The Mass Murder Problem in the USA

We in the US have been plagued by a series of mass murders, many of them in schools. It is a problem not generally shared by other nations. To many, whenever there is another assault, the cry is to do “something” and that “something” is most often a cry for more stringent “Gun Controls”. However, this is usually taken by others as an assault on our constitutional “Right to Bare Arms” derived from our Pilgrim beginnings.  The nation is strongly divided on this issue and appears to be mired in the mud of this apparently unsolvable dilemma.

I would divert our thoughts from this dilemma to consider another subject, a concept that is also foreign to most other nations and that is our apparent obsession with the Death Penalty. We, as a nation, cling to the concept that people can be so evil that they are beyond redemption and so, in most states, the ultimate punishment is death by execution. It is written into law. I believe that these two issues are closely related. But I do not believe that the death penalty is a solution to mass murder. Conversely, mass murder may be encouraged by the death penalty. How could that be? Common thinking would have the death penalty as a deterrent to murder of any kind. But, it doesn’t seem to work that way!

Moving on to a related subject we have the concept that all life is sacred. Again, this can be a controversial concept. But, my beliefs leave no doubt that it is sacred and a life should never be unnaturally taken for any reason. My beliefs extend far beyond that, but for the sake of this discussion, that should suffice. We are brought to the concept that if the law promotes execution as a solution to crimes against the citizens of the state then I  have the right to inflict death on those who offend me or threaten me. Remember we are working with disturbed minds at this point. In this mind, if it is that of a potential mass murder, a life that offends me just by being better than me (In my warped opinion) doesn’t deserve to coexist with me.   The solution is execution of the supposedly offending life or lives.

It often follows that the criminal who is inclined to be a mass murder is vehemently adverse to being put on trial and judged to be wrong that he includes suicide in his plan. After all, in his mind, he is being very logical. In a disturbed mind, death is seen as preferential to life. And this leads me to a possible solution to several problems. It could not happen overnight but we must start with the sacredness of life … all life … at any stage and under any circumstances. We can, and should, start with a national abolition of the death penalty. The taking of a life must be considered unthinkable for any and all reasons.  Only then can we expect the average individual to respect life in its entirety.

This of course would mean altering the mindset of the average American. It will take, in addition to abolishing the death penalty, the re-education of our citizens and this could take many generations. (Slavery is still not dead … close, but not 100%) The underprivileged minority in our midst need to be re-educated to the respect for life and its inherent respect for others, so they would not turn to guns to solve their problems.

What I suggest is that we Promote the Respect for Life at every stage, unconditionally. Abolish the Death Penalty. Establish a respect for life that is so strong and pervasive that it becomes unthinkable to take a life. No exceptions! The ramifications are amazing and profound. But we can not even come close to building a respect for life that is that strong if we turn to the Death Penalty as a punishment. The existence of the Death Penalty inherently legitimizes murder in the minds of would be murderers.

If we abolish the Death Penalty as a nation (first) it can be abolished internationally. Who knows what can grow from there … Abolishing War? Murder? Infanticide? The possibilities are Heavenly and certainly worth a try. There are other ways to solve our problems other than killing people, much better ways. When this becomes our way of life we can then call ourselves civilized … but not until then.

A Strange, But Heavenly, Transformation

What follows is a story of pure fiction. The genre could be said to be non-science fiction. It obviously has a religious component. It emanates from the mind of Grandpa Don who, at his age, thinks about these things.

It wasn’t that it was all that unexpected but it sure was a strange experience. At the time Harry knew that he was at the end of his life but took solace in the fact that it had been a good, long life and he felt he was ready to move on. Harry considered himself to be moderately, or even above average in his faith and fully expected to join his wife, parents and others in Heaven. There was actually a feeling of anticipation as he would like to meet his birth parents for the first time and tell them how he appreciated being born and thank them. That is of course if there really was a Heaven. Oh yes, he did believe, but there was always that small doubt lurking in the back of his mind that was usually quickly dismissed.

But it was definitely strange. His kids were there as well as a couple of the grand-kids and they were telling him how everything was going to be all right. Someone was holding his hand, probably his daughter, but although he could hear them, he couldn’t see them and he couldn’t speak. Yes, they were telling him that everything was going to be okay. Harry knew somehow that that was true but not the way they meant it … or so he thought. Then the really strange thing happened. There was an uneasy feeling the likes of which he couldn’t place and then he could see them. But he was looking down at them and … he could see himself in the bed below. They were calling out loudly to him but then his sight faded as did their voices. There was a sensation of motion but it was not unpleasant, just more strangeness.

He didn’t know where he was. He couldn’t see. Doing a mental check of all his senses he came up blank. Sight, hearing, touch, smell, even taste were not returning anything but yet there was a feeling of contentment, again, strange, in that logic would call for panic. Yet there was none of that either. But with all that, or rather none of that, there was a sense of awareness. He wasn’t alone. How long that lasted was also a mystery for there was no sense of time either. Well, he would settle for contentment until something else came along. And something did just that.

Harry heard, or rather felt, or was it just a perception of someone, saying, “Welcome. Peace be to you, Harry”. It didn’t even startle him and he simply thought he would reply as he would in church, “And with your spirit.” To his surprise the thought … or perception … came back with. “Thank you Harry. Peace is indeed with my spirit.” Along with the reply came a hint of sight, a wispiness of something moving gracefully around him. Did he imagine it or see it? Harry didn’t know. He mentally posed the question to himself, wondering if this was Saint Peter but the thought was met with the response, “Heavens no. I am just here to welcome you to Eternity and set you at ease. My name is Alfred.”

Well, that settled the first question. Yes, Eternal life is real. But how are we talking? And an unexpected response was there. He didn’t hear it but it was there, “This is how we communicate here. I wouldn’t normally probe you to know your thoughts but until you learn to project them to me I have to do it. You do have a right to your private thoughts here you know, and besides, if everyone was broadcasting their thoughts for everyone else to hear, the din would be deafening and conversation would be chaos. You will need to learn how to control your thoughts in order to communicate but don’t worry, it will come naturally.”

This time Harry made an effort to gather his thoughts and with Alfred in mind, tried to project them. Trying to ‘think out loud’ he said, in a manner of speaking … or rather thinking … “I suppose that in time I will get acclimated to this place”. The reply came as, “That’s the idea, crude at this point, but you are on the right track.” And then he continued, “But that brings up a couple more points, time and place. Time doesn’t exist as a dimension here. It is one of the most difficult to grasp but there is no linear flow of time as you once knew it. We are in the now. You will gradually assimilate the concept so don’t concern yourself with it by worrying about how long you will be here, which of course is a non-concept in itself because this is not a place as you were accustomed to view it, but rather a state of being which can change radically as your spirit adapts to it”. Harry did not even try to figure that out, it almost made his head swim … if he had a head. But Alfred, anticipating Harry’s next question went on to say, or project, or whatever … “By the way, your current state of being is somewhat like what you thought of as Purgatory although you never did have the concept quite right. Think of it more as a phase of acclimation and final choice once you understand what Heaven is all about, assuming that you will … understand, that is.” That startled Harry and caused him to almost mentally shout, “You mean there is doubt about where I am heading!”

There was almost a tone of mirth in Alfred’s response, “The one thing that hasn’t changed is God’s wonderful, and at the same time terrible, gift of Free Will. You still have it and it is yours to keep. No one or no state of being will take that from you. It will ultimately define you and your state of existence. Please remember that, as you acclimate yourself to whatever you will be.” With that, Alfred seemed to be fading away as he said, “I will leave you to continue with your assimilation but am just a thought away should you need me, When you feel ready, present yourself at the gate to the City. All will become clear. Peace be to you.” With that, he was gone.

Harry thoughts raced between the concepts that were all too new to him. He thought there were no more choices to make and, come to think of it, he was somewhat bewildered and wondered what would happen next while he also wondered, considering Alfred’s statement about time, if there would be a next. He was having a difficult time wrapping himself around that concept. But as he pondered these things, he became aware of himself standing in a huge plane that was evolving before him. In one direction it slopped upward but he couldn’t make out what was in the hazy distance. In the opposite direction he saw only a mist or fog that obscured what was beyond. To either side the plane seemed to go on forever. He became aware of himself. It was not the overweight and aching body he had when he lived, nor was it the body of his youth, yet it was recognizable as his body. He wished it had clothes … and a wisp of smoke curled about him becoming a kind of robe. As he contemplated what was happening he became aware of other people, more and more of them, some, going up the hill, others, going down and others like himself, milling about not knowing which way to go.

He was startled by a voice that entered his head … “Don’t listen to him!” it said harshly. That wimp lies.” At that, Harry saw a man approaching. “Not everyone is welcome but they did welcome in people who we would not associate with.” Harry replied, “I don’t understand.” “Oh, you will”, came the reply. “Come with me. We are forming an army and will storm the city gates and when we take over the city we will do things our way.” Harry said, “How can you go against God?” the reply came, “We have Free Will and can do anything we want. That makes us as powerful as God who can’t even take away our free will.” Harry asked, “How long have you been forming this army”? The reply came, “Time is meaningless but we have been gathering since people began dying.” “So,” said Harry, “where is this huge army?” The reply was, “as it grows, it diminishes. The earlier members keep disappearing into the lower mists.” Harry said, “I think I understand … and No, I have no wish to join your army. God’s way is not man’s way but it is the right way.” To that there was no reply and Harry was left on his own again.

He wondered at there being dissension in Heaven. But no, this state of being was not Heaven. But, this state of being was becoming more real to him. He realized that without actually trying, he had been conversing only by projecting his thoughts and only to a specific person. He was getting the hang of it. At that moment, even though there should be no moments, he noticed a woman nearby who was crying. Moving closer, he asked, “What is the matter. Can I help?” She sobbed, “It is hopeless!” “Why?” said Harry. “My sister is in Heaven and I can’t go there.” Again, Harry asked why. “I hate my sister because of the way she treated me when we were alive and I will never forgive her.” He asked, “But won’t they let you talk to her so you can reconcile?” The woman practically spat out, “I WILL NEVER TALK TO THAT WOMAN.” And with that, she ran down the hill and disappeared into the mist.

Harry thought that free will can, indeed, be a terrible thing. He noticed that people were going into the mist but none were coming out. Any curiosity of what was in the mist was banished from his mind. He didn’t want to know. He decided to move up the hill and after reaching the top of a crest he saw in the distance towering pinnacles that seemed to glow from within. As he continued walls took shape and he saw a large gate. People were going in but not all the people.

He came upon two men sitting on a large flat rock. There were many such rocks scattered about, some empty but some occupied by individuals and some in pairs. As he approached these two he sensed consternation emanating from them and he asked why they were just sitting there. The reply came from one of them, “Each of us thinks that the other would be welcomed into heaven but not himself and neither of us wants to be left outside the gate and neither of us wants to see the other rejected.” Harry didn’t understand. One of the men said, “My name is Juan and in life I was poor and uneducated, always forced to take the most menial work when I could find work at all. I had to accept charity and public aid and so was rejected and shunned by most people. I anticipate the same here.” The other said, “I am Edward and in life I had a good education and a great, well paying, job. But I was angry about paying high taxes that went to support people like Juan here.” Whereupon, Ed turned to Juan and placed a hand on his shoulder. He went on to say, “I hated people like Juan and wanted them to just go away and stop taking my hard earned money. But I now see that he is the same as me but was born to poorer circumstances. He wanted to be productive but was prevented by people like me. God will certainly welcome him to heaven but He will judge me for what I did to him.” Juan countered by saying, “Ed, you were blessed in life and you will be blessed here too. You will be welcomed to Heaven.”

To Harry, it seemed clear and he said, “Yet you sit here, each believing the other deserves Heaven. Your concern now is more for the other and less for yourself even though you fear that it may mean that you are rejected by God. You do not reject each other now but want the other to attain Heaven. I don’t believe that God will reject either of you. You have forgiven each other and I am confident that God will do no less. Come, join me on my way to the gate.” And reassured in their hearts, they did.

The three had gone only a short distance when they came upon another and were aware of his hopeless state of mind. Harry asked what may be the problem. He replied, “I rejected God and Heaven and I am forever banned.” Harry asked, “What makes you think that?” The man responded, “I was born into a Christian family but found no logic in religion and rejected it. I told my family that they were foolish in their superstitious beliefs and went on to show them that I could be a good human being without relying on such absurd ideas as God and Heaven. Now I find myself here instead of just dying into nothingness. I was wrong and I have doomed myself.” Harry thought for a moment, or he thought it was a moment even if there were no moments, and he asked, “When you say you tried to be a good human being, what did that entail?” The man said, “I was honest with everyone, just and compassionate. I donated to charity and tried to be kind and pleasant to everyone.” Harry replied, “That was what Jesus taught during His life.” Without waiting for a response, Harry said, “You were a follower of Jesus without even realizing it. I can’t believe that God would reject anyone who was sincerely trying to do His will.” With that, the man’s burden was lifted and he joined the group traveling toward the gate.

As they progressed up the hill they encountered many others, some singly and others in small groups, some happily moving upward at different paces and others moving, sadly downward. They approached a man and a woman who were in obvious stress but clinging to each other. It was Ed who invited, “Will you join us?” The woman said, sadly, “If we only could, we would, but we are doomed.” Harry asked why and she replied, we fell in love after Mike was divorced from his first wife, and I from my first husband. We ignored our church’s rules and were married. It was our wish to be together forever. An accident took both of our lives and now we fear that we will be together, but not in Heaven. We are trying to get up the courage to walk down into the mists. Harry, said, “This can’t be right. I wish Alfred was here.” Suddenly, Alfred was there with them and said, “You have a question?” The story was related to him and he asked the woman … her name was Lilly, “Did both you and your first husband sincerely vow your mutual love and devotion to each other?” She said, “I thought so but then he abused me and treated me like his possession.” He then asked the man the same question. Mike replied, “I did but apparently she didn’t love me but she loved what she thought she could make me into. She rejected all my friends and was constantly nagging me to be someone I could not be.” Alfred replied, well, it is obvious that your spouse’s intentions were not sincere, and therefore their vows were not true. Tell me, if you remember the story of the woman that Jesus met at the well, did he condemn her for her relationships?” And when they said “No” he said, “So then, why do you think God would condemn you. Do not be so concerned of the rules of men if, in your heart, you know you are doing the right thing”. At that, Alfred was gone and the group of three became five.

As they progressed, Harry noticed the robes of other people, or rather, he decided, their garments, for they varied in color and style from simple to more elaborate to none at all. He was struck by the fact that all the people who walked along towards the city, regardless of garment or even lack thereof, emanated an aura of dignity and wholesomeness. It all seemed perfectly natural and comfortable. He also noted that the people themselves differed in skin color and general appearance from Caucasian, to all shades of dark skin and included those who were oriental, Indian, and everything else. As he was pondering this, a man wearing an Arab head scarf approached and asked, “May I join you on your journey to the city?” They all answered in the affirmative without hesitation. As they went forward, Abdul comment that he found the variety of people to be a surprise to him but at the same time it made him happy. He was asked if anything else was surprising and he laughed saying, “Oh yes. Some among us thought that all our sexual desires would be fulfilled beyond our dreams in heaven and I sense that belief may be fulfilled but not as expected.” Ed said, “Meaning?” Abdul replied, “I find that, in spite of what would have been provocative in life where ever I look, I have no sexual desires. So I suppose you could say they have been fulfilled at the highest level.” Lilly grinned and observed, “Yes, with no need of procreation here, the need for sexual pleasure also is not needed and so does not exist in us. We see only the beauty of the person.” At this, Mike asked, “Does this situation bother you Abdul?” He replied, “Not at all. I always had a deep respect for women and knew that the attitudes and beliefs of our fanatical brethren were wrong, which is why I see so few of them here.

As the group drew closer to the gate it grew in size and in diversity. They all accepted one another and they all knew that this is what Heaven would be like. The joy and contentment in each of them grew and the more it increased the faster they moved until they were there. The light emanating from the city was so intense that it was blinding but it drew them on and there was no fear.

As Harry stepped through the gate his saw a majestic and glorious being who greeted him with, “Welcome Harry my beloved child. There is a place for you here amid we who love you.” With that, Harry could only murmur, “My Lord and God!” But then he was able to see beyond this magnificent being and there he saw, all with expressions of beaming joy, Mary, his wife, and behind her his adopted parents with the two who he knew were his birth parents. Behind them were deceased siblings, other family members, and also friends. Harry was home and any feeling of strangeness was gone.

The Beginning

© 11 November 2014

Shadowland

This is about life’s little miracles but you may get a smile out of it.

I have become a big fan of C.S. Lewis and am prone to quote him often. He was a good friend of J. R. R. Tolkien and they influenced each other both in their writing and in their faith and strong Christian beliefs. As I said, I read much of Lewis’ work including his science fiction books. He was a man of uncommonly great common sense. Speaking of his dog he said, “It isn’t so much that he obeyed me, but sometimes he agreed with me”. I had the same relationship with my dog Mikey.

Became Vice President by Oversleeping

This was one of the many miracles in my life

The Holy Spirit works in strange ways and at just the right time, even at times when we don’t even know we need Him. You have to look back on your life to recognize the times when you got that little inspiration to do something different and you acted on it.

The Rary

This story was told by my father. Joe Plefka. It was one of his favorites and I hope I do it justice.

For those of you still wet behind the ears as well as you nostalgia buffs, perhaps this visit with John McCormack and the Victor Talking Machine Company will be appreciated …

Yes, it was a WW I song, a little before even my times. But I like it.

The Golden Throne

This is another of my favorite jokes …

Can you believe it? I have more like this.

The Story of the Terns

This is another of the stories that I claim as “My kind of story”

I will look into my mind and dig out others of its ilk and I will leave no stone unturned until I do.

An Ode to a Brief Life

When I wrote this poem I wasn’t thinking of it as a miracle of my life. But some comments by a friend brought it to mind in that context. It was one of my miracles. See if you agree.

An Ode to a Brief Life

From the smallest cell,
You developed and grew,
Struggling to prepare,
For a life – Someone new.

Conceived in love,
Your small life was planted,
By parents who wanted,
A long life granted.

Siblings before you,
Robert and Joseph – longed to arrive.
Both conceived and loved,
But failed to survive.

Theirs indeed – likewise your fate.
Early, too early, you desired the light.
Your arrival – small and fragile,
Unable to fight, your short life took flight.

But to each life is granted.
A purpose by God, an answer to prayer .
In your death, your mother was to be,
Drawn to that place – another was there.

For there was a small child,
In need of a mother.
His own could not care for him,
He much needed another.

The two were united,
Indeed there were three.
A mother and father,
There was them and there was me.

You brought us together,
You were the cause, a family were we.
A child was loved and there was great care,
It was a gift – unplanned – from you unto me.

And so I remember,
A brief existence, an un-named infant.
But if it all had not happened just in this way,
My life, so happy, would be greatly different.

I offer my gratitude for your life heroic,
As unintentional as the heroism may be,
For I am your brother,
Only because – you gave your brief life unto me.

I look to the day when in eternity we meet.
I’ll greet you humbly to learn of your name.
I owe you the life – long and fully enjoyed,
For without your gift – my life would not be same.

© Grandpa Don Plefka
Orland Park, Il
March 2, 2009

The basis for the poem …

In a Letter to me from Catholic Charities in April of 1994:

“Our caseworker noted that Florence had planned adoption for your future and arranged for temporary care in the newborn nursery at the hospital where you were born on May 6, 1931. It was Evangelical Deaconess Hospital at 5421 South Morgan in Chicago. This hospital later became Christ Hospital and moved to Oak Lawn, IL, where it is now located.

Your adoptive mother contacted our agency on May 26, 1931. She was in that hospital, having delivered a premature baby who died. She stated that she knew you were in the nursery and available for adoption, and she wanted to adopt you and only you.

Arrangements were made to obtain Florence’s signature on the adoption surrender. Her signature was received by Evangelical Deaconess Hospital, on June 2, 1931.”

So my life as a child of Sylvia and Joseph Plefka began as the direct result of the still birth of a premature and unnamed child. How very tragic for the child. How very fortunate for me. As I later discovered, “Florence” was Florence Lucille Lossner of Cleveland, Ohio, mother of Jim and Ken Cecora, divorced from their father Dan Cecora and living with her parents at the time of my conception. It would have been very difficult to introduce her illegitimate baby into the family household and explain the child to her then seven and five year old sons. I am reasonably certain that my father Alden (Al) Copeland had no say in the matter. As a result, “Lucy” was sent to live with a cousin in Chicago to have her baby and arranged to have the hospital care for him until parents could be found. You can find more details of this at Cecora.

I had a great childhood and it has led to a wonderful adult life. For myself, I would have it no other way. Thanks to my un-named sibling who, paradoxically, if .had lived, would not have been a sibling.

Joe and Sylvia lost two sons at birth, Robert and Joseph, Jr. in addition to the unnamed child in May of 1931. There may have been, and probably were, two or more additional failed pregnancies. I believe that every life has a purpose, regardless of its length or its nature. That includes the un-born. Obviously the one about whom I have written has had a profound effect on me. For many, the reason and effects may be unrealized but none the less real and important. May God bless them and welcome them into His Kingdom where we will meet eventually.

Rabble Rouser Report #14 – Genoside

I hope we are not becoming a people of shallow thinkers. Here is what I mean …

Do we want to keep repeating the mistakes of the past? I hope not.

The Extra Post Card

This is the first of my life’s miracles of which I became ware. It wasn’t until many years after it happened that I recognized it as a miracle. You see, for a long time I thought I was doing everything all by myself. So, here is the story of The Extra Post card.

I now know that there were miracles before and after that.

I also now know that I had a lot of help along the way. I had the help of family, friends and the help of God … even at the times I wasn’t sure He existed. He does that. I now am well aware of it.