Considering the Consequences of the Decisions We Make

This week, I have taken the time do a little painting after coming across some pretty images that were inspiring.  It’s fun to take a photo of a pretty view, collection of flowers or image seen out and about, study it for a while and then creating my own version of it.  There’s much to consider, the size and type of paper, the medium, asking “is this project best for watercolors, acrylics, gouache, colored  pencil, markers, pastels  or pens?” And will this be a card, stationary or something to frame/display and how will it be displayed?  These are all fun decisions to make and most decisions can be amended if needed and if a mistake is made, it is easily rectified and if it’s not, there is always the circular file and then you move on to the next project, learning from your mistakes, with no casualties and move on.

     Unfortunately, all decisions in life aren’t that easy or amendable. Everyday we make plenty of decisions, most without even thinking much about, like will we have skim or whole milk in our coffee?  Will we wear the black or navy leggings to workout?  The tank is near empty, do I need to stop now on the way to work, or will it be alright to stop on the way home, without the risk of running out of gas?  Then there are the more important decisions, but still not a risk of non-amendable, like do we do the all inclusive resort in Mexico or the cruise in the Caribbean?  Do we do private school for the kids or public?  Do we encourage the kids to go to a big public, big state school or small east coast or southern school?  Decisions, decisions decisions.  And every these, can be lessons learned, nothing is set in stone, decisions.  If you choose a college that ends up being the wrong choice, a transfer can be made, the only casualties may be a few credits not transferable or a few friendships that don’t last.   Choose the wrong vacation and you’ll be out some bucks, but was it really THAT bad?  You can write a Trip Advisor review (if that makes you feel better) and write that VACAY off as a no-go again and plan what your gut feelings was next time and move on…

     And then, there are those decisions there’s no coming back from and they totally change the trajectory of your life and maybe others; such as ending the relationship that you know isn’t right long term, walking away from a the job that you chalk up to as “there’s no opportunity for upward mobility” you won’t be going down either one of those old dirt roads again in either case.  Of course, these aren’t life and death decisions but rather a ‘ fork in the road’ where one direction takes you to a totally different outcome, hopefully for the better, but there could still be those days of doubt down the line where you think, “what if I hadn’t called it off with her, what would life be like?”  “What if  I hadn’t left the secure but not so lucrative financial path?”  Or “What if we had decided to have children and adopted when we couldn’t conceive?” 

     AND, then there are those life changing life and death circumstances that are monumental; like the surgeon who has to make a snap decision, based on his training and education when something goes wrong during a routine surgery and making the wrong decision means that a patient dies and a family is left without a wife and mother?  The decision to go to a party or be in the company with people who could be up to no good or maybe you don’t even know or suspect that an evening of partying or going out could end up in the death of a friend or person you know and all of a sudden, you are a suspect and your life for the next few years is tied up in legality and fighting “the system.”  Think Karen Read, who was accused of second degree murder in the death of her former boyfriend, in the Boston area and recently found not guilty. 

     These decisions can have “no coming back from circumstances.”   Consider a Prince who marries a woman he is not in love with since the girl he is in love with is already taken and the domino effect of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage.. Or think of the plight of the royal Persian Pahlavi family who go on vacation in 1979 not to ever return to their homeland when radical clerics took over and turned a very modern and prosperous country with many freedoms and opportunities for women, on a detour, hell bent on destroying western civilization with a motto of “Death to America”.  This regime, not characteristic of the majority of Iranian citizens who are hardworking good people, has been building a nuclear arsenal since the change in leadership and supporting terrorism across the world.  If you happen to be the United States President who spins the date and time to have to come face to face with these evil monsters who have burned effigies of several United States Presidents, who have attempted at least two assassination  on current POTUS and have threatened terror attacks in the west, “good luck to you”, as my Dad would say.  When it comes to these decisions that have so many potential people at risk for injury, attack or death, any President who has been at the helm when decisions to enter a war, put boots or weapons on the ground or to drop an atomic bomb, it would be easy to assess that an impending  decision like this could keep one up at night and haunt one for a life time following.  There will be critics either way, causalities either way-hopefully minimal-and lives altered and changed for generations.  These decisions are not taken lightly and I can honestly say, that I am relieved that the choices our President faces right now are choices are not on on my horizon.   

     This week, we are living in a time where some of these decision are being lived out, right in front of us.  The Karen Read decision was announced this week.  If you have followed the case where the Boston Police Officer died a violent death and his former girlfriend was accused of his murder in the second degree. There were many strange details to the story, she was accused of driving over his body, it was alleged that detectives wanted to ‘frame’ Karen, which may have been part of the reason that this case drew so much attention and a documentary was even made on this story, which could have helped Karen Read obtain a “NOT GUILTY”  verdict.  Only those involved know who murdered John O’Keefe  and many will agree that no one should be set up and ‘gone after’ who did not commit a crime.  However, to see Karen Read in a celebratory manner following the reading of the verdict, outside of the courthouse, was not appropriate, would be my opinion.  For the deceased John O’Keefe’s family to see her celebrating and saying that she aided in justice for John O’Keefe did not show her in a favorable light. The family’s son and  brother is still a dead man, no longer to be part of their lives. Also, Read is still facing a civil lawsuit.  Most likely she didn’t calculate the consequences of her decisions…

      President Trump has in his hands numerous problems which was no surprise to him when he took office.  Most of the problems on his desk were years and decades in the making.  Some may want to blame the previous administration completely and that really isn’t fair. Did they not address the problems?  Yes.  Although we could dissect each problem, that can be done at a later date, the biggest problem at the forefront this week is “To Be or Not To Be” involved in the Israel and Iran conflict and/or just how much to be involved if necessary at all.  Prominent media personalities and politicians are weighing in. These people, like the American people, are not privy nor, should we be, to all of the details in information.  Some facts and details need to be kept quiet so as not to leek valuable security information.  Understandable.  However, the big picture is full of information, history and data available for all and people should be aware of the details and circumstances as however this conflict is handled will affect us all in one way or another.

     Some feel that getting involved in the leadership of another country is not in our best interest, as it is not our affair, as in, for us to over throw or be involved in an ousting of a political regime is just wrong, we don’t live there. Where it does become our affair is that this regime-again not the Iranian/Persian people, but rather the leadership-has tried on two occasions, at least, to assassinate an American President and those are just the most recent concerns.  On numerous occasions over the last forty plus years, the regime and their proxies, have had it out for America and has been chanting “Death the America.” What is the ‘bone’ that the radical regime ‘has to pick’ with us?  Really, what it seems to come down to is that they hate the idea of the freedom and power of America.  For the radical theocratic dictatorship to thrive, they need to suppress their citizens.   Look at how they treat women and others who don’t comply with their beliefs.  Women in Iran, before the 1978/79 ousting of the Shah, had freedom to obtain and education and to live and dress as they wished.  I saw recently a video of Frank Sinatra performing in Tehran back in the early seventies.  Iran was a prosperous and advanced country with more promise and possibility back then.  The Shah and his family had been in power for decades.  When the regime of radical clerics came in to power, they whipped the country up into a frenzy and the Shah was exiled, along with his family.  Eventually, the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi died in 1980, of cancer in Egypt, where he was offered asylum.  His life is a very fascinating story and how he was treated in the end is just sad. He traveled from one country to another seeking medical treatment, Jimmy Carter did not want him in the U.S, as he was dealing with the hostage crisis and he felt that the hostages would suffer greater consequences should we take him, Henry Kissinger made the call to Carter to highly recommend end we allow him entry into the country. He ended up dying in Egypt doing one last interview with David Frost. He had Iranian soil beneath his death bed. One of his sons, who so resembles his father, has recently spoken out about the crisis at hand. A little aside but his life and story is fascinating.

     Since the current regime, under the Ayatollah, with an ideology that goes back centuries, that strives for supremacist among some factions within Islam that seeks worldwide domination, not through peace, but rather through jihad. 

This current regime (again, not the people of Iran), had been behind just a few of the activities that put them on American list of enemies:

     -1983 Beirut Barracks Bombed-241 U.S. Marines murdered by Hezbollah, a proxy of Iran.

     -1996 Khobar Towers Bombed, 19 U.S. Airmen killed by Saudi Hezbollah, trained by Iran.

     -2000 Iraq War-Over 600 U.S. Troops killed by Iranian-made IEDs and militias rained down by the Quds Force (the Quds force is an elite unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps)

     When Americans are murdered by Iran’s proxies in the Middle East, it is not because American supports Israel, it’s because they look at America as ‘the great satan.’  They look at Israel as “little satan.’  They absolutely hate our freedom, our Constitution and our way of life.  During the first Trump Administration when the Abraham Accords were being drawn up, there were talks and provisions for opportunities in the Middle East that would give young people opportunities for success. Imagine if these young men, who are drawn to terrorist activities, were given legitimate opportunities to support themselves and eventually a family. Imagine young girls having an opportunity for an education or technical training so that they don’t have to enter a marriage that is not right for them. If young people see a bright future for themselves and potentially a family, the region could completely change. Getting rid of ‘bad actors’, regimes and dictators and encouraging freedom gives hope to parts of the world where there are few opportunities for a good life for a majority of the population. Many from around the world strive to come to America because of the freedoms and opportunities. If these opportunities are available to others around the world, people are able to stay within their own culture and region of the world with the support of their own communities and family. Stronger, prosperous communities, build stronger families and stronger families makes for strong countries and a better and safer world for all us all. Maybe a lofty vision but when others lives around the world are better we all are better.

     The issues President Trump and his advisors are weighing this week are heavy.  For a regime such as Iran’s current leadership to have in its possession such destructive nuclear armament,  is of significant importance as they could do a great deal of damage with what they have. For such a radical regime to have such power, leaves the world in danger.  Israel is fighting this war on behalf of others.  The IDF ( Israel Defense Force) is highly trained and even though small in numbers, is extremely efficient, they have to be, they are surrounded by numerous enemies in their part of the world.  In addition to the radical clerics in Iran, they have several terror organization fighting their fight (as proxies) and with the advent of social media, they have been able to ‘stir up’ and recruit interest, in terms of useful idiots world wide for their cause.  Look at the protests on college campuses and in major cities internationally.  Could these bad players and terrorists have brought weapons across our porous borders in years of the Biden administration?  If they have, could there be weapons ready to launch, should the United States become involved in the conflict between Iran and Israel?  

     No doubt the Trump administration is calculating the consequences of the different courses of actions they could take, asking question, posing possible answers and outcomes either way.  The can of dealing with Iran’s evil regime has been kicked down the road for decades.  Band-aids here and there, a pallet of north of a billion dollars from President of Obama hasn’t fixed the problem and here we are, calculating the consequences of the decisions an American President will have to make.  Hum? Praying for guidance from a higher source for an outcome that will lead to many…Great Days for All ❤️