Organization: Virginia Department of Health
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Date:         Fri, 22 Jan 1993 22:37:56 -0500
From:         "Michael A. Kline" <MKLINE@VDH.BITNET>
Subject:      What's Important

    MAKS> I have to agree with Rush on this one.

    Rush: Edward James Olmos(?) made a speech. This typifies what these
people think is important about life.

    Edward: "My own background is one of inclusion, so I can relate to
it, the entire concept. For you see, my root originally is from Africa.
I'm African first. Crossing the continent to Asia. I'm Asian second.
Leaping over the ocean to add some Mayan/Aztec heritage. Which in the
15th century, with the arrival of my Jewish-Hungarian-Spanish ancestors
from Europe. One of those pilgrims produced the multi-ethnic man standing
proudly before you this night."

    MAKS> I mean, if one was trying to be humorous, and I THINK he may
have been, then this might have been okay as such. I think it may well
have been to restate what the current trends in multi-culturalism have
been trying to push though. That it was more of "the bestest PC speech
ever" type of thing. That seems to be what Rush thought as he went on,
BUT before that, Steve had said that he hoped we didn't bash the
liberals. I think what's going on here is *NOT* the bashing of the
liberals, but their false gods.

    Rush: Why can't he just say "I'm an American and I'm proud of it!"?
(Audience claps and cheers, woops.) He's a mongrel, (MAKS> I don't think
he meant this as a slap, but an inclusive term of most Americans.) but
they think that's important. All of that irrelevance.. it's just stupid,
it's sad, that's what they think's important. We're in trouble.

    We're not supposed to notice that stuff. We're all humans. What ever
happened to that concept? It's the same thing that I was trying to tell
you regarding the cabinet when they were putting that together. All
they're looking for is diversity. All they're looking for is diversity,
they're not looking for the best.

    The thing that puzzles me is, these are the same people, folks, who
are trying to tell us we should NOT notice what somebody's skin color is.
We ought NOT notice what their ethnicity is, and if we do that, we're
bigots! And here are these people coming and saying, "This is what's
about me, listen to this!" Oh well...

    MAKS --------------------------------------------------------------->

    I find I don't express myself very well, but I'll give it a shot
anyhow. You folks will correct any errors, I'm sure. :-)

    I think I do see a conflict here. This multi-cultural thing does
bother me, but only so much as I don't know what the WHOLE agenda is. I
see and agree with the conflicts Rush speaks of.

    Now didn't us old timers get all this multi-cultural stuff during our
history classes? Most of us are a "mix" or mongrel as Rush said. I'm
German, PA Dutch, I believe some American Indian and Irish. Yet, I don't
know of any stories of my ancestors coming across the ocean to the US.
Obviously they did, but I'm not feeling "connected" to the extermination
of 6 MILLION Jews, or the slaughter of settlers during the early American
era, or any of my "roots".

    I think we should know history, think that "Those who ignore history
are doomed to repeat it." may well be true and all. But would I be
"better" if I could identify with being blond and part of a superior race
even though I have brown eyes and dark hair? The Germans were defeated by
the Allies. Should I feel defeated because of this? Should I feel like
I've had my land pulled out from underneath me? Been cheated all my life?

    I've got a good friend in PC maintenance for our new WIN computers. I
can't even remember his name because it's ANI or something like that.
Black as the ace of spades, and such an accent! I asked about his accent.
He's straight from the Ivory Coast. When he came to set our PC's up, I
gave him a bunch of utilities for PC's and helped him. Now he calls me
with questions. Should he identify with being "black", persecuted for 200
years, sold into slavery, deprived of his rights? He was never in America
until about 6 months-1 year ago.

    How about today's blacks? I don't deny they've had some persecution.
I've got friends old enough to tell me some stories about sitting in the
back of the bus, things like that, but THEY were never sold into slavery.
Neither were their parents, or grand parents. Can they really identify
with the whip against their back? Toes being cut off so they couldn't
run? Would this make them better?

    What makes us special? For me it was that Joseph William Kline, Jr.,
fell in love with Norma Jean Schaub. They married, and had a male son
some 41 years ago on June 24, 1951. EVEN THEN, God knew him, had planned
out his days (Not for a predestination thread again please. I believe
that God does lay out a plan for our life, and in our free will, we can
refuse to follow that plan, but that's not the point here.) and had even
numbered the hairs of his head. ALL my life, whether sinner or saint, God
was with me, trying to help me, and the Heavenly Father that never left
my side.  He was with me when *I* found my first wife and had a son. He
cared for me when she left me and my son behind. He was there and *HE*
found me a wife, and blessed us with 4 more children. He is there every
day. I am Michael Alan Kline, Sr. and God loves ME! :-) THAT makes me
special!

    And I might add THAT makes you special, too! We are children of the
King of Kings and Lord of Lords! We are part of the Family of God! You
have a song, a revelation. You have lived your life and it's been
different than any other life lived. You are unique, and God knows you by
name! :-) Praise the Lord!

Maks
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