PB&J: News & Money

There have been a couple of things that have happened in the news recently that I thought I would talk about...

The biggest and most exciting (I think) is the news that came out of New York a couple of weeks ago! So much to celebrate as New York became the largest state to recognize same-sex marriages. Hopefully this will keep the ball rolling in other parts of the country.

Maybe more of a serious issue and one that is running on a deadline is the Debt Ceiling talks and the budget crisis. Now I will admit, that there is not a lot I don't understand about the economy, the debt ceiling or how the government's budget works. In fact, I know very little. However, when the President addressed the nation last night (6.25.11), I listened. And what I heard was that Congress was not working together - like they should - to reach a compromise in time. And if that isn't done, a lot of damage could be done to the United States. I heard that in the past 8+ years, things were not done correctly to help our deficit. I heard that some in Congress (specifically Republicans, it seemed) were not willing to compromise but instead were putting their own political agendas in front of the need of this country.

When I heard this, I thought of what has happened recently in Minnesota and their state shutdown. That lasted more than a week. And, when I look at it, the same thing was happening in Minnesota that is right now in the capital. Members of Congress (again, mostly Republicans) are not willing to work together and find a compromise. And because of this, in Minnesota, the state shutdown lasted for days and was devastating to the entire state. Finally, Governor Dayton decided to go with the proposal from the Republicans - not because he agreed with it, but because he knew it would be for the better for the state of Minnesota. But in my opinion, it shouldn't have ever reached that point. The Republicans and the Democrats should have worked together from the beginning so that the state never needed to shut down. This is their job - the job they are elected to do. And if they can't do it, then they shouldn't have that job. 

I think the same is true for our elective officials in Washington. If the budget doesn't get balanced in a fair way, there could be serious consequences for years to come. And the American people shouldn't have to pay those consequences because our elected officials couldn't work together. 

I don't do this a lot and maybe I should, but today I took the time to write my elected officials. Right now they are Rep. King, Senator Grassley and Senator Harkin. You too can contact your representatives and ways to find out who they are and how to contact them can be found here. This was my letter. 

I listened to President Obama address the nation last night about our financial crisis. I also listened to House Speaker John Boehner give his response. After listening to both speeches, I agree with what President Obama stated. There needs to be a balanced compromise. Cuts do need to be made. But we should also stop the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and ask them to contribute to this problem.

I ask you to work together, find a compromise. No one will ever be completely happy - but we can find a happy medium. That is your job as our elective official. Put politics aside and help this country.

Thank you.

While I was searching for the sites to contact my elected officials, I came across another website. This website is called Votizen and it is a place where you can contact your representatives, sign open letters that other people have written or write your own letter and get support. There was one letter that caught my attention on this same subject. I thought it was well written and straight to the point. I added my signature. I've included the link to that letter here. I encourage you to read that letter and if you feel the same way, to join the site and sign your name too. 

To be completely honest, who knows if our elected officials ever even see these letters or notes that we send them. But somebody must be reading them. And sending nothing - especially if you feel so strong about something - is worse. 

With the Iowa Straw poll just around the corner and caucuses and primaries not long after, the debates have started for the next Presidential election. It's our right and our duty as Americans to listen to what the candidates are saying and then voting in these elections. That is how we can make a difference. But, if you're still a skeptic about our democracy, I'll leave you with this quote I heard while out in Colorado for the DNC back in 2008. "Voting is a lot like peeing in the ocean. It might not make much of a difference, but it sure feels good once you've done it."

PB&J: Political Blog and Junk

I like politics. I've always been interested in the way our government works. I love a good political debate. I thrive during elections. During the 2008 presidential election, I was part of a group on Wartburg's campus called First in the Nation (FIN). For this program, we paired up with a school in New Hampshire and studied the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primaries. We followed the current election from the beginning, the announcements, the rallies, the caucuses and primaries, the campaigning, the DNC and RNC and finally the election. We spent time out in New Hampshire with our fellow FINs and they spent some time in Iowa with us. It was a great opportunity and I met a lot of amazing people - including many of the presidential candidates and even President Obama (before he was president, of course!). I had a seat at Obama's speech at the DNC in Denver. I was a part of history. 

I have a lot of thoughts when it comes to politics. Not just politics either - but the events and issues that are intertwined with politics. I sometimes have a hard time keeping these thoughts to myself. And as we start to begin the process of another presidential election, there's a good chance I'll probably have some thoughts through it. And I'll probably want to share those thoughts. :) So I'm going to use this blog to do that. I understand however, that not everyone cares about my political thoughts and that's fine. I understand some people read this blog to be kept up to date on what's going on in mine and AJ's life. And so in fairness to them: for any blog that I'm going to write about politics or my thoughts on current events, I will start the title with PB&J which stands for Political Blog and Junk. (Clever, right? Funny thing is I don't even like PB&J sandwiches, but love politics! haha) That way everyone has a 'warning' in case they don't care what I have to say!

When I first started writing this blog, there were some issues that I wanted to address. Well, time got away from me and now those news stories are no longer current. Actually, I'm not even sure I can remember what all the stories were even about! I do know that there have been a lot of stories I've read lately on the ban on gay-marriage vote in Minnesota. There's a lot going on with that and as it is my home state, I feel personally involved - even if I'm not currently living there. It breaks my heart to see things like this pass through the legislature because there is no good reason to deny rights to anybody. And unfortunately, this 'theme' is all over the United States. Another story that really disturbed me was one that came out of Tennessee. A bill was signed into law by the governor that basically promotes discrimination against LGBTs. How anyone can think this is a good idea, I have no idea. 

What I do know is that things need to change. We need to continue to stand up for equal rights. We need to be allies against discrimination. And it starts with you.  

This is what I believe.

I came across a couple of blogs recently that really caught my interest. The first was a sermon written for the Passion Week that basically combined "It Gets Better" and the "Passion of Christ". It is well worth the time to read. From that entry, I was directed to another blog. This second blog really made me stop and think. In this blog entry, a columnist (and an atheist at that) called out to Christians. Here is the quote:

Sex columnist (and atheist) Dan Savage writes about what he calls NALTs, which stands for Not All Like That. NALTs are Christians who insist that they’re moderate, that they don’t hate, that they are for social justice and human rights, and that they follow a loving, joyous, peaceful Christ. Dan Savage is annoyed because, he says, NALTs apparently exist in large numbers, since they email him in droves every time he calls out the Church for a new example of extreme bigotry, but despite their large numbers, they’re disturbingly silent on the big issues. NALTs are not visible in the current political, theological, and cultural arenas, and Dan Savage wonders why.

The blog goes on to detail a church, full of NALTs. It urges Christians who are NALT to stand up for what they believe in. To fight for their beliefs. To let the world know - we are here.

There's a lot going on in the news lately. A lot of hate. Protests at soldiers' funerals. Resolutions to impeach judges who were only doing their jobs. Bills to ban same-sex marriages in multiple states. And a number of teen suicides brought on by bullying. And this is not okay.

I have decided that for this blog, I'm going to sit down and really think about what I believe in. And then I'm going to make it known. I'm going to shout my beliefs for all to hear. I'm going to fight for those beliefs. Because if you don't fight and stand up for what you truly believe, what do you have? So, here it goes...

I believe in God. I am a Lutheran of the ELCA. I believe that Jesus came to this earth and then died for our sins. I believe He did this so that we could some day have eternal life with Him. I believe Jesus died so that all of our sins are forgiven. I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe in the power of prayer. I believe in miracles. I believe in faith. I believe that it's okay not to have all the answers because I have faith. I believe that Jesus preached love. I believe that is not our job as Christians to judge others. I believe that only God can cast judgment on us and He will do so when it is our time. I believe that love is the most important thing of all and that, as Christians, we should promote that love, forgiveness and acceptance.

I believe that family and friends - the people you love - are the most important things in life. I believe that God has a plan for each of us and that while we don't always understand it, He knows what He's doing. I believe that there are messages from God everywhere. I believe that life is not always suppose to be easy and that the pain and hardships we endure make us better people. I believe in the power of music and that it can move the spirit inside people. I believe in happiness. I believe in peace. I believe that being different is okay and you should never hide who you are. I believe in love. I believe in soul mates. I believe in marriage. I believe that marriage is something you have to work at every day.

I believe that being gay is okay. I believe that is not a sin in God's eyes. I believe that God loves everyone for who they are, no matter what - because He made them that way. I believe in my God but I understand that not everyone does. I believe in not pushing my religion onto anyone else. I believe in respecting everyone and their own individual beliefs - religious or not. I believe in being able to have an open mind and open and rational discuss about tough topics. I believe in debates.

I believe in the democracy of America. I believe that every person has a voice and that voice counts. I believe that voting is important and everyone should do it. I believe that the people out fighting for our country (or have) are brave and good people. I believe that anyone should be able to do this if they want and shouldn't have to hide the fact they're gay. I believe in equal rights for everyone. I believe in same-sex marriages. I believe that while some people may personally be against same-sex marriages because of their religion, that does not mean, in any way, they should be denied the same rights that are provided to us by the state (not the church). I believe that while abortion would never be a personal choice for me, every woman should have the right to choose. I believe in helping others that need help. I believe that guns should be harder to obtain and always stay locked up when not in use.

I believe that there is still the American dream and that we shouldn't deny that dream to others just because they weren't born here. But that being said, I believe that those people should come to this country the right and legal way. I believe that the economy will turn around and continue to get better. I believe in public education and that it is sadly under-funded and not supported properly. I believe that health care should be an affordable option for everyone. I believe that as the richest nation in the country, poverty is not okay.

I believe that there are good people out in the world. And while they might not have all the same beliefs I do, I have to believe that there are a large number of people that believe in love. Love, not hate. These are the people who need to speak up. These are the people that need to show the world we are not hateful people. I believe these are the people who can make the world a better place.

Those are my beliefs.