MEDICARE FRAUD: Recently the FBI arrested 52 in an Armenian crime syndicate that stole nearly $160 million in fake claims to Medicare and I could feel my blood beginning to boil…for two reasons: First, these kinds of actions increase endangering the stability of the Medicare program that is vital in maintaining the health of  senior citizens who cannot afford health insurance and second, that Armenians, my brethren, would dare put this kind of a stain on the Armenian community. I often wonder why Armenians, probably one of the most ancient of peoples, survived through the ages while other ancient ethnic groups have not. I suspect the reasons for our survival are nobler than for us to embrace the worst kind of human qualities. I wonder how our ancestors who were forced from their homes in 1915, in whatever plane they now are, look upon those who carry our strong Armenian genes and wonder if they cringe as they “watch” these dreadful actions by their descendants of that horrific genocide during World War I. I think of those helpless Armenians on that cruel march and dare to ask those Medicare perpetrators...was the 1915 sacrifice of family, culture, and country in vain?
 How different it would be for the memory of our ancestors who suffered so tragically if our Armenian intelligence and nobility instead was used to create better ways to help humanity. The depth of intelligence needed to perpetuate this expansive crime syndicate is as if they had created their own corporation with a brilliant CEO. Energy is energy and a tremendous amount of energy was needed to perpetuate the stealing of millions and millions of dollars. Just imagine if that same vital energy was used to develop a legitimate corporation giving legitimate jobs to their Armenian compatriots and developing useful products that could become the finest in the marketplace.
I wonder if we Armenians really understand the power of our ancestral genes and why some choose to use it by bathing in piles of dung.

PROFOUND BOOKS:
Is there a book that has had a profound effect upon your life?  More than likely there is and one of these days I will write about that one book I read some thirty years ago that still resonates in my mind. But today I want to write about Supreme Court Justice Steven Breyer and the book that affected him so deeply, a novel, THE PLAGUE, by the French writer, Albert Camus.  In an interview with Charlie Rose,  Justice Breyer talked about a doctor in the novel who behaved better than most when a plague invaded a city in Algeria and he said that the germ of the plague is in each of us and never dies, goes into remission but when it is sent forth to invade and the rats come out, we judges in a small way set up a dyke to stop it. 

That statement had a profound effect upon me and I thought about a story I had recently heard about an old and wise Native American Indian and his conversation with his grandson. This is the essence of that story: "My son, there are two wolves inside us all and they are continually battling one another. One is self pity, anger, lies, sorrow, regret, greed, guilt, false pride, envy, inferiority, superiority, arrogance, and resentment. The other is truth, love, faith, peace, humility, compassion, generosity, and joy."

The grandson thought for a moment and asked, "Grandfather, which wolf wins?"

"The one you feed."