The Presidential Race

Wow, I find it unbelievable to think that someday my children will read about this race in history books. I am so excited that I will actually be able to say that I participated in the result. This was the first election I was eligible to vote in, and I have never felt so privileged. Not only did I get to vote, but I have a real sense that my vote mattered!!! I am of the opinion that even if our vote didn’t matter, I would still vote as my way of showing my patriotism and appreciation for those who fought for my rights. Never have I felt as excited as I was when I was standing at that screen voting for who I thought was the most qualified to run our country. I never thought that I would really get so into the process of elections and politics, but thanks to my English class, I was exposed to a subject that I now find incredibly fascinating. Watching, and following the Presidential election, I learned so much. Not only about politics in general, but I learned things about my own personality and feelings that I wasn’t previously aware of. I am so thankful that I was fortunate enough to have this experience.

October 22, 2004

Gay marriage- I am still ‘sittin’ on the fence’


It seems that gay marriage is a hot topic right now. Every where you look, there are signs of both pro and anti messages. Even the states are paying attention to the issue. Missouri just passed an amendment banning that type of union in the state, and I am sure that other states aren’t far off from trying to do the same thing. If I were to make up my mind, I think that I would be opposed to it; however, I can’t quite force myself to make up my mind quite yet. Being a Christian, I would have to believe that gay marriage is sinful, but how can I do that? Some of my friends are gay and are married. What about them? If I make up my mind to stay true to the bibles teachings, I think that I should not want to be friends with “them” anymore. Here’s where I get stuck…. God wants us to be accepting to others and love like He loves. So does that mean that God hates “those sinners?” I just can’t bring myself to believe that God is capable of feeling hate. Jesus died on the cross for us. Well since when did the term us become discriminative? I thought God was omniscient, so wouldn’t he have known that his son died to save the lives of gay people as well? It just doesn’t make any sense. I do know that Satan may have a part in this “problem” according to the bible, but I still wonder. There seems to be too many contradictions about the whole issue that I just can’t seem to decide what is right and what is wrong? I guess that I will just have to ask God to clear this up for me someday, huh?

The presidential debates have really got me thinking. But I am sure not in the way the candidates want me to. Here’s my problem. After an hour and a half of listening to immature personal attacks, I find myself thinking… ‘What did I just learn? Anything?’ Personally I found it much more confusing to watch than helpful. How am I supposed to know if the candidates are going to stay true to their promises? I also find myself wondering if what Kerry is saying about Bush is true or vise versa. On November 2, 2004 I am expected to vote for the person I think most worthy and capable to run the country. Based on the information that has been distributed to the general public, I am not sure that I feel comfortable making that important of a decision. I would want to shadow each candidate for a few weeks in a non-election year, and observe their strengths and differences first hand. Of course, that is not feasible. Therefore, the only thing I have to go on unfortunately is my gut feeling and the evidence that I have been given. I also feel that this issue, lack of information, will continue to be a problem of mine for many elections to come. I keep thinking that since this is the way that I feel, that I will always seem to vote for the individual who is seeking to remain in office for a second term, simply because I feel that I have some concrete evidence that that president has had four years experience running the country, successfully, or even unsuccessfully. I am a firm believer that you learn from your mistakes, and I would rather have a president who knows that than some cocky ‘want-to-be’ leader. It’s too much of a risk to me to play Russian roulette with the USA. I guess that is why that I will always favor the candidate with the most experience

A Reflection

"In your face: Fueled by shadowy cash, the attacks get uglier and uglier. Why the mud's flying so thick and fast."

If you were to ask a classroom full of first-year college students what they thought to be the meaning of the word president, the answers would most like be similar. The same goes for a room full of first graders, and high school teachers. Ask a room full of journalists, however, and WHOA!, do you have a problem.
As evident in this article, the author did not use one word that echoed the “most common” thoughts and characteristics of the term in the least. Comparing the presidential campaign to that of the days of Nixon, apparently as Americans, we have lost sight in what the Presidency really means.
Evidently, this macho ego that seems to come with the male persona has plagued any chances of our having a clean, positve campaign. It seems that we have lost sight of what is really important. Instead of calling it the “Presidential Campaign,” one would think a more befitting name would be the “Presidential Blame Game.”
Until the focus migrates away from the “he said, she said,” and who’s “s**t” is more fragrent than the other’s, the issues that the author so clearly discusses will not cease. Quite frankly, it would be refreshing to hear of the improvements and plans that the candidates have in mind, rather than negative happenings in their pasts. Unfortunately, it seems that in this race, the first to insult, ridicule, and critize will seemingly be the on who comes out on top. Possibly giving new meaning to the phrase… “the early bird gets the ‘worm.’”

Discrimination

Discrimination

Discrimintation could be defined as the act of persecution and segregation of specific groups that are unlike the implied "you." The actual definition as stated by Merriam-Webster is the process by which two stimuli differing in some aspect are responded to differently, or prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment.
Since the beggining of time, discrimination has been prevalent. From evidence in the Bible to entire cultures being wiped out by others "divine hatered,"discrimination is an issue that, as history has proven, will never die. For example, take the story of Jesus vs. Pontius Pilate. Jesus's followers were looked down upon by that of Pilate for following a so called "Prophet." In retrospect, the idea of monotheisum was still in it's infancy, and so the fact that the "Healer" was trapcing around preaching the ideas of the Holy Trinity and the Heavenly Father, caused much controversy. Thereby dividing a culture and creating immense jealousy and hatred- two underlying sources and contributors of discrimination. Jump ahead a few thousand years to the rise and fall of Hitler and his Nazis. Hitler beileved in the idea of a "perfect Aryan" in other words a perfect "german" citizen, therefore causing instantainous discriminatory acts to occur. In this instance however, the happenings that followed were nothing but absolutely atrosious. From public book burnings to gassing innocent individuals, people were easily discouraged from supporting the victims in fear of being looked down upon by their peers, or persectued, and possibly prosectued by those who had that power during that time.

There are many other happenings, and groups throughout history that further exemplifies discrimintation. The Civil Rights Movement, Homosexuals, Latino Community, African Americans, "Judgement Day", the list is endless. Therefore further supporting the idea that like the list, discrimination is a problem that will most likely continue till the end of time.