Son,

I admire your determination. Opinions are the fodder of intellect, just academic talk until applied. Conviction is the result of integrating opinion with life experience. Our life experience will test our opinions – if we come out the other side with the same opinion then we call it conviction.

We know many things – we intellectually discuss a variety of ideology, of religion, of spirituality, of family values, of life. Until we are able to integrate our knowledge with our behavior – our ideology is just academic bull….

I have claimed many values in the course of my life, and have found my behavior to be wanting. When what we say we value and what we do are not synchronized – then we can reasonably be called crazy – or hypocritical. I have recently been trying to balance what I say my values are with what I am actually willing to do. The hardest part is being honest with myself about what I am really willing to do.

Take the death penalty, for example. There are those who oppose the death penalty. I admire that position – it is a tough position to hold to when it becomes personal. Opposing the death penalty is the only rational position – following the logic of a quest for civilized society. Ah, logic! I am not Mr. Spock. I am human – my emotions play a role.

Enough for now.

Dad