Our Shifting Values

Looks like the President's call to service is resonating with America's youth.  According to the Seattle PI, applications for volunteer organizations like Teach for America have seen a significant increase from the previous year.  According to the report, Teach for America saw a 50 percent increase in applications from one year to the next.  

The downturn in the economy along with the President's commitment to volunteerism are two factors that are driving young people to choose the nonprofit sector as an alternative to a career in corporate America.  

I think we are starting to see a fundamental shift in values to more of a community-centered, as opposed to an individual-centered focus in the job market.  This shift can be attributed, in part, to the economic conditions we are facing.  However, it also signals a cultural shift at the federal policy level with the rise of a community organizer to the executive branch of government.  We can see tangible results already from our federal government that service to the community is a a value that will remain constant throughout Obama's presidency.   

    

Elimi(hate)

On Halloween, trick or treaters dressed up in their scariest garb trying to heighten fear in those poor souls distributing candy at doorsteps.  In southern New Mexico, a six foot plus African-American presidential candidate has elicited a certain fear in at least one high-ranking GOP official in Alamagordo.  Seems like Marcia Stirman who heads the Republican Women of Otero County is in a little hot water for calling Sen. Barack Obama a "Muslim Socialist" in a letter to the editor published in the Alamagordo Daily News.  Not deep enough, Stirman takes a few more digs by saying: "I believe Muslims are our enemy."  Even more troubling is the fact that Stirman goes on to say that she has received about 700 calls in response to her letter and that three fourths of them have been "positive."  Guess what, now I'm really scared!

These are the same racial tactics I discussed in a previous post.  Once again, ignorance is alive and well and fear mongering is at the heart of a pathetic GOP strategy.   And guess what, the uninformed electorate takes the bait hook, line and sinker.  I had a conservative Christian recently tell me:  "I would never vote for that Muslim Obama."  I tried to set the record straight on Obama's spirituality and this individual was completely uninterested--not even trying to hear a word I was saying.  You wanna know why?  Because they feel empowered to vilify those that are different from themselves.  It's like trying to tell a 5 year old child that there is no Santa Claus.  Everything they have been told to this point is now in question and it feels unsafe.  Even worse, they don't see themselves as guilty of discrimination without any basis or facts. Ask these same individuals to give you the basic tenets of either the Muslim faith or socialism for that matter and you'll get the same exact blank look.

We must take hate out of the debate.  We must ELIMI(HATE)  

   

 

The Battle of the Bracelets

In the midst of very terse exchanges on foreign policy and the economy, both candidates made an attempt to connect with their bases on their Iraq war policy stances.  Pushing up his sleeve, Sen. McCain made reference to a bracelet given to him by a mother of a U.S. soldier who basically said "make sure you win this war, so my son didn't die in vain."  Not to be outdone, Sen. Obama retorted, "I too wear a bracelet given to me by the mother of a soldier who told me that no mother should have to go through what she has gone through."  "We need to end the war in Iraq." I feel a little shallow for wearing a bracelet because it looks good.

Seriously though, I believe both candidates did a good job of connecting with their bases last night.  Problem is, I really don't know how well either of them did of connecting with independent voters who will be deciding this election.  It is clear, however, that the candidates do not have a whole lot in common.  Together, they are the modern day "Odd Couple" (I'll let you decide who is Randall and who is Klugman).  

Then there is the issue of pre-condition diplomacy, aka  preparation.  Pre-condition diplomacy is code for friendship with benefits.  It's a bully tactic  the GOP loves.   It's the equivalent of the bully-shakedown for your lunch money on the playground.  I got your back if you give me your lunch money loser!  Since when do we need pre-conditions to have a conversation?  One of the reasons we are so hated around the world is because we have an air of imperialism about us.  Sen. Obama is a consensus builder who is trying to bring a sense of restorative justice to heal the international wounds of the current administration.  Yet, he is painted by Sen. McCain as naive for wanting to get back to some good ole' fashion campfire talks with heads of state.  

Meanwhile, Gov. Sarah Palin is trying to get better resolution out of her binoculars.......