Barack Obama: The 44th President of the United States of America

Following the election results within the past hour, we have learned that Senator Barack Obama from Illinois will now be the 44th President of the United States of America. I am certainly bias in being ecstatic about Obama's historical win due to my political beliefs and support of his stance on issues. It is late, I am exhausted, but I must leave you with these simple and concise thoughts tonight. Republican, Democrat, Independent, Libertarian, or whichever party you may affiliate yourself with - we have an undeniable urgency to unite now more than ever. This is an extremely divisive time within our political landscape and if we wish for this country to move in a positive direction, we HAVE to show our support for President Obama as a whole. We need to find ourselves hand in hand, with benevolence and the audacity for change in our hearts, and be unafraid to coalesce the blacks and whites, the young and old, the rich and poor. On November 5, 2008, I ask you to put your candidate choice behind you and show your devotion to the future of this country by supporting our next President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.

John McCain's Own Bailout

While the decision of the $700 billion financial bailout plan by the federal government is pending, President Bush had summoned for the two Presidential candidates to come to Washington to help lawmakers decide on the resolution. Before their arrival however, members of congress had reached an agreement on a bipartisan counter-proposal to Bush's plan, which some argue that the candidates' trips to Washington weren't necessary.

John McCain's unexpected decision Wednesday afternoon to temporarily halt his campaign has thrown into doubt whether Friday's first presidential debate will go on as scheduled. McCain said he would stop campaigning and pull all his campaign ads after Thursday's appearance at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. But the idea was treated with a cold shoulder by his opponent, Barack Obama, as well as the nonpartisan debate organizers and the University of Mississippi, where the debate is scheduled to take place.

"I believe we should continue to have the debate. I think it makes sense to present ourselves before the American people to talk about the nature of the problems we're having," Obama told reporters Wednesday afternoon at a hastily called news conference in Florida.

"We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved," McCain told reporters in New York City on Wednesday afternoon. "I am directing my campaign to work with the Obama campaign and the Commission on Presidential Debates to delay Friday night's debate until we have taken action to address this crisis.

But who pulled the biggest political red card of the last 48 hours? Our Republican nominee John McCain. He attempted to be the superhero candidate by announcing yesterday to the public that he does not plan on participating in the Mississippi debate on Friday night until the bailout plan is finalized. While I understand his intentions, I do not think that this type of action is what the country needs right now.

McCain's "maverick" attempt of being a hero has somewhat backlashed against him and dealt him strong criticism from his opponent, Barack Obama. Obama's campaign stated that they think John McCain's decision simply confirms that under pressure he is unable to handle multiple tasks while in a leadership role. Today while watching the news I heard McCain's decision being compared to the actions taken by President Bush during his excessive vacations while in office. McCain was portrayed as "more of the same."

And to the greatest extent, I absolutely agree with the above statement. As the President of the United States of America, your duty is to not only to lead the country in its current state through any crises, but to also give the country hope and direction for the future well-being. Any powerful statement he is trying to make to the public and to Congress about the urgency of the bailout plan is erroneous with the absence of his promise and direction for the country in a ninety minute debate between candidates.

Tonight's debate is the first of three presidential debates that are scheduled over the next three weeks. The only vice presidential debate occurs on October 2 at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Hurricane Victims Need YOUR Help

The devastation of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in the Gulf region has left thousands homeless and heartbroken. After seeing the horrific aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which still has hundreds displaced and in need of help, our country was at least more prepared for these two grandiose storms. Unfortunately, preparation doesn't completely stop the hurricanes from destroying homes, flooding streets, and crumbling infrastructures. That means people in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana need your help. The Red Cross has been actively involved in serving meals to those in the storm affected areas and other organizations have devoted their time and effort to ensuring individuals that their country is there for them in this time of dire need. Whether it's simply donating money online, organizing supplies to send down to the affected areas, or orchestrating a trip to help rebuild and clean-up - you can lend a hand. Go visit the Red Cross website at http://www.redcross.org/ or visit the FEMA website at http://www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/2008/ike/ to find out ways you can be involved in helping those that were left homeless and speechless because of the storms.

Don't forget, there is going to be a time when you need help in your life and this is your opportunity to help others in their time of need.

Remembering 9/11

Despaired, frightened, outraged, devastated, petrified. Any word in our very own dictionary could not put a finger on the range of emotions felt on September 11, 2001. Seven years later and the images of such anguish and fear still burns a hole into our hearts, giving us a painful reminder that it still feels like yesterday. No matter the age or background, time stopped for every American that day as we watched terror unfold through our television sets, or even physically through our own eyes amidst the chaos in the streets of New York. We will always remember where we were and what we were doing when the greatest country on earth suddenly felt powerless.

We leaned on strangers' shoulders for support and for comfort, we looked to friends for understanding, and we hugged our families a little tighter to remind ourselves to be thankful for being alive. Through stories of despondence and hope, we were able to give compassion to each other and prove to the world that we were strong and would pull through this with honor, dignity, and respect.

We will never forget those who were brave enough, courageous enough, and warm-hearted enough to volunteer to save lives, as well as the innocent victims who literally went to work and never came home. But despite the hurt and anger of lives lost, we cannot help but to turn this painful reminder into a positive light. We must use this day of patriotism and remembrance to remind ourselves that regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, background, or even political affiliation - we must stand united not only today but every day. We may have differing opinions, as it is in human nature to disagree, but support of country should take stronghold over such divisive issues if we wish to remain the great country of the United States of America. Go talk to a stranger today. Call an old friend. Tell your family you love them. Listen to what others have to say and embrace differences. Let these things become your nature and let yourself contribute to keeping this country united. God Bless.

The Wonders of Life

It's one of those deeper thoughts of intellect that we often tap into as human beings but we have great difficulty grasping completely. A number of people would blame it on the notion that "everything happens for a reason." You encounter certain people, deal with certain circumstances, and have certain failures for God-given reasons that may be out of our human control. Others believe more in the idea of free will, in which every move an individual makes is interrelated to how their life situations turn out. In otherwords, we control our destinies. Whatever you believe, the idea of "what-ifs" and "going left instead of right" always has, and probably always will fascinate me. When I take a prime example in my life, my best friend and college roommate Rachael, I always can't help but wonder about the "what-ifs" that involves itself in our relationship, or if the "what-ifs" scenario is inferior to a greater being determining our fate.

For four years while at college, Rachael and I always pondered this idea. It all started with being freshmen roommates. Upon entering JMU as a freshman, one must fill out a survey, although not too detailed, that summarizes their lifestyle. Whether you are clean, messy, or somewhere in between. Whether you are a smoker, a non-smoker, or even a non-smoker who doesn't mind being around smoke. Whether you study in complete quiet, study with noise, or can be content with a medium between the two. We especially liked to juggle the "what-ifs" with this simple survey that took us a painless twenty minutes to complete and submit to JMU to be placed with a roommate, and potential life-long friend. "What if that day when I filled out the survey I was feeling somewhat unorganized and I reflected that onto my answer," I asked Rachael. "That one different answer could have meant we would have never been roommates, and if you think about it there's a possibility we could have never met." Rachael said. "What! Why do you believe we could have never met? That's awful to think about," I quickly and anxiously replied. Then it hit me. We had different majors - I started out in marketing and she started out (and continued) with chemistry. Even when we went to join clubs later on that year we realized that we wanted to pursue different organizations. We shared dorm friends, but besides that, our good friendships developed mostly with those inside of our classes and clubs.

Four years later, and continuous best friends throughout it all, we still ask ourselves the same questions. Just what if? Or instead, was this destined to happen since it was out of our control? We may never know... and that uncertain facet of life intrigues me.

McCain - Palin

“Sarah Barracuda” was the name given to her by her high school classmates. She was born in Idaho but grew up in the hunting, gun-shooting, fishing wilderness of Alaska. She has five kids. She’s the first female Governor of her state. She’s confronted and fought corruption face to face. She is the first Republican female Vice Presidential nominee. She, Sarah Palin, is John McCain’s running mate in the 2008 election.

This morning when the news first broke, I initially held different thoughts about his decision, and was willing to clap my hands for what McCain had done in my mind to merely give the election to Obama by choosing this inexperienced candidate. That thought disappeared minutes into her acceptance speech when I saw the public reaction that seemed to give the GOP a positive roar of excitement. However, I was still skeptical.

Let’s first discuss why McCain picked Palin. To start, he definitely needs to persuade swing voters and shake off the preconceived notion that he will not be more of the same. Secondly, after gender has played a role in this election, with a major following of Senator Hillary Clinton until she dropped out of the race. Palin may have solidified her party and the indecisive voters because it showed the Republicans weren’t scared to elect a woman. But what she doesn’t have is a long resume of national experience, which the GOP has often criticized Obama for lacking. In all fairness, I do think it was a very strategic move to choose Palin for purposes of capturing voters, sparking excitement, and closing gender gaps for winning the campaign. However, is this really fair to the country to put one of the most inexperienced candidates as second in line to our Commander in Chief?

This question has had me going back and forth over whether McCain really had the interest of the county in mind or just the interest of winning the campaign in his favor. Because all too often we become enthralled and inspired by the idea of the individual and forget that their experience, ideals, and leadership ability will have to carry our country through prosperous and devastating times. Many have responded by saying that Palin has made the campaign more exciting for the GOP, but I have to ask why? It’s not because she brings more experience as I have touched on already, nor does she bring a credible background of dealing with national issues, which the McCain campaign harped upon Obama for lacking as the center theme of his campaign in recent months. I am afraid people feel this excitement for all the wrong reasons – because she is a woman, she is an unknown, and the decision itself was completely unexpected. These are not good enough reasons for me to thank McCain for making the Republican ticket ‘stronger.’ He may be able to lever this to win the campaign battle, but the question is whether or not the two of them together can win the war of four years in office.

On the contrary, although I do sit on the left side, I do realize that it seems many have been backing Obama for all the wrong reasons as well. And for this, I reach out to the American people to beg of them to pay attention to the issues at hand and not the historical significance whether it is a woman vice president or a black president. Don’t vote for the individual personality, vote for their ability to turn this country into a positive direction.

I find that Palin does have an appeal about her that makes her very likeable. She is a child of the middle class, an avid ice fishermen and moose hunter who can relate to a population that most people cannot. She has a son about to deploy to Iraq and has a family of five children. She brings more of a “close to home” appeal than most politicians. I certainly can’t say I do not like her, but I am still skeptical that despite her likeability factor, she just isn’t ready to make the leap from Juneau to Washington. Overall, we cannot help but feel somewhat empathetic to the courageous Mother and hard working woman that Palin is. But when it comes to John McCain's famous appeal of "country first," did he really live by his own words and put the country first by making this choice?

Obama - Biden

I received the news unexpectedly on Saturday morning around 3:45 am via text message. The text was sent from Obama’s campaign announcing that Presidential candidate Barack Obama has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be his running mate.

On a personal level, Senator Joe Biden is a 65 year old, giving him nearly 20 years more in age than Obama. Senator Biden is currently serving his sixth term in the senate, making him Delaware’s longest serving senator. He was born and raised in the town of Scranton, Pennsylvania to a working class family where he was raised Roman Catholic, all before moving to Delaware, where he currently resides. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Delaware and went on to receive his Juris Doctor (JD) from Syracuse University College of Law. Tragically, in 1972, his first wife and infant daughter were killed in an automobile accident. At the time he was running for senate, and he almost decided to not take a seat so he could care for his two sons who were also injured in the accident. He was persuaded to still take a seat in the senate and was sworn in at their bedside. He also suffered from a brain aneurysm and nearly lost his life.

Personally, I was ecstatic because I knew that this choice was a positive move for Obama, considering Biden's working class roots and his foreign policy experience. Senator Joe Biden is a congressional veteran whose strengths will counterbalance the lack of experience that critics say Obama does not have. Mr. Biden's strengths include his familiarity with foreign policy and national security issues, which were highlighted a few weeks ago by an invitation he received from embattled President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, to visit Georgia in the midst of its tense face-off with Russia. He is the Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee, which brings even more credibility and strength to the campaign.

The only major drawback noted of Biden is his notorious “off the cuff” speaking that has often led him to making troublesome statements. Originally, he was running his own campaign for Presidency in 2007 when he declared that Obama was "not yet ready" for the presidency. These are among other, harsher remarks he spoke of Obama prior to being chosen as his running mate and has received criticism for.

In selecting Senator Biden, Obama did pass over other highly regarded and credentialed options to be his running mate. The most noted of these was former rival Hillary Clinton. Many have viewed his decision to not choose her as both very strategic and just plain ignorant. Either way you choose to look the handling of Clinton, his decision to choose Biden has given the party the depth it needed in the areas that the GOP had previously argued it was weakest in. And to top it all off, Obama’s top advisers believe that he appears by every measure prepared to take over as President, which is a reassuring element to the American people as second in line to Commander in Chief.

Thoughts For Today

• Happiness is a choice
  
• Luck is where preparation meets opportunity
• You are what you have learned from the past, what you experience today, and what you dream for tomorrow
• The best things in life aren't things
• Take time to laugh, it's the music of the soul
• Everyone smiles in the same language
• An open mind opens the opportunity of dropping a worthwhile thought into it
• A soft answer turneth away wrath
• Refusing to ask for help when you need it is refusing someone the chance to be helpful
• Minds are like parachutes, they only function when open
• If the world seems cold to you, kindle fires to warm it
• We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails
• Life is hard by the yard, but by the inch it is a cinch
• He who laughs...lasts
• The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything
• It takes both rain and sunshine to make a rainbow
• Kindness is like a boomerang, it always returns
• Thoughtfulness is to friendship as to sunshine is to a garden
• He who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love
• Some people make the world more special just by being in it
• Pray for a good harvest, but continue to hoe
• When you become reluctant to change, remind yourself of the beauty of autumn
• Politeness is a small price to pay for the good will and affection of others
• A memory is a treasure that survives
  

Beijing Olympics 2008

08.08.08. The opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games. We all watched the grand display of China's prosperity over the past few decades, through its well choreographed dancing, drum playing, light show, and fireworks. All the way to the athlete who ran "in the air" at the top of the Bird's Nest to ignite the Olympic flame, and ultimately, mark the official beginning of the Beijing Olympics.

The opening ceremony in itself was remarkable. The symbolism behind the show was awe-inspiring, as it showed different periods in Chinese history. Although there has been much controversy over the support of these games due to Chinese relations within Darfur and Tibet, which we should undoubtedly NOT forget about, the games still went on with hopes of world harmony and unity. The 2008 Olympic games continued the tradition of the Olympic Motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius. "Faster, Higher, Stronger."

To me the Olympics always seems to be fascinating. An official event that brings together the world in one city, seventeen days (more or less in some years), and countless effort. But with each day during the games, athletes bring their pride and honor to represent their respective countries with great dignity in hopes of bringing home a distinction of the world's best athleticism. While we all know the world is full of fighting and disengagement from one another, these 17 days bring about a sphere of influence on our pessimistic minds. During these 17 days we are able to visualize a world in which we can live and compete as friends and neighbors, and not as enemies. If only we could bring this utopia type of world outside of the Olympic arena and into our everyday lives.

2008 Campaign Ads Turn Negative

Over the past few weeks, the race for the White House has officially turned negative. The McCain campaign has released a negative and controversial ad slamming Barack Obama for his fame and lack of leadership ability. The ad, as many of you have seen, compares Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.

Why? The McCain campaign believes that Barack Obama is more interested in building international rapport and gaining fame, instead of running a campaign for President. Some have even gone as far as to say that Obama's approach to this campaign seems more like he is promoting a movie than trying to gain support for his leadership. They try to portray him as someone who is very aloof and still unknown to the American people, despite his great fame. They attempt to attack that sense of "unknown" by defining Obama through the definition of their own terms in order to target those American voters who remain indecisive.

Luckily thus far, Obama's campaign has decided to take the high road and not return the negative favor. Sure, the ad will gain great attention, but some view it as an ad that is beneath McCain and his belief in honor, and that it will only backfire on his campaign and what he stands for. This also shows signs that the McCain campaign has changed their strategy in the three months prior to the upcoming election. Could this be a tactic to show that the McCain campaign is worrisome that Obama has gained such grandiose attention in the political arena to the point of needing to attack his worldwide recognition and display it in a negative light?

Personally, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Barack Obama on the same continuum? In recognition, yes, but it stops there. The ad is correct in the sense that he has ever increasing popularity in a "hollywood" sense to the American people, but he is someone with dignity, strong leadership, and ideals that Paris and Britney couldn't even put a finger on. To compare him with the likes of Spears and Hilton is just a pathetic attempt for McCain's campaign to take the limelight off of his weak economic policies (which is one of the most important issues in the current election) and his lack of an ultra conservative stronghold in politics. And for someone who is such an aficionado about honor and dignity through his military pride, he may have just lost his by striking a new low in the campaign. Stick to the issues and your personal beliefs John McCain - stray away from those and it shows weakness and inconsistency.

One definite and agreed upon aspect about this ad is that it will create a forum for discussion and perhaps even spark more fire into those who remain undecided about their candidate choices. While ads like this may be negative, they are at the heart of the modern Presidential campaign, and ignite great debate via one of our country's greatest freedoms - freedom of speech. You watch the video above and decide for yourself what it means to you and how it makes you feel.

Hate, Hope, and Healing

Hate.
In the Fall of 2006, I researched possible study abroad trips to go on in the upcoming Summer. My eyes flashed at the likes of going to Romance language territories such as Italy, or Spain. Or even our mother country, in hopes of understanding the culture that ours so closely bores its resemblance to and that we were once apart of. However, I finally reached a trip that as soon as I read over the description and the destinations, I immediately knew it was the one I wanted. Seventeen days, four countries, two classes. Hungary, Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Why did I choose this one? Because it was out of the ordinary. Not that I am downplaying the typical countries many students embark upon during study abroad atrips, but even the thought of going to a country with a slavic language in itself was intriguing. It included destinations that most students would overlook, and I LOVED the idea that I can go there, because these countries too, do have fascinating stories to tell.

The trip occurred during May 2007 and our first stop was to a terror museum in Budapest, Hungary. Budapest happened to be part of the Nazi occupied territory prior to World War II, where thousands were literally trapped inside the city and persecuted. The museum displayed torture rooms, stories of pain and execution, and images that would make your worst pain feel like a warm breeze. On the first day, and the first stop, I was already completely in shock.

Then there was the shoe memorial that lined the Danube River within the city of Budapest - the river that originally split the city into two separate entities of Buda and Pest. Our tour guide Arthur told us that the Nazis would force their prisoners to line up on the bank of the river, and they would make them take off their shoes before killing them, usually by shooting them into the water. He said that some would hopelessly try to escape by swimming across the frigid waters, but most were shot down and killed. I looked at the Danube that day and I no longer saw the sparkle of the sun on the water in May, I saw blood.

The most touching and alarming of all the visits in my mind was a day excursion we took to Mauthausen Concentration Camp in the rural parts of Austria. Now, I have been to the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. when I was younger but this was the real deal, cliches aside. It was the setting of thousands of lost lives put through perilous and merciless torture and death, all within the confines of warehouses set by a backdrop of a beautiful Austrian countryside. I was numb. We first traveled inside of the camps and walked through the cell chambers. I saw more blood. This time I could physically see it though, as the sixty years that had passed had not done much to rid the stained walls of the painful reminder. We saw the gas chamber rooms, the small cells where they all packed into rooms to live, if we can even call that living. This was undeniably the most horrifying site I have visited, yet alone saw, smelled, or felt, in my entire life. And it wasn't over yet. The tour guide led us outside to only present us with another terrifying piece of such a hateful puzzle. He took us to the cliff overlooking a small, and wondrous, shallow body of water below. He told us that prisoners were forced to push each other off of the edge to their gruesome fates below, as the Nazis watched in laughter and amusement. How could death ever be so comical? We then quickly noticed to the right an exceedingly steep set of stairs that curved almost around the gates of hell before finally reaching the bottom below. I, myself, am not too afraid of heights, but I felt extremely uncomfortable walking at the slowest pace down these stairs. We finally reached the bottom before our guide spoke any word to us about the significance of these stairs. Hindsight, he probably wanted us to hear nothing but silence, so we could literally feel the presence of prisoners walking down these stairs sixty years before us. I looked up in awe, as the stairs seemed infinite. To our right now was the cliff that bore a drastic and lengthy fall to the water below. Behind us was a watch tower. The serenity of the surroundings mixed with the creepiness of the immediate area sent chills up my spine. These people were prisoners of their own kind. Other humans trapped them. Other humans prevented them from living free in the beautiful countryside that lurked beyond the camp. The story was that the Nazis would drive trucks near the bottom of the stairs where they would unload bricks and stones. These heavy 'burdens' had to be carried by the prisoners up the endless flight of stairs. Unfortunately, they would pack thousands of prisoners against each other while doing so. The purpose was the likelihood that a few would inevitably lose their footing, thus causing a domino effect and sending others to their deaths. The prisoners had to make this ill-fated climb on a diet of one tablespoon of food every three days, making it even more difficult for them to stand their ground while carrying heavy weight. As we headed back up the stairs, I took step by step into thought, trying to imagine the pain and fear that they endured, especially after hearing the full story. For me it was a tour and I had been well fed, but for them it was relentless cruelty placed on their innocent lives. Not only was I more thankful for my life, but this gave me a new appreciation for an even simple and dauntless task of having to walk up a flight of stairs.

Hope.
We experienced so much of the history of hatred on our trip, yet what was most intriguing to me were the survival stories. Hearing our Jewish tour guide at the Synagogue in Budapest tell us stories of what people did to survive, and how they came together, surpassed any heartwarming life saving stories I have ever heard. And not only did they live for the day when they were free from Nazi occupation, but they gave hope to their country and went on to experience a transformation of individual and country. After seeing the excruciating sites at Mauthausen, we walked further into the museum site and found stories of hope. On the walls bore stories of survivors who broke free after the camp was liberated, and went on to be devoted citizens and promote peace and raise families. These stories are the ones we want to remember - the ones we want to picture in our minds when we think of these countries. But we cannot forget the stories of persecution and victimization that burn a hole into our hearts, because they are the background for what made these countries stronger and wiser.



Healing.
Today the countries I visited have luckily flourished after such a horrifying period in history and have evolved into developed nations, for the most part. They are free of mass killings and their citizens are able to live freely and without such grandiose fear. This gives the rest of the world the hope that they too can heal from war, genocide, and hate. If anything, my experience that I am sharing with you should encourage you to read, research, or and/or go visit places such as these. I really used this trip as a personal revelation - a moment where my rose colored glasses were put aside, and I realized I had been blinded from this history of persecution, which ultimately had an impact on every one of us regardless of race and background. This trip did confirm my belief that it is truly difficult to empathize with the unfortunate events that others have gone through, and currently go through, until you physically see it. Coming from a citizen of the most powerful country in the world, a country where I can be anything depending on the level of effort I devote, it is easy to forget others misfortunes. And after seeing the stained blood on the walls of Mauthausen, and the layout of the shoes where young men and women such as myself once stood alive before being shot to their deaths, it gave me a new outlook on the world around me. Not only did this trip teach me to be more understanding of the history behind other cultures, it taught me to be more accepting and open to each and every individual from a different background. The quote that we are familiar with says it best "be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle."

Bird's Eye View of History

Written from the plane on July 6, 2008

I sit here on an airplane on my way back from Connecticut, high above white clouds, and thousands of miles away from civilization. I take a look down below, with the wing of the plane in my peripheral, and ponder the pioneers of innovation in my head. Have you ever seen the movie Aviator about the life of Howard Hughes? Or taken a trip to the Orville and Wilbur Wright Memorial? Yes, those guys gave me the astonishingly beautiful bird's eye view from up here.

But as I think of them I can't help but to advance further back in time to people who produced the materials to help them even build such a structure. Or even further. The ones who constructed governments and gave us an organized way of maintaining trade and commerce to obtain such materials. And then further to the world renowned navigators who explored distant lands and brought civilization together, which enabled us to make such exchanges.

Absolutely fascinating. These men and women have lived in the same world as all of us, only at different times. They have breathed this air, walked this ground, and have dreamed upon the same stars that we dream. To think that I could have been alive at the time of Ferdinand Magellan, William Shakespeare, Marie Curie, George Washington, Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein, Augustus Caesar, or Benjamin Franklin? They all have impacted this earth with either their oration, their innovation, their thoughts, their intelligence, their dedication, or their dignity. And that leaves me asking myself what am I going to do to give humanity a gift as wonderful as they did? How can I have such an impact? I love the endless possibilities in the future and I respect all those before me.

Why Traveling is Necessary

In today's time, we think, hear, see, feel, and act in a global context. This is due to the inevitable impact that technological advances have had on mass communication. What a Western Union telegram would take a week to send news within the U.S. can now be relayed on the internet and across borders within seconds. It is an exciting time to live through such a transformation, but along with it comes an inherent sense of global responsibility.

What I mean by global responsibility is that we now have access to knowledge that was previously unknown to us. Especially after World War I, and further World War II, there was a technological spur that has enabled our world to become more and more interconnected. Globalization has transformed and shaped our world in a manner where Thomas Friedman could proudly say "The World is Flat." Therefore, because lines and boundaries have flattened between societies in respect to communication, we are able to see what is happening all around us, and gather knowledge in a global sense. We know that Genocide is occurring in Darfur, that there are terrorist cells in Afghanistan, hostages who are being held in Colombia. So what do we do with that knowledge? As a whole, we have a global responsibility to take this knowledge and use peaceful means to better our world.

However, it isn't that easy to convince people of this global responsibility as of yet. Many still have a nationalistic approach of self and own country, but in this age, we should be acting as collectively as citizens of the world in order to assist each other. This doesn't mean that one should give up it's identity of country, but instead that they should acknowledge the evident presence of others and their struggles, and do their best to give succor if at all possible.

This leads me to the necessity of travel. I am going to go out on a limb and say those who have embarked on travels to other parts of the world, especially poorer countries, would agree with me on this stance. And why? Because they have seen it for themselves. And for those who haven't, psychologists have even said it is hard sometimes for individuals to fathom or feel personally effected by events in other countries enough to take action. This is due to the difficulty that humans have in empathizing unless they have physically seen it occur or have been a part of it.

So next time you wish to travel somewhere, go to another country. See their cultural beauty, as well as their defaults, and appreciate it. Learn from it and it will open your eyes. Maybe then people will realize that there are others who are worse off and it will teach them to be more accepting and grateful of one's own self, and others who live across the world.

Diplomacy or War?

On Wednesday, July 9, the morning news brought about word that Iran had conducted a test firing of missiles as a result of recent "threats" it believes to be receiving from the U.S. and Israel.

Several missiles were tested including the new Shahab-3 missile, which is capable of reaching the Israel region. Tensions between Iran and the U.S. & Israel sparked from suspicion of Iran's Uranium enrichment program for the use of nuclear weapons. Iran's defense is that it is solely using the enrichment program for producing energy. Although world powers have offered negotiations in exchange for the halting of the program, Iran replies that it will continue on because it has the right to do so.

Last month in June, Israel conducted a military exercise in part to display its capability of attacking Iran's nuclear program.

As of now, Iran's President remarks that the country is making all efforts to extend peace. However, tensions between world powers and Iran remain, which we can only hope subsides in the near future and does not escalate into war.

Living Life with Death

Being a huge fan of Oprah, I usually find myself watching her show on weekday afternoons at 4pm. And this past Tuesday that is exactly what I did, and I am thankful for catching such an astonishing episode. The theme of the show was centered around two people who know they are sick and literally dying, and what they are doing about it. We all face death, but the subject matter seems too morbid and scary for most people to discuss in the open. What would you do if you were faced with your mortality?

The first was a young woman named Kris with a rare form of cancer. She was beautiful and had a great sense of humor. She had a drive to tackle her sickness and let her learn about life along the way, and recorded video of it throughout. Kris sought out ways in which she could find alternative therapy through eating healthier and practicing yoga. How does she maintain such a positive outlook? She says she focuses on the moment of living rather than on dying. "How do you live your life with the knowledge of cancer? I might not be able to get rid of it, but I can't let that ruin my life." And on top of it all, she even got married while she was ill and had no regrets about it. She said her and her husband agreed that "None of us know how long we have, so let's go. We love each other and we're an awesome team." To me, this defines what is absolutely beautiful and fascinating about life. But Kris didn't stop with the words of inspiration there. She left by saying that "I think just go for it. Life is a terminal condition. We're all going to die. Cancer patients might have more information, but we all, in some ways, wait for that great permission to live."

The second was Dr. Randy Pausch, a male professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and married father of three children. He is also dying and suffering from pancreatic cancer. Doctors told him he has only a few months to live. Back in September 2007, Dr. Pausch gave his last lecture to his students at Carnegie Mellon. I decided to include the video of the lecture on here so you can see for yourself just how powerful this message is about achieving life when someone is faced with death. Enjoy his last lecture and take every word in.

In light of the holiday today, I wanted to say Happy Father's Day to Dr. Pausch and Tim Russert for being loving fathers to their children, as well as inspirations. And also Happy Father's Day to my Dad for being my own personal hero.

A Revolutionary Man

A friend, father, husband, journalist, devout catholic, and overall hero. Tim Russert, 58, shocked the country yesterday when he suddenly passed away at his NBC office. His autopsy reports show that his passing was due to an enlarged heart and cholesterol plaque that had ruptured an artery.

Tim Russert was well known for his Sunday morning TV show "Meet the Press," which revolutionized political television. He was full of passion about talking politics with anyone and everyone, and infusing it into the American media. I do remember that every Sunday for the past several years, I would wake up to my Mother watching his Sunday morning show. I often found her sitting in front of the TV shouting "I would vote for Tim Russert if he ran for President!" After the news of his death broke out yesterday, she reminded me of his famous "White Board" that he introduced during the 2000 Presidential election, and we both laughed and shared other memories we had of him through television.

He truly did touch thousands of individuals by provoking healthy debate into the political arena and setting many standards in political journalism within Washington. Tim Russert was viewed with the highest respect and admiration, and will truly be missed by all. He was even named in TIME Magazine for 2008 as one of the top 100 most influential people.

He leaves a legacy of greatness in not only the political and media worlds, but through his devotion as a husband and father. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and anyone who was inspired and touched by the words and wisdom of Tim Russert.

McCain's VP Decision Still Vital

As we have seen the spotlight on Barack Obama following his monumental win and the concession of Hillary Clinton, we cannot forget about John McCain. His decision as to which running mate will be chosen is just as important in order to give him a strong campaign. While Obama's upcoming decision has been viewed as a make or break moment for the democratic party, McCain's will still be an intriguing one for the upcoming election.

Many people have firm beliefs that McCain needs to choose someone young and charismatic with a strong conservative base (something McCain has received flack over), as well as significant party recognition. While several people have inferred the likes of Charlie Crist for the job, he lacks this very need for someone who is fiscally conservative to the ticket. Fortunately, there are possible candidates to fit this very profile, and it could very well be Minnesota Governor, Tim Pawlenty, or South Carolina's Mark Sanford.

However, other Republicans wish for McCain to choose a candidate that was previously part of the Republican race, such as Mike Huckabee or Mitt Romney. Mike Huckabee could add possible value by drawing in the evangelicals, although his economic track record isn't too glamorous. Mitt Romney on the other hand, could add value because of his experience as a CEO, which gives him an economic edge over others. The reason for this is many of these former Presidential hopefuls have strong points that McCain seems to lack, and they could help bring balance to the Republican party and make the campaign stand even stronger.

A Monumental Time in American Politics

One week ago, June 3, 2008, marked the end of the longest primary battle in United States history. But it doesn't stop there. On that night, Barack Obama became the first African-American ever to win the Presidential nomination for a major party.

The race for the White House between the two Democratic Nominees has proven to be a outright bloodbath between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Supporters of each of the two candidates are die-hard, brutal, and very loyal to their respective candidates. But now that Hillary Clinton has officially announced that she has conceded from the race, two vital questions remain unanswered. Will her supporters back Obama and who will Obama choose as his running mate?

Hillary Clinton has now turned her focus to pressing her supporters to support the official democratic nominee for President. According to CNN.com in a poll released Friday, "60 percent of Clinton supporters said they would vote for Obama, but 17 percent said they would vote for McCain and 22 percent, said they would not vote at all if Clinton were not the nominee." I admire Clinton's vow to strive for a democratic White House by doing whatever in her power to defeat John McCain in the upcoming election. Therefore, if the democrats wish to take the White House, they will most likely need to listen closely to the Senator's words and unify the party by backing Obama, regardless of their original intentions.But just maybe her supporters won't need such a strong persuasion to support Obama if she is chosen as his running mate in the Presidential election. According to CNN.com, and a recent national poll, "Fifty-four percent of registered Democrats questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Friday think Obama should name his rival as his running mate; 43 percent disagreed." For the majority of democratic voters, they do wish for Hillary Clinton to be named to his ticket. And if this plays out, all of her die-hard supporters will likely give Obama a strong and united democratic backing for his upcoming contest with the Republican nominee, John McCain. Many of Clinton's top supporters have announced that if Obama wants the 18 million votes of Hillary Clinton to back him, then it is almost necessary for him to add her to the ticket. But not everyone sees the Obama-Clinton ticket as a dream ticket, including Former President Jimmy Carter, when he said that would be "the worst mistake that could be made."

The decision of Clinton's supporters to unify or to not unify the party by remaining loyal to the democrats, regardless of Clinton's concession to the race, is a vital one for Barack Obama's campaign. And his decision of who to add as his running mate is just as vital. These two important factors of the race that will be decided in the near future will quite possibly have a major impact on how the entire Presidential election turns out.

Thank You JMU

After taking nearly a month off from writing on my blog, I decided to take this time to focus on spending as much time as possible on my final moments of my college career. Whether it was my academics, being involved in senior activities, or cherishing my last moments with best friends, I made sure I didn't miss a beat. As I threw my cap into the air this past Saturday afternoon at Graduation, I encompassed a mixture of emotions that is familiar to almost every graduate of a place where one finds attachment to. I loved every aspect of James Madison University, and everyday my Mother reminds me of the decision I almost made to go elsewhere during my college search. Yes, most likely I would have had a wonderful experience wherever I went just because of the flexible and open individual I am, but to me there is still something about this institution that sets it far apart from any other. I may be bias, but from experience, I have seen and heard that JMU offers a sense of pride, camaraderie, and overall genuine atmosphere that cannot be duplicated at most other colleges. I am 100% proud to say I just graduated from one of the finest institutions in the country. It may not be a Harvard or a Yale, but its overall balance of classroom academics and outside involvement in activities definitely puts it a step ahead of the finest academic universities out there. Thank you James Madison University for the greatest learning experiences of my life thus far, whether it was in the classroom or outside of it. This institution provided me with every resource to help me discover and mold myself into the individual I am today.

As I sit here the Monday following my Graduation, I can't help but wonder what the next step of my life will be. I am venturing into the seas of the unknown shortly, and will have to make tough decisions that will impact my life at least for the near future. I am currently unemployed and have been searching for a job over the last semester here at JMU. However, I am very selective in the type of company I want to work for, and the type of work I wish to be doing. My goals in life stand as is and I will not let any company take those or alter those from me. In the next few months, I hope to find a career that fits me, and from there the rest is for me to write. But for now, I am sitting here still surrounding myself by the beautiful mountains of Harrisonburg, with a few friends who stuck around, to enjoy our last bit of living in this life that we have endured for the past four years. Someone once said that all good things come to an end, and for me this has definitely been a good thing that has ended. Although I have shed several tears over leaving this place, I know I have plenty of chapters in my life ahead of me, which is the beauty of life. There is so much unknown in life and that alone is something that excites me. I cannot wait to jump on the new ship into those unknown seas and go exploring. For anyone out there who is going through the closure of a chapter in your life, remember that the only thing you can do is to stay positive and look ahead. Tell yourself that you are not only ready for whatever life has to offer you, but you are ready to give life all that you have to offer.

So here's to my friends, family, and to James Madison University - I am forever indebted to you. Thank YOU for this experience.

Olympics 2008 - Harmony or Divergence?

China has been placed in the international spotlight after being criticized because of its role in Tibet and also that of Darfur, as I posted about previously. The U.S. and other countries have called on China to provide civil rights and freedoms to those in Tibet and to enter peaceful discussions aimed at resolving the crisis there, as well as in the continual genocide occurring in Darfur. Since China is the host of the Olympic Games this summer, protestors have been using the games as collateral for their demonstrations. Today in Paris, these demonstrations interrupted the movement of the Olympic torch relay. The demonstrations forced authorities to have to extinguish the flame of the torch on two different occasions, and eventually place it on a bus, according to the Associated Press. It has been reported that the relay has now resumed the carrying of the torch but there still remains some confrontations between the protestors and authorities. It has also been reported that the police have taken protestors away from the scene and even have resorted to tear gas on those demonstrators who were purposely blocking the route of the Olympic torch. The scene around the Olympic torch bearers have been described of being encircled by several hundred police officers, some in vehicles and on motorcycles, others on rollerblades and on foot. Even the mayor of Paris ordered a banner to be displayed over City Hall that says "Paris City of Human Rights." These demonstrations today come after yesterday’s demonstrations in London, where several arrests were made against the protestors. One demonstrator even attempted to snatch the torch away from the torch bearer. Although it seemed as though it was a day filled of riot against the Olympics, it was reported that thousands also came out to welcome the torch and support the Olympics.

My concern with this is the two sides of the argument that are both reasonable and imperative. At one end of the spectrum, dignity is being stripped away from the athletes of the world by turning the games into nothing more than a political statement. The Olympic Games are about world unity and peace between countries, so to bring the outside fragmented political world into these peaceful games would degrade the entire foundation of what the Olympics is built upon. Yes, China does have a poor history when it comes to human rights and action should be taken against them to pressure them to change that. But to attack the torch is the same as attacking the athletes who carry it and the very Olympic ideal, not China’s human rights record. If politics enters these Olympic Games, they may never be the same, as these games will allow for use of political matters in future Olympic Games as well. And on the other end, this might be the most important method of reaching the Chinese government in taking action to alleviate the distress within Tibet and Darfur. While it is difficult to outweigh the pros of leaving politics out of the games altogether, many believe that doing so in the face of controversy will ignite hotter flames in the eyes of China, ultimately forcing them to move in the direction of peace for Tibet and Darfur.

What do I think? I think people should seize this opportunity to let China know that the world is outraged. Do not let China get away with such political apathy of its responsibilities while the spotlight is on them, but do not go as far as to completely usurp the very honor and respect of other global athletes and their countries. Speak out and speak loud against China, but be careful and gentle to the idealism behind the Olympic Games.

Life is Good

888 Reasons Why - by Amy Hall
That is the title to a small, yet enlightening book that gives us 888 reasons for why we should enjoy life. I noticed this book stuck in between a best selling novel and a textbook on the bookshelf in the basement of my house, where my sister keeps all of her books. As soon as I flipped through the pages and picked out certain tidbits, I immediately smiled and remembered why life is so wonderful, despite any pitfalls. I asked my sister to please let me borrow it and have it had at school with me ever since. This book is a reminder for us all to smile at the little things in life, even when much bigger problems have burdened us. I am going to share with you a few reasons included in the book, so you can remember these little joys when life seems overwhelming.

Reason 3: No line at the grocery store when your cart is full
Reason 55: Deliberating what cloud shapes look like
Reason 108: The wonderful surprise of receiving a funny card from a friend
Reason 175: The perfect cotton-soft inside of a new sweatshirt
Reason 206: Letting snowflakes fall on your tongue
Reason 252: Evening walks
Reason 272: The fireplace that warms your back
Reason 317: Swimming at nighttime in the darkness and admiring the stars while floating in the water
Reason 392: Soft-serve chocolate ice cream in crunchy cones
Reason 437: The smell of fresh pine needles
Reason 460: The freedom to express yourself
Reason 483: The giraffe- you just gotta laugh when you really look at one
Reason 530: Boys and girls in those tennis shoes that showcase blinky red lights when they run
Reason 591: Bazooka gum cartoons
Reason 642: Succumbing to the temptation of a crunchy funnel cake at the amusement park
Reason 678: The way your muscles tingle and burn after a really good workout with weights
Reason 724: How groups of people do the universal moves of the "YMCA" dance together
Reason 773: The pleasant tone of the doorbell when you're expecting a friend
Reason 789: The neighborhood smoothie shop
Reason 848: The funny souls who cover their cars with bumper stickers
Reason 883: Shadow-puppet theater on bedroom walls

Enjoy life. Smile :)

Stop Loss & VA, The War in Iraq

Stop Loss & The VA System
I saw the movie Stop-Loss last night and despite the plot of the movie, I was concerned mostly about the issues. The idea behind the movie, stop-loss orders issued by the government, intrigues me quite a bit. This intrigues me because it gives the military the right to order back into duty a member of the military who has already served active time. Yes, this may be necessary since we do not have a draft and casualties are climbing, requiring more manpower, but lets look at the overall picture. By doing this, the government is "backdoor drafting" these fine young men and women, who have already been through the rings of hell in Iraq. As I said previously, they are being placed back into the line of duty because of existing situations that require a certain number of soldiers active over in Iraq. The ability for the government to do this not only disturbing in itself, but so are the repercussions that have followed. We cannot use and abuse our voluntary system of military with these orders, and then not give proper treatment to the men and women upon their return home from war, often injured mentally and/or physically. I wrote last month about the VA (Veterans Affairs organization) and how they improperly handled my Grandfather's situation when he was gravely ill earlier this year. He was elderly, but he did serve in the biggest battles during World War II, including the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Normandy. He was wounded while on duty, and came back to endure difficult post-war years burdened by alcoholism and other family issues. Can you blame any veteran for suffering from such ill-fated problems after they are shipped back from war? I have not been there so I cannot explain or fathom the extent to which they hear, see, or feel pain. But I have read, watched movies, and talked to veterans, and through their words I have empathized with them. I have empathized with the bravery they devoted to our country while at war, only to return home in worse condition than they were beforehand, and no one gives a damn except their families and friends. If we are going to continue to stop-loss our soldiers, then we better have the best care given to these men and women upon their return home to our land of the free and the brave. And we better make sure that we are giving them the same opportunities to live post-war, as they have been giving us through the various wars they have fought in to protect and preserve our freedom.

Glory

Glory is the best film I have seen about the Civil War thus far, and undoubtedly a new personal favorite of mine. This movie prides itself as an instant classic that captures a much unknown aspect of our very own Civil War, which our history classes often fail to inform us about.

The movie is based on the letters of Colonel Robert G. Shaw (Matthew Broderick), an officer in the Federal Army during the American Civil War. He volunteers to lead the 54th all African-American Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Faced with much opposition in letting his army actually fight on the battlefield, Colonel Shaw does everything he can to prepare his men for battle and make sure they can proudly show their honor of being part of the army. Their training and fighting eventually leads up to the final assault on Fort Wagner in South Carolina. Their heroic actions take them as the 1st regiment into the Fort, presuming they will face the toughest fighting. This not only brought recognition to African-American soldiers at the time, but it helped turned the tide of the war. The 54th regiment wasn't any ordinary regiment, it was full of men with dignity and the willingness to go to great lengths to fight for what they believed in. And that is just what they did.

This movie is going to be added to my list of movies of profound impact because it is a true story in a time of war. As long as you can get past the 1989 quality of the movie, it is a very enchanting historical account of African-American men who will do anything to fight for their freedom, show their courage, and prove themselves to be just as good of soldiers as the Whites. It reminds us that there is so much for us to learn out there about our history as a human race that is not readily available to us. Although it was during a time of brother fighting against brother, it does show that it is possible for individuals, despite race or background, to rise up and unify together to reach a common goal. We can learn from these displays of unification, and adapt them into our current thinking to ensure we aren't blinded by the boundaries that often divide us.

To make matters even better, Matthew Broderick isn't the only wonderful and immensely fascinating performance seen in the movie. Two other well-known and award-winning actors play prominent roles in this movie, Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington. In conclusion, I recommend Glory with the utmost anticipation that every movie-watcher and/or history buff will thoroughly enjoy it.

Beijing 2008 - Where Sport and Political Arenas Collide

There have been recent reports stating that China announced 19 people died in riots in the Tibetan capital last week and there is much worry about the unrest spreading into other regions. With China’s handling of the unrest in Tibet in recent weeks, it has received much international attention. A major concern revolving around China is the much anticipated 2008 Olympic Games, which will take place in the capital of Beijing in August. The Olympic Games that represent global unity through sporting events between numerous countries, won’t be able to mask the behind the scenes reality that places China in the hot seat. While any Nation who has the capability of helping Darfur, and the will to do so, should step in, China has a special and significant obligation to Sudan. Unfortunately, after five years of constant conflict, they have not done much to show for it. The country has a responsibility to aid in the crisis of Darfur, as it is the country of Sudan’s closest economic, military, and diplomatic ally. So if the country of Sudan cannot pull itself out of this mess, who should be next in line to step in? China.

Lately, several people and organizations have reported their willingness to protest the Olympics games in Beijing this summer because they believe that attempts to relieve Darfur must take place before the Olympic Games can go on. To some, this attempt for political reconciliation seems extreme, but for others, they see it as the only way to force China into action. China has the ability to bring peace, security, and hopefully some stability to the people of Darfur. The Save Darfur organization is a huge advocate for speaking against China, as the Olympic Games grow nearer and their efforts to aid in the crisis have not succumbed to much of anything. The Organization, as quoted by their website, has stated that: must take place before the Olympic Games can go on.

“Wherever China tries to sanitize its international image, we will protest and remind the world that China is enabling genocide. And we will not stop until China has brought the Olympic dream to Darfur. Please help us press China by participating in the numerous events and actions leading up the games in August and make sure to check back often for new actions!”

With China having the most probability socially, economically, and politically, to be able to pressure the country to end the genocide in Darfur, China needs to show us that as a rising global power, they will use their position to maintain peace when possible. With the Olympics approaching, which represent global peace and unity, China has an obligation to not only host these games, but to host a movement of peace that will bring an end to the violence in Darfur. As said by UN Members, and agreed by many, China needs to be consistent in its images within both sports and political arenas as host of the world’s sporting games.

Don't Forget About Darfur

And the genocide continues. Prior to 2003, much was unknown to us about Darfur. After the current crisis broke out that year, we became aware of the region, comparable to the size of Texas, lying in the country of Sudan, which borders Chad, Libya, and the Central African Republic. But what news gave us this familiarity of the region was sadly news of rape, violence, terror, starvation, and even death. And now we are here, five years later, with mass murder still occurring, and Darfur has lost its place in the spotlight of world problems.

The current crisis began after decades of small-scale conflict between rebel groups and the Central government that brewed into something much larger. Now the effects of the conflicts in Darfur have mounted to alarming statistics. Taken from the Save Darfur Organization webpage, the statement below is devastating: “This scorched-earth campaign by the Sudanese government against Darfuri civilians has, through direct violence, disease, and starvation, already claimed as many as 400,000 lives. It has spilled over into neighboring Chad and the Central African Republic. In all, about 2.3 million Darfuris have fled their homes and communities and now reside in a network of internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Darfur, with over 200,000 more living in refugee camps in Chad. These refugees and IDPs are almost entirely dependent on the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations for their basic needs – food, water, shelter, and health care.”

Luckily, a great deal has been done thanks to the efforts of governments and organizations in making progress toward relief and peace in the region. However, this genocide is far from over. Awareness still needs to be spread and action still must be taken. Check out the website http://www.SaveDarfur.org to learn more of the history behind Darfur and the current situation. Also, check out the United Nations website for any updates. You might just be one person, but your awareness and your word can empower others, and this could have a ripple effect leading to the end of violence for the victims of Darfur, and a step closer to a peaceful world. Check back soon for an update on a recent issue that has placed China in the hot seat for its controversial diplomatic handling of the crisis.

Economy in Turmoil

As we are on the brink of the Federal Reserve meeting tomorrow, many people are worrying about the country falling into a recession. There is speculation that yet again, the Federal Reserve board will cut interest rates at their meeting tomorrow in attempts to prevent a recession. But what some people are starting to ponder now is the idea of the Fed accepting the fact that a recession is going to happen and should embrace it instead. According to CNN, several economists disagree with the Fed in using more rate cuts to spur economic growth, and instead believe that a recession might be the “best medicine” for the economy in the long term. The reasoning behind this is that they don’t believe Fed cuts can fix what already is ailing the economy, because it is dealing with a problem of confidence. Since this is a minority view thus far, I will discuss it further below for readers to gain a better understanding of this opposition. The view of the majority coincide with the Fed’s movements and believe that rate cuts help give the market more liquidity and say that such a move is necessary for the weakening economy.

Rate Cuts – The Opposition

There is increasing speculation among economists that the country is already dipping into a recession and future rate cuts by the Federal Reserve Board won’t be able to prevent this from happening further. According to CNN, "The problems the markets are facing are not due to interest rates being too high. It's a lack of confidence," said Barry Ritholtz, the CEO and director of equity research for Fusion IQ. They say that rate cuts are causing a sharp decline in the dollar, which in turn are causing record prices for commodities such as oil, which we have seen dipping into consumers’ pockets as gas prices soar across the country. Even food, beverage, and transportation prices are going up, putting a squeeze on the disposable income of consumers. Although prices in these items have risen minimally over recent years, decreasing home prices and tighter credit has put a crunch on consumers’ pockets. Further rate cuts are speculated to just add “fuel to the fire” and won’t help the real problem that is ailing this economy, which is a lack of confidence in lending, with significant distrust among lenders.

According to CNN, one of the critics of Fed cuts is even on the Federal Open Market Committee that meets to decide interest rate moves. Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher, who was the only one to vote against the rate cut in January, has continued to talk loudly about inflation fears recently. He thinks the Fed shouldn’t be as worried about a recession as it has been., and is expected to vote against another rate cut. He says the Fed’s obligation should be to prevent inflation from happening in order to sustain long-term employment growth. Fisher also hinted around at the problem of the weakening currency in our country by saying that "In today's world, where investors can move their funds instantly from one currency to another to avoid depreciation, the price central bankers pay for high inflation is much higher than in the past.”

My Proposal

The Fed Reserve Board has already made significant cuts in rates and I think this has done enough to try to pump liquidity in the market and increase consumer spending, but not enough to fix the problem. I do believe too much is too much, and that further rate cuts will harm the economy of our country. I am taking the view of the minority and saying that we are facing a problem of confidence within our economy, and that can only be fixed in the short-run by lowering rates. So what happens if we don't lower rates further? Yes, we might have to endure short-term pain in our country in order to have long-term growth and gain after all. I think this is a natural cycle of any free-market economy. Going back to 2001, when the Federal Reserve faced a major decision following the burst of the dot.com "bubble," and the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Alan Greenspan had to face a similar dreadful problem. He made a decision to lower interest rates and sustain them at a low level. Now, the after-math of his decision has been passed to Ben Bernanke, as the new chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. Currently, Mr. Bernanke has already been masking the problem by lowering these rates again and again, and tomorrow he has to decide whether to continue to do so, or let nature run its course. If he decides to give our economy another dose of a "quick-fix" like Greenspan did following the events of 2001, our economy will possibly be helped in the short-run, but might just mask a problem that will inevitably have to be faced sometime in the future, and be much worse. On the contrary, if he decides to let the market run its natural course, it will hopefully revive itself from all the short-term "quick-fixes of the past," and will turn around to give us a positive, long-term economic outlook. I think this view is hard to fathom and looked down upon because of the fear of the near future and the pain that consumers will have to face. However, I believe it is a sacrifice we must make to prevent a worse crisis in later years due to continually masking this problem by lowering rates. Then confidence will just naturally find its way back into the markets.

Hope for the Economy

We are only a day away from the Fed meeting that will make the decision of whether to cut rates or not. Only time will tell if their actions will prove or disprove these notable economists’ and will either help or hinder our weakening economy. Follow the news to see what action they decide to take, and continue to follow the markets as it has been predicted to be an economical roller-coaster for the next couple of years. Hopefully, Ben Bernanke and his counterparts will push our country in the proper direction, and will balance the least amount of financial burden on consumers’ wallets during this time of turmoil. What stance do YOU take on the economy?

The Democratic Showdown

After the Mississippi primary unfolded on Tuesday, Senator Barack Obama increased his lead over Senator Hilary Clinton in the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination in delegate counts by 131 delegates. This win follows his win in the Wyoming Caucuses from last Saturday, giving Senator Obama his second win in a row. Therefore, Obama currently leads Clinton 1,611 to 1,480 in the total delegate count, and the race remains tight between the two candidates, with the next primary a long 38 days away in Pennsylvania.

There are several issues that have come about lately regarding these two campaigns, one of them being a topic I wish to address. This issue involves the inevitable remarks on gender and race that we all knew would appear in this campaign at some point. On Wednesday, Geraldine Ferraro, the Finance committee member of the Clinton campaign, and former Congresswoman, stepped down from the Clinton campaign due to the remarks she made about Senator Barack Obama and criticisms she has received over it. Here is the full letter that was written from Ferraro to Clinton:

Dear Hillary –

I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what is at stake in this campaign.

The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you.

I won't let that happen.

Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do to make this a better world for my children and grandchildren.

You have my deep admiration and respect.

Gerry

According to the Andersen Cooper 360 blog, Ferraro, in an interview with the Daily Breeze of Torrance, California, was trying to defend her earlier remarks from critics. “Any time anybody does anything that in any way pulls this campaign down and says, ‘Let’s address reality and the problems we’re facing in this world,’ you’re accused of being racist, so you have to shut up,” she said. “Racism works in two different directions. I really think they’re attacking me because I’m white. How’s that?” Inevitably we all saw this coming. Remarks and attacks on gender and race in the Presidential campaign that involves a woman and a black man. In Ferraro’s case, I think it is very offensive for her to negate Obama’s success by saying it is simply due to the fact that he is black. Her initial comments included the fact that “Obama is doing well because of his message and a good campaign. But she clearly stated that he’s successful “in large measure” because he’s black.” In the past, we have seen Black nominees run for office and not be successful. This time, Obama is clearly successful thus far. So is it really because he is black? No. It might give him votes (as shown in the recent Mississippi primary where blacks voted for Obama 91 percent to 9 percent) but it is clearly not the ultimate deciding measure of his success. Obama made it this far because of his message, his stances, and his ability to be a leader. We can prove this through the previous wins he has incurred in states that have a white majority population – North Dakota, Washington, Utah, Iowa, Connecticut, and Vermont. Lastly, I respect Senator Hillary Clinton for taking the initiative to respond to Ferraro’s remarks by addressing to the public that her campaign does not endorse or back up Ferraro’s beliefs.

We the people of the United States of America should not be so focused on the issue of gender and race, but of the human being that is running for office. Whether you vote Democrat or Republican in this race, ask yourself these questions about the candidates. Are they capable of leading our country emotionally and physically through the strenuous times that we have endured as a whole over recent years? Will they help us as citizens maintain the liberty and courage we need in this country? If you can answer yes to these questions, then make yourself blind to their gender and their race. Make yourself see what the actual issue of importance is here.