Love and War

"Make love, not war" is a phrase that I and many others often used during my younger years in the 1960s and early 1970s. It is just as true today as it ever was.

The horrors of the Vietnam War are still deeply ingrained within the inner recesses of my mind.






I remember the words I delivered in my 1962 confirmation at Shomer Emunim, when it was still on Collingwood Avenue in Toledo, Ohio and was commonly referred to as 'Collingwood Avenue Temple' or just as 'The Temple' where it had been for decades before relocating to Sylvania, Ohio. Here are the words I delivered to the congregation:
"And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

The world needs more love. Let's end war for all time.

Please help me spread the love.

Respect

Preface: 

I write this preface as a bit of an explanation due to the timeframe of what follows. This Roland Hansen Commentary blog entry has been inspired by the 'On This Day' memories notification that I received today in my Facebook account 

There was a time when I was a "snowbird" as some people call it.
I prefer the term "splitter" because while I spent the majority of my winters in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan area of Arizona, I actually split my time throughout the calendar year between my primary residence in Toledo, Ohio and the second home I had owned from January 2003 until May 2015 in the 55+ Community known as Dreamland Villa in an Arizona Maricopa County Island area that is surrounded by the city of Mesa. I had selected that area of the country for my secondary residence at the urging of my brother Garry and his family who live in Mesa, Arizona. 

Back on January 28, 2011, I wrote the following on my Facebook wall:

Respect. That is a seven letter word. What is your definition of the word "respect?"

To that initial comment, I added:

Wikipedia has an interesting article on the word. Take a look at it:
(click onto the embedded link for the Wikipedia article) Repect 

Having posted that message on my Facebook wall, several comments were made by several people.

It was on January 30, 2011 that I read an interesting message about respect that my niece Charlotte (nickname of Charlie) Hansen, adult daughter of my [half]brother Garry [birthname of Garry Thomas Bogdanski] Hansen, posted on her facebook wall.
This is what she wrote:

Respect is not something your born with; it's something you earn. So many people need to realize that just because you have a few wrinkles on your face, and your skin is starting to sag, your word is not supreme. Damned snowbirds lol

Then, later, on that same day of January 30, 2011, Charlotte wrote the following comments on my Facebook wall:

I've come to notice that you act more as a psychologist than an uncle, and personally I cannot afford the time at this point in my life. As of tomorrow you will be "unfriended." ... take care and maybe consider showing your family a bit more respect. As from the many conversations I have personally held, many family members already have no respect for you.

WOW!




Now then, here is something for y'all:




Another Facebook memory notification that I received today was about a message I wrote on January 28, 2011, one year ago today. This is what I wrote:

I am proud to be an American. However, I feel despondent over the fact that America now has a xenophobic President.

I respect the Office of The President of the United States of America; however, I have no respect at all for the man Donald J. Trump.

United States of America. USA. Is American Government Corrupt?

I saw a meme elsewhere on the internet and found its message to be interesting. Here it is for you:



What do you think?