If it saves just one!

I know most of us want to make a difference in life. A difference for good.
The question is … how?
How do we know what to do?

Fortunately, there is a way.
We can ask for help from people who care.
Ah … but you ask … how do we find people who care?
It’s easy.
That’s why politicians exist.
They care.
We know they care because they tell us they care.
And a politician wouldn’t lie … would they?
Oh, and politicians have such great ideas.
And some of these ideas politicians give us can show us the way to making a difference for good in life.
Here’s one idea I heard recently from a politician who was making all kinds of rules to protect people from the coronavirus.
His overriding vision was …
“If it saves just one.”
That’s it!
That’s the mantra we need to follow.
“If it saves just one.”
Who could ever object to that?
“If it saves just one.”
It sounds so right.
So good.
And it comes from the mouth of a politician.
So it must be true and noble.
Now we can live a life that makes a difference by applying that concept to situations in our world.

MEDICAL ERRORS
Did you know that more that 250,000 people die every year from medical errors?
Two hundred fifty thousand.
That makes it the third leading cause of death in our country … only behind heart disease and cancer.
And many of those deaths happen in hospitals!
Mis-diagnosis … the wrong medicine administered … equipment malfunctions … incorrect doses administered.
Two hundred fifty thousand.
You want to make a difference for good?
Remember, if we save just one, it will be worth the price.
How do we save just one?
The solution is so simple.
Stop providing medical treatment. Close down the hospitals, shut the clinics, no telemedicine … no doctors or nurses who might make mistakes.
“If it saves just one.”
Think of the difference we can make.

DRUGS
Speaking of medical problems.
Did you know that more than 70,000 people die every year from the misuse of drugs?
Seventy thousand.
Every year.
And yes, most of the problem comes from illegal drugs, but over 60% of those drug related deaths come from the misuse of legally prescribed drugs.
Remember our standard.
“If it saves just one.”
Let’s save one.
Do away with drugs.
No more drugs. Of any kind. For any purpose. I know it might be difficult for some of you, but remember.
“If it saves just one.”
And that is our goal.

MOTOR VEHICLE DEATHS
Each year, more than 32,000 people die in motor vehicle crashes. Oh, yeah … and more than two million are injured.
Thirty-two thousand every year.
Do you care?
Do you want to make a difference for good?
Then let’s apply our mantra.
All motor vehicles must be banned … taken off the road … removed from use … obliterated.
“If it saves just one” it will be worth it, but it will save more than one.

ALCOHOL
I was thinking of skipping this one but …
“If it saves just one.”
About 88,000 people die every year from alcohol related causes.
Almost one-third of traffic deaths involve alcohol impaired drivers.
Almost half of the 83,000 liver disease deaths involved alcohol.
Alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, liver, and breast.
Almost 100,000 college students report that sexual assaults or date rape were alcohol related.
“If it saves just one.”
Do you want to make a difference for good?
There’s no other choice.
Alcohol must be banned.
I know we’ve tried it before, but if our goal is to do whatever it take to save just one … there is no other choice.

AIRPLANES
Let’s change to another area.
In 2018, one of the safest years for commercial aviation, more than 500 people were killed in commercial aviation incidents — crashes.
In private aviation, the situation was much worse.
Remember our goal.
“If it saves just one.”
You know what that means.
It might be inconvenient for some, but our goal is so much more important than convenience or inconvenience.
Our goal is to save just one.
All airplanes must be banned.
No more flying — for anyone, anywhere.
Because we want to save just one.

BOATS
In 2018, more that 600 people died in boating accidents.
Do I even need to tell you what the solution is?
“If it saves just one.”
Boats must be banned.

TRAINS
No cars. No planes. No boats.
At least we can take a train.
Not so fast.
Last year, 937 people died in rail accidents.
If we truly believe …
“If it saves just one.”
Then we have no choice.
The trains are gone.

IT’S A START
I could go on. I mean there are so many more things we could do, but this is a good start.
The politician’s have given us a goal.
“If it saves just one.”
So, let’s get to work, and make this a better world.

I have a book I’d like to recommend to you.
The people of my dad’s era have been called by some … America’s Greatest Generation.
The people of my generation have often been called different names.
But … back to the book I want to recommend.
It’s the story of Louis Zamperini.
It’s called Unbroken and was written by Laura Hillenbrand.
And I’m not the only one who thinks it’s a good read. It was on the New York Times best seller list for more than 4 years, and was number one on that list for fourteen weeks.
Louis Zamperini was the son of an Italian immigrant and he was raised in a small town in Southern California. He experienced real discrimination and faced the struggles of growing up during the Great Depression.
He was not what most of us would consider a model child.
He got in trouble all the time. He stole just about anything. He was bullied for being Italian. He got in many fights. And he was often picked up by the police.
Louis was a big problem to his parents.
But there was something very special about him.
He was fast.
He became a star on his high school track team, and at the age of 19, earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team and competed in the Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany.
He was hoping to make the 1940 Olympic games, scheduled for Tokyo, and worked hard to improve his skills as a runner.
But the world changed.
World War II broke out.
And Louis Zamperini, the Italian who was always in trouble as a kid, enlisted in the Army Air Corps, became a bombadier, and was assigned to a unit in Hawaii.
He served on missions against the Japanese, and his plane often took hits.
Then one time, his plane was on a search mission over 800 miles south of Hawaii, when the plane developed mechanical difficulties and crashed in the ocean.
Only three of the eleven man crew survived the crash.
And now they were floating on a raft in the middle of the ocean.
Unbroken is the story of Louis’ 46 days spent on the raft. He is “rescued” by the Japanese and would spend the next two and one-half years in brutal prisoner of war camps.
Louis Zamperini is a man you should get to know.
His is an inspirational story in the midst of incredible hardships.
The next time you hear someone saying they need a “safe space” or bemoaning the fact that someone “unfriended” them … tell them the story of Louis Zamperini.
This is a great read about one of the men from America’s Greatest Generation.

The date was June 14, 1954.
President Dwight Eisenhower signed a joint resolution by the House and Senate to include the words “Under God” in the Pledge to the Flag.
This was back in a time when the pledge was recited by just about everyone in schools throughout the country.
I’d like to read Eisenhower’s statement about the bill.

“From this day forward, the millions of our school children will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural school house, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty. To anyone who truly loves America, nothing could be more inspiring than to contemplate this rededication of our youth, on each school morning, to our country’s true meaning. Especially is this meaningful as we regard today’s world. Over the globe, mankind has been cruelly torn by violence and brutality and, by the millions, deadened in mind and soul by a materialistic philosophy of life. Man everywhere is appalled by the prospect of atomic war. In this somber setting, this law and its effects today have profound meaning. In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource, in peace or in war.”
President Dwight Eisenhower

That was sixty-six year ago.
Do you think that bill would pass both houses of Congress today?
Would it even be a close vote?
Which brings me to this question …
Are we advancing as a nation … or are we sinking?
Think about it.

Before I go I’d like to share a blessing with you from the Old Testament.

“May the Lord bless and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; may he be gracious to you, show you his favor, and give you his peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26 (The Living Bible)

Until next time … be the reason someone smiles today!

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“Drugs Killed More Than 70,000 Americans in 2017” The Wasington Free Beacon.
https://freebeacon.com/issues/drugs-killed-70000-americans-2017/?utm_source=Freedom+Mail&utm_campaign=a116f3722e-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_08_15_07_22_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b5e6e0e9ea-a116f3722e-45984245

“The third-leading cause of death in US most doctors don’t want you to know about” by Ray Sipherd, CNN.
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/22/medical-errors-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-america.html

“Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/motor-vehicle-safety/index.html

“Alcohol Facts and statistics” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-facts-and-statistics

“Number of rail accidents and incidents in the United States from 2013 to 2019” source
https://www.statista.com/statistics/204569/rail-accidents-in-the-us/

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“Statement by the President Upon Signing Bill To Include the Words ‘Under God’ in the Pledge to the Flag.” The American Presidency Project
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/statement-the-president-upon-signing-bill-include-the-words-under-god-the-pledge-the-flag