Who will be the choice?

Super Tuesday seemed to just muddy things a bit. Things seem for the democrats still separated between Barack and Hillary. As I was pretty interested in what was going on I watched the returns on ABC. I don't know who said it but I heard a really interesting connection. A commentator mentioned that the 60+ age group is established with Hillary. It makes sense, it's a rational decision, it's safe, and this woman will be able to articulate and put into action established Democratic ideas.

Barack is someone who appeals to the 30 and younger crowd. These younger voters are willing to take a risk on someone who can change the way politics are played. There is a fresh voice and a fresh approach to how the White House could be run and people can be seen beyond their party affiliations. I think Barack is someone who can make a difference and change the way that the game is politics are played.

As I reflect on the candidates and this interesting population connection I realized it was because there are two distinctly different philosophical ideals in play. The philosophy of the older generation relies on modern processes of rationality and reason while the younger set is quite Post Modern with the ability to hold on to someone who is a risky choice because we are not sure how things quite can go but we need to believe in one another rather than relying heavily on a political system that shouldn't take care of all their problems.

Life is uncertain but I think it's worth the risk in believing in something beyond yourself and beyond what I just think and what I just believe. How do we listen to one another and hear one anothers needs?

Super Tuesday!

Photo from Obey


With the athletic Super Bowl being a bit shocking I am gearing up for my Super Bowl, Super Tuesday! I have enjoyed politics since I was in High School. I loved that I could register to vote and has been a privilege ever since. My politics have changed quite a bit since I was 18 years old, growing up in a suburban neighborhood with conservative parents. I feel like I have a different language now than when I was an early voter.

My love for suffragists might draw from a few locations but knowing I have the privilege and the right to vote is such a pleasure. Every time I vote I feel like I get to wink at the women who forged so mightily ahead for my rights as being an equal. I am grateful for their ability to give up so much and as a woman every time I vote it is like a thank you for their work. That being said I don't get to vote tomorrow since I am still a Michigan resident and the Democratic primaries didn't count towards the caucus votes.

I am intrigued to find out the response of who we have voted for and who the majority of the country wants to have as their respective Democratic and Republican candidate. For me I am a Barak woman myself. I was so surprised a bit because of my stance of women in office. I like Hillary but I enjoy the voice of Barak and what he is standing for and the issues he is willing to stand behind. I like that he never supported the war. I like that he has both Muslim and Christian heritage. I like that he stands for the poor and urban populations. I like his ideas towards health care that is affordable to all and I like that he is willing to take away the tax break for those companies that are overseas. The jobs in America are swindling and we need to find out a way to make that easier for people.

As a Christian my concern for the poor go quite farther than the hot button issues of homosexuality (which is a non issue to me. Let people be free in who they are and how God has created them to be) as well as abortion (we have no education that encourages people to freely become who they are and we have enough dont's about sex rather than the ability to be educated as well as making choices for the self) that I think that the poor, health care, and the Iraq war needs to be dealt with first. My ethics guide me towards Kingdom perspectives that God is here and now and that we can create life that eases the burden.

Those are my thoughts and I am proud of who I am, where I came from, and have the ability to raise my voice in this issue. I don't need to debate my ideas and I know that this is something I am completely behind. I don't really wish to argue on my stances but if you have questions why please feel free to let me know.

VOTE!!

Why we Fight?

This weekend I wanted to catch up on films that i have been told to see and never had the time (or the money) to watch them. On Tuesday I woke up late and decided I had a few hours before work. Why We Fight is a documentary about the Iraq war and why we would have gone. It focused on how America has become a military-industrial complex.

When it was all over and I wiped the tears away I realized that is literally was 9/11 and we still haven't weapons of mass destruction, we still are fighting, we still our sending troops (though today Bush finally has decided four and half years later that it's time to bring some home), children and civilians are broken and dying.

There were some points that really struck me.
Dwight D. Eisenhower made a push in his farewell speech to be wise of power and the use of military force.
The government in this Administration has not heeded that wisdom
American government makes money from war.
Becacuse American corporations call the shots
The war was pre planned it seems like and the 9/11 attack seems like a good time to attack Iraq rather than the Taliban.
That this new technology may not be what it's cracked up to be and more civilians are dying than the planned targeted attacks.

I found myself not so much angry but really sad. Sad that are greed is getting the best of our pride and our hunger for power. The greed is blinding us. We can put a lot of labels on what is going on but deep down we never see the full or whole truth. They are little half truths and the lies are finally becoming exposed. "We (Americans) have this idea that we have lots of information available. There's so much that's not available and so much of the truth, quote, unquote, is obscured by political actors who don't want the world to see what they're doing." The sad part is Bush won't be around to clean up the mess. I guess that isn't so much sad but somebody else now has to clean up the mess.

I am sad that we quest as a Nation for individualism. We start things not for the good of all people but what's good for corporations wallets. Will we grow closer to peace or wholeness? Can we even dream that one day power isn't the overwhelming choice? I hope that we can see life for all people. That hierarchies are no longer valid and class systems segregate and keep others down. I pray that our nation one day can move towards seeing the value in those that are different from us and that we can see the beauty in all life has to offer.