Veteran’s Day

Dear veterans,

Thank you for dying for

                    killing for

                     surviving those wars you fought for me?

 

Because I think differently on this subject than most Americans, I’m choosing to share my thoughts. Before I get started, though, let me just say that I have veterans and soldiers in my family, and among my friends. I believe they are brave and desire the best for America. It is the system—the US governmental system, the US value system, the US propaganda system (the media)—which I am speaking about, not the soldiers themselves. Please don’t read further if this subject is too sensitive for you. If, however, you’re interested… let me ask a few questions.

 

Fill in the blank:

Indians value spirituality, therefore their most respected members of society are spiritual gurus. They have a  history of producing spiritual leaders such as Gandhi.

Irish value literacy, therefore their most respected members of society are writers. They have a history of producing famous authors such as Oscar Wilde.

Austrians value classical art, therefore their most respected members of society are classical musicians and artists. They have a history of producing some of the most beloved musicians such as Mozart.

Americans value _________, therefore their most respected members of society are soldiers. They have a history of entering conflicts around the globe—a conflict per decade in the last century—and winning, or at least not losing.

(Obviously each country has more than one value and more than one type of hero. I venture to say, however, that in America no other group gets as much honoring as veterans and soldiers.)

Most Americans would fill in the _______ with freedom. I’m not saying that’s not the answer. I’m just saying to think carefully before assuming that.

Let me explain.

Many Americans believe theirs is the most free country in the world. This is not based on facts—it’s more based on history, because it WAS the most free country in the world. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still free. But so are many countries these days, some debatably MORE free. Look at these stats, which rate the US as the 19th most free in individual freedoms: http://www.stateofworldliberty.org/report/rankings.html or the 9th most free when it comes to economic freedoms: http://www.heritage.org/index/  Why is this distinction important? Because other countries, which are as or more free than the US, do not have strong militaries nor do they enter into wars with the frequency that Americans do.  Countries such as Switzerland and Singapore.

Yet they are free.

And conversely, of course, some countries have very strong militaries (the next strongest after ours is China’s) which are certainly not free.

So in my mind, fighting wars and supporting the military is not equal to valuing freedom.

Especially because, of any value I have, I think freedom is the highest. There is nothing I value more than my freedom. Maybe my family, I suppose. Anyway, freedom—free agency in Mormon lingo—is the most Godlike quality on earth. I just don’t believe that my freedom is bought with human blood on a regular basis. Nor, even more to the point, do I want it to be. I don’t want anyone to kill for me. I don’t even want anyone to die for me. And, what most Americans don’t seem to understand: it’s not necessary for anyone to die or to kill for you. If I became Canadian, or Estonian, or Swedish—no one would be killing or dying for me, and I would still be free.

This is not a statement most Americans are ready to hear, but:

I believe military worship is the single largest problem in America today- therefore, it is the single largest reason why I do not totally identify myself with Americans.

Here are the reasons why I believe military worship is dangerous:

1. The military is causing our financial problems. More precisely, the longest wars in history are causing our economic problems. These wars will continue as long as Americans allow them to. They are drawing Americans into an economic sinkhole.

2. Honoring institutional violence (i.e., killing in the name of the government) is sure to foster local violence. Take a look at America’s school shootings in comparison to other countries. Or its homicide rate. America’s value system says “mess with the best, die like the rest.”

America is a violent country in comparison to other developed countries. I believe this is rooted in its honoring institutional violence in the form of the military, government-sanctioned torture, and the death penalty. Our policies in these subjects would cause outrage, not worshipful respect, in more peaceful countries.

3. War begets more war. Despite the war on drugs, drug use in America has gone up dramatically in the last 25 years. A country which is constantly at war against something eventually turns into that which it wars against.

4. It promotes American superiority. If wars are always justified, and we’re always right, then someone else in the world is wrong. Wrong enough to be killed. More than someone. Millions of someones. And the dead Americans mourn are never foreign dead, only American dead. As someone who has lived among and loved so many different people of so many different backgrounds, this of all ideas is the most strange. Why do we mourn deaths more because they were American? A human is a human is a human.

5. It damages our relationships with other cultures. Many, many other people around the world are dismayed at the US’s foreign policy. For example, on my favorite travel website’s summary of the US it states: Too many closed-minded independent travellers object to American foreign policy…and don't bother with it. Their loss.

 

I don’t expect to change anyone’s mind with this post. Patriotism in America is so intrinsically tied with the military that I can’t imagine that changing. The only way it will change is if people visit these countries that have more freedom than the US and more peace, to get that vision.

I am proud of my country. I’m not anti-American. It’s a mark of America’s great freedom of thought that I can express my views on this subject, and I don’t take that lightly. However, because I do love my country I fiercely hope that one day people could get that vision…a vision in which America could once again be the most free country in the world, and the most peaceful.

Disney World or Universal Studios?

As soon as you get to Orlando for vacation you realize that there are a lot of choices for parks;  4 Disney Parks and 2 Universal Studios.  Which one is the right choice?
We recently went to Florida and visited Disney World (Ebcot Center) and both Universal Studios; I thought I would add my 2 cents.

Initial Impression

DW: As soon as you step in the gates to Disney World there is a certain feeling of awe that lasts the duration of the visit.  The layout, the sites, and the entire visual and audio experience is very other worldly and keeps you consistently interested.  I felt everything was done with the utmost attention to detail and taste.
Disney seems to take pride in everyone being part of the magic, and so the employees at Disney World were all smiling and pleasant.  For instance the people who take your pictures as you walk into the park were not pushy, in fact, they took our picture with our own camera for us.
US: I looove roller coasters so I was excited for Universal Studios, however after experiencing the other worldliness of Disney I was disappointed to feel like I was going into just another amusement park.  Rock and roll music clanged as throngs of thrill seekers piled into Universal Studios.  The park was very well done but the feeling was very comparable to a 6 flags etc… 
Employees from the outset were clearly just working their day job.  To use the same example of the photographers, here you clearly wanted to avoid them, as they seemed pushy.
Rating for Initial Impression
DW – 9.5 – Great attention to detail, aw inspiring, beautiful sites.
US – 6 -  A big and well done amusement park.

Rides and Activities

DW: Rides and activities are very well done, although they may not be as intense as a roller coaster, they are definitely interesting, enlightening and well done.  Some of my favorite rides were “Honey I Shrunk the Kids”, a great 4-D experience very well done,  “Soarin’” – A Hang glider simulation.  “Space Ship Earth” – A ride through civilization with a funny and personal video at the end.  The attendants were also “into” the job and added to the experience. 
US: The 4-D and experience rides were not as well done as DW, but US did have roller coasters, of which “Incredible Hulk,” and “Dueling Dragons” were my favorite.  US is divided into 2 parks (separate ticket required) and only one of them has roller coasters.  I also liked the “Jurassic Park” ride which features incredible moving Dinosaur models, which of course are attacking you!  The “Simpsons” ride was the best simulation / 4-D ride and was very well done.
Rating for Rides and Activities
DW – 8 – While the rides were not as thrilling, they were often more interesting, and gave a fresh, new and often educational experience.  Many of the rides and activities left me with a lasting sense of “that was really neat.”  The rides here also had no sense of being cheap, they all seemed to have cost an absolute fortune and spared no expense.
US – 7 – The experience rides and simulations were not quite as well done, and sometimes appeared a bit cheap.  There were do higher thrills then DW but it was just another level of experience.

Pricing

Both parks ran about 60 – 80 bucks a ticket.  I felt that DW was a great deal because many of the attractions such as the music, and amazing fireworks display were at no additional charge.  It is expensive but for the price you get a lot at DW. 
DW is the better value for pricing.

Food

US had some nice choices including the big turkey leg (one of my favorites), as well as some restaurants that were better than fast food.  DW had snack stops, as well as fine dining that could run 20 – 50 dollars per plate.
DW has more food choice although no Turkey legs ;(

Highlights etc…

Ambiance and crowd in Disney World is different from other parks.  People go there as families with the mindset of a wholesome family event.  This was different from the other amusement parks that attracted groups of thrill seekers.  The awing (?) ambiance of the park keeps the feeling very nice.
Note – While the park ambiance was nice and even “wholesome” it was actually NOT hokey or Barnyish (although they do have a Barney ride).  I can’t say this wouldn’t be true in other parts of Disney World that are perhaps more targeted at kids.
Epcot center has a portion of the park where each area is built to look like a foreign country.  The experience is completed by DW hiring natives from each country who run that portion of the park.  They come directly from their country to work at DW for 1 – 2 years, so they are the real deal.  It was interesting for Kalli and I to see Morocco, Germany, and England from this point of view.  Morocco’s area really gave us a nostalgic feeling, except the vendors were much much less aggressive :)

These international areas also had authentic restaurants and cuisine, as well as rides or display’s to learn about their country.  We ate in China and it was very good.  Each area also played music or displayed other traditions and had shop areas that would be very similar to the country’s own shops.

Final Suggestion

For both parks lines can be very long.  DW has an option to use a “fast lane” which allows you to come back a couple hours later and skip the line.  This was very nice, and saved us a lot of line time.
US has an upgrade option for $30 per passenger that gives you an “express” pass.  This allows you to bypass the line.  There’s just something wonderful about passing people waiting!

    

The Winner

It’s probably obvious by now, but Disney World is the place to go if you are in Orlando and having to choose between the 2.
I love rides, but a if you want a roller coaster experience you can get that in your own state, 6 flags, Worlds of Fun etc...  Disney offers a unique experience that has no equal in other amusement parks.  The ambiance, and setup of the park is incredible and very tastefully done.  Only after I had fully soaked up the DW experience would I consider coming to Orlando to go for Universal Studios.
Both parks are a blast, but DW offers an experience that deserves your time if you are going on a 1 – 4 day vacation.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, please comment below.

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I had a startling revelation the other day.

Jacob asked me my greatest female role model the other day. Naturally my mom came to my mind. Then my grandmas. Then my mother-in-law.

"Who else?" he wanted to know. I couldn't think of anyone. There are other women I admire, of course, but role models is a special term. I asked Jacob the same question.

Jacob's answers were similar.

But ask for male role models, and though our fathers would be mentioned as well, there are so many other male role models to pick from. The US presidents have all been men. In the Church, the prophets are always men. Yes, we have Relief Society presidents, but they change constantly, while you really get to know the twelve apostles.

Athletic role models are usually men. You don't want to model your life after most of the famous actresses (or actors, for that matter). Most famous business people, members of the military, scientists, politicians are men. Even literary figures and composers seem to be dominated by men.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I'm blown away by the impact you have by being a mother. Our perceptions of womanhood are so greatly influenced by our mothers, because there aren't nearly the other role models elsewhere like there are for men. Even the scriptures are mostly populated by men, heck, even Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are male. And the most famous woman in the scriptures (after Mary, maybe) was the one who listened to Satan and illegally ate the fruit, after all.


In our church, we often talk about how the priesthood is for men and motherhood is its counterpart. I used to think that seemed a little uneven, when men are fathers, as well. I'm seeing the power of motherhood in a whole different light, after Jacob asked me this question. It is really an underestimated role. I don't know, what do you guys think? Do you feel like there is a dearth of female role models? Please comment on who your role models are, male or female.