Several months ago on NPR I was listening to a conversation about immigration and health care. One woman said something to the effect of, " I think it is a joke that people who aren't even citizens of this country can get on Medicaid. I don't want any of my tax dollars going towards those people."

I've been stewing over this comment for several weeks and seeing as yesterday was Human Rights Day here in the US I decided that it was a good time to put words to my thoughts.

First of all this woman's comment made me really angry. I realize that there are people, citizens and non-citizens, who take advantage of the welfare system but I think that majority of the people who are using the resources really need them. In my opinion things like education, decent housing, food, and adequate health care are basic human rights that every person, regardless of citizenship status, nationality, language or ability is entitled to have. I believe it is our responsibility as fellow human beings, and children of God, to make sure that others have the same opportunities that we do and aren't denied basic human rights because of poverty or nationality.

Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says:

• Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
• (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

...that yesterday the president of the country with the world's largest military, who is waging 2 foreign wars, and not even a week ago announced a troop increase in Afghanistan, just accepted the Nobel Peace Prize?

The Nobel committee explained the award by saying that President Obama has, "...captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population." Yet it just seems a bit premature to give such an prestigious and lofty award to someone who is just a hope for peace, but hasn't actually done a whole lot to do it.

Don't get me wrong. I like our President. I respect him as a leader and as a man. I just don't understand what he has done that is on par with what other Nobel Prize winners like Muhammad Yunus, Médecins Sans Frontières, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu or Mother Teresa have done.

...I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: Evil does exist in the world. A nonviolent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism -- it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason."

My brother told me that he would start reading my blog more if I wrote more about political things-- I guess birth just isn't his type of politics :) --- so in an attempt to get my brother to read my blog here is my most recent political thought.

A few days (or was it weeks) ago I was making dinner and listening to NPR talk about Hillary Clinton's first trip over seas as Secretary of State for the United States. As I listened to Mrs. Clinton talk about her trip to Asia and her upcoming plans for creating peace in the Middle East I was struck with a profound thought! I realized that the last three Secretaries of State the US has had have been women (with the exception of Colin Powell's 4 year service). Madeline Albright, under the Clinton administration, was the first ever woman to hold the position of Secretary of State. Then came Colin Powell, who served under George W. Bush for his first term before resigning. He was replaced by Condeleeza Rice, the first black woman to hold that high of government office. And now we have another woman, Hillary Clinton, leading our diplomatic corps.

Why you ask do I think this is significant? Well I think it is significant because the Secretary of State leads the State Department which is responsible for handling all US foreign relations. The main purposes of the State Department are protecting US interest abroad and preventing conflict and wars through diplomacy and friendship. Basically, the State Department is the closest thing the US has to a Department of Peace (which several other industrialized countries have), aiming to prevent conflicts through non-violent methods. In my opinion the Secretary of State has one of the most important jobs in the US government and one of the hardest.

I think it is VERY significant that three women have been chosen to be the US's ambassador of peace and friendship to the world. That in a time of war and unrest, we put our confidence in a woman to heal broken relationships, mend old wounds, and forge new friendships. The US might not be ready to have a woman president, but has great confidence in a woman's ability to create peace through non-violent means. I think that is significant. In my last two years of college I was an assistant to a professor who was studying women's involvement in peace and peace education for children. I did hours and hours of research on peace movements and programs around the world and it was AMAZING to me to see how many peace movements around the world are spearheaded by women-- especially mothers. Women from all parts of the world, those at war and those enjoying peace, have organized themselves to promote peace. There are many peace organizations led by men as well, but those tend to be big formal programs, whereas the women's programs were more small scale and grassroots. I think this is fascinating, because women almost always suffer the most from war and violence and have the most to loose. The artist is the only one who truly knows how much a masterpiece is worth, and if it is destroyed he is the one who grieves the most. A human life is a masterpiece and women are the artists, when life is destroyed women know the true cost.

So, despite whoever she is or what political decisions she makes, I think it is wonderful that we have a woman as our Secretary of State-- our ambassador for peace and non-violence. Also, think about what a wonderful example it is to other nations, especially those that don't give women basic human rights, that in the most difficult matters of diplomacy, negations and peace the US puts its trust in the capabilities of a woman. I wonder if when Madeline Albright blazed this path for women, some foreign leaders had a hard time "condescending" to sit down and negotiate political affairs with a woman? I wonder how the fact that the Secretary of State is a woman changes the style and feel of political talks, or if doesn't make a difference? I wonder.

So Drew, my brother o' pal, that was my political thought. Now you have to leave a comment. :)

Last week Asher and I watched the inauguration of President Obama-- I thought he should be present for such a momentous event even though he was much too young to have a clue what was going on-- And while the whole inauguration was beautiful and inspiring, I especially loved the musical number which was played right before the President took the oath of office, Air and Simple Gifts by John Williams, performed by Yo Yo Ma on the cello, Itzhak Perlman on the violin, Gabriela Montero on the piano and Anthony McGill on the clarinet. (And just as a note-- they "lip-synched" the whole piece because it was too cold outside for their instruments to be tuned properly.)



I simply LOVED this piece, it was amazingly beautiful and it pierced me to my soul. I think it perfectly captured the beauty, the peace, the grandeur, and the significance of America transferring power peacefully to the our first black president. We really take it for granted what a miracle it is that every 4 or 8 years we turn control of the most powerful nation on the earth over to opposing parties with absolutely NO VIOLENCE. In a world that is rife with political turmoil, it is really quite remarkable and is a tribute to our nation.

Even a week later, this music is still lingering in my mind and my heart. It seems incredible to me that there was once a time when blacks and whites went to different schools or when they couldn't even drink out of the same drinking faucets. I can't imagine a world like that. And it makes me SO grateful that my son will think it incredible that there was once a world where the idea of a black man becoming president seemed impossible. Hopefully he will never know a world where someone is discriminated against for the color of their skin. I loved the part of his speech where President Obama said something about 60 years ago he wouldn't have been allowed to sit in a diner with white people, and now he is President of the United States. What an amazing change in so relatively short a time, it gives me hope that in another 60 years we will have made many more such positive changes.

That is what this song captured for me, the beauty and the peace of HOPE. The hope that the world can be better place and that it can be kind, loving, and just. I can't help but wonder what other changes will happen throughout my son's lifetime. What other "miracles" will happen that I can't even imagine? Even though the world may get darker, I have faith in the good and that it will increasingly get brighter. I hope you enjoy this music as much as I do.

I am having a dilemma. Jon's uncle, a staunch Democrat, gave us an Obama sign to put up in our front yard. Jon wants to put it up, but I don't know how I feel about it. After watching the debates I am leaning A LOT more towards the Democrats than the Republican on issues like the Iraq war, the economy, the environment, and health care. I think I could almost put up the sign, except that I don't agree with the Democrat's attitude towards abortion and gay marriage. These are BIG hang ups for me. I don't identify strongly with either party, but the problem I am having with the Republicans is that while they say they have different stances on abortion and gay marriage, they did nothing about changing them when they had control of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial (the majority of Supreme Court Justices are conservative) branches!

I feel kind of trapped. It is like I have a great big yummy sugar cookie (my vote) to give away, but my only choices are two VERY naughty and lying boys. Frustrating.

While what you say may or may not change my opinions, or convince me to put up the sign. I am VERY interested in what other people are thinking about this election. So, if you are a strongly for McCain, I'd LOVE to hear why, and if you are strongly for Obama I'd LOVE to hear why. If you aren't strong either way, I'd LOVE to hear why. OR if you just don't know and have given up all hope-- I'll agree with you and we can move to Canada together:)

Side note: Oh, and if you want to see how some people are making their decision about which boy to vote for, google Obama (no apostrophe) and then click on images and see the first picture that comes up-- PLEEESE, GIVE ME A BREAK!

I posted a comment similar to this on a friend's blog the other day, and since then I've been thinking a lot about the issue and wanted to say more.

In the last week there has been a lot of talk about Sarah Palin and her qualifications for becoming the VP of the United States. One of the harshest criticisms brought against her is that her teenage daughter is pregnant, insinuating that because of her career she has been a negligent mother. There are also cocerns that if she is VP she won't have time for her family, namely her baby with down syndrome.

While I have personally made the choice to stay home full-time with my baby, I beleive that what a woman decideds about working outside of the home is a VERY personal choice. It a matter that is between her, God, and her family. No one else has the right to judge her decision. I beleive that having mothers in the home is VERY important and I belieive the words of modern prophets that state "Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of thier children." Yet I also beleive that God has different plans for us all, and he gives us different opportutnies in order to fulfil what he wants us to do on this earth.

We owe so much to mothers who balanced demanding public careers and offices with demanding family obligations. Without these mothers we wouldn't have the right to vote, public schools, mental health care, the Red Cross, unions, and numerous other social and political organziations that have improved and enriched the lives of American families. I beleive that there is a place for women, especially mothers, in the public sphere and that mothers have a responisbilty to be activly involved in shaping their communites and nations. Just because a woman works outside of the home doesn't mean that she will be a worse mother, or that she is neglecting her family responsibilities.

True, a woman can't have it all at once. When you choose to stay home you miss out on certain public and social expericnces, and likewise when you have a career you miss out on home and family experiences. The great irony of the sitation is, that women are critized for making either decison. Women who stay at home have defend their position just as much as women who have careers; and often times they feel guilty no matter which choice they make. That really bothers me! There isn't one right way to be a mother, and different things are right for different families.

I don't think it is fair to make judgements about Sarah Palin's decision to have a demanding public career. Just because it isn't what you or your family have chosen to do, doesn't mean that it isn't what is right for her and for her family. True, she and her family will have to sacrafice some things, but that decision is between them and God. It will be hard, and I think they need our support more than they need our critisim.