Greetings, Positive Readers: Chaplain Mr. Positive here! I just thought I would say a few words about this crazy “world as it turns,” and I am not talking about the soap opera that comes on TV. [“As the World Turns” on CBS] I am talking about the world that is talked about in the “book instructions ’bout liberty every day.” To enquiring minds, I am talking about the Bible. I am not preaching, but trying to share an observation that there is nothing new under the sun. Before I go any further, I would like to share why I use this book as a reference source. For one reason, this book will empower one to free from society’s bonds and prisons of mental evils, if that person is a believer of the higher power that is able to deliver this power by a means called “faith.” The reason for my topic is the terrible condition of our youth’s behavior in educational system and society in general. Look at the news where [a student was looking at a] phone in class and being told to get off the phone by the teacher, the super and then, the police officer, and then, she gets injured. She was 16 years old, being disrespectful and keeping other students for learning. Then, we have another situation with a 16-ear-old boy that was fighting in the cafeteria and body-slams the principal, goes back to fight, and the principal gets up and goes back in to try to stop the fight. Another situation with an 11-year-old boy on the school bus throws something at the driver; the driver stops the bus to go confront the kid, the kid stands up to the driver and cusses the driver, the driver grabs the boy and shakes him to put him in the seat, gets back to drive the bus, calls the police and school about incident and the driver gets arrested. Who is the authority in these situations? Is there something wrong with this picture? Today, everything is in reverse. The youth tell school authority what they will or will not do. The parent is the kid, the congregation tells the church what religion is, the crooks tell the law and police what they can and can’t do, politicians are supposed to be for the people but that is in reverse — they are for themselves and money. People, we are being hoodwinked and bamboozled into being led like cattle to slaughter. We don’t have to agree on everything, but we have to agree that something has to change in this picture for us as a society to be able to grow as a country that offers the pursuit of liberty and justice for all. It is not just one race or ethnic group that is totally responsible. It is made up of people, of rich and poor, that are showing these behaviors. So, the blaming has got to stop. We veterans need to realize that our job to our country is not over just because we are not on active or are retired military, but we must come together to help our brother and sister veterans by mentoring when we can, to help heal even when the system falls short on their job. They are the same people running this system that have no real investment in us as veterans because most have not served, or had any of their own serve. We as veterans must come together in unity because this is done by human beings, not buildings and systems. There is much to be learned about this type of uniting for the improvement of humankind, because we truly are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, because if we do not work together to solve the problems of this society with hate, anger, drugs, mental illness, disrespect, crime, not being able to read, we will all sink together in the long run. So, as Rodney King once said, “Can’t we all just get along?” And as Nike says, “Just do it!” Have a positive day!

Chaplain Al Kraft Smyrna