The Price of Freedom...why this election is so significant

I couldn't get this pic large enough to read the text, though I could read it in my email. I received this picture in an email along with the following words:

Never forget the price paid for where you stand today. This was once a resume for Blacks.... None of us has had to experience the pain of separation or live with the disgrace and humiliation that comes with not being free. When you cast your vote for who will run our country, never forget your history and keep this bill of sale in mind. When we allow ourselves to forget our not so distant past, then we are destined to repeat these actions in our future. Stand for those who came before us and those who could not stand up for themselves. VOTE!

Change...that's what's up!

Check it out...please click on the link. It's funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndzWVnD7-vQ

That One

That is just one of the names Barack Obama has been called during this campaign. It is amazing to me that John McCain can say how much he respects Senator Obama out of one side of his mouth and call him a socialist, That One, and practically calls him a terrorist out of the other side. McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, literally said that Obama "pals around with terrorists." Terrorists? Are you kidding me? That is just not okay. It is not okay to be behind in the polls and thus try to use scare tactics to sway voters. Of course Obama is not and does not keep company of terrorists. The notion is insulting and frankly ridiculous. This week, the McCain camp is trying to use the "spread the wealth" (with air quotes) socialist technique. It is also known as the "throw everything out there and see what sticks" technique. I just wish the issues could be focused on. I personally feel like I have a good grasp on where Obama stands on the issues. He has not turned away from any of them and has spoken specifics about what his plans will be. If one agrees with those plans, vote for Obama. If not, do not vote for him. It should be that simple. Whenever I hear McCain or Palin (or Elizabeth Hasslebeck!) speaking, they always spend their time talking about what Obama is going to do, not what McCain/Palin is going to do. I feel that General Colin Powell, a highly respected Republican, spoke very clearly about why he is personally choosing to vote for Senator Obama in this election. I felt that many of his reasons are similar to my own conclusions that I have drawn thus far and wanted to post video of that interview. However, I am technologically challenged so the best I can do is post the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2U63fXBlFo I hope you will watch it and draw your own conclusions. Socialist, terrorist, That One...titles that show a complete lack of respect. This One is going to make sure that "That One" gets my vote!

Can you be both a Christian and a Democrat?

This is a serious question that is not often talked about openly. However, in this historical political season, I felt it necessary to put this topic on the table for discussion. Can you be both a Christian and a Democrat? Of course, I personally know that you can, seeing as I am a Christian and I will be voting Democrat this year. However, I typically consider myself to be an Independant. I just believe in voting for the person I believe is best for the job, not necessarily for a party. Especially since many Democratic and Republican candidates of the past could have practicaly ran on the same ticket they were so similar. My political beliefs tend to be in line with the Democratic "big government" philosophy. However, my conservative Christian personal beliefs are often in line with some of the personal beliefs of several Republicans. The reason why I feel there is a need to discuss this topic is because I know there are many people who believe that if you are a Christian...a TRUE Christian, then you cannot vote Democratic. I personally find this ridiculous for many reasons. Number one, there are Christian candidates on both sides of the party lines. Number two, not every so-called Christian Republican has proven to be Christian in actions - just in words. Number three, being "Christian-like" has proved to be somewhat subjective. I personally believe that we should look at each person that is running for any office on a person by person basis. Not based on blanket claims. If, after looking at everything that a candidate is and stands for and looking at the policies that person will put in place, you find one candidate more favorable than the other, that is who we should vote for. I'm not down with voting for someone "just because they are black" or "just because she is a woman" or any other reason that is shallow. However, I am aware that people do vote based on these things and I understand that. I don't vote based on that, but I do feel that people vote for people based on a myriad of reasons. Many of those reasons are about who one can relate to. Let's be honest, if Black people were voting strictly on race, wouldn't Jesse Jackson have made it much further? I believe that people are voting for Barack Obama because he is capable. He graduated at the top of his Harvard Law class. He has worked years serving the inner city communities from which he and his wife came. He has been working in politics for years and in those years, he accomplished much. He is an excellent speech writer and speaker. He has attacked such issues as race relations in our country with grace and intelligence. His speech at the DNC a few years ago served to unite our country in a way that is necessary in order for us to move forward. He possess the tact to help repair our international reputation that has been so severely tarnished. He has proven to be a faithful and loving family man to his wife and children. He is a Christian who believes in the power of prayer and knows the role that faith plays in one's life. He is interested in improving our economy in a time when people are losing their homes and jobs. He is believes that healthcare is a basic human right, and should not just be a privilege. He believes in the importance of education. Both he and his wife are ivy league graduates and have come from working class families. They ARE the American dream in a time in our country where it is getting hard for many people to "dream." I already spoke on my reasons for opposing Sarah Palin so I will not repeat them here. There is other information swirling around about her that right now can only be categorized as rumors and therefore I will not list those here unless they are proven to be true. Instead, I will speak to some issues I have with Senator McCain. For one, I am not liking that he chose Sarah Palin as VP. I mean, I believe it was reported that he had only met her once, if at all? I truly question his reasoning for chosing her. It is very clear at this late stage of the campaign that Sarah Palin seems to be dragging the McCain campaign down. She is not very knowledgable on political issues and doesn't even know what the job of VP is all about. This is evident from her interviews, speeches, and debates. Besides that, there are definite character isssues with McCain. I honestly respect the time that he served our country in the military. Nobody can take that from him and I believe everyone tips our hat to him and all our military men and women. I could not do what it is that they do. It takes a special person to do military work. I do, however, find it distasteful that he divorced his first wife upon returning from his military duty after she was disfigured in a horrible car accident. Now, I believe that no one can really make too much of a judgement here because we were not there and don't know the dynamics of the relationship. It does start to look extra shady though when shortly after, he married a very wealthy Cindy McCain. Also, John McCain voted against the creation of a holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1983. He has recently stated that he was mistaken in that decision although he has opposed other key civil rights laws. Okay, we are not perfect and all of us make mistakes. However, I do believe that this speaks to his lack of judgement. Some might say it speaks to other things as well, but I won't go there. I just think that it is important to note as it has weighed in my decision about who I am going to vote for. McCain and his wife are also very very wealthy. He has been noted as one of the richest senators in a senate filled with millionares. I honestly do not have an issue with people being rich, but when you are so well off that you "forget how many homes you own," that is a bit much. It is not that I begrudge any one anything that they have worked hard enough for (though it seems that much of their wealth is from Cindy McCain's parents) it does make him a bit disconnected to the majority of Americans. I mean, with so many people unable to pay their mortgages, is he relatable? For many people yes, but for many others the answer is no. Perhaps this is why McCain is fighting so hard to continue a tax cute for the wealthiest Americans that was implemented by George Bush. He has ran a very dirty campaign and is now calling Obama a socialist because he wants to reverse the tax cute on Americans making over 250,000 dollars, but give a tax break to those making less than that. It is a really cheap shot and a desperate attempt by the McCain camp. Finally, McCain's education. Though he does not have a degree from a University, he did attend the United States Naval Academy. However, he graduated 5th from the last in his class. Yeah, he graduated number 894 our of 899. We won't even go into Sarah Palin's record on education. In my book, Barack Obama is the right candidate for the righ time and I am going whole hog. This is the first election that I have gotten so involved in the political process. I have volunteered at voter registration drives, donated money to the campaign, voted in the primary election, etc. It is an exciting time!

To further address the question of Christianity and politics I would like to talk about the issue of abortion. Whew! Talk about hot topics! Let me just begin by stating that my personal opinion on abortion is that it is wrong. In my house, under any circumstance, it is wrong. Barack Obama is pro-choice and believes that women should have the right to choose whether or not to have an abortion. He believes in regulating the abortion laws so that while, women can have their rights protected, putting restrictions on abortion is also necessary. Obama also believes in preventative measures for youth so as to reduce the possibility of needing an abortion in the first place. I don't think that anyone is pro-abortion. This is really about a personal right and choice. Abortion as a means of birth control is not something that anyone that I know deems as morally correct. However, in the cases of rape or incest or countless other "scenarios" the area gets a little gray. Even McCain's and his wife Cindy think that rape or incest are exceptions for abortion. The bottom line is that politically speaking, it becomes something difficult to legislate. I can believe that it is wrong. However, should a victim of incest be forced to have a baby by law? Maybe so....what about situations where the mother is going to die if she has the baby. Should it be her and her families choice to decide how to move forward on that? I'm sure that these are a small percentage of all abortions, but nontheless, it does seem like something that needs to be regulated and not a no-tolerance, blanket approach. The truth of the matter is that, politically, I believe that the issue of abortion has historically been used to gain access to the office of presidency as a smoke screeen rather than a real means to change. George Bush, is anti-abortion, yet, no abortion laws have really changed under his time as president. My point being, that issues that are difficult to legislate based on a moral decision often get a person in office but does not affect any legislation on that issue. Then all the other issues that person is for (economy, education, healthcare, etc.) are the issues that actually get passed! So, it is food for thought, but I just cannot vote based on one issue. I have to vote based on the big picture and the reality of what is truly going to be done in our country. I mean, let's be honest. Bill Clinton was not my favorite person on a personal level. I do not respect men who cheat on their wives. However, our economy was good during his presidency. This time I feel good about Barack Obama's personal character as well as his public policy decisions. It is something to pray about and truly feel comfortable with one's vote. I have done this and have peace about my decision.

Obama/Biden '08!!! We're in the final stretch!!!!!!!!

No rest for the weary! My man, Senator Barack Obama, and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, are counting down the days (along with the rest of the country) to November 4, 2008. A history making election will finally be coming to an end...and according to nearly all the polls, I think my candidate of choice will be the WINNER! I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch, but it is fair to say that we are thus far, in a good position. We have to just keep on doing what we're doing. I must say how incredibly proud I am of Barack Obama and his family. They are both true role models and seem to be the leaders we need to take our country in a more positive direction. I am also very pleased with Sen. Obama's choice for VP, Joe Biden. It feels good to have a team (Obama/Biden) that are in sync, knowledgeable, and a solid foundation for our governing bodies. That is something that frankly cannot be said about the Republican candidates. In honor of the final week of this campaign period, I will be blogging everyday about this moment in our American history. I want my daughter to be able to look back at these times and be able to know that her mom was right in the thick of things! There are a lot of horrible things being thrown at Obama, horrible personal attacks from the McCain campaign and today, an assassination attempt/discussion by a skinhead neo-Nazi group. This is just the tip of the iceberg, I'm afraid. It is not going to be an easy thing for Obama to run this campaign and to hopefully win and carry that privilege and at times burden of being our nation's first black president. It is a huge task, but I know that he is up for the challenge. I will be blogging on all these issues and doing my part to ensure that Obama/Biden becomes the winning ticket next week! I'm fired up!!!

Fantastic Plastic...NOT!!

Plastic is everywhere. When you have kids, it is LITERALLY everywhere! Baby bottles, breastmilk storage, sippy cups, plastic spoons, straws, dishes, you name it. If it is for our children, it is usually plastic. Its lightweight, durable, and portable. The problem? Its causing cancer and fertility problems, just to name a few. The risks of certain plastics have been reported in several reputable forms of media and has caused a bit of a scare amongst concerned parents who have barely gotten over the "lead paint from China" scare. I want to help all parents as well as those of you who are not parents, but still need to be informed. I mean after all, everyone uses plastic in our daily lives. I mean, how many lean cuisines have I eaten this past year??? Use a water bottle during your workouts? How about sipping on bottled water while out and about? Plastic is a major part of our everyday lives. We need to be aware of the risks and dangers of all substances than can be harmful to us and our loved ones.

Here's the deal with plastic as I've discovered as of late. First of all, not ALL plastic is bad. Just certain ones. Most plastic is assigned a number that ranks the type of plastic it is. The numbers range from 1-7. Basically, numbers 1,2,4, and 5 are safe. However, numbers 3,6, and 7 are said to be harmful. You can locate this number on the bottom of the item, sometimes in the middle of a triangle. The main harmful chemicals that we are to be aware of is Bisphenol-A (BPA) and Phthalate. Many items are now created with a BPA-Free label on them to ensure safety to consumers. Keep your eyes peeled for it. BPA is a chemical found in polycarbonate plastic. This has been a favorable plastic because it does not crack or shatter, can be cleaned with very hot water, sterilizes easily, does not absorb odor and is an extremely safe alternative to glass. It is used in many common household products including many of the more fancy baby bottles. Phthalates are used to make plastic more flexible and are also very common. Alternatively, plastic made from polyethylene and polypropylene are deemed as safe.

I looked at all of my daughter's sippy cups, plates, and bowls and had to toss a couple of them. Another key thing here is that heating the plastic (even those deemed as safe) is not recommended. Supposedly heating can release toxins from the plastic into the food/drink and thus into our systems. So, no microwaving in those plastic bowls! Also, do not put your plasticware in the dishwasher. I have been guilty of ALL of these things. Instead, transfer the item to a glass container for heating and handwash your items with warm soapy water opposed to putting them in the steaming hot dishwashing machine.

The take away? Avoid plastic whenever possible. Whenver you must use plastic, be sure that it is a "safe" plastic - polypropylene or polyethylene. Also, be sure to never heat these plastics, never put them in the dishwasher, and never eat or drink anything that has been left in the hot car in a plastic container. Avoid polycarbonate plastics and any plastics numbered 3,6, or 7. What do you do if you can't find a number on the bottom of the container? Toss it. It's not worth you or your child's safety.

Racism

Wow...I grew up with James Dobson and Focus on the Family programming. They are a sponsor on the above product. As a Christian, I am not only disappointed, but deeply mortified and hurt. This is not going to fly as a "satirical" statement as the cover of the New Yorker claimed. There is no other way to describe this, but to call it what it is. Pure overt racism. When people say that racism is dead or that someone is "playing the race card" I always get little goosebumps on my skin. I know for a fact that racism is NOT dead and that "race" is not a "card." Its a very real thing that me, my family, and my friends still experience almost daily. Don't get me wrong. I have a great life and I am VERY blessed. However, that doesn't mean that I don't experience or witness some sort of racial discrimination on a regular basis, however covert it may be. This box reminds me of the racist figures of the past - Mammy, Blackface, Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben. Please research these things and gain a better understanding of where I'm coming from. What you CAN'T see in the picture I posted above is the back of the box. It displays a picture of Obama with a turban on his head and a quote that says, "Point box toward Mecca for tastier waffles," amongst other offensive statements. Are you kidding me? I'm not going to all up in arms about this because as soon as we get past this, there will be something else and something else and it will continue throughout the rest of this election and (if he wins) through his time served as President. Let's be honest. Those of us who are Black in this country, whether for or against Obama, knew that he would encounter much opposition and attack based on race throughout his political career once he entered the running for President. However, I personally, very worried now that it is right in all of our faces. I mean, in history, being the "first Black" this or that is more than just inventing something or going to the Olympics or whatever the accomplishment is. It is the inherent meaning behind having to even make it a milestone. To have to say, "so and so was the first African-American Male to ever win an Oscar" or whatever says something. It says more than just the amazing accomplishment at hand. It says all the weight and opposition that person went through to get there. More likely than not, death threats/attempts on themselves and their families, physical and verbal abuse, etc. etc. To be the trailblazer is a really tough road and I am well aware of all the shoulders that I personally stand on the be in the place I am in today. I think Obama is a really great man. I personally believe that he is what our country needs right now in that state that it is in. I think he represents everything that the American dream is supposed to be about. But, that is just my personal opinion. I'm aware of that and I'm okay with that. What I am not okay with is things like the Obama Waffles being passed out at a conservative event sponsored by a Christian program. A program that I grew up listening to with my mother. I challenge Focus on the Family to focus on themselves and examine their hearts and motives. God will not bless such a blatant hateful statement that is made on that box and it goes directly against everything we as Christians stand for. Be honest about the place that such an endorsement could come from. Its scary and sad, but I must say not surprising. I started this vote with a picture of Obama praying and other Christians praying with him and for him. Boy, does he need it. And we all need it as a country...as Americans.