http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605 Guilty By Association? By SamG, Bakotopia.com contributor In response to the blog &quot;Race and Politics,&quot; and subsequent comments: I generally try to be very polite and vague here on Bakotopia in regards to political discussions, particularly when I disagree with someone else's comments (&quot;I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,&quot; and all of that). It saddens me, therefore, when those efforts are not returned by others. Having said that, I'm going to attempt to retain that respect... but, for once, I'm not going to force my words to be governed by tact. The last thing I want to do is alienate or offend anyone, so bear with me... I think Obama's speech on racial issues and the state of the country was brilliant. There you have it, plain and simple. No more dancing around political debates with subtle, attempting-to-be-objective comments. I am not ashamed of my beliefs - and in this conservative town, they're admittedly somewhat of a departure from tradition - but I really hate our natural human tendency to immediately and completely judge others for a simple statement that may or may not claim a particular religion/political party/orientation/etc. I don't want to be pegged, categorized, or anything else'd because of this ONE perspective. In the past, this fear has detained me from expressing the full extent of my opinions here on Bakotopia, and in general, I suppose. That pesky want to be liked, to be regarded with respect and tolerance.&nbsp;Not to be dismissed just because I identify with one position or another. Because I believe that the moment one person decides to completely dismiss the values, opinions or views of another, the potential for healthy debate is instantly killed. Yes, I realize it will still happen... such is life. So, in regards to the Rev. Wright controversy: I am utterly astonished by the view by some that Obama is &quot;guilty by association.&quot; Does anyone else remember the recent incident which required the McCain camp to seek to distance itself from supporter and mutual admirer Pastor Hagee? It was just this February, I believe, when John Hagee (televangelist and megachurch leader) referred to the Roman Catholic Church as &quot;the great whore&quot; and a &quot;false cult system.&quot; McCain later issued a statement to the effect of &quot;I repudiate any offensive comments made by Pastor Hagee, but I still support Hagee.&quot; So, according to your logic, an1ok1joe (not trying to pick on you, just responding to your point on Chase's blog!), is McCain guilty by association as well? Is it reasonable that when someone endorses a candidate, the candidate is therefore assumed to embrace all of their views? Personally, I don't think so. I have plenty of friends - many of whom I admire a great deal - who advocate positions I strongly disagree with. We remain friends in spite of our differences of opinion and our faults. We choose to be associated, and not because we are bound by any familial ties. We all know that these types of relationships can and do exist. Why, then, do we see Obama, McCain, and others in such a remarkably different light? Naturally, as public officials and especially as presidential candidates, they are subject to a great deal of scrutiny... but they are human, after all. I think that Obama touched on a good point when he mentioned this situation with regard to family members, because I imagine many of you will argue that comparing Rev. Wright - Obama's pastor of 20 years - to just some openly embraced religious endorser is completely without merit. However, Obama has stated that Wright has become like family to him (and, may I point out: Obama refuses to &quot;disown&quot; Wright for that reason, despite some of his controversial statements); their relationship is complex. Why is he not allowed to disagree with (and even condem) some of Wright's views? Some people are bothered by the fact that this is the man from whom Obama receives spiritual guidance, but perhaps Obama has taken everything he's said - both positive and negative - and used it to truly examine his own beliefs (note: again, responding to Joe). Maybe those views have enabled Obama to explore issues from all sides before attempting to find solutions... a quality I definitely want&nbsp;my President to possess.&nbsp;At one point in his speech, Obama said:&nbsp; &quot;...What my former pastor too often failed to understand is that embarking on a program of self-help also requires a belief that society can change. The profound mistake of Reverend Wright's sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It's that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; as if this country - a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old -- is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know -- what we have seen - is that America can change. That is the true genius of this nation...&quot; Clearly, Wright's statements challenged Obama to come to his own conclusion regarding the issue of racism in our society. I realize that we're used to dealing with extreme hypocrisy in the political arena... but maybe, just maybe, it's possible that politicians who stand for integrity, faith, and humanity, who recognize the country's current issues for what they are - nuanced and difficult - do exist. Just recently, my grandmother and I took part in a mild argument - over the election, no less - and I was so fiercely (inwardly) outraged by some of the things she said, I walked away. I walked away, not because I was choosing to &quot;admit defeat&quot; or avoid confrontation, but because I grew uncomfortable when faced with the realization that I felt the need to admonish my own grandmother. I love her, I know that she is a good person, and we generally agree on many levels, politically speaking. I so completely disapproved of what she had said that, in that instant, I felt nothing but jarring distress, frustration, and a little resentment. I wouldn't dream of&nbsp;distancing myself from her entirely, even if those things had been said at a public function with all of my friends, family, employers, coworkers, and instructors present. I know I'm kind of jumping back and forth here, stream of consciousness - but, keeping this in mind - am I to understand that even though Obama has openly criticized and condemned the attitude and phrasing of those choice awful comments made by Wright... he is still somehow at major fault for associating with him? Who truly believes that it would show greater character on Obama's part if he suddenly and easily dismissed Rev. Wright as soon as the controversy surfaced? Personally, I would be more inclined to distrust him had that been his way of dealing with the situation. Then there's the fact that the media jumped all over those particular statements without putting them in any sort of context. Who knows how skewed Wright's view of the country may or may not be, based on his individual perspective? This wikipedia article (I know, not always reliable, but in this case, goes into more detail) offers some sort of context for Wright's statements, if anyone is interested. Again, it does not excuse anything that was said, but perhaps it offers more information. Ultimately, Obama felt the need to address his relationship with Wright amidst all the controversy, and rightly (and unfortunately)&nbsp;so. But, more so than the responses he provided to that pressing issue, his overall commentary on racism and the state of the U.S. is what really&nbsp;encouraged me: &quot;...Some will see this as an attempt to justify or excuse comments that are simply inexcusable. I can assure you it is not. I suppose the politically safe thing to do would be to move on from this episode and just hope that it fades into the woodwork. We can dismiss Reverend Wright as a crank or a demagogue, just as some have dismissed Geraldine Ferraro, in the aftermath of her recent statements, as harboring some deep-seated bias. But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America &mdash; to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality. The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through &mdash; a part of our union that we have not yet made perfect. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care or education or the need to find good jobs for every American.&quot;&nbsp; He inspires genuine hope in people. He consistently displays intelligence, care, integrity, passion, and the ability to unite. He speaks frankly about issues that face America today. Disagree with me if you'd like (and I will respect your opinion just as any other)... but that is someone I can stand behind.&nbsp; Portion of this blog also printed in Bakotopia Magazine, issue 25, 4-3/-08 Guilty By Association? By SamG, Bakotopia.com contributor In response to the blog &quot;Race and Politics,&quot; and subsequent comments: I generally try to be very polite and vague here on Bakotopia in regards to political discussions, particularly when I disagree with someone else's comments (&quot;I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,&quot; and all of that). It saddens me, therefore, when those efforts are not returned by others. Having said that, I'm going to attempt to retain that respect... but, for once, I'm not going to force my words to be governed by tact. The last thing I want to do is alienate or offend anyone, so bear with me... I think Obama's speech on racial issues and the state of the country was brilliant. There you have it, plain and simple. No more dancing around political debates with subtle, attempting-to-be-objective comments. I am not ashamed of my beliefs - and in this conservative town, they're admittedly somewhat of a departure from tradition - but I really hate our natural human tendency to immediately and completely judge others for a simple statement that may or may not claim a particular religion/political party/orientation/etc. I don't want to be pegged, categorized, or anything else'd because of this ONE perspective. In the past, this fear has detained me from expressing the full extent of my opinions here on Bakotopia, and in general, I suppose. That pesky want to be liked, to be regarded with respect and tolerance.&nbsp;Not to be dismissed just because I identify with one position or another. Because I believe that the moment one person decides to completely dismiss the values, opinions or views of another, the potential for healthy debate is instantly killed. Yes, I realize it will still happen... such is life. So, in regards to the Rev. Wright controversy: I am utterly astonished by the view by some that Obama is &quot;guilty by association.&quot; Does anyone else remember the recent incident which required the McCain camp to seek to distance itself from supporter and mutual admirer Pastor Hagee? It was just this February, I believe, when John Hagee (televangelist and megachurch leader) referred to the Roman Catholic Church as &quot;the great whore&quot; and a &quot;false cult system.&quot; McCain later issued a statement to the effect of &quot;I repudiate any offensive comments made by Pastor Hagee, but I still support Hagee.&quot; So, according to your logic, an1ok1joe (not trying to pick on you, just responding to your point on Chase's blog!), is McCain guilty by association as well? Is it reasonable that when someone endorses a candidate, the candidate is therefore assumed to embrace all of their views? Personally, I don't think so. I have plenty of friends - many of whom I admire a great deal - who advocate positions I strongly disagree with. We remain friends in spite of our differences of opinion and our faults. We choose to be associated, and not because we are bound by any familial ties. We all know that these types of relationships can and do exist. Why, then, do we see Obama, McCain, and others in such a remarkably different light? Naturally, as public officials and especially as presidential candidates, they are subject to a great deal of scrutiny... but they are human, after all. I think that Obama touched on a good point when he mentioned this situation with regard to family members, because I imagine many of you will argue that comparing Rev. Wright - Obama's pastor of 20 years - to just some openly embraced religious endorser is completely without merit. However, Obama has stated that Wright has become like family to him (and, may I point out: Obama refuses to &quot;disown&quot; Wright for that reason, despite some of his controversial statements); their relationship is complex. Why is he not allowed to disagree with (and even condem) some of Wright's views? Some people are bothered by the fact that this is the man from whom Obama receives spiritual guidance, but perhaps Obama has taken everything he's said - both positive and negative - and used it to truly examine his own beliefs (note: again, responding to Joe). Maybe those views have enabled Obama to explore issues from all sides before attempting to find solutions... a quality I definitely want&nbsp;my President to possess.&nbsp;At one point in his speech, Obama said:&nbsp; &quot;...What my former pastor too often failed to understand is that embarking on a program of self-help also requires a belief that society can change. The profound mistake of Reverend Wright's sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It's that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; as if this country - a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old -- is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know -- what we have seen - is that America can change. That is the true genius of this nation...&quot; Clearly, Wright's statements challenged Obama to come to his own conclusion regarding the issue of racism in our society. I realize that we're used to dealing with extreme hypocrisy in the political arena... but maybe, just maybe, it's possible that politicians who stand for integrity, faith, and humanity, who recognize the country's current issues for what they are - nuanced and difficult - do exist. Just recently, my grandmother and I took part in a mild argument - over the election, no less - and I was so fiercely (inwardly) outraged by some of the things she said, I walked away. I walked away, not because I was choosing to &quot;admit defeat&quot; or avoid confrontation, but because I grew uncomfortable when faced with the realization that I felt the need to admonish my own grandmother. I love her, I know that she is a good person, and we generally agree on many levels, politically speaking. I so completely disapproved of what she had said that, in that instant, I felt nothing but jarring distress, frustration, and a little resentment. I wouldn't dream of&nbsp;distancing myself from her entirely, even if those things had been said at a public function with all of my friends, family, employers, coworkers, and instructors present. I know I'm kind of jumping back and forth here, stream of consciousness - but, keeping this in mind - am I to understand that even though Obama has openly criticized and condemned the attitude and phrasing of those choice awful comments made by Wright... he is still somehow at major fault for associating with him? Who truly believes that it would show greater character on Obama's part if he suddenly and easily dismissed Rev. Wright as soon as the controversy surfaced? Personally, I would be more inclined to distrust him had that been his way of dealing with the situation. Then there's the fact that the media jumped all over those particular statements without putting them in any sort of context. Who knows how skewed Wright's view of the country may or may not be, based on his individual perspective? This wikipedia article (I know, not always reliable, but in this case, goes into more detail) offers some sort of context for Wright's statements, if anyone is interested. Again, it does not excuse anything that was said, but perhaps it offers more information. Ultimately, Obama felt the need to address his relationship with Wright amidst all the controversy, and rightly (and unfortunately)&nbsp;so. But, more so than the responses he provided to that pressing issue, his overall commentary on racism and the state of the U.S. is what really&nbsp;encouraged me: &quot;...Some will see this as an attempt to justify or excuse comments that are simply inexcusable. I can assure you it is not. I suppose the politically safe thing to do would be to move on from this episode and just hope that it fades into the woodwork. We can dismiss Reverend Wright as a crank or a demagogue, just as some have dismissed Geraldine Ferraro, in the aftermath of her recent statements, as harboring some deep-seated bias. But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America &mdash; to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality. The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through &mdash; a part of our union that we have not yet made perfect. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care or education or the need to find good jobs for every American.&quot;&nbsp; He inspires genuine hope in people. He consistently displays intelligence, care, integrity, passion, and the ability to unite. He speaks frankly about issues that face America today. Disagree with me if you'd like (and I will respect your opinion just as any other)... but that is someone I can stand behind.&nbsp; Portion of this blog also printed in Bakotopia Magazine, issue 25, 4-3/-08 en-us <p>&nbsp;Hiya.......Thanks.......Hope is a wonderful thing.....Keep the faith...............</p> <br /> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_214899 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_214899 <p>&nbsp;Hiya.......Thanks.......Hope is a wonderful thing.....Keep the faith...............</p> <br /> <p>&nbsp;I will definitely get to this a bit later.&nbsp; Now, breakfast (and yes, I am waking up at noon, what are you going to do about it, probably nothing!)</p> <br /> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_214910 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_214910 <p>&nbsp;I will definitely get to this a bit later.&nbsp; Now, breakfast (and yes, I am waking up at noon, what are you going to do about it, probably nothing!)</p> <br /> <p> <u><i><b>He inspires genuine hope in people. He consistently displays intelligence, care, integrity, passion, and the ability to unite. He speaks frankly about issues that face America today. </b></i></u></p> <p>I think this is why he's drawing out non voters and new voters out of the woodwork. People can relate to him, and love what he has to say.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_214920 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_214920 <p> <u><i><b>He inspires genuine hope in people. He consistently displays intelligence, care, integrity, passion, and the ability to unite. He speaks frankly about issues that face America today. </b></i></u></p> <p>I think this is why he's drawing out non voters and new voters out of the woodwork. People can relate to him, and love what he has to say.</p> <p>&nbsp;I lent my very VERY Republican friend Barack's book, The Audacity of Hope and he was impressed and has changed his mind about the candidate he was originally going to vote for. Also, my mother in law changed her mind from Hillary to Barack after listening to a few other speeches he's made.</p> <p>See, that's what Barack is doing to people that actually take the time to LISTEN to his message. He's changing their minds about who they are voting for.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_214921 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_214921 <p>&nbsp;I lent my very VERY Republican friend Barack's book, The Audacity of Hope and he was impressed and has changed his mind about the candidate he was originally going to vote for. Also, my mother in law changed her mind from Hillary to Barack after listening to a few other speeches he's made.</p> <p>See, that's what Barack is doing to people that actually take the time to LISTEN to his message. He's changing their minds about who they are voting for.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;John Hagee (televangelist and megachurch leader) referred to the Roman Catholic Church as &quot;the great whore&quot; and a &quot;false cult system.&quot; I have to say I'm not a McCain supporter either Sam. Yes I think McCain could be just as guilty if&nbsp; he looked up to Hagee for advice too. ,</p> <p>but perhaps Obama <i>has </i>taken everything he's said - both positive and negative - and used it to truly examine his own beliefs (<b>note</b>: again, responding to Joe).&nbsp; I like to think i do this in life myself. But I must say&nbsp; 20 years of experiencing&nbsp; a dark cloud In a&nbsp; church that you go to knowing you should be there. There is a problem. I love my half sister, the bible tells me this, The Lord tells me this, I do love her, I see she is an image of God as the bible states.&nbsp;But at 7 years of age she molested me. Should I hang with her? Nah&nbsp;I really don't care to.&nbsp; And that is one of many things that she has done that i wouldn't exactly agree with. Would I go to her really Christian Fundamental church she attends? No, I have forgive her but I don't feel the need to&nbsp; be around her. do you get my point?&nbsp; I know that was a mind full to deal with there. But When people do things you don't agree with you confront them and if they don't want to change you agree to disagree and it's your right to part ways. Some times it's best to do so. My own mother was the same way I had a heated argument&nbsp; with her on racist remarks she said once. Although I chose not to walk away, She did, but&nbsp; she would always walk away when good sense and logic&nbsp; didn't agree with her. But me being me and being stubborn and a fighter for my own life, I followed her down the street right beside her until she heard my argument.&nbsp; Maybe all this seem off the beaten path, but I'm just saying, distance&nbsp; yourself from people meaning you harm, you my not think it, but trust me,..they will drag you down.</p> <p>I have believed in what Obama has said in the past but this whole;e Wright thing has thrown a bad light on him. I know you may want change of a whole different&nbsp; kind someone that can do all these things:&nbsp;</p> <p>Inspires genuine hope in people.&nbsp;Consistently displays intelligence, care, integrity, passion, and the ability to unite. Speaks frankly about issues that face America today.</p> <p>My own personal belief is that he has been sooo close to what we need but not quite, It's like someone picking out that car they always dreamed of. But,..they get to the dealer and everything is perfect&nbsp; except this one thing, and this one thing is gnawing at them, it's minor but it's&nbsp; not a big thing.&nbsp; They can buy the car and then be sorry later, or they can wait and get what they really really want. I think Obama's time is not now.&nbsp; I just feel this,..I certainly don't care for the other two choices we have either.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215104 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215104 <p>&nbsp;John Hagee (televangelist and megachurch leader) referred to the Roman Catholic Church as &quot;the great whore&quot; and a &quot;false cult system.&quot; I have to say I'm not a McCain supporter either Sam. Yes I think McCain could be just as guilty if&nbsp; he looked up to Hagee for advice too. ,</p> <p>but perhaps Obama <i>has </i>taken everything he's said - both positive and negative - and used it to truly examine his own beliefs (<b>note</b>: again, responding to Joe).&nbsp; I like to think i do this in life myself. But I must say&nbsp; 20 years of experiencing&nbsp; a dark cloud In a&nbsp; church that you go to knowing you should be there. There is a problem. I love my half sister, the bible tells me this, The Lord tells me this, I do love her, I see she is an image of God as the bible states.&nbsp;But at 7 years of age she molested me. Should I hang with her? Nah&nbsp;I really don't care to.&nbsp; And that is one of many things that she has done that i wouldn't exactly agree with. Would I go to her really Christian Fundamental church she attends? No, I have forgive her but I don't feel the need to&nbsp; be around her. do you get my point?&nbsp; I know that was a mind full to deal with there. But When people do things you don't agree with you confront them and if they don't want to change you agree to disagree and it's your right to part ways. Some times it's best to do so. My own mother was the same way I had a heated argument&nbsp; with her on racist remarks she said once. Although I chose not to walk away, She did, but&nbsp; she would always walk away when good sense and logic&nbsp; didn't agree with her. But me being me and being stubborn and a fighter for my own life, I followed her down the street right beside her until she heard my argument.&nbsp; Maybe all this seem off the beaten path, but I'm just saying, distance&nbsp; yourself from people meaning you harm, you my not think it, but trust me,..they will drag you down.</p> <p>I have believed in what Obama has said in the past but this whole;e Wright thing has thrown a bad light on him. I know you may want change of a whole different&nbsp; kind someone that can do all these things:&nbsp;</p> <p>Inspires genuine hope in people.&nbsp;Consistently displays intelligence, care, integrity, passion, and the ability to unite. Speaks frankly about issues that face America today.</p> <p>My own personal belief is that he has been sooo close to what we need but not quite, It's like someone picking out that car they always dreamed of. But,..they get to the dealer and everything is perfect&nbsp; except this one thing, and this one thing is gnawing at them, it's minor but it's&nbsp; not a big thing.&nbsp; They can buy the car and then be sorry later, or they can wait and get what they really really want. I think Obama's time is not now.&nbsp; I just feel this,..I certainly don't care for the other two choices we have either.</p> <p>First off I'm not sure if Twinkie knows or not that the book she read was named after one of Wrights&nbsp; sermons. Out of the two Clinton and Obama I would vote for him because I think she is cold and calcualting.&nbsp; sistershree&nbsp; you must of not&nbsp; heard Wright damn America and not only doing that but using God's name in vain while doing it.&nbsp; Hmm he IS a pastor isn't he? ANd yes I'm glad to see that he would not be hanging from a tree, I'm glad this country has progressed to some civilence, but a long way to go. I think a Black president would be great, but just sadly not Obama.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215105 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215105 <p>First off I'm not sure if Twinkie knows or not that the book she read was named after one of Wrights&nbsp; sermons. Out of the two Clinton and Obama I would vote for him because I think she is cold and calcualting.&nbsp; sistershree&nbsp; you must of not&nbsp; heard Wright damn America and not only doing that but using God's name in vain while doing it.&nbsp; Hmm he IS a pastor isn't he? ANd yes I'm glad to see that he would not be hanging from a tree, I'm glad this country has progressed to some civilence, but a long way to go. I think a Black president would be great, but just sadly not Obama.</p> <p>Well written!&nbsp;</p> <p>I wish more of this sort of intelligent discourse would make it's way to the talk radio and the television.&nbsp; All we seem&nbsp;to&nbsp;get from the mass-media&nbsp;are sound-bytes, that play to sensation and cliche,&nbsp;rather than to logic.&nbsp;</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215117 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215117 <p>Well written!&nbsp;</p> <p>I wish more of this sort of intelligent discourse would make it's way to the talk radio and the television.&nbsp; All we seem&nbsp;to&nbsp;get from the mass-media&nbsp;are sound-bytes, that play to sensation and cliche,&nbsp;rather than to logic.&nbsp;</p> <p> joe, yes I do. If fact the book was named after said sermon. It's still a GREAT book.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215127 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215127 <p> joe, yes I do. If fact the book was named after said sermon. It's still a GREAT book.</p> <p>&nbsp;Jen that's because the&nbsp; CONSERVATIVE RADIO/TV er Republican agenda is the only thing around these&nbsp;days,.Yes&nbsp;I said,..Liberial media is pretty much gone,( or really never existed too long, maybe in the late 60's early 70's) Besides they love to scream at sound bites&nbsp; or&nbsp; don't even allow callers in that&nbsp; have a good thought. most often. TV pfft&nbsp; there isn't a chance there.</p> <p>I'm sure it is a good book&nbsp; Ywinkie, as long as the name of the book was borrowed but&nbsp; Rev. Wright's ideolgy wasn't printed in it</p> <p>sistersheree, I think all that has to do a lot with this administration, the President. Notice how his cabinet bailed on him like they were on fire? A good sign they wanted to distance themselves from him. They might have wanted to do the right thing, I really don't think he's let them, he wanted to be the&nbsp; big wheel in the whitehouse. Presidents are usually mostly figure heads, This guy comes in and gums up the works. The pedophile situation is the power of the Catholic Church, I'm sorry to say those that are RC Church members.&nbsp; But to be honest here,..Ten Commandments: take your pick :</p> <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><a href="http://www.bibletexts.com/abbrev.htm#k"><b><font size="2">KJV</font></b></a></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> - 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. </font></p> <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><u><a href="http://www.bibletexts.com/abbrev.htm#n"><b>NRSV</b></a></u> -7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.</font></p> <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b><u><a href="http://www.bibletexts.com/abbrev.htm#t">TEV</a></u> </b>- 7 &quot;Do not use my name for evil purposes, for I, the LORD your God, will punish anyone who misuses my name.</font></p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215179 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215179 <p>&nbsp;Jen that's because the&nbsp; CONSERVATIVE RADIO/TV er Republican agenda is the only thing around these&nbsp;days,.Yes&nbsp;I said,..Liberial media is pretty much gone,( or really never existed too long, maybe in the late 60's early 70's) Besides they love to scream at sound bites&nbsp; or&nbsp; don't even allow callers in that&nbsp; have a good thought. most often. TV pfft&nbsp; there isn't a chance there.</p> <p>I'm sure it is a good book&nbsp; Ywinkie, as long as the name of the book was borrowed but&nbsp; Rev. Wright's ideolgy wasn't printed in it</p> <p>sistersheree, I think all that has to do a lot with this administration, the President. Notice how his cabinet bailed on him like they were on fire? A good sign they wanted to distance themselves from him. They might have wanted to do the right thing, I really don't think he's let them, he wanted to be the&nbsp; big wheel in the whitehouse. Presidents are usually mostly figure heads, This guy comes in and gums up the works. The pedophile situation is the power of the Catholic Church, I'm sorry to say those that are RC Church members.&nbsp; But to be honest here,..Ten Commandments: take your pick :</p> <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><a href="http://www.bibletexts.com/abbrev.htm#k"><b><font size="2">KJV</font></b></a></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"> - 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. </font></p> <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><u><a href="http://www.bibletexts.com/abbrev.htm#n"><b>NRSV</b></a></u> -7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.</font></p> <p><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b><u><a href="http://www.bibletexts.com/abbrev.htm#t">TEV</a></u> </b>- 7 &quot;Do not use my name for evil purposes, for I, the LORD your God, will punish anyone who misuses my name.</font></p> <p>&nbsp;&quot;you must of not&nbsp; heard Wright damn America and not only doing that but using God's name in vain while doing it&quot;</p> <p>and the slew of other versions of the commandment:</p> <p>He wasn't using God's name in vain, he was speaking quite literally.&nbsp; God Dammit! is in vain, but the context which Wright used it was not.&nbsp; I don't agree with his position either, but to be attacking that aspect of it is ridiculous.</p> <p>And just in case you don't get what I mean, he was saying &quot;Not 'God Bless America', but 'God Damn America'&quot; which is based off the assumption that our country feels it should be blessed by God in light of its transgressions.&nbsp; I will explain further if I have to but I hope that is explanation enough.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215255 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215255 <p>&nbsp;&quot;you must of not&nbsp; heard Wright damn America and not only doing that but using God's name in vain while doing it&quot;</p> <p>and the slew of other versions of the commandment:</p> <p>He wasn't using God's name in vain, he was speaking quite literally.&nbsp; God Dammit! is in vain, but the context which Wright used it was not.&nbsp; I don't agree with his position either, but to be attacking that aspect of it is ridiculous.</p> <p>And just in case you don't get what I mean, he was saying &quot;Not 'God Bless America', but 'God Damn America'&quot; which is based off the assumption that our country feels it should be blessed by God in light of its transgressions.&nbsp; I will explain further if I have to but I hope that is explanation enough.</p> <p>Wow, lots to catch up on!</p> <p>1.<b> &quot;I think this is why he's drawing out non voters and new voters out of the woodwork. People can relate to him, and love what he has to say.&quot; </b>-- Very good point, Twinkie, and one that I meant to elaborate on in the blog. Not only is Obama reaching people who are usually apathetic about politics, he's bringing scores of new voters in. That ever elusive youth vote - which has been the target of endless campaigns for the past decade - is showing increasing support for Obama. Young voters have been generally disengaged from politics, but now, with Obama on the scene, they're&nbsp;showing more willingness to get involved... which I think is really remarkable. As you said, something about him sparks interest in people.</p> <p>2. Joe, I have to disagree that Obama should distance himself from Rev. Wright. I understand why you've expressed that opinion, but I don't share it. He has already addressed the fact that he does not share, condone or appreciate those select statements made by Rev. Wright, and that's good enough for me. I also wanted to comment on your point that Obama is<b> &quot;so close to what we need but not quite.&quot;</b> I understand what you're saying, and I can almost agree. I believe that Obama will be even <i>better</i> suited to the Presidency with four or eight more years under his belt, but that fact does not&nbsp;persuade me&nbsp;that he's not ready for the White House <i>now</i>. There is good sense to the argument that in reality, <i>America </i>just isn't ready for <i>him</i>. I sincerely hope this is not the case, and I suppose&nbsp;that's where my youthful idealism comes into play. Sure, I don't think his campaign is perfect, and I don't agree with all of his policies. This time around, though&nbsp;- and this is a view that many people seem to share - I feel like we&nbsp;have a candidate to actually be excited about! Both you and Twinkie (and others) have mentioned that it always seems to be a matter of choosing the lesser of the two evils when it comes to politicians. But for once, I don't feel that way. Obama IS about as ideal as I can hope for, at this point... arguably too much so. Not only do I not care for the other two choices, I genuinely <u>like</u> this one. And I definitely don't believe that we'd be &quot;<b>[buying] the car and then be sorry later,&quot; </b>because that would imply that Obama can't effectively lead. If anything, we know it would at least be an improvement over the current administration... ;)</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215266 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215266 <p>Wow, lots to catch up on!</p> <p>1.<b> &quot;I think this is why he's drawing out non voters and new voters out of the woodwork. People can relate to him, and love what he has to say.&quot; </b>-- Very good point, Twinkie, and one that I meant to elaborate on in the blog. Not only is Obama reaching people who are usually apathetic about politics, he's bringing scores of new voters in. That ever elusive youth vote - which has been the target of endless campaigns for the past decade - is showing increasing support for Obama. Young voters have been generally disengaged from politics, but now, with Obama on the scene, they're&nbsp;showing more willingness to get involved... which I think is really remarkable. As you said, something about him sparks interest in people.</p> <p>2. Joe, I have to disagree that Obama should distance himself from Rev. Wright. I understand why you've expressed that opinion, but I don't share it. He has already addressed the fact that he does not share, condone or appreciate those select statements made by Rev. Wright, and that's good enough for me. I also wanted to comment on your point that Obama is<b> &quot;so close to what we need but not quite.&quot;</b> I understand what you're saying, and I can almost agree. I believe that Obama will be even <i>better</i> suited to the Presidency with four or eight more years under his belt, but that fact does not&nbsp;persuade me&nbsp;that he's not ready for the White House <i>now</i>. There is good sense to the argument that in reality, <i>America </i>just isn't ready for <i>him</i>. I sincerely hope this is not the case, and I suppose&nbsp;that's where my youthful idealism comes into play. Sure, I don't think his campaign is perfect, and I don't agree with all of his policies. This time around, though&nbsp;- and this is a view that many people seem to share - I feel like we&nbsp;have a candidate to actually be excited about! Both you and Twinkie (and others) have mentioned that it always seems to be a matter of choosing the lesser of the two evils when it comes to politicians. But for once, I don't feel that way. Obama IS about as ideal as I can hope for, at this point... arguably too much so. Not only do I not care for the other two choices, I genuinely <u>like</u> this one. And I definitely don't believe that we'd be &quot;<b>[buying] the car and then be sorry later,&quot; </b>because that would imply that Obama can't effectively lead. If anything, we know it would at least be an improvement over the current administration... ;)</p> <p>&nbsp;Okay, trudging along...</p> <p>3. Joe, you pointed out that &quot;The audacity of hope&quot; is a phrase originally coined by Wright. May I ask why you felt the need to bring this up? From what I can tell, you seem to be basically anti-Wright and&nbsp;against everything he represents, so I understand that you would not immediately advocate the book on the grounds that it's somehow connected to him... but it is, after all, written by Obama, not Wright. Have you, by any chance, read any of Wright's other sermons? The ones that didn't receive instant media attention? Or are you just of the mindset that anything linked with Rev. Wright&nbsp;is completely objectionable because of those specific controversial statements? I'm not being patronizing here, I'm honestly asking.</p> <p>2. Thanks, Jen! I wish we'd hear more of this in the media as well, but, as&nbsp;sensationalism &quot;sells,&quot; I don't know how much of that we have to look forward to. I can tell you that <i>Real Time with Bill Maher </i>makes a point to incorporate intelligent perspectives from all sides, though it still relies on the fusion of politics with humour... <i>The Daily Show </i>is, of course, in the same vein, though perhaps not as thorough.</p> <p>3. Joe, I'm confused by your last comment... you say that the President is, essentially, &quot;a figurehead&quot; (which is unfortunately true, at least for the time being) but you also say that &quot;<strong>[B</strong><b>ush's cabinet] might have wanted to do the right thing, I really don't think he's let them...&quot; </b>So, which is it? He does too little, or he does too much? Personally, I think Cheney is the one who's been running the country for the past eight years, with some help from Rumsfeld and Rove. He is chief, while Bush, as you say, is in the ceremonial role. Anyway, that's neither here nor there...</p> <p>4. I side with sistersheree and Chase on the point of Rev. Wright's sermon. As Chase said, he was not taking the Lord's name in vain, he was actually&nbsp;referring to him very literally. And, like sistersheree, I can take into account Wright's background, his individual perspective, his frustration, and his intention when he spoke those words. I don't have to agree with everything he says in order to appreciate the message he's trying to convey. Also, I recognize your bringing the Bible into the equation in order to emphasize a point, but please keep in mind that not everyone here subscribes to your religion or necessarily agrees with it :)</p> <p>And I'll finish off with this: <b>&quot;I think a black president would be great, but just sadly not Obama.&quot; -- </b>I think Obama would be great, and it&nbsp;has nothing to do with the way he looks.&nbsp;The only race I recognize is the human race... and we're all a lot closer than&nbsp;many of us&nbsp;realize.&nbsp;I don't think anyone should base their vote on the fact that Obama is biracial, or the fact that Clinton is a woman, or the fact that McCain is a white man.&nbsp;Why have we grown so accustomed to prefacing introductions with labels? Why can't we simply refer to them as &quot;Barack Obama, presidential candidate; Hillary Clinton, presidential candidate; John McCain, presidential candidate? One woman (who is pro-Hillary) argued with me that &quot;as a feminist, [I] should be supporting one of [my] own!&quot; This statement infuriates me, and I am wholeheartedly against everything it implies. My vote is going to the person I want to lead my country; not exclusively&nbsp;due&nbsp;to ethnicity, sex, political party alliance, or sexual preference. The fact that racism even enters into the discussion of this election is proof that we are STILL looking at the color of a person's skin. We are still &quot;race&quot;-oriented instead of looking at what truly makes the measure of a leader (or a man or woman): namely, their actions, their values, their ability to lead,&nbsp;their policies,&nbsp;the decisions they've made, and so on.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215284 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215284 <p>&nbsp;Okay, trudging along...</p> <p>3. Joe, you pointed out that &quot;The audacity of hope&quot; is a phrase originally coined by Wright. May I ask why you felt the need to bring this up? From what I can tell, you seem to be basically anti-Wright and&nbsp;against everything he represents, so I understand that you would not immediately advocate the book on the grounds that it's somehow connected to him... but it is, after all, written by Obama, not Wright. Have you, by any chance, read any of Wright's other sermons? The ones that didn't receive instant media attention? Or are you just of the mindset that anything linked with Rev. Wright&nbsp;is completely objectionable because of those specific controversial statements? I'm not being patronizing here, I'm honestly asking.</p> <p>2. Thanks, Jen! I wish we'd hear more of this in the media as well, but, as&nbsp;sensationalism &quot;sells,&quot; I don't know how much of that we have to look forward to. I can tell you that <i>Real Time with Bill Maher </i>makes a point to incorporate intelligent perspectives from all sides, though it still relies on the fusion of politics with humour... <i>The Daily Show </i>is, of course, in the same vein, though perhaps not as thorough.</p> <p>3. Joe, I'm confused by your last comment... you say that the President is, essentially, &quot;a figurehead&quot; (which is unfortunately true, at least for the time being) but you also say that &quot;<strong>[B</strong><b>ush's cabinet] might have wanted to do the right thing, I really don't think he's let them...&quot; </b>So, which is it? He does too little, or he does too much? Personally, I think Cheney is the one who's been running the country for the past eight years, with some help from Rumsfeld and Rove. He is chief, while Bush, as you say, is in the ceremonial role. Anyway, that's neither here nor there...</p> <p>4. I side with sistersheree and Chase on the point of Rev. Wright's sermon. As Chase said, he was not taking the Lord's name in vain, he was actually&nbsp;referring to him very literally. And, like sistersheree, I can take into account Wright's background, his individual perspective, his frustration, and his intention when he spoke those words. I don't have to agree with everything he says in order to appreciate the message he's trying to convey. Also, I recognize your bringing the Bible into the equation in order to emphasize a point, but please keep in mind that not everyone here subscribes to your religion or necessarily agrees with it :)</p> <p>And I'll finish off with this: <b>&quot;I think a black president would be great, but just sadly not Obama.&quot; -- </b>I think Obama would be great, and it&nbsp;has nothing to do with the way he looks.&nbsp;The only race I recognize is the human race... and we're all a lot closer than&nbsp;many of us&nbsp;realize.&nbsp;I don't think anyone should base their vote on the fact that Obama is biracial, or the fact that Clinton is a woman, or the fact that McCain is a white man.&nbsp;Why have we grown so accustomed to prefacing introductions with labels? Why can't we simply refer to them as &quot;Barack Obama, presidential candidate; Hillary Clinton, presidential candidate; John McCain, presidential candidate? One woman (who is pro-Hillary) argued with me that &quot;as a feminist, [I] should be supporting one of [my] own!&quot; This statement infuriates me, and I am wholeheartedly against everything it implies. My vote is going to the person I want to lead my country; not exclusively&nbsp;due&nbsp;to ethnicity, sex, political party alliance, or sexual preference. The fact that racism even enters into the discussion of this election is proof that we are STILL looking at the color of a person's skin. We are still &quot;race&quot;-oriented instead of looking at what truly makes the measure of a leader (or a man or woman): namely, their actions, their values, their ability to lead,&nbsp;their policies,&nbsp;the decisions they've made, and so on.</p> <p>Chase&nbsp;I understood is literal speak, i understood what he was saying the context in which he was saying it. I don't believe a man of God would say it though. He was wound up and on a roll.&nbsp; I don't think it was some thing he had written down to say.</p> <p>Lets also remember that Clinton (Bill was a catch to younger voters too - &quot;rock the vote&quot;)&nbsp; He&nbsp; was of hope and change too. Change only comes when all parties want change. Sadly we have old career politician that have other agendas. If Obama was to get in I would hope change does come about&nbsp;to better all. But I think there is still and Old Boy network in place and will have to&nbsp; wear itself out. &nbsp;That's why i don't see him being elected,</p> <p>Tonight on Larry King Live I watch Obama. When asked about&nbsp; Wright and if he has spoke to him recently. He said, No, I haven't talked to him recently, he is on sabbatical and is on a&nbsp; cruise right now. I suspect that is some distance. We will know more later.</p> <p>I agree with your closing statements&nbsp; for the most part he probably would be better than the alternatives we have now. But&nbsp;I also have to say that he still needs&nbsp; more years of experience in the Senate. and Politics in general, I'm&nbsp;cautious and trying to find the prudency&nbsp; of all this. I have been a youthful idealist as well. But I've seen a lot in my life. Not jaded, just very pragmatic. And anything is better than this Administration</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215287 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215287 <p>Chase&nbsp;I understood is literal speak, i understood what he was saying the context in which he was saying it. I don't believe a man of God would say it though. He was wound up and on a roll.&nbsp; I don't think it was some thing he had written down to say.</p> <p>Lets also remember that Clinton (Bill was a catch to younger voters too - &quot;rock the vote&quot;)&nbsp; He&nbsp; was of hope and change too. Change only comes when all parties want change. Sadly we have old career politician that have other agendas. If Obama was to get in I would hope change does come about&nbsp;to better all. But I think there is still and Old Boy network in place and will have to&nbsp; wear itself out. &nbsp;That's why i don't see him being elected,</p> <p>Tonight on Larry King Live I watch Obama. When asked about&nbsp; Wright and if he has spoke to him recently. He said, No, I haven't talked to him recently, he is on sabbatical and is on a&nbsp; cruise right now. I suspect that is some distance. We will know more later.</p> <p>I agree with your closing statements&nbsp; for the most part he probably would be better than the alternatives we have now. But&nbsp;I also have to say that he still needs&nbsp; more years of experience in the Senate. and Politics in general, I'm&nbsp;cautious and trying to find the prudency&nbsp; of all this. I have been a youthful idealist as well. But I've seen a lot in my life. Not jaded, just very pragmatic. And anything is better than this Administration</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;Thank you, Joe. I brought up the point about Obama appealing to young voters because we're starting so see record numbers here. But yes, it's true that other presidential candidates have relied on increased youth votes from the grassroots levels, especially JFK and Bill Clinton, who also embraced the concepts of hope and change. There will certainly be some resistance from other politicans regardless of who we elect, but I think that is unavoidable.</p> <p>I already said that Obama could use some more time and experience, so we agree there, but I don't hold that against him. I find it refreshing to have a real person speaking to me instead of a jaded politician. After all, no positive change has ever taken place without the presence of hope.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215295 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215295 <p>&nbsp;Thank you, Joe. I brought up the point about Obama appealing to young voters because we're starting so see record numbers here. But yes, it's true that other presidential candidates have relied on increased youth votes from the grassroots levels, especially JFK and Bill Clinton, who also embraced the concepts of hope and change. There will certainly be some resistance from other politicans regardless of who we elect, but I think that is unavoidable.</p> <p>I already said that Obama could use some more time and experience, so we agree there, but I don't hold that against him. I find it refreshing to have a real person speaking to me instead of a jaded politician. After all, no positive change has ever taken place without the presence of hope.</p> <p>&nbsp;I wouldn't say i'm not a Wright hater, I just don't think a person in the pulpit should say the things he has said. Hmmm I was just stating if Twinkie didn't know as , hey oh by the way,..haha&nbsp; hm seems&nbsp; i'm suddenly the center of villification. I would like to say up front I look at all the angels&nbsp; from every standpoint. I'm not saying EVERYTHING that Wright has ever said was bad. I'm sure as I have stateed before,..sigh,..that Obama has prbably taken the good and bad and weighed it for himself. BUT I also said he might want to&nbsp; magnify his thoughts and feeling as to why he was at that church for 20 years. If this man would&nbsp; obviously ocassionally say off the wall reall strange things maybe the man has a brain fuge I don't know, otherwise maybe he's a wonderful guy. I don't feel i have to pick a side and go wih it and prove my case, All I have said was my thoughts feelings and opinons and everyone has those. BTW I love Bill Maher's show and&nbsp;I liked politically Incorrect as well. I Met him in Hollywood at Ben Frank's (now Mel's) one night, nice guy. The Daily Show has been a staple here for years. iv'e always loved it.</p> <p>I agree with your staement on the V.P. But what I was saying about Bush is he as all Presidents in the past have been fingure heads. I think Bush in his need for control has finagled his way into weilding his powers that he does have to gain more it seems.</p> <p>On Wright:&nbsp; Christians are to be slow to anger, and one's tongue is like a rutter on a ship.Angry words often&nbsp; turn out to be&nbsp;things in which you can't&nbsp;take back. &nbsp;To be honest Christians are persecuted because of Christ himself.&nbsp; He told us all that if he would be persecuted then all of us would as well jusy simply following him.&nbsp; here is the beauty of all this, I don't expect anyone to agree with&nbsp; what I beleive, but I will tell you it is what I know is right to me, and that's far more important to me that anything else. You don't have to go along with it and I will love you just as much as if you did. I think someone has been spiritually sodomized&nbsp; and wants to take it out on me.&nbsp;I'm sorry that they have done this to you.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Once again I agree with your last paragraph.&nbsp; I will say&nbsp;I tend to close my eyes and see&nbsp;who people are not what they look like. What they say and feel is more important to me.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215296 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215296 <p>&nbsp;I wouldn't say i'm not a Wright hater, I just don't think a person in the pulpit should say the things he has said. Hmmm I was just stating if Twinkie didn't know as , hey oh by the way,..haha&nbsp; hm seems&nbsp; i'm suddenly the center of villification. I would like to say up front I look at all the angels&nbsp; from every standpoint. I'm not saying EVERYTHING that Wright has ever said was bad. I'm sure as I have stateed before,..sigh,..that Obama has prbably taken the good and bad and weighed it for himself. BUT I also said he might want to&nbsp; magnify his thoughts and feeling as to why he was at that church for 20 years. If this man would&nbsp; obviously ocassionally say off the wall reall strange things maybe the man has a brain fuge I don't know, otherwise maybe he's a wonderful guy. I don't feel i have to pick a side and go wih it and prove my case, All I have said was my thoughts feelings and opinons and everyone has those. BTW I love Bill Maher's show and&nbsp;I liked politically Incorrect as well. I Met him in Hollywood at Ben Frank's (now Mel's) one night, nice guy. The Daily Show has been a staple here for years. iv'e always loved it.</p> <p>I agree with your staement on the V.P. But what I was saying about Bush is he as all Presidents in the past have been fingure heads. I think Bush in his need for control has finagled his way into weilding his powers that he does have to gain more it seems.</p> <p>On Wright:&nbsp; Christians are to be slow to anger, and one's tongue is like a rutter on a ship.Angry words often&nbsp; turn out to be&nbsp;things in which you can't&nbsp;take back. &nbsp;To be honest Christians are persecuted because of Christ himself.&nbsp; He told us all that if he would be persecuted then all of us would as well jusy simply following him.&nbsp; here is the beauty of all this, I don't expect anyone to agree with&nbsp; what I beleive, but I will tell you it is what I know is right to me, and that's far more important to me that anything else. You don't have to go along with it and I will love you just as much as if you did. I think someone has been spiritually sodomized&nbsp; and wants to take it out on me.&nbsp;I'm sorry that they have done this to you.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Once again I agree with your last paragraph.&nbsp; I will say&nbsp;I tend to close my eyes and see&nbsp;who people are not what they look like. What they say and feel is more important to me.</p> <p>&nbsp;Further more, If indeed&nbsp; Rev. Wright&nbsp; had more to say&nbsp;in his GD America sermon that was for the opressed I could accept that. But he didn't have to say those words. I think in anger we say things we really shouldn't have said. I understand the sound bite mentallity. But those that are in the public eye need to watch what they say as to not offend their congression. Certianly as I learn more I would be more than willing to say I was wrong. If that is the case. You know you guys I'm a terrible terrible. &nbsp;person ;) Me and my &quot;religion&quot; and all.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215299 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215299 <p>&nbsp;Further more, If indeed&nbsp; Rev. Wright&nbsp; had more to say&nbsp;in his GD America sermon that was for the opressed I could accept that. But he didn't have to say those words. I think in anger we say things we really shouldn't have said. I understand the sound bite mentallity. But those that are in the public eye need to watch what they say as to not offend their congression. Certianly as I learn more I would be more than willing to say I was wrong. If that is the case. You know you guys I'm a terrible terrible. &nbsp;person ;) Me and my &quot;religion&quot; and all.</p> <p> Why can't we simply refer to them as "Barack Obama, presidential candidate; Hillary Clinton, presidential candidate; John McCain, presidential candidate?</p> <p>Because the Media will not let us. They love pointing out the obvious in a manner that creates sensationalism, even when those very words keep us divided as a nation.  Descriptive words help fill their bank accounts. So why on earth would they ever give them up?  The descriptive words being used for these candidates are being USED under the GUISE of a Historical Event for this Nation taking place. We keep buying their BS, so they keep writing it.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215499 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215499 <p> Why can't we simply refer to them as "Barack Obama, presidential candidate; Hillary Clinton, presidential candidate; John McCain, presidential candidate?</p> <p>Because the Media will not let us. They love pointing out the obvious in a manner that creates sensationalism, even when those very words keep us divided as a nation.  Descriptive words help fill their bank accounts. So why on earth would they ever give them up?  The descriptive words being used for these candidates are being USED under the GUISE of a Historical Event for this Nation taking place. We keep buying their BS, so they keep writing it.</p> <p> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>here is the beauty of all this, I don't expect anyone to agree with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>what I beleive, but I will tell you it is what I know is right to me, and that's far more important to me that anything else. You don't have to go along with it and I will love you just as much as if you did. I think someone has been spiritually sodomized<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>and wants to take it out on me. I'm sorry that they have done this to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span></font></font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">What the hell does this even mean? Especially the part about being spiritually sodomized? What the hell does that even mean?</font></font></p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215518 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215518 <p> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>here is the beauty of all this, I don't expect anyone to agree with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>what I beleive, but I will tell you it is what I know is right to me, and that's far more important to me that anything else. You don't have to go along with it and I will love you just as much as if you did. I think someone has been spiritually sodomized<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>and wants to take it out on me. I'm sorry that they have done this to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span></font></font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">What the hell does this even mean? Especially the part about being spiritually sodomized? What the hell does that even mean?</font></font></p> <p>&nbsp;I will be back on this one tomorrow :)</p> <br /> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215613 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215613 <p>&nbsp;I will be back on this one tomorrow :)</p> <br /> <p>&nbsp;It simply means sometimes people&nbsp; trigger&nbsp; other people to think badly of them. Case in point:&nbsp; I'm a Christian and&nbsp; made myself vulnerable to attack by saying this. I have a specific standard that I choose to live, I don't&nbsp; demand ask or impose it upon anyone. Now someone else that has had a bad experience with a Christian that may have acted better than everyone else&nbsp; may have offended that person or even enraged them. So naturally&nbsp; it was traumatizing to them. So they suddenly decide all Christians that say they are Christians ,&nbsp;or a little more outspoken or passionate (not outspoken to a&nbsp; judgmental degree) are&nbsp; bad people. I'm just guessing here.&nbsp; I&nbsp;suspect you really knew what i meant anyway. I love the fact you are hiding under the anonymous name. ;) Class.</p> <p>Hey and doesn't every&nbsp; call Clinton, Obama, and McCain presidential candidates? I don't believe anything the media says anyway if I want the real story I usually look outside the box and listen to short wave news broadcasts.</p> <p>Unlike you Chase I wouldn't&nbsp; be back on this one tomorrow. I'm done.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215663 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215663 <p>&nbsp;It simply means sometimes people&nbsp; trigger&nbsp; other people to think badly of them. Case in point:&nbsp; I'm a Christian and&nbsp; made myself vulnerable to attack by saying this. I have a specific standard that I choose to live, I don't&nbsp; demand ask or impose it upon anyone. Now someone else that has had a bad experience with a Christian that may have acted better than everyone else&nbsp; may have offended that person or even enraged them. So naturally&nbsp; it was traumatizing to them. So they suddenly decide all Christians that say they are Christians ,&nbsp;or a little more outspoken or passionate (not outspoken to a&nbsp; judgmental degree) are&nbsp; bad people. I'm just guessing here.&nbsp; I&nbsp;suspect you really knew what i meant anyway. I love the fact you are hiding under the anonymous name. ;) Class.</p> <p>Hey and doesn't every&nbsp; call Clinton, Obama, and McCain presidential candidates? I don't believe anything the media says anyway if I want the real story I usually look outside the box and listen to short wave news broadcasts.</p> <p>Unlike you Chase I wouldn't&nbsp; be back on this one tomorrow. I'm done.</p> <p>&nbsp;First off I do not have an account at this site. 2nd your definition is wrong. 3rd your attitude is uncalled for. Class, you certainly could use some thanks for bringing it up.</p> <p>Mr&nbsp;RT&nbsp;Howeth</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215693 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215693 <p>&nbsp;First off I do not have an account at this site. 2nd your definition is wrong. 3rd your attitude is uncalled for. Class, you certainly could use some thanks for bringing it up.</p> <p>Mr&nbsp;RT&nbsp;Howeth</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p> I should have posed the question as such, "What do you mean by spiritually sodomized" I have your definition of it now so never mind. I see clearly now how you meant it. Thanks.</p> <p>Mr RT Howeth.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215714 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215714 <p> I should have posed the question as such, "What do you mean by spiritually sodomized" I have your definition of it now so never mind. I see clearly now how you meant it. Thanks.</p> <p>Mr RT Howeth.</p> <p><font size="2">Joe, I’m very sorry that you feel that you are the center of vilification… that was certainly not my intention. I understand if you no longer want to respond to comments here, and that is your choice, but I hope that you don’t feel that we’re attacking your opinions. I may have responded to your points more frequently than I have with other people, but that’s only because you’ve had more to say on the subject! <p>(About Bill Maher: he’s actually a bit of an a-hole in real life, at least now… maybe we should compare stories, haha! But yes, his show is great).</p> <p>Anonymous: some of the media is certainly above sensationalism, but as you said, they often rely on what will “sell” as opposed to… oh, I don’t know… the <i>truth</i>. It’s unfortunate, but it’s nothing new. We agree there; I was simply lamenting the fact that it happens :)</p> </font></p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215940 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_215940 <p><font size="2">Joe, I’m very sorry that you feel that you are the center of vilification… that was certainly not my intention. I understand if you no longer want to respond to comments here, and that is your choice, but I hope that you don’t feel that we’re attacking your opinions. I may have responded to your points more frequently than I have with other people, but that’s only because you’ve had more to say on the subject! <p>(About Bill Maher: he’s actually a bit of an a-hole in real life, at least now… maybe we should compare stories, haha! But yes, his show is great).</p> <p>Anonymous: some of the media is certainly above sensationalism, but as you said, they often rely on what will “sell” as opposed to… oh, I don’t know… the <i>truth</i>. It’s unfortunate, but it’s nothing new. We agree there; I was simply lamenting the fact that it happens :)</p> </font></p> <p> I haven't seen many episodes of Bill Maher's show, I don't have HBO or whatever <i>premium</i> channel it is on.  But what I have seen I didn't like.  He doesn't seem to sincerely listen to those he disagree with.  And those who hold the different opinion tend to seem handpicked for their idiocy in the matter, with those who <i>do </i>support his side picked from a little bit more intelligent pool.  And he seems to mock his 'opponenents' as well.   Thats what I like about Jon Stewart, he gives it out fairly to everyone - Conservatives and Liberals.</p> <br /> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_216014 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_216014 <p> I haven't seen many episodes of Bill Maher's show, I don't have HBO or whatever <i>premium</i> channel it is on.  But what I have seen I didn't like.  He doesn't seem to sincerely listen to those he disagree with.  And those who hold the different opinion tend to seem handpicked for their idiocy in the matter, with those who <i>do </i>support his side picked from a little bit more intelligent pool.  And he seems to mock his 'opponenents' as well.   Thats what I like about Jon Stewart, he gives it out fairly to everyone - Conservatives and Liberals.</p> <br /> <p>&nbsp;You're right, he does tend to mock the people he disagrees with, but that doesn't invalidate any of their points. I don't watch the show for Bill Maher (as I said - he's an ass), I watch for the debates. Regardless of how Maher perceives his guests, the show gives them a platform with which they are able to express their views, and that's ultimately why I like it. I don't agree that the politicians and experts who appear on the show look idiotic, because they're clearly very knowledgable in their fields, they just have to deal with a very liberal-leaning studio audience. But yes, Jon Stewart is more of an equal-opportunity offender :)</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_216035 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_216035 <p>&nbsp;You're right, he does tend to mock the people he disagrees with, but that doesn't invalidate any of their points. I don't watch the show for Bill Maher (as I said - he's an ass), I watch for the debates. Regardless of how Maher perceives his guests, the show gives them a platform with which they are able to express their views, and that's ultimately why I like it. I don't agree that the politicians and experts who appear on the show look idiotic, because they're clearly very knowledgable in their fields, they just have to deal with a very liberal-leaning studio audience. But yes, Jon Stewart is more of an equal-opportunity offender :)</p> <p>&nbsp;Like I said, I've only seen a couple.&nbsp; One was dealing with illegal immigration (Seth Green was on this one, haha), and the debate wasn't even debate.&nbsp; Every remark was made with a hint of&nbsp; &quot;stupid conservative&quot; underneath it.&nbsp; And if you hand pick idiots to present the opposing case then of course you look smarter.&nbsp; If I get a chance though I will check out some more because, and I KNOW you know this, I am working from a very small sample.&nbsp; I need to see at least 25 episodes to be able to have an analysis about the population of episodes.&nbsp; Haha.&nbsp;</p> <br /> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_216126 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_216126 <p>&nbsp;Like I said, I've only seen a couple.&nbsp; One was dealing with illegal immigration (Seth Green was on this one, haha), and the debate wasn't even debate.&nbsp; Every remark was made with a hint of&nbsp; &quot;stupid conservative&quot; underneath it.&nbsp; And if you hand pick idiots to present the opposing case then of course you look smarter.&nbsp; If I get a chance though I will check out some more because, and I KNOW you know this, I am working from a very small sample.&nbsp; I need to see at least 25 episodes to be able to have an analysis about the population of episodes.&nbsp; Haha.&nbsp;</p> <br /> <p>To answer you Mr Howeth: Sometimes people have&nbsp; hidden here under the anonymous log, I've sen it happen to others. Please forgive me for my seemly rudeness.&nbsp; My definition&nbsp;&nbsp;I feel was correct. I wasn't um exactly going for a literal&nbsp;form of physical sodomy, once again I think you knew what my point was. I was simply saying someone has had a bad experience with a Christian person. But I do feel you knew what&nbsp;I meant.</p> <p><b>&quot;First off I do not have an account at this site. 2ND your definition is wrong. 3rd your attitude is uncalled for. Class, you certainly could use some thanks for bringing it up.</b></p> <p><b>Mr&nbsp;RT&nbsp;Howeth</b></p> <p><span style="font-size: small">Your 3rd statement&nbsp; about my attitude was in reference to</span> : &quot;<b><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">What the hell does this even mean? Especially the part about being spiritually sodomized? What the hell does that even mean?&quot;</font></font></b></p> <p><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Are you going to say you meant this with the kindness of your heart? All those &quot;hells&quot; would imply some sorta of&nbsp; irritation or&nbsp; as&nbsp;I thought under an anonymous name, anger. BUT, IF you were just confused about what I was talking about , please accept my utmost apologies, and I ask for your forgiveness sir.&nbsp; </font></font></p> <p><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">So that your comment &quot;<span style="font-size: medium"><b><font size="2">I have your definition of it now so never mind. I see clearly now how you meant it. Thanks.&quot;</font></b></span><b><font size="2"> </font></b><span style="font-size: medium"><font size="2">Would be one of kindness as well</font></span><font size="2">.</font></font></font></p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_216323 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_216323 <p>To answer you Mr Howeth: Sometimes people have&nbsp; hidden here under the anonymous log, I've sen it happen to others. Please forgive me for my seemly rudeness.&nbsp; My definition&nbsp;&nbsp;I feel was correct. I wasn't um exactly going for a literal&nbsp;form of physical sodomy, once again I think you knew what my point was. I was simply saying someone has had a bad experience with a Christian person. But I do feel you knew what&nbsp;I meant.</p> <p><b>&quot;First off I do not have an account at this site. 2ND your definition is wrong. 3rd your attitude is uncalled for. Class, you certainly could use some thanks for bringing it up.</b></p> <p><b>Mr&nbsp;RT&nbsp;Howeth</b></p> <p><span style="font-size: small">Your 3rd statement&nbsp; about my attitude was in reference to</span> : &quot;<b><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">What the hell does this even mean? Especially the part about being spiritually sodomized? What the hell does that even mean?&quot;</font></font></b></p> <p><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Are you going to say you meant this with the kindness of your heart? All those &quot;hells&quot; would imply some sorta of&nbsp; irritation or&nbsp; as&nbsp;I thought under an anonymous name, anger. BUT, IF you were just confused about what I was talking about , please accept my utmost apologies, and I ask for your forgiveness sir.&nbsp; </font></font></p> <p><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">So that your comment &quot;<span style="font-size: medium"><b><font size="2">I have your definition of it now so never mind. I see clearly now how you meant it. Thanks.&quot;</font></b></span><b><font size="2"> </font></b><span style="font-size: medium"><font size="2">Would be one of kindness as well</font></span><font size="2">.</font></font></font></p> <p>My confusion is all cleared up. You have given me perfect understanding of how you meant it. </p> <p>RT Howeth.</p> <p>My cousin said to tell you all Hello and let you know that she will be back once her arm and tailbone heals up. She slipped on the stairs the other day and pulled her arm out of its socket and bruised her tailbone pretty badly. I am here to help her out until she can get around again on her own. She looks forward to catching up when she can sit on her butt again.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_216457 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_216457 <p>My confusion is all cleared up. You have given me perfect understanding of how you meant it. </p> <p>RT Howeth.</p> <p>My cousin said to tell you all Hello and let you know that she will be back once her arm and tailbone heals up. She slipped on the stairs the other day and pulled her arm out of its socket and bruised her tailbone pretty badly. I am here to help her out until she can get around again on her own. She looks forward to catching up when she can sit on her butt again.</p> <p>&nbsp;Who might your cousin be?Aww dislocated her arm OUCH! I do that on accident&nbsp; avery once ina while but it pops back in. My sockets, or cuff's&nbsp;I guess pop out easily due to being double jointed, I'm also sorry about the pain in her ass, If it's Annie, I would probably be that pain in the ass.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_216762 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_216762 <p>&nbsp;Who might your cousin be?Aww dislocated her arm OUCH! I do that on accident&nbsp; avery once ina while but it pops back in. My sockets, or cuff's&nbsp;I guess pop out easily due to being double jointed, I'm also sorry about the pain in her ass, If it's Annie, I would probably be that pain in the ass.</p> <p> Hahaha. It's funny cause it's true ;)</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_216786 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_216786 <p> Hahaha. It's funny cause it's true ;)</p> <p> My cousin is SisterSheree</p> <p>She was kind enough to let me visit this site through her link. Our family is considering making a private family site like Bakotopia for our 3 youngest generations to use. Many of them are away from home in college, universities and the military. This could be our answer to high cell phone and text messaging bills!</p> <p> RT Howeth</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_217134 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_217134 <p> My cousin is SisterSheree</p> <p>She was kind enough to let me visit this site through her link. Our family is considering making a private family site like Bakotopia for our 3 youngest generations to use. Many of them are away from home in college, universities and the military. This could be our answer to high cell phone and text messaging bills!</p> <p> RT Howeth</p> <p>&nbsp;There ya go, it's not unlike others out there, The Californian and&nbsp; Tehachapi's paper uses it too.</p> <p>I don't sistersheree is a big fan of mine either so I might be a pain in her tail bone too! ha, hope she gets well soon!<br /> &nbsp;</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_217301 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_217301 <p>&nbsp;There ya go, it's not unlike others out there, The Californian and&nbsp; Tehachapi's paper uses it too.</p> <p>I don't sistersheree is a big fan of mine either so I might be a pain in her tail bone too! ha, hope she gets well soon!<br /> &nbsp;</p> <p> One would have to ask , ...where then?</p> <br /> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_221528 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_221528 <p> One would have to ask , ...where then?</p> <br /> <p>Me too, isn't it funny how Hagee AND Wright&nbsp; did a full about face when these two politician's rejected their beliefs? They almost seemed hate-filled against them.</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_238922 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_238922 <p>Me too, isn't it funny how Hagee AND Wright&nbsp; did a full about face when these two politician's rejected their beliefs? They almost seemed hate-filled against them.</p> <p>Interesting that the media pounced on the Obama/Rev. Wright &quot;scandal,&quot; and yet the Rod Parsley comments have been completely hushed up. Come to think of it, there wasn't a huge fuss after the initial John Hagee/McCain thing either. So much for the liberal media bias, eh?</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_238926 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_238926 <p>Interesting that the media pounced on the Obama/Rev. Wright &quot;scandal,&quot; and yet the Rod Parsley comments have been completely hushed up. Come to think of it, there wasn't a huge fuss after the initial John Hagee/McCain thing either. So much for the liberal media bias, eh?</p> <p>all I can say is this: he might BE A NICE guy and throws up the term HOPE all the time but that doesn't take away his plans, (last their of, making our country better) he will raise your taxes spend more money, give people your money and continue to keep minority's poor because that's what the government does. They keep the poor dependent on them. If they would stop tax...</p> <p>ugh never mind i have said this over and over.&nbsp; OBAMA is NOT what America needs. People need to wake up... VOTE for someone that will help america not hurt it</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_239225 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_239225 <p>all I can say is this: he might BE A NICE guy and throws up the term HOPE all the time but that doesn't take away his plans, (last their of, making our country better) he will raise your taxes spend more money, give people your money and continue to keep minority's poor because that's what the government does. They keep the poor dependent on them. If they would stop tax...</p> <p>ugh never mind i have said this over and over.&nbsp; OBAMA is NOT what America needs. People need to wake up... VOTE for someone that will help america not hurt it</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>But SamG did&nbsp; McCain have a long standing&nbsp; close relationship with Hagee, THAT my friend is the question.&nbsp; I DO recall McCain denouncing&nbsp; Hagee. Hagee is&nbsp; out there. Fruits of the spirit is all i can say.</p> <p>If you guys would just for for Nader all will be fine! Ha ha.</p> <p>I want my own island I'd be happy roughin it and being healthier than I am now.&nbsp; I would be ensured no processed food would slip into my diet and I wouldn't be tempted. </p> http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_239356 http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/SamG/23605/#c_239356 <p>But SamG did&nbsp; McCain have a long standing&nbsp; close relationship with Hagee, THAT my friend is the question.&nbsp; I DO recall McCain denouncing&nbsp; Hagee. Hagee is&nbsp; out there. Fruits of the spirit is all i can say.</p> <p>If you guys would just for for Nader all will be fine! Ha ha.</p> <p>I want my own island I'd be happy roughin it and being healthier than I am now.&nbsp; I would be ensured no processed food would slip into my diet and I wouldn't be tempted. </p>