My dad and I had an interesting conversation last night about how an individual can have a positive effect in a system where systemic corruption is present, without succumbing to the pressure to compromise. We got on this topic because we were talking about Congress, which seems from the outside to be an incredibly brutal [...]
I’m not always as up to date on the news as I should be, and something caught my eye today that has probably been in the national news for months, but had previously escaped my attention. The issue in question? The Ground Zero Mosque. At first I wasn’t sure what the controversy was, and I [...]
Over the last couple months, I’ve engaged in dozens of conversations about religion, politics, and other sensitive topics. The conversations have been online and offline and with people with whom I agree and disagree, in some cases vehemently. After some reflection, I wanted to point out a few things that I’ve learned can be helpful [...]
Confession: I love to argue. I love the clash of ideas and defending a position for the fun of it. Sometimes this gets me in trouble, as I find myself defending a viewpoint against someone who is deeply offended because they don’t share my love of debate. Putting that issue aside, my question is this: [...]
The heart and soul of America is stirring to life. I won’t offer any tired speeches about how we’re fed up with the same-old brand of politics and power. I won’t tell you how important it is that you get involved. I’ll just point you to this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/on-the-ground-2008 If over a thousand college student can [...]
Warning: this is yet another post about politics. Ugh…I know. Hang in there; it’ll all be over soon. The election season is simultaneously a frustrating and enjoyable time for me. I enjoy talking about politics, and I’m always frustrated to see the way that campaigns and public discourse deteriorates over time. I enjoy talking to [...]
Where does the first week of the month go? Seriously, I seem to wake from some kind of slumber every month on the 7th or 8th and realize that we’re already 25% of the way through the month. It’s very frustrating I’ve decided I’m going to offer folks a monthly update on my goals and [...]
Warning: this post is about politics, so please skip it if that doesn’t interest you. I’ve got a few more political posts over the next couple weeks, but things will die down in that department after the election, I’m sure. Until then, thanks for bearing with me As I wrote last week, I’ve decided to [...]
I’ve made a very tough decision: I’m voting for Barack Obama. I’m sure that many of my Republican and conservative friends and family will be deeply dismayed to hear this, but I would ask them to hear me out with an open mind before firing up the prayer chains. I would also ask that before [...]