As the debt-ceiling decision loomed large, President Obama used the “bully pulpit” to suggest that Americans, who are tired of the partisan gamesmanship, prod Congress with emails, phone calls and social-media messages.

Strangely, he didn’t think to include himself, but I’m doing that anyway.

I went to the White House website and the websites of my two state senators and left versions of the following.

I agree with President Obama’s statement last night that, “The American people may have voted for divided government, but they didn’t vote for a dysfunctional government.”

Now you, my elected senator(President), need to take a page out of the President’s book—from his work with the automotive industry—and stand strong on a deficit-reduction bill that will make a real difference. Support John Boehner’s bill that only lifts the debt ceiling by $1 trillion, while imposing $1.2 trillion in spending cuts.

I recall President Obama’s steadfastness, when dealing with the automotive manufacturer’s bailout. He refused to let those automotive leaders avoid reality or do things the “way they always been done.” His team required real change in attitude, planning and focus.

That real change is needed in this debt-limit crisis.

Stop letting the nation’s long-term economic health deteriorate as you tremble at the thought of making tough decisions that groups of Americans will oppose. Do what is right for the long-term good of this nation, not what is least damaging to your political base.

Support the Boehner bill that takes action NOW, and requires cuts greater than the additional debt burden you are placing on me, my children, and my children’s children.

Sincerely,

Tom Keefe
(phone and email)

Yes, they probably never will actually read this, but one of their staff members might. Will it change the course of history? Not likely.

But the President asked us to speak up, and our elected representatives need to remember that they are being paid to make choices that are best for our nation. Those choices aren’t always clear, but who in their right mind thinks that adding trillions to our debt will be good for our nation?

It’s July 4, 2011, and the economy has dampened the typical Independence Day Holiday celebration marked by civic displays of fireworks. Chicago and Gurnee, IL, where I live, announced that they would not pay for fireworks displays because of the expense.

So we’ll just have to enjoy this video of a fabulous fireworks display that I and my family recorded on July 3, 2007 while vacationing in South Dakota, U.S.A. One of the better fireworks displays available was scheduled for July 3 of that year at the historic Mt. Rushmore National Park.

Dry weather had threatened to shut down the fireworks display that day, but we were blessed by a sprinkling of rain that sufficiently lowered the risk of brush fires. The event was about one hour in length, including opening singers and a flyby by Air Force fighter jets. The actual fireworks display was 20 minutes long.

One of the BEST fireworks displays that my family has seen in-person. There’s just something about watching and hearing explosions of light and sound, emanating from the stony likenesses of our four most famous U.S. presidents.

The news broke this afternoon:

Weiner resigns in wake of sex photos scandal
By KAREN ZRAICK and ANDREW MIGA, Associated Press
NEW YORK – Seared by scandal, New York Rep. Anthony Weiner announced his resignation from Congress on Thursday, done in by lewd photos he took of himself, sent to women online and then adamantly lied about after being caught.

Weiner finally feels some of the professional consequences of the choices he made. My hope for him and others is that they learn the value of considering consequences before making decisions or taking action.

His scandal also highlights how social media has changed the world, by speeding the dissemination into the public eye of comments, thoughts and mistakes that, a couple of generations ago, could have been downplayed or contained.

I wish Weiner and his wife well. I wish he had learned from the mistakes of others before him. That just doesn’t seem to occur as frequently as one might wish.

    What consequences?

The condition is remorse over one’s behavior and decisions—without a corresponding acceptance that behavior and decisions carry consequences.

This condition is evident in children who, when caught doing something such as lying, stealing, cheating, or hurting another human being, demonstrate remorse—typically with tears and cries of, “I’m s-sorry!” They’re looking for a way out of the situation, but don’t consider that they might have to face consequences of their behavior and decisions. They don’t want a time-out, or spanking, or to ask forgiveness of the person from whom they stole, to whom they lied, or whom they hurt. Their immediate, typical response when told about consequences? “But I SAID I was SORRY!”

Weiner isn’t a child, but he isn’t much of an adult, either. An adult assumes responsibility for his or her actions and decisions, and when it’s clear that an apology, or restitution, or a change is necessary because of those actions and decisions, an adult makes good. A child thinks of how to save face, or “get out of trouble.” An adult thinks of others; a child thinks of himself or herself.

It isn’t just politicians who suffer from this condition. In the wake of the economic meltdown of recent years, while financial services firms were doling out huge bonuses to their executives and employees, the public screamed. How many of those executives and employees, many of whom expressed some form of remorse in public comments, stepped up to accept consequences of their decisions and actions which flamed the meltdown? I believe the answer is: none.

I have two close acquaintances who separately ended up being divorced because of marital indiscretions on their part. My church lost a pastor who, as it turned out, years before in a different congregation, had an affair with a church member and kept it hidden until the church member’s husband uncovered evidence of the affair and confronted them both.

In all of those cases, the original bad decision/action didn’t have to cause the death of a marriage or pastoral ministry. But the offender would have had to see the wrong, admit to it, and then agree to whatever consequences that the offended party would see as a way to restore the relationship. To my knowledge, that never occurred in any of the above situations.

Representative Weiner’s forceful refusal to consider resignation indicates to me that he doesn’t think that his decisions and actions require him to face consequences. Sadly, his innocent wife has been subjected to media hounding as people wonder why she hasn’t either stood by her husband’s side, or left him. She is reaping consequences of Weiner’s acts. Why can’t he see that?

Finally, I don’t know that I’m seeing more of this condition in the work world, but I certainly see daily evidence that people think a simple, “I’m sorry” should excuse their every decision and action—without consideration of how those decisions and actions have impacted the people around them. These people don’t seem to think that they might have consequences that are a natural outcome of those decisions and actions.

Someone might say that these people just don’t think. I disagree. They think a lot…but not about consequences.

A Happy Resurrection Sunday to my fellow Christians. This day and Christmas Day are the two holiest in the Christian calendar.

They bookend the earthly life of Jesus Christ, who we know as our Lord and Savior. Christmas celebrates the day Jesus was born. Today celebrates the day he came back to life after suffering an agonizing death two days before.

Sounds like a crazy plot for a movie, doesn’t it? At one point in my life, I walked away from my Christian faith, because so much of the ritualistic parts seemed either boring or just plain weird.

About 16 years ago, my wife and I started attending a church where the pastor told us (and the entire congregation) that our doubts and questions were encouraged. God was big enough to handle them!

Through a process of study and opening my heart, my questions and doubts were answered sufficiently for me to renew my commitment to the Christian faith walk.

Is it easy? No, particularly because I remain a stubborn, self-centered human. Is my family a center of Christian hope, love and caring? Not exactly!

We are a work in progress.

If you want answers to the tough questions of life, Jesus has them. Yes, I didn’t say “had them,” because he is still alive.

That’s what I, and millions of Christians around the globe, celebrate today.

For some reason, I’ve been thinking a lot more about my career and personal life, and what I should be doing with both.

I have one project that I need to continue with until it is completed. Everything else seems to be less important.

I also have been feeling that it’s time to step aside in the communication field, and not try to stay relevant with the latest generation of communicators entering the field. Many of them most likely don’t see me as being relevant anyway.

I also want to be free to talk about God, and faith, and things that matter to me, but that don’t matter to a lot of people.

Hmm, buy an iPad 2 or pay for my daughter’s driver education class. Does she really need to drive? Do I want her to “hate-text” me?

Limited budget = Limited Choices = Decisions, Decisions!

I had barely begun my work day last Thursday, when my mobile phone rang. It was Kim, who started the conversation by saying,

“The police just left. Before you freak out, don’t worry, both our kids are fine.”

Hard to believe that hearing THAT might “freak me out,” right? Kim’s opening salvo had done its job–I was now speechless and listening intently to her. (There’s a communication tip here, but let’s not stop to examine it just now.)

     Why would THAT freak me out?

As the details poured out of Kim’s mouth, the story reminded me of a bad sitcom plot–only it was true. The main characters in this true-life drama were Kim, my daughter, Caitlyn and her mobile phone, an adult leader in my church’s high school youth ministry, and the Gurnee Police Department.

Caitlyn was sitting in her school auditorium, watching a touring theatre company’s production of “Romeo and Juliet.” Her mobile phone was in a rear pocket of her jeans. What happened next is still under investigation (by me), but here are the undisputed portions of the next series of events.

• Caitlyn's mobile phone dialed the home phone of the adult youth ministry leader.
• The adult leader saw from her Caller ID that the incoming call was from Caitlyn. Although the leader wondered why Caitlyn would call her, she was even more concerned with what she heard from the other end of the phone call.
• The leader heard muffled, unintelligible talking, but soon heard loud yelling or screaming. Thinking that Caitlyn was in trouble, the adult leader hung up and dialed 9-1-1.
• The Gurnee Police Department responded to the 9-1-1 call by dispatching a squad car to my home, to ensure that neither Kim nor I were holding Caitlyn hostage. (Let the record show that A) Caitlyn was safely in school, and B) I appreciate the police department's policy, because it might save some other victim of a domestic dispute or home invasion.)
• After confirming that Caitlyn was not in danger at our home, the police officer contacted Caitlyn's school. In these situations, school officials need to verify that the child is, indeed, where she was supposed to be. By that time, Romeo and Juliet were both dead (perhaps that was the screaming that our youth leader friend had heard), and Caitlyn was at her next class. The school security guard confirmed Caitlyn's presence, and our excitement was over.