Christmas Bells

 

Christmas Bells was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on Christmas Day, 1863. We sing it today as a Christmas carol usually titled as “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” We sang it this past Sunday at church. Our hymn book, however, omits a couple of verses without which the carol loses much of its meaning.

This beautiful poem, song, carol was written by one who had endured and was enduring much grief. His wife had died only two years earlier and his son lay dying — or so he thought — from injuries sustained in battle against the Confederacy.

Here it is in its entirety:

    I Heard the bells on Christmas Day
    Their old, familiar carols play,
        And wild and sweet
        The words repeat
    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    And thought how, as the day had come,
    The belfries of all Christendom
        Had rolled along
        The unbroken song
    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    Till ringing, singing on its way,
    The world revolved from night to day,
        A voice, a chime,
        A chant sublime
    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    Then from each black, accursed mouth
    The cannon thundered in the South,
        And with the sound
        The carols drowned
    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    It was as if an earthquake rent
    The hearth-stones of a continent,
        And made forlorn
        The households born
    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    And in despair I bowed my head;
    "There is no peace on earth," I said;
        "For hate is strong,
        And mocks the song
    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

    Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
    "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
        The Wrong shall fail,
        The Right prevail,
    With peace on earth, good-will to men."

You Might Be From California if …

 

So as not to be outdone by all the redneck, hillbilly, and Texan jokes, somebody had to come up with this.

You might be from California if:

1. Your coworker has 8 body piercings and none are visible.
2. You make over $300,000 and still can't afford a house.
3. You take a bus and are shocked at two people carrying on a conversation in English.
4. Your child's 3rd-grade teacher has purple hair, a nose ring, and is named Flower.
5. You can't remember . . is pot illegal?
6. You've been to a baby shower that has two mothers and a sperm donor.
7. You have a very strong opinion about where your coffee beans are grown, and you can taste the difference between Sumatran and Ethiopian.
8. You can't remember . . . is pot illegal?
9. A really great parking space can totally move you to tears.
10. Gas costs $1.50 per gallon more than anywhere else in the U.S.
11. Unlike back home, the guy at Starbucks at 8:30 am, wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses who looks like George Clooney REALLY IS George Clooney.
12. Your car insurance costs as much as your house payment.
13. You can't remember . . .is pot illegal?
14. It's barely sprinkling rain and there's a report on every news station: "STORM WATCH."
15. You pass an elementary school playground and the children are all busy with their cells or pagers.
16. It's barely sprinkling rain outside, so you leave for work an hour early to avoid all the weather-related accidents.
17. HEY!!!! Is pot illegal????
18. Both you AND your dog have a psychic, therapists, personal trainers, and cosmetic surgeons.
19. The Terminator is your governor.
20. If you drive illegally, they take your driver's license. If you're here illegally, they want to give you one.

All Is Not Gold That Glistens

This article appeared unsigned and unattributed in late August or early September 1947 in a metropolitan newspaper. Although modern life is different in many ways, what was true then is just as true now.

Many a young miss with a yearning for the bright lights, silk undies and fur coats is courting a trip to the skids, disillusionment and worse than a broken heart — a broken body. Almost every day we read accounts of some young woman's body being found in a secluded spot, under a culvert or in a deserted apartment, broken beyond identification or with a gaping gun wound. The story the district attorney or police unravels and gives to the public generally follows the same pattern.

Almost every one of these slain girls is described as a beauty, with curvacious [sic] body and golden hair. Her troubles started while she was still young and attractive, a play girl who declined to wash the dishes or otherwise aid in the family chores. She delighted in the attentions she received as she strolled the streets, or danced to enchanting music in a road house. If she could warble a little or disport in scanties, her way to the golden lights was made easy.

The lure of easy living, fine clothing and a ready smile for the playboys of questionable habits and morals are contributing factors and before the young miss is aware of approaching dangers, her downfall has been accomplished and in her aroused sense of shame she fears to face her parents and as a consequence the downward path finds her.

If you harbor the opinion that inmates of brothels are there from choice, banish the thought. Practically every one of these girls is a victim of a deep laid conspiracy. Too frequently they fall into the meshes of a well-organized gang and through promises of fine positions in the "city" where the gay bright lights are shining. Upon reaching the destination they are ushered into some "madame's" [sic] silken hideout, locked away from the relatives and friends and browbeaten until the powers of resistance are broken. Then some stalwart scion of wealth pays the price and ruin is accomplished.

It is an old, old story, but ever new to the sweet young girls who fall for the allures and traps so temptingly laid for them. The only hope of removing these temptations is for homes, churches and schools to play strong roles in educational fields, stressing the values of clean and simple living, spiritual wealth and the differences between tinsel and real values. It will not be a completely successful campaign for there are too many girls who see only the glamor of high living and enviously observe the comforts and pleasures of their wealthier neighbors.

An Alternative to Jail — for Some

Our penal system here in these United States is messed up. We used to send people to jail. Now we incarcerate them in "correctional facilities." Ain't that sweet. We've softened the name but they are still jails. I have, over the last fifteen years, had the pleasure of visiting two jails in two states, the second on a fairly regular basis. They are pretty much alike, as far as construction, manning, and inmates are concerned.

California has lots of jails and lots of inmates. Now they have been ordered to reduce the number of people under lock and key because of over-crowded conditions. Some states are considering reducing their inmate populations because of the high costs of hosting them. Most of the inmates I interact with admit their guilt (to me, not to the courts). Some have committed crimes for which they should be imprisoned for a long, long time while others have just made stupid mistakes in judgment. Some are repeat offenders while others are in for the first time.

There are some people that should not be locked up, in my opinion: petty thieves, forgers, check bouncers, pot smokers, prostitutes, and first-time convicted vandals. I'm not saying they should not be punished. I am saying that there are punishments more suitable and perhaps more corrective than sitting in a jail cell.

All crimes in which the victim has suffered loss of money or property should require restitution plus. A person who robs another, but does not cause bodily injury, should be required to pay that amount back plus a certain percentage — a percentage that would make it not worth stealing in the first place. If that person is caught with the stolen goods, he should not only have to return what he stole but should be required to add at least 50% more to it. If he (or she) has a family, the courts should specify a certain amount a week or month, leaving only enough to subsist on.

Some offenses, like panhandling, smoking pot and prostitution, while not in the public's best interest and sometimes a public nuisance, should not be awarded jail time unless committed along with another crime. Selling drugs and pimping, on the other hand, should be more severely punished. Perhaps a more suitable punishment, should that be desired, would be to require these offenders to perform community service under strict supervision. They could weed public gardens, pick up cigarette butts from public parking lots, and sweep streets and sidewalks with a broom, dust pan, and bucket. There are countless other social projects they could undertake that would be more beneficial than idling away ninety days in the clink.

We do have way to many people in our jails. Perhaps it's time to rethink our penal system to provide more beneficial forms of "correction" to not only unload our jails and save money, but also to provide a more equitable and practical means to minimize petty crime.