THE LAND OF THE SILENCED: The Ozzie Guillen Saga

I want to preserve any journalistic credibility (if there is such a thing on a blog) with a preface. I have been a lifelong White Sox fan. I love Ozzie Guillen. How could I not? Growing up a Sox fan, a World Series celebration seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream, a far-fetched musing of a young and naïve Chicago baseball fan. In 2005 my childhood dreams became a reality. In only Ozzie’s second year with the team, he along with general manager Kenny Williams, built something incredibly unique to Chicago baseball: a World Series Champion. Anchored by an amazing pitching staff and a small ball mentality which oddly enough still allowed the White Sox to lead Major League Baseball in home runs, the White Sox captured their first world championship in nearly 100 years. Chicago finally had a World Series champion again in what was one of the most dominant postseasons in the history of sports and we couldn't have been any more elated.

Ozzie Guillen became a Chicago hero, a legend, and it was incredibly fitting for a melting pot like Chicago. Chicago has a huge Latino population of nearly 1 million Latinos in the city alone. Before Ozzie our untouchable sports heroes included Bo hunk Mike Ditka and African American Michael Jordan, both of whom brought world titles to the city. No Latin American ever captured our hearts the way Ozzie did and Ozzie Guillen took his place in the pantheon of greatness representing what Chicago looks like today in the 21st Century, Hispanic. He was revered, some might even say adored.

Eventually the buzz wore off and Ozzie’s act wore thin with management. A bitter feud ensued between he and General Manager Kenny Williams. Still much of the fan base in Chicago loved their hero, even when he was unceremoniously fired by the Chicago White Sox last fall. To no one’s surprise he ended up in Miami where he was a coach for the Marlin’s last World Series run. Ozzie Guillen moved from being the manager of one Hispanic city’s baseball team to being the manager of another Hispanic city’s team.

Ozzie says a lot of things. Actually, that’s one of the characteristics I admire most about him. While in Chicago, he became infamous for praising socialist leader Hugo Chavez and attacking journalist Jay Marrioti’s sexuality. Ozzie has no filter. He never wears a free speech condom and truthfully what could be more American? Of course the Chicago sports media baited him into some of the most controversial sound bites of all time which was as entertaining as it was refreshing.

This isn’t to say I agree with everything or even understand most of what Ozzie says. I think he went over the line when he called former White Sox outfielder Magglio Ordonez a Venezuelan piece of excrement. Attacking Jay Marriotti based on the grounds of sexual orientation was also out of bounds and way below the belt. Although I don’t agree with everything Ozzie says, I steadfastly support his right to say it. What kind of American would I be if I didn’t?

This brings us to Ozzie’s most recent controversy where he praised unpopular Cuban dictator Fidel Castro for his staying power. Ozzie said that he admired Castro’s longevity and pointed out that people have wanted to kill Castro for sixty years and had only been unsuccessful in their attempts. As one can imagine, this started a firestorm in the heavily Cuban populated area of Miami. Cuban groups gathered to form protests and boycotts offering a seemingly uniform voice in their distaste and displeasure for the Manager’s controversial remarks. I admire the Cubans utilizing their free speech rights in the one country on Earth that is supposed to value them. Still, I couldn’t help but notice the hypocrisy of such a massive protest against an individual who utilized the same freedoms Cubans had so cruelly been stripped of under Castro. In an odd twist of fate, the Cubans had become more like Castro than they probably ever imagined possible and more like him than they would ever like to admit. They wanted Ozzie suspended. No, they wanted Ozzie fired. No they wanted Ozzie’s blood. No, they wanted Ozzie silenced for good. Politicians and local business owners lined up to do their usual pandering and cow towing to the local Cuban community and by the time the national media got involved, a real Magglio Ordonez storm was brewing.

With all this considered, I still didn’t think Ozzie Guillen would receive any discipline. It seemed unfair and hypocritical that an American (land of the free?) organization like Major League Baseball or the Miami Marlins would suspend a Latino Manager for utilizing his free speech rights. Nothing could be more Castro-like. Nothing could be more un-American. Still the Marlins disappointed me along with many other free speech enthusiasts by suspending Ozzie Guillen for a total of five games without compensation.

So let’s get this straight. In America we hate Communist dictators. They take away people’s freedoms. That is very bad. However, in America, where free speech is paid for by the blood of our young men and women in the armed services, if you utilize your rights to free speech (no matter how unpopular such speech may be) you can be suspended or fired from your job, ostracized from society, and if you ever want to work again silenced. Did I miss something here? Do we check our free speech rights at the door when we become an employee? If so, we have made America a dictatorship of bullies and corporations which are too often one and the same.

I can only imagine Ozzie’s recent suspension being propaganda fodder in dictatorships around the world. Why wouldn’t it be with such a headline as: TODAY IN THE LAND OF THE FREE: Ozzie Guillen suspended from America’s game for utilizing “free” speech.

Thomas Jefferson once said that a successful nation should be judged on how it treats the most unpopular minority. This includes people of ethnic groups, religious creeds, and even those who have the most vile and unpopular opinions. In America we are allowed to protest military funerals with the gospel of hate, we are allowed to support the mass murdering of millions of unborn children, we are allowed to hate the President or love him like a messiah. We are allowed to burn the flag or religious books. Ozzie Guillen; however, is being punished in McCarthy-like fashion for his support of a dying socialist dictator who has become increasingly insignificant in the landscape of global politics. In today’s America McCarthy would be a hero, not a villain. He would be lauded for his gift of silencing the unpopular, for stifling those who dare move out of step or out line from the paying masses. If America is judged on how we treated Ozzie Guillen for having an “unpopular opinion” then we fail any test of greatness and serve as absolute and unquestioned proof that the land of the free has increasingly become the land of the silenced.

Jesus > Easter Bunny

Easter is a religious holiday that attracts millions of Christians world-wide to gather in celebration of the risen Jesus…and the Easter Bunny. Why is that? What does one have to do with the other? The truth is: absolutely nothing. So where is Elmer Fudd when you need him and do we need him at all: are the two compatible? How do these odd traditions develop? Where do Easter eggs come from and how about that pesky bunny who hides them everywhere while children beat each other to a bloody pulp in hopes of winning the family Easter egg hunt? Speaking of Easter, why is it called Easter anyway? We will explore these questions in greater detail and hopefully get to the bottom of the great Easter conundrum.

To find the answers one must pull back the hidden layers of the occult or maybe we should just start with the Scriptures’ Nimrod. Don’t be offended my loyal reader. I didn’t mean you. I’m talking about the Nimrod of the Bible. As the great theologian Anthony Kiedis says, “The sun may rise in the east but at least it settles in a final location.” After Noah crash landed the ark on Mt. Ararat, all of the world’s populations (like the California sun) settled in one location. Think of Nimrod as a Babylonian Lucifer (undoubtedly he had one of those Saddam Hussein moustaches they all wear over there) with a desire to be god on Earth. Nimrod was a power hungry ruler that was deeply infatuated with ruling the world. With all of the world’s citizens in one spot Nimrod was able to accomplish his wicked goal (maniacal laugh). As power hungry as Nimrod was, he found out one truth pretty quickly: you can’t take it with you and like all power hungry frogs, he croaked.
When Nimrod passed away people did what they do best and got really religious. The people deified Nimrod making him the Sun God, or as he is referred to in our Old Testament: Baal. Nimrod left behind a loving wife named Semi-Ramis (a.k.a. Ishtar); but, she wasn’t lonely for long. Death couldn't keep these two lovers apart and the rays of Nimrod’s sun impregnated Semi-Ramis) She bore a half God/half human child by the name of Tammuz (a.k.a Cupid). Tammuz (a.k.a. Cupid) is where we get the lovey dubby feel good Hallmark holiday of the year in Valentine’s Day. The truth is Tammuz was incredibly loving (wink wink) in an incestuous kind of way as he and his mother engaged in heated sexual relations until the the great Sun God in the sky called Tammuz home. Tammuz would pass away in a bizarre hunting accident (insert Dick Cheaney jokes here) where he was gored by a wild boar. To commemorate Tammuz, his people would fast and pray for 40 days. This is where the historical and modern Christian Church get the idea for 40 days of lent. It does not come from Jesus’ 40 days in the dessert as is popularly perceived. After 40 days, the people would feast on that which killed poor Tammuz: wild boar. Today, ham is Easter’s most popular dish.

Heartbroken after losing her two lovers, Semiramis (Ishtar) also eventually passes away; but, not so fast! Her husband Nimrod (now Baal) isn’t quite ready for her. Perhaps he was angry about the incest; but, that is only conjecture at this point. We will never truly know. Like a poultry-fied version of Lucifer, Baal casts Semi-Ramis down to earth in a giant egg that crash lands and explodes in the Euphrates River. The first thing Ishtar (Semi-Ramis) does is change a bird into an egg laying bunny, who we all know and love today as the Ishtar Bunny or the Easter Bunny (Easter is the Anglicization of the word Ishtar).

Now how about those pesky colored Easter eggs that always stain hands and our beautiful Sunday bests alike? The priests of Ishtar (or Semi-ramis' priests) would hold a special sunrise service the 1st Sunday after Equinox. This is where the modern Church gets its annual Easter date as Easter is always celebrated the 1st Sunday after the spring equinox. The priests of Ishtar would gather young virgins and publicly impregate them on an altar, probably while listening to Type O Negative’s October Rust. One year later these virgins would return with three month old babies, whom the priests would then sacrifice as an offering to Nimrod or Baal. They would then take Ishtar eggs and dip them in the sacrificed baby blood in order to color them. Today red is seen as the official Easter egg color. Even the White House displays red Easter eggs.

So now we know the vile history of Easter filled with a healthy dose of paganism, ignorance, and demon worship (like a Sam Raimi flick). The question remains: Is it possible to celebrate Resurrection Sunday in a way that still honors Christ. I think so. This is a gray area and different Christians are going to come up with different answers to this. Is it possible to celebrate Easter and not know any of the above? Absolutely and most people do, so don't be judgmental in this area. It’s also possible to know the above and alter the way we do Easter, calling it Resurrection Sunday and getting rid of all the silly bunny and egg metaphors. We need to grasp tightly to the central and most important reason for the holiday: the Resurrection of the same Jesus who conquered death. This Jesus serves as a physical embodiment of a God who offers hope, a hope for good, a hope for the future, and a hope that all broken things will be reconciled and made new.

To resurrect the great Joshua for a moment, as for me and my family, we are going to Elmer Fudd Ishtar, and the eggs, and the Easter Bunny. Such bizarre celebration takes our eyes off of Jesus and truthfully, as a Christ follower, I am not comfortable at all with my kids coloring eggs after we know their origins. That silliness has nothing to do with Jesus and for those of us that know Jesus, He is so much better than all of that. A genuine celebration and admiration for the Resurrection of Jesus is what we need on Resurrection Sunday, not another Hallmark holiday infused with an unhealthy dose of paganism & American consumerism. We need Jesus. We always need Jesus, nothing more and nothing less.

Jesus is and always will be greater than the Easter Bunny.

Year's Endings and New Beginnings

We had such an amazing and sometimes tumultuous 2011, a year that may prove to be (or not to be) our last year as the Michael McClead Band. 2010 came to a close with the knowledge that our lead guitarist Paul McKinney would be leaving the group. Paul was a guitar wizard and we knew, going into 2011, that we would have to find a replacement for a very talented member of our group and that the task would not be easy. We didn’t know that we would end up losing three more members or 60% of our entire lineup. The first surprise of 2011 was that we needed to find a new drummer. Peter could no longer fulfill the schedule that was required. After Peter left we were given the unexpected news that our bassist, Robin Laninga would no longer be participating in the group as she was going to focus her time and effort in raising her (and husband Jack’s) new son J.D. This came as a complete surprise as Robin had been telling us for months that she would come back in early 2011. Jack, her husband, called me on her behalf and left a message saying she would no longer be participating in the group. We were deeply saddened over the departure of both Robin and Peter. These weren’t just band members. These were our friends, our brother and sister in Christ and we had deep rooted relationships with both of them. Robin had been in this band since we began playing live and Peter and I have had a good friendship for over ten years and have been playing together for just as long. Their departure wasn’t just an inconvenience. It deeply pained me.  It was a dark time for our group; but, Scott and I knew that we serve a God who has a plan for us and a God who provides for our needs. Scott and I came to the realization that we were it. It was just he and I: we were all that was left of the band and I had given my heart and soul toward building. On a cold, dreary, snowy night—in my van--we made the commitment to continue onward even if it meant playing acoustic only shows with just the two of us. We re-dedicated ourselves to Christ that night and to the mission we had been called for and we once again placed our group into His hands. Within a couple of days we had our drummer: Dean Jones. Dean was a friend of Scott’s from their Church in the burbs and just a beautiful down-to-earth person. I had met Dean earlier that summer and was instantly attracted to his down-to-earth demeanor and his love for Jesus and music. Scott informed me more about Dean and we knew going into this that Dean came with some baggage. Dean is a diabetic and taking care of his own physical health wasn’t one of his strong suits. He also battled with addiction for most of his life. I wanted him in the group not only for us; but, I thought it would be what Dean needed to get on the right track in his life. I felt like Dean’s heart was in the right place and we all shared a common goal—sharing the Gospel through music. Shortly after Dean arrived, we were able to secure the services of a new lead player: James Kelton. James had never played in a group before and his first several practices were filled with anxiety and shyness. I won’t lie: they were very shaky. I really didn’t know what to make of James at first and wondered whether he could truly replace Paul. One day I encouraged James to be aggressive with his playing and told him exactly where I would like him to play. Since that talk, James has been one of the best musicians I have ever played with. He has proven to be aggressive and just an animal of a guitar player. He really has been a joy to work with and by the way, he isn’t shy. It was all just an act, I think. He is one of the biggest jokers around and talks way too much lol. Shortly after James came into the group, we were blessed with Kevin Smith, who has become the most talented bass player I have ever had the privilege of playing with. Kevin is quick and can play just about anything he’s asked. He is the quintessential rock bassist. After a desolate winter where we nearly lost everyone, we now had our group. Jehovah Jireh. The Lord provides. We played two back to back shows in March, both in Wisconsin, a state that has become our second home. Rock Island Café in Neenah, WI was Dean’s first ever show with us. He had some complications onstage due to his diabetes; but, overall he played very well and I was proud of how we had quickly come together to be a tight group. We also played that day with an awesome group called Isaiah 42:10: more on them later. The very next day we played in Sheboygan at the Upper Room, one of my favorite places to play. The Upper Room is run by Mary Pfister, an older lady who is as tough as they come. She sets up everything and does almost all the work by herself. She runs sound, the cash register, the coffee and sets up the chairs. She has such an amazing love for Christ and seeing that is infectious. Mary opens the door to the entire community. Whereas a lot of Churches seem opened only to the more elite members of the community, The Upper Room attracts all of God’s children, whether they have a 401K account or not, whether they have a home or not, whether they have it all figured out or not and those are the best people in the world to fellowship with. I love the people at the Upper Room. Unfortunately, I was sick as a dog for the Upper Room show. I had caught the flu bug the night before and could hardly keep my focus. I had intense stomach pains throughout the entire show; but, it turned out to be one of my better vocal performances as I was motivated to give Christ my all through the pain. Dean was my road buddy that weekend and could not drive due to complications from diabetes. After the Upper Room show, I had to drive the entire way home with the flu. It was terrible. Once again the band played a good show. Our next show was a local one at a place called Gallery 200 in West Chicago, IL. We played with some great musicians like Gregory Morland and Jason Benefield, who were just a joy to watch and be around. Before the show, I had asked the lady in charge whether we could bring the whole band and plug in or if it should just be Scott and I acoustic. She told me that bands play there all the time. Well, needless to say our band hardly fit in the live area and when we arrived there was no one to run the P.A. system or the sound. We had to do everything and the audience (mostly older, artsy, and definitely not very welcoming to the Christian types) was very unfriendly to louder music. I thought one lady was going to physically attack me. It was a tough show; but, we did what we do and the Gospel was shared with a largely secular audience. Afterwards, James, Kevin, and I hung out at the local McDonalds and shared good fellowship over some good old fashioned Midwestern delicacies. I also bought some kids (who had run out of money) some cookies. I’m always glad when I have the opportunity to do something like that and truthfully, it really added to the evening. Our next show was at Daniel’s Den, my local hometown venue and it was disastrous. Truthfully, I don’t know how you can have a bad show at the Den. The sound, stage, and entire setup are amazing. Matt, the owner, goes out of his way to make the experience one to remember; but, Dean was really lacking in his health. He wasn’t taking care of himself eat all and the tempo to every song was off and incredibly slow. I was so angered afterwards that I debated quitting music altogether: the show was that disastrous and embarrassing. Scott and I talked and it was funny because he had the same feelings I did. We didn’t have another show for nearly a month and we really needed to sit down with Dean. I tried calling Dean and tried texting him---so did Scott; but, we didn’t hear back from him. After about three weeks, we all viewed Dean as someone we couldn’t really depend upon. We decided that we needed to move in another direction. Peter and I still kept in touch and one of his projects was heading down hill which allowed him more time to be with us. Peter and I agreed that this would be a good time for him to come back into the group. Only a few days before our next show, Dean finally made contact. I told him about our decision and he was so angry with me. He was really hurt. I was deeply saddened to make the move; but, it was a move we made for the benefit of the Gospel.  Later Dean ended up in the hospital due to depression; but, when he was there the doctors discovered that he had been abusing prescription drugs and Dean was able to get the help he needed. I’m glad for that. Later Dean admitted that his abuse of the drugs really played a negative role in his time with the band. I felt bad for Deano and really do love the guy. We took the stage of Six Flags like rock n’ roll gospel warriors and it was so hot outside. We were sweat and cotton. We played on the beach too, took our flip flops off and let the sand warm our feet. Summer had officially arrived for us and it was awesome. Peter brought a raw energy to the band that we had sorely missed and things were once again on a roll. We then played Alpine Brat Days in Loves Park, IL where James rode a children's choo choo train ride that the conductors thought he would break. I’m pretty sure he slowed the train down quite a bit. The next show was Scott and I doing a short acoustic set at Turning Point in Cambridge City, IN. I had a terrible sinus infection; but, Scott was sympathetic and as loving as a Christian brother as I have ever known. He drove us the whole way there and the whole way back. All I had to worry about was being ready to sing. The show went really well and the acoustics were such that I don’t think I really even needed a microphone. Levi Monk followed us and was just amazing—what an incredible singer and performer who should be a big star someday. We had such a great time with him, Aaron Milbourn, and all our Indiana Christian brothers and sisters. They were so generous, kind, and loving. They provided us with fellowship that we talked about for weeks. Then we played Anonapalooza, a huge show in Geneva, IL, and really brought the house down with another great full band set. The crowd was really into us. Lighters came out. Hands waved back and forth in the air. People were dancing and Jesus was getting all the glory. Our best show of the year; however, was Critical Mass put on by our good friends in Isaiah 42:10. Critical Mass is in beautiful Portage, WI which looks like God’s favorite painting. The stage and sound set up there is incredible, which shouldn’t surprise. Isaiah 42:10 runs the whole concert and they do everything at such a high level: I love those guys to death as they have become one of my very favorite groups. Isaiah also takes such good care of us and treats us much better than we deserve. We are so blessed to have people like them in our lives. I truly love their drummer Chris Smalley. He and I really hit it off well and I enjoy every second I can get with him. We were on fire for that show and really gave everything we had. Peter and I really made it a point to play well together and we were just enjoying each other’s company again, after that short departure. Shortly thereafter was the Grok show, a live radio interview with Minister Grok. That was a lot of fun and was so overjoyed to read some of the comments afterwards. It’s a blessing to hear that my testimony gave the listeners something to encourage their faith. Things were going really well for our group.Then it hit. We were back at Six Flags Great America: which are always great shows played for tons of people, most of which have never heard the Gospel before. Before the show, Scott announced that he was leaving our group and the news hit me like cannon fire. His wife, Jinette, had been offered a position as a nurse in Mississippi and my best friend (along with Peter), my guitarist, and my right hand man in the band was leaving. We played a great show; but, it was bittersweet and we would never really get our groove back until after Scott left. From that point until November, we were just going through the motions. All I could think about in those months was Scott leaving and the void that would cause us all. See Scott’s not just a normal guy. Scott is a beautiful, vibrant, hope-filled Son of the most high. He has a love, joy, and energy that everyone feeds off of and he is the most hospitable, loving person I have ever had the privilege of calling a friend. He would be deeply missed on so many levels and we all knew that he was irreplaceable. We played a lackluster Daniel’s Den show and then a bigger show called Praizapalooza in DeKalb, IL which proved to be another disappointing show. We were excited to play Praizapalooza. Our bassist, Kevin, flew all the way in from Colorado (and then flew back) just to play this show. Jenny and I were there all day and caught all the groups before us. We were having a great time. We were supposed to have a 40 minute set; but, ended up playing for only 20 minutes. Earlier on in the day, the promoter’s friends had been given 15 minute slots; but, ended up playing for 45 or 50 minutes pushing everything way off schedule. Of course, we were the band that suffered. For the short time we were onstage the crowd was great and they just popped at our melodic brand of Christian hard rock…the energy of the place just went through the roof; but, the show decided to cut us at 20 minutes and then blamed the Church who had lent them the equipment to put on the show. Yes, unfortunately, this kind of thing happens way too much in Christianity and brotherly love gets lost in the shuffle. After the show we broke bread with Scott for the last time as a band. We would play one last show with Scott. RoyalPalooza was put on by Paul Hieser, who is just an awesome brother in Christ and a great musicians and songwriter. All I could think about was Scott---my brother would soon be gone. When we came to a close I would miss him greatly; but, a part of me was relieved that the goodbye part was now over. Scott would leave and we ended up filling the rhythm guitar spot with a young musician named Josh Martinez. Josh is just awesome. He came right in and was quiet as a person; but, aggressive as a player. He added his own style and the guitar spot became Josh’s own unique role. We quickly came together to play an awesome Daniel’s Den show with our friends Isaiah 42:10 who just tore up the stage---all for Jesus. That was so much fun and just an awesome way to give my burdens to the Lord. Isaiah 42:10 knows I am a big fan and they were gracious and kind enough to dedicate a song to me onstage. I was so honored and just touched by the gesture. We closed our 2011 arm in arm in worship of a very big God who has an enormous love for his children. So, as we close 2011 and head into 2012 our group is again faced with some questions: Do we do this again? Are we really needed? Is there a spot for us in this crazy world of Gospel music? Most importantly: what does God want us to do? What does He expect from us? Right now the answer is: we truly do not know; but, we are listening for His voice. 2012 will provide the answers we are seeking.