We now have only one child who wears diapers. Sigh. They grow up so fast...wait, I mean, Hooray! Ella began her potty training on Monday. Chris nearly moved out that afternoon when Ella drank too much juice (my fault) and had diarrhea--luckily she had the accidents in the bathroom and Chris is still living with us. Ella is a quick learner and improves everyday with her ability to know when she needs to go and make it to the potty in time. Today I moved her toilet from the family room to the bathroom with confidence that she will make it to the bathroom in time. If we survive church tomorrow I might start letting her out of the house again (all trips to the park and library etc were temporarily canceled this week.) I didn't take any photos of this process (how embarrassing would that be!) but here are some pictures from our recent family vacations to Harriman Ranch and Disneyland:
To illustrate my point better, I put together this Simpsons clip. Enjoy it, then read the rest and pass it on.
In my last political rant, I ended referring to the current crop of presidential hopefuls (Hillary terminated her campaign that same day) as “very different shades of the same color.” I wish to expound on that. I am constantly bewildered by the argument that there are no good candidates to choose from, and I do not wish to lump myself into that category. By that I mean that I do not wish to be one of the complainers. If we lack any candidates of integrity, then it is a result of our own pride, apathy and cynicism in previous elections. I believe, and King Mosiah of the Book of Mormon tells us, that our leaders are a reflection of the peoples’ moral standing. (At least initially. Remember that after an unrighteous people allow evil men to come to power, they are stuck under their heel in bondage even after the people repent. At that point, only by God’s mercy and intervention is a nation delivered.) It is from this perspective that I urge for a moral revolution. Such a change cannot grow from a two party system once both parties are corrupted.
Again, in that last political rant I referred to Classic Liberalism. I referred to the choice that we must make between Globalism and Independence. I feel that the current leadership within the Libertarian Party most closely matches my philosophy of independence and the liberalism of the Founding Fathers. No, I’m not referring to Ron Paul (who has withdrawn from the race). I’m referring to Bob Barr and Wayne Allen Root. I’ve been watching them for a while now and I feel a ring or truth in their words and common sense in their policies. I am no expert on all their policies and cannot speak to their character other than what the media has afforded me. But in an election where so many people are voting for “hope” and “change” and “getting away from the politics of the past” and “finding common ground” I cannot understand why the masses have not paid more attention to Bob Barr.
I am bothered by those who are afraid to “throw their vote away” on a 3rd party candidate. I can think of nothing more patriotic and in line with the Founding Fathers than to do away with the two-party mentality. The rules of the parties are not made by the voice of the people. They are not beholden to the Constitution and thus are an opening to bondage. Democrats should understand this better than anyone given the recent disputes of Michigan and Florida and the ominous superdelegates.
To shine a different light on it, many conservatives feel a need to begrudgingly pull the lever for John McCain without agreeing with the majority of his policies. Unless you are a one-issue-voter, and that issue is either the War on Terrorism or Supreme Court Judges (ignoring the fact that the incoming Democratic Congress will stonewall any conservative nominations), I cannot understand how in good conscience you vote for McCain. “But a vote for a 3rd party is a vote for Obama…” No. There are a great many Democrats who feel disenchanted with Obama after his war with Hillary. They need to be taught that a 3rd party like the Libertarians is not another wing of Republican ideals. I am not advocating the watering-down of ideals and principles in order to widen the political tent. I simply urge Democrats to consider what issues are of highest priority and then use their God-given gift of discernment to judge whether Obama, McCain, or a third party candidate such as Bob Barr will advance those issues. Simply put, a vote for McCain is a vote for McCain; one for Obama, Obama’s. Vote your conscience and speak your mind; for this is the only course of action with any lasting promise.
I understand that in democratic society one must often compromise some points in order to achieve a greater good. But it is my belief that we have overstepped the line from compromise and goodwill into the territory of appeasement and apathy. To continue the two-party system is treason to our values.
This morning we walked to one of the neighborhood pools for a swim. Ella loves to swim with her dad in the big pool and I love that there is a little pool she can play in while I watch Eli (this is my plan for when Chris begins residency next month). We all love that we can walk to the pool. I know it is hot here, but who can complain when you can swim away the heat?
Did I mention our house? I love it. I couldn't begin to explain all the reasons why, but for those of you who know me well it will suffice to say that the walls are a creamy shade of mild yellow.
And our backyard is great too. I know that there is no grass, but the pebbles we have are fine with me. Ella loves to draw with chalk on the cement and I love that it is small, and enclosed so I can let her play out there while I cook.
As you can see, Ella also loves the orange trees in our backyard.
As an orphan named Annie once said, "I think I'm gonna like it here."
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
After that last weighty post, I thought I'd give y'all a little Ella & Eli. As you can see, we're all loving Tucson. (I'm really not satisfied with the quality of these, the video I'm uploading is much better--maybe I should switch from YouTube.)
So I started to leave a comment in response to this post by my good friend CroMike. I had so much to say that I thought it best served by posting it on my own blog:
Now, I cannot creep into the minds of Bush, Rumsfeld or Cheney and divinate their intentions when they first put Iraq in the crosshairs. I do not attempt to justify them. But I hate seeing good minds bowled over by the onslaught of misinformation. Allow me to give a bit of perspective. Bush and Powell repeatedly explained--but it was never hyped--that they were going into Iraq to "Change the Face of the Middle East" and ultimately to influence the culture of ignorance, poverty and fear that is constantly breeding terrorism and destabilizing the region (read: "keeping oil prices fluctuant"). Then came those darn WMDs.
That wasn't why we went into Iraq. It was one small piece of the intelligence pie that justified war; Bush and/or his advisors erroneously thought that “Weapons of Mass Destruction” would resonate better with Joe Shmoe than "Democratizing the Region", so Weapons of Mass Destruction got tons of media hype. If you like, I could send you dozens of quotes from foreign governments (Russia, UK, Germany, France, Italy...), President Clinton, Hillary, and the intelligence community stating their belief that Saddam had WMDs. So if he never did, he fooled not just Bush, but the entire planet (including his own high-level staff). Congress supported the war, it had a buildup of over 8 months, it was popular. If any legislator voted his or her approval disingenuously, then he should answer before God and the people whom they serve for so callously discharging the lives and limbs of our servicemen.
I am a classic Liberal. I believe in the Constitution and the principles espoused by the Founders. They were, for the most part, isolationists. So I agree with you that America should not have a preemptive, aggressive or manipulative foreign policy. But in this day of rapid transit, porous borders, economic entanglement and geographically incongruous natural resources, an isolationist policy would require too many actions that people currently oppose (e.g. drilling for oil in the States, building refineries, drastically stronger border defense, Israel-style air security, slightly higher prices on some foreign goods--all of these things I support, by the way). The point is, America had to make a choice after 9/11 (and Bush is culpable for not presenting it to the American people). The choice was, Do we continue to pursue a globalist, entangled future for America with dependence on other nations and regions, or Do we seek independence and relative isolation? The former will require a larger military presence to police the world with its inherent cost, the latter will require a long term resolve and probably carry with it a brief economic recession until the markets stabilize from the drastic changes. Which will it be?
Unfortunately Americans want the best of both options without any of the costs. And to maintain this fantasy many have chosen to ignore what they understood quite well a few years ago: there are people who believe America is the Great Satan and want to shoot you in the head. There are also people who, for the sake of security, want to build a "Brave New World" which requires reeducation and a distortion or erasure of history. There are people both home and abroad who despise fundamental American ideals. Without a healthy vigilance to these trends and influences, you will be blown off course unawares.
Hopefully that gives a bit of perspective. Too many people think with their hearts and feel with their brains. I think it stems from pride, a desire to nonconform.
Let me assure you though, that of the 3 current presidential candidates, not one will pull us out of Iraq. All three are globalists, all three are Senators, career politicians and smarmy. They are very different shades of the same color. It doesn’t matter though; Americans have proven just how short their memories really are.
