Sarasota Friends Meeting (Quakers) Minute in Support of Gun Control Lergislation

Quakers have a long history of opposing violence in any form and have made their feelings known through a series of resolutions, called "Minutes".  Minutes are agreed to by each Friends Meeting by, to use a secular term, consensus and can address a myriad of topics.

Subsequent to the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in late 2012, the following Minute was adopted by the Sarasota Friends Meeting in February 2013:

MINUTE 1:02:13: We, members and attenders of the Sarasota Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), after prayerful reflection and thought, feel it incumbent on us to call upon Congress and the President to enact legislation to halt the production and sale of weapons that can be used to injure, maim and kill innocent people in a single instance.

As Quakers, we believe that there is that of God in every person and in particular, we eschew any violence directed at one human being by another.  We recognize that such is an unfortunate part of everyday life.  However, the instances of mass shootings have focused attention on the problem that our society and our lawmakers must address.  From the University of Texas, to Columbine, to Virginia Tech, to Fort Hood, to Aurora, to Newtown, the absence of meaningful gun control laws have allowed this national epidemic to gain a foothold.  We urge Congress to eschew the pressure and monies they receive from those in opposition to gun control and pass meaningful legislation to reduce if not eliminate these types of instances.

We recommend the following practical steps:•There must be universal background checks on all persons who wish to purchase a firearm, not only from licensed gun dealers, but also at gun shows and in sales between individuals.  Sellers who fail to do background checks should be held accountable for any damage, death, or injury caused by their purchaser;

• The manufacture, sale, and distribution of all assault-type weapons must be immediately and permanently banned;
• Explosive bullets such as those used by the Newtown shooter are banned by the Geneva Convention in international warfare but are legal in the U.S.  This type of ammunition should be banned.
• Likewise, any ammunition clip that holds more than a minimal number of bullets should be similarly banned.
• A fund must be established to aid local agencies in the buyback and destruction of guns, with particular emphasis on assault-type weapons.

We reject the proposal by some who feel the answer lies in the posting of armed guards in every school and the arming of all teachers. Adding guns raises the odds in favor of violence and does nothing to address the problem—that of keeping particularly deadly weapons out of the hands of irresponsible individuals.

We believe these reforms are in accord with the original and clear intent of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

On the Heels of Umpqua Community College

I sent the following email to 'my" Congressman, Vern Buchanan R-FL:

"Today, as in many todays of the past, we have suffered the tragedy of innocent persons being murdered by a person with firearms.  This has got to STOP!

"I have written you before on this subject, but it appears that my pleadings to you have fallen on deaf ears.  Don’t get me wrong.  I support the 2^nd Amendment rights of persons to “keep and bear arms”.  However, the responsible ownership of firearms MUST include background checks on ALL persons who wish to purchase arms—not only from gun shops, but also at gun shows and through private sales.  Not only should thorough background checks be done, but legislation should be enacted to make sure those who fail to do background checks be held liable for any injury or damage caused by the use of such firearms.

"How many Sandy Hooks, Auroras, VA Techs, or Umpqua Community Colleges must we suffer before something is done?  To hell with the NRA!  We are Americans and we should not be subject to the whims and wherefores of those who feel they should have their 15 minutes of fame at the expense of innocent persons…"

Reflections on Jimmy Carter

I was so saddened to learn this afternoon that Jimmy Carter is suffering from cancer.  The news came as quite a shock to me when Pam told me what she had seen on TV while on the phone with Linda.

Granted that, other than the Camp David peace accords, his presidency was one of the least productive and effective of any previous president.  However, he was and is an enduring man of peace. Not a single shot was fired in an aggressive act, other than during the failed hostage rescue attempt in Iran in 1980.  That was a situation he had been forced into because of his humane act of allowing the Shah to seek medical treatment for his cancer in the United States.

I first became aware of  Carter when he became governor of Georgia. He was such a breath of fresh air on the heels of world-class bigot, Lester Maddox.  Carter's quiet demeanor and even handedness were hallmarks of his administration.  When I learned he was seeking the Democratic nomination for President, I was quite excited about the prospect of a Washington outsider coming in and making things right after Nixon and his handpicked successor, Gerald Ford.  Don't get me wrong.  I think Ford did an admirable job, given the task he was handed and one of my favorite quotes was his speech from the Oval Office the evening he took office, "Our long national nightmare is over..."

But, with the election of Carter, I was very optimistic about the future.  Unfortunately, since he had no grasp of Washington politics, it soon became apparent he might be in over his head.  His head of the Office of Management and Budget, Bert Lance, had some skeletons in his closet that were exposed and it didn't take very long for him to head back to Georgia.  A lot of people in Washington were not enamored at all with Carter's casual approach nor of the wearing of casual clothes in the Oval Office.  His brother, Billy, didn't make things easier for him either.

However, his biggest triumph in Washington (perhaps his biggest ever) was the bringing together of Israel and Egypt into a peace agreement after close to two weeks in seclusion at Camp David with Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat.  His greatest mistake, other than failing to grasp the meaning of Washington politics and that such is the name of the game, was his humanitarian allowing the Shah of Iran to come to New York for treatment of the cancer that ultimately took his life.  Of course, this led to the Iranian Revolution with it's capturing of the U.S. Embassy and the holding of American hostages for 444 days.  His intentions were good, but he was obviously in over his head.

Even though he was defeated in a bid for a second term by Ronald Reagan, he did not sulk into privacy and hide from the world (much like one George W. Bush has done), but he went to work in an effort to make the world a much better place for all.  He became involved in and is the face of Habitat for Humanity, an organization founded by a longtime friend of his.  He founded the Carter Center, an organization that fosters hope, wages peace and fights diseases.  For this and for his peace work between Israel and Egypt, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

His dedication to his principles, to his church, and to his God have endeared him to many throughout the world--including this admirer.  To many he was a buffoon who did not deserve to be President. While I must admit his four years in office were not the greatest, there can be no doubt that he is the greatest ex-President we have ever had or probably ever will have.

May he forever rest in peace when his time comes.  He has certainly earned it.

Mass Murder and the Need for Gun Control

What occurred in Charleston, SC on this Wednesday evening past has once again hurt me to my core.  It is a bit more personal for Pam and me because we lived in Charleston for two years upon my return from Vietnam.  Gun violence and mass murders in today's American society are out of control.  Having grown up  in the 1950's and '60's in the near South and attending college in the South, I have seen what racism can be like.  In the early 1960's I was the head of our church's youth group and one parent threatened to pull  her daughters out of our fellowship had we persisted in inviting black teenagers from a nearby AME church to join us for a get together.  I simply could not get my head around such an attitude IN A CHURCH!!!

But, beyond the racist attitude expressed by the sorry piece of protoplasm that took nine lives on Wednesday, is the fact that we need meaningful gun control legislation consisting, in part, of universal background checks of all who wish to purchase a firearm.  To that end, I have sent the following email to my representatives in Washington, Congressman Vern Buchanan and Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio:

"I am writing you to encourage you to consider either propose or co-sponsor a bill that would require background checks on anyone who wishes to purchase a firearm, be it a rifle, a shotgun, or a handgun. 

"All too often our great country has been saddened at the deaths of innocent people at the hands of those who are more than likely mentally unstable individuals.  From Charles Whitman, to Columbine, to Virginia Tech, to Aurora, to Gabrielle Giffords, to Newtown…  The list goes on.  We are now in a state of grieving the mass murder at a church in Charleston, SC.  While I cannot speak to the mental state of this latest shooter, there may be more to it than simply his expressed hatred of all non-whites.

"How much longer must this go on?  The National Rifle Association has morphed from an educational organization to one of the most powerful lobbying entities in Washington.  Senators and members of Congress are supposed to represent the will of We the People.  Polls tell us—and they should tell you—that we need meaningful gun control legislation, not now but YESTERDAY! 

"I wish to encourage the adoption of reasonable legislation that would require background checks on all who wish to purchase a weapon.  There must be universal background checks on all persons who wish to purchase a firearm, not only from licensed gun dealers, but also at gun shows and in sales between individuals.  Sellers who fail to do background checks should be held accountable for any damage, death, or injury caused by their purchaser.  I believe that this is in accord with the original and clear intent of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

"Thank you for your consideration of my views"

Remembrances of Mom

As I sat here on post-Mother’s Day 2015, I got to thinking about Mom and all the wonderful things she was and did for the family. 

For one, she was Mom and Dad to Gene, Becky, and me during the mid-1950’s both when we lived in West Virginia and later in the DC suburbs.  Dad had taken a job with the Bureau of Information of the Southeastern Railways, based in Washington.  This was during the school year and, rather than pulling Gene and me out of school mid-term, we stayed in Huntington while Dad commuted, first to DC and then to Chicago.  The Chicago commute was to be for only a few weeks, but those weeks turned into a total of four years.  We moved to Alexandria, VA in the summer of 1954.  Dad was doing his weekly commute, coming home by train on Saturday mornings and leaving on Sunday evenings.  We lived in Alex for two years before the folks purchased their first home in Woodbridge, a developing community about 20 miles south of DC.

It was there that Mom really came alive.  She was involved in a good bit of community service—President of the Occoquan Elementary School PTA; on the board of the Marumsco Village HOA; and on the advisory board of the local teen club she helped to found.  Probably the thing I most remember of our three years in Woodbridge was her determining the public schooling offered there was less than stellar.  Probably the last straw was the time I was sent home for a suspension because my pants were too tight.  This was in the spring of my ninth grade year.  The principal of Gar-Field High School was Herbert Saunders.  He flagged me down in the hallway near the office one morning saying, “Please come with me Mr. Hilsheimer.  You have a three day vacation on us.”  Mom was incensed when I showed up back at the house somewhere around 9 AM because I had been wearing the same pants all year long and they had never been questioned by anyone.  She called Dad (who was finally through with his weekly commutes) and he came home, went to Saunders, and got me back in school the following day. 

I only heard Mom talk disparagingly of only one person in my life and that was Mr. Saunders.  She said of him that he was “the nearest thing to nothing of a principal" she had ever encountered.”  It was at that time apparently she and Dad had a discussion about, among other things, the Prince William County school system,  They decided to move to Arlington because of its excellent school system and to be closer to his job in DC.  So, in the summer of 1959 we moved to Arlington, a move that, thanks to Mom, changed all our lives.  For one, even though I had to repeat ninth grade (thanks to the shitty Gar-Field HS experience) it was a key decision in my own life.  I was a so-so student before and expressed an interest in joining the Navy upon graduation—a desire that was overcome by Mom and Dad’s opposition.  I really came to dig the Arlington high school scene.  It was there that I decided to major in history when I went off to college.

Several years late,r after I had joined the Air Force to avoid being drafted, I had asked Pam to marry me and she accepted.  The folks were living in the Chicago area and had not met Pam.  Mom was in the hospital recovering from a surgery when she first met Pam.  She was enamored with Pam and we told her of our plans.   The following day I went to visit her alone and, as we were discussing our plans upon my return from Vietnam, she asked me if marrying Pam was really what I wanted to do.  Of course I replied “Yes, it really is.”  Thinking on this conversation in the years gone by, I realized that Mom had my best interests at heart and, after I had gone to Vietnam, Pam disclosed to the folks that we had, in fact, eloped while I was home on leave.  Mom was more accepting of the fact than Dad—who came around in short order.

Over the intervening years, Mom remained the backbone of the family.  She was ever present during the easy and the hard times.  This was especially true when Dad developed Parkinson’s and had to restrict his activities—especially his part-time job on a local golf course in Daytona Beach after they retired. Unfortunately, Dad developed prostate cancer which had to be operated on.  The doctors told them that one of the possible side effects of the surgery would be that he might not fully recover from the anesthetic.  Sadly, such proved to be true.  After the surgery Dad was not the man he had been before.  He was in a constant stupor and suffered from Parkinson’s related dementia from that point on.  More correctly, Dad and Mom suffered through it.  She was on the constant lookout for him.  He had a habit of going outside and taking walks without telling her.  At one point, he walked toward downtown Daytona Beach—a distance of about 4-5 miles—before a man who knew him from the golf course happened upon him and gave him a life back home.  Throughout it all, Mom remained the woman of steel.

I knew she was overburdened with Dad, so I moved in with them for six months in mid-1998.  I was able to get a job as a nursing assistant and helped Mom as best I could.  At one point I bathed him and, while drying him off, I noticed that he had developed a hernia, so it was off to the surgeon’s knife once again.  Having undergone hernia surgery myself, I knew and insisted that he not be fully under but treated with a local anesthetic.  He came home the following day and I was amazed that he seemed impervious to pain.  I had been laid up for two weeks—the first one being the worst—after my surgery, but Dad just took it in stride.  Toward November, I realized that I could no longer stay with them but to return to Wisconsin.  I felt a bit guilty, leaving Mom to tend to Dad on her own, but she took it in stride and maintained her wits and dignity until the day she died.

I am so glad I had her for as long as I did—longer than my siblings did—and will cherish her love and memory forever. 

The Sins of the Father

I was disheartened to learn that the Jackie Robinson West Little League team has been stripped of its Little League World Series American championship because of the cheating proclivities of the adults who run the league.  It's never a good thing for a team to bring in ringers in order to bolster their chances in any sport, but to do it in Little League takes it to a whole other level.  What are we teaching our youngsters?  It's okay to cheat as long as you don't get caught?

I feel even worse for the youngsters who had nothing to do with the scheme.  Unfortunately, it all boils down to a bunch of adult cheaters doing their thing and resulting in a group of young, impressionable kids having to pay for the misdeeds.  What a sad commentary on today's society--win at all costs.

The problem with youth sports--be it baseball, football, soccer, or whatever--is the adults.  The kids are out to have fun; the adults, mainly parents, are out to guarantee success for their kids.  Not all parents are antagonistic and obnoxious.  But there is that minority of parents who want their kids to be stars.  They berate umpires, refs, and even coaches when their kids do not succeed.  These, along with the hierarchy of the Jackie Robinson West team, should not be dismissed as only wanting to win.  They should be excoriated for the example they are setting for the next generation.