Not OK, for You, Man

Yesterday produced various reports of a domestic incident in Darien, CT.  According to police, a family fight ensued between CBS news personalities Robert and Ashley Morrison.  Ashley’s mother called the police to report the incident.  The police found red marks on Ashley’s neck and arrested her husband for felony strangulation.

Here is Robert’s mug shot:



While the various reports all mention that upon arrival the police found Robert’s face bloodied, not a single word is mentioned in any of the news reports concerning how this occurred.

How did Robert receive these injuries?

In the elevated family fracas, who first acted with violence against the other?

How can it be that with two people suffering injuries that only one is charged with violence?

In the film, Joe Somebody, Joe and his girlfriend, Meg, have an argument where she gives him an ultimatum regarding his plan to do something very stupid and wrong.  He has planned and prepared for a fight with a bully who previously assaulted him and humiliated him.  She presents the ultimatum of a choice between keeping the appointment for the fight or keeping her.  He sadly says that he cannot make that choice and walks away.

After facing the bully and declining to fight him, Joe comes to Meg to share the news of his choice.  She does not listen, but reacts angrily and violently.  She first gives a two-fisted and forceful thrust to Joe’s chest.  Then she punches toward his face, which he blocks.  He explains how important she is to him and she calms down and all is wonderful.



How many times is this sort of scene portrayed in the movies?  How many times is this encountered in real life?

How many people will be inclined to call the police upon seeing a woman striking a man?  If a man calls the police saying that his wife is pushing him around and hitting him, will they even respond to the call?  If they do, will they arrest the woman or will they bring a straightjacket for the man and take him for a psych evaluation?

How many wives hit their husbands and when confronted act as though they did nothing wrong?

Admittedly, in many cases it is like a flea attacking a dog.  Yet even the tiniest flea can drive a dog crazy.

I have witnessed women acting violently toward men on many occasions, even as they walked down the street or in a shopping mall or parking lot.  I have never seen the police called unless the man responded in similar manner.  In fact, I’ve never seen people intervene in any way unless the man became forceful.  This is especially true in less affluent areas.

How is it that a woman can be abusive to a man without a strong likelihood of being held accountable, but if a person acts abusively to a horse the person is very likely to be charged with a crime?

What actually transpired in the Morrison household is not known publicly.  Yet the reporting certainly reflects this inequitable perception in society.  Moreover, the reported assumptions of the police also seem to reflect this injustice.  The police responded to a reported incident.  Upon their arrival at the home they find two people with injuries.  The man is arrested and charged with multiple crimes.  The woman is presumed to be an innocent victim.

Maybe the police were correct.

Certainly Robert’s love for his wife should have restrained him from acting as he did, whether or not he was provoked by his wife or even if she bloodied his face.  Certainly he should have found a non-violent way to address whatever issues existed between them, even if this meant leaving the issue alone until they both could confront one another calmly and rationally.

And from a Christian perspective, the responsibility does fall upon the husband to act as the head of his family. This means that he will be the one to bear the injustice and unfairness of the situation.  He will be the one to step back and wait patiently for his wife and family to become calm again.  The Lord has placed this upon the man.  He is to be the stronger one who bears all things in love, dealing with the issues from the strength that the Lord gives.

It is amazing how often extremely heated arguments if viewed in retrospect are perceived as arising from very insignificant issues.  Pride and an unwillingness to bear what is perceived to be unfair are usually the main problems.

     And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
(1 Peter 4:8)

Agape kalupsei plethos hamartion. (1 Peter 4:8)

Agape
veils
fullness
of lacking of share in/missed marks

Husband and wife, sharing together in Agape, see not the missed marks of the other, perceive not the short comings of the other, count not any lacking of sharing in the union with the other, for all that they perceive is the Agape.  It is as though the bridal veil is again covering the bride’s face so that she sees her husband through the veil and he sees her through the veil.  Both are viewed with the perfection of the love that binds them together.

When this veil is removed and cast aside or stored away someplace, then they see each other very differently.  Then every fault, every failure, ever shortcoming is viewed and accounted.

In Joe Somebody, when Joe stops Meg from hitting him and pressed beyond her anger to express his love for her, he tells her: “You're what I want.  I don't think there's anything about you that I don't like.”  She responds: “My ears aren't perfectly even.”  Joe responds: “I like that.”

Joe seems not even to have noticed that she tried to hurt him.  He counts no insult from her ridiculous minimization of her faults with the vain remark about her ears.  He sees only the beautiful perfection of his love for her.

This is the way with Agape.  It is a one-sided love.  Agape is of God.  Thus it covers all to whom He gives it so that they begin to see through God’s love for us, which covers all imperfection with God’s perfect love.  This is more than an emotional attachment or infatuation. For those to whom God’s love is poured out in their baptism, God’s love covers them and fills them completely so that their view of the world is changed.  This is because they themselves are changed.

The beginnings of this are experienced even now for those who are baptized into Christ.  In the resurrection they shall experience this in its fullness everlastingly.

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Representation Made Possible Through Efforts of the Vigilant

I was very pleasantly surprised by the this announcement at the KWCH 12 website:

(WICHITA, Kan.)—

After months of robo-calls, mailers and yard signs on both sides of the issue, Wichita voters voted no to giving the Ambassador Hotel a majority of the guest tax revenue it generates. Here's a look at the results:

No: 61% or 16,198 voters

Yes: 38% or 10,107 voters

To read the reported reactions of both sides after the election see:

Wichita votes down Ambassador Hotel tax incentive

"Vote No" group says hotel vote sends clear message

The article goes on to say:

Usually guest tax revenue generated by hotels goes directly to the Convention and Visitors Bureau. However, the incentive package approved by the Wichita City Council council would have allowed the developer to keep 75% of the guest tax to put back into the hotel.

Tuesday's special election means the guest tax generated at the hotel will be spent to promote tourism.

Wow! Imagine that! The tax will be used for the declared purpose instead of for personal gain (city council approved and legalized theft).

The vigilance of those who gathered the signatures on the petition to force this vote by which the city council was held accountable for their double dealing paid off. The people were made aware of this unethical handling of tax money so that they reacted and voted it down.

Imagine if the American people woke up and voted this way in the Republican primaries and caucuses! Imagine if they voted to nominate the only candidate who is calling for the Federal government to stop raping the nation and giving the people’s hard earned money to the globalist elite!

Could it happen?

I did not think that today’s special election would actually succeed. What a wonderful surprise to be proven wrong.

If it happens at the national level I will likely wonder whether I’m dreaming.

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Happy Refrigerator

Friday evening Stephanie went to our refrigerator to put away some items and discovered that it had quit working. The frozen food was mostly thawed. We scrambled to move the food items to the backup refrigerator that we purchased a year ago. Yes, Stephanie knew that our aging refrigerator could give out and snapped up an inexpensive used one.

We called our friend at Abel’s Appliance yesterday, Alan Meyer. He is a delightful fellow who views his life as one of service in the name of the Lord. He intentionally works to keep his prices affordable. He does not even charge special “emergency” or “weekend” fees.

Today I forgot to ask for a new business card, as we conversed over many matters of the faith as they are declared in the Scriptures. But I do have one of his older cards to display until I obtain a newer one. This one was an older card when I received it years ago. Today, rather than 16 years of experience he has 31 years of experience.

The writing at the top is mine as I wanted to have his name handy. Thankfully, our need for appliance repair is infrequent enough that I need to have my memory refreshed or else I forget his name. Thus I wrote it for my frail memory’s sake.

Our refrigerator is working again and our bank account was not severely depleted. Moreover, even my spirit was refreshed through the opportunity to visit again with a very dear man and friend.

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