This week, we look at Christian resilience in this mad, mad, world and why it is so needed. I have spoken with several people during my time on God’s ‘big blue marble’ and several of the conversations have been fascinating. One of these interviews is about someone who has been to prison. This article dovetails directly with last week’s article on “Return to Charity”, as this is just one case among probably thousands, if not millions. Don’t believe judicial abuse happens for political reasons? I encourage you to consult the ongoing Tina Peters’ farce, and please, refrain from saying she was “convicted by a jury of her peers”. Jurys can be rigged, just like hers was rigged, but that is material for a different article.
The title of this article comes from U.S. General Joseph Warren Stilwell and is pronounced: “ih-leh-jih-tih-mee / non / car-bohr-uhn-dum”. The general was nicknamed “Vinegar Joe” after a caricature of him was drawn-rising out of a bottle of vinegar, (which he embraced) while stationed at Ft. Benning, GA. He was dubbed this by his men due to his sarcastic and caustic personality with regard to harsh critiques of inefficiency in the military and life in general. Now, for you Latin purists, this is a bastardization which translates to: “Do not let the bastards grind you down”, so don’t write hateful editorials about my use of Latin. This was Vinegar Joe’s motto for resilience during life and several battles and two world wars. He died in 1946 from his battle with cancer, but, we can learn from his wisdom, today. History lesson over, back to the article.
This person’s case happened over two decades ago. They were released from prison early, released from parole early, have their discharge orders, and have been “off paper”, (slang for “no form of custody”) for almost a decade. The case was political, not directly criminal or planned with criminal intent. However, the news agencies at that time spun it, just like they are spinning Tina Peters’ case, to be exactly that. By all intents of the justice system, this person has paid their debt to society, right? Wrong. The stigma “convict” still affects aspects of their life. People still continue to judge, even though they are ignorant of the case details. Others take pot shots. One huge pot shot-this person is medically disabled, and, had to close their business as a result of that disability. They found a desk job, but, the employer didn’t run a background check or ask about criminal history. This person lost their job after a hit piece from a local news agency drummed up the case from 20+ years ago. (As an aside, the employer has three active felons working for them, so please help me understand that decision. Oh, wait, the employer gets a government tax credit for those felons…nevermind it’s about money.) This person is now on public assistance and Medicaid. Eventhough, they want to work, they cannot.
The reason this person isn’t mad at the world and full of hate is due to their faith in Jesus Christ. I recall a sermon I heard where the speaker said “You cannot call yourself a Christian and sit on the sidelines.” This person, by today’s standards of feelings, fake niceness, and entitlements, has, by those “standards”, every right to withdraw and not be active in their community. They choose not to do that, as they live by Vinegar Joe’s motto. This person’s faith is genuine. They are involved with their community more than most. They realize the past cannot be changed. Does this person’s past make them exempt from charity? Nope.
You may have hardship in your life. You may become disabled. You may be on public assistance and need to go to food banks. You may be ridiculed by the uninformed, attacked by the hateful, or subjected to the stupidly prevalent in today’s world. If you are married, this may cause strife in the marriage for a whole host of reasons. You may have a parent die, have a sibling betray your family’s trust, be thrown in prison for someone else’s political agenda, etc. The list of challenges is endless, really. Regardless of what happens, if you claim to be Christian, you will need to adopt a plate armor skin and not let the bastards grind you down. Cling to your faith, pray, and above all, use charity in your life, as true charity, sometimes is uncomfortable and isn’t “nice”.
Finally, out of all charity, I will leave you with this to think about. Convicted felons: The 12 Apostles, Christopher Columbus, Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., Donald Trump, Tina Peters, the person in this article. The biggest sham trial and conviction in history: Jesus Christ. Maybe it’s time to start looking at who is doing the convicting and why, as “convicted” does not equal “guilty”.
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