Ten Commandments in school? Yes, plus

By Jeff Orvis

Occasionally, one of my Facebook friends will post something that indicates that we should bring back prayer or the 10 Commandments to schools and ask that those who agree share the message. Although there are obvious questions about the separation of church and state when you are talking about public school, their sentiments are well intentioned.

With all the conflict in the world and the all-to-frequent stories about shootings in the schools, those of us who profess a belief in a higher power automatically call upon that power to give us the answers to this violence.

I find it interesting that many of the people who think we should bring God into our schools are the same ones who swear by their Second Amendment rights to own and bear arms. So what about what the Constitution says about church and state separation?

My friends who are educators may cringe when I suggest the following. But the idea of allowing the 10 Commandments or prayer in schools may not be such a bad idea. But only if it was a part of a comparative religion course. Proponents of prayer in school for the most part are well-meaning Christians. But part of my Christian upbringing included tolerance for those who don't share my beliefs. Part of that tolerance should include peaceful discussion with those who disagree. I'm afraid if the Bible was the only textbook allowed in public schools, a “my way or the highway” mentality would soon follow and our young people would be no better equipped to live in this diverse world than they are now.

I'll admit that I don't understand many of the other major religions of the world, but there are some things I admire in the way those religions are observed. I'll never belong to the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormon), but I really respect how members of that church will stop what they're doing, whether it is education, occupation or retirement, for a time to go into the mission field for a year or more. What is more beautiful than witnessing members of the Jewish community observe their holy days? What I understand about the Islamic religion is that is basically a peaceful religion. Millions of mothers and fathers around the world undoubtedly weep when they hear the term “Islamic extremists” tied to a suicide bomber, for that is not a part of their belief.

For nearly 20 years, I lived within five miles of a big Amish community in Northeast Iowa. I got used to their simple, old-fashioned dress, the horse-drawn buggies along the side of the country roads and watching how hard they worked their prosperous farms. Trips to their community store meant getting food items in bulk at good, honest prices and often some wonderful baked goods.

So while introducing a comparative religion curriculum in our schools in a school day already packed with learning the basics of math, English, science, etc. seems like a pipe dream, it might be the best foundation for all else students must learn. If such a course were offered, it would mean more work for parents and for those students who live in homes where church is an important part of life, more work for their respective clergy members. The teachers of the comparative religion course would simply lay out the facts on each of the religions and then the students would need to feel comfortable asking their parents or clergy their questions on how the Islamic, Amish or Jewish beliefs compared or contrasted with what each household believed.

It just might be the first step in cutting down on the persecution endured by those who may not necessarily believe as we do. It might help us understand why some women wear long, plain dresses, or wear scarves to cover their heads or why men grow beards and dress plainly.

World Cup soccer: Why I'm not a diehard fan

By Jeff Orvis

The most popular sporting event in the world is going on right now. While a lot of folks are working or going about their daily business, millions of people around the world are glued to their TV sets, while tens of thousands are clustered in a stadium in Brazil.

It is said that more people around the world pay attention to the outcome of this event than the Super Bowl. But even though I've been a sports fan for more than 50 years, I just can't get excited for the final outcome of World Cup Soccer. It is said that soccer is the most popular sport in the world, played by more men and women than any other activity.

THIS JUST IN: After more than 29 minutes of play, Uruguay just scored the first goal of the game over England. Did you feel the earth shake? Me either.

But I realize that a lot of people plan their vacations around this time so they can watch the soccer action. I would be the last to belittle their enthusiasm. But it got me to thinking about some of the other sports we enjoy, along with some of the pros and cons of each one.

Let's start with soccer. Pros: It is a game played on a wide, flat, green field. You certainly have to be in great physical shape to play the sport on the major level, but you don't have to be over six feet, six inches or weigh over 250 pounds to play. While I'm sure that the coaches paid handsomely to lead their teams draw up all sorts of plays, it is quite apparent that the main goal is to kick a round ball through a net.

Cons: For fans of NBA basketball, the prospect of watching a sport where perhaps no goals are scored would drive them crazy. Many of the international fans of soccer are just plain crazy. They tend to go to a game and shout and chant continuously from long before the start until the final horn. If their team doesn't win, sometimes violence erupts. Ever heard of a soccer riot? More often than not it involves some of those aforementioned crazy fans.

I just switched over to a PGA Golf tourney so let's tackle that sport. Pros: It is a sport played by well-dressed, well-behaved ladies or gentlemen on park-like settings with some of the most spectacular natural scenery in the world. Golf fans are, for the most part, much more reserved than soccer fans, except late on Sunday afternoon, when a few might have had a few too many libations. Successful golfers have to be in very good physical shape as well and it is a sport that can be played by tall people, short people, thin people or stout (but fit) people.

Cons: Fans hoping for instant gratification, seeking an instant outcome, aren't golf fans. You have to wait 90 minutes to see who wins a soccer match. You have to wait four days for golf.

Motor racing might be your cup of tea. NASCAR stock car racing seems to be the king of the motor world, although some enjoy Indy car racing as well. The main goal of this sport is to keep your concentration for up to 600 miles as you go round and round a track (unless it's a road course). It requires stamina and constant attention to detail as up to 42 other drivers are all seeking the same goal at up to 200 mph.

The pros: It is a sport played by normal, to slightly smaller than normal people. More and more of them are highly-educated folks who must understand the workings of their vehicle so they can communicate their concerns to their pit crew. If you watch racing to see spectacular wrecks, the advantage is that with the improvements in vehicle safety, cars can go flying or catch fire and many of the drivers walk away with few injuries.

The cons: Maybe this is an advantage for those living in a house where other family members aren't fans. If you are a good judge of time, you can watch the start of a race, then go out and wash the car or mow the lawn and get back to see the last couple of laps to see who wins.

Baseball is a good sport for those of us who like to multi-task. If you can divide your attention to keep tuned to the play-by-play guys, you can read the newspaper, surf the internet or do some household chores and when you hear that something interesting has happened, race back to your chair to see it on replay. That's also a good way to watch hockey.

There was a time when I watched a lot of pro tennis, especially Wimbledon or the U.S. Open. But the days of Evert and Connors and Sampras are long gone. If you can name the top five men and women on the tour now and spell their names correctly, you win the kewpie doll.

These are a few of the sports that hold the interest of many people around the world. But I can bet you know where this is heading. It's about 70 days until the start of football season and I can hardly wait. Despite concussion dangers, politically correct team nickname feuds, etc., there's still a lot of great things about football, from the sandlot level to the pro level.

I'll probably tune in to the soccer tourney at times this week. It will give me a chance to clean the house, wash the dishes and wait for the announcer to scream” “GOOOOOOOOOAL!”

Happy Father's Day memories

By Jeff Orvis

When a loved one, especially a parent, is no longer with you, sometimes memories of your time with them pop up at the most unlikely time. This afternoon, I finally hooked up my stereo that had been in storage for nearly four years. And immediately thoughts of my dad came to my mind.

I love many kinds of music and I fully realize that I can thank both of my folks for that appreciation. Dad was not much of a singer. About the only time I heard him sing was when he tried to go along with those tough Lutheran hymns in church. I still think he sang only to please my mom. He didn't play a musical instrument that I know of. But he had a wonderful collection of 78 rpm records and really loved good jazz. I still have those records and yes, I have a turntable that will play them.

He talked of the time as a young man leading the cool life in the Quad-Cities when he paid 50 cents to hear Louis Armstrong in concert in Rock Island. Although he never really expressed an opinion, I think he was quietly happy when our high school band director arranged for our jazz band to stand in the alley outside the stage door of a nightspot in Moline and listen to the Count Basie Band. I hope he was also proud when our band bused over to a bank one mid-morning to hear the Stan Kenton Band and my director introduced me to the legendary band leader. I was lead trumpet in the jazz band for a brief time.

For my parents' 25^th wedding anniversary, I managed to get tickets to a concert by the Doc Severinsen Band. The whole Tonight Show group was there and I was really proud that I had gotten tickets in the eighth row, until they rolled out a pair of huge speakers and after the concert, I don't think any of us regained our hearing all the way home from Waterloo.

Dad was a Navy veteran who served at the very end of World War II. I vaguely remember that he actually captured a couple of the enemy. As the story goes, he wandered out into the woods on the island where he was stationed to find the latrine and a couple of former soldiers from the other side pleaded with him to let them surrender. I think the only way we ever heard this was at Mom's prompting.

Dad worked for many years in the metal testing lab at the Davenport Alcoa Works. He also loved photography and the company soon made him the plant photographer. Later, he worked at John Deere for a time. In his off hours, he was a wedding portrait photographer. I still have folks who recognize the Orvis name who say Dad shot their wedding 40 or more years ago!

He was also an avid fisherman and on one of our vacations to Minnesota, he figured out that he could maybe make some extra income by combining those trips with photography. It wasn't long before he was traveling to the Arrowhead area of Northeast Minnesota. Many of the hundreds of pictures he took over the years is part of his lasting legacy.

I never gained the gift of photography that he had, nor am I much of a woodworker, as he also enjoyed. I already mentioned his love of jazz. I also hope I inherited his slow-to-anger, quiet personality.

My dad left us way too soon. A second heart attack took him on a sunny Sunday afternoon in 1981 at the age of 54. But as most of us who have lost a parent will realize, he's still with me today.

I should also mention that I was fortunate to have a second dad for a brief time. Several years after we lost Dad, Mom's heart was captured by a gentleman she knew from her church. Ernie was also a military veteran and later worked at the Rock Island Arsenal. He was a widower who kept the local florist happy with his many visits to win over Mom with roses. This courtship and later marriage happened after my sister and I were adults. But we're grateful that Ernie made Mom happy and eased the loneliness for several years until he also passed on.

At some point in our lives, if we are fortunate to have children of our own, we switch from being sad for losing our parents to being hopeful that we can draw upon our own experiences growing up to instill in our children some of the positive qualities that we gained in our own childhood.

With that bit of Dr. Phil philosophy, I will sign off here by simply saying “Thanks Dad and Ernie. I love you both.”

Happy Fathers Day one and all.