Conservationists and Environmentalists


It is hard for me to imagine that it has been more than a month since my last post. My apologies, but I've been pretty pre-occupied attempting to pass my NASD Series 6 and 63 investment rep licenses. I passed the 6 on my first try but it took two attempts for the 63. Right now as I am typing this I am enjoying a view of Biscayne Bay in Miami as I take my state mandated 40 hour class for my Florida Insurance license.

Anyways on to the subject of today's tirade.....

The last couple of months have very thought provoking for this ole "Florida Cracker." I am a native of the Sunsine State and by such have developed a great love for the great outdoors and what is arguably the most ecologically diverse and sensitive state in the Union.

The first event was the apperance of Former Vice President Al Gore on the MTV Video Music Awards show. Here after a making a lame joke about Justin Timberlake bringing him to "Bring back Sexy" he proceeded to show circa 1950's photographs of various Glaciers around the world in contrast to photographs of those same glaciers taken within the last couple of years. I'm not arguing that the glaciers are melting, because they are. My argument is that it was indirectly implied that this was something new to this century. This is a completely false implication by the Champion Enviromentalist. Take for example the ice cap that covers the North Pole region. This ice cap was once a glacier that covered the majority of the North American Continent as recently as only Sixteeen Thousand years ago.

The other event that touched this old boy scout was the death of Australia's favorite "bloke" Steve Irwin. Most famously associated with his daring rescue's of crocodiles that could easily snap his body in half with a single bite, Steve was by far natures greatest Champion. You never found Steve manipulating and falsely implying facts to prove a point. Unlike the manipulative, corruptive, and haste tactics of environmentalists, Steve's whole motive was simply to build world support and awareness of world conservation.

"Take a look at this Beauty" is not often a term associated with North America's largest pit viper, the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. But it was one of the first things that I had ever heard Irwin say. This was the first episode of crocodile Hunter that I had seen, where Steve Irwin was in the United States tracking down and teaching us about mans best rodent control, america's snakes. Most particularly all of North America's poisonous snakes. I agreed with Steve, the Eastern Diamondback is ineed a beautiful snake that is feared more than it should be. A lot of that fear is rooted from a basic lack of knowledge and understanding of this serpent. Never in all the episodes did I once hear Irwin make politically driven comments or doctrine statements.

For me the difference the difference between an conservationists and a environmentalists is simply sen in agenda and tactic. Where as they proclaim otherwise, environmentalists such as FVP Gore and his cronies are driven by personal ambition and political agenda. Conservationists simply desire nothing more than securing the livelihood of our ecosystem by means of action and education of everyone. Knowledge is power. Until we truly understand and know about the entire ecological system, not just one angle, we will never have the power sufficient to improve our environment. My prayers are with the Irwin family for their loss, but nearly as great is the loss suffered by us all. We lost an amazing man, conservationists, educator, and Champion. Until another Irwin steps to the plate, we the counterbalance to environmentalists remains a void. God Bless us all.

More from my Quote Vault....
(This actually is one of my all time favorites.)

"IT IS NOT THE CRITIC WHO COUNTS; NOT THE MAN WHO POINTS OUT HOW THE STRONG MAN STUMBLES, OR WHERE THE DOER OF DEEDS COULD HAVE DONE THEM BETTER, THE CREDIT BELONGS TO THE MAN WHO IS ACTUALLY IN THE ARENA, WHOSE FACE IS MARRED BY DUST AND SWEAT AND BLOOD; WHO STRIVES VALIANTLY; WHO ERRS AND COMES UP SHORT AGAIN AND AGAIN, BECAUSE THERE IS NO EFFORT WITHOUT ERROR AND SHORTCOMING; BUT WHO DOES ACTUALLY STRIVE TO DO THE DEEDS; WHO KNOWS THE GREAT ENTHUSIAMS, THE GREAT DEVOTIONS; WHO SPENDS HIMSELF IN A WORTHY CAUSE; WHO AT THE BEST KNOWS IN THE END THE TRIUMPH OF HIGH ACHIEVEMENT, AND WHO AT THE WORST, IF HE FAILS, AT LEAST FAILS WHILE DARING GREATLY, SO THAT HIS PLACE SHALL NEVER BE WITH THOSE COLD AND TIMID SOULS WHO KNOW NEITHER VICTORY NOR DEFEAT.”

-THEODORE ROOSEVELT, SORBONNE, PARIS, 1910

Injustice of the Death Penalty

Before you instantly judge this post by its title, take the time to read the post! Most people who know me are aware of my strong position of support for capital punishment, most notably, the Death Penalty. My support for the present day penalty has increasingly wavered, but not for the reasons that some of you may think. Hope you have time, I've been away for two weeks and the soapbox is calling my name...

August 6, 2004. This day may not seem that significant for most people reading this post. But if you were living in Central Florida, most notably the Deltona, FL area, you will always remember this day as the day 6 innocent lives were brutally taken over a petty list of items (Most famously an XBox video game system). Four men, and Two Women, a Montley Crue of individuals, commonly bound by their employment at a local Burger King, had their lives taken early that morning, the weapons of choice was primarily baseball bats, and at least one knife. For the sake of all, I will spare the majority of the gory details, but the youngest victim, Jonathan Gleason, 17, A close friend of my youngest sister (one of his older sister was my wife's Maid of Honor) was so badly beaten that his face was devoid of any discernible features, and dental records were needed to make a positive identification of the body. The stories of the lives of these six friends could be used in a movie centralizing a theme of chasing the "American Dream". Their dream, ended short, and the nightmares for their families began.

Troy Victorino, the Ringleader of the group of four who this week were convicted by a Jury of peers of this horrible crime was a convicted felon already, with a concreted history of brutal violence towards any who crossed him. The other three were simply young impressionable fools whom in when faced with the opportunity to define their lives with greatness, and nobleness, instead coward and followed the dictates of one who my wife describes simply as "pure evil."

If any reading this would like to read up on the story and its background, The Daytona Beach News Journal's website has an excellent section devoted sole to this event. To view this section, simply click here.

Now, after weighing the facts of the story I ask you, "Does death by lethal injection provide sufficient justice to what happened?" I think and feel that we spend more time providing and expanding the privileges and rights of criminals who in reality have surrendered those rights by virtue of their own action and choice. I hear so much about how we can't find funding for this program, or for education, etc. Well for starters, I recommend that we reduce the "luxuries" of prisons, (i.e. Cable Television) and use the savings to increase educational spending. May see beneficial effect to both parties involved just by that simple change. The punishment, regardless of method of execution, will never be adequate in respect to brutal manner that they committed their crime. I'm not advocating that Victorino and the other defendants be beaten to death, but this is a time where I wish this had taken place in Utah, where there are TWO choices for the death penalty; Firing Squad or Hanging.

After all that has been said, my thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, and the convicted. It will be a hard loss for them as well either way. It is my hope that we will push for greater absolutes when it comes to crime and punishment. Ensure that no man (or woman) makes a decision with out the precedent having already been set for what the consequence will be.

Morality and the US Constitution

This is a great quote from John Adams;

"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

The Inconsiderance of Convenience

Every Friday morning is our weekly sales meeting at work. For those who don't know me well, I am a Financial Specialist for Wachovia Bank, the forth largest Bank in the United States. Actually, I just found out this morning that I am now a Small Business Fin. Specialist, which basically means I get to spend more time focusing on Small Business needs in the Vero Beach, FL area, which I think is Awesome because I really enjoy working with Small Business. Anyways as I was saying...

Last friday was no different in regards to the typical discussion concerning sales goals, service scores, and customer satisfaction ratings. In the discussion of the later, that being Customer Service, the topic of Cell Phone usage came up. No, not usage by employee's rather usage by customers.

Remember back in the day when you had to know a member of the are "Grapevine" to know the area gossip, or the happenings in the lives of other people? Well those days are gone and all you need now is either perectly healthy ears, or a good set of hearing aids. Last friday morning the Tellers in my office began a discussion concerning the handling of cash transactions while the customer at their window was conducting a conversation on their cell phone.

This presents a few problems, first of all, it's plain rude. Secondly, how can the customer be sure that their transaction is handled correctly? If you carring on, did the teller give you 5 twenty dollar bills or 4? That is why our tellers handle the situation properly and that is to simply stop the transaction until the Customer has finished the phone call. Cash is always counted back, with the customers UNDIVIDED attention. This also has ripple down effect...

Ever get stuck in a line behind the person who is now holding things up beacuse of their "important" phone call? Or how about hearing the latest fight between Suzy Jean, and Bobby Sue over Suzy's ex-boyfriend Steve? Nothing like going to a professional establishment like a Bank only to get an audio version of the Jerry Springer Show.

From my perspective I have two view points and pet peeves. The first as a Banker is that my time is very valuable. I'm sure that your's is too, but my schedule is non stop from the time that I walk in the dorr to the time I leave for the day. Even then I sit at home sondering what I may have not finished before coming home. So please show respect for my time, and save the conversations for when your no longer on my schedule. I reserved that time for you, reserve it for me as well.

The other annoyance with cell phones comes in Church. Listen, I'll keep this brief because the point is a short but sharp one. Church is a time for you to stregnthen the relationship between you and your God. If god is your top priority (as it shoudl, epecially in attending church) what then has a higher priority that you must have your cell phone with you and with the ringer on. Unless you are a public servant (Fire, Police, etc.) or a Medical Professional (I.E. Doctor on call), leave off, or better yet, leave it at home.

-Ben