Hey all.  I know that after my long, previous post, I disappeared for a while, as I'm wont to do every summer.  Since that last entry, however, I've been noticing a sort of change within myself.  Given that I have free time this summer (which I should be using to review my physics, but meh, I'll deal), I've been rectifying an aspect of myself that I've neglected for far too long: that of my political/historical knowledge.  Prior to this summer, I haven't given history (especially recent US and world history) the time of day, and that goes for daily news in addition to the past.  I've also largely ignored politics, with the notable exceptions being the 2004 elections or when my father would bring up either a current political issue or some strange conspiracy theory that "intertwines" with modern American politics.  But, for the most part, during my college years, aside from rejecting conservatism, I've not dwelt on these topics much, happy and content to wade my way through four years of school.

This all changed recently.  My Oppenheimer class, which was enlightening, was the catalyst of it all.  It was there that I realized that the political BS that I've been witnessing around me existed even back around the early 20th century, and that our current situation most likely has roots in the general history of the past one hundred years.  With this thought in my head, I began my investigation of US and world history, and I started to read current event articles on the internet from our country's news outlets.

To supplement this seriousness with some humor, I also watch The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report frequently.  The irony in their faux reporting resonates, and it gives me hope that there are people out there that recognize the ridiculousness that exists in current slew of politicians.  Honestly, it is humor like this that, when you're finished laughing, makes you realize with horror just how partisan, polarized, and extreme our political leaders have become.  Yes, my political leanings can be termed liberal.  However, I'm not naive or disillusioned.  I have huge issues with the right, but I don't let the extreme lefties off either.  They're being detrimental to the system too, albeit in a different, but damaging way.

In fact, let's take a look at the modern political liberal, as seen by the average American.  They're seen as extreme, whiny, disorganized, unreasonable, hostile, out to destroy Christianity, out to ban guns, traitors, and the list continues on.  I'm going to be honest, some of these descriptions do fit.  The Democratic Party to which most liberals belong is disorganized.  The party has no current vision except to be anti-Republican on hot-button issues, but be a lap dog to the Republican majority on other ones.  They refuse to make a true, progressive stand because they fear to lose even more seats in the House of Representatives and in the Senate.  And yes, many of the extreme liberals (such as a Ted Kennedy, for example) are hostile and sound unreasonable.  I do attribute some of the hostility due to the current state of HOR/Senate procedure and the terrible polarization that our country faces, but still, it's not the best excuse.  As for the rest of the claims, I don't agree with them, and will get to them in due time (probably another post).

So, what's my issue with them?  The previous paragraph illuminates a key failing on the part of liberals in my eyes.  They've forgotten what it means to be progressive, and they've forgotten how to appeal to the common American.  They use rhetoric and anti-conservative speech to try and get their point across.  Instead of offering an alternative, we just get told how the Republicans screwed up.  Uh... no freaking duh guys.  But how about we see a true vision of which liberals can be proud?  How about we let our actions speak louder than our words for once?  The conservatives, in my opinion, have the art of rallying behind spoken word down to a science.  But with the Democrats, it degenerates into preaching to the chorus.  And when these liberals encounter a conservative, instead of trying to initiate dialog, they're poised for the attack.  Yes, conservatives are guilty of this too, but they have the distinct advantage of being the majority.  The Democrats are trying to engage in a pissing match, and when your opponent is physically bigger than you, your words aren't going to do much good.

Democrats, just like Republicans, need to realize that, in the end, we're all human beings with differing views on life.  A little respect will go a long way, and this endless game of tit for tat in Congress, which has been escalating over the past decade, is poisoning American policy.

What I've been trying to do is gather facts and data so that when I get into a political conversation, I can keep calm and rational and not feel the need to resort to personal attacks on ideology.  It's a lofty task, but it needs to be done.  By doing this, I want to prove that a person with liberal leanings can have a level head, can look at an issue from more than one point of view, and heck, even find some common ground.  That way, the conversation can stay focused on the issues at hand, and not at the ideology being proposed to solve the problem.

So, in a round-a-bout fashion, what am I trying to say?  Liberals need to clean up their act.  First off, drop the anti-Bush rhetoric.  His poll numbers are low enough, and honestly, most people just don't want to listen to it anymore if that's all you have to say.  Second, find a vision to unite around.  Don't immediately dismiss your opponent's point of view, and if you disagree, use facts and logic to back up your arguments.  Try to avoid language that sounds overly partisan, because that's a big way in which you can and will alienate people with moderate views.  Third, actually investigate what your ideology stands for and how it applies to American politics and society.  Fourth, try and avoid rallying around an extreme, controversial figure, especially if you don't agree with them on key points.  Fifth, keep your temper checked at the door!  These are just a few things I wish people, particularly modern liberals, would do.  This actually can apply to conservatives too, or just politicians and political activists in general.

The tone of this blog will probably be changing.  Instead of it being a journal of my life and my problems there, it will probably start to be more focused on political issues and my take on them.  I'm sure the day-to-day entries will crop up here and there, and I'll continue to add my poetry as I write it, but for now I want to be able to concentrate on focusing my thoughts and sharpening my political wit.  Now is the time to practice, especially since I'm moving to a state that is overwhelmingly conservative.

I'm going to take a look now at an issue that made national news, but probably should have been left to local news.  This pertains to a school valedictorian that had the plug pulled on her speech.  The reasoning behind this apparently rude act?  Well, long story short, like all Valedictorians, she was required to submit her speech to a school committee for editing and approval.  Upon review, the committee found her speech to contain remarks that could be interpreted as proselytizing for Christianity.  Since public schools, as state-funded institutions, cannot advocate a particular religion, they edited her speech and gave it back to her.  At that point, she agreed to the edits.  However, at graduation, she went back on her word and started to deliver the full speech.  When she reached the part of the speech that was edited out, her microphone was quickly muted, which received jeers and boos from the crowd.  You can read about the rest of the story here.

Anyway, I'm not one to jump to conclusions.  I had a feeling as to the tone of the speech and how it was delivered, but I reserved final judgments until I tracked down a transcript of the speech.  A few hours ago, I found this speech.  Here it is in full:

Do you remember those blocks? The ones that fit into cut-outs and teach you all the different shapes? The ones you played with before kindergarten, during the good old, no-grades, no-pressure preschool days? I find it funny how easily amused we are as children. Many of us would have sat on the story rug for hours with those blocks, trying to fit the circle into the square cut-out. Thank the Lord for patient teachers.

As one of the valedictorians for our senior class, many might assume I caught on to which blocks fit into which cut-outs quickly. But, to be honest, it took me awhile. Up until my freshman year in high school, I continually filled certain voids with shapes that proved often peculiar and always too small.

The main shape I wrestled with over the years remains my accomplishments. They defined my self-worth at a young age. I swam competitively throughout junior high and high school. If I took third in a competition rather than first, I found I missed the mark; I failed.

But strangely enough, if I took first, I belittled my success, and even first place left me feeling empty. Either way, the shape entitled "accomplishments" proved too small to fill the void, constantly reminding me living means something more. Something more than me and what I do with my life, something more than my friends and what they do with their own lives.

The summer after my freshman year, I quit swimming. I quit trying to fill the huge void in my soul with the meager accomplishments I obtained there. After quitting, this amazing sense of peace rushed over me and I noticed, after 15 years of sitting on the story-time rug, this teacher standing above me, trying to help me: God. I disregarded His guidance for years, and all the while, He sought to show me what shape fits into the cut-out in my soul.

This hole gapes as a wide-open trench when filled with swimming, with friends, with family, with dating, with shopping, with partying, with drinking, with anything but God. But His love fits. His love is "that something more" we all desire. It's unprejudiced, it's merciful, it's free, it's real, it's huge and it's everlasting. God's love is so great that he gave His only son up to an excruciating death on a cross so His blood would cover all our shortcomings and provide for us a way to heaven in accepting this grace.

This is why Christ died. John 10:10 says He died so we no longer have to reach in vain for the magnificence of the stars and find we always fall short, so we can have life -- and life to the fullest. I now desire not my own will, but the will of God for my life -- however crazy and extravagant, or seemingly mundane and uneventful that might be. Strangely enough, surrendering my own will for the will of God, giving up control, gave me peace, gave me a calm I can't even begin to express with words.

Four years ago, recognition as one of the valedictorians for our senior class would have been just another attempt to fit the circle into the square cut-out. But because my heart is so full of God's love, the honor of speaking today is just that: an honor. Without it, I would feel just as full and purposeful as I do at this moment.

And I can guarantee, 100 percent, no doubt in my mind, that as I choose to fill myself with God's love rather than with the things society tells me will satisfy me, I will find success, I will always retain a sense of self-worth. I will thrive whether I attend a prestigious university next fall and become a successful career man or woman or begin a life-long manager position at McDonald's.

Because the fact of the matter remains, man possesses an innate desire to take part in something greater than himself. That something is God's plan. And God's plan for each of our lives may not leave us with an impressive and extensive resume, but if we pursue His plan, He promises to fill us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.' "

Trust me, this block fits.

So there you go.  A speech that starts off quite well (I love the imagery of the blocks) quickly turns into an inspirational speech and sermon of sorts.  In a public forum or in a church, this kind of speech would be appropriate.  However, this is a speech for graduation, and as such, not only is it a terrible valedictorian speech, but it is also inappropriate for the setting in which the student wanted to read it.

Before I continue, let me set the record straight.  I have no problem with religion or spirituality.  I think the spiritual side of the human experience should be explored by all, and that it can lead to a lot of personal good.  I am constantly thinking about spirituality, even though I am not currently aligned with any particular religion.  The message of love outlined in the Christian Gospels is one I can appreciate and revere, and I wish more people took it seriously.  I'm stating this now so I can't be bombarded with, "You're an anti-Christian liberal!"  So, with that said, let's continue.

For those that aren't aware, I was the class Salutatorian in my high school (I.E. I was ranked 2nd overall), and as a result I also had the opportunity to deliver a speech to the graduating class.  When I was approached with this honor, I tried to think of a theme that would appeal to the audience.  I realized that this speech was not only for me, but it was for the entire graduating class.  I needed to include everyone.  This was not the time for me to get up on my soapbox and talk about myself in length.  And so I crafted a speech that talked about passion and how our past, present, and probable futures tied in with the concept of passion.  I told everyone in my class that it is imperative that they seek it, for pursuing your passion leads to happiness and contentment.  I warned them that they should not let money and other individuals derail them from pursuing their true passions.  I included the possibility that some people were going straight into the workforce after high school, others were going to college, and that others would be enlisting in the military.  In the end, my speech ran a little long, but I made it apparent that I cared about the future of my peers, and I wanted to impart to them some wisdom I had learned during my last two years of high school.

Contrast my speech to what this particular valedictorian wrote.  Her speech is egocentric in its construction.  It only talks about her and her experience.  In no way does she try to branch this message out to her graduating class or the parents in the audience.  For me, the most damning aspect of this speech is that, for the farewell ritual that is the high school graduation, the initial theme never reaches its potential and therefore renders itself pointless.  It in no way connects to the audience.  It gives no over-arching message for the future of the peers; it only talks about her own.  It gives no advice, just an anecdotal story in the form of a feel-good triumph over adversity.  I kept waiting for the punch-line of this speech, yet it never came.  I guess the punch-line is that she found her block that fits.  What about a message for everyone else to do the same?  What about how this ties in to the rest of her life experiences, and how this new enrichment will drive her forward, and that all the rest of her peers should similarly seek an enrichment (not necessarily religiously based, BTW, but it can be) to balance out the chaos within their lives?  This theme had so much potential, and instead of utilizing it as such, she used it as an opportunity to preach about her born-again experience.

The second half of the speech is an unabashed endorsement of Christianity, spoken like a true born-again Christian.  When you want to thank God and Jesus for your gifts and peace of mind, say just that.  Language such as "His love is 'that something more' we all desire. It's unprejudiced, it's merciful, it's free, it's real, it's huge and it's everlasting. God's love is so great that he gave His only son up to an excruciating death on a cross so His blood would cover all our shortcomings and provide for us a way to heaven in accepting this grace" is preachy.  This girl graduated with a 4.7 weighted GPA, how in the world could she not realize this is the same language used within a sermon, and, even if she didn't intend it, is what proselytizing sounds like?  I'm not being cynical, I'm honestly posing this question.  The rest of the speech just reiterates this theme, and reads like a pamphlet handed to me on the streets of NYC.  She was not just thanking God for her accomplishments, she was endorsing that we should all be doing the same, and the subtext of that message reads that if we don't, then there's something wrong with us.  That without "surrendering" oneself to God and Jesus, one cannot lead a fulfilling and fruitful life.  I'm sorry, that's laying it on a little too thick, and furthermore, I can see how people could feel alienated due to this speech.  After reading the speech and considering both sides, I agree with the school's decision to edit her speech and pull her plug for deviating.

Once again to set the record straight, I don't feel she should have been barred from any mention to a religious figure.  If she wants to include that in her list of thanks or to make a point on life enrichment, that's fine by me.  Seeing the above speech, I'm certain that I could rewrite it with many of the religious references intact, and have it pass the school's standards quite easily.  What's wrong here is that her message is more than just a thank you.  It's advocating her experience as the only way in which to find fulfillment, and indirectly advises everyone in the audience to do the same.  Furthermore, as I said before, the egocentric and non-inclusive nature of her speech makes it all the more inappropriate for a graduation ceremony.

Pertaining to why she would feel like her speech was not an endorsement of Christianity as the only way to find fulfillment, I would argue that is the result of the people with which she most likely has surrounded herself.  Born-again Christians are an enigmatic bunch to me, as they tend to relegate themselves to groups that think and talk exactly like they do, and rarely deviate from this area of comfort.  However, I find this to be self-centered, as Jesus was out among the shunned of society, trying to understand them, help them, and show them love.  Actions speak volumes; words have no meaning until an action supports them.  Anyway, I'm hypothesizing that many of her friends and family speak in a similar manner on a day-to-day basis, and so the language in her speech is commonplace for her.  However, one needs to be able to approach their own words as objectively as possible, and I believe she has failed to do this.  She's in for a rude awakening in the college environment if she does not learn to do this.

The most despicable thing of all though is that this piece of news has turned into yet another political issue!  Conservatives, particularly those of the religious variety, are crying foul and claiming a violation of free speech.  Umm... yeah right.  Free speech does not mean you can say whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want.  If you belong to an institution, either state or private, you are subject to its rules.  If it says you cannot say or do something, well guess what, you can't say or do that (though if the rules get ridiculous and out of hand, there is the appeal and judicial process).  Furthermore, free speech, as I understand, ends when it infringes on the right of others or violates some other part of the constitution.  The audience (at least the graduates anyway) did not have the right to leave the ceremony; they were to remain for the duration of the speech.  That's strike one.  Strike two is that the school is a state-sponsored (read: government) institution, and as such, cannot advocate any particular religion above another.  Even with a disclaimer, the speech was a sermon, and in our sue-happy world, this could lead to some messy legal repercussions.  It's best to just avoid the problem altogether. 

The girl has also appeared on some news shows.  Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill.  If she somehow has stopped by here and reads this (although I imagine what I've wrote already would anger her a bit), promise me one thing: that you'll be more than an armchair preacher appearing on news shows playing the victim.  Let your actions speak louder than your words.  Don't surround yourself in a comfort zone, and make sure you investigate your religion earnestly.  People who speak in the way your speech is constructed are a dime a dozen, and I've rarely seen them do anything beyond speak.  And, above all, don't let this event get to your head and turn you self-righteous!  Jesus preached humility and acceptance, and even told us that we should give the clothes off our back to our worst enemy.  By getting self-righteous about this free-speech thing (which, BTW, I doubt the judicial branch will agree with you), you're going to poison your mind.  There are better things to get outraged over, don't let something like this distract you.

But yeah, getting back on track, I'm saddened that this is politicized at all.  Once again proof that politics are degrading into a hum-drum conglomeration of hot button issues that are resurrected every two years, but never fixed.

Anyway, I think I've vented enough about this issue, and shown why the publicity this story has received is ridiculous, and also shown why the school was right in what it did.

I'm pretty tired now.  Time to head off to bed.

Later.