An Applause for America

John McCain lost last night and he, in characteristic fashion, graciously applauded Obama's presidency. In like matter, I would like to applaud our form of government and the ideals that our government represents.

Many across the world have watched to see if how America's ideals would play out in our presidental decision. The American ideal of equality has won the day with the election of the first African American. And I am proud that this ideal has won. It seemed to me that many African Americans were emotionally touched by this outcome. One does not have to question why this may be. Slavery is not representative of the American conviction of individual freedom or equality and choice. African Americans have lived with the stigma of slavery and discrimination, whether self-imposed or not, and it has affected their self-perception.

Now, the world knows that we mean business when it comes to our ideals of freedom and justice for all, at least within our own borders. Let's see how Obama and his cabinet envision these ideals on a global scale.

The Education My Daughter Gave Me On YouTube!

This afternoon my oldest son, his girlfriend, and my daughter sat around our table discussing the political decisions that are facing us on Tuesday. The coversation came around to Obama and what he stood for. My daughter had happened upon two YouTube videos of Obama at campaign rallies and was relaying the information to us at the table. I could not believe my ears, so I asked her to inform me through my eyes!

She immediately got our computor and pulled up a YouTube video of Obama making fun of a heckler and cutting his question of by saying "Blah, Blah Blah...""You can vote for someone else", etc. This was on the heels of my learning last week about Obama dismissing some of the media travelling with his campaign, as they were pro-McCain!!! And this is America?

Obama wants a civilian military police. And he is portraying what our America may become under his "dictatorship"(especially, if the Democrats hold the reigns of power in Congress). He has investigated Joe the Plumber, one newswoman's husband, and some others. No doubt there are those that we don't (and won't) know about. This is quite disturbing that the Democrats who were outraged over Guantanomo Bay situation, are looking the other way when it comes to the abuse of power on the campaign trail. Are they so afraid of Obama's power that they fear speaking out? Do none of them care enough about our freedoms? Do none have the courage to go against their party when principle is of primary importance?

John McCain took the high road when he could have gotten out of prison, by denying some of his basic commitments to his country. But, he did not. Which candidate do we really think has the country's best interest at heart? Obama certainly wants change, but it is systemic change of our cultural values of freedom. We must not be so blind and focused on temporary promises that we forget the future of American ideals!

China and Wall Street

Tonight, as most of you have heard, Congress could not come to terms with an agreement on the bail-out of Wall Street.
It disturbs me that this crisis is being politicized. But, it is an election year...just a few days short of election day.
McCain intially bowed out of the debate Friday so that he could help with this crisis. Obama's camp claims that they were not fully informed of this matter and said they were going to be at the debate. Later, it was reported that McCain was having second thoughts and might show up after all.
I could see that the Democrats were playing alongside a president they have been highly criticizing, while the Republicans wouldn't touch this legislation with a ten foot pole. Isn't it hypocritcal of the Democrats to criticize the Republicans for being in the same party as Bush and go so far as to try to identify the party with Bush. And here they are playing along...what do they really think about Bush and his policies? Is it that the Democrats see a political advantage in painting a picture of cooperation with the president so that our economy will not "go under".
The Republicans may not know what to do, as if they go along and support the legislation, they will be painted as supporting big business. And if the plan fails for some reason then they will hold the bucket to mop it all up. The Republicans' resistance to come to an agreement could be painted as deadlock and they will be blamed. So, they will be damned if they do, and damned if they don't. I feel sorry that his has happened at a time when the election is so close.
The Republicans are being cautious, I believe. I agree that we should move very slowly before implementing a plan that is half shod and so expensive with no garuantees that the plan will be sufficient long term.

While our domestic world is struggling for a solution, the Chinese are now sending up space-craft with our technology. Many were on the news talking about the danger of their espionage to our country's security. Several have been convicted of selling or giving our secrets away. What will we be seeing in our near future? We are oblivious to our need to maintain secure borders, and ignore the the signs of domestic crisis. How much more do we need to experience before we understand the implications of our choices and our disregard and disrepect for our nation?

Obama, Foreign Policy, and Trust

I do like to trust people, but find it hard in this day and age. Last night's speech by Guilliani gave me food for thought concerning Obama's ability to meet presidential standards....in foreign policy. Guilliani said when Obama was asked about Russian invasion of Georgia, he said he'd appeal to the U.N. Russia has veto power in the U.N. Did Obama not know this?

While in D.C. this past year, we went to hear John Bolton at the American Enterprise Institute. No matter what you might think about Bolton, he does have foreign policy experience. He stated that there was no balance of power for the U.N. nor any power over non-profits (I'm probably summerizing him)...This is concerning for me, too. Because of the globalized market, many may take advantage of the protections to non-profits. Business interests disguised as charities is probably not new....

Based on what I learned from Bolton, I have two concerns and they play across both canidates. For Obama, his lack of expertise in foreign policy in a globalized world disconcerts me, especially when he wants to appeal to an outside authrity that has no "accountability" and is itself, at times, in disarray. Even while this is so, the Republicans have protected business interests at the costs of the American people, at times. And during the RNC there were many NPOs that were represented on their convention's stage...

So, I tend to lean toward McCain because I believe that until there is a balance of power in the UN that American freedoms are too precious to "give up" to an outside authority, who has its own interests...

The Republican National Convention

I was proud of Fred Thompson's speech, but most proud of Joe Libermann's. He was the 2000 Democratic VP nominee and has become an Independent. He called for American unity and for his past political affiliates to band together to elect someone with proven character in Washington politics. He identified this person as McCain.

A lot of the RNC was about the military. Many Christians believe that the military cannot be identified with Christian faith, because of a conflict of interest. I do not believe that this is so, because, Christians all believe in human rights as a fundamental right. That fundamental right cannot be protected unless it is protected by advancing the cause of freedom from a tyrannical government. Good government is protected by the principle of the balance of power and the police force. The balance of power in our branches of government and the police force protect our country from within, while the military protects from without. Surely, we would not do away with the police force....

America has also stood for the individual's freedom to choose the way he practices his faith. Faith and how that plays out in one's convictions in life is what our government protects. Although Obama promises "justice" , and many believe this is the government's "duty", what then is the Church's duty, since governmental "justice" will be limiting the freedom in which Christian "justice" can be defined and expressed....

Human Expression, Creativity, and Human Rights

Human expression is a necessary part of being "human". Without the creativity of human expression ,"man" ceases to be unique. And the unique expression of the individual are granted by certain rights as "being human" and are given by nature's god.

Creativity is the person's "giftedness" and "individuality" being expressed and it is garunteed in our Bill of Rights, as freedoms that uphold a government that values the individual as uniquely created. The exceptionally creative are usually not accepted by the "rules", "laws" that govern a particular group. These groups are governed by the "elite" of that particular class (artists who have "won" respect, writers who have sold more books, scientists who have published more papers...).The "creative" do not fit inside a box of conformity and "niceness". In training animals, behavior modification and conditioning "form" the animal into a "shape". But, the difference in being "human" is the free expression of individuality, which expresses "god" in many forms (and not a shaping of conformity as religion does). Laws cannot legislate the human, only protect the freedoms that identify the "human".

Freedom of speech and freedom of press is a "right" garunteed by our government. These freedoms presuppose the individual's right to form his own opinion in a free and open society. Last night, while watching a news program, it was reported that John McCain was unable to publish an op ad piece in the N.Y. Times. The N. Y. Times sent it back to him asking him to revise his piece by stating the exact vision he has about the Iraqi war. Several things bother me about this....

John McCain is running for presidency and it is mandantory for the press to give him equal and fair coverage without stipulating what he may or may not publish. It is only when the people have free acess to a candidate's views and opinions that an informed decision can be made as to their vote. Only in a closed or totalitarian government is freedom of speech and the press circumvented. It is sometimes called propaganda (in religious terms it is called "indoctrination").

Secondly, the demand of the N.Y Times for McCain to give a time table for withdrawing troops is limiting and short sighted. John McCain cannot give the details as to a time scale for withdrawing from Iraqi. Anyone with experience in the complexities of foreign policy and politics would realize that hard and fast solutions are improbable, if not impossible. A lot of the" ideal vision" has to be revised when "new" information comes to the fore in regards to a changing situation, much less when negotiating with foreign governments and their "ideals". It is hard for me to believe with all the coverage of Obama's trips overseas (live coverage, if you will) that this is unfair. A while ago Russ Limbaugh was going to have to give "equal time" to the liberal opinion and it was all in the name of "fairness". No matter what your view of Limbaugh is, it is not freedom to demand "equal coverage" when he pays the bills for his programming.

Many conservative Christians assert that we have no "rights" and that we should trust God, as Sovereign in the "rule of the world". This cannot be unless one believes in a direct and absolute "cause" to the events that transpire. It is necessary in government, therefore, to seek to sift through many aspects concerning a situation and not understand events as direct causes of God. Men are the rulers of governments, not God. And it is not a uniformity as to religious "ideals", as to the shape of a free and humane society. It is all men who are responsible for that government, who are called to be informed and involved and not allow fate to express itself and call it "god".

There is no form in this world that is perfect, but there is a closer manifestation of humane governance. I believe that the American form is the best, for it affirms all humans as God's creations and grants them equal rights. Even the "creative", who have brought about social reformation in our laws have been granted freedom of expression. and there is no "creative" businessman who would diminish the freedom of our government in allowing him to pursue his own ends. This is the great experiment of American government and its affirmation of human expression, creativity and human rights.