Chinese NewYear: RABBIT

CHINA ENTERS THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2011

Rush Limbaugh, he of the golden microphone and chairman of all things looney, tried out his Chinese on his radio program last month. It just happened to be the day President Hu Jintao of the People’s Republic of China visited the United States.

Limbaugh said: “When I hear Chinese or Japanese, it sounds like all the same word. And I can't comprehend anybody understanding it."

Then he began squawking a string of noises that were his idea of what Chinese sounds like. It was as far from any language sounds known to man. It was an embarrassment to everyone but the man spouting it. The man now Senator Al Franken called Rush Limbaugh “a big fat idiot,” in his 1996 book of the same title.

Spoken and written Chinese is far older than any of the varieties of today’s English. It is easier to learn and far more beautiful to be made a parody. Limbaugh, never known to apologize for anything, may think it is satire, but his remark and attitude is the lowest burlesque, lampoon spoof.

When anyone refers to “Red China,” you know they are not knowledgeable and still fear “the yellow peril” which was so prevalent during the late 19th century. It was the West’s fear of the mysterious, unknowable Orientals. (At the turn of the 20th century such fear of the Chinese and Japanese was just as misguided as the fear of Muslims today.)

Just the other day, Feb. 3, was the first day of the Chinese New Year. The Year of the Tiger is behind us and the year of the Rabbit is here. Twelve year cycles represented by an animal has been a tradition in China for thousands of years. It is estimated our year of 2011 is the Year 4708 by the Chinese Calendar.

The Chinese New Year begins on the second New Moon after the winter solstice. It is based on astronomical observations, making it easy to calculate backward or forward for thousands of years.

It is really the only holiday for everybody. It is a time to honor the household and heavenly deities. It is also a time to honor their ancestors.

In 1912, with the birth of the Republic of China (now on Taiwan) the Western calendar was recognized as the formal beginning of the year. But the traditional Chinese New Year continued with a new name – Spring Festival.

In preparation for the lunar New Year, cleaning house and yard were meant to appease the gods who would be coming down from heaven to make inspections. (See more about this in my book, “Lao She, Master Storyteller.”)
People posted scrolls printed with lucky messages on household gates and set off firecrackers to frighten evil spirits. Elders gave out money to children.
In the 1580s, Italian Matteo Ricci and some Jesuit missionaries brought the western Gregorian calendar to China. Beginning in 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong (1893-1976), head of the Chinese Communist Party and founder of the People’s Republic of China, stopped the celebrations of the traditional Chinese New Year. There was little food or joy to celebrate anyway until his death. In 1996 the Spring Festival became a weeklong vacation. In the old days it was a month long celebration.
As with all things the Spring Festival’s traditions have changed with the opening to the West and the coming of color television. It is a time when more attend operas, eat out, but still visit family and friends.
We observed the celebration many times in Taiwan and Hong Kong back half a century ago. I am glad we got a taste of the old as well as the new. With the growth of Chinatowns in America (even Houston has street names in Chinese characters as well as English in the western suburbs), it is time for Americans to re-think their attitude and understanding of peoples of the world.
This past couple of decades has been a year of better understanding between the Chinese from Taiwan and those from the Mainland. Now, let’s have more of that on the government sides, Taiwan, China and the United States. Happy New Year of the Rabbit.

Perils of the Whistleblower

Whistleblowers: Setting things right

Our country has a whistleblower law that protects anyone reporting illegal or law-breaking in government and corporations and the non-profits. The action of the whistle-blower is correcting wrong and hurtful actions. Setting things right.

It is known as the “Whistleblower Act” and prohibits retaliation against employees who report official wrongdoing. Those exposed cannot terminate the person, or take any adverse action against them.

The most common types of fraud include Medicare and Medicaid, pharmaceutical, defense contractor and cheating (defrauding) on the payment of taxes.

We rally around those who uncover such crimes and value the brave men and women with the backbone, fearless guts to go public with the matter.

Far too often the whistleblower is blown out of the water by the powers that be in government or in the business world. We’ve read how hard it was to get tobacco barons to admit they added nicotine and lied about other matters when confronted.

For the last five years, India has such a law. It is called the “Right to Information Act.” Such a step of progress in the laws of India is to be applauded. There is one problem: it is filled with difficulties there just as it is in the United States.

Amit Jethwa of Kodinar, India, knew the Act allows citizens to demand almost any government information. The law helps the people stop petty crime and corruption, having to pay a bribe for almost everything.

Amit Jethwa had just left his lawyer’s office after discussing the lawsuit he filed about an illicit limestone quarry run by local politicians. He was shot dead by men on a motorbike, guns blazing.

Reports say at leas a dozen have been killed since the “Right to Information Act” law was enacted. Jethwa had so much information of 55 illegal quarries which led to a powerful member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party was involved. Justice is in the process of prevailing. The Parliamentarian is charged with hiring a contract killer to kill Jethwa.

Most of whistleblowers in our country do not often face that fierce an opponent, but they seldom see justice. They are out-gunned with high-pocket lawyers, corrupt officials and all kind of semi-legalized bends in the road in their challenge to bring out the truth and teach the powerful a lesson.

In this week’s Orange County Register the question was ask “Which Mystery Senator Killed the Whistleblower Bill?” The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA) – a bill that would have strengthened protections for federal employees – was killed by one senator’s decision to place an anonymous hold on the legislation during the last day of the 2010 congressional session.

Lindsay Bigda writes in the newspaper’s report: “The WPEA would have helped federal whistleblowers like Robert MacLean – a former federal air marshal who blew the whistle on a cost-cutting plan to remove marshals from long-haul flights – by giving them access to regular courts.”

The perils of those who believe in the work of the whistleblowers of the world beware. Your work is not going to get easier, especially when a senator, anonymous and a coward, can hinder progress of “setting things straight.”

Limbaugh Disrespects Chinese

Chinese character for Spring

CHINA ENTERS THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT



Rush Limbaugh, he of the golden microphone and chairman of all things looney, tried out his Chinese on his radio program last month. It just happened to be the day President Hu Jintao of the People’s Republic of China visited the United States.

Limbaugh said: “When I hear Chinese or Japanese, it sounds like all the same word. And I can't comprehend anybody understanding it."

Then he began squawking a string of noises that were his idea of what Chinese sounds like. It was as far from any language sounds known to man. It was an embarrassment to everyone but the man spouting it. The man now Senator Al Franken called Rush Limbaugh “a big fat idiot,” in his 1996 book of the same title.

Spoken and written Chinese is far older than any of the varieties of today’s English. It is easier to learn and far more beautiful to be made a parody. Limbaugh, never known to apologize for anything, may think it is satire, but his remark and attitude is the lowest burlesque, lampoon spoof.

When anyone refers to “Red China,” you know they are not knowledgeable and still fear “the yellow peril” which was so prevalent during the late 19th century. It was the West’s fear of the mysterious, unknowable Orientals. (At the turn of the 20th century such fear of the Chinese and Japanese was just as misguided as the fear of Muslims today.)

Feb. 3, 2011 is the first day of the Chinese New Year. The Year of the Tiger is leaving us and the year of the Rabbit is here. Twelve year cycles represented by an animal has been a tradition in China for thousands of years. It is estimated our year of 2011 is the Year 4708 by the Chinese Calendar.

The Chinese New Year begins on the second New Moon after the winter solstice. It is based on astronomical observations, making it easy to calculate backward or forward for thousands of years.

It is really the only holiday for everybody. It is a time to honor the household and heavenly deities. It is also a time to honor their ancestors.

In 1912, with the birth of the Republic of China (now on Taiwan) the Western calendar was recognized as the formal beginning of the year. But the traditional Chinese New Year continued with a new name – Spring Festival.

In preparation for the lunar New Year, cleaning house and yard were meant to appease the gods who would be coming down from heaven to make inspections. (See more about this in my book, “Lao She, Master Storyteller.”)
People posted scrolls printed with lucky messages on household gates and set off firecrackers to frighten evil spirits. Elders gave out money to children.

In the 1580s, Italian Matteo Ricci and some Jesuit missionaries brought the western Gregorian calendar to China. Beginning in 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong (1893-1976), head of the Chinese Communist Party and founder of the People’s Republic of China, stopped the celebrations of the traditional Chinese New Year. There was little food or joy to celebrate anyway until his death. In 1996 the Spring Festival became a weeklong vacation. In the old days it was a month long celebration.

As with all things the Spring Festival’s traditions have changed with the opening to the West and the coming of color television. It is a time when more attend operas, eat out, but still visit family and friends.
We observed the celebration many times in Taiwan and Hong Kong back half a century ago. I am glad we got a taste of the old as well as the new. With the growth of Chinatowns in America (even Houston has street names in Chinese characters as well as English in the western suburbs), it is time for Americans to re-think their attitude and understanding of peoples of the world.

This past couple of decades has been a year of better understanding between the Chinese from Taiwan and those from the Mainland. Now, let’s have more of that on the government sides, Taiwan, China and the United States. Happy New Year of the Rabbit.

--30—

Britt Towery, local resident, spent 35 years in Asia, His e-mail: bet@suddenlink.net

Bachmann heads off Palin

Thoughts on ladies of the right

Few girls that can hold a candle to half-term Alaska governor Sarah Palin, but there is one who is catching up. Not the Nevada women who wanted to settle problems using the Second Amendment. Not the one who wanted to use chickens to pay doctors like in the old days. Not the one who claimed she was not a witch.

Not Michelle Malkin (née Maglalang) the American conservative blogger and political commentator, though she backs any person who ever misspoke. President Barack Obama is not her favorite leader of the free world. All these ladies get time with Shawn Hannity because of his softball questions.

(In advance of Sarah Palin’s interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Slate’s David Weigel proposed a new definition to the neologism “Hannitize”: “to clean up a messy situation with a softball interview.” Hannity is the go-to interviewer for right-wing women and men following a scandal or controversy.)

But the one character that is doing her best to “out do” Ms. Plain and take over the spotlight of ego-driven politicians is Representative Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., the de-facto promoter of one of the Tea Party groups.
Ms. Bachmann claimed in a speech last month that she left the Democratic Party and became a Republican because she was horrified by the portrayal of the Founding Fathers in Gore Vidal's 1973 historical novel “Burr.” "I reached out to the 85-year-old author. Called the novel a “snotty book,” she said.

Gore Vidal’s portrait of our Founding Fathers in “Burr” is a historical novel. It emerged during the mayhem of the Civil Rights Movement; controversy over the War with Vietnam; followed closely by President Richard Nixon’s resignation. It was a time when the government’s image was one few trusted. Vidal said it was that way with the Founding Fathers. They were human just as we are, filled with jealousies, agendas and disgust of one another. This surprised some readers but not to the extent it seems to have had on Ms. Bachmann in her Freshmen college experience.

She boasts of how that trashy book by Gore Vidal made her storm out of the Democratic Party and unite with “God’s Own Party.”

Not so very much longer through an assistant, Vidal offered a written statement in response to Ms. Bachmann tirade. He wrote her: "She is too stupid to deserve an answer."

I have yet to hear Ms. Bachmann’s thoughts on Michelle Obama, but the right-wing media attacked the First Lady for wearing a red dress to the White House State Dinner last week. It was their opinion Ms. Obama wore a read dress to, honor "Commie Red China." The right wing has a history of seeing political messages in Michelle Obama and other administration figures' attire.

Some of Ms. Bachmann’s best, listed by various writers, are: Sen. Harry Reid is trying to get kids gambling early. There is an African American genocide going on in this country. Her extreme love of Mountain Dew is weird.
Ms. Bachmann earned CNN's "Wingnut of the Year" title for all the inane things she said in 2009, especially this Sean Hannity-enabled quote: "Where tyranny is enforced upon the people, as Barack Obama is doing, the people suffer and mourn." She went on to declare President Obama is in bed with terrorists. Her paranoia runs deep.
And the folks of her Minnesota district keep on re-electing her to Congress. I always thought Minnesotans were elegant and neat like the Garrison Keller.

Now she is making plans to run for president in 2012. I wish her well, it will be entertaining on the campaign trail to hear more of her astute perceptions on how to save America.

This is a good time to add a bit of levity to this week’s opinion piece. My old buddy, Dr. George R. Wilson, Jr., former president of the Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary, sent me a birthday card that was probably written with me in mind: “You’re not really old till you pick up the remote control --- hold it to your ear and wait for the dial tone.”

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U.S. Constitution ratification book

Ratification of the U.S Constitution

The making a Constitution for the United States of America traveled and travailed through the 13 original colonies, 1787 to 1788. The individual states worked on hundreds of drafts, proposals and revisions before they molded what we have today.

The meetings were not closed door discussions or backroom huddles of a few. In every state the conferences were open to the public to hear what the elected delegates discussed. These were not like the off-the-wall “town hall meetings” of last summer. In 1787 there were no political parties.

After a year of meetings, each state voted for or against ratification of the document. That took time also, for a letter from Richmond to New York City could sometimes take two weeks.

Americans are showing an increased interest in the U.S. Constitution. Most of the talk is among extremist, left and right . There are those who want a “return” to the Constitution’s original intent. This desire by some to understand the original intent of the 18th century is a good thing. But we do not want to return to the original aims.

“Restoring” this nation to its original aims would not answer today’s problems.

Going back is not the answer to anything. Such reverse thinking cannot restore our liberties. Mainly because our liberties are still as vibrant as in the original days. It is not as simple as restoring a Rembrandt. Restoring a work of art brings out the color and brush strokes. Restoring words of an ancient written document, replacing or rephrasing 18th century ideas with 21st century, would be the beginning of the end.

Andreas Teuber of Brandeis University writes: “The Constitution is open to interpretation, after all, it does not wear its meaning on its face, … The series of commentaries it has generated rival the voluminous studies on the Bible and the Talmud as well as those on the most commented upon of all texts, the plays of William Shakespeare.”

What is unique about the American Constitution and what distinguishes it from its European counterparts is that it was, in Thomas Paine's famous definition: "not the act of a government, but of a people constituting a government."

Exploring interpretive maneuvers of a “return” to the original is not wise nor practical. Could it not be true that the authors wrote it in such a way that their original intentions would not determine its meaning?

Possibly the Framers drafted the text in such a way as to leave little trace of their concrete proposals or substantive intentions. This could be part of the special and enduring feature of the Constitution. The document is not a God-delivered or ordained sacred record.

Our country and government are still, after all these years, a surprise to much of the world. It looked to the 18th century man as an experiment with little hope of working. No one, especially the British, saw it as a few peasants trying out an unheard and unwieldy system. The kings and queens of Europe saw their divine right as kings and queens in danger.

A new, detailed book on the events of 1877-1878 is by MIT history professor Pauline Maier. The book is fascinating reading filled with the drama, pros and cons of those men who are unknown to history. Her book, “Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788” is a good addition to American history.

The Prologue to the U.S. Constitute is pure poetry: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.”

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

With apologies Pastor Bumpus

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVEN IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT.

With a hoarse and sore throat and a head that felt twice its size from a month-long cold, I stayed home from worship services last Sunday

All the doctor could tell me was I didn’t have the flu. So with that assurance I stumbled on toward Christmas, wishing January would come quickly. The old wives’ tale says nothing cures a cold, just wait it out. It will be gone before the week’s out. I was longing for January as it became evident one week was not chasing away this demon of a cold.

With all the strength I could muster I turned on our television and dialed cable number three last Sunday. Jody (she caught the cold also) and I sat on our sofa and watched the 10:30 morning service from the First Baptist Church of San Angelo.

Pastor Mark Bumpus’s sermon was not just for Sunday, but for every day of the week. Like most preachers know “church” is not just a Sunday thing. Sunday only starts a week with God, if we so choose. A church visitor ask an usher “when does the service begin?” Christian service, replied the usher, begins right after the sermon.

The scripture was from the Old Testament, Isaiah 41:10. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

With apologies to Pastor Bumpus, I thought it wise to go through the week with this first 2011 column. The scripture from Isaiah has an encouraging word for every day of the week. Each day’s word:

SUNDAY, God is reminding us to not be afraid. None of us know what a day or even a week can bring, but “fear not.”

MONDAY, God explains “fear not,” by assuring us that He is our God. One of the primary teachings of the Christmas just past is “Emmanuel”—God with us, even on “blue” Mondays.

TUESDAY, do not be worried, anxious or troubled about events near and far, for once again God is ever-present. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He is even closer when trouble rears its ugly head.

WEDNESDAY, He assures us of the fact He is still with us in the middle of the week. “I am your God!” means we are in a personal relationship, not some spiritual “feeling.” You can’t go so far that He is not there.

THURSDAY: “I will strengthen you!” If ever a sentence demanded an exclamation point, it is this one. “Wait upon the Lord, who renews your strength” (Isaiah 49:31). America, like Israel, should know God is our strength, not a strong military.

FRIDAY, God is not just a spectator, but the only reliable one to help us. We need lots of help as the week ends, for often find our work is not finished. He helps us when under pressure.

SATURDAY, not only is there strength and help in time of need, but His righteousness is always underneath. His righteous right hand keeps us from wandering. We will not slip through his fingers.

For the many who are facing unemployment; death of a loved one; fear of death itself; disappointment in others; loved ones in prison or twisted with doubts: remember that God has not forgotten you.
“Let shadows come, let shadows go, let life be bright or dark with woe; I am content, for this I know, Thou thinkest, Lord, of me.”

I’ve read many 19th century newspapers. A majority of them printed a local sermon each week. Reporters took notes and printed a summary (when short of news, sometimes the whole sermon). If well done, they informed and blessed the readers. Back in great-grandfather Argyle C. Towery’s day there was no television for the homebound. (Somewhat of a blessing in disguise.) Argyle was also great-grandfather of a Texas Pulitzer winner, Ken Towery.
For the New Year may all your sniffles and colds be little ones.