You know , I notice that when I talk about my family , I always mention my Dad and my Baby Boomer sisters as having the most influence over my life with respect to Faith and Politics , but I just realized that the most fundamental traits that shape my perspective on these two issues , actually came from my Mama. I talk about my Dad being a Pentecostal preacher and how his strict and persistant urging of the need to know what the Bible says for myself and not rely on just those behind the pulpit , shaped my religious views to the point where I can look at people like John Hagee and Pat Robertson , respect their title , but vehemently disagree with their message because I actually know what the Bible says and I know when they are wrong. But , the ability to keep myself from becoming a self righteous hypocrite , came from my mother.

My Mama believes in Jesus Christ just as strongly as my Dad did when he was alive. But she wasn't as strict as he was. I mean , with Daddy , either you walk the strait and narrow all the time , or......you're going to hell. That's what the Bible says , right ? But , my Mama was , shall we say , a little more compassionate. Perhaps , she was a bit more lenient. There were times growing up that I felt my Mama allowed us to sort of "Break The Rules" from time to time just to let us know , we don't have to be so "perfect" . That God loves us just as much when we are perfect as he does when we make mistakes.

I could have been on the path to becoming an extreme Right-Wing strict Christian Conservative , but my mother taught me things that actually "balanced" my perspective on God and my treatment of those who are non believers. Ironically, she was the one who most taught me to be like Christ like. She showed me that it was okay for me to actually have friends who were not Christian. I thought that if I allowed unbelievers in my life , that I was a sinner too because I allowed them to be in my very presence. Yeah, I could have become that self-righteous Republican that we all know and detest.

Because of my Mamas, (who had ten children) "Mother Hen" ability to accept anyone and everyone and adopt perfect strangers as her "babies", I learned that that's what Jesus was like. He ate at peoples homes that he was not "supposed" to eat at. He prayed for people that he was not "supposed" to pray for . He loved , fed and healed people that he was not "supposed" to love , feed and heal. I now realize that all this time, I was giving  my father , the Pastor , credit for what my mother actually did. So, here's to my Mama. It's not Mothers Day. Nor is it her Birthday. But, I just wanted to give her the credit she deserves for shaping my perspective on life. Without her, there's no way in the world I would be the balanced person I am today.

......are leaving at noon.  thank god!  i'm exhausted.  we've had tears, tantrums, a wart issue, a refusal to put on socks, more tears over cocoa puffs, fighting over two pcs and a laptop, hannah montana vs stars wars........gah!  kids!!  who could believe these two sweet faces could tax the patience of a saint?  here they are, clayton and cassidy!

and after that two-week nightmare following his rush to the emergency room on thanksgiving, i am thrilled beyond belief to have had the chance to sing to him today. even though he told me not to quit my day job. even though he played devil's advocate at the dinner table and egged me on in lively political debates. even though he questioned my uncle jack's judgment when jack gave me an aclu membership card when i was 11. even though he hated my boyfriends, tolerated my husbands, and went to war. i wonder which one was the hardest for him. anyway. he's 77. and i got all i ever wanted for christmas. check out the big guy.

 http://democratsspeak.blogspot.com/2007/12/happy-birthday-daddy.html

Reclaiming the American Dream

Today, Senator Barack Obama is giving a speech in Bettendorf, Iowa on reclaiming the American dream. The cost of the American dream is going up for working Americans. Senator Obama has fought for working people his entire public life, and he has a comprehensive agenda to reclaim the American dream. He will bring Americans together, stand up to special interests, and fight every day of his presidency to advance the American dream.

All these years , and I totally forgot. It wasnt untill I was reading this Article on an issue regarding the Black Community. I read it so I could find things to debunk, but as I was reading, I started going down memory lane.

I totally dismissed the part of the article that talked about interracial marriages as the authors experience was the polar opposite of my families experience because it was the Black women , not men who married White men , not women so there was no "Historical Taboo" and his claim was debunked and as the authors family had to learn how to embrace a White In-Law, my family treated them like Blood from day one. Before the wedding. So, not all Blacks have a hard time excepting Whites into their Families.

So anyway, I kept reading and then I got to the Homophobia Topic and  as I was reading what the author was saying about this subject , my mind flashed back to Los Angeles. Click on extended if you're interested in knowing how Homophobia can sometimes, be, a subconciously inherited social behavior.

Former state Rep. Sheri McInvale [R] and her ex-legislative aide Robert Franklin Stuart Jr. [R] were arrested this morning after an Orange County [Florida] grand jury indicted them on misconduct and theft charges.
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She faces five felonies and four misdemeanors. Stuart faces three felonies and two misdemeanors.

After the "Fighting" post, some of you (OK, maybe just Matt) wanted to know more about my family.

First of all, although my legal name is Susan Lynne Levitt Waxman, my family have always called me Susie, and whenever I've tried to switch to Susan, which I felt was more dignified, they have responded with everything from tears to ridicule. Since this post is written largely by them, I figure I owe them the respect of referring to myself in the preferred manner. Also, I don't want to make Mom cry again.