Letter to the Editor

We are all being tested

Sunday, July 29, 2012

To the Editor:

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under Heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

Things do not happen without reason. Even though we all have, "agency," (free will), everything that happens in this universe is God's will.

We approach a fork in the road. It is no mistake the end to the Mayan calendar, Egyptian predictions, Nostradamus' predictions, apparent similarities between world's events and what is mentioned in the book of Revelations exist.

Although everything is God's will in the end, we all have agency and must accept and deal with the consequences of our actions, be they good or bad.

As December approaches, a rare astronomical event will occur. Our earth, the sun and the center of the galaxy will align. Is it something to fear, or is it simply that early science was based largely upon astrology?

Some want the world to end, believing in Christ's return and that they will be swept up in the rapture. Some fear the end of the world, believing some great disaster will bring an end to mankind. Personally, I do not believe much at all will happen on Dec. 21, 2012. What I do believe is that the election on Nov. 6, 2012, may very well decide our future for decades to come.

I believe we are being tested. Whether or not we fail the test, the future will be full of pain and suffering. Our decisions at the ballot box Nov. 6 will go a long way in deciding whether or not the suffering will be lesser or greater.

What I am referring to when I discuss great pain and suffering are things like our dependence upon oil and global warming. Also, I am referring to the effects of chemicals, from everything from industrial bi-products, to medicines that are reaching our oceans, and to pesticides and herbicides, which will eventually haunt us.

Let me use an analogy to explain just one example of how feverish economy, bent on endless growth with reckless disregard to our safety and well-being in the future has our society poised for disaster.

Asbestos used to be considered the greatest thing. Its properties made it a good insulator, and its properties as being fire-resistant led it to be put in factories, schools and also used in many other capacities. Years later, however, mesothelioma and other cancers directly related to asbestos exposure created great pain and suffering.

Now, cell phones are the latest craze. Some people would not be caught dead without theirs. We carry them with us, place them near our heads on a regular basis, and I have heard some children even sleep with them under their pillows. Like the argument for years of whether or not cigarettes caused the harmful effects we generally new accept they do, there is a current argument as to whether cell phones are harmful.

Since 2008, examine what has happened. On Sept. 28, 2008, an already stressed economy saw the stock market fall 777 points. To me, it was an obvious sign. In 2009, we saw a global pandemic of the H1n1 virus killing over 43,000 people worldwide. In 2010, for about the first six months, earthquakes rattled locations around the world. Many were killed including 250,000 people in Haiti in just one of those earthquakes. In 2011, an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster struck Japan, the effects of which will be felt for years to come. In 2012, a heat wave has threatened our crops and the election approaches. Global warming is real.

In economics, there are two major directions for our investments into the future economy, capitol or service. Capitol investments basically prepare us for more growth, whereas service investments allow us to basically take better care of what we already have. Traditionally, capitol investments and growth have been our objective. Look where that is getting us. Where are we growing in such a hurry anyway?

Investments into the service industries, does not mean we are turning into a "welfare state." It does not mean we are turning from capitalists to socialists. It does not mean a loss of jobs. What it does mean is a better standard of living for the general public. Yes, there would be a large shift in the workforce toward things like nursing and healthcare. You might imagine the old argument about whether spending billions of dollars on space projects while people are hungry and in need as an example. To sum up my points, choose wisely in this election. You future, your children's future depends on it.

B. K. Marrero

Brazil, In