President Barack Obama of the United States of America. Never thought I would hear such a phrase and it would be the truth. An exotic name for these parts and yet the people of America voted for him. A man whose father was African and whose mother is a white American. A man who grew up with little money and got scholarships to the good schools. A man who used his education to get him to the highest position in America.
Now when my son comes home from school complaining about his homework or crying because a white kid told him he was a "good-for-nothing n*****" I can tell him brush it off because he can do absolutely anything with his life when he is serious about his education. He now has an example of a person with mixed heritage that echoes his own, who has made it. Obama beat all odds to become elected to the presidency of the USA, and Handsome could do the same if he really wanted to. (Now, I DON'T want him to because I would be worried every day for the rest of my life, but if he really wanted to, he could.)
Now that the celebrations are over, poor President Obama will have the hardest job any president has had in recent memory. He walks into a mine field of problems with the economy, terrorism, and war, and yes, even racism. I can only pray that God will guide him to make the right decisions.
We did not go to the capital to watch the inauguration. It was hard to stay home because we are so close. On a normal day it would take us maybe 45 min to get there, but of course yesterday was no ordinary day. It would have taken f-o-r-e-v-e-r. The time it would have taken to get there plus the fact that Handsome is 20 months old, the temp was 25F, the windchill was 11F, and I was terrified of some attack all kept us home for the day. We watched everything from the comfort of our living room. Handsome knew that we were paying attention to something other than him so he was loud and climbing all over me so that he would get some of the attention. I kept telling him to watch, but of course he would have none of that. And would he crawl all over DH? Of course not. It was only Mom that he wanted. The only time he was quiet was at the end of the speeches when the crowd would clap. He would then look at the TV and clap and laugh right along with them as if he had been listening the whole time - or maybe it was because he thought it was finally over, who knows.
Oh, and one thing that I did not like? I didn't hear it when we were watching, but I heard it in the commentary afterwards. They said that the crowd boo'ed Bush when he was introduced. That makes me angry. Yes, be happy that a new president is coming, but do not disrespect the president that we have had for eight years. You can dislike his policies and even dislike the person if you like, but do not disrespect him. He was leaving office mere moments after his name was announced, why would you feel the need to treat him like that? There would be no good come out of that.
Dear Lord, please help our new president.
Showing posts with label Political. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Political. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
President-Elect Barack Obama
I stayed home from work yesterday assuming I would face a long line for voting and traffic at weird hours trying to get to the polls. This election was very important to me for so many reasons. I believe the Republicans have had their time and it is time to hand over the reigns for a little while. I believe the economy needs a different theory to run by for a while. I believe we need to leave a country that we more occupy than help protect right now. I believe we need comprehensive health care for all. I believe we need more social acceptance and that Obama would be better to bring each issue about. And on a more personal note, I believe my son needs a man to look up to. If he ever has any doubts that he, as a biracial person, could achieve anything, he now has an example.
With all this being said, I do have reservations. Obama has a whole load of problems that he is walking into. We, as a nation, have so much debt and so many new enemies. On top of that he is going to have to face all the people who still harbor racism, follow this Ayers thing and think he is a terrorist, or think he is somehow against this nation he was elected to lead. Every time he speaks before a huge crowd in the USA, I'm going to hold my breath and pray that God keeps him safe.
If McCain had won, I wouldn't have been sad. I like McCain. I don't like the tactics that have been used during the campaign, and I don't like Palin, but I do like McCain. If he had won I just would have prayed that he stayed healthy for the full four year term.
So anyway, I woke up around 9am and got Handsome up. We headed to vote at the local library by 10 am. The line was out the door, but not too long. There were lots of mothers with their children and people of all races and ages. It was chilly and misting outside, but not too bad. Handsome stayed in my arms and drank his milk for the entirety of the line. We had electronic touch screen voting machines that were much better than the machines we had last time. Last time the sensors weren't calibrated so you had to touch in the wrong spot to vote for who you wanted. This time it was very clear, simple and easy. We got our sticker and left and I felt so proud of myself and happy that Handsome could be there with me.
We were slated to volunteer from 5-7pm to try to keep people in line. We got a t-shirt for Handsome that said "THANK YOU for waiting in line FOR ME!" It was too cute because they didn't have toddler sizes so we put it over his jacket and he looked like he was ready to go play football. But once we got to the library, there was no line! We hung around for about thirty minutes and then left because no one was there and it was cold and rainy. I'm assuming everyone voted early thinking it would be too busy after work.
We came home and a few friends came over to watch the results with us. It was overall a very good day. Handsome was able to be there with me to make history. I feel such a sense of pride for him and for his future. My eyes tear up just thinking about it.
Now the reigns are in Obama's hands. I can only pray that he will do the right thing and that American can climb out of the problems we have gotten ourselves into. Please, Lord, guide him and give him the wisdom that he needs.
With all this being said, I do have reservations. Obama has a whole load of problems that he is walking into. We, as a nation, have so much debt and so many new enemies. On top of that he is going to have to face all the people who still harbor racism, follow this Ayers thing and think he is a terrorist, or think he is somehow against this nation he was elected to lead. Every time he speaks before a huge crowd in the USA, I'm going to hold my breath and pray that God keeps him safe.
If McCain had won, I wouldn't have been sad. I like McCain. I don't like the tactics that have been used during the campaign, and I don't like Palin, but I do like McCain. If he had won I just would have prayed that he stayed healthy for the full four year term.
So anyway, I woke up around 9am and got Handsome up. We headed to vote at the local library by 10 am. The line was out the door, but not too long. There were lots of mothers with their children and people of all races and ages. It was chilly and misting outside, but not too bad. Handsome stayed in my arms and drank his milk for the entirety of the line. We had electronic touch screen voting machines that were much better than the machines we had last time. Last time the sensors weren't calibrated so you had to touch in the wrong spot to vote for who you wanted. This time it was very clear, simple and easy. We got our sticker and left and I felt so proud of myself and happy that Handsome could be there with me.
We were slated to volunteer from 5-7pm to try to keep people in line. We got a t-shirt for Handsome that said "THANK YOU for waiting in line FOR ME!" It was too cute because they didn't have toddler sizes so we put it over his jacket and he looked like he was ready to go play football. But once we got to the library, there was no line! We hung around for about thirty minutes and then left because no one was there and it was cold and rainy. I'm assuming everyone voted early thinking it would be too busy after work.
We came home and a few friends came over to watch the results with us. It was overall a very good day. Handsome was able to be there with me to make history. I feel such a sense of pride for him and for his future. My eyes tear up just thinking about it.
Now the reigns are in Obama's hands. I can only pray that he will do the right thing and that American can climb out of the problems we have gotten ourselves into. Please, Lord, guide him and give him the wisdom that he needs.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Evil
Well, the verdict is in. According to the priest, I am evil. He told me so. Then he said God would "deal with me" and then repeated "Shame on you. Shame on you. Shame on you." He also said Obama is evil and Pelosi is evil and anyone in their party is evil. Followed up by he has freedom of speech and it his duty to tell me and everyone else what is right and what is wrong.
So the verdict is in from the infallible priest. I am evil.
Today is a bad day.
So the verdict is in from the infallible priest. I am evil.
Today is a bad day.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
A friend's plea - Diabetes
A friend of mine found out she had diabetes when we were in the second grade. She always tested her blood and took her insulin shots like there was nothing out of the ordinary that she was doing. She never thought of herself as being sick or being different, and therefore neither did the rest of us. It's only recently that she has gotten married and desperately wants children that I am starting to realize that her juvenile diabetes is going to affect her.
We grew up in a very red state, and she still lives in that red state. She sent this email out yesterday and I thought I would pass it along. I never thought about these issues to the depth that she has, but they are obviously important to her. Please don't think I wrote this. Hopefully from the writing style alone you will see that it is not me.
Again this is political, so if it is going to cause a problem, then don't continue. It deals with the health care plans of those running for president:
------------
We grew up in a very red state, and she still lives in that red state. She sent this email out yesterday and I thought I would pass it along. I never thought about these issues to the depth that she has, but they are obviously important to her. Please don't think I wrote this. Hopefully from the writing style alone you will see that it is not me.
Again this is political, so if it is going to cause a problem, then don't continue. It deals with the health care plans of those running for president:
------------
Friends and family, regardless of your political leanings (and I know
they are not the same as mine in many of your cases), please excuse this as my
ONE political email this election cycle. Those of you who disagree, fine. But
when you write me back with something inflammatory, remember that there are some issues on which more than a flag pin depend.
Please read this editorial describing the McCain / Palin healthcare reform plan: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/16/opinion/16herbert.html?th&emc=th
For those that doubt the legitimacy of the claims in Herbert's column,
please consult McCain's website here.
I have been denied individual private health insurance as a juvenile
diabetic throughout my adult life, regardless of my ability to pay. As a
self-employed private contractor, I relied on my parents' COBRA plan until it
kicked me off at a certain age and then had to look into the state risk pool for
the "medically uninsurable." (Only 34 states offer high risk pool insurance,
btw.) If it weren't for my husband's insurance through his job, I wouldn't be
able to afford the medical care I need. My prescriptions for 2 vials of insulin
and 400 test strips with insurance this month - $52.40. Without insurance? Over
$650. My doctor visits this month with insurance - $40. Without? $400. The list
goes on. Not to mention thousands of dollars a year in insulin pump supplies.
That's on top of the wage reduction my husband agreed to to get insurance
benefits through his contract company to begin with.
The Obama plan is not watertight either, you might argue, but it is not this. The McCain plan is to drive consumers into the individual private insurance market by taxing our employee benefits as INCOME - triple dipping, as it were. Once for the premiums you already pay to the health insurance company, twice for benefits-as-income, and really a third time for the right of the company to offer you less pay in
the first place for paying a larger portion of your health care contributions.
This is supposed to push us into the individual insurance market and drive
prices down. It's not that I don't understand Republican economic policy - take
restrictions off of businesses and the market will flourish and we will all bask
in the warm golden ooze of prosperity. It sounds great in theory - but I'm not a
business. I'm a consumer, an individual, a worker, a human. And I don't know
about you, but I don't see Exxon trickling any of their nice little windfall
profits to my corner of the market.
The "don't raise my taxes" crowd is going to tax me right off my
healthcare plan and then into a market where I am "medically uninsurable."
Natural selection brought to a new low. My husband is young and "healthy" by
conventional standards. He could probably find individual coverage at a high but
manageable rate. But some of us... McCain has said that his goal is "to restore
control over our healthcare system to the patients themselves." I sure hope the
a-hole sends me a first-aid kit and a flashlight.
~M
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Palin brings out the contradictions in me.
WARNING: If you are easily offended about political stuff, please do not read.
All the talk about Palin brings out all the contradictions in me. She is a walking contradiction herself. She is purported to be a conservative and yet she is living the life of a liberal. I'm not sure what my opinion is of her just yet. I really shouldn't have an opinion about her, but as this is my blog, I'm going to.
I won't vote for her. She represents so many things that I don't want in our government and in our families.
1. First hot button is that she is pro-life even in terrible situations. Here's my stance on pro-life. For me, as it affects my life, I am pro-life. I hate abortion and if I could I would save every baby - fetus - that I could. I don't think any woman should go thru the pain that it causes and I always want to save the baby. I would raise them all if I could. For my children I will raise them to follow through with pregnancies and if they feel they can't raise the child, then consider adoption (though I will be first in line to adopt the child). If any friend asks me whether they should get an abortion, I will always say no, and help them work through any issues they are facing. I think there should be programs teaching women about adoption and valuing life.
But politically? Politically I am pro-choice. I do not think that the government should make medical decisions on whether someone should be able to get an abortion. I don't think men or women with college degrees in political science should be making a medical decision about my life and my children's life. I think that any debate about the life and soul of the unborn fetus should remain in the realm of religion and steer clear of the political arena. Although my religious beliefs tell me that my tiny fetus has a soul, I don't want my government to dictate that. It has also been proven over the years that even if government prohibits abortion, abortions still happen. They happen illegally and not only are they successful at killing the fetus, they often kill the mother. I can't understand why so many people believe this is a better system.
So, I am happy that Palin decided to have her son when she knew he was going to have difficulties. I am happy that Palin's daughter is choosing to have her child and that their family is supportive of that. I am not happy that she would want to impose her beliefs on the rest of the nation.
2. My second issue with her is the question of why she would want to leave her family and run for VP. It feels to me like she is running away from her family. She returned to work when her son was three or four days old. While this shows a great dedication to her job, it also shows a lack of dedication to her own family. I do have my old fashioned ways, and I do believe that if you have the ability, then you should put your family first. Make financial and personal sacrifices in order to provide the best for your family. And then she chose to run for a national office where everyone in the United States of America who listens to the news now knows that her daughter is 17, pregnant, and unwed. If I were that daughter I would be devastated. I would feel betrayed by my own mother.
3. And in my book, I don't think McCain should have even asked her. It's hard to turn down the VP job, and I get that, but McCain, knowing her family situation should have let her be. She could very well be ready for office in about ten years. By that time her son will be older and her daughter will be more settled. McCain wanted to gain and so he put himself before her family. No, he has no obligation to her family, but in my world, people consider others before themselves. And children first and foremost.
4. And then the news that Palin attended meetings supporting Alaska's secession from the USA. If her reason for accepting the VP position is patriotism, I think that reason just flew out the window.
5. And then there are questions as to whether she was chosen because she was qualified, or chosen because she was female. I am an electrical engineer and went to classes full of males and maybe one or two other females. People tried to give me extra opportunities because I was female or hold me back because I was female. I had different expectations because I was female. I hated it. Hated every minute of it. I wanted my opportunities because I deserved them. I wanted to get an A when I deserved an A and fail when I deserved to fail. While it would be grand to see a female as president or vice president, I would like her to be there because she worked hard and deserved to be there. I would like her to be there because she is just better at getting things done than the rest of us. I do not want her to be there because McCain wants the stubborn female Clinton voters.
6. And McCain is no spring chicken. Though he is going strong now, no one can deny that he is 72. I want his back up to be ready for anything. Ready for if McCain has to go to the hospital for a night or if he has an unexpected clot or any of the many ailments that start hitting when you get up in years.
7. And then there is her speech. She is a wonderful speaker. Her speaking can make a person become mesmerized. But.... do you know what the first half of her speech was focused on? On her family. She focused on the one thing the rest of us were not supposed to focus on. She has decided that in order for us to vote on her we need to know about her wonderful family and how they all act and how she interacts with them. But as soon as someone else focuses on her family they are being sexist. So apparently we are supposed to fixate on the great things about her family and sweep everything else under the rug. When anyone is running for one of the highest offices in America they are going to be investigated. It comes with the territory. And as has been found out by almost every news network is the majority of information she gave about her political career or Obama's stances is wrong. Not just stretching the truth, but untruths. Her speech has gathered great numbers of followers too. And being a good speaker is not a qualification for presidency - yes the same can be said about Obama. It is important, but so is being knowledgeable and having a good education and experiences.
I know politicians stretch the truth. I know it's normal. I don't do well with blatant lies though.
I'm pretty sure I could babble on about this for a long time. There are just so many things about this that bother me. I know it is her choice to run, and I would never try to take that away from her. Even so, my heart hurts for her and her family.
http://www.slate.com/id/2199131/
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13098.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-j-elisberg/the-worst-vice-presidenti_b_122491.html
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/2/163035/8405/137/583631 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_fact_check
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hjGaAjQoUCE3VQ4N3M852LEdOVtwD9304JE80
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_popmachine/2008/09/heart-to-republ.html
http://www.crosscut.com/whitehouse/17341/
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0908/Sexism_complaints_no_longer_whining.html?showall
All the talk about Palin brings out all the contradictions in me. She is a walking contradiction herself. She is purported to be a conservative and yet she is living the life of a liberal. I'm not sure what my opinion is of her just yet. I really shouldn't have an opinion about her, but as this is my blog, I'm going to.
I won't vote for her. She represents so many things that I don't want in our government and in our families.
1. First hot button is that she is pro-life even in terrible situations. Here's my stance on pro-life. For me, as it affects my life, I am pro-life. I hate abortion and if I could I would save every baby - fetus - that I could. I don't think any woman should go thru the pain that it causes and I always want to save the baby. I would raise them all if I could. For my children I will raise them to follow through with pregnancies and if they feel they can't raise the child, then consider adoption (though I will be first in line to adopt the child). If any friend asks me whether they should get an abortion, I will always say no, and help them work through any issues they are facing. I think there should be programs teaching women about adoption and valuing life.
But politically? Politically I am pro-choice. I do not think that the government should make medical decisions on whether someone should be able to get an abortion. I don't think men or women with college degrees in political science should be making a medical decision about my life and my children's life. I think that any debate about the life and soul of the unborn fetus should remain in the realm of religion and steer clear of the political arena. Although my religious beliefs tell me that my tiny fetus has a soul, I don't want my government to dictate that. It has also been proven over the years that even if government prohibits abortion, abortions still happen. They happen illegally and not only are they successful at killing the fetus, they often kill the mother. I can't understand why so many people believe this is a better system.
So, I am happy that Palin decided to have her son when she knew he was going to have difficulties. I am happy that Palin's daughter is choosing to have her child and that their family is supportive of that. I am not happy that she would want to impose her beliefs on the rest of the nation.
2. My second issue with her is the question of why she would want to leave her family and run for VP. It feels to me like she is running away from her family. She returned to work when her son was three or four days old. While this shows a great dedication to her job, it also shows a lack of dedication to her own family. I do have my old fashioned ways, and I do believe that if you have the ability, then you should put your family first. Make financial and personal sacrifices in order to provide the best for your family. And then she chose to run for a national office where everyone in the United States of America who listens to the news now knows that her daughter is 17, pregnant, and unwed. If I were that daughter I would be devastated. I would feel betrayed by my own mother.
3. And in my book, I don't think McCain should have even asked her. It's hard to turn down the VP job, and I get that, but McCain, knowing her family situation should have let her be. She could very well be ready for office in about ten years. By that time her son will be older and her daughter will be more settled. McCain wanted to gain and so he put himself before her family. No, he has no obligation to her family, but in my world, people consider others before themselves. And children first and foremost.
4. And then the news that Palin attended meetings supporting Alaska's secession from the USA. If her reason for accepting the VP position is patriotism, I think that reason just flew out the window.
5. And then there are questions as to whether she was chosen because she was qualified, or chosen because she was female. I am an electrical engineer and went to classes full of males and maybe one or two other females. People tried to give me extra opportunities because I was female or hold me back because I was female. I had different expectations because I was female. I hated it. Hated every minute of it. I wanted my opportunities because I deserved them. I wanted to get an A when I deserved an A and fail when I deserved to fail. While it would be grand to see a female as president or vice president, I would like her to be there because she worked hard and deserved to be there. I would like her to be there because she is just better at getting things done than the rest of us. I do not want her to be there because McCain wants the stubborn female Clinton voters.
6. And McCain is no spring chicken. Though he is going strong now, no one can deny that he is 72. I want his back up to be ready for anything. Ready for if McCain has to go to the hospital for a night or if he has an unexpected clot or any of the many ailments that start hitting when you get up in years.
7. And then there is her speech. She is a wonderful speaker. Her speaking can make a person become mesmerized. But.... do you know what the first half of her speech was focused on? On her family. She focused on the one thing the rest of us were not supposed to focus on. She has decided that in order for us to vote on her we need to know about her wonderful family and how they all act and how she interacts with them. But as soon as someone else focuses on her family they are being sexist. So apparently we are supposed to fixate on the great things about her family and sweep everything else under the rug. When anyone is running for one of the highest offices in America they are going to be investigated. It comes with the territory. And as has been found out by almost every news network is the majority of information she gave about her political career or Obama's stances is wrong. Not just stretching the truth, but untruths. Her speech has gathered great numbers of followers too. And being a good speaker is not a qualification for presidency - yes the same can be said about Obama. It is important, but so is being knowledgeable and having a good education and experiences.
I know politicians stretch the truth. I know it's normal. I don't do well with blatant lies though.
I'm pretty sure I could babble on about this for a long time. There are just so many things about this that bother me. I know it is her choice to run, and I would never try to take that away from her. Even so, my heart hurts for her and her family.
http://www.slate.com/id/2199131/
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13098.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-j-elisberg/the-worst-vice-presidenti_b_122491.html
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/2/163035/8405/137/583631 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_fact_check
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hjGaAjQoUCE3VQ4N3M852LEdOVtwD9304JE80
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_popmachine/2008/09/heart-to-republ.html
http://www.crosscut.com/whitehouse/17341/
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0908/Sexism_complaints_no_longer_whining.html?showall
Monday, August 4, 2008
Political Ads
You know what bugs me the most about Political Ads?? The fact that people base their votes on them. The fact that one person can put out a 30 second comercial and thousands of people will switch their votes based solely on a commercial. Didn't they listen back in school when the teacher taught about propaganda and how people can stretch the truth, purposefully leave out important tidbits of information, and warp the truth?
Friday, March 21, 2008
A new quote
I heard this quote a couple days ago on CNN and it has stuck with me. I am living the depth of its truth.
"The most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning."
- Barack Obama
I didn't notice it until I married DH. I thought about going back to the Presbyterian church that I grew up in. And then I tried to remember how many African Americans were there. None. There are white Presbyterian churches and black Presbyterian churches. If the wrong color walks in then heads turn. We have stuck with the Catholic Church partly because that is where we both fit in.
I just think it is interesting that the time where Christians are supposed to be living their faith to the fullest - the time where we are sitting in the pews - is the same time that the segregation of the past thrives.
Each church proclaims that anyone who would like to join them in their faith is welcome, but are they really? I went to a Ghanaian church around me where I was of course the only white person around. They were friendly, but honestly only the children were accepting. The children ran up and greeted me and wanted to play with Handsome. The adults smiled, one offered me a chair and then walked away.
Why do we need a distinction between white churches and black churches? Why do we need asian churches? If we are all claiming to be of the same faith why do we worship in different, separate buildings?
Where do couples like my husband and I go? I am not fully welcome in the black church and he is not fully welcome in the white church. This is one of those times that I am thankful for the Catholic church even with all its quirks. There is no such thing as perfection I suppose. We all just look for where we fit best.
Think about it:
"The most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning."
- Barack Obama
"The most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning."
- Barack Obama
I didn't notice it until I married DH. I thought about going back to the Presbyterian church that I grew up in. And then I tried to remember how many African Americans were there. None. There are white Presbyterian churches and black Presbyterian churches. If the wrong color walks in then heads turn. We have stuck with the Catholic Church partly because that is where we both fit in.
I just think it is interesting that the time where Christians are supposed to be living their faith to the fullest - the time where we are sitting in the pews - is the same time that the segregation of the past thrives.
Each church proclaims that anyone who would like to join them in their faith is welcome, but are they really? I went to a Ghanaian church around me where I was of course the only white person around. They were friendly, but honestly only the children were accepting. The children ran up and greeted me and wanted to play with Handsome. The adults smiled, one offered me a chair and then walked away.
Why do we need a distinction between white churches and black churches? Why do we need asian churches? If we are all claiming to be of the same faith why do we worship in different, separate buildings?
Where do couples like my husband and I go? I am not fully welcome in the black church and he is not fully welcome in the white church. This is one of those times that I am thankful for the Catholic church even with all its quirks. There is no such thing as perfection I suppose. We all just look for where we fit best.
Think about it:
"The most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning."
- Barack Obama
Friday, February 15, 2008
Go Obama!
Well, on Sunday we went to an Obama town hall meeting. I know I'm late posting on this. I've been sick and just behind on everything.
First we stood in line outside for about an hour. The line went really far down the street and it was cold and windy. Not anticipating having to stand out in the cold, I left Handsome's hat in the car. A very nice lady in the line right behind us let us borrow her son's hat. He was a grown man, but if you folded the hat back a few times the hat fit just fine. I was happy to see many other children in line waiting and felt much less out of place.
When we got inside we had to sit at the top of the bleachers in the highschool auditorium. Boo. We were fairly close to the front of the line, but they were filling up each section in order and we just happened to be in the spot in line that we got the back of the section. Boo. So I trecked up all those stairs with Handsome safely in my Mei Tai. I held onto those railings as if my life depended upon it.
As soon as we got our seats, I fed Handsome so that he could make it through the whole thing. He did really well!! He was flirting with everyone around us talking and laughing and smiling. I was afraid that all the racket from people cheering would scare him, but it seemed to just make him excited. He even fell asleep at one point with his body on my lap and his head on Bitter's lap.
So, why Obama? Well, I have many reasons. Some pertain to the major political reasons, and some are personal. For the personal reasons, Obama is mixed. His mother is a white woman from the midwest and his father is African. I want my son to have someone to look up to. Someday I'd like to be able to say, look at this man - Obama. He had a mother similar to yours, and a father similar to yours and he beat all odds and became the President of the United States! You can do whatever your heart desires!
The other reasons are the political sorts. I wouldn't classify myself as a Democrat, but I tend to be leaning that way right now. I think our nation needs to get a Democrat in office to veer off it's current path. I kinda like the system where there's a Democrat for 8 years and then a Republican for 8 years. Power in the hands of the same group of people becomes corrupt - no matter what group it is.
And as for Obama over Hillary, I think Hillary is too polarizing and right now that is the opposite of what our nation needs. I do think that Obama needs more experience than he currently has, but there is no such thing as a perfect candidate.
So that's my political schpeel. I never used to care much about politics until I moved overseas and saw how important it really is. The amazing thing is that our country is so apathetic that really anyone who has any sort of activism in it can have a great deal of pull.
Anyway, I need sleep.
First we stood in line outside for about an hour. The line went really far down the street and it was cold and windy. Not anticipating having to stand out in the cold, I left Handsome's hat in the car. A very nice lady in the line right behind us let us borrow her son's hat. He was a grown man, but if you folded the hat back a few times the hat fit just fine. I was happy to see many other children in line waiting and felt much less out of place.
When we got inside we had to sit at the top of the bleachers in the highschool auditorium. Boo. We were fairly close to the front of the line, but they were filling up each section in order and we just happened to be in the spot in line that we got the back of the section. Boo. So I trecked up all those stairs with Handsome safely in my Mei Tai. I held onto those railings as if my life depended upon it.
As soon as we got our seats, I fed Handsome so that he could make it through the whole thing. He did really well!! He was flirting with everyone around us talking and laughing and smiling. I was afraid that all the racket from people cheering would scare him, but it seemed to just make him excited. He even fell asleep at one point with his body on my lap and his head on Bitter's lap.
So, why Obama? Well, I have many reasons. Some pertain to the major political reasons, and some are personal. For the personal reasons, Obama is mixed. His mother is a white woman from the midwest and his father is African. I want my son to have someone to look up to. Someday I'd like to be able to say, look at this man - Obama. He had a mother similar to yours, and a father similar to yours and he beat all odds and became the President of the United States! You can do whatever your heart desires!
The other reasons are the political sorts. I wouldn't classify myself as a Democrat, but I tend to be leaning that way right now. I think our nation needs to get a Democrat in office to veer off it's current path. I kinda like the system where there's a Democrat for 8 years and then a Republican for 8 years. Power in the hands of the same group of people becomes corrupt - no matter what group it is.
And as for Obama over Hillary, I think Hillary is too polarizing and right now that is the opposite of what our nation needs. I do think that Obama needs more experience than he currently has, but there is no such thing as a perfect candidate.
So that's my political schpeel. I never used to care much about politics until I moved overseas and saw how important it really is. The amazing thing is that our country is so apathetic that really anyone who has any sort of activism in it can have a great deal of pull.
Anyway, I need sleep.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
He talks... kinda.
Handsome plays this game now. He'll kinda grunt at you, and then you grunt back. This game continues until he starts laughing. And then it starts all over again. It's so cute.
He's also slowly starting to get restless. Before you could just hold him in your lap and he'd sit there for quite a long time very content. If you put him down he'd start crawling and playing, but he would be very quiet if he just sat in your lap. Now not so much.
You know why this stinks? He is just starting this when I want to go to a political town hall meeting. I want him to go and sit in my lap, but what if his new found mobility and desire to be constantly moving prevents him from being able to sit with me?? I'm going to be SO dissapointed if he won't sit there or if he starts making a bunch of noise. Please Lord let him be content to just sit for a little while!! I actually want to ask a question at the meeting if I can. I want to ask about maternity leave. I don't understand why we are one in three nations that has no provisions for a paid maternity leave. I think it's disgraceful. Anyway, it was hella difficult to get these tickets and if Handsome decides that we can't sit there.. Grr. Please, Handsome, let us go to this meeting and sit through the whole thing!! If only this meeting could have been about four months ago!!
He's also slowly starting to get restless. Before you could just hold him in your lap and he'd sit there for quite a long time very content. If you put him down he'd start crawling and playing, but he would be very quiet if he just sat in your lap. Now not so much.
You know why this stinks? He is just starting this when I want to go to a political town hall meeting. I want him to go and sit in my lap, but what if his new found mobility and desire to be constantly moving prevents him from being able to sit with me?? I'm going to be SO dissapointed if he won't sit there or if he starts making a bunch of noise. Please Lord let him be content to just sit for a little while!! I actually want to ask a question at the meeting if I can. I want to ask about maternity leave. I don't understand why we are one in three nations that has no provisions for a paid maternity leave. I think it's disgraceful. Anyway, it was hella difficult to get these tickets and if Handsome decides that we can't sit there.. Grr. Please, Handsome, let us go to this meeting and sit through the whole thing!! If only this meeting could have been about four months ago!!
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