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Michael T. Barrett
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Oct
30
Two weeks ago I wrote about character and how we define our own reputations. Our reputations are based on the shadow cast by our character, but the size and depth of that shadow depends on our own actions, the hardships we’ve faced, and the destiny we forge for ourselves.
We are experts when it comes to our own character and we alone make the choices by which our reputation takes shape. By what measure do we judge another person’s character? What if things are a bit clouded and we can’t see their shadow too clearly? How do we judge their character?
Do we judge another person’s character by their words, actions, and accomplishments? Do we consider their opinions, thoughts, experiences and values? How long does it take to learn the true nature of someone’s character?
I’m sure the answer varies with most people. Sometimes you can judge a person’s character the moment they walk up to you, with others it can take much longer. Character plays a large part in how we interact with each other everyday. From the teenager working at the coffee shop to the seasoned business executive, we interact with people differently based on our perception of their character. You would most likely hesitate doing business with someone who had a bad reputation, and you would probably avoid taking stock tips from a bum sitting on a park bench.
Shouldn’t we take character into account when choosing the next President of the United States?
Sphere: Related ContentOct
28
During 2007 so many names had been tossed into the ring for the Presidential election that there were enough candidates in the race to field an entire baseball game between the Democrats and the Republicans. The number of names was staggering, and the lineups included some major players from both parties. By the end of 2007, this election cycle promised to be quite exciting, if anything because of the sheer number of people involved.
It was no surprise that so many names would be tossed around, as this is the first presidential election since 1952 where neither the incumbent nor the vice-president were the presumptive nominee from their respective party. Everyone was looking for a horse in the race.
The Democrat menagerie included Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Al Gore, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Joseph Biden, Christopher Dodd, Tom Vilsack, Dennis Kucinich, and Mike Gravel. The herd of Republicans included Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, Newt Gingrich, John McCain, Ron Paul, Mike Huckabee, Sam Brownback, Tommy Thompson, Tom Tancredo, Duncan Hunter and Jim Gilmore.
Some of these players never announced they were running in the first place (like Al Gore and Newt Gingrich) and most of the others dropped out before the American people even had a chance to vote for them. It’s safe to say that in the beginning of this election cycle, the names were plentiful but our choices were indeed few.
Sphere: Related ContentOct
26
A Constitutional Conundrum
Category: Our Nation | Comments Off | 671 words | Print
I’m sure, by now, many of you are familiar with the preamble of the U.S. Constitution. For those of you who may not live in America, or those who simply may not remember it, let’s refresh our memories.
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
We the people… A simple three word phrase (yes Mr. Biden, just three) that defines the very foundation of the laws and principles our country was founded on. The United States of America is the people. It was founded of the people, by the people, for the people. Without the people, there would be no United States.
Our Constitution is a living, breathing document which sets forth the guidelines by which all of our subsequent laws are based. We know who writes the laws, who passes the laws, and who interprets the laws, but exactly who has standing to uphold our Constitution? Is that a power limited to the courts, our Congress, or our President? Shouldn’t we, the people, have the right to question the constitutionality of a matter? Apparently not.
Sphere: Related ContentOct
24
In 11 days we will be choosing the next President of the United States. Well, we won’t be choosing him, the Electoral College will be choosing him, but they will do so based on our votes from state to state.
Doesn’t it seem like the candidates have been campaigning for four years or so? No, it couldn’t be that long, because four years ago, Barack Obama said he wasn’t qualified to serve as President. He said he was a firm believer that you need to know what you are doing when you apply for a job, and that he would have to start running for President right then and there before ever serving a day in the Senate. I think that’s exactly what he did, don’t you?
I have election fatigue. I am tired of it all. I am tired of turning on the television in the morning and hearing about the polls. I am tired of turning on the television or the radio, only to be inundated with ads. But most of all, I am tired of the political double-speak.
I am tired of hearing one thing and seeing another. I am tired of listening to Barack Obama say something about his plans, only to read those plans myself and learn they are completely different than he said they were in his speech.
Sphere: Related ContentOct
22
I voted today, and I must say, it was quite an enjoyable experience. Early voting is definitely the way to go because it allows you to avoid the long lines on election day. We were in and out in about 10 minutes. The election staff was very courteous, and enjoyed the visit as much as our three sons, who we took with us so they could observe the whole process.
We arrived at around 3:30, so we would avoid the lunch crowd and get back home before the rush hour crowd ever showed up. As we entered the early voting site, there were notices plastered everywhere. Some mentioned the law about campaigning a certain distance from the location, others informed staff of the location for “poll observer” training which sounds like it would be fun, and one such notice was posted on a board for everyone to read and included a statement about Georgia voter identification and United States citizenship requirements. It turns out, after years of fighting over the Georgia Voter I.D. law, there is a new twist that has liberal panties in wad all over again.
Democrats argued for two years that instituting a voter identification law in Georgia would disenfranchise “poor, elderly, and minority” voters. That was b.s. and everyone knew it, but they still fought it. Why wouldn’t you want to validate the election by verifying the identify of the voters? It just didn’t make sense.
Sphere: Related ContentOct
20
Politics can make people do crazy things. Just look at the events of the past year and you have all the evidence you need that you have to be out of your ever-loving mind to seek the office of President of the United States.
Running for office makes you say things you would otherwise never say, it makes you do things you would never dream of doing, and it makes you wish you could remember all the bad things you have done before the press finds out about them.
It all starts with the primaries, where things start out quite civil but turn nasty real quick. Then, before too long, you find yourself praising the very people you were denouncing as satan worshippers just a few months earlier in the campaign.
If you make it past the primaries, things get even more insane. In fact, the best you can do is hold on tight and enjoy the ride.
There’s an old saying that you can’t win if you don’t play. When you’re running for President of the United States you cannot win if you don’t campaign. You must play the game. If you aren’t willing to go out there and give it your all, you’re just not going to win. In fact, if you don’t get your name out there, you will never have a chance, no matter how insane you are.
Sphere: Related ContentOct
19
In just over two weeks we will be electing the next President of the United States. The person we elect should be a person of great integrity with a strong ethical backbone. He or she should have a strong reputation for being honest and be known to exercise good judgement. We the people owe it to ourselves and this great country of ours to do the right thing when it comes to choosing the next occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
In the past, we have been misled and some of our nation’s great leaders have not done so well in office. I am not talking about Woodrow Wilson’s sudden engagement to Edith Galt, or Grover Cleveland’s illegitimate son. None of the “affairs” interest me, it’s the scandals that fascinate me. Whether it was Ulysses S. Grant with the Credit Mobilier Scandal or The Whiskey Ring, we are reminded that not all presidencies are the same. Some are filled with honest and integrity, while others are filled with lying, cheating, scandals, and crime.
I will admit that there are quite a few things I do not know. I don’t know why William Henry Harrison walked the street during his inauguration, which led to him dying from pneumonia just 30 days later. It escapes me why men wore wigs in the old days, or why women wore so many layers of cloth everyday. I cannot explain where the weapons of mass destruction are hidden, and I have no idea why corruption and politics always seem to go hand in hand, but it seems as if they are attracted to each other.
When it comes to choosing our next President, however, I do know who we shouldn’t be voting for.
Sphere: Related ContentOct
18
Back on October 10th, one of our local news channels ran a story about a “shocking” Halloween display in Woodstock, Georgia. As the story aired, I watched as WSB-TV tried to portray Melissa Neese, the woman responsible for creating the display, as a racist because her Halloween display depicted John McCain and Barack Obama with a skeleton standing behind Mr. Obama.
At the time, I felt that Ashley Hayes, the reporter covering the story, should have told the whole story. She should have remained objective, but fell far short. She could have emphasized the fact that Mrs. Neese was not yet finished with the display, but she didn’t. It was Mrs. Neese who said, “I was gunna put Hillary up but I hadn’t got to her yet”, but Hayes didn’t address that truth until the end of the report when most peoples perception of Mrs. Neese had already been made.
Ashley Hayes is a seasoned journalist with a good reputation covering general news stories and investigative pieces, so why would she attempt to portray Mrs. Neese in this light?
Sphere: Related ContentOct
16
No matter what you did when you were younger, and no matter how you got where you are today, you are forever known by your character and principles. Whether you’re working at a diner on 57th, folding clothes at the local laundromat, or working a white collar job on Wall Street, over the course of your life your character defines you and your principles guide you.
If you look up the definition of character you will find that it is ‘the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing’. Your character is defined by your moral or ethical quality. You have a choice whether or not to build a strong character or to simply let it all go. While your character defines you, you are still the writer of that definition.
When I was a teenager I could have fallen in with the ‘wrong crowd’. There was plenty of temptation and I had ample opportunity, but I didn’t. I chose not too. I chose not to associate with people that would have been a detriment to my character. Although it affected my reputation in school, it’s a choice I have appreciated making ever since.
Sphere: Related ContentOct
15
Like most political junkies, I recorded tonight’s debate. I record all of them so I can go back and review what each candidate said when I am researching the truth behind their answers.
It was clear, barely halfway through the debate, that I was going to have my work cut out for me this time. Both candidates did pretty well, but there were “issues” for each one of them.
John McCain did an outstanding job tonight calling out Barack Obama by clearly and decisively pointing out the flaws in Mr. Obama’s policies, and more importantly, his character. I was a little shocked when Mr. McCain referred to Sarah Palin’s experience with autism, when I think he meant to say Down Syndrome. I can’t figure out how he confused the two.
Barack Obama seemed to be on the defensive most of the night. He seemed taken aback by some of the facts John McCain threw his way, and looked a little on edge when ‘Joe, The Plumber‘ was discussed. He seemed tired and answered a few questions with nothing but deliberate innuendo and political mumbo jumbo. He even lied about a couple of issues that are very well documented (in the mainstream press as well as blogs).
Mr. Obama claimed that 100% of McCain’s ads have been negative, but that is false. All you have to do is watch the ad that followed Mr. Obama’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention to know that.
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