Good Morning America

So I'm on my way to school this morning and as I try to back up I can see my neighbor has clearly blocked my car in. I'm running late and there is not much I can do about it. I throw a tantrum, get out of my car, run hastily into my apartment and try to think of what I can do to get to school. After some thinking I come to a conclusion of three options: one, I walk; two, I get a ride; or three, I skip class. I decide to go with option two. I catch a ride and make it to school in good time. However, I walk back to my apartment only to find my neighbor's car hasn't budged an inch. I ignore the fact and decide to go in and forget about it.
If he hasn't moved his car by 10:30 I'm going to lay down the law. I have work at 11:30 and I would much rather take a ride in my amazing car rather than take an icy walk to get there. It's winter for heaven's sake. If it was warmer I wouldn't care so much, but I'm just recovering from a cold so I'd much rather avoid getting that again.
I understand that everyone has their right to park where they want, but I believe that I have my rights to leave my parking place when I want to. Since he has cornered my car he has already partially violated my "pursuit of happiness".(Oh my heck I'm talking politics again...I can't help myself.) How annoying is that?

Lessons from Oreos :)

I have an insane addiction to Oreos. Particulary Double-stuf Mint Oreos. I really am. This is not an exaggeration. I always eat it a certain way(which in my opinion is the best way, but I'm a little bias) :) I always take it apart, eat the frosted half or dip it in milk, then throw the other half away or dip it in milk after I've devoured all the delicious ones.
The way I eat them though is nothing like what I do when my cookies are gone. I go through this huge withdrawal from them. The week or 2 that I go without my Oreo's are one of my tragic days of my life. At first the crave for them is easy to walk away from, but the longer I go without them the stronger my craving becomes. It's quite scary actually.
To prove this point I'll give you an example. Last night I was doing my homework when the craving for them came. At first I paid no attention to it, but then I couldn't stop thinking about it! They sounded so wonderful! Finally, after a few minutes I decided to go to Walmart to buy some. My roommate had told me that day that we had just run out of bread and asked if I could pick a loaf up if I went there. However, instead of grabbing the grocery list I left thinking that I would remember to pick up the bread. I walked down the bread aisle and thought nothing of it. I made my way to aisle 7 and took the Oreo's instead. I walked to the cashier register just happy as can be, paid for my snack, and went back to my apartment.
When I got there I immediately began doing my homework. Now that I had some "brain food" I could really finish up quickly now. While I ate my cookies and finished my homework my rommmate walked in and asked, "Hey where did you get those?" and took one out of the box. I told her. Then she asked, "Did you get any bread?" I swear my eyeballs expanded to at least the size of a golf ball. I completely forgot about them because I was so determined to get my Oreo's. I explained to her what happened and luckily she shrugged it off, but still... that's how strong my withdrawals can be.
The moral of this story is... honestly, bridle your passions.(Alma 38:12) Otherwise you'll end up like me forgetting my responsibilities as a roommate and become consumed in what's really NOT that important.

Change for America

Change for America

By, McCall Taylor

Over the years, there have been significant changes all over in the U.S. from the latest fashion up to the government officials. With Barack Obama as our new President, his motto of “Change” will be greatly tested during his term in office. Will he be able to help solve the world’s most tumultuous problems or only create more? Will he give America a new “hope” or make us hope for a better election result?

This week I gave 60+ students at Snow a poll on what they thought of the results so far. The following questions in the poll were: Are you happy with the election results? What kinds of changes do you think Obama will make on the country? Do you believe they will be good or bad changes? What kind of effect has the election had on you?

The results I had from the poll were surprising. There were 25 people who were happy with the results, 28 who were unsatisfied, and 8 who were neutral or undecided. 26 people thought Obama’s upcoming changes will be good, 20 who think they will be bad, and 10 who are neutral or undecided. In other words, the school is divided evenly on how the students feel about the election results.

One student said, “I believe he will restore our world image and restore the values that our constitution holds which have been forgotten these last 8 years. They will be great changes.”

Another student disagrees, “I think he is going to try and change things that don’t need to be changed and screw up the good change that could be made.”

Despite these strong opinions there are still some students who are undecided. One student states, “At first I was very negative in my opinion of Obama, but now it’s turned to curiosity to see what he will try to do.”

Change is occurring everywhere, especially in the U.S. Over the last 8 years there have been many adjustments that the people of our country had to get used to. During this time change has been affecting all people of various races and cultures. A decade ago I do not believe that America would’ve even dreamed that we’d be in the situations we are now. It’s been said that Obama’s inauguration will be the greatest event in the history of America!

Abide in Biden

Abide in Biden
by McCall Taylor

Joe Biden Jr., the Democratic Senator of Delaware, has been selected as the Vice President of president-elect Barack Obama’s Cabinet, according to several articles. There has been so much about Obama that I decided a piece on the Vice President would be a good idea since you rarely hear of anyone else in the president’s cabinet but the President. This topic may sound unimportant and useless, but I think if we knew a little more about our country’s leader we could give our trust to them. This article is more or less of a background check on our President’s successor.
Serving as the Senator of Delaware since 1972, Joe has definitely had his experience in the American government system. As a leader in foreign policy, “one of the nation’s most influential voices” in drug policy, terrorism, and crimes, as well as a successful leader in his state; he has “brought real results that matter to Americans.” (http://biden.gov.senator/) He has been the Delaware state senator since he was 29 and has since then given his first priority to Delaware and its people.
On his website it describes some of his accomplishments and from my understanding of the article Senator Biden has done it all to magnify his position. Whether it’s preserving White Clay Creek State Park, fighting for healthcare, or putting more cops on the state streets, Delawareans know that there is nothing he wouldn’t do for the sake of his country as well.
Making colleges and University’s more accessible and affordable for students and their families has always been one of his priorities. His College Affordability and Creating Chances for Educational Success for Students act would “increase tax incentives, Pell Grants, and begin college planning as early as the 8^th grade.” Biden also wrote and passed the Violence Against Women Act which is the strongest legislation that holds batters and participants of domestic violence responsible for their actions.
He, like Obama, has an outspoken opinion on how President Bush handled the war in Iraq. More impressively he has been successful in bringing crime rates to its lowest in a generation by passing his Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act in 1994.
In the short biography on his website it states that prior to his senate position he practiced and set up his own law firm in Wilmington, Delaware(where he currently resides with his family). He practiced law there until 1972 when he was elected State Senator and now we uphold him in 2009 as our new Vice President.

Obama's Inaguration

Obama’s Inaguration
by, McCall Taylor

With the president-elect, Barack Obama, inauguration day coming up soon there has been excitement heard throughout the country. People from all over the world are already buying plane tickets making hotel reservations, and heading to Washington with high hopes to see the historical event come to life. Peter Gage is the Inaugural Parade Director and according to USA Today “his chief concern is accommodating the millions likely to flood into Washington on Jan. 20^th”. Although, he states in the article that the planning has run smoothly he admits that the committee has never had to worry about where to put 10,000 buses before until now.
In the Inagural Parade there will be more than 13,000 people reperesenting 90 groups marching, according to USA Today, and a range of 200,000 to 300,000 onlookers. Gage is hoping that people won’t avoid the event just to steer clear of crowds. He also says that he wants to make this as much of a red carpet affair for everyone as possible. It stated in the article that the parade will follow after Obama’s swearing in and private luncheon with congressional leaders.
However, the President’s Inagural parade isn’t the only historical event taking place in America. According to MSNBC.com, our new president-elect’s image is being recognized at the U.S Presidential Gallery in the Smithsonian Institution Museum. The memorable red, white, and blue collage which illustrates his portrait and the uplifting message “Hope” will be the picture selected to hang in the historical art gallery. This visage which became famous throughout the country during his presidential campaign will be presented and hung the same day that Barack Obama is inaugurated president.
The U.S National Portrait Gallery is a permanent art collection full of the presidents who have served in the past. Normally, the president’s portrait isn’t displayed there until after he has served his term and is no longer the president. Since he has made history by being elected the first African-American U.S. President he will have the opportunity to not only display his campaign portrait in the gallery, but also another portrait at the end of his term as president. In the article it declared that Barack Obama is the first U.S President to have his portrait displayed in the gallery before his term has ended or begun.
January 20^th marks the date when American history will be made and ‘Change’ will begin, and a new “Hope” will be brought to America.

Every Vote Counts

Every Vote Counts

Oftentimes during an election, particularly the presidential election you will hear these common phrases: “There is no point in voting this year because my vote doesn’t matter”;“I won’t be voting this year because I’m too busy and it’s always so crowded when I go to vote”;or the casual “I don’t care about it”. Whether the election is state, local, or nationwide every single vote counts.

Voting is important because it lets us exercise our right to choose. Since we have the freedom to choose we need to exercise that ability and use it to our advantage. If we don’t take advantage of the rights we have then the battles of our forefathers would have been in vain. Women, youth, and under represented groups fought hard for the right to vote. This nation’s government was designed for citizen participation therefore not using our right to include our opinion in the nation’s status is like an insult to the forefathers. Besides, voting is one of the vast ways our opinions can be expressed, and if it is used wisely it can benefit our country in ways other things cannot.
Voting is important because the president elect determines the future of our country. Since the next leader of our country makes the decisions it is important to choose the right candidate. It is he who represents the country as a whole. The goals of the country are represented and put into action by the president, therefore it is extremely important to weigh the determining qualities of the candidates and make a decision based off of their opinions on issues, not the biased views of their T.V. commercials or the gossip from an unreliable source. Similarly to the famous Shakespearean play, Macbeth, if there is a wrong leader the wrong things can happen. Although, it may not be near as extreme as the plagues put upon the country until a new leader took the throne, it is still extremely important to choose the right leader.

Imagine a world where there were no other opinions and we all thought the same. Imagine a place where there were no contentions among people, the economy, and everything around was perfect. It sounds like heaven, right? I thought so. However, I would like to point out that there weren’t other opinions or imperfections, for that matter, then there would be no need to have elections or an opinion at all because all of us would be brain washed robots. Our opinion is our inalienable right and since we have the freedom to express it it shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Since the Electoral College System is a major influence on the next president-elect some people believe that their votes are simply being tossed out the window and into the hands of Congress to make the decision, therefore making their vote a waste. However, that statement is only true if they don’t vote because most states have a ‘winner-take-all’ system, therefore, making each vote important. Each vote can make a difference. It has also been argued that the Electoral College is “inherently un-democratic”, and gives certain states unbalanced clouts for the President and Vice President. That may be true, however, the electoral college is an important and unique feature of the federal system, and it protects the rights of the smaller states.

Choosing not to vote because you don’t care, think the lines are too crowded or other reasons in my opinion is not a legitimate reason to not vote. It’s like saying that you are more qualified for the candidates’ position and you don’t care for the status of the country. Dr. Samuel Johnson stated, “Every man has a right to utter what he thinks truth, and every man has a right to knock him down for it.” With that said, voting is a tool in expressing our disagreement or support of a candidate. His outlook will not only affect the country’s opinion, but the world as well, especially once he is elected.

Harry Browne, a presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party declared “We may not always recognize it, but government plays a bigger role in our lives than any other single person or institution. We spend nearly half of our lives working to pay for it. Children spend more time in government schools than they do with their parents. Birth, death, marriage, every area of our lives feels the influence of government. “Since the government has such an influence in our lives we ought to choose the right leaders so that the ‘time’ spent is well spent.

Our privilege to express our opinion freely is something that most places don’t have. It is an inalienable power which we hold and use from day to day from the simple things like: what clothes you wear to how you use your time. Let’s use our opinion to make a difference in our nation. Every vote counts!

Democrats vs. Republicans

The Democrats and the Republicans are the two largest political parties in the United States. Their opinions on all issues are as different as night and day. However, as diverse as their opinions are they surprisingly have some similarities: one, both are ignorant of each other; two, both parties are power hungry; and three, both parties are more concerned about being re-elected than they are about their country’s status.

The first similar item is that both parties are ignorant and quite stubborn of each other. One party is always bickering with another. They seem to be constantly trying to prove to the world who is right, and when they are proven wrong they blame their loss on the opposing party and call it a scandal. They argue over everything from minimum wage to stem cell research. Disagreements are especially present in presidential elections. One candidate is always trying to make the other appear as a negative influence to the country. Rumors are spread, the paparazzi come out, and then sooner or later a possible president’s reputation is ruined. Democrats and Republicans have been bickering like alley cats since the Democrat-Republic Party split in the midst of the Civil War. The only thing they both seem to agree with is that the other party’s opinion is wrong.

The Democrats and Republicans share a significant trait with Prince John (the old wicked king in Robin Hood): both are power hungry. The author of “The Two-Party Political System in the United States” put it this way: “Even if factions occasionally served popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things to become potent engines… cunning, ambitious, and usurp themselves the reins of government”. Not only are they both power hungry, they both lack the confidence to act on their hunger. The only significant time one sees the passionate desire for power from both parties is in the elections. Both parties seek to achieve and uphold government power (particularly over each other). For example, President George W. Bush was elected in 2000. He had a smooth presidential term until the September 11^th terrorist attacks. This put not only the people of the country in disarray, but the president as well. He immediately declared a War on Terrorism and by 2003 invaded Iraq as well. Although, this wasn’t the wisest action most citizens decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. However, the longer the war raged on the more confused and chaotic the economy in America became. Bush started out as a strong “compassionate conservative” and great leader but ended his presidential term as an overwhelmed and puzzled man.

The final similarity is that both parties spend more time trying to get re-elected than they focus on “real” needs of the people and the country. Although, they spend most of the time preparing for defense on a certain issue it seems like their main concern is their own status in the running for president. The country needs a leader who knows the people and understands the conflicts being faced within the land. Without good leadership nothing good can be accomplished. I’m sure that both parties would agree with that statement, but both are more concerned with their status. Willmoore Kendall stated in “The Two Majorities” that “the president is elected by a national majority that is brought together by means of extremely nebulous platitudes and rather meaningless promises. This insubstantial foundation is a necessary condition of American politics because of the extreme diversity and broad range of needs and interests that dominate various sections of the country.”

Differences between parties are keen to the political society. Democrats will always think one way of the world and the Republicans will have theirs. The differences of each party make them unique, and their similarities are what balance them out.

Facing Myself

I finally figured out something about myself that I've never thought of before. I was up all night trying to put my thumb on it, but it finally came to me this morning. I kept looking in the mirror hoping that the longer I looked in the more I would be able to find 'me'. After countless minutes of looking at my reflection I discovered the reason why I've been so insecure: fear. Fear of being accepted, fear of making a fool out of myself, fear that I will offend someone, and fear that I won't like who I am. It's never come so clear to me before now. I was surprised at my reasoning because for years I've lived off the excuse that I'm shy and I accepted that.

Over the years I've wanted to be known as something more than just "the quiet one" of the pack. I've wanted to be confident and fun to be around and satisfied with who I am. For as long as I can remember that goal has always been in mind, but the execution of it has been rough. Beauty pageants never helped to build my self esteem because in the end I would be disappointed in myself. It felt like my best effort just wasn't enough and anything that went wrong afterward I blamed on myself for what happened. The mirror became my worst enemy. I wasn't happy with the reflection I saw. A song by Cherie Call describes how her true self has been dying to come out of the shadows but something inside is stopping her. The lyrics describe exactly how I have felt.



Restless Soul(Cherie Call/Alexander Jenkins)


I think it's time to look inside myself

In truth I think I'm scared of what I'll see

Facing this discrepancy of what I am

And what I want to be

Staring at the mirror with this heartless gaze

I can read between the lines

That go along the forehead of this anxious face

That isn't even mine


chorus

Oh, my restless soul

Trying hard to take control

Worn out from standing still

Knowing what I am and hoping that I can find

A way to make it real

I think it's time to look inside my heart

To face the insecurities I hide

Still it seems so hard to struggle past the gates

That are guarded by my pride

Looking at the self that no one else can see

Maybe it was better to be blind

But the mirror in my hand is seen with different eyes

Reflecting only truth within my mind
(repeat chorus)

What it all comes down to is that I want to like myself for who I am. Its fear that has kept me from showing who I really am. I hope that I can learn to love and accept myself no matter what everyone else thinks of me.