How did this get Tucked into a Story instead of being its Own Story?

 Rewind, if you want a big story that didn't get much attention. Was it about one week ago. I believe the story I caught it in was about Trump's speech to the Saudis. It was a small paragraph in the midst of another story.
   One hundred billion dollars in military aid to Saudi Arabia?
  That's $100 billion. I understand that will make it one of the largest arms sales ever. I read one source calling it the largest. Somehow, that seems like it should be big news. As in, the lead story of the day.
   And, the $100 billion might grow. I see, in another story, how it is expected to evolve into $300 billion. The U.S. doesn't want Israel to fall behind. It wants Israel to maintain a "qualitative military edge" over other Mideast countries. So, the $300 billion will include money for Israel.
   Are we bankrolling an arms race here? Are we buying friendship with bombs? Are we seeking the favor of the Saudis the wrong way?
   Are we spending way too much money on this?

(Unfinished poems)
(Trump starts)
(Trumpers)

Are We Right in Giving the Saudis $100 Billion in Military Aid?

   Not chump change, the $100 billion arms deal President Trump is offering Saudi Arabia. One wonders why we are spending it. Are we just seeking the favor of the Saudis? If so, why? Or, do we suppose to end the war in Yemen by injecting money on one side of the conflict?
  One-hundred billion? Can we afford this? And, is increasing the militarization of Saudi Arabia what we want? Perhaps if it situates the Saudis to stand free from the more-radical countries over there, it might be worthy. But, I wonder. And, I wonder but what pouring more weapons into the region is liking tossing wood on a fire. Perhaps. Perhaps not. I do not know.

Do We even have a Plan to Avert Future Mass Killings?

   What are we doing to stop mass murders? Anything? Mass killing after mass killing, and we aren't doing a thing to avert them in the future? We don't even have a plan of action.
   Am I wrong?
   Okay, we discuss gun control. And, we discuss mental health. And, I believe President Obama even signed an executive order outlining some actions. But, far and away for the most part, we are doing nothing.
   Where is the omnibus bill, addressing every angle we can think of? Not everything that needs done requires legislation, but it would be nice to see a bill.

An Ad Campaign like None Other would Oppose these Killings

      Let us launch one of the largest advertisement campaigns ever undertaken. If we are to fight terrorism, there is more to it than warring in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is more to it than firing missiles at al-queda and ISIS.
   The power of the word is as mighty as the power of the sword, maybe more so.
   So, we find ourselves suffering from one mass killing after another. If we really believe the power of words is as mighty as the sword, why would we not take it up? The string of mass murders might be ended as quickly with the word as it is with the sword.
   You've heard of public service announcements? This would be along those lines, except PSAs are typically unpaid, and we would pay for these. And PSAs never have been as big as what we would do with this. We would flood the media.
   Literally flood the media,
    Every TV station, every large newspaper and every notable Internet site would have one of these "PSAs." And, the effort wouldn't stop there. We would call on civic leaders, church leaders, youth leaders and others to take up the campaign, speaking to their groups, urging them to stand against the violence.
   We would call on their leaders. From the leaders of their nations to the community leaders they have in the U.S., we would ask them all to speak against the violence, to call their people together and reason with them.
   I see a scroll come across the screen in one such ad, rolling like a credit line of a movie, citing one after another of the mass murders, pointing out the waste of lives. The words, "What did they do wrong?" crystallize on the screen, then fade, as do the following words:
   "Not a thing."
   "What did they do to offend their killers?"
   "Unknown. In almost every case, they didn't even know them."
   "What was achieved?"
   "Nothing."
    "What was accomplished?"
    "Nothing."
    Another ad would portray the victims in their lives, showing them smiling, being friends, helping each other and enjoying life. Then, their images would fade to a cemetery, and grave markers would appear, and grass growing over the graves and blowing in the wind, depicting the needless waste of humanity, and of goodness.
    The ads would try not to inflammatory. They would seek not to heighten bad feelings between us and ISIS and al-queda. They would try not to be adversarial. While they would point out al-queda and ISIS is doing is wrong, they would not offer harsh rhetoric that would escalate the bad feelings. If you want to win someone over, you don't call them names and demean them.
    Even ISIS and al-queda.
    Instead, they would simply point that what is being done is unnecessary, hurtful, damaging, and unproductive. In those points, the ads would be very forceful. The ads would be more of an effort to reason with al-queda and ISIS and their followers than a condemnation of them.
    "We call for peace," the final line of the ad would say, or maybe, "We call for doing what's right." Or maybe both.

In My Humble Opinion, Love Matters in Stopping Mass Killings

   On of the things that would be most effective in warding of terrorism and mass killings? I give you my humble opinion: Love.

   Yes, you would almost have to create a world of love to make love work. If all of society were a loving society, the love would reach to those who might commit the crimes. People are less likely to lash out if they are loved. 

   I hear the many of you thinking love a silly answer. Bottom line is, though, it is a big factor. And, if we are serious about stopping these things, we should be looking at the things that make a difference. Love might sound silly. Love might be discounted as silly. But, if you really want to get serious about solving the problem, you might want to consider the things that do make a difference.

   Love is one of them. I don't know if it would just trim off some of the mass killings, or half of them, or all of them, but it would definitely have an effect. 

   I wonder if a world leader were to suggest love, what would be the reaction? Would he or she be ridiculed? Laughed at? Or, might people actually acknowledge he or she was right?

   And, could you persuade people so easily to start loving each other more? I don't know, but the first step is to suggest it, to ask for it. Nothing taught is nothing learned. If no one suggests love is an answer, there is not much chance we will move that direction.

Moderates are Moderates because Their Views don't all fit in One Box

   A new political party announced its entry today, the United Utah Party. It fashions itself as being centrist, moderate, and far from extreme.
   It also announced a few of its positions, and of that, I wonder.
   Many are moderates because all their views don't fit in one box. They think each issue through, on its own merits, instead of signing on just because it is the party position. So, almost by definition, a moderate party shouldn't dictate too many political stands. Moderates aren't locked into opinions fed them by others.
   I might join this United Utah Party. We shall see.

The Day the Lord Rapped Me on the Knuckles

It's been two weeks today since I injured my hand. Was doing yard work on a Sunday. Now, there is so much yard work, and no free time to do it, that I rationalized that the Lord understood and that it was a little bit of the ox being in the mire. Well. anyway, as I was concluding having pulled weeds for a good portion of the day, I was pushing the garbage container filled in part with dirt when it slid out in front of me, pulling me down as my hands held to the handles. My knuckles hit the cement with the full weight of the garbage container on them, bloodying them good. It's a little like the Lord was literally rapping my knuckles, saying, "John, you know you shouldn't be doing this on Sunday." Anyway, I've refrained from yard work the last two Sundays, but who knows what I will do in the future. 
I do believe in the Sabbath. I do believe if we call it a delight, and enjoy doing the things of the Lord on the Sabbath, and abstain from doing our own things (Isaiah 58:13-14), He will bless us.