Procrastination

Every college student struggles with it. Don't deny it. Procrastination affects every student from time to time. For me, it was that horrid weekly paper for my Political Science class. It didn't have to be long, and the amount of time that it took to write was nothing compared to my History papers. But I hated them because my History professors drilled into my head to never put opinions into a paper, then my Political Science professor assigned papers where I had to state my opinion. So I'd procrastinate. Maybe I didn't procrastinate for very long; I normally had it done by the time I designated for it to be finished. But I procrastinated nonetheless.

I always thought of procrastination as a thing students do. College students notoriously procrastinate on their assignments. (And if you don't believe me, visit the library of any college campus at midnight on Sunday night and try to tell me again that people don't procrastinate.) I didn't party during college, but my best friend and I would stay up late at least once a week gossiping over people, classes, and men.

But I'm an adult now with bills to pay, a house to keep clean, and a schedule to keep track of. I've overcome that childish tendency to put off my duties!

Nope.

There's a large pile of dishes by the sink that hasn't been washed. Half the laundry has been folded, and assuming that I don't get distracted with something else, the rest will be folded before bedtime. Oh, and I should probably start dinner soon. The husband gets cranky if he isn't fed regularly.

In fact, writing this blog post about procrastination is actually me procrastinating. After three years of writing, editing, and re-writing, I've finally finished writing my novel. *Celebratory drinks all around.* And now I get to proofread all 84,000 words and make about 84,000 corrections. Perfectionists like me shouldn't write. I'll announce that I'm finally content with the end result sometime in the summer of 2017. So, now with the daunting task of proofreading thirty-eight chapters of Regency Era romance and intrigue lying before me, I'm procrastinating. I'm writing a blog post, playing games on my phone, and scrolling through my News Feed on Facebook.

The point that I'm making is that adults procrastinate too. Everyone, whether in a work, school, or home environment, has some task they dread. Right now, I'm dreading that file on my computer that keeps calling my name, and soon I think it's going to start screaming for attention. But I'm procrastinating by enjoying my moment of playing stupid games and writing pointless blog posts.

There are so many things that want my attention, and I know I can't ignore them forever. Especially the hungry husband... unlike the dishes and the laundry, he talks back.

They say that all good things must come to an end. Thus, my hour of procrastination has ended, and fortunately for you, reader, so has this pathetic blog post.

Fascism and the Eliminiation of Christianity: A Review

Ever since high school I've had a fascination with different ideological stances and the differences with my own beliefs. In my freshman year of college, my interests directed me in the direction of Marxism, probably due to my interest in Eastern European politics, and I wrote several papers accordingly. That passion dwindled over time as my interest in the 17th and 18th century grew, but politics, and, ever increasingly, economics still held my interest.

At a book sale in college, I picked up a copy of Modern Fascism: The Threat to the Judeo-Christian Worldview by Dr. Gene Edward Veith, Jr. I was vaguely aware of Dr. Veith, as his book The Spirituality of the Cross was required reading for one of my classes. Then, in premarital counseling, his book Family Vocation: God's Calling in Marriage, Parenting, and Childhood was also "required reading", though without the compulsory book review due at the end of the "course." I have since met Dr. Veith on two different occasions, and got him to sign each of these books. Aside from being an incredibly intelligent man on an academic basis, he is also a skilled writer with great knowledge about the faith that he confesses.

I was especially impressed with this book for several reasons, but mainly because it is much different than the other two books I have read by Dr. Veith. It is a large, but not unrelated, step from the doctrine of Vocation and Justification to Fascism. These books all have one thing in common: the Christian, and more specifically, the Confessional Lutheran worldview. Modern Fascism is different than the other two in that it addresses an opposing worldview which seeks to destroy the Christian worldview.

When I picked up this book a few weeks ago to begin reading it, I was intrigued by the subject mainly because Fascism isn't something that is talked about much today. Conservative news programs and authors squawk about the threat of Marxism, mainly because of its popularity within academia within the last few decades, and the consequential influence of that popularity, but the conversation is never turned to Fascism. After reading this book, though, I would argue that the threat of Fascism is just as great, if not greater, than the threat of Marxism.

When the term Fascism is thrown out, a person's thoughts automatically go to WWII when the Nazis sought to conquer their European neighbors. The Third Reich is the best large scale example of a Fascist state. For this reason, much of the book discusses Nazi history and policy. Veith begins, just like any good author, with a definition of Fascism:

Fascist totalitarianism was more than a system of political control; it was totalitarian in seeking to encompass and to direct all of life. Fascism emerged not only as a political and economic system but as a new religion, whose promise was to heal the alienation of the modern world. The emotional life would be freed, harmony with nature would be achieved, and the culture would be revitalized. (p.17)

 He quickly points out his thesis: Fascism is the opposition to Christianity. This becomes even more clear upon considering the motives behind the Holocaust and the destruction of the Church.

The book is divided into nine chapters, each discussing a different aspect of the Fascist ideology and expounding upon how Hitler implemented these tenets in the Third Reich. While the entire book is worthy of discussion, I will touch on the two parts which I found most interesting, ethics (abortion and euthanasia) and the "mass mind" (the media), because of how prominent they are in the modern world.

As I begin this analysis, I would like to point out a common misconception about where Fascism resides on the political spectrum. As a student of political science, I was taught that Fascism was placed on the far right of the spectrum. In fact, a more accurate placement is on the same level as Communism on the far left. Veith explains that this misconception originates from the Marxist declaration that Fascism is its "polar opposite." (26) They are different strains of the same thought (socialism), just taken in different directions. In the case of Fascism, that direction was nationalism.


Ethics

Nazi ethics, on the broader scale, is notorious. The Holocaust was certainly one of the most horrific events in all of history. But Veith points out that racism was not the only impetus behind the mass murder of "inferior races." Hitler targeted the Jews because of the heritage that rooted them in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Next he targeted Christians who would not conform to his ideology, most notably Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In light of the Nazi ability to murder people because of their ethnicity and ideology, their views on abortion and euthanasia will not be astounding.

Hitler did not oppose abortion, if  you were racially inferior. For those of a superior racial background, he prohibited abortion. His means of growing the Nazi state was to tell young women that by producing children, possibly by multiple men of equally superior racial background, they were doing a service to the Third Reich. The marriage of Nazi officials had to be approved by the government to assure that their offspring would be genetically superior. But outside of the genetically superior exception, abortion was allowed. This caused Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, to toy with Fascism for a brief period. "Among the unfit, Sanger included those with mental problems, the handicapped, and poor people generally... she believed that crime and poverty can be eliminated simply by sterilizing the poorer classes." (108) Sanger found a kindred spirit with Hitler; she wished to eliminate many of the same people groups -- "blacks, Jews, Southern Europeans... and, in short, 'all non-aryan people.'" (108)

Likewise, euthanasia was common, oftentimes encouraged. The same people who Sanger wished to eliminate through abortion -- the handicapped, mentally retarded, etc, -- were eliminated. Veith tells stories of fathers begging for their child to be euthanized due to mental or physical handicaps. After a movie was released which portrayed a husband's struggle with his wife's terminal illness and subsequent decision to euthanize her, the vast populace agreed that he made the right decision. Some of the people were later horrified to find that this was occurring, but the vast majority did not oppose. The Nazis considered these handicapped and terminally ill people "life unworthy of life." Keeping in mind this mentality, the Holocaust is no longer so surprising. The Jews and other "inferior races" were unworthy of life, to the Nazis, and therefore killing them was doing the rest of the world a favor.


The Mass Mind

Hitler recognized the benefits of reaching the "mass mind" through the media. Veith remarks that "the Third Reich produced 1,363 films. Many were produced for sheer entertainment, with propaganda subtext..." (147) He continues:

The goal of Fascism was the creation of an organic, mass community. The power of images is that they unite diverse people into one. The individuals in a movie theater join in a common experience, feeling and responding as one.... Propaganda forged the people into a common will; it created the community. (148)

Hitler employed this tactic to achieve his plans for the people. Through the media and other means of influencing the masses, such as rallies, he won over the masses instead of the individual. He recognized the benefits of mob rule, and utilized it to his full advantage. This tactic was taken a step further by turning that mob to violence. By channeling anti-Judeo-Christian propaganda, the populace was effectively mobilized against them, thus gaining the population's support to massacre Jews and Christians.

* * *

The desire to be morally superior to other peoples, past and present, is in the forefront of the minds of most Americans. Of course, America would never kill millions of people because of their ethnicity or inability to adhere to the state ideology. An American president would never use violence as an end to a means. America isn't a Fascist state; it is not a totalitarian state. This post-modern world where everyone is accepted and a person's reality is truth would not allow such things to occur in America.

Or would it?

Certainly the American government does not imprison every non-Arian and sentence them to a life in a concentration camp, or death. The American populace is far too diverse for that. But that does not mean that people are not persecuted in today's society. Christians are targeted by the left; homosexuals are targeted by the right. Sinfulness aside, homosexuals are still human being who deserve respect, just like Christians. Should the life of either be lessened? There is a huge difference between disapproving of a person's lifestyle, and wishing death upon a person for their life choices. In an Islamic culture, which is oftentimes Fascist, the answer would be that both Christians and homosexuals are unworthy of life. This is evident in the genocide of Christians in the Middle East and Africa. But what about in American culture? Do Americans kill those who are different with their malice?

But what about the unborn child, especially an unborn child with defects or a mother who cannot financially care for the child? What does the world tell that mother to do? Just like the father who begged for his son to be euthanized so that he would not have to endure those hardships, the mother is encouraged to abort her baby because the child would have been born into a dire situation. The question that arises from that scenario is: does that child have the same right to life as the mother, or any other person on earth? Does Down Syndrome, or a cleft palate make that person less of a human with any less of a right to live? Nazi German would have said that the child did not deserve to live; what does modern America say?

What about the woman with a terminal or mental illness? If the husband opts to euthanize his wife, how will it change his life? And does he have the right to decide when his wife lives or dies? Despite her illness, she has the same right to live as her husband. This subject is just as divided as the abortion question, and just as controversial. Arguments for and against euthanasia, the question remains: does that person deserve to live?

I think most people will agree that the media is an outlet that is vigorously exploited in our highly technological society. In election years, especially, political propaganda in the form of ads and pamphlets abound. One can argue that this is just politics, but political rallies have the same affect for today's political candidates as they did for Hitler. They influence the mass mind; they target the group and through the experience they gain a foothold. Of course, the media does not just apply to politicians. Film, television and music producers slip their own "propaganda" or ideology into the production, thus planting ideas in the minds of the impressionable.

A glance at a list of current films reveals mostly action movies with lots of explosions, drama, and, of course, death. Modern music depicts violence in the form of death, physical abuse, and other wicked acts for a moral cause, vengeance, or even pure hatred. Children learn from technology (music, movies, etc) in the absence of a moral guide in the form of a parent. What should we expect from children, and even adults, when that is prominent in entertainment, and has been prominent for years? People have been desensitized to death and violence, thus devaluing human life. Furthermore, the inability to distinguish between reality and fiction encourages violent trends in society. When you feed a society murder and evil, how can you expect them to exhibit compassion and kindness?

The question in my mind which arises from all this is: where does the church stand? Practically every denomination, and sometimes individual congregations, will hold different ideas about ethics. Conservative denominations abhor abortion and euthanasia, where liberal denominations take the opposing stance. Fascist ideals have leaked into modern culture, and thus leaked into the church as well. Even the idea of the mass mind appeals to the church. Churches spewing questionable theology use the experience and the subsequent feelings of the individual to form a bond with the rest of the mass mind. One hears stories of pastors leading their flock to death, sin, or even questionable theology, for the same reasons the German people followed Hitler down an evil path. The masses are easily controlled by emotion and great promises. Not every religious fad leads to the same demise, but the tactic is the same and the opportunity is present.

Modern America is not prone to racism, Nationalism, or genocide (other than abortion) anytime soon, but this does not mean that she is immune to Fascism. Violence, the devaluation of human life, the media, an increasingly totalitarian government, and several other factors which I did not have the chance to discuss are crucial aspects of Fascism which Christians, and anybody who believes in morality and peace, should be wary of the increasing impact. I am not saying that all these traits are inherently Fascist, but together they can lead toward Fascism. Veith concludes the book with perhaps the most crushing sentences of the entire book: "Fascism is the modern world's nosalgia for paganism. It is a sophisticated culture's revolt against God." (p. 160) Fascism seeks not only to destroy Christianity, but to destroy what is good and positive, and replace it with death and evil.

I have done my best to remain objective by questioning modern society and how it views the same concepts that Fascist Germany employed. Knowingly, I have failed in this task. I am no expert on this subject and my knowledge is limited. If you have found my inadequate analysis insightful and interesting, I highly suggest reading Modern Fascism. I did not delve into many of the psychological and ideological points that Veith makes but I assure you that it is an excellent, enlightening read.

Veith, Gene Edward. Modern Fascism: The Threat to the Judeo-Christian Worldview. Concordia Scholarship Today. St. Louis: Concordia, 1993.

Move to Florida, they said.

Growing up in rural Maryland, I spent my whole naive childhood thinking that Florida was always warm and full of old people or drunk kids. Because that's the Florida stereotype, right? People think Florida and their mind goes to Disney, Key West, and spring break. Florida is where people go for vacation, to get drunk , and to retire.

So when my husband service selected aviation during our senior year of college, I was thrilled to be moving to Florida. I could care less about the beach, old people, and drunk kids, but I am always cold. So, in my rational way of thinking, I thought "Florida will be nice and warm and I'll never be cold again!"

I was never more wrong in my life.

First off, we live in the pan-handle. This isn't Orlando or Tampa or Key West. This is rural Florida. Milton is a bunch of good old boys with big trucks. We witnessed a lawn mower being pulled over by the cops yesterday. And didn't think anything of it. About thirty minutes west in Pensacola, they are a little more upscale, but it still isn't Orlando by far. Downtown Pensacola is actually classy, and there is a lot of culture surrounding the city.

Now, after that disclaimer, back to the weather. Florida isn't just hot. It's really freaking humid. I can take 90 degree weather, and enjoy it. But add 70%+ humidity into the mix and it isn't even close to enjoyable. You walk outside and immediately feel like you need to go take another shower. It's disgusting. Now repeat this scenario every day from April to October. Wait, no -- add one day a month with no humidity, just to mix things up.

Because of the extreme heat and humidity, everybody cranks the air conditioning to the max. Remember me? The one who is always cold? Yeah, I'm that person carrying a sweater around with me in the middle of summer because otherwise I'd be shivering. And then people wonder why I drink so much. Alcohol does wonders for warming a person up.

The only enjoyable result of the painful humidity is the thunderstorms. Almost every afternoon, there's a wicked rain storm, normally accompanied by thunder. It's normally quite glorious, and sometimes a little intense. Of course, this trend complicates taking the bike. Because even if the forecast is clear, this is Florida and anything can happen. And honestly, riding in the rain is the worst thing ever.

This is obviously from an occasion where it did not rain as we were riding.

Now, let's talk about "winter" in Florida. Somewhere around November, it starts getting a little cooler. Beginning of December, it's a little too cool to take the motorcycle out. This lasts until about the end of January, when riding season begins again. This is the only noticeable season change. But remember, it's Florida, so mother nature hates everyone. So, in those two months of "winter" where it does get below freezing on occasion, why not mix things up and have a "snow storm"? My husband and I attended college in New York and Wisconsin, respectively, so we know what snow storms really look like. Pensacola and the surrounding areas are basically connected by a series of bridges, and everyone know what happens when snow and bridges mix. The entire city practically shut down for a couple days. This is Florida... what does one do with snow?

The ground outside our old apartment in Pensacola, with a light dusting of snow.

Like I said, mother nature hates everyone.

The pan-handle has been fortunate enough to not be effected by any hurricanes yet this year (knock on wood) but everyone says that we're due for another big hurricane to hit the area. Hurricanes are a big thing for the Navy. Like, they'll fly flight students out of the area if a hurricane is going to hit. They throw dependents under the bus, but rest assured that I'll be packing up the Bernina, the cat, and a bottle of bourbon to head north for a couple days.

Moving on to a subject other than the weather, the absolute worst thing about Florida is the bugs. They are everywhere, and in large quantities. Since we live in the country, we get an unusual amount of bugs. In the first week we moved into our house, we killed two huge spiders, which my husband thought were brown recluse. I'll just say that neither of us like bugs and it didn't take us long to get pest control to come. We have a nice patio on the back of our house, but between the bugs, the humidity, and the fact that the back of the house faces the west, we don't get to utilize that patio very frequently. It's a sad fact of living in Florida. If you're visiting Florida, bring boots and fly swatters to address the bug problem.

The view from our back patio on the one occasion we could actually sit outside.

Lastly, I can't help but address the problem of Florida drivers. I'm not sure why but nobody in this state knows how to accelerate or gauge another driver's speed. Oh, and apparently Florida cars don't come with turn signals. Who knew. Here is an example of why I get road rage, and, consequently, why my husband normally drives. I was doing between 55 and 60 down the road, and a Town Car pulls out in front of me about 50 yards ahead of me. When one is going 55 mph, 50 yards isn't much time to brake. And then, the woman doesn't accelerate. At all. By this time I'm having to slam on the brakes in order to avoid a collision. She was turning at the next road about another 50 yards down the road, but she didn't signal until she was now stopping in front of me. And she looked traumatized when I blew the horn. This is a daily occurrence when driving in Florida. So a word to the wise: learn to judge the speed of oncoming traffic and signal if you're turning. You might prevent that oncoming car from hitting you.
 
So if you can get past the weather, the bugs, and the idiot drivers, Florida isn't a bad state. Of course, I only speak for the pan-handle, which is more like southern Alabama, but that's beside the point. The people are pretty nice, even if they can't drive, and there are about two weeks of enjoyable weather where you can have the windows open. The concert scene is surprisingly good in the Pensacola area, the restaurants are great, and the beaches are lovely.

My point is that Florida is a glorious place to visit, but living here isn't half as enjoyable as visiting. But seriously, who wouldn't die for that view every day.

The Pensacola pier.