The below is an unsolicited guest editorial penned by former Annapolis and now Harwood resident, Arnold Gasper. We thank Mr Gasper for his contribution. The views expressed are solely his own:
Considering the Mayor’s feelings of inadequacy related to perceptions of her ancestry, starting with William the Bastard in 1066 at Hastings, being attacked by blogs; I’m somewhat hesitant to ask to have this published. Over the past few months there have been a lot of stories about Mayor Ellen Moyer’s fixation with what I’m going to call her legacy. The specifics are not as important as the value system that is the driving force. After reading her guest column in the Capital a few months ago; it may be she suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), is Psychotic, or just your everyday run of the mill Neurotic. But you know what, we all have our little quirky eccentricities that makes life interesting. I read the book on Transactional Analysis in the mid 1970’s, and Ellen, You’re OK.
Then again, what if her behavior isn’t paranoia, but based upon reality? Her cryptic actions and comments could suggest manifestations of a bad conscious. Is Ellen being visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Present, but wanting to be in Christmas Past? I lived on Third Street in Eastport for 10 years when she was on the City Council. A couple of times she sorely tested my values in the American Way of Life that had nothing to do with politics. Well, maybe it did from her perspective. I think I was the only registered Republican East of Sixth Street in Eastport at the time. I passed it off. To quote K'ung-fu-tzu or Kong Qui (551 to 479 BCE) [1]., “To understand there is no understanding is the foundation of peace of mind” (my Mandarin translation). My Cantonese translation is “To understand there is no understanding is right on”.
I do believe Ellen Moyer could benefit from Master Kong’s philosophies on government, religion, and personal enlightenment. In times of division, chaos, and endless wars between feudal states, Kong Fuzi wanted to restore the Mandate of Heaven (天命) that could unify the "world" (天下, all under Heaven) and bestow peace and prosperity on the people [1]. This seems in line with the Mayor’s recent Guest Column in The Capital on Government being the answer to the World’s problems. In the Spring and Autumn Annals, K'ung-tzu presents himself as one who invented nothing [1]. This is an interesting twist. Kong Zi achieved greatness, but claimed nothing; the Mayor claims greatness.
What would Ellen have to feel guilty about? I’m sure my next door neighbor’s experience is not an isolated case. My neighbor, Doug Lamborne, worked on her campaign (s). My perception was she had no problem putting the screws to him when he wasn’t needed. As a matter of fact I think he ran against Josh when Josh was first elected. I really don’t care what someone’s political, religious, or cultural backgrounds are. However, jerks are a different story particularly if they are disruptive to people’s personal lives. Then again, maybe I’m being too harsh.
I decided to meditate upon my belly button to try and connect with the cosmos to understand this troubling dilemma, and had a transcendental experience. I was reversed reincarnated into a previous life that negated the physics of the Space Time Continuum. In that ethereal dimension I was living in Eastport in the 1990’s, and a puppy was purchased for the children. At the time Bill Clinton was President, and in honor of the First Lady we named the female puppy Hillary. Upon returning to the present dimension of existence I pondered in my heart the things I’d seen and heard. Then it came to me what the Big Kaunas was trying to convey to me. Instead of naming City Hall after the Mayor, the city council should pass a non-binding resolution that “from this time hence, and into all eternity, all Chesapeake Bay Retrievers within the city limits of Annapolis must be named Ellen”.
Arnold Gasper
Harwood, MD
Arnold grew up in Michigan, dropped out of school after 9th grade, and joined the Marine Corps at age 17 where he spent 9 years including 15 months in Vietnam with the infantry. He then returned to school and earned Business and Master’s degrees with concentrations in Quantitative Analysis, Finance, and Information Systems. Arnold worked on the Obama Campaign as a Volunteer Veterans Coordinator in Pennsylvania during the primaries, and Virginia during the general election Arnold is a Certified Project Manager in the Information Technology Industry
Arnold grew up in Michigan, dropped out of school after 9th grade, and joined the Marine Corps at age 17 where he spent 9 years including 15 months in Vietnam with the infantry. He then returned to school and earned Business and Master’s degrees with concentrations in Quantitative Analysis, Finance, and Information Systems. Arnold worked on the Obama Campaign as a Volunteer Veterans Coordinator in Pennsylvania during the primaries, and Virginia during the general election Arnold is a Certified Project Manager in the Information Technology Industry
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