The universal day of love passed last week. February 14 is the magic day each year. The facts surrounding the holiday are not as well known as most think.
History provides several St. Valentines. Most historians attribute St. Valentine's Day to a third century Roman priest. His name obviously Valentine.
The popular concept is that Valentine was executed because he was promoting Catholicism. In the course of spreading the word, Valentine married many people. His conducting of a large number of marriages was the problem. Not his Catholicism.
Claudius was emperor at the time. He needed a large army. Wars were common place. Married men were exempted from service. Claudius proclaimed a ban on new marriages. Valentine was warned. Stop marrying people. He continued. Claudius warned him repeatedly. Valentine opted not to listen.
Valentine was arrested and sentenced to death. He was to be beaten with clubs and stones. He was. He would not die. Claudius ordered him beheaded. The date of Valentine's execution was February 14.
The centuries have added an aura to the day. It is for lovers. Recognized as such universally. Even Pope Frances spoke of love this St. Valentine's Day while carrying a red rose. Red has become the symbolic color of St. Valentine's Day. Together with gifts of red roses and chocolate candy. Everywhere today, except for one place. Saudi Arabia.
Most areas of Saudi Arabia frown big time on St. Valentine's Day. The day of love is considered immoral. Red roses cannot be sold. Some merchants do, however. From the back room of their shops. Heart shaped chocolates are sold from under the counter. The color red is prohibited. Reminiscent of the 1950's and 1960's when condoms and porn magazines were sold from under the counter.
Valentine Day gifts of red roses and chocolate candy are considered immoral under present day Islams. Obviously illegal also. The two are intertwined. Imagine gifts of sexy female underwear. I am sure the reaction would be explosive
Saudi Arabia maintains a secret police. A religious secret police. The group is commonly referred to as the religious patrol. Ever vigilant, they hawk the stores looking for red roses, chocolate candies and the color red being used in displays during the time surrounding February 14.
They also are on the look out for any public display of affection. A cleric recently stated that those who celebrate Valentine's Day ".....want to copy the infidels." You and me.
Pope Frances has it right. We should all love one another and express that love. Change is a constant. Perhaps some day the men of Saudi Arabia will be openly able to bring their wives and lady friends red roses and chocolate candy. Purchased in an open market place.
ADDENDUM to last week's column concerning the new Farm Law. This information came to light after the column went to press.
I am beginning to suspect not everyone reads bills before they are voted upon by Congress. Perhaps they do and keep quiet about certain items since they do not want us to know.
One of the biggest problems with the Farm Law is that certain Congress persons who vote for the bill thereafter receive monies under the bill. They own farms or a portion thereof. Through subsidies and/or crop insurance, they walk away with significant chunks of money.
My problem with the system is that the law does not require those Congress persons to be identified. The new law as drafted contained such a provision. It was deleted prior to final vote.
The new law was signed by President Obama on a Friday. The following Tuesday, it was revealed that the new law contained a provision barring the disclosure of the names of corporations receiving benefits. We live in an era of big corporations in the farm business. Corporations like Monsanto.
Why hide these things? What has happened to transparency? Obama promised transparency when he first ran. It seems we are getting less rather than more today. Secrecy seems to cloak more and more governmental operations.
We live in a time of economic depression. Every taxpayer dollar is important. Never the less, government waste is rampant.
On the same Tuesday the corporate ban came to light, it was announced that under the previous Farm Law, $36 million was paid to dead farmers over a four year period. Some 4,000 plus deceased farmers.
Who is watching the cash register? This death issue is a common problem for Washington agencies. How do they find out who is dead that was receiving benefits so they can be terminated?
A simple system has been devised where most federal agencies are hooked up to the Social Security computer. Death information is instantaneous. Not the Farm Bureau.
How do these things happen? Why do they happen? Are we being had?
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