- Sep 22, 2013
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As we embrace Thanksgiving this year, we might think about the social impact of our competitive media-and-sports 'culture.' Is that something President Donald Trump supports?
This little parable was inspired by the values-driven film Lemon Sky.
Signing off,
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Great Washington Redskins (NFL) quarterback ('QB') Doug Williams was so honored by all the praise he received after becoming the first-even African-American QB to win a Super Bowl. He had a special artist commissioned to make a portrait of him, which he hung proudly above the fireplace of his new handsome estate. Doug wanted to be a gentlemanly 'diplomat' of multiculturalism and race-relations 'chitchat' in the NFL (and all of sports!). However, Doug's wife Raunda, had other ideas brewing...
Raunda wanted to use Doug's newfound race-relations intrigue 'spotlight' to showcase some of the human-rights concerns regarding the treatment of women in places where rituals/customs made life for women rather dangerous. In India, for example, countless women were using rustic 'botis' (a very basic and deadly blade-and-board kitchen-tool used for cutting foods on the floor with hand-and-foot) to prepare meals and reported their hands and feet being cut by the dangerous tool! In Africa, tribes were engaging in bizarre and terrible female-genital mutilation 'initiation rituals.' Raunda wanted to cite these 'primitive' practices as evidence that Americans human-rights groups needed to get 'involved' in the culture-improvement of people.
Doug was not really interested personally in women's rights related matters, so he focused on having a nice estate built and furnished for him and his family. He was thrilled when his son was admitted into the prestigious Ivy League, and to celebrate, Doug purchased a giant turkey which he prepared from-scratch that Thanksgiving! Everything was roses in Doug's world, and he thanked God for all the good fortune and social limelight he was embracing. However, Raunda was still on her women's-culture improvement 'campaign,' so she was often busy making phone calls and using her husband's spotlight to do 'meaningful' social-outreach work. It was a very very 'modern family.'
That Thanksgiving, as the Williams Family enjoyed turkey and spirits and sang holiday carols in anticipation of Christmas, everything seemed to be gelling well, and even Raunda was in higher spirits and felt grateful for everything Doug was providing for their happy family. However, the turkey Doug cooked that Thanksgiving was possessed by a demonic spirit named Jazil who insisted that the 'signature' of American holidays was not domestic 'idealism' but rather domestic strife. Yes, Jazil's message was that Christmas was a time when suicide-rates were very high and domestic violence caused by alcohol abuse and unemployment frustrations created very 'bad news.' Jazil the Turkey was the ultimate Devil's Advocate. What would Doug do?
Doug decided to go in front of the cameras and publicly state that his Super Bowl honors made him very reflective of the spiritualism of the holiday season. Doug professed his faith in Jesus Christ and his passionate team-spirit for his beloved Washington Redskins. Doug made statements about the dangers of sports-gambling and steroids-use and the importance of sports-writers to focus on the cheers created by achievements more than the woes created by corporate complications. Doug was asked to become a team-executive for the Redskins in 2014, and he gladly accepted the prestigious position! His wife, Raunda, meanwhile, was still crusading about botis and b! An optimistic CNN sports-writer wrote, "Maybe offbeat happiness is also found...only in America!"
====
This little parable was inspired by the values-driven film Lemon Sky.
Signing off,
====
Great Washington Redskins (NFL) quarterback ('QB') Doug Williams was so honored by all the praise he received after becoming the first-even African-American QB to win a Super Bowl. He had a special artist commissioned to make a portrait of him, which he hung proudly above the fireplace of his new handsome estate. Doug wanted to be a gentlemanly 'diplomat' of multiculturalism and race-relations 'chitchat' in the NFL (and all of sports!). However, Doug's wife Raunda, had other ideas brewing...
Raunda wanted to use Doug's newfound race-relations intrigue 'spotlight' to showcase some of the human-rights concerns regarding the treatment of women in places where rituals/customs made life for women rather dangerous. In India, for example, countless women were using rustic 'botis' (a very basic and deadly blade-and-board kitchen-tool used for cutting foods on the floor with hand-and-foot) to prepare meals and reported their hands and feet being cut by the dangerous tool! In Africa, tribes were engaging in bizarre and terrible female-genital mutilation 'initiation rituals.' Raunda wanted to cite these 'primitive' practices as evidence that Americans human-rights groups needed to get 'involved' in the culture-improvement of people.
Doug was not really interested personally in women's rights related matters, so he focused on having a nice estate built and furnished for him and his family. He was thrilled when his son was admitted into the prestigious Ivy League, and to celebrate, Doug purchased a giant turkey which he prepared from-scratch that Thanksgiving! Everything was roses in Doug's world, and he thanked God for all the good fortune and social limelight he was embracing. However, Raunda was still on her women's-culture improvement 'campaign,' so she was often busy making phone calls and using her husband's spotlight to do 'meaningful' social-outreach work. It was a very very 'modern family.'
That Thanksgiving, as the Williams Family enjoyed turkey and spirits and sang holiday carols in anticipation of Christmas, everything seemed to be gelling well, and even Raunda was in higher spirits and felt grateful for everything Doug was providing for their happy family. However, the turkey Doug cooked that Thanksgiving was possessed by a demonic spirit named Jazil who insisted that the 'signature' of American holidays was not domestic 'idealism' but rather domestic strife. Yes, Jazil's message was that Christmas was a time when suicide-rates were very high and domestic violence caused by alcohol abuse and unemployment frustrations created very 'bad news.' Jazil the Turkey was the ultimate Devil's Advocate. What would Doug do?
Doug decided to go in front of the cameras and publicly state that his Super Bowl honors made him very reflective of the spiritualism of the holiday season. Doug professed his faith in Jesus Christ and his passionate team-spirit for his beloved Washington Redskins. Doug made statements about the dangers of sports-gambling and steroids-use and the importance of sports-writers to focus on the cheers created by achievements more than the woes created by corporate complications. Doug was asked to become a team-executive for the Redskins in 2014, and he gladly accepted the prestigious position! His wife, Raunda, meanwhile, was still crusading about botis and b! An optimistic CNN sports-writer wrote, "Maybe offbeat happiness is also found...only in America!"
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