D-Day Anniversary

As a huge history buff, I've always wanted to visit the beaches of Normandy and all the historical sites located in this area of France. Can you imagine standing where over 150,000 Allied servicemen (half of them Americans) stormed the French coast to establish the foothold that would end World War II? Just thinking about it leaves me in awe. I can't imagine what it would be like to see it in person.

Today marks the 65th Anniversary of that historic day. President Obama and British PM, Gordon Brown, were in Normandy today to honor the sacrifice of those who fought 65 years ago. I was particularly impressed with Brown's speech. Here are just a few of his remarks:

And now, more than half a century on, we remember those who advanced grain of sand by grain of sand, utterly determined amid the bullets and the bloodshed that freedom would not be pushed back into the sea, but would rise from these beaches below to liberate a continent and save a generation.

This is sacred ground. This day marks the triumph of good over evil, and truth over lies, and the victory of human decency over hatred and the Holocaust.

Those who risked everything here sixty five years ago demonstrated that although tyranny may suppress, it cannot endure forever. They proved that dictatorship may for a time have the power to dictate, but that it will not in the end decide the course of the human journey.

They enacted the belief that as long as one of us is not free, no one of us is free. They made real the timeless values enshrined in the bill of rights, the declaration of independence, the charter of liberty and in the call of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

In doing so they embodied not just the hopes of one age but the dreams of all ages.

So now we must complete our great covenant with the dead of D-Day: our promise that we would build a world worthy of their sacrifice and their heroism.

For how can we say we have achieved all we set out to do, the promise of peace and justice, when the shadow of nuclear proliferation still spreads across the earth? When Darfur is in the grip of genocide, Burma is in chains, Zimbabwe is in agony? When the enemy is not just violence but the mortal threat of poverty, hunger, illiteracy, disease and want?

There are dreams of liberation still to be realized, commitments still to be redeemed, and vows to the dead still to be kept. And so we must be as if liberators for our day and for our generation.

For today we are only half way to honoring the pledges we made for a new world. The beacon of hope that was lit with the liberation of Europe must now lead us on. Lead us on to a world, finally delivered from the evil of poverty and the sin of prejudice, where intolerance is never tolerated; where no one suffers persecution or discrimination on grounds of race, or faith, or differences of identity and nationality.

This place of all places affirms that free people can bend history in the direction of our best hopes. So it was on D-Day; so it is today.

Day of Laughter

Today has been a day of laughter. First of all, I read this post on Alina's blog. It was cracking me up because it was written by our friend Tom. Last night Tom was using Alina's computer to update the ward website, or so we thought. When I read the post, I was laughing so hard I was crying!!

The other thing that was cracking me up was this clip from the daily show. It's a little long, but the real good stuff is between 1:30-2:40 minutes, especially the last 15 minutes of that time. Watch it!!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

President Goofus and President Gallant - Peer Pressers

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Why I Support Barack Obama

This will be my last political post (at least for awhile). I have recently had a lot of conversations with friends and family members about the 2008 election. I voted for Barack Obama on Super Tuesday. Now don't get me wrong, I don't agree with everything Obama supports, but he seems like the best option out there. Here are a few reasons why I support Barack Obama (most of these statements are taken directly from Obama's website):

• Obama will double funding for the main federal support for afterschool programs, the 21st Century Learning Centers program, to serve a million more children. Obama will include measures to maximize performance and effectiveness across grantees nationwide.

• Obama will reform NCLB, which starts by funding the law. Obama believes teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests. He will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them.

• Obama will promote new and innovative ways to increase teacher pay that are developed with teachers, not imposed on them. Districts will be able to design programs that reward accomplished educators who serve as a mentor to new teachers with a salary increase. Districts can reward teachers who work in underserved places like rural areas and inner cities. And if teachers consistently excel in the classroom, that work can be valued and rewarded as well.

• Obama believes that we can do more to help autistic Americans and their families understand and live with autism. He has been a strong supporter of more than $1 billion in federal funding for autism research on the root causes and treatments, and he believes that we should increase funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to truly ensure that no child is left behind.

• Obama will give first-time, non-violent drug offenders a chance to serve their sentence, where appropriate, in the type of drug rehabilitation programs that have proven to work better than a prison term in changing bad behavior.

• Obama will launch the most aggressive diplomatic effort in recent American history to reach a new compact on the stability of Iraq and the Middle East. This effort will include all of Iraq's neighbors – including Iran and Syria. This compact will aim to secure Iraq's borders; keep neighboring countries from meddling inside Iraq; isolate al Qaeda; support reconciliation among Iraq's sectarian groups; and provide financial support for Iraq's reconstruction.

• Obama will embrace the Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme poverty around the world in half by 2015, and he will double our foreign assistance to $50 billion to achieve that goal. He will help the world's weakest states to build healthy and educated communities, reduce poverty, develop markets, and generate wealth.

• Obama will make available a new national health plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress.

• Obama will invest $1 billion over five years in transitional jobs and career pathway programs that implement proven methods of helping low-income Americans succeed in the workforce.

• Obama will set a goal that all middle and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year. He will develop national guidelines for service- learning and will give schools better tools both to develop programs and to document student experience. Green Job Corps: Obama will create an energy-focused youth jobs program to provide disadvantaged youth with service opportunities weatherizing buildings and getting practical experience in fast-growing career fields.

Republicans vs. Democrats

Those who know me, know I almost always vote Democrat. Not always, put almost always. Why? I don't agree with every position on the Democratic Platform, but I do agree with most of the issues that are important to me. Here are just some of these issues:

• Role of Government: Although NGOs (non-governmental organizations) contribute a lot to poverty relief, government is also needed. Government should ensure helath care, affordable housing, & social security to those in need.
  

• Health Care: "Democrats are committed to making sure every single American has access to affordable, effective health care coverage. We believe in investing in life saving stem cell and other medical research that offers real hope for cures and treatment for millions of Americans." (taken from the National Democratic Party Agenda)

• Retirement: "We will ensure that a retirement with dignity is the right and expectation of every single American, starting with pension reform, expanding saving incentives and preventing the privatization of social security." (taken from the National Democratic Party Agenda)

• Foriegn Policy/Diplomacy: "Our National Security must be built on International cooperation and on our leaders telling the truth to the American People before committing American troops to combat." (taken from the Utah State Democratic Party Platform)

• Protection of Civil Liberties: "Fairness requires that all citizens enjoy the full benefits of citizenship regardless of their race, gender, religion, age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or economic status. Because constitutions are created to grant freedoms, preserve liberties, and limit government, Utah Democrats oppose any effort to amend either the state or federal constitution to restrict civil liberties. Utah Democrats encourage our government to protect against discrimination and victimization based on status." (taken from the Utah State Democratic Party Platform)

• Immigration: "Democrats are fighting for laws that will secure our borders, protect all U.S. workers and their wages & prevent exploitation of immigrant workers, reunite families, and allow immigrants who pay taxes and don't have trouble with the law a path to earn the opportunities and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship." (taken from the National Democratic Party Agenda)

More Politics - Mitt Romney

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've been reading Jim Wallis's book The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post-Religious Right America. On page 40, Wallis quotes Pastor Rich Nathan of the Vineyard Church of Columbus who said, "There are lots of us evangelicals who have found ourselves increasingly uncomfortable with the media's selection of a few people of decidedly conservative politics who are regularly called our spokespeople. Whenever I hear this handful of people talk, I think: This person doesn't speak for me."

That's exactly how I feel about Mitt Romney. Because Romney and I have the same religious beliefs (we both belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), people assume that we have the same political beliefs. When I've mentioned that I dislike Romney and would never vote for him, people have responded, "But you're a Mormon too, right?" Yes. Yes I am, but I dislike Romney immensely. Here's just one of the many reasons why:

When asked about detaining terrorism suspects, Mitt Romney stated, "I want them in Guantanamo where they don't have the access to lawyers they get when they're on our soil." He went on to say, "Some people have said we should close Guantanamo. I think we should double Guantanamo."

The moment I heard this statement was the moment I began disliking Mitt Romney. What does this statement even mean? It sounds like nationalistic, I'm-better-than-you rhetoric that's only purpose is to gain the support of right-wing nuts. In 2007 FBI documents reported that Guantanamo detainees were chained hand and foot in a fetal position to the floor for 18 hours or more, urinating and defecating on themselves and subjected to extreme temperature with temperatures close to freezing. Who does things like that? Americans? That's not the America I want to live in, nor do I want an American leader who wants to "double" a place that uses those type of tactics. I don't care what the cost.

Some may argue that those tactics are necessary to prevent terrorism. Really? Those are the tactics used by terrorists!! What does that say about America? It reminds me of Benjamin Franklin's quote, "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."

This is just one of the reasons I would not vote for Romney. There are many others. Our political beliefs are pretty much opposites.

The Great Awakening

I've been reading Jim Wallis's newest book, The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post-Religious Right America. As always, I love to hear what Wallis has to say. Every time I read something he has written or hear him speak, I connect with it. He has an uncanny way of expressing almost exactly what I think, feel, and believe in regards to politics. Although our religious backgrounds are not the same, our beliefs about how religion and politics are connected are similar. Because of this, I have decided to write my next few posts all about those thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in regards to politics.

Wallis has argued that as Christians our concerns should be "the slavery of poverty, the sexual trafficking of God's children, environmental 'creation care,' human rights and the image of God in genocidal places such as Darfur, and how the Prince of Peace might view or endless wars and conflicts" (page 25). I agree. Here is another excerpt from The Great Awakening (pages 26-27) that I agree and connected with:

The two greatest hungers of our time are the hunger for spirituality and the hunger for social justice - and the connection between the two has great power to motivate people to action. The world is especially waiting for a new social and political agenda drawn not from bickering partisan loyalties, blatant ideological bias, or corrupting special interests, but rather from our deepest moral values.

The issues that pose the most fundamental threats to our moral integrity and social survival [are] the world's dangerous levels of inequality, the perils of climate change and environmental degradation, the worst assaults against human life and dignity, the forces that undermine family and community, and the escalation of violent global conflicts of culture, religion, and power.

I strongly believe that faith matters and that it can make a difference, not only in our personal lives but also in our world.

Congressman Tom Lantos

Nicholas recently wrote about the death of Congressman Tom Lantos on his blog. Although I had heard that the congressman had been diagnosed with cancer, I had not heard of his death until today. I met Congressman Lantos while I was interning in Washington D.C. during 2000. I was very impressed with him at the time, and have continued to be as he's served in the House of Representatives.

Congressman Lantos, a Hungarian native, was the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress. Because of the atrocities he witnessed during the Holocaust, he became a champion for human rights and civil liberties. When Congressman Lantos announced he would not seek another term (because of his cancer diagnosis), he stated, "It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi underground could have received an education, raised a family, and had the privilege of serving the last three decades of his life as a Member of Congress. I will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country."

One of my most memorable moments in D.C. involved Congressman Lantos. I had gone to his office to meet up with a fellow intern. We had planned to go to dinner and to a free Millennium Stage concert at the Kennedy Center. We changed our mind when Congressman Lantos asked if the two of us wanted to join him and his wife for a performance from the Capitol Steps on Capitol Hill. Of course we said yes. We walked with him to the Capitol (even using the "Members Only" elevator) and sat with him at his table. It was awesome!!

Although I have become jaded by a lot of politicians, it was refreshing to meet a member of Congress who had overcome the odds and dedicated years to help change the world for the better.

Super Tuesday

Random Thoughts about Super Tuesday:

• I am a political junkie. I switched back and forth between the major networks viewing minute by minute up-dates. I don't know what this says about me, but I don't think it's positive.
• I received one of the funniest voicemails ever from my father after he voted. It went something like this: "Well, I did it. I voted for the first African-American who has a chance at the White House. I guess I'm officially a Democrat. I don't know how I feel about this - a little wierd . . . and tingly."
• I voted for the same candidate as both of my parents - I don't think this has ever happened. Apparently, the Georges are a united front this year.
• California sucks. It seems so unfair that one state has so much say and sway.
• Obama won more states, but Clinton won bigger states. Again, bigger states suck.
• Romney received 90% of Utah's Republican vote. I am not a Romney fan. He and I have few beliefs (political) in common. In one survey I took, Zero Percent (0%) of our beliefs (again, political) matched.
• Super Tuesday and Fat Tuesday landed on the same day this year. Just kind of funny.
  

One Very Opinionated Man

This is a horrible picture of me, but a fantastic picture of my dad. My dad has been cracking me up lately. Yesterday was no exception. I was over at his house and we were watching the nightly news together. The news reported on the war in Iraq so naturally Ronnie had to go off on that - he kept ranting and raving about the poor job President Bush has done in regards to foreign affairs. The following story was about the economy. Again my dad added his two cents about President Bush's screw ups regarding the economy. The "fluff" story of the night was about Jenna Bush's upcoming wedding and her decision to have it in Crawford, Texas instead of the White House.

"That's it!" my dad exclaimed. "That just goes to show you idiocy is genetic. It started with Bush Senior, then went to Junior, and now it's been passed onto the daughter. Who in their right mind would get married in No Where, Texas when you could get married in the White House?" He went on (and on) about a website he'd like to create called, "The Idiot Gene." In said website he would list all the idiotic decisions Bush family members had made. It was cracking me up. He pretty much made comments during the entire broadcast. My mother had to eventually say, "You know, I would like to hear the news, but I'll I'm hearing is you." That didn't stop him.

Political Poll

Despite declaring myself apathetic towards politics, I can't help but be interested in the recent primary elections and the candidates. I've returned to my junkie ways - my junkie political way. I should have expected it - After all, I do have a B.A. in political science. Anyway, I saw this political poll on another blog so I thought I'd share - especially since many of you have some intense political opinions. If you are opinionated (or oblivious) the questions go rather quickly. Not surprisingly, I was most aligned with Bill Richardson, but since he's dropped out of the running, my second closest match was with Hillary. To take the poll, click HERE.

To see a past post on another political poll, click HERE.

Look at President Bush

This is hilarious. Watch it - It's only 13 seconds.

Top Candidates

I found a website that helps you find the 2008 presidential candidate that best aligns with your beliefs. It was pretty interesting. I don't know if it's slanted a certain way, but I've read about a lot of different people getting varied results. Take the quiz - it only takes about a minute. I'd be interested in knowing what you got. To take the quiz, click HERE.

Obviously, my top candidates were Democrats followed by Republicans. My top three candidates were Mike Gravel (92%), Dennis Kucinich (92%), and Bill Richardson (78%). It kind of surprised me because I have been supporting Bill Richardson from the beginning.

My bottom three candidates: Sam Brownback (15%), Mitt Romney (11%), and Duncan Hunter (3%)

Proud Member of the Colbert Nation

Election Afterthought

After the Democrats swept both houses of Congress, the federal government continued to change with the resignation of Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld. In the spirit of the stupidest things politicians have said, and as a farewell to D-Rum, here are some of the stupidest things he's ever said:

"Needless to say, the President is correct. Whatever it was he said."

"Don't say 'the White House wants.' Buildings can't want."

"First rule of politics: you can't win unless you're on the ballot. Second rule: If you run, you may lose. And, if you tie, you do not win.""If you develop rules, never have more than ten."

"Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war."

"Learn to say 'I don't know.' If used when appropriate, it will be often."

"We do know of certain knowledge that he (Osama Bin Laden) is either in Afghanistan, or in some other country, or dead."

SIDENOTE: I'd like to thank TJ for this post. He posted something similar on another blog. Thanks TJ. You are a blogger extraordinaire!!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

As I read the headlines this morning,
I was filled with both joy and heartache.

First to the joy:


Democrats Sweep Congress
Pelosi Says Democrats are Ready to Lead
Democratic Governors Claim Edge
Democrats Gain in State Legislatures

• It truly is the best of times.

Now to the heartache:

Divorce Underway for Britney and K-Fed

Yes, it is also the worst of times.

Election Series - Part IV

The following quotes are from Marion Barry (former mayor of Washington, D.C.)

"Outside the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country."

"First, it was not a strip bar; it was an erotic club. And second, what can I say? I'm a night owl."

"I am a great mayor. I am an upstanding Christian man. I am an intelligent man. I am a deeply educated man. I am a humble man."

"What right does Congress have to go around making laws just because they deem it necessary?"

"The laws in this city are clearly racist. All laws are racist. The law of gravity is racist."

"I am clearly more popular than Reagan. I am in my third term. Where's Reagan? Gone after two! Defeated by George Bush and Michael Dukakis, no less."

"People have criticized me because my security detail is larger than the President's. But you must ask yourself: Are there more people who want to kill me than who want to kill the President? I can assure you there are."

Election Addendum

Election Series - Part III

To be fair I thought I'd better publish the best quotes from The Stupidest Things Democrats ever Said. As I was reading it, I realized that Marion Barry is the Democratic Party's Dan Quayle. Because of this, he will have his own post. Enjoy!!

"The first black president will be a politician who is black."
- Doug Wilder (Virginia governor, 1989-1993)

If I could be the condom queen and get every young person in the United States who is engaging in sex to use a condom, I would wear a crown on my head with a condom on it."
- Jocelyn Elders (surgeon general, 1993-1994)

"I am not indecisive. Am I indecisive?"
- Jim Scheibel (St. Paul mayor, 1990-1993)

"This is the worst disaster in California since I was elected."
- Pat Brown (California governor, 1959-1966)

"Old people have a duty to die and get out of the way."
- Richard Lamm (Colorado governor, 1975-1987)

"I say get 'em by the balls and their hearts and minds will follow."
- Mendel Rivers (South Carolina representative, 1941-1970), discussing how to win over foreign nations.

"There are no issues. My opponent has a job and I want it. That's what this election is about."
- William Bulow (South Dakota governor, 1927-1931)

"No sane person in the country likes the war in Vietnam, and neither does President Johnson."
- Hubert Humphrey (vice president, 1965-1969)

Election Series - Part II

The following are all quotes by Dan Quayle:

"Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and a child."

"We have been pushing the idea that George Bush is going to make things much, much worse."

When explaining the difference between the House and the Senate: "There are lots more people in the House [compared with the Senate]. I don't know exactly - I've never counted, but at least a couple of hundred."

"Hawaii is a unique state. It is a small state. It is a state that is by itself. It is a - it is different than other states. Well, all states are different, but it's got a particularly unique situation."

When remarking on the 1989 San Francisco earthquake: "The loss of life will be irreplaceable."

When discussing the possibility of living on Mars: "Mars is essentially in the same orbit. Mars is somewhat the same distance from the sun, which is very important. We have seen pictures where there are canals, we believe, and water. If there is water, that means there is oxygen. If oxygen, that means we can breathe."

"What a waste it is to lose one's mind - or not to have a mind. How true that is."

"I stand by all the misstatements."

"For NASA, space is still a high priority."

"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."

"One word sums up the responsibility of any vice president. And that word is 'to be prepared.'"

"Unfortunately, the people of Louisiana are not racists."

"My friends, no matter how rough the road may be, we can and we will never, never surrender to what is right."

"I was a less-than-serious student in college. If I had it to do over again, I would be far more serious. I did play a lot of golf. But I don't think that's any reflection on my ability to lead this nation."

"I support efforts to limit the terms of members of Congress, expecially members of the House and members of the Senate."

"I believe we are on an irreversible trend toward more freedom and democracy. But that could change."

"Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things."

Republicans

In honor of the upcoming elections, I thought I would re-run a popular 4 part series that I originally posted on "Leonard's Lawn."

The following quotes are taken from one of my favorite books, The 267 Stupidest Things Republicans Ever Said. I have the Democrat counterpart, but to be honest, it's not as funny because Republicans are just plain stupider than Democrats. I've included one quote by Dan Quayle, but as I was going through my book, I realized he's going to need an entire post of his own. Enjoy!!

"Who will the Antichrist be? I don't know. Nobody else knows. Of course, he'll be Jewish."
- Jerry Falwell (president, Moral Majority, 1979-1990)

"I hope I stand for anti-bigotry, anti-Semitism, anti-racism."
- George Bush

"Boy, they were big on crematoriums, weren't they?"
- George Bush, touring Auschwitz in 1987

This is a great day for France!"
- Richard Nixon, attending French president Charles de Gaulle's funeral

"We have every mixture you can have. I have a black, I have a woman, two Jews, and a cripple."
- James Watt (Sec. of the Interior, 1981-1983), describing an Interior Dept. advisory group

"We don't need some character in the Dept. of Education with sandals and beads telling us how to educate our children."
- Pat Buchanan (1996 Republican presidential candidate)

"The President ought to be allowed to hang two men every year without giving any reason or explanation."
- Herbert Hoover (president, 1929-1933)

"Trees cause more pollution than automobiles."
- Ronald Reagan

"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix."
- Dan Quayle