A Chance to Work Together

Did you get a chance to hear Barack Obama’s Closing Argument speech? View it here at YouTube, or read it here at Politico. Regardless of who you are planning on voting for, you should read or listen to what he said.

I’m not here to tell you who to vote for. I’ve made up my mind and by now most people have too. However, I want to talk about a few things that Obama said in his speech that gave me hope for a better world at a time when I’d just about run out of hope.

In his speech Obama talked of Americans working together towards a common goal. On the surface this seems like such a simplistic idea, but it is a concept that is urgently needed now. For too long we have been a nation divided: blue states vs. red states; ethnic race vs. ethnic race; citizens vs. illegal alien; straight vs. gay; have vs. have not; the list goes on and on. We have become a nation filled with angry people and violence is on the rise because of it.

We have to stop and realize that we are all part of the same country, even the same planet. Here’s a quote from the speech: “There’s no shortage of anger and bluster and bitter partisanship out there. We don’t need more heat. We need more light. I’ve learned in my life that you can stand firm in your principles while still reaching out to those who might not always agree with you.” We need to agree to disagree. We need to remember that everyone, every single person is unique with their own view of the world and their own opinions.

We need to move in a new direction as a nation. We need to regain our belief that tomorrow can truly be a better day. We need hope. Here’s another quote: “Hope is not blind optimism. It’s not ignoring the enormity of the task before us or the roadblocks that stand in our path. … I know that hope has been the guiding force behind the most improbable changes this country has ever made. In the face of tyranny, it’s what led a band of colonists to rise up against an Empire. In the face of slavery, it’s what fueled the resistance of the slave and the abolitionist, and what allowed a president to chart a treacherous course to ensure that the nation would not continue half slave and half free. In the face of war and Depression, it’s what led the greatest of generations to free a continent and heal a nation. In the face of oppression, it’s what led young men and women to sit at lunch counters and brave fire hoses and march through the streets of Selma and Montgomery for freedom’s cause. That’s the power of hope — to imagine, and then work for, what had seemed impossible before.”

Regardless of which candidate winds up in the White House in 2009 and beyond I would like to hope that we can pull together and fix the big mess that this country is in. It will not be easy to dig our way out of the pit we’re in. Unless we roll up our sleeves and work together, nothing is going to change and things will only get worse.

My vote is for hope.

No More Bad News

I don't know about you, but I've had enough! All the political fighting and mud slinging. All the bad news about our economy. Suicide bombers in the Middle East. Home invasions and murders. It's all just too much.

Since my proverbial tilt meter has gone off, I decided to try and find some good news. I must admit that it took some hunting, but there is some out there. Here are a few sites you can visit if you are like me:

• Happy News
• Good News Daily
• Good News Network

There have been hundreds, maybe even thousands of self-help books written that talk about the power of positive thinking. Maybe that's what we need right now, some positive thinking. So here's my advise to everyone (myself included): turn off the regular news stations, put down that newspaper, quit reading that negative Web site, and check out one of the good news links listed above.

Maybe when we're all in a better mood we can find a way to fix the problems we're facing.

A helping hand

What is one of the greatest gifts that one person can give another? Well, there was a song by the Beatles that had a line that went something like this: “I get by with a little help from my friends.” There are two phrases that come to mind also: “circle of friends” and “circle of life.” [which is also the title to a song by Elton John and Tim Rice]

Humans are, for the most part, very social. We live in groups, communities, cities, nations. We depend upon the work of others to survive. Imagine what your life would be like if you had to grow and process all of your food, generate all of your own energy, pump your own water, build your own shelter, manipulate fibers to create your own clothing, and do everything else you needed to survive on a daily basis. Do you think you could do it? I suspect that very, very few of us could.

It is a great shame that we – the human race that is – are unable to cooperate together to work towards the good of humanity. I wonder sometimes what we might have been able to achieve if we had not wasted so much time, energy, money, and lives on hate, violence and war. It makes me so very sad. My hopes and dreams of youth have been demolished by stupidity, corporate greed, and governmental waste.

Alas, all I can do is take care of my own little circle. That is what truly gives me satisfaction in my life. Until very recently friends were the only family that I had. I have been very fortunate to have some incredible people in my life (including the members of my new found family!). For this I am eternally grateful. I truly do not know where I would be without them.

In Memory: Memorial Day

Memorial Day has become, for many people, just another 3-day weekend. The Uniform Holidays Bill, passed in 1968 and made a federal law in 1971, moved Memorial Day from May 30th to the last Monday of May. Now, I have nothing against a 3-day weekend and Memorial Day specifically, but with the ongoing “war” in Iraq and our troops still in Afghanistan I feel compelled to talk about a couple of issues.

First a little history about Memorial Day:

• Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. While there is much debate about where and when the tradition started, it began during the American Civil War.
• General John A. Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, officially proclaimed Decoration Day in 1868. Flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers in Arlington National Cemetery that May 30th.
• The name Memorial Day was first used in 1882; however, it was not commonly called this until after World War II. The holiday was officially given the name Memorial Day by federal law in 1967.
• President Lyndon Johnson officially declared Waterloo, N.Y., as the official birthplace of Memorial Day in 1966.
• You can find more information on the holiday at History.com.

In my opinion, the people who have and who are serving this country deserve our respect. However, while we may have had a reason to attack Afghanistan, I see no compelling or valid reason for our invasion of Iraq. We have bankrupted this nation, ruined our reputation with the rest of the world, and are destroying the lives of an entire generation not to mention what has happened to the lives of the Iraq citizens. Yes, I know, Saddam Hussein is gone (a good thing), but their country is in chaos now.

So, I salute and thank those that are serving this country. I am humbled by the sacrifices of those who have served. I deeply wish we could bring our men and women home from Iraq. I hope that the leaders of this country do not send us on yet another mission by invading yet another nation. I ask that they honor those who serve by bringing our troops home.

Peace on Earth

My last Blog included a list of some of the events and holidays taking place this month. Tomorrow is a very big holiday for millions of Christians – Christmas. If you are interested in some history on this holiday, the folks at How Stuff Works have an article on How Christmas Works .

Personally I’m a secular humanist. Never heard of one of us? I’m not surprised, there aren’t a lot of us around – at least compared to those who follow the major religions. Interested in what a secular humanist is? Wikipedia has a pretty good description of who we are, what we believe, and links to more info here .

Regardless of what religion you do or do not follow I want to wish each and every one of you a happy holidays. There is a line from a song that many sing this time of year: “Peace on Earth, good will towards everyone” [I changed that last word!]. My wish is that ‘peace on Earth’ could truly happen. Imagine how much we (I’m talking of humanity here) could do without wasting so much energy, time, money, lives, etc. on War? Do you think we can every ‘grow up’, open our eyes and realize that we all live on the same small, blue planet? Carl Sagan called our home a “pale, blue dot”. In case you missed my earlier post, go here to read an article about just how small our home is .

I wish you all life, love, happiness, friendship, and hope. This life is what we make of it. I hope we can all try a little harder to make this a better world.

Peace