I know that we've done a lot of discussion about the upcoming elections, and I certainly don't want to give the impression that Christians should not engage fully in the political process.
Even with that I keep being reminded that what really matters is not who is in the Oval Office, but who sits on the throne of God. That earthly governments are established by God, and that while it might not make sense, God is going to allow whatever best fits His plan, despite what we might think.
Is it possible that, like in Israel, God will allow us to choose leaders that will lead us away from Him? Is it possible that God will use the leaders we select as a form of "punishment" or correction because of decisions we have made as a society? (Obviously, the US is not in any way a precise analog of the ancient nation of Israel. But, It does seem logical that God will permit the consequences of human free will to affect nations in ways similar to individuals)
So, I just have to keep in mind that neither Hillary or Trump is evil, they're certainly not in the same league as some of the Kings of Israel. I also just have to keep in mind that even though it may not seem lie it to me, that God is on the throne and that His will is being done.
Monday, October 31, 2016
A Notice
A few years ago, I asked several of my African American friends what their preference was when referring to people on their race. Their answer was "black". So, I kind of decided that "black" was an appropriate way to refer to people of that racial group.
As of now, I have decided that the term "black", is not the best option. I've come to realize that the Muslim immigrant family from East Africa, and the family from the worst urban neighborhood in town share very little besides similar skin color.
Given that fact, I will begin to refer to black people born in the United States as "African Americans". I am less sure how I will refer to the first and second generation African immigrants. Given that there are significant differences between Somali and Ethiopian immigrants I'm just not sure what makes sense. What I will probably do is to use the term "East African" (or something similar) when I am talking about something where there is no real distinction between the various societies of origin. However, if I am referring to something specific I will most likely use either Somali or Ethiopian.
One final thought. clearly any of these people who have become citizens should be referred to primarily as Americans, yet there are many who are not citizens or are not yet citizens. Given that, I believe that accuracy is best served by making the distinctions between these groups, and not lumping them together based on something as superficial as skin color.
As of now, I have decided that the term "black", is not the best option. I've come to realize that the Muslim immigrant family from East Africa, and the family from the worst urban neighborhood in town share very little besides similar skin color.
Given that fact, I will begin to refer to black people born in the United States as "African Americans". I am less sure how I will refer to the first and second generation African immigrants. Given that there are significant differences between Somali and Ethiopian immigrants I'm just not sure what makes sense. What I will probably do is to use the term "East African" (or something similar) when I am talking about something where there is no real distinction between the various societies of origin. However, if I am referring to something specific I will most likely use either Somali or Ethiopian.
One final thought. clearly any of these people who have become citizens should be referred to primarily as Americans, yet there are many who are not citizens or are not yet citizens. Given that, I believe that accuracy is best served by making the distinctions between these groups, and not lumping them together based on something as superficial as skin color.
It's possible
http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/election/article110847327.html
The link above is to an article in the Kansas City Star, not by any means a conservative newspaper. It details the story of an African American woman who is not voting for Hillary for a couple of reasons.
"Hypocrisy among Clinton supporters is part of what turned her away from the Democratic candidate. But there are other factors. The main one: education."
“I sort of have arrived at becoming a single-issue voter,” she says. “And I’ve made that single issue school choice.”
I find this one particularly interesting because this brings together a bunch of constituencies which have traditionally voted democrat. 1. African Americans, 2. Unions, 3. the education/educators status quo/establishment. Yet it seems as though on this issue (if none other) there should be a fair amount of attractiveness to the conservative position.
To be clear, when I talk about the conservative position I mean the desire to make the focus of education spending on the student, keep education as local as possible, expect measurable results from teachers/schools, reward success/dis incentivize failure. Allowing the funding to follow the student, wherever the family chooses. (Yes, I realize the irony of the "pro-choice" party denying millions of families the ability to choose, but...)
I live in a metropolitan area when the two largest urban school districts spent more per pupil than anywhere else in the area, yet serve African American students horribly. In virtually any measurable category African American students are doing poorly. Now obviously, some of this falls squarely on the shoulders of the students and the parents or guardians. Yet somehow, tucked throughout the districts are little islands of success for African American students. Private schools, charter schools, open enrollment to other districts, are all demonstrating that kids from the same backgrounds and races are capable of excelling in education. Yet, the vast majority of African American voters continue to for for the status quo, why? To me as a parent, a parent who's primary motivation when choosing a place to live was the quality of the schools, I don't understand why other parents would vote against the best interests of their kids. Not only kids, but family, neighborhood, community. Maybe there is a rational reason why this happens, but I've never had anyone provide one. Usually it's just "Do you know how racist it sounds when you call every African American in the country stupid idiotic morons?", but never a rational answer to the question.
Anyway, back to the article. This seems like one of the issues where the conservative position is a position that any African American parent would agree with. Which raises two questions.
1. Why don't more African Americans reach the same conclusion as Lisa Watson (vote GOP, not necessarily Trump)?
2. Why won't the democrat party embrace a more flexible results based stance on education?
The link above is to an article in the Kansas City Star, not by any means a conservative newspaper. It details the story of an African American woman who is not voting for Hillary for a couple of reasons.
"Hypocrisy among Clinton supporters is part of what turned her away from the Democratic candidate. But there are other factors. The main one: education."
“I sort of have arrived at becoming a single-issue voter,” she says. “And I’ve made that single issue school choice.”
I find this one particularly interesting because this brings together a bunch of constituencies which have traditionally voted democrat. 1. African Americans, 2. Unions, 3. the education/educators status quo/establishment. Yet it seems as though on this issue (if none other) there should be a fair amount of attractiveness to the conservative position.
To be clear, when I talk about the conservative position I mean the desire to make the focus of education spending on the student, keep education as local as possible, expect measurable results from teachers/schools, reward success/dis incentivize failure. Allowing the funding to follow the student, wherever the family chooses. (Yes, I realize the irony of the "pro-choice" party denying millions of families the ability to choose, but...)
I live in a metropolitan area when the two largest urban school districts spent more per pupil than anywhere else in the area, yet serve African American students horribly. In virtually any measurable category African American students are doing poorly. Now obviously, some of this falls squarely on the shoulders of the students and the parents or guardians. Yet somehow, tucked throughout the districts are little islands of success for African American students. Private schools, charter schools, open enrollment to other districts, are all demonstrating that kids from the same backgrounds and races are capable of excelling in education. Yet, the vast majority of African American voters continue to for for the status quo, why? To me as a parent, a parent who's primary motivation when choosing a place to live was the quality of the schools, I don't understand why other parents would vote against the best interests of their kids. Not only kids, but family, neighborhood, community. Maybe there is a rational reason why this happens, but I've never had anyone provide one. Usually it's just "Do you know how racist it sounds when you call every African American in the country stupid idiotic morons?", but never a rational answer to the question.
Anyway, back to the article. This seems like one of the issues where the conservative position is a position that any African American parent would agree with. Which raises two questions.
1. Why don't more African Americans reach the same conclusion as Lisa Watson (vote GOP, not necessarily Trump)?
2. Why won't the democrat party embrace a more flexible results based stance on education?
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Polls
I know that polls are not always worth much, and that it seems obvious that at east some of what we see reported on is designed to generate headlines and clicks. I realize that there is only one poll that matters.
Having said that I'm fascinated by the run of recent polling. We either see Hillary up by double digit % points or we see them in a statistical (margin of error) dead heat.
Clearly one set of these polls is wrong, but it's amusing to watch the spin, especially by the Hillary camp.
Two anecdotal things I keep hearing are that a significant number of people polled are embarrassed to admit that they will be voting for Trump and that there is a significant number of Black voters who will vote for Trump, but are afraid to say that publicly. Personally, (given the vitriol directed any anyone claiming that they will vote for Trump), I can see why people might be hesitant to be honest about their voting plans. I can also see that this might be additionally true in a community where it's virtually mandatory that you vote democrat.
Honestly they both seem a bit like wishful thinking and whistling past the graveyard.
But, just imagine the reaction from the Trump is evil crowd if he wins. It'd almost be worth seeing Trump win just for the entertainment value. Not to mention seeing that "If Trump wins I'm moving to Canada." celebrity crowd falling over themselves to come up with excuses not to move.
Here's my only serious election thought.
No matter what you think of the morons at the top of the ticket, please go ahead and vote the sown ballot races.
If Trump wins, he'll need a conservative congress to pass the positive elements of his platform, but also to corral him when he tries to get nutty.
If Hillary wins, we've seen the recent disaster of one party rule in DC and therefore we'll need at least either the House of Senate to keep her from imposing her will on us.
Having said that I'm fascinated by the run of recent polling. We either see Hillary up by double digit % points or we see them in a statistical (margin of error) dead heat.
Clearly one set of these polls is wrong, but it's amusing to watch the spin, especially by the Hillary camp.
Two anecdotal things I keep hearing are that a significant number of people polled are embarrassed to admit that they will be voting for Trump and that there is a significant number of Black voters who will vote for Trump, but are afraid to say that publicly. Personally, (given the vitriol directed any anyone claiming that they will vote for Trump), I can see why people might be hesitant to be honest about their voting plans. I can also see that this might be additionally true in a community where it's virtually mandatory that you vote democrat.
Honestly they both seem a bit like wishful thinking and whistling past the graveyard.
But, just imagine the reaction from the Trump is evil crowd if he wins. It'd almost be worth seeing Trump win just for the entertainment value. Not to mention seeing that "If Trump wins I'm moving to Canada." celebrity crowd falling over themselves to come up with excuses not to move.
Here's my only serious election thought.
No matter what you think of the morons at the top of the ticket, please go ahead and vote the sown ballot races.
If Trump wins, he'll need a conservative congress to pass the positive elements of his platform, but also to corral him when he tries to get nutty.
If Hillary wins, we've seen the recent disaster of one party rule in DC and therefore we'll need at least either the House of Senate to keep her from imposing her will on us.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
NEWS FLASH !!!!!!!!!!!!
This just in!!
Donald J. Trump talked about engaging in disgusting, vulgar, boorish, nasty, uncouth,behavior 11 years ago!!!!
I would have thought that his multiple affairs, divorces, and remarriages would have been enough evidence of the type of person he was in the past.
Donald J. Trump talked about engaging in disgusting, vulgar, boorish, nasty, uncouth,behavior 11 years ago!!!!
I would have thought that his multiple affairs, divorces, and remarriages would have been enough evidence of the type of person he was in the past.
Thursday, October 6, 2016
If a radical conservative racist saqys this, then he must be right
Quanell X, leader of the NBP Party in Houston, says it time for black voters to “reexamine the relationship” they have with the Democratic Party — and “truly examine” Trump’s outreach to the black community.
In reference to Trump’s speech in Milwaukee, during which he blamed Democrats for the plight of many of America’s blacks, Quanell X said:
“Let me say this to the brothers and sisters who listened and watched that speech. We may not like the vessel that said what he said, but I ask us to truly examine what he said, because it is a fact that for 54 years, we have been voting for the Democratic party like no other race in America.
And they have not given us the same loyalty and love that we have given them. We as black people have to reexamine the relationship — where we are being pimped like prostitutes, and they’re the big pimps pimping us politically, promising us everything and we get nothing in return.”
Quannel X also had a few thoughts about America’s first black president:
“Barack Obama, our president, served two terms. The first black president ever. But did our condition get better? Did financially, politically, academically, with education in our community, did things get better? Are our young people working more than what is was before he came into office? The condition got worse. So now we as black people have to do and remember what the honorable Elijah Mohammed said. No politician can save the black community; we’ve gotta do it ourselves.”
I guess when I ask these kinds of questions I sound racist, but this guy? Maybe he has enough street cred to ask the hard questions and have a real meaningful dialogue about how African Americans vote.
Hypocritical
Is it me is is it just the tiniest bit hypocritical for someone to claim that Trump's 100% legal, ethical, and common tax strategy is "unamerican"?
Does it make it in tiny bit more hypocritical for the person who said this to have been employed by tax exempt organizations for the majority of their working life, someone who's salary is entirely paid by people using the charitable deduction to avoid paying their fair share? How about when some of these donors are really rich?
Does it make it in tiny bit more hypocritical for the person who said this to have been employed by tax exempt organizations for the majority of their working life, someone who's salary is entirely paid by people using the charitable deduction to avoid paying their fair share? How about when some of these donors are really rich?
How indeed
Hilary asked how it's possible to lose a billion dollars in a year. I don't know specifically, but it seems like being an insurance company in a state P-BOcare exchange is a good way to start.
Blue Cross/Shield lost half a billion in TN
Blue Cross/Shield lost 140 Million in Nebraska
Blue Cross/Shield lost half a billion in MN
In MN alone exchange customers are looking at 50-67% rate increases.
"If you like your Dr., you can keep him."
"If you like your plan, you can keep it."
That P-BO, he's just the best.
Blue Cross/Shield lost half a billion in TN
Blue Cross/Shield lost 140 Million in Nebraska
Blue Cross/Shield lost half a billion in MN
In MN alone exchange customers are looking at 50-67% rate increases.
"If you like your Dr., you can keep him."
"If you like your plan, you can keep it."
That P-BO, he's just the best.
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