The Common Man.Pdf

THE COMMON MAN

God • Home • Country

Melvin Valkner

All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Website links contained in the Bibliography and Footnotes are provided solely as a convenience to the reader. They were accurate when the book was written, but are subject to change. The publisher is not responsible for links that may eventually become inaccurate or inactive.

ISBN-13: 978-1-4992203-0-8

Author photo by Tony Dugal Cover photo by Sean Locke Photography / Shutterstock Design & layout by Lighthouse24

Invite Mel Valkner to speak at [email protected]

Sometimes it’s difficult to agree on what to eat for supper let alone answers to the important issues of life.

Melvin Valkner

Table of Contents

Section I – God & Home 7 Simple Country Boy 9 Vietnam and Its Aftermath 25 Off to College 35 Romance 49 Death and Life 59 Rustic Living 73 Growing 91 Prophetic Words 105 Maturity 111 Into The Fire 137 Time Goes On 151 Hanging by a Thread 167 Leather Key Basket 185 More Testings 197

Section II – God & Country 205 Went to a Tea Party 207 What Happened in 1913? 219 Disappearing Heritage 235 Ten Fables of Madern Tyms 251 Running For U.S. Congress 269 A New Chapter 277

Appendix – My Views 291 Ten Fables of Madern Tyms – Terms & Meanings 303 Bibliography 305

Section I – God & Home

Simple Country Boy

n exceptionally vivid dream night where the waters were A rising was so real that upon waking I lay in bed intently listening for the sound of rushing water, thinking that the water pipes used for heating had burst, the basement surely filling with water. Laying very still, thankfully, not a sound could be heard. All was quiet. Realizing it had been a dream a wave of relief flooded over me. Unexpectedly a clear, non-audible voice distinctly asked, “Are you ready to go to Washington?” Somewhat stunned, so out of the blue, nonetheless I knew it was God speaking to me. I dutifully began researching what has happened to this country over the last several decades discovering that Democrats and Republicans have systemically been killing The American Dream. Then…seeing where…I...sorry, I’m way ahead of myself. Make yourself comfortable and let me start over. Growing up in the 1950s, The American Dream, that a better life lay ahead, was very much alive. Trusting was easy; so was taking risk. Anything was possible.

9 M ELVIN VALKNER

Our secluded 84-acre farm was located one mile west of Doster, Michigan, halfway between Detroit and Chicago. Somewhat shy and reserved I felt secure. We never locked the doors of our house, day or night, not even when we went on vacation. One summer just as our sweet corn was ripening we were leaving for vacation. We picked the ripened corn stacking it on a picnic table moved near the road, leaving a cigar box with a few coins for customers to make their own change, all on the honor system. Upon our return, the corn was gone but to the last penny all the money for the corn was there in the box. Like I said, trusting was easy. I was the middle of five boys: Jack and Don were older while Chuck and Rick were younger. My dad’s side of the family was German-Swedish while my mother’s side was British-Scottish. Dad had sandy-colored hair that was rapidly thinning. He had served in World War II, making the rank of staff sergeant serving as a tail gunner and bombardier on a B-17 in the Eighth Air Force Fortress Group, known to incur heavy losses. Mom said it always bothered him that during a bombing run over Germany he was pulled from a mission before take off and that plane never returned. I never heard him talk about it. In the summer he worked hard and long employed as a landscaper. With a variety of farm implements in his “spare time” he raised crops for our farm animals. We had two trac- tors. The green John Deere had a huge, heavy wheel on the left side of the motor, which, with great effort, was turned to start the engine. The red Farmall had a handle on the front that was cranked to start. Sometimes it kicked back and once almost broke Dad’s wrist. If we were lucky Dad gave us a ride around the yard high in the tractor bucket.

10 T HE COMMON MAN

For additional weight we would sometimes ride atop the drag being pulled through the cornfield. Reaching the end of the field, we would loosen whatever plants were wedged against the curved metal points and off we would go again getting filthy dirty in the process. At various times we had milking cows, steers, chickens, rabbits, pigs and two Welsh ponies named Jerry and Gus. Our weathered barn stored hay and grain on the main floor. The barn’s basement had a regular door for people and a larger sliding door where the cows went in and out from their milking stalls. Chickens wandered about during the day being fattened for the cooking pot. Dad brought home 50 piglets one year, which were a nuisance as they were always breaking through the electric fence. Sometimes the cows and ponies would get out too and we would have to track them down. With me on Jerry and Chuck on Gus we went riding throughout the countryside. A mile away Lake Doster, a man- made lake, was being created. When it was still only about six feet deep Chuck and I rode the ponies into it, swimming out to a telephone pole that had not yet been removed and swimming safely back. Like I said, taking risk was easy. Of course, there was the occasional bumblebee or wasp sting. Dad and Mom planted the largest family garden in the world, at least in my eyes, which my brothers and I were expected to keep clean of weeds. Hacking the weeds with a hoe we learned to get down to their roots ensuring the garden its best chance of success. In the winter Dad delivered coal, coming home covered with soot looking like he had been working in a coal mine all day. When Dad came home with a load of coal to heat our house it was our job to shovel it down a chute through a small

11 M ELVIN VALKNER window into the basement. How I hated to be interrupted from watching evening cartoon shows on the television to go out in the cold, dark night and shovel coal. He also plowed snow for customers with his International Scout. One year there was a blizzard in Illinois and he chose me to go with him and plow. My Dad’s mother died when she was 48. Grandpa Valkner came and lived with us. He was grumpy and bitter at how life had treated him. My folks bought a shoe store in Otsego to give him something to do, thinking he could repair shoes in the back while Mom waited on customers out front. Except Grandpa Valkner was so gruff that, with the exception of a couple of buddies, he scared off customers. Most of the work then fell to Mom, a pretty brunette, who was always there for us kids. She kept busy canning vegetables, cooking and cleaning, plus attending to the shoe store. Her folks, Grandpa and Grandma Kirkland got divorced long before I was born. Conversations often turned to politics during Grandpa Kirkland’s visits. More than once an adult would say, “Well…” In another room, I thought someone called “Mel.” I would come and listen to their conversation for a few minutes before asked what I needed. Grandpa Kirkland was fond of calling politicians “educated idiots” – self-serving elitists acting as if they have a heart for the average guy, The Common Man, but instead are leading a trusting and often ignorant, though not stupid, people to unnecessary hardship. Mom worked at the shoe store during the week. Dad would come home on Wednesdays and Fridays when the store was opened late, get cleaned up, slap on Old Spice aftershave, and go relieve Mom. Dad normally worked the store on Saturdays with us boys taking turns going with him to wait on customers

12 T HE COMMON MAN and helping as best we could. His shoe repair skills were impressive. I loved the smell of leather permeating the shoe store. Occasionally our family piled into our station wagon for a three-mile trip over to swim at a cousin’s cottage on Pine Lake. I still have fond memories of Dad putting down the tailgate allowing my brothers and me to sit on it with our feet dangling above the speeding road below. Seatbelts? Forget about it, cars didn’t have them anyway. Twice I almost drowned at Pine Lake. The first time, we went there on a summer day without our parents. Bob Harps, a neighbor, took me out on his shoulders until he knew it was over my head. I was scared as I couldn’t yet swim. Don was fishing off the raft. His fishing hook caught my foot just as Bob pitched me off his shoulders tossing me towards shore. Don was trying his hardest to reel in his catch, not realizing it was me on his hook. I was crying and yelling for help. Bob, completely unaware of my predicament, was laughing sure I could make it to shallow waters. Fortunately, as I was going down for the third time Don’s line broke, freeing me, and with a mighty struggle I managed to touch bottom. The second time we were at Shelp’s Resort where it cost ten cents to swim all day. They had an “h” shaped dock. Out on the end of the dock there was a diving board, and a raft out beyond that for experienced swimmers. The smaller kids could safely play within the shallow waters enclosed by the dock. Learning to dive and practicing what I had just learned I dove straight down into the shallow waters hitting the sandy bottom so hard it almost knocked me unconscious. Barely able to get back to my feet before drowning, I staggered alone to the shore sitting down with a terrible headache, my hair filled with sand. We were quite the adventurous brothers. When both parents were off to work we would jump out of our farmhouse

13 M ELVIN VALKNER second story window, where Chuck and I shared a bedroom, to the ground below. We learned to roll as we hit the ground so it hardly hurt. Of course, we climbed every tree around as well as onto the roof of the house. While Dad treated us fairly one day Chuck and I had done something that made Dad so angry he took off his belt and was going to use it on us. Afraid, we ran out the door. He realized he could not catch us and assured us that if we came back in the house he would spare us the belt. Forgiveness is a good thing. Doster was a town founded by the Doster family which farmed much of the surrounding land. Annually they herded their sheep down our country road from one pasture to another blocking what little traffic came along. It was the home of Doster School, Doster Store (housing a post office), Doster Reformed Church, Doster Lumber and 27 residents including kids. Doster School, one of the area’s last country schools normally teaching kindergarten through eighth grade, was a one- room schoolhouse, cozy and sufficient, that doubled as the church building on Sundays. I went to kindergarten there, the last year multiple grades of kindergarten through fourth grades were taught at Doster School. It was wondrous being able to listen in on what the teacher was teaching the older kids while we doing our coloring or whatever it is we were doing. Recess time saw all ages playing together. We were neighbors and, for the most part, got along just fine. Several Doster School students went onto college including two who became physicians. There were six of us in my kindergarten class: Millard Doster, Jill Doster, Alan Krug, Jimmy Collins, Jerry Prolo and myself. Alan had some developmental problems and flunked,

14 T HE COMMON MAN but with the help of loving and supportive parents still managed to do quite well. Billy Prolo was alone in first grade. We considered ourselves neighbors even though our homes could be a mile apart. That was life in the country. The following year, as part of a school consolidation program taking place throughout Michigan, Doster School was annexed by Plainwell Community Schools. I still question the value of ever-increasing school size as thereafter Jimmy and I would play together at his house or mine but never again had any classes together. To this day that does not seem right. Eventually Jimmy and his family moved into Plainwell. Jerry and I had every class together through the sixth grade, first at Bridge Street School then at Starr School but junior high, with its alphabetized homerooms, broke our string though we still rode the same school bus together until we got cars. In sixth grade our teacher Mr. Brown divided the class into three parts so he could give each group the time and attention they deserved. I was put into the advanced section. He gave us problems and showed us problem-solving skills that the others were not exposed to. But he gave the others more of his time than us. In the winter Jerry and his brothers used an old car hood as a toboggan. In those days the car hoods were not flat as they are today. Flipped upside down it had greatly angled, sweeping curves in the very front. Whether standing with the help of a rope or sitting we would hang on for dear life as we sped down a steep hill beside their house. After getting numb with cold we’d have some hot chocolate and hit the slope again. It was common in the summer for Jerry to be at our house to play just in time for Sunday dinner. Mom’s beef and noodle dinners were the best. This was fine with me. But one day my

15 M ELVIN VALKNER parents said, “If Jerry shows up right before dinner you have tell him to go home.” Sure enough, as if right on cue, at dinner time there he was. Much to my surprise and delight my folks’ willpower dissolved and they invited him in. He was funny and quite the cutup. On my 10th birthday he walked the 3/4 mile through the fields to give me a birthday present, a comb. It may sound silly, but that meant a lot to me. I loved to listen to Detroit Tigers on the radio and watch them play on TV, and cried when they lost. We played baseball every chance we got. For our first ball diamond we used the front yard, carving large bases in the lawn. Being a landscaper, Dad was upset when he saw what we had done but he soon got over it and played catch with us. Later, Jack and Don took the lawnmower and mowed an area between two knolls in the back corner of our land where we and the neighbors spent hours and hours playing ball. Later we moved the ball field to a flatter area. We devised rules at game time depending on how many showed up to play. One day only Jerry, Billy, Don and I were playing a game of overhand, slow pitch baseball. We played “pitcher’s mound out” where you only had to get the ball to the pitcher’s mound before the runner reached base to get him out. The whole infield was in play but the outfield from straight behind second base to the right field line was out of play. There was no catcher so if the batter didn’t hit the ball he had to catch it barehanded or chase it down and throw it back to the pitcher. One game Jerry and I had fallen behind 25 to 1 with two outs in our last at bat. We turned to each other and with great determination pledged not to make the last out, and never did. We went on to win 26 to 25!

16 T HE COMMON MAN

Many years later when I recounted this story, Don said cynically, “That’s how you remember it.” We had an old family Bible although I can’t remember anybody ever reading it. There was a picture of Jesus hanging in the upstairs hallway. As we were not a religious family, I was stunned one day when Mom’s anger flashed and she washed out my mouth with soap for saying “God” disrespect- fully. While Mom and Dad didn’t go to church, a bus often picked up my brothers and me, but in the summer we chose to walk home exploring and talking as we went. One year our church softball team was undefeated. We were good and it was exciting to play the teams fielded by the other small churches in the area. Keith Champion, who lived just across the county line and went to Delton Schools, was our centerfielder. He always impressed me as a clean cut kid with a terrific attitude. It was a lot of fun playing with all the kids in the area. I was a utility player, playing wherever needed: pitching, infield and outfield. The right field fence was so close that anything hit over it into the cornfield was an automatic double. Whenever we needed a key hit we would just try to pop it over the fence into the cornfield. Those days ended for me and my brothers one Christmas when a church elder said that we could no longer attend just at Christmas to receive presents and in the summer to play ball; we needed to make a choice. Either we could attend year round or not participate in these events. We quit going to church. Enjoying reading, school was okay with me. I read just about everything I could get my hands on. Jack teased me calling me a bookworm. I answered by putting my tanned arm next to his pale one.

17 M ELVIN VALKNER

I earned decent grades in school by paying attention in class with very little studying outside. But I got into a little trouble in an elementary school music class. I make a wisecrack to a friend. When he laughed the teacher demanded I tell her what was so funny. Over my objections she insisted. I said, “You need sunglasses to look at us, we’re so bright.” That set off a chorus of laughter throughout the room. She suspended six of us. We had to go the principal’s office and do arithmetic until we apologized. In order to affect a speedy apology we were given one-half of whatever grade we would have earned for that subject. One by one my classmates apologized. Holding out as long as I could, I also succumbed to the pressure, getting a D that marking period – but I learned math. My brothers and I normally carried our own lunch. Buying a school lunch was too expensive; after all it cost 25 cents. It was considered a treat. For perspective, you have to realize that a gallon of gas was also about a quarter. My greatest accomplishment in school was perfect attendance in the second, fifth, ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades. I woke up late one day in the fifth grade and missed the bus. I hitchhiked seven miles to school to not miss a day. Jack bought a 1952 Chevy “Turtleback” and following a cow path sped through our fields with it. With its sloped back it was perfect for the thrill of standing on the rear bumper while leaning forward on the trunk, leaving one virtually in an upright position. Hitting a bump in the rough path was sheer terror. With nothing to hang onto except by leaning forward and wedging our fingers into the crack left by the closed trunk, you never knew if you were going to stay aboard or fly off. Then the idea came to us of pulling an old car hood behind it through the fields. Sure enough, it worked perfectly. It was

18 T HE COMMON MAN one rough ride. However when we hit a bump hard enough to throw me off, cutting my knee in doing so, I had had enough of that. Holding a bleeding knee, I limped across the fields heading for home. Those same fields were abundant with sand burrs. When Rick was small, he followed me through a patch one day, carefully picking our way. Hearing him screaming at the top of his lungs and refusing to go on any further, I backtracked to him seeing his shoes and pant legs absolutely covered with sand burrs. Giving him a piggyback ride, I made my way through a tormenting path, always avoiding it in the future. We loved to play “Stop Tag” on the upper beams in the barn. The game was like normal tag except a rag tied into knots was thrown to tag someone. When whoever was “it” yelled “Stop,” then everyone had to freeze. If you were hit with the knotted rag you were it. We had variations to the game. Some- times we couldn’t move at all when the rag was thrown, other times we could move everything except our feet. With our hearts in our throats we ran over the barn beams as fast as we dared to go. No one ever fell but one day Jerry jumped from a beam onto the roof of a grain storage room in the northwest corner of the barn. He was it and was yelling stop as he jumped except he kept right on going through the grain bin ceiling barely avoiding straddling a wooden divider below. Jerry was quite the comedian, so watching him yell stop as he kept going cracked us up. Jerry wasn’t laughing though. He was quite shook up and mad at us for laughing. We even played normal tag on the barn beams. I loved to edge my way out over the two-story high barn door entrance making escape certain as only Chuck was brave enough to follow. Nervousness was good as the more the fingers sweated

19 M ELVIN VALKNER the better the grip on the large, dusty top beam while toes gingerly felt their way across a smaller, narrow 4"x4" beam. One summer vacation we stayed on a lake. Dad rented two small fishing boats with motors. It wasn’t long before we had them both out on the lake with a daredevil scheme. With Jack driving one boat and Don the other, we headed toward each other seeing how close we could get to each other before turning. After a couple of practice runs, we headed toward each other in earnest. Speeding for each other at full throttle, I could only hope that each turned the right way. Turning at the last second, barely missing by inches, we counted it a success and went swimming. Jack bought a 1958 Mercury in excellent shape. One evening a friend picked him up and they went into Plainwell to visit their girlfriends. They heard a fire engine shriek by and talked about following it but decided not to. Jack did not know his car was on fire at home. That fire engine was headed toward our small family farm. Dick Carpenter, who lived down the road on the edge of Doster, had sneaked over to steal some gas out of Jack’s car parked down by the barn. The gas tank quickly emptied as Dick had smartly unscrewed the drain plug. Not so wisely however, he lit his lighter to see if it had all drained out. Whoosh! He frantically ran up to the house pounding on the kitchen door, stammering that the car was on fire. Jumping into action we coupled together all the water hos- es we had which fell short of the burning car by twenty feet. We could only squeeze a thumb over the end of the hose jetting the water weakly toward the fire. The car was totally burned by the time the fire engine arrived. Late one night we got a call on our three-party-line phone that the restaurant next to our shoe store had caught fire.

20 T HE COMMON MAN

Mom and Dad hustled us into the car and we sped over to Otsego to assess the damage. The fire had not reached our store but the smell of smoke saturated everything. That same smell that Jack’s car had. When President John Kennedy was killed I was in 8th grade Civics class. An announcement over the loud speaker called all teachers to the office. Mr. Chizek returned soberly saying the president had been shot but he didn’t know how bad he was hurt and left to get more information. We all went into shock and the room turned deadly silent. Shortly he re- appeared and informed us that JFK, our beloved president, was dead. The room went into chaos with girls screaming and burst- ing into tears. Sounds kind of strange, but glancing over at Dennis Yoder who was sitting beside me we both actually chuckled. Guess it was from not knowing how to deal with the insanity of it all. Along with countless others, three days later I watched Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald during a live broadcast of Oswald’s jail transfer. President Kennedy’s funeral process was somber and memorable. I don’t remember the often heralded “days of Camelot” the way they are now portrayed. The 1960s were tumultuous, ranging from the Bay of Pigs to the Cuban Missile Crisis, removing of prayer from public schools, race riots, assassina- tions of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy along with Vietnam War protests. As a freshman in high school the biggest troubles in school were chewing gum, talking in class and running in the halls. I had friends at every economic level. I really enjoyed my first year of mechanical drawing with Mr. Zantello, a teacher full of encouragement. I understood

21 M ELVIN VALKNER blueprints and had excellent concept skills. But in my sopho- more year I had a different teacher who excelled at criticism. Discouraged, I quit that program. Dad suggested I become a corporate lawyer. Although I loved sports I was only average in football, wres- tling and baseball but had more success in intramural basketball. I took a couple of French classes without spectacular results. Dad built a new house on our farmland, selling the farmhouse and four acres. I would help build when available. He went on to build four more houses on our land, again all in his spare time. My first paying job was at Harrison Hardware in Plainwell, which was a vibrant community full of small businesses. One of my tasks was to assemble wheelbarrows and such, and stock shelves. After I was taking an extremely long time to bolt together a wheelbarrow one day Mrs. Harrison, a very kind lady, stepped out back and said to me, “When all else fails, read the directions.” Acting on that advice the wheelbarrow was shortly in good working order. When I had saved enough money I bought my first car, a white 1961 Chevy Impala. It had a wide stripe down the side that I painted blue to match the color of the rims that I also painted blue. With “baby moon” hub caps the car looked sharp. In time, I replaced them with chrome wheels. I got a job working at Doster Lumber delivering lumber supplies and waiting on customers along with Keith, Millard, Jill, Jerry, Billy and Alan. I entered the co-op program during my senior year of high school, allowing me to work in the afternoon and receive credit for it towards graduation. Graydon Doster, the owner, was terrific to work for. He took myriads of customer orders often without writing anything

22 T HE COMMON MAN down. How he kept it all straight was beyond me. He helped finance many of the new homes in the area. With minimal instruction, I along with everyone else, used all the power tools at the lumberyard and drove the delivery trucks. A train dropped off boxcars filled with lumber. Sliding open the doors we found just enough room to slither in at the top. That crawlspace was unbelievably, stifling hot in the summer. With great difficulty boards were passed out several feet below to a co-worker who stacked the boards. As the railcar emptied the lumber stack grew tall. In the end boards were being shoved several feet up. In the twelfth grade I was dismissed from my only afternoon class for eating a snack in class. The teacher sent me to the office and counted me absent for a half day being that I wasn’t in my only afternoon class. “How could I be sent to the office if I wasn’t in class?” I complained to no avail, ruining my perfect attendance through four years of high school. High school graduation came in June of 1968, a time of hope and fear: hope that right choices will be made to enjoy life; fear they won’t. That summer I joined a bowling league and played some golf. I was only average at both. Then I joined a fast-pitch softball league in Otsego. Having the best pitcher and catcher combination, we had a very good team and made the championship game. Behind by a run with two runners on and two outs in the last inning, it was my turn to bat. I did not want to. Including the previous game, I had struck out six straight times. My teammates insisted that I get up to the plate. After getting a couple of strikes, all I could think of was just making contact. I did. Smacking the ball into right center field both runners scored and we won the game – a storybook ending.

23 M ELVIN VALKNER

Without the Internet, cell phones, cable television and the myriad of electronics enjoyed today, life was straightforward, uncomplicated – but Vietnam and its aftermath, including drugs, turmoil and, ultimately, a painful search for truth were all waiting for me.

24 Vietnam & Its Aftermath

ith the Vietnam War nearing its peak in the fall of 1968, W pursuing The American Dream would have to wait. Willing to die for my country, four days after my eighteenth birthday I enlisted for a three-year stint in the U.S. Army. I thought I could make a difference. If I knew what was in store for me I might have chosen a different path. Asked what my interests were, I told the recruiter that I liked construction. He said assignment to an engineering unit seemed appropriate. That sounded okay to me. After passing my physical in Detroit, orders sent me to Ft. Knox, Kentucky for basic training. I looked forward to any trip to the PX with great anticipation. A Hershey chocolate bar cost ten cents and was a real treat. We had all types of drills. Most of all I remember holding my breath and entering a tent laden with gas carrying my gas mask. Only after reciting my name, rank and serial number correctly could I put on the gas mask. I did so the first time. Others failed and came out coughing not allowed to put theirs on until they recited correctly.

25 M ELVIN VALKNER

Finishing basic training, I reported to advanced individual training in Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. There I qualified for and attended a newly created Non-Commissioned Officer School. After just 10 months in the service, I was a sergeant. I was quite proud of that, hoping to make the rank of staff sergeant like Dad did during World War II. Wanting to go to Vietnam to fight for my country but having the sense not to volunteer for it, I needn’t have been concerned. I was assigned as a combat engineer to a unit attached to the First Air Cavalry in Vietnam. With horses no longer the mainstay of an effective fighting force, the “First Cav” made the transition from horses to helicopter transport. I quickly learned that being a sergeant in Vietnam meant little, especially being a “Shake and Bake,” not having earned my stripes “in country.” What was important was learning how to survive. I took instructions from whoever had the knowledge I needed. During indoctrination, pocket-sized Bibles were distributed. Remembering a movie where the sheriff’s badge stopped a bullet, I put my Bible in a shirt pocket over my heart figuring that is where the enemy would shoot me. Never reading it, I carried it with me everywhere. Except for attending the Christmas service I didn’t give much thought to God. Some of the fellows had penned the words, “Only the strong survive,” on their helmets. I never did. I thought it would look strange should I get killed to be found lying there dead with that inscribed on my helmet. After a month or so in country, I flew into Landing Zone (LZ) Buttons as a member of the Sky Beavers, the combat engineer unit assigned to the First Cav. Intended to be more of a permanent outpost, Buttons was located at the bottom of Nui Ba Ra Mountain near Song

26 T HE COMMON MAN

Be City1, a remote tribal area. Control of the mountaintop was critical to lend mortar support to Buttons. U.S. forces recently captured it before I arrived. Along with others, I went up to the mountain top to reinforce its perimeter with rolls of constantina wire. This wire was somewhat like the "Slinky" toy children play with except it was three feet high, razor-edged barbwire. Undetonated grenades littered the area. While stringing wire one of the soldiers kicked something. I didn’t see it happen. I heard it. Burning sand pelted my face as I instinctively dropped to the ground. I was lucky, but not so the trooper who kicked the grenade. Shrapnel ripped through his stomach. He was medivaced out by helicopter and later died. The next few days were a blur. Large rubber trees stood outside Button’s perimeter. My job was using C4, a very stable, flexible, plastic explosive that replaced dynamite, to clear them. We simply nailed C4 to trees, poked holes in the C4 large enough for a blasting cap, inserted the cap and strung the explosives together with detonation cord leading away from the “fire in the hole.” Lighting a time fuse to set off the “det” cord, dozens of rubber trees came down simultaneously. Guards posted each night protected sleeping soldiers. They communicated with base headquarters by radio. I took my turn of duty as central radio operator. My responsibility was to check with each guard by radio every hour, mostly to ensure they were awake. I was also to make random trips to the berm, a wall of dirt around the perimeter pushed tall by small bull- dozers flown in by flying cranes. I heard that the LZ had not yet suffered a ground attack so I wasn’t overly concerned. Unfortunately, that night was an exception.

1 09 Feb. 2013.

27 M ELVIN VALKNER

About 4:00 a.m., pandemonium hit as a ground attack on LZ Buttons was underway. Everybody woke and rushed to stop the onslaught. Along with flares, mortar fire from the nearby mountaintop lit the sky. Dashing through the camp towards the battle and tripping over tent wires I hurried to return control of the radio back to the normal operators. It was surreal. Mortars were blasting all around me like in a war movie. I couldn’t believe I wasn’t getting injured or killed running to the berm. I raised my gun over my head and fired, afraid to peek over for fear of getting my head blasted off. Suddenly it was over. The Viet Cong disappeared into the night. Going about routine chores the following weeks it was common, day and night, to hear a soft whistling sound signal- ing the arrival of another mortar. Often leaving the confines of Buttons I avoided the plight of the infantry and their jungle firefights. After being helicoptered into a remote location the infantry would first secure it. Then my unit arrived by helicopter with explosives and tools to quickly expand the position by clearing bamboo and whatever else was required so small artillery and supplies could be flown in and used to support the infantry as they went deeper into the jungle, repeating this over and over from one LZ to the next. Seeing the native Montagnards’ teeth stained from chewing betel nut, bare breasted women, and few decent roads it was if we went back in time to the Stone Age. What were we doing here? We received two weeks of rest and relaxation (R&R) during our tour of Vietnam. I spent one week in Thailand and the other in Australia. “Care packages,” full of cookies and other goodies, were received with great anticipation and shared with others. Mom sent plenty of them. Doster Church kindly sent me one, too.

28 T HE COMMON MAN

After attacking American positions, the Viet Cong would re- treat into Cambodia. I was part of the invasion into Cambodia that led to rioting on campuses across the U.S. and students killed at Kent State. From our perspective as troops in Vietnam, it made perfect sense to capture enemy provisions across an invisible line in the jungle. Loading our packs with feet dangling out of the Huey helicopters, watching the world go by just like the family station wagon of long ago, we flew toward what we knew not. Arriving at an abandoned outpost situated near Cambodia, a few miles inside Vietnam, it was unsettling to learn the Viet Cong overran the former small Green Beret airbase years earlier. Heaping captured ammunitions onto a pickup-sized dump truck, we drove to a B-52 bomb crater several feet deep at the far end of the airstrip and carelessly dumped them in. With a callous disregard for my life, I walked on those munitions stra- tegically placing our explosives. Lighting the time fuse we excitedly hopped into the pickup, raced down the bumpy airstrip, scared and amused until the loud blast was heard. While the rest of the contingent went off to find the enemy and their supplies, my squad of ten men guarded captured Viet Cong caches as well as supplies for our troops stored at the base. We were to post guard day and night. Exhaustion soon set in with my men complaining they could not keep going. With limited resources and no back up, there was no way we could stop anybody from overrunning us anyway, so with everyone in agreement we all slept the whole night with no guards feeling quite rested when we awoke in the morning. From there we went to a campsite about a mile away where seized food and ammunition were held. The following day we rappelled out of a helicopter 70 feet to the ground to

29 M ELVIN VALKNER the site below. We merely examined the captured supplies, our job done. We had been told to not bring any gear, that we would be flown right back so I asked the commander of the expedition to be returned back to our campsite. He said we could walk if we wanted to but there would be no more flights that day. A backwoodsman from Kentucky was in my squad. He said he knew exactly where our campsite was as he had paid attention during the short flight out. Off we hiked in single file not expecting to confront an enemy, nevertheless alert. Without a hitch, “Kentucky” led us right to our tents. Being the squad leader, an angry radio outburst by our commander greeted me explaining that we had no authority to do what we did. We continued to move from LZ to LZ, never quite knowing where we were. Sometimes we could see distant fireballs exploding from napalm bombing. My platoon sergeant died when the enemy shot down his helicopter. In the midst of my grieving, our commanders appeared quite unshaken and gave instructions to get back to work. I was having a very difficult time. What was this war all about? I gave up, not caring anymore, emotionally shot. “It don’t mean nothin’” was a common phrase. My attitude went downhill fast. I began smoking pot and hash realizing that death could come at any time in this strange, unpopular war. “Short” with only a week left in country, things were looking up. However, clearing a LZ on a hot day I took my shirt off and laid it aside. Returning for it, my shirt with its good luck Bible was missing. I perceived it was my protection. De- spite my frantic search I could not find it, spending a nervous last few days waiting for a sniper’s bullet that never came.

30 T HE COMMON MAN

Relief finally came as our plane safely made its way out of Vietnam. Before my next assignment, I had a 30-day leave. Back home things had changed. Keith was now married and Jerry was in the Army, a clerk in Washington, DC. Jimmy rented the upstairs apartment of a rental house his folks owned while his younger brother “Bullet” rented the downstairs. Bullet’s real name was Phil but was given the nickname Bullet as a youngster because, although no longer so, he was overweight and moved slowly during our backyard football games. Jimmy had one paying renter in his apartment and others who often stayed a night now and then but not pay rent. They named our group Royal Order of Campfire Boys (ROCB) because of love for sitting around campfires, drinking beer and enjoying a good laugh. Sometimes there was more than beer passed around. I turned on to LSD, the first of dozens of hits I would take over the next four years. My next tour of duty was in Germany as part of the Berlin Brigade, a select group of soldiers who were expected to know how to act in a very public setting. Berlin was 110 miles inside East Germany that was still controlled by the Russians who had built a wall surrounding the city to keep East Germans from entering it. “God, Home, Country” read a plaque in a hallway by company headquarters. I had now been a sergeant for 14 months and a long way from the inexperienced “Shake and Bake.” I went to Berlin hoping for a promotion to staff sergeant, but my attitude had severely soured during Vietnam. The first line of business was attending a welcoming orientation and going forward to receive a certificate. Upon returning to my seat, I quietly crushed mine and slipped it into

31 M ELVIN VALKNER my pocket. An observant lieutenant noticed. Quickly coming over to me he quietly yet firmly scolded my action. I replied that I would have thrown it away back at the barracks anyway. Giving me a cold stare he returned to his standing position against a side wall. Soon I made a weighty decision. I refused to carry a weapon. Refusing to carry a weapon in the U.S. Army carries severe consequences. Immediately I was called before a colonel who explained to me in no uncertain terms what was awaiting me if I didn’t recant: namely, time in the stockade. I told him I would think about it. My new buddies back in the barracks thought I was crazy. I had made it through Vietnam and now this? Why not hang on for a few more months, go home and take advantage of the G.I. Bill? I relented and carried a rifle again but not without further incident. In the meantime a lot of pot was smoked in the barracks, and I did my share. A training exercise took place a few months later early in the morning, the ground wet with dew. It didn’t seem realistic because we had guns with no bullets, not even blanks, no enemy and no targets. At the commander's discretion a non-existent enemy was sighted and we took our positions. My squad complained about getting down on the wet ground and remained standing behind trees. That was okay with me but our new second lieutenant, a recent West Point graduate, found this inexcusable. He proceeded to chew me out for my squad's failure to hit the ground. I made a wisecrack about not seeing any enemy but that we would get low when they got near. Once again, I was in the doghouse. Retribution came a few weeks later. Raising the flag on the compound was a rotating duty. It was my squad’s turn. In spite

32 T HE COMMON MAN of my disdain for being in the army I still had respect for the flag carefully folding it at evening and raising it properly in the morning. They reprimanded me for raising it three minutes late even though at times other leaders were much tardier than that. I was demoted one pay grade lower, to specialist fourth class. For a few weeks, I took a German language class. Berlin was a beautiful city, its neon lights and bustling activity contrasting with the gray on the other side of the wall. We frequented the nightclubs where I met someone desperate for cash and for $50 bought a ring with old gold coin mounted in it. The end of my three-year enlistment was approaching. Be- cause hash was inexpensive in Berlin, by mutual agreement I shipped some home in a fellow soldier’s stereo. He volunteered to stuff in as much hash as I was willing to buy with the understanding that we would split it 50/50. I purchased $200 worth, having a value of $600 in the U.S., and it was safely sent back to the states. Getting home first, he promised to save my share. Although I never had a strong desire to go to college it made sense to go now. The G.I. Bill would pay for it, not to mention getting out of the service early. My old friend Keith Champion enrolled me at Western Michigan University (WMU) back in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I applied for a three-month “early out” to attend. My application was turned down. Dismayed I paid a visit to the officer in charge of that office to plead my case. Unbelievably, it was the same lieutenant who had scolded me for crushing my certificate! He immediately recognized me and asked me if I remembered him. I apologized but he was firm in his refusal to grant me an early out. The base commanding general had a “Gripe Hour” where anyone could go and tell him their complaint without fear of

33 M ELVIN VALKNER reproach. I talked to him about the denial of my early out request. (Of course I didn’t tell him about my history with the lieutenant.) I mentioned that I had enlisted, served in Vietnam and Germany and now merely wanted to go home and start college. Almost incoherently he asked me if I felt like “a cog in a machine.” Then he asked if I thought he had the power to simply overrule one of his officers. I replied, “You are the commanding officer of the base and can tell anybody what to do.” He almost seemed surprised at my comment and dismissed me. I went back to my post not sure of what had just happened. Within a couple of hours everyone in my unit was yelling “Valkner, phone call. It’s the general!” I ran to the phone. “Get your bags packed,” the general said, “You’re going home.” “Thank you, sir!” I replied. The next three days I spent floating on a cloud. I was out of the Army and going home! That elation soon dissipated in hazy, drug-filled college days.

34 Off To College

rriving home from the Army in August 1971 I started A attending classes, taking the required core at WMU. Staying with my folks for just one week, I moved in with Jimmy on Lucas Court where the party never ended. I bought a red Volkswagen Beetle and headed to upstate New York with my friend Dan Crouch to pick up the hash sent in my friend’s stereo. We took the scenic route from Michigan through Canada thinking we would come back the same way. Canadian border police thoroughly searched my VW Beetle before reentering the U.S. on our way to pick up the dope. Fortunately, we didn’t have anything on us. Arriving in New York, we discovered that my friend and his wife had smoked three-quarters of the shipment. Turning over the hash on hand, he promised to reimburse me. I never saw or heard from him again. Dan and I stayed in the U.S. on the trip home, joyfully sharing hash with the rest of the house even baking brownies with it. Keith was always a very strong Christian. He stopped over to see me. I offered him some pot. Refusing, he asked, “Why

35 M ELVIN VALKNER do you want to live like this?” Disappointed with me, he quickly left. Life on Lucas Court revolved around playing cards, drinking beer and tequila, getting stoned on pot and hash with an occasional philosophical discussion. Jerry Braybrooks and his girlfriend got into a debate on the abortion issue. Having never thought about abortion, I decided to look into it. After a little research, it seemed obvious to me that it certainly was a baby and not a mere blob of cells to be lightly discarded. Stoned one night three of us decided to climb the fire escape to the top of the tallest building in Kalamazoo. Managing to climb a drainpipe to the lowest rung of the ladder up we went reaching the top, excited and out of breath. We were surprised to find a drop of several feet to the roof from the building edge. Wanting to see the view from the front of the building, my friends jumped down to the inside roof but I determinedly walked my way around the narrow and sculpted parapet until a gust of wind almost blew me off after which I crawled the rest of the way to the roadside view. With legs hanging over the edge and looking down from many stories high the cars below seemed the size of ants. We safely made our way back down, undetected. Not long after that the fire escape was made inaccessible from the street. Speeding with my car on campus that fall, I received my first traffic ticket. It wouldn’t be the last although we never got caught “tracking.” Kirk Kelly, a frequent visitor at Lucas Court, had found a car with the identical wheel width of railroad tracks. Letting out air pressure enabled the tires to somewhat wrap around the top of the railroad tracks. Finding seldom-used tracks, at a crossing on a remote country road we maneuvered the car onto the tracks. Propping a stick from the seat to the gas pedal we

36 T HE COMMON MAN cruised on down the tracks going about as fast as one can walk, talking and enjoying the day, getting puzzled looks from folks whose homesteads adjoined the tracks. Luckily, we never saw a train. That fall Dan, Kirk, Jerry B. and I went to a local hangout for drinks. All Plainwell High School alumni, Jerry was in my class while Kirk and Dan had graduated one year earlier. The bar was running a special with cheap beer. We drank and drank and drank. Leaving the club, we were so drunk we could hardly stand up. Piling into my Beetle, I was driving as we headed home. Kirk gave directions to something he wanted to show us. I turned down a dimly lit alley where there sat a motorcycle glistening in the shadows. At the end of the alley Kirk said to stop. He and Jerry got out. Unsure, I thought they were going to take a closer look at the bike. A couple of minutes later through a gap between houses, Dan and I saw Kirk and Jerry on the other side of the block pushing the motorcycle. They had stolen it! Bewildered, we drove back down the alley and around the block searching for them. Unable to find them we decided to wait at home. As time passed, Dan and I were troubled and sobered up quickly. I told Dan that that I was going to give Kirk a piece of my mind that he was going to take the bike back and apologize to the owner. I never got the chance. A few hours later we were told that Jerry and Kirk, drunk as they were, had gone on to steal a second motorcycle, this one from a police parking lot. Apparently the scene of two men pushing motorcycles down the street at 2:00 a.m. looked suspicious to an anonymous caller who tipped the police. The police caught them a block from our house. When asked for identifi- cation Kirk led them towards his car parked nearby. But he had other plans and began running. Kirk was quite athletic and

37 M ELVIN VALKNER outran the officer chasing him. Seeing he couldn’t catch Kirk, the policeman pulled out his gun and ordered Kirk to stop. Reports said Kirk stopped, yelled some obscenities and was preparing to continue his escape when a shot rang out. Kirk was dead, a bullet through his chest into the wall of a neighboring house. Jerry had also tried to elude escape but was wrestled to the ground after running into in a fenced-in area. At the police station he wouldn’t talk to police about the identity of Kirk until they showed him a photo of Kirk, taken after the shoot- ing. Confused, I again began questioning what life was all about. I was flunking out of college and put on probation. For the next couple of years I only did enough to stay in school, alter- nating between periods of probation and good standing. A professor invited several students and professors to a party at his house. I enjoyed the company and a few too many drinks. Pulled over by the police shortly after leaving, they arrested me and impounded my car. The next morning they led me from the jail to courthouse dressed in jailhouse garb with flip-flops on my feet. The judge noted how uncooperative I had been the night before. I vaguely remembered refusing to take the alcohol breath test and swearing at the police. An impaired driving charge went on my driving record. Not long after that, five of us, drunk as could be, packed in- to my Beetle one night. I made too wide of a right hand turn onto the highway entrance ramp near Plainwell, the car tires on the driver’s side dug into gravel as we veered off the pavement edge. The car flipped over and rolled down a small embank- ment miraculously landing upright on all four wheels. Everyone was okay. The car was still running so I just drove up and out of there with the windshield laying on the hood and the car full

38 T HE COMMON MAN of dents. We headed to Jerry B.’s nearby house, having to go past the Plainwell Police Station to get there. No one heard us as we cut through the parking lot behind the station hollering as we went by. Making our way to Jerry’s place the car died just feet from his driveway. We pushed it the rest of the way. All the guys on Lucas Court wore boots. Needing some, I went to Okun Brothers Shoe Store and bought a pair of black leather boots with brass rings on the sides. Wearing them for a day, I decided I didn’t like them and went back to look for a different pair. Finding a $40 pair of blue suede boots, I took off the pair I had purchased, put on the blue suede boots and walked out of the store. Exiting I was asked by a clerk if he could help me. No, I said calmly containing the adrenaline rush I was experiencing with my shoplifted boots. I marched right out of the store and down the street to another shoe store where I bought insoles for a better fit. Driving one night near South Haven, a wonderful town on Lake Michigan’s shores 40 miles west of Kalamazoo, I had been drinking and “tripping” on some kind of LSD or mescaline. Again, the police pulled me over, tossing me in jail for the night. They could only prove the alcohol charge so another impaired driving charge affected my driving record. The arrest- ing officer asked me, off the record, what else I had been using. I told him the truth. My buddies from Lucas Court showed up for my sentenc- ing. Ordered to enroll in Alcoholics Anonymous classes, I dimly remembering attending at least one class. Driving me home they broke out the beer. A friend Cy Taylor moved to Manitou Springs, Colorado. A couple of other friends, Bob K. and Don D., and I drove my Volkswagen to Colorado intending to spend a few weeks near Cy and then travel on to Mexico. To finance our trip we were

39 M ELVIN VALKNER laden with baggies of hallucinogenic drugs. Our plan was to sell the drugs, use that money to pay for gas, food and lodging and, perhaps, buy pot in Mexico to sell back in Kalamazoo. In hindsight it was a blessing our plans were laid waste leaving a bar in Manitou Springs late one night, as we might very well have spent years in prison. Bob was alone as he drove off the road with my car. He was only bruised, but my Beetle was totaled. As the car wasn’t insured for collision I was out the value of the car, about $3,000. Bob said he had an old Mer- cedes sheltered in a barn back home. If I went and got it, he would sign it over to me. Not having any money, but with several baggies of drugs in my travel sack, I set off to hitchhike 1,200 miles across the country back to Kalamazoo. I stood hitchhiking on the outskirts of Manitou Springs when the police stopped and informed me hitchhiking was not allowed. Thinking about the drugs in my bag I quietly agreed to comply and, thankfully, they left. I dared only sit, hoping for a ride. Finally, someone did offer a ride, dropping me off two hours out of town pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Not daring to hitchhike, I could only wait for an offer of a ride. Soon a Greyhound bus stopped. When the door opened I told the driver I didn’t have any money. He told me to hop on. The bus was empty! He was returning the bus to Indianapolis and wanted some company. I walked up and down the aisle, elated at my good fortune. Before the day was through the driver picked up four others including someone with a dog. Near Indianapolis, he let me out when my route headed north while he continued east. Waiting for a ride, I engaged two black fellows in conversation. We hit it off. They changed their plans and headed north with me. Nearing South Bend I called my folks asking if they would pick up some friends and

40 T HE COMMON MAN me explaining that we also needed a place to sleep for the night. They generously agreed to come get us. Seeing my new friends, Dad quickly stated that we could not stay at their house, that I was welcome but not my compan- ions. It was a very uncomfortable ride home. Humiliated, I had him drop us off at Lucas Court. Mom called later, crying for understanding. Neither my Dad nor I wanted to talk to each other. Mom played the peacemaker, getting us to talk again. Dad explained he would never let strangers stay, black or white. Retrieving Bob’s old Mercedes, a four-speed stick shift on the column, I headed to Cincinnati with my two new compan- ions where we planned to spend the night at one of their relatives, but I was not welcome there. Trying to find a place to sleep, we inadvertently made an illegal left turn. Pulled over by the police and having no proof of insurance or registration the car was impounded. Borrowing enough money from my two new friends to get Bob’s car out of hock I walked alone in early dawn ten miles to the impound yard. A cat’s dreadful scream pierced the morning quiet. Glancing down a narrow alley I saw two cats walking on paths sure to cross. Giving their loudest shrieks, both were unwilling to yield. When they reached the critical point of contact the catfight, consisting more of somersaulting over each other, lasted all of two seconds. Now past the other, satisfied, they proudly proceeded on their way. Finding my way back to Kalamazoo, I borrowed some money from my brother Jack, and, as I was exhausted, dropped a few hits of speed and headed for Colorado. Stopping for food half way there, I gave a ride to a hitchhiker asking him to drive for a while. After catching a little bit of sleep, I soon returned

41 M ELVIN VALKNER to the wheel. I noted only one car passed me the whole way back to Colorado, later figuring I averaged 79 mph for the trip. In light of all the setbacks, we rented an apartment in Mani- tou Springs for the rest of the summer, forgoing our Mexico trip. Instead of an enjoyable summer, my life was confusing and empty. Back to college that fall six of us rented a two-story house with a finished basement including a second kitchen, and a great fireplace. In a drunken stupor a friend chopped wood in the living room ripping through the carpet. The landlord was mad when he saw that. The house had four French doors leading to the front porch. We proceeded to paint every windowpane in those doors. I painted a church door on one with a window in it. That window was the only one that let any light in from the front porch. The landlord was mad about that too. Our house full of white fellows was on the edge of a black neighborhood. Returning from the local convenience store one night I stopped to respond to a girl’s comments. Soon the pool hall next door had emptied onto the sidewalk and several threatening fellows surrounded me. Suddenly a fist hit me – then another, and another, and another. Knocked to the cement sidewalk, I found myself on all fours being kicked in the head. Realizing I had to move fast, I jumped to my feet with fists flying. Inexplicable, a narrow corridor opened in the crowd and I ran through it for dear life. Chased the two blocks to my house, a fellow attacked me again on the front steps. With blood streaming down my head, I charged through the door whereupon my roommates rushed out scaring off the attacker and his companion.

42 T HE COMMON MAN

I was okay so we broke out the beer. Using the stereo’s mi- crophone, we made a lot of noise late into the night. Drinking continued to be a major pastime. Getting a black Labrador puppy, I named him “Keggar” and had his name engraved into a tan leather collar. Vietnam left veterans like me with a high level of distrust of government. I began a search for truth taking political science and philosophy classes. Where the search led was not my concern. I was pleased when I later learned that President Thomas Jefferson had the same desire saying, “I was bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led”2. In my State and Local Government class a substantial portion of the semester grade was based on a term paper explaining functions of state and local government. After the confusion of Vietnam, I was unsure if there was even a need for state and local government so I wrote on that subject instead. The professor told me to rewrite it or flunk the class. I did so, having satisfied myself on proving the need for state and local government. One term often used in my political science classes was “national interest.” For whatever reason, I had a hard time understanding its implications. I also began to wrestle with defining American Culture. In philosophy class, while the game goes by other names, we played “Community Dilemma.” The scoring system is too complicated to explain here but the gist of it is this: If each team (community member) cooperates by saying “Yes” each

2 Thomas Jefferson letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, 10 Feb. 1814. Andrew Allison et al. The Real Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 1 American Classic Series (Malta, ID: National Center for Constitutional Studies, 2008), 25-26.

43 M ELVIN VALKNER round, then every team receives one point. However, if all teams say “Yes” but one team is uncooperative and says “No” then the teams saying “Yes” receive a negative point while the team saying “No” gets four points. Our team loudly insisted that all vote “Yes” and gain points simultaneously. Every team did just as we had pleaded except that deceitfully we voted “No,” thereby instantly catapulting into the lead. Henceforth the battle of wits was on. After a few rounds in the game and far ahead, it dawned on me the “Community Dilemma” our group had fostered. Instead of all gathering points together, the point total was miserably low. Our team apologized to the group and pleaded with them to trust us, and for every team consistently to vote “Yes.” Un- surprisingly, they didn’t trust us. Each team formulated their own cunning strategy to the end of the game. True to our word, we voted “Yes” every successive time from then on coming in last place. At that point, I decided I would do the same in real life always looking out for the whole. But real life is not a game. One of the major topics in philosophy was questioning if God was real, and if so was God still involved in the universe or had simply wound it up like a clock and let it go. No one seemed to have answers. I certainly did not. Although maturing, I was still doing silly things like going to WMU where my roommate Randy Walcott and I stole all the toilet paper from every restroom on the Dean’s floor. Even with my G.I. Bill paying for school, I needed extra money to live on so I got a job as a gas station attendant at Mei- jer Thrifty Acres, one of the nation’s first hypermarkets. There were rumors that gas would someday reach $1 per gallon. Prices were going up as a Hershey chocolate bar had climbed to 15 cents.

44 T HE COMMON MAN

My folks sold me their Monte Carlo, a beautiful gold car with black interior and black vinyl roof. I quickly paid them back. After running the shoe store for many years, the folks sold it. Mom got a job at Gibson Guitar on the day shift. Dad left landscaping and got employment at Kalamazoo Stamping & Die. Mom put in a good word for me so Gibson hired me full- time on the second shift. Now I was working full-time with a full-time college load. I got an apartment with Jerry Prolo who had just gotten out of the Army. Gibson Guitar gave employees deep discounts on guitars. I didn’t play one but Jerry did. He practiced all the time and was actually quite good. I ordered a J300 with the word “MUSIC” spelled out down the neck in mother-of-pearl inlay and gave it to him as a gift. Jerry and I then moved with Larry Rosnowski and Cy to an apartment located on the upper two floors of a three-story house. The owner and his wife lived on the first floor. Sitting around a table in a philosophy class in April 1974 de- bating on Immanuel Kant’s views (logic) on space and time, an office worker interrupted by telling me I had an important phone call. Going down to her office and picking up the phone, I heard Cy on the other end quietly say, “Your Dad just died. I guess your brother found him. You better get home right away.” This cannot be happening. Dad was only 49 years old. No, it wasn’t possible, there must be a mistake. In shock and fighting back tears, I returned to class, gathered my things, told them that Dad had died and excused myself. He got up that morning, sat down in a living room recliner and had a heart attack. Rick, then 16 years old, tried to wake him because it was time for Dad to go to work. Mom, weak with grief, made the funeral arrangements.

45 M ELVIN VALKNER

On the day of the funeral, I rented a suit and helped carry the casket feeling it a great honor. Mom invited guests out for sandwiches and such. We had a few beers. Don went out to his car intending to go for a drive. I knew I had parked behind him and commented that he would be right back in to get me. Sure enough, Don came in to get me and everyone all snickered with delight. Don was puzzled. On the way across the yard, I told Don why we were laughing. With a sudden burst of rage he grabbed me as I was getting in my car. I slammed the car door on him. He kept coming at me, trying to drag me from my car. Jack ran out to save me from Don’s fury. Don struck out at him. Jack clenched his fists and struck back. Everyone poured out of the house pleading for the fight to end which it did. The next day I meekly returned my suit to the rental shop dirty and torn, and slipped out of the store before they noticed and said something. Two and a half months later Jack died in a motorcycle acci- dent. I began seriously contemplating the purpose of life. My interest in politics piqued as President Richard Nixon resigned. I read writings of classic philosophers: Socrates, Plato, Aris- totle and others. They talked about the need for a “philosopher king,” a ruler who loves wisdom. I ended up majoring in political science and philosophy. My focus was not on a career, but finding truth. My grades were better now but there was no hope for my accumulated grade point average. Earlier semesters had destroyed its viability. I enjoyed college now, but it seemed every book I read, while worth reading had obvious flaws in it, supposed truths

46 T HE COMMON MAN that simply failed the test of time. Perhaps I could write such a book by condensing the teachings of my professors and com- bining them into a helpful message of understanding. From then on, I committed myself to writing two or three pages every day. During my writing time, an impression that seemed certain, inevitable, popped into my mind like it was my destiny, that in the future I would be writing two additional books: one on life and one comparing religions. Without any particular knowledge of or desire to learn about religion, the notion was soon buried in busyness. Drugs were becoming a thing of the past. The culmination came playing pool. Making every effort to do my best, twice I mistakenly used the yellow ball as the cue ball. That alarmed me. Knowing drugs were at the source of my erratic play, right then I determined to leave drugs behind. Gail Foster and I started dating and soon announced we were getting married. I invited friends at Gibson, including Luanne Davidson, an honest and effervescent gal, promising to let everyone know when a date was set. Shortly thereafter Gail had doubts and expressed her mis- givings. My hasty reaction was, “If that’s the way you feel, let’s just forget the whole thing.” I had already given her a huge cocktail diamond ring. My friends encouraged me to get it back from her. I could have cared less. The insistence of my friends prevailed. She reluctantly gave it back but only on the condition that I reimburse her for the wedding band she had purchased for me, which I did. What a lucky guy…I was now the owner of his and her wedding rings. I also had to dispose of two tickets for a Caribbean cruise already bought and paid for. On a whim, I put an ad in WMU’s

47 M ELVIN VALKNER college paper, The Western Herald, stating that I had a free ticket for any girl willing to go on a cruise with me. Coming home, I found Dan had moved a chair over to the phone as it was ringing off the hook with calls from interested girls! I didn’t have time to call anyone back. It was time to go to work.

48 Romance

ibson was cutting back the second shift. Many of us G decided to go out for a drink that night after work to celebrate our final days. I kept bugging Luanne all evening to come and have a drink with us. She wasn’t sure she said. I found out later that she had been intending to go, but not because of me. I saw her there and managed to finagle a seat next to her. By the end of the evening we were actually enjoying each other’s company. Walking Luanne to her car and half joking I asked her to marry me. She only laughed. On the way home that night I wondered what I would have done if she had said yes. The seriousness of marriage came upon me. It was no silly matter. Luanne was twenty and still lived with her parents. The next day I went to see her. Pulling in the drive I could see Lu- anne washing her red van in the front yard. Luanne’s father, Hugh, was climbing down a ladder from doing house repairs. Getting out of my car, I heard a nearby radio broadcasting a Saturday afternoon college football game.

49 M ELVIN VALKNER

I liked this guy already. She introduced me to him who, with his affable smile and a strong handshake, asked me if I wanted a beer. I declined. He was an electrician at the Upjohn Com- pany, a large pharmaceutical firm, starting there as a janitor many years earlier and working his way up. Her mother, Janice, came out of the house smiling and greeted me with a very pleasant demeanor. A petite woman, she was a traditional homemaker in every sense of the word. She still sewed, made clothes and curtains, baked homemade bread and made meals from scratch. Her father (her mother had passed away) owned a cottage on Pine Lake. Small world. Their farmhouse was on 40 acres halfway between Kala- mazoo and Plainwell. Luanne had graduated from Otsego High School, Plainwell’s arch rival. Joking, I told her that I wouldn’t hold that against her. She promised to do the same. After a short visit, one that I felt very good about, Luanne and I left to go do something. We were falling deeply in love and were soon spending all of our time together. We married 77 days later on January 31, 1975. I loved Lu- anne so much, and still do. A cruise didn’t interest her so the tickets were sold. The money from the tickets was added to the cocktail ring and exchanged for a solitary diamond for her. We utilized my unused wedding band which was lost a few years later playing football in Lake Michigan. Pastor Louis Grother of Zion Lutheran Church gave us pre- martial counseling sessions, of which I can’t remember much of what was said. Something that has lasted, however, is an analo- gy that he gave, “Your son may throw a football through a window. And, while you may not be happy about it, you still love him. That’s the way it is with marriage.” Luanne’s folks

50 T HE COMMON MAN and their three children had gone to Zion Lutheran for many years. Jan continued to regularly attend but Hugh now only went on special occasions. With Pastor Grother officiating Luanne and I were married in an evening ceremony. Jerry Prolo was my best man. Becky, Luanne’s younger sister, stood up with her while her older brother Dennis took pictures. The church sanctuary was fairly large but Hugh made record time as he nearly sprinted Luanne down the aisle where I was waiting with hair down to the middle of my back. It hadn’t been cut since being discharged from the army, some three and a half years ago. Our reception was held at Timber Ridge Ski Resort on a quiet, cold, beautiful winter night. Over the years Hugh had done electrical work for Timber Ridge for the price of a beer or two. They graciously gave us use of the lodge’s loft for our reception which had a gorgeous view of skiers weaving their way down lighted hills. Jimmy, Tiny and the rest of my ROCB friends came along others I didn’t know. When a keg of beer is involved you never know who might show up. Luanne and I rented a small apartment near downtown Kalamazoo on Vine Street. The apartment was L-shaped where a trip from the living room to the kitchen or bathroom went through our bedroom. We often enjoyed long walks around the neighborhood, planning our future. At the outset of our marriage we heard a teaching that when you have a disagreement, the first one to say they are sorry is right. It seemed like good counsel so when we had a sharp disagreement I put it into practice telling Luanne I was sorry which irritated her as she would say, “You are just saying that so you can be right.” She might have been right about that. Still, over the early years it brought peace.

51 M ELVIN VALKNER

With my double majors of philosophy and politics I was contemplating entering the political arena. I thought I might want to run for President someday. However Luanne didn’t like politics, so I gave up any thought of a political career. Thinking we would have children right away and that Lu- anne would be a stay-at-home mom, we couldn’t afford two vehicles. My used Monte Carlo was paid for. Luanne’s brand new van had monthly payments. Still, we decided to keep the van. We sold the Monte Carlo to my Mom’s father, Grandpa Kirkland, knocking off a thousand bucks for him. Right before graduation I went to Jon’s Barber Shoppe. He took pleasure in cutting off my pony tail and, until he sold his shop, continued to cut my hair for the next 24 years. I felt honored to graduate from WMU in April 1975, the first one in my family to graduate from college. I was also putting the finishing touches on the book I was writing named The Real Spirit of ’763. After graduation with manuscript in hand I dragged Luanne off to New York on a belated honeymoon to peddle what I hoped would be a best seller. We stopped by Niagara Falls on the way from Michigan, enjoying our time together. That is, until we reached New York City. Getting up at 4:00 a.m. to avoid traffic we headed in to a busy day in the big city. No appointments had been made. Naively I was sure everyone would receive me with open arms and be glad to review my book. One place seemed excited to see me until they realized my name was Valkner not Faulkner. The magic ended and they quickly showed me the door. Unfortunately New York being the size it is, the publishing houses are not always located near each other. Luanne’s feet

3 Melvin Valkner, The Real Spirit of ’76 (self published 1975).

52 T HE COMMON MAN were hurting and she kept begging for a taxi ride as we walked from one publishing house to the next. On a very limited budget I insisted that we keep walking. Showing me her large blisters I relented, flagging a taxi. Envying the weaving tactics of another taxi, our driver explained how he couldn’t do that with his car as it didn’t yet have any dents. Stopping at a bank to cash a check for lunch I noticed the teller politely smiling at me. Guess she had never seen anybody pin shut their inside coat pocket to protect their checkbook against theft. Visiting a few more publishers left us exhausted. Although I would have continued despite the rejections, Luanne just couldn’t walk anymore and the expense of more taxis was out of the question. We continued our honeymoon, leaving the Big Apple and heading down the east coast. After stopping at Williamsburg, Virginia we decided to drive all night to Florida where Luanne’s grandfather lived during the winter. In our youthful exuberance we took turns napping in the back of the unfinished van and drove nonstop. Once there we went to Disney World, opened just a few years before. There were miles of undeveloped areas. Years later Luanne found a note she had saved that I had written about our visit, that the place had potential. Duh! Back home we waited for the agreements and contracts from publishers to come pouring in. Luanne wasn’t so sure but I was confident something good was going to happen. With great anticipation we opened each response to discover another rejection. I sent a few manuscripts in the mail and received the same disheartening news. Never one to quit I visited a local publishing company where I ordered 400 copies printed. It was more of a thick brochure than a book. I figured I could sell them for $1 apiece

53 M ELVIN VALKNER on street corners and still make a profit. To be legal I procured a vendor’s license and hit the streets. After selling only a couple of books in three hours I grew tired of embarrassing myself and went home never to hawk another. The unsold books kicked around the house for a couple of years until I did what I knew must be done – we had a bonfire. I still thought the idea of a unique book full of universal truths was a good idea. One day I murmured to Luanne that with thousands of years of mankind’s existence there must be a book somewhere full of wisdom and truth, without error. She pointed to a Bible that her mother had given her (actually had thrown at her in a moment of frustration). I was 24 years old and had never read any part of the Bible. Oh sure I heard a verse cited here or there, but had never read it for myself. As I scanned the contents it seemed that Proverbs would be a good place to start. After reading a few chapters, I was astounded. This was truth. The best and most unbelievable part for me was that I couldn’t find fault with any of it. In all my philosophy readings there was always something said or written which I knew wasn’t true. This was different. After finishing Proverbs, I determined to read the whole Bi- ble from cover to cover. Luanne said she would read it with me. Starting with Genesis, every night we would read aloud a chapter or two and talk about it. I was still drinking too much, which led to an occasional shouting match with Luanne. Her love was more important to me than drinking, so I resolved to limit myself to no more than three drinks in one day. It worked. My drinking subsided. We were dirt poor and for the most part it didn’t bother us at all. We were young and in love. Digging lost coins from the

54 T HE COMMON MAN apartment’s floor register we gleefully went to the store for pop (soda). Our favorite song lyric was from Danny’s Song by Loggins & Messina, “Even though we ain’t got money, I’m so in love with you honey.” When this tune came on a grocery store’s sound system one night Luanne and I swirled and danced down the aisle to it, laughing all the way. Not having much money was frustrating, however. After coming back from a walk we discovered that Keggar had eaten the chocolate chip cookies that were cooling. Luanne laughed at the dog’s mischief. I lost my temper and threw him across the room. Guess I had anger issues. The decision to sell my car and keep the van was haunting us. Coming up with the money for a van payment wasn’t easy. Times were hard and jobs were scarce so I got a summer job with Bultema Landscaping where Dad worked for 17 years. Landscaping was tough work in the summer’s heat. We planted trees, grass and laid sod. Passersby often quipped, “Green side up!” Like we hadn’t heard that one before. Nevertheless we had some fun moments like the time we were coming back from a job with Tom driving, me in the middle and Mark by the window. Tom had beans for lunch, they were giving him terrible gas and he just couldn’t contain himself. He cut loose. Tom and Mark refused to roll their windows down, only cracking them slightly so they could get a breath and rolled them up again. I almost died, not from the smell but laughing so hard. The guys were great to work with but I disliked the work, frustrated, wondering why I had gone to college and was now getting lawns ready for seeding picking up rocks by the hundreds, even thousands. I dreamed of them. The money barely paid the bills and we put groceries on a charge card just to make ends meet. We were feeling more

55 M ELVIN VALKNER stressed every day. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore, quit and got a job at a meat packing plant where I could go on commission and hopefully make a better wage. Reporting to work in the huge freezer in the middle of the summer, I packed fat in greased cardboard cartons in the morning. In my desperation to do something else, I volunteered to help in the killing room. That must have concerned them because they put me on the line to carve sides of beef into roasts, etc. Making the best wages in the plant, the carvers were very skilled and made it look so easy, effortlessly guiding their sharpened knives through sides of beef. My own ability, however, was grossly deficient. Warned several times about the poor job I was doing, for me it was more of a sawing/hacking process. I left at the end of the first day never to return. Humbling myself I asked for my landscaping job back. Carl Bultema, the owner, consented and I finished out the summer. When fall came to Michigan, the landscaping business slowed and by November I was left unemployed. Still, Luanne was now pregnant and we were very happy. Traditionally paper celebrates the first wedding anniversary. For a first anniversary gift to Luanne I cut out a 4"x5" piece of white paper and carefully printed in black ink, “I Love Lu- anne!” The exclamation was a flower design. I then framed it. I got a job for the winter at Pallets Unlimited, a small shop in Plainwell making wooden shipping pallets. Luanne and I rented the downstairs of a two-story house in Plainwell. Mice were plentiful, but it was cheap and near work. My first chore was using a table saw cutting rough boards to pallet length. One day the blade pinched and kicked a board out of the saw into a nearby wall. Finding the saw work boring I requested the fork lift operator position. Not a wise choice in

56 T HE COMMON MAN the middle of winter where the wood stacks were stored. Freez- ing snow and rain froze separate bundles together, yet the fork lift easily snapped them free. Regrettably, the fork lift also easily broke apart bundles into a disorganized pile of boards which pallet builders complained about. By spring I was nailing the pallets together on a new type of automatic nailing machine. It was always breaking down or jamming, proving awfully unreliable. One day talk developed during lunch break to take a collection and encourage a fellow who was angry with the foreman to sucker punch him. A hat was passed with everyone chipping in to pay for this cheap thrill. When it was passed to me I refused to ante up and asked why he didn’t just ask the foreman to step outside and fight like a man as I was sure the foreman would oblige. Everyone glared at me and all talk of a fight soon dissipated. Later in the day one of the fellows complimented me for refusing to go along with the others, saying he was embarrassed because he went along with the guys even though he felt it was wrong. Living in Plainwell isolated me from my partying friends and when the rare invitation came, I declined. Content with enjoying an occasional glass of wine I had long since stopped using all drugs and lost the taste for beer. Growing up my family kept the dog outside. Luanne’s family kept their dog inside. Over Luanne’s objections, now that our apartment had a back yard I insisted we keep Keggar outside. Using scrap materials from the pallet factory, I built a nice doghouse for Keggar and he stayed outside except for all but the coldest of days. My youngest brother Rich (although called Rick when he was younger) was having a hard time with life in general. He was dropping out of high school and was serious about joining

57 M ELVIN VALKNER the navy. Utilizing a spare bedroom he came to live with us for a short time. Based on my own negative experience in the military, and that I didn’t think joining to escape problems was the best reason to enlist, I made every effort to talk him out of it. He soon dismissed the idea and returned to live at home. Luanne and I were continuing our Bible reading as we lay in bed every night. We were now all the way to I Kings and it was absorbing. We talked about the miracles in the Bible, of life itself and our hopes and dreams.

58 Death and Life

he time for the birth of our firstborn was near. Baby T showers had taken place. Baby clothes, diapers, bassinet and all those other wonderful things that women know are needed were now ready. March 20, 1976 was the day when Luanne’s water broke and we took off for the hospital. Talk about excited! I was present for the birth as fathers were finally being allowed in the delivery room. As Luanne gave the final push out came a baby boy – Nathan Lee Valkner! But something was wrong…weighing only 3 pounds and 13 ounces, Nathan was not pinkish in color but grayish-blue. Not taking the time to allow us to touch or hold him, the nurses rushed him out of the delivery room and down to intensive care. The next day a pediatric cardiologist wanted to speak with us. He had bad news for us and told us we may want to sit down. Our knees shook and hearts sank. Nathan had a smaller heart than normal but his aorta was larger than normal allowing blood to fill the lungs, causing breathing troubles. There were other complications as well but

59 M ELVIN VALKNER these were the most serious. That night Luanne stayed in the hospital while I went home. I visited her the next day. She was crying. She wanted to see the baby and they wouldn’t let her. Going down to the neona- tal unit we were finally able to see him, touching him through holes in the side of his covered newborn intensive-care bed. He was so tiny and fragile, and could only breathe with help from various medical devices surrounding him. I went home again. Somewhere about 4:30 a.m. on March 22 I received a call from the physician telling me he wanted to see me right away. I asked why he was calling me so early in the morning, couldn’t it wait? When he said it was important for him to see me right away, I said, “The baby is dead, isn’t he?” “Yes,” he replied. I quickly dressed and hopped into our red van speeding 16 miles in the dark to the hospital. I was delirious, screaming unintelligible words at the top of my lungs, groaning like a madman, incoherent. Stepping out of the elevator I was greeted with the sight of Luanne in a wheelchair being pushed down the hallway about 20 feet in front of me. She was bent over with her head in her left hand sobbing uncontrollably. My legs almost gave way listening to her cries. Nathan was gone. The next few days were a blur as funeral arrangements had to be made. Becky came and removed all the baby shower gifts: baby clothes, diapers, bassinet and all the other thoughtful items. Those were dark days. Again, what was life all about? Our nightly Bible reading ended. Luanne couldn’t find the strength. Still I read on by myself, I was so encouraged and intrigued by it. I was determined to start tithing, slowly at first with a goal of ten percent.

60 T HE COMMON MAN

We had started attending Zion Lutheran weeks earlier. Up- on Nathan’s death Pastor Grother came to the hospital and softly and gently gave us words of encouragement. He said that when he was a young man he could have given us the reason this happened, but now that he was old he just didn’t know. He did know, however, that God loved us enough to give up his own son. Dr. Sam Sefton told us that an infant’s death caused a great deal of divorce, that one spouse either blames their self or blames the other, that we were not to blame anybody. These were wise words aiding our healing process. Visiting Keith and his wife Judy two months later, we talked about what was going on in our lives. Telling Keith I had been reading the Bible, he said that was great and that I should ask Jesus to come into my heart. As he left the room to get a couple of soft drinks, I silently asked Jesus to come into my heart. Returning he continued talking about inviting Jesus into my heart. I told him I had just done so. He smiled and said, “Just keep reading your Bible.” With the help of a daily reading schedule, I started reading the Bible through in its entirety year after year, joyfully receiving its truth and wisdom. Luanne and I bought a guinea pig to help fill the void of Nathan’s death, and let him run all over the house. His name was Hercules. The house was full of drafts. He caught a cold and died after two months. Luanne began embroidering. Seeing me continually working with our meager budget Lu- anne suggested that I go back to school to take accounting classes. Heeding her advice I enrolled that spring and went back to WMU. Because I already had a bachelor degree a counselor

61 M ELVIN VALKNER placed me into WMU’s Master of Science in Accountancy program. (Guess that extra math during music class in elementary school paid off.) As my political science and philosophy majors never required business classes, I had to take several undergraduate business classes. We were able to move into married housing, but we couldn’t have pets at WMU so Keggar went to live with Mom. Chasing the car as it left the drive one day, he ran out in front of an oncoming car and was accidentally hit and killed. The unit at married housing was a small, cramped one- bedroom apartment on the second floor, but it was sufficient and inexpensive. Huge coal-fired boilers across the street heated the buildings so hot in the winter that we often had to open the windows. We made new friends and played volleyball in the courtyard. Luanne got a part-time job at Gilmore’s Department Store selling ladies’ hats. It was a love/hate type of job for her. I got a summer job at Kalamazoo Stamping & Die where Dad once worked. Working on a six-man metal stamping press required twelve hands on large red buttons above our heads. Only when all twelve hands were pressing on the buttons would the press slam down and stamp out a metal part. With an hour left in the workday the others took a break and didn’t return. Finding them sitting in the restroom, I beckoned them back to work. “We’ve got our quota done kid, have a seat,” they said. Getting paid by the hour to work, I went back to the stamping press. They never came back and the foreman never came around to check. For the rest of the summer I was scheduled for work on a one-man press. When the fall semester came I had to find a job accommo- dating my class schedule. Once again I would be working full- time and going to school full-time.

62 T HE COMMON MAN

Al Bradley, a relative of Luanne’s, hired me to work third shift as a quality control inspector in Essex International’s Plainwell plastics extrusion factory. All I had to do was to make rounds every 45 minutes and ensure the quality was adequate, a fifteen minute process. And I could study in between rounds. Perfect. The production foremen were under pressure to keep production to a maximum. As part of the quality control team I had the power to stop production. Inspecting production from an extrusion machine one night I noticed a very thin continu- ous line on what was supposed to be a simulated wood grain surface. Although insignificant, this was a flaw. After much thought, and a great deal of pressure from the foreman, I let production continue. The next night Al was waiting for my arrival with rolls of product stacked in the corner. He very somberly queried me about the incident, obviously unhappy at the quality I approved. When asked about it, I responded that I had seen the flaw but based on the fact that it was hardly noticeable and that production was critical I accepted it. He was pleased that I had noticed the defect. If I had not noticed it, he explained, I would be fired. But the fact that I had seen the blemish and had simply made an error in judgment was a training issue. I appreciated his wisdom. After completing the business core classes, in the winter semester I simultaneously studied a graduate level course along with the undergraduate business classes I had to take. I was nearly beside myself. Others were cruising along and I had to study twice as hard just to stay even. To help out, so I could quit my job and concentrate on studying, Luanne gained full-time employment on the third

63 M ELVIN VALKNER shift at McPherson Plastics in Otsego. While thankful for a job, she absolutely hated its boring routine. Each evening I almost had to force her out the door. After getting halfway to the car she would come back to the apartment nearly in tears. Tortur- ously, the process would start all over. Persistently writing a follow up letter every two weeks Lu- anne was hired by Borgess Medical Center as a Ward Clerk. The interviewer said she had never seen a file so large without being employed. Luanne liked being a Ward Clerk, finding it quite satisfying. I had finished reading the Living Bible through by myself and was interested in knowing more about the Bible, often listening to Oral Roberts and other televangelists. One dark winter night a knock was heard on our door. Lu- anne answered it while I was in another room. Asking if they could step in out of the cold, George and Lynn Johnston wondered if they could ask us five questions about God. They seemed instantly right at home, like old friends. At first Luanne and I both thought that they were friends of the other. We sat and talked for a long time. George asked us to come to their house for Sunday dinner. We accepted their offer and with Dan and Nancy Finch and others began a year long Navigator Bible study of God’s attributes and his relationship with his creation. It was terrific. No question was out of bounds. We bought a leather-bound King James Version and searched the Scriptures for answers. I circled a word that I wanted to become, the only time I ever wrote in my Bible. I learned that at some point we all sin, that is, we all pur- posefully do what is not right in thought, word or deed causing a fracture in our relationship with God who is perfect. We need a bridge to get back to God. Because every man and woman has

64 T HE COMMON MAN sinned, we are unable by anything we do to provide the necessary means to restore our relationship with God. But God, in his great love for us, provided Jesus his Son as the perfect sacrifice to be that bridge. Luanne and I acted upon Romans 10:9 which says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved”4, and Psalms 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee”5. I started learning God’s truth and how to make amends when I did wrong. My sins were forgiven! My thirst for the Scriptures was insatiable, memorizing the first sixteen chapters of the Psalms and many other key verses. Of particular importance to me was Psalm 1:3, “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”6, which I took for my own and placed great confidence in. Everything seemed new and fresh, full of life, unlimited possibilities. Praying about being a missionary I felt that my “ministry” was not to be abroad but right here in the U.S. Because cloth is traditionally used to celebrate the second wedding anniversary, I cut out a 7" diameter circular piece of worn denim and embroidered into it with white thread, “Lu- anne My Love.” It is still used as a doily on our bedroom dresser. By May 1977, after three semesters of business classes, I had enough accounting knowledge to search for a job. I was

4 The Open Bible – Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments Authorized King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1975). 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid.

65 M ELVIN VALKNER hired for a bookkeeping position at what I jokingly call a local, family-owned underground business: A&B Sewer and Septic Tank. Al and Margaret Taplin owned the business. Margaret had a great sense of humor joking the company slogan should be, “Your Waste Is Our Bread and Butter.” Beginning the job I remember looking at the cash posting and accounts payable journals for the first time, just staring in awe and thinking, “These are the books and I’m going to work on them.” The company’s ledgers were updated by pencil as this was before the advent of the computer for everyday work. It was a time of learning a myriad of practical details like tracking sales and billing, deposits and receivables, expenses, payroll and payroll taxes, keeping personnel files and many other accounting and administrative duties. A&B hired all types of people looking for work, often down on their luck. I remember a new employee who mistakenly put diesel in a company car’s gasoline engine. He was promptly fired. By now we had traded the van in on a small, white Mercury Bobcat station wagon. Having only one car to get both of us to work on opposites of town, we had to make do. Luanne’s work started earlier than mine. Riding together to Borgess Hospital I would either drop her off and she would ride the bus home, or I would leave the car and take the bus to A&B. As the bus didn’t conveniently go past A&B and then near our home, Luanne would pick me up. I enjoyed reading Barclay’s Bible commentaries on the bus trip over. Now in a position to buy a house we paid $14,000 for a suitable two-bedroom, 600-square-foot place on Hoover Street in Kalamazoo’s Oakwood district. The neighborhood had somewhat of a bad reputation but we never had any trouble.

66 T HE COMMON MAN

The house was in a pleasant setting, being next to the last house on a dead end street overlooking a small lake with exclu- sive homes. Our new home’s front door entered into the left side of the living room. Straight forward was a very small dining room and then the kitchen with the bath and bedrooms to the right. In the back of the house was a second door leading down to a landing to the outside door on the left, or continuing down to the basement on the right. To open things up, Luanne suggested cutting the wall between the dining room and kitchen at counter top level. Making sure there were no wires I scored the wall, plugged in a circular saw and with plaster dust filling the air removed the upper half of the wall. Building a small cupboard on the kitchen side, I constructed a counter on top and overlaid it with Formica. I also resurfaced the kitchen counter with the same style of Formica. I rented an unwieldy floor sander and resurfaced the bedroom floors. Luanne applied fresh paint to all the walls. I cleaned out the basement removing the old coal bin, using its door for a workbench. A tiny storage shed on the back corner of the property was used to store the lawnmower. Cleaning it out one summer day, I discovered a wooden cylinder on the floor about an inch thick and four inches long. Funny, I thought, that looks like something used to hold toilet paper. Sure enough, there on the wall was a rusty metal toilet paper holder. The shed was formerly an outhouse! Realizing the toilet paper holder was an antique I took the steel plate off the wall and cleaned it up. It was embossed with “A.P.W. Paper. Co.” and below that read, “Albany, N.Y.” A miniature fist at each end tightly pressed against the wall held in place a metal

67 M ELVIN VALKNER hanger, shaped and designed to hold the wooden piece found on the floor. Bees were zipping in and out of a hole in the ground next to the house’s foundation. My Grandpa Lamoreaux (my Mom’s mother had remarried) told me to pour hot water down the opening. Apparently not enough water was used as it didn’t kill them but merely made them mad. Figuring if the water hose was used it would surely drown them, I slipped the nozzle into their hole, turned the water on full blast and peeked around the corner to watch in triumph as their home flooded. The water ran and ran. It sure was taking a lot of water to drown them. Something didn’t seem right. I went down the basement to find water beginning to cover the floor as it poured in through cracks in the wall. But it did kill the bees. Luanne had finished embroidering several beautiful pieces: “To love and be loved is the greatest joy on earth,” and the Irish Blessing, “May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again may God hold you in the palm of his hand.” Also completed were “Sweet Dreams” and “I Love You” and “God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.” I made unique wooden frames for them. Luanne’s dog Willie came to live with us. He was a German Shepherd mixed with something else and obviously the runt of the litter. He had lived with Luanne’s folks and was kept inside by them. Once again I insisted the dog be kept outside over Luanne’s objections. He only stayed a little while and ran away. We kept waiting for him to show up back at the folks, like some of the stories that go around, but he never did.

68 T HE COMMON MAN

Leather is traditionally used to celebrate the third wedding anniversary. I went to Gary Mekan’s shoe repair shop and bought a square foot of 1/4" thick leather, smooth on the front side and suede on the back. From it I cut out an 8" heart-shaped piece. Using a wood burner I inscribed “Luanne + Mel” into the suede. It hangs on our bedroom door to this day. Improving the house was rewarding but we wanted children. Yet Nathan’s death had frightened us at the prospect of trying to have more. Still, we badly wanted them. Trying again, Luanne suffered a miscarriage. Disheartened, we grasped the possibility that we may never have children and resigned ourselves to it. Attending church at Zion Lutheran on Mother’s Day 1978 we pulled out the kneelers for prayers. Luanne leaned over and whispered that she just heard God say to go home and get pregnant. We went home and prayed and the tears rolled down our cheeks, fearful of enduring another heart ache. What if this, what if that? By Father’s Day she was pregnant. We were terrified and overjoyed. Enjoying a Sunday dinner at Luanne’s folks she told them the good news. Asking her folks if they wanted to know how it happened, Hugh said “No, I have a pretty good idea.” Because of the difficulty of understanding the old English in the King James Version, I switched to the New International Version7 (NIV), buying two Bibles, one for home and an identical one for my office desk. A Scripture from James 5:11 (NIV) “spoke” to me so I wrote it down on a small card pinning it up near me at work:

69 M ELVIN VALKNER

“You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.” I fasted every Monday, occasionally for up to three days and once for five days, Monday through Friday. I quit taking college courses, having taken an additional 42 credit hours. Due to taking the undergraduate business core I was still short of a Master’s degree by 30 hours. Having an adequate number of accounting credits to take a Certified Pub- lic Accounting (CPA) test at some point in the future I quit school wanting to get some practical experience and make some money to provide for my family. On Feb. 27, 1979 Luanne, only 5'2', gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Joel Raymond weighing in at 10 pounds, 12 ounces. I love him so much. His first name came from Luanne’s Dad’s middle name, and his middle name from my Dad’s first name. Discovering that Joel means “Jehovah is God” clinched it for us. Years later we found out that the name Joel, or a derivative, has been in every generation on Luanne’s Dad’s side for several generations! Like all new parents we were concerned about tending to the newborn’s every need. Putting him to bed with a stuffed, little red pig, and turning on the overhead mobile with its captivating melody, we wondered if we could hear him cry in the night as our bedrooms were separated by a modest-sized bathroom. Lying in bed we were relieved when he awoke at 10:00 p.m. Hearing his cry, I cheerfully flipped back the covers, and brought him to Luanne for breast feeding. Just as I was dozing off Luanne woke me to return him to his crib which I did without much joy. Soundly sleeping at midnight I was awakened by Joel’s crying and quickly went and retrieved him for his feeding. As he lay between us nursing I fell back asleep.

70 T HE COMMON MAN

Nudging me from my slumber I heard Luanne say, “He’s through.” Sighing, I carefully weaved my way to his room with him safely cradled in my arms. Two hours later awakened by his crying and disoriented, I slid out of bed and stumbled to his bedside. Gently bringing him to Luanne once more I quickly fell asleep. Suddenly Luanne was nudging me again telling me he was finished. Exhausted and confused, I could hardly find my way to his room. Deep, deep sleep was now my fortune when I felt an elbow in the side. “He’s crying,” Luanne said. Forcefully throwing back the covers I begrudgingly fetched the little fellow and without a word gave him to Luanne. Abrupt- ly waking me by another soft elbow in the ribs, “He’s ready,” Luanne quietly whispered. “Ooohh,” I groaned in exasperation. Putting him in his bed, I returned to find Luanne sobbing. “What’s wrong,” I asked. “You don’t love us anymore,” she cried. Consequently, at 4:00 a.m. we had one of those little talks that are so vital to a good relationship. Finally I could get some sleep. Luanne and I made it a practice not to go to sleep without re- solving any conflict between us as pointed out in Eph. 4:26 (NIV), “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” That belief sometimes made for talks that went late into the night, which could be difficult when one has to arise early for work. But it was always worth the effort. And we made it a practice to pray a brief prayer together lying in bed before sleep. Luanne quit her job to be a stay-at-home Mom. It would be several years before I earned the equivalent of what the two of us had made.

71 M ELVIN VALKNER

She was interested in health foods so we bought two hand grinders to mill our own flour. Grinding the wheat kernels first in a grinder with steel wheels yielded a rough flour mixture. Then it was ground again in a grinder with stone wheels, producing very fine flour. I would grind the flour and Luanne would bake the bread. Nothing beats the delicious taste of hot homemade bread with real butter melting all over it. Within a couple of days the bread was gone, and the routine would begin again. Grinding flour was hard work but the bread was well worth it. Mom finally remarried, a man from work Clyde Steele. I was glad for her. He loved her very much. After living on Hoover Street for three years we longed to move to the country. We wanted a familiar rural setting to raise a family in, like we knew growing up. An A&B serviceman told me of a home in the country where he had just made a service call. It was three miles west of Kalamazoo on North 6th Street. The house was for sale but not yet advertised. I called Mr. Wade who agreed to show the place to Luanne and me.

72 Rustic Living

urning up into the inclined, narrow driveway the white T house had a quaint, cottage-like feel to it, curiously looking similar to houses I drew as a child. The same size as our home on Hoover Street, 600 square feet home, it had a cozy, country setting that we loved at first sight. Overall, the house was in disrepair, but we were so thrilled at the thought of living in the country we hardly noticed. Located on 25 acres and a quarter-mile deep, we were immediately impressed with the privacy. Not a single neighbor could be seen, the nearest one being several hundred feet south of us on the other side of the road. The front view was a quarter-mile of plowed fields bordered by woods. Mr. Wade’s wife died years earlier and he had not remarried. She had planted several varieties of flowers inside and outside of the yard including white and lavender lilac bushes. Wild black raspberry plants bordered the yard in more than a few places. A retired engineer, Mr. Wade was quite ingenious. He proudly showed us the bird baths he had cemented into the

73 M ELVIN VALKNER ground, one of them kidney-shaped. They refilled automatically through an underground water system connected to a toilet’s water closet in a nearby shed. The water closet’s height was calibrated to that of the bird baths. Wanting to explore the woods we made our way through several acres of pine trees that Mr. Wade had planted as tender shoots now nearly 20 feet tall. The back half of his land was hardwoods of white oak, red oak, black oak, walnut, wild black cherry, choke cherry, maple, hickory and an occasional dogwood and redbud. Plentiful was the unwanted box elder with its twisting nature, unsuitable for shade or burning and producing no edible fruit. Disoriented in the woods, we cautiously made our way back to the house. The mailbox, too, was his creation. Between the snowplow slamming into it in the winter and drunken teenagers attacking it with sticks in the summer, he said he was tired of replacing it so he welded together 1/4" steel plates. He then welded it onto a 4" steel I-beam arm three feet long which swiveled horizontally from a vertical 4" steel I-beam cemented in the ground. No way could teenagers’ clubs dent this solid steel concoction. Neither did it suffer damage when the snow plow hit it, nicely giving way and swinging clear of the collision and potential damage. The single front French door led into the right side of the living room, which had two windows. A doorway near the end of the room made a left into the kitchen. Turning left again towards the front of the house was a very small dining room. Going the other way was a side door leading outside to an enclosed unheated porch while a second door led to the only bedroom, actually quite big for a small house. The bathroom was at the back of the house off from the bedroom. The bath

74 T HE COMMON MAN had a second narrow door which hit against the tub when opened. It led to a sort of enlarged hallway leading back to the living room. The front half of the house sat on a cement slab while the back part had a crude basement accessed only by an outside entrance in the rear. Even though the place was small, we couldn’t afford it. Mr. Wade offered to section off part of the land. That was agreeable so we bought 11 and 2/3 acres along with the house. Selling our Hoover Street house, we made a profit of $8,000. We made a $5,000 down payment to Mr. Wade with the balance being financed on a land contract held by Mr. Wade at seven percent annual interest with a five-year payoff required. We used the difference to fix up the place. Ridiculously, we had only $10 extra per month to cover clothing and other non- budgeted items. Mr. Wade handed over a large 4" skeleton key for the front French door and the place was ours. He had a cabin in Michi- gan’s Upper Peninsula, and now intended to build a house not far away from it for his new wife. We moved in May 12, 1980 the day before a tornado’s westward route followed the north side of M-43 where our home was located. Through my window at A&B I could see the sky becoming frightening dark in the area over our house. Luanne’s Mom was helping her unpack. Seeking safety, with Joel in Luanne’s arms they ran outside into the thick black air and around back to the dank basement entrance. When they came out after the storm passed they discovered a fallen tree forty feet away. The tornado ripped through downtown Kalamazoo causing an estimated $50 million worth of damage. Our CPA’s office windows were blown out. A caller telephoned saying they

75 M ELVIN VALKNER found tax papers belonging to A&B, some six miles east of his office. The clothes washer was put in the basement. We didn’t have a dryer so Luanne hung the laundry on the clothesline to dry, even in the winter. Deathly afraid of snakes one day Luanne came screaming that she had seen a snake on the basement steps. She said it was only a baby snake, six inches long, but she wanted me to catch it before it crawled into the basement. Coolly taking charge of the situation I looked for the snake in the basement but couldn’t find it anywhere. Moving the washer aside I was aghast to find a huge snake curled up like a garden hose. Nervously I yelled out to Luanne, who was standing at the top of the steps, that I had found a snake. She suggested that I get a quart canning jar, saying that would be big enough to scoop it into. “I don’t think so,” I replied not saying anything more. She then suggested a shovel. Seeing a garden hoe, I grabbed it and swung it down on that snake before it could move nearly chopping it in two. Picking it up by the tail with a gloved hand I came out of the basement with my arm held straight out and it nearly touching the ground. It was close to four feet long! Joel’s bedroom was the enlarged hallway between the bathroom and the living room. His single bed with a dresser at the foot end fit perfectly leaving enough clearance for walking space. We made critical improvements on the place. Buying a small wheelbarrow that rolled neatly into the house through the front door, I loaded it with chimney blocks and mortar and built a new chimney, next to the cracked old one, that could handle wood burning. Next I prepared a place for a wood stove by cutting a hole in the yellow pine floor exposing the cement slab. A chocolate

76 T HE COMMON MAN brown mortar was poured into a curved corner design for the hearth. Rocks were gathered from Luanne’s Uncle Hank and Aunt Charlene Harrington’s farm near Plainwell. I split the rocks with a sledge hammer, breaking two handles in the process and leaving the sledge hammer head well rounded. Over the next few weeks Luanne and I carefully laid each stone shap- ing the mortar by hand. Searching for just the right wood stove we found one called “Comforter,” made in Lochmere, NH dated 1976, with a de- scending dove on its front door and the sides covered with dogwood flowers having a flat top with a round cooking plate in the center. Cutting the kitchen wall in half next to the wood stove helped the heat to circulate better. I bought a chain saw and began clearing fallen trees, grape- vines and brush making a trail wide enough for Hugh’s old International Scout to make it back to the hardwoods. We cut three cords, hauled it back to the house in several trips, split it, and stacked it in a hodgepodge shed covered with sheets of black insulation board where Mr. Wade had stored his boat. Burning wood exclusively for the next four years we never purchased any fuel oil for the hot water boiler heating system. The trees provided great cover for wildlife. It was always a joy to sight a little green heron in flight taking off from a nest in the pine trees. Now and then it would land in the yard, twice with its young. The deer had a regular path in keeping to the tree line, where an open field bordered the woods along the northern boundary of our property and on across the road. Luanne’s Grandpa Buxton donated an old lawnmower, the type without the automatic shut off bar when you let go. I kept pushing back the boundary of the yard as is common in a country setting until it encompassed five apple trees and two pear trees that we gladly discovered.

77 M ELVIN VALKNER

For some reason I had never mowed the yard with short pants on, not even when I was younger. Finally deciding to wear them I was pushing the mower near the fruit trees when I had another encounter with ground bees, unfortunately running the mower over the hole in the ground where they nested. They saw me before I saw them, stinging my legs over 20 times as I ran towards the house scratching and rubbing my legs leaving the mower running where it sat. Cautiously I retrieved the mower and waited for dark. When all were in their hole for the night I burned them out. This same technique was used on ground bees many times over the years. After just a month in our country home the water pressure went to zero with no water coming out of the faucets. Roger, a neighbor and Mr. Wade’s friend, stopped over to see how we were doing. He knew all about the well. It was one of the last working wooden rod wells in the area. Sections of one inch square wooden rods, ten feet in length, were lowered into the well shaft and coupled to the next rod, lowered and so on. The last one was hooked to a pump wheel in a pit under the well house floor. As the wheel went round a device attached to the rods went up and down. At the end of the lowest rod in the well was a leather “cup” immersed in the underground water supply. With each stroke it allowed water into the well shaft whereby water was eventually raised to the surface. About a glass of water was brought to the surface with each rotation of the pump wheel. Roger knew the leather cup at the bottom had gone bad. Together we pulled rods out of the well disconnecting each section as it came into view. Mr. Wade had cut a four inch hole in the well house roof to accommodate bringing the long rods to the surface.

78 T HE COMMON MAN

I could find only one supplier in the area who carried the leather cups. Buying two of them, we refitted one and reversed the whole process. Glad to have water delivered through the faucets again, we were still very concerned about the poor water pressure. Then, unfortunately, the septic system backed up. Actually the septic system turned out to be nothing more than a 55- gallon drum buried in the ground, which worked fine by letting the “gray water” from the sinks run out on top of the ground. With little use and no nearby neighbors who was the wiser? It may have been satisfactory for Mr. Wade living all alone but it didn’t work for the load our three-member family put on it. Al at A&B Septic Tank said he would sell us a new system at half price and I could pay for it through a payroll deduction. His offer was gratefully accepted, but really pinched us financially. A new system was dug, having to dig extra deep through clay to find sand. It felt good to have a great septic system installed and working. Just as the septic system was completed and put into use, sand started coming out of the faucets. Glen Leversee a well driller who lived nearby came and looked things over. “Your well is dry,” he informed us. Stunned, we didn’t know what to do. This wasn’t in our budget. We simply didn’t have the money. Luanne and I got on our knees at the side of our bed when evening came and started praying about our well. As Luanne prayed she said, “O God we are willing to wait on an answer from you even if it takes two weeks or two months.” I was listening and praying with her. When she said two months the Spirit quickened within me, I stopped her and told her everything in me sensed that we would be two months without running water. Furthermore, I

79 M ELVIN VALKNER felt that we were not supposed to borrow to pay for a new well nor were we to ask anyone for help. We were to wait on the Lord to provide. Harold Bourner, who lived a quarter mile away and was our closest neighbor to the south on the same side of the road, paid us a visit. He had been a dairy farmer all his life on his family’s Centennial Farm, rising early every morning to milk his cows, raising hay and grain for their feed. Harold also cultivated apple orchards, even having them judged as “organic.” Hearing of our plight, Harold gave us a coffee cup which had on it a quotation from Benjamin Franklin, “When the well is dry, we know the wealth of water.” We never used the cher- ished cup, putting it on top of the cupboards for remembering and safekeeping. As we chatted Harold reminisced when our house was a garage where the owners of long ago kept their horse. Their house had come to such a point of disrepair they added onto their garage and moved into it. They tore down the old house located on the north side of the property leaving only the foundation with its leaking, flat, tar-covered roof which I was using for a workshop. Of course others couldn’t help but find out that our well was dry as we refilled our drinking water jugs everywhere we went. We arrived early for dinner at relatives and before our weekly Bible study meetings so we could shower. When we needed hot water Luanne heated it on the stove. A&B donated a portable toilet for our use and freely serviced it. That was a big help. At Zion Lutheran we had joined a Bible study home group. While the attendees of our study varied, the mainstays of our home group were Ron and Karen Reoch, Dale and Laura Shock- ley, Bob and Kathy Fevig, and Bob and Kathie Dievendorf.

80 T HE COMMON MAN

Although Zion Lutheran’s Pastor Hellwege attended at least one of the home group meetings I got the feeling that the meetings were not endorsed and because of it felt somewhat like an outcast in the church. But we wanted everything we could get out of Christian fellowship. It was a time of very mixed emotions. I felt the joy of the Lord and was learning the fear of God. Trying to avoid his wrath, often I would only get glimpses of God’s love, not knowing the full extent. Singing God’s praise was preeminent for us. Normally we opened the meeting with Ron playing guitar. After singing a few songs, the last song would lead us into a time of praising God with each contributing as the Spirit led. I really enjoyed singing but usually failed to properly carry the tune. After one service Ron teased, “Mel, your singing may glorify God, but it does not glorify Mel Valkner.” Our first study was the Book of Acts. I absolutely loved reading about the exploits and miracles of the early disciples. Learning to speak in tongues and feeling embarrassed I “practiced” in the quiet of my own home until comfortable. Gradually, I would speak in tongues aloud during our praise and prayer time. The joy of the Lord was awesome. When I read Psalm 51:12 (NIV), “Restore to me the joy of your salvation,” I smug- ly thought I don’t need any restoration. (Years later answer to that prayer would be fervently sought.) We would close by taking prayer requests and praying for them. It was exciting to see prayers getting answered. Three years later I reviewed the prayer requests I had kept on file and found only one not answered, a request we had made for a toaster oven that I didn’t remember putting on the list or praying for.

81 M ELVIN VALKNER

Our Bible study group suggested we get a quote on a new well. Glen gave us one for $2,850. Our Bible study took a collection without our asking and surprised us with $800. They said to ask the well driller if that would be enough to get him started. Glen replied that he didn’t do business like that but would make an exception this one time. Mom, without our asking, chipped in $1,000 saying that I would never let her help me and, as she had helped my brothers in the past, she felt this money was owed to me. Luanne’s Aunt Charlene came into an inheritance and gave all her nephews and nieces $1,000, again without our asking. She had not done anything like this before or since. Luanne and I managed to chip in the last $50 by selling the gold coin ring I had bought in Berlin. Our money was raised. Praise God! The well provided the best water one could ask for. That first summer on Sixth Street planting an asparagus patch was high on our gardening priorities. Digging five trenches 12 inches deep and 20 feet long we put manure in, covered it with dirt then put in the asparagus plants and covered them with dirt. It produced pints and pints of asparagus over the years with a minimum of weeding. I started pruning and spraying the fruit trees but never did get much produce from them. For a short time Luanne and I developed a survivalist men- tality, storing water with a couple of drops of bleach added for sterility in plastic gallon milk jugs, and keeping different kinds of grains in large airtight plastic pails. By this time we had purchased an electric grinder, keeping the hand grinders safely nearby in case of no power.

82 T HE COMMON MAN

Something that Luanne’s Mom once said has always stuck with us, “As long as you have coffee and toilet paper, you’re okay.” There were many times when that tidbit of advice brought solace. Friends of ours, Gary and Andrea Mekan, were raising honeybees. I thought that would be interesting. Gary had a friend “John the Beekeeper” who had dozens of hives and taught us a lot. John, a strong Christian, was an old wiry fellow suspicious of anything that smacked of institution, especially churches. Mom bought me a starter hive. I learned as much as I could about them and soon had three hives. Getting stung now and then went with the business. After smoking the bees and taking their honey-laden wooden frames, Luanne and I headed out to Uncle Hank’s to use his extractor. There must have been a dozen honey bees flying around in the car. Refraining from spending money on new boxes and extracting equipment after a couple of years I was done with honeybees. Becky and her husband Dick Pasman had neighbors whose dog just had pups. Picking one out to take home, we named her Precious. Her dam was a Springer Spaniel but the sire was unknown having jumped the fence to father the pups. To no one’s surprise, I insisted that Precious live outside in the dog house except for the coldest of days when she could go down the basement. When Precious was released from her chain she would run for the house, go three quarters of the way around it and race into the woods disregarding every plea to come. That was predictable. When she would return was not predictable. Sleeping soundly one night, Luanne and I were awakened by a loud thump! thump! thump! Rubbing the sleep from our eyes and squinting out through the window in the kitchen door Luanne quietly and fearfully whispered to me that there was a

83 M ELVIN VALKNER man with a gun outside the back porch door! Squinting as hard as I could into the darkness, I couldn’t make out what she was talking about. Unfortunately, the outside light switch was located by the back porch door so that didn’t do us any good. Luanne frantically insisted that we call 911. I reluctantly agreed and did so. The police made excellent time arriving within ten minutes. They came roaring up the driveway with their lights flashing making an ominous entrance. Precious was off her chain and barking a greeting. We told them what we heard and saw. They looked around but couldn’t find anything and left. Restful sleep that night was out of the question. When dark gave way to dawn’s light we looked about for any traces of unwelcome activity. Nothing was found. Three days later in the middle of the day Luanne and I heard that same thump! thump! thump! Precious’ tail had wagged and hit the house out front. She was off her chain that night I reminded Luanne. Looking out to the back porch door stood a tall plant of some type. I could never convince Luanne that was the lone gunman. We also got a kitten which we named Princess. She grew in- to a nice cat and soon was pregnant from an unknown tomcat. After the kittens were born and given away we had her spayed. Within days she was hit by a car and killed, discovered as we pulled out of the drive on Sunday morning heading for church. We buried her where the woods meet the driveway amidst the myrtle and flowers with a large stone marking the grave. Joel had abandoned his red pig, favoring a small brown ted- dy bear. Once in a while, we would hear a deafening crash as he fell out of bed, and then come crying into our room. Joel wouldn’t take naps. He would play until he just fell over from exhaustion. He loved it when someone read to him. Always

84 T HE COMMON MAN having a very sensitive spiritual side, he would sometimes come into our room poking me in the shoulder saying that God had just told him something. I wish I had written those things down because they are now forgotten. Joel’s best friend was Adam, Dale and Laura’s eldest son. Mr. Wade invited us to spend time at his log cabin the following summer at no charge. We took him up on it and made the long drive to Nisula. Following his detailed instructions to a secluded spot we parked the car on the side of the road and carried our gear on a narrow foot bridge over a shallow stream to the cabin. He had done a terrific job with it. Built with solid logs at the base of a tall, steep hill it had a front post scarred from a bear clawing, marking its territory. Telling us not to wander too far as a mama bear was nearby with two cubs, we nervously obeyed. Even in such a remote area the cabin had modern conven- iences. Wall lamps were powered by propane gas as was the stove and refrigerator. Using his clever engineering skills, Mr. Wade had tapped into a spring in the adjacent hill and using a sophisticated piping system managed to have running water including a bathroom with a septic system better than the one he sold us. With his knack for the unusual he ran a water pipe through a tree connecting to a faucet on the other side. So with a twist of a handle the tree magically produced water! Still hoping to work for a certified public accounting firm, I took the CPA Uniform Examination, a national test given to candidates all over the U.S. at the same time to prevent a sharing of answers between cohorts in different time zones. Failing all five parts on my first try, no career move was made. Casually mentioning to Margaret that I was planning on getting a job in public accounting she immediately hired my

85 M ELVIN VALKNER replacement before I even had another job. Rather than fire me I was relegated to a back room where old records were stored, doing miscellaneous invoicing, filing, etc. My replacement didn’t last long and I moved back to my old desk. Meanwhile Al and Margaret were grooming their five sons, Mike, Pat, Dennis, Charlie and Steve to take over the business some day. My relationship with Mike and Pat was friendly but not warm. Mike was facing a divorce. During a trip to a meeting he and I philosophized regarding life’s general priorities. Remem- bering the plaque in Berlin I held that God, Home and Country was the best order. He was adamant that the order should be God, Country then Home and would not be swayed. A&B had grown a fair amount since I started four years earlier and my work load had correspondingly increased so in the spring of 1981 I asked Pat for a raise. He replied, “You’re not worth it.” Later I noticed confidential discussions taking place. I told Luanne that I thought I might be getting a raise after all and would pick up pizza on the way home. That Friday I put in an extra hard week, as Larry the dispatcher a key member of the office staff was on vacation. Mike came in saying he had something to tell me and proceeded to fire me. I was shocked and yet felt a sense of relief. Standing and talking as I was leaving, I wished him well on his relationship with his wife and hoped for their reconciliation. Now I had to go home and face Luanne to tell her the news. I dutifully stopped for the pizza that we had planned. Greeting me, Luanne eagerly inquired if I got a raise. “I got raised right out of A&B,” I told her. She instantly lost her appetite, called her good friend Laura and asked for prayer support.

86 T HE COMMON MAN

Meeting a former A&B co-worker a few days later he asked me what I had said to Mike because he came in the back door just after I left through the front door. He said Mike was sitting with a dazed look on his face. Not long after Margaret came to our home and confided that it was a big mistake to fire me, making me feel better but not richer. I found out later they hired my replacement for $9,000 per year more than they paid me. That was a lot of money, especially with prices going up. The price of a Hershey chocolate bar had doubled, now costing 30 cents each. I was out of work for six months and we nearly lost our house. Mr. Wade kindly kept us from going into foreclosure by accepting sporadic payments on our land contract over the next year. Going without health insurance created additional stress. I enjoyed woodworking and making picture frames of hardwoods like oak and walnut. Pondering career choices, I thought of opening “Ye Olde Frame Shoppe” but wasn’t sure if I could make any money at it. Looking into a rundown sawmill that was for sale it seemed too risky to buy. Ron and Karen offered their house to me for a day of fast- ing and praying while they were out of town. At the end of that day it I settled on pursuing accounting work. Seeking employment with a public accounting firm that fall of 1981 and trying to differentiate myself, I handwrote my resume with a calligraphy pen. Pat Donovan, a local CPA, was so impressed with its quality he hired me. Taking a pay decrease from what I had been making at A&B, I was hopeful that after becoming certified my wage would increase and was eager for the opportunity. He was a patient man who helped me considerably.

87 M ELVIN VALKNER

Pat’s firm consisted of just three of us: Pat, me and Beverly, a secretary who typed financial statements by hand. General ledgers were paper editions maintained by handwritten journal entries. I was able to perform a wide variety of accounting and tax preparation, giving me a great deal of confidence. His encouragement meant a lot to me in passing the CPA exam. I had friends who passed all the parts in one sitting. Well, it took me six more times to pass all the parts, and that was really working hard at it. Perhaps I’m not an accounting genius, I thought, but it’s still a good way to make a living. And that’s all I wanted to do; make a living. Pat and his wife were nearing separation. Even before we talked about it I could tell something was wrong. Usually we went out for lunch together. Oftentimes, waiting for our order he would take off his wedding ring and spin it on the table in front of him. Continuing my Bible reading, I determined to obey its New Testament teachings. After reading the story of Zacchaeus the Tax Collector’s promise in Luke 19:8 (NIV), “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” I remembered when I stole a pair of boots from Okun Brothers Shoe Store and felt convicted I should make it right in the same way that Zacchaeus did. With Luanne’s assent I scraped up $160, four times the original cost, and went to Okun’s. Asking for the owner I explained to him that I had been reading the Bible and recounted the story of Zacchaeus. As I confessed that I had stolen a $40 pair of boots some years earlier he was instantly upset and red- faced. Telling him I was there to make amends I handed him $160 in cash. Without saying another word I pivoted and headed towards the door.

88 T HE COMMON MAN

He followed, stammering and asking if I wanted a receipt. “No,” I answered. “You’re a good man,” he quickly replied as I left the store. Every spring I went back to the woods with my chain saw, cutting wood into pieces no longer than 18" ensuring they fit into the wood stove. After splitting them with a maul I stacked them in piles allowing for adequate curing during the summer months. Our daughter Keren Ann was born on March 2, 1983. I love her so much. The spelling of Keren came from the book of Job. She was slightly larger of a newborn than Joel weighing in at 10 pounds and 13 ounces. We moved Keren’s bassinet into our bedroom. The doctors discovered that she had a minor heart irregularity but of more importance was concern over the iris in her left eye. The way I understood it was that early in a baby’s development the iris covers the eye. During development the iris sort of disintegrates back to a certain point thereby leaving the pupil. In Keren’s case not all the iris had dissolved, remnants were left obstructing the pupil. Initially I was mad at God. How could he do this? How could he let this happen? However, there are things in life that you have to accept, perhaps never to find an answer. Dr. Sassaman, an ophthalmologist, recommended that we take her to a specialist at the University of Indiana in Indianap- olis. We were told that there was no guarantee of a successful operation and that she might be blinded in that eye or develop a cataract. Eight months old, she underwent an operation on her eye, and wore an eye patch while it healed. Removing the patch, she could see in that eye, but blurred. The bill was substantial but the hospital and physician wrote off practically the whole amount.

89 M ELVIN VALKNER

She grew up smart (just like her brother), stylish and bubbly. Luanne’s body chemistry changed after Keren’s birth, developing terrible allergies that kept her bed for days at a time. It was agonizing to see her sick month after month. Treatment from an allergist gave her relief, gradually her strength and health returned. Keren graduated to a crib in our room. She had a pastel blue doll which we called “Baby Doll.” Whenever we danced baby doll along the top edge of the crib Keren would laugh until she shook. Keren was our baby doll. This sleeping arrangement worked fine at first but soon we weren’t getting a good night’s sleep. She woke up when we got ready for bed and wouldn’t go back to sleep, crying until she could sleep with us. Although I wouldn’t call it sleep, more like a thrashing about ending with her feet in our faces. Taking advantage of our sofa couch, Luanne and I started sleeping in the living room. Joel’s bed was moved into our bedroom with Keren. Although not the best arrangement, we made due, and tried to figure out how to add on to the house.

90 Growing

here were great people at Zion Lutheran that we very T much appreciated. But after nine years good years there we flirted with the idea of leaving. Music centered on the organ no longer appealed to us. We wanted something more upbeat. While Pastor Grother and Pastor Hellwege faithfully taught that we are saved by grace, a basic Biblical precept, we wanted a strong challenge from the pulpit to lead more righteous lives. We wanted the deepest relationship with God that was possible, learning to hear and obey Him. And we wanted to live lives like the early Christians in the book of Acts. Over the years we found that easier said than done. I continued to read the Bible through in its entirety year after year for it is the Book of Books about the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I committed myself to Isaiah 1:16-17 (NIV), “Stop doing wrong. Learn to do right.” Laura Shockley’s cousin Ken Norberg and his wife Melinda had moved to Kalamazoo from California and were starting a church they called Redemption Center New Testament Church,

91 M ELVIN VALKNER a non-denominational church based on the “Restoration Movement” centered on Hebrews 6:1-3 (NIV) “Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God per- mitting, we will do so.” In addition they promoted the concept that, “God is in the process of restoring the church of Jesus Christ in both doctrine and practice to the purity and power in which it was born” including “speaking with unknown tongues, prophecy, and other manifestations” and “the laying on of hands,” also heavily emphasizing praise and worship of God through music, singing and dancing. Music was supplied by electric and acoustic guitars, trumpet, drums, and keyboard at every service. Starting their church in Dale and Laura’s basement, it wasn’t long before they were holding services on WMU’s campus. Visiting several times, we made friends and joined. We were challenged in our faith, received prophetic words and had great music and worship. Soon our new church moved to a house on South Westnedge in Kalamazoo. Church was held downstairs while Ken and Melinda lived upstairs. Between church services and visitors they never had much privacy. Ken and Melinda ran the church leadership like a partnership with Ken in charge. Melinda yielded clout behind the scenes frequently calling Ken aside to talk about something she had noticed or wanted changed. The church was growing. It changed its name to Redemp- tion Christian Assembly (RCA) and bought Fourth Reformed Church’s building on East Dutton Street. Ken and Melinda felt

92 T HE COMMON MAN it was very important to be located downtown where society’s outcasts were more prevalent. There was an inordinate amount of teaching on submission to leadership, emphasizing obedience to those in authority. Luanne and I were never real comfortable with this as it seemed like we were asked to give up our critical thinking skills. Ken explained that he expected many people coming off from the street would be getting saved, needing discipline. Ken preached that Jesus made the world. While I had probably heard this before I finally understood what John 1:1-14 (NIV) says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made…He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus made the world…that is why the Scripture claims every knee will bow to him, that no man comes to the Father except by him, and that’s why Jesus said in John 8:58 (NIV), “Before Abraham was born, I am!” Understanding was becoming my friend. In the spring of 1984 a large box elder limb fell on the south side of our roof from a windstorm. When I first inspected the roof it didn’t look too bad. Then I moved the ladder to check things from the attic which could only be accessed through a window below the roof peak on the front side of the house. Removing the attic window and climbing in, I found the ceiling joists which I was walking on were only 2"x4" on 24" center – a poor, very weak ceiling.

93 M ELVIN VALKNER

Carefully making my way to determine the damage to the interior of the roof, I could see water stains. There had been a number of leaks for many years. Overall, however, not much damage appeared to have resulted from the limb. Comforted, I climbed out, moved the ladder again and gathered the tools and materials needed to repair the roof. The roof rafters had exposed ends. Giving a rafter a forceful hit, I was shocked when the hammer crushed the wood. Actu- ally resembling hard powder more than wood, it was dry rotted. By now we knew the house quite well and, in fact, had found a number of major things wrong: wooden window frames were rotted and falling apart with rusty and torn screens, inadequate 60-amp electrical service with fuses instead of circuit breakers, mildew buildup in bedroom and bathroom that resisted all cleaning agents, no accessibility to plumbing or heating where the house sat on the cement slab, and, of course, lack of space for a growing family. Instead of plasterboard on the walls there was a type of fi- berboard. Tearing off a piece we discovered there was no insulation in the walls. Suddenly swarms of termites were flying out of the walls! Calling Griffin Pest Control, a local pest extermination company that was a client of mine while working at Pat Do- novan, CPA, they found evidence of termite tunnels. To exterminate the termites Griffin would have to drill through the floor in a checkerboard pattern into the ground under the cement slab to treat the termites at a cost of more than three thousand dollars. What were we thinking when we bought this place? Except for the land, view and location our purchase had been an unwise one. I asked Mr. Wade for a reduction in the land

94 T HE COMMON MAN contract balance due to the repairs needed. He rejected the plea. We tried to analyze our circumstances from all angles. Should we sell? Who would buy it in this shape? With plenty of land, maybe we should build a new place, but this place had a new septic system and well. Should we tear this place down and rebuild in the same spot? That seemed like a waste of the existing structure. But we couldn’t just add on to the house in the shape it was in. The roof had to be replaced. Something had to be done with the termites. And we needed more room. We decided to tear off the whole roof and add a second story. A basement would be dug. The driveway entrance was moved north 80 feet with a long, curving, nearly flat plane close to the house. We didn’t have a garage. Mom agreed to help finance construction until the house was complete when bank financing would be available. Having an adequate knowledge of construction and drawing skills, I prepared blueprints on plain paper for the upstairs addition, kind of an A-frame with a dormer to the south, making sure the rooms upstairs had eight-foot ceilings. Luanne wanted lots of windows that could open as we did not have air conditioning. On the south side of the house there would be a large, four-pane picture window. Knowing the summer sun is higher in the sky than the winter sun, I designed the roof to hang over enough to block the rays of the summer sun but short enough to let the winter sunshine into the house for warmth and made sure window placements would enable the westerly wind to blow all through the house. Eldon Timmerman, one of Luanne’s family friends, started digging a basement under the cement slab portion of the house.

95 M ELVIN VALKNER

Our floor was actually built on 2x4s supported by the cement slab. Unfortunately the dirt under the slab wasn’t dirt. It was hard clay. Eldon attached a bucket to the front of his bulldozer and attacked the packed clay. Digging his way under the house he raised the bucket high slamming it against the cement floor over and over again breaking it into chunks. Upstairs it felt like an earthquake. The refrigerator slid across the floor. After a certain level of progress Eldon would stop digging, put sup- ports to prop the house, pour a footing and lay cement blocks for the basement walls. This was done in stages with Hugh helping when he could. Little John Excavating bulldozed a new driveway. Little John graduated from Plainwell a year ahead of me. We hoped he might hit a vein of sand common in the area while excavating the drive. A base of sand was needed before the clay and gravel mixture was brought in. He was three-fourths done without hitting sand when I told him to pull off and dig a large pit behind the old foundation being used as a workshop. Filled with mold and a detestable place it was only fitting that it be demolished. After we set it afire to burn the roof, Little John bulldozed its scrap and cement blocks into the pit. We would cover it later. I ordered sand brought in for the drive. Leveling the sand and finishing constructing the drive, Little John belatedly hit the vein of sand we were hoping for. A lesson was learned about patience. I ordered building materials from Doster Lumber and carefully cut 2"x6" rafters to a very steep 15/12 pitch, notching them where they would sit on the first-story walls. I scheduled about 15 relatives, long-time friends and new friends from church to come on a Saturday to help with the remodeling. Arising early in the morning I checked the weather

96 T HE COMMON MAN report to find rain coming from the west at six miles per hour. The rain was over Lake Michigan estimated to be ten hours away. Calling everyone to confirm we were still on, they came out and proceeded to tear off the roof shingles, roofing boards, rafters, caved in the ceiling, tore off the ceiling joists and all the wallboard. It looked like a tornado had hit the place! Building scraps were thrown into the pit. At noon Tom Proos had to go and as he was leaving he mumbled to Ron Reoch who was just arriving, “I thought we were only going to replace the shingles. They’re tearing the whole place down!” Ron later said that Tom looked numb. I must admit that at this point I was a little dazed by it all. Standing in the kitchen, there was no ceiling but only light gray sky overhead. We tore down the walls separating the kitchen, dining room and living room forming a great room. Hugh thought we needed more skilled building help than what was on hand and called Bill Collier, a local builder and a long time friend and neighbor, to come over and lend a hand. Coming to the house Bill was grinning ear to ear seeing what we had done and went right to work plumbing the walls. Constructing a beam of three 2"x8" boards nailed together Bill had us hoist it over the newly formed great room to support the new ceiling we would be building, a hearty ceiling of 2"x8" ceiling joists with 16" centers that would support the upstairs bedrooms. Just before dark the upstairs plywood sub floor was nailed down and covered with plastic as it looked like rain was near. Our insurance company said that someone had to be living on the premises the whole time for our building materials to be insured. We pitched a tent in the front yard. The kids played

97 M ELVIN VALKNER and napped in it during the day. Luanne took the kids to her folks for a couple of nights, while I slept at the house. The following day, Sunday, was gorgeous with a beautiful blue sky and mild breeze. It never did rain. According to plan my brother Don, along with his son-in-law Rob and Don’s friend Dave, and my brothers Chuck and Rich came over with their building skills and tools. Along with Hugh, Dick Pasman also came back the following day. Knowing what to do they put up the ridge board and rafters in rapid succession, and were quickly nailing roofing plywood. After getting a few rafters in place Luanne called me aside. She said the roof line didn’t seem right, it was too steep and looked funny. Calmly waving aside any doubts I may have had, I assured her that when it was done it would look fine, just like it did on paper. Fortunately it did, warm and appealing. By day’s end nearly all the rafters and roofing plywood were nailed in place. The following day Chuck came over once more to help me with the tedious task of cutting unique rafters for the bathroom dormer and nailed plywood on its roof. Stapling down roofing paper over the roof, three days of hard work paid off. With new windows all the openings now had to be resized. As the windows changed so did the locations of the heating registers. Seeing as how the walls were exposed Hugh ran new wiring before insulation was installed. Everything was twice the work as normal construction because the old had to torn out before the new could be fitted. Luanne’s Uncle Dick Pow- ell was a big help, re-doing the plumbing and hot water heating system. With the exterior siding and interior plasterboard torn off the walls, flies were getting in through cracks in the sheathing boards…hundreds of them. As Luanne cooked meals I would

98 T HE COMMON MAN kill 50 to 80 of them with a fly swatter before we could eat, while many more lurked about. Keren hates bugs to this day. I wonder if the saying, “One step at a time,” came from building stairs because it was quite the challenge to use the enlarged hallway, an area not quite 6'x8', to build steps to the upstairs. Starting from the bottom four steps went straight up, and then six steps made gradual turns to the left followed by three steps back to the right. The kids moved into the upstairs bedrooms now and shared an upstairs bath. Keren was ready for a bed. We put a mattress on the floor for her. It was always fun to sing “Jesus Loves Me” with her. Whenever we got to the part of “He is strong,” she would clench her fists with all her might until her little body shook. Luanne and I finally got our bedroom back. Hauling debris to the pit continued whenever we had a chance. Joel had a full wheelbarrow and was frustrated trying to get it over a mound in the yard. He cried for help. We were both busy and called back to him to leave it for later. It wasn’t long before he had determinedly pushed it to the pit and emptied it by himself. We were proud of his dogged tenacity. Getting things back to normal wasn’t easy under the circumstances. I was rising early to study for the CPA test again, and then off to work on a school audit. Fortunately the school business office opened at 8:00 every morning so, by working through lunch, I was able to head for home at three in the afternoon to get lots of construction work done before dark. This kept up week after week. Joel was ready for kindergarten and was enrolled at North Christian School. Scraping up money for the tuition payments was tough. But we felt we needed to do it. Joel pressed us to let him explore the woods by himself. De- termining a gradual approach would be best, he was allowed to

99 M ELVIN VALKNER go anywhere he wanted to as long as he could see the house. This worked fine for a couple of years until we knew he wouldn’t get lost, and then he had permission to wander further into the woods under the condition that he stayed on our land. Joel and Keren were forever taking blankets and pinning them with clothes pins to the couch, table and chairs fashioning houses and forts to play in. Using sheets they turned the picnic table into a mighty ship. They were very creative. Joel won an award, a cuddly stuffed dinosaur, from the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts for his artwork. Needing to make a higher wage, I left public accounting in the fall of 1984 to take a position as Controller at Homedico. It was a great opportunity and my salary increased by 50%. Shortly after starting I received word that I had finally passed the last part of the CPA exam. For that I got a small raise that had been negotiated upon my hiring. We were able to refinance the house with Standard Federal Bank, which has been gobbled up by a larger bank which, in turn, was gobbled up by an even larger bank. Each day I continued to rush home to the remodeling project. By now we were cutting and nailing sheetrock. Luanne and I shared the spackling duties. She did all the priming and paint- ing. We were both exhausted. Homedico was a new home medical equipment supply firm started by three of the biggest employers in town: Upjohn Healthcare Services (UHCS), a division of the Upjohn Compa- ny, Borgess Medical Center and Bronson Hospital. Limited by diagnosis-related group (DRG) payments, hospitals were dis- charging patients much faster than in the past. Some patients still needed medical equipment like hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, etc. for home use.

100 T HE COMMON MAN

Competing hospitals in Kalamazoo, Borgess and Bronson made the front page of the Wall Street Journal when both purchased their own medivac helicopters. At that time there were only 50 or so medivac helicopters in the whole U.S. and Kalamazoo had two of them. Eventually they reached an agreement to share one. Borgess and Bronson’s business relationship in Homedico soon broke apart. Bronson started a competing firm, Plaza Medical. Homedico bought Great Lakes Pulmonary, a local durable medical supply firm drawing much of its business from Borgess’ referring physicians, and brought over its president Kim Hemmes as Homedico’s new president. Great Lakes Pul- monary had briefly been an accounting client of Pat Donovan, CPA. I had met Kim there. He had a wonderful balance of hard work and play on the job. We became good friends and it was a great joy working with him. Homedico changed its name to CareTec. Computers were now becoming an integral part of the work place. An IBM personal computer (PC) was used to electronically transmit medical billing information to Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BCBS) who managed Medicare reimbursement for Michigan. It was like magic. With the purchase of Great Lakes Pulmonary we added several more PCs to handle word processing and accounting tasks. Work was very rewarding and I was learning a great deal about healthcare, especially how hard it was to get reimbursed by Medicare and Medicaid. They used any excuse not to pay, often demanding that we re-bill a second, third or even a fourth time. It was extremely frustrating, causing greater staffing needs for them and us, exacerbating higher costs throughout the industry.

101 M ELVIN VALKNER

Before they would pay for any recipient’s durable medical equipment physicians were required to complete a two-page prescription form in excruciating detail causing further de- lays in billing and payment. Of course, physicians were frustrated as they were filling out paperwork instead of seeing patients. Accounts receivable ballooned to unreasonable amounts. A meeting was scheduled in Detroit with BCBS. We packed their unpaid claims into several boxes. Wheeling the boxes into the meeting on a cart, we only had to take the lid off one box before they said there was no need to verify any more, that they would make every effort to give our account special attention to bring it current. They assigned Gayle, one of their representatives, to monitor our situation. Gayle and I spoke almost every week. Sometimes I thanked her for a substantial payment, sometimes I appealed for a larger one. Medicaid also found ways not to pay. Visiting their offices in Lansing, we were informed that they received medical bills for the indigent totaling more than two times their budget. They didn’t dispute the validity of the medical claims, but simply didn’t have the money to pay. They freely admitted that rejecting claims, even though billed correctly, gave them more time to come up with the money for payment. Again, all the re-billing simply escalated healthcare costs. Needing more computer capacity we invested heavily into Datapoint computer equipment, spending many late nights to assure an effective computer conversion. In spite of $40,000 price tag, Datapoint’s disk space was so limited that it would be far exceeded by any single PC today. We printed detailed month end reports and then by closing the month all details of previous activity were deleted with only summary numbers forwarded.

102 T HE COMMON MAN

Technology was making huge strides. As the volume of our billing claims grew they were required to be submitted to BCBS on magnetic tape. UHCS, rendering temporary nursing services from its 250 offices across the U.S., was poised to make a sizable investment in CareTec. Then it didn’t want to. Then it was prepared to do so, but Borgess didn’t want to. The two shareholders teeter- tottered on end, month after month. Kim enrolled in the Executive MBA program at the Univer- sity of Notre Dame. This was paid for as part of his employment agreement with CareTec. I also enrolled for the following year and was accepted due in large part to the fact that I was a CPA. As I wasn’t able to pay the $10,000 annual tuition I asked Kim if CareTec would finance my tuition. He said no. Not wanting any more debt I elected to not go any further with it. Luanne decided she was going to home school Joel. She studied the advantages of home schooling and discovered that students learn best when being taught one-on-one. The maximum one-on-one time that a student in a class of 25 can have with a teacher during six hours of class time is roughly 15 minutes. During the next three years she taught him reading, writing and arithmetic. Luanne communicated with other home schooling families, planning and participating in various events for the children to play and be together. As winter came we stopped using the woodstove as the smoke and fly ash was too much of a strain on Luanne’s health. There is no penetrating heat like that of a woodstove, but the white curtains were always gray by spring so we knew with Luanne’s allergies the woodstove had to remain cold. Finally using our hot water heating system, we discovered how enjoyable it was.

103 M ELVIN VALKNER

Another pregnancy woe came when Luanne endured an ectopic pregnancy when an egg was fertilized in the fallopian tube requiring surgery to remedy.

104 Prophetic Words

eanwhile, church activities demanded every bit of time M that work didn’t. Ken exerted pressure to be in church whenever a service was held: Sunday morning, Wednesday night, Saturday morning prayer time, and leading a weekly home Bible study. Wanting to serve God we volunteered to teach Sunday School, be part of the prayer chain, format and layout the church newsletter, greet visitors and members, hand out newsletters, clean and vacuum the sanctuary, lobby, pastors office, nursery and clean restrooms, perform nursery duty, shovel the snow, clear brush from the church grounds, make banners, attend special functions and leaders’ meetings, and help wherever else we could. Of course, we spent as much time as possible on our individual prayer and Bible study. Dale, Laura, Luanne and I went to a conference in Indian- apolis with great Christian speakers. Arriving home after the conference Luanne and I sat late into the evening confessing all our past sins to each other, having agreed to do so with no judgment. Clean slate. It felt good.

105 M ELVIN VALKNER

I joined the church softball team, first time I had played ball in years. We had a great time together. Always bringing a cool- er of refreshing well water with ice from home, enough for the whole team, it soon was jokingly nicknamed “Mel-water.” Periodically, visiting prophets claiming to have proven prophetic gifts would lay hands on church members deemed by Ken and Melinda to have exhibited a certain level of maturity. The whole church and especially those having hands laid on them were to fast and pray up to three days before their arrival. It was a time of great anticipation. Ken determined the order of those to come and kneel before the prophets. No exception to the order was allowed except as indicated by the prophets. Ken assured us that he never spoke to the prophets in advance about anyone having hands laid on them. Even today some of the prophetic word given to Luanne and me by Rita and Steve Fidel on September 18, 1987 remains a puzzle. Kneeling in front of them they laid hands on us, their prophesying lasted several minutes, first over me then Luanne. Here are some abbreviated segments. Rita started prophesying first saying, ““Yea O man of God I do desire thee. Yea and I do desire to put thee in a position where I can use thee in the house of the Lord. For I have given thee a mind for numbers and finances,” sayeth the Lord. “I have given thee a good mind for business. Yea,” sayeth the Lord, “I shall speak to thee, yea when the pastors see fit to put thee in this position I shall speak to thee,” sayeth the Lord, “and I shall give thee wisdom in how to make the church money...” With my accounting background, she immediately had my attention. After she finished Steve spoke, “And yea, I will cause thee to have a heart to be knitted together with the leadership of the house,” sayeth the Lord. “For yea, the enemy would come to

106 T HE COMMON MAN bring division and cause strife,” sayeth the Lord. “But yea, I would cause thee to be one not to lean unto the wickedness of the world,” sayeth the Lord, “and the plotting and the schem- ing of the enemy. For yea, I will invest in thee wisdom to do that which I will call thee to do…” Then one at a time they prophesied over Luanne. Then Steve prophesied over both of us with many encouraging words. We were on fire for God, going to church, donating time and tithing at nearly eleven percent of gross income. However, things were getting tough at CareTec. Medicare and Medicaid were constantly changing regulations. Paying bills and making payroll was increasingly difficult. During lunch one day Kim said to me it looked like CareTec had to reduce payroll expenses and that it seemed like we could probably get along with one CPA on staff. Having hired Amy Nichols, CPA a couple of years earlier I assumed I would have to let her go. Amy had come from a “Big 8” accounting firm, which like many other industries have continued to consolidate into ever larger entities. Working at a large accounting firm is like having a pedigree, a special status of sorts. They were supposed to know more than other CPAs. But when I hired Amy, I had to show her how to do many simple tasks, like completing state wage reports and filing payroll taxes. It turned out she only performed audit work and was rarely exposed to anything outside her area. Two months later it was me who was laid off from work. Amy took my place. CareTec paid me one last bonus I had earned. I was once again unemployed. Having worked with financial personnel at Borgess and Upjohn, I was confident one of them would give me a job. My

107 M ELVIN VALKNER contacts returned negative results. Taking that as a cue to act upon the entrepreneurial bug creeping into me, and heartened by the prophetic word that I had been given a good mind for business, I used my $4,500 CareTec bonus to start a local newspaper even though I had no newspaper experience, just a lot of faith. Convinced that the Kalamazoo Gazette, the local daily newspaper, was too liberal it seemed that the area needed a conservative voice. Starting a daily or weekly paper was too aggressive, but publishing a monthly publication was feasible. I was sure God would honor an attempt to promote Christian values including a pro-life viewpoint. A view backed up by Exodus 21:22-23 (NIV), “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life.” While this verse does not mention abortion, it shows that God hates the taking of a baby’s life. Enrolling in a journalism class at WMU, I bought a Macin- tosh computer with word processing and other programs including PageMaker enabling me to layout the complete newspaper right at home. As there was no room to set up an office in our small home I stuck the Macintosh on a 20"x30" desk in a corner of our bedroom. The paper contained interviews of local personalities, articles by Merrill Lynch and Paul Harvey and quotes of wisdom from Poor Richard’s Almanac, the Bible and other sources. Taking a copy of the paper on a floppy disk to a local copi- er, the newspaper was laser printed on 8"x11" paper. Then it was taken to the Flashes, well known for printing weekly advertising papers. The Flashes enlarged its size to 11"x17",

108 T HE COMMON MAN cropped in photos, pictures, etc., and printed it on high quality newsprint. They, in turn, handed it off to the Postal Service to be delivered into the mailboxes of selected targets by zip codes. Completely free to the consumer, the expenses would be borne by advertisers. Profits, though necessary, would initially be secondary to getting another voice heard. But this took more money than I had. Fellow pro-lifers agreed to temporarily defray costs and threw in about $7,000 until advertisers signed up. Following several months of preparatory work the first issue of The Metro Times was published in June 1988. It had a clean look and overall I was pleased with it. Monthly issues would be printed thereafter. Having breakfast with Kim about six months after being downsized he acknowledged it was a mistake letting me go. This all sounded vaguely familiar. He needed periodic financial statement preparation and year end tax work for his private ventures and asked me if I would be interested in doing the work. Needing the money, I readily agreed. This supplemented my income over the next few years. Wanting to take a walk I headed down the lane through the pine trees on the right and the briar-laden thicket on the left towards the hardwoods on the back six acres of our property. I was shocked to discover how overgrown it had become in the three years since we quit using it to haul firewood. Getting out the chain saw I went to work re-clearing a path deep into the woods about ten feet wide, easily enough for a truck to navi- gate it. The work was therapeutic. I cut down a six-inch diameter tree that was still standing even though it was dead, having lost all its bark. The leaning tree was quite tall for its slim circumference. Falling, it landed

109 M ELVIN VALKNER in the crotch of a limb much larger than it on another tree, ending up balancing horizontally ten feet off the ground. I couldn’t reach it. With so many other trees for firewood it was of little concern to me and made for an interesting story to tell visitors as we walked down the lane. Over the years, Luanne and I would often go out and clear more of the trail until it reached the back of our property. Making a sweeping right turn, the trail was “P” shaped. Three laps around the circle was close to a mile. Often we walked many laps one direction, then reversed course and went the other way for a few more laps. Every year we walked hundreds of laps around the trail. When we first started walking together it was not unusual to have a disagreement, with one leaving the other to walk alone. As time went on, we matured and enjoyed our walks together, looked forward to them, often waiting for the other to finish a task so we could walk together. Walking was good exercise and very relaxing.

110 Maturity

ears of consistent tithing became erratic. I desperately Y needed to get a job. Answering a help wanted ad in my competitor, The Kala- mazoo Gazette, I landed a position in September 1988 as General Accounting Manager at Master-Craft, an office forms manufacturer. A large British conglomerate had recently purchased the company and was preparing to make a sizable investment. They were looking for middle managers for the growth they were projecting. Although I made less than what I had been making at CareTec it paid the bills. Starting my new job, I found a demoralized workforce. Seeking profits and efficiency the new president brought in from Connecticut had ordered pay cuts and that all personal belongings be removed from work areas. Deep dissatisfaction and tension permeated the whole place. Workers expressed an unwillingness to do anything extra to achieve success. While personal needs were being neglected, the old building was being renovated. The huge rolls of paper used in the manufacturing process needed to be stored within certain

111 M ELVIN VALKNER levels of humidity and temperature so a climate control system was installed in the factory. Upper management thought better working conditions would help morale. That may have helped the paper, but it did nothing to change attitudes. People are more important than buildings. During remodeling long forgotten documents were discovered. Reviewing old, hand-written accounting journals it was profoundly interesting to note the lack of entries for the week after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. It was as if the world had stood still. An old-timer there gave me a piece of advice I remember to this day. Regarding people management skills he said, “Put a round peg in a round hole and a square peg in a square hole.” It’s worked well for me over the years. Right away I was able to reap sizable savings on state unemployment taxes as I realized that the new company should be ruled as a successor employer because it had purchased all of the assets of the old company, gaining a more favorable tax rate saving $36,000 in taxes. And, as Master-Craft was located in a rather impoverished neighborhood I had the idea of applying for tax abatements. Sure enough, we were eligible. Completing the paperwork I appeared before the city council and we were granted up to 12 years worth of tax abatements totaling $130,000. On the home front, we invited a family new to church out for dinner. Their children went outside to play and soon came in crying. Our dog Precious had snapped at one of them. No blood was drawn but it scared us. She had been acting hostile lately. So we thought it best to have the vet put her to sleep, burying her not far from Princess. Of course, Luanne and the kids wanted another dog. They read about different breeds. We decided on a Welsh Terrier

112 T HE COMMON MAN that looks like a miniature Airedale. Luanne’s family loved the Airedale line. Finding a breeder in Grand Rapids, 45 miles north of us, we climbed into the car and eagerly made our way to her house. Several times on the way up I reminded Luanne, Joel and Keren that we were only going to look, not to buy. “We’re not going to buy the first one we see,” I pronounced with great authority. The breeder had only one unsold puppy remaining. It was impossible to resist that tiny, playful, timid, six-week old puppy. Love at first sight. We bought it. It came home with us that night. Her registered name was Czar’s Christmas Tigger Party, but we called her Claire. Czar sold her to us half price on the condition that we, at Czar’s expense, have her mated for a single batch of puppies which would all belong to Czar. Of course, being just a little puppy Claire had to stay inside the house. Life is a maturing process and my intolerance about keeping dogs inside was finally overcome. Claire was always an inside dog and a real delight. We took her everywhere even taking her to meet her great-grandmother who didn’t have much use for a rambunctious puppy. Luanne took her for classes at obedience school although it didn’t seem to do much good. Little Claire always had a mind of her own. Joel returned to North Christian School for fourth grade as Luanne didn’t feel comfortable home schooling any longer. In faith we pledged to make the $3,500 tuition payment we did not have. Luanne now home schooled Keren for kindergarten. For extra money I helped Bruce Gelbaugh, CPA on Satur- days. We had graduated together from Plainwell High School. I was there one afternoon when Luanne called with the news

113 M ELVIN VALKNER that Mom’s husband Clyde had just died of a heart attack. These things are always so unexpected and shocking they don’t seem real. Then Grandpa Kirkland died two months later. But life goes on and Mom somehow adjusted. Continuing to publish The Metro Times on a monthly basis I worked late several nights every month preparing the next issue. This required keeping the computer running and a light on over the desk in the corner of the bedroom, all of which disrupted Luanne’s sleep. The paper drained my CareTec bonus and what little cash we had from my new job, committing money to it while neglecting other bills. Between that and Joel’s tuition, we were several months behind in our house payments. Our bank sent a foreclosure notice saying we had three weeks to pay $2,100. In prayer about this I felt I should ask my employer for help but we were not to borrow. I explained the situation to Ed Duncan, my boss, showing him the foreclosure notice. He offered a loan. I thanked him but said I could not accept it as I believed it was from the Lord that I should trust Him that I was not supposed to be borrowing. I asked if he could he give me a raise and an advance on my salary to pay the bill. He needed a few days to think about it. Couple of days later I asked him of his decision. He said he would advance me two weeks vacation pay and reimburse me for a marketing course I was taking when I was hired. It was almost the exact amount needed! The Metro Times was about to fail, but not one to quit I pushed forward. By summer a salesman was hired on a commission basis that, if successful in selling advertising, would let both him and the paper survive. Bill was enthusiastic and impressive, giving his references as a salesman for a large

114 T HE COMMON MAN

Chicago daily. Moving back to the Kalamazoo area for family health concerns, he initially worked for an alternative local weekly newspaper that had failed. I badly needed sales help and didn’t bother to check his references. That was a mistake. Bill went right to work and after a couple of months sold enough ads that we neared a breakeven point. I was pleased with his performance. He even offered to run out the invoices personally and collect monies due. No, I said, you keep selling and let me send them through the mail. After they were mailed the phone rang off the hook as Luanne took call after call from customers angry about their bills. Yes, Bill had talked to them but they had never agreed to place the ad. Almost every customer said the same thing. Very few ads had been sold. That did me in. After only seven issues, publication of The Metro Times ceased. Some time later I happened to meet his old local employer and inquired as to Bill’s character. He had lied about ad placements there as well. I had the opportunity to confront Bill about his lying. He said that he always had a problem with lying. I told him in the name of Christ I would forgive his actions, spiritually and legally, but I warned him from Revelation 21:8 what his fate would be if he did not desist. He expressed regret for his actions. Calling me a few weeks later, Bill thanked me for the frank rebuke and that he had talked over the whole thing with his wife and was committed to making an honest living. By the fall of 1989 Luanne was weary of home schooling. We could not afford to send both Joel and Keren to North Christian School so both were sent off to the Kalamazoo Pub- lic School system, Joel for fifth grade to Lincoln School and Keren to Chime School for first grade.

115 M ELVIN VALKNER

One night, after returning from the grocery store, Luanne breathlessly ran into the house flipping all the lights off, yelling for everyone to go outside. I could hardly understand anything she was saying, something about a light in the sky. Shouting for the kids to come I followed Luanne where an absolutely gorgeous and luminous aurora borealis was in the northwest sky. We estimated it to be several hundred miles in circumference. Peeking back in the house to see what was taking the kids so long to come out, Joel was near the door giving a crying Keren a piggy-back ride. With all the shouting and confusion, they somehow thought the house was on fire. As Keren didn’t have any shoes on, Joel our brave, little hero was carrying her to safety. I built a nice tree house for the kids in the big wild cherry tree in the front yard, high as their two-story bedrooms. They even camped in it a night or two. Joel and Keren both loved to go to church and be with their friends, even getting upset if we were unable to attend for some reason. But things were getting a little strange at RCA. Luanne went to help Melinda clean her house and get to know her better. Having only one vehicle, Luanne dropped me off at Master-Craft on her way there. Near quitting time Luanne called me, crying and very upset, saying we had a meeting with Ken and Melinda right after work. She said Melinda had spent the better part of the afternoon relentless- ly scolding Luanne’s perfectionist nature, even yelling at times. Luanne picked me up and we drove over to the church building in silence both quietly wondering what triggered Melinda’s outburst. Arriving first we let ourselves in and

116 T HE COMMON MAN waited in the sanctuary. Minutes later Ken and Melinda came into the sanctuary. I said, “Hi.” Without any greeting, they solemnly and coldly marched by us going into a back office. Following them, it felt like we were going to be excommunicated. Melinda started to address her concerns about Luanne’s perfectionism. I said, “Stop. I want to know why both of you walked by without saying hello.” They dismissed my comments and returned to Melinda’s concerns. “No,” I said, “we’re not going further with any discussion until you answer my question.” “Do you know who you’re talking to?” Melinda challenged. “We’re the pastors and that is no way to talk to us.” “I don’t care who you are.” I said, “That doesn’t give you any right to treat us like you did.” Seeing the conversation degenerate, Ken flipped a pencil and threw up his hands helplessly. Melinda continued to exert pressure on us to cower in their presence. I was unmoved and not going to budge until I got an apology for their rudeness. After reconciling our differences the meeting concluded barely reaching the point where it had started. Oddly, the subject was never brought up again. Master-Craft was headed for collapse. Employees were quitting. I wasn’t far behind. Again answering an advertisement in the help wanted section of the newspaper; I sent in a resume and was interviewed for the Controller position at Michigan State University/Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies (MSU/KCMS), a physician residency program. Offered the position, I delightfully accepted glad to rejoin the healthcare

117 M ELVIN VALKNER industry and depart the growing despair at Master-Craft, which was shortly thereafter sold to a competitor and moved out of town. MSU/KCMS was jointly owned by Borgess Hospital and Bronson Hospital, but unlike CareTec, this was a successful venture. Located on Borgess’ campus MSU/KCMS was updating and expanding its residency program where newly graduated and as yet unlicensed physicians interned for li- censed physicians. This enabled them to gain practical experience and further education in their chosen specialty practice. With their growth plans and needing an infusion of oversight, a new management team was hired. I reported to John Jones, Jr. a graduate of Notre Dame’s Executive MBA program. John was a bright and good-natured guy who created a very pleasant and professional work environment. But as VP of Finance he didn’t know how to prepare financial statements and asked for my help in reading and interpreting them. He promised to make every effort to get me a raise, but not much of anything came my way. My main task was bringing accounting functions in-house and installing an automated accounting system. By now I had gained quite a bit of experience in automating accounting systems. The days of manually preparing general ledgers were left behind. MSU/KCMS had always used a small CPA firm to manually prepare their financial statements and a larger firm for year- end auditing purposes. But there were several unknown and unresolved issues from years past on the books such as a $30,000 contribution from one of the hospitals but no one knew which one. I proposed reconciling entries and gained their approval.

118 T HE COMMON MAN

Shortly after arriving at work one morning, informed that a grant application had to be in Washington, D.C. by noon, I was to immediately drive to the airport where a plane ticket was waiting, board a plane to D.C., catch a taxi to a certain address, tell the taxi to wait, deliver the grant, and take the taxi right back to the airport just in time for the return flight home. Everything went exactly according to plan, but delivering the grant application was a strange experience. With the taxi waiting outside I found the office accepting medical grants. Truly, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The office was about 16 feet by 16 feet, staffed by four people who moved at a snail’s pace – although that may be an exaggera- tion, they might not having been moving that fast. Two women had facing desks, with one having her back to the door, and two men had desks of their own. The woman at the desk with her back to the door picked up a paper from the stack on her left side, put it down in front of her, stamped the paper and then shuffled the paper to her right side all seemingly in slow motion, and then repeated the process. Requesting a receipt from the overweight fellow waiting on me, he turned to the others with words that sluggishly spilled out of his mouth asking, “Where is the receipt book?” Someone boringly pointed to a desk drawer responding in a monotone voice, “It’s in the drawer.” The man slowly knelt down reaching into a desk drawer, with his “plumber’s crack” in plain view. Finally getting my receipt, much to my chagrin I watched him stacked our grant on top of a tall pile of other grants in the corner. Returning to MSU/KCMS, I told of my experience to Jeff Greene, a former federal government employee who had worked in Chicago. He said, “There are people like that everywhere in the government, which is why I had to get out.”

119 M ELVIN VALKNER

Government bureaucracy took on a completely new meaning for me. Later, an opening occurred for a clinic administrator in one of MSU/KCMS’ clinics. I applied for it confident that after a short learning curve I could master it. Because I didn’t have experience in clinic administration my application was rejected. Feeling pigeon-holed in the accounting role I held, discontent now set in and I was soon searching the help wanted ads again. Exploring options I applied for enrollment in Cooley Law School in Lansing. Studying for and passing their entrance exams I was accepted and put on a waiting list two years long but was assured that many candidates would be withdrawing their applications and therefore the waiting time would certainly be reduced. I thought it would be great to be an attorney and make myself available to fight the religious and legal battles that were clearly ahead. The court should be impartial, but it is, after all, a political institution. Czar the breeder had us twice bring Claire to ensure breed- ing success. Her five puppies were born in the middle of the night. Luanne sensed it was happening and got the whole family up to watch. Bringing them to Czar a couple of weeks later she bobbed their tails with only her thumbnail. Four weeks later the puppies were gone, much to Claire’s relief. We never bred her again. With all the housing construction in our area the little green heron was spotted infrequently. Still there was the occasional fox trotting through the pines and wild turkeys were always a delight to see cautiously and jerkily trekking through the woods. Of course, plenty of squirrels, rabbits and many types of birds were to be seen. Deer were often spotted including a herd numbering around 30 running through Harold’s field across the street.

120 T HE COMMON MAN

We planted five blueberry bushes in the front yard and expanded the orchard by ordering saplings and planting six fruit trees: two peach, two apple, a cherry and a pear. I had my gall bladder removed in August 1991 and, with the miracle of laser surgery endured only three small incisions. Within a week I was in the U.P. helping Luanne’s folks build their log cabin on a small lake with Joel, Dick and his son Eric. Dick and I each took a week off work to help. Joel and Er- ic’s job was to take pictures with a movie camera. They got some great shots, but mostly went fishing. A trip to the U.P. was like a visit back in time, to an earlier era with abundant wildlife like minks, otters and eagles. Hugh and Jan had purchased a log cabin kit, but there were still many angles and notches that had to be cut, many with a chain saw. Hugh had already prepared the foundation. At the end of the first day we were pleased with the progress made and thought this project was going to be a snap. By the end of the second day, the logs were so heavy our strength was sapped and our boasting was gone. Marv and Sue Brenner came to help for a couple of days. Sue was Luanne’s cousin, Uncle Hank and Aunt Charlene’s daughter. A couple of days later Dennis, Luanne’s brother, was able to lend a helping hand. By week’s end the cabin’s walls and roof were in place to the point of putting on roofing boards. Hugh and Janice finished it by themselves that summer, making continual improvements on it over the years. Ed Hindle, a member of RCA, was in need of firewood and asked if he could come out and get some from our woods. Affirming that he could, he then asked Gary Hogel, also from RCA, to help him. Gary had a truck to haul the wood back to town. The two came to cut down a couple of smaller trees.

121 M ELVIN VALKNER

After showing them into the woods I had other commitments and had to leave. Seeing Ed at church the next day I asked how everything went. Embarrassed he said a tree had fallen on Gary’s truck! Going to the parking lot to inspect Gary’s truck, there was a dent angling across the top of his truck bed cap and across the truck’s cab. Ed said Gary was so upset when it happened he took the wood they had already loaded and threw it out on the ground. Sure enough, taking a walk back in the woods later there was the pile of cut wood. Leaving the pile alone I had another story to tell visitors. Walking in the woods I noticed that the six-inch tree cut down years earlier that had landed in the crotch of a limb larger than it on another tree was now down on the ground on top of the large limb it had balanced on. Every time the wind blew and the large limb moved, the six-inch tree wedged further into the crotch of the large limb eventually tearing it off. Persistence pays. My entrepreneurial bent continued. Steve and Monica Moreno also attended RCA. Luanne and Monica got talking about the need for a unique greeting card line with a generally Christian emphasis but laced with lots of humor. Shortly the four of us started Philadelphia Greeting Cards recruiting local artists including Ken and Randy Bonzo from church. We put together a four-color flyer with images of several unique cards, and mailed them to churches as fund raisers. Response was terrible. Discouraged, we let the fledging business collapse. A chief administrator position for the Heart Institute of Michigan (HIM) opened up across the street. After two interviews I was offered and accepted the position as VP of Administration of the cardiology group. Giving my notice to KCMS, John wondered if I would help interview my replacement. One of the applicants was Amy Nich- ols, my former assistant at CareTec. I assured John she would be

122 T HE COMMON MAN perfect for the job and she turned out to be a perfect match, taking my place for a second time. To celebrate Hugh’s 60th birthday at Disney World over Thanksgiving, Hugh and Jan paid for airfare and hotels for their three children and their families. Disney World had grown dramatically since Luanne and I were there sixteen years earlier. Everything was so built up, wonderfully exotic. The rides and food were terrific. We all had a fun time. Hugh was romanced by a tough- talking gal dressed as a sergeant, clearly a Disney employee bent on keeping things stirred up. Of course, people-watching was fun. One fellow put down his half-eaten sandwich and turned away. A bird flew down out of the tree above, snatched it up and flew away with it. When the fellow turned back for another bite, the look on his face was priceless. We explained to him what just happened. He could hardly believe it. Neither could we. HIM, now known as the Heart Center for Excellence, had the only freestanding heart catheterization lab in Michigan, and was a very successful cardiology practice. HIM occupied the lower two floors of a three-story building the HIM physicians owned. They rented the top floor to a mental health practice owned by Borgess. Borgess built an enclosed walkway over Shaffer Street to connect its complex to HIM’s building for easier patient and physician access. Dr. Enrique Leguizamon, the senior cardiologist and founder of HIM, had come to Kalamazoo some 30 years before and almost single-handedly brought modernized cardiology to the area. Exceptionally brilliant and persuasive, he demanded the hospitals provide new technology so the latest procedures could be performed making several adver- saries along the way.

123 M ELVIN VALKNER

While very charming he could be difficult to deal with. This was well known and I was aware of this potentially troubling aspect. Nonetheless such a position seemed an ideal way to break out of being an accountant. Dr. Leguizamon and I hit it off well. I appreciated his in- tellect, intuition and his sense of humor. Still, he would purposely create a crisis where none existed. I believe it was just his way of testing people. Like the time he spontaneously decided to abolish employee health insurance and paid vacation. He insisted that I, as chief administrator, immediately follow his instructions and announce the changes to employees. I did not. After a couple of days he called me into his office wondering when I would be announcing the changes. I told him I would not do that. Everyone would quit. He agreed and the issue was over. Signing checks to pay bills was always traumatic too. Sometimes he would refuse to pay invoices for office supplies such as pens, pencils, post-it notes, etc. saying he didn’t order them and that whoever ordered them could pay for them. But a bigger crisis would present itself before long. Previously HIM had prepared for and passed an inspection by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Unlike hospitals, for HIM this was a voluntary accreditation. Dr. Leguizamon believed it would greatly enhance HIM’s medical credibility and financial reimbursement. To maintain accreditation mandatory JCAHO inspections were performed every three years thereafter. They were a great deal of work and like every bureaucratic process involve paperwork proving adherence to a significant number of regulations. This was not something that could be done at the last minute. JCAHO inspectors looked for continual, on-

124 T HE COMMON MAN going compliance. Unfortunately, HIM’s compliance had been lax for almost two years before my arrival. Anne, a key assistant, desperately and unsuccessfully showed Dr. Leguizamon what needed to be done to pass the upcoming inspection. Emphatic that he wanted to pass the inspection yet unwilling to fully meet their requirements, he insisted that the staff be responsible for a successful re- accreditation. Anne quit in frustration. We plunged ahead as best we could. Part of JCAHO requirements were for all the HIM physicians to annually sign an application indicating that their license was in order, etc. The day before the JCAHO inspectors came it was noted that the physicians’ credentials had not been updated by HIM since the last inspection three years earlier. I instructed that applications be prepared having the doctors sign them without dating them. When JCAHO arrived they requested a meeting with Dr. Leguizamon as the managing physician. Despite several demands by JCAHO to meet with Dr. Leguizamon, all day long and the next, he wouldn’t find time to meet with them. Meanwhile they were discovering lapses of adherence and were becoming quite hostile. After inspecting the physician’s credentials they claimed they were fraudulent. I informed JCAHO that they had just been prepared and signed the day before but without dates so as not to be fraudulent. But they were angry over so many things they had had enough, packed their bags and left. They would compile their findings and get back with us. By the summer of 1992 I had started another business. Having had several years of preparing and reviewing personnel policies, I knew from experience that personnel policies of small businesses were often ill prepared. ManageRight was

125 M ELVIN VALKNER formed to produce and sell sets of personnel policies organized and condensed in a simple, yet effective order. Trying a focused mailing I sold a few manuals and was somewhat encouraged but without the desired initial success the idea was soon abandoned. The steel plated mailbox that Mr. Wade had built years earlier was hit by a truck driven by a woman avoiding a deer crossing the road along the tree line. Rust had taken its toll on the steel I-beam, enough for it to break off at ground level. I was relieved that the overweight mailbox didn’t fly through her windshield, and was frightened enough by the prospect that I replaced it with a lighter, oversized aluminum mailbox on a wooden post. It didn’t last through the summer before it was hit by a truck avoiding a deer crossing the road in the identical spot. Using duct tape I reshaped the mangled mailbox close to its original shape and reattached it to its post which had survived the incident. A month later it was again run over, this time completely crumpling it. Looking for a new one, I bought a durable plastic mailbox believing it to virtually indestructible. If it got hit by a car the post would snap but leave the plastic mailbox reusable, simply having to be mounted on another post. Coming home after dark one evening as our car made its turn into the driveway the headlights flashed where the mailbox normally stood, except it wasn’t there. Getting the flashlight to go look for it, I was confounded to see a pool of melted plastic. Someone had burned it right to the ground! The next morning Luanne called the police who came out and looked things over. “Yup, someone burned it,” they said, adding they had no clues to go after the culprit. They said someone probably stuck a newspaper in it and the lit the

126 T HE COMMON MAN newspaper on fire. I replaced it with an inexpensive $5 black metal one, the cheapest one I could find. Some friends at RCA gave us their old above ground swimming pool. It was already several years old but so well made it had lots of life left in it. We had some sand brought in. Unfortunately it wasn’t fine enough as any pebble might poke a hole through the plastic liner. Luanne and I spent many hours sifting sand. Hugh buried wire for the pool pump. The best spot was in the front yard, because it was flat and there we could keep a close eye on it. Not sure if permits were required, we never bothered checking. It provided us with many years of pleasure. On the Fourth of July I thought it good to read aloud the Declaration of Independence to Luanne and the kids. Boring everyone, they ridiculed my attempt but we finally made it through. It provides a good laugh to this day. Meanwhile with the kids off to school everyday, Luanne enrolled in Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s (KVCC) general curriculum. Unsure of what her ultimate major would be she started taking the required courses. Seriously considering a psychology major she paid a visit to Ken’s office to talk about it. He shared his less than enthusiastic viewpoint on the subject, believing that psychologists were usurping the pastoral role. The following mid-week service I was busy and couldn’t attend but Luanne went. She heard Ken say from the pulpit, “So don’t be thinking that I gotta get a Ph.D. in psychology in order to be a counselor.” Luanne slammed her Bible shut, squirming through the rest of the service. She brought home the tape of the service. Oh yeah, he preached and then the sound of a slammed book. She was mad.

127 M ELVIN VALKNER

This was not the first time Ken had taken a private matter and preached on it. It was not unusual to wonder, “Who’s he preaching about this time?” One Saturday morning before a leaders’ meeting Luanne had asked Ken in his office why Doug and Andy Sager were dismissed from being BodyLife home group leaders. He said that it just shouldn’t be talked about. Starting the leaders’ meeting he addressed everyone in an irate tone to stop gossip- ing, that Doug and Andy’s dismissal didn’t need to be discussed by anyone and to not question authority. For six months Melinda had not attended church. Natural- ly everyone was curious and asked questions as to how she was doing. Ken took issue with this and announced from the pulpit that, while it was nobody’s business, he understood that rumors and gossip were going around that were not true, and he wanted to address them. Ken said that there were no marital or spiritual problems but Melinda was exhausted and needed rest. Still, the subject came up frequently at Bible study. Luanne and I explained what Ken had said, keeping our own questions suppressed. Shortly thereafter it was announced that Melinda asked Ken to move out of their house, that she wanted a divorce. Ken acquiesced. Ken had assured us from the pulpit there were no marital problems and now divorce was imminent. I called Dale, a church elder, to talk to him about it. What about I Timothy 3:2-5, that an overseer must manage his own family well? Would Ken consider a sabbatical to take some time to work on saving his marriage? I asked. Weak explanations were given all centering on defending Ken’s intent to stay in leadership. A leader’s meeting was called for. It was to meet in the evening at our house with Ken, the elders and deacons

128 T HE COMMON MAN present. By this time Luanne and I had several distinct concerns which we outlined in preparation for the meeting. Pulling up chairs, Ken sat on Luanne’s left in a corner of the room and I sat on Luanne’s right. Discussion started with an elder voicing a prayer request for Melinda and that she repent of turning her back on God. We had been told for months that there was no problem with her spiritual life now prayer for her repentance was being sought! This didn’t set well with me. Studiously following our prepared outline Luanne and I worked our way to the last point which was for Ken to take a sabbatical and make every attempt to save his marriage. Luanne reminded everyone when Ken and Melinda had first come to town that Ken had said the mark of a church founded by God was that it would survive if something should happen to the founder. And now it seemed to be a test if this was so. Ken bellowed, “That’s a lie straight from the pit of hell!” immediately falling on his knees sobbing, clutching my knee as I sat there stunned by the outburst, unsure what to do. Luanne was very offended. Sandwiched between us, she stepped over Ken’s grasp of me and walked outside into the night. Everyone gathered around Ken and prayed for him. I went outside to find Luanne. Finding her pacing the lane to the woods she refused to return until everyone left. We decided to leave RCA and the fellowship of its good members. We quietly visited Ken in his office notifying him of our decision, giving him a list of our duties that needed to be performed by someone else. It bothered me that seemingly we might not be in alignment with the prophetic word spoken over us. But as vividly pointed out in I Kings 13 we are to act on what God is telling us and not be swayed by others.

129 M ELVIN VALKNER

I continued to read the Bible through in its entirety year after year, finding it a great source of comfort and inspiration, for it is the Book of Books about the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. After leaving RCA Sunday mornings were spent visiting different churches searching for one that we were comfortable with. Eventually we attended a church not far from our home, Third Reformed Church. It turned out that many years earlier they helped sponsor Doster Reformed Church by providing time and financial assistance the small church required. Signing up for a membership class then dropping out after three weeks, Pastor Don Jansma paid us a visit at home one evening. He listened sympathetically as we told him our story of trust and the cult-like environment we just left. While wanting to become members at Third Reformed we explained that we needed more time to heal from the RCA experience. Gently he told us that he understood and was available if we needed him. Getting to know some members of Third Reformed we joined George and Karen Reck’s home group. Our old friends Bob and Kathie Dievendorf were now at Third Reformed and part of Reck’s group. Reochs had also left Zion Lutheran but were attending Agape. On January 2, 1993 sitting at home and contemplating my job discontent I wrote a letter of resignation to Dr. Leguizamon stating that I just had an opportunity presented to me that was more in line with my interests. I did this only to feel better. There was no other opportunity. But I felt better by writing the letter even though it never left the house. Four days later I got a call from my brother Rich’s wife Janetta on behalf of her father, Chuck Schneider, Sr., asking

130 T HE COMMON MAN for my input on her father’s invention, something he had been working on for a long time. There was nothing too unusual about that request, except Chuck had just been released from prison after spending nearly 12 years behind bars serving time for a murder conviction. He claimed he was innocent. Now free, he was starting over and living with Janetta and Rich. Mom said Janetta was convinced he had been framed. I’ve read stories about people wrongfully convicted. I know those things happen. And as a Christian, I believe in second chances. With my business background I thought to myself, “No big deal. I’ll just go out, find a few holes in his plan and that will be that. How hard can this be?” I had no idea what I was getting into. When I arrived to meet Chuck the kitchen was filled with cigarette smoke. Chuck, his son Chuck Junior, a para- engineer, and Junior’s wife Kandy were all puffing away. A non-smoker, I found the thick smoke irritating. I tried smoking for a year in college but quit due to sore throats, headaches and the mess it left. The three puffed away explaining Chuck’s concept to me. Chuck was courteous and obviously very smart. He was a stocky man with a somewhat rough countenance giving the impression that he was not afraid of a fight. But I was just there to quickly critique his idea and go home. Chuck said he and Junior had already met with funding sources in Ohio and had a minimum of $3 million committed as soon as a proof-of-concept prototype was built and a business plan prepared. Nodding towards a drawer he said he had just received a good faith investment check for $15,000. I felt the Spirit urge me to ask to see the check. But I discounted such a thought thinking it to be a breach of trust on my part as

131 M ELVIN VALKNER neither Junior nor Kandy disputed his assertion. If I had obeyed the Spirit’s urging I would have found his statement untrue, no doubt would have walked away, and saved myself years of grief. Chuck said that he was aware that I knew of his past, and that the wealthy investors he and Junior had met with knew about his past. He urged me to keep it completely confidential so he could get on with his life. I gave him my word that I would not tell anybody. That promise would later haunt me and tear at my soul. Now past 60, he didn’t like to give his age. Chuck told of his engineering experiences, reflecting how as a youngster his father had owned a tool and die shop. Instead of playing ball with the other kids he loved to make things in the shop learning basic things like a three-legged stool will set on any surface without rocking, and it’s easier to pull a string than it is to push it. He claimed he had many patents over the years that had been assigned to his employers. Kandy loudly boasted how the project would be managed. Curious, I asked of her background. She was majoring in psychology without any business experience. Without formal training Junior was working as a para- engineer. He had an arrogant brazenness about him. Both struck me as prima donnas. While it was Chuck’s concept, Junior said the company to be formed would be a 50/50 split between Chuck and them. That brought on a hard, suspicious look in Chuck’s eyes. Tension seemed to be just below the surface. Key managers normally receive only a small percent of stock. As details emerged, I quickly became fascinated with his concept, a portable and lightweight suitcase containing vital medical devices providing critical care nearest the point of need, including automatic CPR. Knowing something about the

132 T HE COMMON MAN only CPR product available on the market, his sketches seemed novel and innovative. Other drawings detailed how telescoping poles could be pulled out from the suitcase converting it into a litter (stretcher) to transport the patient. Chuck explained that he first started thinking about the idea when his brother died of a heart attack at home. His sister-in-law was home at the time, but was paralyzed with fear and could not even call 911. He thought a device was needed that would let the caregiver start care and then maintain hands-free care, allowing the caregiver to call 911 and do whatever else was required. I thought the concept was brilliant. Chuck asked me if I wanted to be part of the project. Though I had doubts about Chuck’s character I liked his confidence. I said, “Sure!” I bought a business plan program for my Macintosh and carried it to our meetings. Putting our thoughts to paper was exhilarating. Junior had a PC with Lotus 1-2-3. We used this to build our financial forecast. He was an advanced Lotus user but knew little of organizing and formatting financial projections. Often we worked late into the night searching for consistent, reasonable logic in our projections. I bounced the idea off the cardiologists at HIM to see their thoughts on its potential. They were interested in knowing more and wanted to meet Chuck. Dressed in a green suit, looking and acting very business- like, Chuck reviewed his engineering background with them, not mentioning the last 12 years of his life. He made a terrific presentation explaining the unit’s concept and anticipated operation. They asked questions about the device and were eager to give their input on improving the concept. Before leaving the

133 M ELVIN VALKNER physicians were asked to consider investing in the device. They said they would give it thought. Meanwhile I had a job interview with another physician practice. At the outset I requested confidentiality to protect my position at HIM which they assured me they would honor. But they called Dr. Leguizamon telling him of my interview, who called me into his office and asked me, “Are you going to stay or leave?” Luanne said she didn’t care if I stayed or left only not to lose the house in my business dealings. I gave her my word, a word that over the years proved nearly impossible to keep. I told him I was leaving as soon as I found another job. That being the case, he wanted time before I left to find my replacement. I submitted my resignation on February 21 effective April 30 but by making a commitment to help my successor, I would be paid through June 30. JCAHO had disqualified HIM’s accreditation. HIM protest- ed the decision. Dr. Francis, a long time partner in the practice, Jim Aluia the new administrator, Deb Lane, Dr. Leguizamon and I piled into Dr. Leguizamon’s Lexus with me driving and off we went to Chicago to formally meet with JCAHO. Near the edge of Chicago another driver waving wildly got our attention, rolled down his window and shouted that there was fire under our car. I immediately pulled off the left side of the highway. Fortunately I was able to wave down a highway maintenance vehicle that pulled over with a fire extinguisher and quickly put out the fire. A kind stranger in an older, dented station wagon stopped and asked if he could help. Then a policeman stopped, encouraging us to get the car checked over right away. We decided that Dr. Francis, Jim and Deb would go with the stranger so they could get to the JCAHO meeting on

134 T HE COMMON MAN time. The policeman instructed Dr. Leguizamon and me to get off the highway via a gravel path used by highway maintenance vehicles, providing directions to the nearest Lexus dealer. The dealer found that dry grass had gotten lodged next to the catalytic converter and caught fire. In turn, that fire started some plastic on fire. They ran the Lexus through the car wash ensuring that the fire was completely out. Keeping an eye on the time, I figured we might still get to the meeting before it started. Dr. Leguizamon called me over to the car and asked if I thought gold emblems would look better on the black Lexus than the chrome ones on the car. I said yes, I think they would. Finding out they were in stock, to my dismay, he immediately ordered the dealer to replace them! Changing them dashed hope of getting to the meeting on time. Leaving the dealership, he then had me swing into a Chi- nese restaurant. Thinking he wanted take out, I was mortified when he went in and sat down, telling me not to mention this to anyone. Finally arriving at the meeting with JCAHO just as everyone was exiting, Dr. Francis was very upset and had private words with Dr. Leguizamon. Deb had worked for Dr. Leguizamon for many years. She asked me what we had to eat. I tried as best I could to ignore her question. Things had gone badly without Dr. Leguizamon or me there to explain our position. Dr. Leguizamon and I never entered the building. Everyone piled into the car and we left. The others were hungry and wanted something to eat, so I dutifully pulled into another restaurant. Taking orders the waitress took Dr. Leguizamon’s order first. Good, I thought, I’ll see what he orders knowing he, like me, wasn’t the least

135 M ELVIN VALKNER bit hungry. He excused himself saying he wanted to take a look at the dessert tray. Meanwhile the waitress made her way around the table to me. Trying to pretend I was hungry I ordered a sandwich. Dr. Leguizamon returned saying he wasn’t very hungry and only wanted a piece of pie. Shortly thereafter, Cooley Law School notified me that I had been accepted into the next law class. With very little hesitation I passed on it, committing to work on the medical device opportunity, ignorant of the trouble ahead.

136 Into the Fire

few days later Junior called me at home to say he was A quitting the project. Bob Henn, Chuck’s patent attorney, had faxed Junior a copy of a patent obtained during a patent search. Junior believed his father was committing fraud via patent infringement. Sensing he may have other reservations I asked him if there was anything else. He said, “I just don’t know.” I called Chuck and relayed this to him. He immediately gave me Bob’s phone number and told me to speak to him myself. Chuck explained that he first met Bob, a devout Christian Scientist, when Bob had been visiting a fellow prisoner as part of a prison ministry. When Chuck discovered that Bob was a patent attorney for an oil company he showed him ideas he had been working on as well as the result of a patent search performed by another patent attorney. Bob did some pro bono work for Chuck in hopes of securing a future stake in one of the projects. Bob was quite indignant about Junior’s reaction. He retort- ed that he didn’t tell engineers how to do their job and he didn’t want to be told how to do his. He said a patent search

137 M ELVIN VALKNER had been performed and offered some nuances of patent law, concluding that, while he couldn’t guarantee a patent would ultimately be granted, he was sure some features would prove patentable. I called Chuck back to let him know Bob convinced me that he had hopes of patentability. The next day Chuck called me at HIM to tell me that Junior wanted to be paid for the work he had done. I suggested to Chuck that $2,000 might be a good number. Chuck called his son and then called me back. He said that Junior had told him that since he had done all the work on the projections, and I was of little help, he would not settle for less than $4,000. I told Chuck to not pay him. I would redo the work since I didn’t really like the final format anyway. After a few days I made the rounds to ask each physician their interest in investing in the project. Dr. Campbell, Dr. Gellert and Dr. Leguizamon loaned enough for the first prototype to be built. Chuck and I initially started a partnership, CM Develop- ment, to account for the funding. We ordered a preliminary marketing study performed by Dick Rose, a contact of mine. He reported that the device had merit and it was anticipated any investment would be recouped. But, he said, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval was a concern for the automatic CPR device. Bob checked with a friend of his who said devices were generally on the market within three months after notifying the FDA that the device was ready to be marketed. Unbeknown to us, the FDA regulations for the new CPR component had just been changed becoming dramatically more restrictive. In April Chuck and I were having dinner at a Mexican restaurant talking about funding I had garnered and the contributions I was making. Chuck said he thought I deserved

138 T HE COMMON MAN

15% of the company, promising that if I continued to perform then a larger share would be forthcoming including stock in other inventions he had. I took him at his word, “I’ll be fair. You can trust me to take care of you.” By this time, Dr. Doster, an emergency room physician and my kindergarten classmate, Dr. Khaghany, a heart surgeon, also loaned money. Millard joked that he hoped we wouldn’t end up in Tahiti with his money. Far from it. With business plan in hand it seemed possible to procure funding from local sources. And, we still had Chuck’s assurance his wealthy investors from Ohio could be brought in at any time. Business attorney George Lennon advised us of “blue sky” stock offerings without the benefit of a “private placement memorandum.” Chuck took the project to a small shop near Detroit specializing in the fabrication of fiberglass prototypes for the auto industry. Several form studies were brought back to the physicians for their input. They were excited and positive about this development. The physicians made several practical improvements which were forwarded to the designers. Disconcerting, Chuck’s behavior was becoming erratic. Meet- ing with the physicians dressed in a T-shirt, jeans and wearing a red bandanna on his head, he asserted he had to let his creative juices flow to achieve the best product. The physicians viewed this unfavorably, commenting and joking about it. They also became reluctant to invest further. Chuck and I finally talked about his murder conviction in detail. He told the story something like this: Chuck was divorced and living in a trailer letting an acquaintance stay with him, who he later found using and selling drugs. About this time Chuck claims he had a stroke and was put on prescription medicines. When used with alcohol they made him hallucinate.

139 M ELVIN VALKNER

On the night of the murder Chuck says he was in a town 27 miles away. After ordering several dishes of ice cream at a sun- dae shop he walked out without paying. As the manager rushed out to catch him he was returning with the chief of police declar- ing that someone had stolen his car. The manager demanded payment. The police chief noticed Chuck twirling his car keys on his finger. He claimed the chief of police, remembering such an unusual evening, signed an affidavit that Chuck was there on the night of the murder. Arriving back in his home town Chuck was met by the police whereupon he immediately confessed, “I did it.” Later he asserted that he was hallucinating and believed he had just driven his car through a store front window. Someone had used Chuck’s shotgun to kill a bartender. Chuck was found guilty and sentenced to prison for murder. According to Chuck, the court wouldn’t hear any new evidence such as the affidavit because the police chief had died in the interim. I wasn’t sure what to think. Although Janetta and I never talked about it, I kept relying on Mom’s assurance of Janetta’s belief in his innocence. Chuck was frightened to death of his parole officer believing that Bill Robbins was looking for any excuse to throw him back in prison. Chuck even had Luanne and I go with him once on his monthly visit to assure Bill that our business dealings were legitimate and properly handled. By late summer the suitcase had morphed into a transport stretcher being fashioned out of clay to get the right dimensions and look. Forms were made to mold and produce a hollow fiberglass model housing an oxygen tank, a defibrillator, EKG monitor, blood pressure, pulse oximeter and other critical care medical instruments. In October the first stretcher prototype was built.

140 T HE COMMON MAN

That fall our partnership CM Development, against Lu- anne’s wishes, bought 10 acres next to her folk’s property. It appeared to be a good long-term investment. After meeting with a building contractor and architect we had blueprints prepared, reviewed and revised. We ordered ground clearing and driveway construction to begin. Although we didn’t have enough money on hand to finish the job we had Chuck’s funding sources to fall back on. We never started construction on our building. Going to a FDA seminar with Dick Rose, our marketing consultant, we discovered that getting FDA approval on the CPR device was going to take longer than what Bob had indicated. Plus, it made no sense to build an assembly facility not knowing exactly what production methods were going to be used. From the start Luanne wasn’t comfortable with the land purchase and was now feeling more justified about her lack of peace. Peace was getting hard to find. Luanne grew increasingly distrustful of Chuck. She noticed details that I missed or ignored. Yet I just wasn’t able to see or understand what she was trying to tell me. Like all couples, we occasionally had disagreements. The truth can hurt, so we tried to keep our words respectful with no name calling. But stress was building. One night she and I had a terrible argument over Chuck, the stretcher, my choices – in general, the whole situation. She threatened to leave. We never had physical altercations. But that night we pushed one another knocking my first anniversary gift to her from the wall, breaking the glass and frame. Next thing I know I was pinning her on the bed, my knees on her arms. She was yelling at me to get off her. I had an epiphany. I realized I could not control her and stop her from leaving. Going or staying would be her decision. I let her up.

141 M ELVIN VALKNER

Calming down and talking about things, we both said we were not leaving. Divorce was not an option. We took it off the table. We would have to work things out. That moment was very freeing for me, to know Luanne was staying because of her love for me, not from coercion. We worked on our marriage, taking time to listen and understand each other. We read books together aloud and discussed the differences between men and women. During times of our reading one would often say, “Stop, I don’t understand.” Great discussions were held about why men want to fix things and women just want to be heard. The result was a deeper understanding and appreciation for the other. We committed ourselves to staying faithful and being devoted. Chuck, the other investors and I formed Cardi-Act, LLC to develop the stretcher, replacing CM Development. FDA Consult- ant Dr. “Buzz” Stromberg flew in for the day to discuss relevant FDA issues and examine our intensive-care stretcher. He liked what he saw and said he thought Cardi-Act deserved its chance in the marketplace. His best guess was that the stretcher and its integrated components, using FDA approved devices, could be approved in six to ten months with the CPR device taking between eighteen and thirty-six months. Dick Nagle, CareTec’s former chairman, was now out of a job. He helped look for investors with the hope of future employment. In December Dick introduced us to businessmen from Decatur. These men were very successful, one from a prominent Kalamazoo family. This man in particular took an instant disliking to Chuck threatening to leave the meeting soon after it started. Luckily we were able to prevent that, but it didn’t matter as they never did invest. Mom, Ron, Marsha Bassett and Russ Dillon each made an investment in return for stock ownership in Cardi-Act. No investor

142 T HE COMMON MAN knew know about Chuck’s past. Not sharing this with the investors, especially our very good, long-time friends Ron and Karen, was terribly oppressive to Luanne and me and caused us much suffering. Chuck had started dating Nancy Allen. Her son-in-law Matt Betts was skilled in computer pre-press sales for the printing industry, and other software. He helped prepare a computer presentation for Stryker, a large stretcher manufacturer located in the area. They weren’t interested in investing. Matt then dressed up our business plan. I pushed Chuck to give him one percent ownership as he freely gave many hours of his time. So Matt became a part owner. In February Chuck and I made our way through near blizzard conditions to attend a venture capital meeting in Detroit where we made several excellent contacts. One of the fellows we met there, well known and well connected in Detroit was very interested in the project until he found out that Chuck was majority owner. His interest dissipated right before my eyes. Bob, our patent attorney, retired from his job and moved from the Philadelphia area to Plainwell to live with Chuck until he could find a place of his own. They were best friends one day, couldn’t stand each other the next. Bob bought a used trailer to live in. His car was an old Fiesta with no air conditioning. For extra money he delivered pizzas. Strange but true, patent attorney by day and pizza delivery man by night. His freezer was packed full with left over pizza. Jim Rogers owned a medical device maintenance firm and had been responsible for maintenance on the catheterization lab equipment at HIM. Explaining that we were at the critical stage of integrating electronic devices into the stretcher, Jim agreed to help and promised to have a working unit within 30 to 60 days.

143 M ELVIN VALKNER

He suggested that we rent space in a building located on the south side of Kalamazoo from Dr. Bob LaPenna, Jim’s friend and one of the physicians at HIM. It had a small office and a room with a workbench, suiting our needs perfectly. We planned for Jim to use parts from other devices and simply integrate them into Cardi-Act’s stretcher. Getting the necessary supplies and components Jim went to work. Another fiberglass prototype was constructed with improvements suggested by the physicians. Sections of it were cut out and revamped to accommodate relevant components. It took on a sleek appearance. Progress was being made. Chuck and Jim became fast friends. Chuck even commented that Jim seemed like a son to him. Jim was brash with qualities that I didn’t like. One day as they left together to run an errand I thought, “There goes trouble.” Matt called me late one night saying Jim knew something about Chuck’s past. He had called Matt about computers and switched the topic to Chuck. Jim had Chuck’s social security number and was running a background check. Jim came to our house first thing the following morning. After starting coffee, Luanne went out for breakfast. Jim and I sat at the kitchen table to talk. Jim asked, “What is the deal with Chuck?” Obviously Jim knew something about Chuck’s background and started to share what he knew. Jim calmly said, “I don’t believe in holding the past against anyone. Let’s just accept the past and go on to the future. But look at the effect this has on the company.” We reviewed options and directions for the company. Jim insisted Chuck needed to be removed from the picture because of his past, saying it was a hindrance to the company. One option discussed was for Chuck to step down as President and have a consulting job.

144 T HE COMMON MAN

I called Chuck, telling him Jim was at my place and we wanted to come over and talk. I told Jim on the way out that Chuck always said he was willing to step down. Chuck greeted us, saying that Bob was on the way. Bob finally arrived, tossing a copy of a CPR patent on the table. I brought everyone current on the situation. It was getting harder to raise money not knowing who knows what out there, etc. We rehashed the options. Jim picked up the patent and quietly studied it. He then questioned, “How long have you had this patent? When did you first know about it? How long have you been working on this project?” Bob was quiet. Jim pressed Bob on what did he think about the patent? Jim’s level of voice and body language was intensifying. Pressing hard on Bob he said, “Did you review this? Bob said, “No.” I was confused and very concerned. It had been assumed all along that we would get a patent that would offer us an exclu- sive position in the market place, a reward for all our hard work and the risk taken. Here we were revisiting this again like when Junior questioned patentability. Bob was intentionally staying cool, not answering Jim inquir- ies with much detail. Jim was getting extremely agitated. Bob gave only brief answers. Then Jim would cut him off. Jim dropped the patent in front of Chuck and, “It’s a ditto.” Chuck looked it over and softly mused, “It’s a ditto?” Jim turned irate! He looked at Bob, and pointing at Bob said, “I hope your malpractice is paid up. If you were my attorney I’d be suing you.”

145 M ELVIN VALKNER

The whole room was thrown into a dither. The phone rang to break the tension. Then Chuck and Bob went to the garage and were talking. Jim turned to me and said, “This is a scam. These guys are out there getting their story straight.” Bob and Chuck returned from the garage. I questioned Chuck about his conversation with Bob telling him that Jim accused them of plotting to get their stories straight. Chuck said they were talking about filing a grievance with the State of Ohio against Bill Robbins, Chuck’s parole officer who was just arriving. Things were befuddled. Chuck was meeting with Bill. Bob was silent, not answering Jim’s questions. I approached Jim in the garage and said, “Let’s go for a walk.” We went for a walk around the condominium complex while Chuck and Bob conferred with Bill. During the walk Jim exploded, “It’s a scam Mel. Can’t you see what’s happening? With Bob’s help, it’s a scam.” I said, “Wait, Bob’s never drawn out anything, never been paid.” “He will when a $3 million investment is in the bank,” Jim said. “Mel, you have been used. The whole integrity of the project is on you. It’s gone with no patentability. You’ve lost your mom’s money and your friends’ money. You’ve been taken.” I said, “Wait a minute. The trauma transporter has to be worth something.” Jim just kept going in circles about being scammed saying, “Mel you have to tell the investors.” I was getting physically ill. I told Jim, “I won’t be associated with anything that looks like wrongdoing.” Jim kept saying, “Think how bad this looks. You’re conceal- ing information the investors have a right to know.”

146 T HE COMMON MAN

We went back in, sitting down in the same seats. I spoke up, “Why don’t we do this: Gather everything in a single file and have another patent attorney review it?” Bob said, “Fine.” I asked Bob what he thought that opinion would be. Bob replied, “Patentable novelty here, but no guarantee.” I was completely drained. Arriving home, I lay down on the floor face down and cried out to God asking for discernment. I called Bob saying, “Talk to me Bob.” Bob said, “I am going through several patents point by point and am finding at least six things in our device that look patentable.” Bob said he was miffed. I was relieved. As the good book says in Romans 8:28 (NIV), “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,” and in I Corinthians 4:5 (NIV), “He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.” First thing the next morning Jim showed up at our house. Saying he had called his attorney he said, “Did you know it’s illegal for a convicted felon to be a CEO?” His attorney said not to accept any bonuses, commissions, stock, anything. Jim made it clear he could only act as an independent contractor effective immediately. That was strange. I had never talked to him about anything other than working as an independent contractor. Demanding again that the investors know, “Mel, you don’t know how bad this looks. Mel, you have everything to lose – Chuck doesn’t lose anything – it’s all on your shoulders. You lose your integrity.” I called Chuck. “We have to talk to George Lennon about Jim’s CEO comment.” George was not available until Monday. Waiting the whole weekend with this weight was a nightmare.

147 M ELVIN VALKNER

Monday morning Jim was back at our house, going on and on, over and over, incessantly droning, “Mel do you know what this makes you look like? Do you know what a risk you’ve taken?” Luanne stepped into the room and said, “You aren’t telling us anything new, that we aren’t already aware of. We have been carrying the weight of this for a long time.” She asked him if he was aware of the fact that she had graduated from high school with Janetta, that Luanne had known her and her family for a long time? He looked a little wide-eyed and said no. The next day my phone was ringing off the hook. Jim had promptly gone out and told the HIM physicians. Dr Leguizamon suggested I have our attorney review the situation. The following day Chuck, Bob and I met with George to tell him everything. George asked Chuck what happened. Chuck said, “I shot a man.” His answer jolted me as it seemed like a confession, not merely what he had been accused of. When I questioned him about this later he denied having said it that way. George advised us to call a meeting with all the investors and be ready for whatever conclusion they came to. And, contrary to Jim’s report, he added that should the investors decide to keep Chuck as CEO he could continue to serve in that position. So we arranged a meeting at HIM for all the investors to come and be updated. Not everyone came but a majority did. Jim was also invited. However we had grown wary of him, believing that he saw this as an opportunity to position himself as a white knight in the eyes of the physicians. Jim was critical of Chuck’s engineering abilities throughout the meeting. When asked by an investor what he was doing for Cardi-Act, Jim showed off his knowledge of electronics citing abbreviated part names and numbers.

148 T HE COMMON MAN

During the meeting Chuck proclaimed his innocence in the murder and said he would accept their decision as to his future role. Everyone seemed generally satisfied with this. Chuck excused himself. It was voted to allow Chuck to continue in his role as CEO. One good thing that came out of everyone knowing Chuck’s history was now our good friends Ron and Karen knew. I went over to their house to apologize for not telling them about Chuck, explaining how I had made a commitment to Chuck to stay silent about his past, and how painful it was to be a man of Psalm 15:4 (NIV), “…who keeps an oath even when it hurts.” Always gracious they understood my pledge. Jim’s 60 days to complete a working model were up. He promised that he would be ready for a demonstration we had scheduled with another potential investor. When Chuck and I arrived for the meeting Jim was cleaning his motorcycle’s carbu- retor with the unit disassembled and obviously unable to function. We were aghast and stupefied. His excuse was that he just ran out of time and couldn’t get it working before the meeting. Luanne had been bothered a great deal by Jim’s ramblings about electronics at the meeting using intricate abbreviations and part numbers. She had an intuition that he didn’t know what he was talking about. She called Jim’s alma mater to verify his degrees. While the universities couldn’t give out grade points over the phone they would verify whether he graduated or not. Jim said he had an undergraduate degree from UCLA and a Masters from UC at Davis. Neither school had any record of him. Jim talked our landlord into changing the lock on our office building saying he was afraid we were going to steal his tools because of our differences. We couldn’t access our own office.

149 M ELVIN VALKNER

Then Jim called saying he was in Grand Rapids, about 45 minutes away and wouldn’t be in until he got paid for his work, payment which wasn’t due him until after the weekend. I called Chuck and told him we had to get our equipment out of that office immediately. Chuck was reluctant saying he could not afford to be in any altercation because of his parole. Luanne, Bob and I rode to the office in the company’s used pickup hoping that the door might be unlocked and we could get our stuff out. Sure enough it was open as we sneaked towards the entrance. Making it all the way in we were greeted with a barren office with the exception of our stretcher stripped bare of any electronics. Astonished, we saw Jim driving out of an adjacent ware- house. Stopping him to talk we could see our equipment in his vehicle. Demanding it back, he said we would get our equipment returned when he got paid. We loaded the inconsequential pieces of junk equipment left behind. Jim did a little testing of us by leaving his tool belt in the office. At one point in my disgust and resentment I tossed it on our truck knowing it was his, but thought better of it before leaving and returned it to the floor of the office where I found it. The whole incident was reported to the police. With no physical harm taking place our case was put at the bottom of the pile never to surface.

150 Time Goes On

e immediately found another small office to rent. W Chuck was left lethargic and demoralized. He was hardly able to function. His condo lease in Plainwell was up so he busied himself looking for a place to live. Due to his distrust of his parole officer he decided to move out of Allegan County moving to a remote cottage on a small lake in a different county. Being an extreme extrovert Chuck soon became depressed and lonely due to the isolation. Luanne and I spent hours going through the Medical Device Register looking for any FDA-approved products that might fit our parameters, finally finding something that had all the needed AC/DC components. I called WMU seeking an electronic engineer student who could install the electronics for us. A professor directed me to his best student Rod Shaffer, a Navy veteran looking for some part-time work. Rod also created electronics controlling the CPR compressions. Another fiberglass stretcher was quickly built using revisions from the previous prototype. The unit was painted white and

151 M ELVIN VALKNER the name Cardi-Act, along with some decals simulating a heart beat, were artfully pasted on the unit. After solving a few more technical difficulties we were satisfied with the stretcher’s general operation. Bob filed for a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Septem- ber 14, 1994 naming Chuck as the inventor hopeful, but not knowing, that a patent would be granted. Chuck assigned any future rights to Cardi-Act. Due to local funding drying up it was time for Chuck’s Ohio sources to come and look at our work and determine the size of their investment. Trying to reach them, Chuck said they no longer took or returned his phone calls. Whether anyone had genuine interest I never knew. Regardless, no investment was forthcoming. Now we were desperate for financing. I contacted anyone I could think of in the Kalamazoo area who might have the desire and ability to fund Cardi-Act. In November a local businessman Bob Dykema introduced us to Phil Siegfried, a successful CPA. Phil was thinking about retiring from public accounting and was interested in learning more about our project, asking a great deal of penetrating questions. He wondered how much more funding was necessary to get the product through the final design and FDA approval process and to a point where selling the units could take place. We studied the costs and sales timeline believing we knew what it would take to reach our goals. After a couple of meetings, one at his home and another at his office, Phil scheduled a meeting with Chuck and me at our new office to discuss the level of his interest in the project. When Phil asked what he would get in return for a sizable investment Chuck suddenly stood up saying he had to go do something important, excused himself and left, leaving Phil and me staring at each other, both quite confused.

152 T HE COMMON MAN

Since any equity dilution would come from Chuck’s share of ownership, only Chuck could commit what was needed in exchange for the contribution. Phil and I talked a little more and the meeting awkwardly ended. Phil’s face said it all. What could possibly be more important to Chuck, the majority owner, than the prospect of a large investment? Able to catch up with Chuck later in the day, I asked him what was so important that he had to leave so abruptly. He explained that he had to take his girlfriend Nancy to lunch to make up for a fight they had. I was dumbfounded. Phil refused to take any further calls. Another potential source of funding stopped by to see a demonstration of the unit. He called me the next day wanting to have lunch with me, emphasizing the need to talk to me alone. Over a sandwich he said he was keenly interested in the project but queried me on Chuck’s background saying he didn’t trust nor like him. Chuck was becoming a huge liability. In January I asked Chuck for a larger share, reminding him of his earlier promise to take care of me. I was assuming a much larger role than ever anticipated and for all the embar- rassment and grief I was enduring, due to the strange and extenuating circumstances of this project, I felt I deserved a little more. He said he would think about it but would never give me an answer. Other funding sources came and went without making an investment. Cardi-Act held its annual member meeting on May 1 according to its bylaws. Regarding potential funding, Chuck wanted to know why it wouldn’t be a pro rata deal whereby everyone gave a portion of their interest. Instantly angered, the

153 M ELVIN VALKNER members reminded Chuck of his commitment to freely give whatever it took to attract venture capital as he had no money to put into the deal. The meeting ended on a sour note. Chuck moved again, this time to an old trailer just like Bob but in a different trailer park. We were behind in our house payments, telephone and electric bills with the customary notices of foreclosure and cutoff being received. Mom loaned money to us just before the house was repossessed. Money was tight. Tithing non-existent. I spent a great deal of time thinking, trying to make sense of things. Luanne suggested I start journaling every day, throwing away writings that just rambled or were venom-filled. As I began to journal I was shocked at my anger toward God, blam- ing him for my problems and was reminded of Prov. 19:3 (NIV), “A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the LORD.” Those worthless writings were destroyed, but I continued pouring out my heart to God, telling him of my plight and pleading for his mercy. Writing seemed to help. The number of pages grew. A tree buyer stopped by wanting to buy some large cherry trees in our woods. He bought 16 of them. The cash was badly needed. What is going on with prices I wondered? Everything seemed to be expensive. A Hershey chocolate bar now cost 50 cents. Desperate for cash Chuck borrowed $1,500 from me, the third time I loaned him half of all the cash I had on hand. He parked his Mazda sports car at the end of my driveway with a “For Sale” sign on it. A woman stopped by with $3,000 in cash. I called Chuck with the news of a potential buyer. He

154 T HE COMMON MAN refused to sell saying he needed to think about it. I pleaded with him to sell it as I really needed my money back. He refused and came out the next day to get his car. My loathing for Chuck intensified. At times I could hardly stand to talk to him or be in the same room with him. Luanne, Chuck and I sat down at our picnic table to talk about it. I blew my stack and looking him right in the eyes swore at him. Now I’m not a swearing man but unexpectedly the same response flew out of my mouth a second time. Luanne was shocked. In 20 years of marriage she had never heard me say anything like this. Now she heard twice in a few seconds. Chuck sat there stunned. I was embarrassed but angry. He quietly got up and left. A couple of weeks later he repaid me. I was going crazy with the uncertainty and delay in finding funding, so I went for a walk in the woods sitting down on the trunk of a fallen cherry tree. A sensing to lift my eyes unto the hills from where my help comes came to mind. Dejectedly I moved my downcast eyes toward the treetops. Suddenly coming into my mind was, “A year from now things are going to be different. And you will study theology.” I just knew it was from God. At last Chuck and I managed to sell the ten acres we purchased and partially developed two years earlier. However, all of the proceeds were immediately used to repay a line of credit guaranteed by Dr. Campbell. We didn’t get a nickel. Dick Nagle called for a meeting with Chuck, Bob and me to determine the status of the patents. Bob explained that the stretcher patent was pending and assignment made to Cardi- Act. The CPR patent was still being prepared with the filing to take place in the ensuing months.

155 M ELVIN VALKNER

I mentioned that after it was prepared it would then be assigned just like the stretcher. Not so fast Chuck said. The CPR patent still belonged to him. Spontaneously I asked whose idea was this. Without hesitation Chuck pointed at Bob who immediately took up defense that the CPR patent still belonged to Chuck. Burning with controlled anger I proclaimed that this had never been brought up before, that everyone was operating under the assumptions as laid out in the business plan that all the patent rights would be those of the company. Another meeting ended on an unpleasant note. Bob later backtracked writing me a memo stating that, “…one who develops an idea in the employer’s field, with the employer’s materials, on the employer’s time, is held to have assigned the rights to that idea to the employer, irrespective of the existence of a contract.” I could only wonder why Bob and Chuck poisoned our relationship further by initially arguing that Chuck still had rights to the CPR patent. Discussions with other potential funding source continued to be fruitless. Bob filed the CPR patent on April 1, 1996. Twenty-seven days later Bob was found dead in his trailer. When Bob didn’t return Chuck’s phone calls, Chuck went over to Bob’s place looking for him, knocking on the door. With Bob’s car out front Chuck suspected something terrible may have happened. He called Bob’s ex-wife and had her call the police as Chuck didn’t want to be anywhere close to a dead body if that was found to be the case. The police came and when no one answered the door they entered Bob’s trailer and found him dead. Apparently Bob died because of an easily treatable bleeding ulcer.

156 T HE COMMON MAN

Dick led the search for a new patent attorney, finding one in Grand Rapids who did not have a conflict of interest. Desperately needing health insurance Chuck purchased some through a previous insurance agent of ours, Vern Kuipers. Chuck went to the doctor and was diagnosed as having a large cancerous tumor. The cancer was metastasizing rapidly. Preparing for an operation to be performed by Dr. Jack Collins, the eldest brother of my buddy Jimmy and another Doster School alumnus, Chuck first needed a heart check up. His heart condition was unstable. On Memorial Day weekend we went to Hugh and Jan’s cabin in the U.P. to get away. After returning I called Chuck and left a message. After three days of unanswered calls, Janetta called me and asked if I had seen or talked to him. She was very concerned and said that Rich was on his way over to Chuck’s place. I didn’t want Rich to be alone and find Chuck incapacitated or dead, if that were the case, like Rich had found Dad. I hurried over there and arrived first. Hearing the television loudly blaring through the screen door I walked up the steps. The inside door to the kitchen was open. A floor fan was whir- ring on high speed. “Chuck,” I called as I knocked on the screen door. No answer. “Chuck,” I yelled a second time. No answer, no footsteps, nothing. Things didn’t seem right. I retreated off the steps for a minute waiting for Rich. I kept thinking that if something was wrong I certainly didn’t want Rich to have to endure finding him. Back up the steps I went. Knocking noisily on the door and yelling yet again for Chuck I beckoned the nerve to enter. Slowly making my way from the kitchen into the adjoining living room I saw several hundred dollars in cash lying on a table. The blinking light of his Caller ID demanded to be answered.

157 M ELVIN VALKNER

“Chuck, are you here?” I called out. Pausing, I started down the hallway, afraid. His legs hanging over the side of the bed came into view. “Chuck, get up. It’s Mel,” I announced with a voice full of apprehension. Then I smelled it. Just as I was peeking around the corner into the bedroom the smell of death hit me full in the face. It’s a smell one never forgets. Back down the hallway I scampered, hustling outside. My mind was racing as Rich and Junior pulled up in front. “You don’t need to go in there,” I said. “He’s dead.” They left so Rich could tell Janetta, Junior to tell Kandy. I went back in to call the police. The phone rang. It was Janetta. “Is everything all right?” she asked. “No,” I said, “Rich is on the way to let you know what’s going on.” “He’s dead, isn’t he?” she asked. “Yes,” I replied. “I knew it.” she moaned. We both cried. The police came and officially put June 1 as the day of death, the effective day of insurance providing a small life insurance benefit for Chuck’s funeral. So, within a year things were different, although not what I expected. Chuck and Bob were both dead. Attending Chuck’s funeral everyone was flabbergasted to learn that Chuck was, in fact, not divorced. It seems that after all the divorce papers were completed, Chuck never returned the papers. Chuck’s estate then belonged to his wife Lois who gave Janetta the power-of-attorney. I updated Janetta and Junior on Cardi-Act’s affairs. Cardi-Act moved its office to downtown Kalamazoo based on Junior’s promise to loan Cardi-Act rent and telephone money.

158 T HE COMMON MAN

Junior and I were like oil and water. We had a mutual distrust and dislike for each other. As a representative of Chuck’s family, the majority owner, he increasingly isolated me from Cardi-Act. Despite of all my work and sacrifice through the years, I was now an outcast. Jeremiah 30:17 (NIV) jumped off the page at me, “‘But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.’” When Junior called for a special Member’s Meeting on April Fool’s Day 1997 I decided to not attend. I felt like David playing the harp before Saul, tired of getting spears thrown at me. I let Dick know that I was staying home. He said that I had to come to defend myself. Defend myself? What was that about? “I don’t need to defend myself,” I said, thinking the Lord is my defender. Before the meeting started I faxed a memo to the office saying I wasn’t attending. Additionally I stated that it was my hope that “a unanimous consensus on a course of action” could be reached in my absence. It was announced that Junior, Dick and Dr. Campbell were forming a company called EMS to license the patents from Cardi-Act. Also at the meeting Junior made a motion “that Melvin D. Valkner be removed from the Management Commit- tee and the office of Managing Officer and Chairman of the Management Committee.” All voted for my ouster except Ron and Mom. Ron called me that evening with the news saying maybe it was the best thing. Now I was free to leave Cardi-Act’s responsibilities with others and get on with my life. I did not believe they would ever get funding. Consulting with George, he said I should see if I could sublicense the patents and that I should form a new medical device company to

159 M ELVIN VALKNER do that. George said something else that I shall never forget, “Now you’ve learned a valuable lesson: It’s not the business you do, it’s who you do business with that’s important.” I then formed Ennew Medical Devices, LLC. Needing a paying job again I sent resumes whether the position looked appealing or not. An occasional interview was granted but no job offer presented. Once again notices of cutoff for telephone and electric services poured in. And we were way behind in our house payments once more. Standard Federal Bank sent us a foreclosure notice and an announcement that our house was scheduled to be auctioned off in three weeks. We were facing foreclosure. Speculators specializing in buying foreclosures started calling us. One knocked on our door and was quickly told to leave. Praying about this I believed the Spirit spoke to me to be at peace that He would provide. But my prayer life was awful. I had developed an attitude of lack based on affliction. The Scripture I was most often drawn to seemed to be verses like Job 36:15 (NIV), “But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction,” and Psalm 31:10 (NIV), “My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.” Other than an occasional benefit, I was unable to believe good would come and reside with me. Pros- perity was elusive. Yet I took comfort in Job 23:10 (NIV), “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Ron called me to ask how we were doing. I mentioned the foreclosure notice. He said maybe he could help but he wanted to talk with Karen about it. Thankfully he called the next evening saying he would loan us $7,000 to catch up our bills. He insisted that no interest be charged. Added to the $3,000 we

160 T HE COMMON MAN had borrowed previously from him, we secured their loan with a second mortgage of $10,000. It was our intention to either refinance after landing another job or sell the place of our dreams if things came to that. Our black metal mailbox was mutilated beyond use, appear- ing as though it was hit by a club of an unknown assailant. It was replaced with a black plastic one having the same $5 price tag. Even that small amount was hard. Maybe this one would survive. I was reading my Bible and praying about three hours a day, a time of deep meditation and reflection. Studying a book on prayer I started receiving “words” (thoughts, impressions, etc.) that I wrote down. I was frightened at the prospect of them not being from the Lord but in my efforts to seek the Lord I wrote them down. On May 15, 1997 I wrote: “‘In 10 days you shall have money. You shall have provision. I am the Lord. How much money you ask? Enough to meet your needs,’ says the Lord, “enough to pay your bills, enough to satisfy you. You may doubt, but I do not. I will provide. You shall not doubt again. Write on Melvin for I have more to say. I forgive all your sin and will heal and bless you. Look to me and not another. Risk offending others. You must look to me. Luanne will be blessed. Her hands, her work will bring her praise. Your work will be rewarded.’” Within 10 days Mom unexpectedly gave us $1,000, and I found miscellaneous work. On May 22 I wrote: “The chain remains hidden (for safekeeping) and unbroken. In just a few hours you will see the deliverance of God brought about for God’s glory. Pray for others. Don’t leave them to the wiles of the devil. Peace is upon you. Lift up your eyes. Be bold, be strong. Jesus has come in the flesh. He is King. You acknowledge him. Therefore he will

161 M ELVIN VALKNER deliver you. Keep his word and pray without ceasing using your heart, mind, soul and strength. Move a mountain! It takes power. Power is...able to make and receive changes.” On May 23 I wrote: “Praise him! ‘I will make you into a man of faith. This is a learning process. Do not be discouraged. I am patient and loving. Faith, hope and love, the greatest is love. My peace I leave with you. Trust in the Lord. My will will be revealed to you in due time as you establish yourself in prayer and the faith that accompanies it.’” On May 27 I wrote: “Just a little while longer and you will wait no more! Ennew’s funding will present itself. Rejoice and give God all the glory. Be patient in your business dealings. Patience is an attribute of the Holy Spirit. Give, as David said of the supply troops who shall receive their reward and it shall be given unto you. Never again shall you suffer as you have. Rise up! Go forth in the power of the Lord, in his might and praise. Glorify the Lord with your mouth and he will glorify you. He will show himself faithful. You can trust him. Seek him, listen to him, obey him, and he will lift you up. Fear not! Fear nothing except the Lord God. Amen. Mel, I love you. Your spirit is so very precious to me. Your passion runs deep. Use your mind. Listen to your wife as you are doing. Seek the Lord with all your mind. You are a fearless warrior. I can and will use you in my kingdom. Do not neglect my word (Bible). Bless the Lord.” I thought I was going crazy. Getting these words can’t be normal, can it? Yet I continued to spend time in prayer, Bible reading and meditation. On May 29 I wrote, “‘For your work will be rewarded,’ says the Lord. ‘Look to me and I will feed you with the finest of the land. You have proven yourself faithful in the midst of adversity. Never again will I test you like this. Impart these

162 T HE COMMON MAN lessons to your children. Teach them my ways. I love you. I will show myself faithful to my kings and priests. As your schedule of activity heightens and increases you must take time to communicate with me. It will be time well spent saving you grief, anxiety and turmoil. Cast all your cares on me. I will deliver you and even more. I will lead you into a land of plenty. A leader of men you will be and already are. Com- mune with me daily and I will give you a position where you have the time to take as long in my presence as you desire. I will bring businessmen (and women) into your life that you can depend on: loyal, self-disciplined, wise, bright and fun, a joy to be and work with. This will free you to spend time with me, knowing and trusting, growing and learning, hearing and speaking -- the kind of relationship I desire. Do not be afraid you are not “serving” your work well. Rather this is the best way you can serve, by serving me. Build a garage office this summer. You are going to need it. Plan your house well and have fun with it. Let it be a delight to visit and live in. A meeting place, a chapel of sorts, light, romantic and full of life. Luanne will know what to do after the framing is done.’” Funding for Ennew presented itself in various forms over the upcoming years, but I never was able to consummate a deal. Something was always not quite right. The project seemed doomed from the start. Shortly thereafter Luanne’s anger burst at having our bedroom used for an office for the past ten years, ever since The Metro Times. She couldn’t stand it any longer and insisted something be done about it immediately. Now that Joel was grown and out of the house, Luanne and I moved the accumulated office furniture – credenza, computer and printer, and file cabinet – into an upstairs bedroom (oddly, it turned out to be the sort of garage office that had been in my mind).

163 M ELVIN VALKNER

Having our bedroom free of business was pleasing indeed. The following morning Beaker, Keren’s yellow Cockatiel, looked sick. In the afternoon we took her to a vet who gave her a shot. Keren was gone the rest of the day so Luanne and I took turns holding her. She was so weak she could hardly stand. Sitting on the floor Luanne put a towel down for Beak- er to rest on. Struggling with all her strength she made her way towards Luanne, tipping over forwards onto her beak. Luanne picked her up, bringing Beaker close to her cheek for a gingerly hug. Luanne said, “She’s dead. I just heard her take her last breath.” We buried her at the foot of the pear tree near the house. Seeking God, on June 4, 1997 I wrote: “A longing fulfilled is a tree of life. I am your ultimate longing. I am the tree of life. I have tested you and that period of testing is now complete. A new day has come. Joy will return. Gladness will rejoice and reside in you. Others will ask about your joy. Tell them freely. I am your protector. No harm will come – but rather blessing. A time of rejoicing is coming upon you. Write. Write your book. Have fun with it. Don’t worry about it. Just write it in an edify- ing way. Don’t think about how successful it may or may not be. Just write, a little here, a little there. Write about growing up in God: the joy, pain, struggle and fellowship. Seek me with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. Give it all you’ve got. Ask, seek, knock. Blessed be the name of the Lord who does not reject and abandon his children forever but trains them in his ways. Listen for my voice each day. It will become easier to discern it, to follow and obey it. Seek me even when you don’t feel like it. The feeling will come. Trust and obey. In the days to come I will give you much wisdom, more than you dreamt or thought possible for you, wisdom from above to impart life, satisfying others, leading the blind, restoring sight, healing the

164 T HE COMMON MAN sick and yes, raising the dead – freeing my people from their sins through faith in Christ Jesus. Amen.” Write a book? My mind flashed back to my college days when I had the feeling that I would write three books. The second would be on life. Using my journaling as a base, I enthu- siastically began to reconstructing the past using every document on hand for verification, pressing Luanne for help in remembrance of things. Recounting the blessings was inspiring. Remembering the failures was oppressive. It wasn’t long before my writing became sporadic. Our little house in the country provided welcomed distrac- tions. Not having air conditioning, through open windows the sound of the coyotes howling sometimes pierced the night air waking us up, causing us to wonder what they were yelping about. During one early morning Bible reading, looking out the window I noticed a coyote coming out of the woods trotting at the south edge of our yard. After going by the house he proceeded to circle back to the pear tree at the northwest corner of the house where he stopped, picked up a fallen pear in his mouth and promptly trotted back into the woods. Joel left his dog Matrix, a stocky Dalmatian-mix, with us while he traveled around the country. For the most part, Ma- trix and Claire got along quite well but Matrix was clearly top dog. Going for a walk down the lane back into the woods one day, Matrix was about 100 feet ahead of me with Claire lagging way behind perhaps 400 feet or so. Matrix stopped, listening to Claire’s barking which I was only vaguely aware of. Suddenly Matrix turned and ran fast as he could past me back up the trail where Claire was barking. Obviously he was sensing something

165 M ELVIN VALKNER significant to act the way he did. I’d never seen anything like that. I ran after Matrix. Coming upon Matrix there he was nose to nose with a coyote, with a second coyote a few feet away. All three stood motionless and seemed unaware of my presence. Not sure what to do I yelled out in my deepest voice, “Hey!” In unison they looked at me. The coyotes took off running with Matrix, to my aghast, in hot pursuit of them. I worried about Claire who was nowhere to be found. Call- ing for her and out of breath I ran for the house where I found her on the porch, shaking and bleeding from a 1 1/2" gash in her back hip. I called the vet who said to pour some peroxide on it, keep it clean and it should heal fine, which it did. Complaining to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) about the coyotes, they said if I had a gun I now had every right to shoot them. I went back into the woods a few times with my shotgun and had a couple of shots at running coyotes, but being out of practice missed both times. We had no more trouble with them.

166 Hanging by a Thread

riffin Pest Control contacted me in regards to a blind ad G for an accountant I had answered. Griffin was the fourth largest pest control company in Michigan with five offices and close to 50 employees which worked very hard to provide great service. I knew Linden Griffin was difficult to work with from my previous experience with him while I was employed with Pat Donovan, CPA years earlier. But I desperately needed a job. Their accountant had quit, been replaced by another who was pregnant and had also quit. I sensed that he needed help just as desperately as I needed cash. It was their busiest time of the year. We negotiated a bonus that would be paid to me in advance and would be earned as I achieved mutually agreed upon objectives. I was eager to get to work. Pest control is more complex than one would think at first glance: scheduling regular treatments on thousands of customers, tracking performance levels of technicians, and adhering to never ending governmental regulations for pesticide treatments.

167 M ELVIN VALKNER

A large office was divided into smaller offices by modular office furniture. My office was a cubicle with five-foot walls and eighteen-inch deep work surfaces. A small table was squeezed into it with two modems sitting on it, constantly beeping. My assistant Rhonda was located two cubicles away with Veronica, the customer service manager, in between us. Rhonda’s front corner cubicle was in a high traffic area, not good for confidential accounting functions such as payroll that she prepared. The phones were busily ringing on the antiquated phone system, which did not have voice mail. No one knew how many calls were dropped. Out of more than a dozen phones in the office only two ringers worked, and one of them was in my office. It was turned up as loud as possible needing to be heard across the whole office. For five minutes I sat there watching and listening. It was irritating and disruptive. Something had to change. I asked Veronica if she would switch offices with Rhonda so we could be closer. She said that was fine with her as long as her office wasn’t smaller. It was bigger. After checking with Linden for approval, the office moves were soon underway. By the end of the first day Veronica had moved to Rhon- da’s office, Rhonda had moved to my office and I moved to Veronica’s office. Then I had the wall removed between Rhonda’s new office and mine, leaving a “bullpen” so Rhonda and I could now see and talk with one another facilitating an easy exchange of paperwork and information. I thought things were quickly taking shape. However Rhonda, a recent WMU accounting graduate, thought we had taken a step backwards as files were temporarily stacked on the floor.

168 T HE COMMON MAN

Remittance envelopes that customers used to send in their payments had been saved and stacked in a corner. Preparing payroll, I was aghast that Linden instructed payroll checks be handed out in these envelopes. Linden reasoned this would save the cost of new envelopes. After being signed the checks were inserted into the customer payment envelopes, the employee’s name written on the back side and then the envelope taped or stapled shut. One manager later told me it was very strange at first, but after a few checks he forgot about it, curious as to what customer’s envelope he would receive next. Performing a simple time study, it cost less to insert an employee’s check with its preprinted name into a window envelope than to write the employee’s name on the envelope and tape or staple it shut. I bought new envelopes for employee paychecks, ready to pay for them myself if necessary. Linden never said a word about it. Reviewing and organizing several file cabinets I discovered folders containing old information of not much significance were readily and plentifully available. However, reports critical to monitoring performance were disorganized or couldn’t be found. Linden wanted current financial statements prepared. While the pest control software did an admirable job of assisting in pest control operations, their accounting module did not re- quire balanced accounting entries. That created problems. Looking back through the records, the balance sheet had been out of balance for years. Linden had this great way of feigning ignorance of a problem even though he knew it existed. He acted shocked when I told him the financial statements were out of balance. I later found a

169 M ELVIN VALKNER memo he had sent to one of the previous accountants questioning why the balance sheet was out of balance. I spoke to him on the possibility of purchasing an inexpensive accounting program to handle all the accounting tasks, although billing and accounts receivable would continue to be performed on the pest control software. Years ago we used this approach of specific software for complicated tasks in the healthcare industry. He reluctantly assented. Installing Peachtree, I was faced with sorting troublesome expense accounts. I used my best judgment to produce relevant financial statements. With the lapse between accountants vital month-end close procedures were not performed. Plus, the old data had operating expenses commingled with cost of sales and visa versa. Some expenses were unnecessarily being broken down into minute detail and some classified under lawn care catego- ries, a business that Griffin had abandoned years earlier. When presented with the new financial statement format Linden’s response was less than enthusiastic as they didn’t include comparison of the current year’s performance with the prior year’s data, which was impossible because the data from previous periods was so misclassified and unbalanced that it wasn’t reasonably possible in the middle of busy season to load it into Peachtree. After a full year’s cycle, I assured him, year-to- year comparisons would again be available. Reviewing month-end results with me behind closed doors he chided the performance of the service manager, a bright young fellow. Linden questioned why I hadn’t done a better job of ensuring that all customers wanting service that month had been serviced. Confused because my responsibilities lay outside the service component, I asked who Pat reported to, knowing that he reported to Linden.

170 T HE COMMON MAN

He asked, “Who did you think he reports to?” “You,” I replied. Linden grew quiet. Probably being too honest I said, “I know you are bright but I don’t know how manipulative you are.” Grinning, he proudly said, “Oh, I’m manipulative.” It was an interesting exchange. Linden wanted me to review the phone bills. I quickly realized that they were mismanaged. Monthly charges were being paid for lines no longer in service. With the company’s usage, much lower rates could easily be negotiated. I determined that the savings from lower rates could pay for a new telephone system taking advantage of directing calls, voice mail, etc. and thereby obtain personnel savings. I presented my findings to the management committee emphasizing that I was also confident that, though I couldn’t yet say how, other benefits would arise. Eventually, after more discussion and hesitation, Linden reluctantly said to pursue the matter. Comparing new telephone system bids from five vendors was not an easy chore as each system had its unique features. At the end of one meeting I had with a vendor Jerry, the Sales Manag- er, knocked on the door saying that Linden had to use the conference room. We rapidly concluded and, seeing Jerry, I told him that we were through. “Oh we don’t need it,” he said, “Linden just wanted the meeting ended.” After installation the new system corrected other issues, such as incoming sales lines that had been directed to fax machines, helping to increase revenue. Linden had never been real happy with Rhonda’s work citing instances of mistakes she had made like paying invoices after the due date incurring late charges. The late payments

171 M ELVIN VALKNER were normally caused by cash flow requirements not by her negligence. He wanted her fired. Linden spent time at his cottage at South Haven on Lake Michigan in the summer where he and Rhonda went to the same church. It seemed to me that he would be finding reasons to keep her, not let her go. I have fired subordinates before but always for reasons of sufficient magnitude. Here I just didn’t feel right about it. Her shortcomings didn’t warrant being fired, with the mark that would leave on her resume. Linden’s outside CPA, Brom deMink came in to mediate the situation as there was escalating strain and coldness between Linden and me. Meeting in the conference room Brom could see both sides of the argument but stood by Linden in persuad- ing me to let her go. We finally agreed that right after the new year, when business was at its slowest, she would be let go. Linden jumped out of his chair, ecstatic. As winter approached in Michigan, pests went dormant minimizing the need for pest control until spring when the cycle repeated itself. Meanwhile Mom flew to Florida and stayed with her twin sister Aunt Dot and her husband Uncle Carl for the winter. She let me use her car for the winter to get to work making our Ford Aerostar van available for Luanne who was now commuting to Grand Rapids to attend Kendall College of Art and Design. One night in January 1998 I had a hard time sleeping and moved to the sofa to see if that would help. It had a beautiful view of the woods. Aware that I was not awake nor asleep I had what I can only assume was a vision: “I felt like I was a car going down the road except it was me who was running. I turned left at a four-way intersection. After

172 T HE COMMON MAN nearly completing the left turn, but going too fast to safely make the turn, I ran over a sign post on the right side of the road. The sign post was severed about 12 inches from ground level and upon this, face up, I was impaled through my chest and heart. A crowd gathered. No one helped. All left, one even stepping on me as they dispersed. I had to pull myself off the severed post. Doing so and seemingly unhurt I went over and picked up the upper portion of the sign post that had broken off, curious as to what it said. As I placed it back atop the stake looking up at it I saw it was a STOP sign. As I contemplated this, a voice from above and behind the sign (clearly it was God) said, ‘Stop until you get a new perspective.’ I grasped that I needed a new perspective. After reflecting that, eventually, I had gained a new perspective the STOP sign immediately spun around to a GO sign, and I was free to go on my way.” I thought about this vision many times over the next several years to decipher its meaning. When it came time to terminate Rhonda’s employment, the office was short staffed because someone had quit. As busy season quickly neared Linden realized that it was too late to let Rhonda go, and he resented me for this. The Michigan Employment Commission Agency sent Grif- fin a notice that it was holding Griffin liable for state unemployment taxes for a small pest control company which Griffin had purchased the assets of earlier in the year. Linden wanted Brom to find an exception to alleviate the taxes due, estimated to be $40,000 due to the proposed higher tax level. Brom said it couldn’t be done. I kept thinking about it and researched the issue. I realized that we had not purchased the accounts receivable of that entity. Thus, we purchased less than 75% of their assets and therefore were not responsible for their deficiency.

173 M ELVIN VALKNER

I emailed Linden the good news and all managers and called Brom as well. I had saved the company $40,000. Linden never even said thank you. Griffin participated in a bartering program known as Mid- west Business Exchange (MBE) whereby service performed by the company for MBE members was credited to Griffin’s account, and service or products furnished by members to the company was charged against Griffin’s MBE account. A uniform company called MBE protesting that they had been charged, and Griffin given credit, for two thousand dollars of charges for services never rendered. Rhonda diligently checked with Griffin’s sales manager who confirmed that no service had been rendered. MBE admitted that it was their error and would make the necessary correction. Linden called Rhonda into his office, sternly admonishing her for cooperating with MBE to discover the error. Furthermore, he threatened to take it out of her pay. She left his office in tears. Linden told me to call MBE and object to their decision which I dutifully did. The MBE manager told me that it was only fair to make things right and that if Linden disagreed with that then he was an [expletive]. I agreed with him and proceeded to email Linden they weren’t changing their mind. Linden emailed me back, copying the managers, saying a good CPA would have gotten a favorable ruling for Griffin. I emailed him back, also copying the managers, telling him that MBE said if he disagreed with them then he was an [expletive] and that I concurred. Linden instructed two managers to sit with me and review my job duties with them. I knew my release was imminent. Shortly thereafter I was summoned into the training room by Jerry and Jeff, Linden’s son-in-law. Very business-like, Jerry

174 T HE COMMON MAN told me that the accounting department was being revamped and that my position was being eliminated effectively immediately. Of course it was nonsense as there were only two of us in the accounting department. I asked about severance pay. There would be none, he said, because Linden felt that Rhonda’s mistakes more than made up for any severance pay I may have coming. I asked about a letter of recommendation. Griffin was unwilling to do so Jerry said, but he would write one on his own letterhead. In the following weeks I requested for him to do so on more than one occasion but he never did. Checking the help wanted ads that weekend in the Kalama- zoo Gazette I saw an anonymous advertisement perfectly fitting my position. It had been run the past few weeks. The old familiar scenario presented itself, falling behind ever more in our first and second mortgage payments and our van loan. The phone rang, not with job offers to resumes I had sent, but with collection calls. The onslaught of service cutoff notices came once more from the electric and phone companies. I was terribly frustrated. My life didn’t make any sense. Words of promise seemed to be failing me. Trained in accounting, I couldn’t hold down a job, hating the career that could put food on my table. Two days later I received a call from Standard Federal. In three weeks the house was due for foreclosure proceedings to begin. I was very worried about our worsening financial plight. I cannot describe the panic setting in, the deep, paralyzing fear in the pit of my stomach, hardly able to move, forcing myself out of bed and off the couch, concentrating on my breathing to control my nerves. My muscles were tight. Headaches were frequent.

175 M ELVIN VALKNER

Even a trip to the grocery store was traumatic. I looked in astonishment at those with full shopping carts. It had been years since we had been able to do that. I couldn’t think of anything but losing the house. I went for a walk in the woods on November 21 and there I heard the Holy Spirit speak to me that we would not lose the house. That was comforting. Three days later the van’s check engine light came on. In- stantly, my gut was on fire, my heart pounding. Sweating, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. What was I going to do? My mind was racing. With no money to get it fixed Luanne couldn’t get to school. Christmas was coming and there was no money for gifts. The furnace was malfunctioning. Then Claire and Matrix got fleas. “Am I living in a fantasy world?” I thought. Thinking back to earlier days in my Christian life I would pray and God would hear and answer without delay. Now I understood why people gave up on God. I felt abandoned. The kids used to play “Opposite Day” where whatever you said they would do the opposite. “Make your bed” became “Don’t make your bed.” Apparently God loved to play this game too. Praying for financial relief brought more stress, and praying for job offers led to something needing repair. For years now as Luanne and I lay down at night to sleep, we always said a prayer. Usually it was very short thanking God for the day and asking him for his protection. As I lay down I debated whether to pray or not. What’s the use? Convinced that if I did pray, more problems would come and relief would delay. Opposite day. My mind was focused on God or money all day long. Would he provide for the sparrow and not for me? Where was

176 T HE COMMON MAN his unfailing love? In many ways I felt just as lost as before I was “saved,” except now I had the added burden of knowing God’s word to be true, yet not seeing it fulfilled in my life. Forcing myself, I placed my trust in him even when his ways were beyond understanding. Checking the van’s fluids, I put fluid in the radiator. The light stayed off. Praise God. Still searching for financing for Ennew, potential investors seemed impressed with the concept and the business plan but I was unable to reach agreement. I faxed a resume to an advertisement in the Leader’s Edge, a newsletter sponsored by the Michigan Association of CPAs (MACPA). A recruiter quickly called me commenting that my resume had gaps in it and didn’t look like one on a steady course of progression in a financial career path. My career was in shambles. The van check engine light came back on. I added more antifreeze. Fortunately I was able to draw unemployment compensation. However Thanksgiving, being a holiday, caused a delay in its delivery. Normally it would come on Friday or Saturday but it came neither day. Even the delay of a single day was stressful. Needing groceries and gas I floated checks and then became scared that it wouldn’t come in Monday afternoon’s mail. Someone stole our garbage can as it sat by the road after it had been emptied. In spite of the waste company assuring me they would replace it for free, a little thing like this added to the feeling that everything was against me. It was becoming more and more difficult to see God’s love as unconditional. There were always conditions such as obeying all his commands.

177 M ELVIN VALKNER

How much can our faith lack before it fails to move a mountain? As Job went through trials he could not understand, so all this made no sense to me. Years ago I had committed myself to gaining understanding though it cost me all I had, Proverbs 4:7. It seemed getting understanding was more expensive than I realized, costing me everything up to the edge of my sanity as I risked it all. I was reduced to a smoldering wick, one he would not, according to his Word, put out. But understanding itself was too elusive for me, too much for me to grasp so I leaned not on my own understanding as stated in Proverbs 3:5. I had to let it all go. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. Now I needed it, a poignant verse indeed. Scripture says that all hard work brings a profit. Believing entrepreneurialism would lead to security and provision instead I was faced with failure and despair, having missed the biggest bull market in history. I felt like an old wineskin: Hardened, inflexible, unable to expand, to absorb. Like King David, I poured out my complaint to him. I called on God to deliver me. He is faithful. He will deliver me from all my enemies. Comforting Scripture came to mind: Psalm 10:17 (NIV) “You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,” and Psalm 9:9-10 (NIV) “The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Then unapologetically, Junior called me saying he wanted me to return as Managing Officer of Cardi-Act.

178 T HE COMMON MAN

I said, “It isn’t so easy is it? There’s a lot more to running a business than meets the eye, isn’t there?” He responded by saying he’s never thrown his voting rights around. Robert Half International, which I had applied to for temporary work, told me to report to Harter Group in Middlebury, Indiana for four to six weeks of work. After only one week their audit was moved back and they didn’t need me anymore. An afternoon’s mail brought Standard Federal Bank’s “No- tice of Intent to Foreclosure.” We had to pay $1,455 by January 1, 1999 or they would start foreclosure proceedings. The house was in jeopardy again. Long ago I lost track of the number of times. The following week I awoke with panic in my heart and fire again in my stomach thinking about our financial peril. Perhaps I was delusional in thinking I could hear God speak to me. That morning I read John the Baptist’s words in John 1:33, (NIV), “…the one who sent me to baptize with water told me…” God spoke to men of ancient times and he spoke to John the Baptist. Other verses in the New Testament confirmed the same; God does talk to men through the Spirit, visions and dreams. It befuddled me how I could be so confident about God’s provision one moment, then, seemingly without warning, lose it all, becoming scared to the point of paralysis with efforts to believe failing me at every thought. Consistent faith was elusive. The biggest risk I ever took was trying to “hear” God. This was a frustrating search leading to intense soul searching. I was basing my life on what I thought was God’s direction for my life confirmed by own heart.

179 M ELVIN VALKNER

It’s strange what goes through one’s mind when broke. I found myself admiring the car’s tires in front of me, dreaming that someday my car too would have good tires with deep tread. The van’s check engine light required antifreeze every third day. Getting to a radiator repair shop they replaced a hose with a small crack in it. That was a relief. The furnace quit working on December 31, a very cold day, and only fourteen degrees outside. I scooped creosote from the chimney’s cleanout and fired up the wood stove keeping us warm. Then it started to snow, so much so that it became a blizzard dumping forty inches over the next few days. We kept the wood stove burning until Uncle Dick could make his way over to repair the furnace. Pushing the snow back from the road, the county snow plow hit the mailbox, loosening it from its post. Straightening the post I managed to secure the mailbox atop the post. How- ever, it was hit again the next day tearing off the mailbox door. At least we could still get mail, though somewhat wet at times. Uncle Dick came out to inspect the furnace. More than 30 years old it needed replacing. Uncle Dick managed to make adequate repairs to keep it functioning. Then the van’s idle sensor malfunctioned. It had to go to the shop. Finding myself continuing in the most oppressive of circumstances revolving around the lack of money, every event seemed to drive me further to despair. I looked for bread but got a stone. Only uncertainty was certain. Standard Federal contacted me saying they had reviewed my request for special hardship consideration. They agreed to delay house payments for January, February and March until April 1, 1999 but then the whole amount would be due.

180 T HE COMMON MAN

I was writing almost every day now, a little here, a little there. I managed to get work installing Peachtree Accounting Software at Fruitbelt Electric. More work than I could handle alone I asked a friend Larry Baumgart to help. We spent several weeks getting things organized and implemented including training. Throughout the year I also worked part-time at the post office proof-reading and re-keying addresses that had been rejected by their computer system. Occasionally Robert Half found additional work for me. I tried my hand at poetry which turned out to be at children’s level.

Lee the Tree & His Family

Hi, I’m Lee the Tree. Actually, I’m a Cherry Tree, I’m Lee the Cherry Tree.

I’ve many stories to tell Because I’ve lived a long time.

Close to a small forest I live in the middle of a yard Between a two-story home And a country road.

I’m Lee the Cherry Tree Belonging to a family.

181 M ELVIN VALKNER

I started quite little, But now I’m quite large And very strong

I’m so big and strong That the family Built a treehouse in my branches No one had ever done that to me!

They attached a ladder to my trunk So the curious boy and cute girl Who lived in the house colored blue Could come up for lunch And to dream of what else they might do.

They installed a swimming pool Down on the ground Where nice and flat They splash and play And cool off when hot!

Under the treehouse Is hooked up a bench-swing Two people can relax and sing a song Holding them up, you know that I’m strong!

I’ve many stories to tell Because I’ve lived a long time. That is, because you see I’m Lee the Cherry Tree.

182 T HE COMMON MAN

Lee the Tree & His Love of the Rain and Sun Hi, I’m Lee the Tree. Actually, I’m a Cherry Tree, I’m Lee the Cherry Tree.

I’ve many stories to tell Because I’ve lived a long time.

My branches are raised upward To welcome the rain I need a bath too Just like you do!

Sometimes I let you know when it will rain For my leaves can turn upside down To give you fair warning You down on the ground.

I love when it rains. It washes my leaves and branches. They all get a taste

The rain wipes the dust off my leaves Turning a beautiful green To absorb the sunlight And give off air for you to breathe.

The bark on me On Lee the Tree Actually, I’m a Cherry Tree, Lee the Cherry Tree,

183 M ELVIN VALKNER

The bark on me directs the rain Down to my roots That go deep underground To seek out my food. (I know it sounds silly But I like to eat dirt!)

I’ve many stories to tell Because I’ve lived a long time. That is, because you see I’m Lee the Cherry Tree.

184 Leather Key Basket

y the spring of 1999 Luanne suggested that I become a Life B and Health Insurance Agent. Without clear direction on a career path, I thought I might as well give it a try. I didn’t know if I had it in me to sell insurance, but I had to do something. Studying for the test, I passed it and was accepted by AFLAC that summer. An overnight training seminar was held in Lansing. On the way there I prayed that God would give me a job that I could understand, one that I would be good at and enjoy. The training proved uneventful for me except for the hotel stay, paid for by AFLAC. Roommates were scheduled for us, but mine never showed. Watching television alone I flipped the channel to the

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW® and saw the appraisal of an old leather key basket by Nancy Druckman in Durham, North Carolina that went like this: Woman Owner: This leather key basket belonged to our great-great-grandmother who lived in Warren

185 M ELVIN VALKNER

County, North Carolina on a plantation named Fairmount. It’s been in the family since about 1839. Ms. Druckman: What is so interesting about this piece is the good strong Southern tradition attached to it. It’s one of those pieces of Americana which is generic to the south. These don’t exist in other parts of the country. Basically, they were made for young women at the point they were betrothed for marriage as a kind of symbolic and usable object which forecast what the woman’s responsibilities were going to be and her domestic role, in kind of keeping the keys and being a gatekeeper of various buildings that existed. From what you told me this is part and parcel of what the traditional history is for these things. They may have various kinds of decorations. This is obviously one that was intended to be used. Some of them are very ornate and elaborate and they were done as presentation pieces for these young women as they were approaching their marriage. But these things were also probably made by people who made saddles and were leather workers. You can see, as you examine the stitchery here (ex- amining the handle straps), that it looks like what a boot maker or saddle maker would have made, the same kind of stitching techniques that they would have used. Aesthetically they are very pleasing and they come with the ability to recapture history that is really lost to us in any other kind of way. Just to place it in terms of commercial value, of course the family association is something invaluable

186 T HE COMMON MAN

and means a great deal to you, but there is a value to these things on the commercial market. The way that it works is if they are very ornate with appli- qués (decoration made by cutting pieces of one material and applying them to the surface of another), and cutouts, and hearts, and different colors of leather they could be worth tens of thousands of dollars. This one, which is used but is in good condition and rather simple in its decoration, would be worth less money but it’s still worth in the vicinity of $2,000 to $3,000 in an auction situation. It is a lovely piece and very important to the history of this area, and certainly very important to you in terms of family association. It’s one of the things that makes Americana so great because you look at something like this and you have a piece of living history right in front of you. Woman Owner: We have always thought a lot of it.

The smell of leather came rushing back from the shoe store of my youth. I was hooked on the thought of making luxurious, thick leather baskets that could be treasured now, yet knowing they would grow in value. My mind was racing with the opportunity to bring this genuine American Folk Art back to the market capitalizing on the growing interest in baskets and the collector market. I could hardly hear the rest of the insurance training. I assumed this was an answer to my prayer. Getting back home I tracked down the television station and the ANTIQUES ROADSHOW program number. Calling

187 M ELVIN VALKNER

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, I asked for Ms. Druckman’s contact information. On October 25, 1999 I managed to reach her at Sotheby’s. She was very helpful in providing supplementary details to her appraisal of the leather key basket. Tooling on baskets was often present. Frequently the initials of the woman getting married were tooled in. She knew of a red, antique leather basket in wonderful condition which was sold at an auction in Virginia for $60,000. It had cutouts of hearts, one at the base of each handle. My brother Don had hurt his back some years earlier when he owned a tree trimming business, and was no longer able to do much hard physical work. Telling him what I found and asking him if he would like to help launch this business, he and I gathered more information. Having the basket made in America was important to Don and me. We obtained a not-to-compete agreement from the largest thick-leather manufacturer in the U.S., an Amish firm well known for its rare skill and superb quality, to hand make rich luxurious leather baskets for us. Initially we called our company Colorado Leather Works but a patent attorney said it could never be trademarked primarily because it used the name of a state. Luanne started playing around and came up with BAEKS (sounds like bakes). It is a combination of common letters in the words Basket Makers (a, e, k, and s). The B was kept to begin the word and symbolize basket. BAEKS easily obtained a trademark. FrankCommunications developed the BAEKS logo with a typeface similar to that used in the early 1800s. They promoted a story line to be imprinted into leather hangtags concluding with, “…leather legend of the grand and glorious South.” I was

188 T HE COMMON MAN never very comfortable with it, but it was better than the first storyline they came up with about me finding the basket design in a shoe. Even with expert leather workers, it still took several prototypes using genuine American skirting (saddle) leather nearly 1/4" thick with a richly polished chestnut finish to get just the right look and feel. Truly sparing no expense, we produced the finest basket that could be made. By the spring of 2000 we had our first basket, eventually named the Manor. More than just a basket, it is a work of art, looking simply beautiful standing alone or can be used in a number of practical ways. Don and I visited John MacDonald, one of Luanne’s art professors, to critique the basket. He liked the balance and lines of the basket. We took it to Bob Milroy of Alexander Marketing who said it was a great product and just needed the right marketing venue to be a success. We designed three sizes of baskets named from smallest to largest: Cottage, Manor and Estate. Don and I sent a Manor basket to Ms. Druckman as a gift, thanking her for the idea. She replied with a beautiful handwritten note, calling the basket an “Antique of the Future – Built to Last™.” Our classic, timeless leather baskets had 10x the cost of Longaberger® collectible wooden baskets, but not 10x the price. From vegetable-tanned saddle leather to the five-cord nylon thread used to sew them, Don and I were very proud of their heirloom quality. The baskets were numbered and dated for collectability. When all three sizes had the same number they were known as a Legacy Set. Wanting to know how long their life might be, I called Wray Thompson President of The Leather Factory in Texas to

189 M ELVIN VALKNER get his opinion. Describing them to him, I said I thought they would last 100 years. He wanted to see them. After looking a set over that I had sent to him, Wray called and gruffly said, “I thought you said these baskets would last 100 years?” Somewhat intimidated I answered, “Yes, I think they will.” He cheerfully replied, “I’m telling you the minimum life is 300 years!” I knew it, that’s the quality we were looking for. Our brother Chuck made solid copper inserts custom-sized for each basket. With a raised bottom, the liners were designed to keep moisture from ever touching the leather or table top. Don handcrafted leather trays and bowls. As Don and I were not marketing experts, we took on some partners that knew about “party plans,” but never did reach the sales we were expecting. Investing every dollar into BAEKS that Luanne and I had, by May 2000 we were, of course, once again behind in the house payment, car payment, electric and telephone bills. We were down to $10 with no food in the house. Going for a walk in the woods I heard the Lord say, “You will not lose the house.” Encouraged, I immediately came back to the house and told Luanne what I heard. She was so busy with school studies at Kendall she said couldn’t think about anything else. I sat at the kitchen table puzzled but full of faith that I had heard the Lord. Within four hours a phone call came from Robert Half wondering if I could start the next day in Grand Rapids at MIX, Inc. MIX was an Internet startup business in the Grand Rapids area owned by Jeff Honeyager. Jeff successfully started and sold one of the first Internet service providers in Grand Rapids and, being quite a visionary, was researching and developing several

190 T HE COMMON MAN proprietary software applications. There I managed accounting and billing software, developed internal controls and prepared financial statements for six companies including consolidations and detailed forecasts. With a few bucks back in my pocket I contracted with a vendor to do an email campaign for BAEKS, emails to be delivered late on the evening of September 10, 2001. The next morning I checked email, finding no basket orders. Getting a late start, I headed onto the highway about 8:30 for the 50- minute drive to MIX. The sky was a beautiful blue. Heading north about halfway there I noticed skywriting on my left that said, “xi.” I thought, “Eleven? That’s strange.” Sitting down at my computer and immediately going to work, someone poked their head into my room asking if I heard about a plane hitting one of the World Trade Center buildings. I had not. Clicking on my Internet icon, a horrifying image appeared. I assumed that firefighters, with great difficulty, would get the fire under control. Going back to work I was quickly notified that a second plane had hit the second tower. And then the Pentagon was hit. We were all told to go home, that this was a national day of calamity. At home, mesmerized by the news, I heard the newscaster talking about Flight 11 and this being September 11. Suddenly remembering I had seen skywriting of “xi,” I called the FBI and emailed them telling them about what I saw and that this event may be much bigger than meets the eye. The sad part of the whole 9/11 tragedy is that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had names of the suspected terrorists but, as they were only authorized to act outside the country,

191 M ELVIN VALKNER did not communicate their knowledge to the FBI. Rather than make a small legal change to facilitate communication, the monstrous Patriot Act was enacted. Obviously the basket email campaign was a flop. No one was thinking about leather baskets in the midst of such disaster. After twenty years of weekly home group meetings at three different churches we were burnt out. Although Third Re- formed had good music and preaching, Luanne and I stopped attending. We needed a break and longed for the old Lutheran teaching, “By grace are you saved through faith.” Plus it seemed my prayers did not have the power that I believed they were supposed to have. More searching was in order. I continued to read the Bible through in its entirety year after year, accepting his grace and mercy and discovering the depths of God’s love, for it is the Book of Books about the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. My daily morning Scripture reading often confirmed something on my mind or revealed something that I experienced shortly thereafter. Working at MIX was satisfying but with the Internet “bubble burst” and the tragedy of 9/11 much of the operations had to be shut down in the fall of 2001. Again I went job hunting. Wanting to learn more about selling I landed a salesman position at Art Van Furniture the following spring. With a couple dozen stores Art Van had some of the best furniture deals in Michigan. They gave one month of sales training before letting any salesman hit the sales floor. Being on commission was not really my cup of tea, and I left by year’s end. Out of art school, Luanne was hired by the Kalamazoo Ga- zette in May 2002 to work about 30 hours a week with the task

192 T HE COMMON MAN of preparing newspaper display ads. They offered great health insurance benefits that proved to be very helpful over the next few years. Through a referral from Larry Baumgart I found work filing for property tax abatements at Marshall Plastic Film (MPF) in Martin, north of Kalamazoo. MPF is a blown film plant, extrud- ing plastic film, converting it into customized clear or colored plastic sheeting, bags and tubing for customers all over the U.S. ranging from low-grade construction film to high-quality FDA, JP and EU compliant pharmaceutical grade products. After finishing the property tax abatement preparation I helped them on and off for five years preparing quotes and other assignments. Working with John Roggow, Ann Jameson, Heidi Hildebrand and the rest of the folks at MPF was like working with old friends, some of the best people I ever worked with. By January 2003 we refinanced the house with Credit Un- ion Mortgage Company (CUMC). We used some of the proceeds to buy a new furnace. Wanting regular work, over the next three years I sent out over 200 resumes getting interviews only with a small nursing home chain, a potato farm and a bottle cap manufacturer – but no job. I took whatever independent contract work I could find. During that time, I took care of any business for BAEKS that presented itself. After the events of 9/11 and the evening news filled with reports on Islam I bought a copy of The Koran Interpreted8. The Koran was written 600 years after the birth of Christ. I

8 Arberry, A.J., trans., The Koran Interpreted (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1955).

193 M ELVIN VALKNER wondered how it interconnected with the Bible, anticipating that it meshed in some fashion. I found it to read somewhat like the Psalms of the Bible in- corporating some Old Testament accounts and was surprised to see that the Koran often holds Jewish patriarchs in high regard, but goes on to demand Muslims not have Jews and Christians as friends. It seems odd that Jerusalem, now asserted to be a holy city of Islam, is not mentioned in the Koran. It is mentioned in the Bible over 800 times. Whereas Muslim women religiously wear the veil or Burka they are not commanded in the Koran to do so. Clearly conflicting with New Testament teachings in I Tim- othy and Titus to have only one wife, the Koran speaks of having wives. While both the Bible and Koran oppose fornication, the Ko- ran commands no mercy. Contrast this with Jesus having mercy on the adulteress and raising the bar of adultery in John 8:7 (NIV) saying, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her,” and in Matthew 5:28 (NIV), “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” The Koran claims Abraham was not a Jew but a Muslim. However, Genesis 14:13 (NIV) written thousands of years before the Koran, calls Abram “the Hebrew.” After becoming the father of Ishmael, Abram's name was changed to Abraham. Technically, the descendants of Ishmael are of Hebrew lineage. The Bible says in Genesis 17:20 (NIV), “And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.”

194 T HE COMMON MAN

Nonetheless, according to Romans 9:8-9 (NIV) “…it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. For this was how the promise was stated: ‘At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.’” And Galatians 3:16 (NIV) says, “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ.” Most troubling is the direct attack on Jesus, trying to negate his work of redemption and contradicting many verses in the Bible. The Koran affirms that Jesus was righteous and a prophet yet emphatically denies that God has a son, calling it a lie. However, Jesus distinctly claimed to be the Son of God several times including when he prayed in John 17:1-2 (NIV), “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people…” John 1:14 (NIV) says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” And John 5:23 (NIV) says, “Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.” The Koran claims Jesus was not crucified and therefore did not die for our sins. It calls those who believe that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) unbelievers and goes on to say to kill unbelievers. Again, written hundreds of years before the Koran, the Bible plainly states in I Corinthians 15:3-8 (NIV), “…that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to

195 M ELVIN VALKNER

James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also.” The Koran is obviously diametrically opposed to the Bible regarding Jesus being the Son of God as well as the central tenants of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

196 More Testings

y now Claire, our Welsh Terrier, had grown old, losing B control of her bladder and bowels and was having sei- zures. We knew her end had come. Keren and I took her to Lynn Applegate, a nearby neighbor and veterinarian. Luanne could not bear to go with us. Lynn gave Claire a sedative that relaxed her and put her to sleep, then injected Euthasol. Bring- ing her home in a box, we showed her dead body to Keren’s cat Rameses and dog Otto. She was buried near Princess and Pre- cious. Losing a pet is like losing an old friend, making me reflective whenever I think of it. About this time Fred Zemlick (he and Mary his wife were friends from RCA) challenged me to learn of the great harm incurred when churches voluntarily register with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as tax exempt 501(c)(3) organizations, putting them unnecessarily under control of the federal government. Over time I gradually started researching that. Here and there I made random presentations for Cardi-Act hoping to drum up financing to get the stretcher to market. It was frustrating because I didn’t have the authority to speak

197 M ELVIN VALKNER on behalf of Chuck’s family, the majority owners. Finally in January 2004 Cardi-Act assigned the patent rights exclusively to Luanne and me on the condition that Cardi-Act receives a portion of future earnings. John Waters, our patent attorney, and George Lennon, our business attorney, both agreed to help and be paid from future earnings. Ron Wolney, a commercial broker, offered general business advice and tried to help find financing. Continuing to find work wherever I could, I was setting up a new medical billing company, Medical Reimbursement Ser- vices, which ceased when the owners pulled the funding. In November I contacted CUMC explaining we were unable to make our house payment. They deferred the November payment until December 15 with a promise to not report any late payment to credit bureaus. The December payment was deferred until December 31 and the January 2005 payment until January 15. Then I called the credit union regarding our car payment. They allowed us to skip a month, adding that payment to the end of the car loan. This is actually a better deal for them because of the added interest, but it sure helped us out of a bind. I got a telephone call from the Grand Rapids office of Accountemps, an accountant placement firm. They had a one-month accounting assignment for Spartan Stores helping replace a gal who quit with no notice and in the conversion of their accounting and fixed asset program. I started the next day! In December I wrote: “Write O Son of Man: You thought this, and you thought that. Put your trust in the Lord. Jesus is the Lord. The Son of Man has risen and so will you. You are one of my beloved. So hard times are upon you, and

198 T HE COMMON MAN

December’s house payment not made on time. This is the last time you will go through this, even the last month you will go through this. You are scared to write this but put it down. Never again will you be late on a house payment. Never again will you pay a late fee. Get through the month of Janu- ary, even this coming month, and all will be well with you. You are being put in a position of responsibility, of being able to help others. Don’t be afraid to reach out and help. Much blessing will come to you because of this. I will protect you and all your family. Trust in the Lord, do good and enjoy safe pasture.” A snowplow hit, and severely damaged, our black mailbox. I taped it together until spring when I replaced it with an inexpensive white metal one. When February rolled around, we still owed December, January and February house payments getting a letter from the mortgage company that we were in serious default. A couple of months later Luanne and I were even more stressed. CUMC’s letter dated May 5 gave us to May 31 to come up with four house payments totaling something like $4,300. Luanne called her folks who said they would be willing to loan it to us, but needed a firm repayment date. I was so discouraged I quit writing for a time. Jeff Honeyager, my former boss at MIX, was working on a novel concept to assist in real estate inspections and gave me some part-time accounting work. In 2005 Jeff introduced me to Tom Orzechowski, a software engineer, who needed someone to help him with accounting. Tom and I hit it off, complementing each other’s strengths and weaknesses and with three others, including two software programmers, started Vanillaware that offered SupplyHawk™ proprietary barcode software to track medical

199 M ELVIN VALKNER supplies in nursing homes, enabling cost reduction and en- hanced revenue by comprehensively capturing patient charges. My administrative and accounting duties required only part- time assistance that I could provide from home over the Inter- net, but at least I had some regular income. That fall my brother Don was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He spent his last two months in Borgess Hospital before being discharged to die at home. His wife Charlene was continually at his side those two months, even sleeping in his hospital room. Luanne’s Aunt Dianne of Houston, TX had a great deal of experience in working with the dying. She encouraged me to talk with Don before he died, to tell him of my love for him. She said frequently loved ones are so busy trying to stop a loved one from dying that they fail to use their last days together talking of their love for one another. Before he was discharged from Borgess I set out to have a heart-to-heart talk with him. Arriving at his room, several relatives were sitting across the room by a window. I went directly to his side, leaned over, hugged him and quietly said, “I love you Don. You know we haven’t always agreed with one another, but we’ve always been here for one another. I don’t know if you have the strength to make it. If you don’t, then wait for me on the other side. If you do, I’ll be here waiting for you.” A tear of mine dropped onto his chest. He was very weak and could hardly talk but managed to whisper, “Okay. I love you too.” He died at home September 24, 2007. I kept working on Ennew. Mike Carl, a manufacturing executive, supplemented Ennew’s business plan with his manufacturing expertise.

200 T HE COMMON MAN

Yvonne Prowant, a business consultant with a nursing background, found some great articles on ambulance diver- sion showing the need for our intensive-care stretcher. Hospitals often turn away ambulances for lack of available beds, monitors or staff. That’s exactly what our stretcher encapsulated, offering help to the patient and hospital. I showed Ennew to an interested group represented by Derek Finley. They issued a term sheet and went through the due diligence process before deciding they could not invest without further product development and marketing studies being complete first. That took money I did not have. Then Luanne and I traveled to El Paso, TX and presented the opportunity to invest in Ennew to the Camino Real An- gels, a local venture funding group who said they were interested. They eventually declined. Returning home, Jack Miner of Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) expressed interest in funding part of the project and paid for a professional re-writing of the business plan. There was enough interest for BCU’s board to offer a preliminary term sheet, but they too eventually declined to invest. My temporary work at MPF finally ended in 2007. Before I left John Roggow introduced me in deeper detail to the concept of the “FairTax.” Printing and reviewing the IRS instructions for calculating and reporting taxes, truly even I, a CPA, couldn’t understand them. The instructions referenced this form and that form, proposed various calculations referring to other sections of tax law. Here is a fraction of IRS’s 19 pages of instructions in 2010 to calculate depreciation, and all this to complete just one line on the main tax form:

201 M ELVIN VALKNER

The term “Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System” (MACRS) includes the General Depreciation System and the Alternative Depreciation System. Gener- ally, MACRS is used to depreciate any tangible property placed in service after 1986. However, MACRS does not apply to films, videotapes, and sound recordings. For more details and exceptions, see Pub. 946. Line 17 - For tangible property placed in service in tax years beginning before 2010 and depreciated under MACRS, enter the deductions for the current year. To figure the deductions, see the instructions for line 19, column (g). Line 18 - To simplify the computation of MACRS depreciation, you can elect to group assets into one or more general asset accounts. The assets in each general asset account are depreciated as a single asset. Each general asset account must include only assets that were placed in service during the same tax year with the same asset class (if any), depreciation method, recovery period, and convention. However, an asset cannot be included in a general asset account if the asset is used both for personal purposes and business/investment purposes. When an asset in an account is disposed of, the amount realized generally must be recognized as ordinary income. The unadjusted depreciable basis and depreciation reserve of the general asset account are not affected as a result of a disposition. Special rules apply to passenger automobiles, assets generating foreign source income, assets converted to personal use, certain asset dispositions, and like-kind exchanges or involuntary conversions of property in a

202 T HE COMMON MAN

general asset account. For more details, see Regulations section 1.168(i)-1 and Regulations section 1.168(i)-1. To make the election, check the box on line 18. You must make the election on your return filed no later than the due date (including extensions) for the tax year in which the assets included in the general asset account were placed in service. Once made, the election is ir- revocable and applies to the tax year for which the election is made and all later tax years. For more information on depreciating property in a general asset account, see Pub. 9469.

The 2010 Publication 946, How To Depreciate Property, is 118 pages long. There is no way the average guy can understand that. Perhaps no tax law should be passed until each of the approving legislators has manually prepared all the related tax forms. Basically, the FairTax is a sales tax on purchases of new goods and services, a consumption tax thereby eliminating and consolidating most other taxes. The tax would be collected on every transaction and remit- ted by the seller at set intervals on a very simple form. This eliminates complicated year-end tax filings by individuals and businesses, the cost of which is always passed to the consumer. All the expense and time spent preparing tax forms could then be spent doing something more constructive. The FairTax method eliminates loopholes including taxing those who would not otherwise pay taxes due to under-

9 IRS Instructions, Form 4562 (2010), 7-8 07 Jun. 2011.

203 M ELVIN VALKNER reporting or illicit revenue as everyone gets taxed whenever they purchase something new. It also provides for a “prebate,” an allowance paid to everyone to ensure relief for higher sales taxes are negated for low income earners. It is especially transparent as every purchase will reveal the (sales) tax rate with no hidden taxes. Assuming state lawmakers can keep from playing games with it, this tax seems appropriate at the state level. While the FairTax is fine for use at the state level, it is not appropriate at the national level for reasons explained later. One day in October of 2008 a strange event occurred as Luanne and I were walking in the woods. A sparrow flew down six feet in front of us just to the right of our path – took his last breath and died. Matthew 10:29 (NIV) says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care [or will].” According to Scripture, that sparrow falling to the ground right there in front of us was within God’s care [will]. God knows everything. My work at MPF concluded and, with all the financial troubles in the newspaper world, Luanne’s job at the Gazette ended in December 2008. Scraping out a living on my part- time pay at Vanillaware coupled with Luanne’s unemployment compensation, our income was just barely enough to make ends meet. Little did I know my life was about to be set on a political trajectory through an unusual dream.

204 Section II – God & Country

Went to a Tea Party

ver the years I was vaguely engaged in politics, taking O time to pay attention to news reports and voting but that was about it. I was aware of scandals plaguing the highest echelons of power and was ambivalent, and not overly concerned, that we attacked Iraq after they invaded Kuwait. Then, following the traumatic events of 9/11, the U.S. went after Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. In turn, another Iraqi War followed, the reasoning for which seemed dubious. My concerns and fears were growing that another Vietnam fiasco, perhaps more than one, was looming with a loss of blood and treasure for naught. After President George W. Bush’s terrified bailout of banks “too big to fail” (Troubled Asset Relief Program known as TARP) in October 2008, my long dormant political interest ignited into flames. Did President Bush miss the oncoming economic storm because he was fixated on fighting wars? How could this happen? What was going on in Washington, D.C.? Like many others, my attention riveted on the federal government’s interventionist policies and its growing debt.

207 M ELVIN VALKNER

More concerns arose, not only about the economy in particular, but about government in general when President Barack Obama steered the country rigorously to the left accelerating the federal government’s role in our everyday lives. With the advantage of time and hindsight we now know President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s (FDR) administration during the Great Depression was a colossal failure as extensively documented by Amity Shlaes in The Forgotten Man10. In spite of popular opinion otherwise, FDR’s misguided economic policies, with government playing a dominating role, prolonged the depression. Unfortunately using FDR as a model, four months after TARP on February 17, 2009 President Obama signed into law The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed (Stimulus Bill). Many of us feared his big-spending, government-centered policies would only make things worse. Early on it was plainly apparent that he was merely mouthing words. He had no jobs solution. From the start, it was clear to me that he misunderstood American Exceptionalism. I wondered if he lacked a “gut” instinct for The American Dream due to time spent abroad during his formative years. Although obviously intelligent, his calls for redistribution of wealth instead of emphasizing wealth creation revealed the dangerous level of his ineptitude. Turns out, Frank Marshall Davis, a communist association developed when he lived in Hawaii, greatly influenced his thinking. And he doesn’t stand alone. Millions of Americans share his flawed view. All this was very upsetting.

10 Amity Shlaes, The Forgotten Man (New York: Harper, 2009).

208 T HE COMMON MAN

So on April 15, 2009 I went to the Kalamazoo Tea Party organized by Gene Clem, a former Army officer. Expecting only 12 to 15 people, I was surprised to see several hundred demonstrators from the area carrying homemade signs protesting the federal government’s excessive spending. Many elected officials and the media portrayed the Tea Par- ty attendees as uneducated and racist but nothing could be further from the truth. We are just ordinary, hard-working folks primarily wanting to show our alarm at the massive debt accumulation with higher taxes and inflation sure to follow. Guess they felt threatened and reacted defensively, albeit dis- honestly. I picked up a brochure at the Tea Party about the Constitu- tion Party, a still maturing national party with affiliations in several states. While their website was unimpressive, their party platform captivated me by promoting a return to following the original intent of the Constitution and their confidence in The American Dream and trust in The Common Man to take care of himself and his neighbor rather than “big brother” government. I also noted their preamble unashamedly “acknowledged the blessing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as Creator, Preserver and Ruler of the Universe and of these United States”11. Joining a political party for the first time, I became a member of the U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan (USTPM), the Michigan affiliate of the Constitution Party. (USTPM wants to change its name to the Constitution Party of Michigan but the Democrats and Republicans in Michigan’s Legislature will not support the necessary guidelines to allow an inexpensive ballot

11 Constitution Party Platform, 04 Jun. 2011.

209 M ELVIN VALKNER name change, typical of the way Democrats and Republican stifle competition.) Christians, Democrats, Republicans and Independents, veterans, wage-earners, business owners and families should all take a special liking to the Constitution Party. Among other things, it advocates individual liberty and limited power of the federal government to that spelled out in the Constitution, thereby restoring the balance between the federal and state governments and the people. It also promotes free enterprise, protects the American worker, seeks a return to gold and silver- backed currency and calls for less military intervention. My interest in politics hadn’t been this piqued since Vi- etnam and my political science college courses at WMU – and I started writing again. I decided to study the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution including its Amendments. Formally titled “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,” the Declaration of Independence uses a small ‘u’ in the phrase “united States.” Of its 27 complaints, only one complaint is taxes, the rest deal with abuse of power. Many of its signors gave up their lives and fortunes to create our Constitutional Republic but kept their honor – unlike many of today’s leaders who give up their honor to keep their lives and fortunes. The U.S. Constitution is a truly remarkable document beginning, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union…” and goes on to list the few and de- fined powers delegated to the federal government, reserving all other rights to the people and the states. No national authority divided territories into states for its benefit. A compact between the states formed the federal government. The more I studied history, the more I learned how much abuse our Constitution has suffered over time at the hands of

210 T HE COMMON MAN politicians seeking to promote their views. The Constitution is not a “living” document subject to modern interpretation. The President, Congress and the Courts lack the unilateral authority within the Constitution to alter it. A legally binding document, only the amendment process described in Article V may alter it. President George Washington warned, “But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this in one in- stance may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed”12. Current- ly there are 27 amendments. The first ten amendments are the “Bill of Rights.” I became absorbed in finding out what type of government the Founding Fathers intended. Was it President Jefferson’s vision of a limited, citizen government or Alexander Hamilton’s view of a big government, high taxes and lifetime rule for politicians? President Jefferson wrote: “On every question of construction, [we should] carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed”13. President Washington once said, “Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair. The event is in the hand of God”14.

12 President George Washington’s Farewell Address, 19 Sep. 1796. 06 Jun. 2011. 13 Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Johnson, 12 Jun. 1823. The Complete Jefferson, 322. 04 Jun. 2011. 14 George Washington comments at the First Continental Congress, 14 May 1787. 04 Jun. 2011.

211 M ELVIN VALKNER

There are many today wanting to minimize the importance of our Constitution. They are willing to give power to the federal government, even to the United Nations, and let others control them. Not me. The more I researched, the more I realized that very few of our federally elected officials understand American Exceptionalism (while a specific definition is difficult, self- determination coupled with the concept that all political power belongs to the people to temporarily distribute as they like is the basis of American Exceptionalism.) It became strikingly obvious to me that both Democrats and Republicans systemati- cally distort, ignore and abuse the Constitution. We seem to have lost our self-reliance, unsure if we can sus- tain ourselves with only limited government, becoming so dependent on government that it appears we are willing to forfeit our integrity and freedom, accepting government controlling virtually every aspect of our lives, taking us to the brink of chaos. Shortly after the April 15th Tea Party, I became a founding member of the Southwest Michigan Patriots (Kalamazoo Area Tea Party). Two weeks after that I had a very vivid dream night where the waters were rising. It was so real that when I woke up I lay in bed intently listening for the sound of rushing water, thinking that the water pipes used for heating burst, the basement filling with water. Thankfully, all was very quiet. Unexpectedly a clear and distinct, non-audible voice unmistakably asked, “Are you ready to go to Washington?” Somewhat stunned, I knew it was God was speaking to me. Job 33:14-15 (NIV) says, “For God does speak - now one way, now another - though no one perceives it. In a dream, in a

212 T HE COMMON MAN vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds.” Mulling it over and initially assuming that I was to run against Congressman Fred Upton of Michigan’s 6th Congres- sional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, I answered, “Yes.” I asked God for a confirmation that I was to run against Rep. Upton, that when I brought up the subject that I was considering running for political office that someone, whoever was present, would say “I will support you” (much like Abraham’s chief servant asked for something very specific in Genesis 24). Before long and busy with other things I soon forgot about my prayer. A month later I volunteered to become Treasurer of the Southwest Michigan Patriots. Several days later, after the conclusion of a Tea Party organ- izational meeting in preparation for the Fourth of July rally, I mentioned to three people that as a potential candidate of the Taxpayers Party with its Constitution Party platform I was considering running against Rep. Upton. Sitting across the table was Patti Buxton, whom I had never met before. She immediately spoke up, “I’ll support you,” quickly adding she had no money, contacts or experience. My fleece instantly came to mind and I nearly jumped out of my chair telling everyone about it. An older gentleman who was there and an avid follower of Christ said, “Mel, you believe this is from the Lord so you have to keep walking through doors as long as they continue to open for you, but know, with your political views, this is the stuff martyrs are made of.” Hebrews 3:7-8 (NIV) says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” God speaks. The choice was mine to listen, discern and act the best I knew how.

213 M ELVIN VALKNER

It stirred me up to begin researching Constitutional Solu- tions to today’s key problems. Luanne prepared some flyers. I volunteered to speak at the Fourth of July Tea Party in St. Joseph and another later that same day in Kalamazoo. Wearing a three-cornered hat indicative of the revolutionary period I was pleasantly surprised when I actually felt comfortable speaking to such large gatherings, which I had never done before. Still, handing out 400 flyers at the Kalamazoo rally I received only a single, positive response in the mail. With no name recognition, I realized just how difficult a task running for office was going to be. Talking to others it was striking how disjointed were various trains of thought. While most everyone wanted a more limited government there was little consensus on how to reach the goal. Even more alarming was that the younger folks I talked to, college age or so, could hardly understand the concept of limited government and were puzzled by it. Luanne later commented that the three-cornered hat and the Gadsden Flag, which dealt with the states sticking together, reminded her of looking to the past. At home, while thinking about all this, I noticed a bumblebee foraging in clover. Researching the bumblebee, I thought it was much like The Common Man: 1) It is everywhere, and with 250 variations it comes in many shapes and sizes, 2) It just wants to be left alone to live and work, helping its community, 3) Based on simplified calculations scientists once claimed it was mathematically impossible for the bumblebee to fly, failing to measure a vortex above the wing causing lift. Likewise, the political elite of today believe The Common Man is incapable

214 T HE COMMON MAN of flying (self-governing) and, 4) It is non-aggressive, but will sting if disturbed. I asked Luanne to design a bumblebee graphic for me. Ini- tially she resisted getting caught up in another project of mine. Once willing, Luanne wanted more than just a caricature of a bumblebee. She wanted it to be realistic but not a picture. The task was much more difficult and time consuming than first contemplated, but finally the Flying Bumblebee was finished and it was dramatic. Coupled with a coherent message centered on returning to the Constitution and restoring power to The Common Man, I envisioned millions of Americans wearing blue hats emblazoned with the Flying Bumblebee, a “Blue Hat Bri- gade.” The Flying Bumblebee symbol could be used to rally and unite patriot groups across the nation. (Guess I have a tendency to think big.) Trademark applications were filed for The Common Man® and Don’t Back Down®. Both received registered trademarks. With the assistance of my friend and former employer Jeff Honeyager I started TheCommonMan.org, a website dedicated to getting out the truth that I was discovering. Estimates showed the Tea Party was initially comprised of 55% Republicans, 25% Independents and 20% Democrats. I kept encouraging the local Tea Party board members and attendees to join the USTPM Kalamazoo County affiliate that I was organizing. I don’t know the content of any discussions. I only know that, rebuffed, I lost my board seat and my treasurer role. Instead, they pushed to infiltrate the Republican Party, but of course, lost the support of the Democratic Tea Party

215 M ELVIN VALKNER members and a good share of the Independents. The Tea Party has at its base a good heart in wanting limited government but has no idea how to accomplish this other than to seek to gain control of the Republican Party, which the “Es- tablishment” Republicans will fight with the substantial resources they have available. Four of us local Tea Party members decided to attend a massive Tea Party rally held in Washington, D.C. on Sep- tember 12, 2009. I brought a banner with a large bumblebee on it saying, “Don’t Back Down.” Many had created their own signs. I remember one that was prophetic, “How do you know Obama is lying? His lips are moving.” It was quite evident that countless citizens felt that our federal government has strayed far from its mandate articulated by a free people. Two months later “Pelosicare,” with its proposed jail time, penalties, fines and mandates forcing citizenry to buy insurance, passed the House of Representatives 220 – 215 with not one Republican vote. Pelosicare evolved to Obamacare under a degree of corruption never seen in Amer- ican politics, with massive kickbacks and payoffs provided for support to gain passage. Finally, after Democratic Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy’s death and with the election of Re- publican Senator Scott Brown meaning the loss of their 60 – 40 majority, in March 2010 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid used a parliamentary procedure “reconciliation,” used for two centuries only for budget items (needing only 51 votes), to gain Senate passage, again without a single Repub- lican vote. After studying the Constitution and writings of the Founding Fathers, there was no doubt in my mind that this type of activity by the federal government was way beyond

216 T HE COMMON MAN original intent of the Founding Fathers. Most politicians, against the advice of President Jefferson, have been seeing “…what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it”15 because it restrains their spending ability – exactly what it was intended to do. It’s really pretty simple – if the Constitution doesn’t authorize it, the federal government isn’t supposed to be doing it. The U.S. Government does not have right to redistribute wealth. In fact, the opposite is true. It has the obligation to protect private property. In the meantime, I needed a job to provide income. Rob- ert Half found me some temporary accounting work at the end of the year, this time at Glen Oaks Community College (GOCC) in their finance area. Having worked at so many diverse businesses, learning the intricacies of higher education, yet another completely different sector was difficult. Fortunately, a very helpful staff at GOCC proved to be a real blessing to work with, keeping me employed for several months. I was astonished at the level of federal funding for higher education, none for which the Constitution provides authority. Substantial “free” money, funding in the form of Pell Grants, paid class fees. Any money left over could be used for whatever the student desired. It was easy to see how education costs increased dramatically from that of my college tuition, as there is little incentive to contain tuition costs. Amazingly, there were even grants available for babysitting expenses. Farfetched as it sounded, the federal government was borrowing from other countries and going deeper into debt

15 Thomas Jefferson letter to William Johnson, 12 Jun. 1823. The Complete Jefferson, 322. 04 Jun. 2011.

217 M ELVIN VALKNER to give money away! Unquestionably, this was not sustaina- ble. I became totally absorbed in understanding events occur- ring at the national level. All my spare time was spent gaining comprehension. I found two multi-faceted “smoking guns” robbing power from the states and local communities. Bear with me while I explain complicated issues as simply as I can. It is very important that you understand the next two chapters.

218 What Happened in 1913?

suppose due to my CPA background I gravitated towards I financial matters and what I discovered surprised me. (An- other round of thanks to the extra math in elementary school.) Thinking about and analyzing things over several months, I found the first of two smoking guns migrating political power from the people to the federal government. History reveals that by the early 1900s the federal government was seeking more revenue to cure its deficits (can you imagine?). Under the banner of the Progressive Movement heralding big government as the answer to big problems, three intricately connected events occurred in 1913 that dramatically transferred political power from the local people to Washing- ton, D.C.: 1) Ratification of the 16th Amendment, and, 2) Ratification of the 17th Amendment, and, 3) Creation of the Federal Reserve System. By 1913 the U.S. was the manufacturing center of the world and so it was thought, according to F.W. Taussig, Ph.D., who in 1914 wrote The Tariff History of the United States that, “It was worth while…to put an end to the superstition that all

219 M ELVIN VALKNER prosperity was dependent on the maintenance of a rigid protec- tive tariff.” There were “…predictions of general disaster, of collapse for all manufacturing enterprises, of destruction to the American standard of living”16. Before ratification of the 16th Amendment, the income tax was illegal. The Founders did not allow a direct tax on a man’s labor. It was never their intent to tax the creation of wealth. They wanted a wealthy nation. Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution states, “No…direct Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census…” Any research into the period can find a quote like this one from Theodore Sedgwick disclosing that, “a capitation tax and taxes on land and on property and income generally were a direct charge”17. Ratified February 3, 1913 the 16th Amendment, amending Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution, states, “The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.” Since there was no income tax prior to 1913 where did the federal government get its revenue? The Constitution provided three means: Excise taxes, tariffs, and a tax in proportion to the census known as apportionment (never used). An Excise is a tax on consumption such as gasoline tax paying for road construction and maintenance (seems fair enough).

16 Frank Taussig, Ph.D., The Tariff History of The United States. (1914). 447. 06 Jun. 2011. 17 Theodore Sedgwick, Direct Taxes in 1787-94. The New York Times, 01 May 1895. 08 Feb. 2014.

220 T HE COMMON MAN

Duties and Imposts, known as tariffs, are taxes levied on goods coming into this country. Tariffs were the largest source of federal revenue until 1913. Democrats and Republicans have taken the people from a tax rate of 8% before 1913 to a com- bined federal (including employee and employer FICA taxes), state and local tax rate of nearly 40% (average rate for most workers). No wonder taxes are stressful – they want us to pay more – and the younger generation faces a lower standard of living than their parents. Pretty obvious why, isn’t it? Tariffs ensure the wages of American workers are not a race to the bottom of the wage scale, but rather cause “all ships to rise.” In today’s world, let’s say that shoes are made abroad for $15 but cost $55 to make in the U.S. If the federal government taxed and collected the tariff (difference) of $40 there would be little incentive for business to seek lower wages abroad. However, as the federal government no longer collects the $40 tariff, the difference is pocketed by business directly benefit- ing by paying lower wages abroad. Not only has the government lost tax revenue that will have to be collected through income tax, but lower wages will be paid to the American worker to pay the income tax that he otherwise did not have to pay. One cannot blame business but the government policy for the income tax is a political issue. Of course, business necessarily collects its corporate income tax from the wage earner via a higher-priced product, another hit to the wallet. Tariffs protect the American worker’s wages from being the cheapest labor found elsewhere in the world. Tariffs cause the wages of the world’s labor to rise to that of the American worker for there is no value for business to import low-wage products as they must pay the difference in taxes. In addition, our federal government would actually protect our borders as it diligently searches containers, etc. looking for revenue.

221 M ELVIN VALKNER

Substituting the tariff system (tax on imported goods) in 1913 for the income tax (tax on wealth creation) is the basis for the collapse of our manufacturing industries and the decline of our standard of living. (Ultimately it is much more than that, it is a fight between individual liberty and an unlimited federal government run amok, so powerful it can dictate and control the lives of everyone in the country and choices ranging from personal healthcare to local school curriculums.) Tariffs must be adjusted occasionally ensuring they are reasonable and adequate, and this requires work. Poor Congress. They will be responsible for something to which they are held accountable. Greatly exaggerated are claims that tariffs deepened the Great Depression. Throughout most of the 1800s, during the time the U.S. rose to power, tariffs averaged almost 30%, peaking at 62% in 1830, while the average for Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act signed into law on June 17, 1930 was 20%, peaking at 60%18. Many argue that tariffs will make the U.S. isolationist. The Founding Fathers used tariffs extensively yet were not isolationist. Unlike our current leaders, they knew that free trade between the states stimulates our economy while tariffs between the U.S. and other nations protect our industries and jobs. Tariffs are still used today, although only on a minor scale. Tariffs are given a bad name by some saying they will start a “trade war.” We are kidding ourselves. What do you think we have now? We are stimulating China’s economy in a gigantic “redistribution of wealth.” Annually, on average, over the last few years

18 Wikipedia, 06 Jun. 2011.

222 T HE COMMON MAN the U.S. bought $270 billion more products from China than they bought from us, shipping countless jobs to them. With the newfound business, China uses our money to challenges us economically, militarily and now in outer space. It’s fine for China to prosper. Just not at our expense. Likewise, worldwide U.S. imports exceed exports by $600 billion per year. This also cannot continue. We have got to stimulate manufacturing here in the U.S. Finally, if the federal government needs more revenue they could resort to apportionment (tax in proportion to census), which is a tax applied equally to everyone in the country. Using Michigan as an example, it has 3.3 percent of the nation’s population so its share of a $3 trillion federal funding request would mean that Michigan’s share is $99 billion. Michigan’s 2014 annual budget was $50 billion. If Michigan taxpayers knew that 2/3 of their tax dollars were leaving the state as many small Michigan towns are filling up with second-hand stores, and Detroit and Flint riddled with poverty, they would be furious. Federal politicians have never used apportionment because they want taxpayers kept in the dark. They can bestow favor on their supporters with limited public awareness. It’s very difficult for anyone to communicate complicated issues to the public at large. The second major event transferring power from the states to the federal government is the 17th Amendment ratified on April 8, 1913 dictating, “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof…” This modified Article 1, Section 3 of the original Constitution whereby previously U.S. Senators were “chosen by the Legislature thereof.” The people’s direct vote has always elected U.S. Representatives, “the People’s House,” but election of the U.S. Senators were to be by each state’s legislature.

223 M ELVIN VALKNER

Who do Senators report to now? To whom do they owe al- legiance? The Founding Fathers intended that Senators were to look out for the interests of their state and report back to their boss, the state legislature. It also ensured the best possible communication as contacting a local state legislature is quite easy, who can then transmit local concerns to his subordinate, the state’s U.S. Senator. This is in stark contrast to the standard form letters now received after trying to reach a U.S. Senator. Instead of furthering the interests of their state, Senators primarily focus on their own future that centers on obtaining campaign contributions, namely from big business and big unions obligating the Senator to return the favor by supporting goals of their contributors. Again using Michigan as an example with its annual budget of $50 billion. When the federal budget is $3 trillion, under apportionment Michigan’s share of taxes is $99 billion. Does anyone believe if Michigan’s U.S. Senators reported to Michi- gan’s Legislature that expenditures of such magnitude would be acceptable? Reporting to their State Legislature, and with clari- ty of apportionment, Senators would work on behalf of their state once more. On a side note, another issue that would diminish states’ rights is the abolishment of the Electoral College by substituting a “National Popular Vote” to determine the presidential winner. The ten most populous states have more than 53% of the popu- lation19 and there would be little need to campaign elsewhere. The Electoral College was designed to protect the rights of small states and reduce misbehavior of political parties. Our nation is

19 Wikipedia, 04 Jun. 2011.

224 T HE COMMON MAN not a democracy whereby every decision is made by popular vote, but a republic whereby we elect citizens to represent our collective interests. The Electoral College should remain as designed to represent each state’s choice of a president. The third major factor of 1913 congregating power in Washington, D.C. was the Federal Reserve Act signed into law on December 23, 1913. Created by Congress, The Federal Reserve System (the Fed) was “to provide the nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system”20. Although having a federal charter, the Fed is not part of the federal government. It is privately owned, a concern of Ron Paul for many years. This “blatant scam” is detailed extraordi- narily well by G. Edward Griffin in The Creature from Jekyll Island21. Since the country’s inception a national bank owned by a few wealthy Americans was tried twice before: First Bank of the United States and Second Bank of the United States. Rather than retread unsuccessful names, in 1913 Congress gave the Third Bank of the United States a name, the Federal Reserve System, implying it is a government-owned entity, which it is not. The Fed reminds me of a tale whereby a man found a frozen snake. Bringing the snake inside to the warmth of his house, he fed and nurtured it back to health. One day the snake bit the man who snapped at the snake, “I brought you back to health when you were frozen and near death. Why did you bite me?” The snake replied, “You knew I was a snake when you brought me in.”

20 Federal Reserve Website. About the Fed, Mission. 06 Jun. 2011. 21 G. Edward Griffin, The Creature from Jekyll Island (Westlake Village, CA: American Media, 2010).

225 M ELVIN VALKNER

A private bank controlling our money supply yet refusing to disclose its stockholders is not a good sign that the Fed is pro- tecting the nation’s best interest and can only end in tyranny. Now I understand what “national interest” means. About the First Bank of the United States, President Jeffer- son warned, “Suppose a series of untoward events should occur, sufficient to bring into doubt the competency of a republican government to meet a crisis of great danger…an institution like this…acting by command and in phalanx, may, in a critical moment, upset the government”22. Knowing the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, he was happy when during his presidency Congress decided not to renew the bank’s charter. After the demise of the First Bank of the United States, the Second Bank of the United States received a 20-year charter in 1817. Despite voracious threats from the head of Second Bank’s Nicholas Biddle, President Andrew Jackson vetoed renewing the bank’s charter in 1836 believing the bank to be a menace to the republic because of its vast economic power. The Second Bank of the United States went bankrupt five years later. The Constitution says, “Congress shall have the power...To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof.” Congress cannot unilaterally delegate this matter to another entity without a constitutional amendment. Make no mistake; it is a lot of work to “regulate the Value thereof.” Over time, the Fed assumed Congressional responsibilities, freeing Congress to work on other things like Social Security, Medicare, healthcare, education, etc. for which, despite the concurrence of the Supreme

22 Andrew Allison et al. The Real Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 1 of the American Classic Series (Malta, ID: National Center for Constitutional Studies, 2008). 354.

226 T HE COMMON MAN

Court, it has no authority under Article 1 Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, which is a very specific list of responsibilities. The Fed is now so powerful that it simply creates more money at its discretion. It channels that money electronically into the economy through its symbiotic relationship with big banks. (Fed Chairman Bernanke deceitfully stated that the Fed is not printing money. Guess that is technically true because it injects money electronically.) As youngsters, we all learned that over thousands of years the system of money was developed. Exchanging goods or services (barter), like swapping a side of beef for a bushel of apples, became too difficult. Gold and silver, with their intrinsic attributes of being scarce, divisible, durable, and easily transportable, function well as barter. Although you may be wondering what a gold and silver- backed currency has to do with you, this principle may be the most important one of all. The Continental Congress funded the Revolutionary War using paper money with no assets to back it (“fiat,” or currency by order of the government). By 1778, the legal tender, the Conti- nental dollar, had become worthless. It was, after all, only mere pieces of paper – the same as we have today thanks to FDR and President Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ). From the beginning, the States insisted that this provision be in the Constitution, “No State shall…make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debt.” (Article I, Section 10). According to the Constitution and never modified, states must use gold and silver to back up currency. It is important to note that every state, every governor, every state legislature is currently violating the Constitution. The requirement to make “gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts” remains in the Constitution and has never been amended.

227 M ELVIN VALKNER

Gold and silver coins became the backbone of financial transactions. Individuals bartered their goods and services for gold and silver coins, the precious metals became their property with an established value. Owners have a right to the value of those gold and silver coins. FDR and Congress had no Constitutional authority to take the nation off gold-backed tender, and Congress and LBJ had no Constitutional authority to take the nation off silver-backed tender, which is a right belonging to the states. But, after the events of 1913, as Senators no longer protect states’ rights it was easy to initiate such measures. Signing the Coinage Act of 1965 into law altering the silver content of our money supply, LBJ was foolish, or devious, enough to say, “If anybody has any idea of hoarding our silver coins…there will be no profit in holding them out of circula- tion for the value of their silver content”23. By replacing the silver and copper in our coins with less valuable metals our own government stole our silver. It was not theirs to take and keep, leaving us with fiat. Thomas Woods, Jr. wrote Meltdown24 exploring this in great depth. Many of us are old enough to remember when quarters, until 1964, were made of 90% silver instead of the cheap nickel- coated copper coins used today having no silver content. Pen- nies were 95% copper instead of today’s pennies made from 97.5% zinc and only 2.5% copper. This is serious business. “Think of it this way...a quarter in 1964 (90% silver) bought a gallon of gas (actually it was 27 cents per gallon). Does your new nickel-coated copper quarter buy a gallon of gas now? No. But, ignoring the collectability of

23 06 Jan 2013 24 Thomas E. Woods, Jr., Meltdown (Washington, D.C: Regnery, 2009).

228 T HE COMMON MAN the 1964 quarter, the silver content of that 1964 quarter is worth enough to buy a gallon and a half of gas at current prices”25. It may be difficult to understand, but the price of gasoline has actually gone down. Gas seems more expensive because it takes more, less valuable dollars to purchase it. Due to government borrowing, the Fed keeps injecting more fiat into the economy, thereby continuing to diminish the value of the dollar. Many of us still remember our paper currency emblazoned with “Silver Certificate…This Certifies That There Is On De- posit In The Treasury of The United States of America…Silver Payable To The Bearer On Demand.” Any holder of this currency could, until 1965, go into a bank and exchange that certificate for silver. That is a valuable currency. Take a quick look at the paper currency in your wallet stating, “Federal Reserve Note.” This type of paper money is also called fiat (government mandate) and unfunded paper – none of these are backed by gold or silver. President Washington said, “Paper money has had the effect in your state that it will ever have, to ruin commerce, oppress the honest, and open the door to every species of fraud and injustice”26. Gold and silver restrain government spending. The real reason LBJ took the nation off the gold and silver standard was to increase federal government spending by providing Medicare with cheap and plentiful dollars (inflation). The government is complicit in rising healthcare costs. Lacking free market re- straints, government involvement will continue to exacerbate rising healthcare costs unless it severely curtails services.

25 Jerry Van Sickle, U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan, example as given to Melvin Valkner. 23 Oct. 2010. 26 George Washington letter to Jabez Bowen, Rhode Island, 09 Jan. 1787. 08 Feb. 2014.

229 M ELVIN VALKNER

By the way, mandatory expenditures of Social Security and Medicare now exceed the tax revenue collected for these benefit plans. An inept fiduciary, the federal government raided more than $2 trillion cash on hand in those accounts, spending it on who knows what, leaving only IOUs in its place. Upon closer look, it is actually worse than that because they are depriving American families of their generational wealth (see appendix). Gold and silver protect your assets. They are a hedge against inflation and a worthless currency. Gold and silver establish monetary discipline so money retains its value as it did from 1800 to 1900 when a dollar was still worth a dollar for 100 years (while there was inflation and deflation, on average no inflation over a 100-year period27). However, 100 years after the Fed’s charter gold has risen from $20 per ounce to about $1,650, so gold costs 82 times more than in 1913. Why? The Fed continues to inject fiat into the monetary supply. Inflation has eroded our buying power. It is now 82% less valuable than 100 years ago. Think about this: What will you do when it is 100% less valuable, that is, has no value at all? Might it affect your lifestyle if U. S. currency becomes worthless? Will you sell your soul for a piece of bread? Can you see where this is going? Beware the bitcoin. Demand a currency backed by gold and silver. That, my friend, is inflation and that is why a Hershey chocolate bar now costs 95 cents. Actually, Hershey’s has done an outstanding job of holding their price down. Over the years, the Fed’s role has expanded to “influencing the monetary and credit conditions in the economy in pursuit

27 07 Aug. 2011. Additional calculation of adding and averaging made by author.

230 T HE COMMON MAN of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long- term interest rates”28. Through its artificial stimulation, it mostly causes boom and bust cycles as well as inflation. The deceit does not stop there, remember that two consecutive Fed Chairmen, Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke, assured the public there was no housing bubble. Whether dishonest or naïve neither bodes well considering all the power now concen- trated in the Fed. Much of the “housing bubble” was created by the Fed when it arbitrarily injected huge amounts of money (they won’t say how much) into the economy for “subprime mortgages,” loans for those with a high risk of default (at the urging of Congress), often with no money down and sometimes borrowing more than the value of the house. A housing boom built too many homes for those who could not afford them. Mortgage defaults increased dramatically and housing values plummeted. The market needs to determine interest rates, not the Fed. If people are saving then banks have funds to loan and interest rates go down. If people are not saving then banks have fewer funds to loan and interest rates go up. Pretty simple. Banks should not use fractional reserve banking, but only loan funds currently on hand. The National Debt (federal debt) was $3 billion in 1913, meaning it has, at the time of this writing, increased 5,400 times! The Fed made this possible by fiat and fractional reserve banking practices. Currently the U.S. pays $800 million per day of interest with no payment on the principal. President Obama’s financial forecast grows the National Debt to $27 trillion by 2020. The debt service (interest and

28 Federal Reserve Website. About the Fed, Mission. 07 Jun. 2011.

231 M ELVIN VALKNER principal, just like a home mortgage or auto loan) on $27 trillion at just 2% annual interest is $1.65 trillion annually, or a preposterous 75% of all current federal revenue. Paying debt service on a National Debt of $27 trillion will leave little money for “entitlements” or national defense. Re- member, before the federal government can pay debt service it must first balance its budget, living within its means like the rest of us, so there is a surplus to pay the debt service. No wonder many people are upset at federal spending levels and believe we must slash our federal budget now to have any funds left to pay future obligations. If the nation cannot afford to pay the debt service but pays interest only, as it does currently, then the privately held Federal Reserve System will enjoy interest income in perpetuity with The Common Man becoming serfs of the Fed, giving everything we have to it and living in destitution. Sounds a bit like Europe’s old repressive feudal system. Nice, eh? Along with President Jefferson, a growing movement be- lieves it dangerous for a private banking institution to print U.S. currency with its own name on it. However, lack of knowledge is now so pervasive in this country that the President, Congress and the Courts give it their assent. It will be up to the People to put a stop to this. The political elite, the educated idiots Grandpa Kirkland always talked about, believe the average American is stupid. Maybe we are. After all, we keep voting in the same people and political parties who continue digging us deeper into debt. Rather than just complain, I prepared a financial plan to balance the budget and pay off the National Debt over time by eliminating all federal income tax and relying on excise taxes, tariffs and apportionment as the Founders intended. It is possible if we act soon.

232 T HE COMMON MAN

To summarize how we restore the nation to financial prosperity: 1) The Founding Fathers wanted a wealthy people and made the income tax illegal. Made legal in 1913 the federal income tax must be abolished by repealing the 16th Amend- ment, which would also prevent the IRS from collecting and storing vast amounts of personal information on the citizenry. It is possible. Remember, the 21st Amendment repealed the destructive 18th Amendment, prohibition on alcohol. 2) Protect American jobs by making the federal government live off tariffs, excise taxes, and apportionment as the Founders intended. These are our markets after all. Business depresses wages by using overseas labor, but the Founders wanted others to rise to our level not us sink to theirs. 3) Lower taxes means that Americans will have more money to spend on higher-priced products made in the U.S. 4) As manufacturing returns to produce American-made goods, more skilled jobs than available workers available naturally produces higher-paying jobs. 5) With higher-paying jobs, everyone will have more money to meet their needs. 6) Then we must restore the value of our currency by gradually making our “fake silver” coins of 90% real silver again and our “fake copper” pennies made of genuine copper. After paying off the National Debt over time, back the currency by gold and silver as dictated by Article 1, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution. Some will say we cannot return to the gold and silver tender. That is untrue. It is possible to return to currency backed by gold and silver. Granted it will take wisdom. The right to barter with gold and silver is a right of the people. Gold and silver tender is like marriage; there are going to be peaks and valleys, but making it work over time proves of

233 M ELVIN VALKNER inestimable worth. We must restore the strength of the dollar for our financial protection and our independence (this is, after all, at the core of it all). It will not be easy downsizing government, restoring its constitutional role. President Ronald Reagan joked, “No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. So, government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth”29. It is a given that federal and state governments and taxes are necessary. However, the present level of government dominating our lives, much of it promoted by both Democrats and Republicans, is not the self-government envisioned by the Founding Fathers. Directly opposed to an ever expanding governmental role is Article I, Section 8 in the Constitution, of which President James Madison wrote, “If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the General Welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one, possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one”30. I found not only political and economic danger facing us, but moral bankruptcy as well.

29 Ronald Reagan, A Time for Choosing, Televised Campaign Address, 27 Oct. 1964. Univ of Texas. 04 Jun. 2011. 30 James Madison letter to Edmund Pendleton, 1792. 04 Jun. 2011.

234 Disappearing Heritage

eeling I had gained adequate knowledge of political and Feconomic issues, my attention turned to why and how the nation’s morality is declining. That’s when I found the second of two “smoking guns” migrating political power from the people to the federal government, the outright hostility of the federal government towards religion. “We are a nation of laws,” is a popular saying. Yet we make law after law as if that is the answer to our problems. I have heard it said there are over a million laws on the books in the U.S. Merely making and enforcing laws is not enough to bring about a loving and righteous society. We need to deal with matters of the heart. Job 32:8 (NIV) says, “But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.” Once again, I revisited the nation’s origins. Studying the writings of the Founding Fathers it was apparent to me that, for the most part, they were well acquainted with the Bible and

235 M ELVIN VALKNER prayer and very comfortable with widespread use of both in the public square. Article VI of the Constitution states, “…no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States,” yet, with his hand on a Bible, Washington became President. Congress and the Courts start each day with an opening prayer. In his first inaugural address President Washington stated, “It would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official Act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the Universe, who presides in the Councils of Nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that his benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the People of the United States”31. Other Founding Fathers wrote of the prevailing influence of Scripture and Christ, religious liberty with the Bible at its core governing individual behavior, imparting morality, weaving Christianity into the fabric of society at every level. Our Founders knew the essence of our constitutional republic depends on a citizenry that is self-governing, doing what is right through the Spirit of Christ. President Washington said, “And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion”32. Elias Boudinot, president of the Continental Congress (1777-78) said, “Our country should be preserved from the dreadful evil of becoming enemies of the religion of the Gospel,

31 National Archives and Records Administration, Washington’s First Inaugu- ral Address. 08 Feb. 2014. 32 Andrew Allison et al. The Real George Washington, Vol. 3 of the American Classic Series (Malta, ID: National Center for Constitutional Studies, 2008), 588.

236 T HE COMMON MAN which I have no doubt, but would be the introduction of the dissolution of government and the bonds of civil society”33. Christian morality created a country with the most freedom the world has ever seen, but now vocal foes of Christianity want to squelch expression of Christianity in the public square, relegating it only to private beliefs. It is the Constitution of the Soviet Union, Article 124 that says, “…the church in the U.S.S.R. is separated from the State, and the school from the church”34. The term, “separation of church and state,” does not appear in the U.S. Constitution. I started thinking about the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that still states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Then it hit me, there it was. Even an eight year old can understand “make no law.” Yet, numerous laws are in place prohibiting the free exercise of religion. A brief study of American education reveals a generous and substantial amount of religion in the public square known of and endorsed by the Founders, and therefore not in contradic- tion to their intent. The following are not isolated examples but typical of early American education. In 1642 The Massachusetts Bay School Law required children to know the laws of the commonwealth and the principles of religion.

33 Prepared by David Bennett, Constitution Apologetics, 03 Apr. 2009. 06 Jun. 2011. 34 Bucknell University, 1936 Constitution of the USSR. 08 Feb. 2014.

237 M ELVIN VALKNER

In 1690 The New-England Primer35 and its Shorter Cate- chism was introduced and enjoyed widespread use in American schools for more than 200 years. (It is a wonderful little book. Read it and you will see why the Founders were more literate than we are today.) Besides its Bible facts, its Catechism teaches of God and man’s relationship and the salvation of Jesus Christ. In 1813 the Washington Public Schools reported its students reading and spelling successes using the Bible and a Christian hymnal in its curriculum. After his presidency, Thomas Jefferson was an approving board member. Certainly, he, as much as anyone, would know if using the Bible in public schools was acceptable or not. Actions of early Americans show us that schools have every right to teach morals, biblical concepts and indeed the Bible itself. How much clearer could this be? The Founding Fathers prepared a Constitution acknowl- edging the special status of religion. President Washington said, “Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle”36. President John Adams said, “It is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand”37. And he stated, “We have no government

35 The New-England Primer, 1777. Reprinted (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1991). 36 PBS, Washington’s Farewell Address, September 19, 1796. 08 Feb. 2014. 37 John Adams, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States, Vol. IX, 401, to Zabdiel Adams on 21 Jun. 1776. (Boston: Little, Brown, 1854). 06 Jun. 2011.

238 T HE COMMON MAN armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . . Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other”38. Wisdom is not the accumulation of facts, but the appropriate application of facts necessarily including morality generating from religion. (For example, human nature needs morality to properly use technology, which otherwise might be used for great injury.) Thanks to the federal government and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), in direct violation of the Constitu- tion, laws are everywhere prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Roger Baldwin, founder of the ACLU, declared, “So long as we have enough people in this country willing to fight for their rights, we’ll be called a democracy”39. (Actually, we are not a democracy. The U.S. is a Constitutional Republic where representatives are elected to vote on issues on behalf of citizens.) Their “Freedom of Religion and Belief April 2007” precise- ly dictates what can be taught to whom under what circumstances. The ACLU asserts they work “to ensure that this essential freedom is protected by keeping the government out of religion”40. It seems the ACLU wants to use our money to educate our kids in their beliefs by keeping religion out of education and public life in general. The ACLU is leading the nation into immorality.

38 John Adams in a speech to the military in 1798. 08 Feb. 2014. 39 ACLU Website. About the ACLU. 06 Jun. 2011. 40 ACLU Website. Religion & Belief. 06 Jun. 2011.

239 M ELVIN VALKNER

One must assume if present at the time they would have railed against President Washington being sworn in with his hand on a Bible, and fought to prohibit the New-England Primer from being used in schools. Fortunately, they were not around so we can freely discern the will and intent of our Founders. The ACLU presents itself as the purveyor of freedom and, while they have done some good, like the Pharisees of old they are blind to the harm they cause. By its actions the ACLU leaves only one option: Atheism forced upon us. The Supreme Court is no better. It prohibited generic school prayer (“Almighty God, we acknowledge our depend- ence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our country”) in 1962 Engel v. Vitale NY Board of Regents by citing the 14th Amendment, that the States cannot establish religion. However, the 14th Amendment, which says in part, “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States,” did not repeal the 1st Amendment and, in fact, does not mention any of its main tenants of freedom of religion, speech, press and assembly and therefore leaves it as precedent. Madalyn Murray O’Hair’s highly publicized atheistic law- suit in 1963 ended Bible recitation in public schools, opening the door for the minority to trample rights of the majority. Forbidden is posting The Ten Commandments including “Thou Shall Not Kill” in public schools. Now that’s a crime. With all the school shootings as of late, it seems like a good idea to teach children not to kill. Could these be some of the educated idiots Grandpa Kirk- land referred to? The Bible must be brought back to our public schools. Children need to learn morals during every step of life, not

240 T HE COMMON MAN just in selected locations. Let local schools decide what’s best for them in accordance with the 1st Amendment. You may remember in 2003, over the objection of Ala- bama’s Chief Justice Judge Roy Moore, the federal authorities removed a monument of the Ten Command- ments from the Alabama State Courthouse. States are sovereign. In fact, the federal government violated the Con- stitution. It cannot make laws respecting or prohibiting the free exercise of religion. The issue in Alabama was a state issue. The federal government had no legal right to go into a State courthouse when no violation of the Constitution had occurred. Parents have the right and responsibility to educate their children in whatever manner they deem best, including education that teaches lessons of morality, civility and a love and fear of God, the same precepts esteemed by the Founding Fathers. Local education must be controlled by parents rather than by federal legislatures, judges and bu- reaucrats acting beyond their constitutional authority. With trepidation, I must confront the church. The church, the single, most powerful force to right the ship and restore balance, is especially guilty in this regard. Contemptuously, today we hear religious scholars say we need to keep the Bible in “historical context,” to remember when it was written and to whom it was written thereby minimizing God’s Word. More educated idiots? Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pene- trates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” II Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) says, “All Scripture is God- breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and

241 M ELVIN VALKNER training in righteousness so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” And in Acts 17:11 (NIV), “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Through Christ, the Word that became flesh and dwelt for a while among us, the church is to be filled with the Spirit of God. Pastors were a critical component of our nation’s founding. It is of supreme importance for pastors to define a candidate’s position on issues, compare them with Scripture and give their judgment if a candidate is worthy of their vote and that of their flock for which they are accountable. They must supply a moral component, otherwise as it is written in Matthew 5:13-14 (NIV), “If the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world.” I believe Jesus meant what he said. As soon as a church speaks out on any political issue, threats arise to revoke their 501(c)(3) status to intimidate them into submission. Pastors and churches must get out from under the IRS’s yoke immediately and become the sovereign church it is entitled to be under God and the Constitution. It is subject to Christ, not the government. Most churches in America are organized as tax-exempt religious organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code enacted in 1954. They have never needed this “protection” throughout American history and do not need it now. Submit- ting themselves to the IRS has made churches fearful. And if the church is fearful, how can the assembly have courage? And without courage, how can the assembly be the light of the world?

242 T HE COMMON MAN

Some might ask what about the deductibility of tithes? That is not a very good reason to forfeit rights granted by God and the Constitution. Some things are more important than money. Still, on Page 2 of IRS Publication 526 (2010), under “Or- ganizations That Qualify To Receive Deductible Contributions” it states, “You can deduct your contributions only if you make them to a qualified organization. To become a qualified organization, most organizations other than churches and governments, as described later, must apply to the IRS”41. There you have it; tithes to a church are automatically tax- deductible without filing for 501(c)(3) status. An organization must complete IRS Form 1023 to be considered for 501(c)(3) status putting them under the authority of the IRS. Accompanying the form is an acknowledgement, “If any of the activities (whether or not substantial) of your organization consist of participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office, your organization will not qualify for tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3). Such participation or intervention includes the publishing or distributing of statements”42. It is within the rights of the IRS to regulate tax exempt 501(c)(3) organizations including endorsement of political candidates. Organized under 501(c)(3) status a church is prohibited from endorsing political candidates or else it will lose its tax-exempt status. It’s the law and their responsibility to enforce the law.

41 IRS Website. 06 Jun. 2011. 42 Online IRS Publication 557. Application for Recognition of Exemption, Political Activity. 06 Jun. 2011.

243 M ELVIN VALKNER

Churches should not file for 501(c)(3) status. If already filed, churches must forsake it and opt out. They should never submit themselves to the control of the IRS when freedom is available under the 1st Amendment. That is not looking out for their flock. Laying a Scriptural foundation, pastors must use their authority to educate, exhort and lead their assemblies in any area of concern. Primarily introduced on behalf on homosexuals, various groups insist that “Hate Crime” legislation is now necessary. It seems to me that anyone who purposely injures another exhib- its hate whether due to sexual orientation, race, religion or any other reason. The problem with hate crime legislation is that it offers special protection to some, thereby not offering equal protection under the law to all and is therefore obviously dis- criminatory. This clearly violates the proper application of Section 1 of the 14th Amendment, which says no State shall deprive, “any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Can there be any doubt that soon it will be illegal for pastors to preach against the sinfulness of homosexuality, for wouldn’t this be stirring up hate? Scripture is quite clear in both the Old and New Testaments about its sinfulness. But, after being made aware of any sin, people need to freely repent through the power of the Holy Spirit. While dogma is important, this nation needs to seek God and the help that only God can provide. The church is comprised of people, not bricks and mortar. God has chosen to work through His church. It needs to obey and serve Him in every area of life. Christians need to regain positions of power from radical elements and influence, views that defy common sense. We

244 T HE COMMON MAN must become teachers, professors, administrators, executives, scientists, clergy, business owners, elected officials, lawyers, doctors, nurses, managers, police officers, firefighters, accountants, salesmen, engineers, builders, artists and environmentalists. We must become leaders in every field. Many Christians are hesitant to run for political office, perhaps thinking it is not spiritual. However, Luke 19:17 (NIV) says, “Well done, my good servant…Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.” The faithful servant received a political charge. John Jay our nation’s first Supreme Court Chief Justice (and a president of the American Bible Society) said, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as privilege and interest, of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers”43. For too long the godless and those who deny the power of God have exercised dominion in high places. They are turning our nation into an intolerant, godless society. Funding for many leading scientists supporting intelligent design are often denied if they say what they believe. Most universities, teaching staff and research scientists are adamant about evolution and are vehemently opposed to teaching or presenting anything to the contrary. Evolutionists argue that allowing any concept that brings intelligent design or God into the classroom will stymie study. That is preposterous. It is true from time to time religion has hindered progress. It is also true that the first printing press used to print Bibles triggered a worldwide explosion of literacy and knowledge.

43 Jay, William (1833). The Life of John Jay: With Selections from His Corre- spondence and Miscellaneous Papers. (New York: J. & J. Harper). 376. From Wikipedia 08 Feb. 2014.

245 M ELVIN VALKNER

Charles Darwin admitted a weakness in his theory of evolution when he said, “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down”44. Utilizing a microscope at 850x magnifying power Darwin had no idea what was yet to be discovered 100 years later by using atomic-force microscopes with 1,000,000x magnifying power. When studied in detail, the human body is a marvel- ous and tremendously complicated organism. In the “low” level of a nucleated cell, deoxyribonucleic acid’s (DNA) double helix has a gigabyte of computing power and stores hundreds of thousands of life’s instructions. Each gene has 46 chromosomes, 23 of which come from each parent, all of which are absolutely vital for life. There are not “successive slight modifications.” Logic dictates parents of complex sophistication both must have come into existence at the same time in order to equally and successfully transmit such chromosomes to their offspring. Keep in mind this is only one example of untold complex- ity within the human body. The human body has trillions of daily interactions involv- ing complex acids, molecular structure and quantum mechanics within its cardiovascular, circulatory, digestive, endocrine, lymphatic, muscle, nervous, neurological, repro- ductive, respiratory, skeletal and urinary systems along with its mental, emotional and spiritual functions that are so in- terdependent that often if just a single element is lacking deformity or death results.

44 Charles Darwin, Origin of Species, VI. Difficulties of the Theory. The Harvard Classics 1909-1914. 06 Jun. 2011.

246 T HE COMMON MAN

Evolution has never proven the origin of life itself and its account is continually being modified. But the Bible has fascinating, unchanging explanations on the beginning of life. Genesis 1:1-2 (NIV) says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” How long of a period was this? It could have been billions of years. No one knows. Perhaps there were other ages before ours. When God decided to create life on earth in this age, he went about it in a very interesting way; on the first day creating light that he called “day,” then calling the darkness “night.” Then on the second day he created an expanse called “sky” separating waters below the sky from the waters above the sky. This is consistent with discovering water on the moon and planets. On the third day he congregated the water under the sky forming land that produced vegetation, plants, trees, etc. Then, and I love this, on the fourth day with vegetation already growing he created the sun, moon and stars. We now know that plants don’t need the sun but light to grow. Surpris- ingly and contrary to the thinking of today, the earth was in place with vegetation growing before the sun, moon and stars existed. (Throughout time God performed many miracles: Virgin birth of Jesus and later being raised from the dead, as well as others, walking through walls, a donkey speaking, the sun going backwards in the sky, and many, many other miracles, and someday New Jerusalem with its enormous dimensions.) On the fifth day he created fish and birds.

247 M ELVIN VALKNER

On the sixth day he created animals and mankind. He rested on the seventh day. While creation may be mind-boggling, issues of an epoch are upon us. Let science and religion prosper together. People are looking for peace, joy and love. That’s why we must look to the Most High every day, all the time. Peace is with him. Security is with him. True riches are with him. Be not afraid. Trust in God and walk in His ways. He is your strength, your refuge, a tower. He is your shepherd. He is the author of life. It won’t be government leading the way into the kingdom of God. It will be God’s Spirit living in us by faith in Christ. In the Lord’s Prayer Matthew 6:10 (NIV) Jesus said, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” He provides for the sparrow and he provides for us. In 1787 after nearly five frustrating weeks of little progress at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the sage Benjamin Franklin said,

I have lived, Sir, a long time; and 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? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that “except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel…I therefore beg leave to move, That henceforth prayers, imploring

248 T HE COMMON MAN

the assistance of Heaven and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business; and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service45.

President Obama said the United States is now a “post- Christian” nation. We have every right to reject such a future and take action to the contrary. As warned in Psalms 9:17 (NIV), “The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God.” Our Declaration of Independence states, “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. That to secure these rights, governments are institut- ed among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it”46. Now I am not advocating abolishing our government, but I certainly am in support of renewing freedom of religion and restoring state and local control before it is too late. Again, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

45 Andrew Allison et al. The Real Benjamin Franklin, Vol. 2 of the American Classic Series (Malta, ID: National Center for Constitutional Studies, 2008). 456. 46 Declaration of Independence. 04 Jul. 1776. Rendered into HTML by Jon Roland of the Constitution Society. Converted to PDF by Danny Stone as a Community Service to the Constitution Society. 10 Feb 2014.

249 M ELVIN VALKNER

Bring back the Bible to our public schools lest we become a godless, immoral society.

250 Ten Fables of Madern Tyms

alking in the woods, thinking how to organize my new- Wfound knowledge, suddenly a series of fables effortlessly flooded my mind and heart. Coming up out of the woods as Luanne came looking for me, I excitedly told her about the strange characters I had imagined. She was less than impressed. Nevertheless I quickly sat down at the computer and started writing. Stories came to me for the next several days. Reading them is easier said than done. Here is a hint when you find difficult words to read: Say them aloud two or three times to sound them out. For example, Madern means Modern, and Tyms means Times (Ten Fables of Modern Times). Some- times you will have to decipher the meaning as in Huts meaning States. If you cannot make sense of a term, its meaning will be at the end of the book. Here are the Ten Fables of Madern Tyms.

I. Parties Once Upon A Time there was a great village, known far and wide for its virtue. None could compare to the Village of

251 M ELVIN VALKNER

Ataboi for its judicious Old Chiefs of another era built the village with vast wisdom. The Old Chiefs inscribed the ways of truth on Scroll of Remembrance and posted them in Meeting Hall that their teachings might benefit the village forever. Truly, the village had the blessing of HolyOne. His Spirit loved them, forgiving their iniquity and warning them of dan- gers. Nothing was impossible for the village. Many chiefs from distant lands came to learn of its ways even sending their most capable men and women to glean more knowledge from the Village of Ataboi. Old Chiefs shared much love with Wethapepau. In fact, Old Chiefs believed Wethapepau should have the best seat at the table in Meeting Hall. This seat enabled Wethapepau to dictate Scroll of Remembrance that Old Chiefs inscribed for the village. Throughout history of the village it was Wethapepau who had prepared lesser scrolls for the local Huts. Each Hut had a lesser scroll. As there were many Huts, there were many lesser scrolls. So it was quite natural that Wethapepau dictated Scroll of Remembrance. In all its forms Scroll of Remembrance was to serve Wethapepau, its benefactor. Scroll of Remembrance was unique in that while it was the most important of all scrolls it was written to serve the lesser scrolls. A scroll like Scroll of Remembrance had never been seen in any village. Of course creating any scroll was a most contentious en- deavor. Inevitably, groups promoting this issue or that issue would have celebrations, Parties, when their position was in- corporated into any scroll. Loud and often obnoxious Parties came to dominate village life. They always demanded their own way, even becoming independent and seemingly a law unto themselves. They refused to celebrate with other Parties.

252 T HE COMMON MAN

The tribe of Eeleat lived in the hut of Parties. Well educated but primitive in their behavior, Eeleat loved Parties and gave much effort to making their favorite Parties bigger than the others. The sense of importance that Parties gave Eeleat was a highly sought after feeling. Eeleat wanted more honor than anyone. How would they get it? Within the ranks of Eeleat debate continued until the means was agreed upon. Once agreed upon, it was decided upon. Once decided upon it was enacted. Eeleat would establish a Master Plan of Dominion. Several steps were necessary. Eeleat would use Parties to meet his ends. When that time came they could change Scroll of Remembrance or perhaps replace it altogether with a scroll that would unite foreign villages under them. Being seated at the table in Meeting Hall in the seat of Wethapepau was no easy matter. Wethapepau was jealous of his seat, and rightly so for no one had loving concern for the village in mind like Wethapepau. He was very strong and courageous. In fact, he was even much stronger than he realized. Parties admired the seat of Wethapepau. When no one was looking Parties even sat down in Wethapepau’s seat. Regularly Wethapepau came into Meeting Hall for quiet reflection. This had been his manner since the days of his youth. Scrambling to his feet Parties quickly arose from the seat of Wethapepau. What was the meaning of this? Had Parties been plotting to re-write Scroll of Remembrance? As you would expect, the whole village was confused. Most denied this could be true. Wethapepau recollected an Old Chief had advised them to restrain Parties for it “agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another…opens the door to foreign influence and corruption.”

253 M ELVIN VALKNER

After much deliberation, Wethapepau determined that TherdParties with more pure motives should be encouraged. But Eeleat managed to belittle the efforts of TherdParties for Eeleat was plotting an Eight-Step Master Plan of Dominion.

II. Takses Takses were necessary even for the honorable Village of Ataboi. Old Chiefs often spoke against direct Takses on Camonman’s income for they believed it best to cultivate a wealthy people who could pay for all their own needs. While no one enjoyed paying Takses, they were levied for only what was necessary and then always with fairness. And for many generations after the time of Old Chiefs a minimum of Takses was willingly paid by Camonman to Eeleat. For you see, the largest part of Takses were paid to Eeleat by those bringing barter from other villages into Village of Ataboi. These Takses were known as Terifs. Terifs did more than provide Takses to Eeleat. They protected the value of Camonman’s labor. By making goods produced outside the village more expensive, Terifs encouraged everyone in Village of Ataboi to first buy products made by the labor of Camonman. With his work always selling briskly there was plenty more work requiring great skill for Camonman to perform. And with plenty of work requiring great skill, Camonman was paid handsomely which maintained the lifestyle of Camonman. Life was good for Camonman and Eeleat had sufficient Takses for his governance. Although it was not the intention of Old Chiefs, Eeleat wanted to dominate village life even desiring control outside Village of Ataboi. Eeleat sought a way of increasing Takses. This was difficult as Scroll of Remembrance forbid any direct

254 T HE COMMON MAN

Takses on Camonman when it was inscribed, “No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or Enumeration herein before directed to be taken.” The first step of Eeleat’s dream of greater influence could only come by increasing Takses. But Scroll of Remembrance made it impossible. Debate within Eeleat raged on until the means was agreed upon. Once agreed upon, it was decided upon. Once decided upon it was enacted. How would Eeleat increase Takses? Do the impossible and Change Scroll of Remembrance. How would they convince Wethapepau to agree? Eeleat persuaded Wethapepau that times had changed since the days of Old Chiefs, that updating Scroll of Remembrance would be good for Camonman to benefit their posterity. They effectively argued Old Chiefs were not aware how life would change in the village and that it was good for a small amount of Takses to be placed on the labor of Camonman. Once Eeleat had persuaded Wethapepau and Camonman to alter Scroll of Remembrance allowing Takses on Camonman’s labor the authority of Eeleat spread to all neighboring villages like a mighty flood. Eeleat ordered Camonman off to war to fight other villages, some even on the far side of the world. Rarely would the children of Eeleat join the fighting forces. Takses made wealth plentiful – but only in the hut of Eeleat. Camonman was ordered by Eeleat to pay more and more Takses. Eeleat made Takses so complex, Camonman could not comprehend them. Worse yet, Takses opened the door to all sorts of favoritism. After some time, Camonman developed a sore back from heavy Takses. He could no longer bear the increasing Takses which annually increased. Eeleat was not happy and demanded that Camonman work harder.

255 M ELVIN VALKNER

Wethapepau grew weary at Eeleat’s abuse of Camonman. But Wethapepau was disoriented as Eeleat was now demanding another change to Scroll of Remembrance.

III. Ceneters Eeleat was emboldened when they discovered they could alter Scroll of Remembrance to increase Takses with very little resistance from Wethapepau. But more was needed than an increase of Takses to suppress Camonman. It was time for another step in Eeleat’s plan to dominate village life. Debate continued until the means was agreed upon. Once agreed upon, it was decided upon. Once decided upon it was enacted. How would Eeleat subjugate Camonman? Change Scroll of Remembrance one more time to put nearly all authority in Eeleat’s hut. Old Chiefs had inscribed into Scroll of Remembrance these very words, “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof.” Since that time Huts elected Ceneters to protect their inhabitants while Camonman elected Home-of-Reps to look out for their interests. When Wethapepau was busy with other matters, Eeleat changed Scroll of Remembrance to say that Camonman, not Huts, would vote for Ceneters and that Huts would no longer have a voice in Meeting Hall. Of course, Ceneters were of the Eeleat tribe. And perchance if they were not, they were soon coerced to join Eeleat. Big Biznes and Youins rapidly strengthened. In their own right, Big Biznes and Youins were neither good nor evil. But Big Biznes and Youins provided substantial favors to Ceneters who, just as intended, reciprocated through Takses to the detriment of Huts, Camonman and Wethapepau.

256 T HE COMMON MAN

As Ceneters ignored Camonman and Wethapepau, the very ones who lived in their own Huts, discontent amplified all through the village. Ceneters pointed fingers at everyone else, saying they were doing all they could to help Village of Ataboi. Ceneters proudly displayed treaties they had signed for “Unit- ed Villages” and “free trade.” It was odd that the more “free trade” took place, the less Ataboi-made goods were available. Wealth was leaving Ataboi and residing in other villages. Wethapepau sensed something was wrong. Camonman was working harder than ever to pay Takses. Life in the village was increasingly difficult, taking both parents of HelpMe to pay the bills on time. Eeleat was still busy with the Master Plan of Dominion. Great strides had been made in taking dominion over village life, but more was still needed.

IV. Ricrvbenc Living in the center of the village life was good for Eeleat. Having altered Scroll of Remembrance twice in the same year, Eeleat was giddy and often disparaged Camonman. Such a thing was never heard in the village before. Eeleat’s Eight-Step Master Plan of Dominion was falling nicely into place. Debate carried on until the means was agreed upon. Once agreed upon, it was decided upon. Once decided upon it was enacted. Eeleat’s third step in his devious scheme to rule over Camonman was ready: Village Debt. Eeleat authorized the secretive RicrvBenc, of the Big Biznes tribe, to value money. This conflicted with Scroll of Remem- brance which stated, “Congress shall have the power… To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof.” Old Chiefs had twice disbanded the tribe of RicrvBenc, then known by different names.

257 M ELVIN VALKNER

Wethapepau began to take ill and failed to notice RicrvBenc’s usurpation. RicrvBenc immediately set out to create Village Debt. They created a new currency with their very own name on it. Even though Takses were increasing, Eeleat spent more money than was being collected from Camonman. RicrvBenc supported Eeleat in wild spending. Everything was going according to plan. Eeleat convinced Camonman to put his complete trust in RicrvBenc’s ability to take care of the village. RicrvBenc insisted on printing much currency to be used for special projects that Eeleat deemed necessary. Whether by design or not village life was disrupted by each new project that Eeleat contrived. Each new project was bigger than the last one, and with Big Biznes and Youins involved they became even larger. Powerful and unknown forces were unleashed. Camonman felt inadequate to understand such complex ideas. Eeleat assured Camonman that the projects were too big to fail, that all was under control. Eeleat fashioned work for Camonman. For all ages Camonman had always created his own work. And Eeleat en- ticed Camonman to fight wars in far away lands. For his part, Camonman was worried about all the spending and Takses. It seemed the more Takses, the more the village had to borrow. It was all very hard to understand; especially when money bought less each passing year. Eeleat told Camonman to keeping working that good times were just ahead. Living off past glory, for many generations all seemed to be well but a rare disease was growing in the heart of the village. Eeleat assigned to Camonman the task of paying Village In- terest knowing that Debt would never be paid.

258 T HE COMMON MAN

Interest on Debt would be forever paid to Eeleat. If Camonman refused to pay Interest, Eeleat forbid Camonman access to his Magic Numbers.

V. Mettles Rapidly on the increase, Village Debt would be used to en- slave and rule Camonman. Still there existed another obstacle that Old Chiefs had wisely put in place. Eeleat needed an added twist to overcome Old Chiefs wisdom that would make Debt forever. Debate raged on until the means was agreed upon. Once agreed upon, it was decided upon. Of course, once it was decided upon it was enacted. The fourth step was implemented. Huts were forbidden to obey Scroll of Remembrance handed down by Old Chiefs which said, “No State shall...make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts.” Eeleat said using Mettles slowed trade, making life more difficult. And because no one understood as much as Eeleat, so it was thought, trading with Mettles was put out of reach of Huts and Camonman. But Old Chiefs knew that Mettles had intrinsic value, that currency backed by gold and silver would be good forever as a hedge against inflation and fiat, a worthless currency that destroyed the wealth of Camonman. Apparently Parties supported Eeleat in their desire to rid gold and silver from Village of Ataboi. Complicit or ignorant, the truth which could never be known for sure, Parties never spoke against the evils of gold and silver being banned from the village, Neither did they say a word when Eeleat stole the silver out of coins while Camonman slept.

259 M ELVIN VALKNER

There was a TherdParty known as Konstituson that voiced displeasure about the devaluation, whereby the silver coin had been replaced by a copper coin with no silver, and that in turn, the copper coin was replaced by a zinc coin. Soon, neither coin had the buying power that they had maintained for centuries. All conceded that before the days of cheapened Mettles an average silver coin could buy a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread, but now could only buy a single slice of bread. RicrvBenc quieted such talk, claiming that if all would just trust in the new currency with RicrvBenc’s name on it that all would be well. Konstituson was quickly demeaned by Parties and Eeleat as being out of touch with modern village life. With Mettles no longer a Tender in Payment of Debts, the warning of HolyOne came to pass that “no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.” Camonman could not buy food or clothes. He longed to exchange his Magic Numbers for Mettles like in the days of Old Chiefs. Camonman quarreled within their homes saying Mettles could not be the answer to Interest, Debt and Beast Mark. Calls by brave Camonman to bring back Mettles as before were ridiculed and looked upon with disdain. Wethapepau was listless.

VI. Huts Glitches in Eeleat’s grand plan of command and control were few. In fact, proceedings could not have been better even if the Grand Master himself oversaw the proceedings. Huts were becoming a laughingstock. Acting like they retained power as in Old Days, they bristled and blustered. But once Huts no longer elected Ceneters the clout of Huts swiftly dissipated.

260 T HE COMMON MAN

Oh sure, Huts often quoted the Scroll of Remembrance where the inscription read, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Eeleat grew tired of the constant bickering and determined to end it once for all. Debate went on until the means was agreed upon. Once agreed upon, it was decided upon. Once decided upon it was enacted. The fifth step was gradually and gracefully put into practice. It was almost too good to be true: Eeleat merely ignored Huts. What did it matter anyways? Eeleat had almost completely infiltrated into the leadership ranks of every Hut. A majority of the black-robed Eeleat had nothing but derision for the Aged Argument that Scroll of Remembrance would serve the lesser scrolls of Huts and scoffed at it. Huts were simply no match for the mandates of Eeleat. Once the mainstay of Huts, Wethapepau was frighteningly silent. As Eeleat’s luck continued a young man emerged fittingly named Rongwai. He preferred the company of Eeleat rather than Camonman. He fancied himself as leader of Eeleat. But in reality he was naïve, for Eeleat’s deception was not of this world. Secret counsel and Spell of Trance were given to Rongwai. He enjoyed Spell of Trance and, utilizing it often, became profi- cient in its use. Spell of Trance put Camonman to sleep even when awake. With guidance from Eeleat, Rongwai sought opportunities to say one thing and do another all in the plain view of the people. This was quite obvious and yet agreeable to all. No one could speak good or bad for it was uncertain what they had really seen, for they were asleep even when awake.

261 M ELVIN VALKNER

Rongwai and Spell of Trance proliferated Debt and Interest throughout the village. Huts depended on Eeleat for almost everything. Events were moving swiftly. Still believing it was the envy of all villages; Village of Ataboi was now only a shell of its former glory. The time arrived for Eeleat to implement the sixth step in their means to rule over Camonman.

VII. Traads Over the centuries Camonman, the meek of the village, humbly plied their Traads with stunning skill. They made the most difficult tasks look easy. Everyone marveled at the quality and creativeness of their work. They asked for nothing more than respect and a fair wage for their labor – and the Liberty to do it as they saw fit. An Old Chief astutely spoke that Liberty was meant “to guarantee to everyone a free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.” The whole of Old Chiefs had inscribed into Scroll of Remembrance the ability to levy Duties on products coming into Village of Ataboi. Duties ensured that Camonman’s Traads would flourish forever and prevent his wage from acting like water and sinking to the lowest level. The result was truly nothing less than amazing. Anything you could possibly desire was made by Camonman. The surrounding villages had little bread to eat but the shelves in the food huts of Village of Ataboi were lined with delicacies. Curious inventions made life easier. They performed with integrity the task assigned to them. Yet Eeleat took every opportunity to make life more complicated and difficult for Camonman. Eeleat’s domination was not yet complete.

262 T HE COMMON MAN

Debate continued until the means was agreed upon. Once agreed upon, it was decided upon. Once decided upon it was enacted. Eeleat’s sixth step in Eight-Step Master Plan of Domi- nance was to destroy Encentev. Sadly, from the lowest to the highest Camonman forgot to read and understand the Scroll of Remembrance. Like Mettles, Duties were mocked. Camonman was told that Duties actually hurt Traads, that if Duties were lifted the result would be more Traads. So Duties were forbid. Products from the surrounding villages poured into Village of Ataboi. Camonman’s labor was no longer esteemed and was informed that wages and benefits were too high. Like a river, wealth flowed from Village of Ataboi. Things were very different. Poverty was widespread. Eeleat called out loudly in the village streets, “Those who have Encentev are greedy.” Takses were becoming unbearable, for Eeleat put Takses on every act of Encentev in violation of Scroll of Remembrance. Camonman had little left for his own needs and that of his family. Huts used to protect him, but could no longer do so after Day of Mandates. Even while poverty expanded, there were no jobs. How did this happen? So much had changed. Camonman was unable to prosper like the days of old. Depressed, Camonman could barely get out of bed in the morning. Scorn for Encentev was rampant. Everything seemed so hopeless. Camonman was crushed. Joy, for him, was rare in Village of Ataboi. Eeleat was now firmly in control and very, very happy spending much of the day in luxury eating the finest foods and gaining many servants. All the time, Eeleat was busy planning the next step in the road to Master Plan of Dominion.

263 M ELVIN VALKNER

VIII. Phiting Eeleat was grateful for the high level of work Rongwai was performing with his Spell of Trance. He was the perfect one to build on the foundation laid by his predecessors. He entirely confused Camonman. What’s more Wethapepau had disappeared, missing in action. Many feared the worst. Eeleat feigned concern. In reality, Eeleat was deliberating his next move. Debates were civil. It was no more than a matter of coming up with the right means and to agree upon it. Once agreed upon, it was decided upon. Once decided upon it was enacted. Eeleat’s seventh step in the Eight-Step Master Plan of Dominion was to enlarge control beyond the village. An order Eeleat liked to call KnewWurld. Fortunately, Eeleat was finding work for Camonman. Un- fortunately for Camonman the task was marching off to Phiting. It didn’t matter what Phiting. It didn’t matter where Phiting was fought. It only mattered that Phiting was ongoing. Camonman was understandably proud of his efforts for no village had ever seen a fighting force like that from Village of Ataboi. When serious about Phiting they could not be beat. Victory was inevitable. But Eeleat was not serious about the battle between good and evil. After all, a house divided cannot stand. Wethapepau had not been seen for many years. One thing is for sure, Wethapepau would not tolerate Phiting for just any reason. It was only to be used when life and death were at stake. On the other hand, Eeleat was sending young men off to Phiting without The Voice. For Scroll of Remembrance plainly says, “Congress shall have Power…To declare War.” But Eeleat sent men off to Phiting for many years without The Voice, the declaration.

264 T HE COMMON MAN

Losing their dashing young sons, and sometimes daughters, to Phiting in distant wars put a terrible stress on Ataboi families. The pain was unbearable. Of course, the cost of Phiting demanded unrelenting Takses. Camonman was in turmoil. He left his family when still dark to work to pay Takses. His family left for distant lands to fight on behalf of villages that did not speak the language of, or understand the ways of, Village of Ataboi. Eeleat was well pleased and needed only one last item to install KnewWurld. Make no mistake, it was a tricky piece of business but all was well in hand. Eeleat was confident of success.

IX. Hiherwae HolyOne and RisenOne created HiherWae to play a significant role in the village. It takes a special type of person to administer HiherWae. Long ago before the era of Old Chiefs, out of all the people, HolyOne and RisenOne chose FireHart. Having everlasting life FireHart dedicated himself to speak with passion about Meaning of Years. He had the exceptional ability to hear teachings directly from HolyOne’s Spirit. Alas the confusion in the village spread by Eeleat touched FireHart also. Over time he was not the same FireHart of earlier epochs. Perhaps it was unreasoned fear of Eeleat taking break of Takses away FireHart. This played perfectly into the hands of Eeleat, now ready to implement the final element of Master Plan of Dominion. Once agreed upon, it was decided upon. Once decided upon it was enacted. Eeleat’s final step in the road to total dominance of Camonman was that FireHart would not speak Truth.

265 M ELVIN VALKNER

Controlling FireHart was not easy. He was independent and in his heart of hearts truly loved HolyOne and Village of Ataboi. Nevertheless Eeleat keenly perceived that FireHart was weakening in a vital trait – Courage to speak Truth at all costs. Regrettably, HolyOne was forced to change FireHart’s name to Lukrarm. Eeleat stripped Lukrarm of his power with barely a whim- per. Lukrarm was afraid when he stood behind the Wooden Platform. The abuse of Camonman and exorbitant Takses was met little resistance. Liberty was not promoted. Greed hardly mentioned. Worried and anxious, Camonman was left without a Speaker of Truth. Eeleat imposed many rules and regulations directly contradicting Scroll of Remembrance where it was inscribed, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, OR prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Old Chiefs supporting spreading Truth and knew it to be the surest foundation. Deceptively, Eeleat managed to ham- string Lukrarm on every major issue, prohibiting him from publicly spreading the Word to HelpMe when they are most open to easily accept Truth. Eeleat went berserk, destroying HelpMe tallying more than 15% of all the people of Village of Ataboi. For the most part, Lukrarm was silent. Those of that age left alive were given the name Generation-of-Aborted-Ones. It was a dark time indeed. Harm came to any Camonman who dared assail the over- whelming power of Eeleat. Camonman’s character was ruthlessly attacked. With Wethapepau feared dead and HiherWae abandoned, despair descended upon the village. Eeleat’s KnewWurld was secure.

266 T HE COMMON MAN

X. Wethapepau As Time-And-Chance happen to all men, so it was with Vil- lage of Ataboi. The day was overcast and dreary as Rongwai’s Spell of Trance mesmerized the gathering outside Meeting Hall. Then it came about. An ordinary man spoke during Rongwai’s address. The crowd gasped. No one could speak good or bad for it was uncertain what they had really seen, for they were asleep even when awake. Then the man spoke again in a booming voice, “By what authority do you speak?” Rongwai was stunned and speechless. The knees of Eeleat shook and grew weak. It was Wethapepau! Spell of Trance was broken. The sun broke through the clouds. Camonman roared with delight. Joyous music broke out along with singing and dancing. It was a day immortalized. Camonman clamored to ask Wethapepau, “Where have you been? We have been looking everywhere for you!” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to talk with OneGod?” He had been in quiet reflection. This had been his manner since the days of his youth. His strength was renewed like the eagle. Wethapepau proclaimed, “Embed it deep in your hearts O Camonman. The Word Stands Forever! Scroll of Remembrance must be changed back to which was inscribed by Old Chiefs. That is where Liberty and Prosperity may be found. May it conform to the Word and Spirit of One God.” Protest as he might, Rongwai was led away in shame remaining in voluntary solitude. Sensing KnewWurld was over,

267 M ELVIN VALKNER and his perception was correct, Eeleat quickly disbanded re- treating to surrounding villages hoping to regroup there. Wethapepau immediately set to work restoring what Eeleat had devastated. Village of Ataboi enlivened as TherdParties were greatly encouraged to ensure a balance of power, Takses on the direct labor of Camonman were again forbidden and Huts regained authority over Ceneters. RicrvBenc was reduced to that of a Village Benc and its currency scrapped. Mettles of gold and silver again allowed Camonman to buy and sell without Beast Mark assured that Magic Numbers would always be at their beck and call. As Duties were imposed Camonman’s craftsmanship and skill of Traads returned to preeminence. While strength was favored, Phiting was not. Prospering in every way, Camonman stayed at home to be with family. FireHart was renewed and given back his former name. He boldly proclaimed the Words of Spirit touching who lived there, that is; all were open to receive RisenOne. Village of Ataboi was full of joy, peace and righteousness. Love was abundant. The Day of Completion to all these things finally came about when a Leader from Generation-of-Aborted-Ones was born of Spirit. He and like-minded villagers exercised power and authority in gentle righteousness, winnowing out all evil. The Ways Of Old Chiefs were pronounced throughout Village of Ataboi. An unstoppable word spread from village to village of the Good News. Once more many chiefs from distant lands came to learn the ways of Village of Ataboi.

268 Running for U.S. Congress

t its state convention held on June 26, 2010, USTPM A nominated me as candidate for U.S. Congress from Mich- igan’s Sixth District. It was an honor to run against incumbent Rep. Fred Upton who was generally well-liked, had a $2 million war chest and tremendous name recognition that comes with being a 12-time winner. But he had cast enough votes to generate competition for his party’s nomination. Nonetheless, Rep. Upton managed to fight off a strong primary showing by Jack Hoogendyk. For a second consecutive time the Democrats fielded far left-wing Professor Don Cooney who didn’t stand a chance in southwest Michigan. Five candidates entered the race including the Libertarians and Green Party. My temporary employment at GOCC ended in August 2010 giving me time to speak and write. Living on Luanne’s part-time income was impossible for very long. Reflecting on what I had heard several months earlier, “Are you ready to go to Washington?” I discerned the important

269 M ELVIN VALKNER thing was that I found the “smoking guns.” Whether I ever physically went to Washington was irrelevant. Reading biographies of President Washington, Benjamin Franklin and President Jefferson, all men of outstanding character, I found it interesting that after the Revolutionary War, having been in neglect of his personal affairs for many years, in 1787 President Washington had unpaid taxes, with no money to pay them, and had been visited by the sheriff three times for collection. In spite of this Washington was elected President of the Constitutional Convention. This made me feel good as I had fallen behind in my income taxes. I decided my campaign would not get into the ridiculous smears that political foes often resort to, but would stick to the issues. With well-documented positions in writing, I felt good about my chances. Again, I turned to Luanne to help me with graphics and pamphlet layout. Being a founding member of the local Tea Party I was hopeful of an upset after the Tea Party proved it could garner a large number of votes for Hoogendyk. Upon his defeat, I assumed they would throw their support behind me. Immediately there was considerable resistance from everyone including many in the Tea Party. The most vocal complaint was, “You are going to split the vote,” allowing the Democrat to win. My response was that of President John Quincy Adams counseling, “Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost”47. Reading through the Michigan Constitution I came across a section pertinent to replacing Rep. Upton.

47 Ed. Kelly Nickell, Pocket Patriot: Quotes From American Heroes (2005). 07 Jun. 2011.

270 T HE COMMON MAN

On August 16, 2010 at the outset of my campaign I wrote a letter to Rep. Upton: Dear Rep. Upton, I’m sure we can both agree that the U.S. Constitution and the Michigan Constitution are the law of the land and worthy of all our respect, honor and obedience. Article II, Section 10 of the Michigan Constitution says, “No person shall be elected to office as representative in the United States House of Representatives more than three times during any twelve year period…This limitation on the number of times a person shall be elected to office shall apply to terms of office beginning on or after January 1, 1993.” The record shows you have been elected and served nine straight terms since January 1, 1993 (twelve straight terms overall). The Michigan Constitution continues, “The people of Michigan declare…that their intention is that federal officials elected from Michigan will continue voluntarily to observe the wishes of the people.” Will you observe the wishes of the people of Michigan and voluntarily refrain from seeking election from Michigan’s 6th Congressional District for a 10th consecutive term since January 1, 1993? No doubt you are very busy, so a simple “Yes” or “No” is sufficient. I would appreciate an immediate reply regarding this urgent and important issue. The letter was sent certified mail and was signed for but no reply ever came. While the Michigan Constitution cannot over- ride the U.S. Constitution, Rep. Upton could voluntarily follow the wishes of the people of Michigan.

271 M ELVIN VALKNER

When a friend of mine asked him about this, his response was, “The people keep electing me.” This is typical of the way both the Republicans and Demo- crats do business. For example, while Republicans voted for President George W. Bush’s Medicare Prescription and Modernization Act they railed against Obamacare. Republicans voted for President George W. Bush’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) then opposed President Obama’s equally expensive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Next I developed “Upton’s Folly” - A Baker’s Dozen” which listed thirteen of Rep. Upton’s poor decisions based on information found at The Western Right Blogspot48, some of which are: 1) Rep. Upton blames reckless spending on the Democrats when the National Debt went from $3.5 trillion to $13.5 trillion during his quarter-century in office – with a Republican House 50% of the time and a Republican President 58% of the time. 2) Rep. Upton keeps defending his support and vote for “Cash for Clunkers” even though destroying hundreds of thousands of good used cars caused the price of used cars to go up 25%, used car parts to cost more, and with negligible overall effect on the number of new cars sold. 3) Rep. Upton voted for NAFTA in 1993 [HR 3450, Roll Call 575] causing the loss of 879,280 U.S. jobs with 686,700 of them relatively, high-paying manufacturing jobs. Clueless, Rep. Upton admitted, “We’ve lost one in five manufacturing jobs…almost half of them have been in one state – ours.’”

48 The Western Right Website. 07 Jun. 2011.

272 T HE COMMON MAN

4) Rep. Upton voted for the Financial Services Industry (TARP) Bailout [HR 1424, Roll Call 681] giving nearly $1 trillion to the President to distribute, much of it going to big banks. 5) Rep. Upton voted for the Medicare Prescription Drug Ben- efit [HR 1, Roll Call 669] creating an unfunded liability of $17 trillion, the first new entitlement program since LBJ’s Great Society. 6) Rep. Upton voted for “No Child Left Behind” largely written by Ted Kennedy, significantly increasing federal spending by the Dept. of Education with massive government regulations on teachers and schools.

I presented my Constitutional Solutions to Tea Party groups, handing out flyers of my letter to Upton and Upton’s Folly. Rep. Upton proposed fancy sounding, but utterly worthless, “Fred’s 5-Point Jobs Plan.” His plan to create jobs consisted mostly of tax breaks: 1) A tax credit for home purchase, 2) A tax deduction on car payments, 3) A healthcare tax credit, 4) A small business tax deduction, and 5) Expand nuclear power and provide job training to fill those jobs. Along with the other congressional hopefuls I was invited to the Kalamazoo Gazette’s Congressional Candidate Debate on October 12, 2010. The Green Party did not show up. I failed to learn in advance that answers were limited to one minute or so and struggled mightily to present my responses coherently to a left-leaning audience. What I did learn was that the media wanted a sound bite and had no interest in airing in-depth solutions. To explain what needs to be done in a sound bite is simply impossible (believe me, I tried but I felt like one of those speed talkers).

273 M ELVIN VALKNER

Rep. Upton provided safe, rambling answers. The audience sneered. Funding my campaign was a problem. I had no cash. Few believed I would win and therefore declined to contribute. My campaign raised less than $3,500 and with little money to adver- tise, it was impossible to compete. People are creatures of habit. Rep. Upton’s name recognition, and his “nice guy” image, easily prevailed. Nothing changed. I finished third out of five candidates, with only 1.8% of the votes, which I’m sure came mostly from the Tea Party folks I met. Soon after the start of the new year, I noticed the American Chemistry Council running ad after ad touting Rep. Upton’s job creation asking for the public to support Rep. Upton. Two things struck me as odd about this. One, there was not a sudden increase in local jobs so why the heavy promotion of such, and two, the election was over so why the countless number of ads now? After his reelection Rep. Upton became the House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman. In that capacity, and with the country’s new Republican majority in the House, he demanded that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) return regulatory oversight of the environment to Congress where it constitutional- ly resides. However, less stringent EPA regulations developed to initiate ethanol advancement remained in place for which the American Chemistry Council has vital interests. It benefited tremendously by supplying seed, fertilizer and weed control products to grow the crops used in ethanol production. Many studies show it takes more energy to produce ethanol, a fermentation product used as gasoline additive, than the energy it yields. Ethanol is widely criticized because it is mainly processed from corn (other crops may be used as well) and therefore

274 T HE COMMON MAN increases food prices as corn is redirected from the grocery store to the gas station. Food is too important to be used for fuel. (Speaking of corn, last fall I stopped to buy sweet corn from a local farmer who told me his money can and corn were recently stolen while he was in his house. My, how things have changed.) Congress mandated that ethanol be added to the gasoline supply even though it is hard on automobile engines. Plus, ethanol production is very hard on the environment draining the soil of nutrients with pesticides and fertilizer running off into the water table. In their concern, various environmental groups ran ads con- demning his actions. I called Rep. Upton’s office asking for a list of all the jobs he helped create. They said they would get back with me. They never did. But the point is, if money is to be made, no matter how dumb of an idea it is, some will support a politician who will further promote that money-making venture. This is cronyism, not capitalism. I missed USTPM’s state convention in February 2011 and in my absence was elected First Vice-Chairman (let that be a lesson for you) and remained politically active through the rest of the year. Typically, the U.S. got involved in another unconstitutional war, this time the Libyan Civil War (see appendix). Sometimes it seems we look for any excuse to use our missile inventory so replacements must ordered, keeping the manufacturing supply lines in business. By late spring, with only Luanne’s part-time pay, we were back in a very familiar situation: broke, behind in bills, me with no job, and getting financially desperate. I started doing what I always do in those circumstances – spending up to three hours a day reading my Bible, praying and

275 M ELVIN VALKNER seeking God, which was a joy not a burden. One morning Luanne was heading to work and feeling anxious. A peace that passes all understanding, one seldom experienced, came upon me. I said, “I have a real peace about all this. I am not worried at all.” I was not in the least bit despondent. Having turned everything completely over to God, I was his responsibility. She went to work. I went outside and sat in the swing under the cherry tree, enjoying the beautiful day. Two hours later John Roggow at Marshall Plastic Film called saying he needed assistance in their Quality Department. Their Pharma, FDA and food bag business was growing. He asked if I could give them a hand. I started the following week as their Quality Director. It was good to be working again with old friends, learning new things and enjoying the good-natured bantering. I was immediately able to make significant contributions to MPF and it felt terrific. John gave me significant latitude to suggest improvements throughout the office and plant as part of their total quality management system, and the task of implementing many of the recommendations. Ann (Jameson) Nobis, CFO, held brief prayer times in her office every morning for anyone wanting to attend, including Monday’s “workplace prayer.” The mailbox got hit again. Inexplicably, Luanne found the unbroken post knocked completely out of the ground with the relatively undamaged mailbox laying a few feet away. Luckily, I only had to dig a new hole for the post and reattach the mailbox. Dad Davidson was 81 years old when he died on July 29, 2013 after years of battling various forms of cancer. He was the best father-in-law I could have asked for. We never had harsh words. I considered him my best friend. Death is certainly the hardest event we must face in our short life here on this earth.

276 A New Chapter

ying in bed intently listening for the sound of rushing L water, instead I heard a clear and distinct, non-audible voice ask, “Are you ready to go to Washington?” I have done my best to answer the depths of that question while trying not to have “a horse in the race” except one, the Constitution – and perhaps that of The Common Man. The American Dream is not something the government does for you. It is self-determination not forced citizenship. It is an ideal, to create and build something valuable and, with God’s help, to make something meaningful of your life. While much older I remain but an unpretentious country boy at heart and clearly see some things for what they are. Things change. This is not the country of my youth. During my lifetime, churches submitted to the IRS. During my lifetime, public schools forfeited local control, can no longer conduct Bible reading and prayer, and the Ten Commandments including “You Shall Not Murder,” were ordered stripped off the walls by the courts of our

277 M ELVIN VALKNER federal government even though the Founding Fathers were approving. During my lifetime, thus far, U.S. abortions are responsible for the death of 53 million babies, killing 22% of everyone under the age of 44, teaching our young people that human life has non-intrinsic value. During my lifetime, gold and silver stopped backing U.S. currency in violation of Article 2, Section 10 of the Constitu- tion, creating inflation that is slowly destroying our wealth. During my lifetime, the U.S. National Debt went from $257 billion in 1950 to surpassing $18 trillion, a 70-fold increase with no end in sight, meaning we will soon be serfs working to pay interest only on an irreducible debt in violation of the 13th Amendment clause prohibiting “involuntary servitude.” During my lifetime, the Patriot Act and National Security Agency (NSA) took a huge step towards an Orwellian society by spying on and collecting data on every U.S. citizen, and today has the power to electronically quarantine all your funds, forbidding you access to your own checking, savings and other accounts, making conditions ripe for the government to demand and receive complete subservience from the people and forbid buying or selling (sounds like “the mark” described in Revelation 13). Benjamin Franklin succinctly said, “Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety”49. By the way, the Community Dilemma game played in my college philosophy class is unrealistic. Perhaps professors should have real jobs before they’re allowed to teach. There is

49 Benjamin Franklin - Pennsylvania Assembly: Reply to the Governor, 11 Nov. 1755. 04 Jun. 2011.

278 T HE COMMON MAN no such thing as equal success for all. Fruit trees do not bear the same type of fruit or exactly the same amount of fruit. Some perform better than others. Just like fruit trees, human attributes naturally produce varying levels of success. Go to the grocery store. Private enterprise, with all its faults, made everything you see there with an endless supply of tastes, colors and choices, shelves stocked full of goods from all over the world. Go to any industry trade show and you will see merchants satisfying our wants and needs using the most creative, cutting- edge products and sales methods that can be devised, the true wheels of progress spurring innovation. Look around your home. Private enterprise, not civil government, provided the incredible choice of clothes, furniture, flooring, dishes, cupboards, refrigerators, lawnmowers, etc. with various designs, sizes, features, quality, and pricing. Who can decide better than you the best use of your money? The entrepreneurial spirit in natural harmony with consumers, not central planning, will make your dreams come true. Another major topic of discussion back in a college philosophy class was questioning if God was still involved in the universe or had simply wound it up like a clock letting it ex- pire. This is a silly question. Over thousands of years throughout Scripture God’s continual involvement is well documented. Look at the Book of Numbers and you find when Israel camped in the desert their formation as directed by God was in the shape of a cross, fore- telling the future. And God is not finished with Israel. Romans 11:25-26 (NIV) says about Israel, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in

279 M ELVIN VALKNER this way all Israel will be saved.” The price of blood sacrifice has been paid by Christ for all time for all people. By faith through Christ, Abraham is the father of Jew and Gentile, one new man, one body. The mystery is great and wonderful. But that is for another day to discuss. (Who knows, maybe I will write a book on comparing religions after all.) Consider, should the Lord tarry, what will society be? Will you, its citizens, primarily be self-governing? Or will you be slaves of a state with unlimited power? Self-government must retain co-equal power with civil government and the church. The U.S. was founded to be a safe haven of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But the haven must be guarded with eternal vigilance. Scripture warns us in Prov. 27:23-24 (NIV), “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.” Civil government has a proper role to play in life; after all, laws are for the lawless. But it is not up to our government to be a dictating caretaker, either in God’s eyes or those of our Found- ing Fathers. In their lust for power, short-sighted Republican and Democratic politicians are hell-bent on bigger, ever more intru- sive government. “Big Brother” is fast becoming reality. How ironic that Progressives call our loss of freedom “progress.” Guess as long as they are monitoring, directing and controlling ever more of our future for them it is progress. Have you noticed our sinking standard of living? Politicians of all parties, acting like saviors, make promises they cannot keep but are simply taking power from the people, weakening them, reducing their independence, and making them fearful. They raise taxes then continue to spend outside their means. Supported by unsustainable borrowing progressive concepts with little basis in reality are killing us, doomed to bring only

280 T HE COMMON MAN an impoverished mindset looking for handouts as its misguided emphasis is not on creating and saving wealth. The U.S. is being fundamentally transformed from a tried and true path, a clear vision proven to bring prosperity and greatness, although not error free, to an unknown post- Christian, godless culture, supposedly embraced by the nation’s youth who better pray this isn’t true. One can only guess what a bleak future is in store without God and Christ. Oppression will reign. Chaos ensue. The nation fall. Benjamin Franklin said that our Constitution “…can only end in Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic Govern- ment, being incapable of any other”50. The trajectory of irresponsible U.S. leadership does not bode well. During his youth President George W. Bush abdicated his military responsibility but was eager to send others in harm’s way resulting in the maiming and killing of innocent young Americans in a distant land debilitating the balance of power in the Middle East, running up U.S. debt with his ill-advised Iraq war and his gigantic Medicare Part D expansion. Pushing to promote Obamacare, President Obama repeat- edly lied, “If you like your health insurance plan, you can keep your health insurance plan, period,” saying you could also keep your doctor. Effectively consolidating one-sixth of the U.S. economy under the watchful eye of the IRS, and in the process congregating a massive amount of personal information into one agency ripe for corruption, he deceptively

50 Andrew Allison et al. The Real Benjamin Franklin, Vol. 2 of the American Classic Series (Malta, ID, National Center for Constitutional Studies, 2008), 341.

281 M ELVIN VALKNER and coldheartedly disrupted the lives of millions of people by coercing the insured off their policies. Just as shameful, most citizenry ignore the Constitution when it’s convenient to get their favorite candidate elected. Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution states a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator need be a “Citizen,” that is, they can be citizens born in the U.S. of non-citizens or they can be naturalized citizens. Article 2, however, makes a distinction regarding the President’s qualifications when it says, “No Person except a natural born Citizen…shall be eligible to the Office of Presi- dent.” Different terminology is used. A higher, more complex level of citizenship is required to be President of the U.S. Unlike today’s “legal experts,” when writing the Constitu- tion the Founding Fathers unambiguously understood the term “natural born Citizen” to define someone born of two parents who were both U.S. citizens. In Paragraph 212 of his Law of Nations published in 1758 political and legal philosopher Emer de Vattel wrote, “The natives, or natural-born citizens, are those born in the country, of parents who are citizens. As the society cannot exist and perpetuate itself otherwise than by the children of the citizens, those children naturally follow the condition of their fathers, and succeed to all their rights”51. It’s clear the Founding Fathers relied on Vattel’s writings. “Swiss editor Charles W.F. Dumas sent Benjamin Franklin three original French copies of de Vattel’s Le droit des gens (The Law of Nations). Franklin presented one copy to the Library Company of Philadelphia. On December 9, 1775 Franklin thanked Dumas: ‘It came to us in good season, when the circumstances of a rising State make it necessary to frequently

51 Emer de Vattel, Law of Nations. §212. 1758. 23 Feb. 2014.

282 T HE COMMON MAN consult the Law of Nations.’ Franklin also said that this book by Vattel ‘has been continually in the hands of the members of our Congress now sitting.’ Two notable copies of The Law of Nations owned by the New York Society Library have been associated with U.S. President George Washington”52. It’s worthwhile to look at facts. President Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. His mother was born in Kansas. His father was from Kenya. Therefore, because both parents were not U.S. citizens at the time of his birth, Mr. Obama is not a “natural born Citizen” and is ineligible to be President of the U.S. However, many Republicans and Tea Party members strongly support the presidential aspirations of U.S. Senator “Ted” Cruz (Texas), U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (Florida) and Louisiana Governor “Bobby” Jindal. Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz was born in Canada on Dec. 22, 1970. While his mother was born in Delaware, his father was born in Cuba becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2005. There- fore, because both parents were not U.S. citizens at the time of his birth, Mr. Cruz is ineligible to be President of the U.S. Florida U.S. Senator Marco Rubio was born May 28, 1971 in Florida. His mother and father were Cubans who immigrated to the U.S. in 1956 becoming naturalized U.S. citizens in 1975. Therefore, because both parents were not U.S. citizens at the time of his birth, Mr. Rubio is ineligible to be President of the U.S. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal was born June 10, 1971 in Louisiana. Six months before Bobby was born his mother, Raj Jindal, and father, Amar Jindal, immigrated to the U.S. being naturalized in 1976 and 1986 respectively. Therefore, because

52 Wikipedia, 23 Feb. 2014.

283 M ELVIN VALKNER both parents were not U.S. citizens at the time of his birth, Mr. Jindal is ineligible to be President of the U.S. Some would support an amendment allowing any foreign born citizen such as former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be President of the U.S. One can easily imagine the radical mischief that could easily bring about. President Nix- on’s Watergate burglary deception would pale in comparison. Roughly speaking, the current U.S. population of 315,000,000 is composed of 63% European-American, 13% African-American and 17% Hispanic-American and 7% Asian-American. Certainly, outstanding citizens meeting the “natural born Citizen” qualification as understood by the Founding Fathers can be found. It is wholly inadequate to merely change the definition of a word as the Supreme Court is currently so fond of doing. Presi- dent Madison said, “I entirely concur in the propriety of resorting to the sense in which the Constitution was accepted and ratified by the nation. In that sense alone it is the legitimate Constitu- tion…What a metamorphosis would be produced in the code of law if all its ancient phraseology were to be taken in its modern sense”53. This nation is at a crossroads. Benjamin Franklin said the Founders were handing down to us, “A republic if you can keep it”54. Political and spiritual revival is needed to rekindle the light that once was American Exceptionalism. In his 1796 Farewell Address, President Washington wisely warned, “I have already intimated to you the danger of [Politi- cal] Parties…Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and

53 James Madison letter to Henry Lee, 1824. 04 Jun. 2011. 54 Andrew Allison et al. The Real Benjamin Franklin, Vol. 2 of the American Classic Series (Malta, ID: National Center for Constitutional Studies, 2008). 263.

284 T HE COMMON MAN warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the Spirit of Party…sharpened by the spirit of re- venge…gradually incline the minds of men to seek security & repose in the absolute power of an Individual…on the ruins of Public Liberty…make it the interest and the duty of a wise People to discourage and restrain it…A fire not to be quenched; it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its burst- ing into a flame, lest instead of warming, it should consume”55. Democratic and Republican [Political] Parties are in need of restraint. Their desire to dominate consumes them. The only debate is which wing will grow all powerful. Yet at the end of the day it is everyday citizens who keep electing leaders who will say anything to get elected to promote their personal or party agenda, one part known and one part secret, for the most part bought and paid for by corporate interests – big business and big unions. Thinking about how to change things without bringing on huge pain for those taking action and causing major disruption to the country, I believe I have found the answer. Actions that if taken by a significant number of people will have a dramatic effect yet cause little pain of any kind on those taking the action, restoring hope without violence or a battle in the streets. Though it was not my intention when my writing began, within this book is laid out the blueprint for a renewal of original intent. The plan is astounding in its simplicity but profound in its effect. You can see why “sound bites” are insufficient. Understanding is required. My conclusion is…We need a Second American Revolution. And I believe I have figured out how do that…without violence

55 Washington’s Farewell Address, 19 Sep. 1796. 06 Jun. 2011.

285 M ELVIN VALKNER and without harm to those taking action – but your help is urgently needed. You may reject my solution, but here goes… 1) Stop electing the officials from the same two political parties. The modern definition of insanity is, “Doing things over and over again and expecting different results (widely attributed to Albert Ein- stein).” Join the national Constitution Party and your state affiliate and for the next ten years vote only for its candidates in alignment with the principles laid out herein. The Lord’s Prayer says in part, “Thy Kingdom come…” A king is a political figure. That inherently implies political leadership does it not? So, along with the above, consider running for local, state or federal office. The involvement of godly citizens is the key to the future. 2) The Founding Fathers wanted a wealthy people and made the income tax illegal. The federal income tax must be abolished by repealing the 16th Amend- ment, which would also prevent the IRS from collecting and storing vast amounts of personal information on the citizenry. It is possible. Remember, the 21st Amendment repealed the destructive 18th Amendment, the prohibition on alcohol. 3) Protect American jobs by making the federal government live off tariffs, excise taxes, and apportionment as the Founders intended. These are our markets after all. Business depresses wages by using overseas labor, but the Founders wanted others to rise to our level not us to sink to a lower standard of living.

286 T HE COMMON MAN

4) Lower taxes means that Americans will have more money to spend on higher-priced products made in the U.S. 5) As manufacturing returns to produce American- made goods, more skilled jobs than workers will be available naturally producing higher-paying jobs. 6) With higher-paying jobs, everyone will have more money to meet their needs. 7) Reduce the Federal Reserve Bank to a clearing house or abolish it altogether. 8) Pay down the National Debt to a reasonable level with cheap dollars by which it was incurred. 9) Once the National Debt is paid down, back the currency with gold and silver as dictated by Article 1, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution to restore the value of our currency by gradually making our "fake silver" coins of 90% real silver again and our “fake copper” pennies made of genuine copper. Forbid a paperless fiat currency. 10) Lastly, enforce the 1st Amendment provision that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...” An assault merely in its infancy has begun of open opposition by our civil government to a Christ-centered culture with principles that, for the most part, built this land into a great nation that was once the envy of the whole world. Recognize the separate and equal roles of the church and civil government, both based on free choice and individual rights.

287 M ELVIN VALKNER

Only one of three voters need to respond this way. While it is possible for one election to result in major change, more likely it will take several elections to gain the necessary momen- tum. Keep voting Constitution Party (Libertarians and Green Party cannot name their moral compass). The pressure to vote otherwise will be intense with doomsayers promoting visions of catastrophe. Ignore them. Restoration entails the involvement of united, courageous, principled people who “Don’t Back Down.” Politicians claim a third party is dangerous. For them that is certainly true. As Democrats and Republicans feel power leaving their grasp they will quake with fear. Renewal will then rapidly occur. This appeal is to Christians and Patriots of all stripes. While we remain a majority, rule. To do otherwise will surely, I believe, bring about an unde- sirable end. I set out in life full of optimism, determined to find my place in the world, willing to risk everything to find truth, seeking answers to tough questions, hoping and believing wisdom would come my way. It hasn’t been easy. Over the years, I enjoyed success and felt the pain of heart- break. Admittedly, with no clear direction, I stumbled through much of life having no idea how difficult and complicated it really is. I’ve seen a lot things that work, and a lot of things that don’t work. The stretcher patent expired and is in the public domain. I failed to take advantage of several opportunities that came my way. Each time, I was expecting it to be one way, but it was another. I was promoted to VP of Operations at MPF. The work has been satisfying, the financial stability pleasant.

288 T HE COMMON MAN

Enjoying a walk in the woods recently I heard a sharp crack…crack…crack piercing the air. Lifting my eyes for the source of the noise I saw a large tree toppling over with a loud forceful crash. Remember the small 6” diameter tree that fell into the crotch of a limb much larger than it on another tree? When the much larger limb was finally torn off it left a gaping hole in the 26” tree trunk. That hole led to rot in the trunk. That same tree was now uprooted, laying across the trail taking four other smaller trees with it. (Little things can make a big difference!) Once expanded, the yard has now shrunk back to the size when we moved in leaving the fruit trees untended again in an overgrown area. The aging shingles on the house roof need replacing and the septic system has been acting up for some time. The cherry tree’s growth is slowly ripping apart the tree house. The kids are grown up with their own stories to tell. Enduring all, Luanne is still by my side. How she has put up with me, sometimes I do not know. I love her so much. She is developing art permeated with vibration. Forget war. Stop fighting. Work things out. Love one another. I have said my peace. For me, that timeless sign in Berlin still sums things up pretty well: God, Home, Country. One last time, I challenge you to read the Bible through in its entirety year after year, like I have now done for more than 30 years, for it is the Book of Books about the King of Kings and Lord of Lords providing the ingredients for life that we all need. Learning about and living in Him is never dull or tiring.

289 M ELVIN VALKNER

Taking to heart President Jefferson’s words, “Educate and inform the whole mass of the people…They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty”56, I am promoting THE COMMON MAN in hopes that the American people might be awakened and regain a sense of liberty. Will you join me? Visit TheCommonMan.org. This is not the end. It is the beginning.

56 Andrew Allison et al. The Real Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 1 of the American Classic Series (Malta, ID: National Center for Constitutional Studies, 2008), 524.

290 Appendix – My Views

Capitalism/Private Property Businessmen dedicate their lives to profitably running businesses. Yet politicians believe they can do better on a part- time basis, even running major corporations indicated by the government’s takeover of “Government Motors.” The executive branch acted outside the law when it arbitrarily moved unsecured creditors ahead of secured creditors, an obvious and illegal payback to unions for their support of Democratic candidates, corruptly rewarding supporters at taxpayers’ expense on a magnitude surpassing anything previously seen in American politics. Courts are guilty as well by ruling that private land taken by the state and transferred to private groups for economic development falls under eminent domain. Nonsense. The 5th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says, “…nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.” Note that it says “public use,” not private use. The law was twisted.

291 M ELVIN VALKNER

Is it any wonder that anger is building as millions of Ameri- cans feel our federal government is out of control, that it is not fulfilling its constitutional duty?

Energy Energy is another national security issue. Vital to a good life, the U.S. must develop and produce its own cheap energy sources along with fuel-efficient appliances. Although com- mendable and worth pursuing, wind, solar and hydro energy are insufficient to meet our growing energy needs in the immediate future. Natural gas, oil, clean coal, and nuclear (fission) energy are needed now. Perhaps micro nukes may prove to be viable. We must have cheaper pollution-free energy. It is a primary attribute of reliving poverty. The answer is not what Presidential Candidate Barack Obama callously espoused in January 2008, “Under my plan of a cap and trade system (cap and trade is a concept whereby a business pays a fee to obtain the right to emit carbon) electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket”57. Cap and trade will crush the poor and elderly and cause undue hardship on the middle class. His position doesn’t make sense. Why not just fine heavy polluters? He claims he wants America to buy electric cars, and his administration has funded them with disastrous results, but he also wants electricity rates to “necessarily skyrocket?” In addition to taking more money out of pockets further depressing

57 Interview in San Francisco - Barack Obama’s videotaped interview with the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board, presidential campaign, January 2008. Uploaded by BattleBornPAC on 18 Mar. 2009. 04 Jun 2011.

292 T HE COMMON MAN the economy, higher electric prices would naturally decrease the interest in electric autos. Confused yet? While pushing to increase electric use, President Obama is shutting down coal plants that generate electricity. (Coal power plants produce one-half of our electricity.) Where will the supply of additional electricity come from? He has forbidden drilling on U.S. soil and in the Gulf of Mexico. Cuba has struck a deal with China to drill in the Gulf of Mexico. Do you think China will be more concerned about maintaining a clean environment along our shoreline than we are? He sent U.S. funding to help develop Brazil’s offshore oil fields, every bit as deep as the oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico. Brazil then struck a deal to sell oil to China. Despite Canada’s eager willingness to sell oil to the U.S., regulations continue to delay bringing vital energy from Cana- da, our friendly northern neighbor, into U.S. pipelines. Instead, we buy oil from countries wanting to see our downfall. Thus, we are funding our own demise. It doesn’t take a genius to see the path of destruction we are on. Plus, if a better car came along, say one powered by hydrogen, which may prove to be a very inexpensive energy source, might not the government resist suffering any reduction of its tax collections on higher electric rates? It would certainly present a conflict of interest. As President of the United States, President Obama was elected as a public servant to protect the national interests of the United States. That is his job. To do anything less is either incompetence or something more sinister. Without adequate fossil fuels to maintain its advantage, the U.S. will become a third-world country and the redistribution of wealth will be complete.

293 M ELVIN VALKNER

We must extract our own energy with the goal of being self- sufficient. The less energy produced here in the U.S. results in more of our money leaving the country – leaving less money to develop new local energy sources. The cleanest, cheapest and most plentiful energy source currently on hand in the U.S. is natural gas and, according to the Natural Gas Industry, “…is the cleanest of all the fossil fuels, as evidenced in the Environmental Protection Agency’s data comparisons”58 – although there are environmental concerns during the extraction process. By the middle of this century, fusion energy may be available. Fusion is, “The reaction between two hydrogen isotopes: deuterium, extracted from water and tritium, produced during the fusion reaction through contact with lithium. When deuterium and tritium nuclei fuse, they form a helium nucleus, a neutron and a lot of energy”59. Fusion has the potential to leave very little radioactive waste and supply more energy than nuclear fission can.

Free Church Unfortunately, the term “free church” has recently been associated with specific denominations, including some who believe that secular laws that prohibit immoral behavior should not be passed. Obviously if this was true, there could be no laws against murder, robbery, etc. and surely anarchy and every sort of evil would result. Simply, “free church” is a church that foregoes being any sort of government-approved entity. Perhaps another name

58 Natural Gas Website. 06 Jun. 2011. 59 Fusion For Energy Website. 06 Jun. 2011.

294 T HE COMMON MAN such as “sovereign church” would be better. After all, while it is subject to Christ it remains sovereign as to civil government. Most churches in America are organized as tax-exempt religious organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code enacted in 1954. They have never needed this “protection” throughout American history and do not need it now.

Global Warming/Climate Change Global warming, now called climate change, is a hot topic (excuse the pun). Undoubtedly there are polluters who should be held accountable to adequate standards, but, again, the carbon tax is a fraud. If a polluter is found then let an appropriate penalty on that polluter be applied. We should all do what we reasonably can to prevent pollution, but we should also remember that the “Ice Age” melted before man had any effect. Some glaciers are now melting, but other glaciers around the world are growing. Hacked emails from England’s University of East Anglia Cli- mate Research Unit reveal they had data showing climate cooling over the past several years. They purposely skewed results favoring global warming to enhance their funding drives. It is written in Genesis 8:22 (NIV), “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease,” so may the loud and obnoxious rhetoric cease. Let facts be brought to light so that intelligent decisions can be made.

Healthcare/Obamacare The U.S. Supreme Court is not a neutral body, but a political institution capable of corruption. (Remember, in their Dred Scott decision they ruled African-Americans could not sue in federal court.) In a split decision, the Supreme Court

295 M ELVIN VALKNER embarrassed itself by ruling Obamacare constitutional by changing the definition of “penalty” within the law to mean “tax,” something it otherwise would not mean thereby acting in bad faith. The removal of justices is a cure as the Constitu- tion provides they “shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour.” Violating the Constitution by purposely miscon- struing a word’s definition is not good behavior. Instead of the government’s vast overreach, all that was necessary was “to make regular” (regulate) the purchasing of health insurance across state lines, like auto insurance, and perhaps develop “standards of care.” Non-profit insurance companies, like BCBS of Michigan, already insured those with pre-existing conditions. It just had to be legal to purchase across state lines. Government could also do much researching, educating and promoting use of natural remedies instead of forcing everything through the FDA. Of course, big business will fight this…but it will help to hold down healthcare costs. Medicare and Medicaid pay charges at reduced rates, passing huge costs to private insurance policy holders thereby making insurance more expensive. Covering more people with private insurance, reimbursement would be faster and more reliable allowing physicians to maintain smaller staffs and help hold down their costs.

Illegal Immigration Legal immigration is a wonderful thing and feasibly needs expanding. However, an invasion of illegal immigrants has been taking place for several years. Illegal immigration puts those immigrants at terrible risk of injury and abuse through intimidation, drugs, kidnappings,

296 T HE COMMON MAN payoffs, etc. Nor is it fair to those who, after waiting in line for years, immigrated legally to compete for jobs with those who have not obeyed the rules. Additionally, it also leaves our national borders exposed to terrorists. No government can for long withstand this level of assault. President Ronald Reagan granted amnesty. It did not work because immigration laws were not enforced, resulting in more illegal immigration. Allowing illegal immigration borders on treason by those in authority.

Libyan Civil War Muammar Gaddafi of Libya ruled tyrannically. But do you understand that we rained down cruise missiles on a country, Libya, which was not attacking us, not planning an attack on us, and not talking about attacking us? Our leaders say we had to go war, that the Libyan people were fighting for their independence and, after all, others came to our rescue when we were fighting for independence. This obscures the facts. England, a foreign country, was the oppres- sor during our Revolutionary War, not our Civil War. Libya was in a civil war, not fighting off a foreign entity, unless perhaps it is now the U.S. and its allies. And most everyone was okay with this. Many elected officials backed by the Tea Party supported the unconstitutional attack on Libya. Only the “far left” and “far right” seemed to voice discontent. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates admitted that Libya did not pose a threat to U.S. and it was not in our “vital national interest” to intervene there and yet he assisted in the U.S. attack.

297 M ELVIN VALKNER

There was no imminent danger to U.S. citizens thereby necessi- tating hostilities as prescribed by The War Powers Act of 1973, also known as the War Powers Resolution. The War Powers Resolution states in Section 2(c): “The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces”60. None of the above applied to Libya, but President Obama, Secretary of Defense Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and their administration went to war armed with only a United Nations mandate, which does not supersede our Constitution. Do not be deceived, if the U.S. Government can ignore the Constitution and do this to Libya, it can do it to you at some point too. The President may be Commander-in-Chief, but only Congress can declare war, and bombing a country without prov- ocation is most assuredly a declaration of war. The level of “double-speak” has reached new levels. This was not a war, but “kinetic military action.” After encouraging its people to rebel, setting the country on fire, the U.S. called for “humanitarian intervention,” mostly consisting of bombing raids leading to the painful destruction of Libyan life and infrastructure. Chaos prevailed. Evil forces absconded with powerful weapons.

60 Andrew M. Ross, Claremont.edu. Obtained from byrd.mu.wvnet.edu. 18 Jun. 2011.

298 T HE COMMON MAN

Without sufficient protection on Sept. 11, 2012 Ambassa- dor Stevens and three others were killed by terrorists in Benghazi. Deceitfully, the Obama Administration claimed a video provoked the assault. Lacking civility and compassion, Secretary Clinton defensively snapped before a Jan 23, 2013 Senate hearing, “What difference…does it make?”

Second Amendment Until that blessed day comes when all nations willingly beat their swords into plowshares, the world continues to be a dangerous place. Many forcibly seek gain at the expense of others. Individu- als, states and nations have a right to protect themselves. The 2nd Amendment says, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” (Note that a state has a right to a Militia.) As long as a government has the use of guns, the citizenry needs the right to protect themselves from tyranny of the de- ranged that may rise to power. Civil governments can be very dangerous. In the 20th Century alone, civil governments killed over 100 million people, dwarfing the damage instigated by religious wars over the years, and the tragedy brought about upon occasion by the lone gunman. (By the way, most of those killed had no way to defend themselves from their government.) As a knee-jerk reaction to almost every crime committed with guns, politicians scream for gun control, but are silent on the need to reduce violence in movies, video games and television, where all types of violence is on display, for “Hollywood” is a lucrative source of campaign contributions. And still our government forbids posting “Thou Shall Not Kill” on schoolhouse walls.

299 M ELVIN VALKNER

Social Security/Medicare This example may not be exactly typical but is close enough to make the point that, except for federal intervention, most American families could be millionaires (presuming currency held its value): Take someone who works 40 years, age 25 to 65, with a salary of $40,000 per year having a home mortgage of $120,000 for 20 years at 6% interest rate, or $860 per month. Under the current tax system, FICA (Social Security and Medicare) taxes taken from his paycheck are matched by the employer for a total of 15.3% or $6,120 per year. A total of $244,800 would be paid into the system over 40 years. Assuming at age 65 Social Security benefits are drawn for 20 years until he dies at age 85, he will have drawn $360,000, 20 years x $18,000 per year, plus receive Medicare benefits. At first glance this seems like a good deal. But, of course, if death occurs before the age of 85 much of the benefit is lost to heirs, that is, the Social Security Administration is under limited further obligation. He will also have paid $86,300 in interest during his 20- year home loan. After his home loan is paid off he could take his normal house payment and invest it at 6%. That investment, including principal, would grow to $397,000 over 20 years before federal taxes are applied (ignoring income taxes). If there was no FICA tax but instead that same person was able to use the $6,120 per year or $510 per month and add it to his monthly mortgage payment totaling $1,370, his home mortgage would be paid off in 9.5 years saving $48,000 in interest expense. After his home loan is paid off, for the next 30.5 years he could take his normal house payment plus FICA and invest it at 6%. That investment, including principal, would grow to

300 T HE COMMON MAN

$1.43 million before federal taxes are applied, a millionaire at retirement. Best of all, the funds would belong entirely to his heirs upon his death and could be used to help fund their retirement. Not so with Social Security as it simply disappears. Earning interest of $7,100 per month on an investment of $1.43 million, quality health insurance and care would be easily affordable, expenditures that the buyer would closely scrutinize and competitively shop because he is directly paying for it. If this type of investing was taught in compulsory classes each year of high school more affluent citizens would result and enough funds would be on hand to contribute to family and neighbors in need. Those funds would be circulating in the general economy producing growth – and unfunded liabil- ities would not exist.

United Nations The United States is a compact of sovereign people and must never subject itself to the power of any nation, group of nations or false prophets. There are many today wanting to minimize the importance of our Constitution. They are willing to give power to the United Nations, a “One World Government,” or “New World Order” and let others control them. When I first came to Christ, I did not think it was possible for a One World Government to come into reality anytime soon. That has changed with the potential of electronics. The potential for deception and control is enormous. One World Government is all about power, money and domination for them that comprise it – but not for you. Any civil government, no matter how benign it appears, remains at

301 M ELVIN VALKNER its core sheer force. The more distant that civil government is, the more powerful it has to be increasing odds that tyranny will result.

302 Ten Fables of Madern Tyms Terms & Meanings

In Alphabetical Order: Ataboi — United States (“atta a boy, that a boy,” word of encouragement) Bib Biznes — big business Camonman — common man Ceneters — senators Eeleat — elite FireHart — one who has a passionate heart Hiherwae — higher way Huts — states KnewWorld — one—world government Konstituson — Constitution Party Lukrarm — lukewarm

303 M ELVIN VALKNER

Madern — modern Magic Numbers — electronic banking Mettles — precious metals, gold and silver Old Chiefs — founding fathers Phiting — fighting (wars) Ricrvbenc — reserve bank (the Federal Reserve System) Rongwai — wrong way Scroll of Remembrance — constitution Takses — taxes Terifs — tariffs TherdParties — third parties Traads — working trades Tyms — times Wethapepau — We the people Youins — unions

304 Bibliography

1. All Internet citations are referenced in footnotes. 2. All Koran quotations are from Arberry, A.J., trans., The Koran Interpreted. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1955. 3. All Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Pa- tent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ 4. All U.S. Constitution quotations are from The Constitu- tion of the United States 17 Sep. 1987. 04 Jun. 2011. 5. Allison, Andrew, Cook, K. DeLynn, Maxfield, M. Rich- ard, Skousen, W. Cleon, The Real Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 1 of the American Classic Series. Malta, ID: National Center for Constitutional Studies, 2008.

305 M ELVIN VALKNER

6. Allison, Andrew, Maxfield, M. Richard, Skousen, W. Cleon, The Real Benjamin Franklin, Vol. 2 of the American Classic Series. Malta, ID: National Center for Constitutional Studies, 2008. 7. Allison, Andrew, Parry, Jay, Skousen, W. Cleon, The Real George Washington, Vol. 3 of the American Classic Series. Malta, ID: National Center for Constitutional Studies, 2008. 8. The Open Bible – Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments Authorized King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1975.

306