5 Month Anniversary! Yay!

So It's been 5 months since the dreadful day in January. I feel like I'm coming close to the end. Hopefully about another month, maybe two left to go. Then it's back to the real world. That's ok, it needs me back anyways! Alright, I'm out till Saturday. Drive safe, and BUCKLE!!!

Chief Wahoo, Here I Come!

Well, I'm off to Cleveland, OH tomorrow morning. I get to go to an Indians game, which is awesome, and even better, C.C. Sabathia is pitching. Amazing! I'll try and get some pics while I'm up there, and I'll post them here, and let ya'll know how the trip went. I'll be gone till Friday, so maybe I'll post Saturday afternoon. See ya then!

Politics and Being Christian, Part 2 (it's long!)

As promised with my last post, I will in this post, explain why I will be voting for Barack Obama for president. I do this so that there may be open dialogue between all that know me and read this blog. I do not do this to criticize anyone else’s candidate, but to champion mine from the perspective of my conscience, beliefs and ideas. So let me begin.

Off the top, I must say that I am not a bandwagoner, and that I have been a supporter of Obama since his campaign for the US Senate against Alan Keyes in 2003 (I have a support poster to prove it.) Ever since his speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, I knew that one day he would run for president, and I knew that if he did, I would support him. Here are some reasons.

First, his charisma, intelligence, and the ability to sometimes be stern when needed, strike me as important characteristics. These attributes, although not solely his to claim, give him the uncanny ability to reach across the isle and get stuff done. He has been doing this ever since he was a state senator, continuing to the current day in the US Senate. This reminds of LBJ, in the way that he was able to influence his fellow senators to pass legislation. This continued when Johnson became president with passing his “Great Society” deal. I feel that Obama has the same ability to get things done, and has demonstrated that in his time in government.

There is an apparent caution, and understandably so, that Obama has only been in the Senate for 3 years. Many reason that someone with that much inexperience might not be up for the job of president. But many of our great leaders have served just as much time as Obama has, greats such as Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and JFK among others. So on this fact, I cannot make that a real concern for his candidacy.

Second, Obama has championed for Ethics and Lobbying reform while his time as both a state and national senator. You can click here for a record of his often bi-partisan support of such legislation.

Thirdly, he was against the War in Iraq from the beginning. Now, we could debate whether or not there was a deliberate misrepresentation of intelligence from the start, but it remains to be said that Obama was cautious from the beginning, something that no one else who is running can say. He is a realist; someone who understands that war is sometimes inevitable and needed, but that we should not rush into an unnecessary war. I find this to be particularly important attribute, especially with the next president. We have many possible future wars out there on the horizon, along with the current War of Terror; and to be cautious will to be wise, as to not to get us into another mess like we have in Iraq. I feel Obama offers this, and has demonstrated this with his opposition to the Iraq war from the start.

Also, Obama is opposed to making marriage a Constitutional issue. He said in a speech on the floor of the Senate last year that expresses my idea perfectly. “I agree with most Americans, with Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President Cheney, with over 2,000 religious leaders of all different beliefs, that decisions about marriage, as they always have, should be left to the states.” This is the way it has been done since the beginning of our nation, and it should not change. You can read more of his speech on this topic here.

Another reason I support Obama are the issues pertaining to the Patriot Acts, enemy torture, and detaining alleged terrorist. One of my great concerns is how these items listed above can be twisted and be put to use for evil. Habeas Corpus is a right that should never, under any circumstance, be waived or denied. I do not think, with the exception of torture, that these things in them selves are wrong. But some can and have taken them too far, at the expense of natural God-given liberties and rights, something that a certain great nation in history was founded upon, way back in 1776. When an amendment came up in the Senate to add Habeas Corpus to a bill, Obama had this to say in support of the amendment. “To deny habeas corpus to our detainees can be seen as a prescription for how the captured members of our own military, diplomatic, and NGO personnel stationed abroad may be treated. …The Congress has every duty to insure their protection, and to avoid anything which will be taken as a justification, even by the most disturbed minds, that arbitrary arrest is the acceptable norm of the day in the relations between nations, and that judicial inquiry is an antique, trivial and dispensable luxury.” To read more on this speech, click here.

And finally, I support Obama because I have heard what he stands for, and I have seen what he has done, and they align with my own beliefs. He has extensively traveled Africa and drummed up support for the disenfranchised on that continent. But he has done the same for those here on our continent, from inner-city kids of Chicago, to those who’s lives were shattered by Hurricane Katrina. One of the speeches that I watched was this speech. Another was his speech delivered at the historic Brown Chapel in Birmingham, which you can read here.

So although this was along post, I felt the need to clearly outline some of the major reasons why I support Barack Obama for the U.S. Presidency. Please feel free to comment, agree or disagree. I'd love to hear it.

Politics and Being Christian, Part 1

The presidential debate is starting to heat up, and we still have more than a year left to go. Although we have many more months ahead, and many candidates to choose from, I have already chosen my candidate. But before I name my choice, I will, in this post, lay out a few points that I feel we, as Christians, should come to realize.

First, as Christians, there seems to be an unspoken (or sometimes spoken) rule that we must vote Republican, or face being labeled a “baby killer” (I was actually called that last election from some Christians I know.) Or that if you vote something other than Republican, that you then support homosexual marriage. I find this to be very disheartening. We must realize that the EDUCATED Christian voters usually have a few good reasons as to why they vote for who they vote for. Either its because their candidate supports the pro-life cause, or they like their fiscal policy, or maybe they see the urgent need to reform healthcare, and they think their candidate is the one for the job. But the problem lays not in one’s stance of an issue, but in the fact that one will then critize another who votes different from one's own vote. We, as Christians, must realize that all Truth belongs to God. That it is not owned by the Republicans, or the Democrats. It is not owned by the liberals or the conservatives. I think sometimes, we get too enamored to our culture and begin to act and think like it. One way in which we do this is by the tendency for us to think of politics as this or that, black and white. There seems to be no middle ground or compromise. We must come to the realization that when Jesus is fully on display, He won’t fit into any of our boxes. We must look for ways to transcend all the ways that our culture divides us. And to start, that would be to understand that both sides have something to offer, that both sides have a little Jesus in them.

Second, I do not believe it is our tasked duty to legislate our personal beliefs. It seems to me, that when pressed, Jesus had a stand off approach to government. He spoke in ways that went against the notion that He came here to set up an earthly kingdom, but more so one that is spiritual. He prays for His Father’s will to be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. The way he brought about this Kingdom, and we are to do the same, was to show His love to the people, to move in the margins of society. He did not move against Caesar or his government, but moved against the hearts of his followers. He saw that the way you reach people for Him, was not by making Him Caesar, but by making Him a servant; the lowest of lows, not the highest of highs. He spoke not of political revolutions, but of spiritual revolutions. He did not force people to come to Him by laws and decrees, but instead humbled himself, and gave himself, and in that drew a multitude to Him. There is a lot of power in this realization. We can get people to follow Christ by our actions, and by our leading, and not by having to mandate it by the Constitution or legislation. This I see as the call of Christ, to live our lives like Him, so that we reflect Him.

So I say all that to say this: does that mean that we cannot stand up for something we believe in? I am certainly not saying that. Jesus stood up for the poor, the sick, and the destitute, in opposition to the Pharisees and others. Is it wrong, in my opinion, to be pro-life? By no means do I believe that, but what I am saying is that all sides have a little God-originated truth in them, and you must educate yourselves when voting, and decide what is more important to you as first a Christian, and second as an American. Once you have distinguished what are your major issues, and find a candidate who closest fits your stance, then you should feel sure of your choice of a candidate. Again, many masquerade as candidates who hold your same viewpoint, only a few truly believe in what you hold to. This has been demonstrated many times over the past year with many scandals from both sides of the isles.

Anyways, I am just seeking for the Body that realizes that its form is not made from a whole pile of arms, or a whole pile of mouths, but from a great multitude of parts. In this way, the politics of this nation are the same. All sides cling to a particular facet of Truth, and all Truth is from God and should be embraced. So I will post, as part II, in a few days who I support, and why I support that person.

Oh and I love Rembrandt.

UPDATE:

After talking to Adam over this post, I have realized that some of my wording was not perfectly clear. To sum up this entire post, I say this: We need to realize that there are parts of God-ordained truth that both parties cling to. You the Christian voter, needs to decide what is more important to you when voting.

Sorry Charlie! (or Billy I should say)

Now Donovan wants to come back? I like him and everything, and I dont hold any grudge on him, but he cant just come waltz back in (only Spurrier can do that.) For two reasons:

1) Because Grant really is the next guy for this job. I think he can truly be great, maybe even put up two more championships (just not back-to-back.)

2) Because anyone with that much wishy-washy baggage. I would be bad for recruiting, bad for media attention, bad for team moral, just bad all around. He needs to either stay in Orlando (if he still can) or find a new college opening elsewhere. I think there will be an opening at VCU in a few days!

Thursday May 31st, 2007 at 6:17 pm.

"A date that will live in infamy."

I like FDR's quote for this story, but it doesn't quite fit here. Billy Donovan leaving for the Magics is not the worst thing that could have happened to us, but it still stinks a little.

Pros -

1) He went to the Orlando Magics, who is a team that I can root for, as opposed to the Heat or Lakers or Memphis Grizzlies (when was the last time a grizzly took a stroll through West Tennessee?)

2) He didn't go the Kentucky, which would have sucked for us since we would have to compete with him in the same conference, same division.

3) Its good for his family. They don't have to move far. Neither does Billy's father. Plus more money.

4) We will get our old assistant Grant who left at the end of our 1st championship year to coach VCU. He's pretty amazing. Worked under Billy for 12 years. Took VCU to the Tourney for the first time in its history, and beat #6 seed Duke in the first round only to lose to #3 seed Pitt in the final minutes of the second round. He did all that in his first year there! Im happy he's coming back.

Cons -

1) We are loosing Billy.

2) We are loosing Billy.

3) We are loosing Billy.

Oh well, life goes on at Florida. And hey, we can still repeat in football. Now wouldn't that be a feat?! Good luck in Orlando, Billy! We'll be pulling for you.

Go Gators!!!

Sex is Sin!

Yet another example of why Christianity has a bad name. Apparently this women was asked to step down from her position at a church because she worked for a company that sold sex toys. Read the article here, it seems like she has an amazing story. By the way, I've done the research; no pornographic items sold by the company, just toys, educational books, and spa products.