Iran considering the death penalty for “offensive bloggers.”
Archive for March, 2009
This I Believe #6: Humility
March 25, 2009Aly, from Port Hueneme, CA:
I am an evangelical Christian. Now, before you reach for the knob to turn down the shrill diatribe you know is coming, let me say this: we’re not all apocalyptic, politics-obsessed maniacs who can’t just shut up and focus on our own damn families. “Evangelical” means “people who love good news,” and even though the word has become synonymous with “people who want to run your life” or “people who think they have a corner on the market of morals,” I choose, probably foolishly, to hope the word can be redeemed and we can once again become good-news lovers, instead of bad-news makers. [...]
Our culture applauds conviction and stalwart determination without counting the cost such certainty requires, and then we cry out in fury when a few unwavering, resolute individuals fly a plane into a building. Single-minded resolve is the quality most in demand among would-be terrorists. [...]
The truth is, I don’t know. Yes, I have good reasons and great evidence for believing what I believe, religiously and otherwise. But those reasons and evidence don’t add up to certainty, if only for the simple fact that I am human and can be counted on to screw up a time or two before my number’s up.
Humility is what reminds me we’re all on this bus together, rickety though it may be, and there’s room enough for everyone. Humility reminds me that while we’re all trying to get it right, we must give each other grace to get it wrong. That is the essence of peace. And that is truly good news.
Toe the Party Line
March 24, 2009New Majority has a brief interview/profile of a Stanford college senior with a nifty politcal background. The fella organized well for Mitt Romney in 2008 and has big plans the the Republican party. Part of his advice for the future of the party…
Expanding the ‘youth vote’ to include those under thirty, Republicans can benefit by offering up a message to the upwardly mobile, essentially proclaiming ourselves the party of opportunity. As people distance themselves from college, get a job and a spouse, they are going to be much more inclined toward the Grand Old Party. If we can continue and improve upon our micro-targeting techniques, we can effectively organize this group into active Republicans that will vote the party line the remainder of their lives. Importantly, we need to ensure that the RNC Youth Coalition is prepared to take on all of these roles while we take steps toward being both tech and trend savvy.
I’m with him on most of it, because we aren’t talking about revolutionary stuff here: try to present an image of pragmatism devoid of the less naive pie-in-the sky idealism and be at the forefront of microtargeting and tech advances. But, I still can’t stomache the plea to create Republican robots who vote the party line no matter what until they die. Is that really what an organized party seeks to accomplish? The short answer is yes. But that doesn’t mean it is the right answer.
What possible good comes from instilling a blind allegience to some human-made organization, based on some random big picture generalities and without close scrutiny of the proposals and results of each individual candidate? Nothing good comes from that. It is how we got where we are.
The ironic thing is that earlier in the interview this young leader revealed the origins of his conservatism…
“When I was in junior high, a girl I had a crush on told me her favorite book was George Orwell’s 1984. I read that book and became so terrified at the prospect of a totalitarian government that I really began to self-identify intellectually as a conservative.
Building a massive political organization fueled by blind followers for life to avoid totalitarianism? That doesn’t add up.
Save the Words
March 24, 2009Were you an English major? Do you like to write? Are you a fan of reading the dictionary?
If you answered Yes to any of the above, than you may find this website charming: Save The Words.
Last night while browsing it, Kyle and I discovered Lambition, n. the act of licking or lapping.
Morning Music
March 23, 2009Summer in Chicago – Hello Dave (LIVE)
They are fantastic. Check them out. If you are from Chicago, around Chicago, or have any interest in Chicago, than this is your type of band.
