Category: Ethics

Christianity, Culture, Humor, Manners, Modern Life, Thankfulness2 Comments

Those Two Little Words

Gary Furr

There are two little magic words that can open any door with ease

one little word is “Thanks” and the other little word is please

Since we now have a thirteen month old GC (I’ll just abbrieviate “Grandchild” so I can resist declining into obnoxia braggadocci , which can be fatal to the hearer), I travel more than I normally do.  And I am having to watch all sorts of media and sing songs that were long forgotten.  My wife’s fav is “A helper I will be, a helper I will be, stop what you’re doing and clean up nice-ly” to the tune of “Farmer in the Dell”.  We have a luscious video of our GC slinging toys down as fast as her Mom can pick them up while Mom sings (in vain) “A helper I will be…” Continue reading “Those Two Little Words”

Art, Books, Children, Competition, Culture, Ethics, humanity, Immigration, Justice, Movie Reviews, Race, REVIEWS--Books, Movies, Music5 Comments

To Kill A Mockingbird…50 years later

Gary Furr

Here in Alabama, To Kill a Mockingbird is one of our great treasures.  You can still go to Monroeville, Alabama and see a live re-enactment of the story every year by the local citizenry.  You start out in the yard, then move inside the courthouse, and it is eerily reminiscent of the movie because Hollywood built a replica of it for the film.  When I went with friends a few years back, I felt a flash of shame and pain when the n-word was uttered while African American locals up in the balcony were in our presence.  I was embarrassed.  So we’ve made some progress, I guess.  As a child in North Carolina the word was uttered around me thoughtlessly, as a part of an unquestioned culture of resentment and vulnerable entitlement. Continue reading “To Kill A Mockingbird…50 years later”

Citizenship, Ethics, Justice, Leadership, Love, Race2 Comments

The Two Cases of Trayvon Martin

Gary Furr

When it comes to the painful problem of race, it’s never about one thing…it’s about everything.  By Gary Furr The explosion that has occurred in recent days over the shooting of a Florida  teenager has reignited one of our oldest and most enduring debates.  The case of Trayvon Martin has caused outbursts between journalists, demonstrations and a weary “Will we ever be able to move past this?” cloud to hover again over us.  The gulf between the races is painfully obvious.  It sounds as though we are talking about two different cases.  And we are. In the late 1980s, I … Continue reading The Two Cases of Trayvon Martin

Christianity, Citizenship, Ethics, Taxes1 Comment

Tax Help for the Creatively Impaired

Gary Furr

It’s Spring Break.  The Church people with the means and the houses are skiing and walking on the beach.  I’m working and doing taxes in my spare time.  Tax time is like judgment day.  All the whinin’ in the world ain’t going to make it anything other than what it was.  So, get to it, son.  But the mind can’t help excusing.  So, here are some of my inside thoughts, just for you, in case you need them at the audit or while working on your tax program or separating receipts. You see what you’ve done with all your time … Continue reading Tax Help for the Creatively Impaired