Nice and Not-so-Nice…

By Rick Blumenberg / @RickBlumenberg

There are two kinds of people in the world (sure you’ve heard that before)—there are those who are “nice” and those who are “not-so-nice”. My mom’s been in heaven for decades but I still remember that she didn’t think there were any really bad people in the world just people who were not behaving like they knew they ought to. So as a nod to Mom, instead of saying nice or nasty people, (she would not be happy with me if I said it like that) I’ll call them "Nice“ and “Not-so-Nice”. I thank God for her teaching and example because she helped me understand that even those people who are “not-so-nice” are people loved by God and created in his image.

And when you think about it, most of us are neither totally “nice”, nor totally “not-so-nice”—we are mostly somewhere in between.

We find these two kinds of people in all races and all religions, in both genders, all family groups and in every diverse kind of people we can imagine. If we would stop categorizing people according to race, gender, religion, etc., and just think of them as either “nice” or “not-so-nice” we’d all be a lot better off.

Of course we would still have our problems because not everybody is nice. They could be if they wanted to, but some of them don’t. The great thing about these two kinds of people is that we can choose which group we want to be in. We're all in some groups where we don’t have a choice. I didn’t choose my gender, my skin color or the country where I would be born. Many people think we can't choose our sexual preference, but I really think that is a choice. I could be wrong about that, but I know for sure that each of us can choose to be nice if we want to. Or, we can instead choose to be nasty or not-so-nice.

Because there are people in every society who refuse to be nice, we sometimes have to do things to protect ourselves from each other. Thankfully we have families, churches, schools, and various other organizations to help us deal with those “not-so-nice” people and in the extreme situations we have police and the military to protect us from them. Most of the police and the military in our nation are in the “nice” category, but they can be pretty firm if necessary when dealing with “not-so-nice” people and sometimes the results can be painful. Unfortunately, a few of the people in power, whether they be police or military, employers, parents, politicians, etc.,  are “not-so-nice” and the powerless or less powerful need to be protected from them.

I could name some “not-so-nice” people, but I won’t because you all know some so you know what I mean. However, after writing this article and thinking I really need an illustration to make it complete, Carol (my wife) shared an article with me she found on the internet about Andrew luck, star quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. He is one rough and tough football player and isn’t afraid to mix it up with the best of them, but what the article was about was his style of “trash talk”. According to Kevin Clark, the author, (Nice Trash Talker, Andrew Luck) when Luck gets hit really hard he is likely to yell at the player who hit him and say, “Great job!” or “What a hit!”

Clark writes

“When New England pass rusher Rob Ninkovich pulverized Luck last month in a Patriots’ 42-20 win, he got the customary congratulations. As Ninkovich tells it, he found himself paralyzed with confusion by the well-wishes, so he blurted out “Thanks for...uh...accepting that hit?” before running back to the huddle.

It doesn’t matter what color we are, what job we do or just about any other real or imagined division we experience, there are “nice” and “not-so-nice” people in all groups.

I don’t always succeed, but I always try to be in the “nice” group and I hope you will too. We do have a choice.

I'm Rick Blumenberg and that's My View from Tanner Creek.

 

Letter to the Senator

by guest author Matthew Britt / @rickblumenberg

Recently I wrote about my nephew Matthew Britt’s graduation from college. Then I saw a letter he had written to Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill. It was well written and made a good point. I thought my readers might enjoy reading that letter as well.

Matt Britt’s Letter to his Senator

Letter from me [Matt Britt], to the senior Senator from Missouri, Claire McCaskill. While I am not retiring from the military, I do believe that all my friends still serving deserve what they were promised for all the hardships of that last decade plus.

Senator McCaskill,

You spoke at my SEMO graduation this past weekend and were quite engaging. I graduated with two degrees, one being in political science, so I want you to understand that I understand that there needs to be an actual budget, the budget process and that at times things must be signed into law that we all do not agree with in their entirety. I was writing in response to your vote of yea on the current budget that allowed for the decrease in veteran's benefits. I was writing because to me, and many other veteran's, it was a slap in the face for those who have given so much. I spent nine years in Army Special Operations, of which a third was spent in areas where people actively wanted, and tried to, kill me and my friends and co-workers on a daily basis. I loved my job, those I worked with and my country.

I look at the cut to the COLA of retirees as piddly stopgap to a problem that we, as an entire nation, face. We need to balance the budget and cut spending. That is a fact that I wholly agree with, my issue is with the cuts. During my time in service, on more than one occasion, I was asked to sit on a panel and look at and trouble shoot products that had been contracted out for my Group. One item looked cool, was an interesting idea but totally unfeasible for what our mission was downrange. It only took three years and millions of dollars for us to be able to tell them that it was a waste of time since we would never use the product. That was just one product on one panel I sat that week. Maybe a little less in this department would be more cost effective. Even stopping the Army from all of the uniform changes would have saved millions. Look towards the programs that always come in over budget and lacking in results to save money.

Instead it seems that troop benefits are always a target for cuts, even more insulting considering the lack in number of veterans in elected office. I guess I just find it disappointing that my leading Senator, who aired many commercials during the last election cycle about standing up for veteran’s rights, chose to vote this way. Military life is already hard enough. Physically, mentally and emotionally it takes a toll, especially after twelve years of active combat. Unlike people in your position, soldiers are not fully vested in a retirement program after five years. Not even at ten or eighteen. Service members must serve a full twenty years to receive their retirement.

So I am asking, what makes your job so much more important that it allows you to vote to cut the benefits of the people that actually put their life on the line supporting and defending the nation? I would like to know where enough will be enough when it comes to caring for those who actually gave so much for their country? I would like to know what you plan to do to ensure that those benefits promised the fine men and women who volunteered to put themselves in harm’s way will not continually end up on the chopping block or as bargaining chips in a government where the political parties seem more interested in sticking it to the other party than doing the job they were elected to do?

I appreciate the time and hope that you and yours have a happy holiday season.

V/R, Matt Britt

Perhaps Matthew Britt should consider running for office himself?

I'm Rick Blumenberg . . . and that's My View from Tanner Creek.
    

Congrats to Matt and Katie!

By Rick Blumenberg / @rickblumenberg
"Congratulations Matt & Katie!"  These are words I wrote to my nephew Matthew Britt and his wife Katie on the occasion of his graduation from college. In the few years I’ve written this blog there have been several times I’ve written about persons who had gone to be with the Lord in heaven as a tribute to the great life they had lived and how well they had lived it. Thankfully Matt is still very much alive and living in Missouri with his wife and daughter, but from the time he graduated high school until this college graduation, he put a lot of miles on his boots. I write this tribute because I think he deserves to be recognized for his service as well as for his commitment to making a better life for his family.

Matt Britt & parents Carolyn & Jimmy

Matt served three tours of duty in the Iraq and even traveled to Africa where he spent a year in Kenya supporting the US embassy in matters pertaining to the Kenyan and Somali elections, among other things. He was one of thousands of military men and women who have served our great nation so faithfully in very complicated and dangerous circumstances. While we were going on with our lives Matt and his buddies were risking their lives to serve their country in what was often very difficult situations. 

After Matt returned home, he and Katie settled down and started a family, then left the army in 2011 right at the time when jobs were almost non-existent. Life after the army wasn’t easy for them but they refused to give in to discouragement and instead they decided Matt should go back to college and get his degree. It was a big decision to go to school full time, but Katie encouraged it and was willing to work to make it possible, so Matt agreed. He went year-round and didn’t quit until he was finished, and graduated with two degrees, a BS in Political Science with a minor in psychology, and a Bachelor of General Studies with minor in Political Science.

Matt & Katie

The graduation, like the army, was a family accomplishment. Katie didn’t wear the uniform or take the tests, but she was there with Matt through it all and I am so proud of both of them. 

Part of a military family, Matt was encouraged (and prayed for) by his Dad, a navy veteran and his mom, a navy wife. His brother Chris, who graduated from West Point and served, among other places, in Korea, met Jen, an army dental surgeon, who became his wife. See what I mean? They are a military family.

As I said earlier, I am so proud of both of them and I feel Matt deserves a standing ovation for a life he is living well and with an obvious commitment to making life even better for his wife Katie, his family, and his country. Thanks Matt we really appreciate your service.

I’m Rick Blumenberg, and that’s My View from Tanner Creek.