Is the Dream Realized?

First of all, I want to say thanks to the well wishers from mine and Jackson's trip to the inauguration. I'll get pictures and stories up soon. It was the trip of a lifetime and the memories won't soon be forgotten. I've never been more proud to be American and especially am proud of my generation for setting aside arguing in favor of solutions.

So in all of this unity and hope good stuff that's been going around I've been thinking about what divides us as Americans, and specifically where I live. Standing at the concert last Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial, the place where Dr. King marched and where Marian Anderson sang, I was reminded of the tough times when our nation has had to come together because of the color of someones skin. A war centered around whether someone could be owned, a man who wished his kids could be looked at equally, and a woman who couldn't use the gift God gave her because she was black. What a waste! What an un-Christian, un-American, and useless prejudice to think that someone is unworthy of God's love and human decency because of their skin color. Or let's get real about the modern face of bigotry: THE LANGUAGE THEY SPEAK. THE GOD THEY PRAY TO. THE PERSON THEY CHOOSE TO LOVE. THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY MAKE.

Upon returning home from what I consider the "North," I was reminded that there is progress yet to be made. Seeing someone's facebook profile referring to the swearing in of our President as an "iniggeration." Listening to a friend of a friend talk about how Obama wouldn't win a second term because "he'd get shot by then" and that "Bobby Jindal would win next time because he's colored and they can't tell the difference." It makes me sad. Look, I realize that folks aren't going to like all or even any of Obama's policies, that's why we have political parties. But to wish death upon the father of two little girls? The leader (like it or not) of our country? How juvenile, and frankly how sinful. Remember Naaman, the Syrian ruler who was at first willing to live with leprosy because of he was so caught up in his sense of nationalism and pride that he didn't want to dip in the Jordan River? Or the one we all remember- the Good Samaritan.

My question remains this- Where are God's people when all of this is happening? Rather than looking at the plight of people who can't afford healthcare, members of Congress (yes you too DEMOCRATIC REP. JIM MARSHALL) voted against a children's healthcare bill because he was afraid Mexican kids might get taken care of. Newsflash: THEY'RE PEOPLE. Should we just let them sit at the door of the hospital while the rest of the entitled walk past to get our treatment, perhaps flipping a bill their direction as we think "lazy bums." Gee, I recall Jesus talking about a man who was in that situation, who had no stock in a random foreigner's well being. "Ah but that doesn't apply here Ryan, that's an individual call." Yea, individuals like the Priest and the Levite, both members of the Jewish man's religion and nationality. What if the foreigner, ahem excuse me, Samaritan, had stopped to think "Hmmm, now I feel bad for the dude, but honestly, he's from a different country and all, and I pay too many taxes to take care of folks in Samaria as it is, geez that's just unfortunate." Didn't happen like that though, and I don't think it should here in America either.

Thank God that there are rays of hope. Like the good folks in Nashville who defeated a bill that would have cut public funding for interpreters of non-English speaking residents (ya, the legals). Great Christian non-profits like World Vision who are sponsoring THIS PROGRAM IN ATHENS, GA, to let American Christians know what the life of a child with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa is really like. I guess my call is to let the love and mercy that God has shown us usurp all political platitudes and for us to rise above our (yes, ME too) selfishness and just love folks. I think we've made the Good Samaritan story into something we read as kids, and forget that this message was to us big folks too. And the tough part of the story is that the Samaritan never got his money back. Ouch. Spending hard earned cash on a foreigner whose country hates you, and then not even saying "Hey man, I'm willing to help you out, but uh my name is John Doe and I really do have a family of my own that is struggling just as much as yours and I really can't afford all of this. How can I reach your family about how to pay for all of this?" Whoa. So I guess my final question is the same as Jesus': Who is our neighbor? The illegal immigrant? The kid whose school was hit by a bomb in Gaza? These guys? Hey, maybe even the guy who wrote this.

I think I learned it best in Sunday School, "Red and yellow, black and white. They are precious in His sight."God bless all of you guys, and may we continue to strive toward the Dream. Thanks for reading folks.

What I'm Thankful For

First of all, I'm sorry we've slacked on the blog. Two words: school sucks. A real post will be up within the week guys. In the mean time, I want to say Happy Thanksgiving. In a world that is always changing, always giving us the unexpected, and always seeming to tell us we're inadequate, we still have so much to be thankful for. In the past week, I've been reminded of some of the things I've been blessed with and some of the things I need to be more thankful for. Here goes a non-exhaustive FiYaMaN top ten list.

1) That I serve an Awesome God, who made me and loves me no matter how much I've screwed up. 2) That I have a father who loves me in a world where many don't know their dad, that I have a mother who still calls me her baby boy, and that I have a big brother who is also one of my best friends. 3) That I've been blessed with a few great friends who are there for me even in the darkest times, one of them being the_idealist. 4) That I live in a country that rejected hate , division , and fear , in favor of hope , equality(that is, unless you're a homosexual in California), and the future. 5) That I live in comfort, relative safety, and prosperity when so many in this world are not so fortunate. May God put it on my heart to be Jesus to them. 6) That America has the finest troops in the world and that we can honor their service by bringing them home. Even though our leaders sent them on an ill-advised war, our troops proved again why America is the home of the brave. 7) That I go to the University of Georgia, one of the best schools in the country, and that they have yet to find out the rest of the kids there are so much smarter than me it is insane. 8) That for the first time ever in U.S. history, cancer rates are declining. Rest in peace Grandmama and Grandaddy. 9) Bass, Little Italy, Choo Choo Express, Eddie Bauer jeans, flannel shirts, Chacos, Southern Proper bow ties, coffee, sweet tea, pie, The Office, baseball, football, Pigeon Mountain, Cloudland Canyon, Rembrandts, and the CNN magic map. 10) That there are folks out there who care enough about what I think that you're still reading this. That may not seem like a lot, but I truly want to say thanks for supporting this effort and for listening. From the bottom of my heart- "May the Lord bless you and keep you. Keep on smiling, and everything's going to be o.k."

Which party is the Anti-God Party?

WARNING: This post has foul language - not my own, but copied and pasted from some friends' Facebooks. I left all words in their entirety to make my point. Please do not read if you will be offended by the words said below and do not comment on my posting of the words to this blog.

After being called a " traitor cock-sucking cunt whore" I felt compelled to author this post. I am just going to take some quotes from my (presumably) racist friends' Facebooks. They are as follows (most are status updates): "will not be voting for that islamic socialist terrorist known as Barack Hussien Obama, NOBAMA '08" "oh yeah, FUCK OBAMA" which was commented with an "Amen brotha" "A vote for Obama is a vote for Socialism...F**K Obama '08!" "is proud to be an American unlike that cocksuker Obama and his sluttin' whore wife!" "says TEAM OBAMA CAN GO FUCK THEMSELVES MCCAIN/PALIN '08" "Jim Martin, What a Douche" "you have disappointed me by supporting Obama, Jackson" "Obama is the Anti-Christ" "Barack Obama eats babies" "He kills babies" "He isn't a United States Citizen" "is a sick individual" ... 

But after all of this, most of which was said by one person, they then had the nerve to say this, "is watching the Anti-God convention in Denver" HA! The Anti-God Convention? It seems to me - after reading the above comments that these people have posted - that they should probably vote for that same party because NONE of those comments are 'Pro-God" are they? First of all, the freedom of religion means the freedom FROM religion, therefor it is ridiculous to legislate morality because we can't force people to be Christians just because they are Americans. Secondly, we talk about"that Islamic terrorist" "putting the Ten Commandments in public buildings" "killing babies" and "sick ass raping homo sex", but why not a push for the ban of foul language? Why not make a ban on all sin? After all, all sin is equal, none is greater than any other. Oh wait, we can't do that, because that might actually affect some of these people making the above claims. That might call into question THEIR character, THEIR judgement or THEIR lifestyle. They want to continue to condemn OTHERS, call OTHERS' character into question, call OTHERS' lives into question without considering THEMselves when they say things like quoted above? 

Give me a break. Jesus' teaching was about love; He said the greatest command was love. He said not to judge unless you wanted to be judge. He said that God is the one to give vengeance, not us. Where has Jesus' teaching gone when concerning "God's party" [the Republican party]?Where are the morals? Where is the party that should embrace ALL of God's teachings and not just the ones that are convient to them? When it comes to divorce and re-marriage, greed, lust or profanity they seem to push God away and out of government, only lobbying for things that are emotionally appealing to voters like abortion and gay rights.  If they are to make an appeal to make moral legislation, then they should push for them in ALL aspects of government AND their lives - showing God's teachings and morals and not just talking about them. They shouldn't speak of people as "Islamic terrorists" when that is clearly not true; they should not call people "cocksucking cunt whores" which is obviously not true as well. How does that embody Jesus' teachings? 

Should they just pick and choose what they want government to control because it doesn't affect them: abortion, gay marriage, displaying the Ten Commandments, welfare; or should they also include things like profanity, lust, greed, etc. which affect us all but are too 'holier than thou' to admit?  

 SO ... which party is the "anti - God party?" It seems to me that they both have their flaws; you make the choice. I doubt either are.

 

Can one be pro-life AND pro-choice?

A woman's right to choose is one of the most divisive political topics of the past quarter century. It has given rise to the modern religious right and groups like the National Right to Life and leftist groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL. It has caused the old "Southern Democrat" to be a thing of the past. It has sparked terrorist acts of bombing abortion clinics and the use of words like "murderer" or "slut" or "whore". It has caused Christians to condemn fellow Christians who choose to vote for a Democrat. It has fundamentally changed the way a President chooses a Supreme Court Justice. In short, Roe vs. Wade, for right or for wrong, has changed the topic of conversation of what Christians feel they should vote on, arguably, above any other issue in the country.

My hometown, Chattanooga, is in the middle of this struggle. Being in the Bible Belt, we're home to more Southern Baptists and little conservative churches than hairs on my head. We're notable for one more thing too though: Chattanooga is the largest city in America without an abortion clinic. Rossville, where I went to church, is home of a state representative who attempted, albeit an unconstitutional, to put a statewide ban on abortions in Georgia. When other Christians hear that I support Barack Obama for president, it never fails that I get a blank stare followed by rage about the issue of a woman's right to choose.

I've always been troubled by this point. I am pro-life. I believe God knew me before I was born and that if the law of our land wants to charge Scott Peterson with 2 counts of murder if he kills his pregnant wife then we should be consistent on intentionally ending a pregnancy. I also think that life is important after a baby is born though. As blunt as this sounds, its a heck of a lot easier for Sarah Palin's daughter, who has financially and socially stable mom AND dad, to make the decision to keep her child than it is for a girl from Detroit who has never seen her dad, has a mom who works two jobs and still can't afford health insurance, and can't even tell you the name of a college. Both made a mistake, but can we really judge these two girls equally? When Bristol Palin or Jamie Lynn Spears or whoever wants to finish up high school after having a child, they don't have a problem finding a babysitter. When the girl from Detroit is pregnant, she has to wonder how the food that isn't even enough to fill her own belly can be enough to fill another mouth (God forbid the baby be special needs or there are complications with the pregnancy, which adds even more costs). So what do I tell the girl from Detroit? Hang in there, if the Palins can do it so can you? Even if she were raped, do I hold her to the same bar of judgement that I do a girl from the 'burbs who decided that that abstinence only education class (another topic all in itself) wasn't worth it and didn't know about proper protection? This is where I found myself, pro-life but yet finding it difficult to tell a woman what she can do with her body with respect to the situations she finds herself in.

Here's where we get to the crux of the matter, to where we get to the motto of POLITIFIRE "common sense solutions." IN MY OPINION, the pro-life movement has focused itself entirely too heavily on overturning Roe vs. Wade and has lost sight of the real goal of minimizing the number of abortions in America, which pro-choice and anti-choice candidates can both agree on (that's why I refuse to label the right wing side pro-life and the left wing side pro-abortion). No one, even NARAL, thinks that abortion should be used as as a regular contraceptive for women. So let's look at the facts and see if we can discover 1) Why some women get abortions 2) How can we get them to choose another option

Here goes for NUMBER 1: Studies have shown that half of all pregnancies in America are unintended. Unintended pregnancies among poor women have INCREASED 29% and have DECREASED among upper class women 20% (a difference in abortion rate 4 times as much). So why do poor women get abortions? The most common answer given to clinicians a child would limit ability to meet current responsibilities and that they cannot afford a child at this point in their lives. This shows that poverty more than any other aspect gives us our answer to WHY.

Here goes for NUMBER 2: It is a tough answer, but let's look at why overturning Roe vs. Wade won't work for getting women to choose not to terminate their pregnancy. The lowest abortion rates of any place in the entire world might surprise you... it's in Europe... that's right liberal Europe where abortion is legal. The rate is less than 10 abortions for every 1000 women of reproductive age. Now that seems odd doesn't it? Europe has poor people too, right? Why would their poor women choose not to terminate their pregnancy? Answer: Poverty rates are much lower because of extensive social services provided to low income women. Even in America, states that have extensive WIC programs have a 37% LOWER abortion rate. Look at the other evidence of how poverty affects abortion rates: the HIGHEST abortion rates in the world are in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean (29-31 abortions per 1000 women) even though abortion rights are most strict here. So how do we get women to choose life? We attack the root of the problem: POVERTY.

I think the Democratic Party has made a lot of strides when it comes to this topic. Rather than hiding from this issue because they're scared of losing pro-choice support, the Democratic Party, at the behest of Barack Obama, instituted in their party platform for the first time a goal of reducing the number of abortions in America by 95% over the next 10 years. The Republican party has no such tangible goal. Check out more of what Senator Obama wants to do here to reduce the number of abortions in America.

Look, before I get angry responses from some of my Christian brethren, and I mean this with love, please consider this with an open mind. I AM PRO-LIFE, I HATE ABORTION! I want abortions in America to be so few and so far between that clinics have to close up shop because no one is coming. The reality is though, that this can't be done by simply overturning Roe vs. Wade. That would simply turn the decision over to states, and we all know left-leaning states like New York and California, where most abortions occur because of city size, would never overturn the law. This issue hits right at the heart of what the_idealist and I want to do with this blog: give common sense solutions with forward thinking ideas rather than settle for how things have always been. America CAN AND MUST reduce the number of abortions in America, but bickering over a court case for a quarter of a century has made us take backward steps. WE OWE IT TO UNBORN CHILDREN TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, AND THAT MEANS BOTH SIDES WORKING TOGETHER TO CURE WHAT WE CAN AGREE UPON: TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ABORTIONS BY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. Research this stuff for yourself guys, it's something I'm very passionate about as you can see. I'm frustrated at the arguing and at the lack of results. Let me know what you think. God bless and Go Dawgs

*Facts from this post were retrieved from www.prolifeproobama.com

Debate: Who Lost?

Who lost the debate last night? The American Public - that's who lost. 

        Where is the candidate who inspired so many people to register to vote? The one who encouraged more than just young people to register and be actively involved, but also middle aged Americans? Where is Barack Obama? At the same rate, where was the candidate who likes to buck his own party and tout bi-partisanship? Where was the one with solutions through his experience? Where is John McCain? Where are the two candidate that long ago promised a less contrived way of running for president? Are they both gone - lost to the envy of the presidency? 

        I heard amazing talking points last night, well up until about forty-five minutes into the debate that is. You see, I simply got up from my chair in the middle of about 200 people who had gathered on Lipscomb's campus to watch and went back to my dorm room. Once there, I put on my rain gear and went outside and played in the rain and stomped in puddles because I knew I would learn about as much outside as I would have watching the debate. When it comes to the economic crisis, the war, the war on poverty, healthcare and education the nearly 60 million people watching should have joined me because that debate offered no real solutions.  

        I know who I am voting for but I enjoy a good debate, therefor I watch them all. But last night was different; I couldn't bare to watch. With character assassinations and bringing up things from both men's past, I was DISGUSTED. What about those that are not decided? What did the people who are still looking for someone to lead them out of this economic meltdown, a war in Iraq and an ailing healthcare and education system learn from the debate last night? NOTHING, except for the fact that these two man can't stop throwing low blows to face the issues you and I face. Where is their dignity? Where is their pride in country? Where are the answers to OUR questions, not the questions each of them raise about the other? 

        It is far past the time when these men should stop attacking each other and start attacking the issues. If I hear the words: maverick, change, hope, Keating, tax-increase, angry-man, age, experience, celebrity, rock star, the one, that one - I think I will explode. I have never had such a feeling of disdain in an election. I love politics but at this point I am borderline apathetic because no one is answering the questions that face our great country in this truly troubling time. And for those of you that know me, if I am apathetic, I can't imagine what the rest of the country feels. 

        It is more than ENOUGH! I am so sick of hearing what their stump speeches are, what is written in the books they bring on the set, what the other person did in years past, what their records are; I want to know what they are planning to do NOW - NOW that our economy is falling apart, NOW that parents struggle to send kids to private schools because the public ones are failing all standards, NOW that we have killed 250,000 innocent civilians in Iraq, NOW that millions of people are left without the resources to pay for healthcare, NOW that the American dollar is worth its lowest since the depression. Not, THEN, I want NOW. Records are clear to us, we can check that; what isn't clear is what they want to do NOW. 

        If pressed, I would say that - while both did a horrible job in the debates, their commercials, mailers and web ads - Sen. Obama is the one with the most clear message. His is still muddled with attacks that Sen. McCain evokes from him. While neither men are clear in what they want to do, the one clear choice is Obama. I encourage you to do as I did and read Sen. Obama's site, his Blueprint for Change. There is where I found that his plans are what America needs in these tough times. He lays out exactly what he plans to do here, without the distractions from Senator McCain who knows his campaign is failed and is resorting to character attacks to garner votes.

See the Place that Gives Ms. Palin Foreign Policy Experience (and why it's not funny)

During Ms. Palin's recent interview with Katie Couric she reiterated the fact that being close to Russia and Canada gave her credible foreign policy experience. Now when she said this before, I honestly thought she had simply been caught off guard and slipped up. But she was serious. And then added Canada to the list. So now I guess the governor of North Dakota is an expert now too, oy vey.

So I figured hmmm, lets see where you can see Russia from Alaska, and I found it. It's a place called Little Diomede Island, population 150. Big Diomede Island, which is technically part of Russia, is 2.4 miles away. The primary industry on the island is carving ivory from seals and walrus tusks. There is no bank, no restaurant, and one store for supplies. The island has running water for only part of the year, then must melt snow. The first time in Alaska's 50 year history a state representative actually visited the island was in 2000 (Ms. Palin's never been). Mail is delivered to the island once a week and CNN reports that many folks on the island don't even know who the state governor even is (did I mention they don't have a television?). Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, THIS PLACE gives Sarah Palin foreign policy credentials.

This seems pretty funny at first, SNL thought so . I did too at first, but one thought keeps repeating in my head and it scares the daylights out of me. Only days after Franklin D. Roosevelt died, Harry Truman found out that the United States had atomic capabilities. Within 3 months, he pressed the red button. FOLKS THAT SHOULD SCARE YOU! The position of vice-president is no joke, especially when you're running with a 72 year old man who has had cancer 4 times and was tortured. I disagree with John McCain's politics, but I respect his ability to lead. This lady scares me though. SERIOUSLY, A TOWN OF 146 PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE NEVER VISITED GIVES YOU EXPERIENCE TO BE THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD?!?

I haven't even mentioned this lady's grasp(ish) of the economy, I think ya'll get my point. Folks, I don't support John McCain in this campaign, but I can't say that he is not qualified to be president. Sarah Palin, however, is NOT fit, NOT capable, and NOT knowledgeable enough to be the commander in chief at a moment's notice, and that's not a joke.

McCain wins debate before even deciding to attend?

Should we have expected anything else? It is now proven that John McCain doesn't use his once "maverick" approach to win votes, but instead is just more of the same. Taking time off from the campaign to fly to Washington to "fix" the economic crisis we are in, Senator McCain's staff was busy preparing an ad declaring him the victor of the debate he said he wouldn't attend until the crisis was over. Last time I checked, the crisis is still in full force, John McCain is now re-attending the debate and has released an ad before he even publicly announced he would be attending the debate "he won." 

How is this man fit for president? It was bad enough that he tried to fool the American public into thinking he was trying to fix the economic crisis by traveling to Washington (having not been in on the Hill to vote since April 10th), knowing the whole time he was the one who, as the Senate Commerce Committee chairman, pushed for deregulation of the industry; which most attribute to the crisis' start. Now he has lied again by saying his campaign was suspended, but in reality there have been numerous accounts of his ground campaign from state to state continuing from fundraising, to door-to-door, to phone calls, to sign placements (this was affirmed by one of my professors, Beth Harwell, who serves as the State co-chair for McCain and is the former TNGOP Chairwoman). Not only are the state levels active, his national campaign was active as well - making this ad declaring him the victor of a debate he wasn't even planning to attend; OR was he planning to attend and used the faux suspension as a political ploy? I am going with the latter and going to repeat it again, "John McCain is just more of the same."

(This was typed hastily in class, but had to get the news out there.)