Turbulance on the Radio Waves

"Cherokee 8452 Hotel, you are clear for take-off on 270 for a westbound departure."

 Those words from air traffic control were always my ticket to adventure. As one who grew up flying with my dad on weekends, and later became a private pilot myself, there is always that rush of adrenaline when you line up on the centerline of the runway, put the throttle in, and rotate up and out of the airport environment.

Someone once rightly said that, “Ships aren't meant to stay in the harbor,” and I would argue that airplanes weren't meant to sit on the ground. Like many things, flying does bring its hazards. One of them is “rough air” or turbulence.

Of course, good pilots don't go looking for rough air, and when they do experience it, the thought is always to get out of it and find the smooth air again. With summer upon us (I think), it's the season for storms and turbulence and our village has been no exception. Lately, the airwaves around Menomonee Falls have been filled with a lot of turbulence in the, name , and even conservative and liberal radio talkshow hosts who can't seem to avoid and regrettable comments (i.e.; Belling and Schultz).

On a commercial flight, it usually warrents the captain turning on the seatbelt sign, and letting us know we're in for a bit of a rough ride. Most of us have experienced it — the bumping and rolling — and sometimes the loss of altitude faster than our stomachs care for! For the guys that sit up front in the left seat, we call it "rolling with the punches."

So what do you do?

I think there are two important things we can do. The first one is to fasten our seatbelts and roll with the punches. You can repectfully disagree, but in my heart, I really believe those that hold leadership positions in our village, state, and nation, are all trying to fly around the storms as best they can. The problem is, in our "hurry-up" culture, these "pilots" of society are feeling the pressure of getting from point A to point B regardless. With an "at all costs and by any means" mentality, it's certain that you'll find yourself in a somewhat compromised position, and when a plane is caught in a storm, it can even be life threatening.

 The second thing we can do is to change the environment, and we do that through prayer. It's not only a good idea, we're commanded to do so by scripture. The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 2:1-2:

• "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity."

At Metro Harvest Church, along with many other great churches in the area, we regularly practice this, putting our own strongly held opinions in a subordinate position, and praying for those who hold decision making positions. It looks like we may all need to pray a bit more.

I'm all for vigorous, even passionate dialogue and debate, but do we honestly believe that our points of passion will be better considered and received when we use words like "slut" in our national debate, and "whore" on the local level?

C'mon guys (and gals), really? You're better than that! Does the use of expletives and name calling really underscore your opinion, or just give you the opportunity to vent toward those with whom you oppose? Whether or not you agree with the , or the means at which they arrived at it is not the point. The point is that those in the public eye (and ear) must conduct themselves in a manner befitting of the postion they hold. To whom much is given, much is required.

Gina Palazzari, I'm asking you to please fire your attorney, forgive Mark Belling, and move on. You don't have to swing at every pitch in the dirt. Mark Belling, I'm asking you to take the high ground as well, follow Ed Schultz's example in his apology to Laura Ingrahams, and make an on-air apology. And to the both of you, I'm issuing this challenge: The more mature person will take the first step.

On this Memorial Day Weekend, we're reminded that the "Greatest Generation" gave their lives for values like freedom of speech. Let's together honor that sacrifice, and not bring it down to a level that cheapens it in any way.