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Neil L. Andersen teaches that for something to be considered "doctrine" all apostles must agree on it.
Neil L. Andersen, "Trial of Your Faith," General Conference, October 2012, accessed January 6, 2023
Ten years ago as my wife, Kathy, and I were living in São Paulo, Brazil, President David Marriott was presiding over the Brazil São Paulo Interlagos Mission. He and his wife, Neill, and their sons Will, Wesley, and Trace lived near us. They had left their home, their business, and many in their family to respond to a call from the prophet to serve a mission.
President Marriott called me one afternoon. Their precious, righteous 21-year-old daughter, Georgia, a senior in violin performance at Indiana University, had been hit by a truck while riding her bicycle home after a Church meeting. On first report, Georgia was doing well. Hours later her condition dramatically worsened.
Family and friends began fasting and praying for a miracle for Georgia. Her mother flew through the night from Brazil. Arriving in Indiana the next day, she was met by her older children, who tearfully explained that they had been with Georgia as she passed away.
I watched the Marriott family at the time of this experience and in the months and years that followed. They wept, they prayed, they spoke of Georgia, they felt immense pain and sadness, but their faith did not falter. In this morning's session, we heard of similar faith in the beautiful lives of the Bowen and Wilberger families.
The gift of faith is a priceless spiritual endowment. "This is life eternal," Jesus prayed, "that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
Our faith is centered in God, our Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. It is bolstered by our knowledge that the fulness of the gospel has been restored to the earth, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that prophets and apostles today hold the keys of the priesthood. We treasure our faith, work to strengthen our faith, pray for increased faith, and do all within our power to protect and defend our faith.
The Apostle Peter identified something he called a "trial of your faith." He had experienced it. Remember Jesus's words:
"Simon, … Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
"But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not."
Peter later encouraged others: "Think it not strange," he said, "concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you."
These fiery trials are designed to make you stronger, but they have the potential to diminish or even destroy your trust in the Son of God and to weaken your resolve to keep your promises to Him. These trials are often camouflaged, making them difficult to identify. They take root in our weaknesses, our vulnerabilities, our sensitivities, or in those things that matter most to us. A real but manageable test for one can be a fiery trial for another.
How do you remain "steadfast and immovable" during a trial of faith? You immerse yourself in the very things that helped build your core of faith: you exercise faith in Christ, you pray, you ponder the scriptures, you repent, you keep the commandments, and you serve others.
When faced with a trial of faith—whatever you do, you don't step away from the Church! Distancing yourself from the kingdom of God during a trial of faith is like leaving the safety of a secure storm cellar just as the tornado comes into view.
The Apostle Paul said, "Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God." It is within the sanctuary of the Church that we protect our faith. Meeting together with others who believe, we pray and find answers to our prayers; we worship through music, share testimony of the Savior, serve one another, and feel the Spirit of the Lord. We partake of the sacrament, receive the blessings of the priesthood, and attend the temple. The Lord declared, "In the ordinances … , the power of godliness is manifest." When you are faced with a test of faith, stay within the safety and security of the household of God. There is always a place for you here. No trial is so large we can't overcome it together.
President Thomas S. Monson said: "The moral compass of society [has been evolving at a rapid rate]. Behaviors … once … considered inappropriate and immoral are now … viewed by … many as acceptable."
There are many single adults in the Church well beyond their early adult years. While finding their present life different than they had anticipated, they keep the law of chastity. It can be a trial of their faith. I express my deep respect and admiration for these disciples of Christ.
"God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife." In the New Testament the Savior lifted the moral standard for His followers when He declared, "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." He taught us not to condemn others, but He was unafraid to speak directly: "Go," He said, "and sin no more."
Our family has a friend. You probably know someone like her, or perhaps you are like her. Always faithful, serves nobly in the Church, admired professionally, adored by her family, and while she anticipated marriage and children, she is single. "I made the decision," she said, "to put my … trust in Jesus Christ. Going to the temple frequently helps me keep a more eternal focus. It reminds me I am never alone. I have faith … that no … blessing will be withheld … as I … remain faithful to my covenants, including the law of chastity."
Another friend served an outstanding mission, followed by rigorous academic training. He hoped to have a family. His trial of faith: feelings of same-sex attraction. He wrote me recently: "I am promised in my patriarchal blessing that I will have my own family someday. Whether that will occur in this life or the next, I do not know. But what I do know is that I don't want to do anything that will jeopardize the blessings God has promised both me and my future posterity. … Living [the law of chastity] is a challenge, but did we not come to earth to confront challenges and to show God our love and respect for Him by keeping His commandments? I am blessed with good health, the gospel, a loving family, and loyal friends. I am grateful for my many blessings."
The world protests, how can you ask so much? The Lord responds:
"My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. …
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
These two followers of Christ and tens of thousands like them have felt the Savior's promise: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Here is another trial. There have always been a few who want to discredit the Church and to destroy faith. Today they use the Internet.
Some of the information about the Church, no matter how convincing, is just not true. In 1985, I remember a colleague walking into my business office in Florida. He had a Time magazine article entitled "Challenging Mormonism's Roots." It spoke of a recently discovered letter, supposedly written by Martin Harris, that conflicted with Joseph Smith's account of finding the Book of Mormon plates.
My colleague asked if this new information would destroy the Mormon Church. The article quoted a man who said he was leaving the Church over the document. Later, others reportedly left the Church. I'm sure it was a trial of their faith.
A few months later, experts discovered (and the forger confessed) that the letter was a complete fraud. I remember really hoping that those who had left the Church because of this deception would find their way back.
A few question their faith when they find a statement made by a Church leader decades ago that seems incongruent with our doctrine. There is an important principle that governs the doctrine of the Church. The doctrine is taught by all 15 members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. It is not hidden in an obscure paragraph of one talk. True principles are taught frequently and by many. Our doctrine is not difficult to find.
The leaders of the Church are honest but imperfect men. Remember the words of Moroni: "Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father … ; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been."
Joseph Smith said, "I never told you I was perfect; but there is no error in the revelations." The miracle of God's hand in the history and destiny of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is understood only through the lens of spiritual inquiry. President Ezra Taft Benson said, "Every [person] eventually is backed up to the wall of faith, and there … must make his stand." Don't be surprised when it happens to you!
By definition, trials will be trying. There may be anguish, confusion, sleepless nights, and pillows wet with tears. But our trials need not be spiritually fatal. They need not take us from our covenants or from the household of God.
"Remember, … it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
Like the intense fire that transforms iron into steel, as we remain faithful during the fiery trial of our faith, we are spiritually refined and strengthened.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson explained what he learned from a personal trial: "Though I suffered then, as I look back now, I am grateful that there was not a quick solution to my problem. The fact that I was forced to turn to God for help almost daily over an extended period of years taught me truly how to pray and get answers to prayer and taught me in a very practical way to have faith in God. I came to know my Savior and my Heavenly Father in a way and to a degree that might not have happened otherwise or that might have taken me much longer to achieve. … I learned to trust in the Lord with all my heart. I learned to walk with Him day by day."
Peter described these experiences as "much more precious than … gold." Moroni added that a witness follows "the trial of your faith."
I began with the story of the Marriott family. Last week Kathy and I joined them at Georgia's grave. Ten years have passed. Family and friends spoke of the love and memories they have of Georgia. There were white helium balloons to celebrate her life. Amid tears, Georgia's mother tenderly spoke of the increased faith and understanding she has received, and Georgia's father quietly told me of the promised witness that has come to him.
With faith come trials of faith, bringing increased faith. The Lord's comforting assurance to the Prophet Joseph Smith is the very same promise He makes to you in your trial of faith: "Hold on … , fear not … , for God shall be with you forever and ever." Of this I bear my sacred witness in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.


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By John Finerty, CSCE Staff Advisor
The United States Helsinki Commission held a briefing April 24, 2003 on the critical human rights and humanitarian situation in war-torn Chechnya, Russian Federation.
The panelists of the briefing were Eliza Moussaeva, Director of the Ingushetia office of the Memorial Human Rights Center, and Bela Tsugaeva, Information Manager of World Vision, Ingushetia. The Commission guests were accompanied by Maureen Greenwood, Advocacy Director for Europe and Eurasia, Amnesty International, USA.
Helsinki Commission Deputy Chief of Staff Ron McNamara opened the briefing. "Despite concerted efforts by the Russian leadership to portray the situation in Chechnya as approaching normal, the pattern of clear, gross and uncorrected violations of OSCE commitments by Russian forces continues," McNamara said. "From reports of credible and courageous human rights activists such as our panelists, it is clear that the most egregious violations of international humanitarian law anywhere in the OSCE region are occurring in Chechnya today."
Ms. Moussaeva said that, as of late, Russian forces no longer conduct sweep operations ("zachistki") in search of rebels, but now rely on night raids by masked personnel. In the three months from January to March, there were 119 abductions by federal forces engaged in such operations, according to Moussaeva, who added that during the same period last year, there were 82 abductions marking an increase in such activity by Federation forces.
This shift in tactics has made it more difficult for families to trace their abducted relatives, whereas previously relatives generally knew which units had conducted the sweeps. Now, units and identities of the raiders are unknown, as well as the location of detainees. Officially, 2,800 persons are missing. Memorial believes the actual number to be significantly higher.
Mass graves are a common find. In January, one mass grave was found in which the exact number of corpses could not be ascertained, because the bodies had been blown up by grenades to hide traces of torture and abuse. Authorities claim these individuals were abducted by Chechen rebel forces; yet some family members, who were able to identify their relatives by the clothing on the bodies, say that these individuals were actually taken by federal forces.
According to Moussaeva, Moscow's highly-touted March 23rd constitutional referendum has not marked an improvement in Chechen life on the ground. On one single day after the referendum, Memorial received reports of several cases of individuals abducted by federal forces. On the same day, a bus exploded, killing nine. Ms. Moussaeva asked, "So we have the question, why did we need that referendum if it didn't change the situation for the better, if it didn't bring us stability?"
Regarding an OSCE presence in Chechnya, Moussaeva said, "We hope that they would have the opportunity to open in Chechnya again, and it will be a great help for us. The OSCE had a very positive experience and a good image after the first war."
Ms. Tsugaeva spoke about the situation for internally displaced persons (IDPs). According to information compiled by the Danish Refugee Council, there are some 92,000 IDPs in the neighboring republic of Ingushetia, which has a population of only 350,000. Fifteen thousand of the IDPs live in five large tent camps, 27,000 in other structures such as industrial plants or farms, and 50,000 in private accommodations, for which most have to pay rent.
Most individuals lack basic necessities and have been asked by Ingushetia to leave, yet they have nowhere to go. Refugees in this region have also been subjected to efforts by federal officials to drive them away. Seventy percent of aid comes mainly from international NGOs, and the remainder from the UN. Bread distribution to these people is vital but irregular. Most international NGOs have been unable to open offices in Chechnya due to the security situation, meaning only the most needy, such as children and the elderly, can be provided for.
Many land mines scattered throughout parts of the country formerly occupied by military forces are an additional cause for concern. According to official statistics, there were over 5,000 victims of landmine explosions in 2002. Despite the work of international NGOs such as the Handicap International Organization, most of these victims do not have access to adequate medical care and are in one way or another incapacitated for life.
Ms. Moussaeva stated that an office established by the Putin government to monitor the human rights situation in Chechnya was ineffectual and merely for show. Of more than 29,000 complaints of harassment by federal forces filed by individuals, only 550 had been investigated.
Ms. Greenwood commended the Helsinki Commission for its letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell urging the U.S. delegation at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva to push for a strong resolution to the conflict in Geneva. The recently concluded 58th Meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights failed by a vote of 15-21 to adopt a U.S.-supported resolution expressing "deep concern" about reported human rights violations in Chechnya.
"Amnesty would like to thank co-signers Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Representative Christopher Smith, Senator Gordon Smith, Representative Steny Hoyer, Representative Robert Aderholt and Representative Ben Cardin," Greenwood said.
Furthermore, Greenwood expressed Amnesty International's concern regarding the targeting of civilians on both sides of the conflict. Chechen rebel forces have engaged in abductions, hostage taking, and assassinations. Russians have used tactics such as extra-judicial executions, rape, and torture. Amnesty International profiles a few prominent cases, but these represent hundreds of other cases of human rights abuses.
Ms. Greenwood presented Amnesty International's recommendations for the United States Government, including:
- pressuring the Russian Government not to close tent camps for IDPs;
- encouraging the US Government to maintain funding levels of the Freedom Support Act for pro-human rights and democracy NGOs in the Russian Federation;
- demanding access to Chechnya for international journalists and observers; and,
- supporting the establishment of a human rights tribunal in the Council of Europe.
Amnesty International's recommendations for the Russian Government included providing accountability for previous abuses and ending violations of human rights law. Finally, Amnesty International called upon Chechen rebels to abide by international law, and stop the kidnaping and killings.
The United States Helsinki Commission, an independent federal agency, by law monitors and encourages progress in implementing provisions of the Helsinki Accords. The Commission, created in 1976, is composed of nine Senators, nine Representatives and one official each from the Departments of State, Defense and Commerce.
United States Helsinki Commission intern Sean Callagy contributed to this article.

subset: commoncrawl


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American Indian tribes plan for worst with looming budget cuts
Published 11:24 am Monday, March 18, 2013
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — When it comes to the automatic spending cuts that began taking effect this month, federal lawmakers spared programs that serve the nation's most vulnerable — such as food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid and veterans' assistance — from hard hits.
That wasn't the case with programs for American Indian reservations, where unemployment is far above the national average, women suffer disproportionately from sexual assaults, and school districts largely lack a tax base to make up for the cuts.
The federal Indian Health Service, which serves 2.1 million tribal members, says it would be forced to slash its number of patient visits by more than 800,000 per year. Tribal programs under the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs that fund human services, law enforcement, schools, economic development and natural resources stand to lose almost $130 million under the cuts, according to the National Congress of American Indians.
"We will see significant impacts almost immediately," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told The Associated Press, referring to the BIA. "We will have to furlough some employees. It will mean that there's going to be a slowing down of the processing of applications and so there will be an impact on the work that the BIA does on behalf of Indian Country."
The timing and magnitude of most of the cuts are uncertain as Congress looks for a way to keep the government operating beyond March 27 with no budget in place. In the meantime, tribes across the country are preparing for the worst.
Some are better-positioned than others.
In northwestern New Mexico's McKinley County, where about a third of the population lives below the federal poverty level, the Gallup-McKinley County School District is facing a $2 million hit. The cuts could result in job losses and more crowded classrooms. The district that draws mostly Navajo students from reservation land not subject to state property taxes relies heavily on federal funding to pay its teachers and provide textbooks to students.
"To me, it seems very unfair that one of the poorest counties with one of highest Native enrollment in the country has to be impacted the most by sequestration," said district superintendent Ray Arsenault. "We are very poor, we're very rural, and it's going to hurt us much more."
The district faced enormous public pressure when it wanted to close schools on the Navajo Nation due to budget shortfalls, so it won't go that route under looming cuts, Arsenault said. Instead, he would look to reduce his 1,800 employees by 200 — mostly teachers — and add a handful of students to each classroom.
The Red Lake Band Of Chippewa Indians in northern Minnesota expects 22 jobs, mostly in law enforcement, will be lost immediately. Tribal Chairman Floyd Jourdain Jr. said police already operate at a level considered unsafe by the BIA. Deeper cuts forecast for later this year will increase job losses to 39, and "public safety operations at Red Lake will collapse," he said.
On the Rosebud Indian Reservation in south-central South Dakota, a new $25 million, 67,500-square foot jail that was to provide cultural and spiritual wellness programs for tribal members charged with crimes sits empty. The annual operating budget of $5 million would be reduced to around $840,000 because of the automatic budget cuts, said jail administrator Melissa Eagle Bear.
"I don't think this is intentional, but I do feel like it's the government's way of controlling things," she said. "They definitely have control, and we're going to keep going. … I know Indian people. We tend to survive off what resources we have."
The National Indian Education Association said the cuts to federal impact aid will affect the operation of 710 schools that serve about 115,000 American Indian students. Those cuts would be immediate because the money is allocated in the same school year it is spent.
In Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation said it is well-poised to handle cuts to its diabetes, housing rehabilitation, Head Start and health care programs. The tribe put a freeze on nonessential hires and halted most travel and training for tribal employees. The tribe's $600 million budget for services and programs comes largely from federal funds, but tribal businesses also post annual revenues in the same amount that have been used to fill in gaps, said Principal Chief Bill John Baker.
"What this really is going to boil down to mean is that there won't be any new purchases, new equipment, and probably we'll hold our programs but not be in a position to add new programs," Baker said. "Luckily, we're in pretty good shape."
Baker and other tribal leaders have argued against the cuts, saying the federal government has a responsibility that dates back to the signing of treaties to protect American Indian people, their land and tribal sovereignty.
While food distribution, welfare programs and health care services that serve the needy are exempt from the cuts, similar services on reservations aren't, said Amber Ebarb, a budget and policy analyst for the National Congress of American Indians.
"Tribes have too little political clout, too small numbers for those same protections to be applied," she said. "I don't think it's the intent of any member of Congress. The ones we hear from, Republicans and Democrats who understand trust and treaty rights, think it's outrageous that tribes are subject to these across-the-board cuts."
Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona said he doesn't believe Congress as a whole understands the potential impact to tribes and the duty that federal agencies have to meaningfully consult with them on major actions. He and Republican Rep. Don Young of Alaska are urging their colleagues to spare those populations from automatic budget cuts, particularly when it comes to health care.
"It's not about creating a niche for American Indians. It's about addressing areas in which need is great," Grijalva said.
Clara Pratte, director of the Navajo Nation's Washington, D.C., office, said regardless of the outcome of the budget talks, tribal leaders should press Congress to make funding for Indian programs mandatory, not discretionary.
Nearly two-thirds of the Navajo Nation's $456 million budget comes from federal sources that go to public safety, education, health and human services, roads and infrastructure. The tribe is facing up to $30 million in automatic budget cuts.
"A lot of these programs go to people that cannot lift themselves up by their bootstraps," Pratte said. "I'm talking about grandmas, grandpas, kids under the age of 10. We can't very well expect them to go to work."


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The Helliniko Olympic Complex in Athens was supposed to be thriving long after the 2004 Summer Olympics had ended. Built on part of the site of the city's old airport for the Games, the facility housed the canoe and slalom events as well as arenas and sites for field hockey, baseball, softball, basketball and fencing. There were big plans to turn much of the complex into the largest metropolitan park in Europe, but that never happened, largely because of the bureaucracy that hampers most development in Greece. Today, the complex sits amid overgrown weeds, virtually deserted.
It's been eight years since Greece, the birthplace of the Games, proudly hosted the Olympics, which London will host this summer. But as the country grapples with the destabilizing effects of the European economic crisis, many Greeks now look back on the Games with more regret than pride.
(SPECIAL: What Becomes of Olympic Stadiums?)
"It felt good at the time because we were the center of the world, and we got to show off our country," says gymnast Christos Libanovnos of the Hellenic Gymnastics Federation, which uses the former Olympic complex for training. "But what did it cost? So much money — billions of euros. And now we are bankrupt and everything just gets worse and worse every day. It's hard not to see a connection. It's hard not to think that maybe it wasn't worth it."
Libanovnos helps train young gymnasts — including some visiting from other countries — in the old Olympic facility, but the place is so run-down that proper practice can be difficult. "We were embarrassed to let them in here. There's a layer of dust everywhere and no air-conditioning," he says. "And the trash bins are overflowing because there's no cleaning staff."
Hosting the Olympics certainly didn't cause the country's financial mess. Greece has a long history of systemic problems with labor productivity, public-sector debt and corruption. But in retrospect, the Athens Games appear now to be a high mark for modern-day Greece. It came at a moment when the euro, which Greece adopted a few years before, had brought the country a remarkable degree of wealth in a short period of time. Greece's — and Europe's — financial instability would've seemed unimaginable.
But in fact, the 2004 Olympics were a microcosm of Greek economic dysfunction: missed budget estimates, poor planning, financial mismanagement. It cost Greece about $11 billion, at least double what the Greek government had initially budgeted — and that doesn't include the money the country has spent trying to maintain its rarely used Olympic facilities over the past eight years. It was forced — mainly by the U.S. and the U.K. — to spend $1.2 billion on security alone because of fears over terrorism, and in the months leading up to the opening ceremonies, Athens had to rush its schedule just to get construction projects completed on time.
(SPECIAL: A Long History of Olympic Politics)
"If you look at the mistakes they made in preparing for the Games, you could say that similar types of mistakes led Greece into the debt difficulties they're facing now," says Mark Spiegel, who works for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and has written about the economic effects of hosting the Olympics, referring to Greece's budget and construction problems.
Andrew Rose, a University of California, Berkeley, economics professor who co-authored a paper with Spiegel called "The Olympic Effect," says that even though Greece's debt is in the hundreds of billions of dollars today, the Games clearly added to Greece's fiscal woes. "Such events are almost all wasteful for advanced open economies like Greece," he says.
For years, studies have shown that holding the Olympics often has severe negative economic effects on host cities, despite the temporary burst of tourism and global attention. The competition between cities often causes governments to go financially overboard merely to win an Olympic bid. Once construction gets under way, governments often fail to budget properly. And after the Games are over, many cities are left with infrastructure that suddenly has no real use.
Not everyone, however, accepts that rationale. Some argue, for instance, that hosting the Olympics brings cities much-needed infrastructure projects.
"Because of the Games, we now have the metro, a new airport and new roads," says Isidoros Kouvelos of the Hellenic Olympic Committee. "Of course there are idle stadiums — these white elephants — but that's not the whole story."
The Summer Olympics in London appear to be no different. Even though the coalition government has made some budget cuts in Olympic spending as part of its attempts to reduce its budget deficit, a new report by Oxford University shows that the London Olympics are on track to be the most overbudget Games since Atlanta in 1996.
Even though the Greeks were jubilant eight years ago, many are completely ignoring the Games this time around.
"No one wants to talk about the Olympics, even though we have athletes at the London Games — and athletes who could win medals," says Vassilis Sambrakos, a Greek sports-radio personality and columnist. "Many Greeks believe the 2004 Games was all built on a big lie — a lie that we had the money to pay for all these lavish centers and ceremonies. That seems like ancient history."
— With Reporting by Joanna Kakissis / Athens


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Arizona's Republican Governor Jan Brewer is being pressured to veto a bill that would allow business owners in the state to deny service to gays and lesbians. To deny service, the business owner has to have sincerely held religious beliefs. That's the legislation's wording. It's become so controversial that even some lawmakers who voted for it are now regretting it.
NPR's Ted Robbins has more.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Equal rights.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: When do we want it?
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Now.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: What do we want?
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Equal rights.
TED ROBBINS, BYLINE: The protests against the bill began as soon as it passed Arizona's Republican-controlled legislature. This one was outside the state capitol in Phoenix. Protests have continued. Gay rights supporters started it. Arizona's two U.S. senators both tweeted that Governor Brewer should veto the bill. Arizona is, again, in the cultural crosshairs.
JAY MICHAELSON: We're outside of just the realm of law and we're in the realm of public values. And the question is whether it's an American value or not to say certain people can't sit at the lunch counter.
ROBBINS: That's Jay Michaelson, who studies religious freedom for the progressive Political Research Associates. He says a number of other states considered and rejected laws similar to Arizona's. Georgia is up next. The Arizona law would allow business owners to refuse service to gays and lesbians if the owner's religion says homosexuality is wrong. But Jay Michaelson says the bill could affect virtually anyone who deals with a business owner claiming religious protection.
MICHAELSON: And, in fact, this law was so broad that it could cover anybody. So if I'm a fundamentalist Christian who holds Jews responsible for the death of Jesus Christ, I could put a sign saying no Jews allowed in my hotel or my restaurant or my sports stadium for that matter.
ROBBINS: Doug Napier sees it precisely opposite. Napier is with the Alliance Defending Freedom, which is trying to get similar bills passed across the country.
DOUG NAPIER: This is a human dignity bill. It's a human rights bill. It's an anti-discrimination bill, so people of faith have a safe place in Arizona. That's all it is.
ROBBINS: The Arizona bill took off as a result of a court decision in neighboring New Mexico last year. That state's Supreme Court ruled that an Albuquerque photographer could not refuse to take pictures of a gay couple. The Arizona law was intended to protect business owners from similar lawsuits. But business owners - big business owners - have now come out against the bill. Even the National Football League has weighed in, saying it's following the issue as Glendale, Arizona, prepares to host next year's Super Bowl. Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, who is running for Arizona governor, says he's hearing from other concerned mayors around the country.
MAYOR SCOTT SMITH: The perception was out there regardless of what the intention was. The perception was out there, and it was not a good perception of Arizona.
ROBBINS: Arizona is still getting over perception problems from its anti-illegal immigration law passed in 2010, and it's in the midst of a fragile economic recovery, which is why both U.S. senators from Arizona, John McCain and Jeff Flake, came out against the new bill. Here's Senator McCain on CNN.
SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN: This is going to hurt the state of Arizona's economy and frankly our image.
ROBBINS: It may have begun as a religious rights issue, but the Arizona bill has quickly become a civil rights issue and a business issue. In the last few days, even three Republicans who voted for the bill have said they made a mistake. Ted Robbins, NPR News, Tucson.
BLOCK: You're listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Super Bowl XLI Hangover: I'll point you to the live-blog/live-comment post below for everyone's take throughout the game. Meanwhile, with a night to sleep on it, here are:
The Big Winners:
1. Peyton Manning: Wait, no more "Peyton face" jokes?
2. Tony Dungy: First African-American head coach to win the Super Bowl IS that historic. (But I'm not quite sure his faith had as much to do with the win as his coaching skills.)
3. Prince: Best Halftime Show Ever.
4. Adam Vinatieri: 4 Super Bowl rings puts him ahead of Brady.
5. User-created ads: Huge success. Do it as well (or better) than the pros. See my longer post below.
6. Bud Light: Best of the "traditional" ads.
The Big Losers:
1. Rex Grossman: He'll be crushed for this as the literal and symbolic reasons the Bears lost, but can you really begrudge the Sex Cannon? He is what he is. (Or, more precisely, as Commenter "Mike" put it: "He is who we thought he was.")
2. Weathermen: Someone needs to take the blame for that worst-ever game weather.
3. Gamblers: Specifically, anyone taking the Bears and the 7 points. Particularly after seeing the weather report. Ugh.
4. CareerBuilder.com: Never should have dropped the monkeys. Monkeys in Super Bowl ads this year -- a down year -- would have won the Ad Challenge.
5. Super Bowl ZZZZ? Both the early reviews and morning-after commentary seems to be shifting that the game was pretty flat... even boring. Not for Colts fans, but the rest of us.
What Next? When a team wins a Super Bowl, the other NFL teams usually fast-follow their blueprint. While it's hard to replicate having your own Peyton Manning, I think more teams will employ the 2-RB system, which was the biggest reason the Colts' offense had any success.
Reminder: The "You" Factor was THE biggest storyline of the Super Bowl ads. See my post on it below. Meanwhile, forget USA Today! All the cool kids are going over to YouTube to rank the ads and give the results a far more accurate, authentic, Wisdom-of-Crowds appeal. Here's the link.
What you might have missed while focusing on the Super Bowl:
College Hoops Parity Watch: Duke loses at home to
NBA: Pistons beat Cavs in
NFL Coaching Search: Will the Cowboys make a play for Bears assistant Ron Rivera today? How "up" could he possibly be for that interview after losing last night? (First question: "Uh, our defense isn't as good as
The Monday after the Super Bowl is always Super Bowl, Super Bowl, Super Bowl. But the flip side is that starting tomorrow, we flip into an entire new season of the sports year. Coming later this week on this blog: NBA Midseason Awards, College Football National Signing Day, my first official College Hoops Top 10 of the season and more.


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Sleep Easier in the BWCA
Since I posted the blog about hammocks I've received some feedback. I've heard of a few new ones and thought I would post a poll on Facebook so others can vote or add their favorite. I also found this article and thought I would share it.
Why Hammocks Make Sleep Easier, Deeper
Napping in a hammock is one of the more delightful tasks of summer, and Swiss researchers say they now know why.
The gentle rocking motion makes people fall asleep faster, and they sleep deeper. Those changes in brain activity may inspire new ways to help insomniacs, the researchers say.
Neuroscientists at the University of Geneva rigged up a bed so it would sway gently from side to side every four seconds, considerably slower than the pendulum on a cuckoo clock. "This rocking is very gentle, very smooth, oscillating every four seconds," Sophie Schwartz, a professor of neurology who led the study, told Shots. "It's not like rocking like you would see some mothers rocking their babies, it's more gentle."
A dozen adult research subjects napped on the bed for 45 minutes while scalp electrodes recorded brain activity. During one nap the bed swayed; for another, it was stationary.
The scientists weren't too surprised to find that people fell asleep faster when the bed rocked. But they were surprised at the big difference that rocking made in brain activity.
Rocking increased the length of N2 sleep, a form of non-REM sleep that takes up about half of a good night's rest. It also increased slow oscillations and "sleep spindles." Sleep spindles are brief bursts of brain activity, which look like sudden up-and-down scribbles on an electroencephalogram.
Sleep spindles are associated with tranquil sleep in noisy environments and may be a sign that the brain is trying to calm sleepers stuck in them. Spindles also have been linked with the ability to remember new information. And that is associated with the brain's ability to rewire itself, known as brain plasticity.
That ability is important in recovery from stroke, and the researchers say that rocking while sleeping should be tested on people with strokes or other brain injuries. Rocking is "changing things in your brain," Schwartz says.
The Swiss scientists are eager to try the rocking bed on night-time sleepers, to see if it might help with insomnia and other common sleep disorders. But Shots readers may not want to wait for those results, and instead head directly to the back yard and their own time-tested research tool, the hammock.


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Ed Stone has held a lot of jobs in the past 40 years, both at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Caltech, but there's one he's not giving up: project scientist for the Voyager 1 and 2 space probes. Stone was named to the post in 1972, five years before the Voyagers even left Earth, and in the decades since, he's seen his space babies reconnoiter Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, and then fly on and on through the solar system—on track, eventually, to be the first human-made machines to enter interstellar space. At a news conference on Monday, JPL officials revealed that one of the ships—Voyager 1—is tantalizingly close to that goal, and Stone was on hand for the announcement.
(Photos: Voyager, 11 Billion Years Later)
Voyager 1, which flew on the flat past Jupiter and Saturn and then swung up and above the plane of the solar system in 1981, is now about 11 billion miles (18 billion km) from home. Voyager 2, which never made such a due north turn and thus flew past all four gas giants, is 9 billion miles (15 billion km distant). It was Voyager 1 that was thus the focus of Monday's report, mostly because of what its few still-functioning instruments are telling it about the magnetic field through which its traveling.
The solar system exists within what's known as the heliosphere—a vast bubble of charged particles given off by the sun. That high-energy gale grows weaker and weaker as it moves away from the center of the solar system, slowing from supersonic speed to what's effectively a standstill as the solar particles bump up against the outside particles of the interstellar medium. The point at which they begin to slow is known as the termination shock, which Voyager 1 crossed in 2004. That took it into the final zone of the solar system—the heliosheath—where solar wind particles swirl about chaotically. No one knows how thick the heliosheath is, but only when Voyager 1 emerges on the other side will it have have truly sailed out among the stars.
(More: Infinity and Beyond)
"We believe this is the last leg of our journey to interstellar space," said Stone at Monday's press conference. "Our best guess is that it's likely just a few months to a couple of years away."
That best guess got better, however, thanks to Voyager 1's new magnetism reports. Even as the particles around the spacecraft continue their random dance, the magnetic field within the heliosphere is now coupling to the magnetic field outside, allowing low-energy charged particles from the solar system to exit and high-energy ones from outside to enter. The actual alignment of the sun's magnetic field has not changed — yet — but the way it plugs into the larger universe has.
"Although Voyager 1 is still inside the sun's environment," said Stone, "we can now taste what it's like on the outside because the particles are zipping in and out on this magnetic highway. The new region isn't what we expected, but we've come to expect the unexpected from Voyager."
(More: After 34 Years in Space, the Voyager Spacecraft Fly On — and On and On)
One more unknown is just what the environment surrounding the ship will look like when it does punch through the film of the heliosheath, but that's becoming clearer too. For about a month in July and August, the solar wind came to a dead stop—the threshold known as the heliopause. That should have been it, the boundary should have been crossed. But the edge of the solar system is apparently a ragged thing, and the wind stirred and fell silent a few times before resuming its motion. "If we were judging by the charged particle data alone, I would have thought we were outside the heliosphere," said Stamatios Krimigis, a Voyager principal investigator. But they weren't judging by the charged particles alone; the ship remained on the newly discovered magnetic highway—still driving along the sun's field lines, albeit ones that are beginning to merge with deeper, more distant ones.
When the first, and then the second of Stone's Voyagers do sail into the interstellar region for good, he will still be able to remain in touch with them. The spacecrafts' radiothermal generators — essentially on-board nuclear power plants — left Earth with a warranty good for 50 years. That means Voyagers 1 and 2 could still be sending back data in 2027, before finally going cold and dark and continuing their eons-long journey well and truly alone.
Photos: Window on Infinity: Pictures from Space
From the Magazine: Visit to a Large Planet


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- Is your own laundry and ironing completely caught up?
- Do you have unfinished mending and sewing?
- Are your meals planned for the day, complete with necessary groceries?
- Is your kitchen clean and available for meal preparation?
- In general, are you satisfied with the condition of your house (i.e. your homemaking efforts, involving clean, orderly rooms--not perfect, but acceptable to you.)
- Have you caught up on your correspondence?
- Do you have regular rest time and leisure time? This could be jeopardized if it is used to engage in laborious tasks for people who have no interest in your home, or who are able bodied and can look after themselves, have relatives nearby, or who maybe even have more money than you do and could perhaps buy more conveniences which would help cope with the load of their own housekeeping.
Family members should desire the comfort and happiness of the lady of the house; the homemaker, and should aim to ease her burdens, not heap more on her. They should learn to think the way she thinks, and to care about keeping the house and creating the atmosphere she likes. Husbands should love their wives and want them to be happy. They are to live sacrifically for their wives, and keeping stress down, is a small sacrifice to make, to have a happy woman in the home.
Be silent when challenged to answer back to unnecessary arguing, criticism or long, time-wasting explanations. Sometimes children want detailed descriptions of work related things that take up the homemaker's time, and put more stress on her. Explain that you are currently trying to preserve your strength and get more out of your day, and that you have to be calm, cool and collected, and that they may help you be that way and become the woman God wants you to be, by co-operating, figuring out how best to do what they are responsible for, and how to lift the burdens of the homemaker by exhibiting good habits and manners.
A good post to read concerning the attitude of children in the home, is called "A Child's World," which yields many truths and sayings that were practiced for generations before us.
Take tea every day at three and you will be pleasantly amazed at how much better you feel if you have been under stress. These days there is a marvellous array of specially blended calming herbal teas, and you can add a treat of sliced fruit and cheese, raw vegetable sticks and crackers. Keep a tray all ready, with a tea cup, napkin and a plate for your treats. If you make a ritual of this, you might reduce your stress level quite a bit. Find a feel-good publication and read it while you have some quiet time. Even during tremendous upheaval in some countries during past centuries, tea was taken, to alleviate stress and bring some calmness to daily life.
Dwell on a small amount of Bible scripture throughout the day, using it to replace fear and gloom, burdens and stress. Learn to sing hymns so that they come to your mind easily, without a book, and so that you may sing them as you work in your house, as you walk outside, and as you journey to and fro about your daily activities. It might not seem effective at first, but after thirty days of this, you may see a noticeable reduction in your feelings of distress.
Use the centuries old practice of prayer, a fan and a rocking chair when you cannot shake off stress. The activity of rocking is sometimes helpful, and if you have a rocker on a front porch where you can go outside to rest and pray, it is even better. Women of old were known for this passtime, and there must have been something good about it, for it calmed many a troubled heart and eased distress.
Do some small creative thing daily, or continue a creative project that you enjoy. It should be something that is purely relaxing and not put you under stress to complete. Do it for the pure enjoyment of it, not for the practicality or usefulness of it. Whether it is making a gift for someone else, or just learning how to do something new, do it for a creative outlet and for stress relief.
I hope you will also read "The Importance of Rest"
To print this article, click on the post title first. Highlight the web address that comes up in the i.e. space or whatever you are using, at the top of the screen. Then go here http://www.printfriendly.com/ and paste it in the url space. It will come up as a printable page.
Or, go here
http://www.printfriendly.com/print/v2?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhomeliving.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F09%2Fliving-without-unnecessary-stress.html and click print.
These three posts from another blogger reinforce the theme of reducing stress in your life:
See also my post, "The Importance of Rest."


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The Obamas adopt 2nd White House dog, name her Sunny
WASHINGTON (AP) — Watch out, Bo — there's a new dog in town...
WASHINGTON (AP) — Watch out, Bo — there's a new dog in town.
The White House says the Obamas have added a second dog to the first family. Her name is Sunny, and she's a Portuguese Water Dog — the same breed as the Obamas' other dog, Bo. The White House says that breed works well for the Obamas because of family allergies.
Sunny was born a year ago in June in Michigan and arrived at the White House Monday.
She's expected to join Bo for evening walks and the occasional Oval Office huddle with the president.
The White House says the Obamas will donate in Sunny's honor to the Washington Humane Society.
The Obamas adopted their first White House dog in April 2009, fulfilling a campaign promise to daughters Sasha and Malia.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.


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Much is being made about the symbolism of the seating at the G-20 summit of world leaders, which begins Thursday in St. Petersburg, Russia, and what it supposedly says about U.S.-Russian relations.
Here's how The Guardian starts its story:
"In terms of table placement at least, the Russians are trying to avoid a fight. When world leaders file into St Petersburg's imperial Constantine Palace on Thursday, with the nightmare of Syria and a wider Middle Eastern war on their minds, presidents Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama will be distant from one another literally, as well as politically.
"The seating order, which would have had the Russian and U.S. leaders separated only by the Saudi king, has been reshuffled to put five leaders, including David Cameron, between the two key adversaries over Syria and much else."
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in a story posted by Voice of America) notes that "it's often the quiet moves that tell you about the real atmosphere of relations between heads of state. ... Izvestia reported on Sept. 4 that the organizers of the G-20 summit in Saint Petersburg have rewritten the seating plan with the Latin instead of Cyrillic alphabet to ensure that Putin and Obama are not placed near each other."
Our friends at Minnesota Public Radio's The Daily Circuit blog have one word for the upcoming Obama-Putin encounter: awkward.
According to NPR's Scott Horsley, who is covering Obama's trip to Europe, the two leaders are expected to at least briefly speak to each other at some point: "The two men are expected to chat, either before or after some of the general sessions."
But they are not expected to have any lengthy discussions. Even before the U.S.-Russian disagreement over whether to strike Syria, "frosty" was the word that came to mind regarding U.S.-Russian relations. President Obama had already canceled a planned one-on-one summit with Putin, in part because of Russia's decision to give "NSA leaker" Edward Snowden temporary asylum.
Obama also recently compared Putin's behavior at an earlier summit of world leaders to that of a "bored kid in the back of the classroom." Still, Obama added, "I don't have a bad personal relationship with Putin. ... When we have conversations, they're candid. They're blunt. Oftentimes, they're constructive."
One more thing about the seating: Voice of America adds that this "wouldn't be the first time summit seating plans have been politicized. At a NATO Summit in Prague in 2002, NATO officials reportedly rewrote the seating arrangement in French in order to isolate then Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma at the far end of the table."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Mr. Speaker, this year, Romania holds the chairmanship of the 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Obviously, this is one of the most important positions in the OSCE and, as Romania is a little more than half way through its tenure, I would like to reflect for a moment on some of their achievements and challenges. First and foremost, I commend Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana for his leadership. In late January Minister Geoana met in the Capitol with members of the Helsinki Commission which I co-chair and again two weeks ago at the Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Paris, we had a helpful exchange of views. He has demonstrated, in word and deed, that he understands how important the role of chairman is to the work of the OSCE. His personal engagement in Belarus and Chechnya, for example, illustrates the constructive possibilities of the chairmanship. I appreciate Foreign Minister Geoana's willingness to speak out on human rights concerns throughout the region.
As Chair-in-Office, we also hope that Romania will lead by example as it continues to implement economic and political reform and to further its integration into western institutions. In this regard, I would like to draw attention to a few of the areas the Helsinki Commission is following with special interest. First, many members of the Helsinki Commission have repeatedly voiced our concerns about manifestations of anti-Semitism in Romania, often expressed through efforts to rehabilitate or commemorate Romania's World War II leadership. I was therefore encouraged by the swift and unequivocal response by the Romanian Government to the inexcusable participation of General Mircea Chelaru in a ceremony unveiling a bust of Marshal Ion Antonescu, Romania's war-time dictator. I particularly welcome President Iliescu's statement that "Marshal Ion Antonescu was and is considered a war criminal for the political responsibility he assumed by making [an] alliance with Hitler." I encourage the Romanian Government to give even greater meaning to this statement and to its stated commitment to reject anti-Semitism. Clearly, the next step should be the removal of Antonescu statues from public lands, including those at the Jilava prison and in Slobozia, Piatra Neamt, and Letcani.
Mr. Speaker, I also appreciate the recent statement by Prime Minister Nastase that journalists should not be sent to jail for their writings. But frankly, it is not enough for the Prime Minister merely to reject efforts to increase the criminal penalties that journalists are now vulnerable to in Romania. Non-governmental organizations have spoken to this issue with one voice. In fact, since the beginning of this year, NGOs have renewed their call for changes to the Romanian penal code that would bring it into line with OSCE standards. Amnesty International, Article l9, the Global Campaign for Free Expression, the International Helsinki Federation and the Romanian Helsinki Committee have all urged the repeal of articles 205, 206, 207, 236, 236(1), 238 and 239 from the criminal code and, as appropriate, their replacement by civil code provisions. I understand the Council of Europe made similar recommendations to Romania in 1997. Moreover, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media has said, clearly and repeatedly, that criminal defamation and insult laws are not consistent with OSCE commitments and should be repealed. There is no better time to take this step than now, while Romania holds the Chairmanship of the OSCE. Public authorities, of course, should be protected from slander and libel, just like everyone else. Clearly, civil codes are more than adequate to achieve this goal. Accordingly, in order to bring Romanian law into line with Romania's international obligations and commitments, penal sanctions for defamation or insult of public authorities in Romania should be altogether ended. It is time, and past time, for these simple steps to be taken.
As Chairman-in-Office, Minister Geoana has repeatedly expressed his concern about the trafficking of human beings into forced prostitution and other forms of slavery in the OSCE region. The OSCE has proven to be an effective forum for addressing this particular human rights violation, and I commend Minister Geoana for maintaining the OSCE's focus on the issue. Domestically, Romania is also in a position to lead by example in combating trafficking. Notwithstanding that the State Department's first annual Trafficking in Persons report characterizes Romania as a "Tier 3" country in the fight against human trafficking, that is, a country which does not meet minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with those standards–it is clear the Government of Romania is moving in a positive direction to address the trafficking of human beings from and through its territory. For example, the Ministry of Justice is actively working on a new anti-trafficking law. The government is also cooperating closely with the Regional Center for Combating Trans-Border Crime, created under the auspices of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative and located in Bucharest, and in particular, with the Center's anti-human trafficking task force. I encourage the Government of Romania to continue with these efforts and to undertake additional initiatives. For example, law enforcement officers in Romania, as in many other OSCE States, are still in need of thorough training on how to investigate and prosecute cases of suspected human trafficking. Training which reinforces the principle that trafficked persons deserve a compassionate response from law enforcement–as they are victims of crime themselves, not criminals, is necessary. When such training leads to more arrests of traffickers and more compassion toward trafficking victims, Romania will be a regional leader in the fight against this modem slavery.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to say a few words about the Romani minority in Romania. Romania may have as many as 2 million Roma, and certainly has the largest number of Roma of any OSCE country. Like elsewhere in the region, they face discrimination in labor, public places, education, and housing. I am especially concerned about persistent and credible reports that Roma are subjected to police abuse, such as the raids at the Zabrauti housing development, near Bucharest, on January 12, and in Brasov on February I and 9 of this year. I commend Romani CRISS and other groups that have worked to document these problems. I urge the Romanian Government to intensify its efforts to prevent abusive practices on the part of the police and to hold individual police officers accountable when they violate the law. In the coming months, the OSCE will conduct the Human Dimension Implementation Review meeting in Warsaw, a Conference on Roma and Sinti Affairs in Bucharest, and the Ministerial Council meeting also in Bucharest, among other meetings and seminars. The legacy of the Romanian Chairmanship will entail not only the leadership demonstrated in these venues but also progress made at home through further compliance with OSCE commitments.


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Miseries of the Besieged City*
1How the gold has lost its luster,
the noble metal changed;
Jewels* lie scattered
at the corner of every street.
2And Zion's precious children,
worth their weight in gold—
How they are treated like clay jugs,
the work of any potter!a
3Even jackals offer their breasts
to nurse their young;
But the daughter of my people is as cruel
as the ostrich* in the wilderness.b
4The tongue of the infant cleaves
to the roof of its mouth in thirst;
Children beg for bread,
but no one gives them a piece.
5Those who feasted on delicacies
are abandoned in the streets;
Those who reclined on crimson*
now embrace dung heaps.c
6The punishment of the daughter of my people
surpassed the penalty of Sodom,
Which was overthrown in an instant
with no hand laid on it.d
7Her princes were brighter than snow,
whiter than milk,
Their bodies more ruddy than coral,
their beauty like the sapphire.
8Now their appearance is blacker than soot,
they go unrecognized in the streets;
Their skin has shrunk on their bones,
and become dry as wood.e
9Better for those pierced by the sword
than for those pierced by hunger,
Better for those who bleed from wounds
than for those who lack food.
10The hands of compassionate women
have boiled their own children!
They became their food
when the daughter of my people was shattered.f
11The LORD has exhausted his anger,
poured out his blazing wrath;
He has kindled a fire in Zion
that has consumed her foundations.g
12The kings of the earth did not believe,
nor any of the world's inhabitants,
That foe or enemy could enter
the gates of Jerusalem.
13Except for the sins of her prophets
and the crimes of her priests,
Who poured out in her midst
the blood of the just.h
14They staggered blindly in the streets,
defiled with blood,
So that people could not touch
even their garments:i
15"Go away! Unclean!" they cried to them,
"Away, away, do not touch!"
If they went away and wandered,
it would be said among the nations,
"They can no longer live here!
16The presence of the LORD was their portion,
but he no longer looks upon them.
The priests are shown no regard,
the elders, no mercy.
17Even now our eyes are worn out,
searching in vain for help;
From our watchtower we have watched
for a nation* unable to save.
18They dogged our every step,
we could not walk in our squares;
Our end drew near, our time was up;
yes, our end had come.
19Our pursuers were swifter
than eagles in the sky,
In the mountains they were hot on our trail,
they ambushed us in the wilderness.j
20The LORD's anointed—our very lifebreath!—*
was caught in their snares,
He in whose shade we thought
to live among the nations.k
21Rejoice and gloat, daughter Edom,
dwelling in the land of Uz,*
The cup will pass to you as well;
you shall become drunk and strip yourself naked!l
22Your punishment is completed, daughter Zion,
the Lord will not prolong your exile;
The Lord will punish your iniquity, daughter Edom,
will lay bare your sins.m
* [4:1–22] This chapter returns to the focus of chaps. 1 and 2, namely the horrors of a siege. Unlike chaps. 1 and 2, however, the character of personified Zion never interrupts the voice of the poet to protest her abject state. As a result, the emotion of the poem is less intense, while at the same time seeming more grim on account of its lack of petition to the Lord.
* [4:1–2] Jewels: lit., "holy stones." These precious things designate the children who are abandoned, starving, and killed in the siege of Jerusalem (cf. Zec 9:16). Another explanation is that these are the stones of the destroyed Temple.
* [4:3] Cruel as the ostrich: see note on Jb 39:14–16. Jerusalem, in her distress, has abandoned her children.
* [4:5] Crimson: a sign of luxury. Tyrian purple, a red-purple or blue-purple dye produced from shellfish, was very expensive and the only colorfast dye in the ancient Near East. Thus purple or crimson cloth was available only to the wealthy.
* [4:17] A nation: probably Egypt, which failed to give effective aid against Babylon.
* [4:20] Our very lifebreath: lit., "the breath of our nostrils," that is, the king. This expression occurs in Egyptian texts of the late second millennium B.C., and may have survived as a royal epithet in the Jerusalem court. After the disaster of 598 B.C. (2 Kgs 24:1–17), Jerusalem could have hoped to live in peace amidst her neighbors; but they (vv. 21–22) as well as Babylon turned against her to ensure her total devastation in 587 B.C.
* [4:21] Rejoice: the address is sarcastic, since Edom (where Uz may have been located) ravaged the land after the fall of Jerusalem (cf. Ps 137).
d. [4:6] Gn 19:23–29; 2 Pt 2:6; Jude 7.
f. [4:10] Lam 2:20; Dt 28:56–57; 2 Kgs 6:29.
k. [4:20] Lam 2:9; Ez 19:4, 8.
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The commander of the U.S. Pacific Command said Tuesday that American forces currently have the ability to intercept a North Korean ballistic missile.
Adm. Samuel Locklear, speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee, was asked by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., if the U.S. had the ability to intercept a North Korean missile launched "within the next several days."
McCain: "Would you recommend such action?"
"If [it] was in defense of the homeland, I would certainly recommend that action, and if it was in defense of our allies, I would recommend that action," Locklear said.
In case of a North Korean launch, "we should have a sense of where it's going to be aimed," he added. "If we don't, it doesn't take long for us to determine where it's going and where it's going to land."
He said that Pyongyang's pursuit of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles was a clear threat to the United States and its allies in the Pacific, and that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un remained untested and unpredictable.
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