Opinion Page
Dr. Laura imitates REM. It appears that Dr. Laura got tired of being an Orthodox Jew. Like so many others, she's learned an important lesson. Religions aren't something you try as a means to find yourself. They are like a compass. They only point the way - it's up to you to make the journey. If you're lacking something in your life, the way to find it isn't to try a new religion. It's like buying a TV because you're lonely. Loneliness comes from within, you can't fix it with an object. Religion is the same way. It only provides a framework - it's still up to you to explore. Dr. Laura converted to Judiaism to "find herself." She only needs to look within. Being Jewish doesn't fix your problems - if anything, it adds to them. It's not an easy journey. I've found from personal experience that it's like being born with a target on your forehead. It marks you as a target for the weak-minded and the jealous. It takes courage to be Jewish, especially in today's world. The cowards have it much easier. They rely on hatred and fear. It is so much harder to take responsibility for your actions and follow a higher path than it is to stoop to violence or shallow thoughts.
That being said, do I always practice that? No. Of course, I'm FAR from perfect. I routinely make mistakes. However, I try to learn from them, so that each day I become a little better. Today, for example, I didn't bomb anything or anyone. That's more than I can say for Islamist radicals. Yesterday I cussed out a spanish-speaking woman at Wal-Mart. Today I am already lamenting that decision. I was mad at the flow of illegal aliens who don't respect our laws. For all I know, she could be a citizen, or speak English. Who am I kidding? She's an illegal who understands no English.
Back to Dr. Laura. She said she is considering Christianity as a means to "find herself" and "fulfill a missing place in her life." While I was initially supportive of Dr. Laura's embrace of Judiaism, I found her judgemental nature and outspoken criticism of others troubling. One of the things that I've always enjoyed about being a Jew was that outside of your family, most people aren't that judgemental. I guess they figure you get enough grief from them to more than make up for any missing from any other sources. So, while it was nice to give Judiaism recognition with Dr. Laura, I think she did more harm by calling homosexuality a "biological error" than in talking up family values. I find it ironic that someone who counsels others can't find her own way clearly. She has made some questionable calls that I've heard. If she wants to offer some nice advice, she should present two sides, pro and con, and present evidence accordingly. But, as I've come to see, once people get "wrapped up" (deeply involved) in religion, they tend to get judgemental. I personally believe that just because Dr. Laura says something, that doesn't make it right. Can she fix everyone's problems in a two-minute phone call? Heck, no one can. But most of the answers are obvious to begin with, and the people who call just want to hear her support their decisions. Those that don't agree are looking for someone to justify their rationalization to support a bad decision. This isn't rocket science. Now, I know therapy has helped millions over the years. But for it to work, the people have to want help, and be willing to change. If Dr. Laura wants to be a compass, that's great. But she should remember that it's easy when you don't have to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. And judgement isn't something to be cast lightly.
I think that in hindsight, I knew every bad decision that I've ever made at the moment that I made it. While sometimes it was just easier, sometimes I thought that the bad decision would be compensated for by my altruistic selfishness. But as I look back, I find that had I taken the better course, all would have worked out better in the end. If we teach our children to make good decisions, we've given them the best gift of all. Success or failure depends on it. How can you expect your children to make good decisions when you don't honor them yourself? Does that mean that each of you out there is a bad parent if you ran a stop sign? No, but it won't escape notice by the children. I'm not going to be a perfect father - I'm not perfect, and I don't know if I can change enough of my bad habits to even get close. But I will try my best to make the best decisions that I can for her. And I will work hard to make sure that she knows the reprecussions of decisions. If I can give Baby Spooge that gift, I think that I will have done a good job as a parent.
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