Monday, 3rd November, 2008
Redistribution of Wealth
One of my relatives sent me a story that has absolutely sickened me. I have no clue as to the truthfulness of the story, but if it is indeed true, it really makes me question the values that some people have.
"I heard a story of a man who was waited on in a resturant by a student putting himself through school. The waiter student had an Obama pin on. The man ate his dinner and then when the check came, he said to the waiter student (who worked hard and did a nice job) that since the waiter student was in favor of Obama, and wealth redistribution, he was going to withhold his tip and redistribute it to the poor (a pan handler outside of the resturant). The Waiter student got really upset. The man left, gave it to the pan handler, who promptly dropped his sign that said "out of work and hungry" and went accross the street to the liquor store to by a bottle of booze."
This is getting absolutely ridiculous. If you listen to the McCain rhetoric (i.e. lies), you'd think the only people who would benefit from an Obama administration are the extremely poor and homeless! Look, no one wants to take money from the middle class and give it to poor people - that's not what Obama has been fighting for. If that's really what he wanted to do, he would have been run out of town before his campaign got started. When Obama talks about redistributing wealth, he isn't talking about taking from people making $100k a year and giving it to people making $20k a year. He's talking about taking from people making over $250k a year and giving it to people making less than $200k a year. He's talking about taking a small portion of the wealth from the rich, who can afford to pay a little extra in taxes, and using their money to pay for necessary government programs instead of expecting the other 95% of Americans, the ones who are actually suffering in this economy, to pay for it.
If your'e really interested in the facts, I urge you to go to the Obama-Biden Tax Calculator and see for yourself. You'll see that if you make between $75k and $100k and are married filing jointly with 2 dependents, you'll get an average tax cut of $1000 a year, compared to $120 a year under McCain's plan. You'll see that if you make between $150k and $200k and are married filing jointly with no dependents, you'll get an average tax cut of $500 a year, compared to no tax cut under McCain's plan. You'll see that if you make between $50k and $75k and are single with no dependents, you'll get an average tax cut of $500 a year, compared to no tax cut under McCain's plan.
This is really getting out of hand in my opinion. The people in McCain's camp want to scare everyone into believing that Obama is going to raise taxes for the middle class, even though he has disputed that time and time again and anyone with half a brain who took the time to research his tax plan would know that's simply not true. They want to scare everyone into believing that Obama is a socialist because he supports certain social programs, instead insisting that privatizing everything is clearly the answer, even though a private company cares about your well being only as far as is absolutely necessary. And the icing on the cake is that they have spent almost all of their time the past couple of weeks criticizing Obama's plans of action, while not spending any time discussing what exactly they would do to help solve the serious issues we face today.
Please, get the facts people before you start believing this nonsense.
Wednesday, 5th November, 2008
President-Elect Barack Obama
As I was watching the returns come in last night, I felt like somewhat of a spirit floating inside an ethereal plane, as if I were living in a dream world that didn't actually exist. The entire night just seemed unreal to me. Although I was cautiously optimistic for an Obama win based on the polling numbers, I also knew how little polls really mean and was quite nervous that we were in for a surprise. But being able to watch Obama win the presidency, a rather convincing win at that, is an experience I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life.
For me, this election was never about race. The first time I saw Barack Obama was at the Democratic Convention in 2004. Among my initial observations I of course took notice that he was African American, much the way you would notice the color of a car that passes you on the road. But as soon as he started speaking, the whole matter of race completely left my mind. I have given no credence either for or against Barack Obama for his race; my support for him has been entirely due to respecting who he is, what he believes, and what he is fighting for. I can honestly say that when I cast my ballot for Obama, race was not a factor at all in my decision.
That to me is what made this election such an historic event. Obviously the fact that we have chosen to elect the first African American president in United States history is a powerful testament to just how great a country we live in. But even more powerful in my mind is the fact that we did it without making this election about race. I'm sure there were those for whom race was a primary motivator in voting for Obama, just like there were those for whom race was a primary motivator for voting against Obama. But I honestly believe that, for the vast majority of people, this election was not decided one way or the other on race (despite what Limbaugh might say to the contrary). We have gotten a glimpse of a future where things like race, gender, etc. just don't matter in our society, and that is the way it should be. That is why this is so historic to me, and why I am so proud to be an American citizen today.
Barack Obama will become the first president in my lifetime that I honestly respect, the first president I really believe in, and the first president I have faith in following regardless of whether I agree with him on all issues or not. Because in my eyes, he's not your typical politician. I believe in him to fight for the middle class, the hard-working citizens that have made America what it is today, and not just the wealthy and the corporations with the strongest lobbyists. I believe in him to re-establish the United States as a world leader and not just the country with the strongest military force in the world. I believe in him to always do what he thinks is in the best interest of the people of this great country. In my opinion, there is something real with Barack Obama; he is an inspirational figure, and I sincerely hope he will make a great president.
I pray for the health and safety of the President-Elect and his family. I pray that he will not fall into the same political trap that has befallen the vast majority of our government, but instead rings true on his promise to change the way Washington serves its constituents. I pray that he will not ignore Republican and conservative voices, but rather call on them consistently for their ideas and opinions to open his mind to the ideology of others. And I pray that God will give him the strength and the wisdom needed to always do what is in the best interest of the people.
May God always bless our next president, as He continues to bless all the great citizens of the United States.
Friday, 14th November, 2008
Sometimes I'm Ashamed to be Associated with Certain Christians...
Priest: No communion for Obama supporters
Now let me get one thing straight first and foremost. I am not a fan of abortion, and the only time I would find it acceptable in my personal life would be if the mother's life is in danger. However, I also do not believe it is the right of the government to legislate based on a moral issue. Although the United States is predominantly Christian, one of the fundamental principles that our country was founded on is religious freedom and the right to not be judged/persecuted for our beliefs. Because of this, I cannot in good conscious support legislation regarding morality, as the definition of one's morality is largely defined by the perception of one's religious views.
I do understand the stance that some people take in saying that, by defining a fetus at any stage of development as a human life, abortion is technically murder. And yes, the government's job is first and foremost to protect its citizens. However, it really depends on your definition of when a human life begins, which is (at least at the moment) a purely subjective discussion. For me, I honestly just don't know, and because I don't know, I err on the side of personal choice. I actually have a very similar stance to how Obama feels on this subject:
"Q: Do you personally believe that life begins at conception?
A: This is something that I have not come to a firm resolution on. I think it's very hard to know what that means, when life begins. Is it when a cell separates? Is it when the soul stirs? So I don't presume to know the answer to that question. What I know is that there is something extraordinarily powerful about potential life and that that has a moral weight to it that we take into consideration when we're having these debates."
Source: 2008 Democratic Compassion Forum at Messiah College Apr 13, 2008
Let me also make the point that, to the best of my knowledge, there is currently no precedence in government or in the private sector for defining a life as beginning at the time of conception. You can't get health insurance for a fetus. You can't claim a fetus as a dependent on your taxes. You can't start making contributions to a government college savings plan for a fetus. So it shouldn't be that big of a surprise that, on the issue of abortion, the government doesn't consider a fetus as a human life.
But putting the issue aside, in my opinion, it is really sad that we have come to a point where some churches feel it is their right to judge people based on their personal beliefs. This church is specifically saying that you don't have a right to commune with God if you voted for someone with whom the church disagrees on one particular issue. Now I know the Catholic Church has a different perspective and a different way of practicing religion than I personally agree with, but isn't this going just a little bit too far? Here's an idea: how about if we leave the judgment calls up to God, and instead simply pray for those with whom we disagree?
Oh but wait, apparently abortion should be the single most important issue:
"During the 2008 presidential campaign, many bishops spoke out on abortion more boldly than four years earlier, telling Catholic politicians and voters that the issue should be the most important consideration in setting policy and deciding which candidate to back."
Yeah, obviously being in a huge economic crisis, where millions of Americans' livelihoods are at stake, isn't as important of an issue as abortion is. Obviously continuing a war with Iraq that has no end in sight and that puts many American and Iraqi lives in danger isn't as important of an issue as abortion is. Obviously the thousands of Americans who can't afford to pay for medical bills that are necessary for their health isn't as important of an issue as abortion is. Who cares what the other candidate would do on such minor issues, as long as he/she opposes abortion right?!
One final quotation for examination:
"'I don't understand anyone who would call themselves a Christian, let alone a Catholic, and could vote for someone who's a pro-abortion candidate', said Ted Kelly, 64"
Well Ted, hate to tell you, but I'm a Christian and I voted for Obama. Maybe it's because I understand the difference between church and state...
I honestly pray for that priest.