Monthly Archives: November 2017

Their Finest Hour

Posted on by

Churchill in 1940

Today is the 143rd birthday of Winston Churchill, quite possibly the most influential statesman of the twentieth century.  It is no exaggeration to say that in 1940 Churchill’s determination, perseverance, and faith in the strength of the British people saved the United Kingdom and possibly western liberal civilization from a dark age of subjugation.

At the end of 1940 Churchill and the British stood alone.  The British Army, virtually unarmed following its escape from Dunkirk, faced a vastly superior Wehrmacht across the slender ribbon of the English Channel.  France was defeated, Europe was prostrate, Russia was in league with Germany, and Japan was gathering its forces to drive the European powers out of Asia. Churchill famously told his people that their only war aim was ‘victory.’  But the only path to victory was the terrifyingly slim prospect that a wary United States and its enormous industrial capacity would enter the war.

Isolationist, unprepared, distrustful of British imperialism, suspicious of British motives: in 1940 America was no stalwart ally. Many Americans, if not most, preferred to see Britain and Europe go down rather than join the war against victorious Germany.

Churchill understood the terrible dangers that Britain faced and the narrowness of the nation’s path to salvation.  But he brushed aside calls for negotiations with Hitler and rallied his people to defiance and eventual victory, although that victory came at a staggering cost.  The war broke Britain’s finances, stripped it of its empire, and left the United States and the Soviet Union ascendant in the post-war world.

A full recounting of Churchill’s war record is a startling litany of disasters, setbacks, and frustrations. Dunkirk, Singapore, Greece, Tobruk, Dieppe.  Again and again British troops were beaten, convoys were decimated, London set ablaze; and for another desperate year the Americans equivocated. But Churchill didn’t waver. The immediate post-war years brought no relief, as an impoverished Britain was forced to endure years of rationing and the loss of its empire, one former colony at a time. Yet even after Britain began to recover, Churchill remembered the darkest days of 1940 with a mixture of satisfaction and nostalgia.

In 1950, at age 76, as he was writing his history of the Second World War, he was asked which year of his life he’d want to live over. “Nineteen-forty, every time,” he replied. “Every time.”

 “What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free, and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, This was their finest hour.”

       – Winston Churchill in the House of Commons in June 1940, following reports that France was giving up the war

“Nineteen forty” quote from The Last Lion, Defender of the Realm; Manchester and Reid; Little,Brown,and Company; NY 2012  /  https://www.amazon.com/Last-Lion-Churchill-Defender-1940-1965/dp/0345548639

Excerpt from “Their Finest Hour” Speech to the House of Commons / https://www.winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1940-the-finest-hour/their-finest-hour/

Photocredit:  http://todayinhistory.tumblr.com/post/50336927775/13th-may-1940-blood-toil-tears-and-sweat

November 30, 2017

Faith-Based Organizations Look to Increase Security as Mass Shootings Climb

Posted on by

Religious institutions cannot rely on God to protect their congregations from armed attacks, say religious leaders. That’s why more than 200 leaders of religious organizations and public safety officials from throughout Greater Cleveland attended yesterday’s Emergency Planning Workshop for Faith-Based Leaders and Executives at the Community Center in Middleburg Heights.

Bruce Hennes of Hennes Communications discusses Crisis Communications Planning at the Faith-Based Security Summit on November 20, 2017

Churches have a responsibility to protect their congregations, said Pastor Herman Matherson of Akron’s non-denominational House of the Lord. God works through people and it is people that must take proactive steps to protect themselves, he said. Paul Gewirtz of Young Israel in Beachwood agreed and said his organization is “very protective” of the safety of its members.

More than fifteen speakers from public safety, emergency management, and public health agencies, as well as faith-based institutions stressed the importance of having plans and being prepared.  Many effective practices like assigning trained volunteers to monitor parking areas and building entrances can be implemented at little or no financial cost. If funds are available, physical security enhancements like improved lighting, placement of landscaping, installation of barriers and the use of video surveillance systems can be effective as well.  The key, though, is to identify an institution’s vulnerabilities, carefully assess the risks, and develop realistic plans and procedures to reduce those risks.

Religious institutions are vulnerable because they bring large numbers of people together at regularly scheduled times and to maintain a welcoming atmosphere they rarely restrict entrance.  But while the frequency of mass shootings in America continues to rise, there is no evidence that shootings at religious facilities are rising disproportionately.  While comprehensive data about attacks against religious institutions is limited, research indicates that churches and other faith-based institutions are rarely targeted because of their beliefs.  Most shootings that have occurred in churches have been the result of domestic situations.  The recent attack at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland, Texas, which killed 26 worshipers, apparently stemmed from a domestic dispute.  Church shootings remain extremely rare, but that is scant comfort to religious leaders who feel a responsibility to ensure the safety of their members.

The Workshop provided an overview of all aspects of security planning for faith-based institutions. FBI Special Agent John Breen discussed the threats of domestic and international terrorism and the need for institutions to conduct a realistic security assessment while Cleveland Police Commander Harold Pretel provided specific suggestions for reducing the vulnerability of religious facilities.

The first step, said Pretel, is for organizations to understand their vulnerabilities.  Then, he continued, organizations can create tailored security plans to deter, detect, and disrupt violent attacks.  Plans should provide for multiple layers of security including active monitoring of parking lots and pedestrian routes and use of security barriers and surveillance equipment.

Pastor Matherson and Gewirtz explained in detail the security practices at their organizations. Matherson’s House of the Lord, which normally attracts more than 1,000 worshipers to its Sunday services, utilizes a multi-layered security process conducted by a 37-member security team comprised of uniformed police officers, lay volunteers, and members of the church leadership. The church coordinates their plans and collaborates closely with Akron Police, Fire, Emergency Medical and Public Health agencies.

Gewirtz’s Young Israel, with a much smaller congregation, relies on highly trained volunteers to monitor parking areas and access to the building by carefully assessing anyone who seems suspicious.  A uniformed police officer is available to protect the volunteer, but the responsibility for determining if a person is to be denied entrance rests with the volunteer.

Other speakers discussed hate crimes, ways to manage risks, Ohio’s open carry policies regarding firearms, licensing and hiring of private security guards, and methods for supporting persons with mental health issues.

Dr. Nancy Grant, CEO of Business Survive and Thrive, explained the basic steps to create a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), which can enable organizations to quickly resume operations following a disaster or emergency that forces them out of their building or prevents key personnel from filling their roles. The key is to integrate COOP processes into everyday operations and develop a COOP mindset, she said.

Bruce Hennes, Managing Partner of Hennes Communications – one of the co-sponsors of the Workshop – discussed the importance of having an all-hazards crisis communications plan in place before an emergency in order to provide accurate information and preserve the organization’s reputation.

In addition to Hennes Communications, the Workshop was co-sponsored by the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, the City of Middleburg Heights, and the Red Cross.

 For further information on church shootings, click on the following link:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/06/us/church-shootings-truth/index.html

November 21, 2017

Elephants

Posted on by

Adult elephants stand guard while young elephants rest in the shade. Photo by Carl Safina: http://beyond-words.net/

The Trump administration is considering elimination of a ban on importation of elephant “trophies.”  Administration officials have offered a somewhat dubious rationale that the fees paid by hunters will support elephant conservation efforts.  This seems unlikely, as the amount of revenue expected to be raised is a tiny fraction of the cost of conservation.  Some thoughts:

  1. Getting on a plane and flying to Africa to kill large endangered mammals (and make no mistake, pretty much all of the wildlife in Africa is endangered or at least imperiled by habitat loss, agricultural development, and poaching.) with a high-powered weapon from a safe distance seems unsporting and remarkably thoughtless. I suppose I would ask a “trophy hunter,” what did that animal ever do to you? Can you make an elephant?  If not, what gives you the right to destroy one?
  2. These “trophy animals” aren’t paper or plastic targets. Why should they be subjected to pain, distress, and death for some hunters’ momentary excitement?
  3. Elephants, especially, are intelligent, social animals that communicate with each other, assist each other, take pleasure in the company of others, and grieve the loss of others. Here are some facts about elephants:
  • The basic unit of elephant society is a female and her children.
  • Elephant families share infant care and child-rearing.
  • Elephants maintain extensive social networks, recognizing and communicating with family members and members of other families who live nearby.
  • Even in times of distress and danger, elephants behave with kindness and tolerance to their own kind, and maintain family ties.
  • Elephants gain status through age. Experience that comes with age determines the survival of elephant families.
  • Death of an elephant matriarch threatens the well-being and survival of the entire family unit.

For a thoughtful and riveting account of elephant society, see Beyond Words, by Carl Safina (Holt and Company, NY, 2015).

November 18, 2017

Notes from London

Posted on by

London Skyline WITH Modern office towers

Just returned from a week-long visit to London. Here are six quick impressions:

  1. The public transit system is efficient and effective. The region-wide system includes a combination of subways, surface trains, buses, taxis, and passenger ferries and it reaches all sectors of the metropolitan area. We used surface trains and subways on this trip and we found the trains and stations to be clean, well-lighted, well maintained, and easy to use. We purchased re-fillable fare cards, called Oyster Cards, before we left home and the cards were convenient and easy to “top-up” with additional money at fare machines located at every station. Signage throughout the rail systems was abundant and easy to understand.
  2. The population of London is diverse and cosmopolitan, and Londoners take pride in the way all ethnic, religious, and racial groups get along. As our visit was limited to central London and some western boroughs, we cannot say that there aren’t problems in some areas, but we never got a sense that there were significant ethnic, religious, or racial issues. I would guess that the tolerant atmosphere is at least partially a result of the city’s long history as the center of a world-wide empire.
  3. The city is more crowded than we expected. Streets and sidewalks were frequently jammed with pedestrians and there was never a time when there weren’t other people around.

  4. Green Park

    New construction and renovations are occurring all over the city. A few buildings here and there are in poor repair, but with the population rising and property values soaring, we do not recall seeing any vacant buildings or lots.

  5. The large city parks – St. James Park, Hyde Park, Richmond Park, Bushy Park, Green Park, etc. – are enormous. Many were originally established as private hunting preserves for the royal family, but today they are open to all, are well-maintained, and are very popular.  As a center of history and culture, few urban centers can rival London, so spending a day or two in the parks might seem like an opportunity wasted; we have trees at home, after all.  But the parks are quintessentially British, and they are historic in their own right, so I would encourage visitors to spend some time there.
  6. As is so often the case while traveling internationally, plenty of folks we encountered spoke English, so our traditional American unfamiliarity with the local language and customs was no problem at all.

November 18, 2017