Posts with the tag courage
About the Author
"Joseph never came home."
Some mornings I remember what is really important, to day is one of them.
"Iraq Vet in Famous Press Photo Dies from Overdose" Read More »
WHO
IS
OUR
BASE?
Click "READ MORE" to find out why its important to embrace the base.... Read More »
BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE, SR.
AMERICA IS FADING FAST . . .
AND IT’S NOT JUST THE OTHER GUY’S FAULT
Have you ever noticed how much easier it is for some people to see the faults of other’s than it is to see their own? I was listening to one of my neighbor’s talking to my wife one day. She was gossiping about another neighbor. She said, "Girl, she is the nosiest woman I’ve ever seen. I was watching her out my bedroom window the other day. The gas man pulled up, and she was peeping through her drapes trying to see whose house he was going to." It was all I could do to keep from laughing in her face. Here she was, peeping at another woman peeping, then calling the woman she was peeping at nosy--and she completely missed the hypocrisy in that. But that’s the way people are, and not just older people. I first became aware of this flaw in human nature when I was in the kindergarten, believe it or not. We had just finished eating and it was nap-time. I wasn’t sleepy, so I was spending the time eyeballing the room, when suddenly I heard Katrina Millsap saying, "Miss Kikuchi, Eric’s got his eyes open." Katrina was a beautiful child, but even then I recognized that a career in brain surgery was definitely not in her future.
I referred to this blind spot as a flaw, but as I’ve gotten older, I now realize that it’s not a flaw at all--actually, it’s an example of God’s compassion, and his grace. While it’s necessary for us to recognize our flaws in order for humanity to improve as a species, in order for us to both gain that knowledge, and at the same time, maintain our sense of self-esteem, God had the good sense to allow us to recognize human flaws, but only as reflected through others. That’s yet another example of the genius of God’s design. If we saw our own shortcomings with the clarity that we see the shortcomings of others, we’d be so self-conscious and depressed that we wouldn’t be able to hold our heads up. That’s why I taught my kids to always remember, before you point your finger at others, you should smell it first. Well, the fact is, I just sniffed my own finger, and I don’t like what I smell. Read More »
AMERICA IS FADING FAST . . .
AND IT’S NOT JUST THE OTHER GUY’S FAULT
Have you ever noticed how much easier it is for some people to see the faults of other’s than it is to see their own? I was listening to one of my neighbor’s talking to my wife one day. She was gossiping about another neighbor. She said, "Girl, she is the nosiest woman I’ve ever seen. I was watching her out my bedroom window the other day. The gas man pulled up, and she was peeping through her drapes trying to see whose house he was going to." It was all I could do to keep from laughing in her face. Here she was, peeping at another woman peeping, then calling the woman she was peeping at nosy--and she completely missed the hypocrisy in that. But that’s the way people are, and not just older people. I first became aware of this flaw in human nature when I was in the kindergarten, believe it or not. We had just finished eating and it was nap-time. I wasn’t sleepy, so I was spending the time eyeballing the room, when suddenly I heard Katrina Millsap saying, "Miss Kikuchi, Eric’s got his eyes open." Katrina was a beautiful child, but even then I recognized that a career in brain surgery was definitely not in her future.
I referred to this blind spot as a flaw, but as I’ve gotten older, I now realize that it’s not a flaw at all--actually, it’s an example of God’s compassion, and his grace. While it’s necessary for us to recognize our flaws in order for humanity to improve as a species, in order for us to both gain that knowledge, and at the same time, maintain our sense of self-esteem, God had the good sense to allow us to recognize human flaws, but only as reflected through others. That’s yet another example of the genius of God’s design. If we saw our own shortcomings with the clarity that we see the shortcomings of others, we’d be so self-conscious and depressed that we wouldn’t be able to hold our heads up. That’s why I taught my kids to always remember, before you point your finger at others, you should smell it first. Well, the fact is, I just sniffed my own finger, and I don’t like what I smell. Read More »
Do we need a courageous leader to take over in 2009?
So, which of our candidates is the most courageous?
How many of the candidates have had the courage to stand up to an out-of-control president and stop him from extending the military draft? To do so by using the filibuster that makes enemies of fellow senators from both parties? (And couldn't the Senate use some of that courage today?)
How many of the candidates have risked their careers and their freedom by publicizing secret records that revealed the long history of deceit that misled the people into allowing their immoral leaders to extend and escalate a stupid and short-sighted war? And then had to battle the president all the way to the Supreme Court.
How many of the candidates have had the courage to stand up to the racists to push through a ground-breaking aboriginal land claims settlement?
How many of the candidates have had the courage to stand up to the military-industrial complex by organizing worldwide environmental opposition to U.S. nuclear testing in the North Pacific?
How many of the candidates have had the courage to stand up to the idealogues and xenophobes and introduce legislation to normalize relations with China months before Kissinger's secret visit and Nixon's historic visit to that country?
How many of the candidates have had the courage to stand up to the oil companies, state and federal officials, and their own party, to empower the Congress to decide on the construction of an Alaskan oil pipeline that supplied one-fifth of our oil, thus reducing the danger of oil tankers wrecking in the arctic?
How many of the candidates have the courage to stand up to the homophobes and the religious right and speak out for full marriage equality, as well as repeal of the halfway "Don't ask, don't tell" policy?
How many of the candidates have the courage to directly challenge the corporate media by holding their own anti-debate when they've been shut out of the main-stream media's pony show?
How many of the candidates have the courage to persist in the face of ridicule from the corporate media and the blinkered pundits, who refuse to look beyond their knee-jerk judgments?
How many of the candidates have the courage to trust YOU to be a law-maker, by presenting a National Initiative for Democracy?
How many of the candidates have the courage to base their campaign and their life on love, saying "The most important thing in life is love. That's what empowers courage, and courage implements the rest of our virtues."
If you want to see courage in our leader, you might want to look at the courage displayed by Mike Gravel.
htp://www.gravel2008.us
So, which of our candidates is the most courageous?
How many of the candidates have had the courage to stand up to an out-of-control president and stop him from extending the military draft? To do so by using the filibuster that makes enemies of fellow senators from both parties? (And couldn't the Senate use some of that courage today?)
How many of the candidates have risked their careers and their freedom by publicizing secret records that revealed the long history of deceit that misled the people into allowing their immoral leaders to extend and escalate a stupid and short-sighted war? And then had to battle the president all the way to the Supreme Court.
How many of the candidates have had the courage to stand up to the racists to push through a ground-breaking aboriginal land claims settlement?
How many of the candidates have had the courage to stand up to the military-industrial complex by organizing worldwide environmental opposition to U.S. nuclear testing in the North Pacific?
How many of the candidates have had the courage to stand up to the idealogues and xenophobes and introduce legislation to normalize relations with China months before Kissinger's secret visit and Nixon's historic visit to that country?
How many of the candidates have had the courage to stand up to the oil companies, state and federal officials, and their own party, to empower the Congress to decide on the construction of an Alaskan oil pipeline that supplied one-fifth of our oil, thus reducing the danger of oil tankers wrecking in the arctic?
How many of the candidates have the courage to stand up to the homophobes and the religious right and speak out for full marriage equality, as well as repeal of the halfway "Don't ask, don't tell" policy?
How many of the candidates have the courage to directly challenge the corporate media by holding their own anti-debate when they've been shut out of the main-stream media's pony show?
How many of the candidates have the courage to persist in the face of ridicule from the corporate media and the blinkered pundits, who refuse to look beyond their knee-jerk judgments?
How many of the candidates have the courage to trust YOU to be a law-maker, by presenting a National Initiative for Democracy?
How many of the candidates have the courage to base their campaign and their life on love, saying "The most important thing in life is love. That's what empowers courage, and courage implements the rest of our virtues."
If you want to see courage in our leader, you might want to look at the courage displayed by Mike Gravel.
htp://www.gravel2008.us
Did you all see this ?
Illinois Representative Jan Schakowsky speaks about Obama's courage in speaking out on the Iraq War.
From OCHQ Blog
By Sam Graham-Felsen - Oct 2nd, 2007 at 1:11 pm EDT
Five years ago -- as the conventional thinkers in Washington were rushing our nation into Iraq -- Barack Obama had the prescience and the courage to publicly oppose the war.“I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war,” said Obama on October 2, 2002, at a rally at Chicago’s Federal Plaza. “…A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics.” Little over a week after Obama's speech, the United States Senate voted to authorize the war in Iraq -- and the first chapter of America's greatest foreign policy disaster in decades was written.
Click on Extended.
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Chuck Hagel (R, Nebraska) is a US senator who has strong conservative leanings. He is pro-life, anti-gun control, anti-gay marriage, pro tax cuts, and the list goes on.
He is also against the Iraq War.
I'm reminded of one of my heroes, John F. Kennedy. He had always held great admiration for politicians who were the exact opposite - statesmen. The ones who were willing to oppose things like slavery, segregation, and oppression, while showing a willingness to face down things like ignoring the downtrodden, or Nazi Germany.
I may disagree with many of his political views, but I see Chuck Hagel as a man who has shown great resolve in his will in regards to what he truly believes. He may also be instrumental into getting enough Republicans to vote to override the veto against bringing our troops home where they belong.
There were John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, Sam Houston, Edmund G. Ross, Lucius Lamar, George Norris, and Robert A. Taft. All had gone against their party's wishes to advocate what they saw as the right thing to do. If Chuck Hagel had come before the time of JFK, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind he'd be added to the list.
As much as I adamantly disagree with his other views, I can't help but admire his fervent opposition to the sorrowful war we are in.
This was a difficult post for me to write, but it needed to be said.
He is also against the Iraq War.
I'm reminded of one of my heroes, John F. Kennedy. He had always held great admiration for politicians who were the exact opposite - statesmen. The ones who were willing to oppose things like slavery, segregation, and oppression, while showing a willingness to face down things like ignoring the downtrodden, or Nazi Germany.
I may disagree with many of his political views, but I see Chuck Hagel as a man who has shown great resolve in his will in regards to what he truly believes. He may also be instrumental into getting enough Republicans to vote to override the veto against bringing our troops home where they belong.
There were John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, Sam Houston, Edmund G. Ross, Lucius Lamar, George Norris, and Robert A. Taft. All had gone against their party's wishes to advocate what they saw as the right thing to do. If Chuck Hagel had come before the time of JFK, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind he'd be added to the list.
As much as I adamantly disagree with his other views, I can't help but admire his fervent opposition to the sorrowful war we are in.
This was a difficult post for me to write, but it needed to be said.
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