Farewell Tim Russert
In journalistic world dominated by sound bytes and bombastic blowhards, Tim Russert stood out and stood above the rest of the pack. To my mind, he was the Walter Cronkite of our generation. Smart, honest and direct; Russert was always on point and respectful no matter who was across the table in his interviews.
But for all of his journalistic accomplishments, perhaps Russert’s greatest contributions were his books on fatherhood. Heartfelt and unflinching, Russert gave us a great example of how to be both tough and tender as a father. New fathers, young and old, without a Big Russ of their own, would do well to pick up Big Russ & Me and Wisdom of our Fathers. I am fortunate to have my own “Big Russ” in my father Richard, so much of Russert’s words echo with my own experience.
So on this Father’s Day Weekend, hug your fathers and sons. Then, as this election year unfolds, make it a point to be an informed, active citizen and vote. These actions would seem a most fitting tribute to Tim Russert; a national treasure taken from us far too soon.
Barack Obama – Man of Christian Conviction and Action
Folks,
I am an Obama supporter and I don’t consider myself to be “riding the wave” as some might suggest. I have done my homework and the man is a decent, thoughtful diplomat and true Christian who has a real, positive vision for the United States. With this in mind, I cannot let an email … entitled “The Obama Tidal Wave” (see below) … pass without comment. I will not address each bullet point in the email. Rather, I will speak to the overall tone of it.
First and foremost, let us address Obama’s “murky religious convictions”, he is not and never was a Muslim. He is a devout, thoughtful Christian, always has been. In short, don’t believe the misinformation distributed by FOX News and the Clinton campaign. Our nation has been so fundamentally damaged by the Bush/Cheney administration that we need a special person to fix it. Barack Obama is that person.
Next, after 8 years of Bush & Cheney … with their illegal war, disregard for human life in the aftermath of Katrina and subversion of the United States Constitution with the Rendition & Carnivore programs, Guantanamo Bay and illegal, warrant-less wiretapping of innocent US Citizens … we need a person with integrity in the White House. Simply put, Hillary is not that person. She will change her “convictions” at a moment’s notice if it is politically expedient to do so.
While McCain has more integrity than Clinton, he has allied with some pretty scary political and religious figures … people he formerly denounced … in order to secure the Republican nomination. How is that “integrity”? If you believe in something, you do so even when it is unpopular. That is a fundamental tenet of Christ’s message.
Barack Obama opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning, though he was derided as unpatriotic for doing so. Now, time has proven him right. Sometimes, being a true patriot means standing up to blind, angry and misplaced nationalism, which has been deceitfully painted as patriotism. Barack Obama has made precisely this unpopular and difficult stand … to protect our nation and the freedoms for which it stands.
Does Obama support the division of church and state? Absolutely; so did the founding fathers of this country. Why? They understood that the only way to protect religious freedom was to ensure there was no state-sanctioned “official” religion. Recall Christ’s message … “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” The Catholics among us would do well to remember that, in addition to persecuting blacks and other people of color, the KKK also lynched and killed Catholics and Jews. Many of these crimes were ignored and largely unpunished because of the deeply entwined nature of religion and government in the Southern states back then. Still, things change and our nation is stronger for it.
Another fundamental Christian belief is “love thy neighbor as thyself”. This does not mean that one makes or maintains unjust war. Regrettably, war is sometimes a necessary evil. In the wake of 911, we needed to go into Afghanistan and bring to justice the people who attacked us. Moreover, we needed to stay there and finish the job.
Instead, our President led us into an illegal war based on lies and half-truths. Now that Iraq is broken, we certainly need to fix it, but that does not mean remaining on a war footing for the next 10-100 years. It means re-engaging the United Nations so the forces stabilizing Iraq are multi-national and Iraq understands that it is the will of the world that they get their house in order. This needs to happen so ALL troops can go home, the people of Iraq can know peace (and perhaps democracy) and the region might have a genuinely stabilizing influence
Now, some will argue that Christ’s anger at the moneylenders in the temple, as well as many Old Testament passages justify righteous and faithful wrath … and by extension that justifies our current President’s crusader approach to “diplomacy”. I say that Obama is the true example of “What Would Jesus Do?” How did Christ when, on the eve of his arrest, Simon Peter struck off the ear of the slave Malchus in his defense?
Christ said “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” In short, he accepted that there were misguided and sometimes evil men in the world and rather than using silence, disregard and violence as his tools, he went to meet them and again spread a message of love, peace and tolerance. Think of this when you dismiss Obama for being willing to meet with Castro, Chavez and their ilk. It is precisely the act of man living Christ’s message in the world.
In the history of the USA, few presidential elections have been so important and historically significant as the one before us. Washington, Lincoln, FDR, Kennedy and now Obama … all set the USA on new course, which reinforced Christian principles, secured the interests of this great nation and made the USA a bright light in a dark world. The wrong choice in 2008 may cause irreparable harm to our nation of laws and freedom. So, every American needs to get the facts for themselves and not believe everything written in emails, which were expressly designed to spread misinformation and create division.
Am I dyed-in-the wool Democrat? No. I am an independent. Do I blindly agree with every position that Obama has taken? No. Like all men, including Christ (the man), he is subject to self-doubt and moments of weakness. But on balance, he is the man that most illustrates my understanding of Christ’s message for the world. And, that alone is worth my vote.
Thanks,
Doug Daulton
PS: You are receiving this response because you were part of the group that sent this email on it’s way to me.
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ORIGINAL MESSAGE SENT TO ME
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Email and sender info removed because the point of my reply is to address the issues therein, not to be disrespectful of the folks who sent it in the first place.
*******************************************Subject: The Obama Tidal Wave
We are witnessing a political phenomenon with Barack Obama of rare magnitude. His speeches have inspired millions and yet most of his followers have no idea of what he stands for except platitudes of ‘Change’ or that he says he will be a ‘Uniter’.
The power of speech from a charismatic person truly can be a powerful thing. Certainly Billy Graham had charisma and both his manner of speech and particularly the content changed millions. On the extreme other hand, the charisma of Adolph Hitler inspired millions and the results were catastrophic.
Barack Obama certainly is no Hitler or a Billy Graham, but for many Americans out there feeling just like a surfer who might be ecstatic and euphoric while riding a tidal wave, the real story is what happens when it hits shore.
Just Some of What Defines Barack Obama:
• He voted against banning partial birth abortion.
• He voted no on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions.
• Supports affirmative action in Colleges and Government.
• In 2001 he questioned harsh penalties for drug dealing.
• Says he will deal with street level drug dealing as a minimum wage affair.
• Admitted marijuana and cocaine use in high school and in college.
• His religious convictions are very murky.
• He is willing to meet with Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Kim Jung Il and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
• H as said that on e of his first goals after being elected would be to have a conference with all Muslim nations.
• Opposed the Patriot Act.
• First bill he signed that was passed was campaign finance reform.
• Voted No on prohibiting law suits against gun manufacturers.
• Supports universal health-care.
• Voted yes on providing habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees.
• Supports granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.
• Supports extending welfare to illegal immigrants.
• Voted NO to making English the official language of the USA.
• Voted yes on comprehensive immigration reform.
• Voted yes on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security.
• Wants to make the minimum wage a ‘living wage’.
• Voted with Democratic Party 96 percent of 251 votes.
• Is a big believer in the separation of church and state.
• Opposed to any efforts to Privatize Social Security and instead supports increasing the amount of tax paid.
• He voted No on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax.
• He voted No on repealing the ‘Death’ Tax
• He wants to raise the Capital Gains Tax.
• Has repeatedly said the surge in Iraq has not succeeded.
• He is ranked as the most liberal Senator in the Senate today and that takes some doing.
If your political choices are consistent with Barack Obama’s and you think that his positions will bring America together or make it a better place, then you will probably enjoy the ride and not forward this Email.
If you are like most Americans that after examining what he stands for, are truly not in line with his record, it would be prudent to get off the wave or better yet, never get on, before it comes on shore and undermines the very foundations of this great Country.
We have limited time to save America or the Supreme Court as we know it.Inaction is action.
If you agree this is important,please pass it on. The mainstream media will not do it for you!?
Bruce and the ‘Chicks
The Dixie Chicks have taken a big hit lately for exercising their basic right to express themselves. To me, they’re terrific American artists expressing American values by using their American right to free speech. For them to be banished wholesale from radio stations, and even entire radio networks, for speaking out is un-American.
The pressure coming from the government and big business to enforce conformity of thought concerning the war and politics goes against everything that this country is about – namely freedom. Right now, we are supposedly fighting to create freedom in Iraq, at the same time that some are trying to intimidate and punish people for using that same freedom here at home.
I don’t know what happens next, but I do want to add my voice to those who think that the Dixie Chicks are getting a raw deal, and an un-American one to boot. I send them my support.
As always, the Boss. Why someone has not named him this country’s Poet Laureate yet, I cannot imagine. Incidentally, I share much the same opinon.
How is Saddam’s fall a bad thing?
Does anyone still doubt that this regime doesn’t abuse the War on Terrorism for their hidden agenda full of economic interests?
I am no Bush fan, but I do not think the war in Iraq is wrong. Look at the joy of the people who have been liberated. That is pretty damn hard to argue with.
Read more
No such thing as TMI in wartime
As he is often able to do, my friend Gregor got me thinking with his recent post … behind the lines. Over the weekend, I spent a significant amount of time reading warblogs and watching TV coverage of the war, mostly on CNN. From these experiences, I offer this food for thought …
No matter your political POV on the war in Iraq, no hawk or dove can deny that this conflict has been brewing for over a decade and will influence the world stage for decades to come. Much has been made about the advances in technology now on display by both the military and the media.
For ill or good, the world has unprecedented access to this war. Still, it is not enough. While TV images of war shock and awe us all, the overall impact (at least for me) is rather numbing. I cannot help feeling I am being fed sanitized images and information … not necessarily propaganda or outright misinformation … but a more palatable, ratings-friendly version of the war.
Case in point, the capture of U.S. soldiers and the display of related video on Iraqi TV. I understand and respect that we do not want to legitimize Iraqi violations of the Geneva convention and we wanted to wait so the families of our fallen and captured soldiers could be first notified. At the same time, I do not want to be spoon fed information about those in harm’s way, be they coalition soldiers or Iraqi citizens.
A common American witticism is “too much information” or TMI. TMI is often uttered when a friend or coworker shares something personal that one really did not want or need to know. Most often, it is said in jest. As citizen of the United States and the world, I think there should be no such thing as TMI in times of war.
Unless releasing information jeopardizes operational objectives or, more importantly places the lives of coalition soldiers at risk, war coverage should be open source. Kudos to Reuters.com for providing raw camera feeds. And, “embedded” journalists are doing a fine job reporting with decency and integrity while honoring the requests of the military designed at protecting coalition troops.
That said, give us more. And, don’t shield us from what you think we cannot handle. Don’t allow us to become complacent with the images on the TV. We are all adults. Without being voyeuristic, we need to see, hear and understand what is happening. We need a visceral understanding of the events of the day, even if it is illustrated in gruesome detail.
In this day of degenerate Reality TV, we need to see what is truly real in this war. So as supporter or protester, we can make informed decisions about our positions and fully understand the consequences of both action and inaction. The sooner we stop considering the bruised sensibilities of our detached pop culture, the sooner we will strengthen our resolve … one way or the other.
< end rant />
Until we have live streams and open communication from every viable source, one option not available during the Gulf War is the humble blog. The following list contains several online journals. As I read and discover more, I will add them to this post and to my BlogRoll (bottom right).
Peace and Freedom for all. Sooner, rather than later.
Grains of Sand …
I stopped reading Stephen King about 1/2 way through It. At the time, I was a field investigator for Children’s Services Sexual Abuse Intervention Team (SAIT). It contained a lurid passage of child sexual assault and murder which I feel did nothing to credibly advance the story. In short, the book became the very definition of “gratuitous” for me.
It has now been 8 years since I took my last SAIT case and I work in an entirely different profession. However, the memory of that passage in It still makes me angry. So, when a friend suggested I listen to King’s Lunch at the Gotham Cafe, my knee-jerk reaction was “Hell, no!”
Then, I took a step back and thought about my reaction to the recent flap over the following statement made by Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks in reference to the impending war with Iraq.
“Just so you know, we’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas.”
This comment lead to a great deal of public outcry; from simply branding the Dixie Chicks as unpatriotic to calling for their songs to be pulled from radio rotation and their CDs to be removed from store shelves.
I consider myself neither hawk nor dove; not chafing for, or at, war. I accept it as something that must, on occasion, occur and pray that all reasonable means are taken to prevent it. One thing I do chafe at is censorship, in any form.
If you disagree with the Dixie Chicks, do not buy their CDs and/or turn off their songs on the radio, that is certainly your right. However, don’t call radio stations or your local Wal-Mart and attempt to restrict my access to their music because you find it offensive.
Blocking access to artists because you disagree with their point of view does not diminish the artist, it diminishes the censor. It reveals him/her as willing to cast aside the collective works of an artist because of one mistake, phrase taken out of context or, expression of a POV which you do not hold.
You may enjoy, appreciate and even agree with 99% of what the artists creates, but are willing to cast aside the vast sunny beach that is their work for hatred of the few grains of sand that chafe your soft spots on the drive home. Patently foolish.
Focus to much on the sand in your shorts and you’ll run the car off of the road. Run the car off the road, and you may never return to the beach you enjoyed so much today. Funny how that works.
So, I took a moment to reconsider my position on Stephen King. I remembered the beautiful works that were The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption; the chilling character studies of Christine and Misery; and the epic cautionary tale of The Stand, which incidentally rings eerily true in this day of biological terrorists. I remembered the beach, not the irritating grain of sand in my short.
I still think It is King’s worse work. And if asked, I’ll be frank with my opinion and supporting rationale. However, I won’t deny myself the pleasure of this talented artist. So, I took in Lunch at the Gotham Cafe. It was wonderful. This surreal “slice of life” is that perfect King balance of everyday madness which puts the vagaries of personal and corporate politics in perspective.
Give it a read, or a listen. Lunch at the Gotham Cafe is part of two collections; Six Stories (Limited Edition book) and Blood and Smoke (CD audiobook read by the author).
Mike Rowe and the real value of work.
If you have not seen Dirty Jobs, then you may not know of Mike Rowe. I’ve always enjoyed the show and thought that Rowe was the perfect host of the show. Smart, clever, and most importantly genuinely interested, Rowe brings respect and honor to jobs that many, if not most, of the people you know think are beneath them.
In this speech to FORA, Rowe begins with a funny tale of learning to castrate lambs. I am sure you are wondering how “funny” and “castration” fit together in a sentence, but trust me it does. In telling the tale of castration, Rowe adroitly spins a tale of the lost value of work and calls for us all to reconsider what it means to us as individuals and as a nation.
Be sure to watch the entire 20 minutes. It is perhaps the best 20 minutes you’ll spend in your career.