Ray Rice - they did not ask me.

It will be very interesting to watch the future of Domestic Violence in professional sports.  What Ray Rice did that was wrong was that he got videoed doing his act. Because the problem of Domestic Violence is a problem everyday for thousands of families.  It is a horrible dynamic complex situation. That fact that Ray's wife is out there begging people to stop hurting her and her family is one of the complexities.  When Ray is terminated, her life and her child's life is dramatically changed as Ray no longer has a pay check coming in. She and her family are now constantly in a spot light she does not want to be in.

I can appreciate the public's reaction to this video, but where is our outrage for the family down the street where the woman gets punched around and nobody sees the blows.  This is like the public's reaction to Michael Vick's dog fighting history.  The local humane society finds a farm with ten horses and 20 dogs that are starving and the TV shows it on the five o'clock news and we calmly express disgust and go to dinner.

I am not trying to defend Ray Rice, what I am trying to do is to say that the NFL will not be able to solve this societal problem.  The public outrage that the Commissioner ought to resign because he did not do enough, the Raven ought to be punished as well, is just excessive over reaction to this story.
Notice how much of the Penn State punishment is now slowly being rescinded because it was an over-reach.

There is a very fine line to teach aggressive and violence behavior for 8 hours a day on the field and then to be able to be kind, gentle and loving at home.   One can well imagined that being married to an intense and professional athlete is very difficult.  Domestic violence has deep roots, I am told, in family histories.

This is one of those situations where what Ernie Campbell, who used to be pastor of the Riverside Church in New York talked about. Just because you convert somebody to the Christian faith, just because a person accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, does not mean that they will know what to do and how to be loving and helpful.   How do you "cure" domestic violence?

This case will certainly bring more attention to domestic violence and the professional sports can play a role in making a statement that they do not want their players to commit it, but they cannot solve it and they will not be able to prevent it from happening. The drug policy has not stopped players from violating that policy.

The focus on the tape and Roger misses the whole opportunity for an in-depth and comprehensive reporting on the whole issue of domestic violence in this country.

Made the List

When I was a senior in High School my American history research paper was on the "30 day administration of William Henry Harrison."  He is the president that got pneumonia and died immediately following his inauguration.   It was a fun research project and it was the right size for a high school senior project.

Reading in the Old Testament I have been reminded of another research project that would be about the same size. The Seven Day Reign of King Zimri.   We are talking I Kings and the history of the two kingdoms.  So as the kings come and go and God is picking and choosing these kings right and left and then throwing them out when they misbehave.   The story speaks of a General name Zimri who conspired against Elah and murdered Elah.  So Zimri declares himself King. When the Army of Israel hears the Elah is died, they decide that Omri, their commanding officer, should be King. Omri  kills Zimri a week after Zimri has declared himself king. So Zimri is king for seven days.

The delightful thing is that I Kings brings to a conclusion this piece of history by saying, "The rest of Zimri's deeds and the plot he carried out, aren't they written in the official records of the Israel's kings?'  How many deeds do you think there could be written there?  How much can a King of Israel do in seven days?

Throughout these stories there is the same universal fact, it is the Generals who lead these revolutions.  It is the General who becomes the strong man who murders and establishes a new government.  Latin America, Africa,  and Asia the saga goes on.  The leader rises to power in the service of the elected leader who puts the strong man in charge of the army, and the General takes over.  Egypt cannot escape the military leaders. Mao in China,  Castro in Cuba, and the list goes on and on. Hitler in Germany.

The Lesson whether from Eisenhower or from History needs to be learned that there is great danger in the military power.  Bush and Cheney and the military power got the US involved in great trouble.
The Military minded forces are again trying to push the country into more military responses when wisdom suggests that caution ought to be the by word.

Zimri got only seven days, but he made the list of the Kings of Israel. He is in the Generals' Hall of Fame.