Author Archive
Where is the common good in our Government?
Ihave watched and listened almost patiently over the last several weeks to our leaders discuss and debate our financial situation. It is hard to conceive that a countnry founded on strong values can be so deadlocked and impotent. It would seem to me that there is almost no solution to our serious financial dilemna. When do our leaders from the top on down begin to consider all of us.
It does not matter what your political persuasion is, neither side seems either willing or able to get beyond their own ideology. As a country, we are not democrats, republicans, tea party people, conservative, liberal, progressive or any political persuasion. We are Americans, first, foremost and forever. We are bing treated as sheep or cattle that need to led around on a rope. It is as if we can not think for ourselves. Our leaders are so far away from any spiritual influence or thinkingm yet many will invoke religion to support their position.
Wde need to get back to the founding parentsof this country, who clearly understood what it meant to disagree or agree. They also understood what it meant to compromise when necessary to protect the people and promote and foster the common good for all.
We only need to read our Constitution and our Declaration of Independance to see where we are supposed to be headed. Reading and thinking about those documents shows how far we have to go to get back to reasonab le and sound thinking and government. The time is now; not in a partisan and bickering way, but in the aura of working towards what is best for the American people and not any individual, organization or ideology.
We, at The American Institute of Ethics want to see movement towards harmony, friendly discourse, no name calling and most of all respect for everyone in the process, whether or not we agree or disagree. Peace to all of you.
John Sequeira, President
REFLECTON ON EVENTS IN ARIZONA ON JANUARY 9, 2011
There are no words to express the horror and shock about what happened last Saturday. The killing of six innocent people,, the wounding of at least 10 others including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. We have seen too much of this type of violence, slaughter and grief in recent years. Since whe did we decide that a gun was a ethod or resolving differences.
The shooter is probably suffering from some serious mental instability, but that is not an excuse. What happened is truly sickening and abhorrent, but what oncerns me and The American Institute of Ethics is what is happening now.
We are finding parties on all sides of the political spectrum blaming the other side for what happened. We have spoken from this forum before about toning down the hate and ugliness that seems to permeate and control our political dialogue. I and neither does anyone else know what motivated this person to do what he did; but the ugly and violent rhetoric certainly did not dissuade him from his mission.
Then there is the issue of our laws regarding guns. I really do not know what the answer is to controling the use of guns. Is it eliminating all private ownenrship of guns or passing new laws regarding registration and licensing and the handling of guns. It would appear that the laws in place in Arizona were not enforced as this person with his mental condition and background should never been issued a permit for a gun.
In the final analysis, it is all of us who must share the blame. We allow our politicians to spount on endlessly without effect and we do not demand more from them. Our elected public servants are not enforcing the laws they passed on our behalf. This man, with his background and medical records should never have been issued a permit for a gun. You have to wonder how many more like him are out there. In many ways, we reap what we sow.
Wouldn’t it have been nice and very effective from our President on down if we heard after the fact and observed our nation, our political parties and our society as a whole coming together to mourn the dead, heal the sick and work together to put an end to this type of violence. I would like to think that we are more mature and a gentler people than to settle for this type of activity.
John Sequeira
The American Institute of Ethics at the end of 2010
We, at AIE wish everyone a most prosperous and happy and enlightening New Year. As we look back at 2010, we had an election which only served to emphasize how disfunctional our government and our World has become. If either of the major political parties believe this election was an endorsement for what they have done and are doing, they will be sadlly mistaken – the last election was an indictment of what is going on and the American people, in their wisdom, have had enough. This era of logjam, of discordant rhetoric and non-cooperation must come to an end, our survival depends on it.
We are victims of Dualism, the “ism” that says if I believe in one thing and you believe in something different, we can not discuss or try to compromise, one or the other has to be completely put down or destroyed. This dualistic behavior and climate has permeated our entire lives, including our families, churches, all of our institutions and 2011 must see, at least, the beginning of the end to dualism. We have to get back to the idea that it is healthy to disagree – that was the foundation of our society, it is the foundation of our world.
At AIE in 2011 we created our on line learning program “Rebuilding Ethics in a Changing World” and will be marketing it to businessess, organizations and individuals who share our dream of an ethical and value sensitive World. We have also introduced our Youth Empowerment Program for high schools and have already on board, one high school and the program was presented at Dominican University in San Rafael very successfully. We have three more high schools that should make a decision to partner with us in early 2011.
From all of us here at The American Institute of Ethics, we wish you and your families and beautiful and very blessed New Year and you will be hearing much more from us and we encourage you to join us be becoming a member of The Institute and you can do so from our website at AIEWEB.org.
Peace,
John Sequeira, President
HEALTHCARE IN 2010
HEALTH CARE IN 2010
2009 and 2010 saw a great debate and battle to reform our healthcare system in the United States and it seems the argument goes on and on. The questions still remain: is the system really improved? Is the system really less expensive than before and many of the answers are “no” or “to be determined.”
Let me tell you about a friend of mine who was a successful businessman and owned his own business. Over a year ago he was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of brain tumor and surgery was performed and, at first, apparently successful. Unfortunately, the cancer returned and he has undergone over a year of radiation and chemotherapy.
As a small businessman, his private health insurance responded and he was not old enough for Medicare. The response was adequate in the early stages, but at the end the drugs used were so expensive that he went though all his reserves and is now filing for both corporate and private bankruptcy and is forced to sell his beautiful home which was extensively remodeled in the last couple of years.
It was the lack of response by insurance and government that has brought this proud man to his knees. He is so grateful for every day and he is a man of tremendous faith. Is this what healthcare reform means today, if so, there has been no improvement?
Expensive drugs like chemotherapy drugs, inhalers for asthma and COPD sufferers are paid at pennies on the dollar and they can bankrupt and destroy families. The American Institute of Ethics finds this unacceptable after all the turmoil that the healthcare debate caused in our Country. It would appear to us that it is still in need of fixing.
John Sequeira, President
Ethics and Dualism
ETHICS AND DUALISM
The American Institute of Ethics believes that dualism and dualistic thinking and behavior are what have our society log-jammed in futility. We cannot seem to make things better, we only seem to be able to argue and insult and put someone who does not agree with us down or destroyed.
It is most evident in our political discourse, but it has pervaded all of the institutions that we hold so dear and have worked so well for us over the decades. This is an “ism” that is right up there with individualism, materialism and secularism in eating at the roots, the foundations, the very essence of our wonderful structure.
We have lost the ability to disagree and to disagree in a friendly manner. It is “all or nothing” and this is a pathway to real disaster. Our Country is at a very critical moment in our history, it is going to take all of us pulling together, whether we agree completely or not, to solve this serious dilemma.
Contemplation and Meditation are one of the keys to overcoming dualism. We have to find and be our true self, we must be the person that we are and be proud of it and live that way. We can no longer afford to try to be who we think others want us to be.
Above all else, we must get along. We do not have to agree, but we can peacefully and sometimes pleasantly disagree, but find the places where we agree and work towards solution. The day of “just say NO is over.
John Sequeira, President
THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ETHICS