EFMB Fort Bragg

EFMB is an army abbreviation for Expert Field Medical Badge. It's a competition available to soldiers of all ranks in medical occupations. At this competition, in Ft. Bragg, ranks from Private through Major were in attendance. I did well on the written test and felt pretty confident about testing on "the lanes," but missed the mark on the land navigation test, something I haven't done since basic training, 3.5 years ago, and is done with army, methods, maps, compass and protractor. The Test Lanes are much as it sounds. Soldiers progress along a path, in this case, the North Carolina forests of Bragg, and demonstrate skills and competence in various tasks, medical and military alike. The photos are of the train up and course orientation in fairly casual situations. The actual testing went unphotographed and involved a far more serious scene and stressful scenarios.


I enjoyed the experience, and look forward to my next attempt, perhaps in August. Doing things like this competition, and other forms of non-deployment training and and self development have been unavailable till coming to Fort Bragg. The first three years of my army career were spent in Basic/AIT, then assignment to a line unit - a military police unit that had the development of medics low in its priorities. Then there was 15 months in Iraq. Now I'm working at Womack Army Medical Center and I've had time to sharpen my skill set in clinical and field environments.

....Some Additional Thoughts: Ending Anonymous Blogs and Bloggers

My previous article spoke to the tragic case of Phoebe Prince. I chose to limit my observations only to her particular case and no to meander off with countless side points.

After publishing the last article, I spent some additional time visiting several "blogs," which represents the lowest levels of human and social ignorance I have seen to date. Because I agree with those psychologists who believe that what these anonymous bloggers crave the feedback of outrage they receive from those who are functioning at a higher emotional and psychological level.

It would be interesting to research the question of the number of anonymous trash blogs v. those which strives for serious conversation and education. Just from my casual stroll through blog land, I found the numbers of trash blogs outnumbering the rest.

Since the majority of the anonymous trash blogs seems to have been created solely for the purposes of racism, character assassination and vicious gossip and lies - the question thus being begged is how our laws regarding slander and libel are not being applied to internet bloggers?

As a teacher of American History, I will defend the right of any person to express their political and social beliefs. But I cannot - nor do I believe that most psychologically healthy people - can accept the anonymous trash being posted on blogs.

I realize that my frustrations are mostly in vain because of the emotional illnesses of our anonymous trash bloggers. But I do believe that my frustrations about these anonymous bloggers escaping accountability for their actions are justified.

I wish there was a legal way to end to option of anonymous blogging. If none exists today, maybe we can work towards ending the option.

How much more enjoyable the internet could be without the trash.


Sincerely Yours in Chirst,

+James Alan Wilkowski

Evangelical Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of the Northwest
and
Presiding Bishop for the Evangelical Catholic Church

www.evangelicalcatholicchurch.org

How Many More Phoebe Prince's Must Die Before We Reign in Cyber Bullying?

I sometimes fear that I am becoming jaded as I seem to read endless stories of cruelty and injustice being done upon people. It seems that hardly a day goes by when one does not come across some story an individual falling victim to some form of outlandish and inhumane treatment. I find myself more and more just shaking my head in resignation before moving on to the next item in the papers.

The story of the suicide of Massachusetts high school student Phoebe Prince - a victim of one of the intense campaigns of Cyber Bullying to date - has stunned me to attention.

When I was in high school there were two ways of bullying another student: gossip and writings on bathroom or locker room walls. And back in the day, the prevailing attitude was such acts were those of "kids being kids." As you know, nine of Ms. Prince's classmates have been charged in the Snow case and two of the parents have dismissed the acts of cyber bullying against Ms. Prince as "kids being kids."

There is something very, very wrong here.

As I prepared to post this blog, I spoke with several friends who are also psychologists to ask them to help me to understand the psychological reasons for a person to engage in cyber bullying. These are the points they all asked me to keep in mind.

Most important is the fact that acts of bullying are acts of emotional and psychological abuse. Abusers are individuals who crave control and dominance in order to fulfill something that is lacking with their lives. Abusers profile others whom they believe they can abuse without fear of their victims attempting to defend themselves. The results of psychological testing to be done of those responsible for bullying Ms. Snow will prove educational.

What makes cyber abuse unique is the fact of anonymity. This option provides cowardly abusers with a blank check for their activities without fear of being held accountable.

Within the last year, the reality of cyber bullying has become a reality in my pastoral life. I have found myself included on at least two anonymous "blogs." Both of these blogs provides indictments of the psychological health of the authors rather than towards their intended prey. Unlike Phoebe Prince, I'm a bit older and have grown thicker skin to better dismiss the blogs attempting to bully me.

But what about all of the other Phoebe Prince's in the world who still continue to be tortured by annonymous predators? Most of these young people do have have the coping skills to deal with such matters. Who and what is truly being done to protect these young people? The time has come for our national family to step up and demand action.

It is sad that the potentials for the Internet have been so soiled by those who have used the net for such unsavory purposes. I sincerely doubt that the owners of Facebook, MySpace others would impliment serious policies and a zero tolerance policy regarding cyber bullying. Hopefully our government can create new policies to regulate and potect people of cyber bullying.

Several years ago a move began to encourage parents to monitor which sites their children could access and also to monitor all that which was being address to their children. Maybe we need to also encourage parents to monitor what their children are publishing on their Facebook, My Space and Blogs.

Most anonymous blogger bullies love the attention from the feedback they generate. It is part of their illness.

Until such time when regulations are enacted to protect us from the sickness of cyber bullies, the best we can do is to ignore the bullies. Once bullies realize that their sites are being ignored - we take back control in our lives.

I pray that we won't have to bury any more of our children until such needed regulations are enacted.

I remain,

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

+James Alan Wilkowski

Evangelical Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of the Northwest
and
Presiding Bishop for the Evangelical Catholic Church
Chicago, Illinois

www.evangelicalcatholicchurch.org/northwest.htm

Some Random Febuary Photos...

...for the sake of a month not abandoned, while left behind.

Some Random March Photos...

...for the sake of a blog not abandoned.

Sometimes Charity Needs To Begin At Home

One of the greatest attributes of the American people is their willingness to help those who are in need. The overwhelming outpouring of financial and material support to the people of Haiti is proof positive that the Graces of God does indeed dwells within us. And once again, the American people have turned their attention to the people of Chile during their struggles to recover from their earthquake.

Not only am I impressed as to how ordinary American citizens have rallied to the needs of the people of Haiti and Chile, I am pleased with the speed and the willingness of the American Government to - despite our ongoing economic depression - to provide additional financial and material support.

There is no question of the unconditional willingness of the American people and our government to come to the aid to our neighbors within our global community.

Yet, I must confess to you that my pride was tempered last night by something taking place within the community of Chicago.

Driving home last night from an unexpected pastoral call, I found myself having to take a detour home through a section of the city know as Lower Wacker Drive. For many years, the section of the city has been the gathering place for men, women and family who are homeless. In recent years, Lower Wacker Drive has seen a great influx of unemployed and homeless refugees seeking some form of sanctuary from the elements.

I can't help but wonder what form of earthquake or natural disaster occurred in their lives to deprive them of their homes. When I look at the cramped cardboard boxes being used as their shelters, I see them being trapped just like those buried alive in the rubble from homes crashing down upon in Haiti or Chile.

The only difference is that those buried alive in Haiti and Chile have international rescue teams searching for them. I wonder who is searching for those trapped in boxes on Lower Wacker Drive?

Let me make it clear that I do not in any way subscribe to the political or pastoral theory of isolationism. The Gospels clearly teaches and calls to us to our responsibilities to care, protect and uphold one another.

I guess I am very concerned that our national community and our government too often has less enthusiasm to extend the hand of charity to our own in need we extend within our global community.

Sometimes charity does need to be present as home.

I remain,

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

+James Alan Wilkowski

Evangelical Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of the Northwest
and
Presiding Bishop for the Evangelical Catholic Church

February 28, 2010 - The Second Sunday of Lent

Chicago, Illinois

Saving the Independent Catholic Movement from Sexual Predators and Substandard Clergy

There is a form of "acid rain" that is beginning to fall from the sky in the form of a drizzle on the Independent Catholic Movement. The cloud from, which this drizzle emanates, has congealed from a posse of individuals completely illiterate in matters of basic Catholicism and individuals convicted in secular courts of law for sexual abuse.

These individuals - whose primary purpose is to find any valid avenue to claim Orders within historic apostolic succession in order to wear copes, cassocks and mitres - are polluting the Independent Catholic Movement with their corruption and will undermine this sacred movement from effectively serving the People of God.

When Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa continued his vocation to the priesthood after his excommunication from the Church of Rome, he wished to continue the sacramental and liturgical traditions of Catholicism with an infusion of what we today call the Liberation Theology and Social Justice and Peace. Bishop Costa wanted to see the continuation of Catholic grow and thrive within a new independent avenue. He did not wish to see this new hope devalued to the same state as Jesus found the Temple.

When I entered the Independent Catholic Movement in 1996, I did so with the belief that the potentials for service to the People of God were unlimited and that the spirit of the Second Vatican Council was alive and vibrant. While I still feel and believe in the sacred opportunities before us, my hopes have been tempered by witnessing our movement being converted into a toilet by self serving frauds who are trolling our Movement to attain some sort of social standing and to fulfill their sexual needs.

I unconditionally believe that individuals who are documented sexual predators and abusers have no rights to function as a cleric or religious. Vocations to the priesthood and religious life are sacred gifts from God and not personal entitlements. I also believe that candidates for the priesthood and religious life who have been documented as being behaviorally and/or psychologically unfit should not be permitted to enter into Order or Solemn Profession.

One of the most tragic trends I have witnessed in the past decade has been the exodus of sexual predators and abusers, along with the behaviorally and psychologically unfit and academically illiterate invading the Independent Catholic Movement in great numbers. The presence of these individuals degrades our movement.

Every once in awhile, I tend to surf the web to learn about other jurisdictions claiming to be part of the Independent Catholic Movement. While being very encouraged by a few other jurisdiction taking their vocations seriously, I was shocked by what I still find on so many jurisdictional web sites.

1. Priests, Religious and Bishops who have been convicted of sexual abuse.
2. Jurisdictions having no requirements for academic formation/training.
3. Priests, Religious and Bishops "church jumping" from one jurisdiction to another.

These are just a few examples common to so many claiming to be Independent Catholic Jurisdictions.

There are many Catholics in this country and world-wide who find themselves pastorally and sacramental orphaned for many, many reasons. And for those men, women and families - the Independent Catholic Movement may hold for them that which they seek and need. Many of these men, women and families have been hurt by previous pastoral experiences. They do not need to be exposed to the corruption rampant in so many of these jurisdictions.

They have been abused enough.

IF the Independent Catholic Movement wishes to be taken serious by the People of God, it must become serious about itself. Our movement must purge itself of those who demean and defile it. Nobody else can do it but ourselves and we must begin now before the drizzle of acid rain become a toxic tidal wide that washes us all away.

And if that should happen, we will have nobody to blame but ourselves.

Sincerely Yours in Chirst,

+James Alan Wilkowski
Evangelical Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of the Northwest
Chicago, Illinois
www.evangelicalcatholicchurch.org