Stop It

There is a wonderful video of a Bob Newhart sketch in which he plays a psychologist, not the one on his sit-com, but another one he did on a variety show. In the skit he charges five dollars cash for a session. His client has a seat and begins to divulge her problems. As she continues, he interrupts and yells, "stop it. just stop it." The woman continues, and his only response is "stop it." For a chuckle, you may view the whole thing. I love Bob Newhart. "Stop It"

I find myself wanting to yell the same thing quite often these days.

Take the debate over the budget and deficit reduction. Democrats and Republicans alike offer their budgets with "meaningful" cuts as the solution to the big economic problems. While it is a good thing to cut wasteful spending as a matter of good governance, none of the proposals address the critical problems. Medicaid, social security, and war are the only areas where cutting costs will make a significant dent in the deficit and the debt. I am a fan of medicaid and social security and believe they can be maintained with reasonable adjustments. But no politician seems to have the fortitude to tell the obvious truth to the masses, that some adjustments must be made to those programs. And military spending must be made accountable and be cut dramatically, even in the face of those who would scream that it would be unpatriotic. But our leaders are too afraid to tell us the truth.

I just want to yell "Stop it."

Or Glenn Beck. Just "stop it." He is a complete nut. A lunatic. And for some reason otherwise intelligent caring people watch him every night and believe his latest ravings. At best he is too dumb to get his facts right, at worst he is an opportunistic liar. His conspiratorial theories regarding everything, but lately the revolution in Egypt would be entertaining if they weren't so dangerous. And the rest of the media gives him credibility every night as they recount his antics. And people like me blog about him. Of course, the only reason it is dangerous is because people actually seem to believe he is for real. So to Glenn Beck, and the people who must be hypnotized by him, and to those of us who give him a platform,

"Stop it."

Birthers. Get over it. President Obama is a native born citizen. If you believe otherwise, or even have doubts, I suggest you get therapy for the issues that plague you. There is some reason you don't want him to be a citizen. I'll leave that to you to figure out. And to those Republican leaders who know better and are too weak or too immoral to stand up against those who are fanning the flames of this ridiculous lie for the sake of a few votes, shame on you, and,

"Stop it."

The federal government is bad? Is it so bad when you drive on the interstate system or take for granted air safety or food safety or drug safety? Is it bad when it educates, protects, and adjudicates? The federal government performs functions that would otherwise be left undone, or left in the hands of those who would use it for financial gain or personal power. It protects the rights of the minority against the majority. Perhaps the last two sentences are why some would call it bad. To those I would yell,

"Stop it."

Christians. We claim to follow Jesus. About three billion or so of us, give or take a billion. With his original twelve He changed the world. It seems like with one third of the world's population claiming that we are followers, things should be a lot different. Hunger should be eliminated. Disease should be diminished. And surely war would have already been relegated to the trash heap of history. But we waste our time justifying our lives and looking for certainty. I think I remember Him saying,

"Greater love has no man that he lay down his life for his friends."

I used to think that only meant being willing to die for another. I still think that. But maybe He also meant "life" in the way we use it today. "Greater love hath no man that he lay down his way of life for a friend." That's a bit more threatening. That decision comes up for all of us every day. To take up our cross it requires that we put down those things that we prefer to carry. And we just can't seem to do it.

Let's just "stop it."

I could go on, but this post is getting a bit judgmental.

I better just "stop it."

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