election

When Hate Rules, Our Children Fall

Laurie Russell — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:48:49 -0800

Last week, we passed the 1-year anniversary of the horrific day in Tucson, Arizona. On January 8, 2011, a lone shooter shot U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and eighteen other people. Six died, including 9-year-old Christiana-Taylor Green.

Recently I read the book As Good As She Imagined by Roaxanna Green and Jerry B. Jenkins. It’s a wonderful book that portrays the life of this 9-year-old, Christina-Taylor. My heart mourned for the victims and their families but especially for the Green family. No one wants to lose his or her child.

Green and Jenkins share stories from Christina-Taylor’s short life and I couldn’t help but fall in love with her and her family. It’s reminded me of the importance of community, love of family and how enduring challenges develops the perseverance needed to survive later trials.

It encouraged me to enjoy each moment with my loved ones. Not to sweat the small stuff and to avoid passivity. Christina-Taylor did a lot in her 9-years on earth and she left us with her mark and a smile.

The book does a great job not to glorify the shooter, however, part of me kept going back to him and wondering, “Why did he do it?”

Years ago, when we were preparing to go as missionaries overseas, Mark studied five common traits that start a movement. One of the greatest unifying factors was a common enemy. People normally at odds bond as they fight and, at times, are pushed to do things they normally wouldn’t do.

We don’t know why the shooter went on a killing rampage. Maybe it was politically motivated.

A voting year is upon us. Emotions are already flying and people are bonding over a common “enemy”. Adversaries are being named and their reputations are being destroyed.

However, when we view another as an enemy, hate is born. It brews and boils and moves us to action(s) and ones we often regret.

Jesus told us to love our enemies. It’s a pretty radical request and not always easy to do. We shouldn’t look at our neighbor as the enemy, even if we disagree or dislike what they say or do.

When we pray for our enemies, God’s power is at work in both them and us. We’re able to love and find real peace.

Before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed that we’d be united. Politics by nature divides us but at the same time it puts his children in each party. Perhaps this is God’s strategic way of shining his light on all sides.

As the debates and campaigns continue, think of Christina-Taylor. She was not at Giffords’ meeting to promote hate, rather to do good. We need to make sure we’re not working to defeat the enemy in the other party but to find the next man or woman God has chosen to lead our country.

Hate blurs our vision but love helps us to see clearly.

Do you have people in your life who are hard to love due to political affiliation?

How do you handle it?

Have you read Green and Jenkins’ book As Good As She Imagined?

45 Things I Want in a Presidential Candidate

Brett McCracken — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:37:41 -0800

A year from now we will (very possibly) have a new president-elect in the U.S. As a registered voter in California, I will have zero influence in deciding the election. But that doesn’t keep me from having opinions about what kind of candidate I’d like to see succeed in becoming America’s 45th president. If I did happen to live in a state like Iowa, New Hampshire, or one of the other “primary” battlegrounds where my vote might feasibly matter, I would be looking to cast a vote for a presidential candidate who fit the following qualifications. Are there any good candidates out there?

Someone who…

Is ethical and principled.
Is eloquent, nuanced, and good with the media.
Is well-read and can speak the “intellectual” language without sounding aloof.
Can relate to working people, NASCAR folks and the NPR crowd without seeming inauthentic
Has a record of being nice to and working with members of the opposing party for the sake of getting things done for the people.
Stands by convictions, but isn’t afraid of compromise.
Can give “moderate” a better name and can build consensus and temper the intensely partisan nature of Washington.
Is a Christian. The authentic, “I think about everything through the lens of Christ-following” kind.
In list of favorite books, films, TV shows, music, etc… has at least a few things that are bold and/or unpredictable.
Reads Grantland.com, and could feasibly write for them.
Saw The Tree of Life and found at least some value in it.
Is generally in favor of lower taxes, but willing to compromise and isn’t shouting “no new tax hikes EVER!” from the rooftops (we need to be reasonable).
Has read a Cormac McCarthy novel.
Can find Kazakhstan on a map.
Is a good politician in the “I have great relational skills and can win friends of all stripes” sort of way.
Does not believe that the Garden of Eden was in Jackson County, Missouri.
Favors smaller, streamlined government, but doesn’t see government as a n’er-do-well bogeyman either. Rather, looks for what government does well and has done well historically and what states & the private sector do best, and budgets accordingly.
Genuinely, passionately, actively cares about the poor and suffering.
Has a reasonable plan to simplify the tax code and shrink federal bureaucracy.
Recognizes that America needs to be weaned off of oil; seeks policies that are friendly to clean energy and alternative fuel research/development.
Can be articulate and impressive on Meet the Press.
Hated the term “freedom fries.”
Cares about human rights and is against torture.
Doesn’t want American to be more like Europe, except in having a less car-reliant culture.
Policies are friendly to business and favor job creation.
Has the leadership style and familial demeanor of Coach Taylor on Friday Night Lights.
Is pro-life on abortion, stem cells, cloning, etc.
Also pro-life on things like helping the poor, reducing global misery, ending slavery/trafficking, etc.
Has experience as an executive (preferably in business and government).
Cares for his or her spouse and children.
Sees the separation of church and state for what it was originally intended to be: a protection for religion (against government meddling), not the other way around.
Favors policies to protect the rights of private schools and private businesses on matters of religious preference.
Reads constantly.
Supports gradual draw-down of troops abroad and perhaps a slight reduction in military spending.
Supports reforming TSA and Homeland Security to make them more efficient.
In general does not have an “America is the police of the world” attitude, but isn’t isolationist either.
Doesn’t believe in bailouts.
Can reasonably articulate “The Bush Doctrine” and situate it within history.
Has a favorite Radiohead song. Or at least knows who Radiohead is.
Would consider asking someone other than John Williams to compose music for the inauguration.
If elected, won’t spend half of his or her time in office fundraising and campaigning for reelection.
Values intellectual nuance, complexity, and avoids simplistic black & white binaries.
Favors faith-based charities and boosting the non-profit and volunteer sectors.
Wants the world to flourish, but not because America is the “last, best hope” for mankind.
Isn’t perfect.

Latter Day Uneasiness

Rick Bundschuh — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 11:21:27 -0700

Let me just put it out there and take the wacks for being intolerant; I would be very uneasy having a devout Mormon in the Oval office.

Watching the political wrangling of the pachyderm party and the various missteps of those hopefuls for nomination to lead the nation, it is quite obvious that the “religious affiliation” question is a minefield not to be crossed.

So let me attempt to bravely venture out where one is forbidden to go and explain my queasiness.

Some religions are nutty.

Scientology comes to mind as a loopy scam.

Some religions are deceptive, cloaking their real ideas and agenda in the guise and language of an already accepted faith.

The Gnostics were pretty good at this as I recall.

Some religions require that you suspend your logic and reasoning and substitute an emotional embrace instead.

Jim Jones created this environment in a deadly manner.

Frankly, Mormonism is all of the above. A remarkably nutty story that reeks of a scam and insists that in spite of all logical evidence the contrary, the truth of their story is verified through the warming emotion of the heart. Then has the gall to wrap the whole kooky enchilada in the language and events of orthodox Christianity.

Yes, there are many wonderful, sweet people who are Mormons. Yes, yes, they have high moral standards and are clean cut and well scrubbed and yes, they talk about God and Jesus.

But it is the story they have put their trust in that gives me pause and their willingness to dive headlong into this tall tale with unquestioning hesitation.

For me, the faltering point in giving a thumbs up to a Mormon in the oval office comes from their gullibility.

So I ask myself, would I trust a person who naively believes the LDS story to have the discernment to lead a nation? Perhaps an example would give clarity to my point.

What if the lead candidate believed in Fairies?

In the late 1800’s some seemingly smart people such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (author of Sherlock Holmes) bought into a hoax that showed photos of these wee folks scampering on vegetation. (See his still in print book The Coming of Fairies if you don’t believe me.)

As much as I admire the work of Sir Doyle, the fact that he believes in Fairies, would, in my mind, disqualify him for being the Prime Minister of England.

And yes, I am well aware that any garden-variety atheist would attempt to turn this argument against me because I subscribe to orthodox Christianity.

But one has to admit there is quite a difference between believing in the Gospel story and Fairies.

Or that a young man from upstate New York, already convicted of defrauding a neighbor by pretending he had the power to find hidden treasure, was given gold plates with unheard of script and a seer stone to translate them with. (Which unlike Biblical documents were supposedly and conveniently whisked away by an angel after completion.)

Or that the same young man was endowed with insight to explain what was wrong with the Bible and all other religions as well as vested with the authority to reinvent Biblical terms and ideas wholesale resulting in an American version of British Israelism, holy underwear, Masonic like rituals, sibling rivalry of Satan and Jesus, a new and uncharitable race in ancient America, bedding other men’s wives and innocent fourteen year old girls and many other sordid and strange examples.

For my money…and vote, there is too much at stake to risk standing behind someone who is devoted to the story of Mormonism, even if he is a nice guy with good morals.

It means that he is susceptible to nonsense, easy to fleece, gullible. And those are fearful qualities to have in the one at the helm of a nation.

An Election Prayer

Kristin Ritzau — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 22:46:09 -0700

Can I be honest for a moment? I hate election years. There I said it. I hate coming home from work to a mailbox full of paper screaming at me in BOLD TYPE: VOTE YES/VOTE NO. Vote for me; Screw them; Everyone else is evil; I am right, no wait I'm left, but I'm correct and you're wrong. If elected I will save us... from what?

Can I get a "maybe" box on the ballot? Like a "let's try this and if it doesn't work, we'll rethink it. We'll be mature adults and have your best interest at heart." (I'm sorry I meant special interests...) Nope, we throw millions upon millions of dollars at mailers and shady commercials made by an intern to make people think they can and will fix everything. Millions of dollars that could be invested in, I don't know, ANYTHING else. What if two people ran for governor -wait for it- together! (shock, gasp). What if we thought outside of a box with two legitimate parties? In a land that believes in dreaming big, two parties seems really small (and divisive). When we approach life as so right and wrong, black and white, either/or, I begin to wonder if we can just vote all of that down.

As John Avlon of CNN wrote a couple of weeks ago I, too, feel "politically homeless." I don't say this in a "poor me" way. I say it in a, what kind of example are we setting for anyone when all we do is chomp each others' heads off and sit on our hands at our friend's problems and scheme behind their backs at how to demoralize and take them down? I feel like I am watching another person's parents argue violently in public. It's embarrassing and it's not helping anyone.

Trust me, if I lived within four hours of DC, I would be at John Stewart's rally because it would be nice for a change to see a rally with sane people "who have to be home by six because we got a sitter."

I'm ready to walk with people and not point at them. The "at" mentality just keeps digging us down further: We want someone to throw blame at; we want someone to talk at. Even in prayer, we pray at God. We walk at people with confrontation instead of walking with them, we look at people instead of seeing them. We demand at-ness, and we wonder why there are kids hurting themselves - the grown-ups are setting the standards really high. We need people to take the challenge to be with others. To remember what vows and commitments mean, to remember what honor and respect are.

In my own need for self-care and sanity, if a candidate bad mouths the other one, I turn off whatever I am watching or listening to. I didn't even open the fliers I got in the mail from Whitman's and Brown's agenda engines today. When the candidate from the Green Party was arrested yesterday from trying to gain access to an event where the Republican and Democrat candidates were debating and she wasn't allowed because "of the poll strength," I about rolled off my chair. Really? Seriously? This process has gotten so insane it's killing itself.

When will we start working together? I can't work with divisive forces any longer- I am in recovery to try to stop doing that in my own soul, so how is this process anything but unhealthy? This is not a new-agey, touchy, feely, "why can't we just get along?" But really, can any of us? Can any of us grown-ups please try? Even around our dinner tables, just try? Can we see that it is healthy to have different perspectives and try to stay at the table? Can we try to introduce any form of hospitality, civility, and reconciliation into the mix? Can we stop bad mouthing and say what each of us offers, maybe even- compliment the other guy - (another gasp) or is that a sign of weakness? However, isn't constantly gossiping and digging up dirt a sign of insecurity? So how are we doing then when this is now normative?

I thought I read to love enemies, turn the other cheek... I should go back and check. For a nation founded under God, I'm confused what we're under now. I'm following a guy who worked with lepers, outcasts, and the ultimate opposing party the Roman Centurions (the same group that killed him). He ushered women into leadership and had tax collectors at his right hand. The ordinary were the voice and mission and were moved to the extraordinary calling of "walk with me." For now that's all I can do and dream that one day this will be different (and I recycled the brochures).

And I can pray about that change too. Amen.

Alvin Greene: My hero of the day

Phil Towne — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:35:01 -0700

An unknown guy from South Carolina won the Democratic Primary there. He basically paid the filing fee, and ran an almost unknown campaign, and by some freakish chance won. You can read the whole story on Yahoo.

I personally love stories like this. There is something deep within me that loves when a dude like Alvin Greene wins an election, or upsets the societal expectation. There is probably a lot that goes into my feeling, but I think a big part of it my slight tendency towards being anti-establishment. For some reason, I just love when someone who seems to be otherwise an underdog goes up against the big time player and comes out on top.

A bit about Greene: Unemployed, Military Veteran, Lives with Parents, Ran almost no campaign. Oh, I almost forgot to mention he has a pending felony charge.

He elaborated on his campaign, "I’m currently one of the many unemployed in the state and this country. South Carolina has more unemployed now than at any other time," Greene says. "My campaign slogan: Let's get South Carolina back to work."

Whatever his motivation, I love this story. It reminds me of the time that I ran for ASB president at my college. The only reason I ran was because the incumbent was running uncontested. I ran almost no campaign until the day of the election, in which my roommate put up a bunch of random signs.

Somehow I won. I was not expecting it or planning it, but I won, by 3 votes. And I voted for myself. Had I been a proper sport, and voted for the other guy (who is actually a great individual, I was just ornery), I would have only won by one vote.

While I will not move to South Carolina to vote for Greene, I really hope he wins. Wouldn't it be great to send an unknown guy to Washington? Wouldn't it be great to have an unorthodox everyday person going into congress and speaking his mind in a non-political way?

It is not likely to occur, but one can dream about Mr. Greene going to Washington. Or maybe I'm just feeling ornery again.

Phil

Christy's Inauguration Day Interview

Christy Tennant — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:27:25 -0800

Yesterday's Inauguration of President Obama was the most-watched inauguration ceremony ever. I have email from friends all over the world who stayed up into the wee hours to watch a live stream from Washington DC online. At work, we have a standing weekly staff meeting on Tuesdays, but this week everything "IAM" halted at 11 a.m. and we lowered the screen and streamed Hulu's live feed (while listening to a radio broadcast - the stream was very, very delayed! As my friend Alissa twittered, "At one point, Rick Warren was singing the National Anthem and sounded a lot like Aretha Franklin!") Everyone in the world, it seemed, was watching.

On my way in to Manhattan yesterday morning, I was sitting on the Staten Island ferry reading a pre-release of Mako Fujimura's forthcoming book from NavPress, Refractions, (it's excellent, by the way) when I was approached by a band of youths, one of whom was carrying a small video camera. They explained that they were doing a project for school, and asked permission to interview me. I agreed to it, and the interview began.

Below is a recap of their questions and my answers...

Are you excited about today's inauguration?

Yes, I am excited about it.

Why? What are you most excited about?

In light of our country's history, I am excited that we have an African-American now holding the most powerful position in the world. I just think it speaks volumes about the possibilities for anyone, no matter how oppressed they might have been. I see his election as a very redemptive symbol, in that regard. My parents' generation can recall the days of segregation. My dad was a civil rights activist, and in fact, he was at MLK's "I have a dream" speech in DC. He took a bus from Detroit with a bunch of other civil rights workers. So the fact that within 50 years or so, we've come so far... I think of the Darwinism, which taught that certain races (namely caucasian) were superior to others (namely blacks and hispanics), and I think of eugenics - the plan to wipe out these supposedly "inferior" races (which was the intent of Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood), and now that nonsense is blown to bits. So I see it as a very good thing.

I also think it will help the way the rest of the world sees America. Once again, we are the land of promise and hope.

Do you think President Obama will keep his campaign promises?

No, I don't. Because he promised things that are simply not within his power to fulfill. But that's always the case in campaigns. I never expect politicians to keep all of their promises. My expectations in that regard are pretty realistic.

What promise from his campaign to you most hope he will keep?

Well, I'm pro-life, and one of the promises I am really hoping he will keep is the promise to reduce the number of abortions in our nation. He is a pro-choice President, and he has disappointed a lot of us with his statements to Planned Parenthood and his promise to sign the FOCA. But we had a pro-life president for eight years, and unfortunately, not much changed for the good during the last eight years in the pro-life movement. So I don't expect that the answer is having a pro-life president. However, Pres. Obama says he is committed to finding practical help and solutions to reduce the number of abortions, and I pray he will see that through. Because we can change abortion laws all we want, but if people's circumstances don't change - if the reasons they are seeking abortions in the first place don't change - then pro-life laws are simply not enough.

Reasons for hope #3: Peaceful transfer of power

Alissa Wilkinson — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 06:00:00 -0800

Today, God willing, the highest ranking office in our government will pass peacefully from one man to another - and not just from man to man, but from political party to political party, and under circumstances that would have been unfathomable just fifty years ago.

In 2000, when the election results were decided after a wearying month-long court battle, the results thrilled some and infuriated others. Those results are still disputed. But I recall feeling very proud of my country, because although emotions were running high, there were no riots or flag-burnings, and nobody burned the Supreme Court down. A peaceful transfer of power in the midst ofheated disagreement is something that not many around the world get to experience.