Yesterday, I went to the Binns Lecture at William Jewell College and I was appalled to say the least. The man spoke for about 2 hours and all that it consisted of was how much of an oppressed nation we live in. "White Supremacy" is what kept being reiterated throughout his entire speech. But it made me think how exactly "people of color" are being oppressed.
While I was sitting their pondering the oppressing of blacks in this day and age The man gave an analysis that sent my head spinning and my eye twitching. He said that just as Christ was hanged from a tree, so were blacks hanged from the limbs of trees. My ears opened wider and my eyes focused. There is no way that a black theologian man just said that.
Stupid me, I thought that if you went to Seminary school then you must be....Christian? or Jewish? or something? My head was reeling. I had to misunderstand that comment. There was just no way that someone could stand on the pulpit in from of hundred of college students, faculty and staff at a Christian college and say that. But my ears did not deceive me. He went on to say that Christ on the cross is to Christians that Lynchings are to Blacks.
This caused me to breakdown the comparisons. 1) They were both charged with no crime, I can conceded that. 2) They were both executed as a public show. 3) They both show some sort of heroic image. But here is the difference as the very maximum those that were hung in front of whites died for their fellow blacks, but CHRIST died for ALL people. Christ died for everyone. We are all his children, no matter what, black, brown, white, red, yellow, blue...he didn't care. His death was NEEDED so that we may LIVE.
Please give me a handful of black people that believe that Christ and a hanged black man are on the same level. I'm waiting, let me see it.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Funniest Internet Video of the Day
I stumbled across this on my status updates and I just had to share it. Every now and then you see lists of the top ten videos on internet, but they get outdated fast. So why not do one for everyday?
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Health Care Debate
There has been a lot of debate recently about Obama's Health Care Plan and I would like to state my opinions and see if anyone would like to give their input.
Here is my understanding of what the plan actually does:
The plan is a two tier system. It will require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions and will offer subsidies to those who cannot afford to pay their premiums.
There are 45 million people that live in the United States that are currently without health care and with the passing of this plan Health care will now be made available to them no matter what pre-existing condition they may have.
The National Health Insurance Exchange that will include both private and public affordable health plans emulated on benefits available to members of Congress. There is no plan like this that is in the United States.
The plan also includes a government health tax credit to small business owners who provide insurance to their employees. Obama promises that small business will not be burdened by this plan and can receive up to 50% tax back from their health insurance plans.
Obama hopes that for people that still want to stick with privatized insurance plans that they will receive lower premiums at an upwards value of $2,500 a year.
To pay for this $50-$65 billion plan Obama plans to roll back Bush tax cuts for citizens earning more than $250,000 a year.
Here is the problem with the plan...It is government run. Although Obama says that he is just trying to make privatized insurance companies more "honest" it is going to be hard for the privatized companies to compete with the government run health care plan.
Lets say worse case scenario everyone dumps their privatized health insurance coverages and switches to government. Those people with worse conditions will bring down the system. It is an endless death trap and the cost for this plan is just going to go up.
We already have a plan like this MEDICARE. It is a failing old policy. Right now it is hard for the people that have spend the past 50 years of their lives paying for that money that they were entitled to and where is that money for the next generation? Gone.
Whenever you bring the government into something it is already doomed to fail.
Here is my understanding of what the plan actually does:
The plan is a two tier system. It will require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions and will offer subsidies to those who cannot afford to pay their premiums.
There are 45 million people that live in the United States that are currently without health care and with the passing of this plan Health care will now be made available to them no matter what pre-existing condition they may have.
The National Health Insurance Exchange that will include both private and public affordable health plans emulated on benefits available to members of Congress. There is no plan like this that is in the United States.
The plan also includes a government health tax credit to small business owners who provide insurance to their employees. Obama promises that small business will not be burdened by this plan and can receive up to 50% tax back from their health insurance plans.
Obama hopes that for people that still want to stick with privatized insurance plans that they will receive lower premiums at an upwards value of $2,500 a year.
To pay for this $50-$65 billion plan Obama plans to roll back Bush tax cuts for citizens earning more than $250,000 a year.
Here is the problem with the plan...It is government run. Although Obama says that he is just trying to make privatized insurance companies more "honest" it is going to be hard for the privatized companies to compete with the government run health care plan.
Lets say worse case scenario everyone dumps their privatized health insurance coverages and switches to government. Those people with worse conditions will bring down the system. It is an endless death trap and the cost for this plan is just going to go up.
We already have a plan like this MEDICARE. It is a failing old policy. Right now it is hard for the people that have spend the past 50 years of their lives paying for that money that they were entitled to and where is that money for the next generation? Gone.
Whenever you bring the government into something it is already doomed to fail.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Mourn Michael Jackson?
It is amazing that there have been three people that have died this week; Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, and Michael Jackson. But who do we remember? Who have I heard music from on the radio for the past 24 hours? Oh yes. Michael Jackson. I think that his early songs are ok. Thriller, let it be a classic, but besides that I don’t see the big deal. No one really listened to him until he died. I know the rule of honor the dead, but some people do not deserve that honor. Here is a man that bleached his skin, was America’s poster creeper, hung his kids over balconies, ran himself 500 billion dollars in debt and brought only boys to his “Neverland” home and now we are praising the life that he lived. Has America truly gone crazy? Just thinking of this “man” makes my stomach sick. What has he done to earn this honor? Where in his life as he earned his respect? With the moonwalk? The groin grabs? These are the historical dance moves that we need to be praising. You know what; I will even give America the benefit of the doubt, and let’s say that you truly are only celebrating the death of a good entertainer, not the death of Michael Jackson the person. If that was the case then that entertainer died a long time ago. The little boy Michael that danced his last song when he was actually his true color is dead. He has been dead for a long time. The time to praise that long lost performer is gone and you should have mourned a long, long time ago.
The Michael Jackson that died a few days ago is a child molester. Even if you do not believe that he molested those innocent boys; you should believe that the situation alone, the situation that he put them in is entirely inappropriate. Why would these children make up a story that they were molested? Their mother’s made them think that? Seriously? That is the best reason that Michael or America can come up with? What would these people have to gain? More money? Didn’t Michael already give them that? What mother would put them their child through that torture? Or better yet, what mothers would put their children through that torture? Here is a man that just looks like a freak, a man that has always had childhood problems, is immature and brings children into an unacceptable environment and you believe him over the children?
Picture this. It is 1 am and a teenage girl just got off her shift at working at a restaurant. She has to walk down an ally to get home. She is alone and awake at this time. There is a man in the ally, she passes him, but doesn’t talk to him. She tries to ignore him and quickens her pace. The man pursues her. Her heart beats faster. Her pace turns into a full run. The man is strong, way stronger than her. No adrenaline rush could force this man off of her. She yells for help but to no avail. The man already has a criminal record. He rapes her in that ally and leaves her for dead. The next morning she if found barely breathing. She tells the police of the crime, but they do not believe her. They cannot find the man. There is no overwhelming proof. Was she asking for it? She must be just looking for attention, right? So her word means nothing and the man walks free pouring his great evil on his unsuspecting victims. Has justice been served? Doesn’t this man’s criminal record alone at least give her the benefit of the doubt? What about that feeling in the very pit of your stomach that knows that she is telling the truth? Has that feeling just shut off for Michael Jackson’s case? I think that there are many questions as not only an American, but a person of higher morals and ideals that we all need to be asking ourselves. In a country that prides itself on being a better nation, what has happened?
bnh4urq9p3
The Michael Jackson that died a few days ago is a child molester. Even if you do not believe that he molested those innocent boys; you should believe that the situation alone, the situation that he put them in is entirely inappropriate. Why would these children make up a story that they were molested? Their mother’s made them think that? Seriously? That is the best reason that Michael or America can come up with? What would these people have to gain? More money? Didn’t Michael already give them that? What mother would put them their child through that torture? Or better yet, what mothers would put their children through that torture? Here is a man that just looks like a freak, a man that has always had childhood problems, is immature and brings children into an unacceptable environment and you believe him over the children?
Picture this. It is 1 am and a teenage girl just got off her shift at working at a restaurant. She has to walk down an ally to get home. She is alone and awake at this time. There is a man in the ally, she passes him, but doesn’t talk to him. She tries to ignore him and quickens her pace. The man pursues her. Her heart beats faster. Her pace turns into a full run. The man is strong, way stronger than her. No adrenaline rush could force this man off of her. She yells for help but to no avail. The man already has a criminal record. He rapes her in that ally and leaves her for dead. The next morning she if found barely breathing. She tells the police of the crime, but they do not believe her. They cannot find the man. There is no overwhelming proof. Was she asking for it? She must be just looking for attention, right? So her word means nothing and the man walks free pouring his great evil on his unsuspecting victims. Has justice been served? Doesn’t this man’s criminal record alone at least give her the benefit of the doubt? What about that feeling in the very pit of your stomach that knows that she is telling the truth? Has that feeling just shut off for Michael Jackson’s case? I think that there are many questions as not only an American, but a person of higher morals and ideals that we all need to be asking ourselves. In a country that prides itself on being a better nation, what has happened?
bnh4urq9p3
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Philosophy?
So lately all of my classes have been overlapping....Political Theory and Rhetoric are the two that seem to be taught off of the same syllabus. But something that has really been making me scratch my head are the thoughts of the early Orators and philosophers. We are supposed to be thinking outside of the box. Not conforming to society and coming up with our own ideas. What is real? What is happiness?
For example, there is a big difference between the Sophists and the Philosophers. Despite the many differences between the two I will hit on one of the big ones. The Sophists believe that you should learn something that you can actually use such as math. They also where traveling philosophers more or less and taught for money. But Philosophers like Socrates believed that you should teach all that there is to know whether you will end up using it or not and he never cut a profit.
Now here is where my questions begin. As I was driving in my car back from dropping off a friend I realized that I did not know what happiness was. I know what happiness feels like, or do I? Do you think that happiness is just defined but what society we are in? For there is not one blanket definition of happiness. I know that I feel good when I eat a chocolate brownie but for some people there might not be any happiness in that. Maybe you are allergic to chocolate and you break out in hives. Hell I don't know. But besides all that the Philosophers then try to define happiness for me. But isn't that just the opposite of what they are suppose to do. Are they not suppose to let me define it for myself.
Next question. While all of this discovering my true self, learning new things and thinking outside the box is all well and good. What is the ultimate purpose of this? I do not mean to be a Sophist but what are my limits. Is not our whole basic purpose in the world to be born, make babies and die. Is there more to life than that? In the end do you not serve a real purpose if you do not make an invention that carries down and even then is not the man who made the skateboard forgotten? Or what about the man who made the VHS player. Is it not a matter of time until you are forgotten?
For example, there is a big difference between the Sophists and the Philosophers. Despite the many differences between the two I will hit on one of the big ones. The Sophists believe that you should learn something that you can actually use such as math. They also where traveling philosophers more or less and taught for money. But Philosophers like Socrates believed that you should teach all that there is to know whether you will end up using it or not and he never cut a profit.
Now here is where my questions begin. As I was driving in my car back from dropping off a friend I realized that I did not know what happiness was. I know what happiness feels like, or do I? Do you think that happiness is just defined but what society we are in? For there is not one blanket definition of happiness. I know that I feel good when I eat a chocolate brownie but for some people there might not be any happiness in that. Maybe you are allergic to chocolate and you break out in hives. Hell I don't know. But besides all that the Philosophers then try to define happiness for me. But isn't that just the opposite of what they are suppose to do. Are they not suppose to let me define it for myself.
Next question. While all of this discovering my true self, learning new things and thinking outside the box is all well and good. What is the ultimate purpose of this? I do not mean to be a Sophist but what are my limits. Is not our whole basic purpose in the world to be born, make babies and die. Is there more to life than that? In the end do you not serve a real purpose if you do not make an invention that carries down and even then is not the man who made the skateboard forgotten? Or what about the man who made the VHS player. Is it not a matter of time until you are forgotten?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)