Thursday, July 29, 2010

President Obama on the View


President Obama was on the View today, July 29, 2010.  I have not watched the show in weeks because I find the celebrity interviews inane and a waste of my time.  The show is now heading into a month of reruns designed, I suppose, to bore more viewers.

The President's appearance was an intelligent diversion.  President Obama answered question articulately and with the appropriate amount of gravitas. Elizabeth, representing Republicans, asked some good questions despite the party line prefaces.  It is time the American people wake up and realize how much worse the economy would be if Republicans were in control.

Some commentators criticized the President for going on The View.  Why?  I believe there were two real reasons for the criticism that were not voiced. First the audience for this show is primarily women.  Saying that the President degrades the office by going on the show, says that this audience  should be ignored because they do not represent the class of voters the President should talk to.  Demographically, women are the majority.  They deserve to hear from their President.  Second, the women on The View are not journalists (except for Barbara Walters) How can they ask intelligent questions?    Most Americans are not journalists.  They deserve to have their questions answered.

Except for some silly current events questions that were a waste of time, most of the questions were appropriate  Everyday people deserve the President's time.  I say, "Good going, Mr. President."

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Struggling to Survive



I agree with Shirley Sherrod that the problems of American are not black or white, but that of have-nots and the prosperous.  As a country, we like to think of our nation of wealth.  We choose to ignore those that struggle on the fringes of our society.  Just as Republicans claimed that unemployment insurance payments are incentives to not to seek work and that most of the unemployed are just deadbeats, we believe those that cannot make it in our society are failures through their own doing.  We believe we owe such deadbeats very little.  We are so afraid that someone will game the system that we punish those who are poor all the more.  The great sin in America is to be poor.

In evangelical pulpits, the message is wealth.  If you obey God, tithe to the church, to the tel-evangelist, God will reward you.  No good Christian will be poor for long.  "You cannot out give God."   If that message is true, then it follows that the poor are sinners.  Sinners must be shown the error of their ways, not abetted.  Hence government programs that help the poor are simply something that enables sin.  Kill those programs and the poor will start to work, will cease to sin.  This is the underlying philosophy of  the religious wing of the Republican Party, the Huckabee wing.

Some in America claim we are a "Christian" nation.  I do not agree.  A Christian nation would remember Christ's teaching on caring for "the least of these brothers of mine."  This is the time for Christians to speak out.  Make this a "Caring" nation.  People of all faiths must come together to help those struggling to survive in our society.

Income and wealth are unevenly distributed in this nation, therefore we need action on the federal level to aid in the distribution of aid. I no longer believe that states are capable of caring for their disadvantaged.  This should be done on a federal level.  The tragedy of America is that it will not be done.  The Republicans have succeeded in striking fear in American hearts, fear of government, fear of losing what they have.  Americans will not help the least because that help might reduce their wealth, might mean that they have to share a small portion of their American dream.  We are not a "Christian" nation, we will not become a "Caring" nation, we are a "Selfish" nation and will remain so to our ultimate detriment.

Photo by Tobyotter

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Muslim Center Two Blocks from Ground Zero



 Controversy surrounds the possible construction of a mosque and Muslim community center two blocks from ground zero in New York.  The building standing there now was damaged by one of the engines from a jet that hit the World Trade Center towers.  To read some comments by Mayor Bloomberg click on the title of this blog.

People affected in different ways by the tragedy have spoken against the new structure.  Most, but not all, equating the worshipers that would attend services at the mosque with the radicals that claimed their acts of terror were done in fulfillment of their Islamic faith.  I have even received emails from friends in my church containing screeds against all Muslims and expressing the belief that the mosque is a Muslim plot to honor the bombers.


How easily we forget the excesses of our faith.  How many innocents were burned at the stake?  Tortured on the rack?  Endured unspeakable horrors inflicted by those that called themselves Christian?  Even today, some of my Baptist brethren will tell you Catholics are not Christians.  The more fervent the belief the farther we are willing to go, for example, abortion doctors killed by Christian zealots. 

Christians and Muslims are not so different.  The majority struggle to understand and follow the dictates of their faith in our everyday lives.  Only on the fringe do we find those who would distort the faith and kill in its name.  Murder is a sin in any faith.


The mosque and community center should be built.  Christians are admonished not to judge.  I think that scripture is particularly apt with applied to other faiths.  How dare we try to limit God and say he can be experienced only one way. While I believe Christianity is the clearest expression of God and humankind's relationship,  I do not believe Christianity is the only true revelation of God. Jesus spoke of other shepherds, surely some are Imams.


Finally, let me say that the mosque should be built because Muslims died on 9/11, and I am not referring to the hijackers.  Below is a partial list of Muslims that were killed that day from Ask.com.  Remember them when the mosque becomes reality.  Honor them. 

Partial List of Muslim Victims:
Note: This list is as yet incomplete and unconfirmed.  It has been compiled from the Islamic Circle of North America, the Newsday victims database, and reports from other major news organizations.  The victims' ages, employers, or other personal information is included when available, along with links to further information or photos.
Samad Afridi
Ashraf Ahmad
Shabbir Ahmad (45 years old; Windows on the World; leaves wife and 3 children)
Umar Ahmad
Azam Ahsan
Ahmed Ali
Tariq Amanullah (40 years old; Fiduciary Trust Co.; ICNA website team member; leaves wife and 2 children)
Touri Bolourchi (69 years old; United Airlines #175; a retired nurse from Tehran)
Salauddin Ahmad Chaudhury
Abdul K. Chowdhury (30 years old; Cantor Fitzgerald)
Mohammad S. Chowdhury (39 years old; Windows on the World; leaves wife and child born 2 days after the attack)
Jamal Legesse Desantis
Ramzi Attallah Douani (35 years old; Marsh & McLennan)
SaleemUllah Farooqi
Syed Fatha (54 years old; Pitney Bowes)
Osman Gani
Mohammad Hamdani (50 years old)
Salman Hamdani (NYPD Cadet)
Aisha Harris (21 years old; General Telecom)
Shakila Hoque (Marsh & McLennan)
Nabid Hossain
Shahzad Hussain
Talat Hussain
Mohammad Shah Jahan (Marsh & McLennan)
Yasmeen Jamal
Mohammed Jawarta (MAS security)
Arslan Khan Khakwani
Asim Khan
Ataullah Khan
Ayub Khan
Qasim Ali Khan
Sarah Khan (32 years old; Cantor Fitzgerald)
Taimour Khan (29 years old; Karr Futures)
Yasmeen Khan
Zahida Khan
Badruddin Lakhani
Omar Malick
Nurul Hoque Miah (36 years old)
Mubarak Mohammad (23 years old)
Boyie Mohammed (Carr Futures)
Raza Mujtaba
Omar Namoos
Mujeb Qazi
Tarranum Rahim
Ehtesham U. Raja (28 years old)
Ameenia Rasool (33 years old)
Naveed Rehman
Yusuf Saad
Rahma Salie & unborn child (28 years old; American Airlines #11; wife of Michael Theodoridis; 7 months pregnant)
Shoman Samad
Asad Samir
Khalid Shahid (25 years old; Cantor Fitzgerald; engaged to be married in November)
Mohammed Shajahan (44 years old; Marsh & McLennan)
Naseema Simjee (Franklin Resources Inc.'s Fiduciary Trust)
Jamil Swaati
Sanober Syed
Robert Elias Talhami (40 years old; Cantor Fitzgerald)
Michael Theodoridis (32 years old; American Airlines #11; husband of Rahma Salie)
W. Wahid 



Photo from andrewroman.net

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Race and Politics - Southern Style


In case some readers may not have noticed, the Republican national Southern strategy is in full swing.  The plan is to play on the fears of white people so they will vote Republican because African-Americans are Democrats and Democratic candidates..  Rachel Maddow did an excellent piece on this last night, but I think missed the salient point.  She spoke of the Republicans stirring the fears of whites about blacks.  I believe the issue is more narrowly aligned.  The fear that Republicans are conjuring is that of blacks taking political control, then behaving as whites did toward them.  Whites, especially white Southerners, remember how African-Americans were treated when whites had exclusive control.  Whites cannot comprehend that African-Americans might behave better than whites did simply because blacks understand their own self-interest necessitates it.  I expect that African-Americans in positions of power will act to further their ability to retain that power which will mean taking care of white and black concerns.  That does not mean that some African-Americans will not act badly.  The problem that confronts us is that blacks and whites really are the same: good, bad and indifferent.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Blue Toenails, Blue Fingernails

 I found a beautiful blue nail polish at a nearby drug store, Milani "Breezy".  I love blue, but had never had the nerve to wear it as a nail polish.  Michelle Obama changed that, so I  bought the nail polish.

I had seen a photograph of the First Lady wearing blue toenail polish for the Fourth of July: Obamas Back In DC, Ready To Party (PHOTOS)  Now my toenails and fingernails are coated with the shiny blue polish.

Michelle Obama is considerably younger than I, but she is mature woman.  Her fashion choice gave me permission not to act my age..  I have enjoyed the reaction to my blue nails..  My 86 year old aunt, a Republican, was a little put off.  My autistic cousin noticed the color right away and grinned.  I think he understands about being different.

I suggest that all of you that want to show support for the Obamas wear blue nail polish.  Why not?