I’ve been thinking about two news events which happened within 24hrs of each other on Christmas day 2009:
Two men with deeply held religious beliefs illegally traveled into other countries to spread their messages. Neither succeeded, but both made news. And though the news coverage has been very different, I can’t shake the feeling that their stories are almost exactly the same.
Forty years ago today a man first set foot on the surface of the moon. Neil Armstrong left a boot print and uttered his immortal “One small step for man, one giant leap for Mankind.” And here I am, suddenly struck by how much this anniversary celebration spotlights where America is and isn’t in 2009. Click to continue »
Like most people I know, I watched the Inauguration this week. Historic and uplifting. Two things I can’t often say about our government’s activity.
I’m excited to see what the future brings, and curious to see President Obama in action instead of as an icon on a poster.
He’s hit the ground running. And like I said before, Presidents always seem to start well.
Yet I find myself sickened by the same thing over and over. I keep trying to get past it… to hope I’ve seen the last news story, or mention, or visual. It’s like an infesting fog I can’t get away from… Click to continue »
So the election’s over, and no matter who you voted for it was pretty amazing to see the emotion and pride that seemed to sweep across the nation and the world. Obama has inspired people, and he hasn’t done a single presidential act yet.
McCain gave a wonderfully gracious concession speech. Obama an equally gracious victory speech. And that’s what made me proud. After all the absurdity of this election – the commentary and back-biting rising to deafening levels – To see both sides acting like adults and talking about the country as great…
It was like opening the doors of an old barn. Wow. The sun is out, the breeze is blowing. I feel proud to be American. And for the first time in a long time I think the rest of the world wished they were American.
And already I’ve heard people saying Obama is a great President! That he’ll be in for eight years! That the nation and the world will never be the same! Folks, he hasn’t done anything yet… relax… we’ve got a long time to see how this will go, and lots of history to show these moments are like a first crush.
At my wife’s recent B-Day dinner there were a couple of outspoken political folks who began to loudly voice their opinions.
Their opposing opinions.
Well, that is after one of them had already driven off 1/2 of one table with his rantings… then he happened to make a comment in earshot of the other political hair-trigger, and… Hooray! Political Nuclear War.
There’s a reason politics is labeled impolite dinner conversation.
And generally – I’m not political.
Yet we’re about to elect a president and I’m seeing a magnifying glass put over the same issue which surfaces every four years. Click to continue »
