The Greatest Generation

We are in very difficult financial times, and it is being fed by our fear. As the talk circulates about how bad things are it tends to make them worse. I was with a friend over the weekend looking at his new project. As he builds his new hotel he wonders if travelers will be coming to Tucson as they have in the past. We can’t predict the future with any accuracy, only God knows what will happen. But, as we have entered this period of economic turmoil how do we know that this is not a time of renewal and growth?

Have you read “The Greatest Generation” by Tom Brokaw? I have asked many of my friends if they have read the book, few have. Many have said “isn’t he a liberal?” Probably, but it is not reflected in the book. It is really a book that chronicles the lives of people that were part of the WWII generation, also known as “The Greatest Generation”. What we learn in the book through the lives of different people, from varied backgrounds with a shared history, is what molded their lives. We know that this generation was willing to sacrifice their lives, fortunes and families to fight the Nazi menace and the Japanese imperialists. They were molded and shaped by their shared experiences growing up in the Great Depression.

The depression built character in these ordinary people and gave them extraordinary strength and character. Brokaw tells the stories of people that couldn’t afford to feed their own families, yet they took in their neighbor’s kids when they were orphaned. Folks that lent a hand when they were weak and weary to a neighbor that needed it. Even though we have been told that crime is a result of poverty, we had a higher percentage of poor people during the Great Depression than at any time in our nations history yet the crime rate was much lower than today. Their faith grew in God as they were sorely tested by their circumstances. This experience built the character of the men and women that would then engage evil around the world and defeat it. We lost over 500,000 men in the war and many more times that were wounded and maimed.

There was a great story in the book about Joe Foss. Joe was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for shooting down a couple of dozen Japanese fighters. The marine pilot went on to be Governor of South Dakota, host a safari show and be the first commissioner of the AFL. It was because of Joe Foss that Brokaw was introduced to his profession (you’ll have to read the book). The book shared in great detail about Joe Foss’ Christian faith and his honor and duty to his country. Character formed through the crucible or pain during the depression.

But, what was it like before the Great Depression? You may have heard of the Roaring Twenties. This was a time of unbridled prosperity and decadence. Does that sound familiar? I think we have been experiencing the roaring 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. I don’t know how long the economic downturn we are in will last. I don’t think it will end soon. Perhaps this is a time when we should be reflecting about the things that are really important instead of what is happening to our 401K’s? This could be a time of great growth in character, honor, duty and commitment if we will seize the moment. We are told in the scripture that if we will humble ourselves, begin to pray and seek his face that the Lord will heal our land. In spite of our prosperity we have allowed evil to grow in our midst. Maybe our selfishness will give way to self sacrifice again.

Rio Nuevo

Recently we interviewed Jonathan Payton (Arizona State Senator) on KVOI and he was asked by John C. Scott if Tucson should lose the funding for Rio Nuevo because of the economic crisis the state is in and the apparent financial mismanagement of the funds by our officials. His answer was vague at best. He said that under the current crisis everything was being scrutinized. If we lose the funding for Rio Nuevo what will become of our inner city? Some, like Richard Studwell a former city development department employee, believe it might be a good wake up call. If the city was forced to deal with financial realities and perhaps privatize some of the projects and allow business participation on others then it would save tax payer dollars and the project will get done.

There is a balance between the public and the private sector that is very delicate. Too little government control, (where elected officials turning a blind eye because of the flow of contributions into their coffers), is dangerous. We have seen this played out recently at the federal level where democrat congressional leaders took their eye off the ball because of contributions from Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac (and the noble objective to provide home ownership opportunities). The Republicans also were negligent because the housing industry and the banks were fattening their coffers. Both parties failed to regulate an industry that was bound to fail unless housing values continued to tick up at historically (and unsustainable) high rates.

Too much government control and growth screeches to a halt and entrepreneurial spirit is quenched. In Newt's new book "Real Change" he shows what can happen when a city does just that. The example he uses is Detroit. Detroit has shrunk from over 1.5 million residents to 800,000. The democratically controlled city rules what is left of the roost with an iron hand that stifles any opportunity. They even turned down a gift to establish charter schools because the teachers union opposed it. What is sad is that they graduate less than 50% of the students in the Detroit public school system, and the charter schools graduate 95%! Because of their fear of losing control, they take away the academic opportunity of the people they should be serving.

Our city wants to completely control the redevelopment of downtown Tucson. This scares off serious players from participating. A top level business person told me today that he believes Tucson will become like Detroit. We will be ringed with successful, thriving communities like Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and Vail. I believe this would be tragic. We need to encourage our city council to do work with the business community and look at selling off city property to qualified developers. This would be the best thing for our community.

First Black President

We had a very interesting program this week at Business Fellowship (sponsored by Pinnacletucson.com). Dana Cooper, host of Inside Business on KGUN 9, did an interview with Pastor Warren Anderson of Living Waters Ministry. Pastor Anderson is a former U of A basketball player (late 60’s) and has been pastoring in Tucson for over 20 years. The questions posed to him were about how he felt as an African American pastor about the election of Barack Obama as our president. The folks attending the luncheon were Christian business people of a more conservative bent. His answers were very interesting and revealing. He commented on how excited he was to see a black man running for the highest office in the world. It would have been just as exciting for him if it was Colin Powell, or Condoleezza Rice, it was the historic nature of the election.

The election of Mr. Obama proved that there was nothing holding black people back from full inclusion in our country. Pastor Anderson’s wife commented that now when they visit black men in prison and they say that “the man” is holding them down, they can point to the President and say “that’s not true”. It also means for young black children that they now have a role model and can know that in our country anything is possible if you work hard enough. But, what about abortion and other moral issues? Hasn’t Mr. Obama been extremely pro-abortion and very liberal on homosexuality and other moral issues? That was very troubling to the Anderson’s. They said that they believe that the president elect is a Christian, although an infant in the faith, and that they will be praying to God for Mr. Obama and seeking influence as Christians in his decisions.

Well we know the Bible commands us in 1 Timothy to pray for the Kings, and those in authority over us, so that makes sense. What about Jeremiah Wright? Interestingly enough Pastor Warren had mixed feelings about him. Rev. Wright has spoken many times at their convention (Baptist) and always brought a clear Gospel message. He never heard him preach on liberation theology or anything like the radical G** Damn America message we saw broadcast. He questioned whether he had drifted in his theology, or whether he made an isolated mistake out of frustration that has been spun by political operatives.

This talk created great discussion and dialogue among those that attended. I think what is important, just like on this web site, is that we have an open dialogue in this country about race, politics, religion etc. It is this kind of dialogue that leads to the truth. We should never fear open discussion about what we believe unless we are afraid that what we hold to is not true. This is the essence of what the First Amendment is all about, that congress should not prohibit the free exercise or religion or freedom of speech. It is this freedom that we enjoy that enables us to have this “town hall” on the internet. I believe it is what the founders intended to create a more perfect union. Agree or disagree this is one of the things that makes America different and great!

In God We Trust

By now we have all gone to the polls and the election is over. I write this in anticipation of the results. It is wonderful that we live in a country where our voice can be heard and where we are free to go to the polls and vote our conscience.

The votes are cast and we have elected new officials and voted on propositions that will affect our lives perhaps for generations to come. Whatever the outcome, we will get what we deserve. Which begs the question, what do we deserve? What have we become as a nation?

In my lifetime I have seen many changes that have produced mixed results. I remember as a child men holding open the doors for women and saying “maam” as they passed through. I remember TV programs like “Lassie” and “Leave it to Beaver”. Never was there a hint of overt sexuality in these programs, let alone the bawdy sexuality that we see on shows today like “Sex in the City” and “Desperate Housewives”. Blood didn’t splatter on the screen when we watched “The Lone Ranger” and the perverted mind of a child molester wasn’t explored on “Dragnet”. Were we sheltered from the evil that obviously existed, or did we choose to focus on the good and not the evil? I think the latter.

Today we have become a cynical society always expecting the worst and tearing apart anyone that tries to do good. We don’t portray any true heroes in movies or television; they are always flawed anti-heroes that somehow do what’s right in spite of their corrupted nature. It may be closer to reality, but it certainly doesn’t give us anything to shoot for. If the best of us is terribly flawed what can be expected for the rest of us?

I believe that our culture has become more debased over the last 50 years because of this systematic tearing down of virtue and moral values. And the last nail in the coffin is that we as a nation have lost our faith in God. The only hope we as sinful people have is that through our faith in God we could aspire to do “Godly” things. It wasn’t about our righteousness, but about God’s righteousness and His work in our lives. Without God, we truly don’t have any hope. Man left to his own devices is hopelessly debased and thus the expectations have been lowered commensurately.

So what does this have to do with the election? It is time that we put our faith back in God and take our eyes off of men. Whoever is elected they are not going to be our savior. We do, however, have instructions from God concerning what we need to do. In 1 Timothy 2 we are instructed to “pray for kings and others in power, so that we may live quiet and peaceful lives as we worship and honor God. This kind of prayer is good and it pleases God our savior”. You may not be happy with the outcome of the election, or you may be overjoyed. It doesn’t matter. It pleases God that we pray for those in authority over us. It also might be helpful to know that at the time this was written Cesar Nero was in power and he enjoyed lighting Christians on fire on posts to illuminate the path for his chariots. The passage in 1 Timothy 2 goes on to explain what the purpose of this is “God wants everyone to be saved and to know the whole truth which is, there is only one God and Christ Jesus is the only one who can bring us to God”. For Christians this is not an option, it is a command. I pray that God will bless those in authority over us and that we would humble ourselves before God and honor him.