A Victory for the Vulnerable

It’s official:  Texas Governor Rick Perry signed into law legislation aimed to limit abortions and provide more safeguards for women and their unborn children.  After great struggle, another state has taken a stand for life of the unborn.

I am very elated by this news, as I was when I checked my e-mail on the morning of Saturday, July 13, to see a message from Students for Life America with the good news that the legislation had passed the Texas state Senate.  I had gone to bed wondering, but hopeful, that the bill would pass.

I was deeply troubled when I first heard the news three weeks ago that the bill had failed to pass before the expiration of the special legislative session after Senator Wendy Davis’s 11-hour+ filibuster in the Texas Senate and then the screaming and yelling of the pro-abortion Planned Parenthood supporters.  It was so very troubling to hear the news of the mob-like tactics the Planned Parenthood supporters used to block legislation that would limit abortions and protect innocent unborn children, and women themselves, from grisly abortion procedures, especially like those of Kermit Gosnell.

In the past year, I have solidified my pro-life stance, and this issue matters a lot to me.  Unborn babies are the most innocent human lives among us.  They deserve to be protected, which is why I’m going out to speak for them, the voiceless ones in this debate.

Since graduating from college in mid-May, I have attended three pro-life demonstrations.  Two of them have been just blocks from my home in the business district of the 900 block of south Oak Park Avenue.  It is there that Dr. Chastine has a medical office.  She is the licensed physician at an abortion clinic in Wichita, KS.  Under state law, an abortion clinic in Kansas has to be officially affiliated with a practicing physician in order to be open.  These protests in Oak Park have been held in an effort to get Dr. Chastine to drop her affiliation with the clinic so that it has to close, and babies’ lives can be saved.

Since April, Pro-Life Action League has been holding protests at Dr. Chastine’s office monthly.  At the second protest I attended, in June, pro-abortion supporters from a NARAL’s Illinois Choice Action Team came.  It was an interesting scene with both sides of the issue present there.

During the last week of May, President Obama came to the Chicago Hilton and Towers Hotel for a Democratic fundraiser, and Pro-Life Action League showed up to protest his pro-abortion stance, among some other groups protesting different issues.  It was very meaningful for me to take a visible stance against abortion and the most pro-abortion president in US history, after having taking a stance against him with my ballot in the November 2012 election.  I was actually standing about 200 feet away from the intersection of Balbo Drive and Michigan Avenue that the presidential motorcade passed through on its way to the hotel entrance, and I was holding a large sign with an enlarged image of an aborted baby.  (In regards to President Obama’s strong pro-abortion stance, it only adds to my opposition to him to hear about his tweet commending the Planned Parenthood mob that sought to block the bill in the Texas Senate after Senator Davis’s filibuster stopped.)

Participating in these demonstrations has solidified my stance even more.  So I felt within me that a lot was at stake when the bill failed to pass the Senate.  And I prayed that it would pass during the second special session, and I rooted for the pro-life supporters who flocked to Austin.

Furthermore, I can actually envision the scene of this momentous legislation:  When I attended the AMS meeting back at the beginning of January 2013, I visited the Texas State Capitol.  I was on the Senate chamber floor and in the gallery, the day before the start of the new legislative session, where the chaos broke loose at the end of the special session.  And while walking through the Capitol annex, I may have very well passed by Senator Davis’s office, or maybe even the office of a pro-life Texas lawmaker, where the pro-life college students were after the bill passed the Senate.  They were there with police protection because of the threats of the abortion supporters.

When I looked at the picture of the students, I knew I was looking at a group of saints, modern William Wilberforces, who made the effort to be in Austin to support this legislation that will protect innocent unborn children. 

 
As it says in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”  Actually, in one of his drafts, Thomas Jefferson wrote that “these truths [are] sacred and undeniable”.  While those words were simplified to “self-evident”, I very much like the words in the draft.  Life is a sacred gift from God, and that is wholly undeniable.  Its importance is such so that it is listed first.  I feel that all of society will unravel if we don’t make the point to protect life starting in its most vulnerable state in the womb.  That is why I am taking my stand for the life of the unborn.

Going Back to Chicago's Roots, and Mine

This is one of those times of year when I return to the roots of those things that compose my identity, the celebration of the Independence and Nativity of the United States of America--the other being the Triduum.

So it was quite appropriate to think about the origins of my own native place within the USA, the metropolis of Chicago at this time of year.  I did this by visiting two places that played a significant role in the making of today's Chicago metropolis.

Back on June 14, I met up with a friend of mine from the Plains of Valparaiso (i.e., ValpU campus) who is spending the summer in Chicago as part of a scholarship program.  The first thing we did that evening was head to the near Southwest Side of Chicago to see Canal Origins Park, just a short walk north of the Ashland Avenue Orange Line station.

This site is not heavily mentioned as a significant tourist site in Chicago, but it is nevertheless an important place.  At this point, just north of the end of the South Branch of the Chicago River, was the Illinois and Michigan Canal's eastern terminus, heading southwest for about 100 miles to LaSalle County, IL.  This canal provided the vital link between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds.  It helped form the network of waterways that provided a path from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.  Because this canal provided the vital link, it helped turn Chicago into a shipping center and fueled its growth as the large city it has become today.

At the park, one gazes out at a huge area of water where the South Branch of the Chicago River makes a bend, and the present-day Sanitary and Ship Canal (successor to the Illinois and Michigan Canal) heads off southwestward.  Some industrial buildings line the banks of the Chicago River's South Branch as it heads northeast.  Off in the near distance, one can see the skyscapers, including the Sears Tower, rising from the downtown area.  The scene is structured so profoundly.  The waters at this place led to the industry, which led to Chicago becoming the major city that it is today.

(This is a picture of me at Canal Origins Park on July 2, 2009, when I went there for the first time, accompanied by my Mom, who took this picture.)

(This pictures shows the flow of the water of the Canal westward, underneath the Ashland Avenue bridge.)

(This picture shows the view looking south from the park on the South Branch of the Chicago River.  The Orange Line and I-55 bridges are beyond the railroad bridge.)

Indeed, this site is a significant spot because of the role it played in making Chicago what it is today.  That's why I like taking my friends who are from out of the area to this spot, to give them perspective on how Chicago became what it is today.

As significant as Canal Origins Park is, there's another spot that's even more chock-full of significance, a few miles downstream of Canal Origins Park along the canal corridor: the Chicago Portage National Historic Site.  It is located on the west side of Harlem Avenue, just south of 47th/46th Street, at the northern edge of a bridge that carries Harlem Avenue traffic over the Sanitary and Ship Canal and I-55.  The site is a largely wooded area.

After grabbing some breakfast on the morning of Saturday, July 6, I hopped on my bike and headed south to get to the Chicago Portage site for the start of a 10 AM tour.  On the first Saturday of each month, May through November, tours are held telling the story of the site's significance.  They are held by guides from the Friends of the Chicago Portage, a not-for-profit organization that seeks to promote awareness of the Portage site.

We started the tour at the monument that consists of a large sculpture depicting the French explorers Louis Joliet and Jesuit Father Jacques Marquette, along with an aboriginal American guide, in a canoe.  Then, we spent about a couple of hours going walking about 1/2 mile total distance through the woods in the area, which are part of the Cook County Forest Preserve District.

This site is located at what was a continental divide in the historic/ancient sense.  As glaciers retreated, they left behind a large pool of water.  Eventually, the water found an outlet by cutting through what eventually became a ridge of higher ground as the water receded.  This ridge separated the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watershed, which was joined when the canal was built.

It was to this place, shaped thousands of years ago by geological forces, that the two French explorers came in the 1670s while on an expedition to seek out a waterway to the Pacific Ocean that took them up and down the Mississippi River.  On their way back to Sault Saint Marie, their home base, following directions from local aboriginals, they rode up the Illinois River into the DesPlaines River until they reached the spot where this site is today.  Then, they went on a portage a few miles around Mud Lake and started out in water again at what is today the South Branch of the Chicago River.

Back in that day, Mud Lake was this giant swampy, muddy area, essentially impassable by boat.  There were times, though, during the year when Mud Lake would flood with water and could be passable by boat, so that one could go from the DesPlaines River and the Mississippi River watershed to the Chicago River and the Great Lakes watershed without having to portage.  The explorers noted that a short canal would be sufficient to link the two watersheds.

These explorers had the vision for this canal in today's Chicago metropolis nearly 150 years before it was built as they passed through this very spot on their epic expedition.  And the realization of this vision of a canal led to Chicago being the great city that it is.

All of this makes the land at the Chicago Portage National Historic Site a very significant spot in Chicagoland.  Furthermore, as the tour guide and interpretative signs make clear, this is pretty much the last remainig remnant of the portage that the Marquette-Joliet expedition.  Mud Lake has been mostly drained, and the city and neighboring suburban areas have been built around and over it.  So here at this spot, we can have an authentic sense of the geographical and natural features, forged by ancient forces, that provided the incentive for a canal that led to Chicago.  It is here we can learn the story of the circumstances that birthed Chicago.

That's why I made it my business this Saturday morning to come out for this tour, for the third time.  I first learned about this tour from a flyer at the Chicago Cultural Center when I was on a field trip for History of Chicago class, an amazing experience, back in May 2009, when I was a senior in high school.  I went to the site for the tour in June 2009.  I returned again in September 2012, and then I gained a strong sense of how important the place is.  It is where I can hear the story of how Chicago became the great city it is, the city in which I was born, and in whose shadow I've lived my whole life.  As I've said before, there's something so rich about returning to one's roots, and that's exactly what I get to experience on this tour.

So I come to these quiet woods to hear the story, and then look beyond it, and listen beyond it, to see what has become of the vision that was crafted at this spot.  Both the Chicago Portage National Historic Site and the Canal Origins Park are embedded in the midst of a major transportation corridor that was first established by the presence of the canal, following the geographical features of Mud Lake and the DesPlaines River. Running parallel to the canal is Interstate 55, which has its northern terminus near McCormick Place, running southwest to Joliet, then to St. Louis, and eventually to New Orleans. There is also the Canadian National Railroad tracks that run southwest to Joliet, and carry Amtrak trains beyond to St. Louis and even Texas. Within view of Canal Origins Park is also the Orange Line, which takes passengers to the most recently developed form of transportation of airplanes at Midway Airport.  And the presence of Midway was undeniable while walking around the Portage site, as departing and arriving planes made their noise overhead frequently.

Indeed, both of these sites are off the beaten tourist path, but they are so rich because they hold the key to the circumstances of the growth of Chicago into the city and metropolis it is this day.  It was in this place that I was born and have lived my whole life.  And standing in these two sites, I gain a sense of who I am, as I renew myself in understanding the circumstances in which Chicago grew up and became the place I call home.

(Here is a rock that was left by retreating glaciers in the woods at the Chicago Portage site, which functions like Chicago's "Plymouth Rock", as this is most probably the site where the Marquette-Joliet Expedition got out of the water to begin their portage.  Toward the background, you can see the ancient riverbed of the DesPlaines River feeding into Portage Creek, covered by light green duckweed.  Below is a picture of me posing on top of this rock.)

 

If you want to learn more about the Chicago Portage Site, go to the website of the Friends of the Chicago Portage: www.chicagoportage.org



Patriotic Greetings 2013

Patriotic Greetings to my Fellow Americans!

            It is that time of year again, one of my favorites: the celebration of the Nativity and Independence of the United States of America.  There’s something so meaningful about going back to one’s roots.  And that’s why I like this occasion so much, because it reminds me of how this country got started, and is a part of how my story as an American begins. I love to recall this story to mind, remembering each development in the creation of this wonderful country.

            In response to growing tensions between Britain and the 13 British North American Colonies, people from all the colonies assembled for a Continental Congress in Philadelphia.  After meeting for months, talk began to shift from reconciliation to separation from Britain.  The issue reached an apex point in Congress on June 7, 1776, when Richard Henry Lee rose and offered the following resolution: “Resolved.  That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown; and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”  Over the next couple of weeks or so, the delegates seriously considered the proposal, including with their own colonies’ governments.  Meanwhile, a committee formed by Congress worked on a declaration of independence.  Thomas Jefferson of Virginia was the principal author of this document.

            Then, on July 1, the delegates assembled, and debated Richard Henry Lee’s resolution for American independence.  The debate carried over into the next day, July 2, when the delegates, by colony, unanimously voted for independence.  With that done, the delegates debated the draft of the document on independence.  On July 4, the Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence.  It received most of its 56 signatures on August 2, according to most historians.  After many years of conflict, the American Revolutionary War ended with the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783.

            This occasion of Independence has always been reason for a big party, ever since John Adams wrote to his wife envisioning July 2 as a day of great celebration.  One of the things I like to do at this time of year is watch the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on CBS.  After some musical performances by a popular artist and the Boston Pops Orchestra, fireworks are launched from the Charles River.  During this time, various musical pieces are played in the background.  While watching it last year, I heard some lyrics that really stuck with me.  I searched online for the song, and came across Aaron Trippin’s “Where the Stars and Stripes, and the Eagle Fly”.

            Here’s a link to a YouTube video of the song, with lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxxrVZOtNgs

            This song really speaks to how I feel about the United States and being a person in it.  There really is something special about this country.  No other country was founded with such zeal and fervor for promoting freedom and liberty for all.  Despite an imperfect track record, people in the United States have been progressing toward a greater realization of these ideals ever since 1776.

And people have been coming here from Colonial Times all the way to the present day because they see something special about America.  They see it as a place of great freedom and liberty, in some cases, even more so than their homelands had to offer.  They see it as a place where immense opportunities abound.  They see it as a place where they can work hard and find meaningful success.  And I see it that way, too.  The United States has something special to offer to the world, contributing as a positive force for good.  I never concern myself with America being “number one” among all the nations in the world, because we don’t have to be.  America is great in its own special ways.  That is why I have hope for this country.

            I have hope when a parochial school in Nebraska that once abused Aboriginal American children for speaking their own language now teaches the language and culture to Aboriginal children.  I have hope when a sidewalk counselor provides resources to a woman in a pregnancy crisis so that the unborn child within her can have the right to life and see the light of day.  I have hope when I see an elderly person making the point to vote in yet another election, determined to never miss out on any election ever.  These are all examples of what America is truly about: people who are in charge of their country.  There are indeed frustrations to be had with the effects of government doing its work, like with recent legislative re-districting.  It makes me think of what Winston Churchill once said: “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.” 

            I really like that quotation.  And if we stop to think about, our government is probably one of the most amazing things the world has ever seen: common people being in charge of their own government, filling its offices with people from their own ranks.  European powers scoffed at America’s experiment in democracy when it was in its infancy back in the late 18^th Century.  Yet this democratic government still remains, even though all those European powers have since diminished.  This government still works, even when problems arise because certain individuals seek only self-gain.  At the same time, there are other individuals out there who selflessly serve their local communities. 

I think back to a tragedy that occurred on the cold morning of December 22, 2010, when a fire broke out in an abandoned building on Chicago’s South Side.  It was known to be a shelter for homeless people, and so two firefighters, Corey Ankum and Edward Stringer, went inside to search for any people.  That’s when the roof collapsed and they perished.  John Kass reflected on this tragedy in a column of his in The Chicago Tribune, juxtaposing typical politicians with the selflessness of these two firefighters, who were the ones that really served the public.  I find great reassurance in the realization that there are people out there like those firefighters, who are serving a greater good.  Ultimately, I feel our country is grounded on them, not on a few corrupt, selfish politicians.  This is my hope for America, because of the greatness that common people have striven to achieve. 

            That’s why I strive to be an involved citizen.  I make a point to be an informed voter in every election.  I contact my government officials on issues that concern me, even if he/she didn’t receive my vote. 

I am indeed proud to be a citizen of the United States of America.  I proudly rise to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, even when other individuals opt not to.  And I rise with pride whenever the National Anthem is performed.  But when I do so, I don’t follow along with everyone else singing the 1^st verse, which is most commonly known.  Instead, I recall the reason for my pride and hope for this country, which is beautifully expressed in the 4^th verse of the “The Star-Spangled Banner”:

 

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

 

Indeed, people since Colonial Times through the movement for Independence and to this present day have sincerely believed in the words of our National Motto, “In God we Trust”.  Trust and faith in God has gotten me through a lot in my life.  And I firmly believe that by trusting in God, and seeking to do what is right before Him, the United States will achieve true greatness as one among many nations that God has willed into existence on this Earth.

It’s like what Benjamin Franklin said when he suggested to the Constitutional Convention while it took on the onus of creating a new Constitution for the United States in the summer of 1787: “…the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth-that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the Ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid?”

            So on this great occasion, as I strive to do every day, I thank God for this country and ask for His guidance in all our proceedings as a nation.

 

And I salute the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of America,

 

Paul

 

(Photo of me standing with the US Capitol in the background, on a December day in 2004.  Photo credit to my Dad, Ed. Rubio.)

A Few Notes on June

So June 2013 has passed and July has come.  And I think back upon a few notable things that happened in my life during June.

The First Sunday of June in Oak Park is Day in Our Village in Oak Park, IL.  It was started 40 years ago as a way for businesses and services in the Village to raise awareness about what they have to offer village residents.  The two main festivity areas are at Rehm Park on the south side of the Village, with carnival games and other such amusements, and Scoville Park, in the downtown area.

At Scoville Park, booths line the sidewalks providing information about resources and services they provide, representing organizations from throughout the village.  I had a great time when I went there, meeting so many people and learning about things going on with various groups.  I was particularly pleased to have the opportunity to personally interact with the new Village Board President, Anan Abu-Taleb.

(Mr. Anan Abu-Taleb is on the left.  Photo courtesy of the Village Board Trustee who kindly took this picture.)

A few days later, on Wednesday, June 5, I spent an evening with my Grandma Vel.  She had seen this Jewish singer named Dudu Fisher on PBS, and really enjoyed him.  So she was excited when she heard he was going to be having a concert at the Harris Theater.  I accepted her invitation to accompany her.

It was a nice concert.  Dudu Fisher sang a great repertoire of pieces.  He sang a few popular Broadway musical selections in Yiddish.  Some songs he sang were clearly well-known to the predominantly Jewish audience.  I for one enjoyed the concert, because of the Jewish culture on full display. 

I felt that this concert was aptly timed:  There are a few days that I observe with special regard every year because it represents something significant in my life, and June 8 is one of those days.  On Wednesday, June 8, 2005, I spent my last day as a student at Percy Julian Middle School.  (I observe June 8, as well as the Wednesday closest to it, which was June 5 this year.)  In my three years there, my character was shaped in important ways, and June 8 was sort of a point at which these character developments were finalized.  That is why, to the surprise of many, I regard my middle school years as the best of my life before going to college.

And the Jewish people played a large part in the character developments I underwent during that time.  Before going to middle school, I knew only one Jewish person.  That number skyrocketed upon arriving at Julian.  (It's interesting to note the many parallels between my great experiences at Julian and ValpU, as I knew very few Lutherans before going to ValpU.)  Julian students came from all areas of Oak Park, and so I came to interact with many Jews who lived in other areas.  There were so open about their identity, particularly my 6th grade language arts teacher Mr. Brachman.  Being exposed to the identity of Judaism through them led me to ponder my own identity even more, and consequently, I came to appreciate who I was even more.  So I remain in a debt of gratitude to the Jewish people.

In the middle of the month, I went out on two separate days for a really long bike ride, each topping 20 miles, and lasting over 3 1/2 hours.  On June 13, I rode along the Salt Creek Trail.  I started out this ride by heading through the lovely suburbs of Riverside, Brookfield, and LaGrange Park, where I picked up the trailhead.  I then rode the trail all the way to Oak Brook, to York Road, before turning around and following its path all the way over to Brookfield Zoo.  It was a delightful path through a quiet, wooded area, save for the points at which I had to cross major streets.  I was impressed that such quietude was present in the midst of Chicago suburbs.

A few days later, on June 18, I went south, meandering around in the suburb of Summit, and then in the Chicago city neighborhoods of Clearing and Garfield Ridge.  I made it all the way to the intersection of Oak Park Avenue and 65th Street, right across the street from the suburb of Bedford Park, a point which is approximately 6 miles south of where I live in Oak Park.  I don't know what it is, but there's something that really fascinates me about Summit, Garfield Ridge, and Clearing.  Maybe it's the lovely housing stock in these overall residential areas.  I look forward to returning to these areas again to just meander around.

The last week of June brought a weather pattern with constant storminess to the Chicagoland area.  It seemed that nearly every day brought storms in the evening that popped up after a warm, sunny afternoon.  It seemed appropriate the atmosphere would kick up that way, especially right after the summer solstice at 12:04 AM CDT (or 504Z) on June 21, marking the beginning of a time of happiness, sunniness, mugginess, and even stormy skies.

This weather pattern was shaped in large part by what's known in the meteorology community as a "ring of fire" pattern.  This is when a hot air mass covers a large portion of the United States, west of the Rockies.  On the northern edge of the hot air mass is the jet stream, a corridor of strong winds found 30000 feet above ground level.  These strong upper-level winds blow in such a way as to steer systems that cause storms.  Usually, this ring of fire pattern remains stationary for a number of days, instead of progressing steadily toward the Atlantic Ocean as typical midlatitude weather systems do that travel across the United States. So the hot air remains in place, and small atmospheric "disturbances" ride along the upper-level wind corridor and trigger thunderstorms.

Some of the storms that came through Oak Park brought sudden, heavy rainfall, and strong winds.  I was particularly surprised that one such storm came through on Thursday, as when it first formed, I thought it would head straight east toward Lake Michigan, instead of heading southeast toward Oak Park.  (I was also intrigued that my Dad decided to cook hamburgers on the grill outside while this storm was bearing down.)

As it departed, with rain still coming down, the sun broke out of the clouds to the west, and I correctly surmised there would be a rainbow.  In fact, it was double rainbow!!!

This "ring of fire" pattern was certainly a meteorologist's delight!

As a final note, I've had the delight of interacting with a variety of animals.  Most notable of them all was on Saturday the 29th, when I went to the Oak Park Conservatory for a presentation on bats.  You know, bats have unfairly gotten a bad reputation for being menacing creatures. They are actually very sophisticated in their ability to use echolocation and other means to survive. They are also such gentle creatures.  At the end of the presentation, the presenters brought out four bats they had brought with them, and I had opportunity to touch them. They had soft, furry bellies, and thin, fragile wings.  So I can add that to my interactions with creatures such as when, at the Field Museum Members' Night, I held a tarantula and a cockroach.

Indeed, animals are amazing. They may not talk like humans, but they can so strongly express a personality and their feelings, using body language, which is really cool.

I notice this especially when interacting with Ludwig, the cat who lives across the alley, who I have taken care of from time to time when the owners are away.

I end with a note about my Grandma's dog Buddy.  He spent a few days at our house during the middle of the month.  Just seeing him always feels me with glee.  I hope it is the same for you.

(This picture is of Buddy lounging in a chair in the living room, during a visit he made to our house last summer.)