I remember the first time I ever voted for president, it was 1996, the first year I was eligible. It was at the elementary school I attended as a little tike, and I voted with my parents who both are gone now. It’s a nice little memory I have. I recall my father asking me what was taking me so long as all I had to do was vote straight ticket. That made me chuckle, but since this was my first ever experience doing such a patriotic thing, I just wanted to “checkout” the ballot and let it all sink in.
I am now 2 for 2 in terms of voting for the winning candidate.
As soon as the news started to call the election for Obama I got a text from one of my black childhood friends that said “O it’s o now!!!! :-)” Actually, he is my first ever friend and lived just down the road from me. For a moment I thought that he shouldn’t gloat, and that it was a bit of a shallow comment. But then I thought about the history of slavery in this country, that the White House itself was built by slaves. I thought about the Civil Rights era and the segregated Army my father served in, and I reflected upon my relationship with my friend. I started to recall that when he was in high school (circa 1993) and was dating a white girl, her mother made them break up because a small Texas town would not understand an inter-racial relationship and it would harm their family’s reputation in the community, not to mention her husband’s lawfirm. I also thought about the time we were playing in my front yard (7 years old, maybe?) and I called him the n-word, and how he reacted. He didn’t yell or cry or throw a punch, he just rang the doorbell and told my father what I did when he answered, and I can remember how I got my ass chewed out that late afternoon. Each friendship has it’s own special kid of humor where you just have to know the parties invovled, so you just gotta know my friend to really understand what I’m talking about. I was happy that at this significant moment in history and in his life he included me on this text, and I couldn’t be happier for him, his family, and his people.
My cubemate at work is from India and it’s been very interesting and a blessing to asnwer his questions about U.S. politics, and it’s given me a chance to learn about India’s political system as well. Just one tidbit, he told me about the getting his finger ink stained after voting, this show that you have already voted and prevents a double vote, and he said that no matter what he could nto get that stain off his skin for two days. The day after the election he told me he was just glued to his TV set watching all the networks and was just soaking it all in and how fascinating it was to him.
I wish I would have picked up a copy of the newspaper yesterday. But a copy of the Dallas Morning News with the headline of Obama winning probably wouldn’t that much of a keepsake, but a copy of the one of the Chicago papers would have been very cool.
For me, there’s something touching about how a man from humble roots is able to become president. That concept is one of the things that make this country great, any U.S. born citizen can be president. I guess that’s one reason I was never fond of our current president, the nepitism and cronysim. And even though his father was born priveledge, I felt like he earned the presidency. Regarding “mordern” politics, I guess the only other person who was born into wealth to win the presidency was Kennedy.
There were a lot of evangelicals that prayed earnestly for Geoge W. Bush on a daily basis since they considered him to be a Christian. I wonder if they will continue to do the same for our next president.
You may not have noticed it, but when Obama gave his victory speech it was behind a lot of bullet proof glass. I absolutely fear there will be several attempts at his life and pray that the Secret Service will be at their very best.
I think California had some interesting voting results – no gay marriage and no prostitution in San Fran.
I was really surprised that Ted Stevens held on to victory. I guess when you tell people the Internet is a series of tubes (I’m not joking WikipediaYouTube) they will believe anything.
It’s important for Christians to memorize scripture, but I would ague it’s more important to understand and comprehend scripture. So often I see scripture thrown around in conversation and taken without context with little attention paid to the historical, cultural, and even political reference of the background of that scripture.
Here’s an interesting clip from The O’Reilly where a Fox News talks about the fallout of the McCain campaign and how he learned that Palin didn’t know Africa was continent.
1) “There were a lot of evangelicals that prayed earnestly for Geoge W. Bush on a daily basis since they considered him to be a Christian.†This statement seems to argue against the power of prayer. Obviously the evangelicals won’t be praying for Obama because he’s a Muslim [just kidding!]
2) There’s no end to the stories about Sarah Palin’s lack of education or understanding of the world. I don’t know what’s worse, not knowing Africa is a continent or believing that dinosaurs lived 4,000 years ago. But she does teach us one important lesson: if you want to go into politics, get a degree and experience in television journalism. The woman is a natural in front of a camera with a teleprompter.
3) For Europeans and the Arab world it must difficult to comprehend the son of an immigrant rising to lead the country in a single generation. Imagine the son of Pakistani immigrant rising to Prime Minister of England or the son of an Algerian immigrant becoming the President of France. Not going to happen.
Let’s not get retarded here. EVERYTHING in the 1700s was built by slaves. That’s what they were, that’s what they’re called. It’s not happening now in this day and time. Get over it and stop making it into an issue.
I looked at the tired squirrel pic and I noticed that one comment linked to the squirrel feeder model that the squirrel is resting on.
http://www.runnerduck.com/squirrel_feeder.htm
It has a nail on it to jam a corn cob on. The commenter suggests that the squirrel isn’t really tired, but… impaled.
1) “There were a lot of evangelicals that prayed earnestly for Geoge W. Bush on a daily basis since they considered him to be a Christian.†This statement seems to argue against the power of prayer. Obviously the evangelicals won’t be praying for Obama because he’s a Muslim [just kidding!]
2) There’s no end to the stories about Sarah Palin’s lack of education or understanding of the world. I don’t know what’s worse, not knowing Africa is a continent or believing that dinosaurs lived 4,000 years ago. But she does teach us one important lesson: if you want to go into politics, get a degree and experience in television journalism. The woman is a natural in front of a camera with a teleprompter.
3) For Europeans and the Arab world it must difficult to comprehend the son of an immigrant rising to lead the country in a single generation. Imagine the son of Pakistani immigrant rising to Prime Minister of England or the son of an Algerian immigrant becoming the President of France. Not going to happen.
Are you sure about the Whitehouse being built by slaves?
Re: White House built by slaves, here are two links…the first is from the White House Historical Association site
http://www.whitehousehistory.org/06/subs/06_a04.html
This link provides a more detailed explanation
http://www.finalcall.com/perspectives/slaves08-13-2002.htm
Let’s not get retarded here. EVERYTHING in the 1700s was built by slaves. That’s what they were, that’s what they’re called. It’s not happening now in this day and time. Get over it and stop making it into an issue.