Frankly Speaking with John Scurits

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to Frankly Speaking, your weekly destination for insight and inspiration,
with your host, Frank Morangos. Frankly Speaking is sponsored by
Heppa four two one Chapter of North Miami in partnership
with the Annunciation Greek Orthox Church of North Miami.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Batter my heart, three persons, God for you, and yet
but not breathe, shine, and seek to men that I
might rise and stand overthrow me and bend You're forced
to break below, burn and make me new. Welcome to
another broadcast of Frankly Speaking on this early Saturday afternoon
in beautiful Southeast Florida. As my producer Brian Im indicated,

(00:50):
I'm your host, Frank Morangus in For the next thirty minutes,
I will provide you with Frank talk and a lively
interview concerning the influence of the ancient Hellenic ideals, value,
and faith on our contemporary culture. To do my part
to help make America Greek again. The words with which
I began today's broadcasts are the first four or fourteen

(01:11):
verses of the poet John Dunn's famous sonnet entitled Trinity.
I do so because eighty years ago, on Wednesday of
this past week, July sixteenth, nineteen forty five, the United
States conducted the Trinity Test, the world's first detonation of
a nuclear weapon, in the desert of New Mexico. The

(01:31):
test was part of the Manhattan Project, involved a plutonium
implosion device nick named the Gadget. The explosion released energy
equivalent to twenty one thousand tons of TNT, creating a
mushroom cloud rising forty one thousand feet. The bomb emitted
heat three times the temperature of the interior of the sun,

(01:53):
and wiped out all plant and animal life within a mile.
The Trinity Test paved the way for the use of
the atomic bombs in warfare. In fact, a similar device
was detonated weeks later in Nagasaki, Japan, on August ninth,
nineteen forty five. The code name Trinity was assigned to
the tests by J. Robert Oppenheimer, the director of the

(02:17):
Los Alamos Laboratory. In an interview following the bomb's desert's trial,
Oppenheimer indicated that his choice of the code name was
inspired by the poetry of John Dunn, in particular the
verses that I quoted the beginning of Today's Monologue. Oppenheimer
said that he felt that the first verse, batter my
heart three personed God resonated with the concept of a

(02:40):
powerful and transformative force, and since the sonnet itself explores
the themes of spiritual struggle and transformation that are analogous
to the immense power and potential for change that the
atomic bomb represented, Oppenheimer felt it was the most appropriate
designation for the test. Unlike Oppenheimer, Aristotle, the famous Greek

(03:03):
philosopher whose ethical writings, frankly speaking, is currently dedicated, viewed
transformation as a natural process involving change that is driven
by potentiality and self actualization rather than through the influence
of an immense outside power. So, in his writings, Aristotle

(03:23):
identified four types of transformational change, one the substantial, two
the qualitative, three the quantitative, and the locational is the fourth. So,
according to Aristotle, substantial change involves the complete replacement of
one form by another, like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly.
Qualitative change, for Aristotle, also called alteration, are changes in

(03:47):
the properties or qualities of a substance, while quantitative changes
alter size or quantity. Locational change for Aristotle is described
as motion, described as a change in position or place.
For Aristotle, everything exists in a state of potentiality, with
the capacity to become something else. Change therefore involves the

(04:11):
actualization of potential, moving from a state of potentiality to authenticity.
The philosopher used the image of the lump of clay
to describe the potentiality of an inanimate material, as clay
in the hands of a sculptory said can be molded
into a beautiful statue. But apart from the inert or
lifeless material, Aristotle also offers a comprehensive theory for the

(04:34):
actualization of human potential. He believed that humans are born
with great capacity, aptitude, and promise, and not as fully
formed beings. As such, authentic transformation involves the nurture, development,
and actualization of these innate capacities, including reason, social connection,

(04:54):
and virtue, not through the coercion of outside forces, no
matter how powerful explosive they may be. As I have
been discussing in previous broadcasts. According to Aristotle, human transformation
relies on the formation of virtues. He insists that consistently
engaging in ethical actions until they become second nature will

(05:16):
lead to personal integrity, character development, good reputation. Apart from
education and that acquisition of practical wisdom. He therefore emphasizes
the unity of intellectual and moral development. True knowledge, she argues,
includes understanding how to live well incidence good character requires
practical wisdom. It must be guided by ethical behavior. When

(05:37):
developed together, these dimensions create a transformational path, he says,
leading to a life of virtuous fulfillment. In essence, Aristotle
viewed human transformation as a journey from inherent potential to
full actualization, driven by cultivating virtues to practice, guided by education,

(05:57):
supported by social environment, all aimed at achieving a flourishing
and a meaningful life, what he refers to in the
Greek word of domonia. But I would be remiss if
I did not. On the occasion of the eightieth anniversary
of the Trinity Test and the subsequent use of the
atomic bomb, did not discuss how Aristotle's view of human

(06:17):
transformation influenced his view of war, and in particular, his
understanding of the ethical use of war, as he argued
that military might is only justified if it is waged
to defend against aggression, protect the innocent, or prevent enslavement.
Aristotle's basis for what today is commonly called just war

(06:39):
theory revolves around his view of that war, while regrettable,
can only be justified under specific circumstances, and should therefore
be conducted with ethical considerations. He believed that a just
war should be fought for a just cause, such as
self defense or to prevent enslavement, and should be waged

(06:59):
by a legitimate authority with the ultimate goal of restoring
peace and justice. Aristotle additionally emphasized the importance of proportionality
in the use of force and the need to avoid
unnecessary harm to non combatants. As such, he insisted that
hostility should only be used as a last resort after
all other peaceful means of resolving the conflict have been exhausted.

(07:24):
While the articulation of a just war theory is often
attributed to Christian theologians, in fact, it was the ancient
Hellenic ideals of Aristotle that laid the groundwork for our
contemporary inderstandings. Although Thomas Aquinas, the thirteenth century Italian Dominican
friar and priest, is often credited with the most systematic exposition,
the concept of a just or ethical war was initiated

(07:48):
and articulated by the ancient Greek philosophers first. Most certainly,
later thinkers like the fourth century Saint Augustine and Aquinas
built upon Aristotle's foundation, adding their own valuable interpretations and elaborations.
But the core principles of a just cause, legitimate authority,

(08:08):
right intention, proportionality, and last resort are central tenets of
Aristotle's understanding of the powerful transformative power of virtue. Just
listen to a brief comparison. Aristotle believed that humans, by
nature are rational beings capable of understanding and following natural law,
whose precepts dictate what is right and wrong. Aquinas further

(08:30):
developed this perspective by arguing that natural law is ultimately
a reflection of God's eternal law that can be understood
through reason. Aristotle viewed governance or the state, as an
entity aimed at promoting the common good and enabling its
citizens to live us good life. Aquinos echoed this, stating
that a just war must serve the common good and

(08:53):
be waged by a legitimate authority. Aristotle considered war to
be a last resort, primarily self defense or to right
or wrong, and not for conquest or aggression. A quietness
also emphasized that war should only be undertaken when all
peaceful means of resolving a conflict have been exhausted. He
consequently adopted Aristotle's idea about justice and virtue and the

(09:17):
purpose of a political life, and integrated them within Christian
teachings into these three basic conditions. Number one, just cause,
that war must be ways for a just reason, such
as self defense or to redress a wrong. Number two
right intention. The intention of the war must be to
achieve peace and justice, not to inflict harm or pursue

(09:40):
a selfish goal. And finally, number three, legitimate authority, that
war must be declared in ways by legitimate political authority.
In nineteen fifty three, Norman Cousins, an American political journalist, author,
and professor, published an article on the implications of the
atomic bomb and some stuf bardling information about war in general.

(10:02):
According to Cousins, whose data is often questioned, since the
fourth century BC, the world has known only two hundred
and ninety two years of peace. During this period, that is,
during the past five thousand and six hundred years, there
have been fourteen thousand, three hundred and fifty one wars
large and small, in which three thousand billion people have

(10:24):
been killed. He suggests that the value of the property
destroyed is equal to a golden belt around the entire world,
ninety seven miles wide and thirty three feet thick. The
Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs Costs of War
Project at Brown University recently took Cousins research one step

(10:46):
further and studied the economic and human costs associated with conflict,
including casualties. They estimated that during the reign of Julius Caesar,
to kill an enemy soldier costs life less than a dollar.
At the time of a Napoleon, it had considerably inflated
to more than two thousand dollars a soldier. At the

(11:08):
end of the First World War, it had multiplied several
times to reach the figure of seventeen thousand dollars a soldier.
During the Second World War it rose to forty thousand
dollars a soldier, and finally, in nineteen seventy, to kill
one enemy soldier in Vietnam it cost the United States
more than two hundred thousand dollars. I can only imagine

(11:32):
what the cost would be today. In a speech to
army soldiers at Columbus, Ohio in eighteen eighty, General William T.
Sherman made the following now famous statement, there are many
boys here today, he said, who look on war as
all glory, But boys, war is hell, and of Cootes.

(11:53):
Sherman was and still is correct, war is hell, and
even a just war is hell. Well so, in the
final analysis, the ancient Hellenic ideals of Aristotle should never
be forgotten, but taught and understood as pillars of wisdom,
intellectual insight, and most importantly, the transformational power associated with virtue.

(12:15):
Among as many influential contributions aristotle Is writing on politics
and the ethical dimensions of wars should remain relevant for
us today, and most especially on the occasion of the
eightieth anniversary of the world's first detonation of the atomic bomb.
When we return, we will be speaking with John Skurtis,
a licensed real estate broker in Miami and noted philanthropists,

(12:37):
business and faith based leader in the Greek American community.
I look forward to learning how his Hellenic heritage has
influenced his personal and professional life journey.

Speaker 3 (12:51):
We thank the you HAVE about four twenty one North
Miami Chapter for their sponsorship of Frankly speaking, you know
they promote the ancient Hellenic ideas of education, philanthropy, civic responsibility, family,
and individual excellence through community service and volunteerism. They offer
scholarships annually to support students seeking higher education. A Heppa
supports other organizations, including the Saint Basel Academy in New York,

(13:15):
IOCC hurricane relief efforts, and the local Annunciation GOOC. If
you're interested in donating to help support these efforts, email
a Heppa four twenty one, Northmiami at gmail dot com.

Speaker 2 (13:33):
Well, welcome back to frankly speaking, So I've mentioned that
apart from introducing the greater public to the rich history,
the culture, and faith heritage of ancient Greek history, and
to discuss how that history may provide some insights for
us today, the show also includes an interview with a
noted Greek philanthropist's successful local personality and happenings within the

(13:55):
Greek Orthodox community here in South Florida. So this afternoon,
I'm really pleased to have really a privilege to have
John Scurtis. He's a licensed real estate broker in Miami,
a member of the Saint Sophia Cathedral, the Greek Orthodox
Cathedral in Miami, Florida, is an ARCon of the Ecumenical patriarchade.
You know, he is just a personality here in South Florida,

(14:17):
and it's great that he's taking the time to be
on Frankly speaking, So, John, welcome to the show.

Speaker 4 (14:22):
Okay, nice to be here.

Speaker 2 (14:23):
Frank, tell me a little bit. We'll tell our listeners
a little bit about your background. I know that you
married Evangeline, who is the daughter of a priest, father Macros,
well known priest done in South Florida. But tell us
a little bit about yourself. First of all, where were
you born?

Speaker 4 (14:39):
Maplewood, New Jersey and grew up in West Orange, New Jersey.
All my youth was at one location in West Orange,
and there was a good youth and very good exposure
to Orthodoxy and the Greek Orthodox Church.

Speaker 2 (14:57):
Yeah, both your parents are Greek.

Speaker 4 (14:59):
First generation on my dad and on second generation on
my mom, who was born in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Speaker 2 (15:06):
Lynn, Massachusetts. Good. Great to hear that. So did you
speak Greek as a child.

Speaker 4 (15:11):
No, I did not. I was exposed to Greek on
a daily basis, especially in my formative years of high
school and junior high school. I think I was probably
more prone to visiting my grandparents my maternal grandparents that

(15:32):
I was going home to play with everyone. Although I
did do a lot of street basketball and that type
of thing. But I enjoyed being around my grandparents who
did not speak English. As you know, there's sign language
and there's certain ways you communicate with the Greek immigrants
of those years as a child, and we were able

(15:55):
to communicate, which today I find as I think about it,
how amazing it was. But that was my exposure to
the Greek language.

Speaker 2 (16:02):
Yeah, it was mine as well, my parents from Greece.
I spoke Greek before I spoke English, but most of
my Greek was taught to me by my grandmother who
lived with us for a period of time. As a
matter of fact, we called it kitchen Greek. When I
went on and studied Greek at the university, I actually
had a professor throwing a racer at me because I

(16:24):
was used in kitchen Greek as opposed to the real terms.
You went to college up.

Speaker 4 (16:29):
North, Yes, Actually, after I graduated from high school, I
joined the United States Army and was stationed in Germany
and was there for the Berlin Wahm when it was constructed,
and as came back into Jersey, and went to Fairleigh

(16:50):
Dicketson University in Madison, New Jersey, and graduated in sixty six,
and I was immediately employed by Texico. In those days,
it was unlike today, I believe, whereas the recruiters came
to college and you could take your choice where she

(17:12):
wanted to work. So I joined Texaco in the management program.

Speaker 2 (17:17):
What did you get your degree in.

Speaker 4 (17:19):
In the marketing and business business curriculum?

Speaker 2 (17:25):
Did your Greek heritage influence that?

Speaker 4 (17:28):
I didn't have much influence from anyone in my high
school years. I didn't have a lot of influence about college. Today,
it's a it's protocol for parents to travel all over
with their children and look at the schools and in
colleges and things. My parents never did that with us

(17:51):
my sister and I did have a sister, by the way,
she's passed clinnacle in the community and very involved in
the archdiocese with In those days, I had some friends
that worked with Mexico, and they told me all about
the job description, and I leaned towards towards doing that,
joining Meexago because of my friends. Actually, we grew up

(18:12):
together and we'd see each other on occasion and meetings
but that's how I chose the corporate life. Actually, when
did you leave that? I stayed with them for ten years.
I had a great tenure with them. They transferred me.
How I got to Miami was by Texago. They transferred

(18:34):
me to Miami. I worked in the West Palm Beach
area for about a year and a half and I
got promoted back to Miami. And then I became the
licensed real estate broker for Mexico in half of the state,
opening service stations and selecting sites, negotiating leases, contracts, et cetera.

(18:59):
So I had good expose and that's why I eventually
went into the real estate business on my own. And
I guess that is the so quote unquote Greek way.
I was to the point where I didn't want to
be continued working for someone and I wanted to do
my own thing, and real estate was a natural avenue

(19:21):
for me since I had the background with Texago.

Speaker 2 (19:25):
And how did you meet Evangeline? Was it done in Miami?

Speaker 4 (19:28):
Evangeline I met. I was very active in Goya Greek
Orthodox Youth of America, which is national. Was national. I
don't hear too much about it anymore, but I know
it exists and I was very active on a on
a local level. I was an officer and we used

(19:51):
to travel every weekend to all the church dances. And
Vane was up visiting from Miami. She had her aunt
in New Jersey and I met her in the at
a Greek function dance in Nottley, New Jersey, at the church,

(20:13):
and it was history. That was after that. It was
just we moved fast.

Speaker 2 (20:19):
So I have a feeling, John that it wasn't Mexico
that brought you done in Miami. It was Evangeline. You
met her in New Jersey and the back of your
mind you said, you know what, maybe I should go
down there and take a look at that gal again.

Speaker 4 (20:31):
No, No, we moved fast. We dated four times and
we decided it was time for us to tie them out.
So it was quick. And actually when we got married,
Evan and I moved back to Jersey where my job

(20:52):
description was, my location for my job I was my
area was in Westchester for Mexico, and our officers were
in New York City. But never once in the two
years that we lived in New Jersey after marriage did

(21:13):
Ivan mention to me ever going back to Miami. But
this is an interesting story. I'll try to make it quick.
There was a company called Caltex in Greece at the time,
Standard of California and Mexico Texco purchased Standard of California
and they needed Greek speaking individuals to go for the transition.

(21:35):
I volunteered. I was accepted. I had limited Greek, but
they didn't know that. I figured I was really going
to learn it when I got there. And then Evan
became pregnant with Stacy, our first child, and that put
the kabasha on that. But they did offer me Miami
five one of it so Yvan could be closer to

(21:56):
her family. So that's how we got to Miami.

Speaker 2 (21:59):
And a full disclosure, Evan is going to be on
the show next week, so I'm going to see if
her story and your story match up. So did it
bother you? Did it bother you when you found out
that she was the daughter of a priest?

Speaker 4 (22:14):
No? In fact, a funny story. Again, as quickly as possible.
My mother was always asked suggesting that I marry a
Greek girl, and I at that time was dating non
Greek girls, and every time I bring one home, she
says she's not for you. You know of course, finally

(22:37):
I met Evan and always said, I finally found a
beautiful Greek girl that we're really in love. We're going
to get married. And my mother was so excited. What's
her name, Evangelin and her dad is a priest. I
know you're like that, Oh my god, how wonderful. Where
does she live? I said, Miami? She said, Miami, I'm
not going to that wedding so far. So it was

(23:01):
kind of cute.

Speaker 2 (23:02):
Well, how many years have you been married?

Speaker 4 (23:04):
Fifty eight?

Speaker 2 (23:05):
Fifty eight and you have seven grandchildren nine nine, Well, God.

Speaker 4 (23:10):
Bless you all five of them in college, two have graduated,
and two are on the list to go eventually.

Speaker 2 (23:19):
Well, congratulations. I hope they have a very successful and
healthy and joyful life. Before we end, John and I
do thank you for being on the show. Tell me
a little bit about your golf scores. How you doing.

Speaker 4 (23:31):
My golf game is not what it used to be,
but I think that's a natural natural for people my age.
But I used to play three times a week. I'm
limited now the probably two times and only nine holes.
Especially with the heat, I'll maybe do eighteen holes once
a week. So yeah, you know, I enjoyed golf game.

(23:55):
I never was. I never was going to be on
the Golf channel and I never But other than that,
other than that, I'm enjoying just playing the game.

Speaker 2 (24:07):
Well, you didn't make it the Golf Channel, but you
made it to Frankly Speaking. So I thank you very
much and God bless you, and I look forward to
talking to Evan next week.

Speaker 4 (24:17):
Thank you nice speaking to you. Thank you for the opportunity,
my pleasure.

Speaker 2 (24:21):
Thank you for joining me today on Frankly Speaking. But
before I conclude, I want to continue the tradition of
ending each week's broadcast by selecting an appropriate English word
and discussing its original Greek etymology and usage. Today, I've
chosen to briefly discuss the word heart as it was
used in a set of new lyrics to It's a
Small World attraction at both Disneyland and Disney World. The

(24:45):
new verse debuted Thursday, July the seventeenth, as part of
the park's seventieth anniversary celebrations. According to the Disney Corporation,
the brothers Robert and Richard Sherman wrote the original It's
a Small World song in nineteen six. Robert passed away
in twenty twelve, Richard wrote the last verses to the

(25:06):
catchy tune by himself before his death. In twenty twenty four,
Disney announced that the update to the limerick is meant
to add to the attraction's legacy and further emphasize the
song's meaning. Here are the new verses. Mother Earth unites
us in heart and mind, and the love we give
makes us humankind through our vast, wondrous land. When we

(25:30):
stand hand in hand. It's a small world after all.
So Mother Earth unites us in heart and mind. While
indeed very woke, I like the use of the word
heart to express humanity's potential for unity. While the English
word is not exactly related, the Greek word for heart
is carthia. It is integrated into medical terms such as cardiac, cardiovascular,

(25:55):
and cardiologist. According to Aristotle, the heart should be understood
as more more than just a biological organ, but the
center of emotions, thought, and even the soul. He said,
while the brain's role in these functions is now understood,
the philosopher's conviction informs the metaphorical idea of what he
calls the virtue of the heart that he suggests cultivates

(26:17):
the internal disposition and the feelings that align with virtuous actions.
For Aristotle, it is not enough to perform a kind act.
The truly virtuous person also must be kind and compassionate.
In essence, the virtue of the heart within Aristotle's ethics
emphasizes the importance of cultivating an inner character inclined towards

(26:38):
doing good, driven by appropriate emotions and guided by reason. So,
as mister Gus Portocalos insists in my big fat Greek wedding,
there you go. Give me any word and I will
show you its Greek root. So thank you for joining
me today, And if you would like to share a
question and or suggest a future guest or topic, I
would love to hear from you. That Frank the franktokradio

(27:01):
dot com