend Katherine Brower.

President Ford’s casket was escorted in and out by a full military honor guard, and the funeral featured a church choir of local voices, singing the prelude, and the United States Army Chorus. Scripture readers included President Ford’s sons, Michael (Psalm 23) and Steven (Romans 8:14-19, 34-35, 37-39) with grandchildren, Sarah Ford Goodfellow, Tyne Vance Berlanga, and Christian Gerald Ford serving as Intercessors.

Proverbs 3:5-6, one of the President’s favorite scripture passages, was printed in the program and was referenced during the service. Hymns included, among others, “All Glory, Laud, and Honor,” “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “On Eagle’s Wings,” and “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” The congregation was led in a unison reading of The Apostles’ Creed.

Tributes were offered by former Secretary of Defense, The Honorable Donald Rumsfeld, former President Jimmy Carter, and former director of the Ford Museum and current director of the Abraham Lincoln Museum, Richard Norton Smith. Dr. Certain offered the Homily. Also in attendance were Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynn, along with Mrs. Rosalyn Carter.

Mr. Rumsfeld’s comments were interesting and pithy, particularly his observation that President Ford “reminded Americans of who they were.” Mr. Smith’s comments were brilliantly conceived and written and very well presented. As a presidential scholar, he put President Ford’s service in historical perspective, saying the president evidenced “an utter lack of pretense” and that he “was better at statesmanship than salesmanship.” He noted the president’s own self-deprecating joke that he was “charismatically challenged” but then observed that “whatever he lacked in charisma he more than made up for in character.”

In my estimation, President Carter’s presentation was the most moving and engaging part of the service. President Carter’s longtime friendship with President Ford worked to make Mr. Carter’s comments personal, emotional, and spiritually informed. President Carter said that he and Mr. Ford had a lot in common: both served in the Navy, both married “good looking, smart, and very independent women,” and both had three sons, “And then God answered our prayers (pause to laughter). He gave us daughters (more laughter).”

President Carter also said that he and President Ford shared a faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Twice and slowly for emphasis President Carter said, “We are saved by our faith in God through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He also observed that President Ford was a man devoted to God, family, and country and that President Ford’s faith had sustained him in the White House. President Carter began and ended his comments by repeating “my first words as President of the United States.” Referring to President Ford in the first sentence of his inaugural address, President Carter said, “For myself and our nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he did to heal our land.”

The funeral started late and ended late. But no one cared. I think everyone there, from Honorary Pallbearers like Ambassador Peter Secchia, Amway Co-founder Richard DeVos, retail leader Fred Meijer, and golfing great Jack Nicklaus to the last person to leave, all felt privileged to have played some small part in honoring a gentleman politician at his homecoming to Grand Rapids and his homegoing to heaven.

Sarah and I were grateful for the opportunity to attend Mr. Ford’s funeral, and we rejoice in the national media’s focus upon character and principle, for this is not only accurate and fair to the man, Gerald R. Ford, but is a good and appropriate reflection upon Grand Rapids, Michigan. God give us more Jerry Fords.

Details: Written by Rex M. Rogers; Published: 06 September 2010

There’re a few things I think the world would be better off without. Wouldn’t it be great to ring out the old year and leave these things behind with 2006? Here’s my list:

The Iraq War. Sure, I know this is unrealistic, but we’re dreaming here, OK? No matter what one’s political philosophy, surely we can agree that we wish either the war was over or, more to the point, our soldiers and sailors were home.

Saddam Hussein. Personally, he’s history. Let’s hope his legacy is also history. He left us with one last ludicrous image, a mass murderer carrying the Koran and mouthing religious statements on his way to the grave.

Vitriolic Partisan Politics. The Founding Fathers knew there would always be factions, and in some sense this fact is a strength of the American republic. But the disappearance of gentlemen politicians like Gerald R. Ford has not been good for our democratic polity. In their stead, we’ve witnessed the emergence of politicians who confuse disagreement over ideas with disrespect of persons. These politicians on both sides of the isle loathe one another. This cannot be and is not good for the country.

Poster Boys for Poor Sportsmanship. France’s World Cup Zinedine Zidane, NBA’s Allen Iverson, MLB’s Barry Bonds, Dallas Maverick’s owner Mark Cuban, Denver Nuggets vs. New York Knicks, NFL’s Terrell Owens, Olympian embarassment Bodie Miller, perennial poor sportsman Coach Bobby Knight.

World Poker Tour. This isn’t about competition. It’s about gambling, greed, and a gullible audience.

“Truthiness.” This new word for an old problem—not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth—describes “authors” James Frey, O.J. Simpson and “publisher” Judith Regan, and Harvard undergraduate Kaavya Viswanathan. It also describes political “spin.

“Oh My God!” Is this the only phrase television and film writers know for demonstrating surprise? I, for one, am tired of hearing this phrase constantly on television programming, even from the mouths of children. From a Christian perspective, this is using the Lord’s name in vain and a violation of the third of the Ten Commandments. TV and movie writers, “Get a clue. Find a new phrase indicating surprise or concern.”

E.D. Commercials. Am I the only one weary of erectile dysfunction advertisements? O.K., we know this physical condition exists and that products like Viagra and Cialis, to name only two, are made to address the problem. So why do we need to keep hearing about it on nighttime television?

Voyueristic, Self-indulgent “Reality” Shows. Enough with hearing about everyone’s feelings. I watch television to escape and be entertained, not to live through the problems of someone else’s life, especially immature, narcissitic people.

Celebrity Worship. This is an old one, but wouldn’t it be great to leave behind in 2006 the lives and foibles of TomKat, Brangelina, Britney Spears and Fed Ex, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Ritchie, and Paris Hilton? Does what these people do really matter?

Soft Porn in Mainstream Advertising. No one can say with a straight face the sex saturation is not the primary, regular, and overwhelming mode of presentation in virtually all mainstream advertising. I venture to guess that any given man alive today has through media seen more female flesh than any one hundred men a century ago, even men faithfully married for sixty years.

Same Sex Marriage Debates. Who, even one generation ago, would have believed there would come a day when this kind of immorality would be openly discussed, embraced, and even promoted? I do not wish to deny any person, no matter what their sexual choices, their citizenship rights to life, liberty, safety, or opportunity. On the other hand, I see nothing good coming to a culture that legalizes sexual perversion.

“Evangelicals” as a New Political Word. Since the 2000 presidential election, “Evangelicals” has become a media term for any religiously devout Protestant who holds to so-called traditional views of morality. Such “Evangelicals” who hold such views are no longer considered part of a long heritage of American Christian beliefs but rather representatives of some strange new “fringe,” Far Right, or otherwise extremist group. I think this is an unfair and an inaccurate characterization and I am weary of being labeled improperly.

Poor Cell Phone Etiquette. I use a cell phone—regularly. I don’t use it standing immediately beside another person. I don’t use it loudly in restaurants. I don’t generally interrupt meetings with others to take cell phone calls. I was actually in a funeral home recently, talking to another man in the line waiting to pay respects to the deceased and extend condolences to family members. The man felt his phone ring, took it out and looked at it, then said “Excuse me” and proceeded to interrupt his conversation with me and conduct business on the phone in the funeral home waiting line. That one was over the top for me—and this fellow is a nice guy. But he’s addicted to his phone.

What would you like to leave behind in 2006?

Details: Written by Rex M. Rogers; Published: 06 September 2010

Justice has been served to former Iraq President and dictator, Saddam Hussein. The method? Capital punishment.

At about 6:00 am Baghdad time Saturday (10:00 pm EST last night), Hussein was executed by hanging. He was convicted in Iraqi courts of ordering the 1982 deaths of some 148 Iraqis in Dujail. He is also considered responsible for the brutal deaths of literally tens of thousands of Iraqis during his reign, including a chemical action against northern Kurds resulting in upwards of 100,000 deaths.

It’s early, but so far the world’s reaction is some form of “Good riddance” or, as we sometimes say in America, “It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.” So far, no one has lamented the use of capital punishment. But someone will.

It’s difficult to express outrage or even concern for the state-ordered death of a man like Saddam Hussein without sounding like a wimp, a “flaming liberal,” or worse, a sympathizer. By the same token, it’s difficult at times to express support for capital punishment, even for an evil mass murderer like Hussein, without sounding like a warmonger, a “redneck conservative,” or worse, a blood thirsty religious fanatic.

One traditional argument “for” capital punishment is that it acts as a deterrent to future crimes. Opponents of capital punishment often ably demonstrate that this goal isn’t always realized. On the other hand, it’s not necessarily cynical to observe that at least the convicted and executed individual will commit no more heinous crimes.

This is the case for Saddam Hussein. He’s dead at 69. He’s no longer a threat to the well-being of the Iraqi people. Since you cannot execute a person more than once, perhaps it is small justice to the multitudes he murdered, but it is justice nevertheless. He had his day in court, was found guilty, and was sentenced. His sad record is now complete.

Certainly the death of any human being is an occasion for sadness. No less so for Saddam Hussein. His life was not simply a waste. It was destructive. He chose evil over good, and that is a sad fact that did not have to be. So of course we shouldn’t enjoy another person’s death. But death is not God’s ultimate concern.

Biblical teaching supports capital punishment for murder (Genesis 9:6, for example), because evil exists. Capital punishment is one key way God empowers human government to establish order and justice so that we may enjoy life and liberty. What ultimately matters is not that capital punishment is always a deterrent to future crime. Rather, what matters is that God made human beings in his image and murder is a direct transgression against the Sovereign God. Capital punishment serves notice that God exists and that evil does not reign supreme.

Saddam Hussein will not be missed. His demise closes a cruel chapter in Iraq history and further liberates the Iraqi people to forge a future without Hussein’s brand of evil. In this instance, capital punishment accomplished what it was divinely ordained to accomplish. Justice.

Details: Written by Rex M. Rogers; Published: 06 September 2010

The shift from the “Spirit of Christmas” to the “Spirit of New Years” always bothers me. The first focuses upon love, family, the Christ child, gifts, warmth, and well-being. The latter focuses, at least in popular culture and media, on hard-partying, alcohol consumption, pushing the limits, and excess. And this abrupt shift all takes place within a week.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a party-pooper—or at least I don’t think I am. I’ve gone to my share of New Year’s Eve parties, and I’ve enjoyed the fun, friends, and fellowship. But I’m not impressed with people who want to let it all hang out in an overnight effort to develop a historic hang over. What’s it really mean to hammer yourself this way? It’s like these people have had enough of giving to others and now they want to live, live, live for themselves. New Year’s Eve as portrayed in media always feels to me like “Narcissism run amok.”

I do like the idea of New Year’s Resolutions, though. As an educator, I get this opportunity more than once per year, at the beginning of the Fall Semester and again at the beginning of the Spring Semester. But for most people, New Year’s is the time when we think about what we’d like to change about ourselves and our lives. Insofar as people take this opportunity seriously I think it’s a good practice. I’ve known people who set out to change their professions and did. I’ve known people who’ve made resolutions to lose 10 or 20 or 30 pounds and did. I’ve also known some people who’ve set spiritual goals, some publicly shared and some privately held, but each to good effect as these folks learned to trust God anew with their “issues.”

One way I’ve tried to keep the Christmas spirit alive into the New Year is to use this week to reflect upon who during the past year has made the most positive impact upon or contribution to my life. Who helped me when they did not have to do so? Who corrected or mentored or invested in me? Who gave to me with no expectation of return? Who, aside from my family, cared about me in a way that I wish I more consistently cared about others? Who really made a mark on me this past year?

When I identify these few people, maybe no more than three or four, usually but not always men, I write each one of them a one or two page hand-written thank you. I’ve done this pretty consistently for about twenty years. I’m not saying this to draw kudos or because I think this small act makes me special. I say it because it’s been a very good “discipline” for me, reminding me that I do not achieve alone, that I do not contribute alone, that I do not succeed alone, and that I want to be like the one leper out of ten who returned to thank the Lord Jesus for healing him, not the nine who lived ungratefully.

If you become oddly saddened by the mad and maddening rush of the New Year, I recommend this practice of reflection and thanksgiving to you. It will uplift your spirit. It will uplift others’ spirits to whom you write, and it will extend the Spirit of Christmas into the New Year.

Details: Written by Rex M. Rogers; Published: 06 September 2010

The passing of a former president of the United States always brings with it a host of memories and feelings for the American people. This is especially true for me in the December 26 death of President Gerald R. Ford, at age 93 years, the nation’s longest-living former president.

I never met President Ford, but I’ve felt a kinship to him throughout my adult life. On August 8, 1974, President Richard M. Nixon announced he would resign effective the next day. On August 9, 1974, the nation’s first unelected Vice President, Gerald R. Ford, became the nation’s first unelected President, and on August 10, 1974, Sarah and I were married. So for a young man interested in politics and in a certain young lady, it was quite a weekend. The 895 day Ford Administration paralleled the formation of our new family.

Years later in 1991, Sarah and I moved our family of four (three boys and a girl like the Fords) to President Ford’s hometown, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Not long after this I made my first of many visits to the Gerald R. Ford Museum downtown, and during the ensuing sixteen years I grew to appreciate the values in this community that formed “Jerry Ford”: a strong work ethic, integrity, frugality, patriotism, commitment to faith and family, and a respect for individual liberty and achievement.

I remember one of the key words of the Ford presidency, “candor.” President Ford used it often and so did others. In the wake of Vietnam and Watergate, it was what the nation yearned for, and President Ford embodied the concept. Two other words come quickly to mind regarding President Ford: courage and character. It took personal and political courage to pardon former president Nixon September 8, 1974, and though this decision contributed to the loss of the presidency in 1976, time rewarded President Ford with the affirmation of the American people.

Now President Ford is remembered for his character. He was a man of principle who quietly tried to do what is right. I’ll always remember him as a humble hero.

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