"...when I was in prison, you came to me."

If athletes can have heroes in athletics; if businessmen and women can have heroes in the world of commerce; if educators can admire other academics - I figure its OK for me to have 'preaching heroes'!

Some of mine are no longer with us, men primarily, of whom some may have heard, some you may have never heard of, but their insight and skill in the pulpit inspired and ministered to me as a Christian and as a Gospel preacher.

Still others are with us and I count some of them as friends and colleagues. One of them is George Mason, of Wilshire Baptist Church here in Dallas. George provides a wisdom and instruction, that is both timely and timeless!

The Post reported that the Labor Department is rushing through new rules, strongly opposed by President-elect Barack Obama, making it more difficult for the government to tamp down toxic substances and hazardous chemicals that workers are exposed to in their workplace.

These rules which are supported by business groups would, in many cases, add an extra step to the already lengthy task of creating standards that protect workers’ health by adding further delay on much needed protections for employees, which in some cases result in more deaths and illnesses, according to public health officials and labor unions.

With the enormous tasks faced by the incoming President-elect Obama, President Bush has promised his cooperation to make the transition “as smooth as possible.” These rules and regulations fly in the face of Bush’s promised cooperation.

In total there are about 20 controversial rules Bush is seeking to issue before his time in office comes to an end. The rules deal with issues as complicated as abortion, auto safety and the environment. One rule would lighten restrictions to build power plants near national parks. Another would minimize the effectiveness of federal wildlife scientists when deciding if dams or highways would threaten endangered species.

When I was in college, my cousin started dabbling in drugs. He ended up getting stopped by the police and sent to an out-patient rehab center.

After word got out, I can remember one of my friends in our small town telling me, "He'll be alright. He's been raised by good parents. He'll come out of it."

Sure enough, he did. He's married with three children, runs his dad's farm, and is an upstanding citizen maintaining the good Morrison name in our small town.

Unfortunately, the stakes are much higher in the inner city.

"When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die."

Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962, Ambassador, Peace Advocate, Political Adviser

I'm reading Alice Schroeder's fascinating biography of Warren Buffet, The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life.

Great read so far.

Warren's father, Howard, served in the U. S. Congress during the mid/late 1940s as one of the representatives from Nebraska. He was there during the time that Sam Rayburn served, some would say ruled, as speaker of the House.

Sam was from Texas.

Sam got me thinking about Lyndon Johnson.

The following is a synthesis of an essay, “Thoughts On Veterans’ Day,” provided to Professor Delbert Marshall, at his request, to which he referred on the “Generations” page of The Hays Daily News, on 8 November 2008, and a follow-up by-line column by me, on the “Opinion” page, 17 November 2008.

I often think of the lines, “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity” from William Butler Yeats’ poem “The Second Coming.” Fascists, who give up the guidance of their own intellects and consciences in order to be 100% in support of a particular governmental administration, or cause, or leader, may seem to enjoy an advantage over those who must ponder what is good, or right, or just, before supporting a particular endeavor, or cause, or leader. We can hope only that a moral advantage compensates for the stated advantage enjoyed by fascists. After all, if we must become fascists in order to oppose fascists, what point is there in prevailing?

By now we've all probably heard the sad story of parents from across the country who've taken advantage of the state of Nebraska's Safe Haven law.

It is a law designed for birth parents, most often young, single women, unprepared for and unwilling to assume the rigors of caring for their infants or newborns. Its a good strategy. The parent are able to take the child to a Nebraska hospital and with no questions asked, leave the child there with medical staff who would turn the infant over to child protective services. Fewer children run the risk of criminal abandonment, abuse and neglect. The problem is Nebraska specified no age limit in the legislation!

Who knew that people from other states would bring children 10 years and older and leave them at Nebraska's doorstep?!

There was an interesting piece on CNN yesterday as the terrorist attacks unfolded in India.

"With more than 6 million members worldwide, an estimated 80 messages, or "tweets," were being sent to Twitter.com via SMS every five seconds, providing eyewitness accounts and updates."

As Twitter user "naomieve" wrote: "Mumbai is not a city under attack as much as it is a social media experiment in action."

Neha Viswanathan, a former regional editor for Southeast Asia and a volunteer at Global Voices, told CNN, "Even before I actually heard of it on the news I saw stuff about this on Twitter. People were sending in messages about what they were hearing. There were at least five or six blogs from people who were trapped, or who were very close to what happened."

Not all college football players take their studies seriously. Some do.

Among those who go "beyond serious" on the field and in the classroom is Florida State University safety, Myron Rolle.

The New York Times' Pete Thamel told part of Rolle's story in last Thursday's edition of the paper ("For Florida State Player and Scholar, Game Day Is Different").

I think you'll be inspired and encouraged. Here's how the story begins...

Those who live in poor, urban areas often have little access to high-quality food. As large grocers flee inner cities, convenience stores and other high-priced alternatives become these neighborhoods’ only sources of groceries. These small stores rarely offer extensive produce departments; instead, residents choose among highly processed foods with little nutritional value. This urban organization helps people from diverse backgrounds, and the environments in which they live, by helping to provide equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food. Growing Power transforms communities.

"If people can grow safe, healthy, affordable food, if they have access to land and clean water, this is transformative on every level in a community. I believe we cannot have healthy communities without a healthy food system." - Will Allen, CEO, Growing Power

On the day appointed for this purpose, let us reflect at our homes or places of worship on the goodness of God and, in giving thanks, let us ray for a speedy end to strife and the establishment on earth of freedom, brotherhood, and justice for enduring time.

I’m against Proposition 8. I support the recent protests against the constitutional ban on gay marriage. I’m not, however, a supporter of the tactic of some gay rights supporters of attacking Mormon, Catholic, and Evangelical churches. In the long run I think it is a tactic that’ll backfire and cause more harm than good for their cause. A small group of Mormons, Catholics and Evangelicals support gay rights and gay marriages and they need all the support they can get to raise their voices within their churches and counter the church hierarchy and the more conservative parishioners who champion Proposition 8.

The Freedom of Choice Act was introduced in 1989 to codify Roe v. Wade. I wonder if its opponents have actually read it.

I support reproductive rights for women (and men). Since I couldn't understand the full implications of deciding about one's pregnancy, I always believed the decision was not mine to make. My conclusion was as unsatisfying to me as it was personally correct.

In my first post, I shared an important confession by the American Medical Association: an apology for the racism that dominated the organizational mindset of that body for 100 years. I saw that as important because, all too often, there are people who love to pontificate about a 'victim mentality' give the impression that racism is something that is historic anomaly to be gotten over.

Even the most well intentioned will sometimes ask why we have to talk about race or racism, as if it no longer exists, or to the degree that it does exist is relegated to grainy newsreel footage and photographs tucked away in the musty pages of old books and magazines.

The buzz is that Obama will keep Bush’s defense secretary, Robert Gates, for at least another year. Not to worry, apologists from the media say. Gates has not been nearly so bad as Rumsfeld.

That’s our standard: not so bad as Rumsfeld!?! Heaven help us.

I was a big Obama booster – still am, I guess. He was and is the best of our viable options. But I almost can’t get past this. “Obama will keep Bush’s defense secretary.” I say that to myself and I feel sick. Shouldn’t Obama wait until he is older before he surrenders to the author of Ecclesiastes (or Animal Farm)?

Here's a CNN news report that I picked up yesterday. Please watch to understand something of the growing pain, need and stress facing additional millions of our neighbors as a result of the severe downturn in our economy. The story you'll see from CNN is the same story we are seeing here in Dallas every day.

Yesterday, as I drove up to our headquarters building, the line was already down the sidewalk before 8:00 a.m.

Let America be America again.

Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Some may readily know the answers to the following questions, others, maybe not. Q & A’s can bring on a delightful demeanor when the questions are answered accurately. This Q & A is not meant to be delightful; the A’s are too harsh for comfort.

When we give thanks on Thanksgiving we should remember, that yes we are blessed in many ways and while we are truly grateful for our bounties, much work lies ahead for us progressives at heart. It seems an insurmountable task, this endeavor known as social justice. When we practice the age-old tradition of closing our eyes, making a wish, and leveraging for that proverbial long end of the wishbone: Be humbled by what you have, make a wish for someone who knows despair, wish for true humanity, wish that the world we share embraces all as equal, or wish for strength to begin or continue the struggle to right the wrongs that encompass us.

While I thank Mr. Quigley for his thought provoking questions and even his researched answers that stir thought provoking disdain, I would like to point out that while these issues have the ability to be addressed, they will not be addressed until every day citizens raise their voices in a fevered pitch and never, ever be hushed into submission.