I've always been a big fan of former Secretary of State Colin Powell. I thought for sure this guy would be a shoe-in for the White House if he decided to run. This man, to me, was the perfect candidate for representing minorities in the political big picture. The man, to me, seemed to be a level-headed conservative with a clear understanding of social issues concerning minorities in the context of this country's center-right Presidential political philosophies.Now, from what I'm hearing, Mr. Powell is on the verge of endorsing Mr. Obama for the Presidency? My, my, my...how the mighty have fallen!
If this rumor is true, I only have one thing to say to Mr. Powell: HOW DARE YOU!
As a high profile minority, Mr. Powell, is going against tradition by being labeled a conservative in the first place. Why would a high profile minority even be siding with the Republicans in the first place?
The answer to that question is pretty simple: Mr. Powell is an educated man. He understands the differences between the Republican and Democrat's philosophy on economics. He understands what the ramifications of tax proposals are. That's part of the reason why he's considered to be a conservative.
Mr. Powell understands the dangers of the world we live in. He understands the danger that Iran and North Korea pose to the world if they're allowed to obtain nuclear power. He understands these things clearly. That's another reason why he's considered to be a conservative.
Mr. Powell also understands the philosophies of this country's religous freedoms. I believe Mr. Powell is a "believer". As a believer, I think, that means Jesus-Christ. Now how, pray tell, can Mr. Powell be a supporter of abortion when it comes to that type of life issue?
It's clear to me that Mr. Powell, as it turns out, is a coward! First for not running for the Presidency himself and second for selling out his core beliefs for a candidate like Mr. Obama. That is a coward through and through.
Mr. Obama's wealth redistribution tax plans should bring outrage from Mr. Powell but instead we're hearing rumors of a Mr. Obama endorsement from Mr. Powell? What is it in Mr. Obama's own words that Mr. Powell doesn't understand? "I want to spread the wealth around"? Is Mr. Powell now endorsing this philosophy?
FROM MR. POWELL'S OWN WORDS:
_________________________
Colin Powell Tells Republican Delegates [1996]:
"We Republicans believe that the family, fueled by values, must be restored to a central place in American life if we are to keep the dream alive!
I come before you this evening as a retired soldier.- a fellow citizen who has lived the American Dream to its full, as one who believes in that dream and as one who wants that dream to come to a reality for every American. My parents came to this country as immigrants over 70 years ago. They came here as did millions of others with nothing but hope and a willingness to work hard and a desire to seize the opportunities given to them by their new land.
They found work that enabled them to raise a family; work that allowed them to come home every Friday night with the fruits of their labor - a decent wage that brought sustenance, and more importantly, brought dignity into our home. They raised two children to whom they gave precious gifts - a set of core beliefs, a value system founded on a clear understanding of the difference between right and wrong, and a belief in the Almighty. Integrity, kindness, doctrines that were right - lying, crime, violence, intolerance, drugs were wrong, and even worse than wrong in my family - they were shameful! We were taught that hard work and education were the keys to success.
My sister and I were taught to believe in ourselves. We might be considered poor, but we were rich in spirit. We might be black and considered second-class citizens, but stick with it because we were Americans! Justice will eventually triumph and the powerful series of promises of the founding fathers will come true. We were taught by my parents - always, always, always believe in miracles!
My parents found here a compassionate land, with a compassionate people. They found a government that protected their labor, educated their children and provided help to those of their fellow citizens who were needy. They found their dream in America and they passed that dream on to their children. Here tonight over 70 years after they landed on these shores, their son has been given the privilege of addressing the Republican party, assembled in convention to present to the American people our vision of how that dream can be passed on to future generations.
Our vision first and foremost rests on values - values, because values are the conscience of a society. Values that must be lived, not just preached. Children learn values by watching their parents in their homes, values that are then re-enforced in their churches and places of worship, in their schools and in their communities in which they live. Values fuel families, families that are bound together by love and commitment, families that have the strength to withstand the assaults of contemporary life, to resist the images of violence and vulgarity that flood into our lives every day. Families that come together to defeat the scourge of drugs and crime and incivility that threatens us. That's why we Republicans believe that the family, fueled by values, must be restored to a central place in American life if we are to keep the dream alive!
Yet, families cannot thrive and pass on these beliefs if parents cannot bring home a decent living wage from a hard day's work. We Republicans believe that a good job, needed to sustain families, come from a faster growing economy where the free enterprise system is unleashed to create wealth, wealth which produces more good jobs."
_________________________
That section of Mr. Powell's speech tells me that he's about to sell out his own core values to endorse Mr. Obama. Again, Mr. Obama's tax proposals should be enough for Mr. Powell to stay away from anything that has to do with Mr. Obama's policies.
Why would Mr. Powell even consider endorsing Mr. Obama? Everything Mr. Obama has done in this campaign has it's roots in class warfare. Mr. Obama, to me, is exploiting the poor for power. That goes against everything Mr. Powell said his parents taught him. I thought soldiers were supposed to stand up to injustices.
Why doesn't this old soldier, Mr. Powell, secure his role in history by telling the American public, especially the black community, that what Mr. Obama is doing is called class warfare and exploitation? Not to speak out against this type of philosophy that all Democrats seems to practice is something prominent black men will regret one day. Class warfare and exploitation is only crippling the black community and if Mr. Powell was a true soldier he would point this out this coming Sunday.
If Mr. Powell doesn't point this out but, in fact, goes on to endorses Mr. Obama, well, I only have one thing to say to Mr. Powell: HOW DARE YOU! But my real question is this: How can an educated man like Mr. Powell, who knows the difference between right and wrong, just sit there and not say anything about the black community being exploited and still call himself a soldier? To sit there in silence over an issue like this is one thing but to act blind to the point of endorsing Mr. Obama...well, that's just a sold out soul.
I mean, how can you say something like this: "Our vision first and foremost rests on values - values, because values are the conscience of a society". If Mr. Powell truely believes this, then what he is doing is selling out his own conscience. Is that what it's come down to? How can Mr. Powell do something like that?
The answer to that question is simple: Mr. Powell is a coward and nothing more!
And you wonder why this great society is in a decline. When men of conscience sell their souls...that's not a good thing.
SHAME ON YOU, MR. POWELL!
mike t.
32 comments:
Hi Mike,
unfortunately I am unable to agree with your blog regarding the premise that Powell support for Obama would be due to Powell cowardice...that is quite a stretch and I can think of at least 3 other premises that would not require the same stretch. Number 1 would be to consider that the hero spirit is attracted to it's own kind.
Let me exund upon it a bit. If Colin has demonstrated bravery as you so readily recognize, then perhaps that is what attracts him to Obama. Barack Hussein Obama...even that name denotes anger and fear in many Americans. But this man found th courage to run with that name, in this country, at this time, with the awareness that he would be raked over the coals. Not only has his character been vetted, challenged, and questioned as he shold be, but also that of his acquaintances. It's as if, Obama is or should be held accountable for every wrong action of anyone he knows.
I see no conflict between the good that Mr. Powell speaks of and what he values, and that of Mr. Obama. Their ideas on how to realize these values are different. The same benefits that Powells family realized when they first came to these shores, are the same benefits and freedom the democratic nominee wants for our country.
This is a very exciting election as is evidenced by the invigoration of this election cycle. Millions of people have elected to get involved. I credit Obama for much of that. Love him or hate him, he has awakened the people in a way that I have not seen before...I hear that Kennedy had the same effect, but I was a baby then and did not participate.
Get past the party differences if you can and perhaps you will recognize the hero in both of these men. Powell was brave enough to walk away from an administration that went rogue, but perhaps not brave enough to do what Obama has done. Obama has successfully led a presidential campaign in the American climate in which not everyone is as open as the majority in terms of supporting a candidate that is not a 100% European descendent. He's only half white, and by most accounts he is defined as "black".
Maybe it just comes down to Powell liking what he sees and being brave enough to go past party lines and support what and whom he believes to be the best and bravest candidate.
Now wont we have wasted our time, thought, and exchange if Powell's interview has nothing to do with him endorsing Obama??
vonya,
Thank you for commenting.
I respect you detailed point of view. And in no way do I downplay the importance of what Mr. Obama is doing to this general election. Win or lose it is historical.
I respect what he's doing for minorities in a way you can't understand if you don't know my history.
My problem with Mr. Obama is that he has a clear voting record that points to the extreme left. All this stuff about "party differences" is pure BS. No way do you claim bipartisan cooperation and then just vote your own parties line. That's just an outright lie.
Mr. McCain is the one who has a clear bipartisan record. And if you can get past the idea that a black man is running for President and doing very well...you would acknowledge these facts.
I do believe it's time for a minority to be in the White House as President...but couldn't the black community find someone who wasn't riddled with so much questionable judgement?
Bill Ayers? Jeremiah Wright? ACORN? The names go on and on. That's not to mention his extreme left voting record. And now he wants to "spread the wealth" by taxing "the rich"? Why can't you see that taxing the rich is the same as taxing the poor?
The rich will pass that tax to the consumer with price increases for products and services. And those whose who are barely at 250,000 will be forced to cut jobs. That hurts the poor. All this stuff is called exploiting the poor. And in the context of this general election that's called class warfare. You should be outraged at that.
Black community leaders should be ashamed that they couldn't find a better qualified Black man to represent them. Gee, all the guy can really do well is make speeches. Any background check, whatsoever, finds a radical waiting to take this country into a deep depression.
And you support that?
mike t.
One more thing:
"Now wont we have wasted our time, thought, and exchange if Powell's interview has nothing to do with him endorsing Obama?"
LOL! I guess I would own Mr. Powell an agology if that turns out to be true.
mike t.
just so you know:
"How dare you?" is a question and therefore requires a question mark.
I gave up on your blog at that point. It is hard to value the political opinions of people who don't understand 3rd grade punctuation.
Anonymous,
Thank you for commenting.
Actually you can use an exclamation point to express a strong opinion where a question mark is normally used.
The "how dare you" term in this context is more of a strong expression than a rhetorical question.
How dare you? This is asking for a response.
How dare you! This is more of an accusation or strong expression.
I read about this grammar rule in a book once, a long time ago. But I wasn't in the 8th grade when I read it.
mike t.
Just Mad that a High Caliber Republican is going to endorse Barack Obama. The GOP is DEAD
Anonymous,
Thank you for commenting.
Yes I'm mad that a high ranking Republican would endorse an extreme left Democrat. I wrote about my reasons why, too.
mike t.
Hello Mr. T,
Your tone is quite over the top for discussing a hypothetical situation that has not yet occurred. This rumor was circulated several months ago and Mr. Powell denounced it.
Now place yourself in Mr. Powell's shoes. How would you regard your comments? I guess you forgot a basic premise of American life: innocent until proven guilty. Perhaps, you just like the sound of your voice or heaping hate on those you inherently deem inferior to yourself. There is an obvious, inherent lack of trust for a man you claim to have respected in the past.
You must ask yourself, "did I really respect him, or was I just parroting what I was told? Why did I automatically assume the worst of someone who, in the past, proved to be honorable,loyal and respectful?
Furthermore, why exactly are you quoting Farrakhan? When did he his word become gospel and quote worthy? I must admit that you both appear to have a couple of things in common. You both hate Obama and you both have no respect for Jesus Christ or Christianity. Only a non-Christian would make up and/or repeat such a disrespectful, vile lie.
You actually make me feel sorry for Obama, because I can't think of anything worse that someone could say about another human being! Mesiah indeed, you better get on your knees and pray for forgiveness! Now, take a deep breath, look in the mirror and ask yourself, "How dare you"! Please call your pastor, because you obviously need his counsel. I'm going to pray for you. Bless you!
Anonymous,
Thank you for the comments.
Well, if Mr. Powell doesn't endorse Mr. Obama then I truely will need to repent for my presumptuous post.
If I'm wrong then I appreciate your prayers. But if Mr. Powell, indeed, does endorse Mr. Obama you really need to pray for this county.
I must admit that you both appear to have a couple of things in common. You both hate Obama and you both have no respect for Jesus Christ or Christianity. Only a non-Christian would make up and/or repeat such a disrespectful, vile lie.
I must have missed something. Where did I lie? I don't hate Mr. Obama. I just don't agree with his extreme left handed policies. That's not hate. I don't buy that philosophy. That's what it comes down to.
mike t.
I totally disagree with you.
Colin Powell is beyond honorable and Obama (while certainly not overqualified) is qualified enough. Maybe he's just much smarter than you.
I am a tax policy expert (by training and profession) and you are dead wrong about taxation. That should be obvious from the past 6 years after the Bush tax breaks. The trickle down theory has proven fruitless. Time to go back to the Clinton handbook...it worked.
Anonymous,
Thank you for commenting.
If you really were a good tax person then you would know that President Clinton policies created a bubble that burst because it takes time for faulty philosophies to take root into society.
I didn't hear you say anything about the rich being taxed passing that tax on to the consumer with a price increase in products and services. Why, if you're an expert, can't you figure that out?
You act like the rich are stupid people. Yet, they know how to make money but they aren't going to be able to withstand this tax hike?
That doesn't make sense. And neither does an endorsement of Mr. Obama by Mr. Powell make sense.
mike t.
and don't you see that that's the problem with you so called "christian" conservatives today? you judge people sinners just on suspicion of wrongdoing IN YOUR EYES.
i see nothing Christian at all about this breed of republicans, to be honest. haven't seen anything truly Christian about it for a long time. neither you or any other "christian" can point to one place in the Bible where it says to disregard the needs of those less fortunate than you. if you even read your Bible you will see that IN FACT it states unequivocally that "the poor you will have with you always" - and in saying that, God does NOT rail against poverty, nor does He characterize it as a bad thing, nor does He say that poor people will go to hell or that there's something inherently wrong with them. considering as God said "blessed are the poor..." ye do twist His words around when you tar and feather them with disdain and lack of care and concern. In His mandates about the poor, God went so far as to say, "what you do for the least of Mine, you do for Me." so, by rejecting the poor and maligning them, you do malign and reject God. I didn't say it - He did! how conservatives twisted that basic principle of loving your brother and being his keeper around to me "I got mine, if you can't get yours - too bad" i'll never know. they also send people to hell and condemn for things (as well all soon find out in breaking news stories) that they do themselves. the Bible says let him without sin cast the first stone, and at least the Jews present that day for the stoning of the prostitute had enough SENSE to drop their stones and go on back home, but you republicans are too dense to take the hint and will openly lambaste and ridicule someone for doing openly what you guys try to hide behind closed doors. hello - pregnant teens, teen drinking, rampant hormones and no intelligence to go with them. (the Bible says TRAIN a child in the way that he should go and when he's older he will not depart from it). then the church condemning homosexuality while the priests rape the altar little altar boys on a daily basis and the pastors step away from the pulpit on Sunday and lean over the lecturn in the back office while their gay choir leader or gay usher or gay deacon lover helps them live their "broke back" fantasies. but when they're found out it's "judge not lest ye be judged also." or they blast someone for "palling around" with terrorists while the number two on THEIR ticket is married to one! and she HERSELF endorses the "good work" or the group.
they'll claim Obama is playing the race card because he tells me "they'll try to make your afraid because I'm black" and at the same time put out OFFICIAL NEWSLETTERS with the "BLACK" candidate on a $10 bill surrounded by images of watermelon, ribs, and fried chicken and then backtrack and try to claim "I had no idea that was in any way racist or offensive. It was just food and just an illustration speaking to Obama saying he didn't look like other people on the money. Gosh, well I apologize if ANYone was offended. And that's the last I'll say on that." in the meantime, black repubs are crying at outraged by some of the stuff their own party is doing - you know why?? because it doesn't even recognize them. anytime your party puts out stuff like that and mails it out knowing it could go to a lot of people who see the stereotype and would be gravely offended - that says something about your values alright. says you value families - as long as they're not like the ones of the racist materials being disseminated. i wonder how you would feel if they put Obama on a lotus blossom with a big red dollar sign in the middle of his head, meditating with eight arms all reaching for money and had as a caption "Om, I'm lovin it." i wonder how many of your friends back home would be seen by terrorists to this same party you champion. not to mention the "obama waffles" with him with streotypical popping eyes, big juicy lips, and flapping ears staring at a plate of steaming waffles. or the joe plummer "tap dances better than Sammy Davis, Jr" comment. If he was Indian, would you be offended if they'd said after his few minutes dancing on Ellen - "at least he soft shoes better than Benny Lava."
(not saying you're Indian - I'm just using another race as an example). this is the "christian" party. often turning into the most racist, hateful people! imagine the "christians" yelling kill him. where does the Bible back that up? for all your party's talk of being "christians" you guys sure have an ideology that's very unChristlike.
the fact is - Obama seems to be the one actually LIVING the family values your party apparently only talks about. And OH! how the Bible says God hates unfair scales. your group is too much the respecter of persons and not so much respecter of God's ideas and laws. why is it that republicans DON'T want to pay taxes? where is the Biblical principle for THIS repub idea?? there isn't one. if you read your Bible (the ULTIMATE family and LIFE values guide) you remember that Jesus was ASKED to pay taxes/tribute. and what was His response? because THAT'S the response you need to pattern your life after - not some crap you all MADE UP. What does God care about a stupid "republican" party? you can't find even a basis for THAT in the Bible. But our political parties ARE a part of this government system and God DID have something very concrete to teach us there. He had Peter take a coin from the sea and He asked Peter - "Whose likeness is on that coin?" Now mind you - this is when He was told about a tax required of Him to pay. the image on the coin was Ceasars. His response - "Render to Ceasar what belongs to Ceasar and render to God what belongs to God." In other words - *cough* He paid His taxes. He didn't complain about how high or fair they were. On TOP OF THAT - His message inferred that giving tribute to Ceasar as part of worldy law DIDN'T exempt you from God's law of paying tithes (which belong to God). So, if JESUS paid His tithes AND His taxes - HOW IN THE WORLD can your party say it's Christian when they go against the very WORD of God?! I'm just utterly baffled by this. Yes, God definitely does not accept homosexuality and abortion, and your party claims to be anti-gay and pro-life, but are you REALLY??? How come in ALL this time - your ultra christian president (whom you voted for for the SAME reasons McCain/Palin are spouting these days) how come he hasn't overturned Roe v Wade?? How come homosexuality hasn't been made illegal? How come Catholic priests who have raped kids, FAR from being searched for and prosecuted, have been coddled, shuffled, protected, and hidden until ABSOLUTELY cornered by accusations and media? you know why these things haven't and won't ever be changed? because your party leaders have you all figured out - all they have to do is talk the talk to string you along like lambs before the slaughter and again and again you guys buy it - hook, line, and sinker. and i consider myself a conservative Christian, baby - the rest of you all are just play acting. i had an epiphany during this election with the way McCain has been shamelessly pandering to people like me - he announced Palin as his running mate, and i finally got it - the lightbulb finally clicked that this man thinks I and others like me are plum idiots. no respect for me whatsoever by putting not only a highly unqualified person as his #2 (pun recognized), but putting someone obviously designed to stir the conservative pot with a disabled newborn (for the compelling back story to rival Barack's compelling back story), a pregnant teen who's keeping the unplanned for child (to illustrate pro-life in action), a woman (to attract disgruntled people who just wanna vote for a woman), a "GOP rockstar" (to rival the Obama "celebrity" moniker that THEY gave him in the first place)and a whole host of other things. he's playing his electorate like an instrument, but he's playing it badly. i now believe, having seen McCain get this far, that he knows as long as you say you're against gays and abortion - you're guaranteed some kid of loyalty, some kind of traction. that's called pandering. God - i sometimes believe conservatives are SOOO stupid that satan himself could get elected to the presidency AS LONG AS HE SAID he WAS against gays and abortion and the other guy said he wasn't. there's something wrong with that kind of "puppet" or "sheep" mentality. and then - you guys don't even have the heart or the stamina to demand the candidates make good on their promises - else, politicians wouldn't still be able to run on these issues cuz they'd be dealt with already. maybe it's the "christianity" that disappears or the attention span that drops after the person gets elected. something has to happen to make you so passionate about an issue to elect someone who says they're gonna address and then forget about it altogether once they're in office. it's amazing how you all are so concerned with life. it seems like you're very passionate about a person - that is, until they're born. then your philosophy shifts dramatically to "i got mine, if you can't get yours - tough." and then your guy has the nerve to talk about his adoption (without mentioning that his kid was adopted from another country!) like that solves the adoption crisis for the millions of AMERICAN kids languishing in a system funded, apparently, by christians who certainly DON'T want to be funding them. or feeding the. or housing them. or educating them. or clothing them. or even acknowledging them. VERY Christ-like. really. He'd be proud of you guys and what you say and do. He said it's not what goes into your mouth that's the problem, it's what comes out of it. What goes in you mouth eventually passes out of your body, but what comes out of your mouth - comes from your heart.
you tell me how many of the underlying republican beliefs and ideals have heart. not many. they miss the mark in every way. do i champion homosexuality and abortion - not at all. and there's a way to deal with those issues. if you're gonna overturn the laws - overturn em then, stop pretending about it. then deal with the fallout - otherwise they're playing you guys for fools and talking outta the sides of their necks. in the meantime - people are still gay and still having abortions. at least Barack has addressed the issue of homosexuality that respects marriage (for what that's worth) and seeks to diminish abortion. at some point, with all the resources for pregnancy prevention out there, we have to start holding WOMEN accountable for their actions. PREVENTION education is the key. if they don't KNOW how to NOT get pregnant, you end up with a country full Lynn and Bristols. then some women will still be irresponsible and know how to not get pregnant and still get pregnant - we MUST change the way we think about our bodies as women. abortion arose because obviously women kept finding themselves in the situation of getting pregnant when they didn't want to - so women have to take more precautions, after all - they're the ones who GET pregnant. So education and actually instilling morals and ethics into our children again will be a key thing that will reduce unwanted pregnancy. it's not the best solution, but it's a start in the right direction and we can probably see the end of abortion in this country, but the minute you say they don't have a "right" to do it, is when doing it becomes a badge or something to fight for. if we make the process unattractive and the principle of prevention more acceptable (the way they're now doing with drugs) that will go a long way. and speaking of the issue of being pro-life, i find no Biblical principle for taking the life that you love so much and killing it in combat zones. that's what i call later term abortion, too. Christians got no business killing people! When Pater just wanted to chop off a dude's ear for comeing to arrest Jesus to kill Him He told him not to do that. He ushered in a new kingdom. you're just trading one type of life for another.
Obama comes with some negatives, but what people are drawn to is that his negatives don't outweigh his positives in the same way that McCain's positives don't outweigh his negatives. and for you to call Colin Powell a coward for exercising his right to vote for whomever he chooses - speaks a lot about you and people like you. You sound like the democrats who want Joe Lieberman to resign because he endorses John McCain! And you call the dems leftist - is this still America or what?! I thought we had the right to vote for whomever we wanted and I didn't see the fine print on the Constitution that said we have to explain our reasons why. Let the man exercise the right that his country - not you or your party - bestowed upon him. I know PLENTY of black folks that are still voting for McCain even after ALL the racist, gimmicky stunts his campaign has pulled. To use Sarah Palin's ivonics, "I think it's a gosh durn shame." but they can vote how they like - whether I like it or not. And so can you. And so can Colin. How unAmerican it would be for you to assert or imply otherwise. Furthermore, if Obama IS a socialist and the American people are STILL voting for him - then, obviously, they must not MIND the idea of a Socialist America. Americans have the right to have whatever kind of country the majority votes for. If it doesn't line up with the party you want - chalk that up to the failure of your party these last two times around. Not only did your peeps screw us and the world up, they made Christians the world over a HATED and despised group (and NOT in the good way the Bible says of "defending the gospel"), and when it's all said and done, your peeps just may be the party that causes the new ten-headed, roman empire to resurge, bringing forth the beginning of the end. Maybe the repub party is what the Bible meant when it predicted the abomination of desolation. every day we here that this economy is getting worse and worse and now europe wants to meet with the US to talk about a WORLD CURRENCY to deal with this problem?? wow. welcome to the new world. we may indeed be the "Obama" nation that drowns in desolation caused by the corruption and greed of this current administration. dems aren't perfect and they had a hand in it too, but it's the repub straw that broke this camel's back. and it's always the last straw that is most hated - the other straws didn't break the camel, right?
Socialist or not - the Bible says we are to PRAY for those that rule over us. And I will be praying that the is not the end of this great nation. I will be praying that God is able to use Barack to restore this country and that we can make a healthy comeback and at the same time, do some good in the world. I will be praying that Americans truly start working together and seeing each other as Americans - we all as a place and a stake in this great nation. We can't work if our differences are ALL we see. We NEED to change to survive. Maybe a socialist nation will make you all understand what you have and really begin to love those principles you keep saying you believe, but yet there's no evidence left behind. I am an AMERICAN. I want what's best for A-MER-I-CA, not just what's best for me and my friends. You are not above the little people, you ARE the little people, too! A big enough setback to put you right where they are and a big enough stretch of luck can put them right where you are. so why not show some love and compassion to those already down, that way - if you find yourself there - you won't be without any resources cuz there will be something established for people like you. and for them, if there's something to sustain them at the bottom, in the middle, and to the top - they're more inclined to look back and help someone else. when you do it by yourself for yourself - you just become bitter. and all you focus on is - "well, nobody helped me." but if there WAS someone to help you at one or several points along the way - we could share the load when needed and celebrate your ultimate success when you finally achieve it. how does that become a bad thing?
Jesus was never petty, stingy, mean, lacking compassion or lacking heart. He gave everything He had to us because He saw that we were desperately in need of something we couldn't give ourselves. And He didn't hesitate to give what was needed. And He didn't complain. And He didn't blame us for being needful. In essence, He said 'this is MY creation. I'm not gonna stop loving or caring for them. I'm gonna give them every chance to succeed until they run out. I'm gonna give them every support. They are free to make mistakes, but they are also free to succeed. I will never take that away from them." If He can say that for a bunch of people who used and abused Him at every turn (even TODAY), people who killed Him because they didn't understand His message and He could look even at THEM, His killers with absolute love and compassion - how then can we look out our neighbor who has done nothing us like what was done to Jesus - and be so callous? ungiving? evil? mean?
help those less fortunate. pay your taxes. don't love your money more than you love people. being rich isn't everything and for people who claim to love Christ and follow Him soooooo much, i find it ironic that when a rich man FINALLY came to Jesus and told him how he'd followed all His rules and did good and eschewed evil and said "Master, what must I do to be saved?" Jesus told him, "Sell all that you have, give it to the poor, and come with me" (paraphrase). And the young man bowed his head and walked away. And Jesus was sad, but He used that young man better than the Straight Talk Express used joe the plummer - of him, He said (paraphrase) "Well, that's a shame. See, he has a lot of money and I guess it means more to him than salvation. It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to go to heaven." Why?? cuz love of that money will turn you away from God's principles EVERY. TIME. THAT'S what the republican party and the "christian" conservatives, and the neocons, and neoneocons - whatever million names you guys have for yourselves these days - that's what your party seems to have - a lot of young, rich men (and women) who WANT to serve the Lord, but...
i could be a republican IF you guys were really Christian. i don't believe you are. i believe a lot of misguided people think they are, but if your actions don't line up with The Word - how can you? how can your party? how can it's follower??? "Republican" is a four letter word, and I think it's UNFAIR for real Christians to be lumped with you all! We need a third major party. All too often if you have half of each candidate you get the perfect candidate. And for me - voting for the lesser of two evils just doesn't cut it anymore. I don't want to vote for evil period. So unless we get a DRASTIC upgrade in the calibre of human being who runs for any office I may well stop voting. what good would it be to me?
anyway - I'm not ranting against you personally, juts voicing my opinion based on your post.
Anonymous said...
Thank you for commenting.
This is a very long response. I will take my time to read it. Give me a day or so to form my thoughts about you have to say.
I appreciate you expressing yourself fully. I may not agree but I appreciate the work you put in to your response.
I'll get back to you soon.
mike t.
How is McCain's plan to use my tax dollars to buy (at full value) the nearly worthless mortgages of irresponsible borrowers not a redistribution of my hard-earned wealth?
How is the Bush Administration's plan to use my tax dollars to bail out greedy Wall Street bankers not a redistribution of my hard-earned wealth?
I love how the Republican party wants to privatize gains and socialize losses, but its the Democrats who are the wealth redistributing class warriors.
I just don't think you guys have any credibility left on this issue.
I'll spare the details (previous comments are sufficient I think). I've no need to support my position of backing Senator Obama. All the fact is out there. I hate to disappoint your certainty sir, but am no coward. I, and millions of other proud, brave, and loyal Americans are going to be casting votes for Barack Obama on November 4th. I've paid far too close attention to this election (and researched countless perspectives from the far right/left and more centrist viewpoints). After a time, it became clear- Obama is our guy.
Get out and vote everyone. it's never over until it's over.
Obama/Biden '08
peeved and Milwaukee Rocks,
Thank you for the comments.
I'm getting tired so I think I'll respond to your post tomorrow sometime.
mike t.
Hi, Mike:
Truthfully, you can make the same claim about McCain, i.e., that he has associated, and still does associate, with some shady people, beginning with a convicted domestic terrorist, G. Gordon Liddy, moving to the convicted felon who duped the American people (economic terrorism, if you will) Charles Keating, and now we find that his succession advisor was the lobbyist for Saddam Hussein. The fact is this: we all know and associate with people who do not hold the same ideals and values that we do. Some we have to repudiate. Some we respect despite the fact we do not agree with their sentiments, or the way they express them.
You would think from hearing this nonsense spewed by Republicans about Ayers and Wright that those are the only two people that Sen. Obama ever knew! Facts are facts, and you can twist them any way you want, but they just don't change. So, reality check: Ayers and Obama served on an education board headed by the Republican Annenberg. No, Obama's political career did NOT start in Ayers' living room. Ayers is rehabilitated and teaching at a University (we can't say that for Liddy!). As to Rev. Wright - well, he may have been over-the-top fiery in some of his sermons, but we live in America! Where anyone has the RIGHT to say anything bad about America that they want! (except if they incite violence to create a clear and present danger). And, in Wright's mind, not necessarily in the minds of all the members of his congregation like Obama (because people are free to disagree and still respect one another), America treats black people badly and hatefully, i.e., racism exists and that tears at the fabric and soul of the United States. Isn't this true? In the words of Palin "You betcha!".
No one equates McCain's relationship with Liddy, Keating or his Saddam-representing advisor with disloyalty, subversiveness, or lack of patriotism...or even fatally bad judgement (however, he did show fatally terrible judgement in his irresponsible choice of Palin). And none of us should. McCain knows, respects and associates with far more upstanding people than this small handful of rogues, terrorists and thieves. I think the same standard applies to Obama. These red herrings are starting to smell REALLY bad.
And, by the way, Obama is not at all extreme left in all of his policies - some are actually quite conservative. And, also, I do have a question for you, Mike - what is wrong with paying your fair share of taxes? Why do we demonize taxes? Under Obama's plan, my tax rate may return to the Reagan years tax rate, that is true. But if it means that we can afford to cover US children's health care, build better and more technologically up to date schools, repair our crumbling infrastructure, create a green economy to create millions of jobs here at home, reduce or eliminate our dependence on foreign oil, rebuild our shattered military and defense systems, why WOULDN'T I want to pay a bit more? As an American, as a patriot, as someone who believes that by lifting up your neighbor, we lift up us all, I DO think it's patriotic to pay taxes, as long as we have a government that is ACCOUNTABLE to the American people. Which is what Obama has been talking about since his start 20 months ago!! That's his basic premise! That the government works FOR the people, not the other way around. And that the people must take responsibility as well. (that's a conservative position if I ever heard one, i.e., government will NOT solve all of your problems, says Obama).
I just will never understand this selfish attitude of 'what's mine is mine". No, you live in a big, diverse, wonderful country, and we're all red, white and blue. Period. I'm not religious, but I do remember this: "Love thy neighbor as thyself". My neighbor is the entire USA.
I guess when you have no response it's easier to say "I'm tired" or "I need to ponder things for a day or so". The next response will undoubtedly be: "The conversation has moved passed this point. Oh, so sorry I won't provide a real response." BTW, please don't ask people to click on ads just so you can generate revenue. That's rather dishonest. Perhaps you should just get a job.
Anonymous,
Thank you for commenting.
Listen, some of the comments are pretty long. They deserve a proper answer. At the end of one the person says this:
"anyway - I'm not ranting against you personally, juts voicing my opinion based on your post."
I feel that this person let me off the hook in having to respond. But the post is so long that I'm thinking of answering this person with an original post. I think it deserves that much work. And I will be addressing this person within a day or two.
The other comments I will get very soon, too.
mike t.
Marcy Rauer Wagman, Esq.,
Thank you for commenting.
Your comment is very thoughtful. Combined with a previous comment I feel both of you deserve a well thought out answer. Please allow me a couple of days to answer you.
I'm thinking of responding to you and the other commenter in a original post. Either way, I promise a detailed response to your worthy comments.
Right now...my thoughts are waiting for what Mr. Colin Powell has to say on "Meet the Press" tomorrow.
After we hear what he has to say...I'll be responding to you with a detailed response, I promise you that for sure.
mike t.
Peeved said...
Thank you for commenting.
How is McCain's plan to use my tax dollars to buy (at full value) the nearly worthless mortgages of irresponsible borrowers not a redistribution of my hard-earned wealth?
McCain's plan makes sense to me because it comes in the form of "Water Under the Bridge" catagory to me. Water under the bridge because his proposal is to use the money from the bailout/rescue plan. That money, 700 Billion, has already been committed. Mr. McCain's plan is to use that money for his proposal.
How is the Bush Administration's plan to use my tax dollars to bail out greedy Wall Street bankers not a redistribution of my hard-earned wealth?
I think the economy is in serious trouble and the bail out was necessary. But that bail out was based on the massive subprime loans. Subprime loans? That's a Democratic philosophy. Why do you think a majority of Democrats were in favor of the bail out? It's their mess.
mike t.
Subprime loans? That's a Democratic philosophy. Why do you think a majority of Democrats were in favor of the bail out? It's their mess.
Where do you get your information? The above statement is a typical Republican/right wing talking point that is incorrect. While the democrats in the 1990s did seek to increase home ownership across the U.S., it was unscrupulous lenders (such as Countrywide) that created and drove subprime and Alt-A loans to the market. Not the government and certainly not the democrats. These individual loans were then broken up, repackaged with other loans and sold-off in tranches by companies like Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers to people who thought they were buying high-quality, triple-A mortgage-backed securities. As time passed and interest rates moved up the loan rates reset which caused people to start defaulting on their loans. Hence, the dominos began to fall, leading to the current crisis.
Fundamentally, it was the lack of regulation and oversight that caused this problem. The republican administration of the last eight years fostered an environment that made it possible. Most of the troubled loans were issued since 2001. Now, you can try to blame the democratically led congress of the last two years but that would again be incorrect. The democrats do not have a strong enough majority to over-ride a presidential veto. Even if they did, the president can get around it using signing statements as he's done many hundreds of times before and twice last week.
The rescue plan may not be the best solution but the congressional republicans were completely irresponsible by not approving it the first time. In addition to the $700 billion that we ultimately laid out in the rescue package the congressional republicans also gave us extra turmoil in the market, a longer and wider financial crisis, as well as $1.3 in stock market losses that we have yet to recover.
So, I guess you must really be tired. Please get some rest and do better research because you're not making a lot of sense.
Anonymous said...
Thank you for commenting, again.
Give me a BREAK!
The only way country wide, Lehmans, Fannie and Freddie can do what they did was with the regulation President Clinton put into the Community Reinvestment Act in 1995.
Clinton Administration Changes of 1995
In early 1993 President Bill Clinton ordered new regulations for the CRA which would increase access to mortgage credit for inner city and distressed rural communities. The new rules January 31, 1995 and featured: requiring strictly numerical assessments to get a satisfactory CRA rating; using federal home-loan data broken down by neighborhood, income group, and race; encouraging community groups to complain when banks were not loaning enough to specified neighborhood, income group, and race; allowing community groups that marketed loans to target to groups to collect a fee from the banks.
The new rules, during a time when many banks were merging and needed to pass the CRA review process to do so, substantially increased the number and aggregate amount of loans to low- and moderate-income borrowers for home loans, some of which were ‘SUBPRIME LOANS.’ Banks set up CRA departments, a CRA consultant industry was created and new financial-services firms helped banks invest in packaged portfolios of CRA loans to ensure compliance. Established and new community groups began marketing such mortgages. The Senate Banking Committee estimated that as of 2000, as a result of CRA, such groups had received $9.5 billion in services and salaries. As of that time such groups also had received tens of billions of dollars in multi-year commitments from banks, including ACORN Housing $760 million; Boston-based Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America $3 billion; a New Jersey Citizen Action-led coalition $13 billion; the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance $220 million. The number of CRA mortgage loans increased by 39 percent between 1993 and 1998, while other loans increased by only 17 percent.
Related rule changes gave Fannie and Freddie extraordinary leverage, allowing them to hold just 2.5% of capital to back their investments, vs. 10% for banks. By 2007, Fannie and Freddie owned or guaranteed nearly half of the $12 trillion U.S. mortgage market. Due to massive financial losses, on September 7, 2008 the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under the conservatorship of the FHFA.
Bush Administration Changes of 2005
In 2002 there was an interagency review of the effectiveness of the 1995 regulatory changes to the Community Reinvestment Act and new proposals were considered. In 2003, the Bush Administration recommended that a new Department of the Treasury agency should supervise the primary agents guaranteeing subprime loans, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Congressional support was approximately split along Party lines and the proposal eventually failed.
The new CRA regulations proposed in early 2005 were put into effect in July and September of 2005. They included new definitions for "small" and "intermediate small" banks which were subject to less restrictions than formally. The regulations were opposed by a contingent of Democrats."
Get your fact right! That regulation Democrats keep on harping on that the Republicans "always" want...well, this time it was the Democrats who resisted the regulation on Fannie and Freddie, which forced banks to play by those rules.
Be honest...this is a Democratic philosophy.
mike t.
Ummmm, in 2005 the republicans still owned the congress. So, who's to blame????
Anonymous,
Thank you for commenting.
OK, lets get to your loooong post.
and don't you see that that's the problem with you so called "christian" conservatives today? you judge people sinners just on suspicion of wrongdoing IN YOUR EYES.
I think this is presumptuous statement. You really don't know me and what I do in my life to express my Christian views in my community. Sure I write/blog but that's just an outlet for things I think about in the world I live.
i see nothing Christian at all about this breed of republicans, to be honest. haven't seen anything truly Christian about it for a long time. neither you or any other "christian" can point to one place in the Bible where it says to disregard the needs of those less fortunate than you.
Neither do you read anywhere in the Bible where it says it's the government's job to hand out money to the poor. It's cold but true...but you reap what you sow! That's in the Bible. What does that mean? It means people should sow into their education and that's what they'll reap. When people sow in other areas in their lives and somehow feel the pinch of poverty...well, it's heartbreaking...but, again, we reap what we sow.
if you even read your Bible you will see that IN FACT it states unequivocally that "the poor you will have with you always" - and in saying that, God does NOT rail against poverty, nor does He characterize it as a bad thing, nor does He say that poor people will go to hell or that there's something inherently wrong with them. considering as God said "blessed are the poor..." ye do twist His words around when you tar and feather them with disdain and lack of care and concern. In His mandates about the poor, God went so far as to say, "what you do for the least of Mine, you do for Me." so, by rejecting the poor and maligning them, you do malign and reject God.
Let me ask you this: What are you doing for the poor? As for me I work in a Kitchen to feed the homeless. I make the menu and cook the food. We feed 4 times a week.
For breakfast I serve a fried egg with a patty of sausage and a slice of tomato. Then I put that into a sandwich. Then I put that on a plate with a side order of refried beans with sour cream to boot. That's just for breakfast.
That's just to give you an idea of what I'm doing for the homeless.
My point? We as individuals have to serve the poor. What your asking for is for the government to serve the poor. We differ in our approach on how to serve the homeless. And no one said the poor are going to hell. That's a presumputuous notion on your part.
I didn't say it - He did! how conservatives twisted that basic principle of loving your brother and being his keeper around to me "I got mine, if you can't get yours - too bad" i'll never know.
Again, it's for blessed individuals to address the poor in our society. And, again, what are you doing for the poor except for complain?
they also send people to hell and condemn for things (as well all soon find out in breaking news stories) that they do themselves. the Bible says let him without sin cast the first stone, and at least the Jews present that day for the stoning of the prostitute had enough SENSE to drop their stones and go on back home, but you republicans are too dense to take the hint and will openly lambaste and ridicule someone for doing openly what you guys try to hide behind closed doors. hello - pregnant teens, teen drinking, rampant hormones and no intelligence to go with them.
Give me a break! Now your rambling on about thing you have no knowledge on.
(the Bible says TRAIN a child in the way that he should go and when he's older he will not depart from it).
Gee you quote something like that and have the nerve to complain about the plight of the poor? What do you think that verse means?
It means that you should train your child to be college minded from the earliest time possible. Then when they grow up it's a natural course of action. And when you don't train your child this why then there's a breakdown on your philosophy on how to raise children.
Again, you reap what you sow. It's cold, I know...but it's still the truth.
then the church condemning homosexuality while the priests rape the altar little altar boys on a daily basis and the pastors step away from the pulpit on Sunday and lean over the lecturn in the back office while their gay choir leader or gay usher or gay deacon lover helps them live their "broke back" fantasies. but when they're found out it's "judge not lest ye be judged also." or they blast someone for "palling around" with terrorists while the number two on THEIR ticket is married to one! and she HERSELF endorses the "good work" or the group.
Well, here you have a good point. But hypocricy isn't an excuse for YOU to not obey the truth of the gospel. You will be judged despite what the hypocites do. And so will I.
they'll claim Obama is playing the race card because he tells me "they'll try to make your afraid because I'm black" and at the same time put out OFFICIAL NEWSLETTERS with the "BLACK" candidate on a $10 bill surrounded by images of watermelon, ribs, and fried chicken and then backtrack and try to claim "I had no idea that was in any way racist or offensive. It was just food and just an illustration speaking to Obama saying he didn't look like other people on the money. Gosh, well I apologize if ANYone was offended. And that's the last I'll say on that." in the meantime, black repubs are crying at outraged by some of the stuff their own party is doing - you know why?? because it doesn't even recognize them. anytime your party puts out stuff like that and mails it out knowing it could go to a lot of people who see the stereotype and would be gravely offended - that says something about your values alright. says you value families - as long as they're not like the ones of the racist materials being disseminated. i wonder how you would feel if they put Obama on a lotus blossom with a big red dollar sign in the middle of his head, meditating with eight arms all reaching for money and had as a caption "Om, I'm lovin it." i wonder how many of your friends back home would be seen by terrorists to this same party you champion. not to mention the "obama waffles" with him with streotypical popping eyes, big juicy lips, and flapping ears staring at a plate of steaming waffles. or the joe plummer "tap dances better than Sammy Davis, Jr" comment. If he was Indian, would you be offended if they'd said after his few minutes dancing on Ellen - "at least he soft shoes better than Benny Lava."
(not saying you're Indian - I'm just using another race as an example). this is the "christian" party. often turning into the most racist, hateful people! imagine the "christians" yelling kill him. where does the Bible back that up? for all your party's talk of being "christians" you guys sure have an ideology that's very unChristlike.
Again, you still will be judge as will I despite what the hypocrites do. You can't let the hypocrites dictate what Jesus requires of you as a person.
the fact is - Obama seems to be the one actually LIVING the family values your party apparently only talks about. And OH! how the Bible says God hates unfair scales. your group is too much the respecter of persons and not so much respecter of God's ideas and laws. why is it that republicans DON'T want to pay taxes? where is the Biblical principle for THIS repub idea?? there isn't one. if you read your Bible (the ULTIMATE family and LIFE values guide) you remember that Jesus was ASKED to pay taxes/tribute. and what was His response? because THAT'S the response you need to pattern your life after - not some crap you all MADE UP. What does God care about a stupid "republican" party? you can't find even a basis for THAT in the Bible. But our political parties ARE a part of this government system and God DID have something very concrete to teach us there. He had Peter take a coin from the sea and He asked Peter - "Whose likeness is on that coin?" Now mind you - this is when He was told about a tax required of Him to pay. the image on the coin was Ceasars. His response - "Render to Ceasar what belongs to Ceasar and render to God what belongs to God." In other words - *cough* He paid His taxes.
Yeah, but not to the extent to what Mr. Obama is trying to implement. As you say an unfair scale is an abomination to the Lord. And what do you think the rich will do when their taxed? GIVE ME A BREAK! QUIT BEING SO STUPID! The rich will increase the price of products and services to pass on that tax to the middle class and the poor. Are you too ignorant to see that?
He didn't complain about how high or fair they were. On TOP OF THAT - His message inferred that giving tribute to Ceasar as part of worldy law DIDN'T exempt you from God's law of paying tithes (which belong to God). So, if JESUS paid His tithes AND His taxes - HOW IN THE WORLD can your party say it's Christian when they go against the very WORD of God?! I'm just utterly baffled by this. Yes, God definitely does not accept homosexuality and abortion, and your party claims to be anti-gay and pro-life, but are you REALLY??? How come in ALL this time - your ultra christian president (whom you voted for for the SAME reasons McCain/Palin are spouting these days) how come he hasn't overturned Roe v Wade?? How come homosexuality hasn't been made illegal? How come Catholic priests who have raped kids, FAR from being searched for and prosecuted, have been coddled, shuffled, protected, and hidden until ABSOLUTELY cornered by accusations and media? you know why these things haven't and won't ever be changed? because your party leaders have you all figured out - all they have to do is talk the talk to string you along like lambs before the slaughter and again and again you guys buy it - hook, line, and sinker. and i consider myself a conservative Christian, baby - the rest of you all are just play acting. i had an epiphany during this election with the way McCain has been shamelessly pandering to people like me - he announced Palin as his running mate, and i finally got it - the lightbulb finally clicked that this man thinks I and others like me are plum idiots. no respect for me whatsoever by putting not only a highly unqualified person as his #2 (pun recognized), but putting someone obviously designed to stir the conservative pot with a disabled newborn (for the compelling back story to rival Barack's compelling back story), a pregnant teen who's keeping the unplanned for child (to illustrate pro-life in action), a woman (to attract disgruntled people who just wanna vote for a woman), a "GOP rockstar" (to rival the Obama "celebrity" moniker that THEY gave him in the first place)and a whole host of other things. he's playing his electorate like an instrument, but he's playing it badly. i now believe, having seen McCain get this far, that he knows as long as you say you're against gays and abortion - you're guaranteed some kid of loyalty, some kind of traction. that's called pandering. God - i sometimes believe conservatives are SOOO stupid that satan himself could get elected to the presidency AS LONG AS HE SAID he WAS against gays and abortion and the other guy said he wasn't. there's something wrong with that kind of "puppet" or "sheep" mentality. and then - you guys don't even have the heart or the stamina to demand the candidates make good on their promises - else, politicians wouldn't still be able to run on these issues cuz they'd be dealt with already. maybe it's the "christianity" that disappears or the attention span that drops after the person gets elected. something has to happen to make you so passionate about an issue to elect someone who says they're gonna address and then forget about it altogether once they're in office. it's amazing how you all are so concerned with life. it seems like you're very passionate about a person - that is, until they're born. then your philosophy shifts dramatically to "i got mine, if you can't get yours - tough." and then your guy has the nerve to talk about his adoption (without mentioning that his kid was adopted from another country!) like that solves the adoption crisis for the millions of AMERICAN kids languishing in a system funded, apparently, by christians who certainly DON'T want to be funding them. or feeding the. or housing them. or educating them. or clothing them. or even acknowledging them. VERY Christ-like. really. He'd be proud of you guys and what you say and do. He said it's not what goes into your mouth that's the problem, it's what comes out of it. What goes in you mouth eventually passes out of your body, but what comes out of your mouth - comes from your heart.
Agan, you're rambling...What I will say is this. It's very difficult to answer your comments when you don't separate you thoughts with reasonable paragraphs. Go back and read my posts. I separate my thoughts with short paragraphs so they're readable.
you tell me how many of the underlying republican beliefs and ideals have heart. not many. they miss the mark in every way. do i champion homosexuality and abortion - not at all. and there's a way to deal with those issues. if you're gonna overturn the laws - overturn em then, stop pretending about it. then deal with the fallout - otherwise they're playing you guys for fools and talking outta the sides of their necks. in the meantime - people are still gay and still having abortions. at least Barack has addressed the issue of homosexuality that respects marriage (for what that's worth) and seeks to diminish abortion. at some point, with all the resources for pregnancy prevention out there, we have to start holding WOMEN accountable for their actions. PREVENTION education is the key. if they don't KNOW how to NOT get pregnant, you end up with a country full Lynn and Bristols. then some women will still be irresponsible and know how to not get pregnant and still get pregnant - we MUST change the way we think about our bodies as women. abortion arose because obviously women kept finding themselves in the situation of getting pregnant when they didn't want to - so women have to take more precautions, after all - they're the ones who GET pregnant. So education and actually instilling morals and ethics into our children again will be a key thing that will reduce unwanted pregnancy. it's not the best solution, but it's a start in the right direction and we can probably see the end of abortion in this country, but the minute you say they don't have a "right" to do it, is when doing it becomes a badge or something to fight for. if we make the process unattractive and the principle of prevention more acceptable (the way they're now doing with drugs) that will go a long way. and speaking of the issue of being pro-life, i find no Biblical principle for taking the life that you love so much and killing it in combat zones. that's what i call later term abortion, too. Christians got no business killing people! When Pater just wanted to chop off a dude's ear for comeing to arrest Jesus to kill Him He told him not to do that. He ushered in a new kingdom. you're just trading one type of life for another.
More rambling!
Obama comes with some negatives, but what people are drawn to is that his negatives don't outweigh his positives in the same way that McCain's positives don't outweigh his negatives. and for you to call Colin Powell a coward for exercising his right to vote for whomever he chooses - speaks a lot about you and people like you. You sound like the democrats who want Joe Lieberman to resign because he endorses John McCain! And you call the dems leftist - is this still America or what?! I thought we had the right to vote for whomever we wanted and I didn't see the fine print on the Constitution that said we have to explain our reasons why. Let the man exercise the right that his country - not you or your party - bestowed upon him. I know PLENTY of black folks that are still voting for McCain even after ALL the racist, gimmicky stunts his campaign has pulled. To use Sarah Palin's ivonics, "I think it's a gosh durn shame." but they can vote how they like - whether I like it or not. And so can you. And so can Colin. How unAmerican it would be for you to assert or imply otherwise. Furthermore, if Obama IS a socialist and the American people are STILL voting for him - then, obviously, they must not MIND the idea of a Socialist America. Americans have the right to have whatever kind of country the majority votes for. If it doesn't line up with the party you want - chalk that up to the failure of your party these last two times around. Not only did your peeps screw us and the world up, they made Christians the world over a HATED and despised group (and NOT in the good way the Bible says of "defending the gospel"), and when it's all said and done, your peeps just may be the party that causes the new ten-headed, roman empire to resurge, bringing forth the beginning of the end. Maybe the repub party is what the Bible meant when it predicted the abomination of desolation. every day we here that this economy is getting worse and worse and now europe wants to meet with the US to talk about a WORLD CURRENCY to deal with this problem?? wow. welcome to the new world. we may indeed be the "Obama" nation that drowns in desolation caused by the corruption and greed of this current administration. dems aren't perfect and they had a hand in it too, but it's the repub straw that broke this camel's back. and it's always the last straw that is most hated - the other straws didn't break the camel, right?
More rambling!
Socialist or not - the Bible says we are to PRAY for those that rule over us. And I will be praying that the is not the end of this great nation. I will be praying that God is able to use Barack to restore this country and that we can make a healthy comeback and at the same time, do some good in the world. I will be praying that Americans truly start working together and seeing each other as Americans - we all as a place and a stake in this great nation. We can't work if our differences are ALL we see. We NEED to change to survive. Maybe a socialist nation will make you all understand what you have and really begin to love those principles you keep saying you believe, but yet there's no evidence left behind. I am an AMERICAN. I want what's best for A-MER-I-CA, not just what's best for me and my friends. You are not above the little people, you ARE the little people, too! A big enough setback to put you right where they are and a big enough stretch of luck can put them right where you are. so why not show some love and compassion to those already down, that way - if you find yourself there - you won't be without any resources cuz there will be something established for people like you. and for them, if there's something to sustain them at the bottom, in the middle, and to the top - they're more inclined to look back and help someone else. when you do it by yourself for yourself - you just become bitter. and all you focus on is -"well, nobody helped me." but if there WAS someone to help you at one or several points along the way - we could share the load when needed and celebrate your ultimate success when you finally achieve it. how does that become a bad thing?
Then pray for PRESIDENT BUSH! Mr. Obama is not President. Quit being a hypocrite.
The rest of your post is pure rambling to me. I'm not going to respond to those thoughts especially when you don't seem to have enough of an education to write a readable paragraph.
That's not a put down...it's what I'm talking about. You want to ramble on things you feel strongly about but you don't seem to want to educate yourself to even write a paragraph but now you know the virtues of the Bible and the institution of American politics?
I don't think so.
mike t.
Anonymous,
Thank you for commenting, again.
Ummmm, in 2005 the republicans still owned the congress. So, who's to blame????
We weren't in a financial crisis in 2005. But McCain and other Republican were already sending out the warnings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs
There's you evidence! Be honest! Look at these Democrats act like the books weren't cooked and still play the part that it was on the up and up.
How dare you act like this means nothing.
mike t.
Many conservatives were never really confident in Powell's committment to traditional conservative values. I believe many times Powell gave mixed messages that caused me to question his rock solid stance with the GOP. I always felt that he was really more of a moderate Democrat. He seemed to be somewhat disengaged, at times.
Dawn,
Thank you for commenting.
You're probably right. I have no respect for the man.
mike t.
thanks for your response - of course you'd just say "rambling" because you have no response. you're just trying to imitate that other guy who told you he was done with you after your grammar error. i can't stand when people do that and again - i wrote this like this one purpose because i knew that's what you would point out as your reason for not responding - i've see it all before. and this let's me further know that you guys are too far gone.
i didn't want to turn this into a tit for tat about what you do personally *sigh* you seem to think that you are america and you're not. you guys LOVE the tit for tat stuff - what the heck is that supposed to prove?! but i see your "soup" kitchen sandwiches and i raise you the soup kitchen i volunteered for in london at the ymca. and i ass to the pot the soup kitchens i worked for here in the states. i also worked for an organization called Open Hands the specifically dealt with providing SAFE, anonymous grocery shopping for poor people in the community diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. every week they would come into the store (food pantry) with a preprinted shopping list. it included snacks, meats, veggies, etc that they would circle and we shoppers would go through the aisles getting their stuff and packing their bags for them. the food was given to them for free through an agency - it helped to keep them healthy and fed when many of them could not even afford to feed themselves. i also worked in church as a counselor for the homeless women and childrens shelter we had. i CREATED the operations manual as well as worked as a shelter worker. many times my OWN money helped buy snacks or goods for the women there and i used my OWN car to drive them on errands or take their kids to the doctor when they were sick. when the government gave us a travel stipend we would give them bus tokens to get back and forth to meet their case workers or run other errands. not to mention - we used our church's empty space and supplies to house and feed dozens of them every night. we were an advocate and friend for many people who didn't have one. not only that, but i worked as a community health worker in a high risk neighborhood as a counselor for poor or homeless and high-risk teens. high risk for gangs, pregnancy, drugs, dropping out of school, homelessness, and HIV/AIDS. as a counselor - i provided safe activities for them where they would otherwise be on the streets increasing their chances of getting caught up in the wrong thing, i provided training courses for them and job readiness, and during the summer i even provided jobs for them so they could make some money for themselves. i held workshops that taught the girls proper hygiene and bought them (with my OWN money) washcloths, toothbrushes, combs, etc as a "goody bag" because most of the kids didn't have those basic things! and i DIDN'T get reimbursed for that but saw it as my RESPONSIBILITY to train them in the way that they should go - even if their parents didn't have the knowledge or resources to do so. i provided individual group, AND family counseling - sometimes to people who saw me as a nigger and called me so to my face! i talked to them about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, smoking and gave them seminars on sex education and disease prevention and if i did have a pregnant teen or one did get pregnant - i was her advocate and often the FIRST person she told and i helped her break the news to her parents. i had to facilitate once when one of my brightest girls messed around and got knocked up - she was terrified of what her parents would say and do. when they came to the meeting, and her pregnancy was explained and discussed she told her parents that her boyfriend was black and they immediately told me they wanted me to make her have an abortion. that lil child said she wanted to keep her baby and since my responsibility was to HER as my client - i told her i would work to make sure that happened. it's been many years since then and those same racist, hateful grandparents that wanted to kill that baby boy now treat him like the apple of their eye! when he was born - my client asked ME to be his godmother - so there, if you wanna go head to head with stories of who does what. there's mine. and i don't need you to match it or outdo it. that's just SOME of the stuff I HAVE on my "Christian works" resume. not that it even matters - i don't glory in that kind of stuff. if you make a sandwich - make it as if you're making it for Christ. if you counsel a kid - counsel as if you were counseling for Christ. everything i DO i do as if i am doing it for Christ or representing Christ. in london as well as here at home in America - i have preached to people on the street the Gospel of the Living God, have laid hands on people to pray for them, have given spiritual counsel and scripture to back up what I say. i don't know what you can claim in YOUR walk, but i know what i can claim in mine, sir.
i'd never belittle your efforts - any act of kindness or goodness is one that needs to be done and doesn't need to be bragged about. the Bible says when it comes to good works - don't be like the sadducees and the pharisees that do their alms before men, to be praised and recognized of men -- for them, they have their reward. but for you - when you do good, don't let your right hand know even what your left hand is doing and your heavenly Father who sees you in secret will reward you openly. the sadducees and the pharisees are "sad" you see and always whining about what's not "fair" you see.
and i can quote Bible very well, sweetheart - see, i actually know it and read it. i don't wait for some once a week mass where we repeat the same stuff over and over and i don't rely on some sinful preacher who only weaves in one word of scripture on sunday while separating me from my money in the most unChristlike fashion. so i'm well versed with people like you who focus on irrelevant things like "you didn't write your sentence correctly" rather than focus on the words that made up the sentence - which you clearly showed you understood. neither am i going to degenerate into belittling you or ridiculing you because that's just a diversionary tactic and a useless one at that - i know what i said and i know what i asked and i know what you don't have an answer for. i'm not a republican - you can't distract me from the real issues.
you said "and still you will be judged despite what the hypocrites do" - that much is true. and if what you do is the same thing the hypocrites do, you have no recourse but to go to the same place the hypocrites will go to. and this is what the republican party has become - hypocrisy personified. being Christian is not synonymous with being republican and that's the mistake most of you who fall in line with them make.
you do reap what you sow. i will never argue with you on that. you reap what you sow. so you continue to sow the discord of hatred, stinginess, pridefulness, rebellion, twisting of the Word, corruption, anger, selfishness, ad nauseum - and i'll leave you to it. the Bible says when you approach someone and they receive you not with kindness, brush even the dust of that place off your shoes and that will serve a sign that they received you not. when people say they know the Word of God, and even reject the little they think they know - it's not worth my time. i just plant the seeds, but it's God Who gives the increase.
when Jesus had a meeting with the crowd he spoke about the number of people being 5000 men - NOT including women and children and when His disciples got worried - they told Him, "Master, let these people go HOME! There's too many of them out here, they haven't anything to eat and if we let them leave they may be able to get something from the market and come back." but they obviously didn't know Whom they were talking to and i love to hear about the little boy with a couple fish and a few loaves of bread and how God took what little was his and blessed a MULTITUDE! yes, indeed, He took from one and gave to many - and they were ALL filled. that small sacrifice covered the needs of a whole lot of people - i'm bout to get happy! cuz that little boy sound a lil like Jesus, don't he?? he lived a GOD principle that day. wasn't too long after that that Christ offered HIMSELF as a small and perfect sacrifice that would cover the sins of the entire world. He used what He had to take care of everybody else's needs. HALLELUJAH! you can't fight the Word of God! and no weapon formed against it shall prosper. God said snatch down EVERYTHING that exalts itself above the Word of God - consider yourself... snatched.
now, i'm gone say this and be done, you can live however you wanna live, believe whatever you wanna believe, say whatever you wanna say, and do whatever you wanna do - but if what you live, believe, say, and do don't match up with the Word of God - it's worthless. i suggest you read it through one mo 'gin (as we say in ebonics) if you've read it through at all. understand the principles and then see how your beliefs measure up. the Bible says what measure you give out shall be given back to you. i don't acre what you got, sir, and what you're trying to get - but in all your getting, get understanding first. perhaps the reason why you can't understand all the Biblical principles is because you ain't livin em yet. but i'm praying for you.
and i showed you plenty of examples from scripture to back up what i said - i hope you can do the same to back up what YOU said. after all - you're a fellow believer.... right??? gotta have more to answer for your faith than some candles, a rosary, a Jesus fish, and a cross - which you ain't supposed to have anyway. tell me those republican principles you espouse and back them up with scripture.
Anonymous,
Thank you for commenting again.
You know what? I would love to get into this conversation with you expect for one thing. You don't seem to understand how difficult it is to read your comments with those ridiculously long paragraphs.
It's just too much work to have to follow these unbroken thoughts. It's too much work to have to try to figure out where you break one thought from another.
Do you see how I keep my paragraphs short? It's intended so it, the paragraphs, can be easy to read.
See I'm starting another one that contains a separate thought.
And now another one to let you know that I'm going to read what you have to say but in the future please be practical in your writing structure.
I want to talk to you but I do not want to be your teacher. :)
Again, I'll read your post but you'll have to give me a day or two to figure out what you're trying to say.
Well, it wouldn't take that long to read it. It will take that long to get motivated to have to "work" through your paragraphs. But in a day or two I will.
mike t.
Anonymous,
Thank you for commenting, again.
OK, let's get to this other looooong post.
thanks for your response - of course you'd just say "rambling" because you have no response.
This, my dear, is not true. I just don't feel motivated to fight through you long paragraphs to actually see what you're saying.
That is the truth of the matter.
you're just trying to imitate that other guy who told you he was done with you after your grammar error. i can't stand when people do that and again - i wrote this like this one purpose because i knew that's what you would point out as your reason for not responding - i've see it all before. and this let's me further know that you guys are too far gone.
I thought I responded to the other guy about the difference between an strong expersssion and a passive question. The use of an exclamation point and a question mark depends on what you're trying to express.
i didn't want to turn this into a tit for tat about what you do personally *sigh* you seem to think that you are america and you're not. you guys LOVE the tit for tat stuff - what the heck is that supposed to prove?! but i see your "soup" kitchen sandwiches and i raise you the soup kitchen i volunteered for in london at the ymca. and i ass to the pot the soup kitchens i worked for here in the states. i also worked for an organization called Open Hands the specifically dealt with providing SAFE, anonymous grocery shopping for poor people in the community diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. every week they would come into the store (food pantry) with a preprinted shopping list. it included snacks, meats, veggies, etc that they would circle and we shoppers would go through the aisles getting their stuff and packing their bags for them. the food was given to them for free through an agency - it helped to keep them healthy and fed when many of them could not even afford to feed themselves. i also worked in church as a counselor for the homeless women and childrens shelter we had. i CREATED the operations manual as well as worked as a shelter worker. many times my OWN money helped buy snacks or goods for the women there and i used my OWN car to drive them on errands or take their kids to the doctor when they were sick. when the government gave us a travel stipend we would give them bus tokens to get back and forth to meet their case workers or run other errands. not to mention - we used our church's empty space and supplies to house and feed dozens of them every night. we were an advocate and friend for many people who didn't have one. not only that, but i worked as a community health worker in a high risk neighborhood as a counselor for poor or homeless and high-risk teens. high risk for gangs, pregnancy, drugs, dropping out of school, homelessness, and HIV/AIDS. as a counselor - i provided safe activities for them where they would otherwise be on the streets increasing their chances of getting caught up in the wrong thing, i provided training courses for them and job readiness, and during the summer i even provided jobs for them so they could make some money for themselves. i held workshops that taught the girls proper hygiene and bought them (with my OWN money) washcloths, toothbrushes, combs, etc as a "goody bag" because most of the kids didn't have those basic things! and i DIDN'T get reimbursed for that but saw it as my RESPONSIBILITY to train them in the way that they should go - even if their parents didn't have the knowledge or resources to do so. i provided individual group, AND family counseling - sometimes to people who saw me as a nigger and called me so to my face! i talked to them about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, smoking and gave them seminars on sex education and disease prevention and if i did have a pregnant teen or one did get pregnant - i was her advocate and often the FIRST person she told and i helped her break the news to her parents. i had to facilitate once when one of my brightest girls messed around and got knocked up - she was terrified of what her parents would say and do. when they came to the meeting, and her pregnancy was explained and discussed she told her parents that her boyfriend was black and they immediately told me they wanted me to make her have an abortion. that lil child said she wanted to keep her baby and since my responsibility was to HER as my client - i told her i would work to make sure that happened. it's been many years since then and those same racist, hateful grandparents that wanted to kill that baby boy now treat him like the apple of their eye! when he was born - my client asked ME to be his godmother - so there, if you wanna go head to head with stories of who does what. there's mine. and i don't need you to match it or outdo it. that's just SOME of the stuff I HAVE on my "Christian works" resume. not that it even matters - i don't glory in that kind of stuff. if you make a sandwich - make it as if you're making it for Christ. if you counsel a kid - counsel as if you were counseling for Christ. everything i DO i do as if i am doing it for Christ or representing Christ. in london as well as here at home in America - i have preached to people on the street the Gospel of the Living God, have laid hands on people to pray for them, have given spiritual counsel and scripture to back up what I say. i don't know what you can claim in YOUR walk, but i know what i can claim in mine, sir.
Good for you! What do you want me to say? My only question is this: If you have the ability to do all that then why can't you write a proper paragraph? I don't get it! But what can we say, right?
i'd never belittle your efforts - any act of kindness or goodness is one that needs to be done and doesn't need to be bragged about. the Bible says when it comes to good works - don't be like the sadducees and the pharisees that do their alms before men, to be praised and recognized of men -- for them, they have their reward. but for you - when you do good, don't let your right hand know even what your left hand is doing and your heavenly Father who sees you in secret will reward you openly. the sadducees and the pharisees are "sad" you see and always whining about what's not "fair" you see.
LOL! Sad-you-see...I was thinking of the same joke as I was reading your observation. You beat me to that point.
and i can quote Bible very well, sweetheart - see, i actually know it and read it. i don't wait for some once a week mass where we repeat the same stuff over and over and i don't rely on some sinful preacher who only weaves in one word of scripture on sunday while separating me from my money in the most unChristlike fashion. so i'm well versed with people like you who focus on irrelevant things like "you didn't write your sentence correctly" rather than focus on the words that made up the sentence - which you clearly showed you understood. neither am i going to degenerate into belittling you or ridiculing you because that's just a diversionary tactic and a useless one at that - i know what i said and i know what i asked and i know what you don't have an answer for. i'm not a republican - you can't distract me from the real issues.
I used to believe the same thing. But I've come to understand the virtues of the structure of knowledge. As a matter of fact, when I talk about the Bible I like to use a form of hermeneutics to explain what I have to say.
As a matter of fact, here's my theology blog site:
http://www.tenientemike.org/
You don't want to get into a scripture swapping debate with me. sweetheart. LOL!
you said "and still you will be judged despite what the hypocrites do" - that much is true. and if what you do is the same thing the hypocrites do, you have no recourse but to go to the same place the hypocrites will go to. and this is what the republican party has become - hypocrisy personified. being Christian is not synonymous with being republican and that's the mistake most of you who fall in line with them make.
I didn't say all Christians were Republicans. Just the mature one's are. LOL!
You're no match for me.
you do reap what you sow. i will never argue with you on that. you reap what you sow. so you continue to sow the discord of hatred, stinginess, pridefulness, rebellion, twisting of the Word, corruption, anger, selfishness, ad nauseum - and i'll leave you to it. the Bible says when you approach someone and they receive you not with kindness, brush even the dust of that place off your shoes and that will serve a sign that they received you not. when people say they know the Word of God, and even reject the little they think they know - it's not worth my time. i just plant the seeds, but it's God Who gives the increase.
Now there you are just babbling. You don't know me well enough to make that judgement.
Just because I don't believe a word Mr. Obama has to say doesn't mean I'm "sowing" discord.
when Jesus had a meeting with the crowd he spoke about the number of people being 5000 men - NOT including women and children and when His disciples got worried - they told Him, "Master, let these people go HOME! There's too many of them out here, they haven't anything to eat and if we let them leave they may be able to get something from the market and come back." but they obviously didn't know Whom they were talking to and i love to hear about the little boy with a couple fish and a few loaves of bread and how God took what little was his and blessed a MULTITUDE! yes, indeed, He took from one and gave to many - and they were ALL filled. that small sacrifice covered the needs of a whole lot of people - i'm bout to get happy! cuz that little boy sound a lil like Jesus, don't he?? he lived a GOD principle that day. wasn't too long after that that Christ offered HIMSELF as a small and perfect sacrifice that would cover the sins of the entire world. He used what He had to take care of everybody else's needs. HALLELUJAH! you can't fight the Word of God! and no weapon formed against it shall prosper. God said snatch down EVERYTHING that exalts itself above the Word of God - consider yourself... snatched.
Snatched? I'll say this, again. You're being presumptuous.
Deuteronomy 18:22
22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
What does it mean in the context of this exchange? I means that I don't fear you and your quotes of the Bible.
now, i'm gone say this and be done, you can live however you wanna live, believe whatever you wanna believe, say whatever you wanna say, and do whatever you wanna do - but if what you live, believe, say, and do don't match up with the Word of God - it's worthless. i suggest you read it through one mo 'gin (as we say in ebonics) if you've read it through at all. understand the principles and then see how your beliefs measure up. the Bible says what measure you give out shall be given back to you. i don't acre what you got, sir, and what you're trying to get - but in all your getting, get understanding first. perhaps the reason why you can't understand all the Biblical principles is because you ain't livin em yet. but i'm praying for you.
The idea that an ebonic speaking, long paragraph writing individual can actually snatch me up in any way, shape or form...well, again, you're being presumptuous. LOL!
and i showed you plenty of examples from scripture to back up what i said - i hope you can do the same to back up what YOU said. after all - you're a fellow believer.... right??? gotta have more to answer for your faith than some candles, a rosary, a Jesus fish, and a cross - which you ain't supposed to have anyway. tell me those republican principles you espouse and back them up with scripture.
Again, dearest...you really need to check out my theology blog site before you get spiritually "loco" on me.
Again, thank you for commenting.
Have a good day.
mike t.
Or let me put it this way:
The idea that an ebonic speaking, long paragraph writing individual can in any way, shape or form "snatch" me...well, you must really be high on a strong dose of "the audacity of hope" to think you can cast me down with a couple of mere words...and behold, it's done!
Yeah, right!
mike t.
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