By Any Other Name (Updated and reposted from 11/12/2015)

"It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face. O, be some other name Belonging to a man. What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet."

-- "Romeo and Juliet"

Higher education is a good thing, providing you get a rounded education. What we have been doing since I was a kid is cutting back budgets so we only teach the necessities... and very little of that. 

There is a problem, I see, with the "trade school" approach to education. You know, where you cut out the fine arts? You end up with higher degrees void of common sense or emotion. An educational degree which, more times than not, misses the point that an eighty-year-old retired grocery checker, mother of four, and grandmother of ten, would pick up while sorting field peas and watching Jeopardy on TV, primarily because she has lived life.  

We hope this "slack" will be taken up by doting parents.  Parenting?  Yeah, right.  That's a crap shoot. Kind of like education. You can win or lose - and the house usually wins. Not you.

Ira Rosofsky, Ph.D., wrote an article called, "Was Shakespeare Wrong?--Would A Rose By Any Other Name Smell As Sweet? Juliet Capulet was wrong about the rose."  The title is way too long for the point I thought it missed.  

In the opening lines Dr. Rosofsky says, "Shakespeare - or more precisely, Juliet -- was wrong in declaring, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet..." Names have power. They are not like shirts you can change without changing you."

While his point, I'm sure, is academically valid, his example, unfortunately, seems to be a reflection of a focused education, not a rounded one. And, sadly, if so, not unexpected.

Ira, Ira, Ira. It's Shakespeare, dear fellow.  More importantly, it is romantic!  I'm not sure Ira was ever made to sit through the entire play, and "hopeless romantics" would pay good money to be bored to tears by the balance of the play, just to see and hear the romantic repartee.  You know... the conversation or speech characterized by quick, witty comments or replies?  In this case, the romantic ones.   The ones that make women swoon... and make men run out to buy roses.  

Some people, however, just don't get it.

They miss the romance of Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet on the bow of the Titanic, his hands on her waist, and her arms out in a sense of flying as she leaned forward over the rail.  Or Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore in Ghost as she turned clay on the potting wheel, and turned on most of America and Swayze, in a seriously romantic scene.  A truly romantic moment does not require nudity or sex, it requires a great story, with great lines, and a director who understands romance.

What is in a name?  Nothing.  God or Allah, one and the same.  Oh, the faithful will demand there are arguments against it, but in your heart, there is no difference other than the scripture and agenda the religious leadership would try to push.  By any other name, there is but one God.  The name you choose is of little matter. That ship sailed when we stopped being able to pronounce the old tongue.  I think God would reflect on Romeo's sentiment: "Call me but love..."

People look upon the world differently when they are brought up to appreciate the arts.  And, when I say appreciate, I don't mean put on a floral shirt, shorts, sandals, and your ball cap to see the ballet.  Yes, everyone does it.  To truly appreciate art you need to dress appropriately.  Show some respect to the actors, dancers, and artists.  Show some respect to yourself and those around you.  Be a damned romantic, dress up. Buy your loved one flowers, a great dinner, and then go see a play together.  Don't be a cheapskate. Bring money so you can buy drinks at the intermission.  It is all about romance, remember?

Shakespeare wasn't wrong.  He knew how to spin a yarn and provide entertainment.  He knew something of the ways of the heart.  It is something you find when you learn to open your mind to art, music, drama, and love.  It is something you learn when you turn off your computer, leave your office, close your textbook, and sit in a field of flowers on a quiet spring day. Especially if you share it with someone special.  No, Shakespeare wasn't wrong.  You should have read the play. 

Take a bit of time this weekend to enjoy other people, read a good book, watch a classic drama, or just listen to some music.  Enjoy as much of this in person and live, if possible.  Purchase tickets for a play, opera, musical, or concert.  It can be your local community theater.  Let us all try to get out with our loved ones, and the children, to enjoy the arts!  

Most importantly, learn what schools are teaching the kids, or grandkids.  You might find the teachers are as upset as you'll be.  Fight for rounded educations.  Fight for the arts, because... not all kids can play sports.  If the schools won't find the money or the time, there is a lot to be said for good parenting.  Look into it.  

Your kids will benefit from your attention.

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained in 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance, he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com