Ignorant Historian

I’ve been thinking for a while about my step back from party politics.  I think that giving up their heart to the Republican Party en masse was one major downfall of the older generation of Evangelical Christianity.

While I do believe that our spiritual views should influence how we vote and what political candidates we support, I think we’re foolish if we think any party (unless it’s explicitly based on the Bible…then maybe) is going to have the same beliefs and priorities that we do.

I know I’m not the only one who has recognized this, and I’m glad that more and more people in my generation are picking up on this.  I can’t wait until we can say together, “We are followers of Christ, not of the Republican Party.  We are not them.”

I don’t intend to bash the GOP (they’re not better or worse than the Democrats), but there is a reason why politics get a bad name.  And by saying that to be a Christian is to be a Republican, we’re dragging Christ’s name through the mud, too.

While I’d love us to get beyond the 2-party system, I’m not a fool.  It’s almost as old as our country.  We love to fall into an “us” vs. “them” mindset.  But that doesn’t mean that I have to identify with either party.  Instead, I want to evaluate each candidate individually.  I’ll never fill in the “vote straight Democrat” or “vote straight Republican” bubbles…even if all of my candidates I’m choosing to vote for are of the same party.

So why I think that we’re on the right path by separating ourselves from the Republican Party, I know that there must be something else that my generation of Christians is missing.  Each generation in the past had a flaw so obvious to other generations but that they were blind to.

What is ours?  Could it be our greediness in holding on to our great wealth?  Could it be our reliance on programs?  Could it be the idea that we can be followers of Christ apart from being a part of His body?

Whatever our blind spot is, the thought that we have one (and that I, individually, do too) humbles me.  May we always be teachable.

If you don’t like something in the American culture at large, is it okay to say it? Fight it? Encourage lawmakers to restrict it?

If the issue is the treatment of animals, the emission of greenhouse gases, or the enforcement of immigration laws, the answer seems to be yes.

But what if the issue is moral? Limiting pornography distribution, the defense of the traditional family, or the ending of legal abortion?

The answer seems to be no.

I know we Americans pride ourselves on our freedom.  I’m thankful to live here, truly.  But when did our inalienable rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” come to mean “you mind your own business and I do whatever I very well please” ?

I’m okay if that “whatever” is just a difference of opinion.  Or just stupid.  But when it is something harmful to others or trashes and distorts one of God’s good gifts, a line has been crossed.

Civil discussion encouraged.

Photo by Beverly & Pack

What are there only 435 of in this whole country? (answer after the break)

I love wearing heels. Tax season, however, doesn’t love heels.  While I do spend a significant portion of my day behind a desk, slumped over a keyboard, I also get up frequently to give a new client paperwork to fill out, answer a question, check a volunteer’s work, shred something, file something else, get an envelope…you get the picture.

During tax season (especially February and April), I’m always doing 3 things at once.  Or more.  With only three days left of tax season, you know things are crazy.

But today, I’m wearing heels.  The reason lies in the answer to that first question (bonus points to anyone who figured out the riddle before reading on).

So, what are there only 435 of in this whole country?

Representatives.

As in The House of Representatives.

And one of those Representatives is visiting our small little site (need I remind you that it’s my site…as in I run it?) on this very day (and no, he doesn’t even happen to be my Representative, thanks to the screwy district lines).

So, on top of my usual busy tax day at our outlying site, I am spending the first few hours of my day in my office schmoozing up Congressmen Bob Etheridge, anyone he happens to bring with him (do they have an entourage? maybe not…but if he was a Senator?), several members of the IRS, some other colleagues, whatever media we can attract, as well as a handful of tax clients (which could be a handful in themselves).

That’s a lot of people to have in our little 4-room office.

I don’t really know what to expect.  I’m not to be the main act, but I’m definitely supposed to be the puppet-master.  Not sure how I’m going to pull all those strings.  If you think about it, pray for me between 9:30 and 10:30 Eastern!  I’ll update you all once I get some down time (ha ha!).

Updated:

Congressman here and gone.  Media here and gone.  IRS here and gone.  It went well…only briefly talked to Congressman Etheridge, but enjoyed chatting it up with volunteers, tax clients, and IRS higher ups.  Was told that I have a very welcoming and reassuring personality…that’s a first.  The important thing is that it’s over…3 more days!

I know, I know, two posts today!  I’m thinking if I post again today, you’ll let me off the hook for Monday, right?  It IS a holiday, even if it’s one that I have no idea what it means!  Really, though, this is a current issue, and not one that everyone cares about.  If you don’t, skip it, and enjoy some football down below!

If you follow politics (or listen to any of a number of talk show hosts), you probably have heard the controversy of Obama’s speech tomorrow to school children.  To be honest, I’m quite surprised at the outrage over this matter.

This is what the White House is saying about it:

“The President has spoken often about the responsibility parents have for their children and their education, but in this message he’ll urge students to take personal responsibility for their own education, to set goals, and to not only stay in school but make the most of it.”

While a speech admonishing parents that it is their responsibility to educate their children is probably more in order, I think this is something that children and teens in particular need to hear.  From what we know thus far, I don’t see/hear anything political about it (though a transcript will be released Monday, and I might join the detractors then based on what I read).

My surprise really comes from the response’s quickness to jump on this as a problem.  I see nothing inherently wrong with the president addressing an encouraging, challenging message to students.  He’s not doing it behind parents’ backs…he’s releasing a transcript prior to so that parents can choose to talk to their children about it or have them exempted from the speech.  He appears not to be foisting his partisan agenda on the students, unless challenging oneself and taking advantage of educational opportunities is considered a political viewpoint.

On this issue, Vicki and I had a bit of a Twitter discussion, as followed.  I’m sorry if at times it’s not quite sequential as most conversations of this sort often aren’t.  In the interest of full disclosure, Vicki and I share many of the same political view points.

Ronnica: Yeah, Rep. want more dropouts. (?) RT @La_Shawn Hadn’t realized Obama’s gov’t school speech was so controversial…http://tinyurl.com/mn436y

Vicki: Concerned parents don’t want more drop outs. We don’t want the invasiveness of Socialism either, that’s why he scares us.

Ronnica: I agree with concerns about prez, but not this address yet. Once we see the transcript Monday, then we can judge.

Ronnica: Basically, I don’t think Obama is the enemy. *shock*

Vicki: Why would that be a shock?

Ronnica: It just seems that so much of what comes out of other conservatives mouths is vilification of those who they don’t agree with.

Vicki: You’re right but why is that not acceptible if what we have found out seems villainous to us? When can we speak our minds without reproof? We’re no louder or more obnoxious than those on the left vilifying what they don’t agree with.

Ronnica: I have no problem w/ppl saying, well, anything. I just think that the enemy is Satan and sin (and Dems aren’t the only sinners).

Vicki: To me his ideals go against my ideas of Christianity, of life, of liberty and of pursuit of happiness. I will speak against that.

Ronnica: I just find it surprising that some conservatives don’t even want their children to hear Obama, period.

Ronnica: Totally, I will/do, too. But I don’t disagree with everything he says, and he’s still the president, regardless.

Ronnica: And I guess I get more frustrated with ppl on “my” side acting like this than those I disagree with.

Vicki: I will let my daughter here him when I am there to guide and “interpret”. Kids @ school don’t have that. And it’s more than that. It’s a political/social message saying we understand where you’re coming from and we’re not going to sit idly by. (sorry for spelling errors, I’m dealing w/ many things…kids…at once) :)

Ronnica: That’s def. a big plus w/homeschooling (parents need to be more involved in their child’s ed when it’s not the prez speaking).

Ronnica: LOL kids: isn’t that what this is about? I’ll have more to say when transcript is released. Might blog this conv, if that’s ok.

Vicki: Yes, he’s the president and we are to respect that office, but I’m fine with being angry and honest. And protective.

Vicki: I know this is God’s will. My hope is that it’s bringing us closer to His Kingdom.

So, what do you think?  If you’re a parent, will you let your children watch this broadcast?  Are you going to read the transcript and then decide?  Will you discuss this with your children/youth?

Civility (n) – politeness, the act of showing regard for others

Civility…that’s a good word, no?  Then why is it sorely lacking from political debate in this country?

I love a good discussion.  Whether I’m discussing an issue with someone who I mostly agree with or with someone I mostly disagree with,  I believe it’s healthy to question and examine one’s assumptions.  It’s rare that my views are not changed or at least fine-tuned after a discussion of an important matter.  Being forced to state my views in a comprehensible way helps me realize my argument’s weaknesses and recognize any unfounded and unjustified claims.

So why do people think that yelling at one another and calling one another names is a good thing?  Why do they think that this is “debate?”  Why are talk radio shows and cable news programs filled with venomous, vacuous speech?  Do they even think it’s helpful, or is their only aim to disrupt their sworn enemies (because we’re really at war and there can be no middle ground)?

Perhaps I’m naive, but I believe that there is a place for meaningful debate.  That doesn’t mean that we’ll walk away from the table at the end of the day with the same opinions, but we can walk away with a greater respect and understanding of one another and an idea on the things that we can agree on.  While I don’t agree with the President on many of the issues, I share his belief that there is a place for meaningful discussion beyond party, religious, cultural, and racial differences.  I believe our country would be a better place if more people believed this, but I also believe that the sinfulness of man will always taint how we relate to one another.

Photo by Jenn Jenn

Murder is no way to show that abortion is murder.  This is not the type of news I like to hear out of my home city.  Shame on he who did this:

Abortion Provider George Tiller is Shot Dead at Church

From time to time I’ve heard the sentiment, usually from those of a pro-choice persuasion, “Why is abortion such a big deal?”  Obviously, this issue has me and several others all in a tizzy, but for what purpose?  There are many issues that I feel strongly about, so why is abortion often front and center?

In order to realize why I think of it as a big deal, I’ll try to help you see it through my eyes.  It’s really an issue of worldview: because of the way I see the world, I can’t help but make a big deal out of abortion.

I believe that life begins at conception.  That’s when the man and the woman’s DNA are combined in such a way to create new DNA.  The embryo–even when he’s just one cell–does not have the same genetic material as his mother, so he can’t just be an extension of her.  Because that baby–no matter how small–is his own person, taking any actions to deliberately kill that person is MURDER, just like it would be murder to kill any other innocent human being.

If you found out that the government was allowing (and in some cases funding) people and organizations to murder innocent people, wouldn’t you be upset?  Wouldn’t you do all that is in your power to speak out for those individuals and help them?

That’s why abortion is such a big deal to me.  While I know many of my readers won’t agree with the foundational premise of my pro-life position, I hope you recognize the logic of my conclusion based on that premise.

You all know I’m a dork, right? The other day I was talking to my roommate about my taste in boys, and I told her I was surprised she didn’t know that I liked dorky guys. She thought I meant that of course I’d like dorky guys because I’m dorky, when I just meant that the guys I’ve liked in the past were dorky and she knew that.  The people who live with you know you best, right?

Along the same lines, the age that I was most excited about reaching growing up was 18.  Why 18?  Because that’s when you can register to vote.  I knew early on that I would just miss voting in the 2000 election by 6 weeks and that bummed me out.

When I registered to vote that first year, I registered Republican.  They were the good guys, right?  I suppose my political philosophy, young as it was, mainly fit in the Republican camp, except I didn’t want legislation against abortion (I held some vague idea that this was forcing your morality on others), wanted capital punishment gone, and could care less about gun legislation one way or the other (this last one is still more or less my view).

Since then, I’ve grown a lot, and not just politically.  I’ve read, listened, thought, and talked out my beliefs, seeking to form a consistent, relevant, and biblical worldview.  Still, I’ve remained Republican, or at least the voting records still said I am.  In the last years, I’ve drawn further away from the Republican party as I recognize that a political party will never accurately reflect my views (unless it’s based on mine, but who wants to follow me?).  When I officially moved my voter registration to North Carolina last year, I registered Republican because I thought I had to in order to vote in the Republican primaries.  Turns out, that’s not the case.

All that to say, I’m proud to announce that I’m now officially “unaffiliated.”

This has been one of the fastest weeks ever.  Of course, I’m of the subscriber of the philosophy that our perception of time means we DO feel like each increment (day, week, year, whatever) is faster than the last because it’s a smaller proportion of our life as a whole.  That means that this week WAS the fastest ever!

Anyway, now time for your comments:

Wickle said: “Just for fun … When someone gets too whiny, you could say, ‘You can’t get a bigger refund because they needed the money to send to me.’

“Of course, you might want to update your resume first. Just a thought …”

You don’t know how many times I want to say something like that!  I love to joke and use sarcasm (just ask any of my little kiddies who’ve fallen victim to it), but I really have to hold my tongue and not joke about stealing people’s money!  It’s not quite professional…

Vicki had some ideas for a celebration post that I think you might like:

 ”1. Give away a million dollars
2. Or just a vacation to an exotic island
3. Or just a Gift card (for $600 or 600 pennies or somewhere in between)
4. Or highlight some of your favorite older posts that new readers will not have read”

Any idea on how to get a sponsor for either of the first two ideas?  If so, I’d totally be up for it!

OneMom said, “Future posts? How about writing about your hopes for the future … 1 year, 5 years, 10 years from now.”

I absolutely love this idea, though I’m not using it for my 3rd anniversary post.  Look for it soon (Soon meaning a few weeks from now…I’ve got several weeks of posts already written!  It’s very freeing.).

Amanda (my future sister-in-law) said about my Christmas/April Fool’s post, “Haha nice one! I was about to comment on the girlfriend/fiance remark, but then saw I was ‘fooled’ since that was irrelevant back in December. Burritos? Seriously? Awesome!  Why am I not too terribly surprised by number ten? He has gotten a lot better about gifting though.”

Iva said, “Oh you totally got me! And you were the only one.”

Yes!

And there were several good comments on the “Tar and Feathers?” post.  Here’s some snippets:

“I’m getting really tired of many of the US blogs I read continually moaning about everything the guys does. Sure, disagree with him and state your case, but if all you do is complain about how bad things are now that he’s in power, it’s going to be a very miserable four years for many people.” – Rodney Olsen

“To be fair, people did the same thing to Pres. Bush; but back then the people who are doing it now were calling it wrong.” – Wickle

“The focus, however, should be on how we as constituents deal with what we’re given which should be in a way that glorifies God.” – Elizabeth

Why do I get so defense when someone slams the President?  I hinted on Saturday that I’d be talking about this sometime this week, and here it is.

Any of you who’ve been reading this blog for a while understand where I stand politically, and if you don’t and are curious, feel free to click the tag “politics.”  As far as this post is concerned, only the fact that I disagree with our current president on many key issues is relevant.

Though I don’t agree with everything he did, my political beliefs are more aligned with President Bush.  It’s understandable why it would have irked me when someone ridiculed him (though I think this BNL song may be the best anti-Bush thing I’ve heard, it’s hilarious primarily because of the manner in which it was done). 

I think it annoys me as much (if not more) if someone treats Barack Obama in the same manner even if they’re on “my” side, or possibly because they’re on “my” side.

I’m all for meaningful discussion of the issues, and I don’t think the president is above scrutiny, I just think that as the leader of our country he deserves respect, though certainly not mindless, mute followers.  I will seek to hold him accountable for his actions and call him out on foolish decisions, but I won’t deride his character unless specific, verifiable incidents back up my accusations.

So, to sum up, I don’t disagree with people disagreeing with the president or any other leader.  I just disagree with doing it in inflamatory, slanderous ways.  Or maybe I’m wrong and we should be bring back tar and feathers?