I’m okay with Obama

It’s true, I am.  I go to a conservative Wesleyan school surrounded by fundamentalist and I have the balls to say that I think the new(ish) president is doing a good job.

Now, I don’t pretend to know politics.  To be honest, politics annoy me and are generally to complicated for me understand.  But this is a blog about me and I have a right to an opinion, so that’s that.

I think the healthcare system is FINALLY a step in teh right direction.  I do understand the problems about payment, but I guess you could say I’m just tired of people complaining about the problem instead of asking ‘how can I help’.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but doctors don’t need to be paid millions of dollars.  In fact, I don’t feel that anyone needs to be paid millions of dollars, but that’s my opinion.  I think we could cut costs a lot if the entire healthcare society decided it would be okay to take a pay cut so that now they can HELP MORE PEOPLE.  Isn’t that what the Hippocratic oath is about?  I don’t seek to judge.  It’s a question.  Yes, doctors work hard, but so do janitors and garbagemen, but since bill security guard didn’t save grandma with that amazing triple bypass surgery, he obviously doesn’t deserve a lot of money.  If people were willing to sacrifice some minor comforts so we don’t screw over our children, this could work.

And don’t even get me started on ‘socialism’ and the healthcare system.  I’m looking at you, military.

I also think that Obama’s foreign policies are a step in the right direction (finally).  It’s ridiculous that we think it’s our responsibility to police the world, and actually reaching OUT to the muslim world is something we should all breathe easy about.  Fear only works for so long, and Bush had the world terrified.  Europe, Korea, Russia – they all viewed Bush as a war lord.  I know this because I’ve spoken with people from all of those places.  Now Obama wants try and help the world.  And we put him down for this?  Getting the army out of Iraq is good.  Getting the missiles out of Europe so we can talk with Russia is good.  Talking Iran into letting UN inspectors into their plants is good.

So many of the things he’s done is good that I have a hard time with the people who say all he’s done is ‘raise government spending’ and ‘he’s not my kind of christian’.  Does that mean we can’t try and help him succeed?  We could make this work for all of us, but if all you’re going to do is complain and help him fail, where does that get us.  Okay, you were right, he failed, and now the country is in even worse shape.  But you were right, so you’re happy, right?

Right?

My point is, his ideas are workable and somewhat noble.  If we work with it we can all win at the end here.

So how do you feel about him?

Swimming Prohibited

Found this in Ithica.  Thought it was funny as hell.

Photos!

So, I’m looking at starting up my own website to sell photos!  More updates as event warrents.

This was another one of my dream pictures.  For the longest time I had a image composite someone took of NYC, and I totally wanted to have one I could call my own.  This was taken on those mushroom looking things on Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh, PA during my Thanksgiving break in 2008.  The first night, I actually forgot my camera, so the family and I decided to take a special trip out so I could get the shots I wanted and we did some other stuff.  I took about 50 pictures that night and I froze my fingers off, but I think it was worth it.  They turned out better than I could have hoped.

I thought I would post up some of the pictures I’ve taken throughout the years.  This is one I got back in 2007, 3 degree year (or sophomore, for those of you not militarily inclined) of the Air Force Academy.  Some friends and I sat down to watch a movie and this incredible lightning storm moved in.  No rain, just lightning.  It was perfect.  For 2 or 3 hours you could actually watch the lightning move in from the south, migrate east a bit, and then move north.  It just circled the academy, so I got to take pictures for hours and I didn’t have to put up with the rain.  Perfect conditions.

“Red Envelope Day” – A Bystanders take on Abortion

This is something I wrote last semester that sums up my feelings towards a lot fo things pretty well.  Here goes:

So I can’t hold it in any longer

I guess it really started today when I was coming back from the shower and I walked past a neighbors door. On it were two separate red envelopes, both reading “This envelope represents one child who died because of an abortion. It is empty because the life that was taken is now unable to be part of our world. Responsibility begins with Conception.”. I read these, furrowed my brow, and went on with my normal daily activities.

Later, being fully clothed and sitting at my computer, I began to read through the emails that I had received throughout the night. I came across one that intrigued me. It was explaining a movement where the students would fill out and display these envelopes, eventually culminating in sending all of these to President Obama in an effort to stop his stance on abortion.

This got me thinking.

This got me thinking a lot.

And now I’m going to open a whole can of worms.

Why? Why do you feel this is necessary? So lets say I’ve had an abortion in the past. How is this supposed to make me feel? Guilty and judged? How am I supposed to take this in a good way? Imagine you have an atheist friend who does drugs and has promiscuous sex. Do you really feel that they would want to hang out with you? Ever? How many friends do you have that tell you “gee thanks for judging me and making me feel guilty. I sure feel good knowing that you’re sitting there trying to make me cry over my past mistakes. I’m sure there’s hope for me now.” How are they supposed to feel accepted in a “loving” environment if everyone around them says they kill babies? GOD SAYS PRACTICE LOVE RIGHT?? this isn’t love. This is forced shame. This is “I’m better than you because I never had sex in the first place”. What gives you the right to judge all these people who’ve “sinned” in your eyes. Why do you get to be judge and jury. By shaming these people you are condemning them to Hell. Listen to James: “God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?” (4:12) How about you leave all this up to God and he’ll sort it out. He knows your heart. He knows mine.

On a side note, responsibility does NOT being with conception, it begins way before that, but I digress.

And honestly, what difference do you think this is going to make, besides trying to embarrass those who believe in abortion? Or embarrass other Christians? Our president has already made his choices, he’s already made the changes. All your doing is beating a dead horse.

How is this supposed to deter others from going to other religions that are more accepting?

I don’t believe in it. But that doesn’t give me the right to simply tell everyone they should believe what I do. It’s a free country. FREE. I don’t care if it was “based on christian beliefs” or “founded with God in mind”. We let other people in and accepted the Muslims and Hindus and the Atheists. This isn’t 1750 anymore. We can cure cancer with chemotherapy and we rely on gasoline for survival. We don’t beat our children with sticks anymore. We gave women the right to vote. You can’t arbitrarily decide which old laws we are and are not going to follow. If it’s a democracy, than we have to accept and coexist with the beliefs of EVERYONE.

It’s actions like I’ve seen today that make me ashamed to associate with “Christians”.

Hello world!

This is my first venture out into the cyber world.  Bear with me as I get my footing here.