Fred and Heath

Today is a sad day for Fred Thompson as he withdrew from the presidential election. A strong conservative and eager candidate had to say "no more." Scott Miller seems to be quite upset about this due to Fred's position on many issues. He felt that Fred would make a fine president because of his conservative view, which are supposedly the most right winged compared to the other candidates. He then went on to post some of Fred's responses to important issues. This was interesting for me to read because it gave me much insight- I would like to do this for all the candidates!

Although this wasn't on either of my blogs, I thought it would be relevant to talk about Heath Ledger's recent death. I find it quite ironic that today we were just talking about obituaries and the media. He died today, and the whole world has been informed through vast amounts of media coverage. He has filled the t.v. screens, internet sites, and radio talkshows. His death seems to be the most important news we can talk about, when yet there are thousands of people dying all over the world. But, we have one death here and since he is a celebrity, he gets headlines and press like none other. This just seems odd to me! However, I am sad that he died and I will be praying for his family who will miss him dearly!

Communicating and Immigrants

I have to say that I am getting quite annoyed with both of my posts. For one, God's Politics fails to update regularly, and when they do, they are often filled with information of little relevance. I am also annoyed because Scott Miller in The Conservative Post is extremely opinionated, to the point of ridiculousness. Whenever he writes, he does it in way and tone that is degrading to all other opinions and arguments. He stands firm on his opinions and becomes very upset when others disagree-such as liberals. I believe his arguments would be much more effective if he wrote in a more calm and informative way. Instead, he sounds crude and uneducated at times; for example he states: 

"Yet another preventable death. The blood of this agent is on the hands of all these politicians who have refused to secure our borders. The whole damn bunch of them should be brought up on negligent homicide charges in this case. Maybe then, just maybe, we might get thier attention."

 

Isn't this a little crude?? While I can see his argument, I think it could be stated a bit differently....but maybe that is just me!

Anyways, in this todays blog, Scott Miller focuses on our borders and illegal immigrants. He finds it very frustrating that considerable changes have not been made regarding our borders. People continue to get in and as a result, are harming Americans. Scott gave two examples of this: 

1. A 39 year old male who is an illegal immigrant was recently found. He had committed 25 crimes of kidnapping, sexual assault, and trespassing.

2. A Border Patrol Agent was recently killed while trying to stop an illegal immigrant from driving into the U.S.

I too agree that these crimes are horrible and need to be handled. It is sad to think that Americans are being harmed from people who are sneaking into our country. However, I do think Scott Miller does neglect the fact that all illegal immigrants are NOT awful people, many of which just want a better life!

Confusion...

According to Scott Miller, the republicans need to get their acts together if America wants to have a good president. He feels that we are currently splitting too many of our votes for each candidate; for example, Mitt Romney had 15% Fred Thompson had 16%, Mike Huckabee had 30%, and John McCain had 33%. He also expresses his feelings of disgust towards McCain. He continually explains that he should not be considered a conservative, but instead a strong liberal. 

First of all, I too agree that right now many Republicans are split on who they should vote for. There seems to be many mixed feelings towards each candidate, which causes such a split. This might be a result of confusion on voters side, or just many differernt opinions for each candidate. However, I don't think we have to worry; sooner or later Republicans will come together and there will be more unity. Regarding McCain, I have to admit that I am quite confused on what Scott Miller is getting at.  I don't understand what he means when he says McCain should be a liberal. I have tried to find information regarding his position on things, and haven't found him to sound too liberal. If there are, please let me know because I am quite confused. 

Ashley

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the January Series. Douglas Diekema spoke about a very controversial case regarding a girl named "Ashley." In 2004, Ashley was six years old and extremely disabled. Her parents wanted her to become intentionally shortened (keep her height like that of a child) and have her sterilized. Mr. Diekema, who is a primary ethics consultant and a member of the ethics committee in Seattle, WA, presented this information and the reasoning behind it all throughout his talk. 

I believe I found this talk so interesting because it was so debatable. It balances on a fine line between what is okay and absurd. Personally, I believe this case was handled very well and the right thing was done. All of these treatments were done out of love and care for Ashley. Her parents wanted what was best for her and chose to have such drastic changes done in order for her to have a more enjoyable life. 

I appreciated Mr. Diekema's analysis and explanation of the case. He also did a good job of bringing in opposing viewpoints to the case and giving answers to these. After listening to him, I felt that it would almost be impossible to disagree with him; not because he was so persuasive, but because it looks like this case had Ashley's best interests and health concerns in mind, and as a result, the right thing was done. 

I really enjoyed yesterdays lecture and greatly appreciated it!

Why? How could one do such a thing?

Wow, so I just got done reading an article on abortion, and I have to say I am quite shocked with some of the things I just learned. Maybe you will find this crazy or interesting as well.

I have always had the notion (as well as a majority of the public) that most people who get abortions are teenagers. Teens who have accidentally gotten pregnant, want to hide their mistake, or put it behind them. Then, they often live with extreme guilt and a sense of loss for their action. Well, according to this article http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22689931/, only 17% percent of abortions are from teens. Each year, there are roughly 1.2 million abortions and around half of them are from women 25 or older. Also, about 60% of these women already have a child before receiving an abortion. Sadly, there have been roughly 50 million abortions in the U.S. since 1973 when the Supreme Court passed the Roe v. Wade decision (allowing someone to choose to  have an abortion.)

It is believed that a majority of abortions are related to financial pressures. Couples can become pregnant and believe that they don't have enough to provide for their baby, so they decide to abort. Also, unborn babies can become a concern for single mothers when trying to decide custody. An example of this is a woman who thought she might lose custody of her daughter by a law suit from her ex husband. This woman then became pregnant and chose to have an abortion because she was afraid of jeopardizing the prospects for keeping her daughter. 

I have to admit, that while I read this article I was completely disgusted. This is an issue on which I have a strong opinion on and have a hard time understanding the other side. I do not agree with abortions in any way. I struggle to make sense with how someone would be willing to kill their child. Even if it was conceived by an accident or force (such as rape), I think this helpless child should be spared. If one doesn't want to raise it, then they should give it up for adoption-there are many loving families and couples who struggle to have kids and would be thrilled to raise a child. This article also made me quite sad when reading about some of the women's experiences. Some regret it horribly, and some brush it off their shoulder like it was an everyday decision. Pleas tell me, how can one feel okay about killing a child? I just don't understand this.  How can one live without guilt, sadness, or wonder at what they did?

Currently, statistics state that abortions have slightly decreased within the last ten years. It is my hope that soon this rate will drastically change and drop-I would love to see abortions become illegal! This article opened my eyes to how prevalent abortions are and who the “average person” is to get one. Although there a large amount of teens who receive abortions (which is horrid to think about), the majority of them come from mothers past the age of 25!

Since reading this blog, my hope is that your eyes and heart are also opened. Please pray for these people who are making such rash decisions. Pray that a change will occur and that some good can come out of this-however this may be!

Going to Mexico

Lately, I have had the urge to look at some sites for updates on daily news. The article titled U.S. Fugitives in Mexico Spared Death Penalty caught my attention. It goes on to explain horrific crimes that people commit and the ways in which they try to avoid punishment. For example, a man who suffocated his baby daughter and left her body in a toolbag on an expressway, will not receive the death penalty. While such a crime is normally punished by receiving the death penalty, this man has avoided such a sentence. This is because he fled to Mexico after his act, knowing that once he was there he was safe. 

One thing that distinguishes Mexico from the U.S. is its position on the death penalty. While we accept it and use it for many crimes, Mexico does not. This is why many criminals travel to Mexico. Once they cross the borders the U.S. does not have the right to ever give them the death penalty. Instead, Mexico will only hand them over (criminal) to face justice. 

When I read this, I have to admit that I was a bit shocked. I have always known that people flee to Mexico after committing a crime; however, I suppose I was unaware on their reasoning. I know that if my family was a victim to such a person and their punishment was reduced, I would be quite upset. I feel like something must be done, otherwise criminals will continue to flee to Mexico and hide, while families struggle to cope with their losses. 

Bush and Saudi Arabia

In my blog tonight, the news continued to remain quite slow. In My Conservative Post, Scott Miller talks about President Bush and Saudi Arabia. Earlier this evening, Bush met with the Saudi King and other cartel members to discuss the production of more oil. This is because Saudi Arabia has the most oil preserves in the world. Gas prices are above three dollars a gallon and the U.S. economy is struggling. 

Throughout his blog, Scott Miller bashes the President and his actions. He believes that Bush is "on his knees, begging a third world half-a-terrorist for oil." He then goes on to say that this problem is actually Americans fault and we don't have anyone to blame but ourselves. I do agree with this latter statement. This is because I feel like we are often wasteful and take for granted what we have. Now that gas prices are continuing to rise, people are nervous.  However, do you ever notice that the majority of people continue to do the same amount of driving as they did before, when prices were lower?  All in all, I find this quite interesting and weird!!

I do have to admit though, I don't really know what we should do. To be honest, I am ignorant on much of this topic. Therefore, besides being wise with what we have and trying to actually come up with healthy alternatives for our environment, I do not know what kind of quick fix could happen. I will be interested to see what Saudi Arabia says and how it all turns out. 

Blog Updated!

It's crazy, once I post my blog, the one I have been following (The Conservative Post) puts one up! However, it seems to be about the same issues I wrote about before: race and sexism. It looks like many of the bloggers we have been following have been struggling to find things to write about. I think the media needs some new info or gossip to talk about because all they do is talk about the same things over and over again!

Race and Sexism

It seems as if my blogs are beginning to fail me...today the conservative post was once again not updated, and the liberal post had something irrelevant for me to talk about. Thus, I have decided to pick an article from msnbc called, Clinton, Obama Fuel Gender, Race Debate as well as a video clip called Dems Confront Racial Divide. 

It seems as if the democratic side of this campaign is beginning to focus in on sexism  and race. It is believed that Hillary has received many sexism comments concerning her emotions, appearance (being critiqued unfairly), and Obama's race has come into play with this campaign as well as his past with drugs (which was not supposed to be an issue during this election). Overall, my hope is that neither of these issues begin to dominate news, media, and the election. This is not what the election is supposed to concentrate on. 

 Just last week, Hillary Clinton told Fox News, "Dr. King's dream began to be realized when president Linden Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964." By saying such a statement, Hillary received many negative comments and has offended many people, such as African Americans. I understand why this would be negatively received because Martin Luther King Jr. was the reason for change in America, without him, I do not believe Johnson would have had the opportunity for passing the Civil Rights Act.  Due to the uprise, Hillary has had to do some "clean up" in order to try and clarify what she said and meant, as well as regain and keep voters. It is important that she watches what she says and does because next week the primary is held in South Carolina, where half of the democratic voters are African American. 

Here are my sources:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22653232/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22652911#22652911

Maria Lauterbach

Today in the news, headlines were filled with the horrid updates about Lance Cp. Maria Frances Lauterbach and her unborn baby. Sadly, she was found dead, buried in Marine corporal Cesar Laurean's backyard fire pit. Maria had complained to military prosecutors  about being raped by Laurean, then three weeks ago she disappeared until found today. 

As I read about this and watched the news, I couldn't help but feel sick. I couldn't help but wonder, "why?" Why would someone do such a thing? I just can't get around the fact that a person would murder two people and try to cover it up. I guess it is okay that I don't understand such thing, but I remain utterly confused and shocked.  My hope is that authorities will soon be able to find Laurean and lock him up for good.

Especially during times like these, I am reminded about the brevity of life. So often I tend to take it for granted and not fully appreciate it. My hope is that we all take the time to thank God for such a gift (the gift of life) and also keep this family in our prayers. I cannot imagine the pain and frustration in which this family is going through. Please pray for them!

Here is an article in which I learned more about the case from: 

ttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22608032/

Ishmael Beah

Due to the lack of adequate information on my blogs, I thought it would only be fitting that I talk about something else today, such as Ishmael Beah's speech. I have to say that I was quite excited to hear him talk, and in the end, was extremely happy with how it went! 

For those of you who did not attend, Ishmael was formerly a child soldier in Sierra Leone. At age eleven, his life drastically changed; his entire immediate family was killed, and he was forced to become a soldier for the next three years of his life. Eventually, UNICEF rescued Ishmael, he moved to the states, and was adopted by a loving family. Now, he is a public speaker, author, and an advocate for children who suffer from war. 

Listening to Ishmael talk was a pleasure for several reasons. First, I not only found his story incredible, but also thought he was extremely genuine. Whenever he was telling a story or giving examples of something, he spoke from his heart. By doing this, the audience was inclined to listen and stay attentive. Also, I noticed that whenever Ishmael spoke, he did it with the theme of hope. He had and continues to have hope for his country and children of war. It was evident that he cares and is making every attempt he can in order to make changes-he is using the gifts God has given him to try and make a difference in this world. Not only did he say this, but it is also extremely evident through his work. This was encouraging to witness because this is how God wants us to use our gifts; we are called to share them and maximize them and while we do this, we bring glory to God, which is what I believe Ishmael is doing!

I also found it helpful that Ishmael did not concentrate on what his book was about. I liked this because I feel that after listening to him talk, I am more eager to read his book. For those who had already read it, I think they liked this as well because they were continuing to learn more about his life that was not included. One thing that I am a bit confused about is Ishmael's religion. At the end of his talk, he told the audience that he is very accepting of many religions and does not prefer one over the other. While this is fine, I find it hard to comprehend how one would go about this. If he believes in God, and yet follows Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and so forth, then wouldn't he have many conflicting views? I understand that he is open to learning about other religions, but I find it hard to see how one would practice all of these.

As you can see, I found todays January Series quite worthwhile. I learned what horrid things are happening to children soldiers and their families, saw the power of hope, and can see God at work in lives like Ishmael's. My hope is that Ishmael's message will continue to be heard and changes will occur within this world. 

Change of Heart

Well, the common theme in both of my blogs seems to be about change-both parties want change and are emphasizing this more and more as the election proceeds. After losing Iowa, Hillary changed her campaigning tactics a bit and has focused in on how she will actually bring changes in if elected president. It is fine and okay that people want things to change; however, I believe we need to look at a deeper level and see what needs to change. Many people are unaware of what is happening to todays society- we are losing focus on what and whom we need to consider-the Lord. Instead of putting Him first and in the center of our lives, we place materialistic and ungodly things first. In "God's Politics," Jim Wallis concentrates on this issue. He says, "I believe that it will take a new spiritual revival to finally make serious social change really possible; changing hearts and minds and forging a constituency who will demand nothing less than a new direction." Ultimately, in order to institute a real change in America, the hearts of many must be softened and redirected towards the one who is in control. 

Tears and Fluff

There tends to be much dispute over Hillary Clinton's tears in yesterdays events. Some believe that her tears were just; she was showing compassion and genuine care for our country. This not only shows that she cares for the United States, but is also committed to making changes. However, others believe that this cry was either fake or just a breakdown; she is upset over how the election is going, and she couldn't control it anymore. 

For me, these tears did not work. Instead of feeling sorry for her or sympathizing, I felt annoyed. I feel that this was used as a desperate measure in order to get attention and let the U.S. see her soft side. It all felt too fake for me and quite unnecessary.  I believe that if she can't handle this kind of pressure now, then how will she ever if she elected president? There are much larger worries and concerns when being president, and one must be able to stay calm, focused, and rational when such times arise-Hillary has some work to do.

Talking about Hillary's tears also brings me to my next point. Much of this campaign, I have been trying to learn more about each candidates position and more about who they are; however, it has been quite difficult analyzing these because much of what they say is "fluffy." Have you noticed that most of them never really like to tackle certain issues or questions directly? I believe this is because they are all being careful not to lose any voters and attract many more. Each candidate wants to sound perfect; as a result, they all sound quite fake. Now I realize that this is quite normal at this time in the election, but I am looking forward to seeing and hearing more genuine truths and answers from each candidate. 

Service and Politics

Today in God's Politics, there were several articles-the first of which was not relating to politics in any way; however, I thought it would be fitting to address it because I enjoyed reading about it.  Aaron Graham wrote an article (My Church in a Chop Shop) and made some videos about a lady named Ma Siss. I learned that this lady started a church in an abandoned chop shop, and has opened up her home, time, and energy to many people. Reading this, I was touched by Ma Siss's heart and genuine love for people. By giving so much to others, she has not only blessed many people, but she has also blessed herself-when looking at this lady, you would think she is the happiest person alive. This article helped remind me to not only serve others, but do it with a joyous heart. It is people out there like Ma Siss who make a difference out there.

Another article I read concentrated on Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee. Jim Wallis believes that these two presidential candidates are the ones to watch out for during this campaign. I do agree that on the democratic side, Barack is doing quite well. Not only did he win the Iowa caucus, but he also looks like he might do well in New Hampshire. He is a definite threat to Hillary Clinton (who looked like she would dominate the democratic side before Barack came into the picture) and the other candidates. For the democrats, Barack is looking promising. 

In the Conservative Post, Scott Miller addressed last nights democratic debate with John Edwards. In this article, he concentrated on Edwards stance regarding corporations in America. Edwards is against American companies, which I tend to disagree with.  I believe that companies and businesses are essential to this society. They not only create jobs for many people, but also bring in revenue to cities and towns. Companies and businesses allow people to be entrapaneurs and creative with what they want to do. This is one thing that our country has and should be proud of-it allows those who want to take a risk or be a part of something the opportunity to do so. Without companies and businesses, hundreds of people would be at loss for jobs and struggle to find means to support their families. 

More Hillary

        Today as I read the "Conservative Post," I was reminded of a few things. In this blog, Scott Miller once again concentrated on Hillary Clinton and her campaign. He criticized her and Bill for always being together during this time. He feels that much of the attention is being drawn towards Bill, which is not the purpose of this campaign. I understand where Mr. Miller is coming from, because I do believe that Bill has had his time in the spotlight. He must be careful not to overstep his boundaries during this campaign-while it may be helpful for her at times (having larger crowds and attention), I do not think she will end up benefitting. This is because Bill Clinton already was president-both he and Hillary fail to bring in new and exciting ideas, not appealing to the public. An example of this was in the Iowa caucus-Barack Obama brought forth much excitement and had a strong lead over Hillary. Despite Hillary having an edge over everyone (with her husband being a former president), it seemed as if the public was not impressed. 

 In an article called "Hillary Clinton leans on 'relic' Bill," Nancy Benac states, "Clinton (Hillary) tries to meld two qualities — change and experience — by offering herself as a president "who won't just call for change, or a president who won't just demand change, but a president who will produce change." Personally, I do not agree with Hillary's approach as stated by Benac. Over the years, countless presidents have claimed that their experience will not only call for change, but in fact, institute change. Thus, I believe Hillary Clinton must expose another characteristic to reveal that she is a better candidate for the election. 

 

Finally...My Two Blogs

Well, I feel as if I have finally found two blogs in which I am happy with and will be following. I have to admit that this was quite a lengthy and frustrating process due to the amount of blogs present and variety of blogs. However, my quest is now complete and my analysis/learning begins. 

The first blog in which I will be following is called the "Conservative Post." I believe the title states this blogs side quite clearly-conservative. The author of the first few blogs-Scott Miller talks about his frustration with "undecideds." He is annoyed that they are continually confused and unable to make decisions on whom to support. This then creates even more problems because these are the people who have the tendency to change their minds and opinions on important issues, an example of this is the Iraq War.

After reading this article, I have to admit I was a bit torn-I agreed with many of Millers points, but I also understand where the "undecided" come from; let me state my reasons. I agree in the sense that "undecided" people often create more confusion and frustration not only for themselves, but also for those around them. The answer to this problem, is taking the time to research and learn about all issues one is questioning; hopefully once this is done, then more answers and a clearer opinion results. However, I also believe that it can be quite easy to be caught in the position of an "undecided person." This is because the political world and news is constantly changing and being updated. As a result, one can often have trouble staying on top of everything there is to know. Also, in politics, much of what people say is not always true. The media is flooded with small glimpses into the actual truth of what really goes on. This alone makes it difficult for one to make a decision when inadequate information is supplied. 

The second blog in which I will be following is called "God's Politics- a blog by Jim Wallis and friends." This is a blog that deals with politics from a religion view, so I have been told. As I will later on critique this blog more in depth, I do see and realize that much of this blog will give me many things to think about. This blog is written in a way that is not only informative (from the authors perspective), but also very fluid. I am excited about this blog and am looking forward to reading it.