A Word from Brock

Okay, this is sort of a breach in blogging protocol, but I'm posting something that's not my own. It's a little tidbit Brock wrote today that is amazing. Inflammatory, yes. But still. I think it's something people need to hear. The title of it is . . .

"I supported Prop 8...you got a problem with that?"

I'm going to be straight-forward. My wife is very articulate. She has a way with words. I do not. I write short, simple sentences. So bear with me.

I supported Prop 8--the amendment to the California State Constitution defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Why? Because gay marriage is wrong. Simply put.

I'm not going to sit here like some of my friends and say I supported the measure because of "what it would allow them to teach our children in schools," or that "it would force churches to marry same-sex couples." And I will NOT say, "I don't mind if they get married, but I worry about this and this..." To me, that's all a smoke screen. It's relativism. And it's wrong.

Gay marriage is wrong. It's immoral. It's disgusting. It's unnatural. And it's not what God, nor our founding fathers, had in mind when they created this wonderful nation.

But there is something sinking into our generation that will be the downfall of this country I love: Relativism.

I'm sick of relativism. You know, the new philosophy of "it's okay, as long as it is right for you...it's all relative." No. There is right and there is wrong. If you don't believe that, I suggest you wake up from the rosy-colored dream-state you're in. There are two sides. And same-sex marriage is wrong. It's all about values. Do we continue to let this country sink deeper and deeper into the pit of immorality? Do we hide our beliefs and let the minority of this country step on the majority simply because we are "afraid to offend?" What is happening to us?

The greatest generation of this country is dying. One by one, they are taking their experiences with the Great Depression, WWII, the Korean Way, and Vietnam with them. My wife's grandfather was one of them. He made us all look like snobs. When his country called him to WWII, he went dutifully. And when they called him again for Korea, he was there. No questions asked. There is not an ounce of his bravery in our generation, people. We are weak, conceited, self-centered, and narcissistic. We care so much about "fulfilling our desires" and "finding ourselves" that we forget about our duty to our family, religion, and country.

Duty. This is a word that brought pride to the souls of people like Kristi's grandpa, Reese Kern. They fulfilled their mission. They finished the task. The won the battles, and they went to work.

But let's not kid ourselves. They had passions like you and me. But they were tought to suppress them, bridle them, until the right time and conditions were met. And they were happy because of it.

My generation is a free-for-all. We don't care about our neighbor. We don't care that pre-marital sex leads to broken homes, orphaned children, and misery. We don't care that marrying same-sex couples is a slap in the face to all those who fought and died before us.

What's that you say? "But, Brock, they fought and died for our right to do it! Marrying gays is honoring them!"

You're wrong.

They fought for freedom--the freedom to live in a peaceful, moral, value-based society--not the right for you to do whatever indecent, immoral, ridiculous thing you want. They didn't fight for you to waste your time away watching porn, drinking booze, and satisfying every obscene passion you have. They fought for values. Family. Religion. God. Pride.

And what have you done with those values? You have insulted them, degraded them, made them the butt of your jokes. You spit on everything that's moral. If you ask me, my generation is a disgrace. Too much "me me me." Too much facebook. Too much talking back to professors. Too much texting. Too much atheism. Too much relativism.

The time has come for those of you who feel like I do to stand up. I will not be ruled by a shrewdly vocal minority. We will unite, and together we will give the greatest generation something to be proud of.

Farewell to a Cowboy

for my mother

I’ve heard people say a few times here and there
An old adage that maybe you know—
A piece of advice for cowpokes who step up
And face enemies toe-to-toe.

“It ain’t the size of the man in the fight,
It’s the size of the fight in the man.”
But no man can knock out the mortal result
Of our Heavenly Father’s plan.

You can battle and brawl till you’re red in the face,
You can holler and scream till you’re hoarse;
It’ll all be in vain, take a breath, let it be—
Don’t swim upstream of eternity’s course.

Sure, it ain’t fair and it’s rough and it’s mean
When a loved one is taken away;
You put your head in your hands as the tears start to fall
When you realize they’ve seen their last day.

There’s no more tomorrow’s or next time’s or later’s
No more hi’s or good bye’s or I loves you’s—
No more hoping for Death to forget his appointment
With the cowboy you can’t bear to lose.

But although your heart’s breakin’ and bleedin’ and sore
There’s a fact of which you can be certain:
Life doesn’t end after one’s final bow
When they vanish behind nature’s curtain.

You can bet that old wrangler of yours is still ridin’
Through heaven’s green pastures above—
Sittin’ high on his horse, smilin’ down on the earth,
Keepin’ watch over all those he loves.

Someday you’ll join him and pull on your boots
To embark on eternity’s trail ride.
Never again will you lack for a pardner,
Nor wander alone without guide.

But until that day comes, cowboy up! He’s alright—
And with time you’ll be alright, too.
Though your heart may be heavy, don’t you dare underrate
The size of the fight in you.

Reese S. Kern

1922-2008