Tangents – Page 4 – Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Reason or Excuse

October 8, 2022

As I have said before, I am a word guy. A reason is the cause, explanation, or justification for an effect, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. The word justification can be a synonym for an excuse. By that dictionary, a reason and an excuse can be the same thing.

The Britannica dictionary states that it is a statement of fact that explains why something is the way it is. Fuel prices have increased substantially in the last year. When we are told that it is the war between Russia and Ukraine or the fact that some of the refineries reduced production due to the pandemic or because of the higher cost of crude oil these are excuses.

The reason why prices increase is the old problem of supply and demand. In this case, the supply is controlled by the oil companies. Demand was reduced when we all stayed home. It increased because we wanted to go on trips and vacations after being stuck in our homes for months.

The reason we are seeing a small drop is that the suppliers want us to continue to vote for their candidates in November. Remember when you go to the polls that usually the oil companies contribute to both the Republican and Democratic parties and candidates.

If you want someone, not in their pockets, look for non-partisan, independent, or third-party candidates. Be sure to check their contribution records before the election. Failing to support people who have not sold their soles to the oil companies will get us nowhere again this year.

Do not believe those who criticize the other candidate because they claim they have sold out. They are all bought and sold by many different groups. It takes a lot of money to buy the advertising and make trips to encourage voters.

Missouri has a senator that is not up for re-election this term. He had run for another position and was elected. One of his promises was that he was not a professional politician like some of his opponents. A few months later he filed to run for the Senate position he now holds.

I voted for him the first time. I did not vote for him as a Senator. I will never vote for him again for anything. He is a professional candidate and will someday run for President. We need to put a stop to the long-term Congressmen and Senators.

We need term limits of eight years for Congress and two terms for the Senate. This is what the US President is limited to. Republicans pushed this through with the democrats’ help after President Franklin Roosevelt died in office after his fourth inauguration.

There is a reason why we need to do this. We must cut the pensions and health coverage off for all former elected officials. It is almost impossible to unseat an incumbent. The excuse for not doing it is different for each office holder. Some claim their experience is invaluable. Others report that no one else will support these bills and that is why they are never proposed.

A third excuse is that the states must propose a new amendment to the US Constitution. This is the only way to put term limits into place. Our country has been taken hostage by two political parties.

The excuse for voting for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was that they were the nominees for the two major parties. The reason Trump won was that those who are not Republicrats or Demicans thought he might be better than Mrs. Clinton. Two years ago, the voters decided they had all The Donald that they wanted. That is why Biden won the election.

My hope is that we will refuse to vote for those who have been part of our problems. Once again, I am calling for those of you who are not Demicans or Republicrats to vote for other candidates. It has been over a hundred years since we had a new party upset an established one.

The Republicans are the youngest of these two. It is time to unseat both groups. Join me at the polls on November fifth and let’s make America and Missouri great again.

What I won’t die from

September 26, 2022

Embarrassment, inactivity, and boredom are three things that occur to my mind immediately. Those who know me well recognize that I am not easily embarrassed. Nothing I do will cause my demise due to others’ awareness that I did that. I may turn red on my face. I will not get hot enough to burst into flames. Yes, I am aware of spontaneous combustion.

The Bible gives a lot of warnings about sloth. Not the jungle animals. Sloth is another word for laziness. You can waste your entire life by not doing anything. I know many will not agree with these comments. I believe the following are wastes of time. Watching television, playing video games, and checking your cell phone for Facebook messages.

I put watching television first because that is my downfall. I used to play video games but could only play for 20 seconds before losing all my lives. My cell phone is used for three things. To make and receive calls. To read books. For my wife to keep track of where I am if I should start having trouble finding my way home. That last one was added a few years ago.

I may be boring at times. I hope I have never bored anyone to death. I hope that should it happen; I could do as the apostle Paul did when a young man fell asleep in one of his sermons. The problem was the man was sitting in a window and fell out and died. Fortunately for both the participants, Paul brought him back to life. I don’t think that is my gifting.

Remember the three things I use my phone for? The books I have downloaded on it have saved me from feeling my time is wasted. However, I do not use it to read when I am out to eat with someone. I also do not use it at home when others are around.

I believe reading when I have someone to talk to is not taking advantage of social situations. Those of you who know me may have commented that I will speak to a brick wall. That is not true. However, many people in lines and waiting rooms have learned not to start talking to me. I put my phone away for them.

Things that I may die from are too many political ads on radio, television, and now on the internet. Poorly prepared food at what used to be good restaurants. My own cooking. Natural causes are what I am hoping for. The bad driving habits of some of you. Especially those of you who think yellow and red look the same at traffic lights. I’ll give you a hint. Follow their example when people in the lanes next to you are slowing down.

Life is too short already. I do not need you to shorten it for those of us who do not have our heads up our rears. Two more things I just thought of that I won’t die from. Smoking and drinking. I might be taken out by secondhand smoke or drink, but not the direct effects.

Vote!

September 24, 2022

November 5, 2022, is election day. We are not interested in the party line. We want a decent human beings that will vote the way we think they should.

Personally, I do not want anyone who still believes that Donald Trump was a good choice for this country. He is still only interested in himself. I will not vote for anyone that believes his endorsement is a positive attribute for them.

I also do not want anyone who thinks that talking badly about their opponents or candidates from another group is a wise thing to do. These two perspectives reduce my options a lot. I also need to know what you mean. Acronyms and abbreviations used by your ads leave me confused.

I do not know the political language and do not care about who supports you. Everyone that may believe you are a good choice means nothing to me. What conservative, liberal, outsider, CRT, woke, or any of your other bywords mean, varies with the person who uses them.

If you want me to vote for you or your candidate, I need specifics about what you or they have done and will do if voted into office. How do you stand on the reversal of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision? I know you all have recognized that our economy is in trouble. Don’t blame someone else for that.

Your solution to this problem is what I need to hear. You cannot lower gas prices. Do not tell me that you will solve this problem. Washington is not the trouble. The people in Congress, the Senate, or other elected offices may or may not be doing their jobs correctly. My opinion and yours may be different.

Tell me what your plan is. How will you vote? I need to know that you will work with anyone else that you must. I was in business for over forty years. I had to change my approach depending on who I worked with. I want you to keep your position working to solve problems. Shutting down the government is never an acceptable result.

We want you to work for us and with each other. We will vote. When you lie to us, you will never get our vote again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Classics are not always good

September 22, 2022

A classic is defined as, “Judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind.” I’ve read several classic novels, watched numerous classic movies, classic music from the thirties to the eighties is on my playlist, and many of my cars over the years have been close to classics.

The Ford Edsel is considered a classic. It may have been high quality when it first came out. It was not well accepted at that time. The thing that makes vehicles classic is not always the quality. It is usually the age.

Many classic books also were not accepted when first published. Some were ahead of their time. Others were thought to be classic material but have not survived the years. Of all the stories I have read some I consider good and others bad. When I read a classic, I may decide before finishing it that I do not care for the way the story is being told. At times this is because of what was considered proper techniques during that period.

Most novels I read line up on my scale from good to bad. Most are three to four on a one to five scales. Some I read are not worth rating at all in my opinion. Not all of these are considered classics. From junior high school through college, I disagreed with the ratings of the literary experts. Many of these stories were in textbooks.

A few authors that are considered classics are not my favorites. I may enjoy a story or two by Hemingway or others. As I read more of their work, I conclude that while they did well on some tales, the majority of what I have read is not what I consider quality.

This also goes for classic music. Classic in this genre is often what is called “long-haired” music. That is not what I am talking about. I think of every type of music from different eras as a classic due to their age. Some old music does not fall into the classic category for me.

Artists may be thought of as excellent by you and I do not enjoy any or all of what they have recorded. Two people that are examples of this are Willy Nelson and Janis Joplin. I realize that the first is country and the second is thought of as a rock singer. The type of music is not where I decide if I like it or not. I listen to almost every kind of music. My one exception is opera. I can think of no selection in this group that I enjoy.

I may have mentioned some of your favorites as not being ones that I like. Don’t worry about this. Many people disagree with me. I learned many years ago that if you do not have the same opinion as I, you are not necessarily wrong. Remember that holds true for all of us. Do not argue with others. You may both be correct.

November is Coming

August 28, 2022

This column is written for all of us who will go to the polls for the election. It does not matter which party you belong to. I hope that when you select a candidate you consider the person. I am not interested in the party line. We want decent human beings who will vote how we think they should.

I do not know the political language and do not care about who supports you. Everyone that may believe you are an excellent choice means nothing to me. What conservative, liberal, outsider, CRT, woke, or any of your other bywords may vary with the person who uses them.

If you want me to vote for you, I need specifics about what you have done and will do if you are voted into office. How do you stand on the reversal of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision? I know you all have recognized that our economy is in trouble. Don’t blame someone else for that.

We want you to work for us and with each other. We will vote in November. When you lie to us, you will never get our vote again. The voter’s slogan should be, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

On Route 66

August 11, 2022

Here in Springfield, Missouri, we hear about this road that was named here and began construction in 1926. That’s correct. In four years, we will celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the mother road. We have a birthplace of Route 66 festival that begins today, the eleventh of August here in the queen city of the Ozarks.

As with most other events, it has not taken place during the pandemic. If you have never attended, now is the time to plan to be at the parade Friday evening or some of the concerts. You can just go to check out the displays and vendors during the weekend. Do not miss this opportunity. Almost all of us like music, cars, or motorcycles.

My wife and I have gone to the parade for many years. We usually sit on St. Louis Street. Many of the automobiles that are in the parade return each year. Some of the owners bring their cars from other states.

Springfield has become a destination for car enthusiasts from all over the world. Driving the original path of Route 66 is a tradition for many. According to Bobby Troup’s song “Get Your Kicks on Route 66,” runs from Chicago to L.A. and is more than two thousand miles. This song came out in 1946 and was recorded originally by Nat King Cole.

The cities mentioned in the song are Chicago, St. Louis, Joplin, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Gallop, Flagstaff, Winona, Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles. Springfield is not mentioned. Troup and his wife were driving from Pennsylvania to California. They began on Route 40. In Chicago, they changed to 66, and the song was renamed, and the lyrics spoke of the last half of the trip.

Bobby’s first song was “Baby, Baby, All the Time” recorded by Nat King Cole in 1946, the same year “Route 66” came out. Some of his other songs were “Feeling of Jazz” by Duke Ellington, “It happened once before” by The Four Freshmen, “Lonely Girl”, “Meaning of the Blues”, and “Now You Know.”

One of my favorite facts about Bobby Troup is the TV series “Emergency” that he and his then-wife Julie London starred in. This show was filmed and set in Los Angeles. I think it is fun to watch these episodes now and think of how his career began with this song that he wrote shortly after traveling through my hometown.

The TV show Route 66 was first aired in 1960. Martin Milner and George Maharis play two friends who are driving a Corvette. Not all the episodes feature the highway known as Route 66. Milner went on to star in “Adam-12” which was produced by the same people who brought us “Emergency.”

Springfield is considered the birthplace of the mother road because the suggestion of the designation for the US highway that would travel from Chicago to California and travel through Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and end in California was suggested by businessmen in the Springfield area. The first notification came via telegram to them at the Colonial Hotel in downtown Springfield, Missouri.

I hope this background helps you while you enjoy the festival. Get your kicks on Route 66 as you share the things that you like whether it is music, cars, or motorcycles. Stop by the museums and read up on the history. Just because you haven’t lived here all your life doesn’t mean you can’t learn something new.

Where were you: 1974?

August 9, 2022

On this day in 1974, I was in Springfield, Missouri preparing to transfer to Southwest Baptist College. The Bolivar college was my choice to continue my education after accepting the call to ministry. My original plan had been to enter the Journalism school at MU in Columbia.

What is so special about this date in that year was that it was the day President Nixon resigned. Gerald Ford was sworn in as president of the United States. For those of you who were not around then, I will fill you in.

Spiro T. Agnew had been sworn in as VP when Richard Nixon and he won the 1972 election. This team had been re-elected after serving in 1969. Agnew had resigned over his own scandal and been replaced by Ford in 1973. That placed the former senator into a position to become the only president to not be elected as either Vice President or President.

During the 1974 presidential campaign, there was a break-in at a hotel in Washington, D.C. The Democratic National Committee Office was the target. Some of Nixon’s campaign staff were involved. It was discovered that the Oval Office in the White House was subject to the recording of audio. These tapes were subpoenaed for the investigations and trials of those being charged with the burglary.

Richard Nixon was referred to as King Richard by some and just as rumors were rampant about Franklin Roosevelt not wanting to leave the elected office. It seems that our two-party political system has gotten out of control. President Johnson that succeeded Lincoln after his assassination was the first to be tried for impeachment.

Since Nixon resigned it seems that we have a lot of politicians that push the limits of what is acceptable in our legal system. We no longer allow elected officials to sweep things under the rug. Both the Demicans and Republicrats have those members that consider themselves above the law.

The supporters of former President Trump who claim that the investigation of the attack on the capital is political in nature have nothing on President Nixon’s supporters. It was said that only Democrats were upset over the Watergate affair. As the cover-up was discovered, even Republicans had to admit that the country could not accept this kind of action by either party.

President Nixon stopped the draft just in time to keep me from having to deal with the draft board. He is still my favorite president because of that. Will those who believed Donald Trump was a good president admit that he was at least complicit in the attempt to overthrow a legally elected administration? If it is determined that he should be censored or imprisoned for encouraging the attack, they will do what was done for Nixon as soon as they retake the presidency.

This is my problem with political parties. Many believe their party members can do no wrong. They are the first to condemn the other party’s officials for the same type of infraction. Drunk driving, deaths in traffic accidents, adulterous acts, spousal abuse, and even child abuse accusations cross the aisles in our government houses.

We all have seen these types of situations represented in TV series. No producers ever deal with the problem of political parties in the same manner that we see on the network news reports. Which will be the first network to air a made-for-TV movie that replicates the January 6^th events?

Covid has made it into the TV schedules last season. We should see an influx of programs that feature political turmoil and attempts to overthrow our government by groups inside our own borders. Remember that this isn’t the first time politicians have disappointed us. We survived Watergate and Teapot Dome. We’ll survive January 6^th, 2001.

A Living Document Part 1

July 31, 2022

Here I am. It is three in the morning. I was sleeping soundly until a bodily function encouraged me to awake. When I returned to bed my mind was turning over the events of yesterday and here I am. I had to sit with my computer and talk to you about my thoughts. I am not sure when or if you will read this. I begin this morning and when I believe I have expressed myself clearly, I may share it with you. Or I may not.

That is the lot of a writer. I learned over fifty years ago not to publish something too quickly. Thank you, Miss Backlund. I still remember that day when you returned the article to me and asked me to hold it for a few days and decide if I wanted to change anything about it. I did and the result was a better piece. I continue to do that.

Emotions are flowing because of the Supreme Court decision reversing Rowe vs. Wade, the passing of legislation to change gun laws nationwide, and the continuing trial of a former President. It isn’t really a trial. Only a Congressional hearing on the January sixth, 2021, attack on the Capital building.

Currently, I want to state that I am Pro-Choice. What does that mean? For me, it means that I believe a woman has the right to decide if she should have a child. This decision should be made before she has sex. Not after she is pregnant. This is my opinion, and I don’t care if you agree with me or not. Opinions are like noses. We all have them, and you can change yours if you want. Someday I may decide to change mine. My opinion, not my nose.

I am also Pro-Life. I am not anti-abortion. Don’t call me that. I will define that term for myself, also. I agree with the words in The Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident. That all men (and women) are created equal. That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. That among these rights are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

After this document was written and signed by the Continental Congress we fought for our freedom from England. And, if you weren’t listening in class that day, we won. Our Constitution was drafted and approved years later. It was decided to add amendments to it to spell out other rights of the states and individuals. In 1973 The Supreme Court of the “United States” determined that state laws prohibiting abortion were not Constitutional. This is the main function they have. They are educated in our laws and documents and should be able to decide what is correct and what is not.

At that time many learned men and women thought those men, yes, they were all men at that time, had made a mistake. Almost fifty years later the court overturned that determination and gave the states back the right to make their own laws concerning abortion. In 1973 I read The Constitution and the decision by those men. I did not find what they thought they had found. My interpretation was with the minority group of judges.

The Constitution has not been changed since then. This court made their decision about another case and determined to correct the error that they believe was made. I believed it as a college student, and I still believe that the child in its mother should be protected by our laws. If I am wrong, we need to amend The Constitution. Contact your state legislators to start that process.

Why do I say that I am Pro-Life and not anti-abortion? I think that the mother and her doctor should have the ability to decide if the pregnancy should continue. I would like to say the mother and the father should make that decision. Sometimes they would disagree and the one whose life is in danger should have the final say. Fortunately, my wife and I never had to make that kind of decision.

I know a family that did. They were told that the baby had some defects and would not live long after it was born. The mother’s life could be in danger as well. They decided to continue the pregnancy. The mom believed that God was telling her to trust Him, and He would take care of her and the child. Her husband agreed and the little girl was born some months later.

She is no longer little. She is a grown woman with children of her own. Her parents made the decision that was best for the three of them. I understand if you do not have that kind of faith. I am not sure that I do either.

I’m in marketing, you want management

July 30, 2022

I began my career as a full-time gospel minister in the 1970s. I have been studying and learning my trade for over four decades. When I think about where I was then, I am amazed at how little I knew. As I ponder my entry into the presence of God, at the time of my death, in another forty or fifty years, I consider how small my grasp of who God really is. At that time, I will be introduced to Him by those same people who taught me about him sixty years ago.

When I started my journey through God’s word, I was in my teens. My life of service and ministry has taught me a great deal. Years ago, a friend asked me why God did certain things. The question was about why bad things happen to good people. I did not know the answer. I still do not understand everything about Jehovah. My answer to these inquiries is the same as on that day. “I’m in marketing, you want management.”

The ones who are in the upper echelon of every Christian denomination should use the same response. Even the Pope is a representative of Jesus Christ and not the head of the church. We forget that. We try to defend Yahweh and His actions. That is not our job. Our job is to explain what we find in the Bible. I do need to explain to you why things happen the way they do in our world today.

Those are the things that I am still learning from the scriptures. He tells us who He is and why He must work the way He does. My job is to listen to what He says and share those thoughts with you. My ideas are not original. Many others can tell you exactly what I am saying. I may express it differently from others.

Your job is to take what I and other ministers or scholars tell you and check the Bible to be sure we know the Lord the way He reveals himself in the Word. You do not want to believe in Him because of incorrect information. One of the first things I must tell you are some of the things that He will not do when you become a born-again believer.

As a salesman in the secular world, my job was to promote the products I sold. My employer was wrong if he or she wanted me to lie about the advantages of those items. To be able to tell them what it would do and what it would not do I had to study the information that was provided about it. I read specification sheets, technical data sheets, and catalogs. I even looked at them being used by customers and in some cases used them myself to understand how they performed. I have done exactly that for over fifty years with God.

You will not become perfect. That means you will continue to sin. Jesus tells us He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I have learned that if you do not believe this, you are in trouble. If you miss the straight and narrow way He spoke of, you miss Heaven which is where He lives. Not following the Truth means you are following lies. Missing Life will end in eternal death.

This death is a complete separation from Jehovah. Have you felt an emptiness in your soul? Do you ever feel like you are spiritually dead? Our Lord said that we must be born again. That is because the human spirit died in the garden when the original people disobeyed God. You want a life with Him not death without Him.

What does independence mean?

July 24, 2022

The fourth of July has come and gone. July 4, 1776 is the day that The Declaration of Independence was signed by the Continental Congress. The name of the holiday is Independence Day. This group of men knew that attaching their names to this letter could mean the loss of everything including their lives.

Let’s look at the highlights of this document. It begins with why the thirteen colonies needed to separate themselves from Britain. The first reason is the fact that we all should have life, liberty, and the right to pursue our own happiness. The government can be replaced when it fails to do its job.

There is a long list of violations of these rights. They end the statement of abuse by pledging lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the fight for these rights. After the war was finished in the favor of the colonies they attempted to survive alone and realized that they needed to remain working as one unit.

They were attempting to do something that had never been done before. Each of these thirteen governments knew they could be picked off one at a time by the Brits or some other country.

The Constitutional Convention was formed, and a new organization is devised to join these separate governments under one umbrella. Something they all wanted to do was maintain the ability to make certain laws for themselves. These were referred to as State’s Rights.

The name the United States of America was intended to show this arrangement. When you read our Constitution, you will see that many compromises were made to satisfy the individual purposes of states or other groups. The three branches of the Federal Government were created to solve perceived problems with other national forms of governing.

The President, who is the chief executive, has the final say before a law can become effective. Congress and the Senate can overturn a veto. The number of votes to do this is more than those needed to pass the bill the first time.

The legislature, congress and senate, are responsible for passing the bills that become laws. The president can recommend laws as can individual members. Committees look at these and make changes or prevent these bills from being voted on. Congress represents a member from groups that are similar in population. Each state has only two Senators. This was a compromise. What happens when these two branches attempt to violate the Constitution?

That is the job of the Supreme Court. They are the watchdog of our three-tier system. Nine judges are appointed by the President and approved by the Senate. These men and women have no authority to do anything except determine the constitutionality of what the State governments, the Congress, and the President does. If they step out of line the President and congress can replace those who have violated their responsibility to interpret the constitution. This only happens when they die or resign.

You may have two more opportunities to celebrate the independence we enjoy in these states united into one nation. In Missouri, we will have our primary election in August. We all will vote for congressional representatives, one-third of the Senators, and many state and local candidates. Don’t forget to get out and vote.

Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Walk With a Servant

Category: Tangents