Must do again

I had a great conversation at lunch on Thursday which ranged over many subjects (for a change... we get rather stuck on work so often). Eventually, we got onto politics, which we don't do as often as we used to.

I'm certain that the people around us were uncomfortable, not that we cared. I mentioned it in passing as we left and we made some jokes about the idea of people making calls to report the muslim, jew and nominal 'christian' (I think L called me the 'white' guy which I found funny), who were arguing loudly about several things including the middle east.

The argument really got started because of the Michael Moore movie, Fahrenheit 9/11. I said I wasn't going to go see it because after some consideration, I felt it wasn't worth my time. I know where I stand and what I believe, I'm not completely ignorant of what has happened and why and I compared approach of Moore to Rush Limbaugh. By being just as biased in the opposite direction as the Limbaugh's of the world, he lessens the impact his message could have for those who don't exist on the fringes.

Somehow (and these things are impossible to understand from a distance) we wandered onto other issues that we largely agree on and then onto a discussion about freedom (which is still rolling around in my head) and Moore's previous film on Columbine (once again, serious disagreement on my part with the apparent conclusions — I guess I still cling to the idea of a citizen uprising if need be). That led to talking about prision, its meaning and the fear factor. Which led eventually to a discussion about financial issues which somehow led to Michael Milken, and then his recent introduction of Ariel Sharon in an LA temple (to talk about relaxing some of religious requirements in Israel — I need to find out more about this, it seems so out of character), and then a discussion of Sharon; the settlements and the attack on the Iraqi reactor complex in '81. That led back to a general discussion about the middle east and finally (for everyone around us), the bill came.

I just don't do this sort of rambling, circular argument often enough anymore, even though I really enjoy it. There just doesn't seem to be time. The hell with that, I need to make time.

So that's my simplistic message for this Independence Day.

Make time for the important things like family, your relationship with your chosen God and discourse regarding the world around us. Exercise your freedoms lest you find them dwindling.